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As is well known, the Mission is engaged in conducting multifarious activities - medical, educational, cultural, relief and rehabilitation work, plus others; and all these in the spirit of Narayana Seva, that is in a holistic spirit and attitude. This new kind of worship of Narayana in Nara involves “seeing God and serving him in all human beings, the living and moving temples of God”. Particularly, this holistic service (or worship) is to be addressed to members of that awfully neglected section of our society the poor and the downtrodden without regard to their caste, creed, race, religion or gender.
If one cares to trace the origin-of this Narayana Seva in the Mission (Mahatma Gandhi categorised it Daridra Narayana Seva), one will find that it had its beginning in the injunction of Shri Ramakrishna to Narendra (the pre-monastic name of Swami Vivekananda) not to indulge in mere charity out of pity for the poor, but to render appropriate service to them in a worshipful and not condescending spirit and manner. Consequently, Swamiji also, in turn called upon his followers to do the same, asking them pointedly: “Where shall we go to seek for God? Are not all the poor, the miserable, the weak, gods? Why not worship them first? Why go to dig a well on the shores of the Ganga?”
As anyone who is familiar with the life of Shri Ramakrishna will know, he had successfully practised each of the various major religions. He had not only practised the various faiths but he had gone on to attain the final unitary experience (in nirvikalpa samadhi) which is the culmination of all spiritual experience. After having gained Cosmic Consciousness attendant on the supreme realisation he became as the shastras say samadrishta (same sighted towards all). Consequent upon his perception of the divine ground common to the whole creation of the spiritual unity that informs the plethora of diversity (including the diversity of faiths), the master confidently declared, “As many faiths so many valid paths to God realisation”. In other words one can realise the Supreme Being or attain Perfection by following any religious path with sincerity. All religious are true, being variously suited to the different tastes, temperaments and capacities of their respective followers”, he averred. “Each path is a valid one and quite capable of taking a person to the highest goal. The only thing wrong is to believe that one’s own religion or path is the only true one and all others false”.
This enlightened and universal approach to religion which is unifying and not divisive and which moreover stems from lofty mystic realisation and not just academic study or dissertation has been hailed by no less a person than the distinguished British historian, Sir Arnold Toynbee, as ‘unique in Indira or elsewhere’.
Needless to say, the Sage of Dakshineshwar’s
aforesaid approach to religion is faithfully reflected in all the activities
of the body named after him. When translated into practical terms (Swami
Vivekananda called it Practical Vedanta) of social or community service
his unprecedentedly broad and liberal vision animates all its activities
as all paths lead to the same great goal. Swami Vivekananda’s zeal for
spiritual humanism is reflected in the motto he bestowed upon the organisation:
atmano mokshartham jagadhitaya cha. (“For one’s own liberation and the
good of the world”).
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