CHAPTER- 5 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA HIS LIFE AND MESSAGE. Chapter Scheme.

Transcription

1 CHAPTER- 5 SWAMI VIVEKANANDA HIS LIFE AND MESSAGE. Chapter Scheme. 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Life Of Swami Vivekananda 5.3 Message Of Swami Vivekananda The Idea Of Advaita The Absolute Is Indescribable Self Or Soul Vivekananda s Man Centered Approach Vivekananda s View On Religion God Jiva Creation Maya Is Not Complete Illusion Doctrine of Karma Freedom Of Will Problem Of Evil Rebirth Bondage Liberation Means Of Liberation (a) Karmayoga (b) Janayoga (c) Bhaktiyoga (d) Rajayoga 5.4 Concluding Remark.

2 CHAPTER- 5. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA HIS LIFE AND MESSAGE. 5.1 INTRODUCTION :- Swami Vivekananda was the most intimate disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. But a difference in personality can be observed between them. While Ramakrishna was a simple religious priest in the Dakshineshwar Kali temple possessing no urban education, Swami Vivekananda was a city born, educated rational personality who took nothing in his own stride before thoroughly scrutinizing it. Sri Ramakrishna was a mystic, whereas Vivekananda was a philosopher. But in spite of all these differences, the swami earned the optimum love and attention of his master. Sri Ramakrishna used to say, Narendra (pre-monistic name of Swami Vivekananda) and people of his type belong to the class of the ever-free. They are never entangled in the world. When they grow a little older they feel the awakening of inner consciousness and go directly toward God. They come to the world only to teach others. They never care for anything of the world. They are never attached to woman and gold. [1] Sri Ramakrishna considered him to be born perfect, who had come to this world for a special purpose. 5.2 LIFE HISTORY OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA:- Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 in a rich, educated, free thinking bengali family in Calcutta. The child was first named Vireshwar, and later Narendranath Dutta. His father, Vishwanath 238

3 Dutta, was a lawyer by profession, and mother, Bhubaneshwari Devi, was a pious lady. As a child he was very restless and would wear out the family in the process. He was blessed with a strong physical constitution, including muscular body, brown complexion and chiseled features with large magnificent eyes. He was gifted with a remarkably powerful memory and could remember the aphorisms of Mugdhabodha, a Sanskrit grammar, at the age of seven. Having a keen intellect, he never had to plod through a book line for line in order to grasp its contents. He also had a wonderful gift of eloquence and oratorical skill, which paid him later in his life. Five main features chiseled his personality, viz. his family Samskaras, his western education, his spiritual training under Sri Ramakrishna, his trials and tribulations of adolescence, and his wanderings in India. Narendra s first meeting with Sri Ramakrishna was at a festival in the house of Surendranath Mitra, a householder devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, in the month of November Though Narendra liked him as a simple holy man, but was not moved by Ramakrishna s beliefs, and considered him as a monomaniac. Narendranath, being brought up in a rational environment, and educated in western culture could not accept some theories simply because the whole world adhered to them. He was rather embarrassed by Ramakrishna s special attention to him. The saint called him as the incarnation of God, born on earth to remove the misery of mankind. Though Narendranath was not convinced by his thoughts and visions, he was aware of some force which attracted him to this holy saint. He visited him again and again, until one day, an incident occurred which he reminisced many times later. Ramakrishna tried to give him the true taste of Vedanta. In his own words: 239

4 ..in the twinkling of an eye he placed his right foot on my body. the touch at once gave a novel experience within me. With my eyes open I saw that the walls, and everything in the room, whirled rapidly and vanished unto naught, and the Universe together with my individuality was about to merge in an all encompassing mysterious void! I was terribly frightened and thought that I was facing death, for the loss of individuality meant nothing short of that. Unable to control myself, I cried out, what is this that you are doing to me? I have my parents at home! he laughed aloud at this and stroking my chest said, All right, let it rest now. Everything will come in time! [2] After this incident Narendranath, though not fully impressed by the visions and experiences of the saint, gradually grew curios about him. But Ramakrishna s love towards this youth grew in spite of the latter s skepticism towards scriptural ideology and disdain towards idol worship, specially that of Kali. He spoke about him in most exalted terms, like he called him to belong to a very high plane the realm of the Absolute. For six years Narendranath tried to break through the citadel of Sri Ramakrishna s concepts with the sharp weapons of his western logic and reason, but failed. Gradually his weapons of reason was surrendered at the feet of his master. His skeptical mind gave way to faith. A sharp turn in his spiritual life took place in 1884, when his father died. Narendranath, though, then, a graduate from Calcutta University, was unable to get a suitable job to meet the financial crunch in his family. At one side there was heavy debt left by his father, on the other hand there were seven to eight members to be fed at home. Bewildered at this critical juncture, he was forced to descend down to the skepticism of John Stuart Mill, David Hume, August Comte, from the dizzy heights of Vedanta, and for the 240

5 fulfillment of the of the basic needs of life of his family he joined the law classes. However, skepticism could not keep his clutches on Narendra for long. Proximity to Ramakrishna again flickered the flame of spirituality in him. He intended to rise above the material plane of life which was full of misery. Once when he asked his master whether, the latter s Divine Mother could solve his financial crunch, Ramakrishna sent him thrice to the temple to ask for his boon himself, but curiously enough when Narendra entered the temple the material crisis surpassed his mind, and he ended in asking Bhakti, Jnana, Vidya etc. the Divine Mother made him choose those boons which were conducive to fulfill the special purpose for which he was sent to this world. This incident left a deep imprint on his life, after this, he resolved to choose a life far away from the material plane. Ramakrishna was taken away from Dakshineshwar to Cossipore for treatment in the last phase of his life, where he breathed his last in Before passing away he transmitted all his spiritual powers to his favourite disciple, with the hope that he would do great things in the world. The passing away of the master had created a void among his disciples. But in order to keep his brother disciples together at this critical juncture, Narendranath founded the Ramakrishna Brotherhood at Baranagar, in the same year. About this time he visited Antpur where he took the vow of Sannyasa along with his brother-disciples on the eve of Christmas. Then started his wandering life from 1888 to sources say that he wandered without plan--toady a beggar quite uncertain of his next meal, tomorrow, the guest of a Maharaja, lodged in a palace. Towards the end of 1888 he made short trips to Varanasi, Saketa, Lucknow, Agra, Vrindavan, Hrishikesha, Himalayas, and many others of historical and religious significance. 241

6 This wandering life enriched him with different experiences. At the one hand he came face to face with the down trodden condition of the people of India and also its once blossoming heritage. On the other hand he enriched himself spiritually. Anguished at the humiliated condition of the proud Indian race, he was torn between the two ideals, self- realization and social work, which was more important at the time. Self-realization would set him free from his own miseries, but what about the millions of his country-men, staggering under the burden of ignorance and slumber. This indecision kept him restless until he reached the southernmost part of India. When he visited Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of India s mainland, after paying obeisance to the idol of Mother Kumari, he swam across the high seas to a rock, known for its religious significance. While pondering over the ancient glory and the present degradation of his country he went into a state of Samadhi. The idea of becoming one with the Absolute in Nirvikalpaka Samadhi gave place to the desires for serving the outcast Narayanas (Gods), the starving Narayanas and the millions of oppressed Narayanas of his country. For the fulfillment of this mission he decided to go to the west. It can be said that his intention to go west was strengthened gradually in different stages. In 1891 an erudite Pandita of Porbandar, impressed by his intellect, suggested him to go abroad. By this time he heard about the Parliament of Religions which was going to be held at Chicago in In July 1892 he became serious about his intention to be present in the parliament. Later in October he exchanged this idea with the Maharaja of Mysore, but the plans were not mature enough, for he declined to accept the offer to bear the voyage expenses by the Maharaja. However towards the end of May 1892, he made a firm resolve to set off for America. Ultimately towards the end of May 1893, Swami Vivekananda sailed from 242

7 Bombay via Ceylon, Penang, Singapore, Honkong and Japan to Vancouver, from there by train he went to Chicago. The significance of this parliament of religions was that, for the first time in history, the representatives of various faiths of the world was to meet together, not for contention but for a loving conference. The parliament was set to use the creative and constructive power of religion as a force in human development. However, when Swami Vivekananda arrived in Chicago in late July, he learnt to his dismay that the parliament was not to open until after the first week of September. Not only that no one would be accepted as a delegate without proper credentials, and even the last date for the enrolment of the same had expired. The swami was not well-equipped financially for such a lengthy stay and thus to cut down expenses, he left Chicago for Boston here he stayed as a guest of Miss Katherine Abott Sanborn whom he met while traveling to Boston. The Sanborns introduced him to various friends among whom were the professor of Greek at Havard University J. H. Wright. Meeting with professor Wright was of great help to the swami, for the former not only solved his financial problem but also gave him a letter of recommendation to the chairman of the committee on the selection of the delegates. He extolled the swami as a man who is more learned than all the learned professors put together in the university, and compared him to the sun which had its own right to shine. He also gave him the address of the committee which was to provide the accommodation for the oriental delegates. Armed with the credentials and letters of introduction the swami returned to Chicago. But it seems as if the predicaments were not to leave his way so early, for to his disappointment he found that he had lost the address of the committee on his way to Chicago. Perplexed and bewildered, whenever he tried to enquire about the 243

8 place, he was either humiliated, booed, brushed aside, or mimicked. Helpless and tired the swami took refuge in a huge empty box lying beside the railroad to escape the chill of the night. The next morning he went from door to door, asking for charity and enquiring about the venue of the parliament but only humiliation was awaiting him. Exhausted, when he sat by a roadside, by god s grace, he met a lady named George W. Hale, who perhaps had seen the swami before. She asked him whether he was a delegate of the parliament of religions. She invited him to her house, and later accompanied him to the parliament of religions where he was accepted as a delegate. The parliament of religions began its sessions on Monday, September 11, 1893 at 10 a.m. in the spacious hall of Columbus, at the art institute of Chicago. It was commenced by ten strokes on a new Columbian Liberty Bell representing ten major religions which were to be discussed in the parliament. They included Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Catholicism, the Greek church and Protestantism of many hues. From the oriental delegates were Pratap Chandra Mazoomdar representing the Brahmo Samaj, along with B. B. Nagarkar. Mrs. Annie Besant and professor C.N. Chakravarti represented the theosophical society. H. Dharmapada represented the Buddhists of Ceylon. Vir Chandra Gandhi represented the Jainas and Miss Jeanni Sorabji represented the Parsis of India. But the conspicuous figure among them was Swami Vivekananda from Bombay, on his red apparel and large yellow turban. He addressed the audience as the Sisters and Brothers of America. These first words on the very first day of the parliament aroused a storm of applause which had lasted for minutes. He was the only delegate to address the audience informally, discarding the formality of the congress. His eloquence, mostly of the English language, and spontaneity earned 244

9 such popularity that life-size portrait were hung in the streets of Chicago with the words Monk Vivekananda. After the first day of the commencement of the parliament, he was invited again on 15 th of September by the chairman F.H. Noble to give a closing address of the afternoon session. The swami in his lucid but attractive style pointed to the religious acerbities that divided humanity to diverse factions. On Sept 19, again he represented Hinduism in its pristine form, brushing aside the accretions which have diminished its glow. On September 20 th, again he was invited by the chairman to make some concluding remarks in the evening session of the parliament. He spoke extempore and questioned the justification of sending missionaries in India. On September 26, Swami Vivekananda delivered before the parliament a short address on Buddhism, the fulfillment of Hinduism. In his final address on September 27, the swami expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the Parliament whose large hearts and love of truth first dreamt this wonderful dream and then translated it into practice. During this convention the swami had to face some dissidence both from foreign and domestic quarters. The orthodox clergymen spread calumnies about his life and behaviour in America. Even his own countrymen were suspected to criticize him. But in spite of all this dissidence the swami s popularity soared to such an extent that he was applauded if he merely crossed the platform. The chairman deferred the swami s address till the end so that the people would stay at the end of the program. The union of the parliament of religion and the Swami can be analogized to gem and gold for both were enriched by their mutual contribution. After the closure of the parliament on 27 th of September when the other representatives sailed back to their respective countries, the swami stayed back in America to sow the seed of Hinduism in the west. But, it seems from some of its epistles to Alasinga, one of his 245

10 disciples, that his continuously mounting expenditure was the biggest threat. [3] However he realized that lecturing was a very profitable occupation in America and became associated with some Lecture Bureau. But this association was a very short-lasting one. After that we find him independently engaging himself in some extensive lecture tours in various places in the mid-western parts of America, which included states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Lowa, Madison, Mineapolic, Des Moines, Memphis, Detroit etc. This helped to change the perspectives of the Americans towards India, specially towards the Hindu religion. Sometimes missionaries made calumnious statements against him, but he also answered them with proper oratorial vigour. In order to have a solid ground of Hinduism in America, Swami Vivekananda wanted to form a society towards the end of 1894 and establish a centre there. The swami made a humble start with three or four students, and lectures were given on Raja yoga, Jnana yoga etc. The swami had a long cherished desire to visit England which was fructified in the middle of August, when he sailed for Europe. His first visit was at the invitation of Miss Henrietta Muller and Mr. E.T. Sturdy, who had studied Sanskrit and practiced asceticism. The latter was keen to help him in his venture in England. The swami was skeptical about the English attitude before his arrival to England but, his opinion was changed to see the utmost courtesy and regard they had for him. In the first visit to England the swami did not want to engage in any constructive work. He mainly discussed the Hindu philosophy with Mr. Sturdy and translated a small book on Bhakti. But by the middle of October his lectures were of tremendous success. He was frequently visited by the elites of the city and received many invitations from them. In his first public lecture on October 22, 1895, at Princes Hall, Piccadilly, the audience was both amazed and 246

11 enthralled. It is said that after gaining immense reputation of the Piccadilly lecture, he received many other invitations to hold classes in private drawing rooms and clubs. Contrasting the American and the English audiences, the swami remarked the latter to be less brilliant and more conservative. However the most remarkable discovery of his first visit to England was Miss Margaret Noble. At that time she was a very influential lady, headmistress of the Ruskin School, member of the Free Ireland group, etc. It is said that she was skeptical of the swami s views in the beginning. But gradually this skepticism gave way to complete faith, and later miss noble was initiated into an Indian monastic order in the name of Sister Nivedita. The swami s first visit to England lasted till November 1895, when he left for New York. In his absence his work was carried on by E.T sturdy and some other disciples. After returning from Europe he was offered an invitation from the Philosophy department of the Havard University to address the graduate students. This marks his climax of success in America. His discourse on Vedanta created such a profound impression that he was offered the chair of Eastern Philosophy in the university, which he declined being a Sannyasin. His second visit to England started from April During this period we see him being engaged in hectic activities with Swami Saradananda, who had arrived from Calcutta at his invitation. He made several lectures on The Necessity of Religion, The Real and the Apparent Man etc. but his lecture on Jnana-yoga gained immense popularity. His book on Raja Yoga also carved him a niche in the intellectual circles. He was invited to attend a meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society of London. Sometimes he was made the Honorary President of the London Hindu Association, and presided over his conferences. 247

12 The most remarkable event of this second visit was the swami s meeting with Max Muller, the Sanskrit scholar, who was a professor of comparative philology at the Oxford University. Max Muller who had heard of Sri Ramakrishna from Keshab Chandra Sen, was eager to converse with the direct disciple of the master. It is true that the swami did not agree with him in the interpretation of Hindu philosophical thought, but the Swami was overwhelmed by the personality of the professor which is evident from one of his letters...it was neither the philologist nor the scholar that I saw, but a soul that is every day realizing its oneness with the universe. [4] Equally he was moved by the professor s love for India. He also met the Saviers in his second visit to England. Amidst these brisk activities which took a toll on his health, the swami was found to take some break in the mountainous regions of Switzerland, where he got ample time to meditate. However his itinerary in Switzerland was cut short at the invitation of the renowned German Orientalist, Paul Deussen Professor of Philosophy at the university of Kiel. Well versed in Sanskrit, Paul Deussen was the only oriental scholar in Europe who could speak it fluently. And predicted that India would one day be the spiritual preceptor of the world. Swami Vivekananda returned to London in the mid September 1896 and started lecturing and meeting important personalities. This can be marked as his third visit to England. In the mean time swami Abhedananda s arrival proved to be a great asset to him. The latter s oratorical power was highly appreciated by the swami, who said Even if I perish on this plane, my massage will be sounded on these dear lips, and the world will hear it. [5] Seeing that he had sown the seed of Vedanta in the West by creating interest in them, and being convinced that his disciples could conduct classes in his absence, he now turned homeward. After three long years he felt an inner urge to return to India. On December , and traveled 248

13 overland for the port of departure at Naples. He was accompanied by Mr. Goodwin and the Seviers. The Swami did not create any organization in England but he was happy with his work there. He described the British empire as the greatest machine that ever existed for the dissemination of ideas. He said I mean to put my ideas in the centre of this machine and they will spread all over the world [6] The swami reached India via Ceylon, where he was received with great applause. Processions, banners, triumphal arches and chanting of religious hymns etc., made his reception a grand one. In India he was re-associated with many of his brother disciples who were awaiting his arrival. Here too he was received with much enthusiasm at many places like Anuradhapuram, Jaffna, Pamban, Ramashwaram, Ramnad, Madurai, etc. Here he made short lectures to encourage people of India to revive their past greatness. After his strenuous work in South India the swami proceeded towards Calcutta by a steamer. On 19 of February 1897 he reached Calcutta where he was received honourably by the people. A formal public reception was also given on 28 th of February. But nothing could touch his poise who had laid his life at the feet of Sri Ramakrishna. He said If there has been anything achieved by me by thoughts or words or deeds I lay no claim to it; it was his. But if there have been curses falling from my lips, if there have been hatred coming out of me, it is all mine, and not his. All that has been weak has been mine, all that has been life-giving, strengthening, pure, and holy has been his inspirations, his words, and he himself. [7] Returning to India Swami Vivekananda s first task was to create a new band of monks who would sacrifice their lives for their service to humanity. Not only that he wanted to carry out his work in a systematic way, and for that task establish an organization. For this he asked the cooperation of the monastic and householder disciples of Sri Ramakrishna order to organize the educational, philanthropic, 249

14 and religious activities which had already been carried on in an unsystematic way. All the members enthusiastically approved of the swami s proposal, and Ramakrishna Mission Association came into existence. The duty of the association was to direct in the right spirit, the activities of the movement inaugurated by Sri Ramakrishna for the establishment of fellowship among the followers of different religions, knowing them all to be so many forms of one undying Eternal Religion. Besides India the organization was to send trained members of the Order to the countries outside India, to start centre there for the preaching of Vedanta. The task was not an easy one, for several problems arose in his way. Some of his brother disciples were eager for their own salvation and lead their lives practicing austerities detached from the world. The swami faced difficulty to instill into them the broadest meaning of liberation, i.e., service to people. Again he felt that some of them wanted to create a narrow sect in the name of Sri Ramakrishna, where the devotional activities would remain confined to devotional music, worship and prayer alone. The swami discouraged this idea since he did not want to shut Sri Ramakrishna, the embodiment of the infinite, within the narrow limit of a sect. Ramakrishna did not build a separate sect and accepted God through all the forms. The swami carried this massage of non-sectarianism to the dwellers of the three worlds. Approximately the year the swami spent by traveling the northern part of India. The cool dry weather of the north was soothing to his health, he was also invited by the prominent people to give discourses on Hinduism. He was accompanied by some of his brother disciples, his own disciples, and also by the seviers, Miss Muller and Mr. Goodwin. The sight of the Himalayas filled his heart with peace and detachment. In the course of this traveling he 250

15 visited Lucknow, Bareily, Almora, Nainital, Dehradun. He also visited Punjab, Kashmir, Jammu, Rajasthan, Lahore. He spoke about the degenerated state of Hinduism, which was under the wraps of superstition. the people are neither Hindus nor Vendantins they are merely don t touchists. The kitchen is their temple and cooking-pots are their objects of worship. This state of things must go.; Let the Upanishads shine in their glory [8] The period between is marked by many progresses in the constructive work of the swami. Miss Noble came to India on January 28, 1898, to work with Miss Muller for the education of the Indian woman. The swami introduced her as a gift of England to India. She was initiated in the vow of brahmacharya and named as sister Nivedita. Later this year she established the Nivedita Girls school in Calcutta, with blessings of the Holy Mother. In the early part of 1898, the site of Belur Math, the present Headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Mission, was purchased. This was facilitated by the donations given by the western disciples like Mrs. Ole Bull, Miss Muller, and also by the affluent Indian disciples like Maharaja of Khetri and so on. It was consecrated by the sacred relics of the master which was collected in the copper vessel and carried by the swami on his shoulder. Later on December 9, 1898, the Ramakrishna monastery at Belur was formally consecrated by the swami with the installation of the master s image in the chapel. A Bengali monthly magazine Udbodhan was first published on Jan 1899, which aimed at physical, mental, and spiritual upliftment of the race. Another Ramakrishna monastery, named Advaita Ashrama was established at Mayavati, which is situated at an altitude of 6500ft. in the Himalayas. It was December 16, Swami Vivekananda announced his second visit to the West to have an overview of the work already 251

16 established there. Accompanied by Swami Turyaiananda and Sister Nivedita he set sailing from Kolkata on June 20, He was encouraged in the venture by the other devotees and the Holy Mother. The sea voyage proved to be beneficial to the Swami s health. Reaching New York the Swami and his brother disciple accepted the hospitality of Mr. & Mrs. Legget and was greatly contented to see the expansion of the work under the guidance of Swami Abhedananda. The Swami also started lecturing in various places in New York, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Oakland,San fransisco, Alameda etc. He also gave a few lectures in Vedanta Society which had the co-operation of the various professors of Harvard and Columbia University. At the same time Swami Turyiananda started his work by teaching children the stories and folklores of India in the outskirts of New York. He also lectured in the Vedanta Society of New York. His paper on Shankaracharya, read before the Cambridge conference was highly praised by Harvard professors. In California Swami Vivekananda was offered a gift of land measuring a 160 acers in the southern part of San Antone valley surrounded by forests and hills, and situated at an altitude of 2500 ft. The Swami intended to establish Shanti Ashram or the Peace Retreat there and place it under the charge of Swami Turyaiananda, who would hoist the flag of Vedanta there. In spite of all these positive attempts there was on the whole a lowering note in the second trip. Several disappointing incidents demoralized him. He heard the news of illness of some of his brother disciples. Some of his associates who had extended their devoted helping hands in the previous trip, severed their ties with him. Mr. Sturdy severed ties with the Swami on the wrong conception that the later was not living an ascetic life. Miss. Henrietta Muller who helped the Swami in financial matters now left him on account of his illness. Mr. George Hale one of his friends in 252

17 the west has passed away. Mr. Legget severed his ties with the Society. Moreover, the Swami s lectures did not furnish him with the pecuniary support as was expected. The lower spirit of the Swami was evident from some of his letters to his disciples and friends. However he was certain that the work that has been started would be carried on by the Divine Mother. He said Mother is doing her own work. I do not worry much now. Moths like me die by the thousands every minute. Her work goes on all the same. [9] The Swami longed to return to India. On his way he visited Paris. There he participated in the History of Religions. He also met some important personalities. He met Sri J. C.Bose the discoverer of life and nervous system in plants. Here he spent some time in learning French language and culture. On October 24, 1900, Swami Vivekananda left Paris for the East by way of Vienna and Constantinople. On his way he visited Greece and Egypt and then sailed to Mumbai. Reaching India another sad news was awaiting him that is the passing away of his beloved disciple Mr. Sevier at Mayavati in the Himalayas, and on his way to Mayavati he heard the melancholic news of the passing away of Raja of Khetri. In India his detachment and indifference towards the external world was conspicuous. He has already transferred the property of Belur Math from his own name to the trustees of the organization. Now he wanted to be free and more and more buried in meditation. He was suffering from the attack of asthma but that did not keep him from working. Conversing with the disciples, writing articles for the magazine Prabuddha Bharata, teaching the details of the daily life of a monastery were some of the works he was engaged in. He, accompanied by his mother, who had a great desire for pilgrimage, visited East Bengal (Present Bangladesh) on a pressing invitation for a lecture trip. But the damp climate of Bengal aggravated his asthma and the illness did not show any sign of abatement. 253

18 The Divine Mother kept him in his physical body till his mission on this earth was not complete. Sri Ramakrishna once said that if he realized who he was he would refuse to live in this physical body. It was the year 1902 the month of July for some days the Swami was consulting the almanac. On the very day of his passing away he rose very early meditated for some hours. Besides the other daily activities he gave lessons to Brahmacharis on Sanskrit grammar, attended the evening worship and meditated again. After that he cast off his physical body deliberately and entered into Mahasamadhi. 5.3 MESSAGE OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA:- Sri Ramakrishna prepared Swami Vivekananda for the task of world-teaching. In fact it was the swami who had the potentiality to decipher the profundity of Ramakrishna s words and represent his teachings in a rational and scientific way. Though it was his aim to explain the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, sometimes he was seen to explain the basic tenets of Vedanta. For this he had to face criticisms from his own people. One of his brother disciples said bluntly to him you did not preach your master in America; you only preached yourself. But the swami, clear and firm in his own standpoint, retorted with equal bluntness Let people understand me first; then they will understand Sri Ramakrishna. [10] The swami s contention was that, nothing would appeal to the mass of people, who were already vainglorious of their own science and philosophy, until their intellectual conceit was knocked to pieces through reasoning and scientific argument. They needed to know the basic tenets of Vedanta, that too in the modern language, before following Sri Ramakrishna. 254

19 Thus it is a misunderstanding to think that the message of the swami is a mere translation of the masters words. In fact it is the rational interpretation, in the most modern language, sometimes even drawing in from science, the age-old Vedantic thought The Idea of Advaita:- Is there anything beyond the multiplicity of this universe? Is there anything which directs the gross and subtle forces of nature? This is an age-old question. Upanishad asks the question in its own peculiar way: By whom willed and directed dose the mind light upon its objects? Commanded by whom does the main Vital Air(prana) proceed to function? By whose will do men utter speech? What intelligence directs the eyes and the ears (towards their respective objects)? [11] The answer too is embedded in the Upanishad itself. Aitareya Upanishad says: In the beginning, verily, Atman (Self) alone was this (the universe) nothing else active whatsoever He thought I shall indeed create the worlds [12] Swami Vivekananda explicates the same view of Advaita, only in the modern language as follows, ---there are no such realities as a physical world, a mental world; a spiritual world. Whatever is, is one. Let us say, it is a sort of tapering existence; the thickest part is here, it tapers and becomes finer and finer. The finest is what is called spirit; the grossest, the body. And just as it is here in the microcosm, it is exactly the same as macrocosm. The universe of ours is exactly like that; it is the gross external thickness, and it tapers into something finer and finer until it becomes God. [13] What he means is that, when the One Existence is seen through the senses It is called the world, the world of matter. When It is seen through the mind It is called the world of thoughts and ideas, and when It is seen as it is, then It is the world infinite Brahman. Non- 255

20 dualism or Advaita can be compared to a circle where all the different existences, viz., material, moral, spiritual etc. are the different radii meeting at a common centre. The nearer the radii are to the centre the more converging they are, and the more they move away from the centre the more divergent they become. In the external world we do not find any common ground where all the phenomena can meet, because it lies far away from the centre. But where lies the centre of this circle? The swami says, the ancient sages penetrated deeper and deeper until they found that in the innermost core of the human soul is the centre of the whole universe. All the planes gravitate towards that one point. [14] Swami Vivekananda sees a tendency of movement towards the unity every where. It is evident in the progress of science. At first people considered heat, light and electricity to be different. Now it has been proved that they are different states of the same energy. He says that as we delve deep into any branch of knowledge, we go from the more gross to the less gross, and then from the less gross to the fine until a stage is reached when the fine is so fine that it defies all perception and identification, when, in effect, the known merges into the unknown. Take anything before you, says Vivekananda, the most material thing; take any of the most material sciences as chemistry or physics, astronomy or biology, study it, push the study forward and forward and the gross forms will begin to melt and become finer and finer, until they come to a point where you are bound to make a tremendous leap from these material things into the immaterial. The gross melts into the fine, physics into metaphysics in every department of knowledge. [15] This shows that Science is also moving towards the same unit. When chemistry will reach its goal all things will be discovered as emerging out of unity, of which they are but so many states. 256

21 In the early days people divided the world into the sentient, the insentient and the plants. Then they discovered that plants also have life and feelings. Swami Vivekananda says a day will soon come when it will be found that, even that which is considered insentient has some sort of sentience. All things, sentient or insentient, are rushing helter-skelter towards that unity. The tendency of movement towards unity is evident in the human actions also. Every action of our lives be it gross or spiritual is alike tending towards this one ideal, the finding of unity. A man loves his own family, his friends, his country and ultimately the entire world. The reason is that, in every man and in every animal, however weak or wicked, great or small, resides the same omnipresent, omniscient soul. The difference is not in the soul, but only in the manifestation of it. The swami says, Irresistibly we are impelled towards that perfection which consists in finding the unity, killing this little self and making ourselves broader and broader. [16] The same tendency of moving towards unity can be found in the mechanical movement of the universe too. Things are moving towards unity through conduction convection and radiation. The undulated land that we see on the surface of the earth is trying to become plane. A hot thing placed amidst other things tries to attain the same state of warmth through radiation of heat. Rain water is washing down the hills to fill up the valleys. Every atom is trying to go and join itself to the next atom. He says Atoms after atoms combine, making huge balls, the earths, the suns, the moons, the stars, the planets. They, in their turn, are trying to rush towards each other, and, at last, we know that the whole universe, mental and material will be fused into one. [17] It is Advaita alone, which can solve the dichotomy of matter and spirit, substance and quality. According to Vivekananda, the majority of philosophies in every country, especially in the West, have started with the assumption 257

22 that these two, matter and mind, are contradictory existences; but in the long run we shall find that they converge towards each other and in the end unite and form an infinite whole. [18] There is nothing which is absolutely matter at all times and conditions. We call a thing matter, where the spirit force is manifested less; and living, where it shows itself more; The same Force which presents itself in the material world as attraction or gravitation is felt in its finer and subtler state as love and the like in the higher spiritual stages of realization. Controversy between substance and qualities is very old in the history of philosophy. This controversy existed between the ancient Vedantists and the ancient Budddhists with regard to soul. The former believed in the individual soul as complete in itself, the latter denied it in toto. The Buddhists did not consider it necessary to assume an unchangeable and unchanging substance. Even if there were any such substance we could never understand it. The same antagonism existed between the idealists (Herbert Spencer) and the modern positivists (Comte and modern Agnostics). The one party stands for a substance behind the changeful, and the other party denies the necessity for such an assumption. One party says that we can not conceive of changes without conceiving of something which does not change, and the other party brings out the argument that this is superfluous; we can only conceive of something which is changing. We cannot know, feel or sense anything unchanging. It is only the monistic theory of Vedanta which solves the controversy to our hearts content by reconciling both these positions. The Advaitists believe that the very thing which is the substance is the quality. The position of substance and quality are not two things. However, when we perceive it as substance we do not perceive it as qualities, and when we perceive it as qualities we do not perceive it as substance. The noumenon is not something 258

23 different as the phenomena, but it is the very noumenon which appears as the phenomena. one cannot think of the substance and qualities at the same time, one cannot think of change and notchange at the same time. When one thinks of oneself as the body, he is only a body; and when one thinks of oneself as the soul, the body vanishes, and the perception of the body does not remain. None can get the perception of the self without his perception of the body having vanished, none can get the perception of the substance without his perception of the qualities having vanished. The swami elsewhere says The vapour becomes snow, then water, then Ganga; but when it is vapour, there is no Ganga, and when it is water, we think of no vapour in it. [19] Swami Vivekananda shows that it is Advaita alone which can harmonise the oldest theories and interpret them as the steps to know the same Truth. Dualism and all systems that had preceded it are accepted by the Advaita not in a patronizing way, but with the conviction that they are true manifestations of the same truth, and that they all lead to the same conclusions as the Advaita has reached, only that they represent only a partial view of the truth. The Dualists think that there must be a god out side of this universe, somewhere in heaven who is the basis of reality. One cannot even be moral until a god is there to punish him. This kind of Dualism readily appeals to the unthinking minds. Advaita has no quarrel with Dualism, for both of them are going towards the same goal. It endorses that from his stand point the Dualist will have to see many. It is a constitutional necessity of his standpoint. The Dualists all over the world believe in a Personal God who is purely anthropomorphic. Vedanta s monism does not destroy the idea of personal god, but states that it is not sufficient and that we have to get to something higher, to the impersonal idea. It is by going to the impersonal we can provide satisfactory explanation of the Personal, for impersonal is a much higher generalization than the 259

24 Personal. Thus whereas the first step constitutes the stage when one recognizes oneself as the children of God, the last step is when one realizes oneself as the One, the Atman The Absolute is Indescribable:- According to Vedanta, Brahman is avangmanasgocharam meaning that which is incapable of being grasped by word and mind. Our function of logic and enquiry lies only within the region of space, time, and causation. Whatever lies beyond the region of space, time and causation cannot be conceived by the human mind. The swami says that not even can we say is about it, for that too is relative. Any imagination any concept is in vain. Neti, neti (Not this, not this) is all that can be said, for even to think is to limit and so to lose. Then how come we call it Sachchidananda? According to Swami Vivekananda, We sometimes indicate a thing by describing its surroundings. When we say Sachchidananda (Existence- Knowledge-Bliss), we are merely indicating the shores of an indescribable Beyond. [20] Applying the psychology of the Samkhyas, Swami Vivekananda explains in his own way, why the perception of the non-duality is impossible. In general all our knowledge is through the forms of mind, i.e. space, time and causality. In this sense, every bit of our knowledge is a compound or a mixed entity. When we say we know a blackboard what we really know is the reaction of our mind to the so called blackboard. The blackboard itself is unknown, we can never know it. It is what the German philosopher called the thingin-itself. If a stone is thrown upon a lake, as soon as the stone strikes it, a reactionary wave comes towards the stone. This wave is what we really see which is not like the stone at all. Similarly when the blackboard, x, acts on our mind a reaction is created in the mind. What we really know is x plus the reaction of the mind. Thus x plus mind is our external universe. 260

25 Similar is the case of internal perception. When we want to know our selves, the real self who is within us remains unknown and unknowable. Let us call it y. When we want to know ourselves as Mr. or Mrs. So and so, this y strikes a blow on the mind, and what we know is the reaction of y on the mind. Thus all our internal knowledge is y plus the mind. What is this mind? Time, space and causation form the very essence of the mind, for we cannot conceive anything without time space and causation. Swami Vivekananda says that if these mental forms are taken away, which of themselves do not exist, x and y are one. It is only mind and its forms that has limited them apparently and made them apparently different as external and internal word. Thus there is no difference between soul and God the essential nature of which is Brahman. The difference of knower, known, and knowledge is due to the mind. The swami says that the essential nature of Brahman is brought out only by meditation. Just as fire is produced by the two pieces of wood, similarly body is the lower piece of wood, and Om is the pointed piece and meditation (dhyana)is the friction. It is only through meditation that the light of Brahman bursts forth in the soul Self or Soul:- What is the real nature of man? Is it the body? The body is an aggregate of molecules and need some force to conduct it. Is it the mind? Though mind acts on the body it also needs some force to conduct it. The force which is beyond body and mind is the Atman or Soul. Since space time and causation starts with mind, the soul force is beyond the space time and causation, and thus it is free and infinite. Anything that is in space has form. In fact, Space itself has form. Soul is ubiquitous and formless. The real nature of man is, therefore, infinite and omnipresent spirit. The apparent man is 261

26 bound by space time and causation and this is a dim reflection of the infinite spirit. The science of the soul is lucidly explained in the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagvadgita. Various theories have been propounded as explanations of it. The Swami does not reproduce a new theory about it but his attempt is to harmonise the already existing theories. He says, I shall try to harmonise the various thoughts on the subject, as they have come up from time to time among Indian philosophers. [21] The swami tries to establish the existence of soul through the help of psychology. How do we perceive? In the case of visual perception, the external sensations are brought to our eyes but the eyes don t see. They are merely instruments of visual perception. The sensations are carried by our sensory nerves to the brain. There lies the real organs of vision, the brain centers, without which the instruments are totally ineffective. In the case of the perception of sound also the pulsations of sound come to our ear, gets struck, and then carried to the nerve centers or real organs of hearing. But even the brain centers or the real sense-organs are not enough for sensations, if the mind is not attached to them. According to psychology the attachment of mind to sense organs is a significant factor for without it no perception may occur. But again there must be reaction within. The state of the mind which reacts is called Buddhi or the intellect. Mind takes up the sensations and presents them to the intellect which groups them and sends a current of reaction. The swami says that even this is not complete, for there must be something upon which the mind is painting all these pictures. This something upon which our sensations are carried by the mind and intellect are placed and grouped and formed into a unity, is what is called the soul of a man. It is like the sheet of a 262

27 cloth upon which the camera throws the picture, and is motionless relative to the rays of light, or else there will be no picture. [22] In the macrocosm such a world-soul is conceived behind the worldmind (Mahat) and the Akasha and Prana, and is termed as God in the Advaita Philosophy. Now a question arises is the body, the mind, the soul three different existences? Or are they different states of existence of the same unit being? Opinions are divided at this point. Swami Vivekananda, here, presents two views, the view of the dualists and that of the Buddhists and shows that how the non-dualistic view harmonizes them. According to the dualists there is something behind both body and mind, which is an unchangeable and immovable substance, the soul. This soul of man is separate in nature from mind and body, for it is immortal. Anything that is made of two or three ingredients must be decomposed. That alone which is not the result of decomposition can never become decomposed, and therefore can never die. The body and mind gets decomposed in this sense and since the soul is not composed of Akasha and Prana, it exists through eternity. The Buddhists, again, deny the whole theory of soul as a substratum or as a background of this body and mind. According to them there is no need to assume any hypothetical substance in which they should inhere for there is no such thing as immovability or unchangeability in the universe. Body is the name of a stream of matter continuously changing. Mind is the name of a stream of consciousness or thought continuously changing. There is no real unity, unity is apparent. If a lighted torch is continually whirled in front of us, we see a circle of fire. But what is actually present is the lighted torch. So it is the motion which gives the apparent unity of body and mind. And there is no need to posit a third substance 263