Boxing Day Blues!!!!!

||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

Swami Vimokshananda
pic- google images

At 09:30pm on Christmas Eve, I retired to bed and the lateral orientation of my body against the embracing mattress was so comforting after a long day. My angled-gaze fixed upon the ceiling caught the reflection of Master, Mother and Swamiji that hung above my bed. The air was dissolved with a heavy silence. It seems the world was fatigued and withdrawn from the activities of the “silly season”. Being a bit of a social animal... solitude comes across like an annoying cousin, so I struck a little conversation with the Trio. I do concede that I returned the quill to the stand until the New Year, but it was divinely summoned from its sabbatical by Swami Vimokshananda for one special post. Hence I pen this blog as a special dedication to Revered Swamiji before His departure from South Africa on Tuesday.

Although this festive season has no direct implication on Hindus or any other faith  - but because of the Christian influence on the world- all activities centre on the Christian calendar. Hence the world winds down and goes into a festive spirit during this time of the Christian commemoration of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. My enquiry focused around the mechanical and robotic nature of life. We have become so enslaved in the pursuit of material accomplishments that we no longer enjoy the bliss of our free spirit. Our happiness is deferred for an entire year and we try to explode and burst into jubilation and freedom for a predetermined period called the festive season.



As this enquiry was levelling out, my mind soared to the peaks of the Himalayas and the deltas of the Ganges... where in the residual of both was a civilisation that lived and enjoyed the nature of their free spirit. It was during that place and era where life, purpose and contentment happily and congenially embraced one another. The Indus valley civilisation was the seat of the Vedic way of life and culture. Driven by the quest for eternal peace, they ventured inward rather than taking instructions from the senses. This was the oasis and grand manifestation of Sanathana Dharma rooted in values and practicality.



Through attack and invasion the system was contaminated and through force and persistent brainwashing, people were lead to embrace the instant gratification of the senses and lost touch and contact with the joy of freedom within. 

The Trust Deeds lodged with the Government of India will reflect that the Ramakrishna Mission and Math was officially founded on 1 May 1897 by Swami Vivekananda. As a sannyasin monk we ponder what the need for Swamiji to formalise an organisation was? Whilst living with His Guru and Master, His expressed desire to be in 'samadhi' and free was very prevalent. So after the death of Sri Ramakrishna it was the ideal opportunity for Him to roam the lands as a free iterant monk and immerse Himself in 'samadhi'.



However out of His empathy for the enslaved masses and the lost souls of the world, Swamiji bound Himself physically to the work. It was on Christmas Eve...in the same year of the Master's passing that Swamiji together with a few other disciples took their vow of renunciation before the dhuni fire. It was during this festive period that the seeds of "atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya che" -for one’s own salvation and the welfare of the world- were planted and His mission to make man understand his innate nature of freedom and capacitate him to enjoy the same was crystallised.



Thus I note with intrigue the profound coupling of Christmas Day with Boxing Day. According to recorded history, Boxing Day is an English tradition, today celebrated mostly as a bank holiday. But in the days of yore it was when servants were at work on Christmas Day busy serving their Masters and were given leave from duty on the next day with a box of left-over treats and money. Thus this day became known as Boxing Day. This was the significance of Christmas and Boxing Day in the former days. In contemporary times I see it in a different way.



Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari on the eve of Christmas in 1892, He was burdened with the depression, despair and despondency of what He witnessed throughout His travels of India. He passed into a deep meditation at the tip of the Motherland... on the present and future of His country. He sought to understand the root of Her downfall. With the vision of a seer, He understood why India had been thrown from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of degradation. He reflected on the purpose and achievement of the Indian world. He perceived the realities and potentialities of Indian culture. He saw religion to be the life-blood of India’s millions. He realised in the silence of His heart that India shall rise only through a renewal and restoration of that highest spiritual consciousness that has made Her, at all times, the cradle of the Nations and cradle of the Faith. He saw Her greatness; He saw Her weaknesses as well... the central one of which was that the nation had lost its individuality.



With the Saviour and Messiah being born (Christmas Day) and living through the written word, our aim is put on the boxing gloves as we fight to free ourselves from the enslavement of the senses and mind. And instead of partaking of the left-overs and handouts, we must restore our individuality and partake of the grand feast with the Lord. Freedom is our birth-right and must be enjoyed by all. Let the fight begin.


Let the victory of freedom come to us all, is my sincere prayer.

My dear and Revered Swami Vimokshanandaji - Thank You for all your support and inspiration. Your stay in SA has been in itself a spiritual revolution to many of us. May your new posting bring you much more joy and happiness. You will forever live in our hearts.



Jai Swamiji!!!!!

With love and prayers
Yogan
www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com

Sterling Sarada Ma!!!!

||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

Master performing pooja to Mother
pic-google images

|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||

There is an English phrase which says: "save the best for last". In many respects we are at the grand finale. Schools are out, places of business have closed for the year, and everything seems to be winding down to the gorge of relaxation from the hectic year that has been. Being a part of the madding crowd, I too, have decided that this shall be my last blog for the year. There have been many highlights and lowlights but in essence when once reflects through a clear mind, a sense of appreciation arouses from the dust of melancholy. The blessings add up when we account for so many things we take for granted that are conspicuously absent in many lives around the globe. In that light I decided to dedicate this post to HOLY MOTHER, who through Her unceasing ever-expanding heart... welling with compassion declared: "I am the Mother of the wicked, as well as the virtuous, when you are in distress always speak this to yourself: I have a Mother."


Born on 22 December 1853 in the humble village of  Jayrambathi, the Mother  followed the customs and traditions of Her lineage with sincerity and devotion. She was married to Sri Ramakrishna at the age of 5 and joined Him at Dakshineswar Temple at the age of 18. Her external life was full of struggle and challenges. At Dakshineshwar, She lived in an eight-square-feet room until She was 32 years but undertook all these discomforts  as spiritual training under the guide of a realised Master and emerged as His finest student. Although Her outer being went though much pain and suffering... Her inner being was the culmination of purity, joy and complete detachment from the outer world.


To the untrained eye, it may come across that the Ramakrishna-Order deliberately polarises the Mother. We always hear Monks ask if people have read Ramakrishna or Vivekananda or speak of the Master and Swamiji with much enthusiasm. It is only from the tongues of the ardent devotees of the Mother will you hear Her gospel. However this is furthest from the truth. When you read the lives of all the disciples and even the Master you will gain an unambiguous insight on how their lives were guided and blessed by the Mother. Her true nature was ultimately revealed by Sri Ramakrishna Himself when He performed the 'shodasi pooja' and worshipped Her as the Mother of the Universe itself.  Swami Nikhilananda intuitively once explained that as heat cannot be separated from fire and lustre from gems, the Brahman cannot be separated from Shakti. Hence, Mother is the power behind Master and Swamiji.


Being guilty myself of ignoring the literature of the Holy Mother in favour of Swamiji and Master, I was superlatively captivated by Her wisdom and teachings which appears as a calming and soothing balm from the burning miseries of this life. The Mother -unlettered- Herself spoke through Her inner awakening catalysed by the Master to give continuity to His mission after His departure.


A doubt or enquiry may arise as to why I continuously refer to the world as miserable and full of pain and suffering when on the contrary it reflects a materially well endowed civilisation... when compared to our ancestors 50 years back. Living on the lap of luxury, advanced science and much progress - where is there room for the misery?


When I glanced at the morning edition of the Daily News this week, it delivered another odious blow to a frustrated and vexed nation dealing with the ongoing power load shedding. Due to the shortage of adequate rainfall and the depleting dam levels, the authorities want to enforce shedding with water as well. On the very same page side-by-side, the article relates to gangs tormenting neighbourhoods with armed robberies... and if you continue to read the other supplements you will come across drug abuse, violence etc, etc........ In fact, finding positive and inspiring news to read has turned into a treasure hunt. So let’s just say my reference to misery is really an inference to the daily murk that hangs over the society as presented in the media. We seem to be caught in the vortex of despair, held frigid in fear we stand helplessly as the ground of hope and faith gives way under us.


But Mother  has assured us: "Don’t be afraid. Human birth is full of suffering and one has to endure everything patiently, taking the name of God. None, not even God in human form can escape the sufferings of the body and mind. Difficulties always come but they do not last forever. You will see they pass like water under a bridge."

Mother’s sagacious wisdom is not far-fetched fairytale false-hope counsel but stems from reality and grounds us with firm understanding that provides nutrition to deal with the situation rather than pretend it does not exist.  Holy Mother further said that one must experience the results of 'prarabdha karma' (karma from previous births which has begun to bear fruit in this life). No one can escape it. But japa or repetition of God’s name minimises its intensity. It’s like the case of a man who is destined to lose his leg, but suffers only from the prick of a thorn in his foot instead.


With such practical teachings and advice, it is no wonder that the Ramakrishna Mission and its work has grown to the state that it is today. Mother's life has taught us that  purity, compassion and boundless love are the necessary nutrients needed to fertilise the humanness that is stagnant within us. Her teachings free us from the shackles of our own minds. Her remedy to all ailments in this age is to not find fault in others. She said: "If you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others, rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger my child the whole world is your own."


In all the challenges we face in the world, let’s not find fault in others.Let us go about life with the understanding that we are all one. Instead of getting agitated and pointing fingers at others let us find our own weaknesses and rectify them. Let us build the strength to make positive contributions in finding solutions and always immersing ourselves in God's name. Through devotion and surrender to God, we shall tap into peace and joy.


In these trying times we have the comforting embrace of a Mother. Let us embrace Her and ask Her to take away our troubles. She comes to you in the form of your personal deity. Cling to Her affectionately. Let's live by Her assuring words: "Don’t be afraid... always remember that somebody is protecting you... you always have a Mother".


Jai Ambe Mata ki Jai!!!!!!

Have a safe and blessed festive season. Thank You for your support of the blog in 2014 and for your encouraging feedback.

May Mother bless us all always.

With love and prayers
Yogan
www.sudarshsnavidya.blogspot.com