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The Vedanta Kesari

102

nd

Year

of

Publication

VOL. 102, No. 11 ISSN 0042-2983

A CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL MONTHLY OF THE RAMAKRISHNA ORDER

Started at the instance of Swami Vivekananda in 1895 as Brahmavdin,

it assumed the name The Vedanta Kesari in 1914.

For free edition on the Web, please visit: www.chennaimath.org

CONTENTS
NOVEMBER 2015

Gita Verse for Reflection

405

Editorial
Two Selves of Human Personality

406

Articles
Three Women and Their Destinies: Rereading the Life of Mrinalini Devi
Sachidananda Mohanty
Swami Saradanandas Letters to Metropolitan Boston
Joseph Peidle and Jayanta Sircar
Kabir and His Mystic Wisdom
Swami Brahmeshananda
Swami Vivekananda and Others on Religious Pluralism
Gopal Stavig

414
421
428
431

New Find
Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda

426

Special Report
Vivekananda Cultural Centre (VCC), Chennai

436

The Order on the March 438

Book Reviews 440
Simhvalokanam: (How to Triumph Over the Difficulties of Life)
410
Swami Budhananda
Cover Story: Page 6

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Swami Vivekananda

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N Cover Story N
Swami Vivekanandas Statue, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
During his wandering days in early 1890s, Swami Vivekananda
visited the picturesque town of Dehradun along with his ailing
brother-disciple Swami Akhandananda and stayed there for some
time before leaving for Hardwar. Swamiji came to Dehradun for the
second time in 1897. A centre of Ramakrishna Math and Mission
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started at Kishanpur, a suburb of the main Dehradun city, now the
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and unveiled on 12 January 2013 by the then Chief Minister of the
Uttarakhand. The statue is an important landmark on the Rajpur Road
(Dehradun-Mussoorie road) which has many Ashramas and centres
belonging to different religious and spiritual organisations. The statue located on a traffic island
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To be continued . . .

The Vedanta Kesari

VOL. 102, No.11, NOVEMBER 2015 ISSN 0042-2983

E ACH SOUL IS POTENTIALLY DIVINE. T HE GOAL IS TO MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN.

7

Gita Verse for Reflection

Tr. by Swami Tapasyananda

Bhagavad Gita, 12-15

Who causes fear to none and whom none can frighten, who is thus
free from the agitation of the moods caused by euphoria, anger, and
excitementsuch a person too is dear to Me.

B
What is the ideal of the lover who has quite passed beyond the idea of
selfishness, of bartering and bargaining, and who knows no fear? Even to
the great God such a man will say, I will give You my all, and I do not want
anything from You; indeed there is nothing that I can call my own. When a
man has acquired this conviction, his ideal becomes one of perfect love, one
of perfect fearlessness of love. The highest ideal of such a person has no
narrowness of particularity about it; it is love universal, love without limits and
bonds, love itself, absolute love.
Swami Vivekananda, CW, 3:91

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Editorial

Two Selves of Human Personality

A Common Experience
I am. We all know this for it is an
experience common to us all. It needs no
validation. We all know that we arethat we
all exist. But what or who am I is little known
or understood. It remains a mystery. We are,
but why we are what we are remains a riddle.
Who am I thus remains the most asked and yet
seldom rightly-answered question.
Not that man has not tried to explore this
question earlier. Nothing has engaged human
mind more than this ancient and yet evermodern question. Mankind has surely found
the definitive answersthanks to the mystics
and seers, the spiritual masters of all spiritual
traditionsand yet the question keeps
returning to us. Why? That is simple: until we
find the answer ourselves, explore and discover
it ourselves, the question remains as good as
unanswered. It is just like eating food. Our
friend eating his meal cannot satisfy us. Nor
can our eating the meals satisfy our friend. We
all have to eat ourselves in order to quench our
hunger and get nourished. Likewise, we have
to discover the answer ourselves and benefit
from it. The subjective nature of wisdom and
our inner life cannot be replaced by anything
in the world.
Delving into Ourselves
So we ask the questionWho Am I?
In his famous paper on Hinduism presented
at the World Parliament of Religions in 1893,
Swami Vivekananda raised this issue thus:
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Here I stand and if I shut my eyes, and try to

conceive my existence, I, I, I, what is the
idea before me? The idea of a body. Am I,
then, nothing but a combination of material
substances? The Vedas declare, No. I am a spirit
living in a body. I am not the body. The body
will die, but I shall not die. Here am I in this
body; it will fall, but I shall go on living. I had
also a past. The soul was not created, for creation
means a combination which means a certain
future dissolution. If then the soul was created,
it must die. . . . [which is absurd].1
The Hindu believes that he is a spirit. Him the
sword cannot piercehim the fire cannot burn
him the water cannot melthim the air cannot
dry. The Hindu believes that every soul is a circle
whose circumference is nowhere, but whose
centre is located in the body, and that death
means the change of this centre from body to
body. Nor is the soul bound by the conditions of
matter. In its very essence it is free, unbounded,
holy, pure, and perfect. But somehow or other
it finds itself tied down to matter, and thinks of
itself as matter.2

This is the supreme truth about ourselvesin our deepest, truest and most vital
essence, we are not body or mind (both of
which are subject to change) but the spirit, or
the divinity within. In the deepest sense, man
is divine, not body-mind and the changes they
undergo.
Now having said it, we naturally ask,
But that is not the way we interact with or feel
in our everyday dealings! This means there
is some other common self (ego), other than

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this divine self (consciousness), along with it,

which we experience and live with. This is what
we practically experience at presenttwo
selves in us, one Divine and another material
or psycho-physical, the Unchanging and the
empirical selves. The Bhagavad Gita3 says,
There are two Purushas [selves] in the world
the Perishable and the Imperishable. All beings
are the Perishable, and the Kutastha is called the
Imperishable.

Kutastha, says a commentator on this

verse, is that which manifests Itself in various
forms of illusion and deception. It is said to
be imperishable as the seed of Samsara is
endlessin the sense that it does not perish in
the absence of Brahma Jnana.4
The divine self within is never subject
to any change or decay. It ever is. There is no
past, present and future about it. It always
is. It is not matter and therefore the laws of
matter do not apply to it. What changes is the
perishable self in us, consisting of our body
and mind, the baggage of karma, desires and
limitations born of these. Swami Vivekananda
wrote to Mary Hale on 26th June, 1895: Desire,
ignorance, and inequalitythis is the trinity of
bondage. And this bondage is of the material
self, never of the divine self.

with respect to the lower self. The Divine Self

never becomes anything but is pure being.
What we call as personality development,
maturity, growing in wisdom and so on is in
the field of becoming. The more we are nearer
the pure being within, the more we understand the changing nature of the world we live
in and the unchanging nature of our being.
The Upanishads speak of this in various
ways. The well-known analogy of Mundaka
Upanishad (3.1.1-2) illustrates it most aptly. In
Swami Vivekanandas words,

Lower and Higher Selves

Sometimes the divine and the psychophysical self are referred to as higher and
lower selvesthe Jivatma and the Paramatma.
While Vedanta, and one the greatest exponents of the Vedanta in modern
times, Swami Vivekananda,
counsels us to assert our divinity
and to manifest it in every
movement of life, we should
not and cannot avoid facing
our lower self. All our growth,
progress and advancement happen
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The whole of the Vedanta Philosophy is in this

story:
Two birds of golden plumage sat on the same
tree. The one above, serene, majestic, immersed
in his own glory; the one below restless and
eating the fruits of the tree, now sweet, now
bitter. Once he ate an exceptionally bitter fruit,
then he paused and looked up at the majestic
bird above; but he soon forgot about the other
bird and went on eating the fruits of the tree as
before. Again he ate a bitter fruit, and this time
he hopped up a few boughs nearer to the bird at
the top. This happened many times until at last
the lower bird came to the place of the upper
bird and lost himself. He found all at once that
there had never been two birds, but that he was
all the time that upper bird, serene, majestic, and
immersed in his own glory.5

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The discovery of being that one bird is

the ultimate goal of life. We have one real bird
and another unreal bird in us. The real bird is
the Self within, the unreal bird is the empirical
self through which we experience and act in
this world. The fruits of actions, bitter and
sweet, we all experience and that is all that we
call life. Every bitter experience is followed by
a less bitter experience or pleasant experience,
one succeeding the others. Our mundane
experiences are relativebitter-sweet,
pleasant-unpleasant, good-bad, right-wrong
and so on. We need these experiences as long
as we have desirein its existential sense and
not just a passing senseand that includes
the remnants of the fruits of earlier desires,
fulfilled and not yet fulfilled. And only when
the cycle of ignorancedesiresfruits
experience leading to yet more desires comes
to an end, The End, that we become free from it.
Dealing with the Lower Self
The term lower and higher are not to be
taken in the sense of low and high. Lower
simply means temporary or impermanent
in contrast with the Eternal Self. The lower self
consists of our body and mind. It includes other
aspects of our human personality. Identified
with the lower self by Maya, the mysterious
power of illusion (that of the infinite thinking
of itself as finite), the higher self, as if, enjoys
the world. Sri Krishna says,6
An eternal portion of Myself having become a
living soul in the world of life, draws (to itself)
the five senses with mind for the sixth, abiding
in Prakriti.
When the Lord obtains a body and when He
leaves it, He takes these and goes as the wind
takes the scents from their seats (the flowers).
Presiding over the ear, the eye, the touch,
the taste, and the smell, as also the mind, He
experiences objects.
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The Vedanta says that man as we see him

is not just physical body, in an empirical sense,
nor divine self, in the sense of his essential
nature. He is a mixture of two, and this
mixture is explained through the combining
factor called subtle body which includes
mind, ego, cognitive and other faculties. His
predicament is: gross physical body enjoys
through the subtle body and subtle body is
hinged on the ignorance of our real self. But
there is no real or eternal ignorance. It ends
the moment he realises his divine nature. It is
like eternal darkness of night disappearing
at dawn. Light and darknessthat is the
relation between lower and higher self. Swami
Vivekananda points out,
There is but one Atman, one Self, eternally pure,
eternally perfect, unchangeable, unchanged; it
has never changed; all these various changes in
the universe are but appearances in that one Self.

The more attached we are to our lower

self, the more fearful, anxious, jealous, angry,
greedy and mean we are. The more we know
our divine self, more fearless, calm and
unselfish we are. The Isha Upanishad (verse
7) says that man who knows his divine self is
free from all sorrow, delusion and has a unitive
vision of life. Such a person can never do any
violence or anything wicked.
Now the issue is how to know or
experience the higher self? By controlling or
dealing with the lower self. This means purifying
the mind, disciplining the senses and attenuating
the sense of possession of me and mine. Why?
Because mind along with senses and ego while
being our instruments of perception and action,
decision and implementation and other normal,
day-to-day living, also restrict our freedom to
experience our divine self. It is not feasible to run
away from our mind, senses and ego through a
long jump as in an Olympic event. One cannot
run away from ones shadow, however fast one

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11

may run. One has to discover a place where

there is no shadow. Our lower self is a shadow
of the higher self, apparently. To know the real
object that creates the shadow, one should begin
by examining the shadowand discover its
unreality.
Dealing with the lower self means
dealing with the shadow self. Split or
multiple personality disordera psychological
condition wherein a person has many
contradictory traits and behaviourtoo
belongs to the lower self or to the field of
becoming, and not to the higher self. Let us
always remember that freedom is the one thing
that we want. The materialistic person wants
to attain it through indulgence, accumulation,
through power and pelf, and so on. But the
lives and teachings of mystics of all religions is
a testimony to the fact that real, lasting joy is to
be found by giving up the lower for attaining
the higher. And this is possible only when
we control senses, calm the mind, purify it of
all weaknesses and cultivate a virtuous life.
As divine self is essentially Consciousness,
and not matter, and is all-pervasive, we thus
become truly loving, compassionate and
unselfish.
In conclusion, in understanding the two
selves of our personalities, this is what Swami
Vivekananda has to say:

There is to be found in every religion the

manifestation of this struggle towards freedom. It is the groundwork of all morality,
of unselfishness, which means getting rid of
the idea that men are the same as their little
body. When we see a man doing good work,
helping others, it means that he cannot be
confined within the limited circle of me and
mine. There is no limit to this getting out of
selfishness. All the great systems of ethics preach
absolute unselfishness as the goal. Supposing
this absolute unselfishness can be reached by a
man, what becomes of him? He is no more the
little Mr. So-and-so; he has acquired infinite
expansion. The little personality which he had
before is now lost to him for ever; he has become
infinite, and the attainment of this infinite
expansion is indeed the goal of all religions and
of all moral and philosophical teachings.7

In sum, Jivatmanthe mix of divine and

the material, and Paramatmanthe divine,
pure self, are one in essence. This essential
oneness is realisable through the mind which
is purified of all passions, attachments and
other forms of impurities. Jivatman, expanded
beyond its limits created by ego and other
limiting factor, is the real person behind the
human personality. Manifesting the divinity
thus inherent in Jivatman is the goal of life
temples, rituals, dogmas are but secondary
details. o

References
1. CW, 1.7
2. CW, 1.9
Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata p.333

3. Bhagavad Gita, 15.16

4. Bhagavad Gita, Swami Swarupananda,
5. CW, 7.80
6. Gita 15.7-9
7. CW, 1.109

Indias Timeless Wisdom

People take immense delight in finding fault with others. They, however, fail to recall
their own faults, which neither have a beginning nor an end.
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Simhvalokanam
From the Archives of The Vedanta Kesari
(June, 1967-68, p. 80-89)

How to Triumph Over the

Difficulties of Life
SWAMI BUDHANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

A Correct Attitude to Present Difficulties: A correct attitude toward present difficulties
of life is very important because it holds the key of our progress or regress.
Just by being frantic about difficulties and cursing them we cannot solve them
any more than we can smash an atom with a hammer. Calm analysis of the situation is
necessary. Then with courage, patience and dexterity positive curative measures will have
to be adopted.
Two approaches to our difficulties are possible: one, to boldly accept the entire
responsibility on our own shoulders and manfully try to solve them.
The other way of working at them, which can be cultivated only by a firm believer
in God, is: that they are symbols of Gods compassion. Of course, it is not easy to take
difficulties this way for the common men and women of the world.
There is always a tendency in us to search for some scape-goat for our own difficulties,
and shirk personal responsibility. Those who confront their difficulties with this attitude will
be overcome by them, precisely because dishonesty within their own hearts will prevent
power-flow within themselves.
The honest way, however, of facing a difficulty is to respectfully shoulder the entire
responsibility oneself. Visitations of difficulties generally come to us only as fruits of our
own actionown karmaphala.
There is this Chinese proverb:
When God wishes to send disaster upon a person, He first sends him a little luck to elate him
and see whether he can receive it in a worthy manner; when God wishes to send blessings
upon a person, He first sends him a little mishap and sees how well he can take it.7

The spirit of this Chinese proverb is wonderfully corroborated by one of the Holy
Mothers teachings. She says:
Everybody says regretfully, there is so much misery in the world. We have prayed so such to
God, but still there is no end to misery. But misery is only the gift of God. It is the symbol of
his compassion.8

Did any mother ever see the celestial smile of her baby without going through the
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13

labour pain? Did any saint ever have the ecstasy of the communion with God without going
through the long agonies of the dark night of the soul? Was there ever any celebration of
victory without going through the ravages of the war?
Extra Strength is Needed: But proper attitude alone is not enough for overcoming
the difficulties. In times of difficulties we require extra strength to cope with the situation.
Wherefrom do we get it? Mainly we have to get it from within ourselves. How?
The required extra-strength we can get through a simple method: prayer. Swami
Vivekananda says: By prayer ones subtle powers are easily roused.9
He has a unique theory about prayer, a thorough-going non-dualist as he was. He says:
Christs and Buddhas are simply occasions upon which to objectify our inner powers.
We really answer our own prayers.10
In any case through prayer, we can link ourselves to the power source of all strength,
which we require to battle with in our difficulties, whatever may be their type or magnitude.
All of us know that one of the greatest men of our time was Mahatma Gandhi. In the
epic life he lived fighting with the mightiest imperial power of the day, directing movements
involving millions of people, there was no end to his trials, tribulations and difficulties.
Whence did he derive all the strength required for such tremendous sustained work which
changed the very course of human history?
He derived all his strength from prayer, Gandhiji writes:
Without prayer, I would have been a lunatic long ago. I have had my share of the bitterest
public and private experiences. They threw me into temporary despair, but if I was able to get
rid of this, it was because of prayer.

Prayer is not the old womans idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is
the most potent instrument of action, says Gandhiji.
He was of the firm conviction that a man who has not the sheet-anchor of prayer to
rely upon will be a victim of the powers of darkness.
The man of prayer will be at peace with himself and with the whole world; the man who goes
about the affairs of the world without a prayerful heart will be miserable and will make the
world miserable.
Prayer is the only means of bringing about orderliness and peace and repose in our daily acts.
Take care of the vital thing and other things will take care of themselves. Rectify one angle of
the square, and the other angles will be automatically right.11

Therefore, whenever we are beset with difficulties we should be specially prayerful.

The prayer should proceed from the heart and not from the throat. And prayer should
be sent forth continuously. It should become our second nature. If we are not deceitful to
ourselves, if we are true and sincere, strength will well forth from within.
But a man who has not prayed when he was not in difficulty will not find it easy to
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pray at the time of crisis too. Therefore, difficulty or no difficulty we should continuously
cultivate the habit of prayer. Then we will not be taken unawares.
***
VII

Certain Difficulties Call for Change in Our Nature

Certain difficulties we cannot surmount without changing our very nature, which of
course is not an impossible task.
If you have a hoarse voice and extraordinary fondness for loud singing, specially
when others are trying to sleep, your neighbours will complain and, if you persist, create
difficulties for you.
Now, if you cannot sweeten your voice, at least you can stop singing!
There is an interesting Chinese story:
An owl met a quail and the quail said, Hallo friend, where are you going? The moody owl
replied, I am going east. May I ask why? the quail said. The people of the village hate my
screeching noise, replied the owl. That is why I am going east. Then said the quail, what you
should do, my dear friend, is to change that screeching noise. If you cannot, you will be hated
for it, even if you go east.12

Certain Typically Modern Difficulties: Certain typically modern difficulties of life are
products of foolish over-ambitiousness.
Those who bite more than what they can chew, those who chew more than what
they can swallow, those who swallow more than what they can digest, are going to be in
difficulty. Nobody can help them out of their difficulties except themselves. And they can
help themselves by just biting what they can chew, by just chewing what they can swallow,
by just swallowing no more than what they can digest.
VIII

Intelligent Living Impossible Without Striving for the Highest

In facing the present difficulties with calmness, proper attitude, courage, dexterity and
prayerfulness, we have to take special care to see that present difficulties do not usurp our
energies and arrest our growth.
It is only a growing person that will overcome his difficulties actively. Therefore we
have to keep a sharp eye on our perpetual inner growth.
On this point some precepts of Bhishma in the Mahabharata are significant. He says,
Those who never practice conceit, those whose conduct is regulated by wholesome restrictions,
and those who control all worldly desires, succeed in getting over difficulties.
Those who do not speak when addressed evil words, those who do not injure others when
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injured themselves, those who give but do not take, succeed in getting over all
difficulties.13
If we analyze these teachings of Bhishma, one of the wisest seers of India, we find that
in effect he means that only by becoming perfect we get over our difficulties.
This would seem to offer us little consolation, guidance or inspiration. We all know
that we are not perfect. Our very problems are problems of imperfection. Then how in this
state of imperfection can we get over difficulties?
Properly understood, however, these teachings of Bhishma offer us one of the precious
clues of creatively facing and mastering our difficulties.
Let us understand this one thing very clearly, that the state of our being out of which
have issued the present difficulties, cannot by itself solve them. Unless we move onward
and forward in trying to solve them we may even strengthen our difficulties. In other
words, our difficulties are so many challenges calculated to bring about the manifestation
of our higher nature. If we spiritually stagnate, if we become smug and soft, difficulties will
overpower us.
To the extent, through the practice of self-discipline, we move toward the state of
perfection, to that extent alone we really overcome our difficulties. Therefore to talk about
the attainment of the state of perfection is not a spiritual luxury, but a pragmatic strategy for
intelligent living, if you would like to have it this way.
Therefore we must always heroically cultivate the higher aspiration which makes us
believe that attainment of perfection, whichever way you may understand it, is the ultimate
goal of human life.
It is only by creating a powerful inner propulsion toward the goal of perfection that we
ourselves rocket out of the frame of difficulties, leaving them far behind.
Therefore, the firmer our grip on the ideal of life, which is self-realization or Godrealization, the greater is our capacity to get out of the focus of difficulties.
Hence those who kneel and pray, concentrate their minds on God and meditate, are
fighting their battles of life all right.
And one day they will verily see for themselves how truly difficulties are but symbols
of Gods compassion. (Concluded.)
References
7. Ibid., p. 1096 (Proverb no. 50).
8. Swami Tapasyananda, Holy Mother : Sri Sarada Devi, Sri Ramakrishna
Math, Madras, 1949, P. 334.
9. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati,
Himalayas, 1927, Vol. Vli. P. 392.
10. Ibid., p. 76.
11. Vide : Bhavans Journal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,
Chowpathy Road, Bombay-7, Vol. VII. No.5, October 2, 1960, Pp. 10-11.
12. The Wisdom of China and India,
1942, p. 1066.

T h e

13. The Mahabharata, Santiparvam, CX, 3, 4.

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Article

Three Women and Their Destinies

Rereading the Life of Mrinalini Devi
SACHIDANANDA MOHANTY

Prologue
Followers of Sri Aurobindo know that
Mrinalini Devi who was preparing to come
to Pondicherry, following the consent of
Sri Aurobindo in 1918, fell a victim to the
widespread influenza that was raging then
in Bengal. We also know from the letter of
Mrinalinis father Bhupal Chandra Bose
that, after Sri Aurobindos departure for
Pondicherry, she had become a close disciple
of Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, who
addressed her affectionately as Bau-Ma
(daughter-in-law in Bengali) since the Holy
Mother regarded Sri Aurobindo as her son.
The sad and sudden passing away of
Mrinalini Devi before her time in the 32nd year
of her life on 17 December 1918, will always
strike us as a particularly cruel blow delivered
by the hands of destiny. She was a companion
who doted on her husband, admired his
steadfast sacrifice and dedication to the cause
of the nation. She spent brief but memorable
periods with him at various places: Baroda,
Nainital and Calcutta, among others. She
was blessed to have correspondence with Sri
Aurobindo that revealed the inner working
of his mind and consciousness. But for her,
we would not have come to know of the
madnesses1 as spelt out in his letters to her.

Mrinalinis father, Bhupal Chandra

Bose (born 1861) graduated from Calcutta
University in 1881 and, going by his own
account, received an agricultural training as a
State scholar at the Royal Agricultural College,
Cirencester, England. He entered Government
service in 1888 and served as an Agricultural
Officer for 28 years in Bengal and Assam
before retiring in 1916. He settled down at
Ranchi after his retirement.
Mrinalini was born on 6 March 1887
in Calcutta, and spent her childhood there.
She received her early education from a
private tutor,
and after her
fathers transfer
to Shillong
was sent to
the Brahmo
School
at
Calcutta where
she lived as a
boarder until
the time of
her marriage.
At the school
she became a
Mrinalini Devi
close friend of Miss Swarnalata Das, several
years her senior in age. Mrinalinis second

Prof. Sachidananda Mohanty is Vice Chancellor of Central University of Odisha at Koraput in Odisha and a
member of Commission on Education for UNESCO. Having over 26 books in English, including one on Holy
Mother, to his credit, the author has written for various national and international journals and lectured at
many leading universities in India and abroad. o
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close friend, in later life, was Miss Sudhira

Bose, later known as Sister Sudhira in the Sri
Ramakrishna Circles, who worked as a teacher
at the Sister Nivedita School, Calcutta.
As Bhupal Chandra Bose recounts in
his Reminiscences, Sri Aurobindo first met
Mrinalini at the house of her uncle Sj. Girish
Chandra Bose in Calcutta. The marriage
took place in April 1901. She spent time with
Sri Aurobindo at Baroda, and later with
his maternal relatives at Deoghar [now in
Jharkhand], and with her parents at Shillong
[now in Meghalaya]. She was present with her
husband at the time of his arrest at 48, Grey
Street in May 1908 and always aspired to join
Sri Aurobindo at Pondicherry. Alas, that was
not to be. Fate willed otherwise.
After her passing, following her wish, her
mentor at Calcutta, Sister Sudhira disposed of
her ornaments. The proceeds of roughly 2000
Rupees, with Sri Aurobindos permission, were
made into a trust for the education of poor and
destitute girls. Some items, intimate in nature,
were sent to Sri Aurobindo at Pondicherry.
Mrinalini who shares the same name as
that of the spouse of Tagore, remains for her
qualities of the head and heart, and her sense
of unflinching dedication, a highly revered
figure in the Aurobindonean circles. This is
not to minimise the world of human sorrow,
longing and loss that must have been her
constant companion in life. After all, even the
Avatars go through human ordeals of pain and
suffering as the inescapable part of the human
condition.
To understand Mrinalini Devi better we
need to turn our attention to three small books
that I would like to recommend to fellow
seekers. These are: Nivedita: As I Saw Her by
Saralabala Sarkar, first published in 1914,
rpt.1999; Sister Nivedita Girls School, Kolkata,
Secondly, Sri Sarada Devi: The Holy Mother Life
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and Teachings by Swami Tapasyananda (pub.

Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai) and finally,
Sister Sudhira by Pravrajika Prabuddhaprana.
All three personalities played a crucial role in
the life of Mrinalini Devi. They were mentors
who were a source of inspiration to her. By
the ideals they cherished and by the conduct
of their daily life, they sustained Mrinalini
as she must have battled her aloneness and
longings steadfastly. Nivedita and Sarada
Devi certainly offer us the example of the ideal
servitor. Outstanding women as both were,
though perhaps not of the same ranking, both
took inspiration from Sri Ramakrishna and
Swami Vivekananda and carved out a path for
themselves.
Sri Sarada Devi: The Holy Mother
We learn from Swami Tapasyanandas
book that Sarada Devi was born on 22
December 1853 in a poor but cultured Brahmin
family of Bengal in the village of Jayarambati
in the Bankura district, situated about sixty
miles to the west of Calcutta.2 She was the
eldest daughter of Ramachandra Mukherjee
and Shyamsundari Devi. She had no formal
schooling and taught herself to read and
write Bengali in later years. She got married
to Gadadhar, as Ramakrishna was known
then. A child bride, she grew up in the village
and at the age of eighteen, accompanied
by her father in March 1872, travelled to
Dakshineswar Temple at Calcutta to meet the
ailing Sri Ramakrishna. Barring brief intervals;
she remained by his side till the Master passed
away in 1886. Swami Tapasyananda sums up
her character thus:

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The type of personality into which she was

shaped through that training was one characterised by inexhaustible patience and peace,
extreme simplicity combined with dignity, a
non-turbulent but compelling spiritual fervor,
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personality that
gave spiritual
succor to Mrinalini
Devi at the time of
her needs.

Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

a loving temperament that knew no distinction
between friend and foe, and a maternal attitude
of a spontaneous type towards all that charmed
and brought under her influence everyone who
came near her.3

She lived in a small room in the northern

side of the temple compound, with a clear
view of that of Ramakrishna. It was a small
lowroofed room of about nine and half feet
by eight with a verandah four and quarter feet
wide surrounding it. Besides being her living
room, it served as her provision store, kitchen
and reception room as well.4
We go through several sections of the
book such as Spiritual and Secular Training,
The Mother as a True Sahadharmini, The
Shodosi Pooja.Relationship of Mutual Love
and Respect, Pilgrimage to Brindavan [after
the Masters passing], Life at Kamarpukur
and After, The Exalted State of the Mothers
Mind, Pilgrimage to Rameswaram, and see
the remarkable manner in which Sarada Devi
led her life in a selfless manner, gave succor
and initiation to the many who sought her out
as their Guru and mentor. It is this heavenly
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Sister Nivedita
Next comes
Nivedita As I Saw
Her by Saralabala
Sarkar, translated
into English by
Probhati Mukherjee. The book was
earlier published in
Samvit, the journal
of Sri Sarada Math
Sister Nivedita
and is closely associated with the Ramakrishna
Sarada Mission Sister Nivedita Girls School.
Saralabala had close contacts with Sister
Nivedita on account of her association with the
School founded by her mentor. She had in this
book presented, in her own words, an intimate
portrait of the Sisters life.
Saralabala writes that right from the time
Nivedita came to India in January 1898 till 13
October 1911 when she left the world, her one
purpose of life was to take care of the poor,
needy and the destitute. Her compassionate
self knew that no progress of India was
possible without the welfare and upliftment
of the Indian women. One of the main tasks
she took up was to see that young girls and
women grew up with truth, friendliness
and noble ideals. She took up a vow of
renunciation and completely abandoned all
sense of self. Aptly named as Nivedita, (the
Dedicated One), she started a small school
in Bosepara Lane. She lived here with Sister
Christine and carried out her mission.
Nivedita identified principally four sets
of people who stood for the transformation

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of India: social progressives who seek the

destruction of ancient social customs, political
activists who advocate the adoption of a
western political system, the third who believe
in the need to revitalise the various religious
centres and the fourth who enunciate the
removal of economic grievances from the
body politic. Nivedita suggests that beyond
all the four lay the question of the resurgence
of the Indian culture, a new renaissance that is
all-inclusive and would embrace all sections
of Indian society. Two things, she said,
were necessary to carry this out: an intense
love for the mother land and or love for
every Indian irrespective of caste, creed or
community.
Next came the importance of education
that seeks the enhancement of our innate
abilities through selfeffort, and through
sacrifice without a sense of egoism or desire.
She wrote: For the person on whose heart
knowledge reigns, education is no longer a
process of acquiring external information; it
becomes an inner experience of that which
was previously not experienced.5 Nivedita
was convinced that her school would be the
nucleus for the right kind of education for
Indian women. She welcomed girls of all
backgrounds.
Niveditas views are well captured in
two of her books, The Web of Indian Life and The
Master as I Saw Him. She ran the school with
Sister Christine and Sudhira Devi. She gave
preference to the running of the school and
minimised all personal expenses. This took a
toll on her and she became anemic day by day.
The school faced a financial crunch and when
no funds came despite her best efforts and
despite pubic appeals in the press, she was
finally forced to close it down. Rabindranath
Tagore wrote in his article, Sister Nivedita
that she did not maintain the school on
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funds received either from the public or from

excess money. It was run completely on her
sacrificing her own means of existence.6
Art, mathematics, history, flower painting, alpana, clay modellingNivedita taught
all these with devotion to the young girls. Her
classroom addresses were direct and inspired.
As Saralabala recalls:
How often have we seen Nivedita in deep
absorption at some thought! If any talk of India
rose, she would become deeply meditative and
say to the girls, Bharat Varsha! Bharat Varsha!
Bharat Varsha! Mother! Mother! Mother! Indias
young girls, you must all repeat, Bharat Varsha!
Bharat Varsha! Bharat Varsha! Ma! Ma! Ma! That
India was the soul of her soul, the heart of her
heart, even so dear and sacred to her, cannot be
expressed in mere words.7

Nivedita was fond of the Bengali language. One day she asked the student to
state the word, line in Bengali. She was
disappointed when none could reply until
one came forward with the word rekha. Her
joy knew no bounds. She started repeating
the word over and over again, rekha, rekha,
rekha.8 She took the students on excursion to
nearby places including to the Kali temple at
Dakshineswar and the museums. She narrated
to them the stories of her visit to pilgrim places
like Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Although Nivedita spoke of the importance of conjugal love and the responsibility of the wife, she underlined the fact
that the devoted wife Gandhari never compromised with ethical principles. Gandhari did
not say to Duryodhana, May you be victorious
my son. Instead, she said, Where there is
dharma, there is victory. Nivedita signed her
name invariably as Nivedita of RamakrishnaVivekananda.
When Sarada Devi came to visit the
Udbodhan House in Bagh Bazar, Calcutta,

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Nivedita used to be overjoyed. Visits by

the Holy Mother to her school were special
occasions that drew the best in her. With the
passing of Nivedita, Sister Christine managed
the affairs of the school and continued to face a
great deal of hardships. The latter passed away
on 27 March 1930 in New York.
Sister Sudhira
At the instance of Sister Nivedita and
Swami Vivekananda, the Ramakrishna School
for Girls was opened at No.16, Bosepara Lane,
near Sarada Devis residence near Bagh Bazar.
The daughter of Ashutosh Bose and
Elokshi Devi of aristocratic background,
Sudhira had three sisters and two brothers,
her eldest brother Devabrata became a revolutionary and later
became a disciple
of Sarada Devi. He
edited the Bengali
monthly, Udbodhan
for a few years.
He later joined the
Advaita Ashram
of Mayavati in the
Himalayas and
became the editor of
Sister Sudhira
Prabuddha Bharata,
the official journal of the Ramakrishna order.
He encouraged Sudhira to be an independent
and self-respecting girl. Not interested in
marriage, she joined the Nivedita School near
Bagh Bazar in Calcutta in 1906 when she was
about sixteen or seventeen.
From Advaita Ashram at Calcutta he
wrote to his sister:
You need a lot of patience and faith in yourself.
You have to nourish love. How? Making your
heart vast by faith and patience, always and
everywhere, make a strong inward resolution
that in any case I will love whether or not I
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receive, I will give it. When going about my daily

work with every breath, I will love, come what
may. Dont pay attention to whether anything
happens as a result, from all you hear about.
Power or Samadhi or self-knowledge, love is the
only thing that matters. Love is the only thing
to get.9

The revolutionaries were inspired by

the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda order. Many
of them including Jivantara, Nalinikanta Kar,
Devabrata and others received the spiritual
sustenance for carrying out nationalist activities from the Ramakrishna Mission.
Sudhira had a special relationship
with the Holy Mother: Sarada Devi always
enquired about Sudhiras welfare as she did
of Mrinalini. Sudhira did her best to earn
extra money by giving singing lessons to rich
households. Thus she spent the money for the
upkeep of her girls in the school. Speaking of
Sarada Devi, Sudhira wrote in a letter:
How can I tell you who Holy Mother is?
Thinking of her one feels as though one
has entered heaven. When we are Mothers
daughters, what have we to fear? Her strength
is working in us. We are fortunate that we have
got a place at her holy feet. Yogis and devotees
do so many austerities to get her Darshan; while
we just by her grace have come to be known as
her daughter. Indeed, it is only by her grace
that we have become worthy of being her
daughters.10

Sudhiras association with Mrinalini

Devi forms a significant chapter in her life.
She knew Mrinalini as her neighbor in her
childhood days at Hatibagan. At the time of
Sri Aurobindos arrest by the police, it was
Sudhira who came to Mrinalinis rescue in
1908. Sudhira would take Mrinalini to the
Niveditas school and she would be treated
very well by the children as the revered wife
of Sri Aurobindo.

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Introduced to Sarada Devi, Mrinalini was

welcomed most enthusiastically by the Holy
Mother. She said to Mrinalini:
Do not be restless my child; it is no use being
anxious. Your husband has totally taken refuge
in God. By Thakurs blessings he will be out
[from jail] since he will be found not guilty. But
dont insist him to have a family life. That small
mindedness is not for him.11

Sarada Devi advised her to always read

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and visit her
regularly. She thought that no initiation was
necessary since Mrinalini was already under
the guidance of Aurobindo.
Mrinalini visited Sri Aurobindo in jail
in the company of her father. The letters
that Sudhira exchanged with Mrinalini throw light
on their close bonding and the importance both attached to spiritual
guidance in life.
In her letter
dated 30 July
1910, for instance,
addressed to Menu
(Mrinalini) after
Sri Aurobindo
Aurobindo had reached Pondicherry, Sudhira
reflects upon the need to set up an Ashram
under the guidance of Sarada Devi for
spiritual-minded women. A letter written from
Benares speaks of her own spiritual growth
and advises Menu to be in constant touch
with Holy Mother in a spirit of surrender.12
Sudhira helped many young women like Parul
to escape from their painful lives of being
child brides and to seek refuge in the Nivedita
School.
Sudhira and Christine developed some
differences with Nivedita regarding the
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running of the school. On 13 April 1911,

Christine left for Mayavati in the Himalayas.13
Despite Niveditas entreaties, Sudhira did
not return to the school as can be made out
from Niveditas diary noting dated 18 July
and 1 September 1911. Soon Nivedita left for
Darjeeling to improve her health. In October
1911, succumbing to her illness, she passed
away at Darjeeling. Full of remorse, Sudhira
fell ill. Sarada Devi took personal care to
see that Sudhira recovered and travelled
to Benaras, Mathura and Brindavan on
pilgrimage. All the while, she remained true
to Sri Ramakrishna. Later she travelled to
Shimla and stayed for a while with her brother
Priyavrata.
In 1914, with the support of the trustees
of the Belur Math, a boarding house for
women called the Matri Mandir was set up in
1914 at a rented building at 68/2, Ramakanta
Bose Street. The boarding was home to young
women who wished to dedicate their lives for
the spiritual cause. Sarada Devi stayed here for
a month in a room upstairs. The building was
an attempt to build a Math for women.
In 1917, Sudhira took the initiative for
setting up an old Womens section at the
Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service in
Benares. In 1918, Niveditas school became
a part of what came to be known as the
Ramakrishna Mission Sister Nivedita Girls
School. In 1919, Sudhira was asked to start a
girls school in Conulla in East Bengal. Similar
schools were set up in Hatibagan and Bally in
Hooghly. These became the nucleus for the
future Sarada Math of the Ramakrishna order.
In 1918, Sudhira lost two of her closest
friends: Devabrata and Mrinalini. Devabrata
passed away at the young age of 39. Mrinalini
was given permission by Sri Aurobindo
in 1918 to come to Pondicherry, when she
suddenly fell ill. Realising that her end was

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near, she handed over her jewellery to Sudhira

for the creation of a trust for girls scholarship
to a poor student of the Nivedita Girls School.
Meanwhile, Sarada Devi too fell ill and passed
away on 21 July 1920.
Holy Mothers departure was a big loss
for Sudhira. On a journey to Benares, the
latter met with an accident and fell from the
train. Despite the best medical treatment at
the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service at
Benares, she left the earthly abode at the age
of 32.
Epilogue
Thus, the lives and destinies of three
outstanding women in colonial Bengal

intertwined with each other through divine

dispensation. Sri Sarada Devi, Sister Nivedita
and Sister Sudhira were three iconic women
who carved out paths for themselves in the
field of education, womens emancipation and
spirituality in colonial Bengal. As has been
noticed, each of them also played a pivotal
role in the life of Mrinalini Devi. Through
the example of their lives and through their
teachings, they inspired Mrinalini to live a life
of courage and fortitude.
Rereading Mrinalinis life through the
prism of the three narratives thus gives us
insights hitherto unavailable; they add new
meaning to the lives of outstanding spiritual
women. o

Notes
*
*

Readers will benefit greatly by reading Nirodbarans excellent address (later published in the book form:
Mrinalini Devi: A Talk) delivered on the occasion of Mrinalini Devis Birth Centenary.
Sincere thanks to the Principal of the Sister Nivedita School, Kolkata for gifting me the book on Sister
Sudhira; to Anurag Banerjee of the Overman Foundation, Kolkata and Anuradha of the The Gnostic Centre,
New Delhi for going through the text and making useful suggestions.

References
1. A reference to a letter by Sri Aurobindo (30
August, 1905) in which he refers to his three
madnesses:

1) I firmly believe that the accomplishments,
genius, higher education and learning and wealth
that God has given me are His. I have a right to
spend for my own purposes only what is needed
for the maintenance of the family and is otherwise
absolutely essential. The rest must be returned to
God.

2) . . . by whatever means I must have the direct
vision of God.

3) . . . while others look upon their country as an
inert piece of mattera few meadows and fields,
forests and hills and riversI look upon my
country as the Mother. I adore Her; I worship Her
as the Mother. What would a son do if a demon
sat on his mothers breast and started sucking her
blood? Would he quietly sit down to his dinner,
amuse himself with his wife and children, or
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would he rush out to deliver his mother? I know I

have the strength to deliver this fallen race.
2. Swami Tapasyananda. Sri Sarada Devi: The
Holy Mother: Life and Teachings, p.1. Chennai: Sri
Ramakrishna Math, 2009
3. Ibid., p.6.
4. Ibid., p.7.
5. Saralabala Sarkar. Nivedita as I saw her (Translated
into English by Probhati Mukherjee) p.15.
Calcutta: Sister Nivedita Girls School,1999.
6. Ibid., p.22
7. Ibid., p. 29
8. Sister Sudhira, p. 31
9. Some of the page references are not given in the
book.
10. Pravrajika Prabuddha Prana. Sister Sudhira, p.39.
Calcutta: Sri Sarada Math, 2012.
11. Ibid., p. 41
12. Ibid., pp. 45-6
13. Ibid., p. 56

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Article

Swami Saradanandas Letters to

Metropolitan Boston
JOSEPH PEIDLE AND JAYANTA SIRCAR

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

Kali
In a later letter to Santi, Swami Saradananda wrote:
22 Feb 1900
My dear Mrs. Briggs,
. . . I am glad you like my letter to Mrs. Kali
Pierce, so well & more to learn that she likes it
herself. . . .
Faithfully your friend,
Saradananda26

Kali, otherwise known as Miss Edith L.

Pierce, was a little-known Vedanta student
native to Somerville, Mass. She gains relevance
by her association with Swami Saradananda.
Miss Pierce, like thousands of others, made
her small contribution to the universal religion
taking shape under the umbrella of the
Vedanta movement in America.
Miss Pierce was a member of Walthams
Psychomath Club, and germane to her Sanskrit
name, gave a presentation to the club on Kali:
Feb. 13th 1901
The sixth regular meeting of the Psychomath
for the season of 1900-01 was held at 3 P.M. on
Wednesday Feb. 13th. The secretarys report was
read and accepted. . . .
In place of a paper Miss Edith Pierce read
selections from a unique little book entitled Kali

the Mother. The book Miss Pierce said was

written by a Christian lady who had become
a Vedantist and is especially interesting as an
interpretation into our own language by one
of our own people. (The lady is Miss Margaret
NobleEnglish.) Miss Pierce then read a
fascinating selection called The Story of Kali
Written for a Western Baby. In this story God
is represented to the baby as in many ways very
like the babys own mother. Mother may shut
her eyes and not seem to see baby but she is still
the mother and does not forget. The baby can not
look into her eyes. Baby darling do you know
what happens if a person once catches a look into
the eyes of God? The person knows everything
God is then spoken of as the Mother and as She
and is represented as calling upon her child to
come & play with her. Shethe MotherGod
loves every thingthe little lambs, the flowers
etc. The whole little story is full of the Mother
love of God and seems a beautiful way by which
to lead little ones to have entire confidence in
God as they have in their mothers.
Other selections were then given by Miss Pierce
with suggestions as to the . . . more prominent.
In India images of Kali are common. She is
represented as a woman with 4 hands two
to bless in the others a sword and a bleeding
head. A garland of skulls is about her neck & she

Joseph Peidle works in Laboratory Teaching at the Department of Physics, Harvard University, USA. Jayanta
Sircar recently retired as Chief Technologist and Associate Dean for Research and Planning at the Harvard
University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, USA. o
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is dancing on the body of a man all white with

ashes. This man is Siva. This image is horrible
to some but not to those who understand its
meaning. The beauty of the world suggested the
2-fold nature of God. The Soul of things became
man the manifested forms Nature became
woman.
The Hindoos are the most & least idolatrous
people. The Soul lies passive till the great
moment comes. Then it knows that what is
without & within is God. The question in India
is: Does a man know God? Renunciation is the
outward sign of this Knowledge. In the image
of Siva are 3 eyesone for the inner vision. He
never turned any awayfor all he has room.
His love is sufficient for all. He drank the poison
of the worldis all mercifulthe destroyer of
ignorancethe Great Godthe Lord of Heroes
the Wondrous-eyed. The Soul untouched is
symbolized by Siva under Kalis feet. Death is
greater than life, it seems to the Indian mind.
Tho thou slay me yet will I trust in Thee.
The voice of the Mother speaks to her child thus:
Arise my child & go forth. It is all my play.
Needs the arrow any plan when released from
the bow? Such art thou. Let thy Mothers will
flow through thee. Not one effort shall fail at the
last. Seek not mercy for thyself & I will make thee
bearer of mercy for many.
Mrs. Curley asked if people in India think of God
as a Mother. The answer was given: The Swmis
worship God in his different forms. Thus their
great tolerance, so they often speak of Kali.27

Swami Saradananda

Conference of 1896. Swami Saradananda

spoke before his first American audiences
at Greenacre, and one can imagine that the
Vedanta students he met there would have a
special place in his heart.
Swami Saradanada left some hints about
Agni in a letter to Mrs. Bull:

Agni
Agni, Agnes ONeill, was not strictly
a Bostonian as she was originally from
Waupaca, Wisconsin, some 2000 kilometers
from Boston. How then did she meet Santi,
and why did Swami Saradananda often
mention them in one breath in his letters to
Mrs. Bull? Once again the authors hypothesize
that this meeting took place at the Greenacre
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Sep 14th 1899

Math. Belur. Howrah. India.
My dear Mrs. Bull,
. . .Yes, Agnes has written this mail of her
successful work. I am so thankful. I am glad she
will have a glimpse of you too, before she goes
back to Chicago (or New York?). My blessings
& best wishes to her & Santi. The latter has not
written this mail. I hope she is well & improving.
Mother sends her love to her three children every
day in her prayer. . . .
With dear regards to you always,
Faithfully yours,
Saradananda28
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Mrs. Bull had the rare privilege of

meeting the Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi.
However so far as we know, neither Agni
nor Santi visited India. Swami Saradananda
introduced them to Holy Mother by name,
and one may like to think that he translated
their letters for her. In the letter above, we
see Mother sending best wishes to her three
daughters.
Agnis native place was a small town in
Wisconsin. As a young woman she made her
way to Chicago to look for work. The 1900
census shows her working as a stenographer
and living with two sisters and a cousin
at 6642 Drexel Avenue in the Hyde Park
neighborhood of Chicago. Hyde Park was
distinguished as the location of the 1893
Worlds Fair. The University of Chicago had
opened its doors there in 1892. And Hyde
Parks fame has recently been bolstered as a
residence of Barack Obama.
Swami Saradananda made a touching
gesture to Agnes at a difficult time in her
professional life:
Jan. 24th 1901
Math. Belur. Howrah. India.
Dearest Granny,
. . . I am sending a little ivory watch-guard to
your address. Will you kindly send it to Agnes as
a present from me, if it is proper for me to send
it to her. . . . Agnes having written at that time
with rather downfallen spirits (meeting with
disappointments with her struggles to get work)
I have decided to send it to her. . . .
Ever yours affectionately,
Saradananda29

We learn a little more about Agni from

her letters to Mrs. Bull:
176th St. and Amsterdam Ave., New York
Feb 10th [1901]
Dearest Granny,
...
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Sara Bull
I am very well and am trying to learn my lessons.
But, Granny, nobody ever did have more to learn!
And this teaching of thirty restless, unattractive
small children is showing me many new
weaknesses in myself. I do think that the days
are badly spent when we have not made them
sweet & cheerful and I am afraid that I would
become the stern, severe school marm very easily
if I had years of it to do and did not try to be
otherwise. But I do enjoy the other teaching and
I am doing some good work with a girl who had
no carrying power with her speaking voice. She
is really growing! And the singing work that I
did last winter is helping in this, too, so we never
know when we can use a once-acquired bit of
knowledge.
Now I am going to write to Sradnanda. I do so
wish sometimes that I would see him, and yet I
know that I should not claim him even enough
for that. Please give my love to Nivedita. I hope
that her work grows in promise. I am
Yours lovingly,
Agnes30
176th St. and Amsterdam Ave., New York
Feb 20th [1901]
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Dearest Granny,
I have not answered your letter earlier because
I have been so undecided about plans. But the
days are slipping by and you must at least have
an acknowledgement.
It is very good of you to offer me the use of your
Studio House and when I think of its quiet & its
dear rooms I long to be there. . . .
I am yours very lovingly,
Agnes31

a direct message from him. It was more of a

comfort than I can say to hear all the things about
him that you told me. His going to India was as
tho he had died to me, so remote, so entirely
unknown his life afterwards remained. I heard
nothing and knew nothing. . . .
I am making you a little something.
In a few days I will send a tiny package.
All the stitches go to Granny with the love of her
affectionate,
Agnes33

Ingleside School. New Milford, Conn.

All Saints Day. Nov. 1, 1901
Dearest Granny,
. . . I could not but realize how entirely my
present conception of things depended upon
Cambridge and what came to me there, as
a background. And so I think I put you and
Saradananda and Santi in with my Saints already
gone, when I prayed for Light this morning, and
if I can only sometimes realize even a little of
the Truth that I feel each one of the Three have
known, I shall be glad.
...
New Milford is really beautifulsurrounded
with hills on all sides, and I take delightful walks
off into the country.
I was very glad of your last letter, and I am
hoping that you may find it best to come here
before going to Japan.
If Nivedita is with you please give her my love. I
have not heard at all how her work is prospering
Well, I hope.
Trusting that each month finds you stronger, I
am
Yours lovingly,

We do not know whether Swami Saradananda ever saw Agnes 1904 letter to Mrs. Bull.
However, eleven years after leaving America,
he wrote:
Math. Belur. Howrah. India.
October 7, 1909.
My dear Grannie,
I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you,
since your return from Norway. I hope this does
not mean illness.
I have mailed you about ten days ago 3
photographic pictures of the Math and the
grounds. I hope these will reach you in good
condition. Kindly give one to Santi and one
to Agnes, with my best wishes and blessings.
I am sorry I have been as negligent in my
correspondence with them as ever and I believe
I am too old now to correct this bad habit with
an increasing amount of work every year on
me. And if my friends in America do not realise
for this, that I cherish the same warm feelings
toward them as ever, I am sure I will be much
misunderstoodbut there is no help. I will send
you more photos of the Math if you write me for
them. . . .
With my love & blessings to my Grannie,
The affectionate boy,
Saradananda34

Agnes32
Sparkill, N.Y.
August 22nd, 1904
Dearest Granny,
Thank you so much for sending the welcome
lines from Sradnanda. It was good to have
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Conclusion
In the modern world we use the term
global citizen rather glibly. However, the

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sannyasins (monks) of the RamakrishnaVivekananda tradition can genuinely be

described as global as they have gone
beyond nationality. Likewise they have gone
beyond dogmatic religion and are genuine
practitioners of a universal religion.
Through his letters, we have seen Swami
Saradananda himself in the role of a global
citizen and practitioner of universal religion.
His open minded perspective brought him to
America not just as a teacher of Vedanta, but as
a student of Americas technical and vocational
training methods as he had written,
I am now looking to all sorts of schools &
improved methods of training, so that when
I go over to India I might a little help in that
direction.35

Students of Swami Vivekanandas life

hear him in metropolitan Boston saying,
By a universal religion I do not mean a universal
philosophy, or a universal mythology, or a

universal ritual, but I mean that this would needs

go on wheel within wheel. What can we do? We
can make it run smoothly, lessen the friction, by
recognizing variation.36

Making it run smoothly is everyones job.

Mrs. Bull was a chief operations officer for a
time. Mrs. Briggs listened exquisitely to the
Swamis and worked as her health allowed.
Miss ONeill attended Swami Saradanandas
classes at Greenacre, and Miss Pierce read
to her club members from a book about
Kali.
Regardless of how the seeds of Vedanta
grow in our minds, or how we engage with
Vedantaas a serious student, as a worker for
the cause, or simply as an attentive listener,
the study of these lives leaves the eternal
inspiration for all who may come in the future
that we are all contributing in ways big and
small to a universal religion.
(Concluded.)

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Ms. Janice Zwicker of the Waltham Public Library for access to the Psychomath
Club notebooks and the Vedanta Society of Northern California for copies of the letters of Mrs. Briggs and
Miss ONeill.

References
26. ibid., vol. 98, no. 7, July 2011, 256.
27. Waltham Public Library, Special Collections,
Psychomath ClubRecords 1897 - 1902, No
page number.
28. Unpublished Letters of Swami Saradananda,
Vedanta Kesari, vol. 98, no. 2, February 2011, 64.
29. ibid., vol. 100, no. 3, March 2013, 108.
30. Agnes ONeill to Sara Bull, February 10, 1901,
Vedanta Society of Northern California Archives.
31. ibid., February 20, 1901.

32. ibid., November 1, 1901.

33. ibid., August 22, 1904.
34. Pravrajika Prabuddhaprana, Saint Sara: The Life of
Sara Chapman Bull: The American Mother of Swami
Vivekananda, Sri Sarada Math, Dakshineswar,
2002, facsimile number 4.
35. An Unpublished Letter of Swami Saradananda,
Vedanta Kesari, vol. 95, no. 4, April 2008, 159.
36. Swami Vivekananda in Medford, Global Vedanta,
vol. XII, no. 4, Fall 2007, 13.

Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the excellent ones. The wise ones describe that
path to be as impassable as a razors edge, which, when sharpened, is difficult to tread on.
Katha Upanishad
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New Find

Unpublished Letters of
Swami Saradananda1
Math. Belur. Howrah. India.
Oct. 28. 08.
Dearest Granny2
I have not had the pleasure of hearing from you, for a long
timesince you have left England for America. And I did not
write to you also for many reasonsfor the uncertainty of my
letters reaching you on account of the political unrest, for the anxiety
for the rumour that the Math will be searched by the police (though it has not
taken place yet) & for my being busy in various ways e.g. editing of some of Swamijis books,
editing the Bengallee magazine, Udbodhan & superintending the math affairs generally.
I hope the change in England has proved beneficial and you are as strong as ever now.
I trust Dr.Bose and Sister Nivedita are with you. Kindly tender my cordial regards to them.
Sister Christine was up in Mayabati since last May. She has come down to Calcutta again
since the first of week of this month and has opened school. Her stay there has done her good.
I had many pleasant experiences during the days in October, when the Durga Puja was
celebrated. I withdrew myself from all work for a fortnight and devoted the time entirely
to meditation, etc. Of course I was in the Math, during the time. The consciousness of the
nearness of the Deity, and the peace and the comfort that comes, through willing obedience,
filled my soul in such a way, that it is impossible to describe! I have told of this to none, for
fear of losing the sacred memory of it all. But I thought I must have some one to share with me
this great joy and you will be able to appreciate itand so I write. It made me so sad when I
found that the fortnight has passed away so soon and I have to come down again to this place
of work and worry. I do not know, as you will be able to sympathise with my lost feeling, for
you are such an active worker yourself.
The Swami Brahmananda & all the Math people are well and always remember you with
great tenderness of feeling.
Our famine center will be closed in November next. I will send you reports of the work
when they are printed.
A gentleman presented us with a little plot of land in Calcutta and we are building a
little house on it for the Holy Mother, to come & live whenever she likes. She put off her visits
many a time for she found she would not be able to stop long with us and a house could not
be found on hire for the short period or the charges were too high. She will feel free now to
come & go whenever she likes and we shall use the place as our Calcutta centre and have the
Udbodhan office & book depot there.

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I had a letter from my brother in America, yesterday. He has got some work now in
Nevada & seems quite cheerful.
A letter from Montclair stated that Mrs.Wheelers father died a few months ago.
My finance is getting low, but I think I will be able to pull on till Dec. next; when if
convenient, send a remittance to the Bank.
I hear that Mrs.Sevier will go to England at the end of this winter for a time, to settle her
affairs there. Sister Christine says, she (Mrs.Sevier) has grown quite old now.
How is Santi and Anges. I hope they are well. Tender my cordial greetings to them. They
are ever with me in my daily devotions and prayers, with yourself.
How and where is Mrs.Vaughan? Remember me kindly to her as well as to your
brothers family, who I hope are well & happy.
Jogin Maa has desired to send her love and gratefulness to you as ever and to Nivedita
and the Holy Motherher blessings to you both.
Do you think you will be able to come to India again when Nivedita & Dr.Bose return?
It will be such a delight if you can!
When do you think you will be able to send your contribution for Swamijis Temple?
With my love and prayers for my Granny was ever, I remain
Ever your grateful boy
Saradananda.

References
1. A direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna

2. Mrs. Sara Bull, an American disciple of Swami Vivekananda

Courtesy: Ramakrishna Museum, Belur Math

You have asked why in spite of your sincere efforts the mind is so unruly that it refuses to
come under control and you are not able to fix it on God. The reason is that the mind is not
yet pure. Have you not heard that Sri Ramakrishna used to say that the image of the moon
is not clearly reflected in a pool that is agitated and muddy? When the water is steady and
transparent the image is visible; then the image is not broken up into fragments. Remember
that the same is true of the mind.
You complain that thoughts of duties sometimes intrude when you sit for meditation. All
minds are in the same predicament. You cannot escape this even if you leave work and retire
to a forest. But if through Gods grace it becomes firmly impressed on your mind that the
world is impermanent and if the idea that God alone is your true goal takes a grip on your
heart, then this kind of unsteadiness of the mind will be greatly eliminated.
Swami Saradananda
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Article

Kabir and His Mystic Wisdom

SWAMI BRAHMESHANANDA

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

Kabirs Devotion
Kabir does not seem to have any interest
in the philosophical discussions about the
soul, God, Maya, liberation, etc. He has
no difficulty in having devotion for a God
which is, according to him, beyond word
and thought. He says, O sages, I have gained
devotion by the blessings of the Guru. Two
sons, knowledge and detachment, are born
from the Lady Devotion. You will get more
information in this regard from the wise. . .,
etc. Again, The Ganges of devotion gushed
out of the stony heart and water (peace and
happiness) spread all around. Two mounts
of aversion and attachment got submerged
within this water and even the world-river got
merged into its wave.
Kabir does not find any conflict or
contradiction between knowledge and devotion. O sages, such a storm of devotion arose
that it blew away the sheet of doubt, the chords
of maya by which it was tied broke, the two
supporting pillars of sense attraction and rituals
fell; the axel of attachment came out, the root
of desire fell down, the pots of evil thoughts
broke. Then rain of loving devotion started
pouring which drenched the body through and
through. Kabir followed the system of devotion
as advocated by Narada. He says: My being is

infused with Naradas

Bhakti; Kabir joyously
sings the glories of God repeatedly. Sometimes,
he takes refuge in His Lord and prays for
deliverance. At times, like a servant he says, I
am Thy slave, sell me. My body, mind, wealth,
all is for you. At other times, like a wife he
laments his woes: My heart is suffering bitterly
for the Beloved. I have no rest during day or
night. Eyes are tired awaiting for you. His
humility reaches extreme heights when he says,
I am Ramas dog. My name is Motia, He may
cajole and draw me close or drive me away by
rebukes. Tied in the neck is Ramas beltI shall
go whichever way I am drawn. What absolute
surrender! This confluence of knowledge and
devotion is the central theme of Kabirs thought.
Ethics
Kabirs ethical principles are simple and
straightforward. The first and foremost is
Truth. Like Sri Ramakrishna, Kabir thought
that our thoughts and deeds must be same, in
unison. He says, Act according to what you
say. The next principle on which Kabir never
compromised was non-injury to creatures.
One must not speak harsh words, he asserts
repeatedly. He was a vegetarian and was
vehemently opposed to meat-eating. His

A former editor of the Vedanta Kesari, the author is a senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order, now living at
the Ramakrishna Advaita Ashrama, Varanasi. A shorter version of this article (based on the material provided
by Prof. Avadhesh Pradhan of BHU, Varanasi) has been published as introduction to The Mystic Wisdom
of Kabir, being the translation of Kabir's popular verses and songs by the author and published by Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai. o
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piercing verse says: The goat eats grass, yet

people remove its skin. What will be the fate
of those who eat the goat itself?
Kabir repeatedly advocated simple
living and high thinking, and exemplified this
by his own living without luxury, wealth, and
objects of enjoyment. He said: Sage does not
hoard. He accepts only that which is enough
to fill his belly. His famous utterance is: Be
content with a dry bread and cold water.
Dont get tempted by others bread seasoned
with ghee. A khichari with a little salt is quite
tasty. But if you aspire for bread and meat,
you will have to kill a creature. Over and over
again, he forcefully, draws vivid picture of the
transitory nature of the world, together with
wealth, name, fame and royal splendours by
his powerful pen.
Like non-violence, Kabir is strict about
continence, brahmacharya and sense control.
Like many other medieval saints Kabir is not
satisfied only with showing the impermanence
of the physical form and beauty of a womans
body, but portrays its horrifying aspect,
such as: a black she-serpent, a stinging bee, a
flame of fire, the hell-pit, even worse than a
crucifying cross. But this is the denunciation
of the woman as embodiment of lust, which
tempts and ensnares man. In Kabirs works, we
also find described another aspect of woman: a
chaste woman, who he addresses as sundari,
beautiful, and sati. She represents the
embodied soul who is pining to meet the Lord,
the Beloved. Kabir often describes himself as
the faithful wife of his Beloved Rama.
Kabirs works
Like the life of Kabir, his works too
have been the cause of controversy among
scholars, and a matter of research. Among the
followers of Kabir, a compilation called Beejak
is especially recognized, although its handT h e

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written manuscript is not available. In the Adi

Granth of the Sikhs, there are included around
two hundred and twenty five songs, padas,
and two fifty sakhis, two-line verses, which are
chanted from ancient times.
Kabir never composed his verses and
songs in a planned manner, as did Tulasidas,
who wrote Ramacharit Manas, Vinaya Patrika,
etc. Kabir, like a true saint dwelling in God,
spoke out of inspiration and his songs and
couplets, dohas, were recorded by his devotees
and disciples either immediately or at a later
date. It is natural, therefore, to have different
versions of the same composition. Kabir
neither learnt the art of poetry nor did he
have any faith in the tradition of poetry. In
the compilations made from time to time at
a later date by his disciples and devotees and
by the saints of the Kabir Panth and other
sects, there are found a lot of differences
regarding the time, place, language, the style
of composition, etc. There is also a tendency
of incorporating lot of compositions, without
restrictions or following any rule, into
Kabirs works. In an attempt to establish the
authenticity of these works, modern scholars
started conducting comparative studies
of the available manuscripts. In 1930, Dr.
Shyamsunder Dass published a well-edited
version of Kabir-Granthavali under the auspices
of Kashi Nagari Prachavini Sabha. It had a
collection of 809 sakhis and 403 songs and
ramainiyas. Another commendable attempt
was by Ayodhya Singh Upadhyaya Hariodha
who published Kabir Vachanavali. The language
of Granthavali has more of Punjabi accent,
whereas that of Vachanavali has the accent of
eastern UP and Varanasi.
Perhaps the most important attempt in
this direction is that of Dr. Parasnath Tiwari,
which is evident in Kabir Granthavali edited
by him and published by Hindi Parishad at

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Prayag Vishwavidyalaya. During his research,

he found as many as 1600 padas, 4500 sakhis,
and 134 ramainiyas. Out of these, after careful
analysis, he compiled as authentic only 200
padas, 20 ramainiyas and 750 sakhis. Acharya
Kshitimohan Sen followed a more vibrant,
popular and inspiring technique than that of
the academicians, of collecting Kabirs works.
He gave greater important to the words
spoken by the saints and sages and to the
authenticity of feeling and ideas rather than
the language. Rabindra Nath Tagore translated
hundred songs from the compilation and
published it as One Hundred Poems of Kabir.
On going through this text, many reviewers
of Europe were forced to change their
views about the Indian spiritual practice and
literature.
Kabirs works are divided into three
main classes according to the type of construction: (1) Sakhi, (2) Sabad or padas and (3)
Ramaini. Sakhi means saksha which means
evidence or proof. Sakhis are the evidences of
Kabirs spiritual realizations. Kabir himself has
said, Sakhi ankhi gyan ke. i.e., sakhi is the eye
of knowledge. The words that were quoted or
said to substantiate the spiritual experience
came to be called sakhi. These are two
line verses in to the doha meter. These are
extremely easy to construct, recite, as well as
to memorize. This is probably the reason why
they are so popular with the masses.
Word Sabad is the misnomer of the
Sanskrit word shabda. While the simple
meaning of this word is word, in spiritual
tradition it stands for the holy word or mantra
imparted by the Guru to the disciple. It also
indicated Brahman, the Supreme Reality.
Since the songs of Kabir created as deep an
impression as that of the word of the Guru on
the heart of the devotees, they were considered
sabda. These pada songs of Kabir are popular
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with the common masses as well as with

renowned singers. Kabir must have sung them
spontaneously in an ecstasy of divine love. But
later his disciples and admirers set them into
various ragas and melodies.
Ramaini indicates towards the word
Ramayana. Ramas story is age old, and must
have been prevalent even before Tulasidass
Ramayana in verses of various meters, like
doha, chaupai, chanda, etc., Kabir gave some
instructions in that style such as chaupai i.e.,
verses with four quarters. Although these were
compiled by the followers of Kabir, they never
became popular with the masses. Normally,
Kabir presented his ideas in a simple and
direct manner. However, at times, while
attempting to express the mystic practices, he
uses abstruse language. These unusual verses
are called ulat-basi, which means something
expressed in a reverse way. Although such
expressions were used by the Buddhists and
the followers of Natha sects, Kabirs ulat-basis
have become very popular.
Kabirs language, at places is found to
have Panjabi, or Rajasthani accent, or at other
places Brijbhasha and at yet others Bhojapuri.
At some places, there is a tinge of Urdu and
even Khadi-boli. Hence, scholars consider it
mixed, peculiar etc. This is probably because
people of different states and provinces tried
to colour these works in their own dialect.
Hence, a number of renditions of the same
song or sakhis are found. Kabirs language
is simple, straightforward and rustic. At the
same time, it has a strange and special ability
to strike hard at the readers mind. His satires
are devastating and his ecstatic devotional
songs make one dance with joy. Due to the
great power of his simple words, Hazari
Prasad Dwivedi, the renowned Hindi writer,
has considered him Dictator of the language.
(Concluded.)

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Article

Swami Vivekananda and Others on

Religious Pluralism
GOPAL STAVIG

(Continued from the previous issue. . .)

3. God has provided a variety of revelations to humanity because of the differences
of cultures and individual temperaments:
According to the two following newspaper
accounts Swami Vivekananda stated,
The same truth has manifested itself in different
forms, and the forms are according to the
different circumstances of the physical or mental
nature of the different nations. . . I make the
distinction between religion and creed. Religion
is the acceptance of all existing creeds, seeing
in them the same striving towards the same
destination. Creed is something antagonistic and
combative. There are different creeds, because
there are different people, and the creed is
adapted to the commonwealth where it furnishes
what people want. As the world is made up of
infinite variety of persons of different natures,
intellectually, spiritually, and materially, so
these people take to themselves that form of
belief in the existence of a great and good moral
law, which is best fitted for them. Religion
recognizes and is glad of the existence of all
these forms because of the beautiful underlying
principle...10 Do not think that people do not
like religion. I do not believe that. The preachers
cannot give them what they need. The same
man that may have been branded as an atheist,
as a materialist, or what not, may meet a man

who gives him the truth needed by him, and

he may turn out the most spiritual man in the
community.11

Swami Prabhavananda (1893-1976), a

disciple of Swami Brahmananda, taught that
if a spiritual devotee practices any religion
with sincerity and regularity, the Lord will
lead that individual along the correct path.
Avatars and prophets come in every age, but
their message changes according to the signs
of the times. God reveals Himself to the sages
of the various religions, but His disclosure is
limited and partial. Revelation is relative to the
historical time and location, varying with each
nationality, culture, individual temperament
and level of consciousness. One religious
teaching may supplement and not contradict
another, since the total truth is not explained
by a single theory, but is a synthesis of many
theories. Spirituality is the unfolding of the
divinity already within the soul, regardless of
the individuals religious preference.12
A Jewish Neo-Platonic thinker from
Yemen, Nethanel al-Fayyumi (d.c. 1165)
taught that God sends prophets to every
nation, to people who are capable of receiving
the revelation. Each nation receives from
its prophets the appropriate revelation in

For over 50 years the author has been a member of Vedanta Society of Southern California, USA. He wrote
the book Western Admirers of Ramakrishna and His Disciples, edited and published by Advaita Ashrama
Kolkata, and has contributed thoughtful articles to various religious and philosophical journals including The
Vedanta Kesari. o
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the language that it speaks, which specifies

the means for attaining the supreme goal.
Revelations differ as a consequence of the
particular characteristics of each nation. God is
the good doctor, who varies His prescriptions
according to the nature of His patients. 13
Following his idea, each major religion is
a revelation of God meant primarily for a
portion of humanity.
The German Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa
(1400-64) explained that, God is responsible
for the differing forms of sacred worship.
Religious diversity exists because the Lord
dispatched different prophets and lawgivers
to the various countries, each revealing the
divine law. All religions are grounded in a
common faith and a core of beliefs, creating
a unique harmony and unity of religions. All
pious worship is directed to the one God. By
obeying their own religion, they are obedient
to God.
Also important is that cultures change
over time.
John Hick (1922-2012) an English Presbyterian Minister who taught at Claremont
Graduate School in California, proposed a
Copernican revolution in theology. He said,
[It] involves an equally radical transformation in
our conception of the universe of faiths and the
place of our religions within it [It demands] a
paradigm shift from a Christianity-centered or
Jesus-centered to a God-centered model of the
universe of faiths. One then sees the great world
religions as different human responses to the one
divine Reality, embodying different perceptions
which have been formed in different historical
and cultural circumstances.14
Each religion is a reflection of the divine,
though some are more capable of mediating
God to humanity than others. One heavenly
Reality pervades all religions, which share the
common goal of salvation. In Its infinite depths,
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the Godhead is beyond human experience.

Each religion experiences different aspects of
the one supersensuous Noumenon. If properly
understood, the apparent contradictions between
the theologies of the differences religions, is more
often complementary than contradictory.15

Each great soul who established a new

world religion like Buddhism, Christianity,
or Islam created to some extent a new path
to God. The Lords love extends to people of
all faiths, and through His knowledge He has
created a variety of paths depending on the
general nature and beliefs of the members of a
particular religious group.
The Common Core of Religious Beliefs
4. Religions have a common core of
beliefs and agree on the essential matters:
Vivekananda emphasized, The Hindus have
received their religion through revelation, the
Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without
beginning and without end. It may sound
ludicrous to this audience, how a book can be
without beginning or end. But by the Vedas no
books are meant. They mean the accumulated
treasury of spiritual laws discovered by
different persons in different times.16 These
spiritual laws form the bases of a possible

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universal consensus of beliefs held by all of the

major religions of the world.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (18881975), the philosopher President of India,
emphasized,
The world would be a much poorer thing if
one creed absorbed the rest. God wills a rich
harmony and not a colorless uniformity. . . The
God of love is not partial to only a fraction of
humanity, but embraces all the major faiths
of the world. Diversities of religions occur not
in their inner core, but at the external level in
the form of varying dogmas and ceremonies.
Using different symbols and words, the same
truths are presented by the various faiths. Not
dogmas, but God realization and mystical union
with the Supreme, are the essence of every
religion. Mystically oriented traditions are more
tolerant than those that are centered around
intellectual beliefs. There is universality in the
mystical experience that transcends theological
differences.17

The German Pastor Friedrich Heiler

(1892-1967) stressed,

Christian theology tells us that certain doctrines

belong, without doubt, to the supernatural
order, since the limited powers of mans finite
faculties could not have conceived them.
The fact that God is one and three (Trinity),
that He can identify and unite with human
nature (Incarnation), and that he gratuitously
communicates Himself with the creatures
(Grace) and makes Himself eternal present
(Beatific Vision) are all examples of doctrines
known to the Church through supernatural
revelation.

These and other Church doctrines are

found in other religions of the world, which
proves supernatural revelation outside the
Judeo-Christian tradition. Jose Pereira added,
Non-Christian faiths are impregnated with truths
which Christians hold to be supernatural
[this] leaves us with no alternative but to posit a
universal revelation.

6. Religious beliefs and morality are

grounded in the universal autonomy of reason:
Vivekananda wrote,

There is no religious concept, no dogmatic

teaching, no ethical demand, no churchly
institution, no cultic form and practice of
piety in Christianity which does not have
diverse parallels in the non-Christian religions.18

The worlds leading religions agree on far

more things than most people realize. If similar
ideas were discovered by people of different
religions in different parts of the world this
offers further verification for their correctness.
If on the other hand religions continually
disagree with one another, this will cause more
people to become atheists and agnostics.
5. Revealed supernatural truths are
found in all of the major religions of the world:
Paul E. Murphy a Catholic theologian made
the very important point that,
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The salvation of Europe depends on a

rationalistic religion, and Advaitathe nonduality, the Oneness, the idea of the Impersonal
Godis the only religion that can have any hold
on any intellectual people. It comes whenever
religion seems to disappear and irreligion seems
to prevail, and that is why it has taken ground in
Europe and America.19

For Thomas Aquinas,

There is a twofold mode of truth in what we
profess about God. Some truths about God
exceed all the ability of human reason. Such is
the truth that God is triune. But there are some
truths which the natural reason also is able to
reach. Such are the truth that God exists, that
he is one, and the like. In fact, such truths about
God have been proved demonstratively by the
philosophers, guided by the light of natural
reason.20
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The German Jewish philosopher and

father of Reformed Judaism Moses Mendelssohn (1729-86) taught,
All the inhabitants of the earth are invited to
partake of blessedness, and the means thereto are
as extensive as the human race itself.

As a representative of the historical

period known as the Enlightenment, he
advocated universal religious beliefs and a
system of morality grounded in the autonomy
of reason. The eternal truths of the religion
of reason apply to all humanity transcending
the parameters of any particular faith.
Mendelssohn pointed out that European
scholars did not understand the religion
of India, because they misinterpreted the
meaning of their religious symbols.
Human reason and a common human
nature are universal factors that bring about
some commonality in religious beliefs, practices, and morality. Without these universal
characteristic religions would differ far more
than they presently do. Natural theology
(or natural reason) is a method of inquiry
into religious matters without referring or
appealing to any sacred religious texts or
divine revelation. Solutions to the problems
of religious beliefs, practices, and morality
are arrived at through the use of reason,
empirical data, scientific findings, and historical research. These truths of natural reason
fallwithinthe capacity of the human intellect
to discover, verify, and organize new religious
ideas.21
Religious Experience
7. God can be spiritually realized
in this lifetime through any valid religion:
Sri Ramakrishna (1836-86) created a new
dimension in religious pluralism working
at the applied level. He attained God realization following the path of several Hindu
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denominations, along with Christianity

and Islam. In a God intoxicated state he
experienced the ecstatic spiritual visitation of
Rama, Krishna, Mother Kali, Jesus, an Islamic
sage and others.
Swami Saradananda, a direct disciple of
Sri Ramakrishna, wrote,
In the past, rishis, teachers, and avatars
had taught people how to reach the goal by
following a particular path, none of them had
ever preached the message that one could
reach the same goal through all the different
spiritual paths. Through these various mystical
experiences, he [Sri Ramakrishna] realized the
profound truth of each religion, proving that
the same goal could be reached following many
spiritual paths.22

Sri Ramakrishna explained that the Lord

of the universe has created different forms of
worship, to suit a wide variety of people. God
is one but is worshiped under different names
and forms. He assumes different forms and
reveals Himself in different ways for the sake
of His devotees.23
The same God is worshiped in different
countries and ages under different names and
forms. He may be worshiped in various ways
according to different conceptionssome loving
to call Him as father and others as mother, some
as friend and others as beloved, some again
as their sweet little childbut it is always one
and the same God that is worshiped in all these
diverse relations. . . Many are the names of God
and infinite forms through which He may be
approached. In whatever name and form you
worship Him, through that you will realize
Him. Different creeds are but different paths to
reach the one God . . . The religious teachers of
all lands and of all ages are but so many lamps
through which the light of the Spirit streams
constantly from the one almighty source.24

There is a commonality of spiritual

experiences found in all major religions

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that transcends theological differences. S.

Radhakrishnan indicated,

Ibn al-Arabi (1165-1240) the Islamic sage

born in Muslim Spain realized,

The mystics of the world, whether Hindu,

Christian or Muslim, belong to the same
brotherhood and have striking family likeness.

God will manifest Himself to His devotee in the

form of His belief. But you do not confine Him
to any particular form; He is above limitations;
so you must become a believer in all forms of
beliefs. Wherever thou turnest thy face, there is
the face of the Lord.

Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) writes,

Though mystical theologies of the East and
West differ widely . . . Yet in the experience of
the saints this conflict is seen to be transcended.
When the love of God is reached, divergences
become impossible, for the soul has passed
beyond the sphere of the manifold and is
immersed in the one reality.25

We could safely conclude that mystical

religious experiences are universally valid and
transcends theological dogma. And it is in this
experience that the core of religious pluralism
finds its true basis. o
(Concluded.)

References
10. CW, II, p. 499; VII, p. 286.
11 CW, II, p. 368.
12. Lecture notes.
13. Colette Sirat, A History of Jewish Philosophy in the
Middle Ages (Cambridge: University Press, 1995),
pp. 92-93.
14. Paul Knitter, No Other Name? (Maryknoll, NY:
Orbis Books, 1985), p. 147.
15. Ibid., pp. 147-49.
16. CW, I, pp. 6-7.
17. K. P. Aleaz, Jesus in Neo-Vedanta (Delhi: Kant
Publications, 1995), pp. 19-23.
18. Paul Murphy, Triadic Mysticism (Delhi: Motilal
Banarsidass, 1986), pp. 180-81.
19. CW, II, p. 139.

20. Aquinas (1975), I, 3.

21. Web: http://www.iep.utm.edu/theo-nat/
22. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, ed. Mahendranath
Gupta, tr. Swami Nikhilananda (New York:
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1952), pp.
12-16, 24-35; Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna
and His Divine Play, tr. Swami Chetanananda
(St. Louis: Vedanta Society of St. Louis, 1909-19,
2003), IV:3.2; 4.41, pp. 601, 646-47.
23. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, (1952), p. 858.
24. Sri Ramakrishna, Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna
(Mylapore: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1965), pp. 14850.
25. S. Radhakrishnan, The Hindu View of Life (London:
George Allen & Unwin, 1927, 1941), p. 34.

Holy Mother emphasized renunciation as the unique feature of Sri Ramakrishnas life.
One day a disciple asked her about the special message of Sri Ramakrishna. Was it not the
harmony of religions that he experienced and taught? The Mother replied; My child, what
you say about the harmony of religions is true. But it never occurred to me that he had
practised the discipline of different faiths with the definite idea of preaching this harmony.
Day and night the Master remained overwhelmed with divine rapture. He enjoyed Gods
sport by following the paths of the Vaishnavas, Christians, Mussalmans, and the rest. But
it seems to me, my child, that the chief characteristic of the Masters sadhana was his
renunciation. Has anyone ever seen such natural renunciation? Renunciation is his great
ornament.
Holy Mother By Swami Nikhilananda P.No 232
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Special Report

Vivekananda Cultural Centre (VCC), Chennai

The Beginning
Healthy Living conducted at VCC. Separate
It is culture of the heart that we want,
sessions for men and women learners are held
said Swami Vivekananda. To carry this
by Yoga instructors.
ideal of Swamiji into practice and to pay a
2. Thanjavur Painting Course: Thanbefitting tribute on his 150th Birth Anniversary,
javur, a famous place in Tamilnadu, is known,
Vivekananda Cultural Centre was established
besides its temples, for a distinct style of
on 8 August 2014. Located in the
Vivekananda Illam premises, a subcentre of Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore, Chennai, the Centre has
been established with the generous
financial assistance received from the
Government of Tamil Nadu.
Vivekanandar Illam is the place
where Swami Vivekananda stayed
for nine days in February 1897 and
was later the place where Chennai Sri
Ramakrishna Math (now at Mylapore)
Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Vivekananda Illam, Chennai
functioned for around 10 years.
The Vivekananda Cultural Centre funcpaintings involving special curves and use of
tions as an Academy for Human Excellence
colours. The VCC course on this 14th century
to train participants, through its multi
art form is conducted and coordinated by
dimensional programmes, in achieving
a spirited lady belonging to the Thanjavur
excellence through value assimilation and
district and a long standing devotee of the
in adopting a healthy, holistic and culturally
Math. Over 100 persons in 6 batches spread
enriched lifestyle. The Centre also focuses
over 30 sessions have learnt this art form at
on socio-economic development of the
VCC.
economically weak and underprivileged
3. Graphic Design Course: The VCC
sections of society.
conducts Graphic Design (Three months)
and Image Editing (One month) Courses for
The Courses
the economically less privileged candidates
VCC conducts the following three
at highly subsidized fees. This is done in
certificate courses at present:
collaboration with Image Infotainment Ltd.
1. Yoga Course: Since the past one year
that has been at the forefront of uplifting
about 500 men and women in 20 batches of
Digital Media in India for the past 18 years.
people between the age group of 18 and 70
20 students in two batches are undergoing
have benefitted from the Yoga Course for
the training at Computer lab at VCC from
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Tuesdays to Fridays. They learn to do image

editing and design print materials such as
greeting cards, posters, books and so on.
Other Activities
1. Guided Meditation Class: On Saturdays a class on guided meditation is held
for people interested in learning basics
of meditation according to RamakrishnaVivekananda and Yoga Vedanta Tradition. It
is a spiritual program led by a senior Swamiji
from Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore
Chennai.
2. Free Tuition Class for underprivileged school students: Underprivileged
students of 6th to 9th standards living in and
around Vivekanandar Illam are provided free
tuition classes in all subjects by dedicated
volunteers between 5 to 6 pm daily.
3. Ramakrishna Vivekananda Literature
Sales Counter: Located right at the entrance of
the VCC, this sales counter is frequented by all
visitors to the Illam as well as the students and
beneficiaries of the various courses conducted
at VCC. Books and CDs and pictures on the
Holy Trio and Vedanta are displayed in the
specially designed sales counter and draws
visitors by hundreds daily.
The VCC plans more programmes at
its premises depending on various factors.
These programmes will include personality
development course, periodic workshops for
parents, teachers and professionals, linguistics
studies on Tamil, English, Sanskrit and Hindi,
developing a digital library, non-formal
research on history, culture and so on.

Yogasana session

Graphic Design Courses in progress

Thanjavur Paintings course completion

Contact Details: The VCC is open between 10 am to

1 pm and 3 pm to 7 pm on all weekdays (Mondayholiday). The complete address: Vivekananda
Cultural Centre, Vivekanandar Illam Campus,
Kamarajar Road Chennai 600 005, Tamil Nadu,
E-mail: admissions@rkmvcc.org
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The Order
on the March
News and Notes from Ramakrishna Math and Mission
News from various Branch Centres
v Swamijis Ancestral House held a special
lecture on 17 September in commemoration of the
150th birth anniversary of Swami Akhandanandaji
Maharaj which was attended by 350 persons.
v
Mangaluru Ashrama conducted three symposia
from 9 to 11 September for college students and
lecturers. The symposium on 11 September was
inaugurated by Sri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala,
Governor of Karnataka. In all, about 1500 people
participated in the events.
vSwami Gautamanandaji inaugurated the newly
Inauguration of APJ Abdul Kalam Block, Chennai
built Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Block, a dormitory for
high school students, at Chennai Students Home on 11 September.
v
Puri Mission Ashrama conducted a youth convention on 11 September in which about 400 youths
participated.
v
Two newly constructed monks quarters buildings at Mayavati Advaita Ashrama were inaugurated
on 28 September.
vThe School Education Department, Government of West Bengal, adjudged our Ramharipur high
school the best school in Bankura district considering its good infrastructure and management and the
quality of education offered. The Best School Award - 2015, comprising a trophy, a certificate and a sum
of 25,000 rupees, was handed over on 4 September. o

Participated in an Interfaith Event

with Pope Francis
On invitation, Swami Yuktatmananda, Spiritual
Leader of the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center
of New York, took part in A Witness to Peace: A
Multi-Religious Gathering with Pope Francis held
on September 25, 2015 at the National September
11 Memorial Museum in New York City. Swami
Yuktatmananda was among the several hundred
Swami Yuktatmananda with Pope along with others

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religious leaders of New York who were invited to join Pope Francis in a prayer service at the National
September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.
Pope Francis, along with representatives of all world faiths, offered prayers for peace, and for
the victims and families of those who perished at the site. The Pontiff stood alongside the rabbi, the
imam and Hindu, Buddhist, Greek Orthodox, Protestant and Sikh leaders, some in traditional dress,
forming a tableau of religious diversity that the Pope praised in an address that he gave. More than 500
spiritual leaders of those and other faiths were in the audience. Other officials and dignitaries added to
the solemnity of the event. Pope Francis had begun the visit to the 9/11 Memorial speaking with and
consoling relatives of the victims of the attacks. He ended it by embracing the leaders of other faiths. o
Youth Seminar and Devotees Retreat at Shimla
At the newly started Centre of Ramakrishna Mission at Shimla, the capital of hill state of Himachal
Pradesh, a youth seminar was organized on 19 September 2015. For a less than one year old Ashrama,
nestled on a sloppy hillside in the heart of Shimla, this was their first ever public function. Over 60
students, boys and girls, took part in the Youth Seminar on Human Excellence which was addressed by
Swami Atmashraddhananda, Editor, Vedanta Kesari, Chennai, Dr. D.G. Wakde, Director, P.R. Patil
College of Engineering, Amravati, Maharashtra, and Shri Rakesh Sharma, Assistant Excise & Taxation
Commissioner, Himachal Pradesh. Bhajans, screening of an inspirational film, interactive session, sale of
books on Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, serving of meals and snacks marked the day-long event. On similar
lines a devotees day-long retreat was held in which over 50 devotees from and around Shimla took part.
Swami Nilakanthananda, the Secretary of the Centre, anchored the both events and also conducted
question-answer session. Swami Kripaghananda of Pune Math presented bhajans on this occasion.
Located at the height of 7000 feet above the sea, Shimla was the summer capital of India during the
British days and is a place frequented by tourists and other visitors throughout the year. o

Retreat at Shimla Ashrama

Participants of the retreat

Distress Relief
Jalpaiguri and Narottam Nagar centres distributed various items, as shown against their names, to
needy people:
(a) Jalpaiguri: 300 mosquito-nets on 23 August.
(b) Narottam Nagar: Vests, notebooks, crayons, pencil boxes, toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, bars
of bathing and washing soap, etc among 176 students on 12 and 18 September. o
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Book Reviews

For review in The Vedanta Kesari,

publishers need to send us two copies of their latest publication.

Swami Vireswarananda
A Divine Life (2 volumes)
Edited (Bengali)
by Swami
Chaitanyananda;
Edited (English)
by Swami
Satyamayananda
Published by Swami
Vireswarananda
Smriti Committee,
1/1 Ramlochan Shire
Street, PO: Belur Math,
Howrah 711202, West
Bengal. Revised edition 2015. Pp. Vol.
I 698; Vol. II 412. Rs. 300 (two volumes).
Available at Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi Entally
Road, Kolkata 700014, and Udbodhan
Office, 1 Udbodhan Office, Udbodhan Lane,
Baghbazar, Kolkata 700003
Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj, endearingly known among monks and devotees as Prabhu
Maharaj, was the 10th President of the Ramakrishna
Math and Mission. An illustrious monk with
sterling qualities of head and heart, Revered
Maharaj was an exceptional spiritual leader whose
insights into spiritual as well as administrative and
personal issues continue to amaze all those who are
presented with similar issues for his insight and
foresightedness. After Swami Brahmananda, the
first President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission,
Swami Vireswarananda was the longest serving
President of the Order. Initiated into spiritual
life by Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, Swami
Vireswarananda was an erudite scholar whose
Sanskrit-English translations and other works are
of high scholarship and quality. His monastic and
administrative training under nine direct disciples
of Sri Ramakrishna left an indelible impress on his
personality and working which found an ample
expression throughout his life.
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The Publishers Note says that the first meeting

of Swami Vireswarananda Smriti Committee, the
publisher of the book, was held in Ramakrishna
Mission Saradapith, Belur Math in February 2015.
It was decided that the book would be published
in three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali. The
contents would include a comprehensive biography
of Revered Maharaj, his letters, articles, photographs,
and a section on Collection of Sayings and
Question and Answers. In addition, it would
include reminiscences of senior and junior sannyasins
and sannyasinis, devotees and admirers, from India
and abroad. The book precisely does this. And does
it well.
The first volumelarger of the two
contains 64 reminiscences by monks and
Brahmacharis, beginning with past Presidents
Swami Gambhirananda, Swami Bhuteshananda,
Swami Gahananandaand one by the present
President of the Ramakrishna OrderSwami
Atmasthananda. The volume begins with, besides
prologues by Bengali and English version editor/
translators, a 116-page biographical note on Swami
Vireswarananda by Swami Chaitanyananda. This is
followed by 128 letters of Swami Vireswarananda
to devoteesall chronologically arranged. Genuine
concern, instructions and blessings mark the
contents of all letters. In these days of digitalization
of all means of communication, hand-written letters
are a powerful reminder of the power of personal
touch that such personalized writing brings. A fivepage prologue by Swami Prameyananda, personal
secretary to Swami Vireswarananda, and later one
of the Vice Presidents of Ramakrishna Order, gives
befitting introduction to the spirit in which the book
should be approached.
The second volume has the second part
of reminiscencesa section having 17 writings
by nuns of Sarada Math. The third section of
reminiscences has 25 articles by men and women
devotees who recall, like others, the immense
guidance they received from Revered Maharaj in
their spiritual as well as other matters. Collection

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of Sayings and Question & Answers form the Third

Part. Fourth Part is a compilation of five articles /
writings of Revered Maharaj from Prabuddha Bharata
and other published sources.
The book is a rich treasure of not only
personal memories of monks and devotees of a
spiritual luminary but is also a source of spiritual
solace and guidance. Swami Vireswaranandas
genuine concern for others, his deep insight into
spiritual practices, his unarming simplicity and
selflessness, his subtle humour and above all, his
God-centred thinking and livingsurely the book
should be read with interest and earnestness by
all spiritual aspirants, especially those who wish
to understand the spiritual foundation on which
Ramakrishna Movement stands. Thanks to all,
editors, publishers, writers and everyone else
who has contributed to the publication of this
valuable addition to reminiscences literature which
invariably inspires and guides the readers.
A number of pictures in multi-colours printed
on art paper spread throughout add a visual value
to the book. Very reasonably priced and elegantly
brought out, the book will be a source book on
Ramakrishna Vivekananda Tradition and the ideal
of service-and-spirituality.
_______________________________________________ VK OFFICE

Speaking Flute
By Swami Vimurtananda
(Bhamathimaindhan)
Sri Ramakrishna Math,
Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004.
Email: mail@chennaimath.
org Pp vi + 218. Rs.85.00

The book under review is a string of 25 storygems. The gifted author,

the present Manager of Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, offers eternal messages packaged
in imaginative stories of real-life significance under
the title Speaking Flute that conjures up visions of the
Eternal Blue Boy [Krishna] from whose mystic flute
strains of divine music issue out in recurring waves.
The authors nimble imagination deftly weaves
gripping narratives round the anecdotes of spiritual
titans as well as humble devotees.
While the narratives couched in racy style
surprise discerning readers, the sublime messages
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of morality and ethics and nuggets of spiritual

wisdom embedded in them raise them to the level
of lofty spiritual literature (adhyatmika grantha).
The blend of pervasive rasas of pathos, humour,
dialogues and sympathy, only heighten the charm
and value of the tales as powerful catalysts. The
authors flair for clothing serious and weighty
messages in the habiliments of absorbing stories is
commendable.
A couple of examples would suffice to show
this. It is well-known that Swami Vivekananda,
for all his intellectual and spiritual eminence, his
bubbling youth, his string of stunning achievements
and his unquestioned suzerainty in the spiritual
realm, is an epitome of self-effacing humility, utter
egoless-ness and unruffled spiritual poise. These
amazing characteristics of Swamiji are orchestrated
in the story titled At last Maya Devi Astonished
by an arresting imagery that is as charming as it is
liberating. Maya, the Cosmic Enchantress, exhausts
almost all her ammunitions such as name and fame,
personal charm, high learning, powers of eloquence
and charisma in her bid to lure Swamiji. It is, as it
were, an epic fight between the Goliath of Maya and
the David of Swamiji. Each and every temptation
that Maya dangles before Swamiji proves abortive
as Swamiji remains unshakable in his lofty spiritual
poise and disdain of worldly opulence and fortune.
In the grim tussle between Maya and the Monk,
the latter has the last laugh and Maya retreats,
crestfallen.
The authors creativity transmutes Lord
Krishnas Divine Flute into a nostalgic soliloquiser.
Swami Vivekanandas profound spiritual
experiences, his meditations on such divinities as
Bhagavan Shiva and Bharat Mata, his resemblance
of Jesus Christ while sermonising, his vision of
Sri Radha and his poetic praise of Sri Radhas soft
fingers and softer heart form the opening theme of
the Flutes monologue. The significant remark in the
monologue, I am merely the voice of the flute but
Swamiji is the perennial voice of spirituality sums
up the quintessence of the Flutes discovery which
is also ours.
The book under review is an English translation of the authors Tamil stories that appeared
in Sri Ramakrishna Vijayamthe Tamil monthly
published from Chennai Math. This slender volume
is a good example of impeccable spiritual storytelling. It deserves to be read by all for their own

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edification. It is ideal for non-detailed study by

school students.
________________________________ N. HARIHARAN, MADURAI

Manifesting Inherent
PerfectionEducation For
Complete Self-Development
By Swami
Atmashraddhananda
Published by Sri Ramakrishna
Math, Mylapore, Chennai
600 004, Email: mail@
chennaimath.org PP ix + 586.
Rs 250/- .
Without formal qualifications in pedagogy one cannot
become a teacher in Indian schools and colleges.
This formal training is based on European and
American educational theories. For example,
Western pedagogy has been influenced by
the theories of Melanie Klein, Anna Freud
and Jean Piaget. All three of them had been
influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud; Anna
being his youngest daughter who was eclipsed by
her father and Melanie Kleins reputation. Therefore Western pedagogy is rooted in the analysis
and confrontation with Sigmund Freuds
construction and emphasis of everything being
libidinal.
Further, during the Enlightenment Period in
Europe John Locke came up with his concept of the
tabula rasa; according to Locke a child was an empty
slate to be written on by her teachers. Essentially
Lockes influence on contemporary pedagogy has
been to cram a child with information. Manifesting
Inherent Perfectionperforms its pedagogical work
by negating Freuds understanding of childhood
as essentially erotic and at the same time correcting
Lockes theory of a child being an empty vessel
without any past samskaras. Manifesting Inherent
Perfectionis essential reading for someone receiving
teachers training or someone wanting to become a
better teacher. Swami Gnaneswarananda has this to
say: In order to be an educated man one does not
have to go through books, one does not have to talk
a lot, and one does not need to be an information
bureau or a card-index. Anything that helps us in
bringing into manifestation the perfection that is
already within us, is true education. (39)
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The emphasis here in the quoted passage

and throughout the book is on holistic learning and
character building. What is the point to be a learned
person without being able to attain mukti?
Swami Yatiswaranandas essay reprinted
in this collection is one of the most important
attacks against Freudian constructions of the
mind and childhood, especially Freuds concept
of sublimation (How to Sublimate Our Tendencies
23-32). The editor of this volume has shown a deep
understanding of education when he included
Swami Yatiswaranandas essay. Traditional books
on the theory of education will not have such
holistic approaches or bother about Ashtavakras
concept of what constitutes the true aim of
education (Swami Samarpanananda, Ashtavakra
the Young Knower of Brahman539-548). Though
a born scholar, Ashtavakra set his mind on
acquiring the highest knowledge of Supreme
Brahman (547)this knowledge of the Supreme
Brahman is the aim of all education. Sadly modern
educational theories have nothing to say about
transcendence; they are all concerned with the
results of the Protestant work ethic; efficiencies and
the generation of capital.
The Ten Commandments for Teachers(375-379)
is useful to this reviewer who is a career academic. Career academicians tend to forget that
their main job is to teach and not to research;
research complements teaching but unfortunately
the current UGC norms emphasise research over
teaching and this entire book should be used by
the MHRD to rethink its educational policies. It is
rarely that a book on pedagogy addresses the zeitgeist; and this reviewer feels that the book under
review should be available in the e-format for easier
dissemination. Unless this book is available in either
the mobi or epub formats, many will not be able to
use the book and it will languish within the circle of
Indian Studies, scholars and Ramakrishna Mission
devotees. The work is so all-encompassing and
addresses simultaneously both praxis and theory that
this reviewer cannot overemphasise the digitisation
of such a book. A book of this nature will be
intentionally misread by professional educationalists
as dharmic and bigoted. Only its availability online,
possibly free of cost on platforms like SCRIBD, will
do the authors and the editor justice.
The traditional wisdom pages chosen by the
editor are pertinent and worth integration into

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the classroomfor example, the pithy saying on

page 375 is something that we teachers must learn
first and then burn the message into our students.
The photographs and the illustrations are good.
In fact, this book will come in handy for parents
distraught with their childrens upbringing. There
are struggling working couples in India who want
to know how to bring up their children properly;
this book should reach them.
There is a list of books on 583-586 at the
end of this volume which can be procured from
the Chennai Math; but this reviewer urges that
financial burdens notwithstanding, to make even
those recommended books available electronically
at nominal prices or free for the global audience.
While the Ramakrishna Mission devotees and the
monks and their students will find in this volume
a handy guide, it is those who have no connection
with the Ramakrishna Mission who will benefit the
most from this book.
___ SUBHASIS CHATTOPADHYAY, BISHNUPUR, WEST BENGAL

The Universal
Vivekananda
Edited by Ghanananda
and Parrinder
Advaita Ashrama, 5, Dehi
Entally Road, Kolkata
700006. Email: mail@
advaitaashrama.org Hard
cover, Pp. 312, First Edition,
2014, Rs.115.
The recent years
have seen a spurt of publications
concerning the personality and teachings of
Swami Vivekananda, all of them commemorating
his 150th birthday. They are anthologies, containing
new articles written for the occasion by people from
various walks of life. Most of these books have been
reviewed in the pages of The Vedanta Kesari.
This book, however, is of a different type
altogether. It is an anthology of articles from the
1960s, taken from the book Swami Vivekananda
in East and West, published by the Ramakrishna
Vedanta Centre of London, supplemented by some
articles from the Swami Vivekananda Birth Centenary
Memorial Volume. The book, thus, has a vintage value,
and should be of interest to admirers of Swamiji, as
representing the viewpoints of scholars of the 1960s.
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The book has been ably edited by Swami

Ghanananda and Dr. Geoffrey Parrinder. Apart
from the Publishers Note, Publishers Preface to
the First Edition and a Note by the Editor in the
beginning of the book, there are 17 articles, followed
by Tributes to Swamiji from several prominent
people of those days. The book closes with a brief
introduction to the authors, followed by an Index.
The articles fall into two categories. Some
of them are general in character, dealing with
the personality of Swamiji and his contributions.
Another category is specifically about the work of
Swamiji in India and the western countries. The
authors are from diverse backgrounds, but have a
common trait, viz., a sense of reverence for Swamiji.
The book begins with a brief overall appraisal of
the subject by the Editor. Then follow the rest of the
articles, each dealing with one aspect of Swamijis
personality. All the articles are of uniformly high
standard, testifying to the deep study made by
the authors. Some of the authors are from the
Ramakrishna Order itself, most of them stationed
abroad.
Some articles appear to be outdated. This is
because all of them were written in the 1960s. Since
that time so many new things have been discovered
in the life of Swamiji that the same articles would
have been written in a somewhat different way. But,
still, the articles are valuable in themselves, since
they portray the subject from a closer perspective
in time.
A couple of articles towards the end do
not indicate the name of the author! Are they the
contributions of the Editor himself?
This is another worthy contribution from the
Advaita Ashrama. The high quality of publication is
what is to be expected from the Advaita Ashrama.
______________________________ NVC SWAMY, BANGALORE

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Nature of Human
Thought
By Anil K. Rajvanshi
Published by Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute,
P.O.Box. 44, Phaltan
415 523, Maharashtra.
anilrajvanshi@gmail.com
2010, paperback, pp.180,
Rs.150. -US$15.
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The combination of science-technology with

spirituality has been a riddle for mankind since the
inception of modern science. With the tremendous
development in technology in the last century, it
has become almost impossible for a common man
to stay away from its fold. At the same time, it
is a proven fact that mere material development
doesnt lead to complete fulfillment in human
life; spirituality is the answer. A scientific man
tries to find solutions to his problems externally
or objectively, while a spiritual person does so
internally or subjectively. How to amalgamate these
two aspects of life is the challenge for a modern
man. The author tries an attempt to this end in his
well-drafted book Nature of Human Thought.
He pins his faith in the spiritual science of
ancient India, especially the Patanjali Yoga Sutras,
which is a treatise on Indian Psychology defining
and explaining the different aspects of mind-control
and self-realization. The science of Yoga teaches
the techniques of concentration and meditation so
as to control and transcend the mind. The author
calls this deep thought and tries to explore the
mind/matter realm along with its interaction with
space, time, etc., with the help of modern scientific
discoveries.
The book is divided into three main sections
called Basic Theme, Deep Thought, Happiness
and other things and Spirituality, Technology and
Sustainability.
In the first section, the author tries to explain
the nature of human thought with the help of
neurology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
Chaos Theory, etc., concluding that the thought can
be considered as a dissipative structure produced
by the firing of a large number of neurons. Along
with it the production of deep thought is explained
by the yogic method called Sanyam, which is the
result of sustained and willful practice of meditation
and yoga. The author then traces the deep thought
in higher dimensional space and explains the
process of gaining knowledge via thought packets,
sensing thought signals, and the interactions of
mind/matter with the forces of gravity, and shows
how Time, Space and Universal Consciousness
are related. Next the different facets of the art and
science of happiness is explained giving emphasis
on the sublimation of desires so as to develop a
powerful brain with heightened awareness. The

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theory of death, karma and reincarnation is also

explained with references from both Indian spiritual
tradition and the modern research.
In the second section, the same ideas are
further developed from different angles citing
examples from the lives of saints, scientists and
scriptures. The author here tries to establish how
the cultivation of deep thought helps us become
spiritual, happier and better human beings.
Interestingly, the various aspects of dreams and
sleep are examined in the chapter Designer Dreams
through Yoga showing how synchronized and
deep thought leads to prophetic and solution
dreams. Deep thought is also produced by deep
faith, which helps overcome fear and can even
do miracles. The various facets of happiness are
pondered upon based on natural evolution, human
free-will, choices in life, etc., so as to equip ourselves
to rise up for a better world.
In the third section, the right use of technology along with spirituality is stressed for
enhanced growth in all walks of life. The conquest
of Nature using technology understanding its great
laws helps mankind to unravel its mysteries, and
thereby apply them for the betterment of human
life. The author points out that technological
progress and spiritual progress go hand-in-hand
in the evolutionary advancement of a society.
At the same time, the abuse of Nature has to be
prevented in every front to preserve the balance of
ecosystem. Hence conservation of Nature is of grave
importance for sustainable living. It is only through
spiritual growth that human beings can understand
this vital fact and live harmoniously with Nature.
The author has tried to practically implement
these ideas of spiritual living with technological
simplification in his projects of rural development.
Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI),
the NGO run by the author in a rural town called
Phaltan in Satara district, Maharashtra, India, has
done commendable work in improving the quality
of life of poor people. Some of the experiences
gathered by the author during these experiments
are discussed with valuable suggestions for the
future, which makes this book an inspiration for
further research. Hope to see many more editions
of the book in the coming times.
____________________________SWAMI SHANTACHITTANANDA,

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ADVAITA ASHRAMA, KOLKATA

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Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004

Phone: 044-24621110. E-mail: mail@chennaimath.org

Re-consecration of the Old Temple

Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Dear Friends,
Owing to wear and tear of over 100 years, the Old Temple at the Mylapore Math
needed extensive repairs and renovation and we are glad that this work is progressing
and the sacred building is getting ready for meditation, silent prayers and other
activities.
The Old Temple is one of the earliest temples of the Ramakrishna Math and has
been a witness to many sacred memories. Its foundation was laid in 1916 by Swami
Brahmananda, the first President of the Ramakrishna Order and a direct disciple of Sri
Ramakrishna, and was consecrated by him in 1917. At that time he stayed in a room to
the southeast on the ground floor of the temple.
Two other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and later Presidents of the
Ramakrishna Order, Swami Shivananda (second President), and Swami Vijnanananda
(fourth President) stayed in this building during their visits.
Many eminent monks of the Ramakrishna Order have lived and performed
spiritual practices here. These include Swami Yatiswarananda, Swamis Akhilananda,
Ashokananda and Prabhavananda, well known for their pioneering Vedanta work
in Europe and America, and Swami Ghanananda, whose contribution to the spread
of Vedanta in Mauritius and London is well known, too has stayed here. Swami
Swahananda, Swami Budhananda and a number of senior monks lived as inmates here.
Besides regular worship for over 80 years (till 2000), the shrine and the prayer hall has
been a witness to a number of spiritual and cultural events.
Prior to restoration work, the structural features of the building were thoroughly
studied and analysed and the renovation work in accordance with these was started
in first week of June 2015. By Gods grace and by the conjoint effort of innumerable
persons and generosity of the donors, the restoration work is nearing completion.
The renovated temple will be re-consecrated on Wednesday, 25 November 2015,
the sacred birthday of Swami Vijnanananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Puja,
Homa, Bhajans and Naam-sankirtans will be conducted at the old shrine and the
adjacent pandal.
The entire process of restoration has involved an expenditure of about Rs. 40
lakhs. We propose to create a corpus fund of Rs 10 lakhs for the upkeep of the sacred
old temple.
Donations towards this cause are eligible for exemption under Section 80(G) of
the Income Tax Act. We invite all noble-hearted people, including the devotees of Sri
Ramakrishna, to come forward with their generous donations.
Yours in the service of the Lord
Swami Gautamananda
Adhyaksha

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Digitised Archives of the Vedanta Kesari

(1914 to 2014)
DVD containing the archives of 101 years of the
Vedanta Kesari
The Vedanta Kesari has been effectively
disseminating Indian Ethos and Values, with
uninterrupted publication for 101 years. This entire
collection of archival articles (1914-2014) by scholars
and thinkers, savants and admirers, monks and
practitioners of Vedanta is now available in one DVD.
With search facility indexed author-wise, title-wise,
year-wise and by keywords, plus other features, this
veritable encyclopedia of Vedanta is now available to
you at the click of a button!
Price: Rs.300/-Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/(within India)
For ordering your copy, draw your DD in favour of Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai
and send to: The Manager, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai 600004.
You can also order Online. Email: mail@chennaimath.org
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

A Treasured Collection and

A Researchers Delight!
Digitised Archives of Brahmavadin

the first magazine started under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda

Brahmavadin, The Messenger of Truth, was started in 1895 by
Alasinga Perumal and other devotees in Madras. Though it was not an
official organ of the Ramakrishna Mission, it played an important role
in the furtherance of the ideals of the Ramakrishna Movement.
After the demise of Alasinga in 1909, its publication was irregular
and the last issue of Brahmavadin was brought out in 1914. Soon after,
the Brahmavadins legacy was continued by a new journal, The Vedanta
Kesari, started by the Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, and has been in
circulation ever since.
The CD contains the entire collection of 19 volumes (1895 to1914)
of Brahmavadin in a digitised format, with search facility indexed authorwise, title-wise, year-wise and by keywords, plus other features.
Price: Rs.300/- per CD
Packing and Posting charges: Rs.60/- (within India)
(For overseas orders, shipping charges vary as per destination)
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

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The Vedanta Kesari

Some of the recent Annual Issues of

The Vedanta Kesari now available in book form:
(2002) How to Organise Life
(2004) Sri Ramakrishna in Todays Violent World
(2005) Channelling Youth Power
(2006) No One is a Stranger
(2007) Upanishads in Daily Life
(2008) Gita for Everyday Living
(2009) How to Shape the Personality
(2010) Facets of Freedom
(2011) Joy of Spirituality
(2012) Indian Culture
(2013) Swami Vivekananda
The Charm of His Personality and Message

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:

Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.45/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.70/Rs.60/Rs.80/Rs.275/-

Rs.110/-

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004

Plus postage Rs.30/- for single copy. No request for VPP accepted
E-mail: mail@chennaimath.org

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Swami Vivekanandas Spiritual Daughter:

Sister Nivedita
By Dr. Hirornmoy N Mukherjee
The book is a monograph of the inspiring life and
achievements of Swami Vivekanandas Irish disciple
Sister Nivedita whose pioneering work for Indian
women and a burning love for India and Indian Culture
is now a legend.
Marking the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sister
Nivedita, this booklet describes how Swami
Vivekananda moulded her to work for the cause of
India.
Pages 89, Price: Rs. 30/- + Postage: Rs.25/-for single copy.
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore,
Chennai - 600004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

Nectarean Blooms
Daily Quote from Sri Ramakrishna

365 days a quote from Sri

Ramakrishnathat is what this handy
volume gives. The readers can open
any page to bathe in the refreshing and
enlightening words of the Master. A
slender volume in hardbound, the book
can be a constant travel companion for
those who seek to live spiritually vibrant
lives.
Pages 366, Price: Rs. 80/- + Postage: Rs.40/-for single copy.
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore,
Chennai - 600004 Email: mail@chennaimath.org

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Swami Yatiswarananda As We Knew Him

Reminiscences of Monastic and Lay Devotees
Compiled and edited by the monks and
devotees of the Ramakrishna order
(A set of two volumes)
Swami Yatiswarananda (1889-1966) was an
eminent disciple of Swami Brahmananda
Maharaj, the spiritual son of
Sri Ramakrishna and the first
President of the Ramakrishna
Order. Swami Yatiswarananda
lived with many direct disciples
of Sri Ramakrishna and was
the President of Mumbai and
Chennai Centres of Ramakrishna
Math before leaving for Europe
in 1933. At the request of earnest
devotees in Germany, he was
sent to Germany, Switzerland, Holland, and later America. He returned to
India in 1950 and was the President of Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, from 1951
to 1966. He was one of the Vice Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order.
His well-known books, Adventures in Religious Life, and Meditation and
Spiritual Life, are classics in holistic approach to spirituality, harmonizing the
Four Yogas of Jnana, Karma, Bhakti and Dhyana.
Containing more than 100 articles by senior monks, nuns and devotees
of the Ramakrishna Order, the new book has a detailed biography of Swami
Yatiswarananda, select letters, precepts and several pictures.
An audio CD containing 16 recordings of his lectures and chanting are a
part of the book.
Book Size : Royal, Hardbound
Price: Rupees 200/- per set (total pages 1550)
Postage: Rupees 100 per set (registered parcel)
No request for VPP entertained

Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai - 600004

Email: mail@chennaimath.org

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Pages: xxxviii + 484 Price: ` 250 Packing & Postage: ` 60

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(FREE HOME FOR THE BLIND, ORPHAN AND AGED)
TIRUCHANOOR, TIRUPATI517503. Ph : 0877-2239992, 9908537528 [Mob.]
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An Appeal
36 Years of Service to Humanity 19792015
1. Navajeevan School & Hostel for Blind Children
2. Navajeevan Free Eye Hospital

3. Navajeevan Free Home for Aged


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3. Sponsor one blind child or Orphan child for one year

Rs. 6000/-

2. Sponsor 5 IOL Cataract Eye Operations

4. Sponsor one poor aged person for one year

5. Sponsor one free eye camp at Rural/Tribal area

6. VidyadanEducational aid for one Child

Rs. 7000/

Rs. 5000/-

Rs. 2000/-

Rs. 50000/-

Donor devotees can send their contributions by cheque/DD/MO to the above address
on the occasion of birthday, wedding day or any other special occasion and receive prasadam of
Lord Balaji Venkateswara of Tirupati as blessings.
Contributions to NAVAJEEVAN BLIND RELIEF CENTRE, Tirupati are eligible for Tax
Relief U/S 80G of Income Tax Act.
Our Bank details for online transfer :
Bank Name : Indian Bank , Gandhi Road Branch, Tirupati SB A/c No: 463789382, Account
Holder : Navajeevan Blind Relief Centre, Branch Code: T036, IFSC code: IDIB000T036,

We can attain salvation through social work

Swami Vivekananda
K. Sridhar Acharya
Founder/ President

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N O V E M B E R

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55

With Best Compliments From:

Shrine at Vivekanandar Illam,

Chennai

PRIVATE LIMITED
(Manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical
Ingredients and Intermediates)

Regd. Off. & Fact. : Plot No.88 & 89, Phase - II,
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E-mail : rao@svisslabss.net Web Site : www.svisslabss.net

The more intensely a person

practises spiritual disciplines, the
more quickly he attains God.
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi

56

T h Vol.102-11
e
V e d a The
n t a

Vedanta
(English
Monthly) November
56
N O V E2015.
M B E RRegd.
2 0 1 5
K e s a r Kesari
i
with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No.1084 / 1957. POSTAL
REGISTRATION NUMBER:TN / CH (C) /190 / 15-17. LICENSED TO POST
WITHOUT PREPAYMENT TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-259 / 2015-2017.
Date of Publication: 24th of every month

Teach yourselves, teach everyone his/her real nature,

call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes.
Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come,
purity will come, and everything that is excellent will
come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.
Swami Vivekananda

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REGD. OFFICE:

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E-mail: info@lavinokapur.com Website: www.lavinokapur.com
TARAPUR PLANT:

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Taps Post, Boisar401 504
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Tel: 02525-2722 90/91/92

Subscription (inclusive of postage) Annual : ` 100

10 years: ` 1000
Contact: Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Website: www.chennaimath.org