Sri
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a well known saint
of the 19th century. He was a great devotee of Goddess Kali and he served as
the priest at Kali temple.
Though he was born in a very poor Brahmin family,
his spiritual connections were at another level and his preaching mainly deal
with the connection of man with the Lord. He was born on 18th February, 1836 at
Calcutta. Ramakrishna’s greatest disciple was Swami Vivekananda. He started the
Ramakrishna Ashram in his guru’s name which has headquarters at Belur Mutt.
Ramakrishna Mutts across India upholds the
principle preached and practiced by him. He speaks of spiritual connection with
god in all his teachings and literature.
His wife was Sharada Devi, but she was married at a
very young age to him. She was just five when she got married to a 23 year old
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Later when she entered adulthood, she too began
practising his spiritual practices and followed in his footsteps.
Connection
with Goddess Kali
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a great devotee of
goddess Kali and considered her to be mother of the entire universe. He
stressed upon the fact that a man with no devotion or attachment towards god is
like a lamp without oil. If there is no guiding force to show man the correct
path on which he must walk, he is bound to take the wrong paths and may not
reach his destination at all.
Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa’s Faith
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was not against many
religious faiths. Rather, he showed the purpose of all these religious faiths.
He was a guiding light in the spiritual journey of the nation and held many
beliefs close to the nature of god. He saw people emerging with their own belief
systems and neither of them was able to see and visualize the journey they were
actually meant for. Instead, each one wanted to have a torch of his own,
throwing his own light to illuminate and create a personal path of his own.
Spiritual
Awakening
What he actually meant by spiritual awakening was,
following righteousness in life, staying true to oneself, doing deeds that
brought us closer to god, and most of all being sincere and faithful in our
journey called life. We have all been sent on earth for some purpose. To
realize this purpose, we must attach ourselves in the faith of god. We must
believe in the path we choose. Our faiths should not act as a hindrance to
other faith systems. If we are sincere and faithful in our paths, we will
surely seek truth on our chosen path.
Importance
of the Day
- The day is celebrated with much grandeur at all branches of Ramakrishna Mutt across India. Spiritual discourses, lectures, speeches on the life of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, etc. go on for several days starting from the day Ramakrishna Jayanti begins.
- The day also commemorates his great contribution to the society and special puja and rituals are carried out in his name. Eminent speakers from various corners of the world deliver lectures and spread his words to the common man. People are made aware of spiritual awakening and leading life by giving a spiritual touch from within.
- Not only this, the day also celebrates the contributions of Sharada Devi, his religious counterpart.
- The greatest disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda is also remembered on the occasion and the day marks a huge day for people to awaken their spiritual connections and beliefs.
Contribution
to Society
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa showed society the way to come out of their shells and think about the bigger picture in life. He made people realize the real and underlying goal in life which was to attain unity with God and offer services to God. He believed in living a simple life and probably the most humble saint our country has ever witnessed. A life led with a deeper understanding and meaning of the actual purpose in life leads one to think of the right things to do and live righteously.
When Ramakrishna Paramahamsa talked about all
religions sharing the same underlying message of attaining the same
destination, people started understanding their true goals. The
misunderstanding that one religion was superior to another one was totally
false and all of them were only different paths to reach the same destination
was up held by Ramakrishna Paramahamsa alone. Man could attain peace of mind
and harmony within himself by connecting himself with God, trying to talk to
God, establishing a strong relationship to be able to communicate with God. Man
could seek answers for his prayers by seeking solace under him. Preaching what
he practices, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa set forth a very good example for the
society, which was very necessary at that time.
Even today people visit Ramakrishna Mutts across India and meditate and find peace of mind at their various centers.