“India is immortal if she persists in her search for God. But if she goes in for politics and social conflict, she will die.” - Swami Vivekananda
I recently attended a celebration of the 25thanniversary of Vivekananda Human Centre at Logan Hall, University College of London.
For those of you who are not aware of Swami Vivekananda, he was one of the greatest spiritual leaders from India. One of the chief disciples of the 19th century Indian mystic Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda was instrumental in placing Hinduism on the global scale. It was his speech at the World's Parliament of Religions in 1893 in Chicago that made him popular as "Messenger of Indian wisdom to the western world".
Today, his anniversary was organized by Shri Ram Chandra Saha, and graced by MP Virendra Sharma among other dignitaries. Several performances by children ricocheted Vivekananda’s messages while Swami Sarvasthananda and Swami Sarvapriyananda delivered remarks on teachings of Vedanta.
It is indeed a matter of pride for India that after nearly 125 years of his first visit to the UK, Swami Vivekananda is inspiring lives of millions. As is said, ‘that fellow is greater whose shadow is longer on the future', and certainly, Narendra (his childhood name) has created quite a long shadow- with the umbra and penumbra of his spiritual wisdom serving as a guiding light today. Born in 1863 in Bengal, he first met Ramkrishna Paramhansha in 1881 at Dakshineshwar. But it was only in 1886 when Narendra became 'Swami Vivekananda', a monk who had renounced worldly attachments forever. Then after, there was no looking back in his mission of spreading the message of Vedanta to the world. He considered himself for the West what Buddha was for the East.
Parliament of World's Religions in Chicago was only beginning for his acceptance and popularity in the western world. His famous speech that began with 'Brothers and Sisters' received a standing ovation for two minutes on his style of address. His intelligence, aura and oratory created an impact on the minds of people in Europe and America. During his world tours, Swami visited and stayed in the United Kingdom thrice, in 1895, 1896 and finally in 1899, spending a total of 297 days. It was during the first visit in 1895 when he met Margaret Elizabeth Nobel, an Irish lady who became his disciple and is now known as Sister Nivedita. She bid her goodbye to the human world in October 1911 in Darjeeling from where her ashes were brought to the UK by famous Indian scientist Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose.
On her 150th birth anniversary, Sister Nivedita's statue was unveiled on 27 July at her family cemetery in Great Torrington by Swami Sarvasthananda, Head of Ramkrishna Vedanta Centre in Bourne End. Notably, the Centre has been active in London since 1948 and has shifted to a large ashram having more than ten acres of land near Bourne End, Buckinghamshire in 1978. Sister Nivedita devoted her life to Ramkrishna Mission’s cause and played an important role in connecting the West to the East and thus became a living bridge.
(Expressed opinions are personal.)
