Sri Ramakrishna's universal acceptance of all religions

1 Sri Ramakrishna's universal acceptance of all religions Travis L. Palmer Religions of India, University of Tennessee Chattanooga 2 The nineteenth century Hindu mystic, Sri Ramakrishna, taught a universal acceptance of all religions which he claimed leads to the direct experience of God. His quest to realize God from his early childhood onward energized an experimentation to verify Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, not in matters of doctrinal truths but the actual attainment of God-realization. Proponents of religious pluralism advocate the view that all religions are essentially valid as a means to achieving world peace, and this argument can range from doctrinal similarities (often refuted by doctrinal differences) to the mystical experience which transcends the plane of knowledge. Ramakrishna took to the latter view as he was not formally educated in matters of theology or philosophy. His Hindu worldview, being intrinsically pluralist, encouraged him to discover whether or not such pluralism was valid not only within the Hindu pantheon but also in other religions. Debates on both sides have argued whether or not he was ever authentically an adherent to these religions or remained a Hindu merely validating such diverse paths. One's argument generally depends upon the degree of importance pertaining to dogmatic decrees. The question of whether mysticism surpasses dogmatism will also be explored. Born Gadadhar Chatterji in 1836 of West Bengal, Ramakrishna grew up in a rather poor Brahmin family near Calcutta in a region distanced from Western influence. In a deeply religious locale, he attained much of his insights from wandering monks who observed him with a quality of high esteem. The English novelist Christopher Isherwood, having served with Aldous Huxley and Gerald Heard on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Vedanta Society of Southern California founded by Ramakrishna's disciple Swami Prabhavananda, wrote of Sri Ramakrishna as "lively, affectionate, ready to be friends with everybody."1 His knowledge of religion was motivated by his search for God after his father's death in 1843. Claims that he had mystical experiences as early as seven years of age 1 Swami Gnaneswarananda, Ramakrishna, The Man and the Power. Chicago: The Vedanta Society, 1936. p. 7 3 has been documented by his closest disciples. When he was on his way to a temple, Swami Akhilananda described Ramakrishna's first mystical experience as "a beautiful scene: a deep speck of cloud with a number of cranes flying in front of it, made him realize God-consciousness".2 His passion for spirituality withdrew him completely from his surroundings, and at times so absorbed in meditation that "he would appear like a lifeless statue."3 This first mystical encounter prompted him toward KaliMa despite his family's devotion to Raghuvir. At age seventeen when his older brother Ramkumar retired, Ramakrishna replaced him as priest at a Kali temple in Dakshineswar where he spent the rest of his life. However, his quest for truth led him to verify God's existence in and outside of his own religion in spite of the absence of any personal teacher or guru. One story recounts Ramakrishna nearly committing suicide at the plea for Kali to reveal herself: "I was then suffering from excruciating pain because I had not been blessed with a vision of the Mother. I felt as if my heart were being squeezed like a wet towel. I was overpowered by a great restlessness, and a fear that it might not be my lot to realize her in this life. I could not bear the separation any longer: life did not seem worth living. Suddenly my eyes fell on the sword that was kept in the Mother's temple. Determined to put an end to my life, I jumped up like a madman and seized it, when suddenly the blessed Mother revealed herself to me, and I fell unconscious on the floor."4 After experiencing the state of samadhi, God-realization, Ramakrishna was known to have several visions of Kali at times followed with periods of unconsciousness. His visions and encounters with her became the norm throughout his fifty years even when performing his priestly duties. His desire to validate multiple religions was not entrenched in political motives. Curiosity in 2 Swami Akhilananda, Sri Ramakrishna and Modern Psychology. Providence: The Vedanta Society, 1937. p. 9 3 Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna, The Great Master. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1952. p. 58 4 Mayavati, The Life of Sri Ramakrishna. Himalayas: Advaita Ashrama, 1948. p. 71 4 understanding temple attendants of diverse backgrounds sparked an inter-religious dialogue inspiring him to investigate each religion to conclude whether God could be experienced.5 This experimentation wasn't a matter of philosophical analysis or arguments centered upon logic, rather, he actually sought to embrace another religion as his own out of his sheer love for the divine. In doing so, this required him to leave behind his own religion. To various degrees pluralism is accepted within Hinduism, but for a Hindu to worship deities outside the common pantheon was indeed unique and it was this quality which gave him great significance in India. His first endeavor arrived from the advaitist Tota Puri, a sannyasin who spent forty years of meditative practices before achieving nirvikalpa samadhi, in 1865 when Ramakrishna decided to realize God in Advaita Vedanta. The initial challenge Ramakrishna faced in advaitic practice dealt with complete renunciation of idol worship, significantly Kali, in accordance with Vedanta's view that God is formless and incomprehensible.6 In his persistence he managed to obtain samadhi within three days thereupon absorbed in this state for over six months until he became ill with dysentery. Realizing God in this formless state, Ramakrishna identified with Buddhism's attainment of nirvana stating, "I have heard a great deal about Buddha. He is one of the ten Incarnations of God. Brahman is immovable, immutable, inactive, and of the nature of Consciousness. When a man merges his buddhi, his intelligence, in Bodha, Consciousness, then he attains the Knowledge of Brahman; he becomes buddha, enlightened."7 Ramakrishna's understanding of Buddha as an incarnation reveals the Hindu mythological interpretation which is contrary to the Buddhist view (though in Mahayana the Buddha is 5 Stark, Claude Alan. God of All, Sri Ramakrishna's Approach to Religious Plurality. Cape Cod: Claude Stark, Inc., 1974. p. 38 6 Swami Ghanananda. "The Beatitudes", Vedanta for East and West, No. 122. November-December, 1971. p. 15-26. The medieval Christian mystic Meister Eckhart affirmed this same principle "The highest act of renunciation for man is for God’s sake to give up God" Eckhart, Johannes. Meister Eckhart's Sermons. London: H.R. Allenson, 2010. 7 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Translated with an Introduction by Swami Nikhilananda. New York: Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center, 1942. p. 430 5 also revered as a cosmic being).8 Perceiving the divine as a formless supreme reality pervading all existence in no way opposed the Prajnaparamita monist interpretation of sunyata in which "things and beings lack independent reality."9 However, Ramakrishna's validation of Buddhism is bound to cast doubt among Buddhists that he actually achieved nirvana when later devoting himself to various forms of God. Similarly, his religious conversions into Islam and Christianity are met with the same cynicisms. Through Ramakrishna's detachment of Kali he was able to fulfill the path of Vedanta, and with no surprise he had little issue in relating the Muslim view of Allah with Brahman. The monist comparisons between Sufism and Vedanta resonated with Ramakrishna's verification of Sufism. The only distinction he made between the two viewpoints concerned the ninety-nine names attached to Allah. Yet, he recognized the Islamic view that God could not be ascribed to a particular form as he understood it from advaita. Ramakrishna practiced Sufism around the age of thirty learning from Govinda Rai who was previously born a Hindu of the Kshatriya caste to later convert to Islam. His love for Allah appealed to Ramakrishna's interest and for three days he was initiated as a Muslim practicing Dervish devotional exercises and the salat. The chief diverting point for Ramakrishna with Islam concerned his rejection for la ilha illa 'llah Muhammadur rasula 'llah, translating from Arabic "There is absolutely no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah." Never reading the Arabic translation of the Qur'an,10 remaining ignorant of the Hadith and Shari'ah, and especially his continual devotion for Kali have been reasons for many Muslims to reject his authenticity.11 8 Heehs, Peter. Indian Religions, A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience. New York: New York University Press, 2002. p. 169 9 ibid, p. 172 10 Orthodox Islam regards only the Arabic translation as the authoritative text of the Qur'an. See Farah, Caesar E. Islam: Beliefs and Observances. Seventh edition. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 2003. p. 81 11 "Sri Ramakrishna reportedly learned about Islam and for a short while adopted its practices, but soon returned to 6 By 1874, Ramakrishna was introduced to Christianity by Sambhu Charan Mallik, whom despite not being a Christian had given study to the Bible. While much of India at the time was under the British educational system, and thus, subject to Christian influence, Ramakrishna had no previous exposure of Christianity. From this exchange with Mallik, Ramakrishna is believed to have experienced visions of Christ upon his meditation of Mary holding the infant Jesus. Swami Atmarupananda from the Vedanta Center of Atlanta stated in regards to Ramakrishna's experience with Christ, "it is wrong to say (though some of us do say it) that Sri Ramakrishna practiced Christianity. He didn't. He had the direct experience of Christ, spent three days absorbed in Christian experiences, including a vision of the Eucharist being served in a Christian church which he saw as a beautiful and true way of communing with God."12 Having the Hindu convictions of several other incarnations and his own experience to various different forms of God he refused to accept a narrow ideology within any religion including his own. His embrace of Christ was really no different than how he revered the divinities of Krishna, Rama, and Buddha.13 The concept of a divine incarnation for the sake of humanity's salvation was nothing foreign to Hindus, however, the Christ figure had only began to emerge within the religious environment of India at this time. Even today most Hindus regard Christianity as a foreign religion, but not unlike Ramakrishna many Hindus have no issues adopting Christ.14 idolatry, by worshiping goddess Kali" in a response from an online forum. Shahul Hameed. "Did Sri Ramakrishna Worship the True God?" OnIslam.net. Viewed April 9, 2014. http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/societyand-family/interfaith-issues/466597-sri-ramkrishna.html 12 Swami Atmarupananda. Personal interview. 8 April 2014. 13 Written in the Afterwards by Jane I. Smith, "Through his own understanding he could deny neither the personal God nor non-duality; in the same way he could not deny the possibility of having the experience of God in its deepest sense through a variety of religious traditions." See Stark, Claude Alan. God of All. p. 188 14 "I've lived in India for years, and found that all Hindus naturally accept Jesus as an incarnation, even in remote villages. More than one Pope and famous evangelical ministers have come to India and been fooled into thinking that India was ripe for conversion because such huge crowds came to hear them and to worship Christ. No, they weren't coming because they were ready for conversion, but because it is natural for a Hindu to recognize spirituality wherever it manifests. I could give many personal examples of that. What no Hindu will accept is the narrow belief that Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and that only by accepting him can one be saved." Atmarupananda, interview. 7 The point which most Christians would reject Ramakrishna's stance on Christianity is his denial of Jesus as the "only-begotten Son", a view fundamentally ingrained within Christian scriptures and apostolic teachings among orthodox groups.15 Christians believe the Bible to be the infallible word of God and Muslims believe the Qur'an to be the direct revelation of God - two different scriptures which contradict each other on certain narratives and teachings. For Ramakrishna to actually become a Muslim, a Christian, while overlooking (even denying) specific doctrinal claims as written gives adherents of both religions the plausibility to dismiss his verifications. Their argument stands upon the logic that Ramakrishna could not have been a true Muslim or true Christian without fully embracing these creeds. Whether or not he was ever validly a Buddhist, a Muslim or Christian, renders itself to a position defined by dogmatism. But the central question behind the stance of religious pluralism is irrelevant to considering Ramakrishna as a valid Muslim or Christian. On the contrary, Ramakrishna's allegation to experience God amid these different viewpoints draws upon the pluralist conclusion that all of these religions are true as echoed by his first disciple Swami Vivekananda, "I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as true."16 Otherwise, the direct experience of God then depends upon the religion's doctrinal framework. We can assume, therefore, that such experiences are not dependent upon belief. True religious pluralism demands some degree of ignorance to dogma, especially when exclusivist teachings inherently exist within scriptural assertions compelling the need for proselytism. Swami Vivekananda when enlisting under the spiritual direction of Ramakrishna found himself at odds with this superficial treatment of doctrine. Contrary to Ramakrishna, Vivekananda was born 15 John 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12 16 Swami Vivekananda's address at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, 1893. "Swami Vivekananda's message at the World Congress of Religions" Viewed April 9, 2014. http://highlandindians.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/abouthinduism.pdf 8 into an aristocratic family of the Kayastha caste growing up under the British education system and attending the Scottish Church College of West Bengal. Already predisposed to Western ideas and an active engagement with the Brahmo Samaj center (which embodied a history of Christian Unitarianism), Vivekananda, despite being drawn to spirituality, was an intellectual rationalist. His indifference to Ramakrishna's monist view of reality and love for Kali stemmed from his Unitarian views recognizing such forms of worship as a forbidden idolatry.17 Ironically, instead of leaving Ramakrishna, he remained intrigued by him - seeing a profound enlightenment pervading his character. It is believed Vivekananda's realization in advaita came with the simple touch of Ramakrishna, "There was a complete revolution in the state of my mind in a moment at the wonderful touch of the Master. I was aghast to see actually that there was nothing in the whole universe except God."18 Vivekananda's yielding to Ramakrishna resulted in successive moments of samadhi whereabouts he overcame his indifference.19 Swami Vivekananda's ability to experience different religions proceeded Ramakrishna's rejection of religious exclusivism. Swami Nikhilananda recounts Ramakrishna responding: "Some people indulge in quarrels, saying, 'One cannot attain anything unless one worships our Krishna', or, 'Nothing can be gained without the worship of Kali, our Divine Mother', or, 'One cannot be saved without accepting the Christian religion.' This is pure dogmatism. The dogmatist says, 'My religion alone is true, and the religions of others are false.' This is a bad attitude. God can be reached by different paths."20 Yet, anyone who gives a careful examination to these religions beckons the question of authenticity whenever Ramakrishna devoted himself to a new practice discordant to a former: The 17 18 19 20 Stark, God of All. p. 131 Saradananda. Sri Ramakrishna, The Great Master. p. 768-770 Stark, God of All. p. 134 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. p. 191 9 devotional worship of God in a personal form would be inimical to Buddhism. The idol worship of Kali would be grave sin according to the tenets of Islam and Christianity. Ramakrishna and his disciples to succeed him had to forgo one religious practice to another in order to experience each new religion. This required a degree of doctrinal detachment which would otherwise succumb to contradiction. Still, to transform from one religious viewpoint to a radically different one presents the hallmark of religious pluralism by resulting in an openness for all religions to lead to God. Whether Ramakrishna realized these different religions through an advaitist worldview remains debatable, but one concern suggests an intolerance while pursuing tolerance. The suppression of dogmatism with the purpose of actualizing divinity denies the creeds characterizing Islam and Christianity. R.W. Neufeldt excoriates the Ramakrishna Mission for this intolerance, "religious fanaticism of any sort receives harsh criticism and instant rejection in the writings of the mission."21 The path of resolve Ramakrishna communicated lies beyond seeing individual differences to recognizing an encounter with God can be experienced by any person regardless of caste and creed. Mysticism surpasses doctrine as it specifically relates to a spiritual experience independent of the mental faculties of reason. Philip C. Almond explains: "Experience of the transcendent is common to all religious traditions. It is from such experience that all the more general manifestations of man's religious behaviour are primarily derived. And it is to the 'sacredly Real' apprehended within such experience that the more general manifestations of man's religious behaviour are intricately related. There is therefore a universality about religious experience which transcends its various expressions - doctrinal, ritual, ethical, and so on." 22 21 Neufeldt, R.W. "The Response of the Ramakrishna Mission." Modern Indian Responses to Religious Pluralism. Edited by Howard G. Coward. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1987. p. 65 22 Almond, Philip C. Mystical Experience and Religious Doctrine: An Investigation of the Study of Mysticism in World Religions. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Company, 1982. p. 5 10 Such a mystical experience is determined by the presupposition to which all religions idealize, i.e. the existence of a supreme reality (or God) and the pursuit to be united with God. While most would be inclined to define religion as one of these complex belief systems, for Ramakrishna and his disciples religion is defined, rather, as a path to achieve the direct experience of God which every one of these religions possess the potential to attain. Ramakrishna's neglect toward doctrine does not undermine the mystical experience, but at the same time he describes certain fundamentals in the chosen path toward God-realization: sincerity and earnestness,23 renunciation of worldly pleasures,24 and most of all a loving devotion for God.25 For a devotee to sincerely pursue God even if distanced from doctrines believed to express absolute truths will not be condemned, that is, according to both Islamic and Christian orthodoxy.26 From first impression on the life of Sri Ramakrishna and his unique verifications among different world religions might suggest an endeavor to establish a new religion which embraces all religions. But as indicated by his disciples, he neither intended to distinguish his order as a new religion nor advocate a conversion to another. While the threat of losing truth at the forsake of dogmatism by the acceptance of all religions looms over the minds of religious exclusivists, Ramakrishna encouraged spiritual aspirants to simply perfect themselves in their chosen path and respect the paths of others. "The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according 23 24 25 26 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 124 ibid, p. 150, 1012 ibid, p. 573-574 Qur'an 57.29; "God does not reward sin of any sort, let alone sinful infidelity; but to insist that His grace is unlimited is to indicate the room for hope that even those considered most wicked may, by the grace of God, find the way to true repentance. No one can put limits on the grace of God." Legenhausen, Muhammad. Islam and Religious Pluralism. AlHoda Publishers & Distributors, 1999. The Catholic papacy elaborates even further asserting an innocence marked by an ignorance, "Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation." Lumen gentium 16; cf. Qur'an 2.213, Luke 13.29 11 to his own law of growth"27 as stated by Swami Vivekananda at the Parliament of World Religions in 1893. Today, disciples of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission subscribe to Vedanta, but actively engage with participants of various religions the world over.28 They continue to follow the example of Ramakrishna appreciating different religions as a unique path leading to the same divine realization as it was written long ago, "Truth is One, though the sages call it by many names."29 27 Swami Vivekananda. "Swami Vivekananda's message at the World Congress of Religions" Viewed April 9, 2014. http://highlandindians.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/abouthinduism.pdf 28 "Sri Ramakrishna". West Bengal, India. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, 2006-09. Viewed April 12, 2014. http://www.belurmath.org/sriramakrishna.htm 29 Rig Veda 1.164 12 Works Cited Almond, Philip C. Mystical Experience and Religious Doctrine: An Investigation of the Study of Mysticism in World Religions. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter & Company, 1982. Akhilananda, Swami. Sri Ramakrishna and Modern Psychology. Providence: The Vedanta Society, 1937. Atmarupananda, Swami. Personal interview. 8 April 2014. Eckhart, Johannes. Meister Eckhart's Sermons. London: H.R. Allenson, 2010. Farah, Caesar E. Islam: Beliefs and Observances. Seventh edition. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, Inc. 2003. Ghanananda, Swami. "The Beatitudes", Vedanta for East and West, No. 122. November-December, 1971. Gnaneswarananda, Swami. Ramakrishna, The Man and the Power. Chicago: The Vedanta Society, 1936. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Translated with an Introduction by Swami Nikhilananda. New York: RamakrishnaVivekananda Center, 1942. Heehs, Peter. Indian Religions, A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience. New York: New York University Press, 2002. Legenhausen, Muhammad. Islam and Religious Pluralism. AlHoda Publishers & Distributors, 1999. Mayavati, The Life of Sri Ramakrishna. Himalayas: Advaita Ashrama, 1948. Neufeldt, R.W. "The Response of the Ramakrishna Mission." Modern Indian Responses to Religious Pluralism. Edited by Howard G. Coward. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1987. "Sri Ramakrishna". West Bengal, India. Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, 2006-09. Viewed April 12, 2014. http://www.belurmath.org/sriramakrishna.htm Saradananda, Swami. Sri Ramakrishna, The Great Master. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 1952. Shahul Hameed. "Did Sri Ramakrishna Worship the True God?" OnIslam.net. Viewed April 9, 2014. http://www.onislam.net/english/ask-about-islam/society-and-family/interfaith-issues/466597-sriramkrishna.html Stark, Claude Alan. God of All, Sri Ramakrishna's Approach to Religious Plurality. Cape Cod: Claude Stark, Inc., 1974. Vivekananda, Swami. "Swami Vivekananda's message at the World Congress of Religions" Viewed April 9, 2014. http://highlandindians.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/abouthinduism.pdf