Vivekananda's thougts for modern india
How is Vivekananda’s life and teachings relevant to current generation youth?
For more reasons than one, writing an essay on Vivekananda’s teachings is a challenging task. One, Swami Vivekananda taught on both broad and very deep aspects (not restricted to India alone) encompassing Spiritualism, Universal values, Religion, Character building, Education, Spirit of Service and Social issues – it is not possible to cover all these in a small essay. Two, his teachings influenced contemporaries, inspired innumerable followers & started off movements all over India (continuing to do so even to the present day) and, as such, it is difficult to clearly say what he did teach and what he did not teach (Eg., some “Indian Nationalist” organizations that hold him to be their role model practice an intolerant and often violent form of Hindu culture. Would Swami, had he been alive today, have supported such organizations?) – so, one needs to first of all be clear regarding what his core teachings are (In my essay, I have referred to [1]). Three, Vivekananda lived more than a 100 years ago (before the world wars) and a lot has changed with India and the world since then (India is now an independent nation with a Government elected by its own people and Public works departments to take care of all development works); so, some may argue that the concepts like Practical Vedanta, Karma Yoga, Bhakti etc. are “old-fashioned”, “esoteric” or “mere rhetoric” and as such impractical or inefficient for progress of present-day India. Four, one may ask “Vivekananda worked on Religious harmony, Education, Service and Social issues. But this is not new in India. At various times in the country’s past before Vivekananda, Reformers, Philosophers and Saints have attempted to bring about social improvement and even during the times Vivekananda lived, there were others like him. What new contribution did Vivekananda make? Moreover, the society today is much different, much better than it used to
For more reasons than one, writing an essay on Vivekananda’s teachings is a challenging task. One, Swami Vivekananda taught on both broad and very deep aspects (not restricted to India alone) encompassing Spiritualism, Universal values, Religion, Character building, Education, Spirit of Service and Social issues – it is not possible to cover all these in a small essay. Two, his teachings influenced contemporaries, inspired innumerable followers & started off movements all over India (continuing to do so even to the present day) and, as such, it is difficult to clearly say what he did teach and what he did not teach (Eg., some “Indian Nationalist” organizations that hold him to be their role model practice an intolerant and often violent form of Hindu culture. Would Swami, had he been alive today, have supported such organizations?) – so, one needs to first of all be clear regarding what his core teachings are (In my essay, I have referred to [1]). Three, Vivekananda lived more than a 100 years ago (before the world wars) and a lot has changed with India and the world since then (India is now an independent nation with a Government elected by its own people and Public works departments to take care of all development works); so, some may argue that the concepts like Practical Vedanta, Karma Yoga, Bhakti etc. are “old-fashioned”, “esoteric” or “mere rhetoric” and as such impractical or inefficient for progress of present-day India. Four, one may ask “Vivekananda worked on Religious harmony, Education, Service and Social issues. But this is not new in India. At various times in the country’s past before Vivekananda, Reformers, Philosophers and Saints have attempted to bring about social improvement and even during the times Vivekananda lived, there were others like him. What new contribution did Vivekananda make? Moreover, the society today is much different, much better than it used to