Swami Vivekananda

[Guest guest]

Swami Vivekananda to Youth

 

Supreme value of youth period is incalculable and indescribable.

Youth life is the most precious life. Youth is the best time. The

way in which you utilize this period will decide the nature of coming

years that lie ahead of you. Your happiness, your success, your honor

and your good name all depend upon the way in which you live now, in

this present period. Remember this. This wonderful period of the first

state of your life is related to you as the soft wet clay in the hands

of the potter. Skillfully the potter gives it the right and correct

shapes and forms, which he intends to give. Even so, you can wisely

mould your life, your character, your physical health and strength, in

short your entire nature in any way in which you make up your mind to

do. And you must do this now.

 

O fortunate youth, recognize this great duty. Feel this wonderful

privilege. Take up this adventure. God watches you graciously, ever

ready to help and guide. I wish you to be great. The world has put

its faith in you. Your elders keep their hopes in you. Now youth

means to place your firm confidence in yourself and exercise your

hopeful determination and resolution and willing good intentions in

this beautiful task of self-culture. This will truly bring supreme

satisfaction and fulfillment not only to you, but also to all

concerned. The shaping of your life is indeed in your own hands.

 

Practise virtue, persevere in virtue. Become established in virtue.

Shine as an embodiment of noblest virtue and heroic adherence to

goodness. Youth is meant for this grand process. Youth life is the

active development and fulfillment of these processes. This period of

your time provides the suitable and favourable fields for the working

out of this extremely important and most indispensable process in

life. This is the special significance, the great importance and

supreme value of youth life. It signifies the creation of noble

personality. It is atma-Viakasa. It is Atma †" Nirmana. Please try to

understand the correct implication of the term successful life. When

you talk of success with reference to life, it does not merely mean

succeeding in everything that you undertake or do; it does not merely

mean succeeding in fulfilling all wants or getting whatever you

desire; it does not just mean acquiring a name or attaining a position

or imitating fashionable ways appearing modern or up-to-date. The

essence of true success is what you make of yourself. It is the

conduct of life that you develop, it is the character that you

cultivate and it is the type of person you become. This is the

central meaning of successful living. Therefore, you will see this

important matter is not so much a question of success in life. (

Jivan †" Me- Safalta) but rather it is success of life. Such

successful life is one that succeeds in producing an ideal individual,

a noble man. Your success is not measured in terms of what all you

obtained but in term of what you become, how you live and what actions

you do. Upon this point reflect well and attain great happiness.

 

In our grand culture they conceived of life in four stage-preliminary

stage, development stage, flowering or blossoming stage and the

culminating fruitful stage. These can be described as he preparatory

period, the practising period for the satisfactory growth of the

latter stage. Yours is the stage of preliminary preparations for

right and successful living. Herein is its supreme value and great

importance. This is like the ploughing and sowing of seeds in the

field by a farmer. Now, you can easily understand, what is the

significance and importance of this in connection with the harvest,

which any one would wish to reap later on. And also, it is like the

laying of the foundation for an important building you wish to

construct. If this building is something very important to you, then

you just think how much more important its proper foundation becomes

in your view. The strong and continued existence of the building

depends certainly upon the foundation. This is the stage you are now

in. Let your preparations be wise, correct and of such kind that will

lead to your true welfare, supreme good and lasting satisfaction and

happiness. This must engage your active, enthusiastic attention

throughout the period of your youth life. Our culture refers to this

stage as the Brahmacharya Ashram or Vidyarthi Jivan. Here, you

acquire knowledge of not only subjects like History, Geography,

Mathematics, etc., but also about human nature, correct Vyavahara,

science of Self- control, art of developing pure mind, Dharma, the

duties of man and the proper relationship between you, your family,

your society and the world.