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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 *** **** ***
PRABUDHHA JIVAN : GANDHARVAD SPECIAL **** **** *** **** ***
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* Thus HE Was, Thus HE Spoke
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SWAMI VIVEKANAND
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* "I am a spirit living in a body. I am not the body. The took vows of sanyasa and assumed new names. * body will die, but I shall not die. Here am I in this Vivekananda took a bigger leadership role from this * body; it will fall, but I shall go on living."
point onwards.
- Swami Vivekananda He travelled to Chicago where he made his famous * * Swami Vivekananda is best known for his speech speech and toured the world for three and a half * * in Chicago, in 1893, in which he introduced the world years preaching the teachings of Vedanta. When *
to Hinduism. But his speeches did not centre on he returned to India, he travelled all over the country * the practice of the religion. In fact, they were to experience the conditions of Indians first hand.
principles of life and living and Hinduism within the What he saw shook him to his core. He was the context of other world religions like Christianity and first to realise that India's failure and downfall would Judaism. After the Chicago Parliament of World be in its neglect of the masses and that centuries of Religions meet, he was celebrated as a messenger oppression by invaders had robbed India's poor of of Indian wisdom to the world. But Vivekananda, their will power and their belief in themselves, that born as Narendra Nath Datta to an affluent Kolkata they could improve their living and life conditions. family, was not one who glorified in this status. His "Religion is not in books, nor in theories, nor in mission was to better the life of his fellow Indians dogmas, nor in talking, not even in reasoning. It is by preaching the Vedanta philosophy to them, just being and becoming." as he had done to himself.
Vivekananda realised that while people held on to "Infinite power and existence and blessedness are the beliefs and rituals of their religion, they did not ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our know or practice its life-giving and empowering own, and we have only to manifest them."
principles. He realised that the need of the hour was a His road to a spiritual awakening was not easy. He to make people mentally, emotionally and spiritually
had had a yogic temperament as a boy and strong. This could only be done by a life-changing % % practiced meditation even then. But he was filled message. So he started preaching the potential of x * with doubts about the existence of God. It was when the soul as taught by Vedanta or the Upanishads, *
he asked Ramakrishna Paramhamsa whether he an ancient Hindu text. * had seen God that his restless soul found the "Change is always subjective. To talk of evil and * * answer it was seeking. Paramhamsa is famously misery is nonsense, because they do not exist * * quoted as saying: "Yes, I have. I see Him as clearly outside. If I am immune from all anger, I never feel * * as I see you, only in a much intenser sense." angry. If I am immune from all hatred, I never feel * * Vivekananda became a disciple of Paramhamsa, hatred." * who instilled in his followers the spirit of renunciation Vivekananda would go on to focus not just on the * * and brotherly love for one another. He even gave religious message but his preaching had a two-fold * * them ochre robes to wear and sent them to beg for intention: 1)impart knowledge that would empower * * food. This was actually the seed of the monastic people to improve their economic condition, and 2) * * order later founded by Vivekananda. Paramhamsa spiritual knowledge to make them believe in * gave Vivekananda clear directions for this. themselves and strengthen their sense of morality. * * Vivekananda was still Narendranath at this point. It It was education that would improve the lot of his * * was only after Paramhamsa passed away in August fellow Indians, Vivekananda realised. And an
of 1886 that the disciples formed a new brotherhood, effecgtive organization was needed to effect this... **************************************
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