CONCLUSION

"Religion is the idea which is raising the brute unto man and man u7rto God",

- Swami Viuekananda

The world today is full of sceptics who have little or no faith in religion.

They feel that God has no place on earth and dismiss all religions as mere

'dogma' and that loo, against reason. In reality, most Indjan traditions

cannot be labelled as religions in the Western sense, hey are actually

Dharma or the science of sustainable being dogmatic, they are open to

rational debate and analysis. Infact, quite a few Indian spiritual traditions

hsve made invaluable contribution to modern science.

In this critical juncture, Swami Vivekananda ideas and teachings on

religion are relevant to contemporary society. If at any time in India

particularly, whole world in general, requires the study ol'his message, now

is the time. With the remarkabie message of love, sympathy, tolerance and

service to the mankind, Vivekananda successfully gives a new hope to the

man both in India and abroad,

At the very outset, Swami Vivekananda's life and mission have a two-

fold significance. On the one hand, he is the first great leader, leading the

modern Indian resurgence and giving the clarion call to his people to rouse

themselves up from the slumber of slavery and to work for the nation's

uplifkent. He was, on the other hand, Acharya, preacher of the Vedanta,

whose message of salvation from the cycle of recurring births and deaths or

nation or religion. The legacy which Vivekananda has l t s f t pertain to both

these field service and the salvation of the souls,

Evely man has idea, likewise every nation has ao idea for working

in world and for its presemation. Each nation bas a unique rlli~sion t o fulfill

in the life of world. The Mission of Swami Vivekananda spkitually enlighten

the people of India in particular and whole humanity in general. He

229

:ategorically stated that motherland of India has imlllerlse heritage of

ipiriluality in world According to hiin, plenty of spirituality had made the

greatest and strongest of natio~i in those existing nations of world.

The mission of Vivekananda in India, the vitality of. India has not yet

touched inspite of people living with poverty and misery. Hc deplored

Indians suffering wit11 hwest religious ideas and lack of' intellectual education

about the life on sarl.1~ lndiails were influenced by Western culture.

Hinduism is an pure spirituality. Swamj Vivelranandti emphasized that

Hinduism is a ideal religion when compared with other rcbligions India will

play harmony of peace in world.

The East needed to be shown the way to freedom one kind of bondages

of the West from bondages of another kind. Swami Vivekananda most

daring and challenging gospel of holding man in his highest in essence. Man

would be conducive to the hlghest manifestation for the attainment of

self-fulfilment .

Vivekananda Mission in West is mainly to interpret the East t o the

West and that West to the East with a view find out a means to their fusion

and reconciliation. He made it clear, religion does not depend upon

knowledge. It is the soul itself, it is God, not be attained by simple book

knowledge or powers of speech. The Christianity realized that West had

something to learn from the East. The West was ignorant of the vast

spiritual and cultural history and heritage of India.

The West did not realize that the human beings are essentially the

same the world over. The West has technologically developed at the same

time man control over outer nature has for suppressed the control over the

230 inner nature of man. Vivekananda preaching of Vedanta and yoga is

considered in depth of the Western civilization. Vedanta conceptua1izns

reality in terms of acceptable to the scientifically minded West and yoga

provides the knowledge.

Swami Vivekanunda's revolutionary and constructive programmes

have given new direction to the country. He was not only revitalize the

religion but also reform the man. His transcendental religion addressed the

human needs which is highest. He fell that true emancipation of man by

being truly scientific and spiritual simultaneously.

Vivekananda organized monasticism in a new way which is augmented

meaning for the future at the same time he accepted socialism. He considered

to removing the inherent conflict between personal advancement and

collective good, He personified an explosion of love for future mankind. His

real nature was a lover of God.

He emphasized the non-dualistic philosophy in India and abroad.

Vivekananda felt that non-dualism alone can be different dualistic concepts

of personal God be harmonized. He established the Advaita Ashrama at

Mayavati to enable its members to develop their spiritual life through the

non-dualistic di~ciplioe. He made it clear, all religions would receive a new

orientation from the non-dualistic doctrine and spread good will among men.

Swami Vivekananda doctrine has not been merely academic

metaphysicdbut it is prlrely historic and linguistic interest. He considered,

the living people who have struggled continuously for its realization about life

and death, The doctrine of divinity in man, to be realized by faithful service

23 1

through whatever forms. He made it clear, all men alike had the same vast

potentiality.

Religion approaches are in reality through feeling rather than through

thought. It interprets reality through feelings. It is man's reaction to the

totality of things. As a way of life, it presents certain facts which compel

philosophy to offer valid interpretations. Thus, it is the task of philosophy to

inquire into the nature, function, value and truth of religious experience

leading to the establishment of the nature of the ultimate reality.

Every religion has its own philosophy. There is no distinction in India

but in the West there is divergence between religion and philosophy.

Philosophy is understood as the search of truth but religion is immediate

awareness of the spirit. Swami Vivekananda made it clear, 'Religion without

philosophy runs superstition, philosophy without religion becomes dry

atheism'.

According to Vivekananda, religion is the beginning of philosophy, the

source of speculation about the highest truth and man's relation with it.

Philosophy is inhered in religion which is sustained by reason. He conceived

of philosophy as the rationale of religion on the basis o f firm intellectual

foundation of all religious beliefs. He had given new meaning and

interpretation to religion. Whatever makes you strong is religion and

whatever makes you weak is irreligion. Whatever makes you bold and

wurageous is religion. Whatever makes you fear is irreligion.

Vivekananda holds that the concept of God is product of human mind.

As he is evolving intellectually and spiritually, the idea of God also evolved

gradually. Different group of people, different Gods as their saviours. At

232 this stage, God and man were viewed different. But slowly man has attained

a deeper understanding and came to the conclusion that there is no

difference between him and God This is a non-dualistic state of

understanding God. This has contributed to the theory of oneness of

existence. As a result, man has attained divine nature.

The central concept of Vivekananda's philosophy is the Brahman

which is the highest reality, or the Sachidananda, purest existent,

knowledge and bliss. At the supreme gnosis, highest reality conceived as the

Brahman. The same reality at Ievel of religious worship is regarded as

Ishvara. In Advaita philosophy, according to Vivekananda, whole universe

is one in the self which is called Brahman. This self when it appears

behind the body is the soul.

Vivekananda is a staunch believer in Hindu religion. He kept before

him the realization of the divinity as the goal of human life. He realized the

oneness of existence in his life under the ablest guidance of his teacher Sri

h a k r i s h n a and gave the clarion call to the whole human kind to realize the

same.

Basing on the truth that whole existence is one, Vivekananda is highly

convinced that the world is also the manifestation of the Brahnan, but; not

creation. This realization made him to say that unity is goal of all sciences.

Ahead of all sciences, Hindulsm which can be accepted as the scientific

religion, reveal that Brahman is the ultimate substance of this universe.

Swami Vivekananda vehemently condemned immature criticism on the

ideal worship of Hindus. He clarified that it is not at a11 superstition. He

emphasized that man's thinking is possible only through mental images. Idol

233 is a symbol of worship. Considering this idol as God, man fixed his mind on

it and worship. It helps man to concentrate and realize the oneness. That's

why, to Hindus religion consists in realization of God, but not worshipping

of idol in temple or reading a book or clinging to doctrine.

Vivekananda made it clear, Hinduism i s not a religion which

progresses from error to truth, but which progresses from lower truth to

higher truth. Every individual has to travel higher and higher gathering,

more and more spiritual strength, he reaches the ultimate real~ty.

Indian ethics aIso prescribes four ways to attain liberation. They are

Kamna-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Bhakti - Yoga and Jnana-Yoga, Yoga as a way

helps man to bind himself with the supreme God or Brahman. Karma-

yoga emphasize that every man should work without any attachment and

realize Brahman. Raja-Yoga is the King of all Yogas. According to this

Yoga, God should be realized through concentration. This Yoga prescribes

eight stages Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana,

Dhyana and Samadhi in order to attain God realization. Bhakti-Yoga

prescribes love as the uniting force between man and God. Every action

should be dedicated doing good as the only object of love. It is through

Jnana-Yoga, the individual comes to know that Brahman alone is real and

everything else is unreal. Thus, he gets the knowledge about the real and

unreal and finally realizes Brahman is his Own self

Swami Vivekananda accepts the Karma-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Bhakti-

Yoga and Jnana-Yoga are the different ways to attain liberation. In his

view, all these four paths are imperative to satisfy the different tempenunents

of the individual in society. Every path is capable of helping the individual

234 to realize the Brahman. That is why, he concluded that a religion becomes

ideal when it includes all these four ways.

Usually, in view of majority people, religion is other worldly. They

believe that it is concerned only with life and achievement in the athelm world.

So, it is different to life in this world. But rehgion is closely associated with

life here. It covers the whole life. Religion purifies and vitalizes our physical,

mental, social and spiritual life. The ideal of religious life has been the

subject of much discussion in modern time.

hmakrishna is a unique spiritual stalwart in the history of Hinduism

during nineteenth century. In view of Dr. D S. Sharma, the religious

movements of Ramakrishna is rooted in our nat~onal consciousness with

universal outlook. He very well understood that all these religions are

different roads to reach the one God. According to Sri Ramalcrishna, religion

is not a talk or doctrine or a d o p a . But it was the realization of the truth

which lies behind the phenomenal existence. He exhibited a high order of

tolerance and universal acceptance of all castes, creeds and religions. The core

teaching of Ramakrishna lies in his preaching and practising of the harmony

of all religions. He made a great contribution to the world spiritual thought.

Under such great spiritual giant Narendranath joined as his disciple.

Vivekananda has learnt two main tmths about the religion from his master.

Religion doesn't lie in mere talks or doctrines or theories. It doesn't consist

in building temples, churches and mosques. It should be realized within the

soul as it is relation between God and Soul. Secondb all religions of the

world &ould be respected equally; They are not contradictory but

complimentary to each other.

Regarding the origin of religion, there are two theories one which

sticks to the idea of 'nature-worship' and the other which upholds Ule idea of

'spirit-worship'. Reconciling both theories, Swamiji concluded that firstly

it is the inquisitive nature of man and secondly it is the desire to solve his

practical problems of life i.e., suffering, death etc., which from the source to

the origination of religion.

Vivekananda emphasized that all religious ideas to emanate from the

super-empirical experiences. All most in all religions, the great men

experienced, some abstract being or essence of existence underlying this

world. Man, a t everytime in every age is striving to realize and reach this

ideal.

According to Swami Vivekananda, religion should be studied

compulsorily because it has the highest motive power of the human mind. It

injects the spiritual power and inturn, this will guide every individual

towards a right direction. A man of religion is found to be a moral gaint with

good character and conduct. A religious man goes beyond his senses and

evolves himself superman. This helps him to purify his thoughts and broaden

his outlook towards every llving being in the world. Thus, it is the

healthiest exercise to the human mind.

Vivekananda made it clear that religion is to realize the divinity of

soul in every individual. The universal truth lies in the self-realization.

Different religions adopt different ways to attain this goal. AL Ule same time,

religion doesn't consist in books, doctrines and dogmas. By attending

temples, churches mosques etc., can be called religion. He fell that every

religion is inter-related with other religions in the sense that the aim of dl

236 religions is to achieve the same goal. To say that one religion is true and

Ule other religion is false is unjustifiable. He emphasized that man is born

with divinity it is because of ignorance, he is unable to realize his inner

divinity.

Vivekananda was a practical religious saint. Apart from preaching the

doctrine of oneness of exlstence, he practised renunciati011 and service. He

established Ramakrishna mission to serve the human Gods on earth. He

dedicated himself and his work to the divine God through his sincere love to

all human beings. He never hated anybody or any religion. He shared his

feelings with all openly. His main aim was t o stop totally all kinds of

conflicts, which arise in the society because of the feeling of difference by

understanding the Vedantic doctrine of oneness of exlstence. His doctrine of

oneness of existence tried man as the centre as well as the circumference,

Hence, his religious philosophy is totally humanistic and also synthetic as it

counters theoretical and practical aspects of humanism.

Vivekananda emphasized that science and religion are not poles apart.

Both aim at assisting man to grow spiritually and establish a better social

order. When tried separately each with its insufficiency and helplessness

contributed to unsatisfactory results, during both old and modern times. He

gave a clarion call for a complete human civilization and science. Both are

complementary but not contradictory to each other. This will surely dispel

the wrong tendency of the modern educationist treating the humanities and

the science as exclusive disciplines. It is in the synlhesis of science

and religion, we could see the synthesis of head and heart, the classical end

modern.

237 Swami Vivekananda's ultimate aim was to bring unity among the

different religions. He rightly understood that each and every religion is

containing some element of truth in it. To that extent it should be accepted

and respected, as the goal of all religions is perfection of man.

Vivekananda tried to establish the concept of universal religion In his

view, universal religion doesn't lie in establishing any institution for it. It lies

in cultivating the right attitude of respecting all religions without thinking

that our own religion is true and others are false. FurLher, by universal

religion he never meant spreading of Vedanta thought the globe, converting

people as Vedantins, as is done by Christians and Muslims. This universal

religion comes to life the moment, when all religions co-exist peacefully. This

will avoid all misunderstandings, ridicules and religious wars.

Vivekananda approach to Vedanta philosophy has certain peculiarities.

Vedanta, he claims that man is divine that all this which see around us is

the outcome of the consciousness of the divine. He emphasized that

everything is strong, good and powerful in human nature is the outcome of

that divinity. In view of him, Vedanta systems may begin with some small

pessimism and ends with real optimism.

Vivekananda is very much attracted towards the rationality embodied

in Vedanta. The Vedanta truths enjoyed the rational foundation on par with

science. According to Vedanta, every soul is the manifestation of Brahman,

the ultimate reality, as logical corollaries of this control truth of Vedanta, the

doctrine of universal brotherhood, compassion and doing good to all are quite

consistent.

238 Vedanta offers a rational basis to unity of our existence by regarding

every individual as the manifestation of Brahman. This avoids all

differences between high and low, superiority and inferiority. Vedanta enjoys

the broader outlook of accepting many names to one God. Consequently it

accepts so many ways leading to the goal of self-realization. This suits to

meet and satisfy different men with different natures. Thus Vedanta

accammodates all kinds of people.

The God of Vedanta is not the product of our imagination, but is

present in everything. He is felt as a reality. Instead of' worshipping the

images in temples, Vivekananda wants to worship the living beings as Gods.

All living bodies are the temples of God. He made it clear, human body is the

highest body of the temple.

In the world, people live in full of contradictions. Contradiction is

inherent in the every structure of the world. So, the word Maya stated that

contradictory nature of the world. Swami Vivekananda made it clear, Maya

is not a theory for the explanation of the world, but it is simply a statement

of facts. The enigmatic nature of the world is a mixture or a truth and

untruth, knowledge and ignorance, light and darkness due t o the facts. The

contradiction of pleasure and pain is fact o f the world It cannot be dissolved

due to the world of changing events.

According to Vivekananda, the idea of freedom and of unchangenbility

is one and the same. The changeable God would be no God. He stated that

the universe doesn't exist. It is only appearance but not reality. According

to Vedanta, the reality of the external world and realih. of the internal world

are one and the same. Vedanta preaches that everything in the tmiverse is

Absolute, not parts, but the whole. Vivekenanda opined that the Absolute

239 does not re-evolve. Absolute is not change in the universe but it is in

nature. So, the whole unlverse is really one.

Ehami Vivekananda emphasized that Vedanta as a s e a t source of

inspiration. The Vedantic doctrine Atman is one and universal. The

Atman is the basis of our consciousness, our happiness even of our

existence. He made it clear that Atman is the knowledge, the Atman is

the only Satchidananda. Atman never coines nor goes, it never dies.

Atman enjoys neither a beginning nor an ending. It is etel-nal. Such

Atrnan is subjected to bondage by its own Karmas. Swalniji explains that

every men does certain activity. These activ~ties, produce impressions upon

the mind. These impressions are called Samskaras. A man's character is

judged by these Samskaras. As long as these Samskaras present in the

mind the cycle of birth and death will be moving.

Swami Vivekananda made it clear, Vedanta formulates not universal

brotherhood, but universal oneness. He says that unity is knowledge and

diversity is ignorance. World unity is not depending on political

considerations, economic interest, cultural ties or humanitarian principle, but

it is based on spiritual unity. Unity of world body is requires a world. The

unity of this self includes not 3 umans, but also animals, plants and every A form of life,

Vedanta, according to Vivekananda as a religion must be intensely

practical. He emphasized that the religion which doesn't help mankind is

futile, Vedanta is the best religion which is capable of fulfilling this ideal of

helping all. Vedantic religion teaches us to realize only God. This i s possible

by hving faith in one's own self. Faith should not he selfish faith, it ahodd

240 be understood in Vedantic meaning reflecting faith in all By exhibiting this

faith of unity we can dispel all our miseries in the world. By cultivating this,

we will become stronger and stronger and distinguish between fa1sit.y and

truth. Vivekananda felt that the truth lies in realizing oneness and falsity

lies in recognising difference.

Vivekananda was the worshipper of the living God. He made God in

the heart of all the soul object of his worship. In his view, selflessness is the

only way to worship man. But the human history shows that selfishness has

been becoming the greatest hurdle to realize the oneness. Service to

humanity has become only a talk. But in reality, nothing substantial has

been done in removing the selfishness from the breast of humanity.

The Neo-Vedantism or New Vedanta of Swami Vivekananda have

been reconciliation of Advaita, Dvaita and Visistadvaita. According to him,

Neo-Vedanta is acceptance, not mere tolerance, the forms of worship, He

emphasized that the Advaita is not only tolerates and accepts the other

religions of the world. So, this is a living Vedanta but not a dry and dead

theory of the Vedanta. With inspiration and spirit of the Nea-Vedanta, he

established Ramakrishna Mission and Math and take up vast varied

humanitarian activities.

Swami Vivekananda was a socialist because socialism came nearest to

the idea of Advaita when it was to be practised as a social ideal. His Vedantic i

socialism is spiritual idea, which is sustained by Advgic idea of the oneness

of the universe. He adopted a monistic orientation of socialism due to the two

reasons, viz, he had no theoretical interest in socialism or in any socio-

economic doctrine. He was greatly concerned, the living conditions of his own

people in India and world at large. He wanted to amelioration of living

24 1 conditions of destituteds, downtrodden and oppressed people and given

appropriate status in society.

Swami Vivekananda gospel of humanism is gospel of revolutionary

activism which is life and soul. His humanism is not mere intellectual

exercise, nor mere speculating, but a dynamic of' man-rnakmg. He says that

man is responsible to determine his own destiny. According to him, the

synthesis of humanitarian work is imperative for the constitution of man.

This universal gospel of service has been given the Future hopes and

aspiration to mankind,

In view of Vivekananda, soul is God and every human being has

perfect divinity within him (her self). He made it clear, everything is good

and powerful in human nature which is the out come of (l~uman) divinity, All

beings have been potentially divine irrespective of men and women and man

and man. Vivekananda spiritual humanism is evolution of humanity to spirit;

for the way of application,

The concept of humanism could be classified in to two main groups.

First one is religious humanism which is God-oriented. The basic principle

of religious humanism is all the people created by the God. On the other

hand, secular humanism stresses free thinking and fight for common people.

Vivekananda emphasized that the need of multi-dirnentional humanistic

approach to solve our problenqwith the direct contact of suffering people. As

a humanist, he could not ignore anything evolved or th~ught of by the

mankind. He opined that religion, science and fine arts were expression of

the same truth,

242

Though, Vivekananda is a spiritualist,, but could not against material

progress. He made it clear, a starving stomach never realized God. It is

through spreading education and feeding the poor, India can be raised The

intellectual, moral and spiritual progress can be achieved only by solving the

burning problems of poverty Tllus, true religion lies in serving the starving

people. In this respect, Vivekananda's approach to religion is totally realistic

and progressive.

In reality, Swalni Vivekananda was not against caste system. In his

view, caste as a social order is meant to solve the day-today problems of life.

I t is an organisation of society for the well - being of all. It never means a

division like superior and inferior. It is basing on the doctrine of oneness of

existence, our grand fathers never brought any difference between man and

man either as inferior nor superior. They never even tried to call anybody

untouchable. But the selfish priest brought degradation by viewing some

people as a untouchable. Vivekananda condemned the untouchabilily as

social tyranny, Each Inan is great because he is the spark of divillity.

The whole religious philosophy of Vivekananda is the realization of

oneness of existence which is nothing but the attainment of religious

perfection. This is practicable. His approach of religion was a dynamic,

balanced and synthetic way.