BACK TO RAMAKRISHNA ... 7

BACK TO RAMAKRISHNA ... 7

SEE GOD IN ALL, NOT MERELY IN PREACHING FROM THE PULPIT BUT 'IN EVERY MOVEMENT OF LIFE'

Let us be equal in our dealings with all, common man or Prime Minister, whoever.

Privilege is ruling social relations from rustic to royal. Even monastics show greater respect to men of position and power than they do to the common man. This must not be. All are equal at the base and the monk must recognise this explicitly as he shows ultra-reverence explicitly for the Minister.

Spiritual personages of repute make it a point to be extra-cordial with the prosperous and the powerful and often show scant respect or hardly give any recognition to the poor and the dispossessed, although they work for their welfare in most cases. What is important equally, though, is to recognise the divinity within these poor people and to make them aware of it by treating them literally as the Lord incarnate. Which spiritual personality or organisation can claim to be consistently doing this? If any do, they are worthy of their ochre cloth in every sense of the term. Otherwise, it is better to go back to school and learn the basics of spirituality once more.

To gain name and fame, money and property, position and privilege, one need not give up one's claims to true divinity by recognising it equally in others despite the differences in the recipient's background, character or attributes. The moot point is to show reverence to all and not by any stretch of imagination to associate and patronise the wicked, as this write-up may be misinterpreted to inclusively imply.

Written by Sugata Bose