Swami Vivekananda’s Spiritual Heirs Delve into his Legacy on 150th Birth Anniversary

Chicago: Vivekananda Vedanta Society (VVS) of Chicago hosted a two-day conference at the downtown Hilton from November 9, 2013 to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of its illustrious founder, who introduced Hinduism to America through his electrifying address on September 11, 1893 before the World Parliament of Religions (WPR) in Chicago. Attended by fifty monastics from around the world, this first day was devoted to fathoming various aspects of Swami Vivekananda’s (SV) legacy now that Hindus and saffron robed monks are a common sight here.

Asheesh Sen read out the welcome address by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, who had recently declared Sep. 28 state-wide as Swami Vivekananda Day. Likewise read out by Swami Mahayogananda, Ramakrishna Order President Swami Atmasthananda’s message of felicitation quoted Vivekananda’s speech of Sep. 28, 1893 urging Americans to transcend the limitations of the ego by aspiring for infinite individuality.

Associated since 1950 with VVS that he joined in 1960, senior Swami Chetanananda described “The transformation from Narendranath to Swami Vivekananda” contrasting the before and the after. SV, who arrived on 30 July 1893 in Chicago and left for the last time for India in 1990, lived a short life of 39 years and 5 months to die only nine years after his historic WPR speech. Naren was imbued with Western education, passion for truth, excessive energy, and unconventional Bohemian manners. He hated the caste-system, child marriage, bigotries and hypocrisies of Hinduism, idol worship, and did not care for its gods and goddesses. He did not believe in non-dualism (advaita), reincarnation, guru-doctrine, and avatars. Ramakrishna did not argue with this incarnation of doubt, the greatest demon of our age, but won the skeptic over through love. Imbibing the ideal of selfless service inculcated by Ramakrishna, SV became a universal man, possessed of an iron will and uninterrupted vision, who could transfix listeners with his eye.

For Swami Yogatmananda the “Role of Swami Vivekananda in Redefining Hinduism and its Impact” was a turning point in the history of mankind. He recalled his initial astonishment at Nivedita’s claim that Hinduism was created through SV’s intervention. He taught nothing new, not already in Upanishads, but only in a new language that highlighted the universal aspect of being a Hindu, when they were still confined to India. He sought an underlying “common basis for our nameless, churchless religions” when it was hard even “to find a common name” for them. Speaking on “Swami Vivekananda: a Bridge between the East and the West,” Swami Yuktatmananda defined religion as “character transformation from animal (sensual) life through human to divine (unselfish) nature,” that is also the goal of civilization. SV took back with him from the West the power of organization and India has to learn the conquest of external nature.

Speaking on “Vivekananda’s Contribution to Humanity,” Swami Shantarupananda emphasized SV’s refusal to christianize nor hinduize his message of intrinsic freedom so appealing to and characteristic of America. He cited various appreciations of SV by Western public intellectuals. Swami Tyagananda focused on “Swami Vivekananda’s Perspective on Strength” as “the one message I hear from the Upanishads,” for which the Self is not attained by the weak. Its manifestation as courage is inhibited by fear and objectless anxiety due to inability to cope with change both without and within. Such anxiety is not necessarily pathological but existential and generalized, manifesting as guilt, emptiness, and fear of death in youth, middle, and old age respectively. SV’s writings effuse strength, that “you are the creator of your own destiny.”

Swami Baneshananda from Germany adduced various modern thinkers to drive home the centrality of Man and his inherent freedom to “The Universal Vivekananda,” citing Toynbee that our Western beginning will have an Indian ending. Speaking on “Swami Vivekananda’s Concept of a Perfect Man,” Swami Medhasananda, who was here with six Japanese devotees, reminded the audience that SV had come to the USA via the Land of the Rising Sun. “First you understand me (as the perfect Man), then you’ll understand Ramakrishna (as embodiment of divinity).” Whereas each teacher emphasizes only his own restricted path, Ramakrishna is the all-inclusive man of the future. SV’s mission was to make a new kind of man in his own mold as signified by the elements constituting the swan emblem he designed for the Ramakrishna Mission. Countering the suspicion of mesmerizing his credulous audiences, SV retorted “I’m trying to de-hypnotize you.” His “shock therapy” preached contemplative stillness (sattva) to the (over-) active (rajasic) West, and rajas to indolently apathetic (tamasic) India that still appeals to our youth. “Combine the heart of the Buddha with the intellect of Shankara.” He smilingly presented Murphy’s five laws of how (not) to change society through the mouth of Mullah Nasiruddin.

Swami Ishtananda illustrated “Swami Vivekananda: The Embodiment of Concentration” with his laughing from a bridge at American kids aiming in vain at egg shells bobbing past on the river below. When challenged, Vivekananda, who had never held a rifle before, hit the targets twelve out of twelve times to their amazement. “All power resides in the control of mind,” declared the Swami, who “gave clues to material success even to godless people.” He learned lessons by listening seated or reclining with eyes shut, such that his private teacher shook the “sleeping” boy only to hear him flawlessly recite the entire lesson. More interested in extra-curricular activities than in academic routine, he was nevertheless able to catch up at the eleventh hour for exams. Swami Akhandananda would bring books for him and return them the very next day to a skeptical librarian, who was then baffled at his retention. Beneath his prodigious memory was the power of concentration. Raja Ajit Singh of Khetri, his disciple, was amazed at the Swami’s reading skills that the latter attributed to continence, practice, and concentration.

Swami Amarananda from Geneva dwelt instead on “Swami Vivekananda’s Contribution to the East,” which often assumed a revolutionary tone. SV underwent agnostic doubt through exposure to radical skeptics like Hume for the benefit of modern humanity. Nevertheless, this reincarnation of the sage Nara (= man) entered supra-mental (nirvikalpa) samadhi within just 15 months of meeting Ramakrishna and “achieved everything possible in spiritual life by age of 29.” He quoted Indian statesman Rajagopalachari that SV had saved India and Hinduism. At the core of his teaching are acceptance of all religions as true and the divinity of mankind. His mission in life was to discover the common basis of Hinduism, and his formulations in this regard have been followed closely, if tacitly, by the proclamation of India’s Supreme Court. India’s solution to caste will eventually benefit our increasingly globalized world in tackling diversity. Vivekananda, who talked of Vedanta rather than about Hinduism, was not a “hereditophile” for he condemned Vedic rituals like the Ashwamedha and inherited practices such as child betrothal, etc. Instead he wanted to write a new legal code (dharma shastra) to replace fossilized customs. He stressed education, above all for women, citing the Upanishadic examples of Gargi, Maitreyi, etc. He looked ahead towards better Hindu-Muslim rapport on the basis of a “Vedanta brain in an Islamic body.” India’s freedom was not only for itself but for many other nations.

Swami Tattwamayananda on “Vivekananda’s philosophy and what we need to do to implement it” placed at its core the unitary principle of spiritual universalism as complementing Western humanism that goes back through St. Augustine to its roots in Greek philosophy. This paradigm change in the history of religious thought around synthesis and harmony renders its recipients incapable of hurting others. The evolution from inward-looking conservative to catholic outlook is evident especially in interreligious dialogue. Pope John II’s encyclical of 1962 rendered exclusivist claims, separating the saved from the damned, less palatable before educated audiences. With Buddhism and Jainism, we need to go beyond God-centered notions of religion, for spirituality does not need a creator-god. Religion otherwise reminds today’s students of crusades, inquisitions, caste, etc. Though arrived at from and through divergent scriptural traditions, future spirituality will be non-denominational declared Swami Sarvadevananda in his exposition “Swami Vivekananda’s contribution to Spiritual Unity in Diversity,” which is the plan of creation. We can achieve unity by seeing it as already existing in all. Vedantin Totapuri, who was firmly established in transcendental reality, received immanent realization through his disciple Ramakrishna. Swami Sarvarupananda from Colombo distinguished three levels in “Swami Vivekananda: the Embodiment of Selfless Action,” directed at the spiritual, social, and the common masses, citing “I shall inspire men everywhere until they reach God; I am poor and I love the poor; only another Vivekananda could have understood me.”

Recalling “A few blessed Americans who helped Vivekananda,” Swami Kripamayananda declared the founder of their order to be “very much present here among us.” He recounted the fateful roles played by the likes of Kate Sanborn, Mrs. George W Hale, Sister Christine, Sarah Bull, Sarah Ellen Waldo, and Josephine McLeod, who remained depressed for two years after his demise. Speaking on “Swami Vivekananda: the Embodiment of Knowledge,” Swami Nirmalatmananda stressed the need to connect heart and mind through his teachings and writings. Pravrajika Brahmaprana, in “Swami Vivekananda: The Embodiment of Devotion,” argued that inner knowledge was the basis of his bhakti deriving from direct vision (darshana), whereas Ramakrishna was jnana without and all devotion within. The Guru, who died two years after forging this link with Kali, saw Naren as the savior of souls rather than as simply a perfected man (siddha-purusha). The Mother he saw was Ramakrishna himself, whose powers gradually manifested in his disciple, who became his foremost commentator. He pestered the Master for nirvikalpa samadhi that was received only a few days before his death. When criticized by his brother monks for not emphasizing devotion sufficiently, he retorted: “Your bhakti is sentimental nonsense” and “I cannot think or talk of Ramakrishna without being overwhelmed.”

General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Swami Suhitanandaji began his Presidential Address by praising Swami Ishatmananda’s achievement in bringing this event together despite having been posted to Chicago only a few months ago. He recalled an answer to Romain Rolland’s confusion about Vivekananda’s apparent inconsistencies and even conflicting approaches that compared the universal teacher to the five-headed Shiva. Vivekananda’s nationalism went beyond into transcendental internationalism. Recalling how Swami Vireshananda had consecrated Durga Puja funds to flood relief, Suhitanandaji declared that the Ramakrishna Mission places Man higher than God. “Our Mission is composed of a creative minority that requires no qualifications except to declare that you are a Man,” and its 172 centers are expanding. He replaced this commemoration in the context of Nivedita’s prediction that Vivekananda would be revived after 150 years, citing “these young (American) kids can do anything and everything;” and “if I am to be born again as a woman, I want to be born as an American.” His ideas have since percolated into all aspects of thought. He concluded by citing the homage rendered by contemporary world leaders to the man and his mission.

The morning sessions were emceed by Swami Mahayogananda and the afternoon by young Indian Swami Harinamananda, who commented on the need to induct more youth attendance at such gatherings. In giving the vote of thanks, Chicago-based Swami Varadananda saw the event’s success as reflecting how much Ishatmananda had succeeded in energizing the local VVS Center and its supporting householder community. Ishatmananda meticulously mentioned all the volunteers, starting with those hosting the visiting Swamis, and also thanked Suhitanandaji for enabling this largest gathering of monks outside of India with the largest contingent of nuns ever. “Swami Vivekananda is the one we should thank the most,” he declared before leading the audience in a chorus song in Sanskrit seeking refuge (sharanam) in Ramakrishna.

The otherwise back-to-back speeches were interspersed with appropriate entertainment. Moumita Chatterjee from Kolkata sang classical music. Radhika Balerao sang a devotional song composed by Swami Vivekananda on Lord Shiva, and Swami Gaurangananda sang bhajans. Pritam Bhattacharjee rendered Indian classical and devotional songs, while Prithwiraj Bhattacharjee offered a tabla solo. The University of Chicago South Asian Vocal Ensemble led by Minoo Pashupathi ended the repertoire with Indian Fusion Music.
Books and essays by and on SV were available for sale amidst other memorabilia throughout Chicago Calling, with the proceeds going to VVS. Especially noteworthy was the pictorial biography Vivekananda: East Meets West (1995) compiled by Swami Chetanananda for the 1993 WPR. All 100 copies of the 2013 edition, now in color and updated specifically for this 150th Birth Anniversary to include all available photos of the Swami, were sold out. This “coffee-table” book with bite-sized quotes is probably the ideal gift to introduce the uninitiated to his mission.

VVS Chicago Treasurer Raj Thakral told Asian Media USA: “SV’s teachings help in my personal and professional life as a CPA to be compassionate, serve all equally and non-judgmentally as God’s children. In 1966 at age 17, I ran away from my Delhi home and found refuge for a year at the Ramakrishna Ashram in Lucknow. The elderly Swami, who adopted and loved me unconditionally, so exemplified SV’s ideal that it changed my whole perspective on life and continues to inspire me today. We can transform society by changing ourselves for the better.” Anyone who paid close attention to the carefully selected and complementary themes of Chicago Calling through the mouths of SV’s spiritual heirs would have come away with a very well rounded appreciation of his life, teachings, mission, and its contemporary relevance.

Photo captions for “Chicago Calling” at Hilton on Nov. 9 (in order of priority):
1. #07A = entire assembly in the Hilton Grand Ballroom seen from above.
2. #02 =Group Photo of all the monastics posing at the end.
3. #08 = Ashish Sen presenting Governor Pat Quinn’s declaration.
4. #6633 = Mahayogananda (MC, at podium) and panel of senior Swamis (L to R): Suhitanandaji, Ishatmananda, Chetanananda.
5. First panel of Swamis (L to R): Chetanananda [#6645], Yogatmananda [#6761] and Yuktatmananda [#6776].
6. Second panel of Swamis (L to R): Shantarupananda [#6852], Tyagananda [#6928], and Baneshananda [#6921].
7. Third panel of Swamis (L to R): Medhasananda [#7002], Ishtananda [#7008], and Amarananda [#7105].
8. Fourth panel (L to R): Tattwamayananda [#7217], Sarvadevananda [#7229], and Sarvarupananda [#7247].
9. Fifth panel (L to R): Swami Nirmalatmananda [#7265], Swami Kripamayananda [#7295], and Pravrajika Brahmaprana [#7306].
10. #10 = Swamis listening to their fellow monastics at Chicago