It was a time in India before 1947 when everywhere there was a deep darkness, darkness of hunger, darkness of growth, darkness of freedom and most of all, darkness of Wisdom. India was about to die - as they say! But a sudden clash of thunder announced its arrival and shacked the whole world with his power, with his wisdom, with his intelligence and most of all with his holy and fierce, strong and calm, religious and materialistic spiritual views. Yes, that thunder was, is and will be a Lion Roar of India whom we call - Shri Shri Swami Vivekananda. India and the whole world celebrates 150th Birthday of this undisputed leader today (on 12th Jan'13), which is known and celebrated as a Youth Day in India. Swami Vivekananda born in Calcutta, a capital of British India, in a Bengali family. His name before he accepted Sannyas was Narendranath Dutt. Having the strong background of religion from his mother and sympathetic sharp intelligence from his lawyer father, Narendra was in a deep search from his childhood for the god and this search gave India, its one of the best and brave sons and the world, an "English Speaking Indian Monk" - Swami Vivekananda. Talking about his life, about his abilities, about his achievements, about his strengths, about his intelligence is something about his physical virtues and the entire post and the author him self are not able enough to discuss all these things because you can describe the attribute of the water in the Glass but how can you describe the water which is lying in Sea?
Swami Vivekananda was not here to exhibit any supernatural physical phenomena. His entire life was to up lift the life of those who live in dungeon, who are weak, who have lost all hope in life. For those, Swamiji came and with his pure and strong character power, he changed the mindset of the world. My effort is not to highlight his life events but to highlight his vision, his psyche, his soul and the reason for which he established "RamKrishna Mission" in the name of his Master-Shri Ramkrishna Parmamhansa. It is my pleasure trying to give some exposure to this eternal power whom Hindus call GuruShakti. Yes, Swami Vivekananda is my Master and he has been one of the main and major root causes of my energy.
In the name of Swami Vivekananda competitions are being held, in the name of him people find excuses to gain respect. Winning/Loosing was far beyond from his eyes, he didn't know their meanings. He didn't come to bring the competition, he actually came to finish it. He came to bring everyone on same plane that every individual is bright and it is only the matter of which kind of education he gets. If there is a healthy competition, it can be understood and appreciated but a poisonous competitions create problem everywhere. Competition creates the inferior and superior complexities. Swami Vivekananda wanted to have this discrimination factor removed from every human. He had known that the Best survives and he wanted none is left on the earth to become the best. The first thing he wanted was this crystal clear vision that "Every Human is a living God. If you can't worship him, what right do you have to call your self religious?" He knew and every Yogi knows that there lies equal, and mark my words, equal not more or less, deity power within everyone and it is a matter of great shame to discriminate anyone.
But the next question that immediately comes into mind is that "How can we consider everyone equal? or How can we respect everyone? How can we forgive everyone? It is not possible or may be if it is possible but that may not be our cup of tea, it is for Saints." True. I agree that these questions are bound to come when this thing is understood that Vivekananda's work was to bring harmony in the society and it is really very hard or harder to forgive anyone, to consider anyone as equal and respected as we are and this thing can not be taught or imposed, it has to be EXPERIENCED. We may ask where should we go to experience this and there is no place to go except inside of our own self. When we do meditate, we go inside and by and by we shall come to know that nothing is different from us. Everything is one and a same without any mutation. Swami Vivekananda once said after having strong meditative experience, "I can see that there is no difference between me and any other thing in this world. Everything is one and same." He suggested Meditation as one of the best ways to realize the truth.
However, today, Meditation is given a treatment as if it is an Alien word, as if it never existed in the past. People say that Meditation is not for us, it is for those who wish to leave the home, the family, the relatives, the friends, it is for those who are not capable of handling situation. Many, who meditate, will definitely can give stronger arguments on these beliefs but Swami Vivekananda, upon being capable, didn't do that. Swamiji didn't have hard feelings for those who couldn't believe in Meditation. He gave them another way that if you can't do meditation, don't worry, don't bother, God is kind. Be responsible for your deeds and through this Karma Yoga, you will get Salvation. One of the strongest preaching of Swami Vivekananda was to work, work and work. Don't spread words, Just Work and through it, you will get to celestial sound. He bravely said to the youth, "By playing Football, you will come to know Geeta in more dimensions." This was his height of Sanity that he had solutions for everyone. If you can't meditate, don't worry, Work.
Without working, nothing is about to gain and we are bound to work. We have to either good or bad but we've to work and he used to ask that if we're bound to work than why to do bad things? Why not to do good thing? This is almost everybody's question that everyone knows that we should not do bad things, but we can't stop doing bad things. What could be the reason behind this? Swamiji said, "It is the nature. The nature which is with you, within you makes you sick or strong. You have impressions of your past deeds and these deeds make you something." A nature is an outcome of our repeated tasks and when we do something repeatedly, that thing becomes our habit. Our deeds show that which kind of habit do we have and if the whole base of a nature depends upon the habit then we have a very good reason to change our habit and through that our nature. If we can change our nature, we can for sure change the results but this thing is not being done because we don't feel our self responsible for the bad part of our life. This was the major lesson which Swami Vivekananda has preached that, "You are responsible for yourself. Don't worry for defeat or for victory. Just be responsible and word accordingly." Swamiji gave very beautiful preaching that if you can't meditate, don't worry, be responsible and work for your salvation.
Responsibility is something which comes from inside, you can not force anyone to be responsible as none will be. 150 years have passed and still after this clear saying, we're in vain because we tend to throw everything bad on family, relatives, friends, luck and lastly on God. So, how can we be responsible if we don't feel to be from inside. A person can only be responsible in his life when he wants to have some growth in life, when he wants to uplift his life, when he is hopeful for future, only then a person can think that he now needs to be responsible. People say that India is not responsible. But when majority of the masses in India is starving even for two times food, then how can there be any help for them to be responsible? They're depressed faces where you can't not see any glow. They're depressed upon being poor, upon being hungry. But they don't have any hope. Why? Because we find them miserable and they're shame for the so called sane and rich people. Unless and until these people get respect, until they're motivated, Indian society won't be able to open full wings. Swami Vivekananda said for these people, after visiting the whole India as a wanderer, "The true India lives in huts. Don't neglect them, they're your blood your flesh. Enrich them, give them food and education and your work is over. They're stronger than you, they'll find their path themselves, just give them a start."
This was his entire life. He wanted 100 men from India but he got not a single one! Today, in India and all over the world where the followers or lovers of Swamiji are staying, used to celebrate his birthday with great joy. Organizers acknowledge the bright students on this day, many quiz and other competitions are held on this day in India. I respect this respect which is there in the hearts of everyone but it feels my heart with great sorrow that on one hand we remember Swamiji and appreciate his work and on other hand we do all those things which Vivekananda did find utterly ugly! He wanted a balanced society, balanced personality, balanced body and mind, balanced religion but we've just reduced him to his lectures. Yes, lectures, I would say as we don't even have time to make his pious speeches, discourses. We just have reduced Swami Vivekananda to statues and two or three his famous sayings. That is all respect we're showing to him.
On this auspicious day, a day of Uttarayan-Makarsakrant, on the day of birthday of Swami Vivekananda, I request all those who believe in Swamiji and even to those who are influenced by him, to get into his heart what he wished for and what are we giving him.
I pray to the almighty that "The Blood of Swami Vivekananda runs through your veins and you get a deep search instinct in you for GOD." and soon the time will come for which Swami Vivekananda said,
"Wait, and meditate till I call you!"
Tanno Hamsah Prachodayat
