This VIVEK & Ananda are the need of the hour

Narendranath Datta acquired the name Swami Vivekananda during the journey. It is said that he was given the name Vivekananda by Maharaja of Khetri for his discrimination of things, good and bad, especially before he left for his address in Chicago. “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.” A beautiful call to get on the journey of self-awareness. a deep connection to the #voiceinme

The meaning behind this emblem, in the language of Vivekananda himself: “The wavy waters in the picture are symbolic of Karma, the lotus of Bhakti, and the rising sun of Jnana. The encircling serpent is indicative of Yoga and awakened Kundalini Shakti, while the swan in the picture stands for Paramatman.

Vivekananda was very clear with what he wanted to let the world know about India’s tolerance which he captured so powerfully in his talk & then on while he served the nation or as he established the Ramakrishna mission.

Dissecting VIVEK in his name as Ananda ( Happiness) was what he gave us. If we follow what he left behind we can make a meaningful life: Exploring VIVEK as some qualities he personified with his quotes.

Vulnerable- "In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart"

?Vivekananda many a time proved his kindness in the way he handled those around him with Compassion. He made sure the most needed services are paid attention to Education, Health care, Cultural activities, Rural upliftment, Tribal welfare, Youth movement & ?Spiritual teachings. With all this in mind, he made sure he had his heart in the right place!

Inspirational- “Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time. The character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.”

The way the seeds for The Indian Institute of Science were sown after a casual conversation between Jamshedji & swami Vivekananda is one of the most fascinating. The simple suggestion during their ship ride to the U.S. made India a hub of great education by starting a University right here thus making our students study here rather than travel abroad. The communication further is proof!

Valiant- “All power is within us you can do anything and everything”

?A brave, frank, clean-hearted, courageous, and aspiring, youth is the only foundation on which the future nation can be built he believed. He was courageous to give befitting replies to people who tried to ridicule him. Once when an American woman remarked, "Can’t you wear proper clothes to look like a gentleman? Vivekananda replied,” In your culture, a tailor makes a gentleman, but in our culture, Character makes a gentleman!”

"No dress in the entire world can ever compete with the elegance and beauty of sarees worn by our women and the?choga-chapkan and pagri?(turban) that our males don.?" Vivekananda said.

Enlightened "Talk to yourself once a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person in this world.”

Federico Mayor, Director General of UNESCO stated: “I am indeed struck by the similarity of the constitution of the Ramakrishna Mission which Vivekananda established as early as 1897 with that of UNESCO drawn up in 1945. Both place human beings at the center of their efforts aimed at development. Both place tolerance at the top of the agenda for building peace and democracy. Both recognize the variety of human cultures and societies as an essential aspect of the common heritage.

Knowledgeable: You are the creator of your own destiny”

?Like fire in a piece of flint, knowledge exists in the mind. The suggestion is the friction that brings it out. Sharing an extract of the amazing speech that shook the world to prove his depth of knowledge.

Sisters and Brothers of America,

…"I am proud to belong to a religion that has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation that has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn that I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”

Concluding with his words that are timeless, “Youth is the best time. The way in which you utilize this period will decide the nature of coming years that lie ahead of you.”

What makes him an icon to you?

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SELFI is a newsletter where I share my reflections on life. Moments where some simple elements stayed on to create a SELFI moment! Moments that force the?#voiceinme?to express. Do subscribe if you like what you read & do share it with anyone you think will benefit!

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