[Desi Masala] SWAMI VIVEKANANDA : THE UNIVERSAL MAN

*Swami Vivekananda :** *

*The Universal Man*

Rarely does humanity witness a combination of a great Guru (Spiritual
Teacher) and equally capable Shishya (spiritual disciple) as Sri Ramakrishna
and Swami Vivekananda were. The Upanishads and the Gita do mention of such
noble pairs, when a yearning aspirant seeking higher knowledge humbly bows
down to the Teacher and says, 'Sir, please tell me: Which is that thing
which having been known, all this becomes known, and nothing else remains to
be known? Give me that, acquiring which all desires nullify. O gracious one,
I surrender at your feet; please tell me what is right for me.' And the
compassionate Teacher describes the nature of Self or Atman, starting as
external reality and culminating into the true knowledge of our inner Self.
As the Guru speaks, so does the aspirant (sadhaka) experience the Truth
contained in those words. It is as if a film on Brahman is being run in
front of the yearning aspirant.

One such pair flourished in the last but one decade of nineteenth century,
when Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa sculpted the most wonderful masterpiece in
the form of Swami Vivekananda out of skeptical and rational, but fearless
and dynamic Narendranath. Their association has unleashed a tremendous
spiritual force that has started destroying dreary ignorance covering the
minds and hearts of mankind all over the globe. Then, scientific knowledge
based on reason and rationality was ushering in the era of Industrial
Revolution; however, it also brought skepticism and contempt for religion.

Science appeared to be partial and sectarian in its study of various
phenomena, for it tried to leave religion out of its purview. As a result,
the majority of people started believing that the goal of life was material
progress alone. Religion was on the defensive in the face of clattering
advances of modern technology. Decline in religion (Dharma Glani) manifested
as ritualistic monotony, crass materialism, and excessive engagement in
sense pleasures with resultant lack of discrimination and renunciation.
Values of kindness and generosity, of forbearance and simplicity were
relegated to the back seat. The priests and the rulers, the rich and the
privileged became the custodians of religious truths. Selfishness replaced
altruism, and religious fanaticism erupted as a legitimate weapon to spread
"true religion" and destroy "false beliefs".

Such states of decline in Dharma come in cycles. However, as the Gita says,
a Man of God also comes on the scene to destroy wickedness and to
reestablish the path of spirituality. These great seers and teachers come to
'set in motion the wheel of dharma,' as did Lord Buddha 2500 years ago. Such
incarnations come from time to time, in every era, in every land, and help
revive the noble path of transcendental realization as the source and proof
of Knowledge and Truth. They give the sagging wheel of spirituality a
powerful push for moving it again in right direction. In recent times world
faced such a situation when, to revive the declining faith in religion and
to instill knowledge of the true goal of humankind, Swami Vivekananda
entered the world arena as a great disciple of Sri Ramakrishna.

Swami Vivekananda revived Hinduism on the basis of the interpretations and
meaning given to the philosophy of Vedanta by great Rishis at various
time-periods of history. The externals of Hinduism appear to change from Sri
Rama to Sri Krishna, from Sri Chaitannya to Sri Ramakrishna, but the core of
Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Religion) remains the same. Swami Vivekananda
preached the essence of religion by way of finding newer insights in and
application of Eternal Religion as per the requirement of modern times and
global perspective. He highlighted the truth of the 'divinity of each soul'
and the constant struggle and evolution of an individual to manifest this
divinity fully. Transcendental realization of our true nature, i.e. pure
consciousness, is what Hinduism (Vedanta) preaches right through the
eternity. This is the essential teaching mentioned and elaborated in the
Upanishads, the Gita, and the Brahma-sutras. The attempt to realize this
truth is the beginning of religion, and getting established in
transcendental divine state is the aim of human birth. Every person
succeeding in this attempt is the basis and hope for fresh human endeavour
and struggle for self-realization in future.

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