Before attempting an in depth analysis of his preachings and practices, I feel that it is necessary to list out important events in his life and his important views.
1. Birth: 1893. (Same year as the Vivekananda's first visit to the United States.
2. Original name: Mukunda.
3. Guru's name: Yukteswar.
4. Father's name: B.C. Ghosh.
5. Mother's name: Gyan Prabha.
6. Native Place: Calcutta.
7. Education: B.A.
8. Foremost philosophical concept: Kriya Yoga (Union of Action).
9. Foremost Institution abroad: Self-Realisation Fellow-ship (1935).
10. Foremost Institution in India: Yogada Satsang Brahmachari Vidyalaya (YSBV).
11. Main theoretical base from the scripture: : Eight-fold path of Patanjali. Patanjali Sutras and Ashtanga Marga (pr: Asht`anga Maarga.).
12. Approach towards Christianity: Synthesis.
(Most global English-using preachers from India have employed the technique of synthesis, because, otherwise the Christians would not listen. Business sense dictates that a marketer should synthesise rather than explore truth).
13. Approach towards miracles : Strongly believed.
14. Guru's Guru : Lahiri Mahasaya (pr: Laahiri Mahaas`aya).
15. Guru's Guru's Guru : Babaji.
16. Approach towards Mahatma Gandhi: Great admirer of Gandhiji.
17. Approach towards Ramana Maharshi: Visited Arunachal Ashram (pr: Arun`aacal Aas`ram).
18. Approach towards C.V. Raman : Met C.V. Raman at Mysore. Presumably admirer.
19. Approach towards Rabindranath Tagore : Great admirer of Tagore. Sang his songs.
20. Approach towards science : Believed that science cannot discover, what scriptures have already discovered.
21. Death: 1952.
Hindu / Indian Scriptures have their own limitations. Most spiritual teachers from India have failed to appreciate this a la the Buddhist, Christian, Islamic and numerous other religious preachers of the world. Their common fashion and pastime is to denigrate science, while at the same time enjoying the benefits rendered by the scientific discoveries and inventions.
2 comments:
I have read his "Autobiography" but was not much impressed. He was in search of a true guru and says he found it in Yukteswar baba. OK, that is his choice, but, why at all embark on a mission to spread his kriya Yoga? In my view any 'real' guru will remain without any advertisement - may be like Swami Yukteswar and his gurus - known only to a small circle of people (this is inevitable even for an ordinary man)and will not start a world-wide mission. That smacks of commercial purposes.
I know one person who was so impressed by the report (published by the Yogoda Satsanga, of course) that PY's corpse did not show any decay even after so many days and that was due to His kriya yoga practice. I wanted to ask that man what use it is to try for such a thing since, in any case, our dead bodies have to be disposed off within as short a time as possible for civic reasons, but did not tell/ask him as he was a very old man who thought he had found something invaluable!
Today I posted a reply. Kindly see. Thank U very much.
Post a Comment