11
THERE IS SOMETHING BEYOND REASON TOO
1.
Morton School, four in the afternoon. M. is resting in his room. The door is latched. Some bhaktas have gathered in the staircase room and some others are talking to Antevasi on the roof.
Today, 17th November, 1924, Monday, second of Agrahayana. The sixth day of the dark fortnight, 56 Dandas/14 Palas.
It is 5 o’ clock. The Doctor, Vinay, Ramesh, Shanti, Gadadhar, Jagabandhu and others are seated in the staircase room. A devotee from Shyam Bazaar has come today for the first time. The bhaktas are engaged in a happy conversation with him.
Arrives Swami Kamaleshwarananda. He is the head of the Gadadhar Ashrama branch of the Ramakrishna Math. He comes at times to see M. After twenty minutes, the evening light is brought in. It is about 6 p.m. The attendant brings a hurricane lamp from downstairs and having lighted it places it in the staircase room.
Suddenly, M. opens the door and comes out. He is not looking at anything outside, his sight is fixed within. Without saying anything, he lifts the lamp from the bench and quickly enters his room again.
On the eastern wall of the room, hangs a picture of Sri Ramakrishna. Close to it are the pictures of Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Christ, Chaitanya and other human gods and also the pictures of Shiva and other gods.
M. brings the light in front of each picture and bowing down offers his pranam, calling out their names: Victory to Rama, victory to Krishna, victory to Shiva.
Antevasi is with M. When the arati with the lantern light is over, Antevasi says, "Lalit Maharaj is sitting outside." M. comes near the door and says, "Where is Lalit Maharaj? Come in, please come in."
Lalit Maharaj sits facing west on a chair near M.’s bed. M. says to him, ‘Please, let us hear a hymn.’ Lalit Maharaj recites: Brahmanandam paramasukhadam dvandvateetam and so on. Adharabhute chadheye dhritirupe dhurandhare (hymn of Jagadhatri) and so on, gururbrahma gururvishnurgururdevo maheshwarah (hymn of the guru) etc. Om niranjanam nityam anantarupam bhaktanukampaya dhritavigraham vai, ishawataram parameshamidyam tam ramakrishnam shirasa namami etc. (hymn of Sri Ramakrishna).
After sometime, comes Manmath Chatterji. He takes his seat with the bhaktas in the staircase room. He is a teacher of the South Suburban School. He is fifty four and has his house in Ranaghat. On Antevasi telling M. about his coming, M. asks him to come to his room. He sits down on the bedding in front of him, facing east, as indicated by M. M. is seated towards north-west.
In no time, arrive the Elder Jiten, Pleader Lalit Banerjee, the Younger Jiten, Nalini, Balai, the Elder Amulya, the Stout Sudhir and so on. They sit on a bench facing west near the eastern wall. Thereafter, arrive Doctor Bakshi, Shanti, Gadadhar, the Younger Nalini, Vinay, Ramesh, Jagabandhu and so on. They sit facing north on a bench to the south of the bedding. M.’s room is quite big with a small wooden partition to the north. Some persons are seated outside the partition also. Many a bhakta has assembled today. Antevasi rises and going towards the west of the bedding stands there. Behind him, there is a big table full of heaps of books.
Manmath has seen M. for the first time. He has read the Kathamrita thoroughly. For various reasons, he has had to marry thrice. He has a big family three sons and six daughters. He has to work very hard to earn money. He finds no leisure to keep company of the holy, so he is sad. All this has come out during the conversation. Manmath is very humble. He states very humbly what is in his mind to M.
Manmath (to M.) I consider all those who came in contact with Thakur as my very near ones. So, I could not show you any formality.
"Just as all your reasoning ceased before Thakur on the very second day, similarly, my reasoning has also stopped after reading the Kathamrita. Such a thing is not available such simple, easy language. It is so beautiful wherever one opens it. And your reflections are also most beautiful. Your narration of the reaction you had by seeing Thakur are very attractive. What can we reason about? Can a one seer jug contain four seers of milk?
M. (clipping his tongue as a sign of approval) Aha!
"(Laughing) The reason left because of the blows of his sledgehammer."
Swami Kamaleshwarananda Well, Master Mahashay, there is no need to reason but must not a person reason about the real and the unreal?
M. Once a person asked him at noon time, ‘Sir, what is the way?’ Thakur had a ready answer, ‘Faith in the word of the guru.’
"How can a person with his meagre intelligence understand that the formless assumes a form? It is good to reason about the real and the unreal. Thakur had forbidden the learned from reasoning."
Manmath Whether there is one Atman or more, whether God is with form or without form, what use it to reason about all these matters? He himself tells everything if you call upon Him, so said Thakur.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda Is there no need to reason out whether there is only one Atman or more? Then why did Shankaracharya do so?
M. (interrupting him) Vivekananda sometimes used to say that Shankaracharya had realised. And sometimes he said that he was a mere pundit (laughter). Reasoning is a mere intellectual somersault.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda It can be so in the all matters. One person calls something good, the other says it is not so.
M. But all the shastras say at the end: Faith in the word of the guru. By definition, the guru is one who has been to Kashi, that is to say, has seen God.
"It comes down to this that it is an individual matter, that is to say it is not essential that all must reason.
"And then, what is truth for Shankaracharya is not the truth for another person.
"So, there are so many religions Hinduism, Islam, Christianity.
"Mohammed had Self-realisation, so had Christ, but do the Hindus accept Mohammed?"
Swami Kamaleshwarananda I am also saying the same.
M. Doctor Mahendra Sarkar and I used to reason. One day this reasoning ended when Thakur said, ‘It would be better, if you now have a little of darshan.’ By this he hinted that there is something above reason also. Reason is not the be-all and end-all of life. Beyond it there is also something.
M. keeps silent for a while and then talks.
M. (to all) Can reasoning be stopped just by saying so? Sometimes, I used to hear him pleading to the Mother and saying, ‘What else can they do Mother? Should they never reason? What is their fault mother?’
"One can know from this that it is not right to reason.
"The devotees used to discuss. He did not like it. Yet, he himself would ask two persons to start a discussion and he would whisper in the ears of another person, ‘See, I don’t like all this.’
"Why then, did he make two persons reason? Just to see whether one was firm in one’s principles.
"Once, the principles are formed, one should stop reasoning and start acting on them. One should try to attain the object of one’s reason. When He is attained, one’s task is accomplished. There is no need to keep on reasoning throughout one’s life.
"Thakur used to indicate the principle, suiting the devotee’s inclination. Then, one should only practice it, take to tapasya.
"He said of Narendra as the one of the abode of the Indivisible. For Rakhal, he said abode of God-with-form. Why to reason about it? Instead, one should take to practice with it. One should attain the Object. One should realise one’s Real Self."
Swami Kamaleshwarananda Then it means that reason is relative. At one stage, this is good and at the other stage that.
M. Yes, that too is a stage when one may reason out. Thereafter, it stops.
Everybody keeps silent for a while before the conversation is resumed.
Manmath When I punished a boy in a school, he used a knife on me. But, I couldn’t say anything against him.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda Such a nice spiritual conversation was going on!
Manmath This too is about Him. It is He, who has given us our respective inclinations. Everything pertains to Him, only after knowing this one succeeds.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda (becoming impatient) Master Mahashay, is there no consistency in it?
M. (in a peaceful, patient tone) We heard from Thakur that God had two departments, one of knowledge (Vidya Maya) and the other one of ignorance (Avidya Maya). The Maya of ignorance fetches money, house, respect in the society and so on, but it takes man away from God. And compassion, charity, company of the sadhus, pilgrimages, tapasya, reading of the holy books, all these are the actions of Vidya Maya. They lead to realisation.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda (very slowly but with firmness underneath) That is indeed the difference. But is this difference something so ordinary?
M. (smiling) Thakur narrated a parable. A woman climbed up a tree with her lover. The sister of her husband saw it. Later on, she asked, ‘Who was with you on the tree?’ She said in reply, ‘Who? There was nobody. I was alone.’ The sister-in-law then said, ‘But I saw two persons.’ The wife replied, ‘When one goes up a tree, one only perceives so.’ (Everybody laughs loudly).
"The snare of the Mahamaya is just like it. Is it possible to save oneself from it unless He doesn’t protect? When one takes up a body, there is dualism one is bound to see two. All (reasoning) escapes when in the snare of the Mahamaya."
Swami Kamaleshwarananda I received a letter from Baburam Maharaj (Swami Premananda) written in his own hand. He writes, ‘One doesn’t become a sadhu merely by wearing the ochre clothes, or being initiated. One becomes sadhu only when one loves Him.’
M. Aha! Aha!
Swami Kamaleshwarananda When he was returning after his stay in the Eastern Bengal, the Hindus and Muslims began to wail at Rarikhal. So much love they had! I am a fool. I wish I had kept a record of it in writing.
M. Aha! Can a human being have such love? He lived up to his name Premananda (the joy of love).
M. I heard a story about Baburam Maharaj. Once some friends were going out of Calcutta by the Ganga. Landing at the Belur Math, they went to have darshan of Thakur shrine in an impulsive mood. Then they left. Baburam Maharaj asked an attendant, ‘Did you give them prasad?’ The attendant said, ‘No, Sir.’ ‘Call them, call them,’ he said. By that time, they had got into the boat. So, he gave them prasad by calling them over.
"Babu Ram Maharaj then said to the attendants, ‘Do you know why I have given them this prasad? When they will have to face the trials of life, they will remember this prasad.’ "
M. (to the devotees) Who has such a foresight? He indeed justified his name of Premananda. Whenever anybody talks of him he will say, ‘Me, he loved the most.’
Swami Kamaleshwarananda He used to say, ‘I say man, when I depart, you will have nobody to scold you in bad language.’
M. is silent for a while, what is he thinking of?
Baburam Maharaj was earlier a favourite pupil of M. Then, he become his loving brother disciple. Have the numberless, loving, divine memories of his awakened in M.’s heart?
Everybody keeps silent. The conservation is resumed.
Manmath (to M.) I don’t know how one should go to have the darshan of sadhus. Please excuse me as a brother if I have committed any fault.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda Yudhishthira said, ‘The best present is to arrive with the name of Bhagavan on the lips.’
M. A Brahmo song says, ‘The only thing needed is a garland of the flowers of bhakti with the fragrance of sandal...’ and so on.
Manmath (to M.) Sir, how many sons and daughters do you have? Where are they? etc.
Jagabandhu (interrupting impatiently) What is the time by your watch?
M. (interrupting) We shall talk of it some other day.
Swami Kamaleshwarananda It interrupts the joy. All the holy places meet where there is a talk of God. Tatraiv ganga yamuna cha triveni godavari tatra saraswati cha [There one has the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Triveni, the Godawari and there also the Sarasvati.] The Bhagavata says: He talks best who always talks of Him.
M. rises. Everybody departs. It is nine p.m.
2.
The next day, Tuesday. M. has sent the devotees to different places to listen prayers and religious discourses. From time to time, he enjoys himself by listening to the divine descriptions of all such places. He always wants to have darshan of and listen to the worship of places of all religions, all at the same time. But it is not possible for the human sight to do so. So, he has made this alternative arrangement.
Today, the Vaishnava speaker, Kulada Mullick is going to give a discourse in the Theosophical Society the topic is ‘Power and Sacrifice’. M. has sent Antevasi there. He himself goes to the Nava Vidhan Brahmo Samaj of Keshab Sen situated close to his residence. And he has sent the Stout Sudhir to Adi Brahmo Samaj on the Chitpur Road.
It is eight p.m. M. has just returned from the Nava Vidhan. He is taking rest in the veranda on the second level of the Morton School. Close to him are seated Swami Sadbhavananda, the head of the Vidya Peetha. He discusses different matters concerning the running of the Vidya Peetha. In the meanwhile, Antevasi has returned. M. asks, "What did Kulada Babu say?" Antevasi says, "The essence of his talk is this:
"Without strength nothing can be done. Whether it is physical or mental or spiritual work, strength is needed for doing every work. First of all, one must gather strength. If one wants to be a wrestler, he will have to collect bodily strength. Similarly, if one wants to be a thinker, he has to train his mind. And to become the specialist in Atman, one particularly needs to gather Brahma-shakti or Atma-shakti especially. The topic of today was particularly Atma-shakti.
"In order to gain any shakti (power) renunciation is needed. To obtain Brahma-shakti, one has to renounce sensory pleasures. In sensory pleasures, power is wasted. By renunciation, one accumulates shakti (power). Its perceptible form is the enjoyment of the riches of Brahman (Brahma-sampad). Then, one has non-attachment to all worldly things but attachment for Brahman.
"One can gain the greatest of powers by gaining oneness with God. It is with the help of this shakti that man becomes God. He gains immortality. This is the highest ideal of human life."
M. All these are very nice. I too heard the same there. And there is another direction. The great words of Thakur ooze out in all that they say. He said, ‘Giving one’s all body, mind, wealth, all one should love Him. Then one can have His darshan.’ This is the highest ideal.
The Stout Sudhir and others have returned from Brahmo Samaj. He says, ‘Today’s topic was the life of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. He has brought a new awakening in Bengal and in India, in religion, society, politics in all matters. Because of his social reforms, a number of bad customs have been ended. A new hope, a new assurance has been generated in man. He has established interest in the Upanishad, the Vedas and so on ...’ etc.
Hearing it M. says, ‘Sudhir Babu, please read this out to the bhaktas.’ Sudhir begins to read the life of Ram Mohan Roy from the Tattvabodhini. The devotees listen while M. goes for meals to the third level.
The next day, Wednesday. Toady, M. himself went by Doctor’s car to Brahmo Samaj at mid-day. While returning, he got down at the turning of the College Street to see the Over Town hall. There a lecture on Keshab’s life will be delivered after the twilight hour. Speaker, the great orator Vipin Chandra Paul.
Harish Chandra Das, a devotee from Decca, came in when M. was out. He talked for a while with Antevasi and returned to Belur Math. He will come again tomorrow and have M.’s darshan.
M. returned a little before the twilight hour. He sent Antevasi to the Over Town Hall immediately. Vipin Paul, the patriot was lecturing there. Antevasi did not like it. So, he went today again to the Theosophical Society. Kulada Mullick Bhagavataratna was speaking there again today.
M. (to Antevasi) What did you hear there?
Antevasi Vipin Babu was making a political commentary on the life of Keshab. He placed Keshab Babu in the colour of a politician before the audience. I didn’t like it. So, I went to the Theosophical Society. There, Kulada Mullick was again speaking today. Topic, the principle of avatara.
M. Keshab Babu as a politician! What are you saying? You have been saved by not having heard this lecture. When one goes to the Arya Samaj, one can hear readings from the Veda, and Bengali songs based on the Veda. They inspire one with God.
M. (to Antevasi) What did he say there?
Antevasi Kulada Babu said, ‘When the devotees begin to long for God most earnestly, He comes as avatara. Before His coming, dharma gets defiled. People talk a lot, but work very little. On the top of it, there is lack of sincerity. Then, a number of bhaktas begin to long for true religion. They cannot follow it themselves and they don’t see others doing it. In that state, they weep secretly in a solitary corner and they call out, ‘Lord, please come. We are in great trouble. Bless us by your darshan.’ By this wail of the devotees, the Lord is touched with compassion. So, he assumes a human body. So powerful is the call of the devotees, the electrifying current of their cries is so powerful that the Lord just cannot help coming His throne begins to shake. ‘Will grant you Krishna darshan’ in order to fulfil this unshakeable promise of Advaitacharya to his bhaktas and because of the maddening roars of Advaitacharya and the sincere cries of Srivasa and other bhaktas, the Lord came as an avatara in human body in Navadwip in the body of Nimai in the form of Sri Gauranga in the same way a loving mother comes upon hearing the tender cries of her child’ etc.
M. How nice! How very beautiful? All these correspond with what Thakur said. Thakur said to Narendra, ‘I myself am Gaur.’ To us he said, ‘Christ, Chaitanya and I are the same one.’ The Dweller of the Hearts had noticed the pain of the hearts of the devotees. Many of them had not been born then. But, Sri Ramakrishna had to come in a human body because of the earnest cries of their previous lives. The world perhaps does not know them who called upon Him. And it will never know. But their purpose and the purpose of the world was fulfilled and Thakur appeared. How many devotees he has in the world! How many people called upon him in so many different ways without others knowing it. So, Thakur came along with so many of his companions. When he came, the first thing that he did to was to assemble and organise ‘a troupe of Bauls’. The second was to make them preach His word in their motherland and foreign lands and instil in the hearts of the restless, unhappy and worried devotees, the cool draught of loving devotion.
"It is said that before he formed a ‘troupe of Bauls’, many devotees belonging to different religions came to Thakur from different places and attained God-realisation by His grace and were fulfilled. It is said that a number of Muslims mendicants and Christian devotees came to him and were fulfilled.
"Even after assembling the ‘troupe of Bauls,’ so many bhaktas attained eternal peace and eternal joy in so many ways by His grace. How much can we know about it?
"His advent was for the good of the whole world. Outwardly, it looks as if He came only for a few persons, but no, this is not true. Many persons called upon Him even before He assumed a gross body. Perhaps they took birth before His advent or at the time of His coming, and so many of them came after He had departed. They are still taking birth and many will do so later. Till, He assumes another body the present lila will continue. People from different lands will come to the current of his ideas and gain comfort and happiness.
"The redemption of Girish and others is not an accidental occurrence of the time when He was in a human body. They cried for Him in so many lives and there was any amount of unperceived wailing of this life. Thakur knew of it all, being the controller of the hearts. That is why He himself came and brought them in His arms. Man can only see outwardly but God sees within. Besides, the man does not himself perceive the unknown cry of his own life. But, the Controller of the hearts knows all this.
"Endless is the world, the creatures endless, endless the devotees. He knows them all. He answers all the prayers of everybody. We are insignificant creatures. What can we understand of Him? A one seer jug can not contain ten seers of milk this is a saying of Thakur."
Morton School, Calcutta,
Wednesday, 19th November, 1924,
The fifth of Agrahayana, 1331 (B.Y.),
The 8th day of the dark fortnight, 60 Dandas.