Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, December 2002

An Ex-Editor of the Prabuddha Bharata, Swami Sunirmalananda is at present an Acharya of the Ramakrishna Math Probationers' Training Centre, Belur Math.

Scared stiff! To write about Sri Ramakrishna's teachings and Vivekananda's interpretation of those teachings, in the form of a brief article and, much less, by us! Anyway, making the best of things is always a wise decision.

Swami Vivekananda (hereafter 'Swamiji') himself, in spite of his being the greatest of Sri Ramakrishna's disciples, hesitated and even said 'no' when they asked him to write a life of Sri Ramakrishna which, by all accounts, is far easier than discussing teachings. Here's what Swamiji said: 'Ask me to crush the mountains, ask me to powder the stars, I shall do them. But don't ask me to write about Sri Ramakrishna.' And he also said: 'Shall I create a monkey, going to create a Shiva?'¹ Why this hesitation? The incarnation of humility that Vivekananda was, he says elsewhere: 'He (Sri Ramakrishna) was the concentrated embodiment of how many previous Avatâras! Even spending the whole life in religious austerity, we could not understand it. Therefore one has to speak about him with caution and restraint.'²

With all his hesitation, it was given to Swamiji alone to disseminate Sri Ramakrishna's ideas all over the globe. Though his humility made him not go for a big work like writing a life, he gave a few lectures on Ramakrishna, reviewed a book on the latter's life and sayings, and, as an introduction to his brother monk's magnum opus, wrote a brilliant article called 'Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna'.

About Ramakrishna's teachings Vivekananda couldn't say 'no', for he was the chosen prophet of his Master. All that he spoke was what Sri Ramakrishna had taught either him in particular or the disciples and devotees in general; what is more, the lectures he gave were 'heard' by him the previous night in sleep. 'All I am, all that the world itself will some day be, is owing to my master, Sri Ramakrishna, who incarnated and experienced and taught this wonderful unity which underlies everything&'³

As it is impossible to discuss too many of Swamiji's words about Ramakrishna's teachings here, we shall confine ourselves to a few important ideas only. It's well known that of the millions of qualities one can see in Ramakrishna and his teachings, a few stand out as extraordinary. His teachings were in plain, often rustic, words. Yet Swamiji would say that volumes can be written on every one of Ramakrishna's statements. 'My ideal of language is my Master's language, most colloquial and yet most expressive.'⁴

Before beginning our subject, it would perhaps be interesting to see the way Narendra interacted with the Master. As we know, Narendra met Sri Ramakrishna for the first time at Surendranâth Mitra's house in November 1881, when he was 18 years and 10 months old. Sri Ramakrishna, already over 45 years of age, had completed all his sâdhanâs and was waiting for that sage from the highest of the highest, who was to take up the task of the dissemination of his teachings. He had to come! So he waited.

Narendra's next visit was in December that year. That was a very special visit because Narendra sang a song, and Sri Ramakrishna wept before him. 'Ah, you came so late! How could you be unkind as to keep me waiting so long!& Lord, I know you are that ancient sage, Nara, the incarnation of Narayana, born on earth to remove the miseries of mankind.'⁵

Narendra began visiting the Master once or twice a week, and discontinued for short periods when his father died of a massive heart attack on 25 February 1884. Narendra was a graduate student of Law, and he suddenly became the burden-bearer of his family. The cruelty of the world, coupled with the talent of evil in snatching away every other possession of his family, made Naren more Brahmo than ever, and he discontinued frequent visits to Ramakrishna. Yet the love was there. When, finally, he accepted Mother Kali and Ramakrishna agreed to 'look after' his overburdened family, Narendra devoted himself fully to his Master's teachings. In all, calculating the number of weeks between December 1881 and August 1886, we can conjecture that Narendra made at least 444 visits to the Master, if it was twice a week, regularly. Since he not only visited Ramakrishna but also stayed with him as and when he could, it is clear that Narendra spent several thousand hours with Ramakrishna. One can easily imagine how much Ramakrishna must have taught him, how much Narendra must have discussed, and how much he must have learnt from his beloved Master. Yet, how little is known!

During his third visit to Ramakrishna in March 1882, 'M', the chronicler of Ramakrishna's teachings, saw Narendra for the first time there. The first-ever recorded conversation between Narendra and Ramakrishna in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (p. 84) is about 'an elephant walking in the street'. Perhaps the Master was warning his dear disciple about the treacherous world that was to trouble him through and through. Narendra showed immense boldness when he remarked that he didn't care for the world at all. But Ramakrishna told him to be a bit more soft towards the world. That he did.

So Swamiji, who like Siva could do anything he wished, toured the world, saw the state of affairs, and gave the rousing call of Vedanta. 'Therefore I say, first rouse the inherent power of the Atman within you; then, rousing the faith of the general people in that power as much as you can, teach them first of all to make provision for food, and then teach them religion.'⁶

Physical, mental and spiritual well being--this was the plan then. This avatar did not leave any aspect untouched. How this was done reads like a story.

The most important teachings of Sri Ramakrishna were about renunciation, God-realization being the only goal of life, harmony of different faiths, devotion, prayer, meditation, and so on. Wherefrom did Vivekananda bring ideas about the organization, service, etc.? All these are perhaps due to his western contact; this was the idea of some of his intimate friends too.

We, however, know now that everything that Vivekananda did or said was only Ramakrishna's words in a different form. Rather, every word or action of Vivekananda had its source in the Master. Whether physical, mental, intellectual, or spiritual, everything was taught by Sri Ramakrishna himself.

Consider the physical well-being part of Swamiji's teachings. Swamiji gave several lectures on Karma Yoga between December 1895 and January 1896 in New York, USA. He, again, gave several soul-stirring discourses on service to the Indian nation in different parts of India. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897. All these are interpretations of a single message from Sri Ramakrishna which he overheard in 1884. One day Sri Ramakrishna was commenting on the Vaishnava ideal of compassion and had remarked: 'Who are you to show compassion? No, it cannot be. Not compassion for others, but rather the service of man, recognizing him to be a veritable manifestation of God.' Swamiji had himself remarked that he had discovered 'a wonderful light in those words of the Master! How beautifully he has reconciled the ideal of Bhakti with the knowledge of the Vedanta & The usual idea is that the practice of the knowledge of Vedanta demands a complete withdrawal from society and a rooting out of all such sentiments as love, devotion and compassion& Serving man, knowing him to be the manifestation of God, purifies the heart; and in a short time the aspirant who does this realizes that he is a part of God--Existence, Knowledge, Bliss Absolute. Those words of the Master throw an altogether new light upon the path of devotion& If it be the will of God, the day will soon come when I shall proclaim this grand truth to the world at large.'⁷

Just a few words of Ramakrishna, uttered in ecstasy, and today we have an organization serving millions, looking upon everyone as manifestations of God. Not only the Ramakrishna Mission but hundreds of other organizations have actively taken to the path of service, karma as yoga. Was this ideal of seeing God as human beings not there before? It might have been there in seed form. The Christian ideal was serving God's creation with love--not seeing people as God, but as brothers and sisters. The Islamic ideal is to call all faithful as brothers and look down upon those who did not belong to that fold. So this way of service is new.

What are the benefits of this ideal of Karma Yoga? Service not only benefits the server--which, of course, is the ultimate spiritual motive--but also the served and, thereby, the society at large. Thus religion, once termed other-worldly, has become absolutely this-worldly and for all to practise with remarkable ease.

Narendra's question. That brilliant young man, who had mastered much of philosophy, was told about qualified Non-Dualism or Vishishtâdvaita by Ramakrishna for the first time at Girish's house on 11 March 1885. 'It is the theory of Ramanuja,' said Ramakrishna. 'According to this theory, Brahman, or the Absolute, is qualified by the universe and its living beings& The Nitya and the Lilâ are the two aspects of one and the same Reality; therefore, according to Ramanuja Brahman is qualified by the universe and the living beings&'⁸

The Brahmo training of an Impersonal, formless Brahman, the mental make-up of a leaning towards Advaita, and the western philosophical influence calling for a formless God--all these seemed to melt in Narendra's accepting God with form as also real. The consequence? The famous Bhakti Yoga lectures, which form the heart of Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works. Not only that, the formation of the Ramakrishna Order of monks with Ramakrishna Math as the Centre, was an indirect interpretation of the teaching of Sri Ramakrishna. Moreover, Narendra who hadn't accepted the ideal of Avatâra because of his Advaita training was told only three days before his leaving the body by Ramakrishna that he was an avatâra.

'The Master has said many a time that he is an Incarnation of God. If he now says in the midst of the throes of death, in this terrible moment of human anguish and physical pain, "I am God Incarnate," then I will believe.' No sooner had Naren thought this than the Master turned towards him and, summoning all his energy, said, 'O my Naren, are you notconvinced? He who was Rama, He who was Krishna, He Himself is now Ramakrishna in the body: not in your Vedantic sense, but actually so.'⁹

This avatâra ideal is behind the formation of the Ramakrishna Math, circling round which thousands are attaining spiritual solace and peace today. The avatar, again, is at the centre of Vivekananda's Bhakti Yoga. The Advaitin that Swamiji was, he wouldn't have so easily accepted emotional spiritual life had he not seen Ramakrishna himself as Radha once.¹⁰

Despite all the cadences of Advaita Vedanta, the masses understand devotion easily, and Swamiji understood this truth under Ramakrishna when he had to accept Mother Kâli. So Bhakti Yoga was an important path for the millions, and Swamiji gave it, based on Ramakrishna's teachings on Vishishtâdvaita and the avatar ideal. And Sri Ramakrishna had told Swamiji as early as in October 1882 that bhakti is 'the essence of all spiritual disciplines. Through love one acquires renunciation and discrimination gradually.'¹¹ Whom do we love here? We love someone who is our very own, as Ramakrishna told Narendra once.¹² So Swamiji said: 'Be strong and stand up and seek the God of Love. This is the highest strength.'¹³

Sitting with his Master at the Star Theatre, Narendra said that the whole world is a theatre. Ramakrishna agreed and added: 'In some places you see the play of vidya and in some, the play of avidya.' Narendra said that everything is the play of vidya itself. His Master agreed: 'True, true. But a man realizes that when he has the knowledge of Brahman. But for a bhakta & both exist--vidyâmâya and avidyâmâya.'¹⁴

Realization of Brahman! To become Brahman itself! Narendra had said some time ago to Ramakrishna that he would sit at the edge of the cup and sip the nectar in it. Ramakrishna had laughed and replied that Narendra need not be afraid of drowning in that nectar; it was the nectar of immortality and so there was no fear of death there.¹⁵ Now, when Sri Ramakrishna wanted him to be a huge banyan tree, giving shelter to weary travellers, he firmly said he (i.e., Narendra) wanted to be immersed in the cup of supreme bliss always, and would only occasionally stir out to feed his body.

What a change! In less than four years, the supreme Master had transformed his disciple--rather, brought out of his disciple his original nature. And what was that transformation? 'One who knows Brahman becomes Brahman itself.' Since that's the case, the Master kept his disciple's knowledge under 'lock and key' for the good of the world. Swamiji was forced to work, as it were. His knowledge of the Absolute made him deliver the best-ever lectures on Jnana Yoga, which will appeal to all rational minds for all time to come. For the worker it was Karma Yoga, for the emotional it was Bhakti Yoga, and for the rational, it was Jnâna Yoga.

How did Swamiji interpret Sri Ramakrishna's teaching to him about the immortal syrup in a cup? 'The finite, manifested man forgets his source and thinks himself to be entirely separate.... We are in reality the Infinite Being, and our personalities represent so many channels through which the Infinite Reality is manifesting Itself.&'¹⁶

Girish Ghosh's house. A little discussion has begun, as per the Master's wish, between Girish and Narendra. Narendra states that God is beyond words or thought. Ramakrishna interjects: 'No, that is not true. He can be known by the pure buddhi, which is the same as the Pure Self&'¹⁷

Whatever Ramakrishna meant by the term Pure Buddhi, this was the basis of a grand Yoga which Swamiji rediscovered for the benefit of the world. Raja Yoga bases itself on the concept of buddhi, which is the link between the Purusha and Prakriti. When Ramakrishna began discussing the Buddha with Narendra and others one day, he could hardly speak. He was preparing to leave the world for good. At such a juncture, he again told Narendra about Buddhi and said that the Buddha had attained a state between asti, 'is'; and nâsti 'is not'. This experience of the Self of the Buddha and Sri Ramakrishna's repeated references to various types of samâdhis,¹⁸ led Swamiji to interpret these teachings as Yoga. He introduces Raja Yoga by also saying that there are 'much higher states of existence beyond reasoning. It is really beyond the intellect that the first state of religious life is to be found.'¹⁹

One important teaching of Sri Ramakrishna is that one should not say God can be attained through one single path alone. He told Narendra, who was once seen discussing about a bad sect with some aversion: 'There are various paths to God. Each view is a path.'²⁰ It is in this perspective that we should read Vivekananda's words on Sâdhanâ: 'Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do it either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy--by one, or more, or all of these--and be free. This is the whole of religion.'²¹

And he declared at the Religious Parliament in Chicago that 'holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world&'²² He was of the same opinion about the four Yogas also. He said: 'If there is anything which Sri Ramakrishna has urged us to give up as carefully as lust and wealth, it is the limiting of the infinitude of God by circumscribing it within narrow bounds. Whoever, therefore, will try to limit the infinite ideals of Sri Ramakrishna in that way, will go against him and be his enemy.'²³

Sri Ramakrishna's grand ideal of 'As many faiths, so many paths,' has been immensely amplified in Swamiji's words and works.

'It is "lust and gold" that binds man and robs him of his freedom. It is lust that creates the need for gold.' There are so many ideas about renunciation in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Holy Mother also says that renunciation was the greatest teaching of Sri Ramakrishna. How does Swamiji interpret this?

A disciple asks Swamiji: 'Well then, is it true that without Sannyasa there can be no knowledge of Brahman?'

Swamiji replied: 'That is true, a thousand times. One must have both internal and external Sannyasa--renunciation in spirit as also formal renunciation.& Without dispassion for the world, without renunciation, without giving up the desire for enjoyment, absolutely nothing can be accomplished in the spiritual life.'²⁴

Swamiji's interpretation went further. He initiated a strong monastic movement which is unique in several ways, and beats all old records. Since that's another subject, we would only mention that the future of the world is balanced on the fulcrum of worldliness and renunciation and those who renounce_if only mentally_are sure to attain the highest good. That was why Ramakrishna incarnated.

Incarnations have special purposes in life. Though they are unlimited they as it were remain limited for the good of the world. Sri Ramakrishna himself describes this state of his in several ways.

Interpreting it, Swamiji says: 'Sri Ramakrishna used to say that the Avataras alone can descend to the ordinary plane from that state of "Samâdhi", for the good of the world. Ordinary Jivas do not; immersed in that state, they remain alive for a period of twenty-one days; after that, their body drops like a sere leaf from the tree of Samsâra (World).'²⁵ Swamiji discusses this subject at length in his conversation with a disciple.

Regarding God, Sri Ramakrishna repeated times without number that He is both with form and without form; again, he is beyond both. None can limit God, he would say.²⁶ Swamiji interprets it at several places in many ways, and always bows down to the wonderful catholicity of a 'rustic brahmin' who beat the greatest scholars of the world in this respect. He says, as we saw earlier: 'If there is anything which Sri Ramakrishna has urged us to give up as carefully as lust and wealth, it is the limiting of the infinitude of God by circumscribing it within narrow bounds.'²⁷

Regarding Sri Ramakrishna's teachings themselves, in the context of quarrelling sects, Swamiji says:

You will see a regular bull-fight going on about these various sects and things. & Thus it remains. Then came one whose life was the working out of the harmony that is the background of all the different sects of India, I mean Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.²⁸ & He used generally to teach dualism. As a rule, he never taught Advaitism. But he taught it to me.²⁹

Swami Vivekananda's nine-volume Complete Works are a detailed interpretation of Sri Ramakrishna's teachings: (a) on the four yogas, (b) on realization, (c) on God, (d) on renunciation, (e) on harmony, etc.

What was the method of approach adopted by Swamiji? It was that of a student learning from his teacher and not a critic or a purvapakshin. Swamiji could have been a purvapakshin and could have constantly criticized his guru. But after a six-year long fight over all that was taught, Narendra had come to know that Sri Ramakrishna was the greatest of the Teachers, and had understood him fully. He had therefore accepted him and had surrendered himself completely at his feet. Thus the teacher and the taught had become one. The teachings of the teacher and the taught had become one.

What was the best interpretation of Ramakrishna's teachings? It was Vivekananda himself!

1. For Seekers of God (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1972), p. 97.
2. Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works, (Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama, 1989), Vol.7, p. 262. (Hereafter, Complete Works).
3. Complete Works, Vol.5, p. 414.
4. Complete Works, Vol.5, p. 259.
5. Eastern and Western Disciples, The Life of Swami Vivekananda, (Mayavati: Advaita Ashrama, 1979), Vol.1, p. 76. (Hereafter, Life).
6. Complete Works, Vol.7, p. 183.
7. Life, Vol.1, pp. 139-40.
8. M., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, (Chennai: Ramakrishna Math, 1981), pp. 733-34. (Hereafter, Gospel).
9. Life, Vol.1, p. 183.
10. Cf. Life, Vol.1, p. 141.
11.Gospel, p. 123.
12.Gospel, p. 123.
13.Complete Works, Vol.4, p. 60.
14.Gospel, pp. 104.5.
15.Gospel, p. 456.
16.Complete Works, Vol.2, p. 339.
17.Gospel, p. 733.
18.See Gospel, pp. 947-49.
19.Complete Works, Vol.1, pp. 198-99.
20.Gospel, p. 572.
21.Complete Works, Vol.1, p. 124.
22.Complete Works, Vol.1, p. 24.
23.Complete Works, Vol.7, p. 412.
24.Complete Works, Vol.7, p. 193.
25.Complete Works, Vol.7, p. 140.
26.Gospel, p. 191.
27.Complete Works, Vol.7.
28.Complete Works, Vol.3, p. 349.
29.Complete Works, Vol.7, p. 412.