Sanathana Sarathi May 2019: Swami Atmashraddhananda on individual emancipation and welfare of the world

Yesterday night I enjoyed reading this article: "INDIVIDUAL EMANCIPATION AND WELFARE OF THE WORLD" by Swami Atmashraddhananda of Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Kolkata, in the May 2019 print issue of Sanathana Sarathi.

This is the first part of a two part article (2nd part is carried in the June 2019 issue) based on a talk delivered by Swami Atmashraddhananda in Prasanthi Nilayam (Puttaparthi) on 10th June 2018.

The article (first part), IMHO, is a superb articulation of Hindu core beliefs and value system, that I was exposed to in my readings on spirituality & Hinduism in my youth in and around Mumbai from late 1970s to early 1990s (prior to coming to know about Sathya Sai). Note that I have read many books published by Ramakrishna Math and/or Ramakrishna Mission, and have visited their Khar centre in Mumbai, a few times.

I strongly recommend that readers interested in these matters should read this article, if they have not read it already.

I thought I should also share the key concepts touched upon by the Swami in this article (first article), and use related extracts from wikipedia sources.

The Swami first talks of "Atmanomokshartham jagathitayacha". Given below are some extracts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmano_mokshartham_jagat_hitaya_cha (Ravi: I am not sure about the shloka being from the Rig Veda; it could be based on some shloka in the Rig Veda):

Atmano mokshartham jagat hitaya cha (translation: for the salvation of our individual self and for the well-being of all on earth) is a sloka of the Rig Veda.[1] Vivekananda would often use it and it became the motto of the Ramakrishna Mission that he founded in 1897 and the related Ramakrishna Math.[2][1][3]

The motto suggests twofold aim of human life— one is to seek salvation for one’s soul and the other is to address the issue of welfare of the world.[1]

...

The dictum has two messages. One is to seek salvation for one’s soul and the other is to address the issue of welfare of the world.[1] This motto also cements the two divergent and obvious aspects of ‘atman’ (soul) and ‘jagat hitaya’ (service to humanity) which are to be achieved by one’s own efforts.[4] To achieve this, constant human effort is a requisite not only for one’s own salvation but also for providing service to the humanity at large.[5]

This theme was enunciated by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to a query by Swami Vivekananda for personal liberation. Ramakrishna then admonished Vivekananda saying that he expected him to personify the huge Banyan tree, which not only provided shade but also solace to the people. This direction of Ramakrishna resulted in Vivekananda creating the two institutions - the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission - which were open to all class of people irrespective of their caste and creed. The objective of the two institutions was defined as "Atmano Mokshartham Jagat Hitaya Cha - For the emancipation of one's self and the good of the universe", which became the raison d'etre of the Ramakrishna Order.[6] This motto coined by Vivekananda does not have any overtones of proselytizing but it is a philosophy which helps in its adoption by people of all faiths.[7]

[Wiki References]
1. Singh 2005, p. 71. [Singh, Karan (1 January 2005). Hinduism. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84557-425-3.]
2. "IDEOLOGY of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission" [https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213350/http://www.belurmath.org/Ideology.htm]. Ramakrishna Mission. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
3. Sarvabhutananda 2012, p. 30. [Sarvabhutananda, Swami (2012). Ramakrishna Movement. Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. ISBN 81-87332-38-7.]
4. Nanjundiah 2007, p. 6. [Nanjundiah, M. S. (2007). A Spiritual Centre Blossoms: Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, First 100 Years--1904-2004. Ramakrishna Math. ISBN 978-81-7907-054-3.]
5. Vanamali 1998, p. 1. [Vanamali, Vanamali (1 January 1998). Gurudeva Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Maharaj, reigning Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. Aryan Books International. ISBN 978-81-7305-155-5.]
6. "Philosophy of the Ramakrishna Order". [http://www.rkmpune.org/rk_order/rkm_philo.html] Ramakrishna Math, Pune. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
7. Nanjundiah 2007, p. 11. [Nanjundiah, M. S. (2007). A Spiritual Centre Blossoms: Ramakrishna Math, Bangalore, First 100 Years--1904-2004. Ramakrishna Math. ISBN 978-81-7907-054-3.]

--- end wiki extracts ---

The Swami mentions the Sthula (gross) body, Sukshma (subtle) body and Karana (causal) body belief. Given below are extracts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Bodies_Doctrine

According to Sarira Traya, the Doctrine of the Three bodies in Hinduism, the human being is composed of three sariras or "bodies" emanating from Brahman by avidya, "ignorance" or "nescience". They are often equated with the five koshas (sheaths), which cover the atman. The Three Bodies Doctrine is an essential doctrine in Indian philosophy and religion, especially Yoga, Advaita Vedanta and Tantra.
...
Karana sarira or the causal body is merely the cause[1] or seed of the subtle body and the gross body. It has no other function than being the seed of the subtle and the gross body.[2] It is nirvikalpa rupam, "undifferentiated form".[2] It originates with avidya, "ignorance" or "nescience" of the real identity of the atman, instead giving birth to the notion of jiva.
...
Sukshma sarira or the subtle body is the body of the mind and the vital energies, which keep the physical body alive. Together with the causal body it is the transmigrating soul or jiva, separating from the gross body upon death.
...
Sthula sarira or the gross body is the material physical mortal body that eats, breathes and moves (acts). It is composed of many diverse components, produced by one’s karmas (actions) in past life out of the elements which have undergone panchikarana i.e. combining of the five primordial subtle elements.

[Wiki References]
1. Sharma 2006, p. 193. [Sharma, Arvind (2006), A Primal Perspective on the philosophy of Religion, Springer, ISBN 9781402050145]
2. Bahder & Bahder 2013. [Bahder, Paul; Bahder, Carol (2013), Be Free From "Me": Vedanta Notes, Vision of Vedanta]

--- end wiki extracts ---

The Swami covers Purusharthas. Given below are extracts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puru%E1%B9%A3%C4%81rtha

Puruṣārtha (Sanskrit: पुरुषार्थ) literally means an "object of human pursuit".[1] It is a key concept in Hinduism, and refers to the four proper goals or aims of a human life. The four puruṣārthas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and Moksha (liberation, spiritual values).[2][3]

[Wiki References]
1. puruSArtha [http://spokensanskrit.org/] Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
2. (Flood 1996, p. 17) [Flood, Gavin (1996). An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-43878-0.], (Olivelle 1993, pp. 216–219) [Olivelle, Patrick (1993). The Āśrama System: The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-508327-X.]; Cf. also (Apte 1965, p. 626) [Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965). The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 81-208-0567-4. (fourth revised & enlarged edition).]; (Hopkins 1971, p. 78) [Hopkins, Thomas J. (1971). The Hindu Religious Tradition. Cambridge: Dickenson Publishing Company, Inc.]
3. M Hiriyanna (2000), Philosophy of Values, in Indian Philosophy: Theory of value (Editor: Roy Perrett), Routledge, ISBN 978-0-8153-3612-9, pages 1–10
--- end wiki extracts ---

Swami Atmashraddhananda also talks about Antahkarana. Given below are extracts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antahkarana :

In Vedāntic literature, this antahkaraṇa (internal organ) is organised into four parts:[2]

Ahamkāra (ego) – identifies the Atman (self) with the body as 'I'
Buddhi (intellect) – controls decision making
Manas (mind) – controls sankalpa (will or resolution)
Chitta (memory) – deals with remembering and forgetting

[Wiki References]
2. "Antahkarana - Yoga (definition)". [https://en.mimi.hu/yoga/antahkarana.html] En.mimi.hu. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
--- end wiki extracts ---

Towards the end of the (first) article based on talk of Swami Atmashraddhananda, there is mention of mystic side, e.g. hearing a divine sound or seeing a divine vision, being very personal and private. Manifestation of this, [Ravi: if genuine], in day-to-day life is that the person "will become more unselfish, his focus on the little self of himself will shift, he will become more and more identified with others because the real Self within us is not multiple, it is singular. The consciousness that is present in all of us, the divinity that is present in all of us, is not multiple; it is only singular. What is the Self in me is also the Self in others. So, naturally when a person grows spiritually, he becomes more and more unselfish, and concerned about others' welfare. This spiritual growth of a person leads him to Moksha, the ultimate goal of human life."

Ravi: I tried to see on youtube whether this talk of Swami Atmashraddhananda was available but I could not find it in my search attempts. Readers who want to get an idea of how this Swami speaks and looks may view this video: What is Self-Knowledge?: Insights from Katha Upanishad by Swami Atmashraddhananda (delivered on 25th April 2019 at IIT Madras), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AN4nlT20Jg, around an hour, published by Vivekananda Study Circle. The Swami can be seen from around 1 min. 20 seconds into the video.

[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever. I also thank Sanathana Sarathi for the small extract from the article given at the end of the post, and have presumed they will have no objections to it.]

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