1. Let manliness grace writing and let effeminacy no more poison the young mind with its weakening impulses.
2. To listen to pretenders to music whose sole aim is self-promotion is pain enough. To then consider endorsing such is death itself.
3. Let my salutations be the same to all and not categorised as 'pranam' to some and 'namaskar' to others, for all are divine.
4. There is a dearth of men of character today and this is the root of all the problems we encounter in public life.
5. Let the thundering message of the Upanishads emanate from the Belur Math and deluge the world. In it lies the welfare of the world.
6. The abode of spirituality, India, can never die a death by conversion to Islam. The Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) will prevail.
7. Read Vivekananda and give up effeminacy of all kind. This growing pseudo-poetic paralysing tendency in men must be given up.
8. Read the 'Swadesh mantra' of Swamiji to extricate yourselves from all sorts of debility and selfishness and stand firm as men.
9. Religion must be unconnected to politics to be able to maintain its sanctity. Else, self-interest will spoil everything.
10. Did not the 'gun salute' infringe upon the sanctity of the environment at Belur Math? Was such a grotesque spectacle warranted?
11. Truth must lie beyond the body.
12. Religion must be unconnected to politics to be able to maintain its sanctity. Else, self-interest will spoil everything.
13. Mother Kali is seated in the heart. Why fear, brother, when She, the omnipotent Mother, guards your citadels?
14. Hindus must be sincere in the practice of their dharma instead of mere cowardly remonstrance to offence received.
15. The Upanishads and the Geeta must be thoroughly studied to gather the strength lying dormant in the soul.
16. Continence is the key to concentration and is the source of all strength.
17. When you sing, sing with a virile voice and not with a trembling effeminacy that bespeaks of terrible weakness.
18. Proselytisation of the Abrahamic religions in India must be met with propagation of the Sanatan Dharma. The Upanishads will safeguard our dharma.
19. Study the works of Swami Vivekananda. All good will accrue from it.
20. It is absolutely essential that monks of the Ramakrishna Order manifest in every sense of the word what Swamiji called 'manhood'.
We must manifest manliness in every movement of life, in every sphere of human activity so that we may awaken our latent powers. There must be strength in our convictions, faith in ourselves and an ideal to live by wherefrom we may spring to Ionian heights. Thus shall we reclaim our lost heritage fraught with everything that is bright and beautiful but without a tinge of effeminacy. Our language must be virile, our art and literature must evoke the strength of the Spirit and our music must send us careering within. Thus shall a race, now effeminate and an emasculate edition of its virile past, throw off the yoke of all sorts of debility. Men must be exposed to the thunderous vibrations of the Vedas and the Upanishads and children protected from weakening impulses.
Do not subscribe to modern interpretations of what Swamiji said but go back to Vivekananda to know him better. 'Back to Vivekananda' --- let this be the clarion call as we march backwards to proceed forward yet again with the flaming torch of the Atman.
Let none preach that cannot stand erect as a man without bending down in apologetic weakness or puts up a mere affectation of strength.
Above all, develop some sense of dignity and human restraint that you will not let go even in the direst of provocations. Let civility prevail but in a manly way, never ever in a show of cowardly effeminacy. Let every breath of yours prove you to be a man. Leave ultra-softness to be the domain of your womenfolk. Thou, O man, be virile! May our women be strong, educated, independent and pure who shall abhor weakness in men.
21. Preachers must have the fire of realisation and the inner conviction to be able to effectively convey their spiritual message to the audience. Their's must be the heart that speaks and not the brain churning out intellectual ideas galore. God resides in the heart. Hence, it is the heart that appeals to the heart and never in any other way. When men speak without the vision within, they are apt to make little impression on the audience and that is the state today. It is thus imperative to heed Swamiji's advice well. He exhorted us 'to accumulate power in silence' before attempting to preach. Sri Ramakrishna also was of a similar view. He used to mildly admonish the 'Kolkata people' for giving 'lectures' all the time. Thakur used to stress the need for self-realisation first. He used to say that only 'the divinely commissioned one' was fit to preach.
Today, so many of us feel befuddled by so many life-issues and desperately search for their spiritual solutions but fail to get adequate answers to their queries that it has become a spiritual imperative that we go back to Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to see what they had said about these, instead of us remaining lodged in secondary sources interpreting their words to us. We do not find satisfaction in insipid interpretation of their words, neither do we get fired up by a dilution of their spiritual standards for organisational imperatives. We must, thus, seek and discover the truth ourselves and only then may we find fulfilment in our earthly sojourn.
Join me in this crusade to spread the Word of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda across the world, beholding it a service unto the Lord. Crush desires under your feet and emerge triumphant in the knowledge that you are the imperishable Self that sustains this world of ephemeral dreams. 'Taka mati, mati taka.' Do you think these are but fanciful words of the Master? No, they are not. They are the living reality to fructify soon. In this age of rampant capitalism when the soul of man is sold for a pittance, what a bold statement : Taka mati, mati taka! Come, let us crush under our heels the least vestige of selfishness in us and emerge mighty lions tearing the network of Maya.
2. To listen to pretenders to music whose sole aim is self-promotion is pain enough. To then consider endorsing such is death itself.
3. Let my salutations be the same to all and not categorised as 'pranam' to some and 'namaskar' to others, for all are divine.
4. There is a dearth of men of character today and this is the root of all the problems we encounter in public life.
5. Let the thundering message of the Upanishads emanate from the Belur Math and deluge the world. In it lies the welfare of the world.
6. The abode of spirituality, India, can never die a death by conversion to Islam. The Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) will prevail.
7. Read Vivekananda and give up effeminacy of all kind. This growing pseudo-poetic paralysing tendency in men must be given up.
8. Read the 'Swadesh mantra' of Swamiji to extricate yourselves from all sorts of debility and selfishness and stand firm as men.
9. Religion must be unconnected to politics to be able to maintain its sanctity. Else, self-interest will spoil everything.
10. Did not the 'gun salute' infringe upon the sanctity of the environment at Belur Math? Was such a grotesque spectacle warranted?
11. Truth must lie beyond the body.
12. Religion must be unconnected to politics to be able to maintain its sanctity. Else, self-interest will spoil everything.
13. Mother Kali is seated in the heart. Why fear, brother, when She, the omnipotent Mother, guards your citadels?
14. Hindus must be sincere in the practice of their dharma instead of mere cowardly remonstrance to offence received.
15. The Upanishads and the Geeta must be thoroughly studied to gather the strength lying dormant in the soul.
16. Continence is the key to concentration and is the source of all strength.
17. When you sing, sing with a virile voice and not with a trembling effeminacy that bespeaks of terrible weakness.
18. Proselytisation of the Abrahamic religions in India must be met with propagation of the Sanatan Dharma. The Upanishads will safeguard our dharma.
19. Study the works of Swami Vivekananda. All good will accrue from it.
20. It is absolutely essential that monks of the Ramakrishna Order manifest in every sense of the word what Swamiji called 'manhood'.
We must manifest manliness in every movement of life, in every sphere of human activity so that we may awaken our latent powers. There must be strength in our convictions, faith in ourselves and an ideal to live by wherefrom we may spring to Ionian heights. Thus shall we reclaim our lost heritage fraught with everything that is bright and beautiful but without a tinge of effeminacy. Our language must be virile, our art and literature must evoke the strength of the Spirit and our music must send us careering within. Thus shall a race, now effeminate and an emasculate edition of its virile past, throw off the yoke of all sorts of debility. Men must be exposed to the thunderous vibrations of the Vedas and the Upanishads and children protected from weakening impulses.
Do not subscribe to modern interpretations of what Swamiji said but go back to Vivekananda to know him better. 'Back to Vivekananda' --- let this be the clarion call as we march backwards to proceed forward yet again with the flaming torch of the Atman.
Let none preach that cannot stand erect as a man without bending down in apologetic weakness or puts up a mere affectation of strength.
Above all, develop some sense of dignity and human restraint that you will not let go even in the direst of provocations. Let civility prevail but in a manly way, never ever in a show of cowardly effeminacy. Let every breath of yours prove you to be a man. Leave ultra-softness to be the domain of your womenfolk. Thou, O man, be virile! May our women be strong, educated, independent and pure who shall abhor weakness in men.
21. Preachers must have the fire of realisation and the inner conviction to be able to effectively convey their spiritual message to the audience. Their's must be the heart that speaks and not the brain churning out intellectual ideas galore. God resides in the heart. Hence, it is the heart that appeals to the heart and never in any other way. When men speak without the vision within, they are apt to make little impression on the audience and that is the state today. It is thus imperative to heed Swamiji's advice well. He exhorted us 'to accumulate power in silence' before attempting to preach. Sri Ramakrishna also was of a similar view. He used to mildly admonish the 'Kolkata people' for giving 'lectures' all the time. Thakur used to stress the need for self-realisation first. He used to say that only 'the divinely commissioned one' was fit to preach.
Today, so many of us feel befuddled by so many life-issues and desperately search for their spiritual solutions but fail to get adequate answers to their queries that it has become a spiritual imperative that we go back to Ramakrishna-Vivekananda to see what they had said about these, instead of us remaining lodged in secondary sources interpreting their words to us. We do not find satisfaction in insipid interpretation of their words, neither do we get fired up by a dilution of their spiritual standards for organisational imperatives. We must, thus, seek and discover the truth ourselves and only then may we find fulfilment in our earthly sojourn.
Join me in this crusade to spread the Word of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda across the world, beholding it a service unto the Lord. Crush desires under your feet and emerge triumphant in the knowledge that you are the imperishable Self that sustains this world of ephemeral dreams. 'Taka mati, mati taka.' Do you think these are but fanciful words of the Master? No, they are not. They are the living reality to fructify soon. In this age of rampant capitalism when the soul of man is sold for a pittance, what a bold statement : Taka mati, mati taka! Come, let us crush under our heels the least vestige of selfishness in us and emerge mighty lions tearing the network of Maya.
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