Reminiscences
Reminiscences of Sargachhi SWAMI SUHITANANDA
Swami Premeshananda (1884 – 1967) was a disciple of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. For over two decades he lived at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachhi, West Bengal. Under his inspiration countless people led a life of spirituality and service, and many young men and women entered into monastic life. His conversations – translated from Bengali and presented below – were noted by his attendant who is now Srimat Swami Suhitananda, one of the Vice-Presidents of the Ramakrishna Order.
March 2020
(Continued from previous issue. . .)
The Vedanta Kesari
14
23.11.60 Maharaj: However much you may engage in spiritual practices like meditation, japa, and reflection on God, unless you once a day still the mind and free it from all thoughts, it is impossible to get rid of lust and anger.
Sharat Maharaj was a person of refinement; he did not have an iota of defect. How wonderful were his dealings! Often he used to say, ‘First be a gentleman, and then be a sadhu.’ If someone comes here to be a sadhu, we must consider these things: 1) appearance, 2) education, 3) behaviour, 4) parents, and 5) upbringing, i.e., the environment in which he grew up. 25.11.60
Maharaj: God is like a collective body and the living beings are His individual cells. Each cell has to undergo the states of asti, jayate, nashyati, ‘existence, birth, and death.’
Question: How do the worshippers of God with form explain how God can be omnipresent? Maharaj: They manage it somehow. We know only the One: Nirguna Brahman. It can be seen through the round opening [in a wall, with an infinite landscape on the other side]; it is
47 like water pouring down from the roof through the lion’s mouth; or like bathing in the Ganga at a ghat. Without Advaitic knowledge it is not possible to look upon every living being as Narayana [God]. Those who frequently say ‘as the Lord wills’, ‘as Mother wills’, are confused about things. But we have to be convinced that through the body-mind-intellect of every living being, the one Hari [God] sports, donning various appearances. Only then can we serve people by knowing them as Narayana. If a leper comes to me, I serve him – that’s all. I’m not concerned with whether he lives or dies. My purpose is to serve him. Who knows, perhaps this time He is acting as a leper and next time He will disguise Himself as a King. Question: Is the work we do presented as लोकसङ्ग्रहार्थम्, the good of the world? Maharaj: We cannot live without doing work; that is why we try to perform work as worship. Working thus, we gradually attain knowledge सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृते …, “All beings act according to their nature.” (Gita 3:33) Work then is no longer mere work, but worship. Again, work as worship can also lead to a state where work comes to an end. Among us there are some who have attained knowledge, yet they still have to perform work.
