A BENEDICTION

A BENEDICTION 

Be utterly confident, supremely so, without being arrogant, strength merged in sublime surrender to the Supreme. A positive mindset works wonders. Never be in despair even in the teeth of trouble as the sunlit summit of truth and light are just near the horizon as yet in the womb of futurity, approaching nonetheless with steady steps unto your expanding universe even as your concentration contracts to lesser and lesser zones till in pointed end it dives into wholeness, the integrated essence where duality has ceased. 

Faith in one's self is an attribute that conquers all, that fearless self-belief which is the stuff of great souls that have striven and achieved to transform life and civilisation. The tranquil mind is unruffled by surface disturbances as it quietly broods on the eternal verities of life. The sattva predominates and suppresses rajas and tamas to illumine the being. The sunlit mansion becomes a heaven on earth, the radiance spreading through the casements to the environs, illumining all who chance to come within the charmed sphere with a willing mind, a wholesome heart and a submissive spirit. The soul rendered resplendent then shines as a beacon of light in the turbulent sea of desires that afflict the mortal man. Such a one who abides in the Self or in the Beloved is a blessing unto mankind and has attained to supreme peace. Be thou such a one! Let the mind be emptied of earthly aught. Let the soul be chastened with the Ganga of pure flow. Let the heart be focussed on the One Beloved whose form in broken trifurcate fills it with blissful waves from end to end. May life be dedicated to the Ishtadevatā now and forever! 🕉

Written by Sugata Bose

MERCENARIES MASQUERADING AS MESSIAHS

MERCENARIES MASQUERADING AS MESSIAHS 

Fraudulent gurus galore are operating freely, minting millions while fooling people in the name of high-sounding spiritual principles which they themselves do not practise but use to good personal profit-making effect. It is, thus, imperative that the Ramakrishna Mission goes on a war-footing in their propagation programme, much like Swamiji wanted, that aggressive missionary zeal which the founding Āchārya of the Ramakrishna Mission had aspired for, hopefully not in vain. 

Scientific education is the way out, the cultivation of scepticism which Einstein had averred was his birthright, that attribute of investigation and inquiry which is the bedrock of both science and spirituality as was affirmed by Swamiji himself. 

The masses must not be thus deluded by fraudulent gurus who are often bereft of both knowledge and a progressive attitude that would have otherwise helped evolve society along luminous lines, but are regressive and patriarchal in their preaching, quoting for good measure some quaint scriptural passages to suit convenience. The masses are simple, gullible folks who pin implicit faith in these fraudulent pretentious preceptors and are siphoned of money and morality as they are misled by these mercenaries  masquerading as Messiahs. It is a sorry state of affairs indeed, especially as one feels helpless to prevent these fraud gurus from misutilising our Sanātan scriptures to swindle the people through their charging of exorbitant fees for their preaching and teaching programmes. 

Religion should be taught only by qualified gurus who have had spiritual realisations of a high order, if not the ultimate of Ātmajnān, the latter realisation, though, qualifying the preceptor perfectly to preach to his pupils and the people. If commerce dictates spiritual preaching, we are indeed in both a spiritual and a material mess, and the sooner well-intentioned truly honest spiritual personalities and institutions come forward to redress the issue the better. Till then let us put in our individual and collective effort to raise awareness among the masses. Social media provides us a perfect platform to do so. 🕉

Written by Sugata Bose 

THANK YOU, MONSIEUR ROLLAND

THANK YOU, MONSIEUR ROLLAND

The great European savant who spread the message of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda across the western world through his twin biographical studies on the divine duo. Posterity has and forever will owe indebtedness to him who in the inter-war years had tried his utmost to lower the political temperature of the world through a myriad measures amongst which his priceless biographies of the swan and the lion doubtlessly stood out as his premier contributions. Written to cool the world then, a task he eminently failed in owing to historical reasons, his works remain perennial pathfinder for future humanity as it progresses through the blind alleyways of tortuous Māyā unto the sunlit summit of spiritual realisation. Monsieur Rolland, we can never thank you enough. Here in India we express our reverence in quite another way, perhaps not so foreign to you after your protracted association with Ramakrishna-Vivekananda. Our humble prostration at your hallowed feet. Blessed be the mother that had borne you! 🕉

Written by Sugata Bose

POESY: THE LOTUS BLOOMS

THE LOTUS BLOOMS

Float like a lotus on water. 

Water wets it not.

So may the world 

With all its fetters

Bind not you

Who have given all up

Unto the Lord of love,

Vāsudev Krishna Bhagavān

Who sang the Song Celestial 

That resonates through space and time,

Age after age,

Aeon after aeon,

Unto the present moment

Of shining memory,

Of shifting bounds

And brightening horizon,

Till in the noonshine of blissful vision

The veil lifts

And lifts you up

Unto ethereal heights 

Of resplendent bliss,

And leaves you thence 

On earth hither

At the cowdust hour 

To glide by the Yamunā,

Listening rapt to the Yaman 

Flowing from the flute

Of the flautist perennial,

The Lord of notes,

Of the split spectrum 

In its coloured joy,

The peacock-plumed one,

The one and only one who plays,

Who sports in the groves,

By the riverside banks

And the hills that pull 

With their heightened charm.

Live by Him and live in Him,

The primal and the final friend

Who never leaves but ever loves 

Till life and death have all ceased 

In ecstasy that endless is.

Even today the Rās goes on

In eternal Vrindāvan's eternal groves,

The Nidhu which in nightly dance

Yet holds them all,

In a sublime mix,

Thirty-two thousand and two, one, six.

Composed by Sugata Bose 🕉 

Dated: 11 September, 2025, the Chicago Day.

Time: 10.25 p.m.

Place: Saptaparni, Kolkata.

SANĀTAN DHARM AND SANĀTANIS UNDER ATTACK ... 1

SANĀTAN DHARM AND SANĀTANIS UNDER ATTACK ... 1

Today the Sanātan Dharm and the Sanātanis are under attack from all sides. Abrahamic proselytism is the biggest threat which we must resist with all our might. Wish the Ramakrishna Mission were more active in defending the Hindus. They ought to lead the charge as the leading spiritual organisation of the Sanātanis. [N.B. Sanātani = Hindu] 

Hindus must unite. Sectarian fights over surface theological differences ought to be kept aside and a general unity sought under the umbrella of the unifying divine symbol of the 🕉. Political intervention to divide the Hindus must be thwarted and Sanātan solidarity achieved through mutual love and respect. Above all, Sanātanis must study the Sanātan scriptures and practise their dharm. If we stand on the bedrock of character forged in the fire of spiritual austerity, none will be able to prevail against us. Rather our influence will spread and win us adherents in the form of reverts to the Sanātan fold and fresh entrants from non-Sanātani faiths. The Dharm is under attack and the Dharm practised properly is its greatest defence. This is the solution.

Written by Sugata Bose

'দা বেঙ্গল ফাইল্স'

'দা বেঙ্গল ফাইল্স'

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বাঙালীরা একটু লেখাপড়া করলেই জানতে পারবে ১৯৪৬এ ১৬ অগস্ট কলকাতার বুকে কি ঘটেছিল, তারপর নোয়াখালি তথা গোটা পূর্ববঙ্গে কী নারকীয় অত্যাচার সহ্য করতে হয়েছিল হিন্দুদের যার ফলে শেষে জিন্নার পরিকল্পনা মত দেশভাগ হয়েছিল | হয়ত' 'দা বেঙ্গল ফাইলস' ছবিটা দেখলে সে বিষয়ে সাধারণ বাঙালী একটা আঁচ পেত | কিন্তু ছবিটা প্রেক্ষাগৃহ না পেলে ত' আর বাঙালী সে সুযোগ পাবে না | বাংলা বিভক্ত হয়ে পূর্ব পাকিস্তান, পরে বাংলাদেশ হয়েছিল | দেশভাগের পরে পশ্চিম ও পূর্ব পাকিস্তানে সমানে হিন্দুনিগ্রহ হয়েছে | আজও পাকিস্তান ও বাংলাদেশে তা অব্যাহত |

গণমাধ্যমের যুগ | নিছক প্রেক্ষাগৃহে চলচ্চিত্র দেখাতে দেওয়া না হলেই কি সত্য চাপা যাবে ? যাবে না | যদি বাঙালীরা আলস্য ত্যাগ করে একটু পড়াশোনা করে, ত' সব জলের মত পরিষ্কার হয়ে যাবে | এ ত' একটি বছরের কথা মাত্র | হিন্দু ত' মুসলমান আক্রমণকারীদের দ্বারা সেই ৬৩৬ সাল থেকে আক্রান্ত, অর্থাৎ, প্রায় ১৪০০ বছর | ৭১২ সালে সিন্ধুপতন | সেই সময় থেকেই ত' হিন্দুর মন্দির ধ্বংস, সংস্কৃতিবিনাশ, হিন্দু নারীর বলাৎকার, আরব বাজারে দুই দিনারে বিক্রয়, হিন্দুহনন, ধর্মান্তরণ, আরও কত অকথ্য অত্যাচার | এসব যদি বাঙালীরা না জানতে চায় আলস্য ও ইন্দ্রিয়াসক্তিহেতু, ত' একটি চলচ্চিত্র সেই আত্মবিস্মৃত জাতিকে কতটা জাগাতে পারত সে বিষয়ে সন্দেহ থেকে যায় | অতএব, ছবিটা না দেখতে পেলে খুব যে একটা কিছু ক্ষতি হবে চেতনার, তা মনে হয় না | এই ভাবে সান্ত্বনা পাওয়া আর কি |

রচয়িতা : সুগত বসু (Sugata Bose)

🕉 SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS 🕉

🕉 SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS 🕉 

There is a nirgun nirākār essence in you which you are. Its manifestation this outer mind-body entity is which you in error identify yourself with. The Guru is to be worshipped, none else, none else, none else ever. He is your all in all and will guide you to this innermost glory. Therefore, focus wholly and with complete concentration on the Guru. Only bear his instructions and carry them out to perfection with absolute allegiance. May you be illumined! Tat tvam asi! 🕉

P.S. Constancy of will and fullness of concentration will take you to Atmajnān. The Guru forever holds, never forsakes. He is the only one to be worshipped. His words are Veda. His form is the temple. His mind is the vigraha and his soul is the anantasagar which is Parabrahma. 'Gurur sākshāt Parabrahma Tasmai Shree Gurave namaha.' The Guru and the shishyā are one in essence. Post-realisation all distinctions disappear. 🕉

Ego is the principal hindrance to arriving at the essential principle, that of Ātmajnān. Absolute self-surrender is necessary to witness the Self. The slightest trace of ego blocks vision. Therefore, in the spiritual path the means is obliteration of the ego. That comes easy to the one who is simplicity itself. But for the crooked realisation cones not till the twisted self is straightened. The Geetā says, "Bhidyatey hridayagranthi chhindanti sarvasangshayā" when the realisation of the Self dawns in samādhi. The knots of the heart are sundered and all doubts are dispelled. This simplicity, if it be there through past good karma, makes spiritual progress possible. The crooked never reach the goal. Desires galore, they bar the way and take one to the alleyways of the material world far from the royal avenue of God. A life is wasted in chasing mirage when with simplicity, rectitude and the spirit of surrender to the preceptor the ultimate purpose of life could have been achieved. But who cares to follow the Guru? Omniscience before Self-realisation is the pitiable state of all. Therefore, be you different and align yourself to the preceptor's laid-out principles, to his inspired instructions, and make a heaven out of life. Transcend life itself to arrive at the Truth which you in essence are. Be blessed! 🕉

Written by Sugata Bose