Digest Number 2490

[Guest guest]

Sri

Ramakrishna Charanam Saranam; Sri Sri Ma

 

Dear Brad and the list members,

 

As you have rightly mentioned, you have

raised a controversial point.

 

Swami Vivekananda represented Vedanta, the

pinnacle of Vedas to the West. Vedas are the sacred scriptures of the Hindus. Those who are not following Hinduism also can

embrace Vedanta because Vedantic Teachings are beyond sectarian views.

That realm, which is far beyond all sectarian limitations, is the Goal of

Hinduism. A sincere student of

Hinduism, who has attained some realizations is a pure Vedantist. That is the

pinnacle, at which all Hindus aspire to reach.

 

 

But please do not mention that it would be

counter-productive if the Ramakrishna Movement represents Hinduism. Any student

of history and Vedanta knows that Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu, as all of us

know that he was the “Hindu Monk of India”

or he was a “Cyclonic Hindu” or he

was the representative of Hinduism to the West.

 

Sri Ramakrishna was a Hindu and he soared

high and dwelt in the realm of Vedantic principles and more. A real Hindu

understands that taking birth and getting trained in Church is alright. But the

same Hindu also learns that before death, he/she should go beyond all churches.

This is the Vedantic goal.

 

It is the Hindu system and methodology

that takes anyone effortlessly to the sacred heights of Vedanta. Those who do not have that background of Hinduism

can also reach that sacred height defined by Hinduism. That is the greatest

contribution the West is receiving from the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement.

 

 

Just because some EARNEST and FIT

Westerners are being trained and guided to reach the pinnacle of Hinduism or

Vedanta by Ramakrishna movement, please do not take away that Movement from

Hinduism. Let us not merely stamp that grand organization as a mere Vedantic

organization which has nothing to do with Hinduism.

 

When Swami Turiyananda was taken by Swami

Vivekananda to the American soil, Swamiji introduced Turiyananda to the

Americans as an ideal Hindu Monk of Brahminic demeanour. When Turiyananda established the first

retreat, Shanti Ashrama, he called it as a Hindu retreat.

 

When Swami

Trigunatitananda established the temple in the Vedanta Society of California, he christened it as “the first Hindu Temple in the West”. Even now, we, the devotees of

Ramakrishna, irrespective of our different backgrounds proclaim that it is THE FIRST HINDU TEMPLE IN THE WEST.

 

Let us not limit Ramakrishna-Vivekananda

to wear our tailor-made coats. Let us not limit the sacred Hinduism also to the

so-called chaos and ignorance seen in the large numbers of laymen of Hinduism

in the current world. There will be a time in the near future that all Hindus

or majority of Hindus would be living like Vedic Rshis. I have that full

optimism. The Ramakrishna-Movement is for that.

 

Pranams,

Prakash Kamanat