Introduction

Sri Ramakrishna, replenishing the oil and wick, had lit up again the light of Vedantic religion of India, which had nearly been blown out by the winds of the western cultures that were strongly razing over the land during those times. The glitter of the western civilization and material progress had dazed the Indian mind; the faith of the people in our traditions and beliefs thus was getting shaken up, with the morale of the people touching the lowest ebb. People were being made to believe that Hindu religion was nothing but a bundle of superstitions, shallow and sans substance. At such a critical time, Sri Ramakrishna came on the scene, cleaned the soot laden lamp of the Hindu religion, replenished the oil, straightened the wick and steadied the spiritual flame. The light had to be taken out of the precincts of Dakshineswar to dispel the gloom that covered the entire country. What is more, it was felt that the light had to be taken to other lands also for the benefits of all mankind.

This mighty task needed a dynamic personality and it rightly fell upon his favorite disciple, Narendra Nath, later to be known as Vivekananda. It was he who broadcast the basic truths of Vedanta, as realized in the experience of Sri Ramakrishna; he brought home to the minds of the people that if only ancient Vedanta was reinterpreted in the light of Sri Ramakrishna’s unique spiritual experience and applied to modern life, it would enable India to solve all problems with which she was afflicted. It would rise once more to deliver a message to mankind. While he lectured the truths of Vedanta in America and Europe, he also passionately urged the people of India to put those truths into practice, stressing too that religion does not rest in mere faith but in its practice, in the realization of the truth which it upholds. Religion is, realizing and experiencing of the Truth i.e. God.

Vivekananda always exhorted that the most practical form which Vedanta should take immediately was the uplift of the masses and relief of their sufferings. This is Vedanta and religion in practice. The ideal society, according to him, was that which combined the spiritual culture of India with the secular culture and social justice and freedom of the West. Towards this objective he founded the Sri Ramakrishna Mission in India, combining spiritual and service activities. This mission has a remarkable and excellent record of rendering of service to the people from its very inception. As he preached that Vedanta is a catholic and universal philosophy and way of life, he opened several Vedantic centres in America, Europe and other foreign lands too. Vivekananda, indeed, was one of the greatest men born in India and was a great savant of the Indian culture.