you will be nearer to heaven playing football than studying the Bhagavat gita These might seem like strange words coming from a personality like swami vivekanand imagine that you too were baffled when you read these words but you thought over them and understood what the swami meant. he was addressing a sickly looking young man who spent all his time reading holy books the swami was trying to drive home the point that physical, mental and spiritual health to hand in hand write an article of 100-120 words for the annual magazine of your school stressing the value of all -round development from a young age
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Explanation:You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita." — Swami Vivekananda. This quotation is a part of Vivekananda's book Lectures from Colombo to Almora.
Swamiji is not asking anyone to throw away the Gita and just play football. All he is saying is both are necessary but playing football yields better result than studying the Gita. Now let us look at why he said this.
The crux of the Gita is Krishna’s advice to Arjuna to rise above the idea of personal loss or gain. Krishna, the Yogi of the highest order, goes on to explain what Yoga is. Krishna in his discourse highlights the importance of Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, and Jnana yoga.
Karma Yoga (Yoga/Union in action): A Karma Yogi doesn’t act out of his wants. He does what needs to be done in the world at the moment. His actions stems from his all inclusiveness and not from his limited identity of himself, his family, caste, creed, community, etc.
Bhakti Yoga (Yoga/Union in devotion): A Bhakti Yogi, while performing action in the world, isn’t perturbed with what the outcome of his action may be. He is conscious of the fact that the result of any action in the world not only depends on his endeavors but also depends on countless other external factors which are not under his control. Because he has complete control over his emotions, he has the ability to pay undivided attention to his action; hence, does his best.
Jnana Yoga (Yoga/Union in intelligence): A Jnana Yogi has clarity of perception. He has the ability to see through the dynamic nature of the world. Because of this ability he can face new situations in life and go through those quite effortlessly.
Unfortunately, people believe reading the Gita is enough. Vivekananda reminds us that mere accumulation of knowledge, however sacred, isn’t enough to enhance one’s life. Vivekananda points out that a footballer is more in yoga than one who is mugging up the Gita verse by verse.
A footballer on the football field is not playing for himself but is carrying out the objectives of the team. Hence, in some sense, he is practicing Karma Yoga.
A footballer is paying undivided focus on the ball and is playing according to best of his ability. Hence, in some sense, he is practicing Bhakti Yoga.
A footballer is constantly honing his perception to be able to see through the dynamic nature of the game. Hence, in some sense, he is practicing Jnana Yoga.
Now, the final piece of the puzzle is the word “heaven” used by Vivekananda. We must understand that Vivekananda, both when in India and when abroad, was speaking amidst people of Abrahamic faith. This is why, even though in Hindu way of life there is no hell or heaven but only liberation and rebirth, Vivekananda used the word “heaven” instead of “liberation”.
Anyone who will come across this quote will initially be puzzled. But the insightful meaning behind this quote reaffirms why guru Ramakrishna Paramahansa rightly named Narendranath Datta as Vivekananda: the joy of perception.
Vivekananda equated morality with mental control, citing truth, purity, and selflessness as qualities that bolstered morality.
Swami Vivekananda is most remembered in the United States for his landmark address in 1893, in which he introduced Hinduism to the United States and appealed for religious tolerance and the abolition of extremism.
Swami Vivekananda integrated ideas from different religions, groups, and traditions. His ideas help people break free from lethargy.
He urged his disciples to be holy, selfless, and faith-filled. Vivekananda believed that brahmacharya was the basis of his physically and mentally stamina as well as his eloquence.
He predicted that many people would achieve liberation in his next reincarnation, but that no further incarnations would follow for a long time, and that people would have to wait for a long time to achieve liberation.