The centenary celebration of the launching of ‘Prabudha Keralam,’ the mouthpiece of Ramakrishna Mission, in Malayalam, has called for spreading the right understanding of the Upanishads so as to strengthen spirituality beyond religion which was the need of the hour.
Delivering the keynote address, D. Babu Paul, former Additional Chief Secretary, said one should not judge the great philosophies on the basis of their degenerated derivates practised by a marginal minority among its followers.
The very term fundamentalism was derived from the theory practised by a marginal segment of Christians in the USA. Known as Southern Baptists, they wanted a Return to the Fundamentals. “One cannot believe that the terror attack in Nice in France represented Islam. True Islam was characterised by its peaceful nature as was being practised,” he said.
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He said that Sriramakrishna Paramahamsa who commenced his spiritual journey as a devotee of Kali had later transformed by imbibing the spiritual ethos of Islam and Christianity, among others. “He had lived three years like a Musalman to imbibe the teaching of Islam.” “Sriramakrishna Paramahamsa had taught and Swami Vivekanda had spread the message of One God being witnessed from various dimensions,” he said.
He said publications like ‘Prabudha Keralam’ has a role to play in spreading this message.
In his presidential address, Swami Vamadevanandaji Maharaj, head of the Ramakrishna Mutt at Pala, said the magazine was launched at a time when massive disparity existed in the society not only with regard to spiritual awakening, but also caste, education and wealth. Swami Vivekanda wanted to take the right knowledge of Vedanta to every household so that the message of Oneness could be spread in society.
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