Source: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Basil Thampy B. Ed Social Science STCTE, Pala

LEARNING OBJECTIVES  To illustrate the great personality of Swami Vivekananda.  To explore the contributions made by Swami Vivekananda for enlightening the youth all over the world.  To assess the relevance of the philosophical and spiritual thoughts of Swami Vivekananda in the current scenario. 3

OVERVIEW OF VIVEKANANDA Born in Calcutta in Contact of Ramakrishna changed Narendra’s life. Became world famous at Chicago in “Awake, arise & stop not till the goal is reached.” He founded Ramakrishna mission in 1897.

BIOGRAPHY ( ) Swami Vivekananda’s inspiring personality was well known both in India & America. The unknown monk of India suddenly leapt into fame at Parliament of Religion held in Chicago in In the course of short of 39 years of which only 10 were devoted to public activities. He gave: gyan yog, bhakti yog,karma yog,raj yog.

Birth & Childhood Swami Vivekananda was born Narendranath Datta on 12 January 1863 in Calcutta in a respectable middle-class family. His father, Vishwanath Dutta, was an attorney and was a lover of the arts and literature.

Continue….. On the other hand, Narendra’s mother, Bhubaneshwari Devi, was a pious, kind-hearted lady, devoted to the Hindu traditions. Narendranath had varied interests & wide range of scholarship in philosophy, history, social sciences, art and other subjects. He evinced much interest in spiritual text.

College & Brahmo Samaj Vivekananda started his education at home, later he joined metropolitan institution of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar in 1871 and he passed the entrance examination of Presidency College, Calcutta. Narendranath became the member of a Freemason's lodge and the breakaway faction from the Brahmo Samaj led by Kesab Chandra Sen another Freemason.

Continue… His initial beliefs were shaped by Brahmo concepts, which include belief in a formless God and deprecation of the worship of idols. Not satisfied with his knowledge of Philosophy, he wondered if God and religion could be made a part of one's growing experiences and deeply internalized. Narendra went about asking prominent residents of contemporary Calcutta whether they had come "face to face with God. but could not get answers which satisfied him.

Discovery of Real India He saw that, in spite of poverty, the masses clung to religion, but they had never been taught the life-giving, ennobling principles of Vedanta and how to apply them in practical life. Thus the masses needed two kinds of knowledge: secular knowledge to improve their economic condition, and spiritual knowledge to infuse in them faith in themselves and strengthen their moral sense. The next question was, how to spread these two kinds of knowledge among the masses? Through education – this was the answer that Swamiji found. 10

Awakening His Countrymen He returned to India in January In response to the enthusiastic welcome that he received everywhere, he delivered a series of lectures in different parts of India, which created a great stir all over the country. Through these inspiring and profoundly significant lectures Swamiji attempted to do the following: to rouse the religious consciousness of the people and create in them pride in their cultural heritage; to bring about unification of Hinduism by pointing out the common bases of its sects; to focus the attention of educated people on the plight of the downtrodden masses, and to expound his plan for their uplift by the application of the principles of Practical Vedanta. 11

Message to youth

VIVEKA VANI Swamiji’s Divine Message for the Youth Source:

We are what out thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. THOUGHTS Source:

When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed in to an actual physical or mental state. CONCENTRATION Source:

COMMITMENT Even a fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every work into one that suits their heart Source:

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it. Live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body Be full of that idea. This the way to “SUCCESS”. GOAL Source:

EDUCATION Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man. Source:

WORK Every duty is holy, and devotion to duty is the highest form of the worship of God. When you are doing any work, do not think of anything beyond. Do it as worship,As the highest worship, and devote your whole life to it for the time being. Source:

Neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning, it is CHARACTER that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties. CHARACTER Source:

It is good to be born a child; but bad to remain a child MATURITY Source:

If you think that the infinite power, infinite knowledge,and indomitable energy lie within you, and if you can bring out that power, You also can be like Me. Source:

23 Quotes From Swami Vivekananda Source:

24 “Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, & know that you are the creator of your own destiny”

25 “To be good and to do good - that is the whole of religion” “The greatest sin is to think yourself weak”

26 “Strength is life, Weakness is death “Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached””

27 “All the power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that; don’t believe that you are weak. Stand up and express the divinity with in you”

28 “What ever you think, that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be; if you think yourself strong; strong you will be”

29 “Neither money pays, nor name pays, nor fame, nor learning; it is CHARACTER that cleave through adamantine walls of difference”

30 “Help if you can; if you cannot, fold your hands and stand by and see things go on. Do not injure, if you cannot render help”

31 “Three things are necessary to make every man great, every nation great” 1.Conviction of the powers of goodness 2.Absence of jealousy and suspicion 3.Helping all who are trying to be and do good

32 “Are you unselfish? That is the question. If you are, you will be perfect without reading a single religious book, without going into a single church or temple.”

33 “Misery comes through attachment, not through work. As soon as we identify ourselves with work we do, we feel miserable; but if we don’t identify ourselves with it, we do not feel that misery”

34 “Always first learn to be a servant, and then you will be fit to be a master. Avoid this jealousy, and you will do great works that have yet to be done”

35 “You must have an iron will if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong enough to pierce mountains”

36 “Take up one idea, make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, live of it, let the brain, muscle, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way great spiritual giants are produced, others are mere talking machines”

37 “Your country requires heroes; be heroes; your duty is to go on working, and then everything will follow of itself”

References