Prof K S Chandrasekar
Swami Vivekananda who left us at the age of thirty-nine, gave each of us the lessons of practical Vedanta that will be useful throughout our lifetime. His words were like stone inscriptions that cannot be erased by time. That Vedanta philosophy continues to inspire us as indelible letters. “So far as I can make out, Vivekananda’s idea was that we must accept the facts of life. We must rise higher in our spiritual experience in the domain where neither good nor evil exists. It was because Vivekananda tried to go beyond good and evil that he could tolerate many religious habits and customs which have nothing spiritual about them. My attitude towards truth is different. Truth cannot afford to be tolerant where it faces positive evil; it is like sunlight which makes the existence of evil germs impossible.” Rabindranath Tagore said this to the French Nobel laureate Romaine Rolland in Geneva on 28 August 1930 in the course of a dialogue between them regarding the question of intolerance prevailing the world over. Swami Vivekananda gave us the importance of four aspects: ABHAYA (Fearlessness), AHIMSA ( Non-injury), ASANGA (Non-attachment ) ANANDA ( Eternal Happiness ).
He issued this Abhaya to the youth of the country and his famous quotes include, “Be not afraid of anything. You will do Marvelous work. It is Fearlessness that brings Heaven even in a moment.” “Be strong! … You talk of ghosts and devils. We are the living devils. The sign of life is strength and growth. The sign of death is weakness. Whatever is weak, avoid! It is death. If it is strength, go down into hell and get hold of it! There is salvation only for the brave. “None but the brave deserves the fair.” None but the bravest deserves salvation.” “The greatest sin is to think yourself weak”. “Strength is Life, Weakness is Death. Expansion is Life, Contraction is Death. Love is Life, Hatred is Death.” “Shri Ramakrishna use to say, “As Long as I Live, so long do I learn”. That man or that society which has nothing to learn is already in the jaws of death.”
Fearlessness was Swami’s natural trait. Swami emphasized in his lectures the need to increase fearlessness among the youth. Referring to the mighty monkeys of Varanasi, Swami used to say, “You should not turn back but fight”. Swami’s statement “Face the Brute” is very famous. He used to jokingly say ‘Fight and no Flight’ when facing opponents. “Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste death but once” the famous lines of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar were mentioned by the monks of Ramakrishna Ashram due to the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda. Gandhi’s words “Cowardice is no virtue and is a great vice” are true.
While presenting on Ahimsa, he evinced interest among the issues like non-injury and self protection. He said that “Stand as a rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self (atman), the God of the universe.” He also mentioned that “This is the first lesson to learn: be determined not to curse anything outside, not to lay the blame upon anyone outside, but stand up, lay the blame on yourself. You will find that is always true. Get hold of yourself.”
The non attachment aspect like Asanaga was presented in a sense to ensure that youth are not carried away by the material well being and apply frugality in every sphere of activity. He quoted “Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.” “It is the patient building of character, the intense struggle to realize the truth, which alone will tell in the future of humanity.”
In order to reach eternal happiness (Ananda), “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about that you think.” “Our duty is to encourage everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.” “The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.” “All who have actually attained any real religious experience never wrangle over the form in which the different religions are expressed. They know that the soul of all religions is the same and so they have no quarrel with anybody just because he or she does not speak in the same tongue.” “All truth is eternal. Truth is nobody’s property; no race, no individual can lay any exclusive claim to it. Truth is the nature of all souls.” “The powers of the mind should be concentrated and the mind turned back upon itself; as the darkest places reveal their secrets before the penetrating rays of the sun, so will the concentrated mind penetrate its own innermost secrets. “You have to grow from the ins-spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. “We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. ” In order to ensure that eternal happiness is reached he said, “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, and live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
The influence of Vivekananda philosophy can be clearly seen in Gandhiji’s Sarvodaya, Hind Swaraj, Satyagraha, Swadeshi and self reliance. Gandhiji himself has stated that Vivekananda’s visions have been able to ignite his patriotism tenfold. Vivekanandaji started the Ramakrishna Mission in 1902. Ramakrishna Mission was committed to building an egalitarian society and ending the hunger and suffering of marginalized people. The goal of the Ramakrishna Mission is a society that lives as brothers and sisters without being untouchable. Swami Vivekananda, a young monk, was the center of attraction for the youth. His birthday is celebrated as World Youth Day. Swami used to recite the Kathopanishad mantra called “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached” to the young audience. Swami emphasizes that a calm mind, intellectual intelligence, and spiritual awareness are essential for the youth as Upanishads of ancient India glorifies human being as “children of immortality”. These are the advocates of developed India. Swami Vivekananda’s hope was in the young generation. In most of his speeches, he highlighted the role of youth in the development of the world. Swami was confident that if he gave a hundred small children, he could make India great in the world. But a hundred young men with spiritual awareness and discipline were rare in those days. India, which claims to be a great nation, is producing many talents from inside and outside India. Today, India owns young people who are proving excellence in various fields, from multinational companies to local institutions. Man-made Mantra Vedanta philosophy is the basis for India’s present development. With the new education policy, several innovative reforms, Fit India, Skill Development and Comprehensive Health Plan, India has become a global destination for human capital. India, which claims the excellence of its people, is known today as the land of the youth. By 2035, it is estimated that 65% of the population will be youth. It is hence imperative that India has a strong manpower to plan for future and follow Swami’s preaching.
Thousands of young people driven by the RK Mutt across the country are working hard to make self-reliant India a developed country by 2047. They are guided by Swami’s words of “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached”. Swami believed that a permanent solution to the economic, social and environmental problems faced by the world is possible through the spiritual values of India, who tried to integrate Western and Eastern thoughts. In this situation, where science is engaged in solar observation and lunar exploration, the Indian philosophy based on Satya Dharma creates the background for progress. Vivekananda put forward the Vedanta vision for the good of the world. It is those practical Vedantic thoughts that make Swami Vivekananda different. Swami Vivekananda will be always remembered by people across the ages but those who follow him are always given the right direction. Borrowing from Rabindranath Tagore, “Vivekananda’s gospel marked the awakening of man in his fullness and that is why it inspired our youth to the diverse courses of liberation through work and sacrifice.” It is time to follow and march towards Vikasit Bharat 2047.
( The author is Vice Chancellor, Cluster University of Jammu)
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