Great Spiritual Teachers – Why a life of suffering?

The lives of the ten Sikh Gurus, or the life of Jesus Christ, or Gautham Buddha, or Sri Ramakrishna, or Swami Vivekananda, or any other great saint who attempted to teach the world had always been a life of extreme suffering. We, ordinary humans, may ponder over this fact and enquire, “They lived like us, suffered like us. Why should they be looked upon as partial incarnation of God and hence worshipped as God? How can they show us the way? In which way do they differ from us?” Here is a story to understand the role, the mission, of all our great spiritual gurus (teachers).

Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who didn't believe in God but his wife, however, did believe, and she raised their children to have faith in God and in the teaching of gurus, despite her husband's disparaging comments.

One dark evening, the farmer’s wife was taking their children to a shrine near the place they lived. She asked him to come along, but as expected he refused. "All that is nonsense!" he said. "Why would God lower Himself to send a part of himself to earth as a man if God is really such a great soul as you say?  That's ridiculous.” So she and the children left, and the farmer stayed home.

A little while later, the winds grew stronger and the darkness turned into a dust storm. As the man looked out of the window, all he saw was a blinding storm with dust taking over everything outside. When he sat down to relax, he heard a loud thump. Something had hit the window. He looked out, but couldn't see due to dust filling his eyes.

When the storm settled down a little, he peeped outside to see what could have hit the window. In the field near his house he saw a flock of pigeons.

Apparently, they had been sitting on trees nearby when those poor pigeons got caught in the dust storm and couldn't reach their destination. They were lost and stranded on his farm with no food or shelter. They just flapped their wings and flew around the field in low circles, blindly and aimlessly. Probably, a couple of them might have banged into the window. The man felt sorry for those pigeons and wanted to help them. ‘The big store room outside would be a great place for them to stay’, he thought. It will be warm and safe; surely they could spend the night and can wait for a bright morning. So he walked over to the store room and opened the doors wide, then watched and waited, hoping they would notice the open store room and go inside. But innocent birds just fluttered around aimlessly and didn't seem to notice open doors or realize what it could mean for them.

The man tried to get their attention, but that just seemed to scare them, and they moved further away. He went into the house and came with some grains, spread them, and made a trail leading to the store. They still didn't catch on. Now he was getting frustrated. He got behind them and tried to shoo them toward that big store room, but they only got more scared and scattered in every direction except toward open doors. Everything he did could not get the birds to go into the room where they would be warm and safe.

"Why don't they follow me?!" he exclaimed in anger. "Can't they see this is the only place where they can survive the storm safely?" He thought for a moment and realized that they just wouldn't follow a human. "If only I were also a pigeon, then I could save them," he said loudly.

Then he had an idea. He went into the store, got one of his own domesticated pigeon, and carried it in his hands as he circled around behind the flock of poor storm struck pigeons. He then released it.... His pigeon flew through the flock and straight into the room - and one-by-one, the other pigeons followed it to safety.

He stood silently for a moment as the words he had spoken a few minutes earlier re-played in his mind: "If only I were a pigeon, then I could save them!" 

Then he thought about what he had said to his wife earlier. "Why would God want to be like us? That's ridiculous!"

Suddenly it all made sense. That is what God had done. We were like the pigeons – blind, lost, perishing. God sent his messengers who appear like us but they don’t lose their way in the midst of the pain and suffering of this world, since they are His messengers. They live a blemish-free life in spite of their suffering, show us the way, and save us.

As the winds and blinding dust died down, his soul became calm and pondered over this wonderful incident. He understood why Gurus had also lived a life full of struggles and pain. Years of doubt and disbelief vanished with the passing storm.

He fell to his knees in the field, and prayed his first prayer: 
"Thank You, Oh Lord..... Thanks for coming in human form to get me out of the storms of life..."

From the Gospel – 37

MASTER (to M.): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Have you ever seen the spring trap for fish, called the 'satka-kal'?"

M: "No, sir, I haven't seen it."

MASTER: "They use it in our part of the country.  One end of a bamboo pole is fastened in the ground, and the other is bent over with a catch.  From this end a line with a hook hangs over the water, with bait tied to the hook.  When the fish swallows the bait, suddenly the bamboo jumps up and regains its upright position. 

Again, take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga. 

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again.

 The mind of the yogi is always fixed on God, always absorbed in the Self.  You can recognize such a man by merely looking at him.  His eyes are wide open, with an aimless look, like the eyes of the mother bird hatching her eggs.  Her entire mind is fixed on the eggs, and there is a vacant look in her eyes.” 

From the Gospel - 36

MASTER (to M.): "I should like to visit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar a few times more.  The painter first draws the general outlines and then puts in the details and colours at his leisure.  The moulder first makes the image out of clay, then plasters it, then gives it a coat of whitewash, and last of all paints it with a brush.  All these steps must be taken successively.  Vidyasagar is fully ready, but his inner stuff is covered with a thin layer.  He is now engaged in doing good works; but he doesn't know what is within himself.  Gold is hidden within him.  God dwells within us.  If one knows that, one feels like giving up all activities and praying to God with a yearning soul."

The Master talked with M. - now standing, now pacing up and down the long verandah.

MASTER: "A little spiritual discipline is necessary in order to know what lies within."

M: "Is it necessary to practise discipline all through life?"

MASTER: "No.  But one must be up and doing in the beginning.  After that one need not work hard.  The helmsman stands up and clutches the rudder firmly as long as the boat is passing through waves, storms, high wind, or around the curves of a river; but he relaxes after steering through them.  As soon as the boat passes the curves and the helmsman feels a favourable wind, he sits comfortably and just touches the rudder.  Next he prepares to unfurl the sail and gets ready for a smoke.  Likewise, the aspirant enjoys peace and calm after passing the waves and storms of 'woman and gold'.

From the Gospel - 35

MASTER (To Kedār and the other devotees): "God can be realized through all paths.  All religions are true.  The important thing is to reach the roof.  You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope.  You can also climb up by a bamboo pole. 

 

You may say that there are many errors and superstitions in another religion.  I should reply: Suppose there are.  Every religion has errors.  Everyone thinks that his watch alone gives the correct time.  It is enough to have yearning for God.  It is enough to love Him and feel attracted to Him: Don't you know that God is the Inner Guide? He sees the longing of our heart and the yearning of our soul.  Suppose a man has several sons.  The older boys address him distinctly as 'Baba' or 'Papa', but the babies can at best call him 'Ba' or 'Pa'.  Now, will the father be angry with those who address him in this indistinct way? The father knows that they too are calling him, only they cannot pronounce his name well.  All children are the same to the father.  Likewise, the devotees call on God alone, though by different names.  They call on one Person only.  God is one, but His names are many."

From the Gospel – 34

The Master explained to the devotees the secret of communion with God. 

MASTER: "With the realization of Satchidananda one goes into samādhi.  Then duties drop away.  Suppose I have been talking about the ostad and he arrives.  What need is there of talking about him then? How long does the bee buzz around? So long as it isn't sitting on a flower.  But it will not do for the sadhaka to renounce duties.  He should perform his duties, such as worship, japa, meditation, prayer, and pilgrimage.

If you see someone engaged in reasoning even after he has realized God, you may liken him to a bee, which also buzzes a little even while sipping honey from a flower."

The Master was highly pleased with the ostad's music.  He said to the musician, "There is a special manifestation of God's power in a man who has any outstanding gift, such as proficiency in music."

MUSICIAN: "Sir, what is the way to realize God?"

MASTER: "Bhakti is the one essential thing.  To be sure, God exists in all beings.  Who, then, is a devotee? He whose mind dwells on God.  But this is not possible as long as one has egotism and vanity.  The water of God's grace cannot collect on the high mound of egotism.  It runs down.  I am a mere machine.”

From the Gospel – 33

After writing four blogs to highlight the importance of brahmacharya and chastity through the lives of two divine personalities – Sri Krishna and Hanuman, and two disciples of Sri Ramakrishna – Swami Vivekananda, a sanyasin and Nag Mahashay, a householder, we get back to the Gospel (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by M.) to know about the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna regarding this topic, and also tricks to overcome lust and greed.

MASTER (to M. and other devotees): "Some are born with the characteristics of the yogi; but they too should be careful.  It is 'woman and gold' alone that is the obstacle; it makes them deviate from the path of yoga and drags them into worldliness.  Perhaps they have some desire for enjoyment.  After fulfilling their desire, they again direct their minds to God and thus recover their former state of mind, fit for the practise of yoga.

Take a pair of scales for example.  If a weight is placed on one side, the lower needle moves away from the upper one.  The lower needle is the mind, and the upper one, God.  The meeting of the two is yoga.

Unless the mind becomes steady there cannot be yoga.  It is the wind of worldliness that always disturbs the mind, which may be likened to a candle flame.  If that flame doesn't move at all, then one is said to have attained yoga.

'Woman and gold' [meaning lust and greed] alone is the obstacle to yoga.  Always analyse what you see.  What is there in the body of a woman? Only such things as blood, flesh, fat, entrails, and the like.  Why should one love such a body?

Sometimes I used to assume a rajasic mood in order to practise renunciation.  Once I had the desire to put on a gold-embroidered robe, wear a ring on my finger, and smoke a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.  Mathur Babu procured all these things for me.  I wore the gold-embroidered robe and said to myself after a while, 'Mind! This is what is called a gold-embroidered robe.' Then I took it off and threw it away.  I couldn't stand the robe any more.  Again I said to myself, 'Mind! This is called a shawl, and this a ring, and this, smoking a hubble-bubble with a long pipe.' I threw those things away once for all, and the desire to enjoy them never arose in my mind again."

Nag Mahashay – His Humility Accomplished the Impossible

I was reading about Nag Mahashay, a householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna in the book They Lived with God by Swami Chetanananda. When I read the various anecdotes from Nag Mahashay’s life, I was left spellbound. His life is the best example of an ideal householder as defined in the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. The utter simplicity of Nag Mahashay and his deep sincerity to his chosen ideal brought out in those anecdotes made me understand that he should be branded as the finest ‘householder-sanyasin’ disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

There is a belief among Hindus that those who bathe in the holy river Ganges during Ardhodaya Yoga (an auspicious day that comes once in 50 years) become free from impurities and ignorance and go to heaven. So, people throng to Calcutta which is located on the bank of Ganges for a bath on the auspicious day. But few days before the auspicious day, Nag Mahashay, who was living in Calcutta, left the city and went to his native village in Deobhog. When his father got furious and shouted, he humbly said, “If a man has true devotion, Mother Ganges reveals Herself in his house.” She indeed did. On the day of Ardhodaya Yoga, a stream of water started gushing from ground in the southeast corner of their courtyard. On seeing the stream, Nag Mahashay bowed to it reverently. Then he poured a little water on his head and prayed, “Victory to Mother Ganges! Mother, purify us.” Word of the mysterious stream spread throughout the village and on that auspicious day, devotees and villagers alike were blessed by bathing in it. Hearing of this episode, Swami Vivekananda commented later, “The wish of a great soul like Nag Mahashay can make the impossible possible.”

Even though Nag Mahashay was a householder, he lived like a sanyasin. He lived with wife and father but was totally unattached to them. Once he told his young wife, “Love on physical plane never lasts. Blessed is he who can love God heart and soul. Take refuge in the Divine Mother and think of Her alone. Your life will be blessed here and hereafter.” His wife Sharatkamini was herself like a nun – very pure, dedicated, and unselfish. She did not try to possess her husband, instead she simply considered herself as his co-pilgrim. She was happy to serve her husband, father-in-law, and later the many devotees who came to their house.

Regarding marriage, Nag Mahashay once said, “Marriage with the pure desire for progeny does not defile a man. But only saints and sages of yore were fit for such marriages. After observing austere brahmacharya [chastity] for many years, they would marry and then, having sons like Vyasa, Sukadeva, Sanaka, and Sanathkumara, they would finally retire to the forest to lead the life of a recluse. But it cannot be so in this Iron Age. Nowadays, people do not have sufficient austerity and self-control, so the children born out of lust become wicked and immoral.”

To Nag Mahashay, all women were veritable manifestations of the Divine Mother. Desire for wealth, progeny, name, and fame simply could not enter his mind. He once observed, “A man can overcome the temptation of gold and diamond through renunciation, but he needs the grace of God to overcome lust. Where there is lust, there is no God; and where God is, there is no lust. As long as your body is burned into ashes, do not be proud of your chastity. No one can escape Maya unless the Divine Mother allows one to pass.”

Without taking monastic vows, Nag Mahashay lived the life of a true monk. Let his life inspire us to pray to the Almighty to protect us from Maya and shield us from lustful temptations.

"Oh God, be always with me so that lust will never come near me."

Swami Vivekananda – Tests Made Him the Best

When I think about brahmacharya, I can’t help thinking about Swami Vivekananda. There might have been many fine men in the past, many may exist now, and lot more may come in the future who may all be categorized as role models of blemish-free brahmacharya. But the qualities that make Swami Vivekananda the best are his burning fire of renunciation and his extreme compassion, love for his fellow beings. In this blog, I will try to bring out both those aspects.

In his early 20s, Narendra (Swami Vivekananda’s pre-monastic name) lost his father who, unfortunately, had left several unsettled debts. As the eldest son of the family, all the responsibility fell on Narendra. Many times he attended classes without having eaten and was often faint with hunger and weakness. In the later years he recalled, “Various temptations came my way. A rich woman sent me an ugly proposal to end my days of penury, which I rejected with scorn. Another woman also made similar overtures to me. I said to her, ‘You have wasted your life seeking the pleasures of flesh. The dark shadows of death are before you. Have you done anything to face that? Give up all these filthy desires and remember God.’”

In 1893, Swami Vivekananda attended the World’s Parliament of Religions at Chicago and gave his famous speech. Mrs. S.K. Blodgett, an American lady who first saw him at the Parliament said later, “I was at the Parliament of Religions at Chicago in 1893 and when that young man [Swami Vivekananda] got up and said, ‘Sisters and Brothers of America,’ nearly 7000 people rose to their feet as a tribute to something, they know not what. When it was over, I saw scores of women walking over the benches to get near him, and I said to myself, ‘Well, my lad, if you can resist that onslaught, you are indeed a god.’”

He was indeed able to resist the onslaught and that’s what made him what he was and exactly that’s the reason why we are celebrating his 150th birth anniversary this year, and I am thinking and writing about him today.

Another interesting incident was recalled by Madame Calve. It happened at Cairo in 1900. One day, she was walking with Swami Vivekananda and they lost their way as they were talking too intently. Suddenly, they found themselves in a squalid, ill-smelling street, where half-clad women lolled from windows and sprawled on doorsteps. The swami [Vivekananda] noticed nothing until a particularly noisy group of women on a bench began laughing and calling to him. “Poor children!” he said. “Poor creatures! They have put their divinity in their beauty. Look at them now!” He began to weep. The women were silenced and abashed. One of them leaned forward and kissed the hem of his robe, murmuring brokenly in Spanish, “Hombre de Dios, hombre de Dios! [Man of God].”

When I read the above anecdote in the book God Lived Them by Swami Chetanananda, I wondered, “In Treta Yuga, Lakshman severed the nose of Soorpanaka for making advances to Ram which led to Sita’s abduction, her subsequent suffering, and Ram–Ravan war. But in this Kali Yuga, which is supposed to be the worst Yuga (Age), here is a man who simply shed tears of sympathy at the condition of those women and made them realize their mistake.” Sword kills but tears of compassion (remember, it is not tears of self-pity) could change minds. So, we are indeed living at a better time than Ram and Sita! 

I would like to conclude this blog with the following words of Swami Vivekananda:

“What do I care if Mohammed was a good man, or Buddha! Does that alter my own goodness or evil? Let us be good for own sake on our own responsibility!”

Won’t you agree?

Hanuman – the most beautiful brahmachari

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing.

I read the above lines in a mail today when I switched on the computer to write a blog on Hanuman and his brahmacharya. Those lines are from an Adidas advertisement and it was sent to me with the heading ‘Inspirational’.  I was amazed at the perfect timing of the ‘Inspirational’ mail and the choice of those words. They accurately fit the character of the divine personality on whom I have been meditating and intending to write. I feel as if Hanuman himself provided those words to me.

The epic Ramayan has six chapters – Chapter 1: Bala Kaanda describes the childhood of Sri Ram; Chapter 2: Ayodhya Kaanda talks about the preparations in Ayodhya for Sri Ram’s coronation, Kaikeyi’s plan to stop the event and its subsequent success, and finally the departure of Sri Ram with Sita and Lakshman to forest; Chapter 3: Aranya Kanda describes the life of Sri Ram, Sita and Lakshman in the forest, their meeting various sages such as Bharadvaj, etc. and also Sabari; Chapter 4: Kishkinta Kaanda describes the entry of Soorpanaka, severing of her nose by Lakshman, death of her brothers Khar and Dushan at the hands of Sri Ram and Lakshman, abduction of Sita by Ravan, search for Sita by Ram and Lakshman, their meeting Sugreeva and Hanuman, death of Vali, etc.; Chapter 5: Sundara Kanda describes Hanuman crossing the sea and entering Lanka, Sita’s suffering in Asokavan, Hanuman’s meeting with Sita, and finally the exploits of Hanuman such as setting fire to the city, etc.; the last chapter, Chapter 6: Yudha Kaanda describes the Ram–Ravan war, death of Ravan, return of Sri Ram to Ayodhya and His coronation.

Except for the fifth chapter Sundara Kaanda, all other chapters were named according to the main events connected with Sri Ram’s life that occurred in those chapters. What would be the reason for deviating from this rule while naming the fifth chapter? If it is because it does not talk about Sri Ram, it could have been named as Sita Kaanda. Instead, the great sage Valmiki who compiled the epic Ramayan chose to call it Sundara Kaanda. The word ‘sundara’ means ‘beautiful’. Where is beauty in this chapter? The chapter talks about the sufferings of Sita in captivity, how the raakshas (demonish) women guarding Sita were threatening Sita and compelling her to marry Ravan. Tears will well up without our knowledge while reading this chapter. Then, is the title inappropriate?

More than the suffering of Sita, it is the power of Hanuman, his courage, his faith in the name of Ram, his unselfish motive and, above all, his purity – the beauty of his Shudha Brahmacharya – the most dominating aspect of this chapter. The beauty of shudha brahmacharya surpasses all other forms of beauty and this must be the reason why sage Valmiki named this chapter as Sundara Kaanda.

Who else other than Hanuman would have dared to cross the sea between India and Sri Lanka by a single long jump? Even after He proved that it is possible, neither Sri Ram nor Lakshman gave a try but rather built a bridge to cross the sea!

Let us meditate more on that purity and let us aspire more for that purity. It will make us fearless and give us the courage to accomplish the impossible.

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari

A couple of days ago, I was browsing the internet, searching for the spelling of ‘Bhagavatam’, when the following information caught my attention: according to Srimad Bhagavatam, Lord Sri Krishna ruled over the kingdom of Dwarka and he had 16,000 wives and expanded himself 16,000 times to live as an example of a perfect householder.

We look upon Gods as role models, who led their life in such a way as to set examples for ordinary humans. I am a Hindu and, naturally, whenever people confronted me with the question, “What kind of God is your God who had so many wives?”, I used to feel unhappy. I used to wonder within me whether such a thing can ever be justified.

A few days ago, I got the answer. Lord Sri Krishna might have had 16,000 wives, but he was an Akanda Brahmachari. This He declares in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

People highlight the statement in Srimad Bhagavatam but they ignore (or hide) Sri Krishna’s own statement. When Dronacharya’s son Ashwatthaama releases an arrow from his bow with a curse that it should kill all the Pandava children, Lord Sri Krishna vows to save the unborn child in Uthara’s (Abhimanyu’s wife) womb. Sri Krishna declares, “If there is any truth in the fact that I am an Akanda Brahmachari, may Uthara’s child be saved from the wrath of Ashwatthaama.”

The child was indeed saved, who grew up to become King Parikshit.  

This was conveyed in a talk rendered by Swami Purushothamananda, many years ago. I was fortunate enough to hear the recorded version of the talk recently.

Now that I know the truth, I don’t have any more doubts about the divinity or purity of Lord Sri Krishna. I also understood how little I know about Hindu Gods.

Only a man (I mean God) of such great purity could have given the immortal song celestial Bhagavad Gita. All power is in preserving one’s purity.  

More on this purity aspect in my next blog…

P.S. If you found this blog interesting, you may read Part 2 and Part 3 of this blog:

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari: Part 2.

Sri Krishna –- 16,000 wives, yet a brahmachari: Part 3.


  

From the Gospel - 32

MASTER (to Vidyasagar): "Go forward.  A wood-cutter once entered a forest to gather wood.  A brahmachari said to him, 'Go forward.' He obeyed the injunction and discovered some sandal-wood trees.  After a few days he reflected, 'The holy man asked me to go forward.  He didn't tell me to stop here.' So he went forward and found a silver-mine.  After a few days he went still farther and discovered a gold-mine, and next, mines of diamonds and precious stones.  With these he became immensely rich.

Through selfless work, love of God grows in the heart.  Then, through His grace one realizes Him in course of time.  God can be seen.  One can talk to him as I am talking to you."

From the Gospel - 31

MASTER (to Vidyasagar): "The more you come to love God, the less you will be inclined to perform action.  When the daughter-in-law is with child, her mother-in-law gives her less work to do.  As time goes by she is given less and less work.  When the time of delivery nears, she is not allowed to do any work at all, lest it should hurt the child or cause difficulty at the time of birth.

By these philanthropic activities you are really doing good to yourself.  If you can do them disinterestedly, your mind will become pure and you will develop love of God.  As soon as you have that love you will realize Him.

Man cannot really help the world.  God alone does that - He who has created the sun and the moon, who has put love for their children in parents' hearts, endowed noble souls with compassion, and holy men and devotees with divine love.  The man who works for others, without any selfish motive, really does good to himself.

There is gold buried in your heart, but you are not yet aware of it.  It is covered with a thin layer of clay.  Once you are aware of it, all these activities of yours will lessen.  After the birth of her child, the daughter-in-law in the family busies herself with it alone.  Everything she does is only for the child.  Her mother-in-law doesn't let her do any household duties.” 

From the Gospel - 30

MASTER: "What is needed is absorption in God - loving Him intensely.  The 'Nectar Lake' is the Lake of Immortality.  A man sinking in It does not die, but becomes immortal.  Some people believe that by thinking of God too much the mind becomes deranged; but that is not true.  God is the Lake of Nectar, the Ocean of Immortality.  He is called the 'Immortal' in the Vedas.  Sinking in It, one does not die, but verily transcends death.

  
Of little use are worship, oblations, or sacrifice.  

If a man comes to love God, he need not trouble himself much about these activities.  One needs a fan only as long as there is no breeze.  The fan may be laid aside if the southern breeze blows.  Then what need is there of a fan?”

(To Vidyasagar) "The activities that you are engaged in are good.  It is very good if you can perform them in a selfless spirit, renouncing egotism, giving up the idea that you are the doer.  Through such action one develops love and devotion to God, and ultimately realizes Him. “

M.

After publishing the 29th blog titled From the Gospel on 27th April, I was held up with some petty work or the other. Therefore publication of the 30th blog with the same title was getting delayed. Meanwhile, yesterday, I read about M. (Mahendra Nath Gupta), in the book They Lived with God. M. was the author of the original Bengali version Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita, which was later translated into English by Swami Nikhilananda under the title The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.

Sri Ramakrishna commissioned M. to carry his message just as he commissioned Swami Vivekananda to teach people. The Master wrote on a piece of paper, “Naren (later Swami Vivekananda) will teach people.” When Naren objected, the Master told him, “Your very bones will do it.”

Once, speaking of the origin of the Gospel, M. said, “I was involved in worldly activities, and could not visit the master whenever I wished. Therefore I used to note down his words in order to think about them in the intervals before I met him again… Thus it was for my own benefit I made those notes, so that I might realize his teachings more perfectly.”

Though outwardly M. was a householder, inwardly he was a monk, full of intense devotion to God and renunciation of things of the world. He led a very simple life, had a plain style of clothing all through his life. He had one change of clothing – an extra shirt and extra clothing for going out.

After the passing away of Sri Ramakrishna in 1886, his disciples asked M. to publish his diary but he was reluctant. However, one day he read some of the notes from his diary to Sri Sarada Devi, the spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna, and she approved of them. M. took this as the divine sanction and published the original Bengali version in five volumes under the title, Sri Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita – Vol. I was published in 1902, Vol. II in 1904, Vol. III in 1908, Vol. IV in 1910 and Vol. V in 1932.

Swami Vivekananda wrote to M. in response to the earliest publications, “You have hit Ramakrishna in the right point. Few, alas, few understand him.”

Swami Nithyananda was responsible for the printing of the Kathamritha but he was unable to finish the proofreading in time as he had many other responsibilities. He wrote the following touching incident in his memoirs, “At 1 am I saw a light in M.’s room. I entered and found he was reading the proofs of the Gospel by a kerosene lantern. He was not well at all and as he was working at an odd hour, his eyes were watering. I was pained at this. I lovingly chastised him and he replied with affection, “People are finding peace by reading this book, the Master’s immortal message. It is inevitable the body will meet its end, so it is better that it is used for spreading peace to others. We are in the world and have utterly experienced how much pain is there, yet I have forgotten that pain through The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. I am hurrying so that the book may come out soon.”  Indeed, M. died while the last portion of the last volume was at the press. He was born to write and teach The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.  

On June 4th, 1932 he left his body in full consciousness. He breathed his last saying this prayer, “Mother – Gurudeva – take me up in thy arms.” The Mother took Her child in Her arms.

I have presented here very few drops of the nectar from the wonderful book They Lived with God. The cost of this book is Rs 140/- but it is worth a million.