Monk with a Mission

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swami bodhamayananda <bodhamayananda

27 Apr 2005 16:38:26 -0000

Article by Swami Sunirmalananda

 

Dear Friends,

I am forwarding an article on the 13th President of the Ramakrishna

Math and Mission Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj, who attained

Mahasamadhi on the 25th April,05. His lectures are available in book

form and in audio and video cassettes. I wish that some of you should

read and listen to them and get the touch of inspiration.

with love and greetings,

yours affly.,

Swami Bodhamayananda

 

Monk With a Mission

 

Swami Sunirmalananda

 

A great monk passed away yesterday (Monday, April 25, 2005). India lost a great

son. " Mother Saraswati will dance on your tongue, " was the blessing of Swami

Akhandananda, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, to this monk. And the blessing

became true. A true disciple of Swami Shivananda of the Ramakrishna Order,

Ranganathananda became the head of this holy Order like his own guru and led a

movement of spirituality from the forefront till his passing.

 

" They alone live who live for others. The rest are more dead than alive, "

declared Swami Vivekananda. In Swami Ranganathananda one could find an example

of those who lived only for others. Here was a complete personality. But such

personalities aren't widely known. Busy with petty political thieves and social

gangsters, our media naturally pays little attention to spiritual greatness.

Yet great men never stop serving the world. Thus we had a personality who was

totally dedicated to working silently for the good of humanity.

 

It was not so long ago. We were in Bangalore then. Swami Ranganathananda, then

in his seventies, arrived at Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore, to deliver a

series of lectures. With Ranganathananda came a small " tiffin box " , which could

contain food enough for a kindergarten child. When he arrived in Bangalore, it

was late at night. He entered the Ashrama, and after exchanging greetings, sat

on a bench, and ate from his little box. All along his life he suffered from

digestion problems. Put in simple language, he could hardly digest anything.

Anyone else would have broken down and remained bedridden for long. Not Swami

Ranganathananda. In spite of such a debilitating health problem, he was always

strong and steady, and ready to serve. Even in his nineties he walked straight,

with the gait of a lion.

 

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