Tomorrow ( 13th March 2013), is the 178th birth Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He is a very complex character to write about, basically because my intellect and inspiration is just about normal whereas this Person was as deep as an Ocean or probably even much deeper. For the same reason, it becomes necessary for any thinking individual to reflect on the great personality that Sri Ramakrishna was. Swami Vivekananda, as we all know, was an intellectual giant in addition to his unmatched spiritual brilliance. For him to accept Sri Ramakrisha as his Guru, he must have found something very extra ordinary about him. Swami Vivekananda’s assertion about Sri Ramakrishna apart, I have some of own experiences which have made Sri Ramakrishna very dear to me.
I was not a spiritual seeker by any means. I remember the first time when I went to Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama with Sridhar Gp, in Ponnampet, I didn’t do Pranaams to Revered Swami Jagadatmananda by touching his feet (Now I can even prostrate before him). Later, probably in the 5th Semester, I was not in the best of mental conditions. My mind was one mass of confusion and I was very much afraid of my own mind and also my destiny. It was at this critical time that I visited the Sri Ramakrishna Sarada Ashram in Ponnampet in my own accord. Even now I remember, I saw Sri Ramakrishna Deva’s photo right from the big entrance in the main road. Instantly I felt that he was the God that I was searching for to lift me at this time. Right from that day, my life has been in the upper curve. I have made very few mistakes then onwards. January 1st is celebrated as the ‘Kalpataru Day’ in Sri Ramakrishna Ashram worldwide. It was on this date that Sri Ramakrishna had blessed his devotees with some special favors. It so happened in 2008, January 1st that I received one project of value more than 2 Lacs. It was the amount that I very badly needed to get out of my debts totally. I have no reason to disbelieve that it was his ‘grace’ for me on that day. Since I was a little bit restless about this debts, he couldn’t have helped me better. Ever since then, my life has been guided by his ‘spirit’. If you find something good and useful in me, you should be very thankful to Sri Ramakrishna for that.
That is about my personal experience. Coming into his general contribution for the mankind, it can be unanimously concluded that he is the greatest prophet of the modern age. He has set a great spiritual current in motion. Going by his own words that he said to the then ‘Narendra’, “Today I have given you all my powers. With this you will be able to accomplish much in this world”. Just have a look at the phenomenal achievements of Swami Vivekananda. Most of his works have been totally influenced by Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna trained many other disciples along with Swami Vivekananda. All of them were purest to the core and were great spiritual giants who have put this world in a better direction. His influence is spreading far and wide and a huge populace have been benefited by their association with him. Aurobindo, Gandhi, Max Muller, Mata Amritanandamayi, you name them all, they have found an eternal inspiration in Sri Ramakrishna. As told by the general secretary of Mata Amritanandamayi Ashram, in a public program, ‘Amma’ has made it compulsory for the monks of the Math to study and benefit from the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna embedded in the immortal literature, “The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna”.
He was one of the foremost among the modern thinkers and spiritual giants who unified the different religions of the world by identifying the same spirit and goal behind each one of them. He literally practiced each religion before giving the great message to the World, “Each religion is true”. This is something that should be taught to every religious fanatic in the World. He taught in the language of common man. In his teachings he embedded the greatest of truths in a very simple language. In addition to all the glorious things that we see externally because of him, there is one thing very great about him and that is his teaching to the mankind and to every individual in particular. He said, “The Goal of Life is to realize God. That man lives in vain who doesn’t aspire to realize the Truth”. His life and teachings are a demonstration of fulfillment of the human life.