Swami Vivekananda - The Universal Man

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Swami Vivekananda - The Universal Man

 

Rarely does humanity witness a combination of a great Guru (Spiritual Teacher)

and equally capable Shishya (spiritual disciple) as Sri Ramakrishna and Swami

Vivekananda were.

 

The Upanishads and the Gita do mention of such noble pairs, when a yearning

aspirant seeking higher knowledge humbly bows down to the Teacher and says,

'Sir, please tell me: Which is that thing which having been known, all this

becomes known, and nothing else remains to be known? Give me that, acquiring

which all desires nullify. O gracious one, I surrender at your feet; please tell

me what is right for me.'

 

 

And the compassionate Teacher describes the nature of Self or Atman, starting as

external reality and culminating into the true knowledge of our inner Self.

 

As the Guru speaks, so does the aspirant (sadhaka) experience the Truth

contained in those words. It is as if a film on Brahman is being run in front of

the yearning aspirant.

 

One such pair flourished in the last but one decade of nineteenth century, when

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa sculpted the most wonderful masterpiece in the form

of Swami Vivekananda out of skeptical and rational, but fearless and dynamic

Narendranath.

 

Their association has unleashed a tremendous spiritual force that has started

destroying dreary ignorance covering the minds and hearts of mankind all over

the globe.

 

Then, scientific knowledge based on reason and rationality was ushering in the

era of Industrial Revolution; however, it also brought skepticism and contempt

for religion.

 

Science appeared to be partial and sectarian in its study of various phenomena,

for it tried to leave religion out of its purview. As a result the majority of

people started believing that the goal of life was material progress alone.

 

Religion was on the defensive in the face of clattering advances of modern

technology. Decline in religion (Dharma Glani) manifested as ritualistic

monotony, crass materialism, and excessive engagement in sense pleasures with

resultant lack of discrimination and renunciation.