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I cannot write about Vivekananda without going into raptures. Few indeed could comprehend or fathom him even among those who had the privilege of becoming intimate with him. His personality was rich, profound and complex... Reckless in his sacrifice, unceasing in his activity, boundless in his love, profound and versatile in his wisdom, exuberant in his emotions, merciless in his attacks but yet simple as a child, he was a rare personality in this world of ours...
said Subhash Chandra Bose,
a national leader of India.
Born in Calcutta on January 12, 1863, Swami Vivekananda was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. He was a marvellous blend of all excellences. Eager to know if God is true and perceptible, he was guided to Sri Ramakrishna who assured him from personal realization that God is the only Reality and can be communed with. Questioning the Master at every step and accepting nothing without rigorous proof, he was able to be in tune with the Infinite. After the Master's passing away he took upon himself the great mission of propagating the truth of Oneness, the universality of being, the harmony of religions, and the glory of the Atman. He put India on the spiritual map of the world by his famous addresses at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893.
He made Vedanta popular in the West, and in India he established the twin organizations, the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, to train those who had renounced the world in search of God and to integrate the activities of individuals who chose to serve fellow men and women unselfishly. His brilliant speeches and writings constitute a rich legacy for all who care for the higher values of life.
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- Life is the unfoldment and development of a being under circumstances tending to press it down.
- Ye divinities on earth, sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep. You are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.
- The old religions said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is the atheist who does not believe in himself.
- Purity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above all, love.
- What we need today is to know that there is a God, and that we can see and feel Him here and now.
- Three things are necessary to make every person great, every nation great:
- Conviction in the powers of goodness
- Absence of jealousy and suspicion
- Helping all who are trying to be and do good.
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