1
Whenever there is decline of righteousness and an
upsurge of unrighteousness, O Arjuna, I manifest myself. For the protection of
the virtuous, for the destruction of the wicked, and to establish
righteousness, I manifest myself in every age.1
It is a recognized fact that from time to
time messengers and incarnations of God are born on earth to shed the light of
righteousness and to dispel the darkness of evil and injustice. They also
transmit pure, unselfish, divine love to man and give a taste of the
unadulterated nectar of heavenly bliss to the arid souls scorched by the fire
of worldliness.
It
is indeed strange that the human soul, by nature divine and full of infinite
peace and bliss, should suffer such misery in the world. Scriptures say that
this is due to Maya or ignorance of the three characteristics of the soul, viz.
existence (Sat), consciousness (Chit), and bliss (Ananda).
Maya, they say, conceals the potential bliss, in particular. The existence
aspect is manifest in all objects and creatures. In human beings the modifications
of thought-waves or chitta-vrttis determine which of the other two
aspects will manifest itself or remain concealed. This is explained through the
example of the transmission of heat and light of fire in various objects. In
heated water there is transmission of heat only, and not of light. Similarly in
a mind where tamasika and rajasika vrttis predominate, only consciousness
is manifested. But an inflammable wood while burning transmits both heat and
light. Similarly, the light of bliss flashes forth together with the warmth of consciousness from persons with
sattvika (related to serenity) vrttis. It expresses itself in human
being as priyatva i.e. love, attraction, charm and beauty; and as ananda
i.e., peace, contentment, joy and bliss. Saints and sages enjoy more bliss and
display greater love and attraction since they possess sattva guna in
much greater amount than the ordinary human being. Sri Ramakrishna is
considered an incarnation with preponderance of sattva. Hence these two
qualities radiated from his personality in the highest degree. While the Buddha
can be considered a prophet of compassion, Acharya Shankara that of knowledge
and Sri Chaitanya that of divine love, Sri Ramakrishna may be considered a
prophet of inner joy and bliss.
2
Joy, happiness, bliss, enjoyment and pleasure are some of the
words often used interchangeably to express a favourable feeling. Satisfaction,
peace and contentment are a few more words with more or less similar import.
Their opposites are suffering, misery, sorrow, pain, dissatisfaction,
discontent and so on. Thus although we have used the word joy, this word may
not be exactly appropriate for what all human beings are aspiring for. This is
because joy has its opposite in sorrow, and the two always go together. To seek
happiness without misery is futile and can never happen. What one actually must
strive for is a state beyond both joy
and sorrow, pleasure and pain—a state of undisturbed peace and tranquility, a
state of bliss beyond the opposite pairs of joy and sorrow. This state is
called ànanda in Sanskrit. It is a quality and a characteristic of a
pure and tranquil mind—a sattvika mind. The attainment of this state of
unalloyed, superlative bliss—niratishaya ànanda—has been the search of
humanity through eternity, and has often formed the central theme of the Hindu
scriptures. In the Gita too, this subject of bliss has been discussed quite
comprehensively, though briefly. According to Sri Krishna, there are three
kinds of pleasure.
That pleasure is
said to be of the nature of sattva which is gained by long practice of
discipline, which puts an end to all sorrows, which is like poison in the
beginning but nectar-like at the end, and which springs from the serenity
arising from the consciousness of the Atman.
That pleasure is of the nature of rajas which is born of the union of
the senses with their objects, which seems nectar-like in the beginning but
turns out to be like poison in the end. The tamasika pleasure springs from
sleepiness, sloth and heedlessness and is delusive in its effect on the spirit
from beginning to end.2
The best, of course, is the bliss obtained by the practice of
the concentration of mind:
That state in
which the mind, controlled by the practice of concentration, gets settled; in
which seeing the Self by the (purified) mind one is satisfied with the self; in
which one realizes the absolute, transcendent bliss which is experienced
through the intellect; established in which one does not waver from the Truth;
attaining which one thinks of no other acquisition as greater than that; and
established in which, one is not perturbed even by great pain; that yoga should
be practiced with conviction and without depression of spirits.3
Concentration of mind, again, is the quality of a sattvika
state of mind, and if by spiritual practice the mind can be made pure and free
from desire it will experience greater joy and bliss. As a matter of fact,
sense objects do not possess joy in themselves. When a desire arises in the
mind it makes it restless. As soon it is fulfilled, the mind becomes calm for a
moment. In this calm, peaceful mind, the inner joy of the Atman is reflected.
It cannot be reflected in a disturbed mind. This is the psychology of the
experience of pleasure, joy or bliss which we get during sense-enjoyments. Joy
belongs to the Atman alone but we erroneously think that it is in the objects.
A mind free from desires is a totally undisturbed mind. It is therefore said
that a person who has absolutely no desires is the happiest:
The worldly
sex-enjoyment and the celestial pleasures in heavenly abodes are not even
one-sixteenth part of the happiness obtained by the destruction of all desires.4
All of us experience great inner joy in deep sleep. Why? In
sense-enjoyments there is a subject-object dichotomy and the triad of the
enjoyer, the enjoyment and the object of enjoyment persists. The mind moves
from one to the other in quick succession which tires it. However much a person
may enjoy the waking state, ultimately the subject-object dichotomy tires him
out and he finally longs to go beyond it. In sleep there is no dichotomy, no
duality. There is only one undivided unity; the Subject alone remains, covered
with ignorance. According to Advaita Vedanta, in deep sleep we experience the inner
joy of the unlimited, undivided Brahman, the one without second, although it is
covered with ignorance.
But none wishes to remain sleeping forever. Well, can we not
experience the undivided unadulterated inner joy like that of deep sleep in the
waking state? Yes, this is what is called samadhi. In samadhi there are no
mental modifications, just as in deep sleep and yet the mind is not steeped in
ignorance. This blessed state of samadhi and the superlative joy experienced in
that state cannot be compared with any of the worldly enjoyments be that of an
emperor, of an innocent child or of a learned scholar. For Sri Ramakrishna this
state of Samadhi was most natural, and he urged all who came to him to struggle
hard to experience it.
3
Being inseparably united with the Supreme Spirit, which is
nothing but Bliss Absolute, Sri Ramakrishna was the very embodiment of inner
divine joy. Whether in health or in disease, whether in normal consciousness or
in a state of ecstasy, he was always cheerful. He did not like people to
consider the world a frame-work of illusion. Instead he preferred to call it a
mansion of mirth.5 If
one were to hold on to God then the world would indeed appear to be a mart of
joy, he would say. The Holy Mother, who lived with him for a long period of
twelve years, said that she never saw him in a depressed mood. Even while he
was suffering from cancer of the throat, the devotees who served him never got
the impression that he was in pain. Swami Turiyananda, then Hari, actually told
Sri Ramakrishna that to his mind the Master was ever blissful, in spite of the
cancerous, painful disease. He held this view even when Sri Ramakrishna
protested to the contrary. Finally Sri Ramakrishna did confirm Hari's
observation. During this period, Narendra with two other brother-disciples went
to Bodha Gaya for austerities. Had Sri Ramakrishna been in pain, they would not
have had the heart to leave him even for a day.
Sri Ramakrishna transmitted this inner joy to
the world in various ways. First of all, his very presence radiated bliss and
created a blissful atmosphere. There used to be continuous fun and frolic,
singing and dancing, lively discussions on spiritual matters in his room day
and night. Festivities, picnics and parties took place all round the year.
Young and old, worldly-minded or devout, people afflicted with sorrow and
anxiety or otherwise, all alike used to feel relaxed and happy the moment they
came within his enchanting circle.
Secondly, Sri Ramakrishna actively endeavored
to remove the sorrow of people. He was extremely sensitive to their suffering
and could deeply sympathize with them in their woes. He alone could assuage the
agony of a bereaved father who had lost his grown-up son. This he did in his
unique way, first by feeling the grief deeply, then by singing a song in a
heroic mood of a devotee preparing to fight death, and finally by an amiable
conversation on the unreality of the world, the transitoriness of life and the
need for dependence on God.
Sri Ramakrishna could
not see anyone weeping. Touching incidents are on record of how out of
compassion he would go beyond limits to console others. Yogen Ma, one of the
close companions of the Holy Mother, was so much attached to her that she could
not bear her separation. Once when the Holy Mother had to go to her native
village from Calcutta, Yogen Ma broke down. When Sri Ramakrishna saw her
weeping, he called her to his room and tactfully diverted her mind by narrating
incidents of his period, of sadhana, and thus calmed down her mind. On another
occasion, he cajoled a small girl of five who was crying, being shocked to see
sharp thorns along with a beautiful rose.
Sri Ramakrishna was careful not to
hurt anyone even by mistake. His embarrassment and sense of guilt at
inadvertently addressing the Holy Mother as 'thou' is too well-known to be retold.
But a touching incident demonstrates how he behaved with Bhagwati Dasi, an old
maid of the temple. Once Sri Ramakrishna was amiably talking to Bhagwati Dasi.
Encouraged by this, the lady saluted Sri Ramakrishna by touching his feet. He
started up in pain, since he could not bear the touch of impure persons. Poor
Bhagwati Dasi was dumbfounded with guilt and shame. Sri Ramakrishna noticed
this and felt sorry that he had inadvertently caused pain to the lady. He
therefore sang a few songs in his sweet voice to console and cheer her up.
Sri
Ramakrishna taught and
demonstrated through his life the path to inner joy to all who came to
him for help and guidance. He used to classify bliss or ananda into - three types: visayananda,
bhajanananda, and brahmananda.
The first is the bliss derived from sense-objects. It is transitory, debasing
and leads to bondage and sorrow. The next is the joy of singing the glories of
God and remembering him, renouncing sense-pleasures. Through this
transformation one ultimately attains the third and the highest form of bliss, when
the aspirant achieves union with God who is the very embodiment of bliss, and
enjoys unadulterated eternal bliss.
One of the most
effective techniques demonstrated and advocated in the present age by Sri
Ramakrishna to enjoy inner divine joy, is to become a child of the Divine
Mother. Even an ordinary child enjoys the pure joy. He has no worries or
anxieties for the future, nor is he burdened by the haunting guilt of evil
deeds committed in the past. He has neither love nor hatred, attachment nor
aversion. His needs are few and he revels in his own self. But unfortunately he
is helplessly dependent on others and as he grows he becomes more and more
aware of his utter helplessness, limitations and insecurity. If one can, like a
child, become free from aversion and attachment, likes and dislikes and be free
from the bonds of the three gunas, without the feeling of helplessness, one can
attain supreme bliss. Let us try to think that we are the children of God,
fully dependent on him. He is our Mother and Father, and we have nothing to
worry. Sri Ramakrishna was the Child of the Divine Mother and always remained
so.
The
present age is one of hedonism and consumerism. Although there is a bombardment
of information, it is being used for acquiring wealth and objects of sense
enjoyment, in a futile bid for lasting happiness. Sri Ramakrishna has
demonstrated more than a century ago in no uncertain terms that joy, happiness
or bliss cannot be had without renunciation. He had nothing—no wealth, no
learning, no social status -- and yet he was always immersed, as it were, in an
ocean of inner joy, testifying to the
statement of the Upanishads that immortality and bliss cannot be obtained by
wealth or progeny, but by renunciation alone. This truth he taught by precept
and practice to the world in general and to the group of his inner disciples in
particular. Some like to consider Sri Ramakrishna a prophet of harmony, since
no one had in the past practically demonstrated
the harmony of all religions as has been done by Sri Ramakrishna. Yet the Holy
Mother had emphatically stated that renunciation was most natural for Sri
Ramakrishna.
One of the best ways of obtaining bliss is to love and serve
others. The scriptures say: That which is limitless is bliss; there is no happiness
in the little, in the limited.6 It is a common experience
that a single, isolated and alienated person is never happy. When Swami
Vivekananda, then Narendranath, expressed his desire to remain merged in
Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Sri Ramakrishna rebuked him and said that there was a much
higher state when one identifies with all the creatures of the world—becomes
limitless. Swami Vivekananda conveyed the same message to us when he said,
“Expansion is life, contraction is death”. By service, we identify with others.
It breaks our egoistic limitations and makes us expand. We find ourselves among
our own people everywhere. To make others our own through love, service and
help, is the method taught by the Holy Mother to attain peace, happiness and
bliss. The day we would actually realize that no one is a stranger, and all are
our own, that day we shall be the happiest. He indeed is the happiest person
who actually feels that none is a stranger, none is an enemy and that all are
his own.
The
uniqueness of Sri Ramakrishna lies in that he manifests the fullest amount of inner
joy and at the same time is so utterly human. No other incarnation came so
close to humanity in his earthly existence as Sri Ramakrishna did. He lived and
moved among us like an ordinary human being so that he may be easily
approached. Through his charming humanity and deep sympathy he is drawing all
towards him, and is beckoning all to enter the kingdom of eternal inner joy.
References
1. Gita, IV. 7-8
2. Ibid., XVIII, 36-39
3. Ibid., VI, 20-23
4. Mahabharata,
Shanti Parva, 174, 46; 177, 51
5. The Gospel of Sri
Ramakrishna, p. 139
6. Chhandogya
Upanishad, 7.23.1
