Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, Back to the Basics

Once a novitiate after his prayers and meditation was climbing down the stairs of the temple unmindful of the clattering sound produced by his slippers. Just then his mentor, who was proceeding to the shrine, on hearing the disturbing sound during the silent and prayerful hour, mildly chided him and asked him to be careful in future while walking, so as not to disturb others in meditation. A similar incident had occurred at Udbodhan where the Holy Mother was staying. Once Radhu came down from the top floor with anklets jingling. The Holy Mother heard the sound and when Radhu came nearer she scolded her and asked her to remove the anklets since Swami Saradananda and other monastic members living downstairs would be disturbed.¹

What message do we get from the above incidents? How many of us are sensitive to our conduct in daily life ? Whether one is leading a spiritual life or not, one needs to live consciously and be careful about one 's actions and speech. An integrated and well--organized life can reap rich harvests. Unfortunately, in our enthusiasm to attain the highest in spiritual life or to be successful in the world, we tend to neglect the simple laws of corporate living. Some people overlook them, while for others, they just don 't matter. While speaking on The Secret of Work, Swami Vivekananda says, `Every work that we do, every movement of the body, every thought that we think, leaves an impression on the mind--stuff and even when such impressions are not obvious on the surface, they are sufficiently strong to work beneath the surface subconsciously. ^'2 `The problem of life is becoming deeper and broader every day. The watchword and the essence have been preached in the days of yore when the Vedantic truth was first discoveredthe solidarity of all life. One atom in this universe cannot move without dragging the whole world along with it. There cannot be any progress without the whole world following in the wake'.³

That is why all great teachers of humanity, who left their indelible footprints on the sands of time, were conscious of their surroundings, things of their daily use, their speech and actions; were mindful of relationships with people, and of course, were careful with their thoughts. For them the basics of life were as important as attaining the goal.

The lives of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi and Swamiji teach us how to be mindful, careful and conscious of the smallest details of our daily life. In this article, we shall focus our attention on some of the incidents in Holy Mother 's life, wherein she taught us this secret of being careful of our surroundings, the people we meet and the things we use. This secret she had learned from Sri Ramakrishna himself from the time she came to Kamarpukur after their marriage and when he began teaching her both temporal and spiritual matters. Sri Ramakrishna was well aware that there was none else but him to instruct Mother in either worldly or spiritual matters. So he gladly shouldered the responsibility. But before commencing his lessons, he first conquered the heart of his young wife through love and filled it with overflowing joy which he had acquired through spiritual experience. He trained her step by step, in the art of performing daily duties, like how to serve the guests, to be respectful to the elders and affectionate toward younger members of the family. He taught her how to adapt herself to different situations viz., time, place and person; how to be careful while getting into, or coming out of a carriage, so that nothing might be left behind; how to trim the wicks of lamps, spiceing curries and prepare betel rolls.

As we have hinted earlier, Sri Ramakrishna had instructed Holy Mother on the art of adapting herself to time, place and person. Because of her subtle and receptive mind, Mother grasped the import of the teachings very quickly and translated them into her life. In 1885 when Sri Ramakrishna was visiting Panihati for the Vaishnava Festival, Holy Mother inquired whether she too could join the party. The Master told a devotee, `If she wants to, she may! ' Hearing this, the Mother said to the devotee, `It will be difficult for me in the large crowd to get down from the boat and see the festival. So, I won 't go. ' When the Master sat down for his supper that night, he said to one of the women, `It was so crowded; moreover, all had their eyes riveted on me because of my divine inebriation; She (Mother) did well not to come with us. If people had seen her by my side, then they would have said, "A pair of swans has come! " She is very intelligent.^'4 Holy Mother knew that if he had wanted her to go he would have directly asked her to accompany him. So, when the choice was left to her, she willed otherwise.

When Holy Mother was staying in the Nahabat, her education under Sri Ramakrishna continued. Sri Ramakrishna once said to her, `One has to work; women should not sit idle; for, if one sits idle many vain thoughts may crop up.^'5 Once he gave some raw jute to Mother and said, `Twist this and make slings for me; I shall keep sweets etc. in them for the boys. ' Holy Mother made the slings and was prudent enough to use the waste fibers to make a pillow for herself.

The Master was very particular in establishing a sweet relationship between the devotees and Holy Mother, and he spared no pains to bring that about. Once when Balaram Babu 's wife fell seriously ill, Sri Ramakrishna said to Holy Mother, `Please visit her. ' As the way to Balaram 's house lay through the thickly populated area of Calcutta, Holy Mother hesitated to go by walk. There was no proper conveyance also. But the Master told her to go on foot, if necessary, to see Balaram 's wife.⁶

Holy Mother took up the strings from Sri Ramakrishna 's teachings and by her dexterity, intuition, precision and inner tranquillity paid the utmost attention to actualize them in the day--to--day activities. The following incidents will enlighten us about the way Holy Mother used to attend to trivialities. Though she had a very hectic schedule at Jayarambati, she could find time to attend `to such minute details as levelling unpaved courtyard where water might have created adepression.^`7

When Indumati Devi (daughter--in--law of Syamasundari Devi) and Sister Nalini (Holy Mother 's brother 's daughter) were young and did not know cooking, Mother taught them how to be perfect mistresses of their households. She would encourage Indumati if the cooking was good. Along with compliment she would also warn her, `Look here! You are all inexperienced; you should do your duties carefully. Master is very vigilant.^`8

Whether it was Jayarambati or Udbodhan, Mother performed all her duties, small or big, not only meticulously, but also with a spiritual insight. Once Swami Abhayananda who went to Jayarambati to have Mother 's darshan, saw her going somewhere limping and with a bowl in her hands. At that time she was having rheumatic pain in her legs. In his reminiscences, the swami recollect thus : `Mother ', I asked, `where are you going so early in the morning? ' She answered, `I am going to the milkmaid 's house. My sons from Calcutta have the habit of taking tea in the morning. ' The swami stood dumbstruck to see that the Mother herself was going for milk! One day at Udbodhan, when the inmates had spread their wet clothes in the sun and had gone away on their duties it suddenly began to rain; Mother came out dragging her rheumatic legs and took the clothes into the house. She had to stand for a long time removing the clothes one by one and spreading them elsewhere to dry.

Swami Ishanananda, speaks of an incident that teaches us the care and concern the Mother had for what appear to be very ordinary duties. During a Jagaddhatri Puja, a person who was supposed to look after the store fell ill and the Swami had to take up that job. Holy Mother said to him, `That 's all right, you can do as well. Have a look at every thing today, and come to the store early next morning after bath. Do the work a little carefully maintaining due form and then it will be all right.^'9 What is more significant is that when Swami Ishanananda had fever on the second day, Mother managed the store herself!

Swami Gowrishananda points out that Mother was always attentive to minor details. For instance, once, before laying sal leaves on which food was to be served, the Swami sprinkled a little water and shook them. Mother saw this and said, `Oh dear! The boys will eat from them; do wash them properly or else the dust will remain on them. ' Another day the Swami was laying mats for people to sit and eat their meals. From her verandah, Mother saw and directed him to lay them straight. When he could not detect where the defect was, Mother herself laid the mats properly. He later saw that the mats were laid in parallel lines and their front edges were all in a straight line.¹⁰

Mother taught how to be diligent even in trifling matters; she could not tolerate disorderliness. In her opinion even an insignificant thing as a broom needed due respect. The cheap wicker basket meant for carrying custard apples was reusable, and once Mother had the basket brought from the dustbin, washed and kept for future use.

Holy Mother was very particular about properly utilizing the food left over after eating. Once when her disciple Rammay could not do full justice to the large quantity of food, he wanted to throw away the surplus, but Mother intervened and said, `My boy! Don 't throw away such good stuff, ' and directed him to give away the food to a poor girl from the neighbourhood. She even said, `Each should have his due. What men can eat should not be wasted on cattle, what cattle and dogs cannot eat can be thrown into ponds for the fishnothing should be wasted. ' She even kept waste vegetables and peelings for cattle.¹¹

Holy Mother had high regard and respect for Nature and expected her disciples to learn to revere the trees and plants. Once when a swami broke off a whole branch of an Amalaki tree with fruits growing on it and presented it to Mother, she felt displeased and forbade him from breaking branches with fruits on them.

Let us see why Sri Ramakrishna thought it necessary to teach Holy Mother the importance of the basics. He used to remain in Samadhi and could have bypassed the trivial aspects of life, teaching Holy Mother only the subtleties of sadhana and spiritual practice. Why give so much importance to the trivial things of life?

Let us not forget that Sri Ramakrishna was preparing her to guide the world from darkness to light. In spite of trials and tribulations, Holy Mother with utmost care, abundant love and masterly precision, kindled the light of knowledge in many a heart lost in the darkness of the world. Wasn 't she `Saraswati ' herself, who came in human form to bestow jnana (knowledge) upon mankind?

On another occasion Sri Ramakrishna transferred the entire responsibility on to the shoulders of Holy Mother and said, `It is not my burden alone. It is your responsibility too. People are wallowing in darkness. You must take care of them. ' He visualized that in later days thousands would come seeking and that the Holy Mother should guide people step by step to higher levels. He knew that the Holy Mother would not only guide the spiritual aspirants but also worldly people in the art of living. She was not to live a cloistered life, but an active life in the world, meant to be an example for all.

The incidents mentioned bear testimony to the fact that Holy Mother took the cue from Sri Ramakrishna and lived in our own world as a normal human being but with the perfect knowledge of Brahman. Her whole life is a wonderful poetry of perfection and precision and there is a lesson for us at every step provided we open our hearts and mind to it.

Though involved in worldly matters, Mother was absolutely calm. Referring to this aspect of her nature, Swami Saradananda said, `You have seen us oftenhow we flare up at seeing our slightest wish disregarded. But look at Mother. What a hell her brothers are creating, and yet how calm and collected she is at all times! '

How meticulous she was in preparing food for Sri Ramakrishna, or in taking care of the smallest of things in the household! In spite of her rural simplicity and lack of modern education, she stood tall amidst the crumbling edifices, hiding her divinity like a `cat covered with ashes '. Every act of hers was a lesson to everyone, old or young, monk or householder.

She teaches us to show reverence, respect and regard to the things around us. Since her vision was pure and holy she treated the objects, people and animals with love and care. In fact, Mother 's life provides us four basic paradigms with which we can work on our behavior, attitude, improve our insight and continue our spiritual journey. They are :

1. To be anchored in God.
2. To remove the difference between the sacred and the secular
3. To improve inter--personal relationships
4. To take care of the basics so important for growth and development.

Let us discuss the above basics in the light of Holy Mother 's life and teachings.

1. One has only to snatch a few minutes from the hectic schedule and respond to the inner voice. For this, there is no short--cut, no pretences and no deceptions. One has to question oneself deep within, and try to see things as they are. Instead of cherishing our material success day in and day out, which can hinder the evolutionary process and drain out all vital energy, we can learn from Holy Mother 's life how to find security and guidance from the inner consciousness itself. This approach will take care of the basics of life. Under the tutorship of Sri Ramakrishna she worked intensely day in and day out, confined to the Nahabat for many years with a `pitcher full of bliss in her heart '.

The most important lesson that we get in this context is that, in this world full of contradictions, depressions and illusions, one will have no fear of getting drifted away if one is anchored in God alone, keeping Him as the beacon light amidst the encircling gloom. For Holy Mother, it was Sri Ramakrishna who was her `Prana' (life), wherever she went and whatever she did.

In the heart of all beings, O Arjuna, resides the Lord, whirling all of them by his Maya as if they were mounted on a machine.
Take refuge in him alone with all your heart, O Bharata (Arjuna); by His grace you shall attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.

No doubt there are wonderful and talented people in all walks of life today. But what is sad is that a vast majority of them do not strive for lasting solutions to their problems. This is because, one 's priorities are anchored only on people and things that change every moment. If any one chooses to grow in spiritual life, then undoubtedly, the anchoring should be on God only, regardless of external conditions. Holy Mother 's life stands testimony to this fact.

2. Along with the lessons on the basics of life, Holy Mother removes the ignorance from our minds, that there is a difference between spiritual life and secular life. For her every duty was sacred and all actions part of one 's Sadhana. While writing the introduction to Swami Vivekananda 's Complete Works, Sister Nivedita states, `If the many and the one be indeed the same Reality, then it is not all modes of worship alone, but equally all modes of work, all modes of struggle, all modes of creation, which are paths of realization. No distinction, hence forth, between sacred and secular. To labour is to pray. To conquer is to renounce. Life is itself religion. To have and to hold is as stern a trust as to quit and to avoid. ^'12 From her childhood at Jayarambati, Mother saw things from a spiritual angle. When such was her approach where is the question of stress or strain in spite of intense work? To a brahmachari who protested against her working a lot, she said, `Pray for me so that I may work as long as I live. ' By hooking ourselves to Mother 's infinite perfection and grace, we can undergo a `paradigm shift ' in our thoughts, perceptions, attitudes and habits, and can progress in spiritual life.

3. The third important basic principle in life is enrichment of inter--personal relationships. People in all walks of life, viz., parents, teachers, professionals, students, officials and workers equally need this enrichment. But are we aware of the tragedy of modern people? Highly advanced in Information Technology; making experiments in outer space and thinking of building a space station one day; shrinking the world through the Internet; turning over billions of dollars in trade and commerce; with all these, is it not unfortunate that small things and acts that constitute the basics just do not matter to us? The basics of life should fill in the gaps to offer a harmonious personal relation. We do not find time to improve the inter--personal relationships! We cannot find time to tend our own feelings and emotions. Both the poor and the wealthy are involved in a rat race from dawn to dusk only to find themselves trapped in negative emotions, weaknesses and stresses. Why is this happening? It is because we have become `penny wise and pound foolish '! We give importance to those relations where it is not due. Perhaps we allow our time and concentration to be spent on very personal or selfish purposes!

Holy Mother 's life gives us beautiful lessons to fill the void created by wrong attitudes, disagreements, circumstances and peoples ' behaviour. We have to take the cue from Mother 's approach to improve the relationships among our own people to start with and expand our boundaries in stages. She will surely guide us to maintain balance and peace in our daily life.

4. The fourth principle teaches us how one can grow and develop by caring or tending the basics of life. But how should one tend the basics of life and overcome inner weaknesses? It is by following the sequential mode of growth and development. Does a child run all of a sudden? First it learns to turn over, sit, crawl, and then gains strength to stand up and run. Similarly, every step is important in life, and this is very much true in spiritual life also. Each step has to be sufficiently strong to equip us to take subsequent steps. An intent look at Holy Mother 's life will reveal the fact that from her childhood days at Jayarambati, till her last days at Udbodhan she revealed the need to focus on the basics of life, to follow them meticulously and then grow. We too can progress in spiritual life or succeed in social life, if our foundation is on principles and not on mere work or money or family. We have to work at the root of our psyche from which our attitudes and behaviour flow. In order to maintain a flow one should be fully present during the work at hand. This enables us to enjoy the work without getting bogged down. Speaking on Karma in its effect on Character, Swami Vivekananda says, `If you really want to judge the character of a man, look not at his great performances.. watch a man do his most common actions; those are indeed things which will tell you the real character of a great man. ^'13 Let us keep in mind that there is greatness in little things and by performing them as Holy Mother taught us we can refine ourselves personally and progress in spiritual life as well.

Finally there is an additional advantage and benefit in going back to the basics. The modern technological and consumerist world of ours hardly enables us to take care of our personal life and the necessity of conserving food and other products. In this regard the incident mentioned above concerning Swami Gowrishwarananda and Holy Mother is an eye opener. People chant the Taittiriya Upanishad, Bhrgu--valli (third section) which says_ `Annam na nindyat, tad--vratam, annam na paricakshita, tad--vratam, annam bahukurvita, tad--vratam ', which means one should not deprecate food, one should not discard food and one should make food plentiful. All these three principles, says the Upanishad, should be a vow in life. Now how many of us follow the above principles in our life? How much of food is being wasted knowingly or unknowingly around us? Holy Mother 's life gives us a unique lesson in waste recycling management as well, which is the talk of the day, all over the world.

In fact, there are people who reject food just because it does not suit their taste. If this is the condition of our down--to--earth living, is it not worthwhile to pause for a moment and check our progress? It is high time that we take notice of such happenings around us and improve the quality of life.

1. Swami Gambhirananda, Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi (Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1993), 348; hereafter cited as HM.
2. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vols 8, 7^th ed. (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1987), 1:54; hereafter cited as CW.
3. CW 3:269.
4. HM, p.102.
5. Ibid, p.82.
6. Ibid, p.123.
7. Ibid, p.228.
8. Ibid, p.325--26.
9. Apostles, Monks, Scholars and Devotees, Sri Sarada Devi: The Great Wonder, 2^nd ed. (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1994), 69--70.
10. Ibid, p.81.
11. HM, p.484.
12. C.W. 1:xv.
13. Ibid, 1:29.