A Bouquet of Swami Vivekananda's Writings

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Foreword The present book, A Bouquet of Swami Vivekananda's Writings, is being published as a part of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission's celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Ever since that "Cyclonic Hindu", as Swamiji was known to the West, burst upon the world scene with a universal message, his thundering voice has been reverberating in different parts of the world, especially in the four corners of India.

"Arise! Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached", "Ye divinities on earth-sinners? It is a sin to call man so", "He is an atheist who does not believe in himself", "You will be nearer to Heaven through football than through the study of the Gita", "Face the brutes", "Onward, for ever!" "Daridro Devo Bhava. Murkha Devo Bhava", "Go to hell yourself to buy salvation for others". These are startling utterances. They shake you out of complacency. They energize you, fill you with faith and power, and drive you into action. Lakhs of people have found faith, hope and strength restored to their souls, and thousands of people have been inspired to dedicate their lives to the service of the poor and the sick, by such powerful exhortations of Swami Vivekananda.

Preface In the galaxy of great men that India has produced in the course of its more than four thousand years of recorded history, Swami Vivekananda shines as luminary of the highest magnitude. He has been regarded as a great patriot, social reformer, original thinker, philosopher, saint, seer, prophet, messenger of God, world teacher and so on. He was all these and more, for Swamiji was a multi-faceted genius who contributed in manifold ways to the welfare, progress and elevation of humanity. He was also unique in being the first world teacher to work among the people in both India and the West and to be loved and venerated as a spiritual leader in both parts of the world.

The latter half of the nineteenth century marked one of the great watersheds in human history, Medieval beliefs, values and ideals were losing ground, and the twentieth century with its spectacular achievements in science and technology, and radical socio-political changes, was about to be born. The world was in need of an integral view of universal life capable of bringing about an all-round reconciliation of the conflicting ideas and ideals of the modern age, and also capable of fulfilling the aspirations of the collective soul of humanity newly emancipated from centuries of superstitions and dogmatism. It was at this critical juncture that Swami Vivekananda appeared on the world scene-a spiritual colossus with his feet planted on India and the West, straddling civilizations and unifying millenniums in the sweep of his vision, with his heart open to the whole humanity.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages