Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, Immediate Relevance of Swami Vivekananda's Message

A former Editor of Prabuddha Bharata, Swami Atmaramananda is a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math, a member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission, and the Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore. This is the edited version of his talk delivered at Swami Vivekananda High School, Ranchi, on 1 April 2000.

When we discuss Swamiji's life and teachings, the general trend these days, and even some decades ago, has been to look upon him as a sort of a religious teacher who was more interested in nationalism--a patriot monk. Even a very learned person like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in his Discovery of India, had remarked about Swami Vivekananda as one who preached a sort of religious nationalism. It was only after the present President of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Swami Ranganathananda, advised Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to study Swami Vivekananda in greater detail that he later changed his views.

Swami Vivekananda did not come purely for the political freedom of India, or merely for the economic or social upliftment of this country. He came for the welfare of the whole of humanity. Swamiji himself has clarified that on several occasions. Whenever an avatara comes, he comes for the whole world. When Sri Ramakrishna came, Swamiji carried the message to the whole world. People saw him as a messenger, as a medium, as a carrier of the message of Vedanta.

Swamiji has said that with the advent of Sri Ramakrishna, Satya-yuga has commenced. But then, elsewhere Swamiji has said that this era (yuga) is the Sudra-yuga. He said this in a particular context. Please do not misunderstand. Let me repeat: though Swami Vivekananda has said that the Satya-yuga has begun with the advent of Sri Ramakrishna, elsewhere he has said that this is the yuga of the Sudras. This yuga shall see the rise of the Sudras--'Sudras', not as narrowly and disrespectfully understood by the people of India these days, but Sudras as definitively understood in its pristine sense. The Sudra is one who needs to be directed and accepts a salary for what he does, i.e., the labour class. That is what most of the people are doing. Whatever activity they are engaged in, it is always in consideration of a salary. To that extent a large mass of humanity are employees, Sudras. In that sense this is the yuga or age of the Sudras. In that case, Swami Vivekananda's coming, Swami Vivekananda's teachings, Sri Ramakrishna's teachings as expounded by Swami Vivekananda, have to be understood to mean as being directed at the mass of humanity who are constantly engaged in a struggle to remain in some form of activity or other.

At the same time, the ultimate aim of a yugavatara, the actual purpose of a yugavatara, of the avatara for a particular yuga, is to raise every individual to the heights of realization of his or her spiritual nature, to practise Vedanta, to practise the sanatana-dharma, the eternal duty. That is the changeless aspect of any yuga-prayojana, the need of a yuga, the true purpose of life, no matter in which yuga. Whenever a yugavatara comes, it is always for setting in motion, establishing, the sanatana dharma. Sri Krishna came, Sri Ramachandra came, other incarnations came, and then Sri Ramakrishna came. All of them fulfilled the common yuga-prayojana thus establishing the sanatana dharma. The manner in which that sanatana dharma was to be spread and practiced by all, varied from one avatara to another in their teachings. Swamiji too came to fulfil, to energize that eternal yuga-prayojana of re-establishing the sanatana dharma, in a particular way suited for today's humanity--not just for India, but for humanity as a whole so that young and old, men and women, each and everyone would know how to engage in activity in one form or another. He came to show how to progress spiritually, to show how to attain what sanatana dharma expects of us all to attain while engaged in work. Sri Ramakrishna often said that God realization was the goal of life, and Swamiji made it clearer for us. Again and again we hear, 'karma, bhakti, and jnana must be harmonized.' Still, I have to understand it in my own way. I feel that it has to be put into a simpler language for a person involved in activity most of the time so that one may be able to comprehend that basic message. What does practical Vedanta mean to humanity which is engaged in one form of activity or other most of the time? How can Vedanta be practised so as to be an instrument for men to realize their divinity?

First and foremost, a person who wants to practise Vedanta must cultivate self-respect, self-esteem--Shraddha that emerges from one's understanding of one's own self. It is said in the Kathopanishad, 'Shraddha entered into Nachiketa.' But Shraddha is not so much a thing that comes from outside. Self-respect, self-esteem, self-image, i.e., 'What do I see myself as', in the light of the sanatana dharma and in the light of the teachings of Swami Vivekananda--that is the starting point of practical Vedanta, as I understand it. If there is no self-esteem, if there is no true self-respect, there can be no Vedanta. Self-esteem and self-respect are not the same as pride, or even individualism. The self-respect that Swamiji meant is rooted in the idea of divinity. But then, even when it might not be possible for me to understand what that divinity is, it is good to cultivate a healthy self-respect, a respect for myself first. Only the self-respecting person knows how to respect others.

When Swamiji's practical Vedanta is applied to the nation, it will lead to the upliftment of the country, to the raising of the standing of the country in the world--a world much of which looks down upon all Indians as those who have no self-confidence, no initiative, and who are basically timid and meek. It is only when we learn to respect ourselves as individuals that we shall be able to rise as a nation. It is only the self-respecting man who knows how to respect others; it is only the self-respecting man who cannot cheat and cannot tell lies, who cannot stab another man behind his back. These are some of the defects that Swamiji pointed out as prevailing in Indian society. Why is India underdeveloped? Because of such defects as jealousy, weakness, timidity, meekness, etc. Pulling down the other man who is faring better than me etc.--all these defects can be cured with the proper understanding of Swamiji's idea of the 'Self'. But in practice even self-respect of the general kind is enough. Of course, better still is to understand it as respect for oneself because of one's divinity.

There is another thing which is found in the core of these teachings relevant for this age. If self-respect is cultivated, social pride, national pride, comes as a matter of course. It is a self-respecting man who values his work. If Indian products today are criticized for their lack of quality, it is because we lack self-respect individually and collectively. If I respect myself, whatever work I do--whether it is at home, or in the office, or in a factory--I shall never be content by creating something defective, something of inferior quality. It is only a callous person who has no true perception about his own dignity or divinity that can let something pass through his hands that is of inferior quality. That is the third relevance of Swami Vivekananda for this Sudra yuga, the age where the majority of people are employees--self-respect, resulting in respect for one's work, irrespective of what one is doing or where one is working.

That again brings us to the next point: Indians do not know how to work in co-operation. Ten of us get together to form a society, and in no time we start quarrelling amongst ourselves, and our effort collapses. To solve that problem in the light of practical Vedanta, we have to begin with the simple step of trying to respect our own being, from which follow the ability to work in co-operation and respect for others. It is another application of atma-shraddha which Swamiji has stressed for this country or for any society to rise.

In the context of Holy Mother's life, it takes the form of respect for women. If any individual, if any nation wants to rise, it must learn to honour and respect women. Sri Ramakrishna has shown the source of that respect for women, not as economic entities; not as political entities; not respect for women as a constitutional necessity, but respect for women born out of a feeling of worship, full of adoration for the divine power within them. These are the five teachings of Swami Vivekananda which are of immediate relevance to us.

Time and again this question has been raised: How do we apply Vedanta to day-to-day life? I have heard criticisms thrown at Vedanta any number of times, even at the teachings of Swami Vivekananda himself: Are they really relevant for the uplift of India? Are they really relevant to the rise of humanity? Such questions arise because perhaps we dwell too much on the higher aspects of Vedanta. So we have to keep asking, 'When it comes to day-to-day life, how shall I apply it to my life? How does Vedanta become applicable to me, in my dealings with others? How does Vedanta become applicable to me in my office, or anywhere in society or even in my family, or in an organization?' We can begin with taking that small step of respecting ourselves, preferably as divine beings. Then we touch one of the essential teachings of Swami Vivekananda, and that is the first step towards the higher aspect, higher attainments that the Sanatana dharma promises--Advaita, the oneness of all creation. Before we rise to that level, let us try to understand where we are, and how do we manifest that divinity in our small day-to-day activities.

These five teachings I wanted to share with you: remind ourselves about respect for ourselves, preferably with the understanding that essentially we are divine beings. That in turn would result in improvement in the quality of our work. That again would result in social pride or national pride of each one of us as Indians. That would lead to cooperation in work and respect for others. Finally, the extension of the idea of the divinity within oneself to the adoration of the goddess in women. These are the five immediately relevant aspects of Swamiji's teachings, which I feel the educated Indians should hold before themselves, with the urge to rise as a nation once again. We shall have other occasions to discuss the subtler aspects of God-realization, of Samadhi, of Yoga, etc. For now, we have to begin from where we are in the context of the yuga dharma--a yuga where most of us are engaged in activity. This is where we must begin.