Continued from Part-II

29. Ijyananda Ji loved Swami Vireswarananda Ji, Holy Mother’s Disciple and the 10th President of the Ramakrishna Order very much. He used to speak now and then of him, and the life of Vireswarananda Ji brought out by Belur Math was always available at the Guwahati Ashrama for sale. Once, an elderly couple known to Ijyananda Ji came. I was standing nearby. Ijyananda Ji recollecting old memories of Vireswarananda Ji was saying how Prabhu Maharaj or Vireswarananda Ji had asked him to bring someone for initiation when he had visited Shillong. The elderly lady under reference referred to the Ashrama as her real home and Satchidananda as the Guru to which Ijyananda Ji agreed. The lady though associated with the Holy Order for many decades had never felt like taking diksha.

30. Ijyananda Ji always spoke directly to the heart as another friend of mine, Shri Deva Bordoloi, who is now a lawyer, felt once on his very first visit. Ijyananda Ji only addressed a few words to him. But Deva even now says, “People say many things. They seldom go to the heart. But whatever Ijyananda Ji spoke as if directly penetrated my heart.”

31. A Swami of the Ramakrishna Order once visited the Guwahati Ashrama on Ijyananda Ji’s invitation. He was a famous orator. After his speech, as both of them walked by, I bowed to Ijyananda Ji. He asked me to bow to that junior visitor Swami first. Later, Ijyananda Ji made him sit in a chair so that people could make pranam to him. At the visitor Swami’s earnest request, Ijyananda Ji too sat by his side. I was standing at a corner like a rebel. Glancing towards me, the visitor Swami said, “Everybody will be turned into gold. Everybody.”

32. Once, Ijyananda Ji was sitting on the verandah outside the booksales counter. He started speaking about Vireswarananda Ji Maharaj. I was one among those present nearby. Ijyananda Ji said how Vireswarananda Ji had once told all present at that moment that they would each have to become a temple of Shri Ramakrishna. Ijyananda Ji further remarked that it was not Vireswarananda Ji who spoke thus, but Thakur Shri Ramakrishna who spoke through him then.

33. Shri Rupak Chaudhuri, disciple of Gahanananda Ji and assistant Librarian at the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama at Birubari, Guwahati, relates, “Once Ijyananda Ji, as was his habit after aarati, was sitting on his asana near the image of Sri Ramakrishna and meditating. After some time, x da, who had come to the Ashrama with his mother, and who was a good but mentally disturbed person, came from behind and sought to pull Ijyananda Ji’s asana from under him. Just as he touched the asana, he was violently thrown back a few feet by an unseen force. Swami Ijyananda Ji was all the time deep in meditation and unaware of all this happening.”

34. Shri Debajit Das, disciple of Swami Vireswarananda Ji, and Director of Indus Quality Foundation, New Delhi, tells me, “Pravir Maharaj of Kamarpukur still regrets two things in his life so far. He has told me that when he was a brahmachari posted in the Guwahati Ashrama during Ijyananda Ji’s time, he felt annoyed over something and went away to Belur Math, seeking transfer to some other centre. At Belur Math, Bhajanananda Ji, Yatiswarananda Ji’s disciple, and a realized soul himself, berated him severely telling Pravir Maharaj that he was a fool to have left Guwahati, the land of Mother Kamakhya where by Mother’s Grace one can easily have deep meditation, and to have left the Guwahati Ashrama where he had the good fortune of being under the leadership of a realized soul like Swami Ijyananda Ji. Now God knows which centre of the Holy Order he would be sent to and he was not likely to have such good fortune and opportunity again. Pravir Maharaj tried many a times to get back to Guwahati Ashrama but that never came about. This leaving the land of Kamakhya and the leadership of Swami Ijyananda Ji are his two lasting regrets in life.”

35. I just remembered one point about Revered Ijyananda Ji. Ijyananda Ji, like Swami Premananda Ji (another of the Direct Disciples of Sri Ramakrishna) much before him, had a deep regard for Thakur Sri Ramakrishna’s prasada. I noticed more than once his refusing to accept pranam if one had prasada with him/her even in pocket, or has eaten prasada and not yet washed hands. Also, I remember once his giving me prasada and then telling me to eat it there itself immediately. He explained the reason for that also. But I do not remember.

36. I have read Swami Vivekananda saying that the presence of those who love God makes a place holy, “such is the glory of the children of the Lord.” They are He, and when they speak, their words are scriptures. The place where they have been becomes filled with their vibrations and those going there feel them and have a tendency to become holy also. This was true of Swami Ijyananda Ji and the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama which he built up. After the Ramakrishna Temple in the Ashrama was consecrated in 1988 by Swamis Gambhirananda and Bhuteshananda Ji Maharaj, Swami Ijyananda by his devotion and sadhana (austerities) made Sri Ramakrishna a living presence in the temple. So even now when I go and sit in the temple for some time, I get some peace, holy thoughts come, and I gain fresh inspiration and strength to carry on the struggle of life while holding on to the Lord.

37. There is a photo in the office room of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama at Birubari, Guwahati. It is a group photo of the monks and brahmacharis who had come for the consecration of the Sri Ramakrishna Temple in 1988. In the photo, Swamis Gambhirananda and Bhuteshananda are sitting in the middle on chairs, Swami Ijyananda sitting on the ground at their feet, Swami Atmasthananda sitting at one side, and Swami Gokulananda standing just behind Gambhirananda Ji. I love the photo and often gaze at it for it has five saints who made a difference in my life, Swami Gambhirananda through his books and disciples, and the others in person. By the way, I had started visiting the Ashrama since January 17, 1989, attracted by the books for sale and the beauty of the place, the temple itself being an imposing and attracting presence. I hardly knew about Sri Ramakrishna at that time.

38. I remember one dream about Ijyananda Ji while he was still in the body. In the dream Ijyananda Ji told me Swami Bhaskarananda Ji of Varanashi had come and asked me to go bow to him. When I went to have his darshan, I found there Gangeya Mata of Brindavan instead. I bowed at the feet of Gangeya Mata and felt peace and bliss, but there was some disturbance in my mind and when I stood up, I felt Gangeya Mata was also not too pleased. I came back to Ijyananda Ji and he directed me to a room where lots of latrine kumuds were kept and asked me to repair them. Perhaps he was thereby directing me to purify myself through cleansing my impure samskaras.

39. Here is what Swami Vimokshananda Ji, disciple of Nirvanananda Ji Maharaj (direct disciple of Brahmananda Ji Maharaj) and President of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa wrote on May 19, 2009 at 9:17 am (South African timings) to me: “Dear Ankur, Nice to know that you enjoyed the posts. Yes, I received recently your pdf file on Revered Swami Ijyanandaji Maharaj. Undoubtedly it is a moving account. While reading your description, I was transported to those old days from 1979 to 1986 when I was in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) and used to frequent Guwahati Ashram at least thrice in a year and spend 7 to 10 days every time with Ijyanandaji Maharaj. His love, compassion and understanding human nature made me look at him with awe and wonder. To many he was an enigma but to those who loved him he was verily a Mother. Meticulous by nature, his mind was constantly on the Holy Mother. A great soul! My pranams to him! May these pure beacons light up our paths! -- Swami Vimokshananda.”

40. One last point. Yesterday, i.e. on 31st May, 2009, while visiting Rongjuli in Goalpara District of Assam to meet my old friend Sri Mridul Saikia, I remembered this point. I remember indistinctly my once meeting Ijyananda Ji alone in his office and asking him about attaining peace of mind. He said that it was not something to be attained in a day, the Rishis and Munis of old used to stand on their heads and practise intense austerities for thousands of years to have God Grace, Vision and attendant peace of mind. I then asked Maharaj whether on my practising japa for two three years more, I will attain peace of mind. He said I had to go on practising.

In conclusion, I would like to say that though I have heard people regarding Ijyananda Ji as a very strict monk of the old order, I found in him always a very gentle, understanding, accepting and loving personality. From the first day I met him he used to give great stress on my building up my health. He said repeatedly, “Your foundation is good. But you must build up your health.” After he passed on, I have felt at times in my heart Ijyananda Ji telling me, “We are proud of you,” and whether that is my imagination or some real message from him, I do feel my broken self-esteem peeped up whenever I ‘hear’ that! As Atmasthananda Ji says, “One thing that is a very great power in all men of God is unaccountable love. You cannot explain why they love you. They don’t ask anything in return. They do not ask that you become a monk or do anything in return. They just love you. This is something very, very wonderful.” Truly even today when I recollect my association with Ijyananda Ji Maharaj, I feel honoured at receiving his love and blessed at the trust he had regards my future.

The memories of this good, loving divine soul, Holy Mother’s eternal child who NEVER turned his head away from me, especially when my inimical samskaras started bearing fruit making me as if half-mad, fills me with hope even today. Even recollection of his memories makes me feel pure. I offer my heartfelt prayers and pranam (obeisance) at the dust of his holy feet.

Originally composed by Ankur Acharya during Sept-Oct, 2007 at Shillong.

This present revised version Guwahati, Saturday, 10 October 2009, 3:36:21 PM

CONCLUDED

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India