Swami Amitabhananda ji shares his reminiscences of Swami Vireshwarananda - pre-press version

Swami Amitabhananda - Loquacious Unto the Last - My Homage

Swami Amitabhananda ji, a senior monk of Ramakrishna Math, passed away today at 8.53 p.m. at the Ramakrishna Ashrama at Sasthamangalam. He was 83 years old. He was suffering from Prostate Cancer and its complications for the last few years and was bed ridden for about two months.

As a teenager in the 1940s he was keenly interested in the momentous happenings that was playing out before him in India and was caught in the altruistic spirit that the country was then full of. He ran away from his home near the present Kochi Airport to meet Sri Ramana Maharishi. He had a great adventure though he could not meet the Maharishi. However soon his quest yielded fruits when he discovered that his Spiritual Home is Ramakrishna Math. He came into contact with its Kalady Centre and served there for a few years.

He joined the Ramakrishna Order as a Brahmachari in its branch at Madras in early 1950s. He had Mantra Diksha from Swami Shankarananda and had his Sannyasa  in 1963. He lived his life of Service in Madras Math, Belur Math, Gol Park Institute of Culture, Kalady Ashrama and finally in Trivandrum Ashrama. He guided many batches of students at Kalady and was warden of the hostel there for many years. In Trivandrum, for some years he was the monk-in-charge of 

At Nettayam Ashrama entrance
with another monk

the Nettayam Ashrama and then served in its Sasthamangalam hospital in various capacities. He was well known for his austere habits, versatile knowledge and no-nonsense attitude. He has published several articles and some poems and has some translations to his credit*.

Several years back he was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. He fought it with an iron will and managed to live quality life, maintaining his regular walks, reading and office tasks till a couple of months back. Even on his death bed, in the midst of great pain, he wanted religious books like Conversations with Ramana Maharishi, Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, etc. to be read out to him and devotional songs to be sung in his hearing. He loved to talk. Perhaps, if you are on your saintly best, you get the maximum benefits of the store of information that he stocked in his mind. I was on a sort-of, journalistic, headline-hunting expedition, so I had to persistently steer his wandering deliberations to the point of my particular interest. But there was always the possibility of striking big time when you talk with him. You may not get the dime you seek but end up with gold instead. It was from him that I heard a sweet story about how Swami Ramakrishnananda could afford to invite Holy Mother Sarada Devi to South India. I had many character traits he didn't like but we stuck up good friendship for the last one and a half years mainly because I heard him out. (But I was only his second best hearing companion, the first place going to a  saintly brother who walked with him and heard his words of wisdom and experience, day after day, year after year,  almost quietly with some ‘um’ and ‘yes’ in between). Swami Amitabhananda carried his habit of vocal communication to his final bed. His voice carried clearly almost up to the end. He was most happy when he had people, especially monks, around him to hear him and occasionally give him a few drops of water or read books for him. He kept up a running commentary of his death pangs along with comments about the subjects read out and making correction if the reader made a mistake. Several times he remembered Buddha and said that suffering is the only truth in life and that Buddha is so right about it (Amitabha, it might be remembered, is a beloved name of Buddha). The monks who visited him kept up the conversation and he cracked jokes now and then.

Visits of some monks who were his old acquaintances brightened his mood. He blessed them all. Whatever little we did, it was great consolation to him, a proud man confined to bed. He blessed the atendants who gently poured drops of water into his mouth. He blessed the monk who gave him a shave. His customary scolding too is remembered as a blessing now. During the last days he often quoted ‘prana prayana Utsavam’ (the festival that is when Life Forces leave a body in which they were housed; perhaps from Vivekachudamani).

On Sept. 11 evening, after the new bronze statue was inaugurated at Kowdiar Park in Trivandrum, some of us told him about the successful completion of the programme and showed him a book. He acknowledged with a sign. After some time, he started having breathing trouble. Oxygen was given. The pressure was stable for some time but then it started decreasing and the breaths were getting fewer and far between. He wanted the oxygen to be discontinued but we didn’t oblige. As he was nearing death, Bhagavat Gita, Vedic Mantras, and Vishnu Sahasranama were chanted. He asked Vishnu Sahasranama to be repeated as he continued to open his mouth for Tulasi soaked water. (It may be recalled that he was named Narayana by his parents). His eyes were fixed on the wall where photos of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Shankarananda, Sankaracharya and Sri Krishna of Guruvayur were installed. The end came at 8.53 p.m. He was fully alert and was wearing a  peaceful expression when he met Death. The impatience for having to wait so long disappeared when Death arrived with the surety Death alone possesses.

Swami Amitabhananda had his Sannyasa during the Centenary of Swami Vivekananda and left the world during the Sesquicentennials.

It is owing to him that we now know more about Swami Vivekananda’s historic visit to Kanyakumari. It was he, who as a monastic assistant at  Belur Math office then,  suggested to Swami Vireswarananda to write to Ramaswami Shastri, (son of Sundararama Iyer, in whose house, Vivekananda spent all his nine days in Trivandrum), to ascertain the day Swami Vivekananda left Trivandrum. As a consequence we have a clearer record of those events. It shows how a conscientious person working behind the scenes can do  great good and it shows too that a leader stands to gain if he gives due attention to earnest inputs from his juniors.

A page from Swami Amitabhananda's remniscences of Swami Vireswarananda

It drizzled this evening, but still did not disturb the programme much. Swami Amitabhananda's passing too came that way, causing no interruption, tonight, at Wednesday, a day special to Sri Ramakrishna, to whom his life was dedicated.

Hari Om Ramakrishna 

Swami Amitabhananda ji  (left) with a younger friend

who he often missed during the last months.. 

*Swami Amitabhananda has written about 20 articles in Malayalam in Prabuddha Keralam. He has penned a  few poems including a free rendering of Swami Vivekananda's Song of the Sannyasin in Malayalam. His reminiscences of Swami Tapasyananda can be found in the recently published book from Madras Math. His interesting reminiscences of Swami Vireswarananda (a page of which is given here) is set to appear in a forthcoming book. Its Bengali translation can be found in a recently released book on Swami Vireswarananda. His Malayalam translation of 'God Lived with Them' (Lives of most of the Sannyasin Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) awaits publication at our Thrissoor Math for the last few years.

My Homage to Swami Devavratananda (Gaur Maharaj)

You know God gave birth to the Progenitor of us all on Earth and called him Manu. But did you know that our Progenitor had some elder brothers? There were four of them and these have been a source of fascination for their younger brother’s progeny from times immemorial. We monks (and nuns) have sprung from Manu but we walk the way of the four Kumaras.

‘We are a honeycomb’ said somebody about Indians, recently. He was right with this description notwithstanding how wise or unwise might have been his other pronouncements. Ramakrishna Mission too is a honeycomb. Gaur Maharaj was indeed a useful busy bee. He joined the Order in 1965 at Delhi. He went on to serve at Ranchi TB Sanatorium, at Bhubaneswar and Bankura and then at Sri Ramakrishna’s Kamarpukur. His Payasam was a treat to eat. At Baghbazar, after many years of work, he had been living a quiet life for the last few years under Mother’s Shadow. He seems to have imagined that he would fold up his life there. But Providence had other plans. He had to go to Hospital in Kolkata. Many great ones have breathed their last there but we have a thing about dying within our ashramas. We wish it but we hardly can cause it. Gaur Maharaj wanted it and played hard trying it. He was not too co-operative with the medicine men and he managed to come to Belur Math where they constantly coaxed him to consume his medicines. Finally he was granted his wish. He passed away without much suffering in Belur Math.

Yet another simple and unpretentious monk left us.

Official Obituary : 
http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2013/09/03/obituaries-august-2013/

Homage to Swami Rudratmananda ji and Swami Parashivananda ji

 Lord, the High and Mighty, if He be ..

Thanks to http://bustedhalo.com/blogs/the-book-of-job

‘Naked I came out of my Mother’s Womb, Naked shall I return thereto; the Lord gave, He taketh away’ – to this effect said a good man when he was visited with hard trials. He passed the first test like a breeze. When harder tests came he had tougher time. He went into long labored ravings and they say, he finally passed all the tests and the Lord was pleased.

Now, I have an issue with this Lord. In-fact I have lots of issues with Him. Who is He to Lord over me? Is He at all doing it? I could sense His self-appointed defenders coming upon me like a cascading ton of bricks questioning my credentials to even trying to look upon the Lord. Okay, I am a puny fellow, why not the Lord High and Mighty be more forthcoming with reasons for His actions? Why is He remaining so aloof like some Supreme Authority without   an iota of accountability? If He is beyond any accounting as regards me, but they somehow are okay with Him, His defenders then better keep Him to themselves.

I can somehow understand His action, or alleged action with regard to Badal Maharaj, Swami Rudratmananda. He joined the Ramakrishna Mission in 1953, and got his gerua robes from Swami Madhavananda in 1963, Swami Vivekananda’s Birth Centenary Year. He thus lived as a monk for fifty years. He had served in Rangoon where Ramakrishna Mission ran one of the best hospitals in the country and even now the hall which the Mission had then, is called Ramakrishna Mission Hall. Some years back a Myanmar Government Functionary arranged some event there. He worked competently and was not afraid to speak up when he felt it necessary. He retired when he decided enough was enough. He brushed up his Hindi and did a decent job of it when he had to give talks in Hindi during this phase of life. He lived up to be 81. I don’t know if he was entirely pleased with his life, but most were generally happy with the way he lived. So we are reconciled to it when he died in Banares without too much suffering.

But Why did Thou chose to gift brain cancer to our Jyoti Maharaj (Devajyoti, Swami Parashivananda),  when he was at the height of his joyful and enthusiastic life of Services ? You teased him as does a cat with a poor mouse,  finally abandoning when the mouse goes limp. Oh, yes, we know he died in Banares, that he himself chose the place of his exit, that he was reconciled, and it might be that, you, tricky as you are, have now conned them both into accepting that you were showering your grace on them, but you are in for a fight as regards me. No too much Lording over me. You may call me a worm, no, I can’t imagine your Highness to come so low, your self-appointed defenders are rather more likely to call me that, even if I am worm, I am going to twitch and turn with all my might, puny it be.

Your Remote Highness, my suspected Creator-Sustainer, if you are such, pour some power into me, so that we can have an interesting Die Game.

Thanks to http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/hinduism/burningghats/burningghats.html

Official Obituary : 
http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2013/09/03/obituaries-august-2013/

See also :
http://wikimapia.org/3060875/Ramkrishna-Mission-Hall-Library-Ashram-Guest-House


http://www.ibiblio.org/obl/docs3/BPS94-10.pdf 

Ajatasatru - My Homage to Swami Srikarananda Ji ( who passed away on July 3, 2013 )

Ajatasatru – that is what some usually critic-type friends of mine said of Swami Srikarananda ji – meaning that he was a person to whom an enemy is yet to be born. These days, when hate and ill-will is rampant and could hide itself behind the barest fig-leaf of reason and very often could shamelessly strut about even without it, this indeed is high praise.

I knew him well, and our familiarity goes back by almost thirty years. But come to think of it, did I know him that well? I am not sure if we had talked with each other for more than thirty minutes in all during these thirty years. I had heard of him through reputation and common gossip and he being an office-bearer must have heard of me similarly and also through official gossip. It was a pleasing sight, his sitting in his office oftentimes  with nothing on his table, (I presume, having promptly dealt with matters that come to him, which he contrived to keep at the minimum possible), sometimes with some general reading material, chair a bit sideways facing the entrance to his room, and his face bearing, here we are coming to the heart of the whole scenario, such a welcome and friendly expression, that I sometimes felt sort-of guilty for not entering his room  oftener for a tete-a-tete.

But enter I dare not always, because though he patiently heard, oh, in such a friendly way, and talked less, much too less, when he did talk, it was straight and so right that it did not always suit my basket-ball player mind, constitutionally always in need of loop-holes.

He used to like my writings and wanted to see some good books from my pen. My sense of sadness at his not having seen the Tamil poetry book in the name of yours truly is muted by the gratification I feel because I was able to speak a few words from Raipur recently over phone conveying my thanks for his role in the birth of our Narainpur and Raipur centres. He was happy to hear that the Kerala youths liked Narainpur.

His close companion and he, had gone to Purulia on duty. He felt a bit uneasy at chest. Due medical attention given, he felt fine, ate, conversed and slept well. Next dawn he was found seated on his bed with a pillow-prop and slightly slumped. It was clear he was up and was in a tete-at-tete with his Ishta, when the later must‘ve said, ‘come, time’s up, let’s go’.

Once, when, as of my wont, I was advising him to take due care of his health, he patiently explained, yes, he was doing whatever needed but what is the point in being so very anxious and trying to extend his life a few more years, he being, as he put it, not that important and useful an instrument for the general good. I demurred but he smiled me off.

I can now see who kept him so content, who put that gentle trace in his un-effusive but no less sweet, lisping utterances and manner, and who playing in his heart was making this mother-bird inwardly engaged, imparting a far-away look, and who when emerging, carried the mother away into the horizon. 

The official Obituary : 
http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2013/08/02/obituary-july-2013/

Reports of Passing Away :

http://www.thestatesman.net/news/3833-top-ramakrishna-mission-figure-dies.html

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130704/jsp/calcutta/story_17079085.jsp#.UeVOEdKbdMI

Hear one of  his speeches here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8pAeNNGtGs

Swami Tattwajnanananda - the formal obituary

From http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2013/07/04/obituaries-june-2013/

Obituaries : June 2013

 July 4th, 2013  Admin

We are sorry to announce the untimely demise of Swami Tattwajnanananda ji (Hemanta Maharaj of Saradapitha centre) at Seva Pratishthan hospital, Kolkata) on 10 June at about 12.25 pm.  He was 61.  On 17 February night he was severely injured in a road accident while returning by car from Malda.  He was immediately rushed to Seva Pratishthan where he remained in a completely unconscious state for nearly four months.  Despite best medical care, he finally succumbed to his injuries and passed away at Seva Pratishthan.  Initiated by Swami Bhashyanandaji, he joined the Order in 1983 at Belur Math and had Sannyasa from Swami Bhuteshanandaji in 1992.  An able administrator, he was the monk-in-charge of the Polytechnic College at Saradapitha centre for twenty-six years, and his contribution to the all-round development of the College and the Computer Centre at Saradapitha is significant.  A well-trained and experienced architect, he designed some buildings and structures for our centres, wrote many articles and authored a booklet “A Symphony in Architecture: Ramakrishna Temple, Belur Math”.  In him the Order has lost a dynamic and hardworking member.

 Posted in June 2013

Homage by  students : 

 http://soumyadipsblog.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-passing-away-of-swami.html

This link may NOT work : 

http://soumyadipsblog.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-passing-away-of-swami_22.html

Tribute to my brother Hemanta Maharaj (Swami Tattwajnanananda)

Dear Hemanta Maharaj,

You’ve now become senior to me in Ramakrishna Loka, so I can unreservedly convey my pranams to you. I suppose you get to meet Our Ishta and our Mother on what is like day to day basis here. Warn them for me that I have some questions to ask them.

To begin with, what was the great hurry for Sri Ramakrishna to put your mind to sleep on His birth night this year, the night of 17^th Feb.? Or was it the idea of your Guru Swami Bhashyananda ji to present his proud disciple to Him on His Birthday morning? We people here on earth, fiddled with your barely-conscious body, trying our hardest best. Did you, in your sudden moment of Joy, at finding yourself in your Ishtaloka, forget to switch off all your life-lights? Some fourteen days back you or whose-so-ever duty it is, remembered the pending task. Well, tell that person, to do his business properly. It seems this particular dept. in Ramakrishna Loka is a little slack these days.

It looked like you were sleeping peacefully when I last saw you. It felt like how a harried mother might have felt when she sees her mischiefs-full child taking a good nap. You were a very good boy of course, but could you not have tempered your conversations a bit down? Could you not have made yourself a little more available for all of us? Of course you did a lot for your students to do well in their professional lives and gain expertise and mental strength. They should all, with us, be blessing you now.

Yours affectionately,

Sampurnananda

See also : 

http://www.belurmath.org/news_archives/2013/07/04/obituaries-june-2013/swami-tattwajnanananda/

http://www.shilpamandira.org/Binder1.pdf

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qKSmqvuWhswsbVdBeV-La0Xw2Hr2wWNMdV0lIFxKNOc

Homage by  students :

 http://soumyadipsblog.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-passing-away-of-swami.html

This link may NOT work :

http://soumyadipsblog.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-passing-away-of-swami_22.html