প্রাচীন সাধুদের কথা II What can meditation do even?

What can meditation do even?

Swami Shivananda

BANERSHAR SHIVA LINGA

Swami Vivekananda

Sri Sarada Devi

Swami Vivekananda

Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda, Swami Shivananda

শ্রীরামকৃষ্ণ ও তার শিষ্যবৃন্দের দৃষ্টিতে আদর্শ সন্ন্যাসী

So we must not lower our ideal, neither are we to lose sight of practicality. We must avoid the two extremes. In our country, the old idea is to sit in a cave and meditate and die. To go ahead of others in salvation is wrong. One must learn sooner or later that one cannot get salvation if one does not try to seek the salvation of his brothers. You must try to combine in your life immense idealism with immense practicality. You must be prepared to go into deep meditation now, and the next moment you must be ready to go and cultivate these fields (Swamiji said, pointing to the meadows of the Math). You must be prepared to explain the difficult intricacies of the Shastras now, and the next moment to go and sell the produce of the fields in the market. You must be prepared for all menial services, not only here, but else where-also.

The next thing to remember is that the aim of this institution is to make men. You must not merely learn what the Rishis taught. Those Rishis are gone, and their opinions are also gone with them. You must be Rishis yourselves. You are also men as much as the greatest men that were ever born - even our incarnations. What can mere book-learning do? What can meditation do even?