An opportunity arose to conduct a special mid-week session on 14 April when Dwaipayan Bhattacharya and Sugata Bose met to discuss and deliberate on several issues.
The first question raised by Dwaipayan was as to how one may successfully tide over the identification of oneself with the body.
The answer was as follows:
There are two methods of overcoming this. One is the negative way of Neti Neti (not this, not this), the Vedantic way of negation of phenomena through the path of discriminating rejection and the other is the affirmative way of embracing all of phenomena as so many manifestations of the Divine and attempting to perceive the divinity in and through all of relative existence. For both dietary discipline, a time-bound schedule of living to stay healthy, daily study of secular and scriptural texts, meditation, chanting, prayer, introspection and contemplation of the Divine, keeping the company of holy men and above all the maintenance of strict Brahmacharya (continence) and ever-abiding truthfulness and resoluteness of purpose---these are the key features that go to build the character of an aspirant whose final fruition is the transcendence of all identification of oneself with the body.
There are two methods of overcoming this. One is the negative way of Neti Neti (not this, not this), the Vedantic way of negation of phenomena through the path of discriminating rejection and the other is the affirmative way of embracing all of phenomena as so many manifestations of the Divine and attempting to perceive the divinity in and through all of relative existence. For both dietary discipline, a time-bound schedule of living to stay healthy, daily study of secular and scriptural texts, meditation, chanting, prayer, introspection and contemplation of the Divine, keeping the company of holy men and above all the maintenance of strict Brahmacharya (continence) and ever-abiding truthfulness and resoluteness of purpose---these are the key features that go to build the character of an aspirant whose final fruition is the transcendence of all identification of oneself with the body.
Thereupon, the Ramakrishna Mission Haripad Ashrama's acute financial distress was deliberated on and so was the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Muzaffarpur discussed where an Eye Hospital is being built. These two projects are of primary importance considering the association of the members of SUNDAY SESSIONS with them since last year when even the SUNDAY SESSIONS had not yet been formally initiated.
Some deliberations on the significance of education and culture in the upholding of the spiritual tradition of a nation were next in line and a reference was made to the famous aphorism of Sri Ramakrishna, 'Jabot bnachi, tabot shikhi'(As long as I live, so long do I learn) was alluded to illustrate the point. In this simple but profound statement of his Guru was embedded the genesis of Swamiji's inspiration to build a grand university at Belur Math which would be the focal point of world civilization and learning, this was pointed out by Sugata Bose.
Thereafter, the sheer survival necessity of the world for the philosophy of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda was dwelt on and this evoked an empathetic response from Dwaipayan as he set to deliberating the future programme of SUNDAY SESSIONS regarding the propagation of the Master's message of hope and harmony in the world. It was decided that in all future sessions reading from THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA and its analysis thereof will feature as the introductory phase of the session. Also such reading is being hereby made mandatory as a measure of daily discipline as had originally been formulated in the CARDINAL PRINCIPLES.
Today is Poila Boishakh, the auspicious advent of the Bengali New Year. We wish all a very happy new year, SHUBHA NABABARSHA, and pray for the well-being of all. May this year bring joy to all, especially the ones who have not the wherewithal to even celebrate the occasion! May the Goddess Saraswati bestow wisdom to all! May Mother Lakshmi shower her bounty on all! May all live in harmony and peace!
Om! Shanti! Shanti! Shanti! Hari Om Tat Sat!
Reported by Sugata Bose
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