Reformer and philosopher

AT THE Divali Nagar in central Trinidad there is a bust of Swami Vivekananda. It was a gift from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi, India. The bust was unveiled in October 2004 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the swami’s speech to the World Parliament of Religions in 1893 in Chicago, USA.

In Vivekananda’s classic work, Karma Yoga, he endorsed the changes that India was slowly undergoing and warned, “we should always try to help the world and that should be the highest motive...but that this world was not made that you or I should come and help it.”

To what extent were the teachings and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda really integrated and adopted in India? In post-independence India, there was suspicion between Hindus and Muslims, caste rivalries, assassinations, sectarian violence, and tribal rivalries which posed formidable challenges to peace.

Vivekananda’s call for patriotism, equality, and humility did not directly appeal to the masses.
The Indian society could not fully grasp his use of the principles of the Vedanta religion to remove colonialism and usher in that modernity and peace long desired.

The prevalence of social vices as gambling, horse racing and prostitution created serious societal problems. In advocating social changes, the swami sought to remove the darkness from India, reveal her true inner beauty, and create an atmosphere to shake off the shackles of British colonialism and imperialism.

He appeared as India’s saviour arising to the call and demand of the Kali Yuga (Age of Darkness). And his role was to improve the status of Hinduism and that of humanity. Indeed, the swami’s unique style frequently incorporated the fusing of the religious with the secular. His mission incorporated removing ignorance, replacing evil with good, assimilating the old with the new, and attempting to bind the people of the entire world.

Vivekananda held a radical, inclusive view. It was a universalism of which “every idea has to become broad till it covers the whole world, every aspiration must go on increasing till it engulfs the whole of humanity.” He genuinely believed that there was need for a “Practical Vedanta” which would eventually become part of everyone’s life.

In retrospect, Vivekananda’s philosophy cannot be seen in isolation but must also be seen in the context of the socio-religious reform movements simultaneously occurring in British India. These developments added a dimension of social service to Hinduism, which had not previously existed under British rule.

Vivekananda gave a new impetus to the Ramakrishna Mission. This institution provided education, boosted the spread of Hinduism, and provided a social service to the needy. The mentor of Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who had many distinguished visitors including Keshab Chandra Sen, the head of the Brahmo Samaj. This organisation, founded in 1833, had as its goal: educating, creating self-confidence, opposing idol worship and the caste system.

Similarly, the Arya Samaj, begun in 1875, denounced idolatry and the caste system.
This sect was founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati. It was the only movement, existing at that time, which undertook the challenges of the swami to reform Indian society.

Following in the genre of these reform movements, the swami was, to a certain extent, influenced by their goals and teachings. He placed the existing knowledge of Vedanta in alignment with the ancient traditions to give stability and strength to Hinduism.

As an unofficial ambassador of India, Vivekananda embarked on a mission to rid the Western mind of misconceptions, erroneous opinions, and prejudicial views about India and Hinduism.

His overseas tours to the US and London were aimed at eradicating doubts, fears and ignorance of many foreigners. Some of which is outlined in his interesting work, Memoirs of European Travel.

To the westerner, the swami’s philosophical discourse was not abstract and impractical as traditional Eastern philosophy often appeared. Indeed, the swami’s task as a “truth-revealer” and missionary for India was made more difficult by distorted perceptions of India as a backward land of disease, caste system, famine and communal violence.

Undoubtedly, Vivekananda’s role in educating others at home and abroad on the concepts of Hinduism was a boon to India. His lectures on Karma yoga served to illuminate the power of the mind as it emphasised duty and self-control, two concepts lacking throughout the modern world.
His simple message to others was that all good acts make us pure and perfect while the different paths of work, love, psychology, and knowledge all lead to the same God.

Countries seeking to eradicate social ills need to consider some of these teachings.