SWAMI SHANKARANANDAJI THE 7TH PRESIDENT OF RAMAKRISHNA ORDER
Swami Shankarananda was the seventh President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission-was born on Tuesday, 9 March 1880 at his material uncle's house at Baje Pratappur in Hooghly district of West Bengal. His pre-monastic name was Amritalal Sengupta. His father Navinkrishna Sengupta was an engineer. Due to his posting at various places, Amritalal had to move about frequently, with the family.
Swami Sadananda, the first monastic disciple of Swamiji, was his distantly related maternal uncle in his pre-monastic life. As a child Amritalal had a glimpse of Swami Vivekananda after his return from the West. From his childhood, Amritalal was very energetic, yet possessed a gentle disposition. His gentleness developed remarkably in his monastic life. .His pre-monastic name was Amritalal Sengupta.
He left home in 1902 and joined at the Belur Math. He was initiated by Swami Brahmananda who had developed great liking for the boy and fondly called him Amulya, meaning 'precious'. Eventually, he became popular as Amulya Maharaj.
Amulya was initiated into sannyasa by Swami Brahmananda in 1906. He served his guru as his attendant. He moulded his life under the active guidance of Swami Brahmananda. Amulya's visits to various places in India with Sister Nivedita and a visit to Japan with Swami Sadananda, helped him to gather educative experiences related to culture, religion and architecture. He was instrumental in building the monastery at Bhubaneswar, under the guidance of Swami Brahmananda. Many important temples like the temples of the Holy Mother and Swami Brahmananda were later built under his supervision. Swami Shankarananda was austere and meditative by nature and took up spiritual discipline at places like Darjeeling, Bhubaneswar, Puri and other places.
Swami Shankarananda became a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission, in 1910. He served as one of the Joint Secretaries of the Order since 1929 and later became its Treasurer in 1938. For brief periods he served as the head of the Bhubaneswar Centre and also of the Delhi Centre of the Order. In 1947, he became a Vice President of the Order. After the passing away of Swami Virajananda, the mantle of the office of Presidentship fell on Swami Shankarananda on 19 June 1951. He was a man of few words and outwardly maintained a stern appearance, but had motherly love and concern for all. His tenure as the President of the Order was marked by the consolidation of the Ramakrishna Movement in various parts of the country.
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MY PRANAAM TO SWAMI ADBHUTANANDAJI MAHARAJ ON HIS HOLY JANMATITHI -THE SACRED MAGHI PURNIMA DAY
----By Smti.Jayashree Mukherjee.
Latu is the greatest miracle of Sri Ramakrishna", Swamiji once said with reference to Swami Adbhutananda. "Having absolutely no education, he has attained to the highest wisdom simply at the touch of the Master". Yes, Latu Maharaj, by which name Swami Adbhutananda was popularly known, was the peer of the Master in this respect that he was entirely innocent of the knowledge of the three R's. Nay, he even surpassed the Master in his ignorance; for whereas the Master could some how manage to read and write, with Latu Maharaj any reading or writing was out of the question.
Once Shri Ramakrishna attempted to teach young Latu how to read and write. But in spite of repeated attempts, Latu pronounced the Bengali alphabet in such a distorted way that the Master, out of sheer despair gave up the attempt to educate Latu. It di d not matter, however, that Latu had no book learning. Books supply us knowledge by proxy, as it were. Latu had direct access to the Fountain-head of knowledge. The result was that great scholars and philosophers would sit dumb at his feet to hear the wo rds of wisdom that dropped from his lips. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that when a ray of light comes from the great source of all light, all book-learning loses its value. His own life bore testimony to his fact.
The early name of Swami Adbhutananda was Rakhturam, which was shortened to Latu. He was born of humble parents in a village in the district of Chhapra in Bihar. His early life is shrouded in obscurity. It was very difficult to draw him out on that point. As a sannyasin he was discreetly silent on matters relating to his home and relations. If anybody would ask him any question about his early days he would sharply answer, "Giving up thought about God, will you be busy about these trifles?". On ce a devotee expressed a desire to write a biography of Latu Maharaj. To this he raised objection saying, "What is the use of writing my life? If you want to write a biography, just write a biography of the Master and of Swamiji. That will be doing good to the world". From details that fell from the lips of Latu Maharaj in his unguarded moments it was known that his parents were very poor-they could hardly make both ends in spite of their hard labour. Scarcely was Latu five years old when he lost both parents. His uncle then looked after him.
Latu left with his uncle his home village for Calcutta and got employment in the house of Ram Chandra Datta, who was a devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. At Ram Chandra's house, Latu heard of Sri Ramkrishna and naturally he felt eager to see him. At the very first meeting, brought about in this way, the Master was greatly impressed with the spiritual potentiality of the boy, and Latu felt immensely drawn to the Master even without knowing anything about his greatness.
The Master went to Kamarpukur for about eight months. When the Master returned back, he felt the necessity of an attendant. When he proposed the name of Latu to Ram Chandra, the latter at once agreed to spare him. Thus Latu got the long-wished-for opp ortunity of serving Sri Ramakrishna.
After the demise of the Master, Latu embraced monastic life and became `Swami Adbhutananda.' Though he lived a mendicant's life, he seldom moved away from Dakshineswar, his holiest place of pilgrimage. Through hard austerity and long bouts of meditation he was able to live constantly in God.
He lived for an unusually long period of nine years at the house of Balram Bose, another great devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. It was during this period that many earnest seekers would meet him and get their doubts resolved.He spent his last days at Varanasi
Swami Adbhutananda ji had spent the last part of his life in the holy city VARANASI from 1912 to 1920.
He did not live in ADVAITA ASHRAMA or in Ramakrishna Sevasrama but his divine and high spiritually enriched life was a great shelter for the monks of both the ashramas.
From Balram Mandir Latu Maharajji at first arrived at the ADVAITA SHRAMA-but later understanding the difficulty for a lack of space he started living in some Sri Kundu’s house for one week.Next he went to live in the house of Sri Bangshi Dutta and lived there
for some time. When he got the news that some relatives of Sri dutta are coming to that house he took a rented house –no.68 in pnade hawli.He lived in that house for four years.At the end he took another house on rent – No. 96 in Hadarbag and lived in that house till the last day of his holy life.
Latu Maharaj always had the vision of Shiva in the holy Lingam of KASHI VISWANATH.So he alwayays used to tell everyone “ Pavitra hao ,pavitra hao” ( be pure in heart ).people used to gather around him all the time to listen to his holy words. His helper Swami Siddhanandaji used to keep a record of his holy words and later all his words was published as a book named “Satkatha”.His days in the holy city of Varanasi was being spent in Japam,Meditation and Satsangam. He harly had any interest in eating or any other needs.Whenever he used to speak about Thakur and Swamiji his face used to glow with a divine glow and the devotees used to listen to words and watch him in a mesmering daze!
He went to Mahasamadhi on 24th April 1920. Swami Turianandaji who was in Varanasi Sevashrama at the house called “Ambika dham” used to go and meet him regularly although he too was very ill at that time.Later after the Mahasamadhi of Latu Maharaj he wrote a very memorable letter to Miss Josephin Macleod – a letter drenched in .rief for the loss of a loving brother :
“ Swami Adbhutananda – Latu Maharaj – is now no more. He breathed his last on the 24th of April. His passing away was indeed wonderful. He entered a meditative state from the moment he fell ill, and remained absorbed in that state until he gave up the
body. He had developed a small blister on his right ankle which developed into gangrene. All the best local medical help was sought, but to no avail; in ten days he expired. He showed no signs of pain during his illness. But the wonder of all wonders was that even after his death when his body was placed in a sitting position to conform with some funeral rites, we found him looking so beautiful, so serene and full of peace and bliss. His face beamed with light and intelligence unspeakable, as if he were taking leave of his friends for the last time with an exhortation of affectionate benediction. Really, it was a sight for the gods to see.
Latu Maharaj entered into eternal peace and another son of Sri Ramakrishna
joins him, making us feel poorer for this irreparable loss.”
Later Sri Chandra Maharaj the Adhyaskha of the Advaita Ashrama Varanasi built a two rooms in the ashrama to preserve the memories of REV. Latu Maharajji with the help of his devotees. In a room on the upstairs of the northern part of the main building The bedding and cloths used by swami ADBHUTANANDAJI MAHARAJ were broughtWith the help of his devotees on 1st February 1923, being Holy Maghi Purnima day.
A unique oil painting of Swami Adbhtanandaji was also preserved there.The loose saffron cloak,water bowl, a desk for letter writing used by Swami Shivanandaji , some old letters written by SwamiAkhandanandaji and Swami Premanandaji Maharaj kept in an almirah were also preserved there.
The “ SACRED SAFFRON CLOTH” with broad red border one of the pieces that His Guru (SRI RAMAKRISHNA) had gifted to all his disciples at the Cassipur Garden House in Calcutta and all other belongings of Swami Adhbhutanandaji Maharaj was also preserved in this Room.However most of the articles have subsequently been shifted to the Museum At BELUR MATH for preservation.
Establishment of MAHAVIRA TEMPLE IN ADVAITYA ASHRAMA VARANASI
In the room just below Swami Adbhutanandaji’s room, a beautiful Marble idol of SRI MAHAVIRA with his breast torn open to exhibit the images pf Sri Rama and Devi sita was installed on a marble alter.Swami Shivanandaji who was the then President of RKM was present in Kashi. On the auspicious day of Maghi Purnima He performed the installation ceremony.A special puja of Mahaveera and Homa was performed. A large congregation of the monastics took place and the RAMANAMA SANKIRTANAM was sung in the afternoon.
Swami SHIVANANDAJI announced that since the actual date of birth of SWAMI ADBHUTANANDAJI was not known , the day of Maghi Purnima should hence forward be observed as his birthday
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In 1885, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Dev stayed at 55 Shyampukur Street, known as Shyam-pukur Bati, for 70 days after leaving Dakshineswar for treatment of throat cancer. He stayed there before moving to Cossipore Udyanbati.
In this shyam-pukur bati some of the best physicians of the time, including Dr Mahendralal Sarkar, were requested to treat him. When his condition aggravated, he was relocated to a large garden house at Cossipore on December 11, 1885.
The house was visited by many important personalities like :
...
1. Girish Chandra Ghose, noted dramatist who worshipped Sri Ramakrishna as goddess Kali here.
2. Holy mother Sri Sarada Devi came to this house from Dakshineshwar to look after Sri Ramakrishna and cooked food and prepared medicine for him.
3. Narendranath Dutta who later became Swami Vivekananda and his brother disciples left their homes and started staying with Sri Ramakrishna.
4. Nati Binodini, the famous actress, came to meet Sri Ramakrishna dressed as a European gentleman.
The building was in a dilapidated condition and Sri Ramakrishna Smaran Sangha bought a portion of the house in 1978 and repaired it. It purchased the remaining portion a few years ago. The house is visited by devotees and scholars.
In the museum housed on the ground floor of the building along with the articles used by Sri Ramakrishna - there are some paintings depicting various important happenings of this house during his stay in this house.
The main Lens of the field camera with which the first photograph of Sri Ramakrishna was taken, the first photo print of the Master, the marble-top wooden cot upon which the Master used to sit at Kalipada Ghosh’s house, are on show for the devotees every week from Tuesday to Sunday between 4.00 and 8.00 p.m.
Classes on scriptures are held regularly.
Submitted by Smti. Jayashree Mukherjee
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Sri Ramakrishna on Need of a Guru
Submitted By Smti. Jayashree Mukherjee
A Devotee : Sir, is it necessary to have a guru?"Sri Ramakrishna : "Yes, many need a guru. But a man must have faith in the guru's words. He succeeds in spiritual life by looking on his guru as God Himself. Therefore the Vaishnavas speak of Guru, Krishna, and Vaishnava.
... One should constantly repeat the name of God. The name of God is highly effective in the Kaliyuga. The practice of yoga is not possible in this age, for the life of a man depends on food. Clap your hands while repeating God's name, and the birds of your sin will fly away.
One should always seek the company of holy men. The nearer you approach the Ganges, the cooler the breeze will feel. Again, the nearer you go to a fire, the hotter the air will feel.
But one cannot achieve anything through laziness and procrastination. People who desire worldly enjoyment say about spiritual progress: 'Well, it will all happen in time. We shall realize God some time or other.'
I said to Keshab Sen: 'When a father sees that his son has become restless for his inheritance, he gives him his share of the property even three years before the legal time. A mother keeps on cooking while the baby is in bed sucking its toy. But when it throws the toy away and cries for her, she puts down the rice-pot and takes the baby in her arms and nurses it.' I said all this to Keshab.
"It is said that, in the Kaliyuga, if a man can weep for God one day and one night, he sees Him.See More
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TEAHINGS OF SWAMI VIRAJANANDAJI - (Kalikrishna Maharaj)-a direct disciple of Swami VIVEKANANDA and the 6th president of RKM
If you have to be in the world at all, make God your world. Set upyour home with Him. Whatever you do, see or hear, think that to be God.It is all play, a game with Him. Know life to be a game in which Mother herself is the Player and you are Her playmate. The world will be ...quite different when and if you know that Mother is playing with you. Then youwill find that in this world there is neither happiness nor misery, good norevil, attachment nor aversion, greed nor jealousy; consequently, alldelusion, self-interest and conflict will vanish and no pairs of opposites can torment you there. All ideas of union or separation, of friend or foe, of high and low, of "I an...d mine" are non-existent in that play of yours with the Divine Mother. There is only inexhaustible bliss, boundless love, and infinite peace. If even a drop of that bliss be experienced the pleasures of worldly objects will seem contemptible. The possession of even an atom of that love will make the whole world dearer than one's dearest ones,and heavenly bliss will be felt through every pore of the body. There is no fear in that play, no anxiety, no bondage, no weariness;it is always an ever-new play. And what infinite modes of play does theMother know! Endless are the forms and ways in which She plays! Oneloses oneself in the very thought of it and is merged therein. In thatmoment of transcendental ecstasy the play ceases; for who will play then,and with whom? That beatific experience, that state of blissful union, isbeyond the reach of speech and mind! He alone knows who knows! Greatfun! Oh, the great fun!See More
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Teachings of swami Virajanandaji (Kalikrishna Maharaj)-a direct disciple of Swami Vivekananda and the 6th president of RKM
shama
(tranquillity of mind),dama(restraint of thesenses),uparati(giving up attachment to objects),titiksha(remaininguna
ffected amidst all kinds of afflictions),shradha(faith in the words of the spiritual teacher and the scriptures) andsamadhana(concentration of mind on the Chosen Ideal, or God).
...
2.Whatever be the time you devote to japaand meditation - even if itbe only ten or fifteen minutes - do it with all your heart and soul. TheLord is the indweller, the inner guide. He sees your heart; His measure isnot how long you meditate on Him nor how many times you do japa, butyour inner longing.
3.Self-effort (purushakara) is necessary for spiritual attainment.Resolve firmly, "I will realise God through my own efforts by doingspiritual practices," and go on steadfastly practising japaand meditation,seated in proper posture, for at least two hours every morning andevening, for three or four years - and see if you succeed or not.
Courtesy : Paramartha Prasanga By Swami Birajananda
Submitted By: Smt.Jayashree Mukherjee
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Sarada Prasanna Mitra, who later became Swami Trigunatitananda, was born in the village of Naora (Paikhati), 24- Paraganas, at 9.26 p.m. on Monday 30 January 1865.
Submitted By: Smt.Jayashree Mukherjee
Sarada Prasanna Mitra, who later became Swami Trigunatitananda, was born in the village of Naora (Paikhati), 24- Paraganas, at 9.26 p.m. on Monday 30 January 1865.
Sarada had such a wonderful memory that he memorized 108 hymns and salutation mantras on different gods and goddesses before he was fourteen.Although Sarada was Ramakrishna’s disciple, Holy Mother later gave him formal initiation. As far as the record shows, Jogin and Sarada were the only two monastic disciples of Sri Ramakrishna who were initiated by Holy Mother.
Sarada continued his visits to the master, serving him during his last days. Sometimes he stayed overnight, enduring his fathers’ scolding.
In January 1887 Sarada and other disciples performed the viraja homa, a special fire sacrifice, in front of Sri Ramakrishna’s picture and took their final monastic vows. Swami Vivekananda gave Sarada the name ‘Swami Trigunatitananda’. Vivekananda later teased him about his long name and asked him to shorten it, so ‘Trigunatita’ became what he was usually called.
Trigunatita was an extremist by nature. Once he decided to repeat his mantram day and night. His goal was ‘God-realization or death by starvation’. Shivananda was very concerned about this young brother monk, and tried to persuade him to come out of his room. Trigunatita did come out, but he refused to eat. At last, it was decided that while Trigunatita ate, Shivananda would touch him and repeat a mantram on his behalf. Thus he hurriedly took his meal and continued his japam.
To spread the message of Sri Ramakrishna in Bengali, Swamiji asked Trigunatita to start the magazine that he had thought of in 1896. Swami Vivekananda contributed one thousand rupees; Harmohan Mittra donated another thousand. These contributions enabled Trigunatita to buy a press and inaugurate the publication of Udbodhan. Trigunatita rented a couple of rooms at Combuliatola Lane, Kolkata, for the magazine, laboring on this pioneering job alone, without any previous experience. His main assets were his sincerity, patience, perseverance and above all love for the ideal. As he had no monastic assistants at first, Trigunatita was the editor, proofreader, manager, and supervisor of the press; and when the typesetters were sick, he had to compose the type also. Sometimes he would go door to door to collect subscriptions, since his funds were limited he didn’t travel by tram; instead, he would walk ten miles a day. Sharat Chandra Chakrabarty, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda, recorded the following in his Talks with Swami Vivekananda
Disciple: “Sir, it is impossible for any other man to exert himself as Swami Trigunatita is doing for the magazine.”
Swamiji: “Do you think these monastic children of Sri Ramakrishna are born simply to sit for meditation under trees lighting dhuni-fires? Whenever any of them will take up some work, people will be astonished to see their energy. Learn from them hoe to work. Look, Trigunatita has given up his spiritual practices, his meditation and everything, to carry out my orders, and he has set himself to work. Is it a matter of small sacrifice? He will not stop short of success!”
Trigunatita edited and managed the Udbodhan for four years.
courtesy RAMAKRISHNA MISSION VIVEKANANDA MEMORIAL,VADODARA
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VEDANTA SOCIETY OF SAN FRANSISCO ESTABLISHED BY REV. SWAMI TRIGUNATITANANDAJI-A DIRECT DISCIPLE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA
Submitted By: Smt.Jayashree Mukherjee
Its roofline an architectural confection of fanciful domes and graceful galleries, the Old Vedanta Temple at the corner of Webster and Filbert Streets is a vibrant landmark of the Cow Hollow neighborhood. The spirited architecture of this building, however, has a firm spiritual foundation.... The structure is said to be the first Hindu Temple in the Western Hemisphere. From 1905 until the community outgrew the space and dedicated the “New” Vedanta Temple in 1959 at Fillmore and Vallejo Streets, just a few blocks away, the Old Temple served as the home for what became the Vedanta Society of Northern California. An early pamphlet published by the Society noted that the Temple “…may be considered a Hindu temple, a Christian church, a Mohammedan mosque and a Hindu …monastery.”
Joseph A. Leonard was chosen as the architect and worked with Swami Trigunathiandaji on the design. The first two floors were completed in 1905. Leonard (1849-1929) was an eclectic architect and developer who delivered a large Edwardian structure with undeniable Queen Anne touches.
In 1907-08, Swami Trigunathiandaji explicitly directed the design of an exuberant third floor: five hollow domes and the graceful, lobated arches of the gallery. Thus, the domes of the Old Temple acknowledge in sheet metal and wood the Vedanta philosophy of universality.
The crenulated dome that looks down on Webster Street honors Christianity, seen as a European, Western religion. The corner dome is a double bulb, patterned on that of a Hindu temple in the Bengal region of India. The easternmost Filbert Street dome is a two-stage octagon. It represents a Shivite temple in India, but is topped with an Islamic crescent that is itself crowned by a trident.
The next dome, moving west, is the “Hershey kisses” dome, a miniaturized replica of a temple in Benares (in Uttar Pradesh, India), also reminiscent of the onion domes of Russian Orthodox architecture. The final dome above Filbert Street is a copy of the Moghul architecture of the Taj Mahal.See More
Submitted By: Smt.Jayashree Mukherjee
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Swami Shankarananda
Submitted By: Smt.Jayashree Mukherjee
He left home in 1902 and joined at the Belur Math. He was initiated by Swami Brahmananda who had developed great liking for the boy and fondly called him Amulya, meaning 'precious'. Eventually, he became popular as Amulya Maharaj.
Amulya was initiated into sannyasa by Swami Brahmananda in 1906. He served his guru as his attendant. He moulded his life under the active guidance of Swami Brahmananda. Amulya's visits to various places in India with Sister Nivedita and a visit to Japan with Swami Sadananda, helped him to gather educative experiences related to culture, religion and architecture. He was instrumental in building the monastery at Bhubaneswar, under the guidance of Swami Brahmananda. Many important temples like the temples of the Holy Mother and Swami Brahmananda were later built under his supervision. Swami Shankarananda was austere and meditative by nature and took up spiritual discipline at places like Darjeeling, Bhubaneswar, Puri and other places.
Swami Shankarananda became a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Math and a member of the Governing Body of the Ramakrishna Mission, in 1910. He served as one of the Joint Secretaries of the Order since 1929 and later became its Treasurer in 1938. For brief periods he served as the head of the Bhubaneswar Centre and also of the Delhi Centre of the Order. In 1947, he became a Vice President of the Order. After the passing away of Swami Virajananda, the mantle of the office of Presidentship fell on Swami Shankarananda on 19 June 1951. when Ramakrishna mission in delhi constructed the Sri Ramakrishna temple-the consecration of Ramakrishna and prana-pratishtha of the image of Sri Ramakrishna was performed by Swami Shankarananda, the then President of the Order, on November 28, 1957 at 8.15 am in the presence of a large number of monks and devotees who had come from various parts of India.
He was a man of few words and outwardly maintained a stern appearance, but had motherly love and concern for all. His tenure as the President of the Order was marked by the consolidation of the Ramakrishna Movement in various parts of the country.
Submitted By: Smti. Jayashree Mukherjee
Submitted By: Smti. Jayashree Mukherjee
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