The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Conversations and Dialogues/IV
IV
(Translated from Bengali)
(From the Diary of a Disciple)
(The disciple is Sharatchandra Chakravarty, who published his records in a Bengali book, Swami-Shishya-Samvâda, in two parts. The present series of "Conversations and Dialogues" is a revised translation from this book. Five dialogues of this series have already appeared in the Complete Works,Volume 5)
[Place: The Kali-temple at Dakshineswar and the Alambazar Math. Year: 1897,
March.]
When Swamiji returned from England for the first time, the Ramakrishna Math
was located at Alambazar. The birthday anniversary of Bhagavan Shri
Ramakrishna was being celebrated this year at the Kali-temple of Rani
Râsmani at Dakshineswar. Swamiji with some of his brother disciples reached
there from the Alambazar Math at about 9 or 10 a.m. He was barefooted, with
a yellow turban on his head. Crowds of people were waiting to see and hear
him. In the temple of Mother Kali, Swamiji prostrated himself before the
Mother of the Universe, and thousands of heads, following him, bent low.
Then after prostrating himself before Râdhâkântaji he came into the room
which Shri Ramakrishna used to occupy. There was not the least breathing
space in the room.
Two European ladies who accompanied Swamiji to India attended the festival. Swamiji took them along with himself to show them the holy Panchavati and the Vilva tree.[1] Though the disciple was not yet quite familiar with Swamiji, he followed him, and presented him with the copy of a Sanskrit Ode about the Utsava (celebration) composed by himself. Swamiji read it while walking towards the Panchavati. And on the way he once looked aside towards the disciple and said, "Yes, it's done well. Attempt others like it."
The householder devotees of Shri Ramakrishna happened to be assembled on one side of the Panchavati, among whom was Babu Girish Chandra Ghosh. Swamiji, accompanied by a throng, came to Girish Babu and saluted him, saying, "Hello! here is Mr. Ghosh." Girish Babu returned his salutation with folded hands. Reminding Girish Babu of the old days, Swamiji said, "Think of it, Mr. Ghosh — from those days to these, what a transition! " Girish Babu endorsed Swamiji's sentiment and said, "Yes, that is true; but yet the mind longs to see more of it." After a short conversation, Swamiji proceeded towards the Vilva tree situated on the north-east of the Panchavati.
Now a huge crowd stood in keen expectancy to hear lecture from Swamiji. But
though he tried his utmost, Swamiji could not speak louder than the noise
and clamour of the people. Hence he had to give up attempting a lecture and
left with the two European ladies to show them sites connected with Shri
Ramakrishna's spiritual practices and introduce them to particular devotees
and followers of the Master.
After 3 p.m. Swamiji said to the disciple, "Fetch me a cab, please; I must
go to the Math now." The disciple brought one accordingly. Swamiji himself
sat on one side and asked Swami Niranjanananda and the disciple to sit on
the other and they drove towards the Alambazar Math. On the way, Swamiji
said to the disciple, "It won't do to live on abstract ideas merely. These
festivals and the like are also necessary; for then only, these ideas will
spread gradually among the masses. You see, the Hindus have got their
festivals throughout the year, and the secret of it is to infuse the great
ideals of religion gradually into the minds of the people. It has also its
drawback, though. For people in general miss their inner significance and
become so much engrossed in externals that no sooner are these festivities
over than they become their old selves again. Hence it is true that all
these form the outer covering of religion, which in a way hide real
spirituality and self-knowledge.
"But there are those who cannot at all understand in the abstract what 'religion' is or what the 'Self' is, and they try to realise spirituality gradually through these festivals and ceremonies. Just take this festival celebrated today; those that attended it will at least once think of Shri Ramakrishna. The thought will occur to their mind as to who he was, in whose name such a great crowd assembled and why so many people came at all in his name. And those who will not feel that much even, will come once in a year to see all the devotional dancing and singing, or at least to partake of the sacred food-offerings, and will also have a look at the devotees of Shri Ramakrishna. This will rather benefit them than do any harm."
Disciple: But, sir, suppose somebody thinks these festivals and ceremonies
to be the only thing essential, can he possibly advance any further? They
will gradually come down to the level of commonplace observances, like the
worship in our country of (the goddesses) Shashthi, Mangala-chandi, and the
like. People are found to observe these rites till death; but where do we
find even one among them rising through such observances to the knowledge of
Brahman?
Swamiji: Why? In India so many spiritual heroes were born, and did they not make them the means of scaling the heights of greatness? When by persevering in practice through these props they gained a vision of the Self, they ceased to be keen on them. Yet, for the preservation of social balance even great men of the type of Incarnations follow these observances.
Disciple: Yes, they may observe these for appearance only. But when to a knower of the Self even this world itself becomes unreal like magic, is it possible for him to recognise these external observances as true?
Swamiji: Why not? Is not our idea of truth also a relative one, varying in
relation to time, place, and person? Hence all observances have their
utility, relatively to the varying qualifications in men. It is just as Shri
Ramakrishna used to say, that the mother cooks Polâo and Kâlia (rich dishes)
for one son, and sago for another.
Now the disciple understood at last and kept quiet. Meanwhile the carriage arrived at the Alambazar Math. The disciple followed Swamiji into the Math where Swamiji, being thirsty, drank some water. Then putting off his coat, he rested recumbent on the blanket spread on the floor. Swami Niranjanananda, seated by his side, said, "We never had such a great crowd in any year's Utsava before! As if the whole of Calcutta flocked there!"
Swamiji: It was quite natural; stranger things will happen hereafter.
Disciple: Sir, in every religious sect are found to exist external festivals
of some kind or other. But there is no amity between one sect and another in
this matter. Even in the case of such a liberal religion as that of
Mohammed, I have found in Dacca that the Shiâs and Sunnis go to loggerheads
with each other.
Swamiji: That is incidental more or less wherever you have sects. But do you
know what the ruling sentiment amongst us is? — non-sectarianism. Our Lord
was born to point that out. He would accept all forms, but would say withal
that, looked at from the standpoint of the knowledge of Brahman, they were
only like illusory Mâyâ.
Disciple: Sir, I can't understand your point. Sometimes it seems to me that,
by thus celebrating these festivals, you are also inaugurating another sect
round the name of Shri Ramakrishna. I have heard it from the lips of Nâg
Mahâshaya that Shri Ramakrishna did not belong to any sect. He used to pay
great respect to all creeds such as the Shâktas, the Vaishnavas, the
Brahmos, the Mohammedans, and the Christians.
Swamiji: How do you know that we do not also hold in great esteem all the
religious creeds?
So saying, Swamiji called out in evident amusement to Swami Niranjanananda:
"Just think what this Bângâl[2] is saying!"
Disciple: Kindly make me understand, sir, what you mean.
Swamiji: Well, you have, to be sure, read my lectures. But where have I
built on Shri Ramakrishna's name? It is only the pure Upanishadic religion
that I have gone about preaching in the world.
Disciple: That's true, indeed. But what I find by being familiar with you is
that you have surrendered yourself, body and soul, to Ramakrishna. If you
have understood Shri Ramakrishna to be the Lord Himself, why not give it out
to the people at large?
Swamiji: Well, I do preach what I have understood. And if you have found the
Advaitic principles of Vedanta to be the truest religion, then why don't you
go out and preach it to all men?
Disciple: But I must realise, before I can preach it to others. I have only
studied Advaitism in books.
Swamiji: Good; realise first and then preach. Now, therefore, you have no right to say anything of the beliefs each man tries to live by. For you also proceed now by merely putting your faith on some such beliefs.
Disciple: True, I am also living now by believing in something; but I have
the Shâstras for my authority. I do not accept any faith opposed to the
Shastras.
Swamiji: What do you mean by the Shastras? If the Upanishads are authority, why not the Bible or the Zend-Avesta equally so?
Disciple: Granted these scriptures are also good authority, they are not,
however, as old as the Vedas. And nowhere, moreover, is the theory of the
Âtman better established than in the Vedas.
Swamiji: Supposing I admit that contention of yours, what right have you to maintain that truth can be found nowhere except in the Vedas?
Disciple: Yes, truth may also exist in all the scriptures other than the
Vedas, and I don't say anything to the contrary. But as for me, I choose to
abide by the teachings of the Upanishads, for I have very great faith in
them.
Swamiji: Quite welcome to do that, but if somebody else has "very great"
faith in any other set of doctrines, surely you should allow him to abide by
that. You will discover that in the long run both he and yourself will
arrive at the same goal. For haven't you read in the Mahimnah-stotram, "त्वमसि पयसामर्णव इव — Thou art as the ocean to the rivers falling into it?"
- ↑ Panchavati is a grove of five special trees arranged and grown to serve purposes of spiritual practice. The Vilva is also a holy tree of that sort.
- ↑ This term as used of people hailing from East Bengal is too often supposed to have a ring of derision. But in the case of the disciple, it very easily and naturally grew to be a term of peculiar endearment. — Ed.