Eknathji and Spirituality

Eknathji and Spirituality
B. Nivedita

Swami Vivekananda talked of ‘Practical Vedanta’. Many persons like Swami Ranganathanandaji, Prof Kapila Chatterjee felt that Eknathji had understood the essence of Swami Vivekananda very aptly and had put it in action. Eknathji started Vivekananda Kendra an organisation which he has termed as a spiritually oriented service mission. Some persons also considered that the spiritual legacy of Sri Guruji was continued by Eknathji. With all this background it would be informative and inspiring to know how spirituality was expressed in the life of Eknathji. To put it in other words, real spirituality is always practical, vibrant and dynamic as is seen in life of Eknathji.

Unfortunately, due to various reasons, the foreign invasions and the all round degradation that had set in during British period, a spiritual nation like India had lost the real meaning of Spirituality. Spirituality in its degenerated and misinterpreted form got expressed in our nation in various degraded forms. Either it was other-worldliness or escapism from the duties and responsibilities, or sort of mental dependence or incapacity to be responsible for one’s own progress or by conforming only to the outward forms. Painfully, spirituality in a spiritual nation had become a refuge of hypocrites.

Other-worldliness or escapism is to shirk the responsibility of what is happening around us, not to be concerned and connected to the people around. This attitude expresses in many ways like not taking care of one’s own family or not bothering about society, nation and culture saying ‘whatever God wills will happen’. Many persons project even their lack of cleanliness either personal and of their surroundings as their spirituality. In society there are people who comment that ‘so and so is a very spiritual person. He never bothers to oil or comb his hair or does not even wear chappals, wears unkempt clothes’ etc. What is spirituality in this? Eknathji always stressed that if we are going to communicate the good thoughts then we should also be presentable. Not ostentatious but neatly and modestly dressed. Spirituality is expressed in care and respect we show even to our surroundings.

The other-worldly people say ‘what to do man proposes and god disposes.’ Eknathji never agreed with this. He used to take full one hour class for the Karyakartas saying it was other way round actually, ‘God proposes and man disposes’ by not rising to the occasions. He always stressed that the difficulties are opportunities in disguise. In Kendra Prarthana he has given this in two beautiful lines. ‘Iha Jagati sada natyaga sevatmabodhai bhavatu vihata vigna dhyeya marganuyatra.’ By continuous practice of Tyaga, Seva and Atmabodha (Tyga- renunciation of the ego that I have done this, seva- doing one’s duty with surrender and conviction that I am the instrument in the hands of God and Atmabodha - conviction that I am not body but all-pervading Atman so working with confidence and also feeling of oneness with others) we can transform the difficulties into opportunities. For him a spiritual person – a person with knowledge of the Self - Atmabodha – was one who took on difficulties and never ran away from it because this person knows that he has all the capacity – the Atmashakti – to solve, face and cross over that difficulty. Eknathji himself never avoided difficulties and calamities like for example the construction of Vivekananda Rock Memorial, the floods of 1950s in North East but with all preparation and precision he took on them and successfully transformed them into opportunities.

A really spiritual person is very active and not passive looking vacantly in the sky. Srikrishna, Srirama, Adi Shankaracharya, Sivaji Maharaj, Srimanta Shankardeva and Swami Vivekananda all these persons worked ceaselessly, responded to the challenges in not just in personal life but also in the social and national life. Eknathji also walked on the same path. For him spirituality was always expressed in responses to the situation around. Spirituality does not separate man from his surroundings but prepares and propels him to mould surrounding and situations as required and willed by God.

In Bhagawadgita while describing the spiritual person it is said that he is Nitytripto, Nirashrayah – always contented and not dependent on anything. Really this means tapping the inexhaustible source of happiness and strength that is within us. We see many so-called spiritual persons who in order to avoid taking responsibility for one’s own action or growth want to hide behind some pilgrimage or gurus or rituals. They do not want to strive but want a magic wand for their progress. Some persons find it difficult to be responsible for their actions and their own future. So they want to find ‘security’ in someone or something. Therefore continuously they want either some body is talking to them, or caring for them. It is reflected in certain habits like some people always want to talk to others on mobile. If a call does not come they feel neglected. Some just keep purchasing things so that they want to feel being valued on the cost of that. But no person or a thing can give that happiness permanently. Infinite happiness cannot come from finite things.

Actually such moments of restlessness, inadequacy or helplessness are the ones when we should turn to the inexhaustible source within us and not search happiness outside in persons or things. This is what Eknathji did in life and also guided the Karyakartas to do. In “Sadhana of Service” he says that, “All other help may fail, but there is a power within you which will never let you down. It is your own Self. Depend on it and march ahead with unceasing prayer to God to give you strength to fulfil His will”

Many times there is hypocrisy also in the practice of spirituality. A person may pose that he has no ego but the ego is very much there. For example some say ‘I do not want name or fame’ but their sense of owning one’s name and desire for fame do not go away. If a person whom they have developed starts respecting some other person also they feel hurt. But in Eknathji’s life it is seen that his humility of not having his name anywhere either written on Rock Memorial or even in the invitation card of inauguration program was real and not a faked one. When the time came for handing over the ferry service to Government he was unaffected and consoled other workers.

In the name of spirituality some persons sacrifice the interest of the collective/organisation like ‘this is my principle, I have given the word so I should do it’ or ‘how can I hurt so and so otherwise what he would think of me if I do not accept whatever suggestions are given by him?’ Or ‘What right I have to hurt others or it is sin to hurt others’ etc. In short, the principle is compromised under the name of spirituality but actually to cover one’s cowardice or incompetence or unwillingness to work harder. In Eknathji’s life, it is very amazing, he never compromised the interest of the organisation but he also maintained good relations with all types of persons. He believed that if our motives are pure then if we talk heart to heart we can always find a common ground to function together with any one. He could convince anyone to support the national cause he was working for. This is real spiritual power that you can work with anyone without compromising principles. The organisation and national interest was never sacrificed and yet people were brought together. This is real spiritual power and spiritual work which ultimately made him Ajatshatru He did not go in search of making himself Ajatshatru as that would have been selfish and ultimately defeating the very purpose for which he was working. .

For Eknathji the spirituality meant living in the present with higher aim. Even if harmed by others his heart never had one bad word or thought for that person. Even when the Christians opposed the building of Vivekananda Rock Memorial he never allowed any one to say that Christians opposed this work. But also he was a person who would not sacrifice the truth. He would say as well as made it a point that others in Rock Memorial Committee say that ‘a section of a Christian community had opposed the memorial’. Not that he had disregard to the temple but he worshipped the living God. Thus never he missed Shakha or meeting people or spreading the work of service as far as Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.

Eknathji did not fall in the trap of ‘service’ as is established by the Christian missionaries where the weaknesses of the people like poverty, sickness, ignorance etc are exploited to serve their purpose of conversion. Eknathji termed such service as trade. An act of service which awakens the potential divinity in man is real service to an individual. But the supreme most act of service according to Eknathji was evolving rebuilding a nation with strife less society. Thus to Kendra Karyakartas he told that, “If we are merely a service-oriented organisation, we will have to pray to God to create cyclones, floods, famines and accidents to provide us opportunities of service. Service with a spiritual orientation results in man-making which is invariably and inseparably connected with nation-building.” A spiritual person who sees oneness everywhere alone could think of such deeper and wide-ranging concept of service. This is what has been the tradition of our country. But Eknathji understood internalised and then presented it so well that he created support from all sides for the work. A spiritual person does not pamper the weakness of others but really brings out the best in them, the higher qualities in them.

Eknathji knew how to harness the power of ‘here and now’. He was never seen lacking in the effort. In no undertaking it could be said that he did not do his best. Thus nothing was impossible for him. He was never seen complaining about others or the situation. He would fight with all his might for the desired result and if the result did not come at that time he would just smile and move ahead. For a person with patience, perseverance and purity the ultimate success is always assured. Free like an air, never he got stuck up with the happenings or persons or opinions or setbacks. More we study life of Eknathji we see really how real spirituality expresses in action and attainments.