Address Service Requested Time Sensitive Material Voice of the Worldwide Vedanta Movement Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid 2716 broadway east Seattle, WA seattle wa 98102-3909 Permit #2419 Summer 2009 Vol. XIV, No. 3 Address Service Requested The expiring issue of your subscription is printed at the top of the mailing label In this Issue: • The Swami and Thomas, Dialogue II • Shanti Ashrama—The Beginning • Swami Vivekananda in Melrose and much more… Editor-in-chief Swami Bhaskarananda Editors Allen R. Freedman summEr 2009 Vol. xiV, No. 3 Stafford Smith Editorial Assistant Devra Freedman Production/Design/Artwork Charles Mathias Brahmachari David Kathleen Teague This Issue Scott Wirth 2 The Swami and Thomas, Dialogue II Advertising/Business Assistant Swami Avikarananda 3 The Final Examination—A True Life Story Editorial and Business Offices 4 Shanti Ashrama—The Beginning 2716 Broadway East Seattle, WA 98102-3909 6 Swami Vivekananda in Melrose Phone: 206-323-1228 Fax: 206-329-1791 9 Muscular Vedanta: A Nightmare E-mail: [email protected] Global Vedanta, Issue #53 (ISSN 1089-6902) ©2009 Viveka Press. All rights reserved. Repro- duction of any portion of Global Vedanta without Departments the express written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The opinions expressed by the contribu- 1 Letters tors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Global 11 In Memoriam Vedanta is published quarterly for us $12.00/year in the U.S.A.; us $14.00/year in Canada & Mexico; 12 Humor—The Spice of Life us $18.00/year in all other countries. 13 Poets’ Corner 14 Vedanta News from Around the World Viveka Press, the publisher of Global Vedanta, is the publishing arm of the Vedanta Society of Western 16 Book Review Washington, a non-profit corporation founded in 16 About the Contributors 1941. The Society gratefully accepts tax-deductible contributions and bequests to assist its efforts to publicize various aspects of Vedanta with special Cover: The meditation cabin at Shanti Ashrama. The cabin was constructed emphasis on its teaching of the harmony of all religions. All editorial and pre-press work on Global under the direction of Swami Turiyananda, a disciple of Sri Ra- Vedanta is provided on a voluntary basis. makrishna, in October 1900. Shanti Ashrama, the first retreat of President Swami Bhaskarananda the Vedanta Society of Northern California, is a 160 acre property Board of Directors gifted to the society by Minnie Boock. See article on page 4. Chairman Mr. Stafford Smith Photograph by Pravrajika Dharmaprana. Vice-Chairman Dr. Anadijiban Das Treasurer Dr. Allen R. Freedman Secretary Mr. Charles S. Wirth Directors Swami Avikarananda, Mrs. Rita Das, Mr. John E. Flynn, Swami Manishananda, Mr. Charles Mathias, Dr. Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, Br. Pavitrachaitanya, Dr. Usha Sankrithi Emeriti Dr. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Darbari Lal Sharma LETTERS th CORRECTION well-known 19 century monks: monks don’t go near females,” he told Tan- In Global Vedanta, Spring 2009 Tanzan and Ekido were once traveling zan, “especially not young and lovely ones. It Swami Vandanananda’s name was together down a muddy road. A heavy rain is dangerous. Why did you do that?” misspelled in the first letter. was still falling. “I left the girl there,” said Tanzan. “Are Coming around a bend, they met a lovely you still carrying her?” Just a brief note of appreciation for girl in a silk kimono and sash, unable to cross —Roy Petschauer Allen Freedman’s article, The Difference a the intersection. Seattle, Washington Letter Makes, in the most recent edition “Come on, girl,” said Tanzan at once. of Global Vedanta. It was well written and Lifting her in his arms, he carried her over I received my Global Vedanta magazine his point well made. The article reminded the mud and set her down on the other side. today and thought the cover was stunning. me of a story, which appeared in Zen Ekido did not speak again until that What a beautiful picture of a camellia. Flesh, Zen Bones complied by Paul Reps. night when they reached a lodging temple. —Carol Goldstein The story recounts the experience of two Then he no longer could restrain himself. “We Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Vol. xiV, No. 3 GLOBAl VEDANTA 1 the swami and thomas, dialogue ii by swami bhaskarananda (An imaginary dialogue between a existing there! to accommodate youth in your perfect Swami and a gentleman named Thomas at To get rid of the third kind of suffer- suffering-free world. a branch center of the Ramakrishna Order in ing, it will be best for you if there is no Adulthood entails earning money in the United States of America. The first dia- God. But if God, who is your creator, a terribly competitive world, finding logue in this series can be found in the spring doesn’t exist, you won’t exist either. a spouse to raise a family, adjusting 2009 issue of Global Vedanta.) So, it seems, your perfect world will to that spouse, bringing up children, either be a very lonely world, or a great and so on. Certainly it is not a period void only. devoid of suffering. Therefore, in your Topic: The world created by God is not Thomas: I see your points, Swami. Looks perfect suffering-free world you can’t perfect. Can we create a better world? like from your scriptural point of view afford to accommodate adulthood Thomas: Thanks for seeing me again, I can’t really create a perfect world. either. Swami. My last meeting with you was But I think the scriptures are not And what to speak of your old age! I extremely beneficial to me. This time quite right. For example, in my perfect am sure, I don’t have to describe in any I have come to talk with you about another doubt of mine. Swami: What’s your doubt this time? Thomas: To me it appears that God’s creation is not perfect. I think I could have created a better world. Swami: Do you mean to say that the world that you want to create will be a perfect world? Thomas: Yes, Swami. Swami: Please describe to me that perfect world. Thomas: Well, this world has suffering. In my perfect world there won’t be any suffering. Swami: According to our scriptures there Charles Mathias can be only three kinds of suffering: The first kind of suffering is caused by your own body and mind. This kind of suffering is called in Sanskrit world no one will suffer physically or great detail the physical sufferings and ādhyātmika suffering. mentally. Aside from this, all the living incapacities that you may experience at The second kind of suffering is in- beings will be nonviolent by nature. that time. So, you can count your old flicted on you by other living beings, Also there won’t be any cyclones, tor- age out from the perfect suffering-free human or subhuman. This kind of suf- nadoes, earthquakes, and so on. world of yours as well. fering is called in Sanskrit ādhibautika Swami: As long as you have a body, you Thus, it appears to me, that in your suffering. have to go through your childhood, suffering-free perfect world you can’t The third kind of suffering is caused youth, adulthood and old age. Child- afford to have a body! by what you may call acts of God. hood is a period of total helplessness Now, let me see whether you can have Earthquakes, cyclones, tornadoes, etc. and dependence on others. Growing a mind in your suffering-free perfect cause this kind of suffering. The San- up consists of, among other things, world. skrit name of this kind of suffering is teething troubles, learning how to The only occupation of any conscious ādhidaivika suffering. walk, etc. Thus childhood is more a mind is thinking. This thinking may Now, if you have to go beyond the first period of suffering than enjoyment. express itself in the form of desires kind of suffering, you have to get rid of Therefore, in your perfect, suffering- or expectations from others. As long your body and mind. In other words, free world you can’t afford to have any as you have expectations from others you won’t exist as Thomas anymore. childhood. you can’t get rid of suffering. It will Similarly, if you want to go beyond Youth includes a period of student- come in the form of disappointment. the second kind of suffering, you can’t ship and/or financial dependence, Then again, even if you don’t have allow any other living being to exist which for most youths is not that expectations from others, others may in the world. You will be the only one enjoyable. Therefore, you can’t afford have expectations from you. And you 2 GLOBAl VEDANTA summEr 2009 may not always be able to fulfill their that the living beings will never die of your perfect world. The living beings expectations. Thus, they will suffer. In illness, accidents, or old age? Will they have to exist and grow without tak- other words, it won’t be a suffering- be physically immortal? In that case it ing food. free perfect world. Thus, neither you can be presumed that they won’t have Not only food, every time a human nor anyone else can afford to have a any birth either. Birth is a beginning being or an animal breathes, millions mind, since having a mind is as good in time. Those who have a beginning of microscopic living organisms get as inviting suffering. in time must also have an end. This killed.