Did Baba Lokenath and Thakur Ramakrishna Paramahamsa knew about each other?
For certain duration of time both, Baba Lokenath and Thakur
Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa were present in this world in their mortal forms, one
stayed in Barodi, a village close to Dhaka and the other in Kolkata. The
distance is barely around 500 Km. Yet, there had been no mention either through
their actions or words about the presence of the other. Even, there is no
documentary evidence available where it could be found that either one had
expressed anything about the other. This question lingers in our mind; answer, difficult to find and the reason, impossible to fathom.
Both of them had attained the highest level of the spiritual
truth, both of them were Bramhagyanis. Yet there had been no recognition by them about each other’s existence. Thakur Bijoykrishna Goswami hailed from a Vaishnava
family with a lineage from Adyaita Thakur. Adyaita Thakur was a close acquaintance
of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When Thakur Bijoykrishna Goswami met Baba Lokenath
and Thakur Shri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, he was an ardent believer and preacher of
Bramho Samaj. He was their devotee. He loved them both. Sometime he used to
visit Barodi to pay obeisance to Baba Lokenath; and whenever he visited Kolkata,
he used to come and pay his obeisance to Thakur Shri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa. Both
of them immensely love him too. Later on, Thakur Bijoykrishna Goswami accepted the Vaishnava faith and remained so for the rest of His life.
Even in any instance or through any conversation, Thakur Bijoykrishna Goswami did not
speak about both of them knowing each other. We, the ordinary devotees, who respect
and pray both of them, keep wondering about the fact whether they knew about
each other’s existence or not.
During the late years of Thakur Ramakrishna Paramhamsa,
hundreds and thousands of devotees used to visit Him regularly. Similarly, in
the last few years of Baba Lokenath, huge crowd of devotees used to visit Him
at Barodi Ashram. Among all such devotees, was there none who might have
visited both of them and got an indication that they knew about each other’s
existence. It is very hard to believe.
Baba Lokenath was a Mahayogi, known to be an incarnation of Lord
Shiva, whereas, Thakur Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was Bhaktyogi, known to be an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu. When Gods descend to the earth, they normally come
together. Baba Lokenath, Thakur Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Thakur Bijoykrishna
Goswami, Sai Baba, Swami Vivekananda and may be some others also, were all
contemporaries. They all came together. Normally, they come together in
different part of this world to preach and even teach us the true meaning of
life.
Even though there is no documentary evidence available
whether they knew about each other or not, but I strongly believe that there
may have been a spiritual connection between them. They might have known about
each other’s existence and accomplishments. They were Bramhagyanis, they saw
Param Bramha in every animate or inanimate things. They knew the Abolute Truth.
They were there among us to preach us and show us the way of attaining the
highest level of spirituality through renunciation.
We would be nothing more than the fools if we make an endeavor
to compare their contributions. All the paths of spirituality end at the
Absolute Truth. Whether we succeed in attaining this truth in this life or the next or after having many such lives, is immaterial. The main reason of
coming to this world as humans is to try and develop our spiritual level and
make an endeavor in each life to proceed one step closure to this Truth.
None of them had ever claimed that they are the God. We the
fools and idiots, try to think like that by knowing only so little about the
spirituality. We should be guided by their preachings and abide by the methods
they have taught us.
Whether Baba Lokenath was superior or Thakur Ramakrishna or
otherwise, is again a question that we may attempt to resolve, but definitely
would land up with a futile attempt. Though they were separated from one another by a distance, but in fact, they were One. Perhaps that is the reason why they have never
spoken about each other. Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu, are ultimately One in Two
different forms. We worship the One we like the most. Both of them are kind to
us and want us to fulfill the motto of being humans.
Baba Lokenath had gone through the different forms of Yoga,
but it is believed that He had attained the perfection through Karmayoga,
whereas, Thakur Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had succeeded in attaining the
perfection through Bhaktiyoga. It is for us to choose the path to pursue, but
in Kaliyuga the path of Bhaktiyoga is easy to follow and seek salvation.
May they give us the faith and guide us to follow both of
them without any distinction!
Jai Baba Lokenath!
Jai Thakur Ramakrishna Paramahamsa!
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Next post will come in due course.
