Lucknow: Swami Muktinathananda, President of Ramakrishna Math, Lucknow, emphasized that true knowledge is not acquired merely through reading scriptures but through direct spiritual experience and self-realisation. He was addressing devotees during the Sunday morning spiritual discourse at the Math.
Speaking on the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Muktinathananda described him as one of India’s greatest spiritual masters whose wisdom stemmed not from formal education but from intense spiritual practice and direct divine experience. Sri Ramakrishna’s life, he said, demonstrated that genuine knowledge emerges through devotion, spiritual discipline, and personal realisation of God.
The Swami explained that Sri Ramakrishna believed God cannot be fully understood through intellectual study alone. According to him, real knowledge is attained only through direct experience of the Divine. During his rigorous spiritual practices at Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Divine Mother Kali to reveal all possible paths leading to God. Through dedicated practice of Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga, he realised the same ultimate truth through each path.
Highlighting Sri Ramakrishna’s famous message, “As many faiths, so many paths,” Swami Muktinathananda said that the saint taught religious harmony, mutual respect, and the unity of all spiritual traditions. Though religions and methods of worship may differ, their ultimate goal remains the same—the realisation of the Divine.
The Swami also elaborated on Sri Ramakrishna’s teaching that “Brahman alone is the eternal truth, while the world is transient.” He clarified that this does not imply the non-existence of the world, but rather that worldly existence is temporary and ever-changing, whereas the Divine Reality is eternal and unchanging. The purpose of spiritual life, he said, is to realise this supreme truth.
He noted that Sri Ramakrishna’s teachings continue to inspire humanity with values of love, devotion, surrender, tolerance, and spiritual awakening. His life remains a shining example of how faith and direct experience can lead individuals toward higher consciousness and inner peace.
Concluding the discourse, Swami Muktinathananda said that Sri Ramakrishna’s life teaches that true wisdom comes through self-realisation, sincere spiritual practice, and complete surrender to God. His timeless message continues to guide people towards harmony, universal brotherhood, and spiritual enlightenment.
