|
(A lecture delivered
on April 24, 2004, on the 150th Birthday
Celebration of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi at the
Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center, New York, USA.)
Respected Swamis, Mr. Sweeney and Friends:
I sincerely thank Revered Swami
Adiswaranandaji for giving me an opportunity to participate in the 150th
Birthday Celebration of Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
Today’s symposium topic is,
“Make the Whole World Your Own.” I will briefly
share with you my thoughts on this topic. Around July 15, 1920, Holy
Mother was lying in bed suffering from a malignant fever. Her feet were
swollen. No one was allowed to enter her room. A woman devotee known as
“mother of Annapurna,” who had known Sri Ramakrishna, came to Holy Mother
and sat at her door. Mother Sarada called
her inside. After saluting the Mother, the woman devotee said sobbing,
“Mother, what will happen to us?”
In a feeble voice Holy Mother
said, “Why should you be afraid? You have seen the Master (meaning Sri
Ramakrishna). What should frighten you?” Then, Holy
Mother continued very slowly,
in a soft voice, “Let me tell you something. My child! If you want peace
of mind, do not look into anybody’s faults. Look into your own faults.
Learn to make the world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole
world is your own.”
After eighty-four years, on the other side
of the Atlantic Ocean, these words seem far more significant than they
probably did in those days. Science has brought people of various cultures
and religions together. The whole earth is becoming like one country. At
this time, there is a dire need to learn how to live with people with
various ideologies. The differences can create distance, clashes, and
confrontations. If we do not learn to make the whole world our own, the
clashes and confrontations will definitely lead us to destruction and the
ultimate annihilation of the human race.
If we read Holy Mother’s words closely, we
find that she used the phrase, “Learn to
make the whole world your own.” How do we learn to make the world our own?
What are the ways to make it our own? We see that Holy Mother has provided
two ways to make the whole world our own:
one positive and one negative. The negative way she puts forth is,
“do not look into anybody’s faults…” rather “look into our own faults,” and
the positive way is “to make the whole world our own.”
When Sri Ramakrishna passed away, Holy
Mother’s grief was boundless. In order to restore her inner peace,
Balarambabu arranged a pilgrimage to Vrindavan, a sacred place associated
with Sri Krishna. In the company of Golap-Ma, Lakshmididi, M’s wife, Yogen
Maharaj, Latu and Kali Maharaj, Holy Mother went to Vrindavan. Holy Mother
said later on that she and Yogin-Ma used to
sit together to do japa with such absorption that they were unaware of flies
sitting on their faces and creating sores there.
Vrindavan is a place filled with temples.
Holy Mother visited most of them several times
during her stay. In the Radharamana temple she prayed to the deity
with tears in her eyes: “O Lord, remove from me the habit of finding
fault with others. May I never find fault with anyone.” Those who were
close to Holy Mother found that her prayers were heard. They found a
complete absence of fault-finding tendency in her. She herself said in
later years, “Formerly I also would see the defects of others. Then, I
prayed to the Master. Thus, I got rid of this habit. You may help a man in
thousands of ways, but if you do him one wrong, he will at once turn his
face away from you in anger. It is the nature of man to see only defects.
One should learn to appreciate others’ virtues…Man is no doubt,
liable to make mistake, but one must not notice it. By constantly finding
fault with others, one sees faults alone.” At another occasion, Holy Mother
said to Yogin-Ma, “Yogin, do not look at the faults of others lest your eyes
should become impure.”
Thus, Holy Mother taught us from her own
example that in order to make the whole world our own, we must not look into
the faults of others, rather we should look into our own faults. Finding
faults is an attempt to establish our superiority over others, and such
actions definitely will not serve to develop a loving environment. Such
actions will not connect us with the hearts of others. On the contrary,
such actions separate us from others.
A question may come: What if I am a parent
or a teacher or an officer, and my responsibility is to point out a fault
for improvement? My understanding is that even in these situations, if we
accept the people involved as our own, then the fault-finding will be
constructive, done out of love, for their improvement. However, Holy Mother
goes beyond that state. Once, Golap-Ma, Holy Mother’s companion, was
scolding a maid-servant. When Holy Mother asked her the reason behind her
behavior, she said in a pique, “Mother, what is the good in telling you? You
cannot see the defects of others.” To this the Mother replied in a mild
voice, “Well, Golap, there is no want of people who see the faults of
others. The world will not come to a standstill if I am otherwise.”
Holy Mother also taught that every
situation has several factors and that we have to consider all these factors
before we make any judgement, especially when punishment is involved. A
Brahmachari by the name of Nagen of Belur Math
once made a grave mistake, and as a result, he was afraid that Swami
Shivananda would expel him from the Math. He went to Jayarambati to take
shelter with Holy Mother. The Mother saved him from severe consequences.
Swami Shivananda remarked, “How is it my boy! You went to the High Court
directly to complain about us.”
On another
occasion, a servant in Belur Math stole some money. Swami Vivekananda fired
him. The servant went to Holy Mother with tears in his eyes and asked for
forgiveness. That evening Holy Mother asked Swami Premananda to take the
servant back. She said that the man was
poor, and his poverty forced him to steal. She continued, “The world is
full of misery. Ask Naren to take him back.” Swami Vivekanand had no choice
but to take him back.
Now, let us look at the positive way to
make the whole world our own. When we consider someone our own we care for
that person. We wish for that person’s happiness and feel pain when he/she
is suffering. These reflect our love for the person. Holy Mother made the
whole world her own by becoming the Mother of all. She loved all equally,
worried for all, and suffered for all. Every incident of her life is soaked
in selfless motherly love. Even from her childhood, she expressed that love
when, as a little girl, she fanned the piping hot food of a hungry person
who cared less of burning his mouth while eating. As an young girl, she
took care of her brothers. Later, she addressed
a highwayman as “Father” and turned his cruel heart into a loving
father’s heart. When she found out that her husband, Sri Ramakrishna, was
passing through spiritual storms and needed her help, she rushed to him and
served him throughout his life with love and one-pointed devotion.
After Sri Ramakrishna passed away, she took
care of all her family members; her
brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, and their children. It was not an easy
task. Her brothers used to fight with each other. One brother Kalikumar,
was short-tempered and wanted to control
everything. Her brothers always wanted money from her. Describing her
brothers’ state of minds, Holy Mother once said, “Their sole thought is
money. They always say, ‘Give us money, give us money.’ Not even
absent-mindedly have they ever asked for knowledge and devotion.” However,
compassionate as
she was the Mother then said, “All right, let them have what they
want.” Her sister-in-law and nieces were jealous of each other and used to
quarrel about small things. Her brother Abhay’s wife Surabala used to pose
real problems for her. After her brother’s death, Surabala showed signs of
an unbalanced mind, and after giving birth to a girl named Radhu, her
condition became worse. She was very abusive of Holy Mother. Radhu also
had problems. Even though Holy Mother was taking care of Radhu with
complete dedication, at one point, Radhu hit the Mother with an eggplant in
anger, and at another point she kicked Holy Mother and pushed her out of the
bullock-cart. Holy Mother bore all these abuses and insults patiently.
Really, making the whole world one’s own is not easy. Swami Nikhilananda
writes in Holy Mother’s biography that Holy Mother’s patience with her
relatives, as she tried to make everyone happy, defies description. How
could Holy Mother go through these trials and tribulations? She herself
gave the answer: “One must be patient as the earth, which always puts up
with people’s transgressions. Human beings should behave likewise.”
This is another key to make the world one’s own; cultivating patience, like
the Mother Earth.
The family members of Holy Mother
challenged her patience. Mother’s unselfish love shined more as she passed
through these challenges. Without the family members’ problems, the world
probably would not have known Holy Mother’s
inner divinity being expressed as unselfish love. At times, a few of her
family members did realize her divinity. But, it was temporary. Her niece
Maku’s son was an exception. This little boy used to collect flowers and
worship Holy Mother’s feet. One day when Holy Mother lost her teeth, this
son said to the Mother, “Why don’t you take my teeth?” Holy Mother laughed
at this innocent and pure love.
What was the secret of Holy Mother’s
patience and capacity to bear pain?
Swami Nikhilananda writes that, “The secret of Holy
Mother’s inner peace, poise and contentment was her unceasing communion with
God….She was like an ocean into which rivers from all sides empty
themselves, causing waves on the surface, but whose inner depths remain for
ever serene.”
Seeing Holy Mother in her domestic set-up
some people thought that she was excessively attached to her family, like
worldly people are. But, that was not the case. Once she said to Surabala,
mother of Radhu, “I shall look after her until she will be self-dependent.
Why, otherwise should I show so much attachment to her? This very moment I
can cut off all my connections with your daughter. Some day I will vanish
like camphor in the air, and you will not even know it.” In her last days
Holy Mother cut off all attachments with Radhu and her nieces. She asked
someone to take them to Jayarambati. Thus, only a detached person can make
the world one’s own in the true sense. Holy Mother showed the detachment
described in the Bhagavad Gita. Without detachment, one cannot bare the
pain that follows when one makes the whole world one’s own.
Once she said, “Everything, husband, wife,
or even the body, is only illusory. These are all shackles of illusion.
Unless you can free yourself from these bondages, you will never be able to
go to the other shore of the world. Even this attachment to the body, the
identification of the self with the body must go. What is this body, my
darling? It is nothing but three pounds of ashes when it is cremated. Why
so much vanity about it? However strong or beautiful this body may be, its
culmination is in those three pounds of ashes. And still people are so
attached to it. Glory is to God.”
Holy Mother loved her devotees just as much
as she did her family members, or even more. Descriptions of incidents
depicting her love for her devotees who came to her at Jayarambati touch the
readers’hearts. At Jayarambati, Holy Mother’s life was strenuous. With
Motherly love she used to go early in the morning to procure milk for her
devotees’ tea, buy vegetables, and cook their meals. Once when a disciple
protested to about her strenuous life, Holy
Mother said, “My child, it is good to be active.” Remaining silent for a
few minutes she continued gravely, “Please bless me that I may serve
others as long as I live.” When devotees came from a distance and left
after staying with Holy Mother for two or three days, she shed tears at the
thought of missing them. She also worried about the devotees’
inconveniences and discomforts just like their own mothers would if it was
raining at the time of the devotees’
departure. Sometimes, when the devotees left, she would stand outside and
watch them as far as her tear-filled eyes could follow them. Once, a
devotee sent vegetables to the Mother through a servant lady, who had to
stay overnight. Mother Sarada asked her to
stay in her house. That lady was sick and vomited at night. Holy Mother,
without any fuss, cleaned the whole place herself. She knew that if other
people knew of this, they would be angry with the lady. Holy Mother could
have stayed at Kolkata and enjoyed the services of her and Sri Ramakrishna’s
disciples. But, most of the time she preferred to stay at Jayarambati to
serve all.
Various kinds of devotees came to see her,
and she showered her motherly love on all equally. Holy Mother followed
social rituals as much as possible. But, when it came to choosing between
social rituals and motherly love, she let the rituals go. The following
examples show that she loved all people equally. In a place near
Jayarambati, some Muslims lost their jobs when the silk factories where they
worked closed. A few began to steal and rob people at night to make a
living. During the day, they helped people by fixing their houses. One
such person was helping to build Holy Mother’s new house.
He brought some bananas and said, “Mother, I have brought them for
the Master; will you accept them?” Holy Mother said, “Of course I will.
Give them to me. You have brought for the Master, I will certainly take
them.” A woman devotee who was present was surprised and said, “Mother, he
is a thief. How can you offer his things to the Master?” Holy Mother
scolded her for her comments and said, “I know who is good and who is bad.”
Another such worker was a bandit. He built
walls for Holy Mother’s new house. His name was Amzad,
and he was a Muslim. One day she invited him for a meal, which was
arranged on the porch of her house. In those days, an orthodox Hindu
considered Muslims untouchables. Holy Mother’s niece,
Nalini, began to throw food at Amzad’s plate
from a distance. Holy Mother noticed this and said, “How can one enjoy food
if it is offered with such scorn? Let me wait on him properly.” After he
finished his meal, Holy Mother cleaned the place with her own hands. Nalini
said, “Aunt, you have lost your cast.” The Mother said, “Keep quiet. As
Sarat is my son, so is Amzad.” This was a
very bold statement. On one hand, Sarat, Swami Saradananda, was a great
Saint. He was a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, a brother-disciple of
Swami Vivekanand and was regarded by all with great respect. He has also
served Holy Mother with great care and love. On the other hand, Amzad was a
Muslim bandit and a worker fixing houses.
Once a young boy from an untouchable family
came to Holy Mother and asked for initiation. Holy Mother was a little
concerned about how the village people would look at this. Finally, her
motherly love over-powered her social concerns, and she gave him initiation.
The language barrier could not stop the
Mother from making everyone her own. Sister Nivedita was very close to Holy
Mother. When Sister Nivedita as Margaret Noble who was residing in London,
gave up everything and came to India to serve Indian women, Swami
Vivekananda was worried about accommodating her in Hindu homes. Holy Mother
came forward and accommodated her in her own room. That was a most
courageous and bold step at that time, especially among the orthodox
Hindus. Nivedita used to feel quite at home with the Mother. She wrote in
a letter that seeing Mother Mary in a church, she remembered Holy Mother’s
dear face and loving look. Nivedita said that it was foolish for her to
meditate sitting by the side of Holy Mother instead of being a child at her
feet. In order to enjoy the Mother's company Nivedita chose a place which
was close to the Mother’s place. Holy Mother also mixed with other European
women like Mrs. Ole Bull, Sister Christine, Sister Devamata and others.
One day, a European lady whose daughter was
seriously ill came to the Mother, seeking her blessings. Mother prayed for
the child, gave her a lotus that was offered to the Master (Sri Ramakrishna)
and told the lady to touch her daughter’s head with the flower. The
daughter was cured, and later that lady was blessed by initiation from the
Mother.
When Holy Mother went to Banglore, a large
number of people gathered to see her. As soon as the Mother came, they all
saluted her. The Mother was visibly moved by their love. She stood still
for a few moments and raised her hand to bless all.
The whole atmosphere became charged with divine love. The Mother
expressed her sorrow that she did not speak their language. When her
thought was translated in to their language, people said that she should not
worry and that words were not needed! Their hearts were filled with peace by her presence.
Holy Mother learned many things from Sri
Ramakrishna, but she was independent in her thinking. There are several
situations in which she expressed her own opinions. Once Sri Ramakrishna,
pointing out the deep sorrow of a father who had lost his young son, said
that if one has children and they die, then one suffers. Holy Mother
immediately responded that ‘not all children die.’ On
another occasion, Sri Ramakrishna told Holy Mother not to
feed the youngsters more than
necessary so that they would stay awake and be able to do japa and
meditation at night. Holy Mother said that she was their mother and that if
they asked more food, she could not refuse them. In both the cases, her
independent thinking pleased Sri Ramakrishna. Once Mrs. Ole Bull asked Holy
Mother how she took the words of Sri Ramakrishna. Holy Mother said, “In
Spirituality
absolute obedience, but in other matters I use my common sense. The Swamis
of Ramakrishna Order had high regard for Holy Mother’s opinions.
Here are a few more examples of Holy
Mother’s love and independent thinking. During the First World War, a
disciple told the Mother how President Wilson was trying to ensure the peace
in the world and prevent war in the future. Holy Mother said, “They all
speak through the lips and not through the heart.” Once a disciple told her
that the British rule provided many facilities of life. The Mother said,
“But is it not a fact that the poverty of the people is increasing more and
more?” She was angry when police made two women freedom-fighters, one of
them pregnant, walk on the street for a long distance. The Mother said, “Is
this due to the orders of the Government or the over-zeal of the police
officers? Was there no one who slapped the police officers and released
these girls?” Once she said, “When these Britishers are going to go?” This
does not mean that Holy Mother hated the Britishers. Her universal love
included them also. On one occasion, she said that the Britishers too were
her children.
Holy Mother’s teachings are simple in
nature and very practical. How can we love all equally? She taught a
little girl how to love all equally. May be we can learn something from
this. One little girl in Kolkata was visiting Holy Mother with her family.
She used to cling to the Mother. Once when the Mother was going to
Jayarambati, she asked the girl, “Do you love me?” The girl said, “yes.”
The Mother said, “How much?” The girl stretched her arms as wide as she
could and said, “This much.” The Mother said, “I shall be sure of your love
for me if you can love everyone at home.” Then the Mother said, “Let me
tell you how to love all equally. Do not demand anything of those you
love. If you make demands, some will give you more and some less. In that
case you will love more those who give you more and less those who give you
less. Thus, your love will not be same for all. You will not be able to
love all impartially.” We can see from her life that Holy Mother demanded
nothing in return for her love.
Holy Mother worried about the victims of
famine, flood and other calamities. She took a keen interest in the flood
and famine relief operations of the Ramakrishna Mission. She always
encouraged her disciples to cooperate in such activities. Whenever anyone
returned from a relief work, she would make detailed inquires about the
sufferings of the people and the extent of the relief given. Her heart was
always moved by stories of the sufferings of people.
She showered equal love on the righteous
and the unrighteous. On one occasion she said that she was the mother of
the beasts, birds, and insects, as well. Her motherly heart thus embraced
even sub-human species. She would be moved by the bleating of a calf out of
hunger or solitariness, and she would sit by its side for long, patting or
feeding it. Once, while leaving Jayaramabati, she specifically told a
Brahmachari by the name of Jnan to cook rice especially for cats and not to
beat them because "I am in them.”
Through love Holy Mother made the whole
world her own. But, she used her common sense and acted according to the
situation when needed. Once, in her village, a crazy boy named Harish
chased her, probably with impure intentions in his mind. Holy Mother was
scared and ran a long time to save herself. When she got tired and Harish
did not stop, she decided to face him. She knocked him down on the ground,
put her knee on his chest and slapped his cheeks again and again until her
hands turned red. One needs discrimination along with love and has to be
practical.
We have to remember that Holy Mother again
and again emphasized that the goal of life is to realize God. She was the
embodiment of renunciation and had high regards for those who renounced
everything to realize God. She worried about her monastic disciples and
prayed for their welfare.
Once the head of the Koalpara Ashram
complained to Holy Mother that he no longer had control over his workers
because they had learned to think for themselves, and that whenever they
went to her or to Swami Saradananda, they received every attention and nice
food. He requested the Mother to send them back with proper instructions.
The Mother said:
How foolishly you talk! Our essential point is love. It is through love
alone that the spiritual family of Sri Ramakrishna has grown and developed.
Besides, I am their mother. So how could you criticize in my presence the
way in which they were fed and clothed? Alas, how much did I weep and pray
to the Master for my children! That is why you find everywhere ashramas and
monasteries through his blessings. After the passing away of the Master his
disciples renounced the world, found a temporary shelter and for a few days
lived together. Then, one by one they went out independently and began to
roam hither and thither. That made me very sad. I prayed to the Master,
saying, “O Lord, you have been embodied in human form, and you spent the
period of your earthly existence with a few disciples. Now has everything
ended with your passing away? In that case, what need was there for your
embodiment entailing so much suffering? I have seen in Brindavan and
Banaras so many holy men living off of alms and having the shades of trees
for shelter. There is no lack of sadhus of that type. I cannot bear to see
my children, who have renounced all for your sake, wandering about for a
morsel of food. It is my prayer, O Lord that those who gave up the world
for your sake, may not suffer for want of simple food and coarse clothing.
It is also my prayer that my children should live together, clinging to you
and your teachings, and people afflicted with the sufferings of the world
should come to them and get peace of mind by hearing from them your words.
That is why you incarnated yourself in a human form. My mind becomes
restless, seeing my children roam about hear and there.”
Once, a rich lady had a heated exchange
with a Brahmachari. The lady left saying that she would not come back as
long he was there. Holy Mother heard the whole story and then said "Let the
lady go. This Brahmachari has renounced everything for the Master and me.
The Brahmachari is going to stay, let that lady go."
Thus, Holy Mother showed from her life that
(1) to find peace we must not find faults with others (2) we must find our
own faults to improve ourselves and (3) we ought
to make the whole world our own by
loving all equally, while still using our common sense. May Holy Mother
bless us and give us inspiration and determination to practice these
ideals. At the end I will offer a poem to Holy Mother written for this
special occasion.
Holy
Mother! I wonder…
Holy Mother!
Were you the Mother Durga, the Mother of the Universe,
Who was born as Sarada to receive the worship of Sri Ramakrishna?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Parvati, the consort of Shiva,
Who was married to Sri Ramakrishna,
To take care of him who ever remained in samadhi?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Sita, the daughter of the Earth,
Who appeared to Sri Ramakrishna and
Bore patiently the sufferings inflicted by your kith and kin and others?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Saraswati, the godess of knowledge,
Who showered her blessings on Swami Vivekananda
Before his voyage to the World Parliament of Religions?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Ganga, the redeemer of sixty thousand sons of King Sagar
Descended on the earth as Sri Sarada
To purify all who take a dip into your life and teachings?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Anasuya, the wife of Rishi Atri,
Who transformed all the great giants like Naren, Rakhal, Sarat, Yogen, and
Girish
Into little children with your motherly love?
I wonder.
Were you the
Mother Mary, the solace of many,
Who was born to give peace and assurance
To Sister Nivedita and others?
I wonder.
Are
you the Mother, the sum total of love of all the mothers,
Enjoying your own glories
Dwelling in the hearts of all?
I wonder.
(The author likes to thank Medha Kirtane and
Uma Ramakrishnan for editing the article.)
|
|
