SRI RAMAKRISHNA, AN INCARNATION OF LOVE

SWAMI SHIVANANDA ON SRI RAMAKRISHNA

Swami Shivananda

PART-II

Swami Shivananda is one of the prominent disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and the second President of Ramakrishna Order. 

Even as a child I had an inherent tendency towards spiritual life and an innate consciousness that enjoyment was not the object of life. As I grow older and my knowledge increased, these two ideas took a firmer hold on my mind. I went about the city of Calcutta seeking knowledge of God among its various religious societies and temples. But I could not find real satisfaction anywhere: none of them emphasized the beauty of renunciation nor could I discover a single man among them who was possessed of true spiritual wisdom. Then in 1880 or ’81, I heard about Sri Ramakrisha and went to see him in the house of one of his devotees in Calcutta. This was the time when Swami Vivekananda and those other disciples of Ramakrishna who afterwards renounced the world to carry on his divine mission, had began to gather round him. On that first day of my visit, I saw Sri Ramakrishna passing into Samadhi and when he returned to normal consciousness, he spoke in detail about Samadhi and its nature. I felt in my inmost heart that here was a man who had indeed realized God and I surrendered myself forever at his blessed feet.

I have not yet come to a final understanding whether he was a man or a superman, a God or God Himself. But I have known him to be a man of complete self-effacement, master of the highest renunciation, possesser of the supreme wisdom and as the very incarnation of Love and as with the passing of days, I am getting better and better acquiented with the domain of spirituality and feeling the finite extent and depth of Sri Ramakrishna’s spiritual moods, the conviction is growing in me that to compare him with God, as God is popularly understood, would be minimizing and lowering his supreme greatness. I have seen him showering his love equally on men and women, on the learned and the ignorant and on saints and evincing earnest and unceasing solicitude for the relief of their misery and for their attainment to infinite peace by realizing the Divine. And I dare say the world has not seen another man of his type in modern times, so devoted to the welfare of mankind.

Sri Ramakrishna looked upon name and fame with extreme disgust. His example and precepts deeply impressed on us the extreme insignificance of worldly joys before the ineffable bliss of God. He lived day and night in Divine ecstasy and Samadhi,  which is so rare and inaccessible, was perfectly natural to him. It is no wonder, therefore, that the idea of a God-intoxicated man being intimate with the details of everyday life and instructing people thereon and yearning to remove the sorrows of men and women who approsched him with the tales of their worldly afflictions, should appear paradoxical and unnatural to those who had not witnessed his life. But we have seen innumerable such instances in his life.

One Mani Mallick, having lost his son, came to Sri Ramakrishna with a broken heart. Sri Ramakrishna not only sympathized with him but also entered so deeply into his feelings that it almost seemed as if he were the bereved father and his sorrow surpassed Mallick’s. Some time passed this way. Suddenly Sri Ramakrishna changed his mood and sang a song which encouraged him to prepare for the battle of life. I remember how the father’s grief was assuaged by it. The song gave him courage, calmed his sorrow and brought him peace. To Sri Ramakrishna there was neither good nor evil: he saw that the Divine Mother abides in all beings, the difference is only in manifestation. He visualized the Divine Mother in all women and revered and addressed them as his own mother.

By actually practising the doctrines of Hinduism, Christianity and Mohammedanism etc. he demonstrated the truth of all religions: he found his own realizations tallying with the descriptions of the different scriptures- the Upanizhads, the Bible, the Koran etc. and he declared that the Truth is One being called and worshipped variously by the various religions of the different countries of the world. I have seen many true seekers of God, professing other creeds, come to him to solve their spiritual problems. And it is by seeing him that I came to believe in the truth of such incarnations and prophets as Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed and feel their infinite mercy. He never objected to anyone’s spiritual mood or ideal. He helped all who came to him, rich and poor, learned and ignorant, high and low, to advance along the spiritual path according to their individual inclinations. 

Source Book: Sri Ramakrishna: Myriad Facets

THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHAN

CHAPTER- 4; PART-1

ADVICE TO HOUSEHOLDERS

August 13, 1882

The Master was conversing with Kedār and some other devotees in his room in the temple garden.  Kedār was a government official and had spent several years at Dāccā, in East Bengal, where he had become a friend of Vijay Goswami.  The two would spend a great part of their time together, talking about Sri Ramakrishna and his spiritual experiences.  Kedār had once been a member of the Brahmo Samaj.  He followed the path of bhakti.  Spiritual talk always brought tears to his eyes. 

It was five o'clock in the afternoon.  Kedār was very happy that day, having arranged a religious festival for Sri Ramakrishna.  A singer had been hired by Ram, and the whole day passed in joy. 

Secret of divine communion

The Master explained to the devotees the secret of communion with God. 

MASTER: "With the realization of Satchidananda one goes into samādhi.  Then duties drop away.  Suppose I have been talking about the ostad and he arrives.  What need is there of talking about him then? How long does the bee buzz around? So long as it isn't sitting on a flower.  But it will not do for the sadhaka to renounce duties.  He should perform his duties, such as worship, japa, meditation, prayer, and pilgrimage. 

"If you see someone engaged in reasoning even after he has realized God, you may liken him to a bee, which also buzzes a little even while sipping honey from a flower."

The Master was highly pleased with the ostad's music.  He said to the musician, "There is a special manifestation of God's power in a man who has any outstanding gift, such as proficiency in music."

MUSICIAN: "Sir, what is the way to realize God?"

MASTER: "Bhakti is the one essential thing.  To be sure, God exists in all beings.  Who, then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God.  But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity.  The water of God's grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism.  It runs down.  I am a mere machine. 

Master's respect for other faiths

(To Kedār and the other devotees) "God can be realized through all paths.  All religions are true.  The important thing is to reach the roof.  You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.  You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.  

Many names of one God:

"You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion.  I should reply: Suppose there are.  Every religion has errors.  Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time.  It is enough to have yearning for God.  It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him: Don't you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul.  Suppose a man has several sons.  The older boys address him distinctly as 'Baba' or 'Papa', but the babies can at best call him 'Ba' or 'Pa'.  Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well.  All children are the same to the father.  Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names.  They call on one Person only.  God is one, but His names are many."

SOURCE: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

HAPPY HOLI / DOL PURNIMA

Wish You Happy Holi / Dol Purnima

Holi festival (To read about Holi Click here) is celebrated as Dol Purnima or Dol Jatra or Dol Yatra in Bengal. It is celebrated on Falgun Purnima, the Full Moon day in Falgun month. This festival is dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna and the festival is also celebrated as Basantotsab or Vasantotsav. Dol Purnima 2012 date is March 8. This festival has a great significance as it is the last festival in Bengali calendar or Bengali Panjika or Panchang.

On this auspicious day, an image of Krishna, richly adorned and besmeared with colored powder, is taken out in procession, in a swinging palanquin, decorated with flowers, leaves, colored clothes and papers. The procession proceeds forward to the accompaniment of music, blaring of conch shells, trumpets and shouts of 'Jai' (victory).

Dol Purnima becomes all the more significant for Bengalis, because this is also the birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1485-1533). He popularized modern sankirtana and elevated the passion of Radha and Krishna to a high spiritual plane. He underlined the emotional at the cost of the ceremonial side of devotion. Followers of Chaitanya School of Vaishnavism believe Chaitanya to be the manifestation of Sri Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed that the essence of sadhana is always the loving remembrance of Hari.

HOLI IN MADHURA AND VRINDAVAN

Holi, the festival of colours, is the largest festival celebrated in Mathura and  Vrindavan. This festival celebration lasts for 40 days. Holi 2012 date is March 7 and 8. Holi festivities start on Basant Panchami (28 January 2012) which marks the onset of Vasant rithu (Spring season).

It is believed that Lord Krishna used to play Vasantotsav with gopis during these days in Madhura, Uttar Pradesh. The 40-day festival attracts a large number of tourists of India and foreign countries as well. Holi Purnima is also known as Madan Purnima or Vasant Purnima or Holika Poornima or Dol Poornima.

Read More on Holi Festival [Click here]

HOLI / DOL PURNIMA

Wish You Happy Holi / Dol Purnima

DOL PURNIMA:

Holi festival (To read about Holi Click here) is celebrated as Dol Purnima or Dol Jatra or Dol Yatra in Bengal. It is celebrated on Falgun Purnima, the Full Moon day in Falgun month. This festival is dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna and the festival is also elebrated as Basantotsab or Vasantotsav. Dol Purnima 2012 date is March 8. This festival has a great significance as it is the last festival in Bengali calendar or Bengali Panjika or Panchang.

On this auspicious day, an image of Krishna, richly adorned and besmeared with colored powder, is taken out in procession, in a swinging palanquin, decorated with flowers, leaves, colored clothes and papers. The procession proceeds forward to the accompaniment of music, blaring of conch shells, trumpets and shouts of 'Jai' (victory).

Dol Purnima becomes all the more significant for Bengalis, because this is also the birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1485-1533). He popularized modern sankirtana and elevated the passion of Radha and Krishna to a high spiritual plane. He underlined the emotional at the cost of the ceremonial side of devotion. Followers of Chaitanya School of Vaishnavism believe Chaitanya to be the manifestation of Sri Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu believed that the essence of sadhana is always the loving remembrance of Hari.

HOLI IN MADHURA AND VRINDAVAN

Holi, the festival of colours, is the largest festival celebrated in Mathura and Vrindavan. This festival celebration lasts for 40 days. Holi 2012 date is March 7 & 8. Holi festivities start on Basant Panchami (28 January 2012) which marks the onset of Vasant rithu (Spring season).

It is believed that Lord Krishna used to play Vasantotsav with gopis during these days in Madhura, Uttar Pradesh. The 40-day festival attracts a large number of tourists of India and foreign countries as well. Holi Purnima is also known as Madan Purnima or Vasant Purnima or Holika Poornima or Dol Poornima.

To Read More on Holi Festival [Click here]

VIDEO ON RAMANA MAHARISHI

Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage lived at the holy mountain Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, India during the 20th century. He vouchsafed for mankind a straight and direct path that permanently eliminates the sorrows of human existence and leads one into the bright, everlasting light of all-blissful awareness. The quintessence of his teachings can be found in his prose work ‘who am I’. When one realizes his true nature, he experiences eternal happiness and becomes immortal. Sri Ramana recommended the technique of self-enquiry to realize this truth. He assured that anyone is eligible to pursue this path, regardless of race, religion, or creed. 

Countless people who visited Tiruvannamalai during the life-time of Maharshi Sri Ramana saw in him a sage without the least touch of worldliness, a saint of matchless purity, a witness to the eternal truth of Vedanta. It is not often that a spiritual genius of the magnitude of Sri Ramana visits this earth. But when such an event occurs, the entire humanity gets benefited and a new era of hope opens before it.

We are fortunate to view this rare video and get a glimpse of a spiritual giant. This Blogger got  his inspiration by visiting his ashrama and reading his literature. 

Courtesy:www.sriramanamaharshi.org

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