Swami Vivekananda
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The Ideal Human Being
Ashok Vohra, The Making Of An Ideal Human Being, May 20, 2017: The Times of India
According to Swami Vivekananda, man is essentially enlightened and is by nature divine. All men are `heirs of immortal bliss'. But, because of wrong education and theories he forgets his divinity and essential goodness. He starts believing that he is a sinner. So he starts worshipping and pursuing external matter and forgets spirituality within.
Swamiji persuaded those who strayed from their true nature to come out of the delusion and understand that `they are not matter, they are not bodies'. They have to realise that `matter is their servant, not they the servant of matter'.For this purpose he set for himself the goal of making them aware of “their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life“. Right type of education has as its foundation the maxim: “There is no sin in thee, there is no misery in thee; thou art the reservoir of omnipotent power. Arise, awake and manifest the Divinity within.“
Swamiji's teaching helps us realise that those who call us sinners are wrong. “It is foolishness, wickedness, downright rascality to say that you are sinners. You are all God.“
Such an education could result in enabling persons to respect others their neighbours, fellow citizens, immediate surroundings and their overall environment. An enlightened person has 10 characteristics. These are: “Contentment, forbearance, gentleness, respect for others' property , purity, self-control, knowledge, philosophic wisdom, veracity and patience.“
The aim of an enlightened being is to live according to his svadharma his true nature and learn to control his appetite. He takes from society as little as is essential for his survival, and gives to it as much as he can. His actions are not motivated by any self-interest.
Tyaga, renunciation and seva, service are his ideals. There is no selfishness in him. He synthesises the opposites materialism and idealism; the sensual and spiritual; abhyu daya and nihshreyas; preya and shreya. He does not live for himself alone; rather, he lives for the welfare of his fellow beings.
In a letter to the Maharaja of Mysore, Vivekananda, explaining the notion of enlightened men, wrote, “My noble prince, this life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive!“ He wrote this, because he believed that not exclusion but inclusion is the right policy . According to him, “All expansion is life, and all contraction is death.“
We ought to love and serve others and not hate or exploit them because loving and serving others is expansion and hating and exploiting them is contraction. Expansion comes from a firm faith in the Kathopanisad dictum which says, “The infinite Atman is present in every being, but lies hidden and therefore is not manifest; but it can be realised by the subtle and penetrating reason of those who are trained to perceive subtler and subtler truths.“
An enlightened person, according to Vivekananda, by virtue of his training and education, is able to see the same Atman in every being and therefore treats them at par, even identical with himself. He, like Vivekananda, wishes, “May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries, so that I may worship the only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls of all races and all species.“
Karma Yoga and Non-resistance
[ From the archives of the Times of India]
In reading the Bhagwad Gita, many in western countries may have felt astonished at the second chapter, wherein Sri Krishna calls Arjuna a hypocrite and a coward because of his refusal to fight, or offer resistance, on account of his adversaries being his friends and relatives, making the plea that non-resistance was the highest ideal of love. This is a great lesson for us all to learn, that in all matters the two extremes are alike.
The extreme positive and the extreme negative are always similar. When the vibrations of light are too slow, we do not see them, nor do we see them when they are too rapid. So with sound; when very low in pitch, we do not hear it; when very high, we do not hear it either. Of like nature is the difference between resistance and non-resistance. One man does not resist because he is weak, lazy, and cannot, not because he will not; the other man knows that he can strike an irresistible blow if he likes; yet he not only does not strike, but blesses his enemies. The one who from weakness resists not commits a sin, and as such cannot receive any benefit from non-resistance; while the other would commit a sin by offering resistance.
Buddha gave up his throne and renounced his position, that was true renunciation; but there cannot be any question of renunciation in the case of a beggar who has nothing to renounce. So we must always be careful about what we really mean when we speak of this non-resistance and ideal love. We must first take care to understand whether we have the power of resistance or not. Then, having the power, if we renounce it and do not resist, we are doing a grand act of love; but if we cannot resist and yet, at the same time, try to deceive ourselves into the belief that we are actuated by motives of the highest love, we are doing the exact opposite. Arjuna became a coward at the sight of the mighty array against him; his ‘‘love’’ made him forget his duty towards his country and king. That is why Sri Krishna told him that he was a hypocrite: Thou talkest like a wise man, but thy actions betray thee to be a coward; therefore stand up and fight!
Such is the central idea of karma yoga. The karma yogi is the man who understands that the highest ideal is non-resistance, and who also knows that this non-resistance is the highest manifestation of power in actual possession, and also what is called the resisting of evil is but a step on the way towards the manifestation of this highest power, namely, non-resistance. Before reaching this highest ideal, work, fight, strike straight from the shoulder. Then only, having gained the power to resist, will non-resistance be a virtue...
Inactivity should be avoided by all means. Activity always means resistance. Resist all evils, mental and physical; and when you have succeeded in resisting, then calmness will come...Plunge into the world and, after a time, when you have suffered and enjoyed all that is in it, renunciation will come and calmness...until you have fulfilled this desire, until you have passed through that activity, it is impossible for you to come to the state of calmness, serenity, and self-surrender. These ideas of serenity and renunciation have been around for thousands of years...yet few have really reached that stage.
Kashmir
R C Kotwal, Daily Excelsior, 20/11/2016: www.dailyexcelsior.com
Swami Vivekananda visited Kashmir Valley twice. The first time he reached Srinagar was on 10th September 1897. At Srinagar he was the guest of Justice Rishibar Mukhopadhyaya. On the third day after his arrival he paid an informal visit to the place of the Maharaja. Since the Maharaja was then at Jammu, his brother Raja Rama Singh received the Swami with marked cordiality and honour, seating him on a chair, and himself sitting with officials on the floor.
The Raja was deeply impressed by Swamiji’s thoughts on religion and his eagerness to improve the condition of the poor. He voiced his desire to help the Swami in carrying out his plan of work. Early in the first week of October, the Swami left Srinagar for Baramulla and reached Murree on October 8 and from there to Rawalpindi on October 16, 1897. The second time also Swami Vivekananda had to go to Srinagar via Rawalpindi, Murree and Baramulla. The distance had to be covered partly bytonga and partly by the boat. Sister Nivedita, Mrs. Ole Bull and Miss MacLeod accompanied him.
Swami Vivekananda had great fascination for Lord Shiva during his childhood. As he grew older his love for Shiva, and yogis deepened. And now in the Himalayas, the abode of the Great God, the thought of Him was uppermost in the Swami’s mind.
While coming from Baramulla when he entered further into Kashmir, the Swami’s mind was filled with the legends of the Kashmiris.
On June 26, the Swami suddenly felt a longing to leave the party and go to a quiet place. But not knowing that this was his intention, the party followed him to Khir Bhavani. It was said to be the first time that Christian or Muslim had set foot there. The irony of the occasion was that the Muslim boatman would not allow the Swami and his Christian disciples to land with shoes on, “so thoroughly Hinduistic,” says Nivedita, “is the Mohammedanism of Kashmir with its forty Rishis, and pilgrimages made fasting, to their (i.e. the Hindus’) shrines.” Among the local excursions that the Swami made with his disciples was that on July 29 to the small, massively built Shiva temple that stands atop the Shankaracharya Hill and rises a thousand feet above the surrounding terrain. The famous floating gardens can be seen below, for miles around.
On July 4, the day of American Independence, he wrote a poem entitled “To the Fourth of July” which can be interpreted as a passionate utterance of his own longing for the Final Freedom in the Infinite. Time was to prove that it had been penned in a prophetic vein; for, four years later, on that very day, his shackles of work broken, he entered in “springing joy” into the Final Freedom, concerning which he had written. A desire for quiet and peace seemed to grow more and more upon Swami Vivekananda in these days. On July 10 he left alone for a pilgrimage to Amarnath ji by way of Sonamarg. On the 15th he returned, having found that route impracticable because the summer heat had melted some of the glaciers.
On July 19 the whole party started for Anantnag by boat. On the first afternoon they sought out and found the quaint old Temple of Pandrethan (derived from Puran-adhishthana meaning “old capital”), sunken in a scum-covered pond within a wood, by the side of the Jhelum. This is four and a half miles to the southeast of Srinagar. The temple is a small cell, with four doorways opening to the cardinal points.
On July 21 when the party landed at the temple of Bijbehara, then already thronged by Amarnath pilgrims, he was able to join them for a little while. After visiting the temple, they left for Anantnag. They reached there on the afternoon of July 22. He sat on the grass of an apple orchard and he started talking about the rarest of rare personal experiences. Picking up two pebbles, he said, “Whenever death approaches me, all weakness vanishes. I have neither fear, nor doubt, nor thought of the external. I simply busy myself making ready to die. On the 23rd morning the party went to see the ruins of Martand. “It had been a wonderful old building evidently more abbey than temple in a wonderful position,” writes Nivedita, “and its great interest lay in the obvious agglomeration of styles and periods in which it had grown up.”
On July 25 the party went on to Achabal and in the afternoon came back to Anantnag. It was at Achabal that the Swami announced his intention of going to Amarnath with the two or three thousand pilgrims then en route to that shrine. As a special privilege, Sister Nivedita was allowed to join him as a pilgrim. It was settled that his other Western disciples would accompany the party as far as Pahalgam and wait there for the Swami’s return. On July 27 they halted for a night at Bhavan (Martand, also called Matan) and reached Pahalgam on July 28. Throughout the rest of the journey Swami Vivekananda would bathe in the holy waters, offer flowers, fruits and sweets to the object of worship before breaking his fast, make obeisance by prostrating himself on the ground, tell his beads, make ritual circumambulation, and the rest. At every halt, the Swami’s tent was besieged by scores of monks seeking knowledge from him. On July 30 the Swami left for Chandanwari. Next day a steep climb towards Pishu top followed and then a long walk on the narrow path that twisted round the mountain-side. At last they camped (July 31) at Wavjan at a height of 12,500 ft. Next day (August 1), after crossing the Mahagunus Top, a pass at 14,500 ft., they reached Panchtarani, the “place of five streams”.
On August 2, the day of Amarnath itself, there was first a steep climb followed by a descent, where a false step would have meant death. They walked across a glacier till they reached a flowing stream. When Swami Vivekananda reached the cave, his whole frame was shaking with emotion. The cave itself, says Nivedita, was “large enough to hold a cathedral, and the great ice-Shiva in a niche of depressed shadow, seemed as if throned on its own base.” His body covered with ashes, his face aflame with devotion to Shiva, the Swami entered the shrine itself, nude except for a loin-cloth, and prostrated in adoration before the God. A song of praise from a hundred throats resounded in the cave, and the shining purity of the great ice-linga over-powered him. He almost swooned with emotion. A profound mystical experience came to him, of which he never spoke, beyond saying that Shiva Himself had appeared before him, and that he (the Swami) had been granted the grace of Amarnath, the Lord of Immortality, namely not to die until he himself should choose to do so. Shri Ramakrishna had prophesied regarding this disciple of his : “When he realizes who and what he is, he will no longer remain in the body!”
In Kashmir the Swami and his party were treated with great respect by the Maharaja; and during his stay various high officials visited the Swami’s houseboat to receive religious instruction and converse with him on general topics. The Swami had come at the invitation of the Maharaja, to choose a piece of land for the establishment of a monastery and a Sanskrit college. It was a disappointment to the Swami when, about the middle of September, he heard that official discussion of the site that he had chosen, had been twice vetoed by the British Resident. Following the pilgrimage to Amarnath, the Swami’s devotion became concentrated on the Mother. It was touching to see him worship, as Uma, the four-year old daughter of his Muslim boatman. He once told his disciples, during these days, that “wherever he turned, he was conscious of the Presence of the Mother, as if she were a person in the room.”
His meditation on Kali became intense, and one day he had a vision of Her, the mighty Destructress lurking behind the veil of life, the terrible one, hidden by the dust of the living who pass by, all the appearances raised by their feet. In a fever he groped in the dark for pencil and paper and wrote his famous poem “Kali the Mother”; then he dropped to the floor, losing consciousness, while his soul soared into Bhava-samadhi. On September 30, the Swami abruptly went to Khir Bhavani, leaving strict instructions that no one was to follow him. It was not until October 6 that he returned. Before this famous shrine of the Mother he daily performed Homa(Havan), and worshipped Her with offerings of Kheer (thickened milk) made from one maund of milk, ice, and almonds. He told his beads like any humble pilgrim. Every morning he worshipped a Brahmin Pandit’s little daughter as Uma Kumari, the Divine Virgin. He practiced severe austerities. He became like a child before the Divine Mother.
One day at Khir Bhavani he had been pondering over the ruination and desecration of the temple by the Muslim invaders. Distressed at heart, he thought: “How could the people have permitted such sacrilege without offering strenuous resistance! If I had been here then, I would never have allowed such a thing. I would have laid down my life to protect the Mother.” Thereupon he heard the voice of the Goddess saying: “What if unbelievers should enter My temple and defile My image? What is that to you? Do you protect Me, or do I protect you?” Referring to this experience after his return, he said to his disciples: “All my patriotism is gone. Everything is gone. Now it is only Mother! Mother! I have been very wrong. I am only a little child.”
Another day, in course of his worship, the thought flashed through the Swami’s mind that he should try to build a new temple in the place of a present dilapidated one, just as he had built a monastery and temple at Belur to Shri Ramkrishna. He even thought of trying to raise funds from his wealthy American disciples and friends. At once the Mother said to him : “My child! If I so wish I can have innumerable temples and monastic centres. I can even this moment raise a seven-storied golden temple on this very spot.””Since I heard that divine voice,” the Swami later said, “I have ceased making any more plans. Let these things be as Mother wishes.”Thus we see during his stay in Kashmir, Swami Vivekananda was in a different world altogether. Visions of Shri Amarnath, Mother Kali and Khir Bhavani remained always with him.
Later at Belur Math he said : “Since visiting Amarnath, I feel as though Shiva were sitting on my head for twenty-four hours a day and will not come down.”
The party left Kashmir on October 11 and came down to Lahore. Swamiji reached Belur Math on October 18, 1898.
(The author is SP Headquarters Jammu)
Teachings, philosophy
Pavahari Baba: On achieving the impossible
Arvind Sharma, January 29, 2018: The Times of India
Let’s begin by examining the concept of the impossible before trying to answer such a tantalising question. Some things are clearly impossible in a physical sense. A nonagenarian who hopes to qualify for the Olympics for high jump is clearly hoping for the impossible unless of course one has a seniors’ Olympic event in mind.
But when Napoleon said that the word ‘impossible’ is found in the dictionary of fools, then clearly, he did not have such impossibilities in mind. What he perhaps had in mind was that certain goals or accomplishments, which we normally consider out of reach, may be capable of being achieved if only one was daring enough to entertain them and determined enough to go after them. One might have considered it impossible of France to achieve the kind of military victories that Napoleon achieved for his country.
This idea of the impossible becomes even more relevant when we come to the individual, who might consider certain accomplishments impossible without realising that with persistent effort and determination they could be achieved. Perhaps, in such a context, the word ‘impossible’ is best understood as really denoting the improbable, which our imagination considers impossible. With these introductory remarks let us now consider what some sages have to say about achieving the impossible.
Swami Vivekananda met Sage Pavahari Baba of Ghazipur in the course of his wanderings across India. Vivekananda was so impressed by the Baba that he wanted to be initiated by him but whenever he resolved to do so, he was dissuaded by the appearance of an apparition of Sri Ramakrishna. Pavahari Baba later immolated himself upon being unable to bear the sufferings of his country in Kali Yuga. Vivekananda, perhaps overwhelmed by the enormity of India’s problems asked Pavahari, “How does one achieve the impossible”?
Pavahari Baba replied: “By treating the means as the end and the end as the means.” One hesitates to offer an interpretation of such an oracular pronouncementand the reader may have his own understanding of it. But what was perhaps meant was that when we think of achieving something, we tend to focus on the end product more, rather than how that end product might be actually achieved in terms of the concrete steps required, to accomplish it. So what the sage was perhaps suggesting was that we should focus our attention entirely on the means with the same passion with which we covet the goal itself. That would be one way of treating the means as the end. And then once such a concrete step is realised, similarly, the success we have achieved should be considered only a step in relation to what remains to be achieved to accomplish the goal. This would be one way of treating the end as the means.
St Francis of Assisi’s remarks do seem to shed light on the exciting question under discussion. He says that one should begin by doing the necessary; then one should do the possible, and then he adds that if one does so one would find oneself accomplishing the impossible. His remarks clearly bear a family resemblance to what was uttered by Pavahari Baba in response to the question put to him by Swami Vivekananda. (The writer is Birks Professor of Comparative Religion, McGill University.)
Socio-spiritual Legacy
MN Kundu, July 4, 2019: The Times of India
Swami Vivekananda passed away on July 4, 1902, but his unique contribution continues to enlighten and awaken us. He revived our great ancient heritage with fresh interpretation, adding different dimensions to it. Swamiji harmonised East and West, religion and science, past and present and the mundane and divine. He was the first exponent of yoga abroad as an enabling means for self-control and placed religion as understandable science and not blind faith. He was a profound philosopher of humanism, universalism, religious liberalism, selfless service, practical spirituality and essential unity in diversity.
He asserted omnipresence of God and selfless service as worship; secondly, the acceptance of every way of worship as the valid way to God. This developed in him a sense of divine humanism and non-dogmatic approach, putting to rest disputes over comparative ‘superiority’ of religions.
His speech delivered at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago, was a clarion call for help and not fight, assimilation and not destruction, harmony and peace and not dissension to mutually disputing religious representatives. “Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendent, fanaticism have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often with human blood ... If anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his religion and the destruction of others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart.”
Swamiji was extremely conscious of the problem of evil and erosion of ethics and values. But he never thought that mere bookish advice will help in curbing evil-doing under instinctive compulsion. The solution lies in controlling our nature through psychophysical process, assimilation of philosophy, mystic love for God or expansion of self through selfless service of humanity with empathy and affection which cannot be imposed from outside. Our growth must come from within, from the dictates of higher consciousness through the aforesaid process called yoga, the art of cosmic union.
Swamiji transcendentally experienced the entire universe as manifestation of the absolute One. There is only one Self in the universe, only one existence. When it manifests through time, space and causation, it appears to be diverse and is called by different names. In the heart of things there is fundamental unity. Hence he stood for harmony of religions and essential divinity of humankind.
Swamiji was an exponent of divine humanism, harmony and appreciation of diversities and not toleration. Toleration comes out of a sense of superiority complex: ‘You are wrong but I allow you to exist out of my generosity.’ This is blasphemous. Difference of views and thinking are deeply rooted in the scheme of the universe. One must assimilate the spirit of others and yet preserve individuality and grow. Truth can be seen from many angles and expressed in diverse ways.
When the world is moving in wilderness with unsustainable egotism, religious factionalism and myopic nationalism, we need to recall the eternal message of Swamiji, “Unselfishness is more paying, only thing is that people do not have the patience to practise the same.”
Swamiji gave us a vision, mission and direction to live with happiness, peace and wisdom with a divine sense of true togetherness. He said, “It is love and love alone that I preach, and I base my teaching on the great Vedantic truth of the sameness and omnipresence of the Soul of the universe.”
Strength, physical strength
Arise, Awake, Vivekananda Has A Message For You
The Speaking Tree
Arijit Ray
Observing the ‘steeped-in-inertia’ state of his countrymen in the 19th century, Swami Vivekananda remarked, “First of all, our young men must be strong. Religion will come afterwards…You will be nearer to heaven through football than through the study of the Gita.” This message of strength reverberated through all his writings and speeches. Swamiji would say, “Faith in ourselves, faith in God – this is the secret of greatness. The old religions said that he was an atheist, who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist, who does not believe in himself.”
Without confidence in our abilities, we cannot achieve worldly excellence, let alone spiritual excellence. We need a strong will to achieve our goals. Swami Vivekananda says, “What we now want are muscles of iron and nerves of steel, gigantic wills which nothing can resist.” This is the starting point. It is fear that brings misery, fear that brings death, fear that breeds evil. And what causes fear? Ignorance of our own nature.
In our spiritual journey, we have to go towards fearlessness. Easier said than done, since we have already built our lives on our desires, expectations and attachment to our identities. Therefore, the fear of loss puts our mind into a perennial state of anxiousness.
Swamiji says, “Strength is goodness, weakness is sin. If there is one word in the Upanishads that burst like a bomb on the ignorant, it is ‘fearlessness’. This fearlessness can only be experienced in a mind established in peace. To overcome fear, the solution is to build a determined spiritual practice. It will help to engage in selfless action; work with lesser attachment with conviction that it is Divine’s work; absorb scriptural knowledge; introspect and meditate. And gradually transform our thought, speech, and words, in alignment with our spiritual goals. Paving the way for inner purification.
With the mind yoked to the atman, the cogitation of the mindreduces, and fear is replaced by fearlessness.
Vivekananda would say that if we comprehend the spirit of the Gita shloks 2:2 and 2:3, on fearlessness, we can understand the entire Gita. Krishn gives Arjun a shock treatment when he sits in the chariot, overwhelmed with fear, grief, and delusion. Krishn says, “This does not befit you. You are of heroic nature. Get rid of this weakness. Stand up and fight.”
Due to our identification with the body-mind complex, we encounter weakness arising out of fear and delusion, just like Arjun experienced, widening the distance between us and our real nature.
With an expanded vision, we start getting a whiff of our true nature, which is changeless, indestructible, eternal. The highest knowledge of Advaita, Tat Tvam Asi – Thou are That – seeps in. That the same reality is in me, and in every being – living, non-living.
Swamiji says, “When a man can say, ‘I am in everything, in everybody, I am in all lives, I am the universe,’ then alone comes the state of fearlessness.” It is time to earnestly respond to Swamiji’s call, “Arise, Awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not deny Him.” De-hypnotise yourselves. Know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
January 12 is Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary
Universalism of Vivekananda
Landmark address in Chicago
Arijit Ray, Vivekananda’s Landmark Address In Chicago, September 29, 2018: The Times of India
When Swami Vivekananda began his speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Chicago in 1893, addressing his audience as, “Sisters and brothers of America,” he got a thunderous standing ovation that lasted more than two minutes. The spontaneous response from the audience was symbolic of the imprint his message would create in the hearts and minds of people across the world. His message of harmony, tolerance and universal acceptance stirred the depths of the human soul and re-established the relevance of practical spirituality in the lives of people, in a world torn by jealousy, greed, hatred and bloodshed.
He introduced the western audience to Hindu faith and spoke about India as a nation that has sheltered the persecuted and refugees of all religions from across the world. He set the context of a philosophy and outlook that is universal in spirit. A framework that was much needed for the world at large, at that point in time. This doctrine has become even more relevant today.
While he spoke of sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant fanaticism and how they have drenched the earth with blood, destroyed civilisation and sent whole nations to despair, he also spoke of tremendous hope. He said, “I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention, may be the deathknell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.”
This significant message for harmony and brotherhood reverberated through minds, that were hitherto bereft of hope and positivity, inspiring them to rekindle hope. While it aroused tremendous interest in spirituality in the enterprising and active minds of the western citizen, it re-awakened spirituality and set the process of resurgence in the Indian mind.
A nation that had gradually started losing touch with the rich spiritual heritage of its past began to sit up and take notice. And most importantly, it infused Indians with tremendous vitality, strength and energy.
Through his talks at the Parliament of the World’s Religions and subsequent lecturing and teaching work for four and a half years in the USA and England, Vivekananda promoted the image of India as the land of spirituality, harmony and rich cultural heritage.
Swami Vivekananda’s ideas influenced the leaders of pre-independent India including Tilak, Gandhiji, Nehru and Netaji, and he is regarded as one of the creators of moder n India. Wester n thinkers have spoken of him as the “moulder of the modern world”. He was a great humanist who loved humanity in the East as well as in the West.
Today, when we are at a crossroads and values cherished over the centuries are getting eroded in the name of fanatic religious beliefs and dogmas, Swamiji’s message of universality, harmony, character building and value-based education, strength and courage is even more relevant. The time has come, for all of us to collectively and individually imbibe, assimilate and put to practise Swamiji’s messages, in our day-to-day lives. The impact of this will surely be transformational. As transformational as the famous five words, “Sisters and brothers of America,” that he uttered from the podium of the Art Institute of Chicago, 125 years ago.
Religious pluralism
Ashok Vohra, May 9, 2022: The Times of India
For Vivekananda, religion is a vital life force. It is what an individual does with his solitude. That religion is indispensable for human beings is demonstrated by the fact that even after centuries, religions of the world continue to have a tremendous ‘life-power’ in them. Swami Vivekananda upheld that variety is the first principle of life because ‘it is God alone who makes people see things in different ways. ’ Swamiji was astaunch advocate of religious pluralism. It is a fact that ‘even in the most primitive religion, the followers cannot conform to the same ideas. ’ He upheld that God alone is responsible for the diversity of religions and the facticity of diverse worldviews and said that he was thankful to God for such a diversity of religious beliefs and practices.
Without the prevalent diversity,Vivekananda says, ‘The world would belike a “grave”. ’ A grave where ‘he wouldnot like to “live”. ’ He would much like ‘tobe a man in a world of men. Variation isthe sign of life. Difference is the first signof thought. I pray that sects may multiply so that there will be as manysects as human beings. ’Because of his convictionin natural diversity andplurality of religions,Swami Vivekanandawas also fully aware ofcontradictory effects ofreligions in society. Heupholds, ‘Nothing makes us so cruel asreligion, and nothing makes us so tenderas religion. This has been so in the past,and will also, in all probability, be so inthe future. ’As a result of the inherent opposingimpact of religions on the psyche ofsociety, Vivekananda admits, ‘No otherhuman motive has deluged the worldwith blood so much as religion, at thesame time, nothing has brought intoexistence so many hospitals and asylumsfor the poor, no other human influencehas taken such care, not only ofhumanity but also the lowest ofanimals, as religion has done. ’Religious conflictsoriginate because of thedogmatic belief that one’s‘religion alone is true, andother religions are false’. Thisdogmatic belief is based onconfusion between the primary and thesecondary aspects of religion. The nonessential part of religion may be calledthe lower aspect. It comprises ‘doctrines,mythology, dogmas, beliefs, creeds,rituals, customs and ceremonies’. None of these is universal. The essential part of religion, Vivekananda says, ‘consists of self-control, self-mastery, self-renunciation, and knowledge of the truth’. It has its origin in the experience of God and must have its culmination in that experience. It is universal like science.
Vivekananda termed the religion which has only universal elements in it as ‘Universal Religion’. According to him, spirituality forms its core, and exclusiveness and intolerance are not part of it: ‘It is a particular frame of mind, a way of life. It accepts all religions as different paths leading to the same goal, that is, freedom from all miseries. ’ The ideal of universal religion, Vivekananda says, ‘is to preach unto mankind their divinity and how to make it manifest in every moment of life’. The writer is former professor of philosophy, University of Delhi
Spiritual Empowerment
MN Kundu, The Speaking Tree, January 17, 2020: The Times of India
Vivekananda fostered spiritual empowerment
Towering socio-spiritual contribution of Swami Vivekananda can be viewed from several angles. But the most important one is his amazing agenda for human empowerment through awakening of joyous spiritual consciousness of confidence, strength and wisdom. He stressed on releasing untapped potential flowing from innermost essence of being, our true Self, made in the image of God. Swamiji held that religion is intended to awaken spiritual consciousness, which removes suffering from the apparent level of existence, bringing about solidarity, harmony and divine humanism, and glides into ineffable ecstasy of being at the ultimate level. Vivekananda spread a world-affirming spirituality involving identification of the Absolute through step-by-step removal of obstacles from various levels of conscious existence. Hence his religious agenda includes food for empty stomachs, football for weak muscles, liberalism for conservative societies, spiritual antidotes for die-hard materialism, and immense self-expansion for seekers through wisdom-driven service of the less privileged. Swamiji held that the most fundamental human weakness lies in obsessive and obstinate predisposition for fostering essentially blind individual or collective ego, thriving on narrow divisionism. Hence, in the Parliament of Religions at Chicago, he gave a clarion call for assimilation instead of destruction, harmony and peace in place of dissension, as the keynote of empowerment through collective synergy. But collective empowerment begins with individual transformation.
So he asserted, “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 psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these and be free.” On this agenda for self-transformation he continued, “This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, dogmas, rituals, books, temples and forms are but secondary details.” The problem lies in application of this innermost ultimate wisdom in outer life, in thinking, feeling and acting, rising above egoistic pursuits. He found that enabling ways and means are already there in our ancient curriculum of yoga, the art of supreme union with cosmic Self through psychophysical practice, assimilation of divine wisdom, selfless service to sentient beings and surrender to the supreme Self. Swamiji stressed on reshaping our outer purpose of life and activities in accordance with inner purpose of revelation of cosmic solidarity in profound oneness of existence. Vivekananda inspired all to ignite inner Self to overcome the delusive inertia. He used to tell the inspiring sheep-lion metaphorical tale. A pregnant lioness jumped upon a flock of sheep but died of exertion giving birth to a cub. The cub was brought up amongst the sheep learning everything from the sheep.
One day another lion came and found him fleeing always with fear like sheep and bleating. With a lot of effort he could convince the sheep-lion that he was actually not a sheep, but a lion. After some guided practice, he realised his lion identity and started roaring like one. We are made in the image of the Almighty but we assume mortal weakness due to ignorance and lack of faith. The real purpose of life is to assert our essential divinity and thereby invoke our divine inheritance. Swamiji said, “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.” Intense aspiration and sincere endeavour attract divine grace in the form of inspiration, awakening and real human empowerment.
Spiritual Universalism
Swami Vivekananda saw the entire universe as manifestation of the absolute One. There is only one Self in the universe, only one existence. When it passes through time, space and causation it appears to be diverse and is called by different names. In the heart of things there is fundamental unity.
When all life in the universe is seen as One, the selfish, narrow-minded outlook and compartmentalisation instantly collapse. Vivekananda stood for harmony of religions and divinity of humankind. He said that each soul is potentially divine, omnipotent and omniscient, awaiting manifestation. The aim of life is to realise the same through selfless service to humanity, assimilation of wisdom through deep introspection, devotion to divinity or a special psychophysical practice. These constitute the curriculum of yoga, the art of cosmic union with the Absolute.
Significantly, this spiritual process can be practised in non-religious mode as well, but it would be expedient to extract the essence of existing religions to benefit thereby. External rituals of religions are of secondary importance but their spiritual essence needs to be accepted. If we seek a universal religion which can be followed by everyone it must include all degrees of religious development.
Vivekananda said, “We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither Vedas, nor Bible, nor Quran; yet this has to be done by harmonising all three. We need to learn that religions are but varied expressions of The Religion, which is Oneness, so that each may choose a path that suits him best.” This vision of a universal religion concerns no particular cult but signifies culmination of wisdom.
Swamiji was an exponent of vedantic humanism or all-embracing pantheism. For him, the watchword was religious acceptance and not tolerance. Tolerance comes out of a superiority complex. ‘You are wrong but I allow you to exist out of my generosity.’ This is blasphemy. Difference of views and ways of thinking are deeply rooted in the scheme of the universe. If everybody thinks alike what will be there to think any more? But we have no right to think that ‘I am right and others are wrong.’ Truth can be seen from many angles and expressed in diverse ways. We must accept this basic truth – that there are many truths that in reality are One.
The ideal for universal brotherhood is not a new concept and has been contemplated by many before him. But any endeavour for the same without spirituality had been self-defeating as has already been proved all over the globe. Our urge for universal brotherhood usually excludes those who are reluctant to join the group and thus becomes self-defeating. For example, communists became stridently communal against non-communists. So too with other belief systems.
Vivekananda did not propagate a world-negating concept of spirituality or escapism from the din and bustle of suffering multitudes. Self-less service of man was for him the desirable path for Self-realisation. Liberation is a matter of expansion of the self spread over the entire universe.
The essential divinity and thereby unity of all creatures has to be realised through unconditional love for all, wise detachment and extension of self through service of humanity beyond the dogmas and any sectarian faith.
This universalism par excellence or way of life engulfing whole gamut of existence must evolve as the religion or spirituality of the posterity as panacea for all the world-problems of the day.
Yogic Universalism
MN Kundu, Yogic Universalism Of Swami Vivekananda, January 8, 2018: The Times of India
There is only one Self in the universe, only one existence. When it manifests through time, space and causation, it appears to be diverse and is called by different names. In the heart of all things, there is fundamental unity. When all life in the whole universe is seen in vast oneness, the selfishness, narrow-mindedness and innumerable divisions instantly collapse.
Swami Vivekananda stood for harmony of religions and essentially divinity of humankind. He asserted that each soul is potentially divine. The main purpose of our life is to realise the same through the path of selfless service to humanity, assimilation of wisdom through deeper introspection, devotion to any concept of the Almighty or some special psychophysical practice. These constitute the curriculum of yoga, the art of cosmic union with the Absolute.
Significantly, this spiritual process can be practised in non-religious mode as well; but it would be expedient to extract the essence of existing religions to benefit thereby. The external rituals of religions are of secondary importance but the spiritual essence of religions needs to be accepted. If we seek a universal religion which can be followed by everyone it must include all degrees of religious development.
Vivekananda said, “We want to lead mankind to the place where there is neither the Vedas, nor the Bible, nor the Quran; yet this has to be done by harmonising the Vedas, Bible and the Quran. Mankind ought to be taught that religions are but varied expressions of ‘The Religion’, which is Oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best.” This vision of a universal religion is concerned with no particular cult but with the culmination of wisdom.
Swamiji was an exponent of Vedantic humanism, all-embracing pantheism. For him, the watchword was religious acceptance and not toleration. Toleration comes out of a superiority complex. ‘You are wrong but i allow you to exist out of my generosity.’ Difference of views and thinking are deeply rooted in the scheme of the universe. But we have no right to think that ‘I am right and others are wrong.’ Truth can be seen from many angles and expressed in diverse ways. We must accept this basic truth.
The ideal for universal brotherhood is not a new concept, and had been contemplated by many before Vivekananda. But any endeavour for the same without spirituality had been self-defeating. Our urge for universal brotherhood usually excludes those who are reluctant to join the group and thus becomes self-defeating.
Vivekananda did not propagate any world-negating concept of spirituality or escapism from the din and bustle of the suffering multitudes. Selfless service of man as manifestation of the Omnipresent was, for him, the desirable path for Self-realisation. Liberation is a matter of expansion of the Self, spread over the entire universe.
The essential divinity and thereby unity of all beings has to be realised through unconditional love for all, wise detachment and extension of self through service of humanity beyond dogmas and sectarian faiths.
This universalism par excellence, way of life engulfing whole gamut of existence, must evolve as the religion or spirituality of posterity as panacea for all the problems we face today.
Harmony of religions, universal toleration, all religions are true
At the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, 125 years ago, Swami Vivekananda delivered his landmark address, about the need for harmony of religions. He spoke not only about universal toleration but of acceptance of all religions as true; he appealed to all religious and spiritual leaders to shun all forms of religious fanaticism, persecution and violence. He will be remembered not only in India but throughout the world as Messiah of Tolerance and India’s Prophet of Harmony of Religions.
Swami Vivekananda’s perspective was inspired by his guru, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, who promoted the doctrine of ‘Jato Mat, Tato Path’ which recognises the potential of all religions to act as means of attaining spiritual enlightenment: ‘Ekam sad vipraha bahuda vavanti.’ Vivekananda would narrate the story of ‘kupa manduka’, frog-in-the-well, as being illustrative of the closed minds of religious bigots. He believed that holiness, purity and charity are not exclusive domains of any particular religion and that every religion has produced individuals of exalted character. He further said that if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and destruction of the others, “I pity him from the bottom of my heart.”
Swami Vivekananda turned the universal philosophy of Vedanta into a driver of social change, for he believed that true religion taught people to recognise the divinity of people and the need to engage in selfless service to the needy: Daridra Narayan seva. He had raised money for the construction of Belur Math to feed the famine-hit in 1897 and again in 1898 served plague victims in Kolkata. Belur Math temple incorporates the architecture associated with places of worship of each religion. There are monks in the Ramakrishna Order who are Muslim, Christian, Jew and Hindu; they live together peacefully and engage in service.
All narrow, limited, conflicting ideas of religion have to go, said the Swami. All sectarian ideas must be given up. There is only one, infinite religion that is eternal. Religious quarrels are always over the husks. When purity and spirituality go, leaving the soul dry, quarrels begin, and not before. Therefore he said, “Follow one and respect all because you may be born into any religion but you cannot not die in it.” The essence of religion is God-consciousness.
Swami Vivekananda said our watchword should be acceptance and not exclusion. “Toleration means that I think that you are wrong and I am just allowing you to live, that is, I am tolerating you. Is it not a blasphemy to think that you and I are allowing others to live? I accept all religions that were in the past, and worship with them. I worship God with every one of them, in whatever form they worship him.”
Let us hope that Swami Vivekananda’s call for unity, love and tolerance is given the importance it deserves so that more people can learn to live in harmony with one another. Swamiji did believe that we need to keep our hopes alive that the end of fanaticism and intolerance may be at hand – that we do have a choice and that we can do better, and thinking these thoughts and practising them gives us hope for a better world. A world without hate and conflict, where everyone respects the other, for there is enough room for all.
Vedanta
Jan 12 2015
Vivekananda saw practical Vedanta as Panacea
M N Kundu
Swami Vivekananda was never concerned with world-negating spirituality distanced from the din and bustle of daily living. He was intensely perturbed by the endless suffering of mankind and discovered that the root of all suffering lies in ignorance, disharmony, divisiveness and confinement of consciousness within finitudes. His esoteric experience of Advaita philosophy of Vedanta offered him a unique panacea. In the light of his experience of cosmic consciousness he found a bridge between science and spirituality, between religions and between the mundane and divine. From absolutely secular, scientific and experiential philosophy he developed the concept of practical Vedanta as a formula of living. Swamiji prescribed the following motto of life as self-realisation and selfless service to humanity: “Atmano mokshartham jagaddhitaya cha.“ The twofold complementary agenda can be best practised with the concept of practical Vedanta which is not a religious but a spiritual formula for all.
The central theme of Vedanta is essential unity in diversity or ultimate oneness of existence. Brahmn alone abides. Its manifestation through names, forms and attributes are merely apparent within time, space and causality rooted in cosmic delusion. Each soul is potentially divine and essentially one. Hence Vedan tic Self-realisation is infinite selfexpansion in the universe as expression of the Absolute. There is no divisiveness in One without a second as Christ also experienced, “I and my Father are one.“
Practical Vedanta is rooted in upanishadic revelations. But the best lesson is found in the Gita delivered at Kurukshetra which teaches us unattached action with spiritual anchorage.
Joyful action flows from the ce Joyful action flows from the centre of our being where we are not lost in the circumference of worldly doing and possessing with undue attachment.Then every action is divine action and play of the divine in the divine world.The mundane and spiritual get united in massive oneness and we experience joy in life as the play of consciousness.
For Swamiji renunciation did not lie in negating creation but in divinisation of entire creation and serving all. When we behold Creation as expression of the Absolute within and without our sense of personal loss, then gain or egosatisfaction get automatically sublimated. Instead of being player we become observer of cosmic drama with joy of Being.
The resultant effect is selfless love for entire Creation and absolute freedom from human bondage. Then our happiness no longer depends on anything or anybody but flows from within.
Sense of immortality gives us ous freedom to act without fear tremendous freedom to act without fear or temporal concern. Tremendous sense of harmony enables us to enjoy apparent diversity in thought, action, belief and worship. We become not tolerant but appreciative of one another and rise above sectarian boundaries where solutions to all problems flow from empathy.
Practical Vedanta starts with self-purification through selfless service which is possible only when we are grounded in cosmic Self through constant Self-inquiry and deep meditation.Self-expansion leads to falling in love with everybody with perception of own Self.Then our life becomes an instrument of cosmic will for playing divine tune as a finite expression of inexpressible Infinite.
Swamiji wanted us to attain this divine consciousness and make it our sole mission and direction. In that elevated consciousness our personal suffering becomes enactment, disharmony a veil of ignorance and the creation a cosmic drama. Behind all these remains blissful singular existence and consciousness of cosmic Self behind the plurality of names, forms and attributes. Therefore, he said, “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.“ (January 12 is Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary.)
