Poem on Lessons I learn from Swami Vivekananda‟s life
Answers
Essaying many roles in his life, he trail-blazed across the country.
Leading the life of a Wandering Monk, a holy ‘Parivrajaka’.
At first discovering all that India had to give, via its myriad people
Then absorbing all the learning’s from the land and its people’
And finally when he thought he was capable enough to do so,
Imparting the knowledge of the true spirit of humanity, back to his country.
He taught the lesson of the need for curiosity, of insatiable hunger for learning,
Even as he travelled to distant shores and met new cultures he learnt,
About their ways of living, about their prayers and meditation,
And in turn teaching them, the powers of our ways of meditation.
Because of the undeniable fact the curious mind does a self-fulfilling prophecy,
That the learning leads to knowledge, which leads to the hunger for more learning.
It was not that he had it easy in life. He had to undergo extreme hardship.
Never flinching once, through extreme hunger, thirst or pain or sorrow.
Because hardship taught him the true value of the things we hold dear,
And that time will one day consume, the very things we hold so dear.
In the end he too would emerge a stronger, determined, wiser person.
He attributed all of his intellect to the lessons learnt facing up to hardship.
But it was his life as a wandering monk that gives us the biggest lesson of them all.
A life of mingling with the true denizens of an India suffering under the rule of foreigners.
Of trying to remind them of all that was once glorious and great with our country.
Trying to raise them out of their stupor, to once again make great our country.
Because a nation sometimes needs to be reminded of what it once was a long time ago.Because sometimes the best person to do so is a lone, wandering monk to teach them all.
‘They alone live, who live for others’, was his greatest lesson.
Because if there was one thing I learnt from Swami Vivekananda,
It was placing the interest of the nation before the interest of the self.
Answer:
Swami Vivekananda, the man who startled everyone when he opened his speech with, “My brothers and sisters of America” at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in 1893, was an intellect and a spiritual leader. His great orating skills and grandeur knowledge put the Indian religion on the world map along with other religions. Vivekananda was a man with deep footing in both science and religion. Science gave him answers to the ‘how things work?’ and spirituality taught him about all the ‘why’s’ of the world. His teachings showcased how science and religion can co-exist in harmony without coming in each other’s way.
Vivekanand’s voice has been silent for a long time now but, his teachings still reverberate. After, the demise of Vivekanand’s guru, the devoted student gave up all the worldly happiness and became a renowned monk. He travelled on foot the breadth of the country and gained knowledge of the diverse culture and religion.
The Ramakrishna mission founded by Vivekananda focused on serving the distressed population of India. His spiritual teachings stressed upon the freedom of the soul as the epitome of religion. Messages of world peace and brotherhood were prominent in his teachings. It is now more than ever that we need his teachings to get through this catastrophic time.
On his death anniversary, here are some of his memorable quotes to understand life better and how to make the most of it.
“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”
“In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.”
“In a day, when you don’t come across any problems - you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path.”
“The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.”
“The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.”
“Anything that makes weak - physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”
“Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is reached.”
“Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.”
“The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”