Ramakrishna
India, with her wealth of spiritual tradition, has produced many
spiritual giants. One of the greatest was Ramakrishna (1836-1886). His life was
a testament to truth, universality, love and purity
Born in a rural village outside Calcutta, Ramakrishna even as a boy
naturally gravitated toward leading a spiritual life. This tendency only
intensified as he grew older. When as a young man he became a temple priest, he
was seized by an unquenchable thirst for union with God, and he immersed himself
in intense meditation and other spiritual practices.
Ramakrishna was constantly absorbed in the thought of God. He would
often go into high spiritual states where he would merge with the Infinite
Reality. For him, the Vedantic teaching of unity of all existence was more than
theory; he literally saw, and knew, this to be true.
In his thirst for the divine, Ramakrishna followed different religious
paths including various branches of Hinduism. Not content to stop there,
however, he also practiced Islam and later meditated deeply on the Christ,
experiencing the same divine Reality through these non-Hindu paths. Thus, he
came to the conclusion, based on his direct experience, that all religions lead
to the same goal.
In addition, through his many Sikh devotees, he learned of their faith
and its great founders, and he was told of the wonderful life and teachings of
the Buddha. This exposure to Sikhism and Buddhism further confirmed his
experience of the universality of spiritual truth.
Ramakrishna's love for humanity was limitless. He often said human
beings were the highest manifestations of God. His disciples saw this love
firsthand, and the monastic order Ramakrishna inspired achieved the distinction
of being the first order in India to serve humanity. Service to God in humankind
is one of the foremost ideals of the Ramakrishna Order.
Among his many other noteworthy characteristics were his universality
and childlike purity, his intense sincerity, his vast knowledge of things
spiritual and human (which came not from book-learning but from direct
perception), and his extraordinary power to transform lives.
Ramakrishna's teachings regarding the highest truths of spiritual life
were delivered in the simplest language and were punctuated by parables and
homely metaphors as illustrations. Many noted writers and philosophers-Mahatma
Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, Aldous Huxley, Christopher Isherwood, Thomas Merton, Arnold
Toynbee, Joseph Campbell-have been deeply impressed and influenced by him.
The affectionate term "Holy Mother" refers to Sarada Devi
(1853-1920),
Ramakrishna's wife and spiritual counterpart. According to the custom then
prevalent in India, she was betrothed to him while still a child. At the age of
18, she left her parental home to join her husband, who lived some sixty miles away, near
Calcutta.
By that time Ramakrishna had dedicated his body and mind to the
spiritual search and lived the life of a monk. Yet he received Sarada very
kindly, feeling that Divine Providence had brought her. After nursing her to
recovery from an illness contracted on the journey, Ramakrishna one day asked
her why she had come to join him. She replied that she had come only to help him
in his chosen way, which--as she well knew--meant the way of complete
renunciation of all earthly ties for the sake of God-realization. Thus, instead
of seeking conjugal fulfillment, she became his first disciple.
Sarada Devi was a spiritual giant in her own right and yet, in her
simple and unassuming way, she served Ramakrishna and his disciples for many
years. After Ramakrishna's passing away, she carried on his religious ministry,
serving as guide and inspiration of the new spiritual movement.
Within the ambiance of her natural simplicity and modesty, she set a unique example of an ideal disciple, nun, wife, teacher, and also mother to her countless spiritual children. Those who associated with her were overwhelmed by her unconditional love and selfless service. All were her children irrespective of nationality, religious affiliation, or social position. No one was ever turned away. She accepted all.
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