The life of Swami Vivekananda is dedicated to awakening of the soul and the society. He followed and carried out the unfinished work of his spiritual master Sri Ramkrishna. He spread Vedanta philosophy which spearheaded the minds thousands of young generations not only in India but also to the western world and carried forward the teachings of Sri Ramkrishna through his life of simplicity and ideology. Narendranath Dutta, born in a Bengali family in Calcutta, Vivekananda was one of the eight child of Vishwanath Dutta and Bhuvaneshwari Devi. He was born on January 12, 1863. He excelled in his studies at the Metropolitan institution, and later at the Presidency College in Calcutta. By the time he graduated from the college, he had acquired a vast knowledge of different subjects.

In his book Raja Yoga, Vivekananda explores traditional views on the supernatural and the belief that the practice of Raja Yoga can confer psychic powers. He explained the traditional eastern spiritual concepts like kundalini and spiritual energy centers (chakras). Vivekananda always tested thoroughly before making your decision of acceptance, even initially to his spiritual master Sri Ramkrishna…He said, “It is not the sign of a candid and scientific mind to throw overboard anything without proper investigation. Surface scientists, unable to explain various extraordinary mental phenomena, strive to ignore their very existence.” Sri Ramkrishna used to say that Naren was one of the Saptarshis, or Seven Sages, who live in the realm of the absolute world.

Vivekananda was successful in constructing a virtual bridge between the culture of East and the West. He interpreted the Hindu scriptures, philosophy and the way of life to the Western people. He made them realize that in spite of poverty and backwardness, India had a great contribution to make to world culture. He played a key role in ending India’s cultural isolation from the rest of the world.

Sri Ramakrishna who directed Narendranath in the essentials of Hinduism. The fulfilment of the spiritual aspirations of the Hindus for the past three thousand years, was the embodiment of the Hindu faith. The beliefs Narendra had learnt about Hinduism does not consist of dogmas. It is an deep inner experience, which respects all faiths and thoughts, efforts and realizations. Unity in diversity is its essence. 

Narendra learnt that religion is a vision which transcends all barriers of caste and race. He learnt that the Personal God and worship through symbols lead to the realization of complete oneness with the Deity. Sri Ramkrishna taught him the divinity of the soul, and the harmony of religions. Narendranath regarded Sri Ramakrishna as the symbol of spirit of religion and did not bother to know whether he was or not an Incarnation of God.

Narendranath understood the need for spiritual practice as Sri Ramkrishma fell ill and realized that the he would not live long. His vision of God knew no limit. Sri Ramakrishna wanted the disciple to see God in all beings and to serve them in the spirit of worship. On August 15, 1886, Sri Ramkrishna’s suffering became severe. He gave him the last instructions to his favourite disciple, almost in a whisper and passed the baton to him. Other disciples stood around him. At two minutes past one in the early morning of August 16, Sri Ramakrishna entered into the final samadhi, from which his mind never again returned to the physical world. 

Swamiji realized that his life was meant not to be an ordinary monk, only meditating won’t spread the spiritual endeavour. Rather he was destined to work for the divine mission set by Sri Ramakrishna who told him ‘to be like a banyan tree, giving shelter to the tired, weary travelers’ and ‘teach mankind’. Swamiji felt an inner urge to feel the breadth of his country. Thus his early life was spent as a wandering monk. He travelled from from Himalaya to Kanyakumari. His journey was not an easy one Holy Mother (Janani Sarada) gave her consent and blessings to whom Swamiji had mentioned earlier. He was determined to carry out his journey towards the west. Finally, after raising funds through his young disciples, Swami Vivekananda sailed for America on 31 May 1893 to attend the historic World Parliament of religion. 

Swami Vivekananda gace his speech in the Parliament of Religions in America in September of 1893. The speech gained the spotlight as Hinduism and its philosophy was introduced to the western world for the very first time in Chicago. The World Parliament of Religions which continued for seventeen days from 11th September to 27th September 1893, had six lectures of Swamiji. Firstly his welcome address focused on Universal brotherhood. Beginning with the words “Sisters and Brothers of America” he emphasised on the two important requirements for world peace – brotherhood and universal acceptance. Hisa love for humanity was showed as a beacon of light at that time. 

Teachings and Quotes of Swami Vivekananda :

• “Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, & know that you are the creator of your own destiny.” 
• “Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached.”  
• “To be good and to do good – that is the whole of religion.”  
• “Strength is life, Weakness is death.”
• All the power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that; don’t believe that you are weak. Stand up and express the divinity within you.”  
• “Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourself weak, weak you will be; if you think yourself strong; strong you will be.”  
• “Stand and die in your own strength; if there is any sin in the world, it is weakness; avoid all weakness, for weakness is sin, weakness is death.” 
• “Neither money pays, nor name pays, nor fame, nor learning; it is character that cleave through adamantine walls of difference.” 
• “The greatest sin is to think yourself weak.” 
• “Take up one idea, make that one idea your life, think of it, dream of it, live of it, let the brain, muscle, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way great spiritual giants are produced, others are mere talking machines.”
• “Your country requires heroes; be heroes; your duty is to go on working, and then everything will follow of itself.”