SWAMI NIRMALANANDA (TULSI MAHARAJ), A DIRECT DISCIPLE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA OR NOT?

SWAMI NIRMALANANDA (TULSI MAHARAJ), A DIRECT DISCIPLE OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA OR NOT?

Observe the two photographs. The lower one cites Swami Nirmalananda (Tulsi Maharaj), placed at the righthand corner of the lowest rank, as the published disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. But all modern photo-compilations of Sri Ramakrishna's direct disciples now exclude Swami Nirmalananda from them. The upper photograph is evidence of that. Why? This is a question that is simply not answered clearly by the concerned authorities nor sufficiently entertained beyond providing vague references by way of self-support of official status that are least credible. On the contrary there is legal evidence citing Swami Nirmalananda as 'the chela of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Dev' furnished by no less than Swami Brahmananda, the first President of Belur Math, when he deputed Swami Nirmalananda to South India with power-of-attorney stating thus. Strange it is that such a dynamic monk as Swami Nirmalananda should so suffer organisational neglect much like Swami Nityasvarupananda (Chintaharan Maharaj), the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. "Organisation," indeed, "breeds new evils," as Swami Vivekananda had rightly observed. Devotees, when they support ethically lost causes by way of bolstering the erroneous ways of monastic organisations, do a great deal of harm to them for they side with untruth and injustice. 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' And to support declining spiritual culture out of blind loyalty is most unspiritual.

Written by Sugata Bose 

[Tap to expand the photgraph to its full size.]