Facets of Spirituality

by Swami Krishnananda

Compiled by S. Bhagyalakshmi

Introduction

This book is an attempt by this humble author to present H.H. Sri Swami Krishnananda, the renowned disciple of Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh: the man, the mentor and the philosopher. A person with a far higher intelligence and wisdom than mine can adequately achieve this objective. But when it comes to talking about the fourth deeper level, the inner man, the true being of an individual, leave alone that of a sage-philosopher, no one can even attempt the task. For, a person such as Swami Krishnananda lives within the cocoon of spirituality, invisibly transforming himself into the very Brahman he ever contemplates on, like the worm becoming the stinging wasp, to borrow a Vedic metaphor. This metaphor is a well-known cliché of the sacred texts. It is said that the worm in the stinging wasp's nest being constantly stung by the wasp, broods over its fear of pain until it is metamorphosed into a stinging wasp. The biological truth of this is a matter for the biologists. It is not a phenomenon known to everybody.

The division of this book into three parts, the man, the mentor and the philosopher, is, however, not made with a view to un-folding Swami Krishnananda's personality. It is, rather, like viewing the different patterns formed in a kaleidoscope by just rotating it. When the kaleidoscope is rotated, an equally interesting but a different pattern is formed within the strips of the mirrors by the coloured pieces in between them arranged at 60° to each other. The different aspects of Swamiji's personality viewed from different angles are presented in this volume. These pages do bring out the different potentialities in him like the coloured pieces in the kaleidoscope. The reader should not look for "continuity" in the dictionary sense but in a variety of moods. For, spirituality is the common ground wherein the varieties take root and grow into fruits of practical knowledge. This common ground is necessary for man to pass to the higher levels of his true being. For this purpose the Yoga-Vedanta Forest University was founded by Gurudev "over-night" in 1956. The term university is here used in the sense of an institution of higher learning. However when the meaning of the term "university" meant buildings and involvement in the steel-frame nature of it, it was changed to 'Academy'. And the classes were held every morning from 4.30-6 a.m. This period, the Vedic texts declare to be the Brahma Muhurta, when the waves of spirituality are at their height. Hence, it is at this time that yogis and seekers concentrate and direct their minds upon the Supreme Being. In these Brahma Muhurta classes senior monks of the ashram as also learned men from other universities lectured on all branches of spiritual texts. Swami Krishnananda was asked to lecture on Vedanta and philosophy. It is recorded that he excelled himself and thrilled his class. Swami Sivananda Maharaj was the first to arrive and himself the first student studiously taking down not only Swami Krishnananda's lectures but of all those professors of this "University". After Gurudev's times this University later known as the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy was re-modelled to impart regular 'basic' courses of three month's duration at the end of which 'certificates' were awarded to the students who came from all parts of India and the world. Both at the Brahma Muhurta classes and the Academy of later years truths concerning the Eternal Being were argued out on the basis of all available sources. At the level of the average seeker the "aim of life" is God-realisation, all other duties being only contributory to this supreme duty. Swami Krishnananda can lucidly explain the deepest and most profound truths within any given time. This is possible for him because of his voracious reading, thorough studies and insatiable thirst for knowledge.

He learnt Sanskrit through his self-study, though he was initiated into it under the guidance of a Sanskrit teacher in his student days to enable him to read the ancient sacred texts in the original. He spared himself only three to four hours of sleep, spending the remaining hours of the night in deep study. His day was filled with all sorts of work entrusted to him by his Guru. Though only an undergraduate of the late twenties his erudition has brought him in line with the best English scholars of today. In August 1980, in the Ahmedabad University Hall, Swamiji gave discourses in the Hindi language for three successive days. Though he hails from the districts of South Kannada 'and his mother-tongue is Kannada, his capacity to speak the Hindi language so fluently is just like his capacity to become proficient in anything he takes up.

The freshness and interest in everything he says or discourses upon is as much due to his high sense of humour and wit as to the fact that it is the assimilated knowledge of a seeker ripened into a sage who has read voraciously "all my life", to quote his own words. He had learnt the most difficult parts of the Vedas under the strict discipline of his father and learnt by heart more than 144 Upanishads, besides other ancient texts such as the Bhagavadgita and the Puranas in original Sanskrit. No wonder then that when he answers a question, he brings to bear upon his answers his own assimilated knowledge. No bookish sermon he delivers. Each answer is a complete pamphlet in itself, so that one does not have to read volumes to get at and understand the answer to a problem. This distinctive quality of his genius, this adaptability to every type of audience is easily seen. A very important and significant fact to note here is that nothing is noted down as a preparation for what is going to be said or written. Incidentally, Swamiji's handwriting is at once clear and beautiful. While reading through his writings and speeches for the purpose of this as also for other compilations, two things struck me: One was a growing sense of awe at the giant of knowledge and wisdom these writings revealed; the other was the question: when was he not a giant? Where is the point at which we can say that from now on Swami Krishnananda started growing into the stature of a giant of knowledge, wisdom and saintliness?

His lectures and discourses have been recorded on tapes, though their actual transcription began only in the seventies. Earlier, say during the period 1946-1960, they were taken down by the students of the Yoga-Vedanta Forest University and printed by the editors of the "University" weeklies, to which Swamiji regularly contributed articles as individual pieces or serials, even as he continues to do so in The Divine Life Monthly (Rishikesh). From around 1954 the articles in the "University" Weeklies of this period were re-printed in the form of a book to mark the birthdays of the several senior monks of the Ashram. One such is Essays on Upanishads and other essays. That was in 1948-49. This has been re-edited for free distribution in 1984. A compilation of Swamiji's contributions to the world, the present volume was also meant to be a Diamond Jubilee gift as my homage to him on his sixty-first birthday, THE SHASHTYABDAPURTI. However, this has been possible only now: for his sixty-third birthday, perhaps!

The text has been divided into three parts. Part I portrays Swamiji talking as man to man without any of the formal atmosphere prevailing at lectures and discourses. It is, therefore, a pen-picture faithfully reflecting the informal morning darshan-hours, say between 9 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. In Part II these pen-pictures have been trimmed to present him as the mentor who provides guidance to seekers by answering their several questions on a variety of aspects of spiritual Sadhana, i.e. yoga, meditation, yoga-asanas, and the like. Mundane matters have also been dis-cussed. Says J. Bronowski, an author of repute, in his book, The Ascent of Man (pp. 14-15): "Spoken argument is informal and heuristic; it singles out the heart of the matter and shows in what way it is cruciate, and new; and it gives the direction and line of solution; so that simplified as it is, still the logic is right... this philosophical argument is the foundation... of scientific thinking." And on p. 153 he says, "Ask an impertinent question and you are on the way to the pertinent answer." This is what Part II presents to the reader. A fact relevant to this part is the guidance even research scholars seek whether their research concerns the field of Vedanta and Philosophy or the world of science and technology. Such research scholars as Mr. Jim McMicheal and Sri T.K. Chatterjee, discuss the subject of their theses and get definite, valuable guidance from Swamiji. The subject of Mr. Jim McMicheal's thesis is "The Concept of Isvara in the Advaita Philosophy of Sankara," while that of the other is "Particles", a highly intricate subject of research in the field of sub-atomic science. The range of Swamiji's knowledge and his prodigious ability to guide scholars in any field are obvious and need no further emphasis.

Part III is a sampling of what he spoke or wrote and includes his individual articles in the Yoga-Vedanta University Weeklies. Excerpts of these are given here by way of reprints. These are simple in style, charming in appeal and hardly believable of one who in 1980 wrote The Ascent of the Spirit. These pages in particular bring out his erudite scholarship and depth of learning and reveal how his mind absorbs into itself the subtleties of truths.

His major works are listed in the Appendix. The short notes in the brief biographical sketch in the succeeding pages provide the reader with the context in which these have been written and the purpose of their inclusion in this book. The list is by no means exhaustive, for Swamiji's pen and his thoughts flow like the Ganga waters. Thus, the whole exercise is to get a panoramic view of the "totality" of his personality in which no one part is developed at the cost of or in neglect of the other parts.

How it is that this deeper look into his personality is placed at the end when it has been admitted at the outset that this book does not attempt to take the reader from the superficial or lighter layer to the higher layer of his personality? Personally I have felt that during the morning Darshan hours what is given as answers, directions or solutions is, though simple and informal, still a key to the formal atmosphere in which the lectures, discourses etc. are given. Swami Krishnananda is often seen lost within himself communing with himself in a kind of loud thinking: his thought is not delivered as a doctrine or instruction; neither does he philosophise like an armchair thinker. With all the oratory and rhetoric and imagery marshalled in explaining the great truths found in philosophy and metaphysics, he naturally leaves nothing to be desired, whether at the Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy, at formal lectures, or during the night Satsangas and other special events like religious festivals celebrated in traditions instituted by Gurudev Sivananda. He is attended to with fervour even by those who do not quite understand his high standard of English. When asked how it benefits them, they answer, "Though it may not be, I feel I understand him". Such is the attraction and appeal of his lectures. The earlier Parts I and II of this book provide basic foundation and a necessary background to get the most out of these discourses. So it is that the informal, effervescent and ebullient outpourings of Swamiji's inner personality have been placed as the last portion of this book though their contents deserve to be a book by itself to shine in their own pristine glory.

The effort involved in getting this book ready for publication has been a herculean task for one like me, an inexperienced Author. It is all but a miracle that Swami Sivananda's grace has worked to accomplish this and put the manuscript in the hands of such a well known firm of publishers.

As a dedication to the 'Virat' (revealed to Arjuna by Lord Krishna) in whom reside my most beloved Guru Swami Sivananda and my Upa-Guru (Second Guru) Swami Krishnananda, I lay this book at the feet of the highest, the Supreme Being.

Innumerable are the friends who have helped me in all the crucial stages of this work from typing to editing and have selflessly worked on my MS which was originally full of imperfections due to my inexperience. The credit for all the merit that this book possesses is, therefore, entirely theirs. I beg their kind forgiveness for not mentioning them by their names, though in some cases it is their own request that this Karmayoga (selfless service) of theirs should not be mentioned in writing. With a heart overflowing with gratitude I can only pray that God and Gurudev shower their blessings on each and every one of them as they have showered their kindness upon me.