Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, Contents

One day, during his last days on the earth, Sri Ramakrishna called Narendranath (later Swami Vivekananda) by his side and said, 'I leave these boys [meaning all the young disciples of his] under your care. See that they do not return home.' This is how a leader was selected; and the mantle of forming a new Order of Liberation fell on his broad shoulders. There is nothing mystical about the selection. But if we rewind the story a little we get a mystic selection: the leader was called upon to come down to this world from his divine abode. In his mystic vision Sri Ramakrishna saw that a portion of the one homogeneous Absolute Reality condensed to assume the form of a Divine Child. It then embraced one of the seven Celestial Rishis. By the gentle soothing touch of the Child the Rishi opened his eyes. The Child beckoned the Rishi to follow Him on his earthly mission. Sri Ramakrishna revealed that Swami Vivekananda (hereafter 'Swamiji') was the Rishi chosen by himself as the Divine Child. This is how it can also be said that the leader was born.

History is proof to show how far Swamiji's endeavour to bring these young men under a well-knit group was successful. They formed an organization to keep the fire of the ideal burning. For us it is an interesting study of a few exceptional traits that form the stuff of a leader. In this write up we are not trying to chart a map about how a leader is made, but we will look at these traits with admiration to remodel or energize or inspire our latent will to lead. We believe these traits are universal in the formation of a group with whatever purpose. We do not exclude the misanthropic groups from the scope of our interpretation of leadership.

So far as we know, Swamiji made it certain that 'they' did not return home. It was he who went on inspiring the other disciples of the Master, after the Master withdrew himself from the mundane existence. Once Sri Ramakrishna made a very pithy remark, 'Those belonging to the inner circle [of his disciples] will not attain liberation.' This must have happened in reality. Because, this is also the pledge of this core group of Sri Ramakrishna's direct disciples--they even gave up mukti and were willing to be reborn for the sake of Sri Ramakrishna and His mission. Let us not forget that there is no consideration or calculation of genetic benefit in this 'mission' that is a spontaneous sacrifice. This is altruism at its best. They form a creed by themselves. Indeed they did not return to their abodes from where they came.

A leader in a ship is in an advantageous position to test his/her leadership. Any threat to the floating of the ship is a threat to the survival of all, no matter whether they are leaders or followers. The core concept of leadership is available here: it is not the ship itself that helps the survival of the group, but the floating of the ship. Similarly the Mission aspect of any organization is not by itself so important as the continuance of it. Swami Vivekananda calls it 'continuance of policy'. It is in this respect that a leader is required to manifest his leadership. SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is a calculation between the positive and negative aspects of an undertaking. This is not only the main concern of the leadership in a group but also of all. If a leader is able to infuse this idea of responsibility in the minds of the members of the group, then he/she is a successful leader.

They say, leaders are born. Yet by their blazing examples they leave a trail to be emulated by those who want to be leaders. The way is through sincere efforts and grinding disciplines. Leading maestros in all fields were and, in fact, are always exceptionally diligent learners throughout their career. It is significant to note that while the born leaders are eager to discipline and organize their lives and ways, the smaller fries are after some magical power or other to become leaders. About himself Swamiji has said, 'I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire people everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with God.' By way of a detour we can comment that presently the ceaseless work has been taking a shape worldwide. Often we come across exhortations of many responsible leaders of various countries urging the people to follow the path of peace and amity. Astoundingly, the words they use seem to be echoes of the words of Swamiji set out without quotation marks. He continues to work. Indeed the Herculean austerity to realize the goal (sâdhanâ) befits a celestial Rishi.

Arjuna was an attentive and obedient disciple. In this way he developed the 'skill of performance' only. But the 'skill of leading the performance' he had to learn from Sri Krishna. Swamiji was in the same way a good performer and also a leader, but Sri Ramakrishna infused a special skill of leadership in him. Even after the grace was poured into him, Swamiji did not desist from cultivating the skill later. Totapuri, Sri Ramakrishna's Advaitic Guru, would rightly observe, 'A brass pot should be cleaned daily to maintain the shine.' Sri Krishna himself says in the Gita that though he had no duty as such to perform in the three worlds, he works incessantly for setting up attractive examples before the creation.

Feeling: It is said that everything is created twice: once in the mind of the creator, and then as the product. The Upanishads nod assent: Tapasâ chiyate Brahma, Brahman grew in size with compassion, before creating the universe. Swamiji alluded to the same phenomenon when he said to Swami Turiyananda, 'My heart has expanded beyond measure and I have learnt to feel the sufferings of others! Believe me, I literally thrash about with pain when anybody suffers!' A sense of suffering is a common feeling to all. But all are not sensitive to suffering. Once Abraham Lincoln, on his way to a meeting, saved the life of a small pig caught in mire. In the meeting, they were introducing the President and praising him saying that the President had saved the life of a pig. Lincoln could not bear it. He got up to say that it was not to save the life of the pig, but to save his own life that he jumped into the mire, because the prick of his conscience became unbearable. We can recall an incident in the life of Sri Ramakrishna: One boatman beat another on a boat in the Ganges. Sri Ramakrishna cried out in agony. He bore the blue mark of five fingers on his back. This is a kind of sensitivity that surpasses the definition itself; it became absolute.

It is a desperate feeling or sensitivity of the heart that brings about the 'Mission' for any undertaking and it really differentiates a leader from a manager, a creator's zeal from a manager's skill. Swamiji makes the point more clear when he observes, 'First, feel from the heart. What is in the intellect or reason? It goes a few steps and there it stops. But through the heart comes inspiration. Love opens the most impossible gates; love is the gate to all the secrets of the universe.' And the earnestness is reflected in the following words of his, 'I have come to you, my children, to tell you all my plans. If you hear them I am ready to work with you. But if you will not listen to them, and even kick me out of India, I will come back and tell you that we are all sinking! I am come now to sit in your midst, and if we are to sink, let us all sink together, but never let curses rise to our lips.' The 'Mission' or the ideal arises by 'coming out of one's own self' as a result of the sensitivity to others' needs. Rabindranath Tagore writes: 'Stand outside, coming out of yourself. Then only will you hear His footsteps.' This accounts for the statement of Swamiji, 'Brave unto desperation.'

Plan: The feeling will lead us to envisage a solution in the form of a 'Vision' (a promising picture of the future in spite of the threats). A Vision is a planning of actions that are to be taken up by the second line of leaders/managers and the workers. Swamiji appreciated the skill of organization in the West. It was of course to the credit of Buddha that the world traces the origin of organization. An ideal is kept alive by a livid sacrificial fire. This is the core concept of an organization. Buddha's message to the Bhikkhus, atta dipo bhava, be a light unto yourself, is the guiding light. A candle has to burn itself to give light to others. An organization thrives with the sacrifice of a countable few dedicated workers, who work with a zeal to achieve the Mission. A leader's sacrifice in this respect is indeed phenomenal.

Due to a meditative bent of mind, Swami Turiyananda was unwilling to go to the West for preaching. With his right as a practising leader Swamiji said to him, 'Haribhai, can't you see I have been laying down my life, inch by inch, in fulfilling the mission of the Master, till I am on the verge of death? Can you merely stand looking on and not come to my help by relieving me of a part of my great burden?' Vivekananda died thirty-nine years young before he was forty years old. Sometimes it becomes difficult to accept a change in a well-settled routine or work. A leader through his own example inspires people to accept change with graceful obedience.

Burning of a Candle: The ideal and the vision generate a sense of responsibility in genuine workers. Then follows adherence to values through practice. Swamiji once told the same Swami Turiyananda, 'Brother Hari, I have made a new path and opened it to all. Up till now it was thought that liberation could be attained only by meditation, repetition of God's names, scriptural discussions and so forth. Now young men and women will attain liberation by doing the Lord's work.' & 'Do you know why I scold you all? You are the children of Sri Ramakrishna. People will learn by observing your lives. It hurts me when I see in you anything short of the ideal. If they find any laxity in you, they will become all the more lax themselves. As the Master used to say, "If I do sixteen parts, you will do one-sixteenth." Similarly if you do one-sixteenth, they will do one-sixteenth of the one-sixteenth. If you do not do that one part even, where will they stand?' A leader is a dynamic entity, not a lazy drone bee, who is neither a manager nor a leader.

Armchair leaders are a contradiction in terms. 'Responsibility' of a leader is recognized not in his caring the dynamism or sharing the success, but in bearing the burden of failures. It means hard work, both physical and mental, for all towards achieving the Mission. Swamiji writes in his poem, 'The more the responsibility, the more the suffering (strain) to be sure.' Why is it so? Because Sri Krishna said that he would be the cause of the destruction of his own creation if he did not deliver himself. The sense that 'It would affect many people if I do not work' has to be cultivated before learning the art of leading.

Motive: In corporate circles the phrase 'customer satisfaction' is used lavishly. Swamiji's idea won't allow one to appreciate this consumerist approach to a Mission. His idea in this respect will take care of 'customer benefit' and 'customer delight' better than 'customer satisfaction'. On the other hand, in many countries the customers are 'forgiving customers'; so the defects in products are forgiven. It does not help improvement if the sellers or producers have no philanthropic goal in view. Swamiji warns the would-be leaders to check what their 'motive' is. If the motive is selfish, the undertaking will suffer. Hence the policy of 'customer satisfaction' does not sustain an organization for a long time. Neither does the policy satisfy the organizers themselves. They leave an undertaking half way.

A leader does not move alone; but she or he moves with a positive inspiration. It is possible only through the training of the mind, which will keep up the 'Verve' (enthusiasm). Shirdâr to sardâr, i.e., those who can sacrifice themselves are called upon to lead. Swamiji's concept of Servant Leadership has been gaining sure ground today only because of this reason.

An integrated personality is able to set examples before others. Personality is of three kinds--what we exhibit, what we really have, and what we think we have. But the integrated personality is 'what we really are'. It is the only resource or capital that we can possess as an inexhaustible source. Generally people know what we are, whatever way we may pose to appear. A leader is required to be 'respected' and not only to be 'obeyed'. Then only his/her 'voice' will be heard. A would-be leader is required to ask the question to himself or herself, 'Who am I?' Sri Krishna introduces himself as the Sustainer of this world (dhâtâ aham), by which right he is entitled to take care of it. Self-confidence means the same. And this way a leader can become a source of inspiration to others--this is the meaning of the sermon of Buddha 'Be a self-effulgent light'.