Swami Vivekananda

1) His Biography and Main Works:

Hindu monk Swami Vivekananda is regarded as one of India’s most illustrious spiritual figures. He was not merely a spiritual thinker; he was also a prolific writer, an effective orator, and a fervent nationalist. He carried his master Ramakrishna Paramhansa’s free-thinking philosophy into a new paradigm. He devoted all of his efforts to serving the underprivileged and the needy while working relentlessly to improve society. He was in charge of reviving Hindu spirituality and making Hinduism a respected religion over the world.

His message of brotherhood between all people and self-awakening is still pertinent today, particularly against the backdrop of the current global political unrest. Many people have found inspiration in the young monk and his teachings, and his words—particularly for the nation’s youth—have evolved into self-improvement objectives. His birthday, January 12, is observed as National Youth Day in India precisely because of this.

Vivekananda was one of the eight children of Vishwanath Dutta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi and was born in Calcutta as Narendranath Dutta into a wealthy Bengali family. On January 12, 1863, the day of Makar Sankranti, he was born. Father Vishwanath was a prominent member of society and a successful lawyer. Mother Bhuvaneshwari, who had a powerful, godly mind, had a significant influence on her son Narendranath.

Narendranath was a bright little boy who showed intelligence. His playful demeanour belied his love of vocal and instrumental music. His academic performance was outstanding both at the Metropolitan institution and the Presidency College in Calcutta. He possessed a broad knowledge of several subjects by the time he earned his college degree. He participated in athletics, wrestling, gymnastics, and bodybuilding. He read voraciously and learned practically everything there was to know. He studied western philosophy, history, and spirituality by David Hume, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, and Herbert Spencer in addition to Hindu scriptures like the Bhagvad Gita and the Upanishads.

He was raised in a devout family, but after reading a number of religious texts, he began to doubt the existence of God and occasionally had an agnostic viewpoint. But he was unable to totally refute the reality of God’s omnipotence. He joined the Nava Vidhan in 1880 and afterwards joined the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, which was led by Keshab Chandra Sen and Debendranath Tagore.

In contrast to idol worship, the Brahmo Samaj recognised one God. Vivekananda had many problems on his mind, and during his spiritual crisis, William Hastie, the principal of the Scottish Church College, gave him his first introduction to Shri Ramakrishna. At the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, he eventually ran into Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Vivekananda asked him a question he had posed to other spiritual authorities but had never received a satisfactory response to: “Have you seen God?”

But Ramakrishna responded to his question in such a straightforward manner that “Yes, I have. I see God as clearly as I see you, only in a much deeper sense”. . Following this, Vivekananda started going to Dakshineshwar and found many of the answers to the queries he had been thinking about. The entire family experienced a financial hardship with the passing of Vivekananda’s father. When Vivekananda went to Ramakrishna to ask him to pray for his family, Ramakrishna declined and urged him to pray to Goddess Kali on his own. Instead of asking for wealth or money, which he was unable to do, he requested isolation and conscience. On that day, he experienced a spiritual awakening and began living an ascetic lifestyle. This was the turning point in his life and accepted Ramakrishna as his Guru.

Ramakrishna was moved to a garden home in Cossipore after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 1885 and being treated in Calcutta. He was cared for by Vivekananda and other Ramakrishna followers. Shri Ramakrishna gave up his mortal body on August 16, 1886. Narendra was taught that the best worship of God was through service to others. Following Ramakrishna’s passing, fifteen of his disciples—including Narendranath—started residing together in Baranagar, now known as Ramakrishna Math, in North Calcutta.

All of the disciples took monastic vows in 1887, and Narendranath became Vivekananda, who is known as “the bliss of discerning wisdom.” They all practised yoga and meditation. Furthermore,

Vivekananda quit the math and made the decision to walk throughout the entire country of India, a journey that became known as “Parivrajak.” He saw several facets of the people’s social, cultural, and religious life as well as the struggles and other issues that regular people faced on a daily basis.

As soon as he learned that the World Parliament was being held in Chicago, America, he was eager to go to the meeting so he could represent India and the teachings of his Guru. He went to the religious gathering after experiencing different problems. He astonished everyone when he entered the platform on September 11, 1893, and said, “My brothers and sisters of America.” The audience applauded him standing up for this. He gave an explanation of Vedanta’s tenets, including their spiritual meaning. He established the Vedanta Society of New York after a two and a half year stay in the country. Additionally, he visited the UK to spread Vedanta doctrines, spiritualism, and philosophy.

He eventually made his way back to India and arrived in Calcutta, where he established the Ramakrishna Mission on May 1, 1897, in Belur Math. The mission’s objectives were founded on Karma Yoga, and their major goal was to assist the nation’s destitute, suffering, or troubled populace. This purpose also includes the creation of hospitals, colleges, and educational institutions.

Vedanta teachings were also made available through national rehabilitation efforts, conferences, seminars, and workshops. Let us inform you that Ramakrishna’s spiritual teachings about Divine manifestations and his own internalisation of the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy served as the foundation for the majority of Vivekananda’s teachings. He believed that achieving liberation of the soul, which includes all aspects of one’s religion, is the ultimate objective of life. He stated that he would not survive to be 40 years old. As a result, he passed away on July 4, 1902, while practising meditation. He was reportedly cremated on the banks of the Ganga after achieving “Mahasamadhi.”

2) Main Themes:

Courage in the Face of Troubles:

The understanding that life contains both good and bad is one of Vivekananda’s core teachings. And in order for the good days to occur, one must be strong enough to go through the terrible ones. You will not only have the courage to confront the world on the day you embrace this, but you will also be more upbeat in the wake of difficulties and tribulations. According to Vivekananda, if you want to experience life to the fullest, you must meet every challenge headon rather than try to avoid it.

Importance of Being Persistent:

How frequently do we give up when faced with difficulties and abandon our objectives? However, Swami Vivekananda believed in the magnificence of humanity and that if people are persistent enough, they have the capacity to overcome any obstacles. Swami Vivekananda also believed that if we are tenacious enough in our efforts to achieve our goals, we will succeed. This is another one of his timeless teachings. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you keep trying despite failing repeatedly because you will eventually succeed in achieving your goal.

You Need to Struggle to Grow:

Additionally, Swami Vivekananda told us that if everything comes naturally to you, you will never realise your full potential. This is the best mantra to comprehend the true meaning of life and your own potential among Swami Vivekananda’s most inspiring teachings. To become the truest and best version of yourself, you must continually push yourself to the maximum.

Real Happiness Comes from Being Selfless:

People prioritise their own interests over all other values in the world we live in. Therefore, this message of Swami Vivekananda must be incorporated into such a world. He held the opinion that if you have the means, you should be willing to use them for the benefit of others around you. You will experience an unfathomable level of delight if you engage in selfless deeds of compassion.

The Importance of Self-introspection:

Swami Vivekananda’s teachings dictate that you should always be at peace with yourself, no matter what you do in life. You must reflect on yourself in order to understand what you truly want out of life as well as to examine yourself and discover areas for improvement. Vivekananda held that you alone have the power to change yourself, thus you must remain in control of yourself and continue to comprehend your deepest wishes.

All Creations of God are Born Equal:

Because God created us all as equals, according to Swami Vivekananda, we have no right to discriminate against one another based on our gender, caste, or religion. Because of this, he actively supported the status of lower castes and women in society as a social reformer who fought for their rights.

Honesty is the Best Policy:

Swami Vivekananda supported this perspective. Irrespective of the situation we are in, he maintained that we all need to be honest. Your choices will undoubtedly have an impact, but you shouldn’t embellish the truth or tell lies to make your life simpler. Therefore, another essential lesson of Swami Vivekananda is that the only way to live is to follow a path centred on honesty.

3) His Legacy:

The real roots of Indian nationalism were made known to the world by Swami Vivekananda. He demonstrated how a country with such extreme diversity can nevertheless be united by a sense of brotherhood and humanity. Vivekananda focused on the shortcomings of western civilization and how India helped to overcome them.

According to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose: Swamiji harmonised the East and the West, religion and science, past and present. And that is why he is great. Our countrymen have gained unprecedented self-respect, self-reliance and self-assertion from his teachings.” Vivekananda was effective in creating a synthetic link between Eastern and Western cultures. He provided Westerners with interpretations of Hindu scriptures, philosophy, and way of life. He helped them understand that, despite its underdevelopment and poverty, India had a significant cultural contribution to offer. He was instrumental in breaking India’s cultural barrier to the rest of the globe.

Vivekananda’s teachings will ring true in every era and place in the world as they are timeless and borderless. Issues of war, poverty and oppression have existed since the beginning and still persist. We can all still take away a lot from Vivekananda’s works and internalise those lessons to make this world a better place.