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Monday, January 7, 2008

'150 Years of Silence' by Swami Lokeswarananda

In historian William Digby’s opinion, Ramakrishna was ‘uncultured and illiterate’. No one can object to this, for, sentiments apart, what else was he? But Digby mentions Browning and Ruskin in the same breath, which is rather surprising, for they are poles apart from Ramakrishna. Talking about Browning and Ruskin he says they are the finest fruit of British intellectual eminence. Of course they are, but what amazes us is the fact that he thinks that compared with Ramakrishna both Ruskin and Browning are ‘mere gropers in the dark!’ (Prosperous British India, 1901, p.99)

A high tribute indeed, but how can it be said that Ramakrishna deserved it? Digby himself answers the question – Ramakrishna, according to him, ‘revealed God to weary mortals’. Ramakrishna called out to everybody seeking God, and when such a one came how happy he was! But more often he himself went out to share with others his own joy from experiences with God. He begged, argued, cajoled that people try to have that joy for themselves. He himself was an illustration of what that joy was like and how it could be attained. He was both the means and the end in this respect. He taught no creed or dogma; he taught only that man may not stop short of God-realization, also known as Self-realization. But what is God-realization or Self-realization? It is difficult to define. Perhaps the safest thing you can say about it is that it is the experience that made Ramakrishna what he was. This is hardly a satisfying answer, but what else can you say about an experience which is essentially personal? Can you, for instance, describe what you feel when you listen to Beethoven’s moonlight sonata? To understand it you must enjoy it yourself. The experience must be direct and personal. You may not understand the experience, but you can see the changes it brings about in the personality of a man who has realized God. People examined Ramakrishna again and again till they were satisfied that he was what he appeared to be – extraordinary. It can truly be said about him that those who came to scoff remained to pray.

What is extraordinary about Ramakrishna is his silence. While others shout about what they have to teach, Ramakrishna is totally silent. He is no teacher in the sense others are – people who try to have a following of their own. He dislikes the idea that anybody should call him his ‘guru’, ‘father’, or ‘teacher’. Perhaps by this he suggests that each individual has to be his own teacher because each individual is unique. What is sauce for the goose may be poison for the gander. The best way to learn is to try one’s way about, to explore, never to cease trying even if one fails again and again. As Digby says, Ramakrishna does not teach, he ‘reveals’. This makes his silence more powerful than any eloquence one can think of. It is like sun which penetrates everywhere whether you like it or not. Ramakrishna may be silent but today, one hundred and fifty years after his birth, he is known everywhere. Known and also loved This has happened not because of his followers, for no one knows how many of them he has, if any at all. This has happened because he reveals God whose other name is Truth, Truth which is eternal and universal, Truth which is irresistible. In revealing God, Ramakrishna has revealed himself, for he is the best historical example of what happens when one reaches the summit in spiritual experience, one realizes God, one realizes Truth. Like Truth, he himself is now irresistible after one hundred and fifty years of silence.

Courtesy: ‘Religion and Culture’ by Swami Lokeswarananda. Published by The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park, Kolkata-700029. (Page 5-6). Price: Rs.10/-

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