vishva hindu parishad of australia inc. … of swami...idol worship 45 3 - other projects-vhp bala...
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VISHVA HINDU PARISHAD OF AUSTRALIA INC.
ABN: 78862155168 REG NO. Y2898719 CHARITY NO. CFN 10709
The Story of
Swami Vivekananda
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Contents
Family 4
Childhood 7
The Game of Meditation 8
Naren – Share, Care & Love 10
Verify & Understand truth 12
School 14
Responsibility & Commitment 16
Biley’s Role play 18
Biley & The Chmpaka Tree 19
Education 24
Narendranath’s urge to realise GOD 26
First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna 29
Searching and Meeting with the Guru 30
Family Crisis 34
Prayer for Knowledge and Devotion 37
Last Days of Sri Ramakrishna 40
The Wandering Monk: Meeting with Maharaja Mangal Singh-
Idol Worship 45
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Handling Situation 49
Courage and Self-respect 50
Realization of Life Mission 53
Planning Travel to the West 57
Journey towards West 60
Swami Vivekananda At Chicago 62
On the streets of Chicago 63
Parliament of Religions 65
The time in The United States 69
Swamiji in England 73
Pride Being Indian 75
Return to India: Welcome in Madras 76
Formation of Ramakrishna Mission 78
Invoking Strength: Service of People 80
Building Belur Math 83
Towards the Final Journey: Back in India 85
Swami Vivekananda’s Message 87
Quotes of Swami Vivekananda 88
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Family
The Datta family of Calcutta was well known for its
affluence, generosity, scholarship, and independent
spirit. Vishwanath Datta was an attorney-at-law of the
High Court of Calcutta. Vishwanath was well versed in
English and Persian literature. He was well known as a
successful attorney and was well established in his
profession. Vishwanath's father Durgacharan Dutta
was a very spiritual person. He had renounced the
world in search of God at the age of twenty five.
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Bhuvaneswari Devi, Vishwanath's wife was also a woman
with lot of unique qualities. She hailed from a
traditional Hindu family and was
hence raised with Hindu values
and beliefs. She was a loving
and pious lady. She was
particularly fond of the great
Indian epics, the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata and had memorized these epics.
Before Vivekananda was born, Bhuvaneshwari Devi had
observed many religious vows, fasting and prayed to
god so that that family could be blessed with a son.
She requested a relative who lived in Varanasi to offer
special worship to Vireshwar Shiva of Varanasi on her
behalf. One night she even had a dream where in Shiva
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himself came to her
in person and told
her that he would
be born to her as a
son.
Datta family’s
prayers were heard and soon Bhuvaneshwari Devi and
Vishwanath Datta were blessed with a boy. He was born
on Monday January 12th, 1863 at 6:33AM. Mother
accepted the boy as a boon from Vireshwar Shiva and
named the boy as Vireshwar. Family gave the name
Narendranath Datta and called him Narendra, in short
and sometimes affectionately as Naren. The nick name
given by his family was “Biley”.
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Childhood
While growing up Narendra
was a restless boy. Two
people were necessary to
keep his exuberant energy
under control. Every now
and then, he got involved in some sort of funny and
naughty acts like teasing his sisters and many others.
At times, his mother was so fed up with Narendra’s
mischief, that in order to bring Narendra in control and
quiet him, she had to pour cold-water on his head,
repeating the name of Shiva! This method always
worked with Naren and calmed him down for a while. He
was an extraordinarily energetic and restlessness boy
and at times beyond control. Referring to this his
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mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi would say, “Shiva won’t
allow you anymore to Kailash if you be such a naughty
boy”. It always worked.
The Game of Meditation
Everyone is prone to play various games in childhood.
Biley too had played many a game. At times, he would
hang his body up-side down from tree with his feet
locked one of the branches and remain gaily in that
position. Often, with his companions, he used to play
mimicking a King and his court. In this game Biley was
sure to take the role of the King. Again, at times, he
would play the game of meditation. Look at the picture
where Biley is seated erect in a meditative posture
with his eyes closed and hands placed on his lap. A slip
of a boy resembling Lord Buddha! That is the right
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posture to meditate and pray to God with single minded
devotion. Biley sat in that posture for quite a long time
without moving a bit or opening his eyes. And was it
only sitting quietly? His
mind was also lost in
meditation. He was then
totally unaware of the
outside world. One day Biley
and his playmates were
mimicking meditation as a
game. However, other mates could hardly keep their
eyes closed as long as Biley could. So they opened
their eyes at times to have a look around and closed
again after a while.
Suddenly a cobra crept into the room. Having seen the
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dreaded snake, other friends fled in fear. They cried
out from a distance outside, “O Biley, flee out”.
But Biley remained motionless with his eyes closed
unaware of the external world. He could not even hear
the call of his friends. The snake however went away a
little later without causing harm.
Naren – Share , Care & Love
As a child, Naren was very fond of different types of
animals. He loved
watching birds; and
among his boyhood pets
were a family cow, a
monkey, a goat, a
peacock, several pigeons
and guinea pigs. Narendra
had a striking resemblance to his highly religious
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grandfather. Many people believed that his
grandfather was reborn as Narendra. As a youngster,
Naren developed a special fancy for wandering monks.
He loved helping monks who came in his neighbourhood
asking for alms. Narendra made a point to always give
generously to the monks who came to his door. One day
when such a monk appeared at the door and asked for
alms, Narendra gave him his only possession, a tiny
piece of new cloth that was wrapped around his waist.
At some point, Narendra did not even think twice giving
useful and valuable item from the house without asking
his parents. This habit of giving generously had to be
stopped. So thereafter, whenever a monk was seen in
the neighbourhood, Narendra would be locked in a
room. However, even this did not stop Narendra from
giving and he would throw whatever he could find out
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of the window as an offering to holy men who came to
his door.
Narendra got his early education from his mother. She
taught him the Bengali alphabet and his first English
words. She also told him stories from the Ramayana
and the Mahabharata.
During his childhood, Narendra developed a love for
the Hindu deities. His mother had told him the stories
of these Gods. He was particularly attracted by the
heroic story of Rama and his wife Sita. He procured
their images, decorated them with flowers, and
worshiped them in his boyish fashion.
Verify & Understand truth
Children in tender age ask many questions. It naturally
arises in their mind. What, why, where, who and the
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list goes on. Whatever the child see, wish to know it
thoroughly.
Biley (Naren) had the similar cravings too. Though he
was but a little boy, enquiries befitting grown-up people
crossed his mind. And when he desired to learn any
particular thing, he could not rest satisfied till he
found a proper answer.
Many people used to come to their house. A number of
hookahs-(an Indian smoking pipe) – were kept arranged
in the parlour for the visitors. The hookahs were
placed separately caste wise for the use of people of
different castes like the Brahmin, the Kayastha, and
the Muslim etc. Biley had seen so many hookahs and
asked one day, “Where is the point in keeping so many
hookahs when everyone can smoke from single one?
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Someone explained, “How could that be? Should a
person of a particular caste smoke in the hookah kept
for the other, he is sure to lose his caste”.
Biley could hardly follow this point. How could one’s
caste go? But he was the last to give up till the puzzle
was solved rationally. One day Naren secretly made his
way into the parlour and touched his lip to all the
hookahs one by one to check whether the caste would
really wither. If so, how it could happen.
Viswanatha Dutta came to know about this and
explained the matter to his on.
From the very childhood, Biley (Naren) had a strong
inclination to examine and verify everything himself.
School
Biley was seven years old when he was admitted to the
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Metropolitan School. He had read and been given
lessons at home before he was sent to school. A
teacher used to come and teach him at home. He did
not forget what he had heard once. He remembered
everything, stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata
and even the grammar through audience only.
When the teacher came, Biley (Naren) would give him
books and show the particular lesson to be taught on
the day. The teacher went on reading before the boy
spelling and explaining as if he himself was preparing
his lessons. Biley sat close and often relaxed in a
reclined posture. But he did give an attentive hearing
and prepared his lessons through audience. Therefore
he didn’t have to go through the lessons again. As a
result, he took little time to prepare his lessons. He
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could afford plenty of time to attend to other things.
He learnt both vocal and instrumental music. He also
learnt wielding bamboo sticks, various forms of physical
exercises, wrestling and riding.
Biley was brave and afraid of nothing. He loved his
friends dearly. They always accepted him as their
team leader whether it was in school or in group
discussion or at play.
Responsibility & Commitment
Biley used to perform his duties keeping himself cool
even in difficult situations.
There was a place where he
and his friends go and do
physical exercises. Once he
was busy erecting the wooden
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frame of a trapeze with a couple of his friends. But the
frame was too heavy and they tried a long time in vain
to lift it.
Many in the street were watching the boys at their
work. One among them was an English Sailor who lent
them a hand in lifting the frame.
With the help of the sailor, the frame was raised to a
certain height. When it was almost up, suddenly it fell
and struck the sailor on his head. He bled profusely as
his forehead sustained deep cut and he fell
unconsciousness. The boys were afraid and ran away
thinking that he might have died.
Only Biley and a few of his friends did not flee. He
tore his own cloth and bandaged the wound on the head
of the sailor. The boys nursed him, sprinkled water on
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his face and fanned him till the bleeding was stopped
and the sailor regained his consciousness. The boys
brought him to a nearby school and a doctor was called
in. Under careful attention and nursing of Biley, the
sailor recovered from the accident.
BILEY’S ROLE PLAY
Narendra was favourite amongst his friends and he was
their leader. When playing his favourite game of 'King
and the Court,' he would always assume the role of the
monarch. The highest step of
the stairs in the room would
be his throne. He would sit
there and he would choose his
friends to be the Prime
Minister, Commander-in-chief,
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other state officials. No one objected his always taking
up the role of a king because his friends loved him and
they were convinced that only Narendra deserved to be
their monarch! He would ask them to sit on the steps
according to their rank. This was to be his court
(Durbar) and he would administer justice with fairness
in his court.
Biley & the Champaka Tree
Narendra was the ideal of fearlessness even as a small
child. When he was barely 8
years old, he used to visit a
friend whose family had a
Champaka tree in their
compound. The Champaka
flowers are said to be liked
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by Shiva and so were Naren’s favourite too. He loved to
dangle upside down from the tree! One day as he was
swinging from the tree, the old and nearly blind
grandfather of the house recognized his voice and
approached him. The old man was afraid that the boy
might fall and hurt himself or worse that he might lose
some of his precious Champaka flowers! He asked
Naren to get down from the tree and told him not to
climb the tree again. “But why?” asked Naren. The old
man replied that a Brahmadaitya (a ghost) lives in that
tree and at night he goes about dressed all in white,
and he is terrible to look at! This was news to Naren,
who wanted to know what else this ghost could do
besides wander about. The old man replied “And he
breaks the necks of those who climb the tree!”
Naren simply nodded and said nothing and the old man
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went away smiling to himself in triumph. As soon as he
had gone some distance, Naren climbed the tree again
and was dangling back in his former position. His friend
who was there all along cried out Naren! The Ghost is
sure to catch you and break your neck! Naren laughed
heartily and said, “What a silly fellow you are! Do not
believe everything just because someone tells you! If
the old grandfather’s story were true then my neck
would have been broken long ago!”
Once Narendra was
punished at school for no
fault of him, the geography
teacher asked him a
question. Narendra
answered it correctly.
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However, the teacher thought it was wrong and
punished him. Narendra was undaunted even as a boy.
He protested, “I committed no error sir. What I said is
right.” This made the teacher furious. He mercilessly
beat Narendra.
Narendra came home with tears in his eyes and
narrated everything to his mother. Nevertheless,
Bhuvaneshwari Devi consoled him saying, “My son, why
do you care if you are right? Follow the truth always,
whatever happens.”
Narendra was a master
storyteller from early age.
When he spoke, every one
listened with complete
attention forgetting their
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work. One day while in school, Narendra was talking
animatedly to his friends during a class recess.
Meanwhile the teacher had entered the classroom and
had begun to teach the subject. However, the students
who were absorbed in Narendra's story did not pay
attention. After some time the teacher heard the
whispering and understood what was going on. He asked
each student what he been lecturing on. None could
answer. However, Narendra was remarkably talented.
He could easily focus on multiple things. Therefore,
when the teacher asked him the question, he answered
correctly. Quite stumped, the teacher inquired who
had been talking. Everyone pointed to Narendra, but
teacher would not believe! He asked all students
except Narendra to stand up on the bench as a
punishment. Narendra also joined his friends and stood
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up. The teacher asked him to sit down. However,
Narendra replied, “No Sir, I was the one who was
talking. Therefore I must stand up”. Narendra was a
bold and honest child. He took the responsibility of his
acts. If he felt that he had done a mistake he not only
accepted it but also got himself punished for the same.
Education
This school was started by Ishwarachandra Vidyasagar.
When Narendra was in
eighth grade, his father
moved to Raipur for his work
and lived there for two
years. Narendra went with
him and there was no school
in Raipur. This gave Narendra
a lot of time with his father. His father would hold
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lengthy conversations with him on topics that
demanded depth, precision and logic. He discussed
many ideas with Narendra and gave the boy freedom to
think independently as he did not believe in
superimposition of ideas. Many scholars would visit the
house and Narendra would listen to their discussions.
One day Narendra asked his father, “How shall I
conduct myself in the world?” His father replied,
“Never show surprise at anything.”
In the later part of his life, Swamiji would recall how
his father’s advice helped him in life’s situations.
Swamiji would recount how this advice helped him to
preserve the calmness of the mind while dealing with
princes in their palaces, educated disciples in America
or beggars and monks during this travel across
Bharath.
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Narendra‘s father Vishwanatha Dutta was a
disciplinarian. In the early age, Narendra learnt
valuable life lessons from his father. Once Narendra
had an argument with his mother and rather
unexpectedly uttered rude words. This was duly
reported to the father by the people living around in
the household. Vishwanath Dutta did not scold his son,
but he simply wrote this on the door of his room:
“Narendra today said to his mother -----” and added
the words that he had used. He wanted Narendra’s
friends to know how rudely he had treated his mother.
Narendranath’s urge to realise GOD
In 1880, Narendranath passed the entrance
examination to Presidency College. This college later
came to be known as Scottish Church College. In
college, he attracted the attention of both Indian and
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British professors. They were impressed by his
brilliant intellect. He studied western logic, western
philosophy, ancient and modern history of different
nations of Europe. The principal W.W. Hastie once
commented about Narendra, “I have never yet come
across a lad of his talents and possibilities in my travel
far and wide. He is bound to make his mark”.
Naendranath had read a number
of books other than those
followed in the college. He
showed on many occasions that
he could not help going deep into
a thing and learning it properly
when he felt like knowing something. With age, he had
grown reflective and his faculty of thinking had also
grown vastly. Narendranath was looking for, a way for
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God realization. His need to meet a person who has
seen God was deep.
Narendra had heard of Sri Rama Krishna from his
relative Ramachandra Dutta. Ramachandra was one of
the householder followers of Ramakrishna. Narendra
was studying for his FA examination and his father had
floated the idea of his getting married soon after the
examinations. However, seeing his lack of interest in
getting married and being the one believing on personal
choice in these matters, he did not pursue the matter.
He entrusted Dr Ramachandra Dutta, a trusted
relative and friend, with the task of encouraging
Narendra for marriage. When Ramachandra came to
know the unwillingness of Narendra to marry and
learning of his quest to lead a spiritual life, he told
Narendra “if you really want to cultivate spirituality,
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then you should meet Ramakrishna at Dakshineshwar”.
First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna
Around this time, in the college Professor Hastie was
giving a lecture on Wordsworth’s poem ‘The Excursion’.
He explained that “trances” referred by the poet are
results of religious purity
and concentration. He also
said that it is rare in this
modern time and he knows
of one person who has
realized this blessed state
and that is Ramakrishna of Dakshineshwar.
Narendranath met Ramakrishna for the first time in
November 1881 at the house of Surendranath Mitra.
Surendranath Mitra was a neighbour of Narendranath
and a Devotee of Sri Ramakrishna. He had invited
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Ramakrishna to his home. Surendranath wanted to
make the occasion festive and wanted to call some
eminent artist to sing devotional songs. Unable to get
anyone he approached Narendra to sing for the
devotees at his house. Narendranath had sweet voice
and not only the assembled people, but Sri Ramakrishna
himself was impressed by his sincerity and devotion. He
praised him and sought introduction. He also invited
Narendra to visit him at Dakshineshwar.
Searching and Meeting with the Guru
Narendranath had fully
forgotten about
Ramakrishna during his FA
examinations. However soon
after the examinations, he
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decided to make a visit to Dakshineshwar.
One day, Narendranath visited Dakshineswar. Shri
Ramakrishna was much pleased to have seen him come.
He spoke at length with Narendranath, entertained him
in so many ways and offered him sweets with his own
hand. That was the day when Narendranath asked him,
“Have you seen God?” Shri Ramakrishna answered,
“Yes, I have, I have seen Him intensely, as I see you
now. If you wish I can show you too”.
Narendra also had a calm feeling. He could feel that
Ramakrishna’s words were coming from depths of inner
experience. While Sri Ramakrishna's words revived his
optimism, he still was not convinced about the
capabilities of his future master.
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Narendra was an occasional visitor to the
Dakshineshwar because of his pre-occupation with
examinations. In one of his visits, it was the evening
time and Ramakrishna was giving advice to his disciple
on God, truth etc. Ramakrishna was teaching all his
disciples, yet his eyes were fixed on Narendra.
Narendra was inquisitive, alert, open minded and
demanded rational proof before accepting any
conclusion as valid. He did not feel the need of a guru,
a human intermediary between God and man. He openly
ridiculed Ramakrishna’s visions of Gods and Goddesses
and called them hallucinations. It took about five years
before Narendra accepted Sri Ramakrishna as his guru
and once the acceptance came it was wholehearted,
final and unchangeable. Until that time Narendra never
allowed him to be influenced by blind faith, always
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tested words and actions of Sri Ramakrishna.
One day Naren was making fun of Ramakrishna’s
teaching of Advaita. He said to a friend, “What is more
absurd than saying this jug is God, cup is God, and we
too are Gods” and both of them laughed. Just then,
Ramakrishna appeared and found out about the reason
for the laughter. He gently touched Naren and Naren
went into Samadhi. He saw the whole universe as one
being. Even when he returned home, he felt the
presence of God (Brahman) everywhere, in the food
and in himself as well. This feeling lasted for many days
and he would see the carriages, horses, the crowd and
himself as made of one thing.
Narendranath developed great respect for analytical
scientific methods and he would subject many of
Ramakrishna’s visions into scrutiny. He even took a
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course in western medicine to help him understand the
functioning of the brain in order to find out the
secrets behind Ramakrishna’s trances.
Narendranath’s quest for the truth would not be
satisfied in any rational thought that could not explain
the feeling he got in the presence of Ramakrishna. Only
Ramakrishna would show him the path for realization
and under his guidance, Narendra also intensified his
practice of meditation. He felt inner peace and this
would last for long even after the meditation is over.
Family Crisis
In 1884, Narendranath was preparing for his B.A
examination, while continuing his spiritual quest under
guidance of Ramakrishna. Suddenly his father
Vishwanath Dutta passed away. Even though his father
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was a great lawyer, he also lived beyond his means. His
sudden death burdened the family with heavy debt.
Upon his death, some of the relatives went to court for
the split of the ancestral home. Other creditors also
wanted their money back.
Narendranath, being eldest, was responsible for the
feeding all the members of his family. He started to
look for a job. Often he would forget invitation from
friends for dinner. While at home he would often say
that he ate outside, knowing very well the food at home
is very little and there were too many mouths to feed.
Some friends who were engaged in dishonest activities
to earn money would ask him to join them to relieve of
his difficulties and Narendra would have none of it.
One day Narendranath, after a futile job search, went
to a big park in Calcutta. He sat down in the shadow of
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Ochterlony monument.
Some of his friends
joined him and one of
them sang a song praising
God’s grace. This was
probably an effort to
console Naren. However,
Narendranath tired and weary, scolded his friend and
told him, “What is the use of God’s grace, those kinds
of songs come from people whose stomach is full, like
those who are born with silver spoon”. His friends did
not like what happened to Narendranath and they
understood the difficulties he was going through.
Another day, Narendranath was getting ready in the
morning to go after another day of searching for jobs.
He was getting out of the house after finishing
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morning prayers seeking blessings of God. His mother
heard his prayer and told with very bitterness: “You
fool! You have been praying to God since your child
hood and what has He done for you”. Narendra by this
time started to get doubts about God’s existence. He
was not the one to hide his feelings and he would argue
about Gods non-existence and futility of prayer with
his friends. His friends started to think that Narendra
had become an atheist.
Prayer for Knowledge and Devotion
Narendra knew by this time that Ramakrishna could
talk to Goddess Kali during his payers. He thought it
would be a good idea to ask Ramakrishna to ask
Goddess to give him riches. He told Sri Ramakrishna
about this idea. Ramakrishna inquired why he did not
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pray himself to Kali, adding that Narendranath
suffered because he did not acknowledge Kali as the
Mother of the universe. The Master said, “Today is a
Tuesday, an auspicious day for the Mother's worship.
Go to Her shrine in the
evening, prostrate
yourself before the
image, and pray to Her
for any boon; it will be
granted. Mother Kali is
the embodiment of Love
and Compassion. She
fulfils every sincere prayer of Her devotees.”
At nine o'clock in the evening, Narendranath went to
the Kali temple. Passing through the courtyard, he felt
within himself a surge of emotion. His heart leapt with
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joy in anticipation of the vision of the Divine Mother.
Entering the temple, he cast his eyes upon the image
and found the stone figure to be nothing else but the
living Goddess, the Divine Mother Herself, ready to
give him any boon he wanted. He was soon in Samadhi.
He prayed for the boon of wisdom, discrimination,
renunciation, and her uninterrupted vision, but forgot
to ask the Goddess for money.
He felt great peace within as he returned to the
Master's room. Ramakrishna immediately asked if he
had prayed for money. Narendranath said that he had
forgotten all about it. The Master told him to go to the
temple again and pray to the Divine Mother to satisfy
his immediate needs. Narendranath did as he was told,
but again forgot his mission. The same thing happened
a third time. Then Narendranath suddenly realized
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that Sri Ramakrishna himself had made him forget to
ask the Divine Mother for worldly things; perhaps he
wanted Narendranath to lead a life of renunciation.
He now asked Sri Ramakrishna to do something for the
family. The master told the Narendranath that it was
not his destiny to enjoy a worldly life, but assured him
that the family would be able to live a simple life,
without luxuries they were used to earlier.
A few days after this incident, Narendranath got a job
in the office of an Attorney. Soon after that, he got a
job as a teacher in Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's
school.
Last Days of Ramakrishna
Ramakrishna became ill with throat cancer in 1885.
Ramakrishna lived for some time at a house in
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Shyampukur for treatment and later on moved to a
garden house at Cossipore. Here Ramakrishna spent a
lot of time with his disciples, teaching them various
spiritual disciplines and meditations. Many of them left
their houses, lived with the teacher, and took care of
him. Narendranath was the source of inspiration for all
of them. During their leisure periods, Narendranath
would gather them and spend their time in study,
singing and discussion.
Realizing that Ramakrishna would not live long,
Narendranath increased the intensity of his spiritual
practices. He had an infinite longing to realize God. One
day he asked Ramakrishna for a boon, so that he can
stay in Samadhi for three or four days at a stretch.
Ramakrishna scolded for being selfish. He wanted
Narendranath to see God in all beings and serve them
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in a spirit of worship. He often said to see the world
alone without God is ignorance, Ajnana; to see God
alone is kind of philosophical knowledge , Jnana; but to
see all beings permeated by spirit of God is supreme
wisdom, Vijnana. He wanted Naren to attain this
supreme wisdom.
One day Ramakrishna told Narendranath, “I leave them
in your care. Take care of their spiritual needs even
after my passing away”. Then, one day Ramakrishna
initiated several young disciples into sanyasa and thus,
himself laid the foundation of the future Ramakrishna
Order of Monks.
While attending to Ramakrishna during his illness,
Narendranath realized the importance of his spiritual
experiences. He saw with reverence that Ramakrishna
could get into Samadhi at will and during this time, he
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was not aware of his pain from cancer.
One day, a scholar told Ramakrishna that he could cure
his illness by concentrating his mind on his throat.
However, Ramakrishna refused to do so since he did
not want withdraw his mind away from God.
Narendranath knew that Ramakrishna experienced
divine Kali ma often. He also felt so much for the pain
that Ramakrishna was having due to illness. Therefore,
he urged Ramakrishna that he should ask the Ma for
relief from the pain. Ramakrishna would often laugh at
this suggestion and ignored his request.
Finally, Ramakrishna agreed that he would speak to Ma
about the illness. He went into Samadhi and when he
came back to normal consciousness he told the
disciples: “Yes I asked Her that I could not swallow any
food on account of the pain in my throat and asked her
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to do something about it. However, the mother pointed
her finger to you all and asked me, “Are you not eating
enough through all these mouths?” Ramakrishna said
that he felt embarrassed and humiliated and he could
not say anything. This incident told Narendra how
Ramakrishna applied Vedantic truth of oneness of
existence to his life. He realized that only through
that understanding one could rise above individual pain
and suffering.
Ramakrishna passed away on
Aug 16 1886. Soon after
that Narendranath began
organizing the disciples into
a monastic brotherhood
under his own inspiring
leadership. Surendranath Mitra, a household disciple of
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Ramakrishna helped in renting a house for the young
monks at Baranagore. Here they continued their
spiritual practices under the guidance of
Narendranath. Baranagore Mutt, as this came to be
known, is the first headquarters of monks of
Ramakrishna Order. In January of 1887, Narendra and
other disciples took sanyasa. They performed the
sacred Viraja ceremony and took the vows of lifelong
celibacy and austerity, dedicating their lives to the
realization of God.
The Wandering Monk: Meeting with Maharaja
Mangal Singh – Idol Worship
In February of 1891, at Alwar in Rajputana (present
day Rajasthan province) he met the king of Alwar,
Maharaja Mangal Singh. This maharaja was westernized
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in his views. He asked Swamiji, rather mockingly, as to
why an able-bodied young
man and a scholar, he was
leading a vagabond's life.
Swamiji asked him curtly,
“Why does he spend time in
the company of westerners
and go on shooting excursions at the expense of royal
duties”. Maharaja, though taken aback, replied, “I
cannot say why, but I like it”. Swamiji said, “That is the
very reason I wander about as a monk”.
One day, the discussion with the maharaja turned
towards idol worship. Maharaja, being westernized, did
not believe in idol worship and he even ridiculed it. He
told Swamiji “I've no faith in idol worship. I cannot
worship stone, wood, metal like other people. Does it
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mean that I shall fare worse in the life hereafter?”
Swamiji, tried to reason with him and tried to explain
to him that when Hindus worship idols they are not
worshiping the stone, but God alone, which they see
stone as a symbol, representation of God. Maharaja was
not convinced.
Swamiji, asked the Prime
Minister (Dewan) who was
present, to take down the
picture of Maharaja that was
aging on the wall. He asked the
Dewan, “Whose picture is
this?” The Dewan answered, “It is our Maharaja's
picture, Swamiji”. Swamiji commanded Dewan that he
should spit on the picture.
Dewan was trembling and he glanced from the maharaja
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to the Swamiji and from Swamiji to the Maharaja, not
knowing what to do. Swamiji would not let him away, he
urged him to spit on the picture because as maharaja
put it, it is just a piece of paper. Dewan, finally cried
out loud, “Swamiji, how can you ask me to do this? This
is the picture of our beloved Maharaja. How can I spit
on his picture?”
Swamiji said, “Your Maharaja is in front of you in flesh.
He is not present in this picture in person. This picture
does not move, speak or behave the way Maharaja does.
Yet you refuse to spit on this picture because you see
the shadow of Maharaja's form/figure. Indeed, you
consider spitting on the picture is insulting the prince
himself.”
He turned to the maharaja and continued, “Maharaja,
see your Dewan’s behaviour. He knows that you are not
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there physically in the picture. Yet, your likeness in the
picture brings the same feeling of respect to the
picture that they have for you. That is why; he could
not spit on the picture. It is the same with devotees
who worship stone, metal or wood pieces. That image
brings them close to their god and they are not
worshiping this stone or wood as such.
Maharaja understood Swamiji's point and with folded
hands he told, “I must admit that according the light
you have thrown on image worship, I have not met
anyone who worshiped the stone or wood or metal. I did
not understand the meaning till now, you have opened
my eyes.”
Handling Situation
One day, Swamiji was traveling by train. There were
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two Englishmen in the same compartment. They looked
at Swamiji and his clothes and took him to be a beggar.
In time, they began to crack jokes in English at his
expense. At the next station, Swamiji talked with the
station master in perfect English and asked for a glass
of water. The Englishmen were embarrassed and they
asked why did not protest against their rude and
unkind words. With a smile Swamiji told, “Friends, this
is not the first time I came across fools” and walked
away. The Englishmen got angry and wanted to fight.
Looking at Swamiji's physique, they thought that
discretion is better part of the valour and apologized.
Courage and Self respect
Swamiji was traveling to Bombay on his way to the
west. Jagmohan Lal the Dewan of Maharaja of Khetri
was accompanying him. They were inside a railway coach
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at the Mt Abu station, waiting for the train to leave
for Bombay. One Bengali gentleman, an admirer of
Swamiji had come to see them off and he was also
inside the coach talking with Swamiji. This person also
happened to be a railway employee.
A ticket collector (European), who checks the
travellers for tickets, came into the coach. He saw this
gentleman and harshly told him to get off the train. He
tried to convince the ticket collector that there is
nothing wrong in being inside while the train is at the
station and that he is there to briefly talk to his
friends. The ticket collector would not listen and a
serious argument ensued. When Swamiji tried to
intervene, the European thought him to an ordinary
monk and told him “Tum kaahe bat karte ho, – why are
you interfering?”
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The word 'tum' is used to address friends or inferiors
whereas 'aap' is used for superiors or equals. This
disparaging use 'tum' angered Swamiji. Swamiji took
him to task and told him “How come you talk like this to
first class passengers, can you not behave properly?
Don’t you know the manners? Can you not say 'aap'?”
Realizing his mistake the ticket collector said, “I'm
sorry, I don’t know the language very well, and I only
wanted this man.” Swamiji interrupted him, “Just now
you said you don’t know Hindi very well, looks like you
don’t know English either. This 'man' of whom you
speak is a 'gentleman'.” Swamiji told him that he would
report this incident to authorities. Quite frightened,
the ticket collector quickly left the coach.
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As soon as he left Swamiji turned to Jagmohan and
told him, “What we Indians need is self-respect. We
must defend our self-esteem by all means; otherwise
we will be slighted and insulted. Cowardice is the
breeding ground for all corruption. The Hindus are no
less civilized than anybody else on this earth, but they
always underestimate us.”
Thus Swamiji taught Indians how to love and respect
their country and heritage.
Realization of Life Mission
This was a time when Bharat was in a pitiable condition.
She was under the foreign rule. People did not have
courage. Neither did they have faith in their own
strength. The misery of the common people was acute.
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Starvation was common and many could not eat to their
fill. Only a very few got an opening for education.
People had suffered long and did not have the power to
resist.
Swamiji was distressed with this suffering of the
people and grieved for total degeneration of the
country. He wept like a child at the misery of the poor.
He brooded over the glory of the ancient India against
her present decadence. He spent sleepless nights
pondering over ways to regenerate India.
He travelled and arrived in Kanyakumari, the
southernmost extremity of India, on December 24 and
prostrated himself before the image of the
Kanyakumari (Virgin Goddess) at the temple. He prayed
for the welfare of his motherland and for humanity. He
then came out and stood on the ocean side, gazing at
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the sea. Some 400 yards away he saw two large rocks.
According to the Puranas, the larger and farther of
these two rocks is the one that has been sanctified by
the blessed feet of the Divine Mother. Swamiji was
seized with the desire to reach those rocks. He asked
a few boatmen whether he could be ferried to the
rock. They were ready to take him there but Swamiji
did not have any money to pay them. Having no other
option, Swamiji plunged into the roaring waves and
swam across. The experienced boatmen were shocked
to see him do this and screamed out to him to return to
the shore. They warned him of the stormy waves and
the sharks in the ocean. However, Swamiji swam safely
across and reached the ‘Shripada Shila’, 400 yards
away from the mainland.
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There, he meditated for three days and nights and
returned to the shore on the fourth day. During this
meditation, the mission became clear to him. As he
himself said, “The thing in the search of which I had
been wandering both physically and mentally for years
in search of something, I have achieved on that spot.”
This was the crowning glory of
his parivrajaka life and the
beginning of his mission of ‘man-
making’ and reawakening his
Motherland. It was clear to him
that India's strength lies in its religion and spirituality.
He had a task before him to uplift the poor and
indigent of India.
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Planning Travel to the West
Swamiji swam back to the shore. From Kanyakumari
he proceeded to Madras.
This was the beginning of 1893, Swamiji publicly
announced his intention to go to Parliament of religions
in Chicago. Many young men of Madras were attracted
by Swamiji's personality. They were enthusiastic about
his trip to America and they raised lot of money for
the trip.
However, Swamiji would not take the money; he said he
is not sure, as he is still seeking guidance from the
divine for his trip and that they should distribute the
money to benefit the poor.
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Immediately after the incidence, Swamiji had a
symbolic dream where he
saw Ramakrishna walk
bare foot on water and
asking him to follow. He
wrote letter to Mother
Sarada Devi outlining the
dream and his intention
to go to America. Sarada Devi gave her blessings to
fulfil his wish and now Swamiji felt sure of his call.
Soon after, Prime Minister of the Maharaja of Khetri
Munshi Jagmohanlal, arrived in Madras. He brought the
news that Maharaja has been blessed with a son.
Swamiji delayed his departure so that he could bless
the new child. So he departed Khetri to bless
Maharaja's son.
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Maharaja was very happy to see Swamiji and he was
even happier to get his son blessed by Swamiji. Swamiji
outlined his plan to go to America and his mission in the
west. Maharaja arranged a ticket for Swamiji to go to
Chicago from Bombay. Swamiji assumed the name
“Vivekananda” at the suggestion of Maharaja and he
was ready for the trip. The Raja presented an orange
silk robe, a turban and a first class ticket on S.S.
Peninsular. Swamiji arrived in Bombay along with the
Prime Minister of maharaja of Khetri. Finally Swamiji,
now Vivekananda, the name bestowed by Maharaja of
Khetri, sailed from Bombay on May 31 1893.
Vivekananda was the name by which he was to become
famous and which was destined to shine the name of
India across the world for many more years, if not
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centuries.
Journey towards West
The ship sailed from Bombay on May 31 1893. Swamiji
soon adjusted to the life on the ship that was
different from that of a wandering monk. His orange
robe aroused the curiosity of many of the fellow
passengers.
Swamiji was able see many places and gather new
experiences. Some of the places visited by Swamiji
during this journey include Colombo, Hong Kong, Canton,
Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
Swamiji arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia on July
25th 1893. From Vancouver he went by train to
Chicago, destination of his journey and the meeting
place of the parliament of religions. Swami ji arrived in
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Chicago 30th July. It took him almost 2 months to
travel from India to Chicago.
On board the train from Vancouver, Swamiji met Kate
Sanborn, former professor of literature at Smith
College. She was impressed by Swamiji's demeanour
and appearance. She invited him to come and stay with
her in Metcalf, Massachusetts, and gave her card.
Sanborn encouraged him to visit her in Massachusetts
so she could introduce him to learned and cultured
circles.
In her discussion on the train, she found that Swamiji
was conversant with modern and ancient English
literature. He could quote easily and naturally from
Shakespeare or Longfellow or Tennyson, Darwin,
Muller.
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As you will see later, this meeting proved to be turning
point in Swamiji's trip to the west.
Swami Vivekananda At Chicago
Swamiji reached Chicago. When he went to the
Congress for his registration as a speaker, he learnt
that it was already late. Moreover, he had no identity
card with him. Two more months were to go before the
commencement of the Parliament. He did not have
sufficient money to stay that long in that country.
Swamiji was in a real trouble. The very purpose of his
travelling such a long distance was about to be
defeated.
He went out of Chicago for a few days. He failed to
secure any lodging for night stay when he returned to
Chicago. He had to pass the chilly night crawling into
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an empty packing box at the station. It was a freezing
night. However, he could brave the chilli by the grace
of God.
Amidst such odds and distress, the worry about the
poor in India did never leave Swamiji’s mind even for a
moment. He wrote to one of his disciples in India at
this time, “I may die of cold or hunger here but you
must not forget them for whom I am here. I entrust
you with the mission of salvaging three hundred million
Indians from their all-out misery”.
On the streets of Chicago
Having spent the night in the packing box, Swamiji
went out next morning to look for the office of the
Congress. Professor Wright had given him a letter of
introduction to help his admission to the Parliament.
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The Professor was vastly impressed with the learning
of Swamiji and wrote to one of his friends, “Swami
Vivekananda is more learned than all our learned men
put together”.
Unfortunately Swamiji lost the address of the office
given to him by Prof Wright. He searched for the
office from street to street without avail.
He did not have any meal the night before. He felt
hungry and went to few houses to beg. The land was
not India and nobody offered anything to a monk.
He lost the strength to walk anymore and sat down on
the road spent. He could no more think of a way out.
Just at that moment, a lady, Mrs Hale by name, came
out of a house opposite the road and led him inside.
She asked him if he was a delegate at the parliament
of religions. Swamiji was happy to have gotten helping
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hand and explained his difficulties. She arranged
boarding and lodging at her place and made him one of
her own in a while.
After some breakfast and rest, that woman Mrs
George W Hale, took him to the offices of the
parliament and presented him to Dr. J H Barrows, the
president of the parliament of religions. Immediately
Swamiji was accepted as a delegate representing
Hinduism in the Parliament. He was provided
accommodation in the house of Mr and Mrs John B
Lyons for the duration of the conference.
Parliament of Religions
Parliament of Religions opened on Monday Sept 11 1893.
This meeting was an adjunct of World's Columbian
Exposition. This Expo was being organized to celebrate
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the 400th anniversary of arrival of Columbus in
America. One of the main goals of the conference was
to show case the progress of the west since the
discovery of America. Since religion formed vital part
of human culture, it had been decided to organize
parliament of religions as part of the Exposition.
Parliament opened at 10 AM at the gallery of Art
Palace. The place was
packed with seven
thousand people
representing 1.2 billion
people from around the
world. The delegates
were called to address
the meeting and they
read prepared speeches, but Vivekananda was
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unprepared. He had never before addressed such an
assembly. When he was asked to give his message he
was seized with stage fright, and requested the
chairman to call on him a little later. Several times he
postponed the summons. Besides, he did not have, like
the other delegates, a prepared speech. He requested
the President to let him be the last speaker. When it
was his turn to speak, his heart was pounding.
At last, he came to the rostrum and Dr. Barrows
introduced him. Bowing to Sarasvati, the Goddess of
Wisdom, he addressed the audience as ‘Sisters and
Brothers of America'. Instantly thousands arose in
their seats and gave him loud applause.
It took a full two minutes before the applause
subsided, and the Swami began his speech by thanking
the youngest of the nations (USA) in the name of the
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most ancient monastic order in the world, the Vedic
order of sanyasis. The focus of his address was
toleration and
universal acceptance.
He told the audience
how India, even in
olden times, had given
shelters to the
religious refugees of other lands — for instance, the
Israelites and the Zoroastrians. At the end, he pleaded
for the quick end to sectarianism, bigotry, and
fanaticism.
Promoters of the Parliament thought that the
Parliament would give them an opportunity to prove the
superiority of Christianity over the other faiths of the
world. Much later Swami Vivekananda said that the
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Divine Mother Herself willed the Parliament in order to
give him an opportunity to present the Eternal Religion
of the Hindus before the world at large.
The young, unknown monk of India was transformed
overnight into an outstanding figure of the religious
world. Overnight he became famous. His life-size
portraits were posted in the streets of Chicago, with
words 'The Monk Vivekananda' written beneath them
and many passers-by would stop to do reverence with
bowed heads.
The time in US
Swami Vivekananda was invited by a lecture bureau to
tour the United States, and he accepted the offer. He
wanted money in order to free himself from obligation
to his wealthy friends and to help his various
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philanthropic and religious projects in India. Further,
he thought that through a lecture bureau he could
effectively broadcast his ideas all over the American
continent and thus remove erroneous notions regarding
Hindu religion and society from people's minds. Soon he
was engaged in a whirlwind tour covering the larger
cities of the East and the Middle West. People called
him the 'Cyclonic Hindu'. He visited, among other
places, Iowa City, Des Moines, Memphis, Indianapolis,
Minneapolis, Detroit, Buffalo, Hartford, Boston,
Cambridge, New York, Baltimore, and Washington.
Cherishing a deep affection for the members of the
Hale family, he made his headquarters at George W.
Hale's residence in Chicago.
In August 1895, he sailed to England. He wanted to
carry to the British people the same message that he
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had preached in America. During his absence, the work
of spreading Vedanta was carried on uninterrupted by
the group of his trained disciples.
On the insistence of his disciples and with a view to
give concrete shape to his work on American soil,
Swamiji came back on December 6, 1895, after about
three months in England. He began giving another
series of talks on work as a spiritual discipline. These
talks were subsequently published as Karma-Yoga. By
the end of February 1896, he organized the movement
into an established society. He also started releasing
his talks in the book form. Thus, the Vedanta Society
of New York came into existence. The Swami made Mr
Francis H. Leggett, one of the wealthy and influential
residents of the city of New York, the President of
this newly formed Vedanta Society.
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One of the principal purposes of the Swami in
organizing his classes into this Society was particularly
to bring about an interchange of ideas and ideals
between the East and the West.
In the opinion of the Swami, the Orient would be
benefited by greater activity and energy like that of
the West, as the latter would profit by a mixture of
Eastern introspection and the meditative habit.
In the spring of 1896, letters began to pour in from
England urging Swami Vivekananda to return there and
continue his activities. The Swami felt the need of
concentrating on the work in both London and New
York, the two great cities of the Western world. He
made arrangements with Miss Waldo and other
qualified disciples to continue his program in America
during his absence. Swamiji sailed to London from New
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York in April 1896.
Swamiji in England
Swamiji's first trip to England began in September
1895. Swamiji travelled with Francis Leggett to Paris.
From Paris he came to London and met Miss Muller and
Mr Sturdy. Miss
Muller had attended
his lectures in
America and Mr
Sturdy had studied
Sanskrit and
practiced asceticism
in Himalayas. Within
three weeks of his arrival, he started classes and
started giving speeches. Newspapers called him 'Hindu
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Yogi'. The London Daily wrote that he reminded people
of Buddha.
Significant achievement of this trip was the meeting of
Miss Margaret Noble. She later became his disciple and
took the name Nivedita. She moved to India and
dedicated her life for the women's education in India.
After spending three months in England, he returned
to America at the insistence of his American disciples.
However, Swamijis disciples called him to England
again. He reached England during spring of 1896. In
this trip, Swamiji gave lectures and classes five days a
week and public speeches on weekends.
Despite the rush of his European work, Swami
Vivekananda maintained his contact with America. He
took a personal interest in the spiritual development of
his students.
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On November 29, 1896, he wrote to a disciple in India
about his proposed Himalayan monastery. He further
said that his present plan was to start two centres, one
in Madras and the other in Calcutta, and later others in
Bombay and Allahabad.
Swami Vivekananda could no longer resist the voice of
India calling him back. He sailed from Naples for
Ceylon on December 16, 1896.
Pride Being Indian
At the time of his departure for home, some westerner
asked him, “Swamiji, you have stayed for such a long
time in this mighty and prosperous land. How should you
feel in your own country on your return?” Swamiji
replied, “I loved India earlier. Now every dust of India
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has turned holy to me. She is now my pilgrimage”.
India may be poor in material strength and wealth. But
many noble men were born in this country in every age.
Swamiji regarded honest and sincere men as more
precious than anything else.
Return to India
Welcome in Madras
At a small railroad station near Madras, hundreds of
people gathered for a
glimpse of Vivekananda.
The stationmaster did not
want to delay the train
since no stop was
scheduled. However, the
crowd of admirers flung
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themselves on the track, and the train had to be
halted. The Swami was visibly moved and blessed by
the people.
In Madras, the city erected seventeen arches to
welcome him. Thousands of people jammed the railway
station. Swamiji was taken in an elaborate procession
to the home of Biligiri Iyengar. On the third day of his
arrival, a public function was held to honor Swamiji on
behalf of the people of Madras. The Victoria Hall was
overflowing with people waiting to hear Swamiji.
Swamiji came out and addressed the crowd from a
motor coach.
Swami Vivekananda gave four public lectures, his
subjects being, 'My Plan of Campaign,' 'The Sages of
India,' 'Vedanta Its Application to Indian Life', and
'The Future of India.' In these lectures, he reminded
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the Indians of both their greatness and their
weakness, and urged them to be proud of their past
and hopeful for their future.
In his speeches from Colombo to Madras, he asked the
Indians to stop complaining. He asked them to make use
of the power that lay in their hands. That power was so
great that if they only realized it and were worthy of
it, they could revolutionize the world. He told them
that India is the Ganga of spirituality.
Formation of Ramakrishna Mission
Shortly after the Swami's arrival in Calcutta Swami
Vivekananda called a meeting of the monastic and lay
devotees of Sri Ramakrishna at the house of the
Master's close disciple Balaram Bose. Purpose the
meeting was to establish his work on an organized
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basis.
He told them that by contrasting Hindu society with
American society; he was convinced that lack of an
organizing spirit was one of the great shortcomings of
the Hindu character. He also recalled how Buddhism
had spread both in India and abroad through Buddhist
organizations. Therefore, he asked the co-operation of
the monastic and householder disciples of Sri
Ramakrishna in organizing the educational,
philanthropic, and religious activities in a more
systematic way. Swami Vivekananda proposed to the
members present that the Association must bear the
name of their guru Sri Ramakrishna and Ramakrishna
Mission Association came into existence.
Up to this time the ideal for the monks of the Math
was to strive for personal Mukti (liberation). They were
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to attain this by severe penance and meditation. But
Swamiji said that they themselves should show by their
example how to serve the poor, the helpless, and the
diseased, seeing God in them. They should inspire
others to do the same.
Invoking Strength: Service of People
On his way to Calcutta,
especially in Madras,
Swamiji had come
inspiring his fellow
countrymen. He had
appealed, “Be an ideal
man. Serve your
countrymen in the same
way as you serve and
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worship God. Be mentally very strong. Never forget
that you can accomplish whatever you wish. Strength
is latent within you. It is man who has done everything
towards human progress. Now, you shall have to do a
lot for the sake of your country. You must not be
scared of anything. “Be fearless”.
Swamiji had shown also the practical way to serve men
as living God. At the Baranagar monastery, the young
disciples of Sri Ramakrishna took to sanyasa. Swamiji
started this mission with the help of them. At the call
of Swamiji many had joined the Math by this time. He
employed them in the service of men. He stressed,
“Service of men as God brings the same result as
obtained by the ritual worship of God”.
In Calcutta, scores were dying of plague at that time.
The disease was of awful type and everybody was dead
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scared of it. Swamiji along with his brother monks
started attending on the plague patients. He declared,
“Carry on with your nursing. Do not worry about fund.
We shall not fight shy of selling the very estate of the
monastery, if necessary”.
However, Holy Mother objected, saying that this would
enable Swamiji to give relief only once. If he wanted to
continue serving people, he should not sell the Belur
Math land. Swamiji was convinced by her argument and
decided not to sell the land. Fortunately, this extreme
step was not necessary; the public gave him money for
the relief work.
The Swami worked hard to pacify the suffering of the
distressed people. Their love and admiration for him
has no bounds as they saw this practical application of
Vedanta at a time of human need.
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Building Belur Math
By now Swami Vivekananda was a very influential
personality, many boys
and young men began to
follow him. Quite a few
of his followers gave up
their belongings and
became monks so that
they can devote
themselves completely for the cause of needy. The
increase in the number of followers demanded a bigger
place where Swamiji could exchange his thoughts and
teach these people. Swami Vivekananda got some land
beside Hooghly (Ganga), Howrah district near Kolkata
and built a nice Math, and it was called as Belur Math.
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The Math was opened on 9 December 1898.
The Belur Math became the principal centre of the
Ramakrishna Mission. Many other monastic centres
were also opened for the service of the people in India
and abroad. The first permanent service centre for
boys under the Ramakrishna Mission was started at
Sargachi.
The work of the Mission is to provide man-making
education, to attend on the helpless patients, to
provide relief to the needy at calamities like famine or
flood, to preach the essence of religion and to serve all
people of all religions in various ways.
Towards the Final Journey - Back in India
Until the very end, the Swami remained the great
leader of the monastery. In spite of his own suffering,
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he guided the details of
its daily life. The classes
on the Vedas and the
Puranas were held daily,
he himself conducting
them when his health
permitted.
He spent his time at play
with a few of his pet animals – goose, crane, dog, deer,
goat etc. He named the dog as ‘Bagha’ and the goat as
‘Matru’. Lovingly he tied even a bell round the neck of
Matru.
One day, about a week before the end, he ordered a
disciple bring him the Bengali almanac. He was seen
several times on subsequent days studying the book
intently, as if he was undecided about something he
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wanted to know. After the passing away, the brother
monks and disciples realized that he had been debating
about the day when he should throw away the mortal
body.
Three days before the Maha-Samadhi, Vivekananda
pointed out to Swami Premananda a particular spot on
the monastery grounds where he wished his body to be
cremated.
Swami Vivekananda passed away on July 4 1902 at the
age of thirty-nine years, five months, and twenty-four
days, thus fulfilling his own prophecy, “I shall not live
to be forty years old.”
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Swami Vivekananda’s Message
Even though Swamiji is no more with us, the institutions that
he built, Vedanta Society across the world and Ramakrishna
Mission in India have been delivering his message and engaged
in service activities. So many people have been inspired by
Swamiji's life and his teachings and have started
organizations dedicated to serving the poor and under
privileged in the society. During his short life of 39 years,
Swamiji brought the teachings of Hinduism (Vedanta) to the
western world. Because of his work, many aspects of Hindu
Dharma such as Yoga are growing in the west. All of us can
become more familiar with the life and teachings of Swami
Vivekananda that will not only help us individually but also the
world.
References: http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm
Vivekananda for Children, Swami Vishwashrayananda http://www.belurmath.org
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Quotes of Swami Vivekananda
1. The sign of life is strength and growth.
2. What we think we become.
3. If you think yourself strong, strong you will be.
4. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be.
5. Think not you are poor, that you have no friends.
6. From dreams awake, from bonds be free.
7. The earth is enjoyed by heroes - this is the unfailing truth.
8. The brave alone do great things, not the cowards.
9. He who struggles is better than he who never attempts.
10. All power is within you.
11. You can do anything and everything.
12. Control of the mind should be trained first.
13. Concentration is the essence of all knowledge.
14. Success in life mostly depends on the power of
concentration.
15. The infinite library of the universe is in our own mind.
16. Believe in yourself and the world will be at your feet.
17. The wicked see this world as a perfect hell and the good as
a perfect heaven.
18. The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make
ourselves strong.
19. You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
20. If the student thinks he is the spirit, he will be a better
student.
21. Iron nerves with an intelligent brain - and the whole world is
at your feet.
22. ‘Face the brutes’ that is a lesson for all life face the
terrible, face it boldly.
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23. Always manifest the highest moral courage.
24. There is no greater sin than cowardice.
25. We only get what we deserve.
26. To be good and to do good - that is the whole of religion.
27. Arise; Awake; for your country needs tremendous sacrifice.
28. You will do marvellous work.
29. Be not afraid of anything.
30. Give heart to God and hands to work.
31. Be the servant while leading.
32. Each soul is potentially divine; The goal is to manifest this
divine within.
33. They alone live, who live for others.
34. Your work is to serve the poor and miserable.
35. The more we come out and do good to others, the more our
hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.
36. By doing well the duty which is nearest to us, the duty which
is in our hands, we make ourselves stronger.
37. Within each of you there is the power to remove all wants
and all miseries.
38. Educate and raise the masses.
39. Is it not a great privilege to be allowed to worship God by
helping our fellow men?
40. Do not injure, if you cannot render help.
41. Have infinite patience, and success is yours.
42. Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long
time.
43. Be grateful to the man you help, think of him as God.
44. Infinite enthusiasm is what we need.
45. Who serves man serves God indeed.
46. Devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.
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47. It is the young, the strong, and healthy of sharp intellect
that will reach the Lord.
48. We must be bright and cheerful; long faces do not make
religion.
49. Work, work and move forward.
50. Young men, on you lay the future hopes of our country.
51. Character has to be established through a thousand
stumbles.
52. In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your
heart.
53. 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.
54. ‘Hard as steel and soft as a flower’ is the motto.
55. Try to be pure and unselfish –that is the whole of religion.
56. 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.
57. Arise, awake, and stop not until your goal is reached.
58. Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long
time.
59. Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it,
dream of it, and live on that idea.
60. The brain and muscles must develop simultaneously. Learn to
make the physique very strong and teach the same to
others.
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