Vivekananda

Its life

Vivekananda ( viveka wants to say “understanding” and ananda wants to say “bliss”) was born with Calcutta, in India, 1863, under the name of Narendranath Datta, in an easy family; his/her father is such a philosophical lawyer but; his/her very impregnated mother of Hindu religion, the fact of bathing very early in the culture of the crowned texts of India. He is very brilliant pupil, then a remarkable student. The question of God is his main concern. It adheres to the “Company of God” where intellectuals discuss the future of the religions and the reform the hindouism. At 17 years, it meets first once its guru, Râmakrishna; at the end of several meetings, Vivekananda is made samnyasin (renonçant) in the ashram of Râmakrishna.

Râmakrishna designates it as its successor some time before dying, at the time of a long meeting, during which both enter in extase.

After the death of Ramakrishna, in 1886, it takes the direction of the ashram; December 25th, 1887, in the Christmas Eve, it founds “the order of outstanding Râmakrishna” by there its narrow relationship with the Christian religion.

In 1893, with the financial aid of one of its disciples, it goes to Chicago at the time of the World Fair. Without invitation, he asks to speak at the Parliament of the religions and is authorized to do it like last speaker. The impression on the listeners is extraordinary. Consequently, it is due of the conferences and fact of many disciples to the the United States. It makes then a round the world tour (Europe, Japan) to spread the teaching of Râmakrishna. Its return in India is triumphal. It creates “Râmakrishna Mission” in various countries. It turns over to Occident in 1899. In 1900, he knows some health issues. He works then for the most stripped.

Vivekananda dies at the age of thirty-nine years in intense meditation on July 4th, 1902.

Its work

Made primarily conferences, talks, talks, it was transmitted by a faithful English disciple who took the notes in “shorthand writing”. It was known of the French public by Romain Roland, which published a work noticed on “the life of Vivekananda and the universal Gospel”.

The work of Vivekananda is very important taking into account the brevity of its life. It remained very faithful to the teaching of Râmakrishna: religious and philosophical syncretism, bhakti yoga.

The teaching of Vivekananda slices by its strength and its simplicity. The Master was not one of his emaciated ascetics who pullulate in India, but rather, an athlete of famous God for his Homeric angers. Certain aspects of its thought are traditional, but others are very modern. If Vivekananda still places the Advaita vedanta at the top of the spiritual hierarchy, he clearly dissociates cosmic illusionism and fatalistic quietism which results from it. Vivekananda wants to change the world. It is not satisfied with an individual release. With its manner, it is a revolutionist whom one can regard as the direct precursor of Shri Aurobindo. First of all, its thought is marked by a almost scientistic Positivisme. Vivekananda does not believe at all that the Védanta contradicts the science of its time. For him, yoga is a Science of the spirit which supplements what the occident brings on the plan of physical sciences. The purpose of this science of the spirit is not the sensitive to the cold escape out of the world. It allows, like the Physique, to increase the capacity of the man on the Univers. It is a power, a force of transformation. This is why, it is not question of rejecting the Karma yoga with the only profit of the Jnana Yoga. Knowledge without the action is sterile and the action without knowledge is blind and rough. When with the Bhakti yoga, he recognizes that the love is the highest form of knowledge, when the object and the subject of knowledge do nothing any more but one.

Its spiritual design rejects all the superstitions which consist in submitting to chimerical divinities what ultimately depends only on the infinite capacity of our heart. It also protests against the Sectarisme, the Fanatisme which locks up the man in a narrow mental prison instead of universalizing it. The great religions are not intended to disappear. But, as there are several spiritual types, there are several religions which correspond to its types. One should not condemn somebody because he eats another spiritual food that you. Each one must be free to choose the spiritual mode which is appropriate to him. The more universal one religion is, the more it is particularized according to the need for each heart. There are single God for all and at the same time single God for each one.

Its main mission was to make known the hindouism in the occident, while preaching the single, expensive religion in its Maître Râmakrishna, and to propose the social progress with its country.