God is in all men, but all men are not in God; that is why we suffer — Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
Thus says Adi Shankaracharya: “When our false perception is corrected, misery ends also.” And what is that false perception? All Indian sages have identified this ‘false perception’ in terms of all-pervading, eternal confusion between Brahma or the Supreme Being and Maya or the great illusion.
To quote Shri Ramakrishna Paramahansa again: “Because of the screen of Maya that shuts off God from human view, one cannot see him playing in one’s heart. After installing the Deity on the lotus of your heart, you must keep the lamp of remembering God ever burning. While engaged in the affairs of the world, you should constantly turn your gaze inwards and see whether the lamp is burning or not.”
Cut to Sevapeeth Matri Mandir: The blissful abode of Swami Bedananda the transcendental Babuji who belongs to the Raja (king) and the Rank (commoner) alike. Matri Mandir assumes its name from Mother Goddess Kali whose small dark deity eternally lightens up the small room of the Swami. The unassuming saffron-clad sadhu prescribes an uncomplicated ploy to distinguish Brahma from Maya. “Discover and feel the God to emancipate yourself form sufferings,” he says. Suffering will go the next instant.
And the best way to discover Him is to look “within.” The Swami too says: “where to find God! It is easy. Don’t go here and there. Go find Him out within your own self. He resides there eternally. Retreat and retire from the outwardly pomp and sink within yourself … You may have many mansions but you have only one room.” And there on a throne He resides. “Watch out. The God’s throne in your heart must not wobble.”
The Swami explains the philosophical truth behind the great saying: “that what blossoms must wither and fall into decay,” and dissects life into four chapters. The first chapter resembles a horse when “you act on like performer,” second chapter reminds of an donkey lugging the baggage of family life, third chapter is like that of a dog “when you bark and keep off intruders from taking away your earnings.” The fourth chapter resembles a tortoise: “when you turn turtle and watch the proceedings of the world powerlessly.”
To emancipate oneself from this mundaneness one has to discover God “within.” And one who discovers God serves His children. This is why Swami Vivekananda says: “Jibe Seva karey jei jon sei jon sebiche Ishwar (Those who serve people, serve God).”
The Swami Bedananda’s ways are no different. And he leads his disciples and followers by example. He has donated his body for medical experiments -- post death. Following in his footstep about 15 people donated their bodies for the same purpose this Mahalaya Day (the eighth day before Durga Puja).
“Under the inspiration of Babuji we have been doing a whole lot of humanitarian works from providing the poor children with scholarships, helping the differently-abled persons, setting up eye-camps and so forth,” says an inmate of the Matri Mandir hoping in the days to come they too will be able to discover God “within” following in the footstep of the Sadhu.