REACH Sept 2013 - Vedanta Centre of Sydney

12 Pages·2013·4.01 MB·English

Motto:
Reach Atmano mokshartham
jagad hitaya cha,
“For one’s own
liberation and for the
Vedanta Centres of Australia
Newsletter of the welfare of the world.”
Vedanta Centre of Sydney, 2 Stewart Street, Ermington, NSW 2115, Australia.
Website: www.vedantasydney.org; e-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]
Other websites: www.spiritualbookstore.org.au, www.spiritualbookstore.com.au
Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone].
SSSaaayyyiiinnngggsss aaannnddd TTTeeeaaaccchhhiiinnngggsss
The pure in heart
The soiled mirror never reflects the
rays of the sun; similarly those who
are impure and unclean at heart and
are deluded by Maya never perceive
the glory of the Lord. But the pure in
heart see the Lord just as the clear
mirror reflects the sun.
- - - Sri Ramakrishna
Great Sayings Words of Sri Ramakrishna,
Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda, The
RMIC, Gol Park, Kolkata, p. 12.
Sincerity in practice
Be sincere in your practice, words
and deeds. You will feel blessed! His
blessings are always showered on all
creatures on the earth. It is needless
to ask for it. Practise meditation Vedanta Centre of Sydney—Brisbane Chapter
sincerely and you will understand His 181 Burbong Street Chapel Hill, QLD 4073.
infinite grace. God wants sincerity,
FFFOOORRRTTTHHHCCCOOOMMMIIINNNGGG CCCAAALLLEEENNNDDDAAARRR OOOFFF EEEVVVEEENNNTTTSSS
truthfulness and love. Outward verbal
effusions do not touch Him. Function Centre Date
- - - Sri Sarada Devi
Adelaide Friday, 20 September 2013
Teachings of Sri Sarada Devi: The Holy
Mother, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, p. 65.
Seminars on the Brisbane Friday, 6 September 2013
The word ‘God’
I have been asked many times, “Why 150th Birth Anniversary Melbourne Thur&Sat.day, 12 & 14 Sept. 2013
do you use that word, God?” Because Celebration of Perth Sunday, 22 September 2013
it is the best word for our purpose;
you cannot find a better word than that, Swami Vivekananda Sydney Monday, 16 September 2013
because all the hopes, aspirations and
Townsville Sat. & Sunday, 7 & 8 Sept. 2013
happiness of humanity have been
centred in that word. It is impossible Play: Oneness—Voice Brisbane Sunday, 22 September 2013
now to change the word. Words like Without Form
Sydney Tues. & Wed. 17, 18 Sept. 2013
these were first coined by great

saints, who realised their import and
Durga Puja Sydney Saturday, 12 October 2013
understood their meaning. But as they
become current in society, ignorant Birth Anniversary of Sydney Tuesday, 24 December 2013
people take these words and the result
Holy Mother and Other Centres TBA
is that they lose their spirit and glory.
Christmas Eve
The word ‘God’ has been used from All Centres Tuesday, 24 December 2013
time immemorial, and the idea of this
cosmic intelligence, and all that is Welcome
great and holy is associated with it.
We welcome you all to the Ramakrishna - Vedanta Movement and invite
- - - Swami Vivekananda
you to attend our programmes and actively participate in the propagation of the
Teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Universal message of Vedanta as epitomized in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna,
Ashrama, Mayavati, Himalayas, p. 95.
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda.
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 1 May - August 2013
News from and activities of the Vedanta Centres of Australia and New Zealand
for the period from May 2013 to August 2013.
ADELAIDE CENTRE centre held its Annual Programme at introduced by Swami Atmeshananda.
the Indooropilly State High School. There was a large turnout and the
Monthly activities:
Hon. Glen Elmes, Minister for film was very much appreciated by all.
a) Swami Sridharananda continued
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
his three-days-a-month visit and Seminar on Swami Vivekananda
& Multicultural Affairs, and Minister
delivered discourses on the Srimad- On the 23rd of August, the Canberra
Assisting the Premier was the Guest
Bhagavad Gitā and Yoga Sutras of Chapter in conjunction with the
of Honour on the occasion. The
Patanjali at the Dulwich Community Australian National University
programme began with a procession
Centre, 14 Union Street, Dulwich SA (ANU) held a free public lecture and
of about 50 ladies carrying lamps in
5065. A dedicated group of devotees forum to celebrate the 150th birth
their hands which they placed on the
attend his talks. These talks have also been anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
stage of the hall. Following this, the Hon.
recorded. Swami Chandrashekharananda Titled "Bridging East and West -
Minister lit an oil lamp symbolising
visited Adelaide from the 8th to 10th From Individuals to Global
the start of the programme.
of August 2013 and delivered talks Organisations", the lectures
The programme consisted of Vocal
on the Narada Bhakti Sutra (The focussed on the teachings of Swami
and Instrumental music by 3rd Space
Aphorisms of Narada on Devotion) at Vivekananda with a special emphasis
Cultural forum, an energetic band,
the same venue. For details of the on the universal teachings that
dance items by students of
programmes organized by the bridged the gap between the East and
Eshwaralaya Kalaikoodam and
Adelaide Chapter please contact Dr. the West, and also thereby
Nadananjali school of Dance, a skit
Raman Sharma on 08 - 8431 9775 or encouraging the humanistic approach
'The rise of the Paragon' - a brief life
Mrs. Pathma Iswaran on 08-8379 5336 of economic development. The
story of Swami Vivekananda by the
or E-mail: [email protected]. keynote speaker was Swami
children of the Vedanta centre and a
b) Every month on prescheduled song 'Heal the world' by Anjali Raj. Tyagananda, and there were lectures
Sundays the reading from The Gospel by several other noted academic staff
The Honourable Minister, Swami
of Sri Ramakrishna’ including Atmeshananda and Dr. Maha from ANU. The event was well
discussion on relevant points was attended by both the general public as
Sinnathamby addressed the audience.
conducted at devotees’ homes. Dr. Ashim Majumdar welcomed the well as university staff and students.
BRISBANE CENTRE audience and Dr. Naidu Bodapati MELBOURNE CENTRE
Daily activities: gave the vote of thanks. The Daily Activities:
Worship was conducted daily in the programme was very well acclaimed for Vesper service was held daily from 7
morning and ārati, including its quality performances and brevity. to 8 p.m. in the Centre at 5-7 Angus
bhajans, readings from The Gospel of CANBERRA CENTRE Avenue, Ringwood, Vic 3135. It
Sri Ramakrishna was conducted Swami Sridharananda conducted included set hymns, scriptural
every evening in the Centre at 181 classes on the Bhagavad-Gitā once in readings, meditation and occasional
devotional singing. Contact
Burbong Street, Chapel Hill, QLD May and once in July at the
4073, (Phone no. 07-3720 0228). A Belconnen Community Centre, 2 persons: Mr. Suresh Ravinutala,
resident volunteer looked after the Chandler Street in Canberra. Contact Secretary - 03-9803 6154, Mr.
day-to-day activities of the Centre. person: Mr. J. Venkataraman, Mohana Krishnan on 03-9801 6174.
Monthly Activities: Secretary on 02-6258 7612. The bookstall holds literature on the
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, Vedanta
Swami Atmeshananda conducted the Other activities:
philosophy, and other spiritual topics
following programmes in Brisbane - Movie on Swami Vivekananda
in print, audio, and visual media.
a) Scripture classes at the Centre on the To commemorate the 150th Birth
Weekly/Monthly Activities:
first Saturday and Sunday, and second Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda,
a) Swami Sridharananda continued
Friday and Sunday of every month. the Vedanta Centre of Sydney -
to deliver monthly discourses on the
b) Prayer meetings on the first Canberra Chapter screened a film
Bhagavad-Gitā from the Thursday to
Friday of every month in Deception titled "Swami Vivekananda's life in
the Saturday of a prescheduled week
Bay, QLD. his own words" for the interested
at the Ringwood Community Hall,
general public. The full length movie
c) Discussion groups on the first
Knaith Road. The Thursday and
produced by the Ramakrishna
Monday and Tuesday of every month Friday sessions were held from 7:45
Mission Chennai, depicted the life of
in Sunnybank Hills, QLD. to 9 p.m. and on Saturdays the
Swami Vivekananda and his
d) A class on the first Wednesday of sessions were held from 10 to 11
teachings as enacted and told in his
every month at Springfield, QLD. a.m. The recordings of these
own words. The film which screened
Other activities: discourses are available in Audio,
on Sunday the 16th of June 2013 at
a) Annual Programme the Mary MacKillop House & Video and MP3 formats.
On the 1st of June 2013, the Brisbane Conference Centre in Canberra, was b) Regular monthly satsangas
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 2 May - August 2013
(prayer meetings) were held on the Gitā talks that were delivered in the d) Meditation sessions were held at the
first Sunday of every month. The previous month were conducted on Centre on Sundays from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
program includes readings from The one prescheduled Sunday. e) Sanskrit language classes were
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and other
Celebrations: held on Saturdays and Sundays at
books and followed by discussions
varying levels for adult students.
a) Buddha Purnima was celebrated
there on, bhajans and ārati.
on 2nd of June during Sunday f) Bala Sangha Classes on moral
c) Swami Chandrashekharananda
Satsang with a reading from and spiritual lessons and drama
visited the Centre from 12th to 24th
Dhammapada, chanting and bhajans. and movement were conducted for
of August and conducted classes on
children every Saturday from 4:30
b) Guru Purnima was celebrated on
Kenopanishad after the daily vesper
p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at the Centre during
22 July 2013 after evening prayer. A
service. He also conducted monthly
the academic term.
few bhajans were sung on the
classes on Bhagavad-Gitā from 15th
occasion. The pre-recorded talk on g) Classes on moral and spiritual
to 17th of August and sang Shyama-
the “Importance of Guru" by Swami lessons were also conducted for
nama Sankirtana on 21st of August
Sridharanandaji delivered in Sydney children at Eastwood Public School
2013.
earlier in the day was played and this on Wednesdays from 9:45 a.m. to
d) Group studies through the
was followed by the ārati and prasad 10:30 a.m. during the academic term.
viewing of (i) the Mundaka
distribution. h) The Centre provided English
Upanishad lecture series on video
SYDNEY CENTRE Language tutoring on Tuesdays
were held every Sunday from 4 p.m.
from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. during
to 5 p.m. and (ii) The Yoga Sutras of Daily Activities:
the school term.
Patanjali lecture series on video were Daily worship including chanting and
held every Friday from 10:30 a.m. to meditation was held every morning i) Rāmanām Sankirtana was sung
11:30 a.m. (iii) The Bhagavad-Gitā from 6:45 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. at 2 on Ekadashi days after the vesper
study group met on alternate Stewart Street, Ermington. The service.
Sundays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. vesper service was conducted in the j) A class for ladies was held every
Celebrations: evening from 7 p.m. and this Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
included devotional singing, a Swami Atmeshananda discussed
a) Guru Purnima was celebrated on
reading from The Gospel of Sri from the book Meditation and
22nd of July 2013.
Ramakrishna and meditation. Spiritual Life when he was in Sydney
b) Sri Krishna Janmashtami was
and in his absence Swami
Counselling, interviews and
celebrated on 24th of August 2013.
Sunisthananda discussed the text
discussions with devotees were also
PERTH CENTRE from Katha Upanishad.
conducted on a daily basis. The
Daily Activities: library was available to devotees for k) The meetings of the Viveka
The Centre, located at 51 Golf View reference and research. The Centre Youth Group were held on Sundays
Street, Yokine W.A. 6060, held maintained a bookstall which has a from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The
vesper service daily at 7 p.m. with range of books on the Ramakrishna- Karma Yoga of Swami Vivekananda
ārati, readings from The Gospel of Vivekananda, Vedanta, Yoga, and was read and discussed. For details
Sri Ramakrishna and meditation. The other spiritual literature. Devotional please visit the Facebook page :
Centre maintains a small bookstall songs, discourses on the Bhagavad https://www.facebook.com/VYGSydney
and a library. Contact persons: Mr. Gitā, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, l) A group of devotees offered their
Hiren Mukhopadyay, Secretary - Mundaka Upanisad, and other topics musical tribute in commemoration of
0411 478 244 and Mr. Parthiv Parekh, are also available in various media. the 150th birth anniversary of Swami
Asstt. Secretary - 0430 511 699. Weekly/ Monthly Activities: Vivekananda on 29th of June 2013.
Monthly Activities: The Centre conducted the following j) Swami Sunisthananda attended a
The following monthly activities activities in Sydney: meeting as the guest of honour on
were held: a) Swami Sridharananda conducted 14th of July at the Bahai Centre
organised by the Hindu Council of
a) Swami Sridharananda visited the classes on the Bhagavad-Gitā every
Australia and HSS to commemorate
Centre from the Wednesday to the Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to 11
the 150th birth anniversary of Swami
Saturday of a prescheduled week a.m. at the Centre.
Vivekananda.
every month and conducted b) Classes on Bhagavad Gitā were
discourses on Bhagavad-Gitā. also conducted by Swami Celebrations:
b) Monthly satsangas including the Sridharananda at 1/11 Boyle Street, a) Sri Sankaracharya Jayanti was
singing of bhajans and readings from Balgowlah, NSW 2093 Manly celebrated on 15th of May 2013.
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and Beach on Tuesdays from 7:30 p.m. b) Buddha Purnima was celebrated
other inspiring books were conducted to 8:30 p.m.
on 25th May 2013.
on the first Sunday of every month c) Some devotees availed themselves
c) Guru Purnima was celebrated on
from 11 a.m. spiritual counselling and guidance.
22nd of July 2013 after the evening
c) Revision sessions through playing The Swamis also visited the homes
vesper service. A formal worship was
the audio recording on Bhagavat- of devotees when required.
performed amid bhajans. Swami
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 3 May - August 2013
Sridharananda delivered a talk on the their colourful presentations. Swami AUCKLAND CENTRE
importance of the Guru. Atmeshananda thanked the Daily activities:
organisers, artists and the audience.
c) Sri Krishna Janmastami was A vesper service was held daily from
celebrated on 28th of August 2013. Visiting monastics: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Centre at 27
A formal worship of Sri Krishna, a) Br. Nirvanachaitanya (Bob Maharaj) Arawa Street, New Lynn, Auckland.
singing of bhajans and reading from of Hollywood Centre visited the It includes the singing of hymns and
the Bhagavatam regarding the Vedanta Centre of Sydney from 3rd readings from the text Sri
nativity of Sri Krishna were the of May to 13th of June 2013. Ramakrishna The Great Master,
highlights of the celebration. followed by meditation.
b) Swamis Tyagananda,
Other activities: Sarvapriyananda and Baneshananda Monthly and annual activities:
Sangamam, a cultural programme, arrived at the Centre on 16th, 24th a) On the second Sunday of every
was organised by the friends of the and 25th of August respectively. month satsang programmes, which
Vedanta Centre of Sydney on 18th of They were invited to tour a number include the singing of bhajans,
May 2013 at the Bahai Cultural of cities in Australia, New Zealand discourse on the Ramayana, readings
Centre, Silverwater. The dance and Fiji in order to deliver talks on and discussion on the lives of the
groups of M/s. Hamsa Venkat, the occasion of the 150th birth direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna
Manjula Viswanathan, Janakan anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. and meditation, were conducted from
Suthanthiraraj, Aruna Overseas Visits: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gandhimathinathan, Ruchi Sanghi, Swami Sridharananda visited b) On the last Sunday of every
Mridula Viswanathan, Padma Auckland, NZ from the 7th to 11th month reading and discussion on the
Balakumar and Geetanjali School of May and Malaysia and Europe Bhagavad Gitā, the Gospel of Sri
Dance charmed the audience with from the 3rd to 28th of June 2013. Ramakrishna, and, the life and
Musical Tribute Br. Nirvanachaitanya Guru Purnima
Sydney Centre— Sangamam Cultural Programme depicting the Emblame of RKM. (inset Swami Atmeshananda).
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 4 May - August 2013
teachings of Holy Mother and Swami Other activities: Continued from Page 9
Vivekananda were conducted in a) The Annual General Meeting sits besides the Ganges and says, “I
addition to the above. Music and (AGM) was held on 9th of June will ford the river when all the water
chanting classes were also held on
from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. has run into the ocean.” The way is
these days.
b) On the 31st of August, Swami not with Maya, but against it. This is
c) Swami Sridharananda conducted Baneshananda of Germany, Swami another fact to learn. We are not born
classes on Srimad-Bhagavad Gitā on Tyagananada of Boston, Swami as helpers of nature, but competitors
9th and 10th May 2013 from 8 p.m. Sarvapriyananda of Belur Math and with nature. We are its bond-masters
to 9 p.m. and on 11th of May from Swami Atmeshananda of Sydney but we bind ourselves down. Why is
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. centre arrived in Auckland to this house here? Nature did not build
d) Swami Sunisthananda visited the participate in Swamiji's 150th birth it. Nature says, go and live in the
Auckland Centre and delivered talks anniversary celebrations. In the forest. Man says, I will build a house
from 26th to 28th July from 7:45 evening a satsanga was held at the and fight with nature, and he does so.
p.m. till 9 p.m. on ‘The Significance Ashram. Swami Atmeshananda sang The whole history of humanity is a
of Guru in our lives, Importance of bhajans after the ārati, and the other continuous fight against the so-called
Guru-Shishya Tradition and the three swamis delivered informal laws of nature, and man gains in the
reason for Guru Purnima talks on ‘The Spiritual life and Sri end. Coming to the internal world,
Celebration’ and on ‘The Lives and Ramakrishna’. there too the same fight is going on,
this fight between the animal man
Teachings of Holy Mother and
and the spiritual man, between light
Swami Vivekananda. Please visit our websites:
and darkness; and here too man

Celebrations:
becomes victorious. He, as it were, cuts
https://www.facebook.com/VYGSydney
a) The Buddha Purnima was his way out of nature to freedom.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/On
celebrated on the 25th of May 2013 from
eness-Voice-Without- We see, then, that beyond this Maya
8 p.m. to 9 p.m. The programme
Form/641511535859854 the Vedantic philosophers find
included bhajans, talks and readings
http://oneness.org.au/ something that is not bound by
from the life of Bhagavan Buddha
Maya; and if we can get there, we
followed by prasad distribution.
For Indian news of 150th birth shall not be bound by Maya. This
The Guru Purnima was celebrated anniversary functions of Swami idea is in some form or other the
on the 22nd July 2013 from 8 p.m. to Vivekananda belurmath.org common property of all religions.
9 p.m. The programme included Some other websites: But, with the Vedanta, it is only the
bhajans, talks and readings on the http://www.rkmdelhi.org/ beginning of religion and not the
significance of Guru, meditation and http://rkmath.org/ end. The idea of a Personal God, the
arati followed by prasad http://vivekanandahouse.org/ Ruler and Creator of this universe, as
distribution. http://shashwatabharata.in/ He has been styled, the Ruler of
Maya, or nature, is not the end of
those Vedantic ideas; it is only the
beginning. The idea grows and
grows until the Vedantist finds that
He, who he thought was standing
outside, is he himself, and is in
reality within. He is the one who is
free, but who through limitation
thought he was bound.
Source:
The Complete Works of Swami
Vivekananda, Vol. II, Advaita Ashrama,
Auckland Centre— Gita discourse Kolkata, page. 88-104.
Auckland Centre— Satsanga conducted by Swamis on the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 5 May - August 2013
Photo Feature : The Vedanta Centre of Sydney
The Construction of the Vivekananda Memorial Multi-Purpose Community Facility at 2 Stewart Street, Ermington 2115.
We earnestly request generous persons not to miss this opportunity to get actively involved in this noble venture. Any
contribution towards the construction of this institution will be thankfully accepted and acknowledged.
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 6 May - August 2013
Feature Article:
Maya and Illusion

Talk delivered by Swami Vivekananda in London
Introduction: Defining ‘Maya’ existence of the world mean, then?
“This world has no existence.” It thus
Almost all of you have heard of the
means that it has no absolute
word Maya. Generally it is used,
existence. It exists only in relation to
though incorrectly, to denote
my mind, to your mind, and to the
illusion, or delusion, or some such
mind of everyone else. We see this
thing. But the theory of Maya forms
world with the five senses but if we
one of the pillars upon which the
had another sense, we would see in it
Vedanta rests; it is, therefore,
something more. If we had yet
necessary that it should be properly
another sense, it would appear as
understood. The oldest idea of Maya
something still different. It has,
in Vedic literature is the sense of
therefore, no real existence; it has no
delusion. We find such passages as
unchangeable, immovable, infinite
“Indra through his Maya assumed
existence. Nor can it be called non-
various forms.” Here it is true the
existence; seeing that it exists, and we
word Maya means something like
have to work in and through it. It is a
magic. Later, the question was
mixture of existence and non-existence.
raised, “Why can’t we know this
secret of the universe?” The answer Oscillating between optimism and
given was very significant: “Because pessimism
we talk in vain, and because we are
Coming from abstractions to the
satisfied with the things of the senses,
common, everyday details of our
and because we are running after
lives, we find that our whole life is a
desires; therefore, we, as it were,
contradiction, a mixture of existence
cover the Reality with a mist.” Here
and non-existence. There is this
the word Maya is not used at all, but
contradiction in knowledge. It seems
the idea conveyed is that the cause of
that man can know everything, if he
our ignorance is a kind of mist that
only wants to know; but before he
has come between us and the Truth.
has gone a few steps, he finds an
Illusion
Much later, in one of the new adamantine wall, which he cannot
Upanishads, the word Maya re- as coming through the Buddhistic pass. All his work is in a circle, and
appears, but this time a philosophers, because there was one he cannot go beyond that circle. The
transformation has taken place in it, section of philosophers who did not problems, which are nearest and
and a mass of new meaning has believe in the external world at all. dearest to him, are impelling him on
attached itself to the word. Theories But the Maya of the Vedanta, in its and calling, day and night, for a
had been propounded and repeated, last developed form, is neither solution, but he cannot solve them,
others had been taken up, until at Idealism nor Realism, nor is it a because he cannot go beyond his
last the idea of Maya became fixed. theory. It is a simple statement of intellect. And yet that desire is
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad facts - what we are and what we see implanted strongly in him. Still we
states, “Know nature to be Maya and around us. know that the only good is to be
the Ruler of this Maya is the Lord obtained by controlling and checking
The mind is limited
Himself.” Coming to our it. With every breath, every impulse
philosophers, we find that this word The Vedantist has proved beyond all of our heart asks us to be selfish. At
Maya has been manipulated in doubt that the mind is limited, that it the same time, there is some power
various fashions, until we come to cannot go beyond certain limits- beyond us, which says that it is
the great Shankaracharya. The beyond time, space, and causation. unselfishness alone which is good.
theory of Maya was manipulated a As no man can jump out of his own Every child is a born optimist; he
little by the Buddhists too, but in the self, so no man can go beyond the dreams golden dreams. In youth he
hands of the Buddhists it became limits that have been put upon him becomes still more optimistic. It is
very much like what is called by the laws of time and space. Every hard for a young man to believe that
Idealism, and that is the meaning attempt to solve the laws of there is such a thing as death, such a
that is now generally given to the causation, time, and space would be thing as defeat or degradation. Old
word Maya. When the Hindus state futile, because the very attempt age comes, and life is a mass of
the world is Maya, at once people get would have to be made by taking for ruins. Dreams have vanished into the
the idea that the world is an illusion. granted the existence of these three. air, and the man becomes a
This interpretation has some basis, What does the statement of the pessimist. Thus we go from one
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 7 May - August 2013
extreme to another, buffeted by a man, and perchance becomes a avenues are opened to pain as well as
nature, without knowing where we are. blackguard and a brute, kicks her to pleasure. And this is Maya.
and beats her every day; and yet the
It reminds me of a celebrated song in Thus, Maya is not a theory for the
mother clings to the child; and when
the Lalita Vistara, the biography of explanation of the world; it is simply
her reason awakes, she covers it up
Buddha. Buddha was born, says the a statement of facts as they exist, that
with the idea of love. She little
book, as the saviour of mankind, but the very basis of our being is
thinks that it is not love, that it is
he forgot himself in the luxuries of contradiction, that everywhere we
something which has got hold of her
his palace. Some angels came and have to move through this
nerves, which she cannot shake off;
sang a song to rouse him. And the tremendous contradiction, that
however she may try, she cannot
burden of the whole song is that we wherever there is good, there must
shake off the bondage she is in. And
are floating down the river of life, also be evil, and wherever there is
this is Maya.
which is continually changing with evil, there must be some good,
no stop and no rest. So are our lives, We are all after the Golden Fleece. wherever there is life, death must
going on and on without knowing Every one of us thinks that this will follow as its shadow, and everyone
any rest. The man who has come to be his. Every reasonable man sees who smiles will have to weep, and
eat and drink is an optimist, and he that his chance is, perhaps, one in vice versa. Nor can this state of
avoids all mention of misery, for it twenty millions, yet everyone things be remedied. We may verily
frightens him. Tell not to him of the struggles for it. And this is Maya. imagine that there will be a place
sorrows and the sufferings of the where there will be only good and no
Death is stalking day and night over
world; go to him and tell him that it evil, where we shall only smile and
this earth of ours, but at the same
is all good. “Yes, I am safe,” says he. never weep. This is impossible in the
time we think we shall live eternally.
“Look at me! I have a nice house to very nature of things; for the
A question was once asked of King
live in. I do not fear cold and hunger conditions will remain the same.
Yudhishthira, “What is the most
therefore do not bring these horrible Wherever there is the power of
wonderful thing on this earth?” And
pictures before me.” But, on the producing a smile in us, there lurks the
the king replied, “Every day people are
other hand, there are others dying of power of producing tears. Wherever
dying around us, and yet men think
cold and hunger. If you go and teach there is the power of producing
they will never die.” And this is Maya.
them that it is all good, they will not happiness, there lurks somewhere the
hear you. How can they wish others Maya is a statement of the fact of power of making us miserable.
to be happy when they are this universe, of how it is going on.
Thus the Vedanta philosophy is
miserable? Thus we are oscillating People generally get frightened
neither optimistic nor pessimistic. It
between optimism and pessimism. when these things are told to them.
voices both these views and takes
But bold we must be. Hiding facts is
Death is the end of everything things as they are. It admits that this
not the way to find the remedy. As
world is a mixture of good and evil,
Then, there is the tremendous fact of you all know, a hare hunted by dogs
happiness and misery, and that to
death. The whole world is going puts its head down and thinks itself
increase the one, one must of
towards death; everything dies. All safe; so, when we run into optimism,
necessity increase the other. There
our progress, our vanities, our we do just like the hare, but that is
will never be a perfectly good or bad
reforms, our luxuries, our wealth, our no remedy. There are objections
world, because the very idea is a
knowledge, have that one end - death. against this, but you may remark that
contradiction in terms. The great
That is all that is certain. Cities come they are generally from people who
secret revealed by this analysis is that
and go, empires rise and fall, planets possess many of the good things of life.
good and bad are not two cut-and-
break into pieces and crumble into
In every society, we often find that dried, separate existences. There is
dust, to be blown about by the
the ignorant, common man, when not one thing in this world of ours,
atmospheres of other planets. Thus it
abused, does not feel much, but he which you can label as good and
has been going on from time without
feels a good thrashing. But the good alone, and there is not one thing
beginning. Death is the end of
gentleman cannot bear a single word in the universe, which you can label
everything. Death is the end of life,
of abuse; he has become so finely as bad and bad alone. The very same
of beauty, of wealth, of power, of
nerved. Misery has increased with phenomenon that is appearing to be
virtue too. Saints die and sinners die,
his susceptibility to happiness. As good now, may appear to be bad
kings die and beggars die. They are
we increase our power to be happy, tomorrow. The same thing which is
all going to death, and yet this
we also increase our power to suffer, producing misery in one, may
tremendous clinging on to life exists.
and sometimes I am inclined to think produce happiness in another. The
Somehow, we do not know why, we
that if we increase our power to fire that burns the child, may cook a
cling to life; we cannot give it up.
become happy in arithmetical good meal for a starving man. The
And this is Maya.
progression, we shall increase, on the same nerves that carry the sensations
This is Maya other hand, our power to become of misery carry also the sensation of
The mother is nursing a child with miserable in geometrical progression. happiness. The only way we stop
great care; all her soul, her life, is in We who are progressing know that evil, therefore, is to stop good also;
that child. The child grows, becomes the more we progress, the more there is no other way. To stop death,
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 8 May - August 2013
we shall have to stop life also. Life time to learn it. this life, minus the ideal component,
without death and happiness without to be all that exists. And this, the
There comes a time when the mind
misery are contradictions, and neither agnostic claims, cannot be reached,
awakes from this long and dreary
can be found alone, because each of therefore he must give up the search.
dream-the child gives up its play and
them is but a different manifestation This is what is called Maya-this
wants to go back to its mother. It
of the same thing. What I thought to nature, this universe.
finds the truth of the statement,
be good yesterday, I do not think to
“Desire is never satisfied by the All religions are more or less
be good now. When I look back upon
enjoyment of desires, it only attempts to get beyond nature- the
my life and see what were my ideals
increases all the more, as fire, when crudest or the most developed,
at different times, I find this to be so.
butter is poured upon it.” expressed through mythology or
At one time my ideal was to drive a
symbology, stories of gods, angels or
strong pair of horses; at another time This is true of all sense-enjoyments,
demons, or through stories of saints
I thought, if I could make a certain of all intellectual enjoyments, and of
or seers, great men or prophets, or
kind of sweetmeat I should be all the enjoyments of which the
through the abstractions of
perfectly happy; later I imagined that human mind is capable. They are
philosophy-all have one object, all
I should be entirely satisfied if I had nothing, they are within Maya,
are trying to get beyond these
a wife and children and plenty of within this network beyond which
limitations. In one word, they are all
money. Today I laugh at all these we cannot go. We may run therein
struggling towards freedom. Man
ideals as mere childish nonsense. through infinite time and find no
feels, consciously or unconsciously,
end, and whenever we struggle to
The Vedanta says, there must come a that he is bound; he is not what he
get a little enjoyment, a mass of
time when we shall look back and wants to be. It was taught to him at
misery falls upon us. How awful is
laugh at the ideals that make us the very moment he began to look
this! And when I think of it, I cannot
afraid of giving up our individuality. around. That very instant he learnt
but consider that this theory of Maya,
Each one of us wants to keep this that he was bound, and he also found
this statement that it is all Maya, is the
body for an indefinite time, thinking that there was something in him
best and only explanation.
we shall be very happy, but there will which wanted to fly beyond, where
come a time when we shall laugh at Thus the Vedantic position is neither the body could not follow, but which
this idea. Now, if such be the truth, pessimism nor optimism. It does not was as yet chained down by this
we are in a state of hopeless say that the world is all evil or all limitation. The man who wants to
contradiction- neither existence nor good. It says that our evil is of no worship the gods sees in them, above
non-existence, neither misery nor less value than our good, and our all things, greater freedom than in
happiness, but a mixture of them. good of no more value than our evil. himself. If a door is closed, he thinks
What then is the use of Vedanta and They are bound together. This is the the gods can get through it, and that
all other philosophies and religion? world, and knowing this, you work walls have no limitations for them.
And, above all, what is the use of with patience. What for? Why This idea of freedom increases until
doing good work? This is a question should we work? If this is the state it comes to the ideal of a Personal
that comes to mind. If it is true that of things, what shall we do? Why God, of which the central concept is
you cannot do good without doing not become agnostics? The modern that he is a Being beyond the
evil, and whenever you try to create agnostics also know there is no limitation of nature, of Maya. I see
happiness there will always be solution of this problem, no getting before me, as it were, that in some of
misery, the question may be posed, out of this evil of Maya, as we say in those forest retreats this question is
“What is the use of doing good?” our language; therefore they tell us being discussed by those ancient
The answer is in the first place, that to be satisfied and enjoy life. Here, sages of India; and in one of them,
we must work for lessening misery, again, is a mistake. What do you where even the oldest and the holiest
for that is the only way to make mean by life? Do you mean only the fail to reach the solution, a young
ourselves happy. Everyone of us life of the senses? This present life man stands up in the midst of them,
finds it out sooner or later in our means something more than that. and declares, “Hear, ye, children of
lives. The bright ones find it out a Our feelings, thoughts, and immortality, hear, ye who live in the
little earlier, and the dull ones a little aspirations are all part and parcel of highest places, I have found the way.
later. The dull ones pay very dearly our life; and is not the struggle By knowing Him who is beyond
for the discovery and the bright ones towards the great ideal, towards darkness we can go beyond death.”
less dearly. In the second place, we perfection, one of the most
Conclusion
must do our part, because that is the important components of what we
only way of getting out of this life of call life? According to the agnostics, This Maya is everywhere. It is
contradiction. Both the forces of we must enjoy life as it is. But this terrible. Yet we have to work through
good and evil will keep the universe life means, above all, this search it. The man who says that he will
alive for us, until we awake from our after the ideal; the essence of life is work when the world has become all
dreams and give up this building of going towards perfection. We must good and then he will enjoy bliss is
mud pies. That lesson we shall have have that, and, therefore, we cannot as likely to succeed as the man who
to learn, and it will take a long, long be agnostics or take the world as it Continued on Page 5
appears. The agnostic position takes
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 9 May - August 2013
Divine Light Personified : Swami Vijnanananda - one of the monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna
A glimpse of the life of the fourth President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.
Introduction Nakuleswari Devi, at Varanasi,
where Hari Prasanna began his
Hari Prasanna Chatterjee was born in
primary education. In 1879 his
1868. Like Hari (Turiyananda), Hari
mother moved with her children to
Prasanna got a glimpse of
their ancestral home at Belgharia,
Ramakrishna during his early teens,
near Dakshineswar. Hari Prasanna
when Ramakrishna was visiting a
entered the Hare School in Calcutta,
house in Calcutta. But it was not
and in 1882 he passed the Entrance
until Hari Prasanna was seventeen or
eighteen that Sarat (Saradananda), examination.
who was a college friend of his, took From his childhood, Hari Prasanna
him to Dakshineswar. had a religious temperament and a
tremendous passion for truth. Once,
Swami Vijnanananda vividly
when he was about fourteen, his
narrated one of his dramatic and
mother falsely accused him of
unconventional encounters with
something and scolded him. He
Ramakrishna,
protested vehemently, and when he
I felt Sri Ramakrishna’s room
failed to convince his mother of his
vibrating with a tangible atmosphere Swami Vijnanananda
innocence he tore off his sacred
of peace, and the devotees present (1868 -1938)
thread and cried out, “If I tell a lie, I
seemed to be listening in blissful (One who enjoys the bliss of the am not a Brahmin.” Nakuleswari
absorption to the words that poured
Supreme Wisdom) Devi was taken aback, and became
from the Master’s lips. I don’t recall
afraid that some misfortune might
what he said, but I experienced he sat down on his cot again. I was
befall the family. Strangely enough,
tremendous joy within. I sat there for speechless. Wave after wave of bliss
the very next day a cable from Quetta
a long time, my whole attention engulfed my whole being. I was
(Afghanistan) brought the news of
concentrated on Sri Ramakrishna. He pondering the fact that the Master
his father’s death. His mother, grief-
did not say anything to me, nor did I had not won physically but his
stricken, said to Hari Prasanna, “See
ask him anything. Then one by one spiritual power had completely
the result of your curse.”
the devotees took their leave, and subdued me. Some time passed. Then
Very little is known about his early
suddenly I found myself alone with the Master got up from his seat.
life, however, Hari Prasanna once
him. The Master was looking at me Patting me gently on the back, he
narrated the following incident from
intently. I thought it was time for me said, “Come here often. It is not
his boyhood: One day, he heard a
to depart, so I prostrated before him. enough to come once.” Then he
gun shot in the bamboo grove behind
As I stood up to go, he asked, “Can offered me some sweets as prasad,
their house in Belgharia. He rushed
you wrestle? Come, let me see how and I returned to Calcutta. For days
to the grove and found a wounded
well you wrestle!” With these words the spell of that intoxicating joy
monkey lying on the ground. He
he stood up, ready to grapple with lingered, and I realized that he had
distinctly heard the monkey chant
me. I was surprised at this challenge. transmitted spiritual power to me.
twice, “Rama, Rama”; then, with
I thought to myself, “What kind of
Ramakrishna later said of Swami
folded hands it died. Hari Prasanna
holy man is this?” But I replied,
Vijnanananda, “He wrestled with
believed that monkeys are the
“Yes, of course I can wrestle.”
Krishna in his previous incarnation;
devotees of Ramachandra and that
Sri Ramakrishna came closer, he is not an ordinary person.”
they die chanting Lord Rama’s name.
smiling. He caught hold of my arms
Early life
and began to shove me, but I was a Meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
Swami Vijnanananda’s premonastic
strong, muscular young man and I Hari Prasanna was only seven years
name was Hari Prasanna
pushed him back to the wall. He was old when he first saw Sri
Chattopadhyay. He was born on
still smiling and holding me with a Ramakrishna. He later recalled:
Friday, 30th October 1868 in Etawah,
strong grip. Gradually I felt a sort of I first saw Sri Ramakrishna in 1875
Uttar Pradesh, where his father,
electric current coming out of his at Belgharia in the garden house of
Taraknath Chattopadhyay, worked in
hands and entering into me. That Jaygopal Sen. The Master came to
the commissariat of the British
touch made me completely helpless. visit Keshab Sen in that retreat
government. Hari Prasanna was the
I lost all my physical strength. I went house. I was then a little boy. I was
eldest of six children, two boys and
into ecstasy, and the hair of my body playing with my friends and then just
four girls. As Taraknath’s job
stood on end. Releasing me, the by chance saw the Master there. At
transferred him to different places,
Master said with a smile, “Well, you that time the paths of the garden
the children lived with their mother,
are the winner.” With those words, house were covered with red brick
Reach Issue No. 26 Page 10 May - August 2013