PRESENTATION
ON
SWAMI
By
VIVEKANANDA
Sriloy mohanty
BNYS 2nd sem
Roll no-05
CONTENTS
Birth
and early life
Education
With Ramakrishna
Wandering in India
In West
Death
The significance of Swami
Vivekandas message
Work
Universal Teaching
Message to the youth
Birth and early life
Narendranath Dutta was born in Shimla
Pally, Kolkata, West Bengal, India on
January 12, 1863 as the son of
Viswanath Dutta and Bhuvaneswari
Devi.
Even as he was young, he showed a
precocious mind and keen memory.
He practiced meditation from a very
early age.
(Cont)
He was a leader among his group of friends.
In 1879, Narendra entered the Presidency
College, Calcutta for higher studies.
After one year, he joined the Scottish Church
College, Calcutta and studied philosophy.
During the course, he studied western logic,
western philosophy and history of European
nations.
Questions started to arise in young
Narendra's mind about God and the
presence of God.
This made him associate with the Brahmo
Samaj, an important religious movement
of the time, led by Keshab Chandra Sen.
But the Samaj's congregational prayers
and devotional songs could not satisfy
Narendra's zeal to realise God.
He would ask leaders of Brahma Samaj
whether they have seen God. He never
got a satisfying answer.
It was during this time that Professor
Hastie of Scottish Church College told him
about Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar.
With Ramakrishna
Narendra met Ramakrishna for the first time in
November 1881.
He asked Ramakrishna the same old question,
whether he had seen God.
The instantaneous answer from Ramakrishna
was, "Yes, I see God, just as I see you here,
only in a much intenser sense." Narendra was
astounded and puzzled.
He could feel the man's words were honest
and uttered from depths of experience.
He started visiting Ramakrishna frequently.
Sri Ramakrramakrisna paramhamshaishna,
Dakshineswar, 1884
(Cont)
Though
Narendra
could
not
accept
Ramakrishna and his visions, he could not
neglect him.
It had always been in Narendra's nature to
test something thoroughly before he could
accept it.
He tested Ramakrishna to the maximum, but
the master was patient, forgiving, humorous,
and full of love.
In time, Narendra accepted Ramakrishna, and
while he accepted, his acceptance was whole
(Cont)
While Ramakrishna predominantly taught
duality and Bhakti to his other disciples, he
taught Narendra the Advaita Vedanta, the
philosophy of non-dualism.
Narendra was transformed from a restless,
puzzled, impatient youth to a mature man who
was ready to renounce everything for the sake
of God-realization.
Soon, Ramakrishna's end came in the form of
throat cancer in August 1886.
(Sri Ramakrishnas dead body, (which has been masked)e,
16 August 1886
12
(Cont)
After this Narendra and a core group of
Ramakrishna's disciples took vows to become
monks and renounce everything, and started
living in a supposedly haunted house in
Baranagore.
They took alms to satisfy their hunger and
their other needs were taken care of by
Ramakrishna's richer householder disciples.
Sri
Ramakrishnas
disciples
14
Wanderings in India
Soon,he wanted to live the life of a
wandering monk with rags and a
begging
bowl
and
no
other
possessions.
On July 1890, Vivekananda set out for
a long journey, without knowing where
the journey would take him.
The journey that followed took him to
the length and breadth of the Indian
It is said that he was given the name
Vivekananda by Maharaja of Khetri for
his discernment of things, good and
bad.
He came in close contact with the
culture of different regions of India and
various classes of people in India.
He realised the need for a national
rejuvenation if India was to survive at
all.
He reached Kanyakumari, on 24
December 1892.
There, he swam across the sea and
started meditating on a lone rock for
three days.
The rock went on to become the
Vivekananda
memorial
at
Kanyakumari.
He had a vision of Sri Ramakrishna
who encouraged him to go to the West
Vivekananda Rock (centre)
Kanyakumari
18
Helped by his friends at Chennai, Bhaskara
Sethupathi, Raja of Ramnad and Maharajas of
Mysore and Khetri, Vivekananda set out on his
journey to the USA.
The invitation of the conference was actually
given to Bhaskara Sethupathi, Raja of Ramnad
to attend the World Parliament of Religions at
Chicago.
But he decided and encouraged Swami
Vivekananda,and said he was the right person
In the West
Vivekananda was received well at the 1893
World Parliament of Religions in Chicago,
where he delivered a series of lectures.
He also earned wild applause for beginning his
address with the famous words, "Sisters and
brothers of America
Within a few years of the Parliament, he had
started Vedantic centres in New York City and
London, lectured at major universities and
generally
kindled
western
interest
in
Hinduism.
21
Vivekananda on the platform of the parliament
(Cont)
His success was not without controversy,he
had a lot of controversy
After four years of constant touring, lecturing
and retreats in the West, he came back to
India in the year 1897.
Back in India
In
India, he delivered a series of lectures, and
this set of lectures known as "Lectures from
Colombo to Almora"
He founded the Ramakrishna Mission. This
institution is now one of the largest monastic
orders of Hindu society in India.
However, he had to bear great criticism from
other orthodox Hindus for having travelled in the
west which they considered to be impure
He once again toured the west from January
1899 to December 1900.
(Cont)
The
rest of his life he dedicated to helping
humanity; inspiring people into spiritual path by
giving lectures and guidance, training disciples
for monastic lives, founding the great Institution
- the Ramakrishna Mission
Since then, the Mission has inspired and
continues to inspire people in their spiritual
quest
and
has
constantly
engaged
in
humanitarian activities helping millions of
people.
Swami Vivekananda wore out his robust body
Vivekanandas room at Belur Math
25
Death
On July 4, 1902 at Belur Math near Kolkata, he
taught Vedanta philosophy to some pupils in
the morning.
He had a walk with Swami Premananda, a
brother-disciple and gave him instructions
concerning the future of the Ramakrishna
Math.
The same day, Vivekananda left his mortal
body at the young age of 39.
The significance of Swam
Vivekanandas
message
Why
is Swami Vivekanandas
message is
appropriate for the new millennium? What is
the significance of his message?
Why a
message given a hundred years ago becomes
useful for the new millennium? Let us try to
find answers from his life and teachings.
First, the significance of his message.
I
think,
the
most
significant
contribution of Swami Vivekananda is
that he made religion as a scientific
search to realize the divinity within.
Also, this inner search is grounded in
humanity.
According to
vivekananda
The
Four Methods to Realize the Divinity Within
are
Karma Yoga:
A way to realize ones own
divinity through unselfish actions.
Bhakti Yoga: A way to realize ones own
divinity through love of God
Raja Yoga: A way to realize ones own divinity
through self control, and
Jnana Yoga:
A way to realize ones own
divinity
through
knowledge
obtained
by
reasoning and analysis.
Works
His books (compiled from lectures given
around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja
Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga)
are very influential and still seen as
fundamental texts for anyone interested in the
Hindu practice of Yoga.
He had composed many songs including his
favorite Kali the Mother.
He used humor for his teachings and was also
an excellent cook.
UNIVERSAL TEACHINGS
SEE GOD IN ALL
This is the gist of all worship - to be pure and to
do good to others. He who sees Siva in the poor,
in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships
Siva, and if he sees Siva only in the image, his
worship is but preliminary. He who has served
and helped one poor man seeing Siva in him,
without thinking of his cast, creed, or race, or
anything, with him Siva is more pleased than
with the man who sees Him only in temples.
PERSEVERE IN YOUR SEARCH
FOR GOD
To succeed, you must have tremendous
perseverance, tremendous will. "I will drink the
ocean," says the persevering soul, "at my will
mountains will crumble up." Have that sort of
energy, that sort of will, work hard, and you will
reach the goal.
message for
youth
Societies
should be molded upon truth and
truth has not to adjust itself to society
Whatever you think, you will be, you think
yourself weak, weak you will be. You think
yourself strong, strong you will be
Do you love your country? Then come and
struggle for higher and better things
(cont)
Each
nation has a main current in life; in India
it is religion. Make it strong and the waters on
either side must move along with it.
Blessed are they whose bodies get destroyed in
the service of others.
THANK YOU
