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The Phenomenon Sri Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna Paramahansa
Paramhansa Ramakrishna (1836-86)
Gadadhar Chatterjee is more commonly known as Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna Paramahansa. He was born around 5 am. on February 18, 1836, at Kamarpukur, about sixty miles north of Calcutta.

"His religious activity and experience were, in fact, comprehensive to a degree that had perhaps never before been attained by any other religious genius, in India or elsewhere." - Arnold Toynbee, historian

Contents

Ramakrishna Essentials
Anticipating things well is a task of wisdom.
Frieze
Take care: Supporting "well medleys" are presupposed throughout:

Preface

Sri Ramakrishna often used to quote a proverb: "Friend, the longer I live the more I learn." [31]
LET US learn of him. This carefully abridged text depends on Swami Nikhilananda's introduction in The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna [Rap], published in 1942. The same introduction is also in the abridged version [Goa] of the work from 1957. Our page references are to the latter book, as is it more easily available, costs less, and is easier to digest for Westerners. [ix] There may be about three times more text in Nikhilananda's text than in this one. But in another biography [Gra] on Sri Ramakrishna there may be twenty-five times more. Others have written about him too, including the French Romain Rolland's sympathetic portrait [Hib], and a biography by many disciples [Lrr]. There are other biographies too, but these are the most interesting we have been into.


In Brief

AS A BOY Ramakrishna was handsome, had a natural gift for the fine arts, and disliked going to school. He loved Nature and spent much of his time in the fields.
      When he was seven he lost his father, and the family's financial position worsened. Eventually, years later, he was hired to perform the services as a priest in a temple that had been founded at Dakshineswar outside Calcutta by a rich woman. As a priest, Gadadhar started worshipping Kali, who was the installed temple deity, and began to ask himself why she did not respond to his worship.
      The question nagged him day and night. One day he was so frustrated in his desire see one real Kali that he decided to end his life. He seized a sword that was hanging on the temple wall and was about to strike himself with it when he saw light waves coming from the temple image. He fell unconscious on the floor. But he was not content with this . . .
      After that, various teachers of yoga came to the temple and taught Gadadhar, and he made phenomenal progress in a variety of yogas, they say. Soon word spread that he was remarkable, and he became known as Ramakrishna.
      For fifteen years or so he instructed his disciples solidly, and in humourous veins too. He told parables and metaphors, and delighed in songs, and also taught by his own God-intoxicated life in the outskirts of the city of Calcutta. However, that life also crumbled under attacks from relentless and habituated people.
       In our days his name is a household word in India, and his message of harmony is not a fusion of religions, but holds up a common goal – communion with God (deep inside) - "Within is the Lord Himself." - Ramakrishna
       Here comes a warning: Don't jump to a conclusion from a stray saying. See the whole picture too, and thereby adjust your understanding of various fragments. [cf. Tos 109n].

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Adjoined

Goa: Nikhilananda, sw. tr: The Gospel of Ramakrishna. Abr. ed. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. New York, 1974.
      Gra: Jagadananda, sw. tr: Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Master. 4th ed. Ramakrishna Math. Mylapore, 1970.
      Hib: Romain, Rolland: The Gospel of Ramakrishna. 8th ed. Advaita Asram. Calcutta, 1970.
      Lrr: Advaita Asram: Life of Sri Ramakrishna. Advaita Asram. Calcutta, 1971.
      Rap: Gupta, M.: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. New York, 1942.
      Tas: Ramakrishna: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna. 5th ed. Ramakrishna Math, Madras, 1974.
      Tos: Advaita Asram: Teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. Advaita Asram. Calcutta, 1975.

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