A follow up

As you might have already guessed, This blog's function is to promote our culture and to proclaim it everywhere we go and ensure that it is not forgotten.

Hope you liked this contribution of mine!

Spiritual Influence of Indian Gurus- Swami Vivekananda

Kabir said: "If all the land were turned to paper and all the seas turned to ink, and all the forests into pens to write with, they would still not suffice to describe the greatness of the guru." 

True indeed. Before looking at the greatness of the gurus and their vast influence, let us see who a guru is.

Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes,
Vishnu sans his four arms
Brahma sans his four heads.
He is parama Shiva himself in human form"
~ Brahmanda Puran

Guru is the God, say the scriptures. Indeed, the 'guru' in Vedic tradition is looked upon as one no less than a God. 'Guru' is a honorific designation of a preceptor as defined and explained variously in the scriptures and ancient literary works including epics. The English word 'guru' has its etymological origin in the Sanskrit term. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines it as "Hindu spiritual teacher or head of religious sect; influential teacher; revered mentor".
In this relatively short blog post,let us look at the life of an  Indian guru whose influence on this planet is felt even today, more than a century later.

Swami Vivekananda : ( Jan 12 1863-Jul 04 1902)
                                                  Born Narendranath Dutta is the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga in Europe and America and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a world religion during the end of the 19th century.As a guru, Ramakrishna taught him Advaita Vedanta and that all religions are true, and service to man was the most effective worship of God.His most famous statement was "Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is achieved." Today many people of different nationalities, religions, races, colors, sects and creeds follow the teachings of Vedanta he introduced in late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is most popular among young adults. Present day youth and many aspiring souls seek inspiration from his teachings and messages even to date. While still alive, Swami Vivekananda proclaimed that though he would leave his body like discarding his clothes but would continue to work towards the upliftment of all humanity. After departing from his mortal coils, Swami Vivekananda is believed to have interacted with great souls to fulfill his work. He gave a new direction to religion by transcending ritual concepts of religions and promoted formless and nameless meditative practices like Raja Yoga and Spirituality.

Teachings :
                  
Vivekananda believed that the essence of Hinduism was best expressed in the Vedanta philosophy, based on the interpretation of Shankaracharya. He summarised the Vedanta's teachings as follows,

• 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 psychic control, 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.

Influence

Several leaders of 20th Century India and philosophers have acknowledged Vivekananda's influence. The first governor general of independent India, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, once observed that "Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India."^[122] According to Subhas Chandra Bose, Vivekananda "is the maker of modern India" and for Mohandas Gandhi, Vivekananda's influence increased his "love for his country a thousandfold." National Youth Day in India is held on his birthday, January 12, to commemorate him. This was a most fitting gesture as much of Swami Vivekananda's writings concerned the Indian youth and how they should strive to uphold their ancient values whilst fully participating in the modern world.
Swami Vivekananda is widely considered to have inspired India's freedom struggle movement. His writings inspired a whole generation of freedom fighters including Aurobindo Ghose and Bagha Jatin. Vivekananda was the brother of the extremist revolutionary, Bhupendranath Dutta. Subhash Chandra Bose one of the most prominent figures in Indian independence movement said,

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

Aurobindo Ghosh considered Vivekananda as his spiritual mentor.

Vivekananda was a soul of puissance if ever there was one, a very lion among men, but the definitive work he has left behind is quite incommensurate with our impression of his creative might and energy. We perceive his influence still working gigantically, we know not well how, we know not well where, in something that is not yet formed, something leonine, grand, intuitive, upheaving that has entered the soul of India and we say, "Behold, Vivekananda still lives in the soul of his Mother and in the souls of her children.

—Sri Aurobindo in Vedic Magazine(1915)

Above all Swami Vivekananda helped restore a sense of pride amongst the Hindus, presenting the ancient teachings of India in its purest form to a Western audience, free from the propaganda spread by British colonial administrators, of Hinduism being a caste-ridden, misogynistic idolatrous faith. Indeed his early foray into the West would set the path for subsequent Indian religious teachers to make their own marks on the world, as well herald the entry of Hindus and their religious traditions into the Western world.
Swami Vivekananda's ideas have had a great influence on the Indian youth. In many institutes, students have come together and formed organizations meant for promoting discussion of spiritual ideas and the practice of such high principles. Many of such organizations have adopted the name Vivekananda Study Circle. One such group also exists at IIT Madras and is popularly known as (VSC). Additionally, Swami Vivekananda's ideas and teachings have carried on globally, being practiced in institutions all over the world.
Mahatma Gandhi said, "Swami Vivekananda's writings need no introduction from anybody. They make their own irresistible appeal." At the Belur Math, Gandhi was heard to say that his whole life was an effort to bring into actions the ideas of Vivekananda.^[124] Many years after Vivekananda's death, Rabindranath Tagore a Nobel Poet Laureate had said,

"If you want to know India, study Vivekananda. In him everything is positive and nothing negative."

What Swami Vivekananda did was that he was able to revive the Hindu religion which was on a steep downhill path , mainly due to the influence of the west and through theories like "Aryan Invasion theory". He not only succeeded in reviving Hinduism, but also elevated Hinduism to its original rank of a world religion.

"I am the thread that runs through all these pearls," and each pearl is a religion or even a sect thereof. Such are the different pearls, and God is the thread that runs through all of them; most people, however, are entirely unconscious of it".

      - Swami Vivekananda.

 Let us pray that we attain that consciousness, which was the dream of Swami Vivekananda.

Phew.. My First post!

Here goes my official first post on my blog.. Had to wait for nearly two hours to get to this post.. mind you..

And that was partly due to the reason that Blogger turned down all the names I wanted for my blog, smartly me telling that "Sorry, This Blog address is not available" everytime I suggested one. After a couple of brainstorming sessions and a few google searches, I ended up with this Blog and obviously this address.