Swami Vivekananda - A Biography by Swami ... - IBNLive - Games
Swami Vivekananda - A Biography by Swami ... - IBNLive - Games
Swami Vivekananda - A Biography by Swami ... - IBNLive - Games
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Narendra from that day became the channel of Sri Ramakrishna's powers and the<br />
spokesman of his message.<br />
Two days before the dissolution of the Master's body, Narendra was standing <strong>by</strong> the<br />
latter's bedside when a strange thought flashed into his mind: Was the Master truly an<br />
Incarnation of God? He said to himself that he would accept Sri Ramakrishna's divinity<br />
if the Master, on the threshold of death, declared himself to be an Incarnation. But this<br />
was only a passing thought. He stood looking intently at the Master face. Slowly Sri<br />
Ramakrishna's lips parted and he said in a clear voice: 'O my Naren, are you still not<br />
convinced? He who in the past was born as Rama and Krishna is now living in this<br />
very body as Ramakrishna — but not from the standpoint of your Vedanta.' Thus Sri<br />
Ramakrishna, in answer to Narendra's mental query, put himself in the category of<br />
Rama and Krishna, who are recognized <strong>by</strong> orthodox Hindus as two of the Avatars, or<br />
Incarnations of God.<br />
A few words may be said here about the meaning of the Incarnation in the Hindu<br />
religious tradition. One of the main doctrines of Vedanta is the divinity of the soul:<br />
every soul, in reality, is Brahman. Thus it may be presumed that there is no difference<br />
between an Incarnation and an ordinary man. To be sure, from the standpoint of the<br />
Absolute, or Brahman, no such difference exists. But from the relative standpoint,<br />
where multiplicity is perceived, a difference must be admitted. Embodied human<br />
beings reflect godliness in varying measure. In an Incarnation this godliness is fully<br />
manifest. Therefore an Incarnation is unlike an ordinary mortal or even an illumined<br />
saint. To give an illustration: There is no difference between a clay lion and a clay<br />
mouse, from the standpoint of the clay. Both become the same substance when<br />
dissolved into clay. But the difference between the lion and the mouse, from the<br />
standpoint of form, is clearly seen. Likewise, as Brahman, an ordinary man is identical<br />
with an Incarnation. Both become the same Brahman when they attain final<br />
illumination. But in the relative state of name and form, which is admitted <strong>by</strong> Vedanta,<br />
the difference between them is accepted. According to the Bhagavad Gita (IV. 6-8),<br />
Brahman in times of spiritual crisis assumes a human body through Its own inscrutable<br />
power, called maya. Though birthless, immutable, and the Lord of all beings, yet in<br />
every age Brahman appears to be incarnated in a human body for the protection of the<br />
good and the destruction of the wicked.<br />
As noted above, the Incarnation is quite different from an ordinary man, even from a<br />
saint. Among the many vital differences may be mentioned the fact that the birth of an<br />
ordinary mortal is governed <strong>by</strong> the law of karma, whereas that of an Incarnation is a<br />
voluntary act undertaken for the spiritual redemption of the world. Further, though<br />
maya is the cause of the embodiment of both an ordinary mortal and an Incarnation,<br />
yet the former is fully under maya's control, whereas the latter always remains its<br />
master. A man, though potentially Brahman, is not conscious of his divinity; but an<br />
Incarnation is fully aware of the true nature of His birth and mission. The spiritual<br />
disciplines practised <strong>by</strong> an Incarnation are not for His own liberation, but for the<br />
welfare of humanity; as far as He is concerned, such terms as bondage and liberation<br />
have no meaning, He being ever free, ever pure, and ever illumined. Lastly, an