Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--VII

He who sees, perceives, understands & loves the self; delights in the self; reveals in the self; rejoices in the self, becomes the Lord and Master in all the world.

                                                                             ( Swami Abhedananda)                                                   
Continuing our thrust in learning from some of the great Saints & Philosophers, we shall pick up a few powerful messages on Dharma, Ethical living & spiritual wisdom conveyed to the world by Swami Abhedananda of the period 1866-1939 CE, spiritual brother of Swami Vivekananda and a direct disciple of Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa. " All religions unanimously declare that God is Truth and Truth is God." and " Faith in God is the cornerstone of all the great mansions of religions of the world." are some of his powerful messages on main focus of Religions of the world.             


Born in Calcutta, named Kaliprasad Chandra, learnt Yoga from
 19th century mystic Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa; established Ramakrishna Vedanta Math. On the advice of Swami Vivekananda, he headed Vedanta Society of New York in 1897 and for next 25 yrs, traveled and lectured on Vedanta wide across the audience of the  world; authored several books on philosophy, religion, culture, reincarnation. doctrine of Karma & other spiritual aspects. 

Going thru his published scripts titled " The Complete Works of Swami Abhedananda", I could pick up enormous treasure of knowledge and wisdom on " Dharma, Ethical living and Spiritual Wisdom". Some of my key learnings are summarized below

• Every religion can be divided into two parts, non essentials and essentials. Doctrines, dogmas, rituals, ceremonies and mythologies of all the organized religious creeds come under non essentials.The essentials consist of Self Knowledge which is knowledge of divine nature of self or higher self and Self Control which is restraint of the lower self or selfish nature.
• Whenever there is too much of non essentials, religious corruption, superstitions and false theology prevail and hide the kernel of essential truth. Furthermore, poor self control may easily start reflecting into unethical human behavior like uncontrolled passion, anger, greed, hatred towards others, self delusion, egotism and sometimes jealousy.
• No one can succeed in attaining self control, so essential for following Dharma & Ethical values, by being a slave to desires. Ethical and Spiritual living requires subjugation of senses.
• Whether we believe in God or not, whether we have faith in any prophet or not, if we have self control, concentration, truthfulness and disinterested love for one and all, then we are on a righteous path leading to ethical and spiritual living.
• Vedanta philosophy preaches that the true Self is absolutely indestructible and unchangeable. Destruction of self is just as impossible as the destruction of the Absolute and this truth is realized by achieving perfection in self knowledge.
•  He, who realizes all beings in the self, and the self in all animate & inanimate objects of the universe, never hates anyone or anything. Hatred develops from imperfect relative knowledge and when hatred is gone, jealousy and other selfish feelings disappear and divine love begins to reign.
• True self or Atman is above good or evil, beyond virtue or vice. We are a part of Divinity. let us feel it, realize it and we will be free. The attainment of this freedom thru self knowledge brings in us the realization of our oneness with divinity. 

Swami Abhedananda had great belief in the Power of True self, Doctrine of Karma, Reincarnation, Meditation & Concentration, Divine heritage of man, Truthfulness in life and Salvation thru love. He frequently quoted relevant verses from sacred scriptures, Bhagwat Gita & Upanishads, besides relative wisdom from other prominent religions of the world, during his lectures and discourses.

 Quoting him on one occasion in the context of Self Knowledge, it is said," I am the light of the universe.Through me shine the sun, moon, stars and the lightening. I am the lord of the body, senses and the mind. I am also the lord of all phenomenal objects. I have realized my true self and also the true self of the universe and now I am one with the Absolute." What a powerful message on True self and Divinity! Let me now share a few more learnings from his scriptures, on Karma, Ethical living and divinity in general.

• Life is Prana, Prana is life; Life is immortality and Immortality is life; Life never dies.
• The doctrine of Karma alone can explain the problem of good and evil and reconcile man to the terrible and apparent injustice of life.
• In this world of relativity, it is impossible to find an action which is absolutely good and creates no discord or disharmony. " स्वारम्भा हि  दोषेण धरमेंनागिन्रिवाव्रता  ie actions are followed by its demerits just as the fire is enveloped with smoke. It is equally difficult to find any work with absolute evil effect without causing some kind of good somewhere in the universe.
• Wherever there is perfect harmony, peace, tranquility or happiness, this could be the result of good acts; and wherever discord, disease, suffering, pain, misery or unhappiness prevail,there could be violations of moral and other laws of ethical living and consequently, there is evil.
• A believer in the law of Karma is responsible for all the good and bad results of his own actions. He knows that he creates his own destiny and moulds his character by his thoughts and deeds. He never blames others for his misery and suffering. He is more moral and virtuous. He avoids doing anything wrong because he knows that every wrong action will sooner or later react upon himself making him unhappy and miserable. Doctrine of Karma conveys that God never rewards the virtuous nor punishes the wicked. "नादन्ते कस्यचित्त पापं न चैव सुकृतं विभुः ".
• The Karmyoga teaches that by performing all the obligatory works of life without seeking any return for self ie thru non attachment, we gain the purification of the heart leading to divine wisdom and liberation of soul.
• Divine love( expression of feeling of oneness) and Divine wisdom are one and lead to seeing divinity in everything.These unfold the inner self simultaneously and lead us to God consciousness.
• The knowledge of Truth ( Sat-yam) brings freedom to the soul. About five centuries before the advent of Jesus, Buddha declared," Happy is he who has found the truth. Truth is noble and sweet. There is no savior in the world except the truth." Our own holy sages and prophets of Vedic period have been saying," From truth we have come into existence, in truth we live and into truth we return in the end."  Whosoever has found the truth, is happy, free and blissful. 
• The infinite & eternal truth, Brahman, pervades the whole universe, the visible and the invisible. May we realize the infinite in this life. May we attain to that truth and enjoy peace for ever.
• The Self ( Atman) is the infinite. Self is below, above, behind, before, right or left; self is all this.
• That which is infinite is bliss. In the finite, there is no bliss. Infinity alone is bliss. This infinity is to be realized.

The above mentioned convictions and practical views of Swami Abhedananda provide scores of ideas for people to lead an ethical life in society. He dwelt on Divine Love in a simple but comprehensive manner linking it with ethical living as well as realization of God. Quoting him," Divine love generates non attachment to worldly pleasures. It straightens out all crookedness of the heart and destroys the germs of vanity and self conceit." Further, relating divine love with God realization, he said," Divine love brings the highest ecstatic or super conscious state in which the individual soul eternally communes with God, the universal spirit."

 He also carried out in depth work on " Reincarnation" and " Life beyond death" and expressed his views in series of lectures and scripts. Let me end the blog by sharing one or two of his strong convictions in this area based on his thinking.

1. The religion of Vedanta tells us not to seek divine wisdom from the departed spirits, and not to waste our time & energy by going after them, because the result will not be successful. " Devyana", the divine path is through Self Knowledge or the relative knowledge of the individual soul with the universal spirit.
2. The salvation of the soul is the highest ideal of all religions. In each individual soul, a current of love flowing like a river, constantly seeks an outlet thru which it can run into the ocean of divine love, called GOD. How can a man taste the nectar of divine love and obtain salvation from selfishness, so long as he is a slave of desires? True lover of God desires nothing, cares for nothing but the eternal truth.

Finally, let me quote Swami Abhedananda's views on a " Universal religion" and the essence of Truth.

" The world needs today a universal religion, which will embrace within its unbounded arms, all the established religions of the world, and which will give them their proper places which they deserve in this scale of religious revolution. Truth is eternal and it can not be monopolized by any sect or creed or religion."

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--VI

 Truth is Your Birth Right. Assert it and be Master of Universe. Truth is " Tattva- Masi" ie That Thou Art.

                                                                                        ( Swami Rama Tirtha)                  

Continuing our thrust on learnings from prominent Saints and Philosophers of the period 1750-1950 CE, we shall share some of the spiritual and ethical messages conveyed by a Vedantin of highest realization, a great ascetic and an enlightened mystic poet of India, Swami Rama Tirtha. In a short life span of 33 years ( Oct 1873-- Oct 1906), Swami Rama took Vedanta to common man, into quiet homes, into crowded streets, into busy offices and into the western world.
In words of Mahatma Gandhi, " Swami Rama Tirtha was one of the greatest souls, not only of India, but of the whole world."  Swami Shivananda, Founder, Divine Life Society and a prominent spiritual philosopher said, " Swami Rama Tirtha lived practical Vedanta...... He is soul incarnate...." Swami Rama concentrated his thoughts on attaining Self Realization to the full and made all out efforts to merge himself with Universal consciousness of Humanity. To him was audible the music of cosmos and it is well reflected in his poems." Realization is religion" was his brief philosophy. He stood for perfect morality, total abstinence and righteous conduct. 

His poems are a marvel of religious depth as well as spiritual and ethical conduct in life. He was also a true harbinger of communal peace and unity. Let me summarize some of the key learnings and messages from " In woods of God Realization", the 10 to 12 volume compilation of the complete works of Swami Rama, restricting to my area of research of Dharma, Ethical living and Spiritual Wisdom.

• Religions, creeds and denominations are worn by people merely like amulets around the neck. All kinds of virtues and efficacy are normally ascribed to them and yet what little we achieve is utterly independent of these pet charms. Let us rise above these favorite superstitions. One must give up all his pet prejudices, possessions, clinging s and attachments. ( from Vol 5" The Spirit of Religion"- " Criticism & Universal love").
• Accept not a religion because it is the oldest. Accept not a religion because it is latest. Accept not a religion on the grounds of its being believed by a vast majority or by a chosen few. Believe not in a religion because it comes from a very famous man. Accept and believe in a religion on its own merits. Examine it yourself with an open mind. Be free to look at everything by your own inner light. ( Vol 10, Snapshots & Impressions).
• All the conventions, traditions, customs, superstitions & religious make beliefs of India have only become  dead symbols of spiritual ailment, primarily because of cramping of self into one set of living on a mental plane. If India is to live, caste system must be swept away. ( vol 10, Snapshots & Impressions). What a strong message on a social evil prevalent in Indian society !
• Laying strong emphasis on following " Sadharma Dharma", the religion of physical, mental & spiritual peace, Swami Rama conveyed 5 essential qualities to be demonstrated by it---- Simple, Easy, Natural, Universal and Practical. He further described some of  the key features of Sadharma Dharma as:--(a) Hard work and no stagnant indolence (b) Enjoyment of work as against tedious drudgery (c) Peace of mind (d) No conservative customs & appropriate reforms (e) Strong real feelings while avoiding flowery talks (f) Living realization.( vol 10, Snapshots & Impressions).

Swami Rama was a fearless social reformer and believer in the potential of self in life. Quoting him," Vedanta is the realization of our true self, Sat- Chit- Anand; the state of all being, all knowledge, all bliss". While delivering a lecture on " Happiness Within" on Dec 17, 1902 in USA, he said," Seek happiness not in the objects of sense; realize that happiness is within yourself." and also," Realize the heaven within you, and at once all the desires are fulfilled; all the misery & sufferings are put an end to." While delivering a lecture on ," Expansion of Self", in USA on Dec 16, 1902, he stated," Pleasure is within you. The whole treasure is within you. Come & realize your true self and let this song burst forth from you in fullness of joy:--

I am the mote in the sunbeam,

And I am the burning sun.

I am the blush of the morning,

And I am the evening breeze;

I am the leaf's low murmur,

the swell of the terrible seas;

the rose, her poet nigh-tangle,

the songs from the throat that rise;

I am intoxication, the grapes,

Wine press and musk, and wine;

The guest, the host, the traveler,

the goblet of crystal fine.

Let me now share some of the powerful messages of Swami Rama derived from his lectures focusing on Ethical living and the Role of True Self towards it. In two of his lectures, Sin-- its relation to the Atman or True Self ( Nov 16, 1902, USA) and Prognosis & Diagnosis of Sin ( Dec 20, 1902, USA), he spoke about some of the vices in life and how to avoid the same for Ethical living. Quoting a few;

• All these sins are due to ignorance, which makes you confound the real self with apparent body and mind. Give up this ignorance and these sins are no more.
• Everybody in this world from the point of view of his little self is a sinner. Everybody is somehow or other responsible for some defect/ deficiency or other & yet nobody in his heart of hearts thinks that he is a sinner-- he regards himself as pure.
• The Vedanta says, the only way to escape from all sins is to realize the true self. You will never be able to withstand animal passions unless you do away with all this splendor & glory that bewitches you; when you realize that, you stand above all passions, and at the same time be perfectly fine, be perfectly full of bliss & That is Heaven.
• Flattery, Vanity, Avarice or Greed, Attachment, Sloth or indolence, Rivalry, Sensuality and Anger are some of the prominent vices under the broader definition of sins. But none of these can be attributed to True Self or The Atman. Once we realize the real self, the greatest of the great, we will no longer stoop down to seek praise or vanity for the body. Once we realize that the unchangeable self is all beauty now & for ever, we will come out of the need to gratify the senses.

In another lecture on " The Secret of Success", delivered by Swami Rama in 1902 in Japan,he emphasized upon the importance of " Self- Sacrifice or Unselfish sacrifice" in one's life, which as per him is the symbol of Purity and Righteousness. Some of other key attributes for  successful Ethical living, he focused were, Universal Love ( love and be loved to be the goal), Fearlessness ( faith in one's real self), Cheerfulness ( brings calmer state of mind) and Self Reliance. Regarding Purity in life, he asked for removal of impure thoughts and immorality from one's life.

Swami Rama conveyed another powerful message in one of his talks in USA ( Feb 21, 1903) on " The Nature of Inspiration"--- " Very happy is he and blessed is he, whose life is a continuous sacrifice".He clarified several spiritual as well as ethical issues in his" Question Answer sessions" and " Informal talks". A few of these impacting common men are shared below;

• To a question, Who are you?, he replied," I am God and so are you." Immortal is the true divinity that you are.
• All desire is love and love is God, and that God, you are. Realize your oneness with that and you stand above everything.
• Cultivate peace of mind, fill your mind with pure thoughts and nobody can set himself against you.
• Criticizing, Censuring, blaming and fault finding with men is not worshiping God. Recognize God head in them.
• In your speech is God, in your seeing is divinity, in your act of hearing is divinity present AND that divinity of which you are so full is the same divinity in your friend, your brother, your relations and your enemy. There are no enemies when you feel divinity.

The learnings from Swami Rama's lectures are unending and highly absorbing.In a lecture on," The Infinite in the Finite", delivered in USA on Jan 10, 1903, he expressed---," Realize that you are infinity within. Know that.The very moment that a person knows himself to be that and realizes his true nature, he is free above all difficulty, above all suffering, above all tribulation and pain. Know that, Be yourself." The diversity of multi- dimensional spiritual cum ethical messages of Swami Rama can not be compressed into a small blog. Let me end the blog by another message to Humanity, given by Swami Rama for realizing Godhead;

The Time to be happy is now, The place to be happy is here,

 And the way to be happy is to make others so.

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--V

"Every person is worthy of an infinite wealth of love;

 the beauty of his soul knows no limit."

                                                            ( Rabindranath Tagore; Glimpses of Bengal)

Rabindranath Tagore ( May 1861-Aug 1941) was a doyen of Literature & Music, who left an indelible impression all over the world by his literary as well as artistic abilities during late 19th & early 20th centuries.  A Humanist, Universalist and Internationalist, he wrote hundreds of texts, songs and poems besides contributing through the artworks, paintings,sketches, novels, dramas and stage plays. For his immense contribution, he was the first non European to be awarded Noble Prize in Literature in the year 1913 and was popularly known as Gurudev.

He was deeply moved by the perennial poverty of Calcutta & its impact was clearly visible in his literary works, prose-songs and dance dramas. During his international visits to more than 30 countries, he freely interacted with some of topmost authors, scientists, politicians and Humanists, sharing his views, philosophy & Literary talents. 

Two of his compositions namely, " Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak", the Indian national anthem   and " Amaar Shonar Bangla"--- the national anthem of Bangladesh, occupy a place of pride in these two Asian democracies. Yet another symbol of pride is " Sri Lanka Matha", national anthem of Sri Lanka, which is a Sinhalese translation of the Bengali version of Tagore's works, carried out by one of his student.

 Social inequities, beauty & preservation of nature, universal love, peace, justice, freedom, poverty, untouchability, abnormal caste consciousness and other prominent concerns  impacted his literary works. He shared his views on some of these evils and penned Dalit heroes for his poems and dramas. One such example has been his successful campaign for opening of famous Guruvayoor temple to Dalits. Considering my topic of research, let me pick up a couple of inspiring messages full of wisdom from the literary works of Tagore on Ethical living or Human Dharma in general. These are;

• LIFE of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body PURE, knowing that Thy living touch is upon all my limbs; I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts knowing that Thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind; I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart & keep my love in flower, knowing that Thou has thy seat in the innermost shrine of my heart.-- ( Song Poem 4  Gitanjali ).

• Tagore had his own opinion on Independence movement and nationalism, which is visible in song poem 35 of  Gitanjali.

,Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

and knowledge is free 
,Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls

,Where words come out from the depth of truth

,Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

,Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

,Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action

Into that heaven of Freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

 Elaborating on Dharma,in chapter " The Problem of Self " of his famous book on Spirituality," Sadhna",  Gurudev Tagore writes,"  Dharma is the innermost nature, the essence, the implicit truth, of all things. Dharma is the ultimate purpose that is working in our self. When any wrong is done, we say that Dharma is violated, meaning that the lie has been given to our true nature. Dharma is truth within us, it is inherent."

 In the same chapter, focusing on the misery out of ignorance of one's true self, he added," Set yourselves free from the Avid-ya; know your true soul and be saved from the grasp of the self which imprisons you. We gain our freedom when we attain our truest nature.

Stressing upon the importance of Ethical living among people, he stated that Love is the perfection of consciousness. Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us. It is truth.It is the joy that is at the root of all creations. It is the white light of pure consciousness that emanates from Brahma. ( Realization in Love; Ch V, Sadhna).

He further added that Brahma is Brahma, the infinite ideal of perfection. But we are not what we truly are; we are ever to become true, ever to become Brahma. Once our soul reaches her ultimate object of repose in Brahma, all her movements acquire a purpose. It is this ocean of infinite rest which gives significance to our endless activities, ( The Realization of Infinite; Ch VIII, Sadhna ).

All our egoistic impulses, our selfish desires, obscure our true vision of the soul. He added that according to Upanishads, the key to cosmic consciousness, to God consciousness, is the consciousness of the soul. ( Soul consciousness, Ch II, Sadhna ).

Gurudev Tagore had a deep touch of Internationalism and Universal-ism. In Ch I," The Relationship of the Individual to the Universe" of his famous literary writing Sadhna, he conveys that man must realize the wholeness of his existence, his place in the infinite. " Bhuteshu bhuteshu vichintva"--- Let us work towards realizing him in each and all; not only in nature, but in the family, in society, in the state; the more we realize the world consciousness in all, the better it is for us. Again quoting song poem 69 from his noble Prize winning creation Gitanjali;

" The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures." Another line in the same poem conveys," It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean---- cradles of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow." Another example is  song poem 103 of Gitanjali, which presents Universal-ism in Spiritualism in a beautiful literary flow;

" In one salutation to Thee, my God, let all my senses spread out and touch this world at Thy feet." Another line in the same poem conveys;

" Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current and flow into a sea of silence in one salutation to Thee."

Tagore promoted spiritual as well as ethical values in life and worked for creation of a new world culture of diversity and tolerance. He was a great Humanist and this was visible in several of his literary works as well as dance dramas, novels, stage plays art and paintings. He drew inspiration and ideas for writing from his surroundings as well as inner feelings.His songs and music cover many aspects of Human emotions, devotional hymns and songs of love. With a view to free Indian villages from helplessness and ignorance, he established an International Institute for Rural reconstruction on a novel pattern of learning at SURUL, near Shantiniketan,, involving scholars & Officials of several nations.

Tagore was a towering figure, being a deeply relevant and many sided contemporary thinker. He desired to make his Ashram  of Shantiniketan into a connecting thread between India and the world;  a world center for the study of Humanity, beyond the boundaries of nation and Geography. Many of his stories and novels focused on interpersonal relationships, colored and impacted by human shortcomings as well as idiosyncrasies. His literary works, however, were progressive and worked towards bringing a positive shift in the mindset of traditional Indian values.

It is difficult to pick up and present the innumerable value driven messages given by a literary giant like Gurudev Tagore to the nation and the world in a small blog. I have tried to limit the learnings picked up on my theme of reading research ie Dharma, ethical living and to some extent spiritual wisdom. Let me end the blog by another powerful message on " Service to Humanity"from one of his literary works;

" I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I woke up and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy".

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE-IV

"Karma-Yoga, is a system of Ethics and Religion, intended to attain freedom thru unselfishness, and by good works. The Karma-Yogi need not believe in any doctrine.  He may not believe even in God, may not ask what his soul is. Every moment of his life must be realization."
                                                                                                      Swami Vivekananda      

I hope that you have gone thru my earlier Blog no 21 sharing prominent messages on Dharma and Ethical living from my reading research of  " The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda". For me, it has been a fascinating experience to understand a few facets of the remarkable personality of this great Saint cum Philosopher of India. Adding to what has been covered in my earlier Blog, let me share a few more powerful learnings on my theme of research from the life of Swami Vivekananda, impacting the life of common masses.

• Duty is seldom sweet. It is only when Love greases its wheels that it runs smoothly; it is a continuous friction otherwise; And Love- Love shines in freedom alone; freedom from being a slave to  senses, to anger, to  jealousies and so on occurring everyday in human life, ( Ch IV, Vol I). Further, every Duty is holy and devotion to the duty is the highest form of the worship of God.
• Inactivity should be avoided by all means. Activity always means resistance. Resist all evils, mental & physical, and when you have succeeded in resisting, then will Calmness come.( Ch II, Vol I). Further, let there be action without reaction; while action is pleasant, all misery is reaction.
• Each is great in his own place. Our first duty is not to hate ourselves, because to advance, we must have faith in ourselves first and then in God. ( Ch II, Vol I).
• The great error in all ethical systems, without exception, has been the failure of teaching the means by which man could refrain from doing evil. ( from his address on " Hints on practical Spirituality", delivered in LA, California, USA.
• Have charity towards all beings. Pity those who are in distress. Love all creatures. Do not be jealous of anyone. Look not to the faults of others. 
• The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error . The greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable weak creature and that you have no power & you can not do this and that and so on. All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we, who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. Know that there is no darkness around us. Take your hands away and there is the light which was there from the beginning. Darkness  never existed ; weakness never existed--- ( From his address on Practical Vedanta, delivered in London in 1896).
• Know the truth and be free in a moment. All the darkness will then vanish, When man has seen himself as one with the infinite being of the universe, when all separateness has ceased, when all men and women; all Gods and angels; all animals and plants AND the whole universe has melted into that Oneness, then all fear disappears.Whom to fear? What can cause me sorrow? Whom to be jealous?  All bad feelings will disappear. Against whom can I have bad feelings? against myself? There is none in the universe but myself. ( from his address on The Atman delivered in USA ).
• Religion is neither talk, nor theory, nor intellectual consent. It is a  realization in the heart of our hearts; it is touching God; it is a feeling, realizing that I am a spirit in relation with the universal spirit and all its great manifestations all across. ( From his address " The Great Teachers Of The World", California, Feb 3, 1900).
• These great teachers are the living Gods on this earth. Let me talk about some of the messengers and prophets of India; some of the oldest founders of religion. As one of the central message from GITA, Lord Krishna says," Remain Unattached". He again states on another note on Intense Activity," Work, Work, Work day and night, you will find peace. Flying from work is never the way to find peace. Lord Krishna further teaches us," Whosoever, in the midst of intense activity, finds inner peace, he is a Yogi; he is a great soul; he has arrived at perfection.". Let me share Buddha's message, says Buddha," Root out selfishness and everything that makes you selfish." Behold another ethical message from Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, " The kingdom of Heaven is spread out across the earth, only people do not see it. Do not delay a moment; leave nothing for tomorrow. Another great ethical message comes from Prophet Muhammad," The civilization is the existence of God. Each person is born pure and that human beings are given a choice on this earth, whether to follow evil or good steps. Treat all God's creations with equality and compassion". Let us salute all the past Prophets whose teachings and lives we have inherited. ( The Great Teachers of the World--- Feb 3, 1900).
• You may pray all the time, read all the scriptures in the world, and worship all the Gods there are, but( unless), you realize the soul ( your inner self), there is no freedom. Not talking, theorizing, argumentation, but Realization; that I call Practical Religion.( The Practice of Religion delivered at Alameda, California, April 18,1900).

Swami ji used to share his convictions and knowledge with his disciples and others in series of  Discussion/ Question & Answer sessions , both while abroad as well as India. Let me share a few prominent ethical messages from the collection;

• Blessed indeed are those who can renounce Kama-Kanchana ( Lust & Greed), while living in their homes with their family.
• मा हिंस्यात सर्वभूतानि --- Cause no injury to any being.
• Quoting great Manu," निवृत्तिस्तु महाफला "--- Cessation of desires brings great results.
• एका ईव सुह्र्द धर्मा , निधानेप्यनु  यति यह  --- Virtue is the only friend which follows us even beyond the grave. Everything else ends with death.
• समता सर्वभूतेषु एतं  मुक्तस्या  लक्षणम -- "Equality in all beings", this is the sign of the free, emphasizing the need to look upon all human beings with respect and dignity.
• You must give your body, mind and speech to the welfare of the world. You have read," मातृदेवो भव , पितृदेवो भव " ie look upon your mother as God; look upon your father as God but I say," दरिद्रदेवो भव , मूर्खदेवो  भव " ie let the poor, the illiterate, the ignorant, the afflicted be your God. Let us know that service to these alone is the highest religion.
• Give up all ME and MINE.
• Love is beyond time and space.It is absolute. The more we grow in love & virtue & holiness, the more we see love & virtue & holiness outside. All condemnations of others really condemns ourselves.
• Emphasizing on Love, Swami ji  answered," Love never degenerates; the universe is too small for its expansiveness. Love is struggle of a human soul to find its compliment, its stable equilibrium, its infinite rest.
• Be true unto death. Be perfectly unselfish and you will be sure to succeed. Do not fight with people, do not antagonize anyone. Bear with various opinions of everybody. Patience, purity and perseverance will prevail.
• I stand for truth; truth will never allay itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail at the end.

I am amazed at the treasure of knowledge , this philosopher saint of India possessed and shared for the upliftment of masses within the country and the world. It had been extremely difficult to pick and choose the relevant contents for my theme of the blog from this vast treasure I came across while doing my reading research of " The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda". Let me end this blog by a few verses from translation of a poem of great Shankaracharya; titled, " NIRVANASHATKAM"shared by Swami ji in his talks; also recited at Green-acre, Maine ( 1894-1899), Vol IX.

I am neither Body nor changes of the Body; nor am I senses, nor objects of the senses;

I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am not aversion, nor attachment, nor greed, nor delusion;nor egotism, nor envy;

 Neither Dharma, nor Moksha; neither desire, nor objects of desire

I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He

I am neither sin, nor virtue, neither pain, nor pleasure;
Nor temple, nor worship; nor pilgrimage, nor scriptures;
Neither the act of enjoying, nor the enjoyable, nor the enjoy-er;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am neither death, nor fear of death; nor was I ever born, nor had I parents;
Nor friends, nor relations; I have neither Guru, nor disciple;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am without form, without limit, beyond space, beyond time;
I am in everything, I am the basis of the universe, everywhere am I;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute.I am He. I am He.

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--III

"Religion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing and acknowledging, it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes." Swami Vivekananda

Continuing our learnings from the Saints and Philosophers of the period 1750-1950 CE, we shall pick up a few threads on Dharma and Ethical Living from the phenomenal work of another great Spiritual philosopher cum Patriotic Saint, Swami Vivekananda. Born in Jan 1863 as Narendra Nath Datta, he grew into a great Indian Hindu monk, expressing Religion, Dharma and Ethics in a rationale manner using plain, commonsense language for the masses to easily understand and apply in life.

 As a chief disciple of Indian mystic Saint Ramakrishna Paramhans, he became a key figure in introducing Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga with utmost clarity and rationale to the western world. While traveling all over India, he felt necessity of infusing into the minds of people, a Faith in themselves, so that they can  come out of economic backwardness and poverty. He founded" Ramakrishna Mission", an organization to spread his messages on Religion, Dharma, Ethics, Spirituality and Universal Oneness. He also established Belur Math, a permanent abode for monastery and monastic order.

While going through "The Complete Works Of Swami Vivekananda",I have been overwhelmed by the richness of enormous storehouse of Spiritual and Ethical Treasure, based on his teachings and addresses delivered during his stay in Western World for about 4 years from year 1893 to 1897, and in Sri Lanka and various parts of India thereafter. Eminent British historian " A L Basham" stated, " In centuries to come, Vivekananda will be remembered as one of the main molders of the modern world." Though extremely difficult to pick up selective few messages and teachings, I shall attempt to share a few of these, limiting to my area of work, in two of my blogs, the current one, Blog 21 and the next one in line, Blog 22.

• Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity, already present in man. Moreover, Religion may also be called  the " Science of Consciousness", and as such Religion and Science are not contradictory, but complimentary. This universal concept frees religion from the hold of superstitions, dogmatism, priest craft and intolerance. It makes religion a noblest pursuit-- the pursuit of supreme freedom, supreme knowledge and supreme happiness. AN EYE OPENER for PURSUING DHARMA as well as ETHICAL LIVING in entire universe.

• All religions are more or less attempts to get beyond Nature----, the crudest or the most developed, expressed thru mythology or symbology, stories of Gods, angels or demons, or thru stories of saints and seers, great men or prophets OR thru abstractions of philosophies; all try to get beyond these limitations,- ( from an address in London on " Maya & Illusion" ),

• Each religion, as it were, takes up one part of the great universal truth and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great truth. Each religion has a soul behind it and that soul may differ from the soul of another religion. Yet, a question arises as to whether they contradict or supplement each other, In my view, these are additions and not exclusions. This is the march of Humanity. Man never progresses from Error to Truth, but from Truth to Truth, from Lesser Truth to Higher Truth,--( out of address in California, USA on " The way to the realization of a Universal Religion).

• All religion is to be based on Morality; and Personal Purity is to be counted superior to Dharma. It ought to be known that Achara ( Conduct & Behavior) means purity inside and outside. Inside purity is attained by not speaking Falsehood, by not drinking, by not doing immoral acts and by doing good to others. As you do good to yourself, you must do good to others. ( from a lecture on Bhakti, delivered at Sialkot, Punjab). What a great message on Ethical Living!

• The concept of " Potential Divinity of the Soul", gives a new, ennobling concept of man. Degradation of man has led to enormous increase of immorality, violence, crimes and poor ethical standards. Potential divinity of soul prevents this degradation, divinizes human relationships, makes life more meaningful & worthwhile.

• We should be Pure because Purity is our real nature, our true divine self or Atman. We should love and serve our neighbors because we are all one in Supreme Spirit known as Brahma.In one of his address, Swami Vivekananda did impress upon people the need to observe Purity in Food , sharing a quote from Chhandogya Upanishad," आहार शुद्धो  सत्वशुद्धिः , सत्वशुद्धो  ध्रुवास्मृति।  It meant that when food is pure, then the inner senses get purified. On the purification of inner senses, memory becomes steady. Impure food weakens the power of receptivity of the senses and makes them act in opposition to the will. 

• Purity, Patience and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above all, Love. It is love and love alone that I preach.

• Purity is the bedrock upon which the whole Bhakti- Building rests, Among the long list of attributes, considered conducive to Purity, as given by famous saint Ramanuja and narrated by Swami Vivekananda in his address  are; Satya, Truthfulness, Compassion, Ahimsa, Sincerity, Doing good to others without any gain to one's self, Not injuring others by thought, words or deeds, Not coveting other's goods, Not thinking vain thoughts, Absence of jealousy. Once again, a great Ethical message for society indeed!--- ( Ch X, Vol III titled, " The Method & the Means).

• The whole idea of Ethics is that it does not depend on anything unknowable, it does not teach anything unknown. It is in and thru the self that the whole world is known to me. Take off the self and the whole universe vanishes, In and thru the Self, all knowledge comes, --( Out of an address delivered in London on" Practical Vedanta", Vol II).

• Doing good to others is Virtue or Dharma; injuring others is Sin. Strength and manliness (Purusharth) are Virtue, while weakness and Cowardice are Sin; Loving others is a Virtue, hating others is a Sin. Faith in God and in one's own self is a Virtue, while having doubts and doubts is a Sin, knowledge of Oneness is a Virtue and so on.( from one of his address in Vol I).

While I shall be covering many more relevant messages on Dharma and Ethical living from Swami Vivekananda's treasure of knowledge in next blog, let me end this blog by another strong message on Truthfulness for Ethical Living, from one of his address on Vedanta in Lahore in year 1897. It meant Truth alone triumphs, and not Untruth. Through truth alone, the way to God's Devyana lies. 

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं। सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः। 

Prominent learnings during 1750-1950 CE--II

"I accept as DHARMA, whatever is in full conformity with impartial justice, truthfulness and the like; that which is not opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in Vedas. Whatever is not free from partiality and is unjust, partaking of untruth and the like & opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in Vedas--- I hold as ADHARMA."----- Satyarth Prakash; Maharishi Dayanand. 

Continuing my learning on Dharma and Ethical living from the preaching s and scriptures of prominent Saints and Philosophers during 1750-1950 CE, we shall take up the phenomenal work done by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in this blog. Born in 1824 CE to a Hindu family, he studied Sanskrit, Vedas and other religious texts at an early age. He was a scholar who believed in the INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY of VEDAS and denounced IDOLATRY and RITUALISTIC worship.

He was a Sanyasi ( Ascetic) from boyhood and a scholar, who advocated the doctrine of KARMA and REINCARNATION. He was a great social reformer, who worked selflessly towards equal rights for women. During the period 1846-1869 CE, he lived a life of Self-denial, a wandering ascetic, searching for religious truth and fully devoted to spiritual matters. He also practiced various forms of Yoga and took an oath that he would devote his life towards restoring the rightful place of VEDAS in Hindu faith.

Working on Vedic ideologies, he founded Arya Samaj--- a Hindu Reform Movement and professed Universal Brotherhood. He traveled widely challenging religious scholars and priests on various issues concerning spiritualism and Dharma. He condemned practices of idol worship, animal sacrifices, pilgrimages, priest craft, offerings in temples, the castes, child marriages, meat eating and discrimination against women in society. He severely criticized the practice of superstitions. He did comprehensive analysis of various religious faiths and its practices based on his own thinking and spoke about his views openly, sometimes critically, even at the cost of annoying their followers. Quoting from his famous scripture, " Satyarth Prakash",

" All alchemists, sorcerers, wizards, spiritists etc are cheats and all their practices should be looked upon as nothing but downright fraud,"

He wrote more than 60 works, explaining Vedangas, Vedic rituals, analysis of various doctrines and philosophies of various religions and faiths, on ethics and Morality. A few of his major works include Satyarth Prakash, Sanskarvidhi, Rigved Bhashya Bhumika, Yajurved Bhashyam and many more. Let me quote a few relevant messages from his scriptures concerning Dharma and Ethics for society;

"क्रोध का भोजन विवेक है, अतः इससे बचके रहना चाहिए, क्योंकि विवेक नष्ट हो जाने पर सब कुछ नष्ट हो जाता है।" meaning thereby that ANGER destroys logic, reasoning and intellect. 

संस्कार ही मानव के आचरण का नींव होता है, जितने गहरे संस्कार होते हैं, उतना ही अडिग मनुष्य अपने कर्त्तव्य पर, अपने धर्म पर, सत्य पर और न्याय पर होता है। meaning thereby that Ethical values are the foundation of human character; deeper are the values, stronger is one on his duties, Karma, Dharma, Truthfulness and justice.

अहंकार मनुष्य के अन्दर वो स्थिति लाती है जब वह आत्मबल और आत्मज्ञान को खो देता है। meaning thereby that EGO and ARROGANCE lead to loss of self control as well as faith in one's capabilities.

धर्माचरण  से सुख की प्राप्ति होती है , अधर्माचरण से दुःख की प्राप्ति होती है। धर्माचरण का अभिप्राय है सकाम शुभ कर्म और अधर्माचरण का अभिप्राय अशुभ कर्म है। meaning thereby that carrying out result oriented good deeds is Dharma leading to happiness in life while performing bad deeds lead to insane life style and unhappiness

Let me add another dimension of Dharma, as emphasized by Maharishi Dayanand,  considering the four categories of human goals, namely, Dharma ( Pursuit of Ethics), Artha ( Pursuit of wealth & Security), Kama ( Pursuit of pleasure) and Moksha( pursuit of liberation). While Dharma occupies the first place in the above referred 4 categories of human goals, even Artha and Kama needs to be governed by Ethical standards. That alone can help establish Dharma in society and a nation in general.

The contribution of Maharishi Dayanand in spread of Dharma & Ethical living in society is enormous. He was a great social reformer, who tried to eradicate the evils of superstitions in all walks of life. Again quoting from his scriptures, " Always first see bad in yourself than in others; you will find many who are busy in saying others are bad and not looking into themselves." A great Ethical message indeed!

Let me end the blog by quoting another powerful learning from his scripture, focusing on TRUTHFULNESS in life,

He, who after careful thinking, is ever ready to accept truth and reject falsehood; who counts the happiness of others as he does that of his own self, him, I call, just.