(Both
Swami Vivekananda and Swami Saradananda, have invoked their Great Master as the
Reinstator of Dharma. 'Sthdpakdya ca dharmasya', says Swamiji; 'sarva-dharma-sthdpakas
tvam,' says Sarat Maharaj. In what way did Sri Ramakrishna establish Dharma in
the modern age? Swami Brahmeshanandaof the Ramakrishna Mission Home of Service,
Varanasi, explains how for recovery of faith, a personal God, a scripture and a
prophet are needed; and how Sri Ramakrishna provides all these to men and women
of all faiths, avoiding the inter-faith tension so common in the history of
religions.)
Once while installing an image of Sri Ramakrishna
in the house of a devotee, Swami Vivekananda extemporaneously composed the
following Sanskrit sloka which has since become famous as the prarthana mantra, the salutatory
verse of Sri Ramakrishna and which is chanted every day by millions of devotees
all over the world:
Om Sthapakaya Cha Dharmasya, Sarva Dharma Svarupine
Avatara Varishthaya, Ramakrishnaya Te Namaha
"Salutations
to Thee, O Ramakrishna, the reinstator of Dharma, the embodiment of all
Dharmas, the greatest of all incarnations."
Composed in an exalted moment
of inspiration by the seer Swami Vivekananda, the chief herald of Sri
Ramakrishna, who had understood him as none else, this sloka has a special
significance. Apart from expressing the reverence of the Swami for his Master,
it helps us in understanding the greatness and the real nature of Sri
Ramakrishna. For this we must know the meaning of Dharma.
Dharma
as Faith
Dharma is generally translated as 'religion', the dictionary meaning of
which is 'system of faith and worship, human recognition of superhuman
controlling power and especially of a personal God, effect of this on conduct etc' The word Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit
root 'dhr, to support' (dhr dhdrane) and is defined as
follows in the Mahabharata:
"The
word Dharma is derived from Dharana or sustenance; Dharma sustains society.
That which has the capacity to sustain, is indeed Dharma" (Karnaparva, 69, 59).
According to this
definition, Dharma is that factor, force or element, which sustains an
individual, society or nation during periods of stress and strain, and protects
against disintegration and death. Man wants to live. To exist is the most
primitive urge in man, and when faced with hostile forces of disease, old age,
death and natural calamities, and competing with beings of his and other
species, he seeks something which would protect him and make him live. And the
strongest factor found in doing so is faith—faith in an all-powerful being
having control over enemy forces and able to save man. This faith ultimately
evolves from its prime meaning of faith in three things viz., a personal God, a
prophet and a scripture.
Now this religion of faith has certain
problems. First of all, by its very nature it is blind; reason has no place in
it. Secondly, it excludes other faiths. While it does sustain and provide
strength to an individual, and unites a group having a common faith, it
excludes other groups with different faiths. This is the reason why such
religions have led to conflicts and wars and have acted as disintegrating
forces. Another problem with religion based on faith is that it cannot stand
the onslaughts of modern science which demands the proof of the existence of
God. It does not merely want to believe, but wants to see God like an object in
the laboratory and today science has offered the greatest challenge to the
religions based on faith.
In the present age of scepticism, when
the foundation of all faiths and beliefs has been shaken, Sri Ramakrishna has
re-established faith by his exemplary life. Like an inquiring scientist he had
posed a question, "Is the image of Kali, whom I worship as the Divine
Mother of the universe, a mere stone, or is it of the nature of consciousness?
It is said that She can be seen; devotees of old like Ramprasad and Kamalakanta
had seen Her; how is it that I am deprived of Her vision?" With intense
yearning and tremendous one-pointed-ness of mind he thus obtained the vision of
God. That was not all. He practised many other spiritual disciplines and obtained
visions of God in His various forms and aspects. Hence he could say with
authority that God is. He can be seen just as we see each other, nay, even more
intensely; one can even talk to Him. He is with form, He is also without form.
Thus Sri Ramakrishna proved the reality of God, established religion on a
scientific basis, and eliminated the disintegrating elements in the religion
based on faith by experimentally demonstrating the validity of all the existing
faiths and paths.
In the context of the recovery of
faith, it is significant that Sri Ramakrishna was illiterate. He never studied
scriptures, yet whatever he said or did never contradicted them. In fact,
according to erudite Vedic scholars, his experiences had surpassed even those
described in the Vedas. Hence Swami Vivekananda says,
"The Divine, whose embodiment
the Veda is almost wholly neglected literary education in this incarnation, in
order to show how the eternally existing Sastra reveals itself in the heart of
a Rishi wherefrom all Samskaras have been erased; so that when the truth of the
Sastras is thus proved, religion would be rediscovered and re-promulgated"
{The Hindu Religion and Sri Ramakrishna by Swami Vivekananda).
Dharma
as the way
In Mimamsa philosophy, observance of
Vedic Commandments is called Dharma: (codana laksan'drtho dharmah).
According to this system of philosophy, performance of sacrificial rites alone
is Dharma. But Sri Sankaracharya, in his celebrated commentary on the Gita,
speaks of two types of Dharma. "Two kinds of Dharma are spoken of in the
Vedas, the one characterized by activity, pravrtti and the other by
renunciation, nivrtti. This twofold Dharma, the cause of the stability of
the world order and also the direct means by which men attain prosperity, abhyudaya and the highest good, liberation, nihhreyasa,
was followed by members of different castes and different Ashramas." In other
words, the way consisting of prohibitions and permissions, which leads to
worldly prosperity and ultimate liberation, is called Dharma.
That Sri Ramakrishna's teachings most
clearly delineate the path to liberation needs no mention. 'The Gospel of Sri
Ramakrishna', the modern Veda, speaks on every page of how to attain
liberation, and deals elaborately with such subjects as the goal of life,
yearning for God, necessity for the renunciation of lust and gold for
God-realization etc. But for the needy and the suffering, Sri Ramakrishna had
different instructions. He was of the opinion that religion cannot be practised
on an empty stomach. Once, he insisted on his caretaker, Mathurnath Biswas,
feeding and clothing the poverty-stricken people near Deoghar, and urged him to
improve the living conditions of the people residing in his estate.
Finally, by providing the watchword,
'Service of Jiva as Siva,' and by initiating and instructing Swami Vivekananda
to work for the good of humanity, Sri Ramakrishna established pravrtti
Dharma also.
Dharma
as Realization
Apart from the two traditional definitions of Dharma given above, Swami
Vivekananda has, in modern times, defined religion differently.
"Religion," he says, "is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor in
intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is realization" (Thoughts
of power, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1961, p. 19). "If there is God we
must see Him, if there is soul, we must perceive it" (ibid., p. 17).
The fact is that the Swami formulated this definition after seeing religion
manifested in its totality in Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna never propounded
any doctrine nor preached any dogma. He never engaged himself in philosophical
debates, but went straight to the heart of religion. He had the direct
realization of God and by super-human spiritual practises, he became, as it
were, God Himself. He practised renunciation to such a degree that he would
feel excruciating pain if even unknowingly, he touched a metal or a coin. His
limbs would recoil if he did anything against the principles of truth and
non-covetousness. Thus Sri Ramakrishna’s life was a practical demonstration of
"being and becoming." He was the
very embodiment of truth, renunciation and purity.
According to another definition by Swami
Vivekananda, religion is the manifestation of the potential divinity of the
soul achieved by controlling external and internal nature. While the conquest
of the external nature falls in the domain of material sciences, religion is
concerned with the conquest of the senses, mind and ego which constitute the
internal nature. The absolute control of mind and senses has been superbly
demonstrated by Sri Ramakrishna in his life. His tremendous concentration of
mind enabled him to achieve success in any spiritual discipline within three days
for which ordinary aspirants take years or even lives. After completing one
Sadhana when he engaged himself in another, he could, at will, withdraw his
mind totally from the earlier practices and apply it wholly to the next. His
mind was like a lump of soft clay which he could attach and detach at will to
and from any object. Further, his 'unripe ego' as he called the egoistic
tendency, had been totally destroyed. He always considered himself the child of
the Divine Mother and felt annoyed when addressed as father, Master, spiritual
teacher or patriarch. What could be a better example of his egolessness than
that he sat listening to the debate of scholars to decide whether he was an
incarnation of God or not with such utter indifference as if it concerned
someone else!
Dharma
as Moral Excellence
Dharma is also equated sometimes with the practice and attainment of
highest moral virtues. Ahimsa or non-injury, for example, is considered
the highest Dharma: ahimsa paramo dharmah. According to Vyasa, not to
have enmity against any creature, under all circumstances is called ahimsa (commentary
on Patanjali Yoga Sutras, 11.30). This is based upon the highest philosophical
concept of the existence of one Universal soul. He alone can be said to be
established in ahimsa who has experienced his own soul as the soul of
all creatures, and all souls as his own. Although Sri Ramakrishna never
practised ahimsa as a spiritual discipline, he had attained that state
of oneness of existence where feelings of envy, fear and hatred born of the
consciousness of duality could not exist. A stage came in his life when a slap
on the back of a man standing far away was felt by him as if on his own back;
when seeing the one consciousness in the blades of grass, plants and trees, he
could not step on the green patches of the lawn or pluck flowers.
According to another
scriptural text there is no Dharma higher than truth: satyannasti paro dharmah.
Throughout his life Sri Ramakrishna practised truth in the minutest detail.
If, for example, he said
that he would not eat luchis, he satisfied his hunger with only sweets! Once
established in truth, he could not go against it even unknowingly. If ever he
did, his feet would stagger and his vision would get blurred, preventing his
movement ahead till he rectified his mistake.
Sarvadharma-svarupin
Sri Ramakrishna
It will be evident from the foregoing discussion
that Sri Ramakrishna has, by his life and teachings, fortified the foundations
of Dharma in whatever sense the word may be understood. Therefore Swami
Vivekananda unhesitatingly called him ''dharmasthdpaka' the reinstator
of Dharma. The Swami however, adds another epithet for him, i.e. ''sarvadharma-svarupam”
the embodiment of all Dharmas, indicating that apart from the different angles
from which it can be viewed, Dharma itself can be of various types and Sri
Ramakrishna is the embodiment of all these types and subtypes of Dharma.
Embodiment
of the highest ideal of world religions
On the basis of the differences in
faith, there are various religions like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity etc. Sri
Ramakrishna practised and attained the highest goal of all the branches of
Hinduism. He also practised Islam, and had also the highest realization of
Christianity. To the followers of these religions, therefore, he appeared as the
embodiment of their highest spiritual ideal. To a Vedantin he was a Jivanmukta,
a sthitaprajna. A Vaishnava devotee saw in him an ideal Bhakta or Sri
Chaitanya reborn. A Muslim thought him to be a pir or the Prophet
reborn; and a Christian saw in him the Saviour.
Embodiment
of Varnashrama Dharma
Dharma considered as duty can be of various
types and is called Varnashrama Dharma. Sri Ramakrishna was the
embodiment of these Dharmas too. Although he constantly remained intoxicated
with love of God, he, like an ideal, dutiful son looked after his aged mother with tender love and
consideration. To his many teachers who guided him in spiritual disciplines,
Sri Ramakrishna was an ideal student. He obeyed and followed their instructions
implicitly with the greatest faith and respect. Therefore when his young
disciples came to him, they found in him not only an ideal teacher, but also an
ideal student whose example was worth emulating.
Sri Ramakrishna was an ideal
householder and an ideal monk in one. He was married and lived with his wife.
Like a true husband he guided and trained his wife and looked after her needs
and security in life. And yet his renunciation of sense-pleasures and earthly
possessions was so complete that he is considered the king of Sannyasins.
Embodiment
of the Four Yogas
Swami Vivekananda has classified into,
what are called, the four Yogas, the means by which the potential divinity of
the soul can be manifested. In Sri Ramakrishna we find the fullest
manifestation of all of them. He had not only attained the state of non-dual
consciousness, the highest goal of Jnana Yoga, within three days, he remained
in that state continuously for six months, something unprecedented in the
spiritual history of mankind. He had established devotional relationship with
God by all the moods described in the scriptures, viz., santa, dasya,
sakhya, vatsalya and madhura, and the highest states and moods in the path
of Divine Love, Bhakti Yoga, like bhava, mahabhava, bhava-samadhi etc. had
became natural with him. He led an intensely active life, first as an ideal
Sadhaka, and later as an untiring worker for the good of humanity. Swami
Vivekananda therefore salutes him saying:
"I
surrender myself to my Guru, the physician for the malady of Samsara, whose
mind ever dwelt on the non-dualistic truth, whose personality was covered by
the cloth of Supreme Devotion, who was ever active (for the good of humanity)
and whose actions were all superhuman."
Embodiment
of Svadharma
Each individual is unique in himself with his specific cultural and
family background and his own peculiar temperament. His Svadharma or the path
and mode of life conducive to greatest good must necessarily be different from
that of the others. In Sri Ramakrishna's words, there are 'as many paths as
there are faiths'. Swami Vivekananda wanted each individual to have a sect for
himself. It is amazing to note that to each one of his disciples Sri
Ramakrishna appeared as the personification of his highest ideal. Sri Ramakrishna
had the extraordinary capacity of understanding the temperament of each individual
and to guide him accordingly, since he was established in the state called
Bhavamukha from where all moods and mental modifications arise. He rebuked, for
example, one of his disciples for retaliating when he heard people slandering
Sri Ramakrishna. Another disciple having a milder temperament who kept mum
under similar circumstances, was reprimanded for not protesting!
Embodiment
of Rashtra Dharma and Sangha Dharma
Dharma not only means the guiding principles
and ideals for an individual, but also for a family, a caste, a social group
and a nation. Each of these units therefore has a Dharma, which can be called
kula-dharma, jatidharma, sangha dharma and rastra dharma. According to
Swami Vivekananda, renunciation and service are the national ideals, the rastra
dharma of India, and Sri Ramakrishna, the embodiment of these, is the
national God. "For the salvation of the soul and for the welfare of the
world" — atmano moksartham jagaddhitaya ca, is the motto, the sangha
dharma, of the Ramakrishna Order, and Sri Ramakrishna is its living
representation. Indeed, so multisided and perfect is the personality of Sri
Ramakrishna, that he has been accepted as the ideal by individuals, families
and social groups having widely dissimilar traditional and cultural
backgrounds.
Conclusion
Dharma in its meaning, divisions and
practical application is an extremely complex subject. There are no hard and
fast rules deciding the Dharma of an individual or of a society. Hence from
time to time great men are born to show, by their lives and teachings, the
right path by clearing the confusion surrounding it. Rightly has it been said:
"Reason
has no firm basis, scriptures are many, nor can the words of a particular sage
be taken as authority. The essence of Dharma is hidden in the cave (of doubt
and confusion). Therefore the path trodden by the great must be followed."
In the present age, Sri Ramakrishna
has fulfilled this need of the time, and has shown the way. Let us all pray to
Him, the reinstator of Dharma, the embodiment of all Dharmas, the Incarnation
of the age, the greatest of all Incarnations, to show us our Dharma and to give
us strength to follow it.
