‘Aumvufhily ocarnel of uy Bamako Onde storied by Swami Vivelanancs hp 1895THE ROAD TO WISDOM Swami Vivekananda on Significance of Symbols—Ii! ie the heart of all these ritualisms, there stands one Idea prominent above all the rest-the worship of a name. Those of you who have studied the older forms ‘of Christianity, those of you who have studied the other religions of the world, perhaps have marked that there is this idea with them all, the worship of a name. A name is said to be very sacred. In the Bible we read that the koly name of God was considered sacred beyond compare, koly beyond everything. {t was the holiest of all names, and it was thought that this very Word was God, This is quite true, What is this universe but name and form? Can you think without words? Word and thought are inseparable. Try if anyone of you can separate them. Whenever you think, you are doing so through word forms. The one brings the other: thought brings the word, and the word brings the thought. Thus the whole universe is, as it were, the external symbol of God, and behind that stands His grand name. Each particular body is a form, and behind that particular body is its name. As soon as you think of our friend So-and-so, there comes the idea of his body, and as soon as you chink of your friend’s body, you get the idea of his name. This Is in the constitution of man, That Is to say, psychologically, in the mind-stuff of man, there cannot come the idea of name without the idea of form, and there cannot come the idez of form without the idea of name. They are inseparable; they are the external and the internal sides of the same wave. As such, names have been exalied and worshipped all over the world~ Growing Legacies consciously or unconsciously, man found the glory of names, Again, we find that in many different religions, holy personages have been worshipped. They worship Krishna, they worship Buddha, they worship Jesus, and so forth, Then, there is the worship of saints; hundreds of them have been worshipped all over the world, and why not? The vibration of light ts everywhere. The owl sees it in the dark. That shows it is there, though men cannot see It. To man, that vibration is only visible in the lamp, in the sun, in the moon, ete. God is omnipresent, He is manifesting Himself in every being; but for men, He is only visible, recognisable, in man. When His light, His presence, His spirit, shines through the human face, then and then alone, can man understand Him. Thus, man has been worshipping God through men all the time, and must do so as long as he Is a man, He may ery against it, struggle against it, but as soon as he attempts to realise God, he will find the constitutional necessity of thinking of God as a man. rom Tite Complete Works of Swamni Vivekananda, iKolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2916), 241-2. es CESC CescVol. 125, No. 9 September 2020 ‘Managing Editor Stazini Shuddbidananda Editor Staci Viresbanands Associate Bditorand Design Stuami Shantachittananda Production Editor Stwami Chidekananda Cover Design Subbabrata Chandra Internet Edition Coordination StazoniJuanishananda Circulation Tndrajit Sina Tips Jona {EDITORIAL OFFICE Prabuddha Bharara ‘Advaita Ashrama PO Mayavati, Via Lohaghar De Champawar- 262 504 ‘Untarakhand, India Te: 91- 96909 98179 (Whatsapp call only) prabuddhabharaca@gmail.com Printed and Published by. Stacmi Vadavratananda PUBLICATION OFFICE ‘Advaita. Ashrama 5 Debi Enually Road Kolkata-700 014 ‘West Bengal, India “Tele gt - 33-2289 0898 / 2286 6450 mail@advairaashrama.org. INTERNET EDITION swwrweadvaicaashrama.org JPRABUDDHA HARATA or AWAKENED INDIA Amonthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order started by Swami Vivekananda In 1896 Contents ‘Traditional Wisdom ‘This Month Editoriat: Advaiva Bhakti—Is It Possible? Spiritual ‘Talks Notes and Comments: Imagining the World after Coven Sri Ramaktishna’s Dynamism Swami Gambbirananda ‘My Place is in the Himalayas’— Conservation Project at Mayavati Kiran Kalaradani Introduction to Lattrinnsandbanan, an Advaitic Text Dr Sita Sundar Ram soared wrth reser war Te ‘A Song] Sing ro Thee!” Dr KV Vasudevan Reminis d Reflections: Memoirs of Swami Vireshwarananda Swami Sukbatmananda ‘Swami Vivekananda and Louisville Meera Alagarsja ces Prabuddha Bharata—xas Years Ago ‘Traditional Tales: Savitri-Saryavan Reviews ‘Manana Reports 631 ox 633 638 640 oun 644 és 638 663“Subscribe to Prabuddha Bharata * Become a Patron Subscriber and support the rich legacy left to all of us by Swami Vivekananda; patrons’ names are published in Prabuddha Bharata. * Prabuddha Bharata subscribers receive 10% discount on all Advaita Ashrama Publications. * Send remittances in favour of 'Prabuddha Bharata’ only by bank draft or cheque to Advaita Ashrama, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014, India Or, subscribe online at https://advaitaashrama.org/pb-subscribe. 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Somaditya Majumdar, Jamshepur. 718, Adv Virendra M Mahajan, Yavatmal. Send my gift subscriptions to: PLEASE PRINT IN BLOCK LETTERSte eae BuySome of Our Publications 2 Nectar of Supreme Knowledge Swami Sarvadevananda Swami Dhireshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, had translated the Yoga Vasishtha Sara into Bengali and published it in 1968. The translations and the explanations are superb and unique, with rerendering of the Sanskrit verses in prose form and the commentary of Mahidhara, which present difficult-to-understand Vedanta doctrines and philosophy in 1. 409 4 language both scholarly and understandable to common readers. Swami °F" 0 Dhireshananda’s explanations, based on his own deep understanding and ‘on what he heard from various highly illumined souls of the Himalayas, carry a charm which not only satisfies the intellect, but also touches the heart. Swami Sarvadevananda, a senior monk. of Ramakrishna Order, has faithfully translation Swami Dhireshananda’s book into English and has titled it as Nectar of Supreme Knowledge. The Purusha Sukta: An Exegesis Swami Harshananda Purusha Sulta isone ofthe Vedichymns par excellence. Itis, however, as much enigmatic as it is popalar. [t i, in fact, adoration, worship, and philosophy rolled in one. This book, authored by Swami Harshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, succinctly yet effectively gives an exegesis with @ free ‘Fages72 | Frice235 translation of this Sukta, throwing light on its import and value. The Tantras: An Overview Swami Harshananda This book, authored by Swami Harshanands, a senior monk of the | Ramakrishna Order, gives a brief overview of the philosophy and practices | of the tantras which, apart from enriching the philosophical thought of Hindutsm, have also contributed many ritualistic customs and practices yess | Pris 825 the field of religious endeavour. The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Appraisal Swami Harshonanda ‘This book. authored by Swami Harshananda, a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, surveys the entire gmat of Valmiki Ramayana along with its literary and cultural aspects, which not only stimulates the reader to derive strength and inspiration for life, but also emphasises the importance Of the epic and analyses the significance of various characters in this epic and their ramifications in our everyday lives.Character is Life BE - Aeronautical Engineering BE Automobile Engineering BE, -CvilEngineering BE. - Computer Science and Engineering BE, - Electrical and Electronics Engineering BE - Electronics and Communication Engineering BE, - Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering BE. - Mechanical Engineering BE, - Mechatronics Engineering B.Tech. - Bio-Technology B Tech. - Information Technology B.Tech, - Textile Technology B.Tech. - Fashion Technology. ME - Applied Electronics ME -CADICAM ME — - Communication Systems ME - Computer Science and Engineering ME Energy Engineering ME — - Embedded systems ME - Industrial Engineoring ME -Poveer Electronics and Drives ME - Structural Engineering M.Tech - Bio Technology M-Tech - Apparel Technology and Management MTech.- Textile Tachnology MGA = Master of Computer Applications MBA - Master of Business Administration Bio-Technology * Chemistry * Civil Engineering Computer Science and Engineering, ‘Master of Business Administration Mechanical Engineering) ‘Mechatronics Engineering * Textile Technology Electronics and Communication Engineering ( p smanscuay AAGURY COLLEGE OF TEGHNDLDGY Is 2 premier Educational insiton South inca, coffeing high qual Engineereg and Management Education for the past three decades. KCT was founded with the vision to creete transformation| in Inca through Technical Education, Spread over 8 campus area ot 150 Acres, the college hes ver 100 exemplary students. Excellent Academic 8 Reseach ambiance, ciate of the art infrastuoture| 8 amonitis, col oration wth forelge unive ates noed and commited faculles: ee the other unique features: tution, KG} STPLIT PARK = (functioning under the STP umraila with 2,00,000 sai. of space. A record] tional and Ne: ‘ompenies @ a ive tasimony to thi quality arid at KCT. jlacament history in reputed Muli cation thas i EAD — Canter of Excellence in. Advanced| Design was estabished to bring “SCIENCE 10] ENGINEERING” culture using “HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING" and scldress| ibe technological needs fer the county through] \uaty education and waiving, QUBE = Is a KOT Student's Initiative pe chinallg Incubation Canter that aims at working on thelr ideas to sae tas a product rot ACE tava | oo ML 0 Coimbatore - 641049 Tamil Nadu INDIA]CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRABUDDHA BHARATA CORPUS FUND! Contribute your mite to the Prabuddha Bharata Corpus Fund and_ actively participate in this venture to propagate Indian culture, values, philosophy, and spirituality. Could there be a better way to show your appreciation? You can send your contributions by cheque or drafts favouring ‘Prabuddha Bharata’ to5 DehiEntally Road, Kolkata 700014, India or make your donations online at www.advaitaashramaorg. All donations are exempt from Income tax under section 80G. Name of the Donor: 401. Gopol Chandra Bhar, Chinsurak. = 100,000.00 402. Manab Kalyan Roy, Serampore. & 2,000.00 SWAMI SWAHANANDA A Profile in Greatness by Dr. Malay Das ‘The spiritual head of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for thirty-six years, Swami Swahananda, a direct disciple of Swami Vijnanananda, worked ceaselessly to spread Sri Ramakrishnas message. He established seventeen centers and sub-centers throughout the United Seates and has lefe the Ramakrishna movement in the West rich legacy. In this intimate, loving portrait, Dr. Malay Das presents Swami Swahananda as he knew him during the last seventeen years of the swami’s life. We witness the guru's compassionate care for devorees and disciples, his Pages: 234 | Price: € 80 ability to love with detachment, and his dignity and grace during his final Packing & Postage: 750 oc illness. ‘Written ina simple, lucid and entertaining seyle, this spiricual biography will inspire sincere spiritual seekers from all traditions and offer them a glimpse into the wonderful life and work of this great monk and spiritual leader. Please write to: @ ADVAITA ASHRAMA, 5 Dehi Entally Road, Kolkata 700 014, India Phones: 91-33-22840210 / 22890898 / 22866483, Email: mail@advaitaashrama.org5a FR FA aparece ea | aH HT ARE aa: feds qaasa quet wa | Gee a: EA I ai feat frosata ganda ceafe | oa: Garten aa, aa wane ad Benth eae aA TEAL | SARAH Upe toagne dive dive dosavastardbiya vayara namo bharanta emast. Sanab piteva sinave'gne sapayano bhava, sacasva nab svastaye. Yo vikvabhi vipatyari bhuvand sam ca patyati, sa nah pasavita bhuvar Agne natapate vratam carisyamai tacchakeyam tanme radhyatina, idatsaham-anriit-satyamupaimi. To Thee, © dispeller of gloom, we offer salucations wich our mind, and approach Thee daily, by day and by night, Be of easy approach to us, even as a father to his son. Do Thou, O self-effulgent Lord, abide with us and bring blessings to us. The Lord who watches over the universe and fully understands the truth behind all things, nay He protect us all, ‘© Thou glorious Lord, © protector of vows, Iam determined to master my lower self. ‘Vouchsafe unco me the required strength and make my effore fruitful. Through Thy grace, Jeaving unteuch, may I realise Truth. (Reg Veda, 1.17, 95 3.62.93 Swhla Yajur Veda Sarmbita, 1) (dem, fite-god, is second only to Indrain the Vedic mythology of ancient India, He is equally the fire of the sun, of lightning, and ofboth the domestic and the sacrificial hearth, As the divine personification of the fire of sacrifice, he is the mouth of the gods, the carrier of the oblation, and the messenger between the human and the divine orders. (hueps://wana.britennica.com/topic/ Aeni)| Pe september 2020 6312 THIS MONTH Knowledge and devotion have a common goal of union with God. There is an clement of ‘dear- ness’ in knowledge and ‘identification’ as well as ‘understanding’ in devotion. In the ultimate state, they both fuse into the transcendental experience of Advaita Bhakti. ‘This interesting spiritual truth has been analysed in the editorial Advaita Bhakti—Is It Possible? Sri Ramakrishna was immersed in the con- sciousness of God throughout his life. At the same time, he was a dynamic man. This is evi- dent from his activism in his lifetime. ‘This unique and subtle characteristic of Sri Ramakrishna ise fectively brought out by Revered Swami Gambhi- ranandaji Maharaj, the eleventh President of the Ramakrishna Order, in his article Sri Ramak- rishna’s Dynamism. I is an edited version of his talk in Belur Math on the occasion of Valedictory Function of the ‘Training Centre on 07.03.1979. “The monastery at Mayavati, the home of Pra- buddha Bharata, was dear to Swami Viveka- nanda, ‘Ihe historic building, he stayed in 1901 has become the place of pilgrimage for thousands of his admirers around the world. The conserva tion and renovation of this historic building were taken in right earnest by Ramakrishna Math and ‘Mission resulting in the restoration of the build- ing to its original glory. The interesting story of this historic project is narrated in ‘My Place is In the Himalayas’—Conservation Project at ‘Mayavati by Kiran Kalamdani, one of the part- ners, Kimaya Architects, Pune. He is a profes- sional urban designer, conservationist, and an interior designer, who has successfully supervised the conservation work at Mayavati ashrama, 632 The great tradition of Advaita is fostered by successive teachers who brought out great liter ary works of merit in the Sanskrit language to elucidate the nuances of Advaita to a large sec- tion of spiritual seekers. Tzttvanusandhanam of Mahadevananda Saraswati, an all-renounc- ing Advaita monk, is one such book, which ex- plains the traditional concepts of Advaita in an amicable manner. Dr Sita Sundar Ram, Secre- tary, the Kuppuswami Sastri Research Insti- tute, Chennai, gives a detailed account of the themes discussed in this work in her scholarly article, Introduction to Tastvanusandhanam, an Advaitic text. Swami Vivekananda was a great poet and his poems reflect his wonderfial human sentiments as well as mystical experiences. Also, his love for Sanskrit is well-known as he himself composed several hymns in that sacred language. How happy he might have been to see some of his poetic lines translated into beautiful verses in chaste Sanskrit! Dr K V Vasudevan, Retd Profes- sor of Sree Krishna college, Guruvayoor, has suc- cessfully brought out the sublimity in Swamiji’s poems in his refreshing Sanskrie verses under the title ‘A Song I Sing to Thee!” Swami Vivekananda influenced some of the exceptional ladies who made a mark in the fields of their interest. Spiritually and intellec- tually, Swamiji influenced the lives of two well- known ladies of Louisville, Enid Yandell and Ellen Semple. Meera Alagaraja gives a wonderful sketch of these two ladies and the Vedanta work in Louisville in a well-writeen article Swami Vivekananda and Louisville. PB September 2020EDITORIAL B Advaita Bhakti—ls It Possible? traditions: one emphasising jfiana, know- ledge of one’s eternal Self, which is the im- manent reality; and the other, which stresses bhakti, the loving devotion to a personal God. Each tradition claims that its path is the only royal path to liberation. But the contrast between jiina and bhakti is found only in their lower planes. The culmin- ation of both these paths is the state of oneness with the Divine. No amount of logical analysisat the intellectual level can resolve the differences. “The mystical experiences of an aspirantalone can reveal the intrinsic identity of jiina and bhakti. I N INDIA, WE FIND two streams of spiritual Jana and Bhakti in Advaita Vedanta ‘Advaita speaks of direct knowledge and indi- rect knowledge. Indirect knowledge is the means to direct knowledge. Direct knowledge is sub- jective and immediate, whereas indirect know- ledge is gained through the combination of the senses, mind, and intellect. The Upanisads say that the knowledge of the ultimate Reality is subjective and is experienced beyond the realm of the senses. However, we first require indi. rect knowledge in order to realise the subjective intuitive knowledge. ‘The intellectual knowledge gained through Sravana, hearing; manana, contemplation on the truths of the Upanisads; and nididhyasana, profound meditation is merely an indirect know- ledge. ‘This knowledge removes the cloud of ig- norance called avidya that has veiled the Reality, which is saa, pure being or existence; chi, pure PB September 2020 consciousness; and dnanda, pure bliss. Inthe sub- jective experience of our identity with the Atman, theideas of the knower, the known, and knowledge ‘merge into a common awareness or consciousness Hence the Upanisads declares Vijianarn brabmar Brahman is consciousness itself" “There are two connotations of bhakti in the Advaita Vedanta. ‘The adoration of the Lord of the universe is essential to attain purity of mind, which makes one eligible to reach the The mystical experiences of an aspirant alone can reveal the intrinsic identity of jhana and bhakti. highest goal. It is upheld in an age-old saying: ‘Isvaranugrahadeva pumsam Advaita-vasana; one can get the tendency for practising Advaita or non-duality only through the grace of Ivar, the supreme Lord of the universe.” The devo- tion that is practised with faith for self puri- fication is termed preparatory bhakti. But as that bhakti becomes pure and mature, we begin to feel our oneness with the eternal Reality. Acharya Shankara says in his Vivekacadamant: ‘Svasvaritpanusandhanam bhaktirityabhidbiyate, bhaktiis the state of absorption in one’ own real nature as Atman or Brahman.” This can be con- sidered as the highest state of bhakti Jiidna and Bhakti in Bhakti Schools of Vedanta ‘The Bhakti Schools of Vedanta uphold the importance of loving devotion to the Lord 6334 Prabuddha Bharata as the primary requisite to attain liberation. ‘They say that vaidhi bhakti or the preparatory bhakti leads to the knowledge of the glory of God, which is required for the attainment of para bhaksi ot supreme Bhakti, which is but the union with the divine. It is to be noted here that para bhakti is the state of realisa- tion.* The concept of jiidna in these schools is also different from that of Advaita Vedanta. The knowledge of the greatness of God, who is immanent, all-powerful, benevolent, and endowed with infinite auspicious qualities is termed jrdna by the Bhakti schools. This know- ledge gained through preparatory bhakti leads to spontaneous and supreme divine love called para bhakti, which is tantamount to realisation of or union with God. Harmony in the Upanisads ‘The Brihadavanyaka Upanisad says chat Atman is the dearest entity in the world, because, ‘dtmanastu kamaya sarvam priyam bhavatis everything becomes dear, for the sake of one’s own Self.” The idea of ‘dearness’ in jitana is identical to the idea of ‘love’ in bhakti. True love is the state of dearness, where one feels complete identity with one’s beloved. Jaana in- deed is such an experience of the Atman that is dearest to one. The same Upanisad says chat in that state, one becomes dtmakama, one who finds fulfilment ofall of his desires in one’s own, Self. This state is also the state of aemarati, state of enjoying the bliss of Atman, and dtmakrida, the state of gaiety born out of one’s identity with Atman. The Taittiviya Upanisad says that one be- comes blissful on attaining rasa, the essence of the whole existence. The idea of ‘rasa\ the cause of eternal joy is the same as that of ‘dear- ness of Atman’ enunciated in the Brihad- aranyaka Upanisad. 634 Harmony in the Bhagavadgita ‘The Gita says that jini, the man of knowledge, is the foremost among the devotees. Sri Krishna also declares that jini is his own Self as there is no difference between him and the jiani. Inter- estingly, Acharya Shankara in his commentary on the Git says that the bhakta, the devotee whose characteristics are described in the twelfth. chapter are those of a jini, since according to him, only a true jitani can become a real bhakta. ‘The Gita statement of ‘Vasudevah sarvam itis Lord Vasudeva is everything” is the meeting point of the goals of both knowledge and devo- tion. The Giti also says that it is the state where one becomes dtmatrpta, fully satisfied in one’s own Self and ‘dtmani eva ca santustah, one de- tives one’s happiness entirely from one’s identity with the Arman’ The elements of satisfaction and happiness are the common characteristics of both jfiana as well as bhakei. Harmony in the Bhagavata Purana ‘The process of harmonising the ideals of jana and bhakti reaches its pinnacle in the Srimad Bhagavata, which is extolled as the Purana ratnam, jewel among the Puranas. Historically Puranas are not standalone treatises. Swami Tapasyananda says: What the Puranas in gen- eral, and the Bhagavata in particular, do is to supplement the Vedic development with a highly personalistic conceptions of the Deity, suited for purely devotional purposes without losing link with the Upanishads, and to elaborate the devo- tional Sadhanas intoa highly specialised system.” ‘The Bhagavata, according to the scholars, re- solved the contradiction between Advaita and bhakti with the ideal of jana bhakei. Iv is similar to the idea of ‘intellectual love of God’ put for- ward by Spinoza, where the mind and the ego sink in the “He} the Divine. The ultimate state of such an experience is called ‘s@yijya’, oneness PB September 2020Advaita Bhakti It Possible? 5 with the divine, According vo the Bhagavata, a deep appreciation of divine excellences leads to Santa Ghats, the loving devotion devoid of any personal element, which ends in complete surrender. Total surrender leads to tartua-jiana, the unitary consciousness which elevates one to sd) jy, the state of universal love, where one feels the presence of Divine everywhere. Speake ing of this type of devotion, the Bhagavata says that the highest type of deyotee is one who sees the glory of Bhagavan reflected in all beings, high or low, and also perceives all beings as dwelling in Him. Sznra bhakti is based on the sense of unity and understanding that ‘Iam He’ in contrast to prema bhaées thatleadsto the feel- ing of Heis mine? The Evolution of Bhakti in the Gopikas Tis in the Gopikas, the cowherd ladies of Vrine dayan, that we find the gradual evolution of the sense of ‘He is mine’ into the sense of ‘lam He In the beginning, their love was a ‘passionate personal love, which thereafter, evolved into an ‘intellectual love or impersonal love’ that ema- nated from the realisation that Sri Krishna is thenniversal principle abiding in all beings. The Bhagavata records chis wonderful spiritual jour- ney with all its nuances. Ac one stage, the Gopi- ‘kas get separated from Sri Krishna and suffer miserably due co their extreme attachment to him. $ri Krishna appears before them afver along absence and instructs them to raise from their state of artachment and understand him to be the basis of, and also the substance pervading all the worlds, both living and non-living. He also says that it is in and throngh him, the su- preme and imperishable Being, that the indi- vidual beings and the objects of experience have their entity and substance.” Sri Krishna himself scates later abont the evolved state of mind of Gopilkas: ‘By the strength PB september 2020 o WSs Sri Krishna at Banketihari Tempie, Vrindavan of their attachment to Me, they became oblivi- ons of their individnality and the whole objective world, just as che mind of a contemplative in Samadhi and the river merged in the ocean over- come all distinction created by name and form’ (112.2). ‘The Gopikas, on their own, express their understanding thus: ‘O Friend, you are noc merely the Gopik’s son, but the witness of the inner essence of all embodied beings (1031.4). Madhusudana Sarasvati— an Advaita Devotee ‘The mystical experience of oneness of jana and bhakti of the Gopikas was given a firm 6356 Prabuddha Bharata philosophical foundation by the great Advaita scholar Madhusudana Sarasvati. He opines that a higher form of bhakti will blossom only after the realisation of unitary consciousness. He says shar in the initial stages, bhakti is orsi-rapa, of the form of mental mode directed towards God. In the ultimate state, bhakti is rasa-rapa or bhagavat-rapa, where the mental mode takes the form of the essence of whole existence or the very form of the Lord of the universe. ‘The concept of rasa is equivalent to the con- cept of Brahman as enumerated in Taittiriya Upanisad in the statement: ‘Raso vai sah; Brah- man is of the nature of rasa.” In its real form, according to Madhusudana, bhakti is the same as Bhagavan or God, since the whole mind takes His form. This is called advaita bhakti because it is similar to the ultimate state of advaita, where the mind fully takes akhandakara vrtti the unitary form of Brahman. Madhusudana beautifully expresses his sentiment towards Lord Krishna as follows: ‘Ifthe yogis, with their minds which have been brought under control through the practice of meditation, see some such transcendental light that is without qual- ities and action, let them see! But, for filling. our eyes with astonishment, let thete be forever that indescribable Blue (light) alone which runs about hither and thither on the sands of the Kalindi (Yamuna)!" Harmony in Sri Ramakrishna’s Teachings Sri Ramakrishna’ life is an example of unpar- alleled spiritual brilliance manifested in the human form. In the history of the world, he is the only savant, who harmonised appar- ently conflicting philosophical and mystical ideas into a beautiful fabric of spiritual struc- ture, which is universal in nature, yet appeal- ing to every earnest seeker of truth. A song in his praise says: ‘Jdna-bhakti-vitarane, 636 nara-sharira-dharana; one who has taken the human body in order to dispense jiana and bhakti.’ These two spiritual ideals have lost their distinctions and fused into a common entity in the personality of the Great Master. In this regard, Sri Ramakrishna has not carved any new path, but has revealed in his life, che glorious path of God-realisation followed by countless of seers. Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings fully reflect what he realised in his life. They also validate the age-old scriptural propositions. It is very much true in the case of the invariable con- comitance of jfiana and bhakti. First of all, he removes the misconception about the dif- ferent aspects of reality saying that the same Being whom the Vedantins call Brahman, is called Atman by the yogis, and Bhagavan by the bhaktas. He gives an illustration to prove his point. A brahmana is called a ‘priest’ when he conducts worship, and a ‘cook’ when he is employed in the kitchen. Since the same God assumes both imper- sonal as well as personal forms of God, the state of realisation of both aspects should be the same. That is the state, a devotee as well as a man of knowledge reach in the end. A jfani calls it as the ultimate state of jana, while @ bhakta calls this state as the perfect state of bhakti. Sri Ramakrishna calls these states of ul- timate union with the Divine as saddha jaana, pure knowledge, and Juddha bhakti, pure de- votion, which he says are one and the same. Sri Ramakrishna also says: ‘What is Jnana in the highest sense? Says the Jnani, “O Lord, Thou alone dost act in all this universe. I am but the smallest of tools in Thy hands. Noth- ing is mine. Everything is Thine. Myself, my family, my riches, my virtues—all are Thine™!"? It is akin to the description in the Bhagavata of santa bhakti, which evolving into complete PB September 2020Advaita Bhakti—s It Possible? ” submission, culminates in the union with God called sayijya. This illustration clearly shows that the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna are in perfect harmony with the ancient scriptures of Vedanta. Swami Vivekananda on Jhana and Bhakti Swamiji echoes Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings in his conversations. When a questioner asked, “Who is atrue Jnani, and who isa true Bhakta?? he replies in strong terms: “The true Jnani is he who has the deepest love within his heart and at the same time is a practical seer of Advaita in his outward relations. And the true Bhakta (lover) is he who, realising his own soul as iden- tified with the universal Soul, and thus pos- sessed of the true Jnana within feels for and loves everyone. Of Jnana and Bhakti he who advocates one and denounces the other cannot be either a Jnani or a Bhakta, but he is a thief and a cheat"? On another occasion, when a Brahmacharin advocated Advaita and assigned a lower plane to bhakti, some people assembled there protested against his view. At chat moment, Swamiji si- lenced the crowd with these words: ‘Why do you get excited in argument and spoil everything? ... According to the doctrine of Bhakti, God is held to be “All-Love”. One can- not even say, “I love Him’ for the reason that He is All-Love. ... According to the doctrine of Jnana also, He is realised by one everywhere. Here lies the reconciliation of Jnana and Bhakti. ‘When one is immersed in the highest ecstasy of divine vision (Bhava) or is in the state of Samadhi, then alone the idea of duality ceases, and the distinction between the devotee and his God vanishes. ... Thus the Bhakra can call the Advaitins Bhakeas as well, but of the non- differentiating type. ... All this difference that you notice between a Bhakta and a Jnani is in PB September 2020 the preparatory stage — one sees God outside, and the other sees Him within (5.336). Here we see the very essence of the teach- ings of Bhagavata expressed in a simple and direct manner. Conclusion Now we are in a position to answer the ques tion, ‘Is it possible to practice advaita bhakti?" The spirit of jana lies in the sue Love of one’s own divine nature and the core of bhakti is in the perfice understanding and identification with one’s object of love. So one can safely say that the core of jfiana is bhakti and the essence of bhakti is jana, Hence, the very question is redundant since, in its highest sense, jfiina is an expression of bhakti and bhakti is a manifestation of jnana. In simple terms, ‘to know is to Jove and to love is to know? oe Notes and References 1. Taittiriya Upanisad, 3.5.1 2. Avadbiata Gita, 1.1. 3. Acharya Shankara, Vivekaciidamani, 31 4- See The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1-8, 1989; 9,1997),3:78 [section on ‘Para-Bhakt’ in Bhakti Yogal- 5. Bribadaranyaka Upanisad, 2.4.5. 6. Gita, 7.19, 7. Swami Tapsyananda, ‘Prologue’ Srimad Bhaga- vata: The Holy Book of God, 4 vols, 35 8. See the prologue of the third volume of Swami ‘Tapasyananda’s translation of Bhagavata for a full discussion on this subject. 9. Bhagavata, 10.82.4547. 10. Taittiviya Upanisad, 27. 11, Madhusudana Sarasvati’s Commentary to the Bhagavadgita, ‘Introduction’ to the 13th chap- ter. 12, Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna (Madras: Rama- krishna Math, 1938), 245. 13. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1-8, 19893 9,1997),5.318. 6378 SPIRITUAL TALKS Spiritual Conversations with Swami Shankarananda Swami Tejasananda English translation by Swami Satyapriyananda (Continued from the previous issue) March 26,1956 ODAY IS OBSERVED as the Dol Purnima, | the birthday of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu (Sri Chaitanya). After vesper service, I went to offer my humble salutations to Re- vered Maharaj. He was then seated on the bed. ‘After making pranams, I asked Maharaj about his health. ‘Maharaj: ‘Days are passing by more or less in the same fashion. If sit in one posture on a chair for a long time, legs swell due to the drain- ing of the body fluids. That is why sit on the bed and then lie down for some time. This morning, you went out from Vidyamandira with a mu- sical party of your students. On such occasions, students derive great joy in the play of throwing colour powder on each other. Ie was delightful to hear the songs in the morning. Certainly it feels good to hear the Name of God. “These days, Bimal (Shraddhananda) is writ- ing profusely in the Udbodhan magazine [the Bengali journal of the Ramakrishna Order]. He writes that all sorrow will disappear when the ideals of Sri Ramakrishna awakens in all. If one learns to view life from this angle, then good- bad, joy-sorrow—all these will not be able to disturb the mind. It is stated in a verse: “Sukham tid yadi dubkham dubham va abubbam tatba / Praptum apraptum upasita hridaye na parijitab; 638 one has to accept joy, sorrow, auspicious, and in- auspicious, as and when they present themselves. However, it won't do any good in case one is dis- turbed by these in any manner.” There should be a goal or purpose in life. Ifone can calculate how one will be able to reach that goal, then only one can correctly progress in life. “There are many who are adepr in playing chess. They move the pawns after calculating the next three or four moves. Many politicians think beforehand what may happen or not happen in the future. In our spiritual life too, this type of calculation is very much needed. Ifone must cal- culate at all, then one has to see—what is essen- tial and what is not—from the point of moving towards the goal. Reasoning this way, one should have a firm grip on what is necessary and forge ahead towards the goal. ‘Then you will see that there will be no mistake or aberration. Even if it happens so (mistakes or aberrations), if you keep on holding the goal, you will be able to stand up, start walking, and move forward. Was there not any celebration in Vidyamandira on the occasion, of Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu’s birthday?” Ireplied: In the afternoon there wasa reading of the life and teachings of Sri Chaitanya Deva in the Tattwamandira.' Upen Maharaj (Swami Vimuktananda) is not keeping well because of influenza-like symptoms. He hada choking voice PB September 2020Spiritual Conversations with Swami Shankarananda 9 due to cold and cough. Therefore, [ arranged for Gunamani Maharaj (Swami Tirthananda) to give the entire class. Upen Maharaj sat among the audience, However, he had come to Belur Math during the afternoon with the musical party: Hearing that Upen Maharaj was not well, Maharaj directed the attendant to send some fruits to the ailing swami. After making my salu- tations once more, I took his leave for the day. July 19,1956 ‘The Annual Freshers’ Welcome function has been arranged on the 2and of July in Vidya- mandira, In this connection, I entered the room of Revered Maharaj today at 9 am, to hand over the invitation letter. After offering my saluta- tions, I handed it over to Maharaj. He remarked even as he was reading the letter, ‘seeing all the written material over and over again, our eyes have become trained (to read correctly even when it is written wrongly!): In this invitation letter, ‘Vidyimandira’ has been spelt with one '? (Bengali letter ‘Aa’) missing, In face, we had not noticed that error at all. However, Maharaj no- ticed the mistake by just glancing at the letter. What a wonderful power of observation he had! Maharaj had once discussed the subject of righteousness and ethics with the students. He told them: ‘From the day teaching of righteous- ness was discontinued in schools, the student community has become undisciplined. It is my desire to get Sri Ramakysnastakam, the collec- tion of verses on Sri Ramakrishna composed by Pramodadas Mitra, cyclostyled and circulated among the students. It is very rare to find such a beautiful Sanskrit composition!’ (Later, Maharaj discussed about the training of the novices in the Ramakrishna Order with Swami Tejasan- anda ~ Ed.) Maharaj: “To speak of Vedanta (technical Vedanta which sometimes becomes dry -Ed) PB September 2020 to householders invites dangers. Swami Om- karananda considering this matter in full, has started Bhagavata classes in the Institute of Cul- ture and also in Ramakrishna Yogodyana in Kankurgachi, Much benefit is achieved through this. The inborn traits of human beings such as devotion and love grow all the more from the discourses on devotional scriptures like the Bhagavata. It is highly essential these days to preach the ideas and ideals of Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji to college students. I have repeat- edly said this, but no one pays much attention, “The (building) work is expanding at a faster speed; but where ate we building our own life? If perfect human beings are not there, even the work of the Math and Mission will not progress properly. As I was telling you (a while ago), can you get the hymn in praise of Sri Ramakrishna composed by Pramodadas Mitra cyclostyled through someone?” Isaid: ‘Why not? I shall get it done through Subodh (Brahmachari Paramachaitanya). How- ever, please leave a copy of it with Shambhu. I shall get it done at my convenience? After this talk, Maharaj asked me to bring a notebook from the table. I brought it and handed it over to him. He read out a very beau- tiful hymn addressed to Shiva from that note- book. He said that there are four versions of the ‘Sahasrandma’ (thousand names of Shiva) in the notebook. Earlier, he himself would chant these four versions of the hymn during the four praha- ras (one prahara is roughly three hours) of wor- ship of Shiva on Shivaratri night. oe (To be continued) Notes 1. Aseligious and cultural unit started with the inception of the Ramakrishna Mission Sara- dapitha in 1941. This is the central unit of Sara- dapitha where spiritual discourses, singing of bhajans, Ramanama Sankistan, and so on are regularly held for the devotees. 639NOTES AND COMMENTS Imagining the World after Covin ANY INTELLECTUALS in different countries are debating on this all- important question: ‘What will the world look like after COVID crisis?” ‘There are four possibilities: 1. An increase in government control over the private life of citizens. 2. De-globalisation and rise of ‘my nation first’ atti- tude. 3. A transformation in the way people gather in public places. 4. ‘The rising of new powers like China and the emergence of anew World Order. We are witnessing increased restrictions on the movement and lifestyle of citizens by the governments, both in the rich and poor coun- tries. The politicians are seizing this opportunity and will continue to tighten the control over the vast populace, resulting in totalitarian regime ke situations and the decrease in movement and exchange of ideas among the people. More and more nations will follow the gen- eral trend of conservatism and concentrate on what is best for their citizens, even at the expense of global welfare. Poor countries will suffer from a decrease in grants, loans, and benefits coming from the developed countries. ‘The individuals will concentrate on their per- sonal safety and avoid social contact as faras pos- sible, ‘The social functions will have ‘new norms’ and people different from them in terms of race, religion, and status. We will witness assertive and conser- become fearful of those who are vative societies in the future. The political spectrum of the world will change forever with the weakening of the sta- tus of the US on the world stage and the emer- gence of new powers like China. The ‘tribalism’ 640 which involves a desire to overpower others will dominate the ideas of freedom and equality. The countries with resources and skilled workforce will dominate over those who lack them. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, a British intellectual, says that the present condition is ‘the nearest we have to a revelation for atheists: He continues: “Here we suddenly see our vulnerability. We've been coasting along for more than half a cen- tury in unprecedented affluence, unprecedented freedom, unprecedented optimism, and all of a sudden we are facing the fragility and the vulner- ability of the human situation.” Spiritual traditions all over the world have been teaching this fact for several centuries. And still, the humankind, being unable to accept this, hopelessly chases after the mirage of stability and societal order. ‘The renewed hopes and as- pirations for a better future, as being promised by academicians and intellectuals today, have lost relevance in the present situation. What is needed, not only today, but for all time to come, is the acceptance of the dependency of human existence on a Higher Truth and to live a life of humility, contentment, and service to others. ‘As Swami Vivekananda writes to Maharaja of Mysore on 23 June 1894 from Chicago, ‘this life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, bur they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.” eo References 1. . ‘omplete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 4.363. PB September 2020