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Swami Vivekananda

View: Biography of Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda was a towering spiritual personality who awakened the slumbering Indian consciousness with his soul stirring vision of a dynamic spirituality. He is often viewed as the patron saint of modern India and many great figures acknowledge their debt to the life and works of Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda was a close disciple of India’s great God realised Saint, Sri Ramakrishna's Paramahansa, who lived during the 19th Century in a suburb of Calcutta. Vivekananda proved to be the articulate and powerful messenger of Ramakrishna’s realisation. In 1893 he accepted an invitation to participate in the World parliament of religions to represent Hinduism. Here Vivekananda spoke with great effect on the harmony of world religions and Vivekananda became well known throughout America.

After spending 3 years in America and England he returned to Indian to help form the Ramakrishna Math and Institute. He died in 1902 leaving behind a considerable collection of writings on Hinduism, Vedanta and spirituality.
 

• Biography of Swami Vivekananda by R.Pettinger
• Talks by Swami Vivekananda including Welcome adress to World Parliament of Religions
• Praise for Swami Vivekananda by spiritual personalities and politicians
   
• Video of Swami Vivekananda's Speech to World Parliament of Religions 1893

• 
  External Links - Swami Vivekananda

  Poetry of Swami Vivekananda at Poet Seers

  Vivekananda.org Dedicated to making the ideas of Vivekananda accessible to all

  Books on Vivekananda at Amazon.com

  Vivekananda - Extracts from the life of Vivekananda at Sri Chinmoy Library

  Vivekananda Center London. Including complete works of Vivekananda

  Pictures of Vivekananda at Vivekananda.net

   

   

                                                                                        
  

  Romain Rolland

  

  
  View: Writings of Romain Rolland

   

  Romain Rolland  the great French savant, novelist, dramatist, essayist, and mystic---Romain Rolland (1866 - 1944) was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.

   

  He was born in Clamecy, Nièvre,  France . His family was of mixed stock including both wealthy townspeople and uch poorer "peasant" lineage.   

   

  Romain Rolland went to University in 1886 where he studied philosophy, however he didn't enjoy the rigid nature of the philospohy syllabus and so left before he had finished his course. Instead he received a degree in history. After university he spent a couple of years in Italy greatly admiring Italian masterpieces.

   

  On returning to France he took up a posts teaching at various university's including the Sorbonne. However his heart was never in teaching, he prefered to be a writer. Therefore he quit his teaching post to dedicate his time to writing.

   

  Rolland was my nature introverted he didn't make close friendships but absorbed himself in his writing. During the German occupation of France from 1940 he led a life of isolation and was very much a loner.

   

  Romain Rolland was a lifelong pacifist. He was a great admirer of Gandhi and in 1924 wrote a book on Gandhi. This book was important for Gandhi's reputation. The 2 men were able to meet in 1931.  Throughout his life Romain Rolland retained a keen interest in Indian spirituality. He also wrote a biography of the great Hindu Saint Sri Ramakrishna.  Romain Rolland was also a keen admirer of Sri Aurobindo a leading Indian nationalist and then teacher of Yoga

   

  Romain Rolland died on Dec 30,1944 in Vezelay.

   

  (by: Richard)

   

  View: Quotes of Romain Rolland

   

                                                                         

   

  

   ..Quotes..

   

  Quotes on Love

   

  "Love is not a thing to understand.
  Love is not a thing to feel.
  Love is not a thing to give and receive.
  Love is a thing only to become
  And eternally be. "

   

  ~

  Love is an endless mystery,
  for it has nothing else to explain it.

   

  Love's gift cannot be given,
  it waits to be accepted.

   

  ~

  Love is the scent with the lotus born.
  It is the silent choirs of petals
  Singing the winter’s harmony of uniform beauty.
  Love is the song of the soul, singing to God.
  It is the balanced rhythmic dance of planets -    sun and moon lit

                                                                                     

                                                                                          

  ~

   " Love knows no answer for it does not question."

  -silent lotus

  ~

   " Your fortune is misfortune if it is not Love."  

  - silent lotus

  ~

   The madness of love
  Is a rich fief;
  Anyone who recognized this
  Would not ask Love for anything else:
  It can unite Opposites
  And reverse the paradox.
  I am declaring the truth about this:
  The madness of love makes bitter what was sweet,
  It makes the stranger a kinsman,
  And it makes the smallest the most proud.

  - Hadewijch of Antwerp

   

   

  ~

   Though I am never loath to grant salvation,
  I hesitate indeed to grant pure love.
  Whoever wins pure love surpasses all;
  He is adored by men;
  He triumphs over the three worlds.. 

  

   

  Quotes on Hope

   

  "We live by admiration, hope and love."

   

  f you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.

   

  ~

  We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

   

   

  ~

   " Hope abides; therefore I abide.
  Countless frustrations have not cowed me.
  I am still alive, vibrant with life.
  The black cloud will disappear,
  The morning sun will appear once again
  In all its supernal glory. "

   

   

  ~

  What keeps us alive, what allows us to endure?
  I think it is the hope of loving,
  or being loved.

  - Meister Eckhart

   

  ~

  Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
  Look to this Day!
  For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
  In its brief course lie all the
  Verities and Realities of your Existence.
  The Bliss of Growth,
  The Glory of Action,
  The Splendor of Beauty;
  For Yesterday is but a Dream,
  And To-morrow is only a Vision;
  But To-day well lived makes
  Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
  And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
  Look well therefore to this Day!
  Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

  Kalidasa

  

   

  
  

  Quotes about Life

   

  Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
  Life is but an empty dream!
  For the soul is dead that slumbers,
  and things are not what they seem.
  Life is real! Life is earnest!
  And the grave is not its goal;
  Dust thou art; to dust returnest,
  Was not spoken of the soul.

  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

  ~

  Where there is love there is life.

   

   

  ~

  "People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains,
  at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers,
  at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars,
  and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

  St. Augustine,

  
  

  The aim of life is to live a divine life. We are living in this world. We know that man does not live by bread alone. He needs the soul in order to live in the world of God's Reality. The soul alone has the capacity to see and feel the known and the Unknown, the existent and the non-existent, the dream of the past, the achievement of the present and the hope of the future.

  - Sri Chinmoy

  
  

  Let us accept the inner life, the spiritual life. Mistakes in our journey are inevitable. Success without endeavour is impossibility itself. No work, no progress. Experience we must welcome, for we can learn nothing without experience. The experience may be either encouraging or discouraging. But it is experience that makes us a real being, that shows us the true meaning of our very existence.

  - Sri Chinmoy

   

   

  ~

  Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
  Life is beauty, admire it.
  Life is bliss, taste it.
  Life is a dream, realize it.
  Life is a challenge, meet it.
  Life is a duty, complete it.
  Life is a game, play it.
  Life is a promise, fulfill it.
  Life is sorrow, overcome it.
  Life is a song, sing it.
  Life is a struggle, accept it.
  Life is a tragedy, confront it.
  Life is an adventure, dare it.
  Life is luck, make it.
  Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
  Life is life, fight for it.

   

  ~

  "There are only two ways to live your life.
  One is as though nothing is a miracle.
  The other is as if everything is."

  Albert Einstein

   

  ~

  “And in the end, it's not the years in your life
  that count. It's the life in your years.”

   

  ~

  If I can stop one heart from breaking,
  I shall not live in vain.
  If I can ease one life the aching,
  Or cool one pain,
  Or help one fainting robin
  Unto his nest again,
  I shall not live in vain.

   

  ~

  Life can be found only in the present moment.
  The past is gone, the future is not yet here,
  and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment,
  we cannot be in touch with life.

  Thich Nhat Hanh

   

   

  

   

  Encouragement Quotes

   

  “Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”

  Johann Wolfgang Goethe

  ~~~

  “One word or a pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened and wounded soul.”

  St Teresa of Lisieux

  ~

  Encouragement
  Is of constant need
  Both in the inner
  World of progress
  And in the outer
  World of success.

   

  

   

  Kabir - Biography

   

  Kabir (1440? - 1518) was an Indian Mystic who was much admired and loved by both Hindu, Sikh and Muslims. Kabir preached the underlying unity of humanity, he was a strong believer that God could not be constrained by sectarian and religious divides. Kabir said of himself he was. " at once the child of Allah and Ram." Kabir’s philosophy was an amalgamation of Hindu philosophy on reincarnation and a Muslim belief in One God and a rejection of the caste system.

  Kabir was born into the holy Indian city of Varanasi. Although a Muslim, Kabir wished to become a disciple of Ramananda who was one of the leading Hindu Saints of the time. Knowing it would be difficult to become a disciple of a Hindu. Kabir lay in waiting by the bathing ghat where Ramananda took his daily bath. As Ramananda came down he tripped over Kabir. This caused Ramananda to utter the words “Ram” “Ram”. Kabir took this as his initiation.

  However Kabir did not take the life of a monk. He maintained an ordinary family life and earnt a living as a weaver. However although Kabir was illiterate he composed many soulful songs, which expressed his ideas of loving devotion to the Supreme. His innate spirituality attracted many followers from both Hindu and Muslim sections of the population. However his universal philosophy didn’t endear him to the prevailing authorities. Kabir was distrusted by then they felt threatened by his popular appeal and rejection of othodoxy. He was charged with religious heresy and at the age of 60 was banished from the Kingdom. Henceforth Kabir lived the life of a wandering mendicant.

  There are many legends surrounding the life and death of Kabir. One legend says he was born following a visit by his mother to a Hindu temple; Kabir was then put up for adoption. Another legend says that after his death there was disagreement amongst his followers about where to put his ashes. His Hindu followers wanted to cremate him. His Muslim followers wanted to bury him. Kabir is said to have appeared and with a bunch of flowers that were to be divided between the different groups.

  Kabir is still widely read in India. Rabindranath helped to popularise him in the West with a translation of his songs. His poems are characterised by a sharp wit and a direct and uncluttered approach. He could also be quite mocking of those who were pious without genuine spirituality

  "Listen to me, brothers. He understands who loves." - Kabir

   

  
  Akbar The Greatest Moghul Emperor

   

  Akbar came to the throne at a young age of 13 in 1556, following the sudden death of his father Humayun. In the early part of his rule Akbar had to fight many opponents who opposed his rule. However under the guidance of Bairam Khan, Akbar began seizing more territory throughout Hindustan. By the time of his death (1605) Akbar controlled most of northern India and Afghanistan his Empire was greater than that under Barber.

  However Akbar wasn’t just a great conqueror, he also proved adept at winning the trust and support of the Hindu population who came under his control. This was partly due to the many enlightened policies he introduced. For example in 1579 he abolished the Jizya, a tax imposed on most of the non-Muslims. In addition Akbar rescinded a "pilgrimage" tax payed by Hindu’s who travelled to various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

  Akbar also developed a very efficient and relatively fair system of bureaucracy and administration. A military governor was put in charge of each province; this governor was then responsible for any abuses of power or mistreatments in his area. Akbar also gained the backing of local Hindu provinces through marrying the daughters of various families. At his death he was said to have over 4,000 wives.

  Akbar called himself an orthodox Muslim however he displayed an increasing degree of unorthodox behaviour. His tolerance towards Hinduisum extended to taking part in various Hindu practises. Akbar is said to have been deeply moved by a meeting with the Hindu princess Mirabai. Towards the end of his life Akbar tried to develop a new religion called Din-i Ilahi , or "The Religion of God." This was a synthesis of all the religions based on the idea of God as the Supreme Being, but also the idea of divine Kingship. This was an idea heretical to the Muslim orthodoxy.

  Akbar had a liking for intellectual discussion and was very fond of his scholars and advisers. Birbal, Abul Fazl and Tansen. Akbar also had a great respect for the sufiMystic Shayk Salim Chishti. It was Chisti who prophesised the birth of his son Jahangir.

  Towards the end of his life Akbar experienced an abortive attempt by his own son to overthrow the rule of Akbar. Jahangir claimed to be the “defender of the faith”. Akbar was able to put down this rebellion although after this he did soften his stance towards islam. At his death he was again considered to be an orthodox Muslim.

  Akbar is remembered by both Eastern and Western historians as one of the most enlightened rulers of the medieval ages. Akbar’s religious tolerance was unusual for the time period; partly this tolerance was born out of practicalities. However Akbar also displayed a genuine interest in spritiual, which sought to absorb the best of all religions.

   

  

  Short Biography Mahatma Gandhi

   

  Mohandas K. Gandhi studied law in England, then spent 20 years defending the rights of immigrants in South Africa. In 1914 he returned to India and became the leader of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi urged non-volince and civil disobedience as a means to independence from Great Britain, with public acts of defiance that landed him in jail several times. In 1947 he participated in the postwar negotiations that led to Indian independence. He was shot to death by a Hindu fanatic in 1948.
  
  Gandhi was given the prefix "Mahatma" which means Great Soul by his admirers. However Gandhi himself was not too keen on the prefix. Gandhi was one of the leading Indian politicians of the Indian independence movement. However he was much more than a politician. He was a committed Vegetarian and was devoted to the principles of  non-volince and pacifism. At the age of 36 Gandhi adopted the life of a brahmacharya —spiritual and practical purity—largely associated with celibacy.  Also Gandhi placed great emphasis on his spiritual practises, prayer,meditation, fasting and observance of silence once a week. It is said his last words were "Hey Ram" - "O God"
  
  Gandhi was also devoted to promoting the underlying harmony of the different religious traditions. Although brought up in the Vaishnava Hindu tradition Gandhi had tremendous respect for other spiritual teachers and  religions such as islam, jainese and Chrisitan. Gandhi made great personal efforts to heal the rift between Hindu's and Muslims that occured in the period following independence.  During the internal strife between Muslims and Hindus...
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  Mirabai

  Mirabai (also known as Meera) was born in 1504 A.D. at Chaukari village in Merta District of Rajasthan. As a young child Mirabai would spend her time playing with a small image of krihna. Nobody understood her infatuation. But to Mirabai this doll was a living embodiment of Krishna. From an early age Mirabai dedicated her life to the worship and praise of her beloved krishna. However, depsite her life of intense devotion,  she faced great difficulties from her family who didn't respect the amount of time she would spend in devotion to Krishna.

  Her father, Ratan Singh, was the second son of Rao Dudaji, a descendent of Rao Jodhaji Rather, the founder of Jodhpur. Meera's mother died when she was ten year old. She then came to live with her grandfather who died in 1515. Her father's elder brother Vikram Deo who succeeded to the throne arranged her marriage with Prince Bho] Raj, the eldest son of Rana Sanga of Chitter. This marriage raised Meera to a very high social status as the ruler of Chitter was considered to be the leader of the Hindu princes. But luck didn't favor Princess Meera. By 1527 A.D. she had lost her father, her husband and her fatherin-law as well. Meera, who dedicated her life to Lord Krishna, accepted these bereavements as a matter of course

  At the time Meera was born there was widespread political and social turmoil in India. Bloody conflicts for petty selfish gains, disrespect for human life and hatred for others was a norm. Meera was bewildered and at a loss to understand all that was going on all around. She was in search of peace which she found in christhan's Vaishnav Panth and dedicated her life to the love of krinsha.

  Mirabai began to devote most of her time in prayer and worship and did not pay any attention to the etiquettes of a royal household. This led her to be subjected to great hardships and punishments. These physical hardships became intolerable and after praying to Krishna, she left the palace for good and went to the pilgrimage of Mathura, Vrindavana and finally to Dwarika.

  Mirabai was a born poetess. She expressed in a beautiful style her intense and deep love of God. She composed hundreds of poems in a simple, unpretentious style. They are full of vivacity and feelings. No poetess in the history of India enjoys a greater respect than Meera. Her poems have gained a unique popularity and are sung by the rich and the poor alike, even to this day. She spent her life dancing In trance and singing the attributes of her Beloved Krishna. Mirabai left this mortal world in 1550 to be united with her beloved krishna. She was a great Hindu woman saint and will always be remembered.

  "Mirabai was a devotee of the high, higher, highest order. Among the saints of India, she is absolutely unparalleled. She composed many, many bhajans, which are prayerful songs to God. Each song Mirabai wrote expressed her inspiration, aspiration and sleepless self-giving."

   

  

   

  Biography Mother Teresa

  Mother Teresa, winner of the Nobel prize attained world wide fame for her life dedicated to serving the poor and destitute.

  Mother Teresa was born (1910) in Akopje, Kosovo in what is now the Republic of Macedonia. Little is known about her early life but at a young age she felt a calling to serve through helping the poor. At the age of 18 she was given permission to join a group of nuns in Ireland. After a few months of training Mother Teresa travelled to Calcutta, India where she formally accepted the vows of a nun.

  In her early years she worked as a teacher in the slums of Calcutta, the widespread poverty made a deep impression on her and this led to her starting a new order called “The Missionaries of Charity”. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, who nobody else was prepared to. The Missionaries of Charity now has branches throughout the world including branches in the developed world where they work with the homeless and people affected with AIDS. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI

  At around this time the life of Mother Teresa was first brought to wide public attention through a book by Malcom Muggeridge who wrote a book and produced a documentary called “Something Beautiful for God”.  

  Throughout her life Mother Teresa has been given some of the most prestigious awards throughout the Globe.These include:

  The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. (1971)

  • Kennedy Prize (1971)
  • The Nehru Prize –“for promotion of international peace and understanding”(1972)
  • Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975),
  • Nobel prize  (1979)
  • States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)
  • Congressional Gold Medal (1994)
  • Honorary citizenship of the United States (November 16, 1996),

  Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Prize "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace." She refused the conventional ceremonial banquet given to laureates, and asked that the $6,000 funds be given to the poor in Calcutta.

  When Mother Teresa received the prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" Her answer was simple: "Go home and love your family ."

  Over the last two decades of her life Mother Teresa suffered various health problems but nothing could dissuade her from fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different brances of "The Missionaries of Charity"

  Following Mother Teresa’s death the Vatican began the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to canonisation and sainthood. Mother Teresa was formally beatified in October 2003 by Pope John Paul II and is now known as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

  Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a great example and inspiration to the world....

   

  Quotes by Mother Teresa

  

   

  
  Yesterday is gone.
  Tomorrow has not yet come.
  We have only today.
  Let us begin.

   

  It is not how much we do,
  but how much love we put in the doing.
  It is not how much we give,
  but how much love we put in the giving.

  ~

  
   You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.
  Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.
  Give a glass of water, you give it to me. Receive a little
  child, you receive me...

  ~

       Love cannot remain by itself -- it has no meaning.
        Love has to be put into action, and that action is service