Our Emblem – Sharada Foundation

The emblem of Bailur Math group of institutions is comprehensive representation of the perfect human ideal, The Supreme and the ultimate Goal of the precious human life, as well as the process of living that ideal and reaching that Goal as depicted in and through the life and teachings of the Holy Trio — Bhagavān Sri Rāmakŗishṇa Deva, Mā Shāradā Devi and Swami Vivekānanda. The ideal, the goal, and the life dedicated to them is flowing down as a deep-rooted tradition world-wide and as a peace imparting Global Movement. It was drawn by our spiritual inspiration Most Revered Swami Vinayakanandaji Maharaj. The life and teachings of the Holy Trio convey to us:

The Goal

“You have arrived to this world of mortal inevitably by the imperative enforced by Nature, the cause is your own Kārmic load; and, the effect is your identification with the bodily existence. This world is a realm of duality and relativity governed by time and space. Thus, it is a constantly changing flux, with impermanency and uncertainty as the basic principles. The duality creates … I and you, this and that, here and there, pleasure and pain, joys and sorrows … etc. The pleasures are momentary; and the joys are short termed, fading away in minutes. But the pain and sorrow, and the bondage they bring with them are long lasting. Thus, for every Jīva living in this realm of matter governed by Nature, this universe is a prison house. Your identification with bodily existence is what is making you remain imprisoned in this realm of Nature. You are the spark of Divine from the Realm Beyond, the unchanging Eternal Infinite Ocean of Bliss-Peace-Love Absolute. You have lost your real identity; by gaining your real identity you will know and experience yourself independent of bodily existence, and in turn become free forever from the realm of Nature to which the body belongs to. While continuing to be in the body and even after leaving the body too, you will be floating in the ocean of Bliss-Absolute being yourself the Bliss. This is Ātma Jñāna; you know yourself being Ātman, The Immortal Being. With this identity of Being Ātman, the Self experiences total oneness with the Absolute Existence, The Brahman and with the Cosmic Consciousness The Īśvara, and same total oneness with every Jīvātman; and sees the entire universe being Divine. You may call this Self-Realization or God-Realization, it means the same. It is going back to the Source, the Home Eternal. This is the Supreme Goal of human life.”

The Way

“You are passing through three states — waking, dreaming and deep-sleep. In waking-state you remain identified with physical body, and in dream-state with dream body, and in deep-sleep state with absence of all that was known. With this as the clue, discover who you are in this body. There are four paths — the path of divine love, Bhakti yoga; the path of knowledge, Jñāna Yoga; the path of service, Karma Yoga; and, the path of self-control, Rāja Yoga. Including Karma Yoga, all these directly or indirectly pertain to inward journey; and is achieved by destroying the little ‘self’ coupled to externalized ego. This puny self is destroyed in Bhakti Yoga through ‘self-surrender’, in Jñāna Yoga through ‘self-knowledge; in Karma Yoga through ‘self-sacrifice’ and in Rāja Yoga through ‘self-control’. But this is a long process, perhaps lifelong, or even more! Whole of life is there to be lived. How to live as this body in this world of duality? Are we to run away and hide in solitude and dedicate to the Yoga path? This is not the ideal/path placed before us by the Holy Trio.” “You have been brought to this world and have been endowed with a human body. The bodily existence is an inseparable part of Nature. Yet, owing to the Kārmic load and past tendencies, you have identified with that one bodily part losing the sight of and discarding the rest of the Nature/Cosmos. Separateness is a delusion. Overcome this delusion by being one with the rest of the Cosmic existence through the universal love and love of God. Let your mind expand to be one with the entire universe, your heart one with all beings, and your consciousness one with the All-pervading God. Remain in Cosmic-awareness; let the microcosm (you) feel intense oneness with the Macrocosm (the Universe with all beings). Then, internally practice the four Yogās and reach the Supreme Goal of life, to find the Ultimate Reality, the God, your own Self.”

The Emblem

Thus, in the Emblem, we find the external-most green squarish twelve cornered enclosure representing the entire ever-changing universe, the entire Cosmic Existence. The four projections in four directions indicate ever-changing and ever-expanding phase of the universe. Moving within, next in order is dull-colored lotus — representing universal love. The alternating blunt and sharp petals in that lotus represents sacrifice and service as the inseparable expressions of that universal love for all beings. The inner bright Lotus represents love of God, the Bhakti, devotion which stands as the foundation for practicing all types of spiritual disciplines and also as one of the four Yogās, the Bhakti Yoga. The wavy waters in the emblem symbolize Karma Yoga, and the rising sun symbolize Jñāna Yoga. The encircling serpent is indicative of Rāja Yoga and also the awakened Kunḍalini Śakti [Kunḍalini is innate Transcendental Power in Jīva which was responsible for the origin and the Jīva and its appearance in this universe and, which remains with the Jīva always to make it merge in the Source, the Brahman.] While the Swan at the center stands for the Ātman, which is identical with Paramātman and Brahman. Collectively, the Emblem portrays that— by finding oneness with all beings and the entire Cosmos through universal love, we live as divine beings seeing Divine everywhere; by adopting the four Yogās — Jñāna, Bhakti, Karma and Rāja Yogas, we transcend the Nature and the bodily identity, and realize the Spirit, the Paramātman. And to that effect ‘we meditate offering ourselves entirely to the Supreme Truth’ — Satyam Param Dhīmahi. || सत्यं परं धीमहि || – “The Supreme Truth We Meditate Upon”. The emblem of Sharada Foundation is mirror image of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama (Bailur Math), with all same features.