HINDU RELIGION: TWO CRISES

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HINDU RELIGION : TWO CRISES

Hinduism has been under attack in India for several centuries now. It faced problems from the proselytising religions, riding on political support. After independence, we have had to face problems from our own govt. In the name of secularism, they have hurt the Hindus in various ways, and promoted the minority religions- the same religions that have been troubling us for centuries. It seems the govt of Independent India have joined the relay race to hurt  Hindus. For them, secularism means anti-Hinduism. This is ironical, considering how deeply religious Gandhiji was as a person, and  how he did not hide his religious orientation in his public activities. Hindus are not organised, with no central authority and no recognised leader. They often speak with conflicting voices, and they cannot even prioritise their interests. Nor do they have the intellectual equipment to face the forces gathering against them.

But the Hindus face an internal crisis too. This is far deeper than the other one.

Hinduism has lost its traditional bases of support, its traditional  roots. Many traditional practices are disappearing, being  wilfully discontinued by the younger generation. Talk to youngsters under 35 - most of them do not even have knowledge of the basics. Education is now secularised. Hindus have not had a system of formal religious instruction, except for the Vedic scholars. Most of them took up the traditional practices as part of the system in the family. But such a family system is disintegrating. But even when they take up the practice and continue, most do not know the meaning of the mantras they utter, or significance of the rituals they perform. This is the position even in most of the so called orthodox families. Popular Hinduism as it is practised today is "little more than a withered survival of formal worship paid to a host of ancient gods and goddesses". (This is how Roman religion was described in the days of Seneca , the early decades of the first millennium. See: Seneca- Letters from a Stoic; Translated by Robin Campbell. Introduction, p.18. Penguin Classics. 2004)

The traditional Mutts exercise some influence in some quarters, but are not able to face and tackle the problems of modern life. They only want you to follow the traditional practices- ie go back in time,as if the world has stood still. But even here many compromises have taken place, concessions taken. In important matters, their advice is not followed. Realising this, they have stopped talking of sensitive matters.The performance of marriages by the brahmin community alone will illustrate how much things have changed in the last 40 years or so- exactly  when some of the Mutts have been very popular!

Modern gurus have taken up the space. They have adopted some form of philosophical belief, combined it with some Yoga practices and given it as a modern package. Many youngsters do like such packages. But such exercises are merely theoretical and do not lead to steady practice of concrete religion.

It may be asked: Do we not have temples? Do not visits to temples amount to religious practice?  They may, but in truth, they are not essential aspects of our religion. That is why Hinduism has survived despite the destruction of thousands of temples by the Muslim invaders. Our religion is based on the performance by individuals and families of certain rites and rituals at home, and not in the temples, in a congregation. It is these which are being given up now.

The basic prescription of Hinduism is that every one born is under debt to five sources, and the first religious duty is the discharge of these debts. These necessarily apply to the first three varnas, especially to the brahmins. Marriage and family life are prescribed to enable the proper discharge of these duties and debts. These are:

• debt to rishis, who have given us knowledge of God and hence shown the way for Liberation. This is discharged by learning what they have given us, and teaching it.
• debt to pitrus, who have enabled us to take birth as a human being, in congenial surroundings, so that we may strive for Liberation. Among all forms of life (there are  84,oo,ooo forms of life in the universe) only man can think of and strive for Liberation!
• debt to gods or devas who regulate life in the universe and to whom we have to show gratitude and who we have to foster
• debt to society in the form of caring for the poor, the destitute,etc.
• debt to all other forms of life- like animals and birds- which help us in innumerable but invisible ways by sustaining life on earth.

These five debtors have the first claim on the householder's income!

This is only the essential stage.This is called the 'pancha Maha Yajnas.  It is clearly said that the performance of these yajnas does not confer any religious merit; their non-performance attracts demerit! In practice, pious households used to follow them in various ways.

4 ideals are placed before the Hindu: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. He has to learn and adhere to the proper and righteous way of living and on that basis seek economic strength and the fulfilment of his normal earthly desires. The Vedas prescribe many yajnas for the fulfilment of these desires, and for the attainment of heaven. But heaven is not the highest or permanent goal. It is based on merit of actions done on earth, and one will have to leave heaven and be born again, once those merits are exhausted.The Gita warns against the performance of such 'kamya' karma.(2.42-44; 9.20-21) This is the religion of the common man, of the masses.

So, they place before man the ultimate goal- Liberation, freedom from the cycle of births and deaths. This involves intense striving and earnest efforts, firm resolve and total dispassion. What is to be done is broadly indicated in the Upanishads  but how it is to be done is not detailed anywhere!The Gita goes farther, and deeper, than all our other  scriptures. It lays down the essential spiritual disciplines and ethical conduct as the foundation of a righteous life, but about the actual practice, it advises us to approach a Teacher who Knows! It is here that a Guru becomes necessary.  In the Kathopanishad  Yama instructs Nachiketas:

Uttishtha: Jagrata: 
Praapyavaraan nibhodhata
Kshurasanna dhaara nishitaa
Duratyadurgama patha:
Tat kavayo  vadanti

Arise! Awake!
Approach the Great (who know the Truth) and learn.
Like the sharp edge of the blade is that path- hard to tread and difficult to cross.
So say those who know the Truth (Reality).

Sri Krishna repeats it in the Gita (4.34) in slightly different words. This is the true, higher form of Religion or Spirituality.Those who pursue it are bound to be few in any society. As the Gita states:

Manushyaanaam sahasraeushu
Kashchit yatati siddhayae
Yatataamapi siddhaanaam
Kashchin maam vaetti tatvata:                    7.2

Perhaps one in thousands of men strives for Perfection (Realisation/ Illumination). And, perchance, one among those who strive thus, knows  Me in reality.

It is important to remember here that such striving after the Supreme is possible only when society is congenial, and facilitates such striving. Society fulfils itself when it produces one such Perfect  man, just as a lamp fulfils itself when the tip of the wick burns, when we say the lamp burns!


Our scriptures laid down four Varnas and four Ashramas as the institutions for the proper learning and discharge of these duties in society. A true Hindu life is a stream of the proper discharge of responsibilities; pursuit of enjoyment per se is not the goal . It is incidental, and is occasioned by prarabda.There is no talk of rights anywhere. But for the pursuit of the higher form of religion, one has to transcend these divisions, and become detached and renounce everything not connected with the spiritual pursuit. (Vanaprasta and sanyasa).

In the modern age,the institutions supporting these arrangements have collapsed. Modern social and economic arrangements do not support these structures.Striving for livelihood has become the prime concern for every one in every generation. People have to work even after retirement, far into old age as supports such as joint family have disappeared. Even sanyasis have to organise themselves, as the householders do not support them. In the circumstances, it is idle to pretend or preach that the old standards or methods must or can  be maintained.

  We have had only two Gurus who show the way under modern conditions: Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi. Their teachings are simple, direct and uncomplicated .(They do not merely repeat what is in the books.) They can be practised wherever we are, whatever we do.

Ramakrishna advises that God is the only permanent reality; everything else in the world is impermanent. The purpose of life is to know God. The way of devotion shown by Narada is the best way for this Kali Yuga. We must adopt a definite attitude towards God- as his children, as his servant etc and practise actual disciplines. Mere belief does not amount to religion. We may make use of all traditional aids where they are available. But sadhana is essential.

Ramana Maharshi says: Enquire or Surrender. We must enquire into and understand our own reality first: Who Am I. Or, we must understand that a Great Power controls and runs the world. We must surrender to it. These are not part-time or fixed-time activities. These are the attitudes that must pervade our life- totally, every aspect of it. He has explained how this is to be done- but we have to do it! He also expressed that the traditional disciplines (achara) should not be given up. (But the problem today is that the traditional disciplines are disappearing- the institutions supporting them are disintegrating.)

We will thus see that neither of them taught any philosophy, but practical methods of spiritual striving.These are derived from their own experience. Neither of them was a scholar or had studied philosophy. But scholars now weave philosophies out of their words!

They were perfectly aware that we ordinary people do have difficulties. Their advice is to pray to God. Ramakrishna used to make simple vows like offering a green coconut to Simhavahini or his other favourite deity.But he never prayed for anything for himself in the world.Even in the case of Narendra (Vivekananda), he did not pray for worldly things, even when Narendra's family was suffering from dire poverty! He only said that by the grace of the Mother, they would not lack "ordinary food and clothing". On 1 January,1886, he blessed the devotees present: "May you all have spiritual illumination!". Ramana used to say that we must place our burdens before God, as we would place our luggage in the train, and not carry it on our head. But he also said that our present life is ordained by prarabda karma and it will run its course. We are free to pray, but it is for God to decide!. This is the first ever message he gave, and that to his Mother! But he also made Mother skip future births and conferred Liberation on her! This is the power of the Sage! But we cannot fathom its operations!

They did not simplify Vedanta or Advaita. They did not seek to popularise it. Ramakrishna no doubt said that only God is real, the world is unreal. But he also warned that the householder should not BEHAVE as if the world is unreal ie as if it does not exist! He gave the example of the house maid. She comes from the village, where she has her home, her family,her children. But while in the master's house, she treats his children as her own, she lives there as if it is her own home. But all the time, she knows that her real home is different. This is how we have to live in the world. We are like the maids here . Our real home is God. Ramana also said that while one may hold Advaita as a belief, it should never be adopted in practice. (Supplement to Forty Verses, no.39.)

Advocates of orthodoxy speak as if Hindu religion has remained unaltered through millennia. But our own scriptures say that the Dharma varies according to the Yuga. In the Satya Yuga,the main practice was Dhyana. In the Treta Yuga, it was the performance of Yajnas. In the Dwapara Yuga, it was the Puja or archana .All these assumed the proper maintenance of the Varnasrama. Scriptures themselves say that in the Kali Yuga, these means will not work: everything is infected by impurity, even the mind is polluted. So, in this age, it is only the continuous remembrance of the Name of God which will save us. For this no external props such as temples are necessary: even they are polluted and defiled in this Kali age. Hindu temples are in fact run by the so called secular govt! This is the conclusion of our scriptures like the Bhagavata, not the teaching of any modern reformer. We observe that in the last thousand years or so, all our saints have advocated this path alone.

It is a fact of history that Christianity and Islam have conquered and spread over the whole world, destroying in their wake, the old religions, and the cultures based on them. They have also been present in India. We may look at it as the work of the devil, or we may see in this phenomenon the Time Spirit, the very hand of God. It is the lesson of history that no civilisation is destroyed by external forces unless there is some major internal weakness to aid them. The way Judaism has survived two thousand years of persecution  shows that  a religion survives if it retains its essence, its soul.At the same time, the fate of American Indians shows that no localised, indigenous form of religion can survive an organised assault by inimical forces, who command superior material resources..Tibetan Buddhists were a peaceful people, but the brutal Chinese have subjugated them. None in the world helped them. However the revival of 'paganism' and emergence of new cults all over the world shows the undying religious instinct among all people, and the new forms it may take. In the world as it is today, Hinduism cannot remain as an island, or retain its old forms. It should therefore understand its essence, and adhere to it.## But it need not become an arm-chair exercise!

I am not a religious scholar or expert. I am also a striving , struggling individual. But seeing the kinds of material now offered on the Net, their confusing and conflicting stands, the claims and counter claims,the sheer obscurantism of some of the self-appointed advocates of Hinduism, I thought I might share  with friends some of the things I have understood.This is not offered as advice. You should examine them on your own. 

##A light Urdu verse to illustrate the point!

Mujhe dena gaize mein dhamkiyan
Mile lakh bar ye bijliyan
Mere sultanate ye aashiyan
Mera milkiyat ye char pankh.

(On a stormy night, with heavy rain,  thunder and lightning, the nest of a small bird is destroyed. The bird is not disheartened. It addresses the elements and says)
Do not try to frighten me.
O lightning, you may strike me a lakh times. 
You may take away my home and my possessions.
But my real possession are my wings. ( Only I have sway over my wings.What can you do so long as I have my wings?) We survive so long as we keep our essence.

[I heard this verse recited by Chandrasekhar when he became Prime Minister. I have written it here from memory. I have not been able to find its source. Knowledgeable friends may correct me.]

HOW DO IDEAS SPREAD? -1

A WIDE CANVAS

HOW DO IDEAS SPREAD?- 1

Literature-both sacred and secular- contains great ideas. Often we find some ideas surface suddenly and gain currency and popular attention, to fade away or be chased out by other ideas. What makes the ideas spread?

This question occurred to me while I was reflecting on some other matter. I  found that in the last  60 years or so, some new temple suddenly comes into the limelight, becomes popular , and now even a money spinner! These temples have been there for many centuries, with their own local legends (stala purana), but were not much talked about, but suddenly they become important and all roads lead to them!

Sabarimalai

I clearly remember  Dharma Sasta. Visit to Sabarimala became  popular in the early 50s. Before that it was confined to a close circle. But it required strict discipline preparatory to the pilgrimage, and one did not venture on it unless deeply involved. There was the fear that if there was fault in the discipline, some mishap would happen. But in the late 50s as some film celebrities started visiting, their fan -flocks followed and it became a rage. Now it has grown to unmanageable proportions. And the discipline has been diluted.

 pilgrims on way to Sabarimala! Swamiye saranam!

Guruvayoor

Guruvayoor is another temple which gained prominence in the 50s.  But it was entirely due to other reasons. One was  connected with the much respected Carnatic musician Chembai Vaidhyanatha Bhagavatar. He lost his voice once and regained it after prayers to Guruvayoor and thereafter dedicated the income he gained from musical performances to this temple. As this news spread, people started visiting Guruvayoor in large numbers. The second factor was the religious discourses by  Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar. Along with this, Narayaneeyam  also become popular among Tamilians, especially Brahmins while in Kerala, it has been popular among all sections of Hindus.

Guruvayoor and Narayaneeyam are inseparable!
This is the cover of an English translation by Swami Tapasyananda. Published by RK Math, Chennai. This is a fine translation with nice introduction and commentary.

 



Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar 




Bhakti spreads by discourses and songs, rendered by those with personal experience of Divinity.





Chembai Vaidhyanatha
Bhagavatar.










Tiruvannamalai

The third I have seen is Tiruvannamalai. It has been a great Shiva kshetra, celebrated in our puranas, reckoned as one among the 'pancha bhuta' kshetras . The annual Deepam festival there, celebrated in the month of Krittika, is millennia old. Yet, it was very much a local phenomenon. The Deepam festival attracted huge crowds, but on other days, attendance was normal.

One essential aspect of  this place is the Giripradakshina- involving circumambulating the Hill, covering a distance of 14 kms on foot, sans footwear. As the place is hot, this is done invariably late evening to early morning. While small groups  and individuals would walk on any given day, on the Tamil New Year Day in mid-April, people from all the neighbouring villages would come in large numbers for the Pradakshina.But the crowds were not huge- I have participated in them in the early 80s. The road branched off from the main bus route shortly after the town, and in those days it was muddy, uneven and unpaved/untarred.

Tiruvannamalai- temple and the Hill
By Govind Swamy (Own Work)
CC BY-SA 3.0 creativecommons via Wikimedia commons.


Sri Seshadri Swami

Tiruvannamalai shot into prominence in the early 20th century due to two saints- Sri Seshadri Swami and Sri Ramana Maharshi. Their life stories are mystical. Once they came to the place, they did not leave it for the rest of their lives. Seshadri Swami moved like the air- not resting at one place.His movements and actions were unpredictable. He was identified with Goddess Kamakshi- Shakti. People would simply long for his sight- and would welcome anything he did- even if he pelted stones or issued verbal abuse. He would scatter the food offered to him, muttering something to himself. He would enter a grain shop, take a handful of grains and throw on the road- people would be happy. For the businessmen knew that he would thrive! People had such immense faith in him- that whatever he did was for their good! When in mood, he would take people close and teach them, explaining the most complicated points of Vedanta in the simplest of terms. He would enter a house at will,and eat a meal,;he would offer sound advice on problems when asked. He would be looking at the sky and talk or nod, saying he was watching some celestial beings. He would regard even a street buffalo as Brahmam.

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi was the opposite. He would sit in a place, and keep sitting . He would not speak on his own. He would eat what was offered, remaining without food when none came. He would not ask anyone anything. He would walk on the mountain, wherever he went. In 54 years, he did not get away from the mountain even a single day! He always was bare-footed, even in the hottest summer. He would only keep gazing at the Arunachala Hill all the time. He offered no advice, conferred no blessings. But people knew that to look at him, and to be seen by him, was itself the highest blessing.

Bhagavan Ramana in the eaarly days on the Hill
Photo from Sri Ramanasramam, thankfully acknowledged.

Giripradakshina

The only piece of general advice he gave was for people to do Giripradakshina!  He prescribed no other discipline! He simply said: while we sit, our mind roams; while we do the Pradakshina of the Hill- while the body moves- the mind is stilled! This is the glory, greatness and secret of Arunachala.This is the greatest secret revealed by Bhagavan Ramana. Giripradakshina itself is the greatest Sadhana! Even to think of Arunachala is to be saved. It was not a mere hill. Lord Shiva sits on Mount Kailas. Arunachala is Shiva Himself! Giri itu Param!

Naturally, his followers from all over the world followed this advice. But  even then , it did not result in  huge crowds that it attracts now. How come?

To follow Ramana's advice involved discipline. While external observances did not matter ( eg. dress), one has to be silent while walking, reciting a prayer, japa, Name, or remembering the Self. One has to walk slowly- like a queen in the ninth month of pregnancy would walk! The people who would follow such discipline would naturally not be large in number! (In the olden days when Ramana himself used to go on pradakshina, he would often take 2/3 days to complete it! He would regale the group that accompanied him with stories about the Hill, various saints and sages and other spiritual matters.)

But in the nineties of the last century, some prominent Tamil film personalities became enamoured of the place. Due to their political clout, they got a tar road laid, and lights installed. Other elements entered. Someone spread the word that giripradkshina on full-moon days is especially beneficial. This is not at all traceable to any authentic source. The scriptures simply narrate the effects of circumambulation on the different days. Deepam alone is the unique day here. But huge crowds started coming. Today, the crowd on full-moon days is estimated to be between 5 to 7 lakhs, while on the Deepam days, it even exceeds 10 lakhs! It is simply unmanageable.

With all this the original spirit is gone. What was a pilgrimage has become a mela and business opportunity. See how quantity transforms the quality!

Ramana and Tiruvannamalai

Ramana came to Tiruvannamalai in 1896 as a lad of 17, running away from home "in search of his father". He was so immersed in Samadhi he was not aware of his body or surroundings. Urchins would pelt stones at him for fun, for there was no response from him. Seshadri Swami would guard him at times. Sri Seshadri  Swami used to refer to Ramana as his younger brother, and tell devotees: "I get a salary of 1000 rupees; my younger brother on the mountain gets 10,000 rupees. why don't you try and get at least 100 rupees?" Ramana would sit without food or drink. Such is providence that some religious-minded soul would come and thrust some food into his mouth. Soon crowds started coming and disturbing, so he changed his place around the hill. No one knew his name or anything about him. The people in the locality used to call him 'Brahmana Swamy.' He would not speak as he felt no necessity for it and soon lost the faculty of speaking!  (Years later, he regained his voice with difficulty) One day, under some circumstances, he had to reveal in writing that he was 'Venkataraman, Tiruchuzhi' in Tamil. Only then people knew that he was literate.

But his fame spread and by 1900, serious seekers started coming to him for advice. They were already following some sadhana and came to clear their doubts. One of them was Gambhiram Seshayya. Since Ramana was not speaking, Seshayya wrote his questions on pieces of paper and Ramana wrote his replies. These were later copied by Seshayya in a note book. Then one Sivaprakasam Pillai a graduate in philosophy came and asked a question which had been vexing him: Who am I? The philosophy he studied in college had not provided an answer! And this was exactly what Ramana had investigated and found out in Madurai in July 1896, before leaving home!  So Ramana gave his reply. This is THE ORIGINAL TEACHING OF BHAGAVAN RAMANA NOT FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE IN OUR SCRIPTURES. He is a Maharshi because he found this truth, like the old Vedic Rishis. And he stated this in Tamil, in  the plainest of languages, without any magic, mantra, tantra, formula, or other paraphernalia! This is how his teachings got to spread- by word of mouth. Later in 1911, one F.H.Humphreys,an Englishman,a police official from Vellore,  a seeker himself met him and wrote about it in an English magazine abroad. Later in the early 30s Paul Brunton came and wrote his book 'A Search in Secret India' which made Maharshi's name well known in the religious and spiritual circles of the world.

The best and most authentic source of the teachings of Ramana are the works of Ramana himself. Ramana was a natural poet and this would express itself spontaneously, in spite of his efforts at control, in exquisite poetry-outpourings of ecstatic divine love mixed with Jnana, or in terse prose and poetry translations from some Agamas and Sankara. There were also his instructions to the early enquirers. All these were published as his Collected works in 1928. But this was not widely read. I bought my first copy in 1970 and it was the 1949 edition!  In those 20 years, hardly 1000 copies had been sold. As days passed,educated and those interested in spiritual matters came and started seeking clarification for doubts.Ramana answered them in deserving cases, and these are available covering a brief period in the 30s when a devotee kept a note of them. These were later published as "Talks".

But there are two persons who made his teachings well known, giving them a firm literary form. The first was C.K.Subramanya Iyer, a Tamil Pandit and a great scholar. He had been a nationalist and admirer of Gandhi. Once he saw some writing of Ramana and being a poet himself knew the worth of the poem and the poet! He came and saw Ramana in September, 1923, kept visiting him, and in about three years, after the death of his mother,he left his job and everything and came to Ramana in 1926 and did not leave Tiruvannamalai, till he left the world in 1973. (Ramana had attained Mahasamadhi in 1950)From the day of his arrival, till Bhagavan's Mahanirvana, he was in the presence of Ramana every day, all days of the year!

After meeting Ramana , all his poetic urge left him. Because of his love of Tamil, he changed his name to Muhavi Kanna Muruganar- Ramnad Krishna Iyer Subramanyam! But gradually he started noting down all that Ramana taught during conversations. Ramana never accepted any one as a disciple  or initiated or taught formally. All his teaching statements  were uttered in conversations. These were noted down by Muruganar in pure Classical Tamil verse,often capturing the very words of Bhagavan himself who invariably spoke in Tamil. He used to note down on any bit of paper available, even if it was the reverse of a bus ticket. He would show them to Bhagavan for his approval . Thus about 1250 verses came into existence, later collected and published as GURU VACHAKA KOVAI. This is the most authentic record of the teachings of Ramana in the whole world.

Muruganar also  wrote hymns patterned after Tevaram and Tiruvachakam on the glories of Ramana. As Ramana's life cannot be separated from his teachings, this too contains elements of instruction and subtle hints on sadhana. This was published under the title Ramana Sannidhi Murai.

Perhaps the greatest personal achievement of Muruganar , his magnum opus, is a record of his expression of his spiritual experiences under Ramana in about 15,000 exquisite verses of sublime beauty and stunning brevity in the exalted Classical Tamil of the Sangam age. It runs into 11 volumes! The whole of Tamil literature does not have anything like that. Such was the self-effacing nature and state of genuine egolessness on the part of Muruganar that most of it was lying as manuscripts in disorganised state. We owe it to another great devotee, Sadhu Om for bringing it  out in book form and for Prof.KSwaminathan for getting it published.. ( The Ramanasramam did not publish this; nor did it first publish the other two works of Muruganar. In fact , for publishing the Sannidhi Murai, a devotee  was expelled from the Asramam.) Tamil knowing devotees do not need any other literature on Ramana. Excellent English translations  with annotations of Muruganar's works -some in full, some in part, are available.These are useful even for Tamil knowing persons, since most of us find it difficult to follow the classical style of Muruganar. And they contain excellent annotation , notes and additional vital information.

The greatest and most authentic English works on Ramana and his teachings are by Arthur Osborne. There is his biography of Ramana: Ramana  Maharshi and The Path of Self Knowledge. There is his translation of the Collected Works. And there is his edited statement of Bhagavan's teachings: Teachings of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi in his Own Words. Sri Osborne was a practitioner of Ramana's teachings, not just an admirer, and I believe, he was also a Realised soul. His writings are  in simple language, and there is an unmistakable ring of sincerity in them. His writings exert a subtle spiritual force, and contain many helpful tips on Sadhana. For instance , he is clear that Bhagavan's direction is subtle, and he must first accept us! In this respect, his small book Ramana Arunachala is an excellent source.

Over the years, none of these books has ever been subject to any publicity. News about them spreads only by word of mouth ( or, mail now!). I have found in my humble experience of the last 45 years that no other literature on Ramana is needed. (except  the works of Sadhu Om which are simple, and direct, and contain valuable  hints for practice.)They only become distractions.

There is a general feeling that Ramana taught the path of Jnana and that it is very difficult, and quite dry.I think they have not read authentic Ramana material.. It depends on what we mean by Jnana. Orthodox Vedanta deals with Jiva, Jagat and Easwara. In the name of Jnana it investigates the nature of the world (Jagat) or God (Easwara). These become endless quests in all our orthodox philosophies and theologies. This can be dry, difficult and often ends in disputes.Bhagavan says that unless we understand the nature of the Self, we cannot understand Jagat or Easwara.

Ramana does not teach us any philosophy or theology. His first teaching is: find out 'Who Am I". This is not a work for the mind but the job of 'self -attention'. We have to find out where the sense of "I" rises in our being, and abide there. (Orthodox Vedanta pursues the outer periphery of this question: I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not the senses etc, and it affirms  "Sivoham' or "I am Brahman" (Aham Brahmasmi). To believe 'I am Brahman' instead of 'I am man' does not achieve anything. or amount to Jnana. This is not Bhagavan's method. Bhagavan does not talk about mind, meditation etc. He simply asks: find out where the feeling of I rises in you and abide there! Find out if there is a mind! Find out who meditates! This is a task in which buddhi or chitta and the true hridayam ( the source of the origin of 'I'

 feeling) will have to merge. (buddhi idayattae porundi ahanokkal)

For those who feel this is tough, he says: "Surrender". This is akin to the Vaishnava doctrine of Prapatti! Once you surrender, you depend entirely on God's grace. It is for Him to direct your life as He pleases! No more questions! 

Ramana is not concerned with the world at all! He says: the world appears to you. But who are you? Find out who you are! In the same way, he is not concerned  with speculation or arguments about the nature of God. When we do not know who we are, how can we find out who or what God is? The Self is the key to both World and God!

 In the path of  Self-Enquiry, we question the source of the ego. In the path of surrender, we give up the ego! Thus both amount to the same- the transcendence of the ego! This is not a matter for argument or dispute. One has to practise. No genuine spiritual path is easy. We have to choose what best suits our nature and temperament.In the meantime, all the aids avalable in one's own tradition. like puja, japa, dhyana etc are essential. (He categorically says it is harmful to give up Aachara- aacharam vidal anartham).Thus Ramana's teaching is not arm-chair philosophy, it involves strenuous practice.

Ramana's message is not culture or religion specific. He happened to be born in a community ( as we all do) and he was natural in expressing himself in that tradition. His followers and visitors were also mostly Tamilians and other south Indians who were often from orthodox traditions and spoke in that light. But Bhagavan was above all this. His message - to enquire Who am I- is quite neutral as between theologies, religions, cultures, philosophies. So learned Christians, Jews and Muslims could understand it. The practice of his method does not require attendance at any temple, church, etc. The only practice he recommended was Giripradakshinam. 

He did not create the Asramam that bears his name. It was done by others, for their convenience. Bhagavan lived with least personal wants and dependence on others. In fact, he was a prisoner of the Asramam as Sri Aurobindo used to tell his followers jokingly. This reveals a great truth: once people gathered there in the name of the Asramam, he had to 'mind' them too. For instance, his free movements around and on the Hill stopped; his simple food changed, about which he often complained. For instance, some would make coffee and ask others to take it as 'prasad'! He had to put up with all such pranks! We read in the puranas that God or Brahman  sacrificed itself in creating the world. We understand this in the light of what Bhagavan underwent in the Asramam!  We must always remember that Bagavan was different from and above the Asramam. If anything, Bhagavan was attached only to Arunachala, which he did not leave even for a single moment in 54 years!

Note:

In 'The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi', the original preface given by T.K.Sundaresa Iyer is very important. It was seen and approved by Bhagavan Ramana.And in the last paragraph, Bhagavan made a significant change saying that 'it is CERTAIN' that the power of the nectarine words of Bhagavan contained therein would increase devotion, remove miseries and enable the attainment of Liberation.

SRI RAMAKRISHNA

Another modern Sage whose teachings are widely known is Sri Ramakrishna. How did the world get to know about him?

Sri Ramakrishna was a priest in the Kali temple at Dakshineswar in Calcutta when he Realised God, in the form of Mother Kali, and also as Brahman, after about 14 years of strenuous sadhana of various disciplines. (1857-1872).During his sadhana period, great teachers and authentic practitioners of those disciplines came to him of their own accord at relevant times. (Remember the words of Thayumanavar: when the sadhaka is ripe with sadhana, the Teacher will appear= Murti talam teertham muraiyaai todanginarkkor vaarthai sola Sarguruvum vaaikkum, paraparamae!) Thereafter people started coming to him, like bees seek the  honeyed flower! But no serious seeker came.News about him started spreading by way of mouth.

 That was the period of great religious turmoil in Calcutta, then capital of India. There were the vicious Christian missionaries spreading virulent hatred against Hinduism. The upper and middle class youngsters had taken to English education eagerly and turning agnostic or atheistic, and mainly anti-Hindu. There were leaders with modern education who thought Hinduism needed reforms and had started new movements  like the Brahmo Samaj, with its services patterned after the Christian churches.There was the Arya Samaj, Hindu but not traditional or orthodox. There were the great indigenous systems of Sakta, Vaishnava and other cults with their own eminent figures, but quarrelling amongst themselves.  One of the great debates then in the educated sections was whether God had form or not! All the modern elements started believing in formless God! Through all this, the common man eager for some true spiritual light stood bewildered.

Slowly such people found their way to Ramakrishna's room.What they got was not some philosophy,but practical hints to seek God, which were also the essence of all our philosophies, theologies, sastras, itihasa, purana, conveyed in the simplest dialect of a Bengali villager! Ramakrishna confirmed that Hindu religion was not wrong, that it was valid and would deliver. It was the true eternal religion! Our Sastras and Puranas and Itihasa were true! Our God was Real and True! In the light of all the confusion being spread then in the name of modern education, missionary work, reform movements, orthodox obfuscation etc.,Ramakrishna's message went home. It was based on personal realisation and backed by years of sadhana, not bookish learning or mere punditry.  It carried an absolute force.Soon, even the pundits came, and were stumped. 

More than his verbal talk, what impressed people and made them speechless was the Samadhi state he got into often! He was in the world, yet not in it! No one could understand that .

Keshab Chandra Sen, the leader of the Brahmos heard about it and being a true seeker himself, came and saw. He was completely conquered by Ramakrishna!  Sen wrote about it in his magazine and soon the word spread among their members who also started visiting Ramakrishna. He was also invited to their meetings. Sen gradually changed his mind and methods, accepted God with form, accepted Mother worship. 

In the last 4 years of his earthly life, some remarkable young lads- mostly school and college students came to Sri Ramakrishna. Many of them had been members of the Brahmo Samaj . Some of them were relatives or friends. One of them was Narendranath Dutta, who was a college student, and had heard about Sri Ramakrishna from one of his English professors! He would become the chief disciple of Ramakrishna later with the name Vivekananda. He went to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893 (7 years after the Master's Mahasamadhi) and became world famous. He presented Hinduism as the oldest religion in the world, and made a scientific statement of its philosophies. Later , he established centres in America and England for the teaching of Vedanta.

But this has a downside. Abroad, Vivekananda did not speak much about Ramakrishna at all! His focus was on Vedanta. He once explained the reason to a disciple: western religion was personality-centred. If he spoke about his Guru, they would ask: 'what is new in this? We have our own!' So he had pointed out the scientific basis of Vedanta and its universal nature.

Another person who came then was a 28 year old school master called Mahendranath Gupta. He had some problems in the family and set out to spend an evening in the gardens, and on the way visited the Dakshineswar temple gardens too. He saw Ramakrishna in his room, had some talk with him, and he was permanently stung! He was quite a learned man, versed in western philosophy too, like Vivekananda and was struck by the personal magnetism and originality of Sri Ramakrishna. His simple but profound words affected him deeply. He started visiting him; being a school-teacher, he could do so only on Sundays and holidays. 

Master Mahashaya!

Gupta had the habit of writing his personal diary daily. So, he kept notes of his meetings with Ramakrishna, jotting down every detail. After the passing of Sri Ramakrishna, he slowly started expanding on these notes and published a few instalments. It met with instant approval and admiration from the circle whose members had seen, heard and moved with Ramakrishna. Vivekananda could hardly conceal his enthusiasm: he said he now understood why none of the other disciples had done that! It was meant for Mahendranath! Holy Mother Sarada Devi said that when it was read out to her, she felt as if the Master himself was talking! The words were His, so true! 

Indeed, M had been meant for that work. Ramakrishna used to turn to Mahendranath during his conversations with others and ask him whether he had understood the point! He would then ask Gupta to explain it. He was thus checking the correctness of his grasp! When some other disciple started  making notes, Ramakrishna stopped him. When Mahendranath wanted to take sanyas, Sri Ramakrishna told him to remain a householder, saying he was meant for a different work. That a school master by profession, with clean intellectual habits and the habit of writing daily diary from his school days came to Ramakrishna and undertook this job itself shows the hand of providence.

Mahendranath took his own time to transcribe the notes. He said he would take up the notings of a day, note the names of people who were there and the topics discussed and the key words uttered by the master.He would then meditate on the scene, and the whole scene would roll before his eyes! He would know everything: who were present , where they sat, what matters were discussed and how! He relived those scenes and days! Thus he got everything. Where he was not satisfied, he would meditate repeatedly till he got it right! Thus he took nearly 30 years to complete this. Later, he collected them and published under the name Sri Ramakrishna Kathamruta in Bengali. He did not disclose his name, but called himself 'M, a disciple of the Master'. Its complete translation  into English was done by Swami Nikhilananda in America in 1942, with the assistance of Joseph Campbell and  Margaret Wilson, daughter of the US President, Woodrow Wilson. It carried a splendid Foreward from Aldous Huxley.

In the whole of our religious literature, this is an unparallelled masterpiece of monumental proportions. The world has seen nothing like this so far. This is the last word in modern religious literature.

M introduces the book with  a stunning  quotation from Bhagavatam:

Tava kathaamrutam tapta jeevanam
Kavi bhireeditam kalmashaapakam
Sravana mangalam srimadaatatam
Bhuvi grunanti te bhurida janaa:

(10.3.31 . Gopika Geetam)

Dear Lord!
The nectar of your story removes the three-fold sufferings of the people. It is praised by Jnanis. It removes all our sins. It is sweet to listen, and confers auspiciousness on the listeners. It is glorious and is spread everywhere. Those who recite this are the most fortunate of the earth.

(Three-fold suffering= three kinds of 'taapaas': aadhyatmikam, aadhi baudhikam and aadhidaivikam)

 Sri Ramakrishna attained Mahasamadhi on the night of 15 August 1886. Thereafter, the disciples who had renounced the world organised themselves into the RK Math, under Vivekananda. M continued as a householder and teacher, but dedicated all his spare time and life for spreading the word of Sri Ramakrishna. He did not talk of anything else.In another remarkable indication that M was meant to accomplish this work, and this was his life mission, on the night of 3 June 1932, soon after completing the reading of the press proofs of the last portion of the last volume of Kathamruta, Sri M breathed his last,serenely calling out, in a clear voice, just five minutes before: "O Master, O Mother, take me on your lap".

From the day it was published, and the English translation became available, it has served as the staple spiritual diet for all earnest seekers. Its words have "sprung from the depth of Truth". It shows people what to do for Liberation in this Kali age, without getting entangled in the labyrinthine philosophical and theological disputes. The bottom line is:

We won't understand  Hinduism or its scriptures, unless we study the Kathamruta.
We may not need any other scripture if we study the Kathamruta!


It is true devotees who spread the words of the Masters,  not formal disciples. The name spreads by word of mouth. 

We have two Rs =  Ramakrishna and Ramana !
We have two Ms =  Mahendranath Gupta and Muruganar!
What a wonder and a blessing!

May all beings be happy!

NOTE:

The quotation from the Bhagavatam given above reveals a basic truth. When devotees come across a sage or saint, they share the information with one another. It was especially so in those old days, with all the difficulties in communication. These very difficulties were a blessing: mere gossip could not spread easily, and real good news would find its way to the relevant/deserving people! We see the opposite happening now- with all the ease and expansion in communication: word spreads easily and fast, and no one could be sure of their authenticity! And the motive behind such news is also suspect. 

Besides, there is genuine pleasure in the company of like-minded people. See how smokers enjoy each others' company! Pleasure is shared by devotees, and spread by their company! Sri Krishna confirms this in the Gta:

Satatam keertayanto maam
Yatantascha dridavrataa:
Namasyantascha maam bhaktya
Nityayukta upaasatae.                                9.14

Always glorifying Me, and striving with firm resolution, bowing down to Me, steadfast in devotion, they always worship Me.

Mad chitta mad gata prana
Bodhayanta: parasparam
Kathayantascha Maam nityam
Tushyanti cha ramanti cha.                       10.9

Their minds fixed on Me, their senses absorbed in Me,
enlightening one another, always speaking of me, they are contented and delighted.

Thus, we always see devotees in groups.Sri Chaitanya is always shown dancing delightfully in the company of devotees. Sri Tyagaraja says that the very sight of the devotees singing and walking on the road  in groups causes bliss:
"Haridasulu vedalae muchchata konni aanandamaaye Dayalo"!

In providing us with Sri Ramakrishna Kathamruta, Sri M knew that it would unite and delight groups of future devotees!