| In
this issue, we
continue with the second part of the two-part series on the Great Sages
and Saints of India, who verily influenced the Indian way of thinking
and generated huge waves of progressive change in the spiritual and
societal spheres.
In the previous issue, we took a
glance at the life and times of great legendary saints such as
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Mirabai and the Sai Baba of Shirdi. This time, we
are back with more interesting stories and anecdotes from some more
saints' lives.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Perhaps
one of the most popular saints of nineteenth century India, Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa was born in 1836 in a poor Brahmin family in Kamarpukur, a
sleepy little town in the Hooghly district, West Bengal. Born Gadadhar
Chattopadhyay, Ramakrishna rose to great spiritual heights and largely
influenced the modern Bengal Renaissance. What set apart Ramakrishna
from most other saints was that he propagated non-idol worship, harmony
of all religions and the realization of Godhead as the ultimate mission
of life itself. He had immense love for that Supreme Energy called God
and he saw the Oneness in all existence. Many of Ramakrishna's devotees
even today consider him to be an avatar of God.
Gadadhar's birth
There
are records of several supernatural events taking place to indicate
Gadadhar's birth. His parents were a very pious couple and often had
spiritual experiences and visions. His father, Kshudiram, had a vision
in Gaya, where Lord Gadadhara (or Lord Vishnu) came to the former in
his dream and promised him that He would take birth in his household.
Ramakrishna's mother, Chandramani Devi, had a vision of a divine light
entering her womb, before he was born to her. Not only that, many of
the villagers even considered Gadadhar as an incarnation of a divine
being.
Young Gadadhar
Gadadhar
was a very popular young lad in his village. Handsome and energetic, he
had a natural inclination towards the Fine Arts. He disliked school,
though, and showed no interest whatsoever in making money. He loved
roaming around amidst nature and spent much time in the lush fields and
orchards in and around the village. He had a set of friends who loyally
followed him wherever he went. From a very young age, Gadadhar would
make it a point to pay his respects to all the monks crossing the
village on their way to Puri. He would serve them untiringly and listen
with rapt attention to all their spiritual discourses and debates.
Gadadhar's thread ceremony
Gadadhar's
respect for all religions and castes can be clearly seen from an
incident that took place during his thread ceremony. According to the
existing tradition, he was required to request for alms from a Brahmin.
But Gadadhar refused and was adamant that he would have his first alms
only at the hands of a particular village woman of low-caste. This
created shock waves through the entire community, but the young lad was
adamant and had his way. His older brother, Ramkumar, who was the
acting head of the family after their father passed away, gave in to
Gadadhar's unconventional desire.
Gadadhar's tenure as priest
Ramkumar
had been asked to serve as priest at the Kali (an aspect of Goddess
Parvati) temple at Dakshineshwar. Gadadhar reluctantly agreed to
decorate the deity and when Ramkumar retired, took over as priest. As
he was praying to the Goddess Bhavatarini (the One who liberated Her
devotees from suffering), though, he often wondered why he was merely
praying to a stone idol, when the actual divine of energy of Kali was
all-powerful and all-pervasive.
Gadadhar would often be very
distressed and wept loudly when he prayed to the deity to reveal
Herself to him. He would spend many nights praying in the solitary
silence of the jungle. But when the Devi (Goddess) did still not
manifest in front of him, he decided to end his life, so that he could
see Her after his death. He was about to kill himself with a sword,
when he saw waves of light coming out from the temple idol. He became
extremely ecstatic and fell unconscious to the floor.
In
spite of the above incident, Gadadhar was restless and sought to learn
the truths of other religions. Strangely enough, his teachers would
come to him as if by some divine intervention and teach him their
religions' philosophy. He grasped the essence of all the other
religions with great ease and very soon, came to be known as a
remarkable man with a mystical, divine aura. He was visited by people
from all faiths and walks of life.
Gadadhar's initiation
Gadadhar
received his initiation in Advaita (the philosophy of Oneness) Vedanta
from Totapuri, one of the wandering mendicants. The master radiated
immense masculine strength, a stern mien and had a strong, resonant
voice, and wore no clothing on his person. Ramakrishna grew to be very
fond of him and would address him as 'Nangta' or 'Langta', which meant
'the Naked One'.
Totapuri was a fabulous guru, who ably guided
Ramakrishna towards his mission of seeking oneness. The latter is said
to have sat in complete and deep contemplation for up to six months
after his master departed from the village.
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RAMAKRISHNA
DEV AND SARADA MAA
SITTING IN FRONT OF GODDESS KALI
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Ramakrishna's marital life
Alarmed
by the immense change in Ramakrishna, the villagers advised his mother
to get him married, so that he would learn to shoulder household
responsibilities. Ramakrishna immediately suggested Jayrambati, a
village near Kamarpukur, where his bride would be found residing in
Ramchandra Mukherjee's household. The bride, Sarada, who was a mere
five year-old at that time, went ahead to become Ramakrishna's first
disciple. She showed equal prowess in grasping religious secrets and so
impressed was Ramakrishna, that he considered her to be an aspect of
the Universal Mother. He even performed a puja (prayer ritual) looking
upon Sarada as Tripura Sundari (Parvati) Herself!
The Samadhi
Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, as he came to be known by Mathur Babu, Rani
Rasmani's son-in-law, was frequently visited by the most influential
people of the state, such as Keshab Chandra Sen, the legendary Brahmo
leader, Shivanath Shastri, Trailokyanath Sanyal and Pratap Chandra
Mazumdar. He also had the privilege to meet Swami Dayananda.
Narendranath Dutta became his disciple and soon, Ramakrishna laid the
foundation of what was to become the Ramakrishna Order.
In
April 1885, Ramakrishna was diagnosed with throat cancer and he moved
into a garden house in Cossipore in December. His condition kept
worsening, till the time he took mahasamadhi on the 16th of August,
1886. His mission was taken over by his 16 disciples, one of them being
the illustrious Swami Vivekananda himself.
In his quest
for oneness, Ramakrishna practiced the teachings of the Tantric, Yogic,
Vaishnava and Sakta sects of Hinduism and is even said to have dabbled
in Islam and Christianity for a brief period of time.
Avidyamaya and Vidyamaya
It
is said that Ramakrishna's realization of nirvikalpa samadhi let him
understand the two-fold aspect of maya (illusion), namely, Avidyamaya
(dark desires such as cruely, greed and lust) and Vidyamaya (higher
principles of life such as spirituality, enlightenment, purity,
kindness, devotion and love). He explained that the former was the
cause of all misery in this mundane world and was responsible for the
vicious birth-death cycle. On the other, he said, the latter would free
one from all mundane bondages and take him on a higher plane of
existence, ridding him of advidyamaya and making him a mayatita (beyond
maya).
Ramakrishna's teachings
Ramakrishna
used to say, "Jatra Jiv Tatra Shiv" (wherever there lives a being,
there resides Shiva). This arose from the highest Advaitic philosophy
of Reality of being. He used to tell his disciples, "Jive daya noy,
Shiv gyane jiv seba" (it is not about kindness to living beings - it is
a service to Shiva Himself).
Today,
the
Ramakrishna Mission has spread globally and has gained the deference
and respect of philosophers all over the world. Noted British
historian, Arnold J. Toynbee has written, "Mahatma Gandhi's principle
of non-violence and Sri Ramakrishna's testimony to the harmony of
religions: here we have the attitude and the spirit that can make it
possible for the human race to grow together into a single family - and
in the Atomic Age, this is the only alternative to destroying
ourselves."
The Ramakrishna Mission and the
Ramakrishna Math
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VIVEKANANDA, RAMAKRISHNA
AND SARADA MAA
|
Swami
Vivekananda, Ramakrishna's foremost disciple, founded the two pillars,
the Ramakrishna Mission and the Ramakrishna Math, in order to spread
Ramakrishna's message to the world. The Math has a monastic order based
on his teachings.
The
Ramakrishna Mission has probably even been part-responsible for
coloring the Western concept of what Hinduism is all about.
Ken
Wilber and Andrew Harvey see a new phase of consciousness with his life
story. Max Muller says, "Sri Ramakrishna was a living illustration of
the truth that Vedanta, when properly realised, can become a practical
rule of life... the Vedanta philosophy is the very marrow running
through all the bones of Ramakrishna's doctrine."
Leo Tolstoy described him as a "remarkable sage".
Sri
Aurobindo considered Ramakrishna to be an avatar of God, at par with
Gautam Buddha. He says, "When scepticism had reached its height, the
time had come for spirituality to assert itself and establish the
reality of the world as a manifestation of the spirit, the secret of
the confusion created by the senses, the magnificent possibilities of
man and the ineffable beatitude of God. This is the work whose
consummation Sri Ramakrishna came to begin and all the development of
the previous two thousand years and more since Buddha appeared has been
a preparation for the harmonisation of spiritual teaching and
experience by the Avatar of Dakshineshwar."
Christopher Isherwood also considered him to be an incarnation of the
Divine.
Swami Vivekananda
Swami
Vivekananda was born Narendranath Dutta on the 12th January, 1863. This
very brilliant disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa went on to become
one of the most influential Indian spiritual leaders propagating the
philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga. The founder of both the Ramakrishna
Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, he also brought about several reform
movements in Hinduism itself.
While
Vivekananda worked tirelessly for uplifting India from the clutches of
discrimination on the basis of caste, creed and religion, he also
simultaneously introduced his philosophy to America and England by
conducting discourses, lectures and seminars on Vedanta in those
countries. He was the first known Hindu Sage to spread the religion in
the West, by introducing the Indian philosophy at the World's
Parliament of Religions.
His
most
memorable first lecture started with the line, "Sisters and Brothers of
America", which completely bowled over his foreign audience. They
clapped for a whole two minutes after the initial address, as they had
only been used to the impersonal "Ladies and Gentlemen" till
then.
Vivekananda's
persona and strong voice moved the audience immensely and his very
first speech catapulted him to fame in Chicago, then spreading to the
whole of America, including states such as Boston, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Memphis, New York and St. Louis.
Vivekananda's birth
Narendranath
Dutta was born to Viswanath Dutta and Bhuvaneswari Devi in Shimla
Pally, Kolkata. Even as a lad, he showed amazing intelligence and a
sharp, photographic memory. He regularly practiced meditation and was
known to be an academic genius in his schooldays. He also excelled in
many kinds of sports, which made him a popular figure in school. He
even set up an amateur theatrical company and gymnasium and learnt
wrestling, rowing, fencing and many other sports. His tireless and
robust energy radiated brilliantly from him and he also excelled at
vocal and instrumental music.
Narendranath's youth
Even
as a mere boy, Narendranath was against the rigid customs and
traditions that bound India in those days. He joined the Presidency
College of Kolkata in 1879 to pursue higher studies. After a year, he
entered the Scottish Church College of Kolkata to study philosophy.
This course gave him an in-depth into Western philosophy as
well.
Soon,
he joined the Brahmo Samaj, a revolutionary religious movement headed
by Keshab Chandra Sen. He, along with his classmate, Brajendra Nath
Seal, also attended sessions of its branch, Sadharan Brahmo SamajDutta
and Seal would take up study of Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer, John
Stuart Mill and G.W.F. Hegel. . Later, Dutta was destined to part ways
with Seal and join Keshub Chandra Sen's Nava Vidhan.
Vivekananda
was a keen seeker of the real God and was left dissatisfied with the
Samaj's occasional sessions and prayers. It was at this time that
Reverend William Hastie, the Principal of his college, told him about
Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineshwar.
Meeting with Ramakrishna
Narendranath
first met Ramakrishna in November 1881. As usual, he posed the same
question whether the latter had seen God. Pat came the reply from
Ramakrishna, "Yes, I see God as I see you before me, only, I see Him in
a different sense. God is easy to realize, but only if one sheds
sincere tears to see Him. Then He surely does manifest Himself."
Narendra was speechless in awe as he could sense that those were honest
words, which came from the depths of the master's soul. He started
visiting Ramakrishna more and more often from then on.
Narendra
had a scientific bent of mind, so could not accept everything
Ramakrishna had to say. He even tested the latter's patience, but the
master remained loving and calm and even maintained a sense of humor,
which the former gradually got attracted to. By and by, Narendra fully
surrendered his ego to his master and became his most loyal follower.
Ramakrishna saw the huge potential in Narendra and specially taught him
rare principles of the Advaita Vedanta, which would have been difficult
for anyone else to grasp.
In the
period
of the next five years, a tremendous transformation took place in
Narendra. The once restless, impatient young man was now ready to
renounce all things worldly in his quest for God-realization. After his
master's mahasamadhi in 1886, Narendra set a core group of monks and
started living in a dilapidated house in Baranagore.
Vivekananda's wanderings
Vivekananda
set out on a long, aimless journey in July 1980. He traveled the length
and breadth of India, assuming various names like Vividishananda,
Satchidananda and so on. Legend has it that Ajit Singh, the Maharaja of
Khetri, suggested the name 'Vivekananda' for him, taking into
consideration his sharp discernment of things in this world. 'Viveka',
the power to discriminate between good and bad, the transient and the
intransient, appealed to him. Besides, he recalled that Keshab Chandra
Sen would call him that too, so he accepted it readily.
While
wandering about, he would stay with anyone that invited him, so he
learnt about various cultures and religions of India, and also about
how the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich lived. This
made him realize that there needed to be a revolution in India to
abolish the tyrannical caste system.
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SWAMI
VIVEKANANDA WITH THE BACKDROP OF THE VIVEKANANDA ROCK AT KANYAKUMARI
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The Vivekananda Temple on
Vivekananda Rock, Kanyakumari
Reaching
Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of South India, on 24th December,
1892, he was amazed by the wonderful colors created by Trisagara
Sangama or the meeting of the three seas, the Indian Ocean, the Bay of
Bengal and the Arabian Sea. He swam across the sea and seated himself
on a lone rock for three days, saying later that he had meditated on
the past, present and future condition of India. This has now become a
sacred spot, as the Vivekananda Memorial has been constructed on this
very rock.
Journey to the United States of
America
Vivekananda
then proceeded to Madras in Tamil Nadu to speak to the youth there.
There were many there who encouraged him to carry forth his mission by
traveling the world over. The Raja of Ramnad, who was the one to be
present for the conference in the United States of America, heartily
promoted the young monk and asked him to represent Hinduism in the
World Parliament of Religions. Other influential people such as the
Maharajas of Khetri and Mysore and Bhaskara Setupathi pitched in their
efforts too, thus sending Vivekananda on his first, landmark journey to
the USA.
Vivekananda gave many lectures in the US. In one such
event at California, he mentioned the struggle he went through during
his wandering days. He said, "Many times I have been in the jaws of
death, starving, footsore, and weary; for days and days I had no food,
and often could walk no farther; I would sink down under a tree, and
life would seem to be ebbing away. I could not speak, I could scarcely
think, but at last the mind reverted to the idea: "I have no fear nor
death; never was I born, never did I die; I never hunger or thirst. I
am It! I am It! The whole of nature cannot crush me; it is my servant.
Assert thy strength, thou Lord of lords and God of gods! Regain thy
lost empire! Arise and walk and stop not!" And I would rise up,
reinvigorated; and here I am today, living! Thus, whenever darkness
comes, assert the reality and everything adverse must vanish. For after
all, it is but a dream. Mountain-high though the difficulties appear,
terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but Maya. Fear
not, and it is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and
it dies."
A professor of Greek at the Harvard University, J.H.
Wright, asked the Swami to represent Hinduism in the World Parliament
of Religions in Chicago. Writing to the chairman of the selection
committee, he gave the monk a glowing tribute, saying, "Here is a man
more learned than all our learned professors put together." His first
speech was immediately accepted by the audience, who applauded him
non-stop for two whole minutes at his opening statement, "Sisters and
Brothers of America". A popular American newspaper described him as "an
orator by divine right and undoubtedly the greatest figure at the
Parliament".
Vivekananda's
journey to the
US laid the foundation for Westerners viewing Hinduism as not just an
exotic entity, but as a serious, deep religion - an unfathomable
treasure-trove of philosophical traditions and thought.
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SWAMI
VIVEKANANDA - THE IDOL OF YOUNG INDIA
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The Swami in London
Vivekananda
introduced both Vedanta and Yoga to the West. The Swami later traveled
to London and set up centers both in New York and London. Of course,
his work received severe criticism from Christian missionaries, but he
swerved not from his mission. He came back to India in 1897, after four
years of touring abroad.
A Memorial Plaque inside the Art
Institute reads: "On this site between September 11 and 27, 1893, Swami
Vivekananda (1863-1902), the first Hindu monk from India to teach
Vedanta in America, addressed the World's Parliament of Religions, held
in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exposition. His unprecedented
success opened the way for the dialogue between eastern and western
religions." On 11 November 1995, the stretch of Michigan Avenue that
passes in front of the Art Institute was formally conferred the
honorary name "Swami Vivekananda Way."
Back in India,
Vivekananda received a hero's welcome. He then founded the Ramakrishna
Mission and the Ramakrishna Math. He continued to receive criticism for
his revolutionary ideas, but he continued with his work.
The Swami's death
Vivekananda
breathed his last on July 4, 1902, at the age of 39. Though doctors
averred that he had died of apoplexy, his devotees inferred that he had
taken mahasamadhi. Viveknanda had once predicted that he would not live
till he turned forty and this had come true.
His works
Vivekananda
wrote a great many works, compiled from all his lectures. He included
the four Yogas, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
Besides, his letters are still preserved as they have great spiritual
value. Being a good singer and poet, he also composed many songs on his
favorite deity, Mother Kali.
Influence on the present
Vivekananda's
work has been acknowledged by great legends such as Gandhiji, Subhash
Chandra Bose and the first governor general of independent India,
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. Rabindranath Tagore, who was himself a
prime member of Brahmo Samaj, said, "If you want to know India, study
Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing
negative."
The
Swami's birthday is now considered the National Youth Day, in order to
commemorate him. His revolutionary writings even influenced freedom
fighters such as Bagha Jatin and Aurobindo Ghosh. The extremist
revolutionary, Bhupendranath Dutta, was Vivekananda's
brother.
Aurobindo
Ghosh, who considered him his mentor in spirituality, says,
"Vivekananda was a soul of puissance if ever there was one, a very lion
among men, but the definitive work he has left behind is quite
incommensurate with our impression of his creative might and energy. We
perceive his influence still working gigantically, we know not well
how, we know not well where, in something that is not yet formed,
something leonine, grand, intuitive, upheaving that has entered the
soul of India and we say,
"Behold,
Vivekananda still lives in the soul of his Mother and in the souls of
her children…"
--Sri Aurobindo—in 1915 in a Vedic
Magazine.
Guru Nanak Dev
Guru
Nanak Dev was born in Nankana Sahib, the then Punjab and the Pakistan
of the present, on 20th October, 1467. He was the founder of the
religion called Sikhism and was the very first among the eleven Sikh
Gurus.
Guru Nanak was a powerful religious figure of his time.
He is even now respected and revered equally by Sikhs, Hindus and even
some Sufi masters. His main message to people was to have 'devotion in
thought and good conduct', among other things. Guru Nanak vastly
influenced the cultural history of the Punjab. In India, he was revered
as the one who gave the gospel of unconditional love and
goodwill.
Guru Nanak's birth
Nanak
Dev was born in Talwandi, a small village in the district of
Sheikhupura, about 60kms West of Lahore. At the present time, his birth
place has become a sacred spot, being marked by a Gurdwara Janam
Asthan. His father, Kalyan Das Bedi, was an accountant for crop revenue
in the village. He worked for a Muslim landlord called Rai Bular.
Nanak's mother was Tripta Devi and he had a sister, Nanaki.
There
are two varieties of biographies of Guru Nanak's life, namely, the
Janamasakhis' and the vars of Bhai Gurdas. The most popular biography
is supposed to have been recorded by a close associate and friend of
the Guru, Bhai Bala, just before the master's death. But some research
also indicates this could well have been written much after his passing.
The Janamasakhis
Bhai
Gurdas, the one who recorded the Guru Granth Sahib, also talked about
Nanak's life in his vars. But these too might have been recorded after
his passing. Besides, this is a lot less detailed than the Janamasakhis
and the Sikhs also trust the latter more for its genuineness.
The
Janamasakhis give the minutest details about Nanak's life history. It
is said here that the astrology who visited the household to cast
infant Nanak's horoscope requested to see him. When he was brought
before Nanak, he joined his hands in prayer and sincerely worshipped
him. The astrologer said he regretted that he may never live to see how
powerful Nanak would become later in his life and predicted that he
would be revered not only by the Sikhs but also by Hindus and Muslims
too.
Nanak
had already started developing
a deep interest for all things spiritual and divine by the age of five.
He entered the village school and soon got himself familiarized with
all aspects of Hinduism and Islam. He read the Vedas, Shastras and the
Qur'an. He was very saddened by the society's discrimination on the
basis of caste and religion and wished he could do to eradicate the
same.
His
first teacher was a Muslim.
Nanak is said to have astonished his teacher by asking him what the
hidden meaning of the very first alphabet in Persian was. The alphabet
was almost a straight stroke, resembling the figure '1' and denoted the
concept of oneness with God!
After
completing
his academics, Nanak took to more private study and meditation. It is
said that Nanak loved the solitude of the nearby jungle and met with
the religious men who frequented the place. Many of these men were
well-versed with Indian religious literature and had traveled far and
wide within the country. This gave Nanak a good grounding on the
changing thoughts and trends of Indian philosophers and
reformers.
Nanak's married life
Nanak's
marriage took place in Batala town to a girl called Sulakhni. He had
two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand. The elder son followed in the
footsteps of the father, was deeply spiritual and even formed a sect
called the Udasi. He was revered as Baba Sri Chand. The term 'Baba' is
used as a mark of respect in Sikhism. The younger one, on the other
hand, was totally worldly and materialistic.
Neither
of the sons took over from where Guru Nanak left off. After Sri Chand's
time, his pagri (position) was taken over by the sixth Sikh Guru, Har
Gobind. All those in the Udasi sect remained within the framework of
Sikhism.
Guru Nanak's teachings
Guru
Nanak laid a stress on keeping true faith in God and pursuing the path
of good, which would lead one to God. He asked his followers to be in
constant contemplation and worship God and recite His name always.
According to him, God was transcendent, infinite and limitless. He
often said that God was inside oneself, much like how one's beloved
always resided in one's own heart. Guru Nanak believed in a benevolent,
merciful God and kept reiterating that one could always find God in
himself if he sincerely tried for it.
Like
Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, Guru Nanak too denounced any form of idol
worship, binding rites and rituals and asked people to access God's
Energy directly instead, within themselves. He fought to eradicate
superstitious beliefs from people.
He
propagated Naam Japna (taking the divine name), while also living in
this material world and discharging one's duties. He asked people to
earn a decent livelihood and share their money with others less
fortunate than themselves. His chant, 'Satnam Vaheguru' became the very
landmark of Sikhism as a religion. He used to say, "The name is the
God, the God of all Gods. Some propitiate Durga, some Shiv, some Ganesh
and some other Gods but the Guru's Sikhs worship the True Name and thus
remove all obstacles to salvation".
Further,
Nanak gave immense importance to the presence of a Guru in one's
spiritual pursuit. In his own words, "Without the Guru, no one can
obtain God, however long the matter be debated. With the help of the
Guru, man enjoys divine pleasure, he does not know any sorrow. The Guru
is the raft or the ladder of the Sikhs. The Guru is found through
divine grace."
Karma according to Guru Nanak
Guru
Nanak staunchly believed in the concept of Karma and described people
as being under the influence of the three-fold qualities of Maya,
namely, Rajas (passion), Tamas (ignorance) and Satva (good). He was of
the opinion that all the three qualities would be present in all people
in different measure, thus binding them to their present worldly life.
These
qualities make the jivas (individual souls) behave in certain ways,
giving rise to their Karmas in their lives. He is also influenced by
Karmas accumulated from his previous lives. Guru Nanak likened Karma
like the seeds to be sown in a field. He said that we would be able to
harvest exactly that which we sowed. This karma would decide how close
a being could get to his Creator. This is the Sri Guru Granth Sahib's
or the Gurbani's law of Karma and is much the same as other laws
influencing the oriental school of thought in general and Hinduism in
particular.
Other contributions
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GURU
NANAK AND THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT
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Guru
Nanak too received much criticism for his unconventional thoughts at
that time. Some of his other main beliefs were:
Equality
of all beings - The Guru fought to abolish caste, creed and race
discrimination. He used to say, "See the brotherhood of all mankind as
the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the
world. There is one awareness among all created beings. One who
recognizes the One Lord among all beings does not talk of ego."
Equality
for women - Nanak was very particular about women's empowerment and
believed in equal social status for women. He said, "From woman, man is
born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and
married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman the future generations
come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is
bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman
is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the
True Lord is without a woman." He constantly fought against eradicating
the terrible ritual of Sati (a widow ending her own life by jumping
into her husband's funeral pyre).
Unity of religions - Nanak
too laid importance on the unity of all religions. He addressed people
from all religions without discrimination. He believed in the
universality of all religions.
The
Bhakti Movement - One of the
most important contributions of Guru Nanak was to create a clever
conglomeration of the then-prevalent Bhakti movement and Sufism and use
it to bring waves of positive changes in the social milieu of the time.
He differed from the Bhakti and Sufi movements, in that he never
believed in renunciation and leading an ascetic life.
Last years
The
Guru spent his last years in Kartarpur, serving in a Langar or a
community kitchen. When the time came for him to nominate a successor,
he put his sons and disciples to severe test. One of his disciples,
Lehna, showed unswerving faith and devotion to him. Once, Nanak asked
his disciples to eat a corpse lying on the road. It was only Lehna who
unblinkingly removed the sheet covering the corpse, only to find Nanak
lying there! Nanak was pleased with his devotion and named Lehna his
successor, calling him Guru Angad.
Guru Nanak's demise
Guru
Nanak breathed his last on 22nd September, 1539, at 69 years of age.
Just before his demise, he instructed his followers to sing the Sohila,
a hymn praising God's virtues. There is a story related to the master's
death. Just before his passing, there arose a debate among his
devotees. The Hindus wanted to cremate his body, while the Muslims
wanted to bury it in line with Islamic tradition. It is said that Nanak
asked his devotees to place garlands on his body and that sect whose
garland remained fresh even after three days would get to decide how to
dispose of his body. But on the next day, when they lifted the cloth
that covered his body, only the fragrant flowers were left and the body
was nowhere to be seen!
Mahavira
Mahavira
was the 24th and the final Tirthankara (the one who achieved
enlightenment through a life of asceticism) of the religion, Jainism.
Mahavira, which literally means, 'the Great Brave One', was born on the
13th day of the rising moon of Chaitra in the year 599 BC. Some works
give his year of birth as 615 BC, but this depends on the religious
tradition followed by the particular sect of Jainism.
Mahavira
was born Vardhamana. His other names are Vira, Viraprabhu, Ativira,
Gnanaputra and Sanmati. He is also referred to as the Nirgrantha
Nathaputta (or the Naked Monk of the Jnatr clan) in the Theravada
Buddhist scriptures.
Mahavira's birth
Mahavira
was born to King Siddhartha and Queen Trishala ruling Kundagram in the
kingdom of the then Vaishali (which is the Bihar of today). It is
believed that there were several auspicious signs of his impending
birth even as he was in his mother's womb. He brought to the kingdom
increased beauty, wealth and prosperity. That was the reason he was
named Vardhamana, which means, 'enhancing or increasing'. Further, the
Queen herself had 16 very auspicious dreams foretelling about the
manifestation of a great soul, before giving birth to the Prince.
The
Jains believe that immediately after Vardhama was born, Lord Indra
Himself bathed him in celestial milk and conducted rituals fit for a
Tirthankara. Yet another belief is that Vardhamana was first conceived
by a Brahmin, Devananda and was moved to Trishala's womb later, as all
Tirthankaras were supposed to be born in Kshatriya (warrior) clans
only.
Young Vardhamana
Though
born in a royal family and being exposed to the finest luxuries,
Vardhamana showed a rare detachment from it all and an especially
virtuous nature. He would regularly meditate and go into introspection.
He slowly moved more and more away from worldly life.
Mahavira renounces all
At
age thirty, Mahavira left his kingdom and family and went away to live
life as an ascetic. He continued in this way for twelve years. He was
largely indifferent to all creatures, though he took care never to harm
any of them. He wore no clothes, led a severely austere life and
undertook enduring penance in those years. This is what gave him his
name, 'Mahavira'. At the end of this grueling time, Mahavira achieved
the state called 'Keval Gyan'. He was completely enlightened, and so,
was completely calm and harmonious with everything around him.
The following years
Mahavira
spent the rest of his life to preaching the Eternal Truth he had come
to realize. His main aim was to free people of the worldly fretters
that bound them. He would travel around in the severest of climes,
wearing nothing and roaming around barefoot. Soon, he had over 4,00,000
followers! It was Mahavira's undying efforts that helped spread the
ancient religion to all corners of India.
Mahavira attains samadhi
Mahavira
attained Nirvana or Moksh (complete salvation and the end of life) at
the age of 72. He was residing in the Pawapuri area at that time, also
known as Apapuri. He attained samadhi on the last day of the Jain
calendar, which coincides with the major Hindu festival, Dipavali (the
Festival of Lights).
There
is no
agreement on the year of his birth and passing. Some scholars believe
he lived from 599-527 BC, while some other aver that he lived from
549-477 BCE.
Mahavira's philosophy
Mahavira's
philosophy, the aim of which was to elevate a human being spiritually,
was made up of eight cardinal principles, three of which were
metaphysical and five, ethical. Jainism existed much before Lord
Mahavira and he only spread the vast spiritual treasure given to the
religion by his predecessors.
The
metaphysical aspect consists of three aspects, namely, Anekantavada,
Syadvada and Karma. The five ethical principles, called Panchavrats,
includes Ahimsya (non-violence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing
and lack of avarice), Brahmacharya (chastity) and Aparigraha (limiting
possessions).
Mahavira
preached that
every soul took birth again and again on this earth and inherited good
and bad karma, accumulated from all his previous births. The soul then
undergoes the rigors put forth by Maya (illusion) and gets caught in
its worldly bondage.
In
order to get out
of this vicious circle, Mahavira said that it would be necessary to
follow samyak-darshana (right faith), samyak-jnana (right knowledge)
and samyak-charitra (right conduct).
According
to Jainism, these vows cannot attain fruition unless they completely
accept the philosophy of Anekantvada (non-absolutism) and Syadvada (the
theory of relativity). The monks and nuns of Jainism strictly follow
these laws, whereas the rest of the people follow these till the extent
possible. Mahavira showed no difference between the genders and
welcomed any man or woman was desirous to lead a life of
austerity.
He
also did not conform to
caste and creed restrictions of that time. His teachings and grace were
accessible by people from all walks of life, including the so-called
'untouchables' at that time. He established the fourfold Chaturvidh
Jain Sangh order, which consisted of Sadhu (monks), Sadhvis (nuns),
Shravaks (laymen) and Shravikas (laywomen).
What sets Jainism apart from
other religions
The
Tirthankaras in Jainism are respected as veritable Gods on earth and
there is no other idol worship. What sets apart Jainism from the other
religions is that the Jains never really pray to the Tirthankaras,
monks or nuns in order to acquire material benefits. All they pray for
is the strength to stick unflinchingly to the five main principles and
tread the holy path of life, to liberate them from all worldly bondage
and suffering.
Agam Sutras
Lord
Mahavira's teachings were orally recorded and compiled by his direct
disciples in the Agam Sutras. These Sutras were passed on orally to the
future generations. Many of them have been destroyed, modified or lost
in the last few centuries. After a period of a thousand years, the Agam
Sutras were recorded on Tadvatris or leafy papers used in the days of
yore. There are two types of Jains. The Shwetambar Jains
consider
these Sutras as authentic and the ultimate, whereas the Digambar Jains
merely use them for the purpose of reference.
After
Mahavira's samadhi, the whole scenario started changing in Jainism. The
Sangha structure got more complicated and huge differences mushroomed
on the smallest aspects. But his main principles remained
unaffected.
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MAHAVIRA
JAIN WITH HIS LION EMBLEM
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Images of Mahavira
Mahavir
continues to be and always shall remain as one of the strongest figures
of Jainism. Interestingly, his images were sculpted over six centuries
after his samadhi. These are aesthetically modeled and reveal the
Tirthankaras' spirituality other than their actual likeness to the
masters. All the images actually came from the minds of the artisans,
so they did not differ vastly from each other, except for certain
regional and other differences.
Mahavira
hence
resembles the other Tirthankaras, except for his lion emblem and a
slightly different structure of the head. Mostly, one can see him as
sitting in the 'padmasana' or 'kayotsarga-mudra' posture. Images made
for the Digambara sect have not even a piece of clothing on them, while
those made for the Swetambara are adorned with clothes, jewelry and
even a crown. Additionally, the master is seated on an ornate throne in
such images.
Yet
other images show
his birth, with his mother, Trishala, resting with her maids attending
on her. Some of them also illustrate her having the dream about the 16
auspicious signs. There is also a symbolic representation of Mahaviras
'tri-ratnas' in various sculptures.
Mahavira Jayanti
Mahavira
is one of the most powerful and revolutionary Masters India has ever
seen. Even today, Mahavira Jayanti (birthday) holds tremendous
religious importance to the Jains, who celebrate it with devout
prayers, processions and festivity. Jain temples are decorated with
flags and Jains visit their ancient temples at Palitana and Girnar in
the state of Gujarat.
The
8-day ritual of
Paryushan is also undertaken during this holy period, when people fast
for days together and remain in prayer to the great Master. The holy
biography of Mahavira, the Kalpa Sutra, is also read on this day.
This article was written by:
Saipriya Viswanathan, who is a teacher/performer of Bharata Natyam, Carnatic vocal music and Carnatic Veena. She is a recipient of several awards for both dance and music, including the Sur Mani and Singar Mani titles. She is a recipient Govt. of India Merit Scholarship for dance and is a diploma holder in Carnatic vocal music. Our efforts have been directed at making this article informative and refreshing for you. We will truly appreciate all forms of feedback. Please send your feedback to newsletter@dollsofindia.com.
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