Pariprasna

Q & A with Srimat Swami Tapasyananda (1904 to 1991), Vice-President of the Ramakrishna Order.

Approach the wise sages, offer reverential salutations, repeatedly ask proper questions, serve them and thus know the Truth. —BhagavadGita

Reason and Faith QUESTION:Whataretherelativerolesofreasonandfaithinthepathofdevotion? MAHARAJ:Faithandreasonarethetwouniquefacultiesofthehumanmind.Animalshave neitherofthese.Manyalearnedmanrecognizesthatreasonisadistinguishingfeatureofmanfrom animal.Butbyastrangeperversity,theyfailtorecognizethatthefacultyoffaithisequallyso.Faith andrationalityarelikethetwolegsofaman.Onewhoisdevoidofeitherofthesefacultiesislike aone-leggedman. Ineverydaylifealsoitwouldbenoticedthatninetypercentofouractivitiesarebasedon informationacceptedonfaith.Forthistheso-calledrationalistshaveperhapsnoobjection.Alltheir objectionisreservedfortheacceptanceofanultimatespiritualprinciplethattranscendsNature andofwhichNatureisonlyanexpression. Now,itisanobviousfactthatreasonunderstoodasaprocessingofdatacannotinitself provide the data. Inmatters connectedwithlife andNature, the dataare providedbysense experiences.Thesealsoincludescientificpowersofthesensesenhancedbyinstruments.The functionofreasonconsistsinprocessingthesedataandestablishingconnectionsbetweenthem drawinginferencesfromthem,andformulatingtheoriesbasedonthem. NaturalismcontendsthatNatureisself-sufficient,andself-explanatory.Therearenodata beyondNatureandevenifthereare,thereisnowayofgettingatthem.Largenumbersofpeople feelthatthisisaveryunsatisfactoryposition.ForitmakeslifeandNaturemeaninglessandto submittoameaninglessexistenceisanimpossiblesituationwiththehumanspirit.Thosewhoare satisfiedwiththelifeofthesensesandthejoysandfulfilmentsitoffers,however,stiflequestions onthisproblem.Theyfollowthewayoftheostrichbyignoringtheproblem. Butnoonewithanearnestspiritcanrestatthat.Suchapersonstrugglesthroughthepathof introspectiontoovercomethisstalemateanditistheverdictofthebestamongsuch,thattheyare abletosolvetheriddlebydevelopingthepowerofintuitionbywhichtheyrecognizethatReality initsessenceisSatChitAnanda(ExistenceKnowledgeBliss)andnotameremechanicalentity. Thewitnessofintuitionisimmenselymorepowerfulthansenseperception. Nowthispowerofintuitionisonlydevelopedfromfaith.Faithmustbegintooperatewhen purereasoninggetsstultified.Faithisthepre-acceptanceofthenatureoftheultimaterealityas SatChitAnanda,withutmostsincerityandwithresolutiontoliveinawayastoleadtothisintuitive experience.ItincludesalsofaithintheSastrasorscripturesthatinculcatesdoctrinesbasedonthe intuitionsofthegreatseersofthespiritualrealityandthedisciplineslaiddownbythemfor aspirantstofollow.

Theso-calledrationalistsscoffattheideasstatedaboveaboutthemethodofintuition.But theirattituderevealsonlytheirignoranceanddogmatism.Theyseemtohaveavestedinterestin theirignorance. Reasonhasaplaceindealingwiththedatagotthroughintuition.Justasitprocessesthe findingsofscienceandformulatestheoriesitcandothesamewiththefindingsofintuition,—study themasexperiencesofdifferentseers,establishtheirrelationwiththefindingsofnaturalscience andbuildsystemsthatwillappealtotherationalunderstandingofman.Thusreasonandintuition havetoworktogethertobuildacomprehensivetheoryaboutlifeanditsgoal. Alltroublestartswhensomepeoplebeginwiththeideathatfaithisfundamentallyapursuit ofsuperstition,whichitisnot.Itcanofcoursedegenerateintothatifitisnotproperlycultivated, justasthereasoningfacultyofmancanleadtofallaciousconclusionsifitisnottrainedand exercisedproperly. Whatfaith can give, can neverbe gotbymere reasoning; forfaith is the forerunner,thegerm,ofintuition.Reasoningisalsorequiredtocoordinateandregulatethefindings ofintuitionbasedonfaith.

Love of God QUESTION:Whatismeantbytheexpression‘IntellectualLoveofGod’? MAHARAJ: The expression ‘Intellectual Love ofGod’ was used by the great western philosopherSpinozainthecontextofhisconceptionofanabsoluteandimpersonalGod.Godloves Himselfbutdoesnotreturntheloveandprayersoffinitebeings,accordingtohim.Butthefinite being,man,isinhisessenceonewiththeonlysubstance,whichisGod.Toknowoneselfinthat relationwiththe eternal Beingi.e., be unitedwithHiminessence bydiscardingthe holdof impermanententanglements,istoparticipateinHisself-love,whichisonlyanothernamefor‘Bliss ofpureexistenceorunsulliedBeing’.SuchparticipationintheblissoftheeternalBeingthrough unionwithHimiscalledIntellectualLoveincontrastwithsentimental,personaldevotiontoaBeing whoisexpectedtorespondtopersonalloveandprayers. ThisisnotmuchdifferentfromthepointofviewofthefollowersofthepathofpureJnanaor evenofdevotionmixedwithJnanaintheIndiantradition.Butthefollowersofthepathofpure devotionwouldalsoconsiderGodaspersonal.TosaythatHeisonlyanimpersonalPrincipleisto compromisewithHisabsoluteness.TolimitHimasirresponsivetoloveanddevotionwillonly reduceparticipationinHisblisstothestatusofenjoymentofanaturalsceneryorappreciationof ascientificlaw.ItisthecontentionoftheBhaktischoolthatGodrevealsHispureBliss-Natureonly toonewhoconsidersHimashis‘own’andapproachesHiminapersonalrelationship.Ofcourse, here also the devotee does not crave for any favours except the joy ofservingHim.HerealsoGodisbliss,butHeisactivebliss.He hasthepowerofbliss,whichactivelyelevatesthedevotee who approaches Him through prayer and surrender to become a participant ofdivine bliss by destroying all obstaclesthatstandinthewayandraisinghimtothestate ofparticipationintheblissofservice(Bhajanananda).

Selections from Spiritual Quest: Questions & Answers bySwamiTapasyananda

The men ofKnowledge state that Brahmanaloneisreal;theworldis illusorylikeadream.Yetweknow thatindreamthedreamexperienceisreal.To explain their point, they take the illustration of thesnakeandtherope.Whatliesthereinfront ofus is just a rope, but we become afraid thinking that it is a snake. We tremble and shoutforhelp.However,whensomeonethrows abeamoflightandpointsoutthatnoneofthe featuresofasnakeispresentinthatthingand itis justarope, all these unnervingfeelings leave us. Even more unfortunate is our condition if we look at a snake and think that it isjustarope!Ifwetrytopickitup,wewillbe bitten.So,wearewarnednottoseeAtmanin the Anatman (world)andnorbeattachedtothe unrealworld.Weshouldcontinueourquestfor Brahmanthroughasystemofdisciplines. It is strange also to see that men of Knowledge explain creation! From Atman comes space, fire, water, earth and so on to embodied people. Ifthe world were really unreal whyshould one go to such elaborate explanation of creation. The five fires explaining creation found in the Upanishads seemtobeoutofplace.Soalsoistheideathat BrahmanfeltlonelyandthoughtIshallbecome themany.Inmanytherewillbeenjoymentof the‘other’.Andstrangerfurtheristheutterance that having projected the world, Brahman enteredintoit. Themainobjectionthattheworldwould limittheinfinitudeofBrahmancancomeunder question. Where was the world into which SWAMI SATYAPRIYANANDA Brahman entered? In the case ofembodied beings,theAtmanislodgedinthefivesheaths composedoffood,vitalforce,mind,knowledge, andbliss.Wherearethesesheathswhenthe worlditselfisdenied?Onewouldexpectthat there would be no attempt to describe the ultimateTruthrelyinginanywayonsomething unrealwhicheventuallygetsdiscarded. In the explanation that, that from which beings are born, that in which they are sustained and that unto which they return on dissolution,isBrahman–itisagainareliance on the false world to point out the real Brahman. Even a knowerofBrahman is not averse to running ashramas, preaching to disciples,orbeggingforalms;allofthesehave interaction with the denied world! Men of knowledgebelievethatadaringmanturnshis vision (and other senses too) inward to perceivetheAtman.Whatwastheretoperceive outwardlyanyway,thatonehadtoturninward? In all religions barring Hinduism, such boldquestioningisdenied;acceptanceofthe dogmaisamust.ButHinduismgivesscopefor d e v e l o p m e n t o f spiritual ideas. The above observations were to arrive at a betterunderstanding.

Let us take the example to illustrate the ‘Is’ ness of the worldly objects. This pot exists; this cloth exists. Existence is the common feature of the denied world.So,theultimateRealityis Sat, Existence. Itisfurtherdescribedas Chit, Consciousness/ The ‘As-Is’ hybrid supposes that Brahman alone is present, either

‘As’ the world or ‘Is’ Brahman. 35 The Vedanta Kesari July 2019

Knowledge and Ananda, Bliss. So the svarupalakshana of Brahman is Sat-ChitAnanda.Thisissupportedalsobyourefforts(a result of the natural tendency to reach that state) to live long, to be conscious and knowledgeable,aswellastoenjoyundivided bliss.However,inthemortalplanethereisno place ofabsolute Sat-Chit-Ananda; itcan be onlyrelative.Wecanlivelonger,knowmore, andbehappier.Theabsoluteinarelativeworld isonlyamirage.

Referringtotheabove examples one could take the stand that ‘whatever is’ is ‘what it looks as’. The ‘Is’ nessofBrahmanlooksasthe potortheclothintheworld. Thisgivesrisetothe‘As’nessofBrahmanor Shakti as it is called. Here comes the significance ofSri Ramakrishna’s statement thatBrahmanandShaktiareidentical;thathe callsBrahmanwhenitisnotengagedinthe acts of creation-preservation-destruction. When engaged in these activities which we perceiveallaroundus,itisShakti.Therefore, theworldneednotbedeniedandthereisno problemoftheworldlimitingtheinfinitudeof Brahman. It is like an equilibrium reaction: reactants < –> products. Following Le Chatelier’s principle, the reaction can proceed from left to right or from right to left. In ordinary usage we can call that involutionevolution.Whatisevolvingfromtheamoebato the perfect human at the other end was already involved.Thisisthetheoryofcycles;itisnota linearprogress.Ifthereisevolutioninsome places,itcouldbeinvolutioninotherplaces. The‘As-Is’hybridsupposesthatBrahmanalone ispresent,either‘As’theworldor‘Is’Brahman. Whatistheoutcome?Theworldisalso real.Thepairoftermsusedsuchas‘Realand unreal’, ‘Nitya and Lila’, ‘Brahman and the world’neednotconfoundus.Theyarejusttwo modesofperception.Turnthemodeswitchto ‘Is’anditisallBrahman;turnthemodeswitch to‘As’anditisthisworld.Withthisperception we can explain our otherwise inexplicable interactions with the world, our sadhana, our conceptsofbondageandliberation,ourservice to humanity in the spirit of worship of God and lastbutnottheleastour‘namaskar/pranams’ withfoldedhands.Bybeingstucktoonegrove wedenytheotherandinthelanguageofSri Ramakrishna, we do not get the complete weightoftheBilvafruit.Asto whether we will rest in ‘Is’ modeor‘As’modedepends on the Will of the Divine Mother whom we supplicate withhumility.IfShechooses to,Shemayplaceaprivileged person in that state of being in touch simultaneouslywith‘As’and‘Is’aspects.Thatis whatBhavamukhais. SriRamakrishnadidnotliketobemerged inBrahmanforeverwhenonebehaveslikea child,amadman,aghouloraninertperson.He wantedmultiplicitybybeinginthecompanyof devotees,singingsongsontheDivineMother, speaking ofspiritual topics and dancing in ecstasy and showering blessings on eager aspirants. He would eat food items without mixingthemupsothathisminddidnotget mergedintoUnityexperience.Againsometimes he wanted to be completely away from all company,evenremovingthepicturesofdeities fromhisroom.Thisisasee-saw.Knowingthe frustration of this to and fro movement, the Divine Mother perhaps asked him thrice to remain in Bhavamukha. From this vantage pointonecouldseebothsides.Itislikebeingin Gomukhandseeingnostreamononesideand agushing,splashing,tumultuousriveronthe otherside.Itislikebeingatthethresholdofa house and seeing both the inside and the outside. Thatis whySri Ramakrishna asked (Continued on page 45...)

Sri Ramakrishna asked devotees not to be one-sided: form, formless and many more possibilities exist.

Put no limit to God.

Scholarship for the 80 poor students

Free medical camp

Free Coaching class for 75 students

On returning to India in January 1897 after his triumphant visit to the West where he propagated the ancient religion of our country, Swami Vivekananda had stayed in Maharaja Bhaskara Sethupathy’s Palace Guest House for 3 days from 29 th to 31 st January, 1897 and delivered speeches that awakened our nation. A Math centre was started at this spot sanctified by Swamiji’s stay and affiliated to the Ramakrishna Order on 26-6-2016. Those who live at Nagachi, Mandapam, Pamban & Rameswaram are mainly poor fishermen & women whose children, unable to afford higher studies, go for daily labour or fishing. The Math is conducting a number of service activities for these poor people.

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Activity Education:Educating80poorstudentsin Nursing,Polytechnic,andArts&Science Mobile Medical Service: Conductingmedical camps Free Coaching Classes:Coachingfor75poor schoolchildrenbesidesgivingthemfood, uniform,notebooks,etc. Tailoring Course: 3-month classes for poor women&giftingthem One Tailoring Machine toearntheirlivelihood. Free School Uniform:For500poorstudents Construction: Monks’Quarters& CommunityHall

Expenditure Rs.30,000/perstudentforone year.Totalcost=Rs.24lakhs Rs.6lakhsperyear

Rs.4lakhsperyear.

Rs.6lakhsperyear

Rs.3lakhsperyear Rs.2.15crores

You can also create an Endowment for Rs. 10000/- and above for the above activities. We request you all to give a helping hand to these poor children of God, through your small or big contributions and be the recipients of the Lord’s blessings. All donations are exempted from 80 G under Income tax act, 1961. The Cheques/ Drafts/ M. O. should be sent in the name of “Ramakrishna Math, Ramanathapuram”. Or it may transferred through RTGS to the following account:

Account name: Ramakrishna Math Branch: Ramanathapuram IFS Code: IDIB000R051

Bank: Indian Bank A/c No.: 6426034057

Please inform us with your address and PAN number after transferring the amount through RTGS. Yours in the service of the Lord, Swami Sutapananda

Adhyaksha