Service to all sentience is the living ideal of the Age. One day at Dakshineshwar Sri Ramakrishna was expounding the attributes of a true Vaishnav. One of the attributes was compassion to all living beings. Suddenly in a moment of luminous spiritual insight the Master burst out saying,''Compassion? You ordinary mortal, who are you to show compassion to your fellow beings? No, no, not compassion, but service to all knowing them to be God-incarnate.''
The young Narendranath (the future Vivekananda) overheard the Master's words from the adjoining verandah and was flooded with spiritual understanding of its deep import. Herein lay the perfect synthesis of Jnana (The Way of Knowledge), Bhakti (The Path of Love) and Karma (The Way of Work) as the living ideal of the Age. Hitherto for centuries Shankaracharya's non-dualistic aphorism:'Brahma satyam jaganmithya jiva Brahmaiva na parah' (Brahman is real, the universe is unreal, living beings are but the manifestations of Brahman) had been but fractionally understood and the unreality of the universe primarily stressed on which led to India's degradation but Sri Ramakrishna's brilliant articulation flooded this ancient Vedantic doctrine with a new light. Shankara's aphorism gained fulflment in Ramakrishna's exposition.
Narendranath could scarce contain himself when he said,''If Providence is merciful and grants me the days, I shall scatter broadcast this message of the glory of man and this living ideal of worshipful service to him across the wide world. Oh, what a wonderful insight I have gained today from the Master's words!''
In 1896 Swami Akhandananda began in Murshidabad District at a famine-affected place called Mohula the Ramakrishna Mission's first Relief Service. Ramakrishna's children had begun their Master's work : SHIVA-JNANEY JIVA-SEVA (Service to sentience knowing it to be God-incarnate). The work is on even today. Come ye all and help the Mission. God bless you all !
Jai Ramakrishna!
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