Our Main Crisis and Sri Ramakrishna- Vivekananda and Other Articles

“Keeping before us the ideal of “Serving all beings with Shiva-consciousness”, Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda are giving us this message, this teaching.

If we can imbibe this ideal in our life, we can fulfil our aspiration that is natural to man's nature, about God, about soul and about religion; and along with it our life will become prosperous in all aspects and in all fields. There will be abundance everywhere. This prosperity will not take place by neglecting ‘man’ for whom it is meant. In the same way, it will not be based on mere ‘humanity' of 'man'. It will be based on ‘man's' divine nature, on his true nature. Humanity is included in divinity but “divinity' is not included in ‘humanity'. Morality is easily included in spirituality but spirituality is not included in mere morality and therefore if we can establish this ideal of “Serving all beings with Shiva-consciousness,” divinity, humanity and riches – religion, humanism and affluence – spirituality, morality and abhyudaya, all these will be attained by us in our lives and our main crisis of today of ‘how to achieve spiritual progress and material development simultaneously', will be easily solved. Our lives in all its varied aspects, in all different fields will be peaceful, contented and free of struggle or conflict and will be fruitful and fulfilled.”

We are happy to publish this new book in English entitled, “Our Main Crisis & Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda & other Articles” which was originally written in Marathi by Swami Shivatatvananda and published by Ramakrishna Math, Nagpur in the year 1975. It was first published in the form of editorials in the Marathi journal named “Jivan-Vikas” and later on published in a book form.

Today in the lives of Indians we come across tremendous unrest, frustration, lack of peace and vanity leading to utter chaos in the country. Merely by material development or economic progress the condition of the nation will not improve. Along with it, spiritual and moral values of life must also be inculcated in the lives of people. Just by material and economic development what evil consequences befall, we can easily understand from the current situation in the Western countries. ‘Harmony of religions' and ‘Serve man as God', these are the two principles given to us by Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda, demonstrated in their own lives and teachings. With the help of these precepts India's all-round development can take place and the terrible chaos prevailing in the nation can be removed. If these two principles are actually practised in individual and collective life then in all divisions of life – social, educational, industrial and other fields, an atmosphere of peace, contentment and progress can be established and the task of India's rejuvenation can become successful. Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda have given a highly effulgent and all inclusive attitude of life to Indians based on man's divine nature; it can give rise to real humanity. If we take the spirit and inspiration from this and give new shape and new dimension to our life, there is no doubt that India will progress much in all fields.

From the point of view of individual as well as national development, the publication of this book will be highly beneficial, this is our sincere hope and faith.

We extend our hearty thanks to Mr. Bhagbat Chakraborti for helping us in publication of this book and to Malti Prints of Aurangabad for printing it.

**Contents and Sample Pages**