Interesting Incidents from the Life of Swami Vivekananda – Part 1

Swamiji was not an ordinary person right from his childhood. Almost his whole life, starting from his childhood till his last day on earth, was full of many interesting and inspirational incidents, which not only teach us certain important lessons about life, but also inspire us. Here, I am presenting a series of unusual and interesting experiences of Swami Vivekananda and incidents from his life in his own words. I hope the readers will admire the series and learn from it.

Swamiji used to have a certain peculiar kind of experience when he went to sleep. Given under is the account in Swamiji’s own words:

Swami Vivekananda in Meditation

 

I used to see all my life a wonderful point of light between my eyebrows, as soon as I shut my eyes in order to go to sleep, and I used to observe attentively its various changes. So that it might be convenient to see it, I used to lie on my bed in the way people bow down touching the ground with their foreheads. The extraordinary point keep changing its colours and increasing in size, became gradually converted into the form of a ball, and bursting at last, covered my body from head to foot with white liquid light. As soon as that happened, I lost consciousness and fell asleep. I believed that all people went to sleep that way. I was long under that impression. When I grew up and began to practise meditation, that point of light used to come before me as soon as I closed my eyes, and then I concentrated my mind on it. In those days I daily practised meditation with a few friends according to the instructions of Maharishi Devendranath. We talked among ourselves about the nature of visions and experiences that each of us had. At that time I came to know from what they said that they never had the vision of such a light and that none of them went to sleep in that way.

Swami Vivekananda to the Youth of India

• Men, men, these are wanted: everything else will be ready, but strong, vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, are wanted. A hundred such and the world become revolutionized.

• Come out and be men! India wants the sacrifice of at least a thousand of her young men — men, mind you, and not brutes.
• Chastity is the first virtue in man or woman.
• He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God.
• Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God this is the secret of greatness.
• He is an atheist who does not believe in himself.
• Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.
• All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves. Therefore make your own future.
• Whatever we shall be in the future will be the result of what we think and do now.
• The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength.
• Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject as poison.
• It is character that cleaves its way through adamantine walls of difficulties.
• Character is repeated habits, and repeated habits alone can reform character.
• What I want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel, inside which dwells a mind of the same material as that of which the thunderbolt is made.
• Let us all work hard, my brethren, this is no time for sleep. On our work depends the coming of the India of the future.
• Utter no words of condemnation. Close your lips, and let your hearts open.
• All condemnation of others really condemns ourselves.
• Religion and religion alone is the life of India, and when that goes India will die.
• Purity in thought, speech and act is absolutely necessary for anyone to be religious.
• The Indian nation cannot be killed, so long as her people do not give up their spirituality.
• The mainspring of the strength of every race lies in its spirituality, and the death of that race begins the day that spirituality wanes and materialism gains ground.
• Purity, patience and perseverance are the three essentials of success and above all – LOVE.
• He who struggles is better than he who never attempts.
• It is a privilege to serve mankind, for this is the worship of God.
• Even thinking of the least good of others gradually instils into the heart, the strength of a lion.
• They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.
• Arise! Awake! And Stop Not till the goal is reached.

Sri Ramakrishna Ashram Delhi Organizing Special Programme on Swami Vivekananda’s 150th Birth Anniversary

In the line of the events arranged by the Ramakrishna Mission in connection with Swami Vivekananda’s 150^th Birth Anniversary, Sri Ramakrishna Ashram, Delhi is organizing a special programme on the auspicious occasion of Swamiji’s 150^th Birthday that is going to arrive. Following are the details regarding the same:

Event: 150^th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

Date: January 12, 2012 (National Youth Day)

Time: 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Venue: Ramakrishna Mission, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg
           New Delhi, Delhi
           India 110055

           Phone: (91) (011) 23587110/23580091/23580092

Chief Guests: H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Dr. Kiran Bedi

Note:

• The programme will be arranged in the Vivekananda Auditorium which has a limited capacity of 750 seats. So, visitors are advised to arrive one hour in advance.

• For security reasons entry to the premises will be restricted to the invitation card^* holders.

For further information about the programme and to know the schedule, click here.

* For getting invitation card contact the mission office.

Swami Vivekananda’s Thoughts on Self Confidence

• Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God – this is the secret of greatness. If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty million of your mythological gods, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you.

• He is an atheist who does not believe in himself. The old religions said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.

• What makes the difference between man and man is the difference in this Shraddha (faith) and nothing else. What makes one man great and another weak and low is this Shraddha.

• The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength. Teach men of strength that is already within them.

• You must not say that you are weak. How do you know what possibilities lie behind that degradation on the surface? You know but little of that which is within you. For behind you is the ocean of infinite power and blessedness.

• We can overcome the difficulty by constant practice. We must learn that nothing happen to us, unless we make ourselves susceptible to it.

• It is the coward and the fool who says, “This is fate” – so says the Sanskrit proverb. But it is the strong may who stands up and says, “I will make my fate”. It is people who are getting old who talk of fate. Young men generally do not come to astrology.

• Ekalavya, an ideal for modern students, learnt archery without any external help. By self-effort and faith in one’s power, longing for knowledge and by self-reliance, one can do miracles.

• You have in you a thousand times more than is in all the books. Never lose faith in yourself, you can do anything in this universe. Never weaken, all power is yours.

• Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin? To say that you are weak, or others are weak.

• You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

• You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.