SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

16,2,92

Introduction: Life is a great challenge to all of us. What we are going to get out of life will largely depend on the quality of our personal acceptance of that challenge. There is no limit to what a human being can become. In a scripture it is said: A man is born in this world of his own making.

We are truly the makers and unmakers of our destiny, notwithstanding our various limitations. What we are going to become in life will depend on our individual strength and effort. The stronger we are, the more we will be able to achieve in this life. Strength is the secret not only of worldly success but also of all spiritual attainments. In religious life we are to bring out our latent strength which lies hidden in the mind.

Importance of strength: Swami Vivekananda says: 'The best guide in life is strength. In religion,as in all other matters, discard everything that weakens you, have nothing to do with it. (CW,I,p.134) 'Infinite strength is religion and God. Avoid weakness and slavery.' (CW,VII,p.13,I Talks)

These sayings of Swami Vivekananda are the best guideline in our spiritual life. We are to develop strength and become stronger and stronger, physically, mentally, morally, spiritually to reach the goal of life.

Swami Vivekananda has pointed out in clear terms the source of strength and the ways of developing the same. He says: 'All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves. Therefore, make your own future. "Let the dead past bury its dead." The infinite future is before you, and you must always remember that each word, thought and deed lays up a store for you and that as bad thoughts and bad works are ready to spring upon you like tigers, so also there is the inspiring hope that the good thoughts and good deeds are ready with the power of a hundred thousand angels to defend you always and for ever.' (CW,II,p.225)

Cultivation of physical strength: Man has a body, mind, and soul. The soul or Atman is the core of man's being. This Atman, so to say, is clothed by body and mind. Proper cultivation of strength has reference to man's entire being. In actual cultivation of strength first comes the question of physical strength.

A physically weak person is generally unhappy and less efficient. Very often he tends to become weak in all spheres of life. If we have one weakness,it is easy for us to become victims of a second one and then others in succession. In India some thinkers saw this basic factor so clearly that they went to the extent of saying - Body is verily the primary instrument of acquiring dharma...

Stressing the need of physical strength,Swami Vivekananda made the following remarks: 'Physical weakness is the cause of at least one third of our miseries. ... You will understand the Gita better with your biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. You will understand the mighty genius and the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little strong blood in you. You will understand the Upanishads better and the glory of Atman when your body stands firm upon your feet, and you feel yourselves as men. (CW,III,p.242)

When Sri Ramakrishna accepted some of his disciples he had an eye on their physical strength. Swami Vivekananda, Brahmanandaji, Niranjananandaji, Ramakrishnanandaji, Saradanandaji, and Trigunatitanandaji were all endowed with strong physique. Sri Ramakrishna had a good and strong body by dint of which he could undertake severe austerities and hardship. Swami Saradanandaji has written that Sri Ramakrishna was so healthy that he could easily transcend body-consciouness and concentrate deeply at the time of meditation.

Cultivation of physical strength has two aspects -- one is negative and the other is positive. Negatively speaking, it means stopping the wastage of physical energy. Physical energy is wasted in various ways. Some of them may be here enumerated as follows: 1) irregular ways of living, 2) want of adequate nourishing food, 3) unnecessarily idling about and want of useful occupation, 4) illness and want of proper rest, 5) immoral habits, 6) use of intoxicating drinks, drugs and narcotics, 7) living in unhealthy surroundings, 8) mental disquiet and turmoil, 9) overwork and useless work, and 10) habit of unnecessary talking.

To cultivate physical strength, first of all, we must stop the wastage of physical energy through right means. It may appear that some situations of life which cause the drainage of physical energy are beyond our control. The important point that is to be remembered is that self-control and self-discipline are the two proper checks against wastage of energy.

Positively speaking,cultivation of strength will depend on the following factors; 1) regular ways of living, 2) nourishing and proper food, 3) regular work, rest and recreation, 4) proper physical exercise, 5) moral habits, and 6) the quiet of the mind. By following these disciplines one will surely be able to keep a strong and healthy body which will serve as an instrument to achieve the goal of life.

Method of cultivation of mental strength: The word 'strength' does not mean only physical strength. The goal of a human being is not be physically strong like a rihnoceros but to rise high above the physical level and attain godhead. Next to physical strength we have to pay attention to the development of mental strength which is far superior to physical force.

A mentally strong man may or may not be physically very strong. But as a human being his life will be more effective and purposeful than the person exhibiting merely physical strength. It is found that he who fails to cultivate mental strength leads a kind of vegetating life, wherever he may be placed. But he who has taken care to develop mental strength turns everything to good to accounts.

He faces life bravely, battles with adversity manfully and is never afraid of trials and tribulations. In victory he is humble and generous. In defeat he is introspective and optimistic. In trials he is alert and dexterous. His life manifests a winning quality which the man without mental strength totally lacks. Until a man develops mental strength and courage, he cannot be distinguished from an animal. And on mere physical level, what chances has man to shine brighter than an animal?

Therefore, anyone, seeking to live a life worthy of a human being, while cultivating physical strength, should take even greater care to cultivate mental strength. Cultivation of mental strength too has two aspects -- one is negative and the other is positive

Negatively speaking, cultivation of mental energy and strength means stopping wastage of mental energy. Without doing this, obviously mind cannot be strengthened. Positively speaking, it means feeding the mind with wholesome thoughts and ideas.

We are cautious about spending money, but heedless about spending the precious wealth -- our mind. If a person loses his mind, of what use will be the wealth of the world to him? Mental energy is wasted in various ways such as: 1) indiscriminate reading, 2) purposeless talk and controversy, 3) inquisitiveness in others' affairs, 4) finding fault with others, 5) over-ambitiousness and excessive egoism, 6) uncontrolled lust, anger, jealousy, hatred, avarice and arrogance, 7) groundless fear, and 8) irrational emotions.

Conflicts within ourselves and with environments generate wrong emotions in our minds such as the impurities of the mind. We are to remove these harmful feelings by suitable means and introspection.

Patanjali suggests that these impurities which drain our energy and cause various types of mental ailments can be removed by practicing four disciplines, namely, 1) friendliness towards the happy, 2) compassion towards the miserable, 3) delight in the good, and 4) indifference to evil.

If we practice friendliness toward the happy, we shall strike at the root of jealousy and hatred. Compassion to the miserable will expand our heart and purify the mind when practised with humility. Delight in the good will augment our own goodness and destroy our subtle evil tendencies. Indifference to evil will save us from bad influence of evil words and deeds coming from outside. Along with these, if we offer the fruits of our thoughts and actions to the Lord during the practice of our daily devotions, we shall check the wastage of mental energy to a great extent.

When we practice these disciplines, it becomes easier to bring the mind under control. The cultivation of mental strength is possible only in a controlled mind. Control of mind is a vast subject and can be achieved in various ways. Here we shall discuss some important ones.

We have indriyas or sense-organs and buddhi or discriminating faculty. When our mind and discriminating faculty work in unison, without being distracted by sense-organs, the mind comes under control. Next, the controlled mind must be filled and fed with noble, pure and high thoughts. In one context, Swami Vivekananda points out the technique of feeding the mind with great live-giving ideals. He says:

'Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into (your) brains from very childhood. Lay yourselves open to these thoughts and not weakening and paralyzing ones. Say to your own minds "I am He, I am He." Let it ring day and night in your minds like a song, and at the point of death declare: "I am He." That is truth, the infinite strength of the world is yours.' (CW II, p.87)

In many letters to his disciples and brothers, Swami Vivekananda asked them repeatedly to cultivate these virtues to get mental strength and good character. Here are some short extracts from his letters:

'Do not try to lead your brethren but serve them. The brutal mania for leading has sunk many a great ship in waters of life. (CW V, p.36)

'Be steady. Avoid jealousy and selfishness. Be obedient and eternally faithful to the cause of truth, humanity and you will move the world. (CW V, p.307)

'No great work can be achieved by humbug. ...Work on with the intrepidity of a lion, but at the same time with the tenderness of a flower.' (CW VI, p.333)

In his lecture in California, Swami Vivekananda narrated how in his days of wandering in India his mental strength saved his life on many occasion. He says: 'Many times I have been in the jaws of death, starving, foot-sore and weary; for days and days I had no food, and often could walk no farther; I would sink down under a tree, and life would seem ebbing away. I could not speak. I could scarcely think, but at last the mind reverted to the idea; "I have no fear, nor death; I never hunger nor thirst. I am It (Brahman), I am It. The whole of nature cannot crush me; it is my servant. Assert thy strength, thou Lord of lords, and God of gods! Regain thy lost empire! Arise and walk and stop not!"

'And I would rise up, reinvigorated, and here am I, living today. Thus, whenever darkness comes, assert the reality and everything adverse must vanish. For, after all, it is but a dream. Mountain-high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem they are but Maya. Fear not -- It is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies. Be not afraid.' (CW II,p.403)

Cultivate intellectual power is one of the elements which will strengthen the mind, when it has been otherwise well taken care of. Therefore intellectual power should be carefully cultivated and along with it the concentration of mind. Observance of truth and purity of character in thought, word and deed immensely enhance the strength of mind. The true and the pure may not be gifted with many endowments, but they will shine like the richest treasure of humanity. Their words may not be loud, but their whispers will demolish falsehood. Even their detractors will trust them.

Repetition of God's name (japam) is one of the method of gaining strength of mind. God is the source of all strength. God and His names are non-diferrent. Hence God's name is a source of power. He who repeats the name of God regularly with faith and love, his strength of mind will increase gradually. The reason is that the mind is connected through japam with God who is the very source of all strength and power in this world. 'God is my strength, God is my strength' -- by mentally repeating these words, one's mind is filled with great strength.

Swami Vivekananda highly emphasized the need of cultivating physical and mental strength in his talk on Bhakti-Yoga. He says: 'Controlling the passions is the next thing to be attended to. To restrain the organs (indriyas) from going towards the objects of the senses, to control virtue in religious culture. ...Physical strength is absolutely necessary. ...Voluntary weakening the body is really no prescription for spiritual enlightenment. ...The mentally weak cannot succeed in attaining the Atman. ...The hardest task of all, the cutting of our way out of the net of Maya, is the work reserved only for giant wills! (CW III,p66)

Cultivation of spiritual strength: While mental strength is superior to physical strength, there is strength which is higher than even mental strength. It is spiritual strength. There is no strength higher or greater than spiritual strength. Spiritual strength may therefore be called the ultimate strength.

The imperishable and real element in man is Atman which is the reservoir of all strength and splendor. Therefore the strength born of the realization of Atman or one's own experience of relationship with God is the greatest and most abiding strength. Once gained, it cannot be realized by one who is devoid of strength. Again the Kena Upanishad says: Through realization of Atman one attains strength. (Kena, 2.4) On the basis of such teaching of the Upanishads Swami Vivekananda says true spirituality is strength, and true strength is spirituality.

When such spiritual strength comes to a person, he attains the supreme good in life. He becomes a channel for the flow of divine strength, knowledge and joy. He may be physically sick, his social position may not be high, he may have no learning, but with his spiritual strength he will do things not possible to be done by muscular men, great dictators or intellectuals. His life is a blessing to the whole human society.

Cultivation of fearlessness: The concept of strength is intimately associated with the idea of fearlessness. Want of strength causes fear. Nothing can degrade a man as fear. There is not a single sin or crime which man cannot commit out of fear.

Fear leads to suspicion, suspicion to anger, anger to violence, violence to disaster. Fear can rob us of the finest qualities of our head and heart. It can destroy our capacity for right thinking and action. Fear expresses itself in our lives in an infinite variety of ways and weakens our minds. Therefore it is a necessary precondition for true cultivation of strength that we should take care to eradicate fears from our minds.

According to Vedanta, the root of fear lies in our ignorance of the true nature of the Self. The core of our being is the Atman which is infinite, immortal, and imperishable. We do not know this and so we are afraid of death. The Atman is one, indivisible, homogeneous and all pervading. From our ignorance of the nature of the Atman arises the concept of otherness and the sense of differentiation. From the sense of differentiation arises the idea of fear of various sorts. The cause of fear for death can only be removed through the realization of the real nature of the Self and the Oneness of existence. When there is none of nothing other than the Self, there remains no cause of fear.

As a man of realization Swamiji conquered the fear of death. In a voluntary yogic act he cast off the body like a worn-out garment and entered into mahasmadhi. One of the dominant note of Swamiji's life and message is strength -- physical, mental and spiritual. He was an embodiment of this three-fold strength. In his presence all fear and weakness tended to vanish from the hearts of others.