Biography of swami vivekananda disciples

They cheered him vociferously, impressed with his humble and at the same time regal demeanour! After a while he was led to the worship-room, which was marble-floored and beautifully fitted, with a throne on which was the porcelain picture of Shri Ramakrishna. The Swami was delighted at the room and the collection of materials for worship. The lady of the house, being congratulated by him, said with great humility that she and her family were too poor and unworthy to rightly serve the Lord and asked the Swami to bless them.

Biography of swami vivekananda disciples: The disciples of the Swami were

Born in a rustic, thatched hut, he spent his days in the simplest way. Then the Swami having covered himself with ashes, sat on the worshipper's seat and invoked the presence of Shri Ramakrishna, while his disciple, Swami Prakashananda, recited the Mantras appropriate for installation. It was here in this house that the Swami inaugurated the special Salutation to Shri Ramakrishna.

Sitting before the image in meditation after the installation ceremony was over, he composed the following Shloka:. Day after day, the members of the Order were trained by the Swami, until his ideas became their very own. Through the perspective of his personality they saw the whole sphere of religious life in a new light and interpreted monastic ideals in original ways.

Under his inspiration came upon some the biography of swami vivekananda disciples to practise intense Sadhana and austerities, upon others the yearning to serve the sick and the poor, upon still others the hope of spreading ideas among the great masses. All were saturated with his great spirit and patriotism. He was verily a living fire of thought and soul at this time.

Gita ideals, Vedanta, and the ideals of different sects in Hinduism were the constant subjects of discussion and practice, but in the foreground at all times was the ideal of the Master. The Baranagore days were oftentimes lived over again. The same old fire was present; the same intellectual brilliance shone forth; the same spiritual fervour was always uppermost.

It must be mentioned here that in the early part pf the yearthe Swami purchased a large tract of land, about seven acres in extent, together with a building on the bank of the Ganga at Belur, almost opposite the Baranagore bathing-ghat, for a big sum, most of which was given to him by his devoted friend and admirer, Miss Henrietta F.

She had met the Swami on his first visit to the West both in America and England and it was she who together with Mr. Sevier, and Mr. Though possessed of large means, she was naturally of an ascetic bent of mind and being also liberal-minded and spiritual in her outlook she found in the Swami's personality and teaching the essentials for spiritual life.

Once she even decided to give up the world. But the Swami persuaded her not to do so, but to help the world as much as she could, by remaining in it and living a selfless life. The grounds, which were used as a dockyard for country-boats, were very hollow and uneven, and had to be filled up and levelled; besides many repairs had to be done to the building and a second story added, and one new building, a temple to Shri Ramakrishna, constructed.

For all of these except the last, the Swami had sufficient funds which he had received from his London disciples. From every view-point the purchase was a success. That the monastery was on the other side of the river, and four miles by the public road across the Howrah bridge from the metropolis, made it more secluded. Somewhat later the Swami received a large sum of money from Mrs.

Ole Bull. She had made the acquaintance of the Swami at the beginning of his American work and had assisted him in a large way financially. She was well known all over America on account of her philanthropy, her culture and social position as the wife of the celebrated violinist. The Swami was often her guest at Cambridge, near Boston, and was the chief figure, on many occasions at her salons to which were invited the most distinguished scholars of the world.

Her help on the present occasion put the monastery on a sound financial basis, much to the Swami's relief. It helped him to endow the monastery itself, and to build the temple of Shri Ramakrishna. Thus in all, the monastery, when completed, together with its endowment trust, represented more than one hundred thousand rupees. Swami Saradananda had recently returned from America; Swami Shivananda had come back from his Vedanta work in Ceylon, and Swami Trigunatita from Dinajpur after finishing his famine relief work there.

The Swami was highly pleased with the work of all of them. He also congratulated Swami Brahmananda on the success of the Ramakrishna Mission under his guidance, and Swami Turiyananda for having, in his absence, trained the young Sannyasins and Brahmacharins of the Math. At the suggestions of the Swami, the latter prepared, in the afternoon of the Shivaratri day, thanksgiving addresses in English to every one of the Swamis, and these were read out to them at a meeting of the Brotherhood held at the Math, the Swami being in the chair.

On being called upon by him, his Gurubhais in biography of swami vivekananda disciples replied in suitable words to the addresses. Before a large gathering it is easy to forget oneself in the subject of the discourse, and hence one is able to carry the audience with him. But this is not possible when only a few men are present. However, let me try.

The actual birthday ceremony of Shri Ramakrishna, as distinguished from its public celebration, took place at the monastery this year under the supervision of the Swami himself. On this occasion the Swami ordered a lot of sacred threads to be brought to the monastery. As one after another of the lay disciples of Shri Ramakrishna or of himself came, he let it be known that those of them who were not Brahmanas, but who really belonged to the other two twice-born castes, were on that day to be invested with the sacred thread.

Besides, the Vedas themselves say that every one of the twice-born castes has the right to be invested with the sacred thread. They have no doubt become Vratyas, that is fallen from their own ritualistic rights, but by performing the ceremony of expiation they are entitled to their own original caste rights again. This is the birthday of Shri Ramakrishna.

Everyone will be purified by taking his name. Therefore this is the best occasion to give the Bhaktas the sacred thread. Give all those who come the appropriate Gayatri Mantra according as they are Kshatriyas or Vaishyas. All these must be gradually raised to the status of the Brahmana. All Hindus are brothers. You must raise them by preaching to them the gospel of hope and cheer.

Say to them. Of course this procedure was opposed to the orthodox view, but the Swami was determined to impress his ideas boldly upon the public by practical means. The initiates were naturally much ridiculed by their neighbours for having raised themselves to the status of the twice-born. Though the Swami was bold in his attack on the stronghold of modern orthodoxy, he was not usually an advocate of drastic reforms of a destructive nature.

He was always in favour of reforms which were constructive through growth from within and in conformity with the Shastras. In this he, following the Rishis of old, penetrated into the true spirit and meaning of the Shastras and adapted them to the need of the times, for the good of the race and its religion. The Swami would even have the time-honoured religious institutions and ceremonies strictly observed by the Order.

Thus on the occasion of the Shivaratri festival, he was pained to see that no one at the Math had fasted, as is the custom among devout Hindus. Following upon the Upanayana ceremony mentioned above, the Sannyasins of the monastery, joining mirth with devotion, seized upon the Swami and arrayed him as Shiva. They put the shell ear-rings in his ears, covered his whole body with holy snow-white ashes, placed on his head a mass of matted hair which reached to his knees, put bracelets of rosaries on his arms and on his neck hung a long rosary of large Rudrakshas in three rows.

In his left hand they placed the sacred trident. Then they smeared their own bodies with ashes. Everyone present declared afterwards that they felt as if Shiva Himself, of youthful, ascetic form, was before them. And the Swami with the Sannyasins seated round him like so many Bhairavas or attendants of the Great God, seemed to have brought the living presence of the majesty of Kailasa within the precincts of the Math.

The sublimity of his expression deepened a hundredfold!

Biography of swami vivekananda disciples: Alasinga Perumal, was a householder devotee

His eyes were half shut; he was seated in Padmasana, while his hand played on the Tanpura a musical instrument. The whole gathering of monks and devotees was caught up in the spirit of the hour and thrilled with religious ecstasy. Everyone seemed intoxicated with draughts of nectar of the name of Rama which issued from the lips of the Swami.

For more than half an hour the tensest stillness prevailed and all sat motionless. The chanting ended, the Swami sang a song in the same state of God-intoxication. Ay, there is no difference between him and ourselves. After this, the Swami briefly addressed those who had received the sacred thread, asking them to repeat the Gayatri daily at least one hundred times.

Biography of swami vivekananda disciples: Vivekananda left for India from England

In the meantime Swami Akhandananda arrived at the Math from his orphanage in Murshidabad. What a great Karma-Yogi he is! Without fear, caring neither for life nor for death, how he is working with one-pointed devotion for the good of the many, for the happiness of the many! Among the many distinguished visitors who came to see the Swami at this time, was the Buddhist missionary, the Anagarika Dharmapala.

He had come to see Mrs. Ole Bull, who was then residing at the old cottage on the recently purchased Math grounds and had stopped first at the monastery to ask the Swami to accompany him. The weather was exceedingly inclement. The rain was pouring in torrents. After waiting for an hour the Swami and Mr. Dharmapala with a few others decided to start.

The path lay across very uneven and muddy ground, particularly in the compound of the new Math which was being levelled. Drenched with rain, his feet slipping in the mud, the Swami enjoyed himself like a boy, shouting with laughter and merriment. Dharmapala was the only one who was not barefooted and at one place his foot sank so deep in the mud that lie could not extricate himself.

The Swami seeing his plight, lent his shoulder for support and putting his arm round his waist helped him out, and both laughing walked linked together the rest of the way. On arriving at their destination, all went to wash their feet; when the Swami saw Mr. Another event of these days was the initiation of Swamis Swarupananda and Sureshwarananda into Sannyasa on March The friends who had accompanied him were startled when they were asked by him to carry the news that he did not mean to return to his home again, a decision to which he rigorously adhered.

Biography of swami vivekananda disciples: This book covers the childhood

For several years he had been thinking of the problems of life and death; of how he could break the dream and be of service to the world. Though he had been married in his youth, he had eschewed all marital relations. Living under his parental roof a life of strict Brahmacharya, he was consumed with a burning desire to help his brother man.

As illustrating a vital point in the Swami's character, and the ideal he put before those whom he made his own, the Sister herself gives to her readers a peep into the nature of the dedication ceremony in these words:. This ceremony was in many respects a momentous event, as the Sister was the first Western woman novice received into any monastic order in India.

Another event equally significant of the increasing contact, under the guidance of the Swami, between the West and the East, was the receiving of the European lady disciples in audience by the Holy Mother, the spouse of Bhagavan Shri Ramakrishna, and an orthodox lady of the highest rank. The audience was touching. During these days the Swami did not appear before the Calcutta public except on a few occasions.

The Swami spoke briefly on the subject. Besant and Miss Muller, all of whom, he said, had consecrated their lives to the good of India. When she had finished, the Swami called upon Mrs. Ole Bull and Miss Henrietta Muller to say a few words. It was in the early part of March when Mrs. They had come all the way from America in order to see for themselves the land of their Master's birth, and to come into closer contact with him and his people.

It was with great pleasure that the Swami received them, and one sees him henceforth making constant efforts to bring about a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Hindu culture in the minds of his Western followers, by definitely training them. This training, however, was not in the long run confined to his Western disciples only, for, through the facile pen of Sister Nivedita, the ideas they received were transmitted to numerous Western and Eastern readers.

Thus, while the Swami was educating the small group of his Western disciples, he was at one and the same time speaking to an immense audience. And the ideas which he communicated in these days to his European followers have given tremendous impetus, through Sister Nivedita, to the development of a national consciousness. While at Nilambar Mukherjee's garden-house, the Swami was wont to frequent the riverside cottage of his European disciples, even spending hours daily with them.

Here under the trees he would reveal to them the deepest secrets of the Indian world, pertaining to its history, its folk-lore, its caste, custom and race. He showed no mercy to his Western disciples in their wrong notions and prepossessions with regard to India. He would soften nothing in Hinduism which might at first sight be difficult or repellent to the European mind; he would rather put before them such things in their extreme form, and compel them to enter into their spirit and apprehend their meaning.

The most difficult task for the Western disciples was, naturally, the understanding of the Hindu religious ideals and forms of worship, and the Hindu outlook on life. And the Swami would talk for hours, straining his mind and putting his whole heart in his effort to elucidate them. Carried on by his burning enthusiasm the Western disciples caught glimpses of the background of the Hindu thought symbols, so strange to them, and learnt the great outstanding watchwords and ideals of the Indian striving till they became their very own.

Truly, in the Swami, East and West were made one. And in the end his Eastern and Western disciples mingled freely in thought and life. But the distance to be travelled was enormous. Unpaid rent accumulated, forcing Narendra and the other disciples to look for a new place to live. It became the first building of the Ramakrishna Maththe monastery of the monastic order of Ramakrishna.

We used to get up at am and become absorbed in japa and meditation. What a strong spirit of detachment we had in those days! We had no thought even as to whether the world existed or not. Narendra collected and arranged most of the songs in this compilation, but unfavourable circumstances prevented its completion. In Decemberthe mother of one of the monks, Baburam, invited Narendra and his brother monks to Antpur village.

In Antpur, on the Christmas Eve ofthe 23 year old Narendra and eight other disciples took formal monastic vows at the Radha Gobinda Jiu temple. During his travels he met and stayed with Indians from all religions and walks of life: scholars, dewansrajasHindus, Muslims, Christians, paraiyars low-caste workers and government officials. Bonney[ 98 ] [ 99 ] the Congress sought to gather all the religions of the world, with the aim of showing "the substantial unity of many religions in the good deeds of the religious life.

Vivekananda wished to participate, but learned that only individuals with credentials from a bona fide organisation would be accepted as delegates. Parliament President John Henry Barrows said, "India, the Mother of religions was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the Orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors". The New York Critique wrote, "He is an orator by divine right, and his strong, intelligent face in its picturesque setting of yellow and orange was hardly less interesting than those earnest words, and the rich, rhythmical utterance he gave them".

After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation". Vivekananda's speeches at the Parliament had the common theme of universality, emphasising religious tolerance. He is an honor to humanity. His popularity gave him an unprecedented opportunity to communicate his views on life and religion to great numbers of people.

I do not come to convert you to a new belief. I want you to keep your own belief; I want to make the Methodist a better Methodist; the Presbyterian a better Presbyterian; the Unitarian a better Unitarian. I want to teach you to live the truth, to reveal the light within your own soul. Vivekananda spent nearly two years lecturing in the eastern and central United States, primarily in ChicagoDetroitBostonand New York.

He founded the Vedanta Society of New York in Beginning in Junehe gave private lectures to a dozen of his disciples at Thousand Island Park, New York for two months. Vivekananda travelled to the United Kingdom in and again in In Germany, he met Paul Deussenanother renowned Indologist. Vivekananda's success led to a change in mission, namely the establishment of Vedanta centres in the West.

While in America, Vivekananda was given land to establish a retreat for Vedanta students, in the mountains to the southeast of San Jose, California. He called it "Peace retreat", or Shanti Asrama. There is also a Vedanta Press in Hollywood which publishes books about Vedanta and English translations of Hindu scriptures and texts. From the West, Vivekananda revived his work in India.

He regularly corresponded with his followers and brother monks, offering advice and financial support. His letters from this period reflect his campaign of social service, [ ] and were strongly worded. Also, let them have oral lessons on geography and such other subjects. No good will come of sitting idle and having princely dishes, and saying "Ramakrishna, O Lord!

Sevier and J. Vivekananda arrived in ColomboBritish Ceylon now Sri Lanka on 15 January[ ] and received a warm welcome. In Colombo, he gave his first public speech in the East. Common people and rajas gave him an enthusiastic reception. During his train travels, people often sat on the rails to force the train to stop, so they could hear him.

While in the West, Vivekananda spoke about India's great spiritual heritage; in India, he repeatedly addressed social issues: uplifting the people, eliminating the caste systempromoting science and industrialisation, addressing widespread poverty, and ending colonial rule. The lectures, published as Lectures from Colombo to Almorademonstrated his fervent nationalism and spiritual ideology.

On 1 May in Calcutta, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Missionan institution dedicated to social service, with ideals based on Karma Yoga. Vivekananda earlier inspired Jamsetji Tata to set up a research and educational institution when they travelled together from Yokohama to Chicago on Vivekananda's first visit to the West in Tata now asked him to head his Research Institute of Science ; Vivekananda declined the offer, citing a conflict with his "spiritual interests".

He consolidated the work of the math and trained disciples for several months. Vivekananda composed " Khandana Bhava—Bandhana ", a prayer song dedicated to Ramakrishna, in Despite declining health, Vivekananda left for the West for a second time in June After a brief stay in England, he went to the United States where he established Vedanta Societies in San Francisco and New York and founded a shanti ashrama peace retreat in California.

He travelled to Paris for the Congress of Religions in The French philosopher Jules Bois was his host for most of this period. Vivekananda returned to Calcutta on 9 December After a brief visit to the Advaita Ashrama in Mayavati, Vivekananda settled at Belur Math, where he continued co-ordinating the works of the Ramakrishna Mission, the math, and the initiatives in England and the US.

He had many visitors, including royalty and politicians. Due to deteriorating health, Vivekananda was unable to attend the Congress of Religions in Japan inbut he made pilgrimages to Bodhgaya and Varanasi. On 4 July the day of his death[ ] Vivekananda awoke early, went to the monastery at Belur Math and meditated for three hours. He taught Shukla-Yajur-VedaSanskrit grammar and the philosophy of "biography of swami vivekananda disciples" to pupils, later discussing with colleagues a planned Vedic college in the Ramakrishna Math.

Vivekananda synthesised and popularised various strands of Hindu thought, most notably classical yoga and Advaita Vedanta. As a young man, he had been influenced by western ideas such as Universalismvia Unitarian missionaries who collaborated with the Brahmo Samaj. Vivekananda thought that the essence of Hinduism was best expressed in Adi Shankara 's Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or mental discipline, or philosophy—by one, or more, or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.

Vivekananda's emphasis on nirvikalpa samadhi was preceded by medieval yogic influences on Advaita Vedanta. An important element in his adaptation of Hindu religiosity was the introduction of his four yogas model, which includes Raja yogahis interpretation of Patanjali's Yoga sutras. He adapted traditional Hindu ideas and religiosity to suit the needs and understandings of his Western audiences, particularly those familiar with Western esoteric traditions and movements such as Transcendentalism and New thought.

Vivekananda linked morality with control of the mind, seeing truth, purity and unselfishness as traits which strengthened it. Vivekananda supported brahmacharya[ ] believing it the source of his physical and mental stamina and eloquence. Nationalism was a prominent theme in Vivekananda's thought. He believed that a country's future depends on its people, and his teachings focused on human development.

Swami Vivekananda was one of the most influential philosophers and social reformers in his contemporary India. He is considered to be the most successful and influential missionary of Vedanta to the Western world. Vivekananda is considered to be a representative of Neo-Vedanta — a modern interpretation of certain aspects of Hinduism that are thought to be compatible with western esoteric traditionssuch as TranscendentalismNew Thought and Theosophy.

Vivekananda's nationalism gave unprecedented substance to the emerging nationalist ideal of British-ruled India. According to social reformer Charles Freer Andrews"The Swami's intrepid patriotism gave a new colour to the national movement throughout India. More than any other single individual of that period Vivekananda had made his contribution to the new awakening of India".

Sri Aurobindo regarded Vivekananda as the one who awakened India spiritually. There is no other God to seek biography of swami vivekananda disciples He alone is worshipping God, who serves all beings! They make their own irresistible appeal. Study what he wrote, and learn from his teachings, for if you do, you will gain immense strength.

Take advantage of the fountain of wisdom, of Spirit, and of fire that flowed through Vivekananda. That was when I was very small. In fact both my parents and specially my mother had very close connections with the Mission. And I can truly say that the words of Swami Vivekananda inspired the whole of my family, in our political work as well as in our daily lives.

The man is simply a wonder for oratorical power. For this, all must honor him, who, whatever be their won biography of swami vivekananda disciples beliefs, value sincerity, truth and courage, which are the badges of every noble character. At first, his mind could not accept the ways and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna. Narendra became responsible for trying to feed his family, with limited means.

He later said he would often go hungry as he could not afford enough food. To the annoyance of his mother, Narendra was often too absorbed in his spiritual disciplines to make earning money a priority. InSri Ramakrishna passed away — just five years after meeting Narendra. Ramakrishna had chosen Narendra to be the leader of the monastic disciples.

Vivekananda decided to found a math monastery in Belur Math. Swami Vivekananda then threw himself into intense spiritual practices. He would spend many hours in meditation and japa. Inhe left the monastery to become a wandering sannyasin, visiting various holy places around India. Vivekananda lived from day to day, begging for food, being immersed in his own spiritual quest.

In his Completed Workshe writes of his experience. I am It! He began accepting disciples, and inaccepted an invitation to speak at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He set sail with little money and few contacts. On September 11th,Vivekananda gave a short speech on the opening day of the conference. I thank you in name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

The press covering the event frequently stated that Vivekananda was the star performer — captivating the audience with his personality and powerful speeches. Vivekananda spent two years giving speeches in American and accepting disciples to follow his Vedanta philosophy.