Swami Vivekananda (The Master Builder of Our Nation)

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SECRET OF TRUE LEADERSHIP

The Swami knew the secret of leadership that obedience and respect cannot be demanded, neither can they be exacted. But, loving nature, exalted character, sincerity of purpose, coupled with efficiency and capacity make people obey and respect. In this, no one can resist love and true greatness.

 

His sound advice to the ritual-oriented spiritualist was that their efforts were only demoralising our nation. What we needed most was a strong common-sense and an understanding of the spirit and philosophy of religion which would make us all truly capable human beings.

 

Few men have loved India and her people so deeply and dedicated themselves to their service with such whole-hearted devotion as Swami Vivekananda. The saint who had scaled the heights of self-realisation and was an embodiment of detachment, revealed himself to be intensely human when confronted by the sufferings and miseries of his countrymen. A very strong man in every respect, yet, he shed profuse tears for the poor.

 

RELIGION AS THE BACKBONE OF INDIA

Every nation has its own genius. India too has her own genius or national ethos, rooted unshakably in the most ancient of wisdom, the torch-bearers of which have been our sages or rishis. Religion is the backbone of India. It is her life-breath. And no ordinary mortal could have driven home to the people of India this great, grand truth with half the force and certainty with which Swamiji expressed it. He had brilliantly analysed the characteristics of nations through the course of history. He said: "Each nation has its own peculiar method of work. Some work through politics, some through social reforms, some through other lines. With us, religion is the only ground along which we can move. The Englishman can understand religion even through politics. Perhaps, the American can understand religion even through social reforms. But, the Hindu can understand even politics when it is given through religion. Sociology must come through religion; everything must come through religion. For, that is the theme; the rest variations in the national life music". Swamiji further said: "Temple after temple was broken down by the foreign conqueror, but no sooner had the wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old temples of South India, and those like Somnath in Gujarat, will teach you volumes of wisdom, which will give you a keener insight into the history of the race than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads to glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result; annihilation the only effect; the moment you step beyond that life-current... The Indian mind is first religion, than anything else."

 

Cont.

 

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Always have the awareness of God-realisation as the ultimate goal of all that you do.

(Swami Chidananda, Divine Life Society)

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