Models of Devotion: St Francis of Assisi &

MODELS OF DEVOTION:
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI AND
SRI RAMAKRISHNA OF DAKSHINESWAR

Devotion, whatever the definitions and descriptions held by different religions, is one of the most significant of all attitudes to God. It has been through the centuries a pervasive mode of spiritual sadhana or inner quest. Moreover, since it involves prayer and verbal homage, it has also meant the enriching of the linguistic resources of a nation. Whether it is Thomas A. Kempis in The Limitation of Christ or St. Francis in his Canticles or Brother Lawrence in The Practice of the Presence of God or the Hindu saint-poets such as Kabir and Surdas in dohas, Mirabai in bhajans, Tulsidas in his devotional poems the summit of which is the Ramacharitamanas and many others ­their outpourings in the form of meditations and hymns and prayers brought about a renaissance of languages and literatures. Therefore, any critical study of such figures not only means a strengthening of the religious and historic traditions of mankind but also a reassessment of their linguistic heritage.

The tradition of devotion or prayer and supplication of the Lord, of grace and self-effort, of surrender is a common phenomenon found in almost all the major world religions. In the ethos steeped in materialism the context is right for the concerted attempts that are afoot to recover the wisdom traditions of the world. It is perceived that this attempt will provide the necessary corrective to the nihilistic, atheistic tendencies and the godless secularism of the false modernity. Also, since the present is a time which favours inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, it is significant to take up comparative studies of different religions in order to show the similarity in the enduring core which can be found at the centre of all religious discourse.

In this context of enveloping unity of different religions, the words of John Paul II are worth noting. His Holiness puts it inimitably by saying that:

From the beginning, Christian Revelation has viewed the spiritual history of in an as including in some way, all­ religions, thereby demonstrating the unity of humankind with regard to the eternal and ultimate destiny of man. (1994:78)

Devotion can be seen as one of the paths leading to this ultimate destiny of man, a dimension that has been emphasized in all religions.

What exactly constitutes this quality of devotion? Many are the descriptions of this attitude of an aspirant towards the divine, For instance, a contemporary expounder of perennial philosophy, Sri Chinmoy, has given us a definition of devotion in these words:

“Devotion is the complete submission of the individual will to the Will divine. Devotion is adoration. Adoration is the spontaneous delight that springs from the heart. Who can be the object of our adoration? God. How can we adore Him? Through our self-surrender.” (1988-424)

This more or less an exact paraphrase of the classic aphorism of Narada, the sage whose exposition of devotion is found in the classic Bhakti-sutras, Talking about this seminal document on devotion Swami Prahbavananda wrote:

Bhakti (devotion), is the intense love of God (1972: 13)

The Christian spirit of devotion and love is ably expressed by Thomas A. Kempis in the words:

In a spirit of faith and of love for God’s will, let religions show obedience to their superiors in accord with the norms of love,” (177)

Similarly, the way of devotion and its culmination in mysticism is the core of almost all religious experience. It is true that there are apparently divergent forms of manifestation of
devotion and mysticism but there is a common core running through all this diversity unifying it at some level or the other.

As a great authority on mysticism, William .Johnston has pointed out after a lifetime spent in pursuing and portraying the different paths of mysticism:

...... I realized anew that...everywhere we need conversion, Everywhere we need total commitment to peace. It is a question of survival. And this total conversion and radical commitment will not come from an enlightened assessment of the military potential of the superpowers ... the crucial thing is a radical, foolish, and mystical love for the gospel. (1973: 198)

Since the word “gospel” means the word of God, the religions of the world and their mystical core is God’s word through different realised human personalities in different linguistic modes, at different parts of historic time and geographic space. These mystical traditions deserve study for a better global future.

Against this ground the two saints chosen as models for devotion are St. Francis of Assisi and Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar. St. Francis lived in the far off West during the years 1181 to 1226 while Sri Ramakrishna belonged to a part of rural India and lived between 1836 and 1886. These two figures have been chosen as models of devotion because in their respective religions they appear as the most outstanding examples of incarnate spirituality.

St. Francis is the patron saint not only of Italy but a repository of the spiritual tradition invaluable to Christianity as well as to the entire humanity. He was called the “Seraphic saint”. Indeed, in a recent homage, Pope John Paul II, citing Dante, says, that with the birth of St. Francis “a sun was born to the world”. Identifying the invaluable spiritual heritage of St. Francis, the Pope says:

St. Francis! We all know what the birth of the great Saint of Assisi has meant for mankind!

There are many reasons why he exerted and goes on exerting a marked fascination in the Church, and outside her as well: his was an optimistic vision of the whole creation as the epiphany of God and the homeland of Christ, whom he celebrated in his well known “Canticle of Creatures”, he chose poverty as the expression of his whole life, and called it “My Lady­ Madonna,” the term used by knights to their ladies and by Christian to the Mother of God (1994: 348-49)

Though more than six centuries separate him from St. Francis, Sri Ramakrishna has many points of comparison with the saint of Assisi. Sri Ramakrishna is today hailed as the greatest incarnation of divinity that India has produced in the recorded history. Eminent thinkers from all parts of the world - Max Muller, Romain Rolland, Christopher, Isherwood, Aldous Huxley among others - regarded him as a unique exemplification of perennial philosophy. Though he lived in a remote corner of colonial Calcutta in India, Sri Ramakrishna’s words of wisdom have penetrated into the spiritual corners of several parts of the globe. Recorded with stenographic accuracy by a disciple who prefers anonymity in the name M. in Bengali, the book has been translated into numerous languages including English under the title The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, placing it in the tradition of the Christian gospels.

Both these figures represented and emphasised the unique path of devotion. A study of the devotional paths of both the saints shows several areas of similarity as also contrast reflecting the structural peculiarities of their respective religions which have an underlying unity.

For instance, both these mystics show surprising likenesses in spite of their birth being separated by many centuries; the first of these is the ethos into which each of them was born: it was during the periods in the history of their motherland which needed such an advent. In Italy of the twelfth century as in the India of the nineteenth century the demon of materialism was rampant. Stories about the protest of these two saints to this evil are legendary. St. Francis quarreled with his father and left all material possessions behind. Sri Ramakrishna told his brother in no uncertain terms that he had no use for an education which was merely for earning money. After this wealth was an anathema for both: it had no, more, value than the sand below their feet.

Therefore, the prevalent decadence of the two countries in which these two exceptional persons came needed a spiritual, cultural and literary renaissance to avert chaos. They began their spiritual journey also in similar ways: they are both famed for their total, unswerving commitment to the Lord. In the case of St. Francis it was Christ while in Sri Ramakrishna’s case in was Mother Kali. As a devoted scholar has put it –

Probably no one in history has ever set himself so seriously as did Francis to imitate the life of Christ and to carry out so literally Christ’s work in Christ’s own way.

In the same manner, describing Ramakrishna’s fervour, Professor Guiseppe Tucci says:

He wants that the statue of the Goddess - to whom he addresses his daily prayers - should come to life and appear in all Her glory before his worshipping eyes ... Many will be surprised in learning that the ‘mother’ whom he called with all the bitterness of a forsaken child, is that very same Kali whom tradition represents under terrifying aspects (1986: 376)

Both St. Francis and Sri Ramakrishna extolled and lived the life of utter, total and holy poverty, humility, chastity and charity. For Sri Ramakrishna the renunciation of money was total and St. Francis gave up even the piece of cloth he was wearing when his father objected to his generosity to the poor. Both adopted voluntary poverty, poverty by choice and therefore transmitted the ideal of renunciation.

The emphasis on prayer and devotion as the only paths for final redemption is one more point of contact between the two saints. They both venerated nature as the living, vibrant image of God. Ramakrishna’s first ecstasy when he was hardly a boy of seven was induced by the unique harmony of nature when a group of white cranes flew over a dark cloud. Francis has been described as having a living relationship with birds and beasts which formed a part of his cosmic sadhana. Both felt that the best is a pitfall, leading to vanity, pride, ambition and vulgarity of thought. What they were implicitly emphasising was spiritual education.

In their attitude to sin the two savants were conditioned by the precepts of their respective religions. Both brought a peculiarly modern outlook to the problem of sin. Sin is redemptive through prayer, penitence and repentance for Francis; for Ramakrishna there is no sin except the sin of egoism. In the contemporary theological debate this perspective of sin has interesting implications.

Meditation as a powerful mode of self-­actualisation is the common core of both the saints. St. Francis says:

Meditate as, much while on this journey as if you were shut up in a hermitage, or in your cell, for whatever we, are, wherever we go, we carry our call with us. Brother, body is our cell, the soul is the hermit who dwells in it, there to pray to the Lord and to meditate.

Similarly Sri Ramakrishna recommended meditative awareness in whatever way we can focus. His famous aphorism was mane, vane and kone, that is, to meditate in the mind, a corner of a room or forest, all being fit places for meditation.

Above all, both based their lives on the authentic and direct experience in a transcendental state which may be called ecstasy or samadhi. They affirmed that contemplation was their mode and being the model devotee their goal. Thus they belong to the category of saviours and are not mere religious reformers.

A study of the recorded sayings of these two saints also indicate many points of similarity. Their words structure universal truths which are imperishable, for all times and climes. They use linguistic modes and stylistic virtuosity to express the ineffable, inexpressible mystery of experiencing the divine. The insights gained from such a study has invaluable and crucial significance for humanity which stands on the precarious brink of annihilation.

References:

Chinmoy, Sri 1988. Beyond Within: A Philosophy for the inner Life. Jamaica: Agm Press.

John Paul II, His Holiness. 1994, Crossing the Threshold of Hope. London: Jonathan Cape.

John Paul II, Pope, 1994. “St. Francis of Assisi” in Prayers and Devotions, edited by Bishop Peter Canisius Johannes van Llerde. Viking/Penguin.

Johnston, William. 1973. Christian Mysticism Today, San Francisco: Harper and Row.

Prabhavananda, Swami. 1972. Narada’s Way of Divine Love. Madras: Sri Ramakrishna Math.