RAM CHANDRA DATTA
Ram Chandra Datta (1851-1899) was the first householder-disciple to come to Sri Ramakrishna. This was in 1879. He was a doctor with the title of Chemical Examiner at Calcutta Medical College, and Professor of Chemistry at the Science Association.
In the beginning, he was an agnostic inclined to outright atheism. His lack of faith, though, made him restless, and it stimulated his intellectual curiosity.
His real gift was his intuition, to the extent that his first encounter with Ramakrishna left him feeling he had been in the presence of spiritual greatness.
Though gradual, it was clear that a profound change was taking place in him. More and more his thoughts turned away from worldly matters.
Even so, doubts crept in upon him. But the die had been cast. His spirituality and devotion to Ramakrishna grew ever stronger. Even his wife, Krishnapreyasi, became devout, and cheerfully helped him in his spiritual path.
When Ramakrishna became ill with throat cancer and neared the end of his life, Ram Chandra decided to record his experiences of the Master and his teachings.
When Ramakrishna heard that his disciple was writing something about him, he cautioned him, saying: "Do not publish my biography just now. If you do, my body will not last long."
Ram Chandra honoured this request, until finally, in 1890, four years after the Master’s passing, he wrote his Ramakrishna biography which he entitled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadever Jivanvrittanta.
Noteworthy is that Ram Chandra Datta was the first person to publish a biography of Ramakrishna, and then the first to build a temple for the worship of the Master’s relics, and finally the first to preach publicly that Ramakrishna was an avatar.
In the beginning, he was an agnostic inclined to outright atheism. His lack of faith, though, made him restless, and it stimulated his intellectual curiosity.
His real gift was his intuition, to the extent that his first encounter with Ramakrishna left him feeling he had been in the presence of spiritual greatness.
Though gradual, it was clear that a profound change was taking place in him. More and more his thoughts turned away from worldly matters.
Even so, doubts crept in upon him. But the die had been cast. His spirituality and devotion to Ramakrishna grew ever stronger. Even his wife, Krishnapreyasi, became devout, and cheerfully helped him in his spiritual path.
When Ramakrishna became ill with throat cancer and neared the end of his life, Ram Chandra decided to record his experiences of the Master and his teachings.
When Ramakrishna heard that his disciple was writing something about him, he cautioned him, saying: "Do not publish my biography just now. If you do, my body will not last long."
Ram Chandra honoured this request, until finally, in 1890, four years after the Master’s passing, he wrote his Ramakrishna biography which he entitled Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadever Jivanvrittanta.
Noteworthy is that Ram Chandra Datta was the first person to publish a biography of Ramakrishna, and then the first to build a temple for the worship of the Master’s relics, and finally the first to preach publicly that Ramakrishna was an avatar.
posted by Donald L. Simons at
7:36 AM
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