Teachings and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda

Vivekananda was deeply influenced by the Brahmo Samaj, and by his guru Ramakrishna, who regarded the Absolute and the relative reality to be nondual aspects of the same integral reality. According to Michael Taft, Ramakrishna reconciled the dualism of form and formless,[8] regarding the Supreme Being to be both Personal and Impersonal, active and inactive. Ramakrishna

The Personal and Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its lustre, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one.[9]

Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna. ^[4][5] He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world^[6][7] and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century.^[8] He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India, and contributed to the concept of nationalism in colonial India.^[9] Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.^[7] He is perhaps best known for his speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America ...,"^[10] in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.

Born into an aristocratic Bengali family of Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to mankind. After Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda toured the Indian subcontinent extensively and acquired first-hand knowledge of the conditions prevailing in British India. He later travelled to the United States, representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe. In India, Vivekananda is regarded as a patriotic saint and his birthday is celebrated there as National Youth Day.

He belonged to a traditional family and was one of nine siblings. His mother, Bhubaneswari Devi, was a devout housewife. The progressive, rational attitude of Narendra's father and the religious temperament of his mother helped shape his thinking and personality.

In 1880 Narendra joined Keshab Chandra Sen's Nava Vidhan, which was established by Sen after meeting Ramakrishna and reconverting from Christianity to Hinduism. The same search for direct intuition and understanding can be seen with Vivekananda. Not satisfied with his knowledge of philosophy, Narendra came to "the question which marked the real beginning of his intellectual quest for God."^[39] He asked several prominent Calcutta residents if they had come "face to face with God", but none of their answers satisfied him.^[49][31] At this time, Narendra met Debendranath Tagore (the leader of Brahmo Samaj) and asked if he had seen God. Instead of answering his question, Tagore said "My boy, you have the Yogi's eyes."^[39][36] According to Banhatti, it was Ramakrishna who really answered Narendra's question, by saying "Yes, I see Him as I see you, only in an infinitely intenser sense."^[39] Nevertheless, Vivekananda was more influenced by the Brahmo Samaj's and its new ideas, than by Ramakrishna.^[48] It was Sen's influence who brought Vivekananda fully into contact with western esotericism, and it was also via Sen that he met Ramakrishna.

In 1881 Narendra first met Ramakrishna, who became his spiritual focus after his own father had died in 1884. Narendra's first introduction to Ramakrishna occurred in a literature class at General Assembly's Institution (now known as the Scottish Church College) when he heard Professor William Hastie lecturing on William Wordsworth's poem, The Excursion. While explaining the word "trance" in the poem, Hastie suggested that his students visit Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar to understand the true meaning of trance. This prompted some of his students (including Narendra) to visit Ramakrishna.

According to Banhatti, "[a] singer, a painter, a wonderful master of language and a poet, Vivekananda was a complete artist",^[195] composing many songs and poems, including his favourite, "Kali the Mother". Vivekananda blended humour with his teachings, and his language was lucid. His Bengali writings testify to his belief that words (spoken or written) should clarify ideas, rather than demonstrating the speaker (or writer's) knowledge.

Universities

• 24 January 1857 -University of Calcutta
• 20 January 1817 -Presidency College (now Presidency University, Kolkata)
• 13 July 1830 -General Assembly's Institution (now Scottish Church College)

Born on 12 January 1863 at Calcutta in the West Bengal, Vivekananda was the son of Viswanath Datta and Bhubaneswari Devi. His mother became his first teacher and taught him English and Bengali. Vivekananda listened from his mother the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Being attached with the educational institutions like the Presidency College and General Assembly’s institution (now Scottish Church College), he passed B.A. and became a member of the Brahmo Samaj. His curiosity increased on the question of the existence of God and he asked one question to all whom, he met – “Have you seen God?” At last he met Rama Krishna Parmahamsa, a priest of the Dakshineswar Kali temple and accepted him as his Guru. He was known then Vivekananda. His address in the parliament of Religions at Chicago as “Sisters and Brothers of America” astonished all. He visited different parts of Europe and many foreigners including sister Nivedita became his disciple. Later on Vivekananda established Ramakrishna Mission on social, religious and cultural foundation. He wrote several books like ‘Jnanayoga’, ‘Bhaktiyoga’, ‘Rajayoga’, ‘To the youth of India’ etc. His divinity was greatly felt by the Indians through his speech and works. He breathed his last in 1902.

Reforms

Vivekananda considered Hinduism to be the mother of all religions. He established through historical sequence. He showed that Vedic religion had influenced Buddhism which again was instrumental in influencing Christianity. He told that all the religions of the world have the same value and importance. In the Parliament of Religions he told—

” …The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth ….Upon the banner of every religion soon be written … ‘Help and not fight’,‘Assimilation and not Destruction’,‘Harmony, and peace and not Dissension.

Thus, through his universal religion, Vivekananda preached the unity of God. He told that though the paths are different for different religions but the goal is same. He attached great importance to the unity of all religions and their fusion into one universal religion.

Swami Vivekananda was a great lover of Vedantic philosophy. He believed in monism. His motto, as reflected earlier, was to establish a link among different religions. He had told that as water of different rivers mingle in the sea, similarly every religion finds itself at the feet of God.

He preferred to meditate at any place without any inhibition in his mind. By his personal example he preached monism or Advaita Vedantism. By that he showed his toleration towards every religion. He spoke the message of Vedanta regarding the world unity and to believe shapeless God.

He emphasized that the caste system was not by birth as per ancient hindu traditions. It is more about social structure i.e. by profession where a child born in a khatriya family can become brahmin also. A striking contrast was noticed in the idea of Vivekananda regarding the caste system. Strangely enough, he supported the Varna system as described in the Vedas. Unfolding the advantages of the caste system, he told that division of labour is a great blessing of this system. It would lead to excellence in any profession.

This division, of course, will lead to a caste on the path of progress. However, he also exposed the evils of this system. Untouchability was its worst part. So, Vivekananda criticized this type of “Don’t touches”. He wanted to curb out this type of dogmatism from the society.

His idea of internationalism was regarded as a platonic utopia. However,Swami Vivekananda’s constituent endeavor to free religion from superstitions really establishes him as a great reformer. His synthesis of the materialism and spiritualism is another remarkable feature of his philosophical thought. Thus, he was a great spiritual, nationalist, internationalist and so on.

Renaissance and reformation were the two peas of Vivekananda’s personality. He really brought a reawakening of the Indian culture. By his sharp intellect and reformative attitude he made Hinduism a progressive force in the world. A rare gem he was in the treasure of Indian wisdom. Undoubtedly he dazzled as a shining star in the cultural horizon of India and attracted the attention of the people of the world.

Swami Vivekananda compared human mind with a monkey who is always restless and incessantly active by his own nature.[10] He noticed, the human mind naturally wants to get outside, to peer out of the body, as it were, through the channels of the organs.[11] So, he stressed on practice of concentration,[12] as he felt there is no limit to the power of the human mind, the more concentrated it is, the more powerful it becomes.[13] Swami Vivekananda suggested not to do anything which disturbs the mind or makes it restless.

Although embracing and propagating Universalism, he regarded Hinduism the best of all religions, and Advaita Vedanta the best of what Indian religious thought had to offer. According to Vivekananda the greatest misfortune of the world is we do not tolerate and accept other religions. In his lecture in Parliament of religions on September 15, 1893, he told a story of a frog who lived in a well for a long time, he was born there and brought up there and he used to think that nothing in the world can be bigger than that. Swami Vivekananda concluded the story:

I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Mohammedan sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world.[14]

According to Vivekananda we must not only tolerate other religions, but positively embrace them, since the truth is the basis of all religions.[15]

Social service was an essential aspect of Vivekananda's ideas, and an innovation which deviated from both Advaita Vedanta and Ramakrishna. He nevertheless attributed these ideas to both, trying to reconcile them with his own ideas.

According to Vivekananda, an important teaching he received from Ramakrishna was that Jiva is Shiva (each individual is divinity itself). So he stressed on Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva, (to serve common people considering them as manifestation of God). According to Vivekananda, man is potentially Divine, so, service to man is indeed service to God.[16]

Swami Vivekananda called Jain monks the first great ascetics.[17] He praised their ancient knowledge of presence of low form of life in water:[18]

A terrible thing, killing these low forms of life. So these monks, if they died of thirst, they would never kill these animals by drinking water. How all that we call ethics they simply bring out from that one great principle of non-injury and doing good.[19]

Swami Vivekananda realized three things are necessary to make every man great, every nation great:[20]

• Conviction of the powers of goodness;
• Absence of jealousy and suspicion;
• Helping all who are trying to be and do good.

Swami Vivekananda suggested to try to give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work unitedly for others. He told that purity, patience and perseverance overcome all obstacles. He suggested to take courage and work on. Patience and steady work, according to Swami Vivekananda, this is the only way to get success.

According to Swami Vivekananda "faith in ourselves and faith in God- this is the secret of greatness. Swami Vivekananda observed the history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves, and it is faith which calls out divinity within. So he told, if people have faith in three hundred and thirty millions of Hindu mythological gods, and in all the gods which foreigners have now and still have no faith in themselves, there will be no salvation.[21]

Vivekananda believed education is the manifestation of perfection already in men.[2] He thought it a pity that the existing system of education did not enable a person to stand on his own feet, nor did it teach him self-confidence and self-respect. To Vivekananda, education was not only collection of information, but something more meaningful; he felt education should be man-making, life giving and character-building. To him education was an assimilation of noble ideas.[1]

Education is not the amount of information that we put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life building, man making, character making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library...[22][23]

Swami Vivekananda felt that the education that young boys and girls receive is very negative. He thinks they do not gain confidence or self-respect from these education, so according to Swami Vivekananda only positive education should be given to children.[24] Swami Vivekananda told, if young boys and girls are encouraged and are not unnecessarily criticized all the time, they are bound to improve in time.[25]
He also told the youth:

Set yourselves to the task of spreading education among the masses. Tell them and make them understand, "You are our brothers—a part and parcel of our bodies, and we love you and never hate you."[26]