Earnest Estcourt

Under Southern Natal of the KwaZulu Natal Province, our Centre has sub-centres at Chatsworth, Phoenix, Pietermaritzburg, and Satsang groups in Redhill, Durban Central, Etete, Sydenham, Tongaat and Verulam. Northern Natal covers sub-centres at Ladysmith, Newcastle and Dundee and Satsang groups at Glencoe and Estcourt.

Truly speaking, all the devotees have the same thread of bhakti to the Holy Trio connecting everyone wherever they are. In this respect, the place one hails from has no importance. The Ramakrishna Centre has brought wonderful unity among all the branches by infusing a definite pattern of conducting satsangs, introducing dress code for men and women, inculcating committee-based administration and other levels of running the branches.

The devotees from Southern Natal actually have very many opportunities to meet me as most of them frequent our HQ at Glen Anil. They regularly attend almost all celebrations here. Not so with the devotees of the Northern Natal centres: I only meet them three or four times in a year.

Twice in one month

Maha Gayatri Mandir with Sw Sahajananda Community Centre hall

This year Estcourt became an exception to the above rule! In one month i.e., in October, I paid two visits within eleven days! Incredible! The first visit was on October 12 during the Navaratri celebration, and the second one was on October 24 at the Community Diwali Festival. Both these events were well attended by the prominent Hindu public of Estcourt.

By interacting with the devotees at Estcourt, I was most impressed by their utter earnestness. Whoever I met was simply earnest. Whether they were from the Ramakrishna branch or the Divine Life Society branch or the Sathya Sai branch or any other organisation, or for that matter simply sanatanis – all of them were earnest in giving their ears to my speeches. (mind you, my speeches are never short! not less than an hour!!)

The Second visit

traditional welcome...

The second visit, by Master’s grace, to Estcourt, was to take part in the Diwali festival. This was organised by the Estcourt Hindu Community in general. On that very morning I had to conduct the Gospel class at REGA Temple (Redhill) – where it went off well. Yash picked me up from the Temple and we proceeded directly to Pietermaritzburg in his car. All through the one hour drive the rains were torrential. The sun came out the moment we reached the home of the Chairman of the PMB Sub-centre! After having refreshing tea we, together with a few other devotees, left for Estcourt, to the home of the Esctcourt satsang group Chairman. This was followed by a sumptuous lunch and a brief but welcome rest. The devotees of our Estcourt branch had collected there and met me.

charming dance recital by children...

There is nothing like enjoying Diwali on the very Diwali night. How many millions of people are celebrating it! What plays in collective consciousness has a definite impact on the individual mind. Functions like Diwali are celebrated in families, societies; also at national and world level. So to desire the same amount of delight at a small community group level and that too not on the Diwali night but a few days earlier, may seem to be impossible to many. But not for me!

At exactly 4 pm, the Diwali function began with the ‘spiritual darlings’ (devotees’ children) leading me into the spacious Swami Sahajananda Community Centre hall. A traditional welcome was accorded to me. This was followed by fascinating items like  bhajans, kirtans and then by captivating dances on the Divine Mother by children and adults separately.

Melodious Music

Anil Ishwarlall Bridglall's musical melody on Sri Ramcharitmanas

Anil Ishwarlall Bridglall of Divine Life Society and his wife Gayatri’s melodious rendition of Sri Ram’s home-coming as described in Sri Ramcharitmanas was most spiritually elevating. He sings as it were with his soul poured into it! Changing tunes to different passages from the scripture made me feel the scenes from Ramayana were getting re-enacted before my closed eyes. Nitin Soni’s support on tabla was splendid. When my turn to give my Talks came and I had not even finished my opening words, there was an uproarious welcome to me by – guess whom? Lightning and thunder! and a downpour that made me stand still for a few minutes! Recovering from the Nature’s fireworks, I continued my Talks and stressed on three points:

1 – Pride in one’s glorious past, 2 – Diwali legends and 3 – Lighting the lamp of knowledge within.

After supper, the organizers lovingly invited me to witness the grand display of man-made fireworks. It was held on the opposite vacant grounds. The clouds had gone away. Pleasant dark sky was all that we could see. This time a rain without clouds! The burst of crackers and rockets, serially one after another, brought forth a rain of sparkles. Oh! what a riot of colours!  To the delight of more than 400 crowded people, for a few moments the sky became luminous thus appearing to me the cosmic shakti caught the stars and held them near for us! Oh! twinkling little stars! How I wonder what you are!!

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Image immersion

Happy Shubha Vijaya!

This year is the fourth year that I was blessed to witness Navaratri celebration here in our Centres of South Africa. Two years back, Mother made me visit all our branches in Northern Natal about which you might have read in this blog here. I have no hesitation to say that of all the functions observed here at our Ashrams, doubtless Navaratri (Durga Puja in Ramakrishna tradition parlance) holds a special charm. At no other time one can witness such a display of devotional faith and fervour as at this time.

Besides Headquarters, the Sub-centres at Chatsworth and Pietermaritzburg in Southern Natal, had clay images of Mother Durga. Sri Sarada Devi Ashram at Asherville had also such a murti. All these four murtis are designed to be of ashtabhuja (eight-armed) and simha-vahini (riding the lion). There is no ubiquitous demon King Mahishaasur! Recently I heard from brother Swami Saradaprabhanandaji that his Guru and the Second president of the Ramakrishna Centre of SA, Swami Shivapadanandaji wanted to popularise the benign form of Mother Durga among the devotees.

Each day these murtis were lovingly decorated and dressed, and freshly garlanded. Since every cluster of three nights of the nine-night festival are dedicated to Mothers Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati each, representing the three gunas of prakriti viz., tamas, rajas and sattwa, Mother was appropriately adorned with garments in blue-black, blood-red and milk-white colours. And there She was, in all her divine glory and splendour, silently accepting the adoration of Her devotees, through their soulful songs, the hearty recital of hymns, divinely discourses and purifying pujas.

People ask me often, ‘Swamiji! from where do you get such beautiful murtis? Are they imported from india?’ Well, the murtis are ‘proudly South African!’ diligently made by a lady-devotee, who is a dedicated worshipper of the Holy Trio, very much a citizen of SA.

She considers the preparation of the Durga murti as an act of her special sadhanaa. After making prayers to Master, Mother and Swamiji, she first casts the Foot of the Mother. She confided in me that bowing to the Foot represents the crushing of her ego – the ego that thinks she is the creator of the Image. She would pray with humility, that Mother might bestow Her grace upon the artist. The lady acknowledged that the artist in her was merely an instrument of Mother, performing the act of Mother’s Will.

On Mahashtami day, after Master’s puja at the Temple, we gathered at the Nischalananda Hall where Sri Durga Havan was performed to the chanting of entire Devi Mahatmyam and oblation offered at the end of each mantra followed by recitation of the mantra with vilva leaf oblation– ‘Aum Aim Hreem Kleem Chaamundaayai Vicce’. This was too joined by all the assembled devotees. Long before the 700th ‘svaahaa!’ was chanted in chorus, the minds of the devotees had already begun to soar to great spiritual heights.

The most emotional day for the devotees is the vijaya dashami – when the images that were worshipped with pomp and éclat were immersed in the sea. The day unlike last year found the sun shining, not windy, the sky azure. Like Mathur babu the devotees could not bear to see Her go away. Was the image immersed in the sea of water? yes, and what about She who was worshipped in the image? She was immersed in the sea of thoughts! For the moment, there was only the philosophical consolation that the supreme Devi had returned once again to Her immanent residence in the hearts of the devotees. Did not Master say in the Gospel: “…But you should remember that the heart of the devotee is the abode of God…His drawing room (lounge).”

Every year during Durga Puja, Mathur would invite the Master to his Calcutta residence at Janbazar. The Master passed those days joyfully with Mathur and his family. As a Guru, the Master bestowed his grace on Mathur. On the last day of Durga Puja that year, Mathur said to the Master: “Father, whatever others may say, I won’t allow the Mother to be immersed in the Ganges. I have ordered the worship to be continued daily. How can I survive in this world without the Mother?”

The Master stroked Mathur’s chest and said: Oh, is this what makes you afraid? Who has told you that you will have to live without the Mother? And where will She go even if you immerse Her image in the Ganges? Can the Mother stay away from Her son? For the last three days She has accepted your worship in the worship hall, but from today She will accept your worship constantly, sitting in your heart”. And Mathur was mollified.

The tradition of Navaratri here among the Hindus is a mixture of North-South combination. The days were spent in a blissful mood for which I am grateful to our Sri Thakur, Ma and Swamiji although my tour for 14 days from 1st to 14th october was extensive and hectic. And this feeling of joy is nonetheless due to the gracious blessings of all senior monks and loving vibrations from younger brothers. And finally is the devotional feeling with which devotees like you who are house-holders, always wish for the welfare of the monks!

Durga! Durga!
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