'Success' story of a humble monk
Swami Jyotirmayananda of Kerala says success is "self-fulfillment." It need not be pleasurable or materially rewarding.
From Chennai, he comes, traveling the US -- from New York to California -- as did he in India, as a wanderer, preaching the gospel of Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Jyotirmayananda has, literally, no home, no possessions. "The sky, thy roof, the grass, thy bed." His is the song of the sannyasin. He has neither wealth, nor retinue, nor fame, yet dares he to say what is success?
Said Yudhistira, "Follow the path the great have trodden." Jyotirmayananda follows the monk who changed the East and West. Vivekananda, who introduced Hinduism and Yoga to America, and inspired Indians to a renewed appreciation of their spiritual heritage.
Swami Joytirmayananda's book, "Vivekananda -- His Gospel of Man-making," is now in its fifth edition. He has, through it, become well known -- though the monk would not call that "success." Vivekananda said: "That desire for fame is the most of all filth". But, Jyotirmayananda's book is becoming famous. That is success.
Born in 1945, in a Purohit family, in Kerala, after his studies, he worked at a firm in Madras, then as lay worker for the Vivekananda Kendra. In 1976, he became a monk.
Three years of itinerant life led him to conceive an idea to chronicle the life and times of Vivekananda, to offer a glimpse of his personality, and his gospel of "Man-making." But he had no practical means to start. Then, while wandering in Kerala, he met Mother Krishnabai at Anandashram. She unexpectedly offered him money. With this sum, he embarked upon a five-year task of writing his book, sustaining himself on 100 rupees ($2.00) a month.
When finished, he went to a printing press in Madras, asking them to print his 2000-page manuscript. They said to the unknown monk, "Where's the money?" Crestfallen, he veered, made a flier about his book, then spent another year soliciting 800 pre-publication orders.
His first edition was published in 1986. The Governor of Madras released it; the first copy was accepted by Swami Ranganathananda of the Ramakrishna Order. He offered a copy to the Mother, who blessed it. The book sold out.
Later, when he offered her all the proceeds, Krishnabai would not accept, since it came, she said, from his dedication. He used the money for a second edition. When that too sold out, he returned with a greater sum. But Mother Krishnabai was no more. Jyotirmayananda donated every rupee to her ashram for the feeding of the poor. He was "joyously" among the poor.
His 986-page book has been reviewed by leading writers and scholars. Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee has it in his library. It graces some 500 university libraries in 50 US States, and 5,000 libraries in India.
He attended the UN World Peace Summit (2000) as one of 100 spiritual leaders of India, has given scholarly and critical audiences, and the youth of the West. Swami Ranganathananda, president of the Ramakrishna Order, wrote his book should be "in every library". Renowned journalist M. V. Kamath wrote: "There has never has been a book like this before, and it is unlikely that there will be another like this again". Around the world, monks have praised it.
But "success" came mainly of struggle. The vicissitudes of fortune caused him pain, as well as pleasure: the printer who failed deadlines, a Christian copy editor who deleted Vivekananda's criticism of missionaries, a theft, rain damage, transporting books to US at tremendous cost, and struggling to dispose them as a stranger in a strange land. Twenty-two years on one project, never accumulating, donating the proceeds again and again. Miraculously, it seemed, successive editions were brought out.
His journey is measured almost by his beard grown long and white with time. In his ochre robe, he looks like a patriarch out of Levant. The fifth edition has old out; he donated all to the poor. Now, the poverello again awaits the will of God.
Dedicating his life to Vivekananda, in poverty and in chastity -- he calls this success. "To succeed," said Vivekananda, "you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will, 'I will drink the ocean,persevering soul, 'at my will mountain will crumble,' have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard and you will reach the goal."
By this definition, the mendicant, Jyotirmayananda has succeeded -- in these cynical times -- tremendously well.
He can be contacted at swamijyoti@vivekanandagospel.org
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Frank Parlato Jr is a syndicated journalist whose work has appeared in more than 100 publications worldwide. He writes this column exclusively for the India Tribune. He may be reached at par730@adelphia.net
