The sanyasi who declared "The national ideals of India are
renunciation and service" is arguably the most popular youth icon in the
country. Born on 12th Jan 1863, he is 150 years young and still going
strong !
What makes Swami Vivekananda tick among the youth and what makes him
the most sought after guiding force for crores of youngsters ? What
makes his views on holistic personality development relevant even today ?
In his best-seller " Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", world
renowned management guru Stephen Covey writes about "The Personality
Ethic" and "The Character Ethic". He writes that the Western world has
been emphasizing on the personality ethic which focuses on how to dress,
how to smile, how to stand, how to talk, how to sit and so on. This is
characterized by the thousands of books that have been published around
this subject by authors like Dale Carnegie, Allan Pease, Napolean Hill
and many more modern-age personality development writers. However, he
emphasizes that "The Character Ethic" is more crucial. It is what one is
on the inside that makes the long term impact. The development of the
personality is not external but internal. This is the oriental way, he
writes. The West's understanding of Bharat's legacy has been improving
in recent times. Bharat's world-view forms the fulcrum of what is termed
as the oriental worldview and an excellent articulation of this was
done by Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda through his life and message exhorted the youth to
develop their personality and work for the nation. He understood the
limitations and travails of the youth of the country and gave the mantra
of holistic personality development.
At the same time he was convinced that "A hundred thousand men and
women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in
the Lord, and nerved to lion's courage by their sympathy for the poor
and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth
of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the
gospel of social raising-up — the gospel of equality."
He spoke of Vyaktitva vikaas ( personality development) in a new
paradigm while acknowledging that whatever he has said is not new but
was part of our scriptures. His views gained more impact because he
lived what he spoke.
It would be worthwhile to discuss his views on a holistic
personality which was based on the traditional Bharatiya view of
personality development , viz., pancha kosha vyaktitva vikas (the
5-fold personality development process). This development process is
all the more vital for us because we are a country with 40% of
youth-force and a holistic personality of the yuva-shakti is essential
for a strong and vibrant nation.
1. Annamaya Kosha Vikas
- Developing Strength ( Shakti )The development of a strong body falls in the realm of the Annamaya kosha.
He famously exhorted youth saying " You will understand the Gita better
with your muscles stronger". Strength Is Life. The Gita preaches
paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskritam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
( To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as
to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium
after millennium.). How can we achieve this without being strong
ourselves ?
"Everything that can weaken us as a race we have had for the last
thousand years. My friends, as one of your blood, as one that lives and
dies with you, let me tell you that we want strength, strength, and
every time strength".
2. Pranamaya Kosha Vikas :
The control of prana, steadfastness the training of the mind and
building a strong character fall in the realm of the Pranamaya and
Manomaya kosha.
- Developing Concentration & Steadfastness : He says" To me the
very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the collecting
of facts. If I had to do my education over again, and had any voice in
the matter, I would not study facts at all. I would develop the power of
concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument I
could collect facts at will. Side by side, should be developed the power
of concentration and detachment." He demonstrated this in his personal
life by an incident where on he not only read the 'Encyclopedia
Britannica' but also answered many questions on difficult and varied
topics/subjects, from different volumes. Swamiji not only replied each
correctly, but in many instances he quoted the very language of the
books!
Later he greatly emphasized to cultivate power of mind in the form
of purity and concentration for spiritual gains, so also perfection in
many arts and studies in science and other branches of education.
3. Manomaya Kosha Vikas
- Developing Strong Character & A Strong Mind - A strong body with
sound knowledge must have a healthy character. He says "The basis of
all system, social or political, rests upon the goodness of men. No
nation is great or good because Parliament enacts this or that, but
because its men are great and good. Fill the brain with high thoughts,
highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that
will come great work. Take up an idea, devote yourself to it, struggle
on in patience, and the sun will rise for you".
How to build a strong character he says is by go on doing good,
thinking holy thoughts continuously, that is the only way to suppress
base impressions....Character is repeated habits, and repeated habits
alone can reform character. If a man thinks good thoughts and does good
works, the sum total of these impressions will be good; and
they....will force him to do good even in spite of himself.
4. Vignanamaya Kosha Vikas:
The process of acquisition of knowledge, both Para and Apara Vidya (
worldly and otherly Spiritual) form the realm of the Vignanamaya Kosha.
Swamiji was a great propounder that Indians need to equip themselves
with both modern scientific knowledge and at the same time strive for
the knowledge of the Atman. This is clearly demonstrated when he
inspired Jamshedji Tata to start the Tata Institute of Science and
personally encouraged Sir J.C.Bose in all his experiments. At the same
time he said "realize that understanding human nature is the highest
knowledge."
- Holistic Education - " We want that education by which character
is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and
by which one can stand on one's own feet. The ideal of all education,
all training, should be man-making. But instead of that, we are always
trying to polish up the outside. What use is polishing up the outside
when there is nothing inside? The end and aim of all training is to make
the man grow. The man who influences, who throws his magic, as it were,
upon his fellow-beings, is a dynamo of power, and when that man is
ready, he can do anything and everything he likes; that personality put
upon anything will make it work. "
5. Anandamaya Kosha - The Sheath of Bliss
The acquisition of strength, knowledge and concentration is complete
only when we identify ourselves with the larger society, when our
qualities are useful to the nation. The process of merging our
individuality for the greater good of the nation and humanity is the way
to bliss - development of the Anandamaya kosha. This development of
this sheath leads to bliss and true happiness.
Swamiji says " Feel, my children, feel; feel for the poor, the
ignorant, the downtrodden; feel till the heart stops and the brain reels
and you think you will go mad; then pour the soul out at the feet of
the Lord, and then will come power, help and indomitable energy. "
Moving Forward : The challenges before the country will need have to
be answered only by introspective youth who want to make a change.
There are questions each of us has to ask ourselves. What are the
challenges facing me and my country ? Where is my nation heading to?
Where am I heading ? What is my life's compass ? What is my dream of a
strong & vibrant country and how can I contribute for it ? Out of
this introspection will arise the answers and the ideal.
The next phase would be to stick to an ideal inspite of pressures from
all quarters, both internal and external. That is the hall mark of a
hero. Swamiji says" Hold Up An Ideal - Never mind failures; they are
quite natural, they are the beauty of life, these failures. Hold the
ideal a thousand times, and if you fail a thousand times, make the
attempt once more."
Out of these individual and collective goals and ideals, we would
all be able to bring to reality the dream of Swamiji. He declared " One
vision I can see clear as life before me that the ancient Mother has
awakened once more, sitting on her throne- rejuvenated, more glorious
than ever. Proclaim her to the entire world with the voice of peace and
benediction ".
The 150 Years celebrations of his Jayanti ( birth anniversary) are
is a great occasion to resolve ourselves to the glory of our nation.
लेकिन सांस्कृतिक आजादी नहीं मिल पायी। स्वामी जी ने आशावाद जगाया,
अद्वैतवाद को पुनः जागृत किया। उन्होने कहा कि स्वामी विवेकानन्द युवाओं के
‘रोल माँडल’ होने चाहिए। जीवन से नकारात्मकता हटाना ही सन्यास है। दिषाहीन
युवा नकारात्मक देश खडा करता है। स्वामीजी के जीवन और संस्कार में
सकारात्मकता के अलावा कुछ नहीं था। स्वामी विवेकानन्द को हरेक के जीवन में
उतारना ही हमारा लक्ष्य होना चाहिये। भारत ही विश्व को दिशा दे सकता है।
हमारा लक्ष्य अपने ज्ञान से लोगों को दिशा देना होना चाहिये। अब वह समय आ
रहा है जब लोग हमें निहारेंगे, उस समय के लिए हम तैयार रहें।
