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Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12th, 1863. This day is celebrated all over India as 'National Youth Day' in remembrance of the dynamic message of Swamiji to the youth of India.

Born in an well-to-do family, he was well-schooled in the best schools of his day. His sharp intellect coupled with his prodigious memory stood him in good stead throughout his life. An excellent athlete, Narendranath Dutta, as he was called,was a born leader and commanded respect of his peers, right from his childhood. His melodious voice was soul-entralling and would often immerse Sri Ramakrishna in Samadhi.

Naren, as he was fondly known amongst his relatives and friends, grew up to be a idealistic teenager with profound leadership skills and a broad-minded, liberal heart. His schooling in Western Philosophy seemed to alienate his roots in Indian spirituality and these ideological differences created a fierce tug-of-war in his mind. During the same time, Brahmo Samaj, the organization founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, was then firing up the youth of Bengal under the leadership of Keshab Chandra Sen and Devendranath Tagore. Rejecting and questioning the roots of the modes of devotional worship and existing social conditions of then Bengal, the Brahmo Samaj was weaning many youth from all walks of life. Naren, like the rest of the youth, easily fit into the revolutionary ideas of the Brahmo Samaj. He temporarily found some satisfaction on the intellectual levels that this new-found association was based on. But his drive to find God and actually know whether God could be intimately known soon found him knocking at the doors of renowned Bengal leaders. None could satisfy him and some one suggested him to visit the sage of Dakshineshwar, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

Naren met Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineshwar and the famous incidents regarding these meetings, a conversation between the new and old schools, has been described in many books. Despite his initial reservations, Naren found himself visiting the Saint, despite himself. A deep bond of love which surpassed all relationships was established between the Guru and the disciple. Sri Ramakrishna could fathom the potential of the young man and slowly, but surely, he led Naren on the steep and difficult paths of Sadhana. Under Sri Ramakrishna, Naren's budding spirituality blossomed into a wonderful bloom and he soon became established in the heights of Advaita Vedanta -Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Many youth began visiting Sri Ramakrishna at Dakshineshwar. Some were inspired by reading about Sri Ramakrishna's teachings which were slowly being published by organs of the Brahmo Samaj and other private devotees. Of these youth, some were recognised by Sri Ramakrishna as part of his 'Inner Circle' as he used to say. He assumed the attitude of a Guru and began giving them instructions in spiritual life, encouraging their latent spiritual lives. He banded the bunch of youngsters into a tight group under the leadership of Naren. On his deathbed, Sri Ramakrishna instructed Naren to look after them and he had also instructed them individually and in groups to look up to Naren for inspiration.

Sri Ramakrishna left his mortal coil on August 16, 1885, leaving behind a small group of youth who had no place to go. Slowly things looked up and under the leadership of Naren and under the loving motherly eyes of the Holy Mother, Sri Sarada Devi, this group gradually grew in strength. When they were together, the love of Sri Ramakrishna was their common thread and thus was formed the Baranagore Math, the first monastery. This was later shifted to the Alambazar Math. The disciples, stricken with a resolve to realize God, began wandering all over the country as was expected of itinerant monks. Naren himself, who had now assumed monastic vows with the name Swami Vivekananda, also began wandering all over the country.

Wandering from the east, he reached the Himalayas, then went on towards the north, then to Rajputana, Gujarat and wended his way to the South of India. On Christmas Eve, 1892, he was found seated meditating on the southern-most point of India, at Kanya-Kumari. He had wandered all over India, faced all types of people and situations. He had been at the door-steps of the grinding poverty of the poor as well as the lavish royalty of kings. His heart ached for the many poor of the nation, whose lives were being crushed due to poverty and illiteracy. The wide social chasm in Hindu caste society disgusted him and he was deeply anguished to see the pathetic conditions of the poor people. Sitting on the rock, meditating for three days, he arrived at momentous answers to his questions. He knew that religion was the backbone of India and this is what has to be the bed-rock of modern India. By religion, he understood that it meant not the Brahminical customs of the day, but the eternal Vedantic truths found in the ancient scriptures of India, the Vedas. Only by looking up every being as a part of the One, beyond the confines of race, creed, colour or caste, could true character be moulded. And who else, but the hundreds of wandering monks, perennial guests of society, to preach this great Vedantic truths. Thus he recognised the need for an organization of monks who would dedicate their lives to the uplift of society and by doing so with such personal self-sacrifice, would themselves rise to be spiritual giants. But who would listen to him, a simple wandering monk? He had already heard of a great session of world religious leaders who would be participating in the 'World Congress of Religions' to be held in Chicago in faraway USA. Many of the Swami's well-wishers had also urged him on to take part in the same. With the nod of the Holy Mother, Swamiji decided to participate in the same.

Swami Vivekananda represented Hinduism at the Parliament of Religions on September 11th, 1893 and this day could be said to be day when the West was connected to the East. Since Swamiji's time, innumerable spiritual Gurus and organizations have spread all over the US and continue to do so even today. Yoga, Zen, Meditation, Eastern studies, Ayurveda etc. have found sincere and devout following all over the world thanks to this advent of Swamiji. Swamiji, of course, blazed through the US church scene with his brilliant discourses. His talks were crowded and people had to be turned away at times. Swamiji next visited England and other European nations and had talks with renowned intellectuals of that time like Max Mueller and Paul Duessen etc. He arrived in India to a hero's welcome.

If a nation woke up to receive someone, it can be said that India has never before and never after received anyone with the immense sense of gratitude and respect that was accorded to Swami Vivekananda on his return from the West. On his part, Swami Vivekananda delivered a series of lectures, now published as 'Lectures from Colombo to Almora', in which he poured out his ideas to enthusiastic crowds. Youth were roused to the ideas of character-building and social-service. Swamiji's concept of service of the poor considering them as Daridra Narayana, fired a section of youth in Benares and they formed a 'Home of Service' which is even now functioning as the famous Sri Ramakrishna Vivekananda Mission Home of Service (Sevashrama).

The Ramakrishna Mission came into existence in 1897 and Swamiji created the formal rules and regulations of the new organization. A big plot of land was purchased in the village of Belur, on the banks of the Ganga (Hoogly) and on this he planned the construction of a huge temple dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna. He wished that this would be the epicentre of all the activities of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, from which India shall recover her long-forgotten ideals of renunciation and service. In 1937, under the expertise of the then President, Swami Vijnananandaji, a beautiful temple,drawing inspiration from all the major religions of the world, with a beautiful marble image of Sri Ramakrishna was established. This is the headquarters of the world-wide Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

Swamiji visited the West again for a smaller period and this time concentrated more on instructing smaller groups and laying the foundations for long-lasting centres in the West itself. Swamis Turiyananda, Abhedhananda and many others put aside their personal qualms and took up the yoke of Swami Vivekananda. Today, there are many centres all over the US, Europe and South America.

Swamiji spend the last days of his life in Belur itself, instructing and teaching the inmates of the Math, with ideals that he himself was as the role model. He left his mortal coil on July 4, 1902. He was yet to touch his 40th year. On analysing Swamiji's life, his message from September 9, 1893 to his last day, a mere 9 years, has lasted more than a century, firing youth with inspiration and hope.

A beautiful temple dedicated to Swami Vivekananda is at Belur Math. His room, where Swamiji stayed for the last few months, has been kept as it was during his time.

Words of Swami Vivekananda:

• Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within, by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy - by one, or more, or all of these - and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.

• The one theme of the Vedanta philosophy is the search after unity. The Hindu mind does not care for the particular; it is always after the general, nay, the universal. "what is it that by knowing which everything else is to be known." That is the one search.

• Look upon every man, woman, and everyone as God. You cannot help anyone, you can only serve: serve the children of the Lord, serve the Lord Himself, if you have the privilege.

• Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but the varied expressions of THE RELIGION, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best.

• This is the gist of all worship - to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Siva (God) in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Siva, and if he sees Siva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Siva in him, without thinking of his caste, creed, or race, or anything, with him Siva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.

• It is a tremendous error to feel helpless. Do not seek help from anyone. We are our own help. If we cannot help ourselves, there is none to help us.

• All power is within you, you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak... You can do anything and everything, without even the guidance of any one. All power is there. Stand up and express the divinity with you... Arise, awake, sleep no more. With each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe in this, that power will be manifested.

• Allow me to call you; brethren, by that sweet name - heirs of immortal bliss - yea,.... Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth - sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is standing libel on human nature.

• He alone lives who lives for others. The rest are more dead than alive.