Roxanne Blodgett

I am ever recalling those swift, bright days in that never to be forgotten winter, lived in simple freedom and kindliness, We could not choose but to be happy and good…. I knew him personally but a short time, yet in that time I could but see in a hundred ways the child side of Swamiji’s character which was a constant appeal to the Mother quality in all good women. He depended on those near him in a way which brought him very near one’s heart. Possessing as he did an almost inexhaustible knowledge of things old as the world, a sage and philosopher, he yet appeared to me utterly to lack the commercial knowledge which so distinguish men of the Western world! You were constantly rendering him some apparently trifling service in the everyday homely happenings of life, he in some small way requiring to be set right..

One day busy with my work and Swamiji absorbed with his curries and chapatties, I spoke to him of you when he said: “Ah yes! Joe is the sweetest spirit of us all.”… Ah, those pleasant “tea party” days, as you used to call them. How we used to laugh! Do you remember the time he was showing me how he wound his turban about his head and you were begging him to hasten as he was already due at a lecture. I said, “Swamiji, don’t hurry. Like the man on his way to be hung and the crowd jostling each other to reach the place of execution who called out, `Don’t hurry, there will be nothing interesting till I get there!’-I assure you, Swami, there will be nothing interesting till you get there!” This so pleased him that often afterwards he would say: “There will be nothing interesting till I get there”-and laugh like a boy.

NEDERLANDS

Ik denk nog vaak terug aan die snelle, stralende dagen in die onvergetelijke winter, doorgebracht in eenvoudige vrijheid en vriendelijkheid; we konden niet anders dan gelukkig en goed zijn… Ik heb hem maar kort persoonlijk gekend, maar in die tijd zag ik op talloze manieren de kinderlijke kant van Swamijis karakter, die voortdurend een beroep deed op het moederlijke in elke goede vrouw. Hij leunde op de mensen om hem heen op een manier die hem heel dierbaar maakte. Hoewel hij beschikte over een bijna onuitputtelijke kennis van zaken die zo oud waren als de wereld – een wijze en filosoof – leek het hem volledig te ontbreken aan het zakelijk inzicht dat mannen uit de westerse wereld zo kenmerkt! Je bewees hem voortdurend kleine, ogenschijnlijk onbeduidende diensten in de alledaagse gang van zaken; hij had er soms behoefte aan dat iemand hem even bijstuurde…

Op een dag, terwijl ik met mijn werk bezig was en Swamiji verdiept was in zijn curries en chapati’s, sprak ik over jou. Hij zei toen: “Ah ja! Joe is de liefste ziel van ons allemaal.”… Ah, die fijne ‘theekransjes’, zoals jij ze altijd noemde. Wat hebben we gelachen! Weet je nog dat hij me liet zien hoe hij zijn tulband om zijn hoofd wikkelde, en jij hem smeekte op te schieten omdat hij al bij een lezing moest zijn? Ik zei: “Swamiji, haast u niet. Net als die man die naar de galg werd geleid – terwijl de menigte zich verdrong om bij de executieplaats te komen – en riep: ‘Niet haasten, er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ik er ben!’ – zo verzeker ik u, Swami: er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ú er bent!” Dat vond hij zo leuk, dat hij later vaak zei: “Er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ik er ben” – en dan lachte hij als een jongen.

Vedanta in Practice

Kees Boukema

Like every Hindu, Sri Ramakrishna (1836–1886) cherished great reverence for the ‘sacred scriptures.’ At the same time, he pointed out that the practice of spiritual disciplines is of essential importance. On December 16, 1883, he was in conversation with some followers, including Mr. Mukherji and his friend—a *pandit* (scholar) well-versed in the scriptures.

During the conversation, Mukherji asked, “How does it happen that one strays from the path of yoga?” Sri Ramakrishna replied, “That is the work of *Maya*—‘lust and desire.’ The magnetic needle of your inner self is oriented toward the magnet: the Supreme Self. The individual self experiences the state of yoga when it is drawn toward that Self. However, the magnet cannot pull the needle toward itself if it is covered in the mire of greed and lustful impulses.”

Mukherji asked, “But how, then, can we remove that mire?”
Sri Ramakrishna answered, “Through an intense longing for God—a longing so deep it brings you to tears. The tears you shed out of an intense yearning for God wash away the filth. Once you have purified yourself, you will be drawn to the magnet. Then, you will attain yoga.”
Mukherji remarked, “Commendable words!”
Sri Ramakrishna continued, “But there is also another way: meditation. Shiva manifests Himself in the *Sahasrara* (an energy center in the brain) in a unique manner. Meditate upon Him. Think of the body as a bowl of water, and your mind—your faculty of discernment—as the water itself. *Satchidananda* (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) is the Sun, which reflects within that water. By meditating upon the reflection of the Sun, you will—through God’s grace—come to behold the True Sun.” [….] Mukerji: “It is good to read the holy books, such as the Gita.”
Sri Ramakrishna: “But what is the point of merely reading them? Some people have heard about milk, others have seen milk, and still others have actually drunk it.

You can indeed see God; you can even speak with Him. You begin by studying the scriptures. The next phase requires great effort: praying to God, meditating, and singing His Name and glories. In the third phase, the soul attains perfection; it has seen God and experiences Him directly within the inner Consciousness.” (Gospel, pp. 343–344; see also pp. 404 and 583).

On August 5, 1882, Sri Ramakrishna, accompanied by three followers, climbed the stairs to the first floor of a villa in Badurbagan—the place where the renowned Hindu scholar Vidyasagar used to receive his visitors. Upon standing before Vidyasagar—who was sixteen years his senior—Sri Ramakrishna was overcome with ecstasy. He greeted him with deep respect: “I have seen canals, rivers, and even lakes of ‘vidya’ (knowledge), but today I stand face-to-face with a ‘sagar’ (an ocean).”
Vidyasagar replied with a smile: “In that case, please take some of this salt water home with you.” Following an exchange of views on the value and significance of charitable work and book-learning, the conversation turns to the attainment of the Knowledge of God:
Sri Ramakrishna: “I was just speaking about *vidya* [knowledge], but Brahman transcends both *vidya* and *avidya* [ignorance]; it is beyond all dualities and cannot be expressed in language. Everything in this world—including the Vedas, the Puranas, and the Tantras—is ‘tainted,’ for they are all contained within words. Brahman is beyond description; no one has ever been able to say what Brahman is.”
Vidyasagar: “A striking statement! I have learned something new today.” […].
Ramakrishna: “The *rishis* of ancient times dedicated their entire lives to attaining the Knowledge of God. They lived in seclusion, spending all their days in meditation. In the evening, they would return to their hermitages to eat some fruit and nuts. They kept their minds far removed from all other sensory concerns. Only in this way did they realize Brahman as their own inner consciousness.
“However, in the age in which we now live—the *Kali Yuga*—human beings are dependent on food. They cannot shake off the notion that they are merely a body. For someone who is occupied with worldly affairs all day long, it is not appropriate to declare, ‘I am Brahman.’ It is better for such a person to say, ‘I am a servant of God,’ or ‘I am devoted to God.’ One can also realize God by following the path of love and devotion.” “The ‘jnani’ detaches himself from his identification with worldly matters through the power of discernment: ‘Not this, not this.’ Only in this way can he, step by step, realize Brahman—much like reaching the roof of a house by leaving the steps of the staircase behind, one by one. The ‘vijnani,’ however, knows Brahman more intimately. He perceives that the steps of the staircase are made of the very same material as the roof: lime, bricks, and mortar. The vijnani sees that Reality is both *nirguna* (without attributes) and *saguna* (with attributes). [….]
“He sees that Brahman is the ego, the world, and all living beings. This is called *vijnana*. It is a path of knowledge that leads to the Truth—much like the path that combines both knowledge and love. The path of love, too, leads to that same goal; it is just as valid as the path of knowledge. All paths lead to the…

..the same Truth. But as long as God maintains the sense of ego within us, it is simpler to follow the path of love.” (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, pp. 100–104; see also pp. 363, 369, 404, 583).

The book *VEDANTA in Practice: In Conversation with Swami Sarvapriyananda* (Samsara, Amsterdam 2026) was recently published. An earlier work by the same author, Sources of Advaita Vedanta (Samsara, Amsterdam 2024), is also available. It contains three essays in which the author provides a crystal-clear explanation of what Advaita Vedanta entails and the foundations upon which this philosophy rests. In the section titled “Spiritualizing Daily Life,” he encourages the reader to realize “the divinity within oneself and the spiritual unity of the entire universe,” adding: “Manifest that divinity in daily life through peace, love, and service to all beings.” For those for whom Vedanta signifies more than just a philosophy that satisfies the intellect, the book *Vedanta in Practice* may prove helpful. It addresses questions such as:
-How can I reconcile the concept of detachment with my need to be useful?
-How can I reconcile my desire for peace and success with complete devotion to God?
-How can I let go of anger regarding what has been done to me and learn to forgive?
-How can I reconcile spirituality with the obligations I have in daily life?
-How can I sustain and deepen moments of profound silence and unity with Brahman?
A challenge that many practitioners of Advaita Vedanta will recognize is touched upon in the final question: “Vedanta teaches that only knowledge (*jnana*) can dispel ignorance. The Mandukya Upanishad states that the universe is, in essence, not real—that it never truly came into existence. These are truths I understand intellectually, yet I cannot fully internalize them. What is required to do so?”
Swami Sarvapriyananda: “You are referring to Gaudapada’s *ajata vada*—the radical insight into the fundamental unreality of the universe. Advaita Vedanta does indeed maintain that knowledge is sufficient to attain this ultimate realization. However, what is needed is ‘living knowledge’—a direct realization that you can feel, deep in your very bones: ‘I am Brahman.’ Initially, we grasp what is being said, but that knowledge does not yet function as a living reality for us. To reach a direct realization, we must be sufficiently mature to fully internalize that knowledge.”
Regarding Advaita Vedanta, Sri Ramakrishna remarked: “The words are important, but the reality to which they point must be embodied.”

______________________

Mr Kees Boukema is a scholar in Vedanta and Comparative philosophy. His brilliant and thorough-going articles on various philosophical and spiritual subjects are being published since the first issue of the magazine. His latest work is De Beoefening van Meditatie.

Vedanta in de Praktijk

Kees Boukema

 Zoals iedere Hindoe koesterde Sri Ramakrishna (1836 – 1886) grote eerbied voor de ‘heilige geschriften’. Hij wees er wel op, dat daarbij het beoefenen van spirituele disciplines van essentieel belang is. Op 16 december 1883 was hij in gesprek met volgelingen, waaronder meneer Mukherji en zijn vriend, een pandit, kenner van de geschriften.

In de loop van het gesprek vraagt Mukherji: “Hoe komt het, dat men van het pad van yoga afraakt?” Sri Ramakrishna: “Dat is het werk van Maya:‘lust en begeerte’. De magneetnaald van je innerlijke zelf is gericht op de magneet, het Hoogste Zelf. Het individuele zelf ervaart de staat van yoga als het wordt aangetrokken door het Zelf. Maar de magneet kan de naald niet tot zich trekken als die bedekt is met het slijk van hebzucht en lustgevoelens.”

Mukerji:”Maar hoe kunnen we dat slijk er dan afkrijgen?”

Sri Ramakrishna:”Door een intens en tot tranen toe verlangen naar God. Tranen die je stort uit intens verlangen naar God wassen het vuil weg. Wanneer je jezelf hebt gezuiverd dan word je aangetrokken tot de magneet. Dan zal je yoga bereiken.”

Mukerji:”Prijzenswaardige woorden!”.

Sri Ramakrishna:“Maar er is ook een andere manier: meditatie. Shiva manifesteert zich in de Sahasrara (energiecentrum in de grote hersenen) op een bijzondere manier. Mediteer op Hem. Beschouw het lichaam als een waterkom en je geest, je onderscheidingsvermogen als het water. Satchidananda is de Zon die zich spiegelt in het water. Mediterend op de weerspiegeling van de zon, zie je de Echte Zon, door Gods genade.” [….].

Mukerji: ”Het is goed om de heilige boeken te lezen, zoals de Gita.”

Sri Ramakrishna: “Maar, wat schiet je er mee op om ze alleen te lezen? Sommige mensen hebben over melk gehoord, anderen hebben melk gezien en weer anderen hebben het ook gedronken.

Je kunt inderdaad God zien; je kunt zelfs met Hem spreken. Je begint met het bestuderen van de geschriften. De volgende fase vraagt grote inzet: Bidden tot God, mediteren en Zijn Naam en glorie bezingen. In de derde fase wordt de ziel volmaakt, zij heeft God gezien en ervaart Hem rechtstreeks in het innerlijk Bewustzijn.” (Gospel, p. 343/344; zie ook p. 404 en 583).

Op 5 augustus 1882 beklom Sri Ramakrishna samen met drie volgelingen de trap naar de eerste verdieping van een villa in Badurbagan. Daar placht de befaamde Hindoe-geleerde Vidyasagar zijn bezoekers te ontvangen. Sri Ramakrishna is in extase als hij voor de zestien jaar oudere Vidyasager staat. Hij groet hem met diep respect: “Ik heb grachten, rivieren zelfs meren van ‘vidya’ (kennis) gezien, maar vandaag sta ik oog in oog met ‘sagar’ (de oceaan)”.

Vidyasagar, met een glimlach: ”Neemt u dan alstublieft wat zout water mee naar huis.”

Na een gedachtewisseling over de waarde en betekenis van charitatief werk en boekenwijsheid, wordt het verwerven van Kennis van God het onderwerp van gesprek:

Sri Ramakrishna: ”Ik sprak zojuist over vidya, maar Brahman is verheven, zowel boven vidya als avidya; boven alle dualiteiten en kan niet worden uitgedrukt in taal. Alle dingen in de wereld, de veda’s, purana’s en tantra’s inbegrepen zijn besmet. Ze zijn vervat in woorden. Brahman is niet te beschrijven; nooit heeft iemand kunnen zeggen wat Brahman is.”

Vidyasagar: “Een treffende uitspraak! Ik heb vandaag iets nieuws geleerd.” […].

Ramakrishna:” De rishi’s uit vroeger tijden hadden hun gehele leven gewijd aan het verkrijgen van de kennis van God. Zij leefden in afzondering en brachten alle dagen door in meditatie. ‘s Avonds keerden ze terug naar hun kluis en aten wat fruit en noten. Zij hielden hun geest verre van alle andere zintuiglijke zaken. Alleen zo realiseerden zij Brahman als hun innerlijk bewustzijn.

“Maar in het tijdperk waarin we nu leven, de ‘Kali yuga’, is de mens afhankelijk van voedsel. Hij kan het idee, dat hij een lichaam is, niet van zich afschudden. Voor wie de ganse dag bezig is met wereldse zaken past het niet om te verklaren:’Ik ben Brahman.’ Hij kan beter zeggen: ‘Ik ben dienaar van God’, of ‘Ik ben aan God toegewijd’. Een mens kan God ook realiseren door het pad te volgen van liefde en toewijding aan God.

“De ‘jnani’ maakt zich los van zijn identificatie met wereldse zaken met behulp van zijn onderscheidingsvermogen:’Niet dit, niet dit’. Alleen zo kan hij stap voor stap Brahman realiseren. Zoals je het dak van een huis bereikt door de treden van de trap een voor een achter je te laten. Maar de ‘vijnani’ kent Brahman intiemer. Hij merkt dat de traptreden van hetzelfde materiaal zijn gemaakt als het dak: kalk, bakstenen en specie. De vijnani ziet dat de Werkelijkheid nirguna is (zonder eigenschappen), maar ook saguna (met eigenschappen). [….]

“Hij ziet dat Brahman het ego is, de wereld en alle levende wezens. Dit wordt vijnana genoemd. Het is het pad van kennis dat leidt tot waarheid, zoals ook het pad dat kennis en liefde combineert. Ook het pad van liefde leidt tot dat doel. Het is even waar als de weg van kennis. Alle wegen leiden tot dezelfde Waarheid. Maar zolang God  het gevoel van ego in ons handhaaft is het eenvoudiger om het pad van liefde te volgen.” (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, p. 100 – 104; zie ook p. 363, 369, 404, 583, ).

Onlangs verscheen het boek “VEDANTA in de praktijk. In gesprek met Swami Sarvapriyananda” (Samsara, Amsterdam 2026). Eerder verscheen van dezelfde auteur: ‘Bronnen van Advaita Vedanta’ (Samsara, Amsterdam 2024). Het bevat drie essays waarin de auteur glashelder uiteenzet wat advaita vedanta behelst en waarop deze filosofie berust. In de paragraaf ‘Het dagelijks leven vergeestelijken’ moedigt hij de lezer aan om ‘de goddelijkheid in zichzelf en de spirituele eenheid van het hele universum’ te realiseren:”Manifesteer die goddelijkheid in het dagelijks leven door vrede, liefde en dienstbaarheid aan alle wezens.”

Voor wie Vedanta meer betekent dan een filosofie die het intellect bevredigt, kan het boek ‘Vedanta in de praktijk’ behulpzaam zijn. Het geeft antwoord op vragen als:

-Hoe kan ik het idee van onthechting verenigen met mijn behoefte om nuttig te zijn?

-Hoe kan ik mijn verlangen naar vrede en succes verenigen met volledige toewijding aan God?

-Hoe kan ik woede over wat mij is aangedaan loslaten en leren te vergeven?

-Hoe kan ik spiritualiteit verenigen met de verplichtingen die ik heb in het dagelijks leven?

-Hoe kan ik de momenten van diepe stilte en eenheid met Brahman vasthouden en verdiepen?

Een probleem dat veel beoefenaren van advaita vedanta zullen herkennen komt ter sprake in de laatste vraag: “Vedanta leert dat alleen kennis (jnana) onwetendheid kan wegnemen. De Mandukya Upanishad stelt dat het universum in wezen niet echt is, nooit werkelijk is ontstaan. Dit zijn waarheden die ik intellectueel begrijp, maar me niet eigen kan maken. Wat is daarvoor nodig?”

Swami Sarvapriyananda: “Je refereert aan Gaudapada’s ‘ajata vada’: het radicale inzicht inzake de fundamentele onwerkelijkheid van het universum. Advaita Vedanta zegt inderdaad dat kennis voldoende is om tot dit hoogste inzicht te komen. Maar wat nodig is, is levende kennis; een directe realisatie, die je kunt voelen, tot in je botten: “In ben Brahman”. In het begin begrijpen we wat er gezegd wordt, maar die kennis is voor ons niet direct een levende realiteit. Om tot een directe realisatie te komen moeten we rijp zijn om ons die kennis volledig eigen te kunnen maken.

Sri Ramakrishna zei over Advaita Vedanta: ‘De woorden zijn belangrijk, maar de werkelijkheid waar ze naar verwijzen moet belichaamd worden.’

Kees Boukema is sinds decennia student van Vedanta en andere filosofische systemen. Hij heeft divers bijgedragen aan het veld van hoger denken. Hij heeft belangrijke artikelen en boeken geschreven en vertaald. Het nieuwste boek van Dhr Kees Boukema is, De Beoefening van Meditatie.

Nature and the world

Sander Pielkenrood, CEO Dutch Clean Tech

Contributed by Francis van Schaik

Our country does not have a water shortage; it has a lack of vision, says Sander Pielkenrood, CEO of Dutch Clean Tech.

The Dutch are increasingly being told that they need to be more economical with water. The government is working toward a goal where, by 2035, the average Dutch person will use no more than 100 liters of drinking water per day. At the same time, businesses in some parts of the country are being denied new utility connections due to limitations in available water capacity. The message is clear: water is becoming scarce. But is that really the case?

No. The Netherlands does not have an absolute shortage of water. We have a shortage of clean water—and, more importantly, a lack of vision regarding how we manage it.

Globally, an estimated 80 percent of wastewater is still discharged without treatment. This is not because the technology is lacking, but because investment is lagging. While governments urge citizens to take shorter showers and water their gardens less frequently, a massive volume of potentially usable water is discharged untreated into rivers, seas, and the soil every single day.

Let one thing be clear: wasting water is never wise. Clean water is precious, and we must handle it with care. No one is advocating for unnecessary water consumption. However, using water carefully is a different matter than preparing a society for scarcity when the real solution lies elsewhere.

The Netherlands receives an enormous amount of water every year. Approximately 80 to 100 billion cubic meters of water flow into our country annually via the Rhine, the Meuse, and other rivers. On top of that, we receive another 30 billion cubic meters or so from precipitation. In per capita terms, more than six million liters of water enter the Netherlands every year.

Naturally, not all of this water is immediately suitable as a source for drinking water, but it does demonstrate that the core issue is not the total quantity of water available. Rather, the challenge lies in how we store, purify, reuse, and distribute that water.

Strikingly, it is precisely those countries with fewer natural water resources that are leading the way. Singapore produces a significant portion of its water supply from treated wastewater. Israel reuses more than 85 percent of its treated wastewater. The United Arab Emirates are investing heavily in desalination and reuse. In Mexico, too, an increasing number of projects are being developed that repurpose treated wastewater for industrial processes. These nations understand that water security is not achieved by imposing restrictions, but by investing in technology, infrastructure, and innovation.

The irony is that the Netherlands possesses far more expertise in water-related matters than many of these countries. Our engineers, research institutions, and technology firms rank among the best in the world. Dutch water technology is deployed globally to solve water-related challenges. Yet, at home, we increasingly seem to opt for managing scarcity rather than creating solutions.

This is remarkable, as funding is not the primary obstacle. Over the coming years, Dutch water authorities are set to invest a combined total of more than 15 billion euros in water management. Nevertheless, the focus often remains on maintaining existing systems, while large-scale water reuse and innovative purification technologies are not given sufficient priority. The technology already exists. What is missing is the ambition to apply it on a large scale.

We see this playing out in practice. Entrepreneurs looking to expand or open new production facilities are increasingly encountering limitations. In parts of the Netherlands, requests for new utility connections are being delayed or denied. Investments are being put on hold, and companies are looking toward alternative locations outside the Netherlands. This is not just an economic problem; it is also a sign that our infrastructure is failing to keep pace with our ambitions.

While other countries are building the water infrastructure of the future, we are busy debating how many liters of water an individual citizen should be allowed to use. That is the wrong conversation to be having.

The question should not be how to distribute existing shortages; it should be how to make more clean water available. How can we transform wastewater into a valuable resource? How can we help industry, agriculture, and municipalities reuse water time and again?

The Netherlands rose to prominence through water management. Our history is a story of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technical solutions. Let us not trade that tradition for a policy focused primarily on restrictions.

A nation globally renowned for its expertise in water should not fear water—it should invest in purifying it. Because the true challenge of this century is not a shortage of water; the real challenge is ensuring that enough clean water is available for everyone.

Natuur & Milieu

Auter: Sander Pielkenrood, CEO Dutch Clean Tech

Ons land heeft geen watertekort, maar een gebrek aan visie, zegt Sander Pielkenrood, CEO Dutch Clean Tech.

Nederlanders krijgen steeds vaker te horen dat ze zuiniger moeten omgaan met water. De overheid werkt toe naar een situatie waarin Nederlanders in 2035 gemiddeld nog maar 100 liter drinkwater per persoon per dag gebruiken. Tegelijkertijd krijgen bedrijven in sommige delen van het land geen nieuwe aansluiting meer vanwege beperkingen in de beschikbare watercapaciteit. De boodschap is duidelijk: water wordt schaars. Maar is dat werkelijk zo?

Nee. Nederland heeft geen absoluut tekort aan water. We hebben een tekort aan schoon water en vooral een tekort aan visie op hoe we daarmee omgaan.

Wereldwijd wordt naar schatting nog altijd 80 procent van het afvalwater ongezuiverd geloosd. Niet omdat de technologie ontbreekt, maar omdat investeringen achterblijven. Terwijl overheden burgers oproepen korter te douchen en minder vaak de tuin te sproeien, verdwijnt dagelijks een enorme hoeveelheid potentieel bruikbaar water ongezuiverd in rivieren, zeeën en bodem.

Laat één ding duidelijk zijn: verspilling van water is nooit verstandig. Schoon water is kostbaar en we moeten er zorgvuldig mee omgaan. Niemand pleit voor onnodig waterverbruik. Maar zorgvuldig omgaan met water is iets anders dan een samenleving voorbereiden op schaarste terwijl de echte oplossing elders ligt.

Nederland ontvangt jaarlijks een enorme hoeveelheid water. Via de Rijn, Maas en andere rivieren stroomt jaarlijks ongeveer 80 tot 100 miljard kubieke meter water ons land binnen. Daar komt nog eens ongeveer 30 miljard kubieke meter neerslag bij. Omgerekend komt er jaarlijks meer dan zes miljoen liter water per inwoner Nederland binnen.

Natuurlijk is niet al dat water direct geschikt als drinkwaterbron, maar het laat wel zien dat het vraagstuk niet draait om de hoeveelheid water die beschikbaar is. Het gaat om de vraag hoe wij dat water opslaan, zuiveren, hergebruiken en beschikbaar maken.

Opvallend genoeg zijn het juist landen met minder natuurlijke waterbronnen die hierin vooroplopen. Singapore produceert een aanzienlijk deel van zijn watervoorziening uit gezuiverd afvalwater. Israël hergebruikt meer dan 85 procent van zijn gezuiverde afvalwater. De Verenigde Arabische Emiraten investeren grootschalig in ontzilting en hergebruik. Ook in Mexico worden steeds meer projecten ontwikkeld waarbij gezuiverd afvalwater opnieuw wordt ingezet voor industriële processen. Deze landen begrijpen dat waterzekerheid niet ontstaat door beperkingen op te leggen, maar door te investeren in technologie, infrastructuur en innovatie.

Het wrange is dat Nederland over veel meer waterkennis beschikt dan veel van deze landen. Onze ingenieurs, kennisinstellingen en technologiebedrijven behoren tot de wereldtop. Nederlandse watertechnologie wordt wereldwijd ingezet om waterproblemen op te lossen. Toch lijken we in eigen land steeds vaker te kiezen voor het managen van schaarste in plaats van het creëren van oplossingen.

Dat is opvallend, want geld is niet het grootste probleem. De Nederlandse waterschappen investeren de komende jaren gezamenlijk meer dan 15 miljard euro in waterbeheer. Toch blijft de focus vaak liggen op het beheren van bestaande systemen, terwijl grootschalig waterhergebruik en innovatieve zuiveringstechnologie onvoldoende prioriteit krijgen. De technologie bestaat al. Wat ontbreekt, is de ambitie om deze op grote schaal toe te passen.

Dat zien we terug in de praktijk. Ondernemers die willen uitbreiden of nieuwe productielocaties willen openen, lopen steeds vaker tegen beperkingen aan. In delen van Nederland worden nieuwe aansluitingen uitgesteld of geweigerd. Investeringen blijven liggen en bedrijven kijken naar alternatieve locaties buiten Nederland. Dat is niet alleen een economisch probleem, maar ook een signaal dat onze infrastructuur niet meegroeit met onze ambities.

Terwijl andere landen bouwen aan de waterinfrastructuur van de toekomst, discussiëren wij over hoeveel liter water een burger mag gebruiken. Dat is de verkeerde discussie.

De vraag zou niet moeten zijn hoe we bestaande tekorten verdelen. De vraag moet zijn hoe we meer schoon water beschikbaar maken. Hoe we afvalwater kunnen omzetten in een waardevolle grondstof. Hoe we industrie, landbouw en gemeenten kunnen helpen om water steeds opnieuw te gebruiken.

Nederland is groot geworden door waterbeheer. Onze geschiedenis is een verhaal van innovatie, ondernemerschap en technische oplossingen. Laten we die traditie niet verruilen voor een beleid dat vooral gericht is op beperkingen.

Een land dat wereldwijd bekendstaat om zijn waterkennis zou niet bang moeten zijn voor water. Het zou moeten investeren in het schoonmaken ervan. Want de echte uitdaging van deze eeuw is niet watertekort. De echte uitdaging is het beschikbaar maken van voldoende schoon water voor iedereen.

Contributie: Francis van Schaik

One day Swami Brahmanandaji Maharaj asked me to look  at the almanac and find an auspicious date for his  departure from Madras. As I did so, I could not  help smiling. Maharaj noticed this and asked me  why l was amused. I replied “Well, Maharaj, you  always go through this routine whenever you plan to go anywhere, but then you suddenly make up your  mind to lcave on some other day.”   At this Maharaj said ‘Do you think I do anything  according to my own will? The devotees insist upon  fixing some date for my going, so to avoid constant  pestering, I fix a tentative date. But I do not move or do anything until I know the will of the Lord.”  “Do you mean to say,” I asked, “that you are always guided by the will of God? ‘   Maharaj said: “Yes.”

Myself: “Well, Maharaj, I too may think or feel  that I am doing the will of God, when actually I  am only following my own inclinations, and attributing them to God’s will. Isn’t that what you do?”  Maharaj: “No, my child, it is not the same.”  Myself:  “Then do you mean to say that you actually see God and talk to him directly and know his  will?”   Maharaj, “Yes, I wait until I know his will directly  and he tells me what I should do.”   Myself, “For everything you do?”  Maharaj: “Yes, for everything I do I have the  direct guidance of God.”   Myself:  “And do you accept only those disciples he wants you to accept?”   Maharaj: “Yes.”

After this talk with him I began to find some meaning in his peculiar way of behaviour. For example, whenever any of us would ask his advice, he would say “Wait My brain is not working today,” or  “My stomach is upset. I’ll answer tomorrow.” Sometimes many tomorrows would pass before the disciple got any definite answer. But when Maharaj did  finally speak, there was always a special power behind  his words: “How does he know the will of God? Does he go into samadhi every time before he knows it ?” This  was the thought that continually crossed my mind.  But, not daring to ask him, I waited, hoping somehow to get an answer. Then, one day, I was discussing with another disciple the spiritual visions of  “Gopal’s Mother,” a woman disciple of Sn Ramakrishna. She had been given this name because she  used to see Gopal, the boy Krishna, playing with  her, walking beside her, and calling her mother.   Many of her visions arc recorded by Swamt  Saradinanda in his life of Sri Ramahrishna I expressed my opinion that these visions of ‘Gopal’s  Motlicr’ belonged to the transcendental plane, and  that I did not believe she had actually seen Sri Krishna with her bodily eyes. Maharaj, who was sitting in his room, overheard me. He came out and  said rather sarcastically, “Ah! So you are omniscient!”   “But Maharaj,” I asked him, “how can one see God in  the external world, with bodily eyes?”   Maharaj then explained that a man who has attained samadhi and reached the transcendental  plane receives divine sight. He can then see God  with closed eyes in the superconsciousness of samadhi, and also with open eyes while fully conscious of the external world. Maharaj added that, to an enlightened man, there is no longer any line of division bctween matter and Spirit. “What you see as  matter is really Brahman.”   In the Upanishads we read that “a knower of/  Brahman becomes Brahman.” What is it that attracts people to a man of God? Young and old, boys  and girls, men, women and children, saints and  sinners— all felt an indefinable attraction to Maharaj even if they did not in the least understand what was meant by “a knower of Brahman”.

Roxanne Blodgett

I am ever recalling those swift, bright days in that never to be forgotten winter, lived in simple freedom and kindliness, We could not choose but to be happy and good…. I knew him personally but a short time, yet in that time I could but see in a hundred ways the child side of Swamiji’s character which was a constant appeal to the Mother quality in all good women. He depended on those near him in a way which brought him very near one’s heart. Possessing as he did an almost inexhaustible knowledge of things old as the world, a sage and philosopher, he yet appeared to me utterly to lack the commercial knowledge which so distinguish men of the Western world! You were constantly rendering him some apparently trifling service in the everyday homely happenings of life, he in some small way requiring to be set right..

One day busy with my work and Swamiji absorbed with his curries and chapatties, I spoke to him of you when he said: “Ah yes! Joe is the sweetest spirit of us all.”… Ah, those pleasant “tea party” days, as you used to call them. How we used to laugh! Do you remember the time he was showing me how he wound his turban about his head and you were begging him to hasten as he was already due at a lecture. I said, “Swamiji, don’t hurry. Like the man on his way to be hung and the crowd jostling each other to reach the place of execution who called out, `Don’t hurry, there will be nothing interesting till I get there!’-I assure you, Swami, there will be nothing interesting till you get there!” This so pleased him that often afterwards he would say: “There will be nothing interesting till I get there”-and laugh like a boy.

NEDERLANDS

Ik denk nog vaak terug aan die snelle, stralende dagen in die onvergetelijke winter, doorgebracht in eenvoudige vrijheid en vriendelijkheid; we konden niet anders dan gelukkig en goed zijn… Ik heb hem maar kort persoonlijk gekend, maar in die tijd zag ik op talloze manieren de kinderlijke kant van Swamijis karakter, die voortdurend een beroep deed op het moederlijke in elke goede vrouw. Hij leunde op de mensen om hem heen op een manier die hem heel dierbaar maakte. Hoewel hij beschikte over een bijna onuitputtelijke kennis van zaken die zo oud waren als de wereld – een wijze en filosoof – leek het hem volledig te ontbreken aan het zakelijk inzicht dat mannen uit de westerse wereld zo kenmerkt! Je bewees hem voortdurend kleine, ogenschijnlijk onbeduidende diensten in de alledaagse gang van zaken; hij had er soms behoefte aan dat iemand hem even bijstuurde…

Op een dag, terwijl ik met mijn werk bezig was en Swamiji verdiept was in zijn curries en chapati’s, sprak ik over jou. Hij zei toen: “Ah ja! Joe is de liefste ziel van ons allemaal.”… Ah, die fijne ‘theekransjes’, zoals jij ze altijd noemde. Wat hebben we gelachen! Weet je nog dat hij me liet zien hoe hij zijn tulband om zijn hoofd wikkelde, en jij hem smeekte op te schieten omdat hij al bij een lezing moest zijn? Ik zei: “Swamiji, haast u niet. Net als die man die naar de galg werd geleid – terwijl de menigte zich verdrong om bij de executieplaats te komen – en riep: ‘Niet haasten, er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ik er ben!’ – zo verzeker ik u, Swami: er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ú er bent!” Dat vond hij zo leuk, dat hij later vaak zei: “Er gebeurt niets interessants totdat ik er ben” – en dan lachte hij als een jongen.

Who we are

“Vedanta” means that knowledge which liberates us from narrow, limited, sorrowful existence and shows us the way to know our true nature, to know the Divine, to become free. Visit our What is Vedanta? page to know  more. “vani” is “voice”.

Our website  is: http://www.vedantavani.com. Vedanta Vani is a  free-of-charges, online monthly magazine. It is run by Ramakrishna Vedanta Vereniging Nederland. Our Address: Rijksweg 141, Hoogersmilde, 9423PA, The Netherlands.  It is not-for-profit, non-commercial, without advertisements.

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Vedanta Vani  deals with non-sectarian, spiritual, intellectual, cultural, and religious topics.  The languages used in this magazine are English, Dutch, Sanskrit, etc. The magazine itself is in English and Dutch.

The Purpose

The purpose of Vedanta Vani is to spread the ideas and ideals of universal spiritual language called Vedanta as found in the Vedas and post-Vedic literature. The magazine has for its principle purpose and aim the distribution of the ideals and ideas of Sri Ramakrishna, Mother, Swami Vivekananda, the other Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna and Mother, and so on.  Vedanta Vani, through the virtual world, brings this message of Vedanta to your mobile or laptop. These days, when you are all busy and are unable to read books, social media like virtual magazine is the best way to bring home noble truths..

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Why Work? What does it do to us?

Work is necessary. Not just for earning money but also for eliminating the effects of past work. It is a cyclic process, if not a vicious circle. The whole issue of work and its effect is a cyclic process of cause and effect. We have to work in order to remove the effects of work. By removing the effects of work we can live happily. We are not happy now because of the effects of our past work. So work is imperative for human life.

Speaking, thinking and physical activities are all work. Every activity is voluntary. Nothing is involuntary. Even heartbeat and blood circulation, according to Yoga, is voluntary, though that happens unconsciously. Action of any kind produces results. And these results are not seen immediately, though we may get paid for the physical/mental labour. That is only a part of the story.

The greater part of the story of activities or work is the impressions left behind in the mind.  I did something, and its impression remains in the subconscious. This impression shapes my destiny, life, future, happiness, unhappiness, my physical personality: in fact everything.  What does this mean? Like a carpenter making a table, we are building ourselves through all our work.  We are shaping our destiny, future, everything while we are talking, thinking or doing something.

As we sow, so we reap. As we work, so is the result or impression on the mind. It cannot be different. Hatred creates hate impression, love creates love impression. So shall be our future.

Why is all this important? Read this from the standpoint of the present-day job situation. AI fear is looming large. Jobs may go, everything may go. What will happen to us?

This is where the karma cycle comes to answer you. Since the beginning of this earth, wars, floods, cyclones, changes, developments, have all been taking place. Side by side with all these changes, some people remain prosperous, rich, happy, while some suffer. Blaming the world, environment, etc for our sorrows is wrong. It is we who shape our lives. So, if you pray,  do selfless work, meditate, repeat God’s names, do charity, read scriptures, etc, you will build a solid future for yourselves and no AI changes or whatever can affect you in any way. External changes will not affect you, if you have built a solid future for yourself.

Hindu dharma does not want ANYTHING from you. Sanatana Dharma doesn’t want your money, wealth or anythiing, You give for shaping your own future. You work selflessly, pray, meditate, etc only for your own good.

So let us work, pray, do charity selflessly, and build up our future.

May Sri Ramakrishna, Mother and Swamiji bless us all with a blessed future.

Swami Sunirmalananda

Nederlandse Vertaling

Waarom werken? Wat doet het met ons?

Werk is noodzakelijk. Niet alleen om geld te verdienen, maar ook om de gevolgen van eerder werk te verwerken. Het is een cyclisch proces, zo niet een vicieuze cirkel. De hele kwestie van werk en de gevolgen ervan is een cyclisch proces van oorzaak en gevolg. We moeten werken om de gevolgen van werk te verwerken. Door de gevolgen van werk te verwerken, kunnen we gelukkig leven. We zijn nu niet gelukkig vanwege de gevolgen van ons werk uit het verleden. Werk is dus essentieel voor het menselijk leven.

Spreken, denken en fysieke activiteiten zijn allemaal werk. Elke activiteit is vrijwillig. Niets is onvrijwillig. Zelfs de hartslag en de bloedsomloop zijn volgens yoga vrijwillig, hoewel dat onbewust gebeurt. Elke vorm van handelen levert resultaten op. En deze resultaten zijn niet direct zichtbaar, ook al krijgen we misschien betaald voor de fysieke/mentale arbeid. Dat is slechts een deel van het verhaal.

Het grootste deel van het verhaal van activiteiten of werk bestaat uit de indrukken die in de geest achterblijven. Ik heb iets gedaan en de indruk ervan blijft in mijn onderbewustzijn hangen. Deze indruk vormt mijn lot, mijn leven, mijn toekomst, mijn geluk, mijn ongeluk, mijn fysieke persoonlijkheid: eigenlijk alles. Wat betekent dit? Net als een timmerman die een tafel maakt, bouwen we aan onszelf door al ons werk. We geven vorm aan ons lot, onze toekomst, alles terwijl we praten, denken of iets doen.

Wat je zaait, zul je oogsten. Zoals we werken, zo is het resultaat of de indruk die het op ons maakt. Het kan niet anders. Haat schept een indruk van haat, liefde schept een indruk van liefde. Zo zal onze toekomst ook zijn.

Waarom is dit allemaal belangrijk? Lees dit vanuit het perspectief van de huidige banenmarkt. De angst voor AI is groot. Banen kunnen verdwijnen, alles kan verdwijnen. Wat zal er met ons gebeuren?

Hier komt de karmische cyclus in beeld. Sinds het begin van de aarde hebben er oorlogen, overstromingen, cyclonen, veranderingen en ontwikkelingen plaatsgevonden. Naast al deze veranderingen blijven sommige mensen welvarend, rijk en gelukkig, terwijl anderen lijden. Het is verkeerd om de wereld, het milieu, enzovoort de schuld te geven van ons verdriet. Wij zijn het die ons eigen leven vormgeven. Dus, als je bidt, onbaatzuchtig werk doet, mediteert, Gods naam herhaalt, liefdadigheid betoont, heilige geschriften leest, enzovoort, bouw je een solide toekomst voor jezelf op en kan geen enkele verandering door AI of wat dan ook je op welke manier dan ook beïnvloeden. Externe veranderingen zullen je niet raken als je een solide toekomst voor jezelf hebt opgebouwd.

Het hindoeïsme wil NIETS van je. Sanatana Dharma wil je geld, rijkdom of wat dan ook niet. Je geeft om je eigen toekomst vorm te geven. Je werkt onbaatzuchtig, bidt, mediteert, enzovoort, alleen voor je eigen welzijn.

Laten we dus onbaatzuchtig werken, bidden, liefdadigheid betuigen en onze toekomst opbouwen.

Moge Sri Ramakrishna, Moeder en Swamiji ons allen zegenen met een gezegende toekomst.

Swami Sunirmalananda

December 2025

[Please scroll down to read]

Ramakrishna Instructions to Disciples

One day, Sri Ramakrishna said to Yogananda, “Be a devotee, but don’t be a fool! If you want to buy something, go to different shops, compare prices, and take the best and cheapest. If you save money this way, give it to the poor.”
There is another example. When Maharaj (Swami Brahmananda) found a coin (a pice) that someone had lost and showed it to the Master, the latter said, “Why did you take it? You don’t need it. Why would someone who doesn’t want fish go to the fish market and bargain over prices?”
How can these contradictions be reconciled? At times, Sri Ramakrishna behaved like any other worldly man, carefully calculating everything. At other times, he exemplified the ideal of renunciation. You see, he was a man of renunciation. He represented the ideal (householder or monastic) in everything he did. That is what I would call a perfect soul.

A worldly person is greedy. And if an ordinary person feels a little renunciation, he completely loses his mind. Because we associated with Sri Ramakrishna, our eyes were opened. He showed us the ideal life by his own example.
When a devotee Mawari Laksminarayan offered Sri Ramakrishna ten thousand rupees, the Master fell unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he told the devotee to leave him. When Laksminarayan suggested giving the money to his attendant for the Master’s use, the Master exclaimed, “Oh no! He will accept it on my behalf, and I cannot bear the thought of possessing money!” The devotee then said, “Ah, I understand. You haven’t yet overcome the idea of ​​acceptance and rejection.” The Master simply replied, “No, I haven’t.”

How wonderfully Sri Ramakrishna taught each person to address their specific needs! He illustrated this method of teaching by saying, “A mother has made different curries from one fish. She doesn’t give all her sons the same thing. She gives each one exactly what suits his stomach.” The Master also followed this practice.
Swami Yogananda once heard several men criticizing Sri Ramakrishna. He pocketed the insult and reported the incident to the Master. The Master heard about it and said, “They abused me, and you remained silent!” He then reprimanded Swami Yogananda. On another occasion, some time after this incident, Swami Niranjanananda was traveling by boat to Dakshineswar. Several passengers criticized Sri Ramakrishna. The swami was exceptionally strong, and he immediately came out of the cabin, put his legs on the deck, and began rocking.
“You are insulting Sri Ramakrishna,” he said. “I will now sink the boat. I would like to see who dares to stop me.” They were all frightened and begged him to stop. When Sri Ramakrishna heard about this incident, he said, “Fool! If they mistreat me, what does that mean to you? Let people say what they like. What do you care?”
See the joy! The teachings varied, depending on the needs of each recipient. Where else can you find a teacher like him?
Once Kali Maharaj (Swami Abhedananda) caught a fish, reasoning that the Atman is immortal—he neither kills nor is killed.
Hearing this, Sri Ramakrishna sent for him. He said to Kali Maharaj, “What you say is true. But in your state of development, before you have realized the Atman, it is not right to discriminate in that way and kill any creature. You must know that realization of the Atman is an attained state that transcends all logic and reason. He who attains that state feels compassion for all beings. A holy man is freed from all samkaras (past impressions), but the thought-wave of compassion remains with him until the very last moment of his life. Never give up the ideal of a holy man.”

[from: Sri Ramakrishna as They Saw Him]

Selection from the book by Mary Saaleman

_________________________________________________

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on
and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”

[from Tempest, Shakespeare]

Kees Boukema

God is the whole. That encompasses not only matter, but also all consciousness, space, and time. Everything we can imagine. This makes you realize that the entire material world, not just humans, but every animal and every plant is animated, or conscious, in one way or another. To clarify this idea somewhat, Brouwer uses the concept of “emergence.” The simplest example of emergence is the heating of water. Heat is not caused by adding an ingredient to the water and thus changing its composition, but by increasing the average speed of the constituent particles, the water molecules. Spontaneous changes in more complex systems can be explained in a similar way: the interaction of the constituent parts. Think of the graceful movements of flocks of starlings, the orientation of animals, climate change. fluctuations in financial markets, etc. Thus, “consciousness” could also be the emergent result of interactions between the neurons and neurotransmitters of the human brain (Hub Zwart, Trouw, June 28, 2025).
Albert Einstein admired Spinoza’s pantheism, but even more so his contribution to modern thought, stating that the soul and the body are one and the same, not two separate entities. According to Spinoza, there is only one Substance, which explains and causes itself. It is the only thing that exists—”God or Nature.” All phenomena we encounter in daily life—not only humans, but also animals and plants—exist as modes of God, just as waves and ripples are part of the ocean. God has infinite attributes, but we humans can only experience two of them: “extension” and “thought.” For example, the human brain can be described as a complex of body cells, but also as a complex of thoughts, emotions, and memories. The mind is not a product of matter, or vice versa; they are two sides of one and the same Substance: either God/Nature.
Brouwer points to two distinctions: On the one hand, the distinction between “thought” [the processing of information in our brain cells] and “consciousness” [the experience of this information processing]. On the other hand, the distinction between the emergent properties of individual particles [e.g., velocity] and those of many particles [e.g., temperature]. We can observe a person’s “thought” with a brain scan, but we cannot determine whether this person also experiences thought. We know that our “consciousness” exists, but it is a “first-person experience” that cannot be scientifically verified.
Spinoza wrote that everything can be seen not only from the perspective of matter, but also from the perspective of consciousness. Brouwer attempts to make this groundbreaking idea somewhat plausible with examples from biology and neurology, but she also knows she will never be able to prove it. See also Alan Watts, “The book on the taboo against knowing who you are” (1966) and Thomas Nagel, “What is it like to be a bat.” (1974).

Spinoza did not set out to prove the nature of God/Nature, but to understand it. From the perspective of matter, God/Nature corresponds to the multi-universe of modern cosmology: A Substance from which infinitely many things arise in infinite ways, that is what an infinite mind can grasp. God’s mind is the necessarily unfolding universe itself, seen from the inner perspective of consciousness. This is completely different from the image of God of monotheistic religions: “The universe as the creation of a personal God.”

Mr Kees Boukema is a scholar in Vedanta and Comparative philosophy. His brilliant and thorough-going articles on various philosophical and spiritual subjects are being published since the first issue of the magazine. His latest work is De Beoefening van Meditatie.

_____________________

Sri Ramakrishna on Bhakti

Devotee: “What is the way for people like us?”

Sri Ramakrishna: Bhakti is the only essential thing. Bhakti has different aspects : the sattvic, the rajasic, and tamasic. One who has sattvic bhakti is very modest and humble. But a man with tamasic bhakti is like a highwayman in his attitude toward God. He says: ‘O God, I am chanting Your name. How can I be a sinner? O God, You are my own Mother; You must reveal Yourself to me.’

{Gospel}

_____________________

Service: An Ode to the Helping Hand

Happinez

Contributed by: Francis van Schaik

Selflessly doing something for someone else. A form of charity that we sometimes easily overlook. Author and columnist Sarah Domogala has written a tribute to service. How can service be an education for the heart? Sarah describes how selflessness can broaden your horizons.

Service
A friend told me how she massaged her mother’s feet, put on her socks, warmed her hands. A simple act of love that changed everything. Of all the things she could have done, she chose this: caring, being present. It touched me deeply.

When No One’s Watching
For years, I swept floors, folded laundry, put food on the table. Work that usually happens silently, when no one is watching. Until I discovered how good it feels to care with attention. To tidy up, clean, fix something that’s loose. To take responsibility for the life that happens in the house.

The Value of the Small
It seems trivial, but it is precisely this care that keeps life going. What if we had respect for the tasks that keep life moving forward? Respect for life itself, and thus for each other. The moments of invisible care (folding laundry, a clean bed, a cup of tea) form the fabric of our lives, not the successes or adventures.

Caring Together
When I care for others, my mood changes. The atmosphere in the house becomes calmer, lighter. By sharing the care, solidarity grows. Children who help out turn out to be happier later in life, I read. Service teaches us attention, perseverance, and love.

The Training of the Heart
Caring for others is not a step backward, but an education for the heart. It teaches us empathy, flexibility, and mindfulness. Not everything has to be perfect, as long as it’s done with attention. Especially in a world where everything has to be efficient, care brings peace and freedom. It is the choice for love, again and again.

What we give, we receive.
Service changes how we see the world. Receiving and giving care strengthens the invisible bond between people. Authenticity is revealed in genuine caring. Whether it’s cooking, listening, or helping: everything is equally valuable. Caring for another is caring for the whole.

Connected in Care
My friend made her mother feel seen and cherished. That’s what we all long for: for someone to stay, even when we’re struggling. As I clean the windows, I feel her gesture live on in my hands. Service brings safety, warmth, and trust. In an uncertain world, that might just be the most beautiful medicine.

Writer: Sarah Domogala

Contributed by Francis Schaik

From happinez

____________________________

Swami Vivekananda had a stock of funny stories, some of which he told  again and again. One was about a missionary to the cannibal islands who, upon his arrival, asked the people there how they liked his predecessor and received the reply, “He was de-li-cious”. Another was about the Negro preacher, who in telling the story of the creation of Adam, said: “God made Adam and put him up against de fence to dry,” when he was interrupted by a voice from the congregation, “Hold on dere, brudder. Who made dat fence?” At this, the Negro preacher leaned over the pulpit and said solemnly: “One more question like dat, and you smashes all teology.”

Then Swamiji would tell about the woman who asked him, “Swami, are you a Buddhist?” {pronounced like bud}, and he would say wickedly but with a grave face, “No, madam, I am a florist.”

Sister Christine

_______________

A Christmas Chronicle

Paulo J. S. Bittencourt
Professor of the History Course at UFFS – Erechim Campus

Tradition holds that in 1223, on Christmas Eve, Francis of Assisi preached about the birth of Jesus, and, to that end, decided to create a scene in which, in a straw manger, lay the “Child of Nazareth,” surrounded by an ox and a donkey.

Francis’s organic coherence is moving.

In one of the most beautiful and sensitive artistic scenes in Christian art, “the poor God”—an expression also enshrined in the literary world by the homonymous title of Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel—condenses the evangelical mottos that were most precious to him, (1) the naked, fragile, and absolutely voluntary poverty of the divine made flesh, and (2) the ode to nature, praising the sublime in all creatures.

On 24 December 1818, the Austrian priest Joseph Mohr asked the organist Franz Xaver Gruber to compose the melody for a poem he had written. Thus was born “Silent Night, Holy Night”, one of the most famous Christmas carols, translated into more than 300 languages, and known in Portuguese as “Noite Feliz”. The version known to us sings: “(…) poor little one was born in Bethlehem / Behold in the grotto, Jesus, our good”.

“Lapa” initially means “a small grotto or cavity opened in the rock”, or even a slab that, protruding, “forms a natural shelter beneath it”.

[It was tempting for me to somehow associate the figure of the Baby Jesus in the small natural grotto with the also messianic prisoner in the cave of Plato’s famous allegory, even though Christian belief tends to postulate that the son of Mary became a prisoner to free us.]
However, the word “presépio” (nativity scene) has a very different connotation. The term refers much more to a “corral” for confining farm animals, and therefore dramatizes, perhaps in a much more touching way, the connotations so exalted by Francis of Assisi that I referred to above.
The same Kazantzakis, in his epigraph to the novel “The Last Temptation of Christ,” mentions the “dual substance of Christ, the longing so human, so superhuman, that man has to reach God,” a mystery always impenetrable to the author, his “greatest anxiety and source of all joy and all anguish” since his youth, “the incessant and merciless conflict between the spirit and the flesh,” whose soul was the place where “these two armies fight and meet.”

But, for John Lennon, “so this is Christmas (war is over).” And his verse seems to evoke very well the profound meaning of the unity proclaimed by Francis, which, for me, not only calls for being an instrument of the Lord’s peace, but also, for believers and non-believers alike, for unarmed unity – in a somber Brazil that cries out for weapons when hunger for bread devastates the flesh of the poor and forests and animals burn – that umbilical unity that is celebrated and cultivated, whether between body and mind, reason and heart, or between ourselves and others, near or far, the only way, certainly, capable of redeeming us.

It is this universal meaning of Christmas that I would venture to announce even to the most devout follower of Ludwig Feuerbach’s anthropological atheism – if it is possible to intuit the matter in those terms. For those who do not believe, this is the understanding that arises from the work of hands in flesh and imagination, to which Paul Valéry refers: the reconciliation between “this finite and this infinite that we carry within ourselves, each according to its nature,” and which “must now be united in a well-ordered construction.” Finally, it is also about ecumenical unity for religious believers, an experience so dear to the late Professor Hermógenes, when, in his “Cult of the One,” upon asking Krishna for a blessing, he is blessed by Christ; upon praying to Christ, he is answered by Buddha; and upon calling upon Buddha, he is answered by Krishna. Because perhaps, as the pagan Symmachus reminded Christians in the 4th century, who often forget the inclusive devotion to diversity, one cannot arrive at such a great mystery by a single path.

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Professor Paulo Bittencourt teaches History at the UFFS, Erchim Campus, Rio Grande de Sul. “Federal University of Southern Frontier” [UFFS] is one of the best universities of Brasil with highly qualified professors at the helm. Professor Bittencourt never rejects our request for articles, though he is very busy.

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