From Līlā to Nitya and Back: Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa and Vedānta

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁsa's religious orientation is best understood as Vedāntic but not sectarian or exclusive. He used different states of consciousness to explain varying attitudes toward the Divine, harmonizing diverse streams within Vedānta. He taught that as long as one has I-consciousness, one operates within the jurisdiction of śakti and must accept it as real; only in the state of samādhi, where I-consciousness disappears, is there neither One nor many. The article argues that Rāmakṛṣṇa was probably not as distant from the Advaita Vedānta philosopher Ādi Śaṁkara as previously claimed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

There has been a long-standing academic debate on the religious orientation of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa Paramahaṁsa (1836–1886), one of the leading religious figures of modern India. In the light of his teachings, it is possible to accept that Rāmakṛṣṇa’s ideas were Vedāntic, albeit not in a sectarian or exclusive way. This article explores the question of where exactly to place him in the chequered history of Vedāntic ideas. It points out that Rāmakṛṣṇa repeatedly referred to different states of consciousness while explaining the difference in the attitudes towards the Divine. This is the basis of his harmonization of the different streams within Vedānta. Again, it is also the basis of his understanding of the place of śakti. He demonstrated that, as long as one has I-consciousness, one is operating within the jurisdiction of śakti, and has to accept śakti as real. On the other hand, in the state of samādhi, which is the only state in which the I-consciosuness disappears, there is neither One nor many. The article also shows that, while Rāmakṛṣṇa accepted all of the different views within Vedānta, he was probably not as distant from the Advaita Vedānta philosopher Ādi Śaṁkara as he has been made out to be.