Vedanta in Practice

A Micro-Blog from Swami Vimokshananda – earlier at Durban, Singapore and Dublin – now at Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India – "A private diary for public consumption!"

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  • Memorable visit – First Nine days

    Swami SmarananandaHere is a short Report on the First nine days (21st to 29th May) of a memorable visit of one of the Vice-Presidents of the world-wide Ramakrishna Order, Sri Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj. His arrival – second time in South Africa – saw a surge of joy and enthusiasm among the devotees here. His previous visit in 2002 was in his capacity as the General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Order. He reached Durban from Mumbai on 21st May, 2008.

    On arrival he, along with his monastic assistant Swami Jnanavratananda, was given a warm and traditional welcome reception at our Temple Hall in the evening. In his Address of Reply, Swami Smarananandaji pointed out the deeper link of this SA Centre with Belur Math and how the continued relationship would be a potent factor in bringing peace and happiness to the people of South Africa.

    Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj with Black children of the Ramakrishna Abalindi Home which takes care of the HIV/AIDS affected Black childrenNext day in the morning he was taken to Ramakrishna Abalindi Home at Inanda where he met African people among whom hampers were distributed. Later in the evening he was met by distinguished dignitaries of Durban.
     
    On Friday, 23rd May, Most Revered Vice-President Maharaj addressed a gathering of devotees at our Chatsworth Sub-Centre. He explained the advent of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna as a necessity to bring people of all faiths together. On 24th he visited the Ramakrishna Ethembeni Home at Kwa Mashu where he met orphans among whom a few children were affected by HIV/AIDS. In the evening he was given a public reception at our Nischalananda Hall where more than 600 people of all walks of life attended. There was also a cultural programme of Kathak dance recital by the famous Manesh Maharaj.
     
    On Monday evening the Vice-President Maharaj addressed a gathering of devotees at our Redhill Satsang Group on the cultivation of devotion to Holy Mother.Swami Smarananandaji Maharaj with a dignitary couple from Black community in their traditional costumes
     
    On Tuesday morning, Most Revered Vice-President Maharaj gave initiation (mantra diksha) to 109 devotees at our Temple. In the evening at the Temple Hall he gave a scholarly discourse to the devotees on Srimad Bhagavad Gita and its day-to-day utility. Wednesday was spent on granting interviews to the spiritual aspirants. He and his monastic assistant Swami Jnanavratananda were taken round of the beautiful Botanic gardens in Durban where they enjoyed the varieties of plants and trees including the water birds.

    Swami Smarananandaji is waving 'arati' before the Holy Trio at the altar of the Shrine as a mark of inaugurationOn 29th that is on Thursday, Most Revered Vice-President Maharaj blessed 98 devotees with initiation (mantra diksha). Thus in South Africa he has initiated 208 devotees with spiritual guidance. Earlier on Sunday morning, Most Revered Vice-President Maharaj inaugurated the Ramakrishna Shrine at our Phoenix Sub-Centre which was attended by more than a thousand people. A special puja was performed by Swami Saradananda on that auspicious occasion. On Friday morning he and his team left for Northern Natal tour.

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  • Milk of kindness

    Swami Vivekananda on Lord Buddha’s heart
    He was the only man who was ever ready to give up his life for animals to stop a sacrifice. He once said to a king, “If the sacrifice of a lamb helps you to go to heaven, sacrificing a man will help you better; so sacrifice me.” The king was astonished. And yet this man was without any motive power. He stands as the perfection of the active type, and the very height to which he attained shows that through the power of work we can also attain to the highest spirituality… I wish I had one infinitesimal part of Buddha’s heart.
    …what did Buddha say with his dying breath? “None can help you; help yourself; work out your own salvation.” He said about himself, “Buddha is the name of infinite knowledge, infinite as the sky; I, Gautama, have reached that state; you will all reach that too if you struggle for it.” Bereft of all motive power, he did not want to go to heaven, did not want money; he gave up his throne and everything else and went about begging his bread through the streets of India, preaching for the good of men and animals with a heart as wide as the ocean.
    …In Buddha we had the great, universal heart and infinite patience, making religion practical and bringing it to everyone’s door…
    Buddha photo courtesy : thusness

    During the weekly satsang on last Saturday, in my Talks on Buddha, I dwelt upon the Buddha’s infinite compassion to the suffering beings of this world and how much adoration Swami Vivekananda had for the Buddha’s heart! Today being Buddha Purnima, I want to share with my readers a glimpse of that Buddha’s heart that I witnessed some years ago in our Most Revered President Maharaj, Srimat Swami Atmasthanandaji whose birthday happily falls on Buddha Purnima!

    It was the year 2002 when the present President Maharaj, most Revered Swami Atmasthanandaji Maharaj visited Ranchi Sanatorium. His stay during that period coincided with Buddha Purnima, the well-known thrice blessed day due to the fact that on the same purnima tithi falls Buddha’s birthday, His Nirvana day and His Mahaprayan day.That was also a thrice blessed Day indeed for the Sanatorium devotees. In the words of one devotee from Kolkata, Debraj Mitra (thanks Debraj! for the photo courtesy) who was present on that day: “Indeed, May 26 2002 was  a thrice blessed day, as we were privileged to witness three major events on that day. Firstly, in the morning, President Maharaj replaced the old photos of THAKUR, SRI SRI MAA & SWAMIJI  with new ones in the shrine. Secondly, Maharaj released the Commemorative Souvenir on Revered Swami Gambhiranandaji’s Centenary and also all the monks celebrated Maharaj’s birthday. Thirdly, in the evening, Revered Maharaj delivered a lecture on Lord Buddha and then he followed it up with a guided meditation – A  BONUS.”

    Revered Atmasthanandaji had worked at this centre as Assistant Secretary way back from 1952 to 58. He knew all about the poverty that surrounds in the neighbouring villages. His keen observation has not missed the malnutrition prevalent among the tribal children. While taking morning walk, during his visit to Sanatorium in 1999, on the road leading to Indoor wards, suddenly he turned to me and said, “Why don’t you start giving milk to the children here? I see your dairy farm has grown in size and the milk is very good indeed.” he continued after a pause, “How much milk we pour on Shivalinga! Just imagine! Shiva will be truly pleased if we can only pour milk in these children’s stomachs!

    That was it! Immediately the scheme of feeding milk to 100 Children was started. We would obtain fresh milk from our own Dairy farm within the campus. It was just situated on the back of our Ashrama kitchen. But from where the required money will come? By blessings of the Revered Maharaj the scheme started attracting kind-hearted people all around who began sending their donations. I remember the first donor was my gurubhai Ranjit Sinha who immediately paid the money. Well, the scheme that started with 100 children initially began to grow so fast that it doubled within two years. Now I understand, it caters to 280 children.

    It was sight to see the children coming in queue from the Vivekananda Vidyalaya to Ashram first, and after making pranam to the Holy Trio at the shrine, they would march on to the central kitchen where they would be fed with 200 ml of milk with bakery made rusks. On the way if they happen to see me or any other Maharaj, they would all in chorus shout loudly Pranam Maharaj!  Today that sweet sound of the children is reverberating in my ears diffusing the deterrent distance between India and South Africa! 

     

  • Expansion is Life

    ManSwami Vivekanandaju was studying in class VIII or so when she started coming to our ashram. Her village Dungri is not far from Ranchi Sanatorium. Along with the other girls and boys of her village, Manju would also participate in different functions. She had great admiration for Swami Vivekananda. As she grew up her admiration for Swamiji turned into devotion.

    It was during one of those days of the severest spell of winter that I went to her village to explore certain welfare activity. On the way while we were walking through the muddy road I saw little Manju standing outside her home. She was visibly pleased. She requested me to come into her house to which I agreed to fulfil her desire on my return trip. When I went to her house I was as usual flocked with elder people of the village. With great happiness writ large on her face, Manju took me first to a room where on a shelf near the window, the photos of Holy Trio were kept. Flowers had been offered. holytrioweb-2.jpgWhen I made my pranams, it occurred to me that I should humbly place before the photos some pranami. In my pocket I had three notes of hundred rupees. After offering the cash there, I returned after taking the tasty milk-free liquor tea.

    A week after, Manju came to my office. I asked her just out of curiosity, whether she had kept the three hundred rupee notes safely. She paused for some moments and appeared to be hesitant in replying to my query. I repeated my query. “Ok Manju, so you are not going to tell me.”

    Manju replied still hesitantly, “No Maharaj, I do not know how to explain to you.”

    “What does that mean? I saw window open next to the shelf. Did the wind carry the money away?”

    “No Maharaj, I have spent the money.”

    “Oh! it as nice. You see, Manju, money comes for spending only, nothing to feel embarrassed about. Ok, now tell me, what did you spend it for?”

    manju.jpgManju was again keeping silent. It is anybody’s guess that what a 14 year old girl would spend the money for. How many things are there that she could purchase bangles, cosmetics and what not.

    “Did you spend it on your dress or any such thing?”

    “No Maharaj, I did not spend on anything for myself.”

    “Then Manju tell me the truth. I am eager to know it.”

    What she told me at that juncture simply stunned me. Imagine a little girl like Manju not spending the money on herself but going out of the way in doing something else.

     “Maharaj, you know my neighbour, how poor they are! I saw the three little kids shivering from cold. I could not bear to see their suffering. So I went to the Tupudana Bazaar and purchased three sweaters of hundred rupees each. When I gave the sweaters to them, you know how happy they were!”

    Did not Swami Viekananda say, “They alone live who live for others?” I was amazed at Manju’s expansive heart, the centre of which transcended her small body-mind complex and embraced the socalled unrelated ‘others’.

  • My Mauritius Moods…

    On the very first ‘posting’ from India to abroad I was fortunate to visit our Mauritius centre from 20th to 26th March, 2007 on my way to South Africa. The main attraction was of course Revered Krishnarupanandaji, our dear Suresh maharaj of Kanpur days (1971 to 1976).
     
    dsc0036360.jpgHe was all cordiality personified. Mauritius is one of the hot tourist spots in the world. Being the Head of tha Centre for quite a long period, naturally he was keen that I should visit our Centre and some other spots. Even before I could plan my trip to South Africa where I was posted as President of the Durban centre, Rev Suresh maharaj was insisting that I should drop down at Mauritius and spend a few days with him. I could hardly say no to his loving call. Only after landing there and staying with him that I realised how badly I would have missed all that wonderful experiences that he so affectionately afforded.
     
    On arrival on 20th March last year, I had restful sleep as I had to leave Chennai Math just at midnight of the 19th with no sleep at all the previous day. I had very tight schedule at Chennai. The two Chennai Math brahmacharins – Pravin and Suresh proved a good company as I need to have no worry at all about anything. Sridhar an official from Airport Authority of India joined me in the airport; made me reach the aircraft with utmost comfort. The Air Mauritius flight by which my ticket was booked by M/s Columbus Travels, Mumbai left Chennai airport at 3.45 am. The duration of air travel was though 5 hrs and 45 minutes, yet I reached Mauritius by 8 am, that explained Mauritius time was one and half hrs behind the IST!
     
    To my pleasant surprise Revered Suresh maharaj was at the airport to receive me. The security officials completed all immigration formalities without my even knowing what they were and within the time to finish taking a steaming cup of tea. Kishore, a close devotee of the Ashrama and an engineer by profession and one of the top officials of the famous  12-storeyed Cybertower of Mauritius was on the driver’s seat and brought us to the Ashrama smoothly by his comfortable car. There, both the other Swamis – Bhaskar maharaj and Satyakam maharaj received me with bouquet.
     
    The Ashrama is in idyllic setup, the temple standing majestically on the right side from the entrance gate, surrounded by lush green lawn meticulously maintained. The overall atmosphere was one of spiritual ambience where everyone who comes in cannot but be drenched with the grace of our Master. Harmony was the key word. It has a small Library and also Vivekananda Study Circle for the children. The devotees who frequent the Ashrama are well placed in their social structure; but it is a sight to see them thoroughly cleaning the lawn, garden, agrofarm and all other places with great verve and vigour in the spirit of seva.
     
    The evening prayers are worth attending. Close devotees appear at precision time just before the sandhya arati. After the arati, performed to the singing of khandana… a few namawali bhajans are sung in chorus and reading from a book follows. Surprisingly everyone sits for one hour meditation.
     
    On Thursday evening, I was the guest speaker on the usual satsang. As Ramnavami was fast approaching, I dwelt upon the nama–mahima with illustrative stories from Adbhut Ramayana and Sri Thakur’s approach to it.
     
    On Friday evening, I visited St. Julien, a village where a sub-center with a pre-primary school is being run. Lot of villagers had gathered. And I had to do the satsang with Revered Suresh maharaj singing namawalis with devotion and intermittently speaking to the delight of the men, women and children in creole, a local dialect of Mauritius.
     
    On Saturday evening, at a distance of about 25 kms, we visited Hoolash family where also a short satsang was arranged. There I got fine dosa which I could not at that time dream of!
     
    From 21st onwards all days in the morning hours I was taken around Mauritius usually accompanied by any one of his two monastic assistants – Gauripriyananda (Bhaskar maharaj) or Stavananda (Satyakam maharaj); sometimes himself too. The Gangatalao was memorable in that nearby a huge 108 ft stone structure of Lord Shiva stands. The old temple of Shiva where more than a lakh people assemble on Mahashivaratri was also seen with due puja led by Rev Suresh maharaj.
     
    Another day we visited the Apravasi ghat where the indentured labour from many parts of India arrived first, two hundred years ago. Our ancestors faced insurmountable difficulties at the hands of British and a visit would as it were remind everyone of the determination with which they carried on their life. Among the other interesting things that I saw was Botanical Garden and Vivekananda International Conf. Hall, Waterfront, Port Louis, Supermarket, Cybercity Tower etc gave an idea of a western country. It seemed to be a good introduction to understand the way of life of western mores for any one who would visit South Africa for the first time, which I hear from others a nation completely westernised.
     
    The photos mostly were taken by one close devotee Rajiv who many times with great love took us by his car. Sunday the last day for me at Mauritius went off briskly with visitors pouring from morning nine. At 4.30 pm the local TV people came and took an interview followed by Sunday Satsang where I talked to the devotees in English. Night spent with Rev Suresh maharaj and other two Mauritian swamis discussing many aspects of our spiritual life.

    The next day i.e. on the 26th of March, 2007 I left for Durban.

  • Why Sun, why Swan and why on earth a Snake?

    Why Sun, why Swan and why on earth a Snake? And lotus and waters? Is there any significance for all these symbols? This is what every person who looks at our logo/emblem asks.

    emblemfotofixer1.jpgThis emblem adopted by Ramakrishna Mission world-wide was actually conceived and sketched by Swami Vivekananda in 1901. Swamiji cryptically explained his creation with these words: “The wavy waters in the picture are symbolic of Karma; the lotus, of Bhakti; and the rising – sun, of Jnana. The encircling serpent is indicative of Yoga and the awakened Kundalini Shakti, while the sun in the picture stands for the Paramatman (Supreme Self). Therefore the idea of the picture is that by the union of Karma, Jnana, Bhakti, and Yoga, the vision of the Paramatman is obtained.”

    This he expressed while he was in conversation with Ranada Babu, the Founder and Professor of Jubilee Art Academy, Calcutta in 1901. Read the conversation here.

    An interesting explanation of what Swamiji succintly put is discussed in detail that can be read by clicking below “OPEN PUBLICATION”. 

    This is an editorial appeared in the Vedanta Kesari , a monthly English Journal of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. One of the oldest English religio-philosophic journals of India, it is devoted to spirituality and culture, and provides a feast of elevating and noble thoughts from all corners of the world. Thousands all over the world have discovered the secret of peace, joy and fulfilment through The Vedanta Kesari. It is a practical guide to successful living for the entire family and is read by an estimated 60,000 people from all over the world.