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Here are some profound quotes attributed to Swami Shuddhānanda, one of the earliest close disciples of Swami Vivekananda:
🌟 Swami Shuddhānanda on the Purpose of Service
“The purpose behind every work that Mission undertakes is to reveal Sri Ramakrishna’s glory. Seeing our work people should be attracted not to us but to Sri Ramakrishna and Swamiji. Revealing their glory is the purpose of our lives, the purpose of Ramakrishna Mission.” (en.wikipedia.org)
This reflects his dedication to selfless service and devotion through action.
🌟 On the Compassion of the Holy Mother
“She (Sarada Devi) is indeed a mother in every sense of the word, the Mother of the Universe. Such tolerance, such greatness and such spiritual power can be combined only in the Mother of the Universe. There was no end to her compassion and her love knew no discrimination.” (en.wikipedia.org)
A beautiful tribute to the all-embracing love and humility of Sri Sarada Devi.
🌟 Spiritual Practice as Inner Struggle
“The struggle between the internal forces of a man and his environment is what is meant by spiritual practice. Hence for progress in spiritual life there are two distinct courses. One is to tear oneself away from the natural environment and find a more congenial one, while the second is to remain in the same environment and try to overcome one's innate tendencies by waging a constant war against them and thereby becoming spiritually strong.” (en.wikipedia.org)
This captures his balanced approach: either retreat for inner work or remain amid the world while steadfastly transforming oneself.
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Here is a deeper commentary on Verse 54 of Aparokshanubhuti by Sri Shankaracharya, offering insight into its philosophical depth, practical relevance, and meditative implications:
🕉 Verse 54
Sanskrit:
Yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāni hy ātmatvena vijānataḥ
Na tasya bhavena moho na ca śokaḥ advitīyataḥ.
Translation:
"In that state, when one realizes all beings as the Self, there is no delusion, nor sorrow—because of the absence of duality."
🧠 Philosophical Commentary
1. Advaita (Non-duality) at the Core
This verse expresses the heart of Advaita Vedanta: Brahman (the Absolute Reality) is non-dual, and the individual self (jiva) is not separate from the universal Self (Ātman/Brahman). All distinctions—between self and other, joy and sorrow, life and death—arise from avidyā (ignorance), which perceives multiplicity where only Oneness exists.
🔹 “Advitīyataḥ” (due to non-duality): This word is central. It means when duality is no longer seen—when we no longer divide the world into “I” and “you,” “mine” and “not mine”—there is no basis for attachment, fear, or sorrow.
2. Delusion (Moha) and Sorrow (Shoka)
According to Shankara, moha arises from ignorance of our true nature, and shoka follows as its inevitable consequence. When we falsely identify with the body, mind, or ego, we are bound to suffer, because these are impermanent.
🔸 Example: If you mistake a rope for a snake (delusion), fear and anxiety follow (sorrow). But once you clearly see it is a rope (true knowledge), both fear and illusion vanish.
3. “Vijānataḥ” – Knowing through Direct Realization
Shankara uses “vijānataḥ” — not mere intellectual knowledge, but experiential realization. The one who knows deeply through meditation and inner inquiry sees all beings as expressions of the Self.
This is not emotional oneness or idealism—it is ontological unity: All beings are not “like you”; they are you, in essence.
🧘♂️ Meditative Implication
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This verse is ideal for nididhyāsana (deep meditation after reflection):
Sit in silence and repeat mentally:
“All that exists is the Self. I am That.” -
Let the mind drop distinctions. Visualize even your “enemies,” your anxieties, your body and ego—as waves in the same ocean of Being.
Realize: nothing is apart from you. There is no other to fear or grieve over.
🌱 Practical Reflection
| Delusion | Rooted in | Resolved through |
|---|---|---|
| “I am this body” | Ignorance (avidyā) | Identity with the ātman |
| “They hurt me” | Duality | Non-separation |
| “I am sad, I lack something” | Ego-identification | Wholeness of Self-realization |
📜 Summary
This verse encapsulates the goal of spiritual life in Advaita Vedanta—not just peace of mind, but freedom (moksha) from the very structure of sorrow and delusion. When we shift from “I am this body” to “I am the Self,” we dissolve the illusion of separation. This is not escape from the world but seeing the world rightly, as non-other than the Self.
Would you like a guided meditation based on this verse? Or its cross-reference in the Bhagavad Gita or Upanishads?
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