Just In
- 1 hr ago Aditi Rao Hydari Marries Siddharth, Exploring Heeramandi Star's Ethnic Style Statements, Bookmark Now!
- 3 hrs ago Solar Eclipse 2024 Date And Time: Will It Be Visible In India? When And Where To Watch It, Deets Inside!
- 5 hrs ago Balenciaga Tape Bracelet: Is It Worth Spending A Bomb On Adhesive Looking Accessory? Know Our Take!
- 7 hrs ago In China, GenZ Workers Are Ditching Formal Attire For Pyjamas, Know The Reason Behind This
Don't Miss
- News Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann And Wife Blessed With Baby Girl
- Finance 0.17% Dividend Yield: This Small Cap Stock Dips After Promoter Pledged Shares Revocation; Details
- Sports IPL 2024: Steve Smith also slams Hardik Pandya's captaincy - 'Perplexed, I mean you can't have...'
- Movies Heart Of The Hunter OTT Release Date, Time, Platform: Here's When Suspence Thriller Will Premiere
- Automobiles Kia EV9 Crowned World Car Of The Year At 2024 Awards, Showcasing EV Dominance
- Education OAVS Teacher Direct Recruitment 2024; Apply online for 1386 Posts, Check out for more details
- Technology OPPO F25 Pro New Coral Purple Colour Variant Launched in India; Where to Buy?
- Travel Explore Tamil Nadu's Diverse Wedding Venues
Visiting the Ramakrishna Temple of Dhaka-Part II
Even though the mission ground is part of the chaotic city landscape, yet once one enter the compound the energy is quite different, specially surrounding the temple located inside. The library of the mission is also a beautiful resource. I was surprised to find some very good Sufi books collected along with books of Hindu tradition. It was heart warming to see that the students of Ramakrishna haven't forgotten their master's love for the Sufi path.
The interconnectedness of language and that which is conveyed as sacred is a favorite subject of mine. While reading and glancing few books from the mission library on hinduism, what occurred to me is that the spirituality embodied and expressed in the language of the land is far more powerful than spirituality that is foreign and imported. What I mean needs some explanation perhaps.
The
Hindu
tradition
(which
again
is
not
a
monolithic
faith,
but
truly
a
collection
of
different
streams)
-
which
is
native,
which
nourished
and
developed
in
organic
way
with
hundreds
and
thousand
of
years
from
this
very
land
and
its
people
and
their
experience.
Whereas
Islam
is
a
relatively
new
religion,
came
to
this
part
of
the
world
(Bengal)
only
about
close
to
or
less
than
one
thousand
years,
by
the
hands
of
the
saints
of
Peria
(not
Arabia,
something
of
note
as
the
mood
of
spirituality
of
the
two
places
are
quite
different).
The haqiqa described in the higher teaching of Hinduism if read in the native language for people in this land then is much more accessible to heart and mind than to read in foreign terms. Whenever I read a Hindu text, the haqiqa (non-dualistic teachings) described there using Hindu terminology is never foreign to me, someone born in Muslim faith and not familiar with Hinduism as such. This speaks for the power of native spirituality, the wisdom tradition of the land and its accessibility to the people of that land. The same principle is applicable for any other native faith tradition and people of that land, whether be in native indian of North America or Celtic tradition of North-West Europe.
As the sun was set, I went to visit the temple to pay my respect to Sri Sri Ramakrishna. The temple is quite beautifully surrounded by a peaceful aura and inside is a simple statue of Sri Ramakrishna himself sitting in his familiar lotus posture. There is nothing excess there, except the overflowing devotion. It was time for evening invocation and the devotees sang devotional chant. The students of the mission also gathered in their simple white clothes. It was wonderful to see the young ones in motionless and sitting meditative. Such a rare scene for our time. After a while I came out to enjoy the summer breeze at the garden of the temple, so were multitude of people as well.
Before I decided to leave the mission I came back to the temple (or rather the temple attracted me again) for the last time and found that a devotee is singing with a blissful voice full of devotion a song from Rabindranath Tagore:
"Shukhe
Amae
Rakhbe
Keno,
Rakho
Tomar
Kole
Jaak
na
Shukh
Jole."
My
weak
translation
is
something
like
this:
'What
am
I
to
do
with
my
selfish
pleasures,
rather
keep
me
in
Your
divine
lap.
Let
all
else
pass
away.'
'Ah! this song is so perfect', I said to myself, specially in remembrance of Ramakrishna who all his life adorned God as Divine Mother. As the devotee finished his song accompanied by harmonium, I watched him as he paid his homage with a beautiful bow to the statue of the Ramakrishna which is there with a great presence to remind the presence of God, in whom Ramakrishna passed almost his entire life intoxicated and perfumed of the divine fragrance.
Chat With The Devotees Of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
- sri ramakrishnaThe Wonder that was Sri RamakrishnaParamahamsa’s Touch
- anecdotesThe Grace of the Lord on Janmashtami
- anecdotesA Meera In The Modern Days-Smt.T R Kanakammal
- ramana maharshiThe Eternal Escort
- anecdotesThe Butter Thief!
- thoughtHoly Company
- swami chinmayanandaAn Ashrama And A Cat-Part II
- swami chinmayanandaAn Ashrama And A Cat
- sathya sai babaBaba Here And There!
- anecdotesHis Ever Present Presence, Lord Arunachaleshwara
- shirdi sai babaShirdi Sai Baba-His Grace Ever Manifest
- paramahamsa nithyanandaYou Are A Spiritual Being Looking For Human Experience