Swami & his new brothersand sisters

Year 1893. September 11. The Permanent Memorial Art Palace, now the Art Institute of Chicago, was packed for the World Parliament of Religions. Among the speakers sat a 30-year-old monk, his eyes searching for something beyond the apparent. Though scheduled among the first, nervousness made him request a later slot. It was his first time facing such a massive crowd, gathered to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus discovery of America. The Parliament, held as part of the Columbian Exposition, aimed to foster harmony among nations and highlight the essence of all religions. Yet, most speakers were intent on asserting the superiority of their own faith rather than affirming all as pathways to truth. When the monks turn finally came, the audience was weary of hearing praises of Shintoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Theism, Mohammedanism, Confucianism and more. Rising to speak extempore, he began with: Sisters and Brothers of America. The hall erupted in a standing ovation, the 4,000-strong audience moved by his sincerity. They listened intently as he spoke of India and its spiritual heritage, which binds creation in a sweet bond of love. It was as though the Swamis words tugged at their hearts, as it bore a camaraderie shared between beings who share earth. He spoke heart to heart rather than academic, says R Lakshmi, professor and head of philosophy, University of Kerala, who has researched the spiritual seeker and reformer in Vivekananda. What followed is history. The young monk became world-renowned as Swami Vivekananda, whose words inspired generations of youth to discover their potential. His influence spanned spiritual leaders like Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and Sree Narayana Guru, reformers and freedom fighters like Rabindranath Tagore, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, industrialists like Jamsetji Tata who established the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore on Vivekanandas suggestion and even scientists such as Nikola Tesla, with whom he discussed links between science and spirituality. Even with Robert Ingersoll, the famed American agnostic, he had deep interactions, notes Lakshmi. Vivekananda once told Ingersoll: If I had only to learn how an apple falls to the ground, or how an electric current shakes my nerves, I would commit suicide. I want to understand the heart of things, the very kernel itself. Your study is the manifestation of life, mine is life itself. Lakshmi adds that such a scientific approach to life still appeals to the youth, even 123 years after his passing at the age of 39. When you trace events in India and in Kerala, you will find Vivekanandas influence at the core of every movement that shaped Indiabe it the freedom struggle, scientific development, the Vaikom Satyagraha, or even womens emancipation that we see now, she says. His quotes such as Life is the unfoldment and development of a being under circumstances tending to press it down and Life is without borders continue to resonate widely. Vivekanandas hope was always in the youth, Lakshmi says, pointing to his stirring words: Give me 100 energetic young men and I shall transform India. Durga Krishna, a Class 12 student preparing for JEE, finds Vivekananda motivational. I have his quote on my study board Arise, awake, stop not till the goal is reached. I think he was cool, and quite Gen-Zish in his attitude. Whenever I need a pep-up, I scroll for Vivekananda on Insta or look up the net for his quotes, says the teenager, who has been reading The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. Asked if she delves deeply into their meaning, she replies: I will, probably after my exams. Concurring with Lakshmi, Anujit Sajeev, a 24-year-old research scholar, highlights that hardly a day passes by without coming across a social media poster or reel with Vivekanandas saying. However, the depth of perception is debatable. The youth now is in a state of flow, he adds. Some things must be imbibed so that it will define our life. Like how we tackle fears and struggles. Nowadays, people fall back on Vivekananda or any gurus wisdom only during duress. Once that phase passes, the lessons too are left behind. Rather, the path and process undertaken should define our attitude to life. Mountaineer Sreesha Raveendran, the second Malayali woman to scale Mt Everest, agrees. She observes that todays idea of self-love differs from Vivekanandas. Glancing at Vivekanandas works by her table, she reflects: Self-love, what the Swami meant, was about growing to ones true potential and the empathy that helps us connect with the world better. But the youth understand it as momentary care for the self. However, she adds that even superficial exposure does have value. It is like a seed sown. In the ascent of life, taking risks is important, and it is not always about summiting but about the process and the one-pointed focus in anything you do. Sreesha refers to two Vivekanandas quotes that mean a lot to her: Means to attain the goal are as important as the goal itself, and Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Commander Abhilash Tomy (retd), the first Indian to sail solo around the world, recalls a personal connection. I read Vivekananda first in 2001, a book that I found in the Naval Library in Kochi. It was on Advaita Vedanta, i.e. non-dualism. It influenced me profoundly, he says. Even while on voyages, there were several times when I felt one with whatever I was doing, whatever I see, whatever I am, where I am. I also saw a dream once where I was feeding a hungry dog and felt the animal, what I fed it, and me all are one and the same. This made me feel there is no achievement or feat. The destination takes a backseat to the process once we feel totally surrendered to what we do. Whether we achieve or not, we get enriched by the process alone. And at that point, nature, you, what we do, and the energy that prompts us to do all merge into a beautiful whole. Vivekananda is the one who opened that world to me. January 12, 1863: Born Narendranath Dutta in Calcutta November 1881: First meeting with Sri Ramakrishna, his spiritual guru January 1887: Takes monastic vows and becomes Swami Vivekananda. November-December 1892: Travels across Kerala, calls it a lunatic asylum due to its caste-related practises, inspires youth to fight caste barriers December 24, 1892: Reaches Kanyakumari, meditates on a sea rock (now Vivekananda Rock Memorial) for three days on Indias future February 1893: Embarks on a journey across India to inspire youth towards freedom and fearlessness September 11, 1893: Addresses the Parliament of Religions in Chicago May 1894: Speaks at Harvard University, calls for the need to blend Western and Eastern thoughts May 1897: Launches Sri Ramakrishna Mission, now an organisation rendering humanitarian service worldwide July 1992: Passes away at the age of 39