Introduction

Swami Vivekananda was a spirtual leader, philosopher and a great religious personality
in the world. He was born on 12th January 1863 at Simla Pally in North Kolkata. His
Father's name was Vishwanath Dutta and mother's name was Bhuvneshwari Devi.
Vivekananda was known as Narendranath Dutta in his childhood. During his childhood
days he Was very clever, intelligent and brave. He was a brilliant boy and excelled in
music, studies, swimming, gymnastic and meditation. After his Schooling, he was a
student of the Scottish Church College and showed interest in western philosophy,
western logic and European history. In 1881, he passed the Fine Arts exam and
completed B.A. degree in 1884. Narendranath was interested in spirituality from young
age. He had a in-depth knowledge of Hindu scriptures like Bhagwat Geeta, Vedas,
Ramayana, Mahabharat and Upanishads also .He gained knowledge in various subjects
including History, Sanskrit, Bengali, Literature and westerm philosophy. Then he met Sri
Ramkrishna, influenced by his spirituality and became his disciple. Then he started his
monk life and got new name Swami Vivekananda. Swamiji won the hearts of everyone
by his incredible Speech of Chicago in USA in 1893. His Famous quatations include
"Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached." He established of Ramkrishna Math
and Ramkrishna Mission was sign of Guru Bhakti. He was also founder of Belur Math.
He spread the message of divinity and the true aims of scriptures. This great son of India
took his last breath on 4th July 1902 at Belur Math. We celebrate his birthday as the
National Youth Day every year in India with great zeal and enthusiasm.
Vivekananda’s concept of universal religion springs out from the Vedānta philosophy, as he
thinks that only this philosophy has the potential not only to provide the path to individuals
to satisfy their spiritual aspirations in life but could also supersede the religious differences
and conflicts, so the idea of universal religion is ultimately the outcome of Vivekananda’s
nondualistic vision which springs out from Advaitic interpretation and philosophy based of
Upanishads. As he thinks it is, “The duty of Vedānta, to harmonize all these aspirations, to
manifest the common ground between all the religions of the world, the highest as well as the
lowest.”14 He further says, “Vedānta, and Vedānta alone can become the universal religion of
man, and that no other is fitted for that role.”15 Therefore, he claimed that Vedānta
philosophy has the potential to harmonize the diversity of religions and also binds them in a

i
thread of unity. Therefore, he coined the concept of universal religion which shows his
nondualistic vision because it is completely rooted in the philosophy of Vedānta and teaches
us the lesson of non-duality.

The diversity of opinions based on religions is very important and necessary for the growth
and advancement of religious thoughts and also for discussions. Otherwise, if there will be
no differences, religious discourse will lose its dynamism and become static so, to reach to
the desired aim of religion these dissimilarities of thought are very much needed as they give
rise to further thoughts which makes them more filtered. Vivekananda also argued that,
“religious differences are necessary for the progress of religious thoughts. Otherwise, it will
lost its flow and become stagnant and there are no whirlpools in stagnant dead water.”16 All
the different religious sects are of much value as they gave us different path to rediscover the
divinity within each of us and we should choose the suitable path for ourselves. Vivekananda
believes that plurality of religious sects is not an issue but sectarianism is the root cause of all
the conflicts between different religious faiths. Sectarianism is the feeling of extremism
which becomes the main cause of fanaticism that gives rise to religious dissension based on
these differences.
As he says, “Sects must be, but sectarianism need not. The world would not be better for
sectarianism, but the world cannot move on without having sects."17 He rejects the idea of
sectarianism which gives birth to extremism, plurality of sects is really not the problem as it
gives us various alternatives and paths to choose in order to achieve our goals in life but
where the feeling of extremism is attached to the idea of religion it gives rise to many
difficulties and becomes the root cause of all religious differences, conflicts, and violence.

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 Literature survey
I have done this project by collecting information from the following books and online
(websites) to complete my project.
Sharma, R.N Sharma, Contemporary Indian Philosophy, Atlantic publishers and
Distributors,1996 https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2203494.pdf
https://www.scribd.com/document/547112006/Dip-Anki

Dasgupta ,R.K. Dasgupta, Swami Vivekananda on Indian Philosophy and Literature, 2011,

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.-I, 2009,

Vivekananda, Swami ( 2018). Address at the Final Session, The Complete Works of Swami
Vivekananda, Volume 1, Swami Muktidananda Adhyaksha, Advaita Ashrama Mayavati
Champawat, Uttarakhand, Himalayas

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 Basic
Universal Religion is based on the concept of universal brotherhood and fellow feelings. In
Universal Religion, there is one God who is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and
eternal. He is the source of infinite energy. We derive energy and power from Him only. He
said, “Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by
controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work or worship or psychic control
or philosophy – by one or more or all of these – and be free. This is the whole of Religion.
Doctrines or dogmas or rituals or books or temples or forms are but secondary details.
Apparent contradictions and perplexities in every religion markedat the different stages of
growth notwithstanding, the end of all religions is realization of God in the soul. And That is

Universal Religion.”

What were the reasons for Swamiji’s advocating for Universal Religion? Realizing that many
spiritual organizations having faith in different religions were engaged in constant spiritual
struggle with one another, he felt the need for propagating the concept of Universal Religion.
He said, “Nothing has made more peace and love than religion; nothing has engendered
fiercer hatred than religion. Nothing has made the brotherhood of man more tangible than
religion; nothing has bred more bitter enmity between one another than religion. Nothing has
built more charitable institutions, hospitals for men and even for animals than religion;
nothing has deluged the world with more blood than religion.” He saw many persons,
philosophers, students who were trying to bring about harmony in the midst of jarring and
discordant sects. He observed that all the religions of the world were not really contradictory.
On the contrary, in all the great religions of the world, there is a tremendous life power and
all the religions are supplementary to each other. Each religion takes up one part of the great
unifying truth and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great
truth. It is, therefore, addition not exclusion.
His idea was that all the religions were different forces in the economy of God, working for
the good of mankind. He said, “The philosophers of earlier age dreamed of such Universal
Religion. The Universal Religion exists in the world, but we are not capturing it. It is because
the priests are not preaching the universality of religion; they are preaching only the religion

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they believe to exist. The priests are behaving like this for their own interest. Priests alone
cannot be blamed, some people who are very conservative and on whom the priests depend
for their livings do not want that the priests would propagate the concept of Universal
Religion than individual religion.”

Swamiji’s concept of an ideal religion is unique. According to him, it must be broad and large
enough to supply food for various grades of the mind. To capture the idea of such a broad
religion, we shall have to go back to the time when religion began and take them all in. We
have to take in all that has been in the past, enjoy the light of the present and open every
window of the hut that will come in the future. He explained, “In every religion there are
three parts. First, there is a philosophy which presents the whole scope of that religion,
settingforth its basic principles, the goal and the means of reaching it. The second is
mythology, which is philosophy made concrete. It consists of legends relating to the lives of
men, or of supernatural beings. The third is the rituals made up of forms and ceremonies,
various physical attitudes, flowers and incense, and many other things, that appeal to the
senses. You will find that all recognized religions have these three elements. Some lay more
stress on one, some on another.”

In Universal Religion for which he advocated, there is one universal philosophy; one
universal mythology having similarity and harmony. In rituals there should be universal
symbols which lcan command general recognition and acceptance. Even if there is no
universal philosophy or any universal mythology or any one universal ritual, we can
recognize the natural necessity of variations. Accepting and recognizing the variations means
that truth may be expressed in many ways, and that each of these ways is true. “If each of us
is moving towards Him along one of these radii, then it is certain that all of us must reach
that centre. And at the centre, where all the radii meet, all our differences will cease; but until
we reach there, there must be differences. All these radii converge to the same centre. One,
according to his nature, travels along one of these lines, and another, along another; and if we
all push onward along our own lines, we shall surely come to the centre.”

This centre point, according to Swamiji, is the place where God exists. Swamiji said, “Give
up what is evil and give up what is good. What

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remains then? Behind good and evil stands something which is yours, the real you, beyond
every evil, and beyond every good too, and it is that which is manifesting itself as good and
bad.” According to him this is real ‘I’, the self, the real manifestation of God and knowing
myself is, according to him, knowing God.

Swamiji told the whole world that the concept of Universal Religion as explained in Vedanta
philosophy gives us the universal approach of religion. He said though we, the Indians, have
thousands of Gods and Goddesses, they are only the appearances of that supreme Lord. We
are solely the worshippers of one Infinite God who expresses and manifests Himself in
multiple ways. The Hindus know that the images are not God. But these images help them to
keep their mind fixed on their object of meditation. Vedanta teaches us that all the rituals,
prayers, sacrifices and everything which we generally call religion are only the external part
of religion, and realization of self is the only way which leads to God. Swamiji believed that
God is the common factor of all religions and He is in our heart. Our intellect, reason and
arguments have nothing to do in this matter. Only direct perception and realization of one’s
own self, will pursue the goal.

If we analyse and interpret various lectures and writings of Swami Vivekananda, we will find
that the main theme of his various lectures is the human beings, their development, their
evolution and their repletion. Romain Rolland, after analyzing the lectures delivered by
Swamiji at the Parliament of World Religions, had commented, “Each time he repeated with
new arguments but with the same force or conviction his thesis of a Universal Religion
without limit of time or space uniting the whole credo of the human spirit, from the enslaved
fetishism of the savage to the most liberal creative affirmations of modern science. He
harmonized them into a magnificent synthesis, which, far from extinguishing the hope of a
single one, helped all hopes to grow and flourish according to their own proper nature. There
was to be no other dogma but the divinity inherent in man and his capacity for indefinite
evolution.”

The concept of Universal Religion universalizes our consciousness helping us realize that we
are a part of the whole, that this whole is a part of a greater whole, and that this greater whole
is a part of a still greater whole, right up to its forming one single totality. Once we know

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that, we begin to become aware that in reality there cannot be any separation between us and
something greater than us of which we are a part. This is the beginning. Now, we must come
to the point not only of thinking this but of feeling it and even living it, and then the wall of
ignorance tumbles: one feels this unity everywhere and realizes that everybody is only a
more or less fragmentary part of a whole much vaster than an individual, which is the
universe. Then one begins to have a more universal consciousness. And when one realizes
this universal consciousness, he would understand the concept of Universal Religion.

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 Chapter -1
Religion

The word "religion" comes from the Latin word religio, which originally meant "bond" or
"obligation". It may have come from the verb religare, which means "tie back" or "tie tight".
Religion is often used as a taxon for social practices, with examples including world religions
like Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.
However, the concept religion did not originally refer to a social genus and has evolved in
different directions over time. This has led to a lack of coherent understanding of the
discipline's central topic. The semantic range of religion has grown and shifted over time,
raising philosophical questions about its essence and its relationship to other abstract
concepts like literature, democracy, and culture. The diverse range of practices within
religion raises questions about its necessary and sufficient properties, as well as its
relationship to cultural entities. Critical and skeptical analyses of the concept have emerged,
including those arguing that religion refers to nothing.

Rabindranath Tagore:-

Tagore's religion is an aspect of human spirit. It does not come from God, it is rooted in
human being, and, therefore, his religion is a poet's religion. Religion, for him, is a principle
of unity that binds us together. Moreover, it is our essential quality inherent in us.

Mahatma Gandhi:-

Mahatma Gandhi believed that religion is about how a person lives, their relationship with
others, and their relationship with their conception of God. He believed that religion should
appeal to reason, be in line with morality, and take into account practical life. He also
believed that religion is about self-realization, knowledge of self, and following the path of
truth and non-violence. Gandhi believed that truth and non-violence are eternal, equal to
religion, and equal to God. He also believed that devotion to truth, or God, is religion.

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Sri Aurobindo:-

If there is a single, sufficient principle that can regulate and harmonise the activities and
expressions of these three members of our being, it is religion.The religious life is a
movement of the same ignorant human consciousness, turning or trying to turn away from
the earth towards the Divine but as yet without knowledge and led by the dogmatic tenets and
rules of some sect or creed which claims to have found the way out of the bonds of the
earthconsciousness into some beatific Beyond.

Radhakrishnan:-

religion is the attempt of man to express his notion about perfect being, a perfect world, and
a. means by which we can have the experience of God. Radhakrishnan says “Religion is not.
creed or a code but an insight into reality.”

Radhakrishnan says that one must begin with a faith -a faith in Religious Experience.
Religious experience alone is capable of making man realise spirituality. Let us, therefore, try
to determine the nature and characters of Religious Experience as it has been conceived by
Radhakrishnan.

This experience is not merely a form of knowledge as other ordinary experiences are, it is not
just expressible in a body of certain codes and rules of behaviour. It is all these and yet it is
much more than all of these. It is called an experience because it produces an objective
awareness an apprehension of the real coupled with is an enjoyment - a sort of an inner
satisfaction.

Swami Vivekananda:-

Swami Vivekananda felt that religion is a necessary aspect of. human life. He said, “Of all
forces that have worked and are still working to mould the. destiny of human race, none
certainly is more potent than that, the manifestation of which we. call Religion.”

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Vivekananda on Origin of Religion:-

Vivekananda's focus on the origin of religion is not to find an exact solution but to determine
its general nature. He believes that two theories have gained acceptance among scholars:
Spirit-theory and the apprehension of the extra-ordinary or super-natural. One party believes
that animism or spirit-worship, like ancestor-worship, is the origin of religion, while the other
party believes that religion originates in the awareness of the tremendous power of the forces
of Nature. Vivekananda identifies a common element in both views, which is the struggle to
transcend the limitations of the senses. He suggests that man's attempts to go beyond the
capacity of the senses, such as dreams, may have contributed to the development of religion.
He believes that all available explanations for the origin of religion, such as animism,
fetishism, and Nature-ism, presuppose the basic fact that religion originates in man's attempt
to go beyond the senses.

Vivekananda on Nature of Religion:-

Vivekananda emphasizes the importance of understanding the nature of religion rather than
trying to define it. He believes that religion is a growth from within, inherent in the
constitution of man, and can be known by analyzing its religious sense. This sense is
universally present and consists of cognitive, feeling, and conative elements. The nature of
religion is determined by the preponderance of these elements, with mystical or emotional
religions being more mystical, intellectual and abstract religions becoming more intellectual
and abstract, and practical and ritualistic religions becoming more practical and ritualistic.

Religion is an attempt to transcend the limitations of the senses and the power of reasoning or
intellectual deliberation. It transcends not only the limitations of the senses but also the
power of reasoning, making it sometimes described as trans-empirical and trans-rational.
Religious facts are abstractions, taking the form of an abstracted presence, omnipresent
being, abstract personality, moral law, or abstract essence underlying every existence. These
concepts are abstractions, and believing in the ideal humanity is necessary for progress.

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Vivekananda believes that religion is an awakening of spirituality in man, realizing Divinity.
This spiritual pursuit begins with an awareness of the inadequacy of sense and reason,
leading to a reliance on a super-natural element such as God, impersonal principles, Absolute
Reality, Destiny, or Law. Religion also has a social content, providing a secure foundation
and ultimate sanction to morality. It serves as an ideal that justifies ethics, making ethical
practice convenient and easy.
Religion is the greatest and healthiest exercise for the human mind, allowing individuals to
rise above the limitations of senses and reason. It brings satisfaction, enables individuals to
rise above the ordinary evils and ills of the world, and enjoy peace and bliss. However, it is
necessary to distinguish between true religion and institutional religions, as objections arise
when people identify religion with institutions. Vivekananda believes that true religion must
be above these separations and disruptive tendencies, embodying the essence of true love.

There are three aspects of religion: Philosophy, Mythology, and Ritual. Each religion has its
own philosophy, mythology, and ritual, and conflicts arise due to differences in philosophy,
mythology, and ritual. A truly universal religion must strive to overcome these differences
and strive for unity in all three basic contents.

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 Chapter- 2
Universal Religion

Swami Vivekananda’s contribution in the domain of religion was immeasurable. He

rejuvenated Hinduism and Vedanta as his religion. He found that, in Hinduism, which was, to
him the Advaita Vedanta Philosophy of religion, the approach to the highest truth was
psychological. According to him, the different philosophies of Dualism, Qualified Monism
and Monism represent the same truth from different angles according to the temperament and
capacity of their aspirants. There is no contradiction among them. Each religion expresses the
highest truth in its own way. Here we do not get the truth from error but from truth to truth.
We reach higher truth from lower truth. So, there is no need for fanatical quarrel over
religion. The harmony of all religions was the central theme of his teachings. According to
Swamiji, real religion is the realization of the Divine within by every soul. This divinity is
latent within each one of us and the religious practices only bring it to our conscious level.
When one has realized one’s Divinity as a direct experience one has no fear of anything not
even death itself. He must realise this divinity in his thought and selfless actions. Religion is
not the matter of imagination; we must apply religion to our practical world and life.1 The
great master, Sri Ramakrishna taught men to transcend the barriers of his own little self and
to live for enlivening the life of others, knowing that all are but that one in many forms. The
religious orientation and realization of Sri Ramakrishna found its finest expression in the life
of Swami Vivekananda. Like his master, Vivekananda also cherished the world-view based
on Advaita Vedanta view of unity-in difference. As a Karma-Yogi, he did not stand for any
abstract religion but for the religion of work with detachment or work for impersonal ends as
the highest expression of the religious life. Swami Vivekananda learnt from the life and
saying of Sri Ramakrishna that true religion is universal religion. He got support of his
master’s teachings from the 11th verse of the 7th chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita “ye yatha
mann prapadyante tamstathaira bhajamyaham/mama vartma-nuvartante manushyah partha
sarvashah” (who ever comes to me, through whatever form, I reach him; all men are
struggling through paths which in the end lead to me).i
In all his addresses and writings, Vivekananda aimed at the establishment of universal
religion for the betterment of the universe as a whole. But Vivekananda made his surviving
statements on the idea of universal religion in his first address at Chicago Parliament of

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Religion on 11th September, 1893 of the many statements we may remember only two for the
present purpose: (a) “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both
tolerance and universal acceptance”. (b) “We believe not only in universal tolerance but we
accept all religions to be true”.ii
Though he was proud to belong to Hindu religion, he accepted all religions as true. This is his
universalism of religions. So we see his address on Hinduism on 19th September 1893 at the
same place he presented his idea of Universal religion. The one watch word for universal
religion is acceptance. Acceptance is not just tolerance. Tolerance is negative in its import. It
implies that something is being allowed in spite of its being wrong. Swamiji recommends
positive acceptance. Swamiji said, there have been many religions. They have been
quarrelling among themselves, each religion claiming that it is superior. In spite of the
conflicts the major religions have managed to survive. The conflicts instead of weakening
them have added vitality to them. The new thoughts arise only through that conflict. In a
stagnant water there are no whirlpools. These are seen in a living running stream. In the same
manner conflicts awaken new thoughts.
‘Universal Religion’ as suggested by Swami Vivekananda, is not a new addition to the
existing list of known religions like Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hebraism,
Hinduism, Islam, Laninism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism. It is neither a separate
religion nor an alternative caption suggested for any particular religion. Normally one may
expect that as a Hindu and religious preacher he has glorified his own religion by claiming it
to be a universal religion. But it is clear that while talking about universal religion Swamiji’s
intention has not been concentrated in glorifying his own religion, rather the emphasis seems
to have been concentrated the universality aspect of any religion so that bad effects of the
religiosities can be avoided. As we have learnt that universal religion is not a new religion, it
is important to make it more specific, what is meant by universal religion. Here it can be
pointed out that something can be treated to be universal when it keeps its gate open to every
individual one might born from parents of a particular religion but he must have the choice to
adopt any one. The choice of the individual is of prime importance. It is the mark of
universality. Further a religion if capable of giving satisfaction and comfort to every religious
sect can be treated to be universal. The religion should appear reasonable to the people of
other religious sects in order to be universal. When we shall throw away the narrow outlooks,
non-humanitarian considerations from the religions, they all will become universal by nature.

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So, every religion is potentially a universal religion.
According to Swamiji, diversity or plurality is a fact of life. Truth maybe expressed in a
hundred, thousand ways and each of these ways is true. The same thing can be viewed from a
hundred different stand points and yet be the same thing. If one man belonging to one
religion does not think of himself superior to other men belonging to other religions, then the
diversity of religion will not lead to any conflict. Religion never contradicts with one another.
They are really supplementary. All religions are directed towards the same good through
different paths. So harmony should be the basic feature of religions. Suppose a man is
undertaking a journey towards the sun and as he advances he takes a photograph of the sun at
every stage. When he comes back, he has many photographs of the sun which he places
before us. We see that not two are alike but we cannot deny all these photographs of the same
sun. Because these photographs are real photographs of the same sun. Swamiji said, truth
may be expressed in a hundred ways and that each of these ways is true. Suppose we all go
with vessels in our hands to fetch water from a lake. One has a cup, another jar, another a
bucket, and so forth, and we all fill our vessels. The water in each case naturally takes the
form of the vessel carried by each one of us. The goal of all religions is also the same in
essence. The goal of all religions and all mankind is re-union with God or with the divinity
which is every man’s true nature. Harmony is the keynote of Swamiji’s religious teachings.
He explores that amidst the chaos there is a note of concord and he who is prepared to listen
it will catch the tone. By harmony Swamiji meant unity and not uniformity. Harmony cannot
be obtained by a combination of different views about God. We cannot make all conform to
the same ideas. If we all thought alike we would be like Egyptian mummies in a museum
looking vacantly at one another’s faces. When religions are dead, there will be no more sects;
it will be the perfect peace and harmony of the grave. But in reality, sects and variation of
thought is the sign of life and it must be there. So, one of the natural characteristics of the
universal religion is based on universal toleration. The universal sympathy humanizes one
sect of religious activity with the other in spite of their internal and external conflicts. It adds
vitality to them and enables them to expand and to live. By Universal Religion he did not
mean any one Universal philosophy or any one universal mythology or any one universal
ritual held alike by all. Because he knew that this world must go on working wheel within
wheel, this intricate mass of machinery, most complex, most wonderful. We can only make it
run smoothly, we can lessen the friction, and we can grease the wheels as it were. We must

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recognize the natural necessity of variation. Variety is the first principle of life. Perfect
balance would be our destruction. The unity of sameness can come only when this universe is
destroyed otherwise such a thing is impossible. From his spiritual point of view Sri
Ramakrishna realized that there is no existence of more than one religion. Only the one
infinite religion exists. This religion expresses itself through different forms in the different
countries i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism in India, Zoroastrianism, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam is western countries, Taoism, Confucianism of China, and Shintoism
of Japan. So, we must respect all religions. We must try to accept all of them. This establishes
the philosophy of universal religion. Vivekananda’s universalism is essentially a creative
religious tolerance which accepts all religions. Vivekananda’s ideal of universal religion does
not mean a universal church and a universal scripture. He never thought that Hinduism had
achieved the universality. But he thought that it had the potentiality to mature into such a
broad and catholic faith. He looked upon religion as a growing, dynamic spirit, unfettered by
any sectarian injunction. This capacity to expand gives a religion its universality and makes it
friendly to other religions. Religions must be inclusive, and not to look down with contempt
upon one another, because their particular ideals of God are different. So ‘Religion’ for
Vivekananda is synonymous with ‘universalism’ of the spirit. Religion is universal.
Individual religion is particular. Universal includes particular. In other words, particular
exists in universal. Vivekananda realized truth of universal religion and truth ultimately lead
to man’s spiritual life. He practiced both Christianity and Islam without renouncing his
ancestral faith. Individual religion varies one form of expression to other form of expression.
But universal religion co-ordinates or unites varied sects of religion and declares that the
philosophy of universal religion is based on the philosophy of humanism. It is above the
identity-in and through difference. Universal religion must open its gates, to every individual.
It must admit that nobody is born with this or that religion, whether he takes to one religion
or the other must ultimately be left to his inner likes and choice. In this sense by
individualizing religion we really universalize it. The universal religion must honour to every
religious sect. A really universal religion must be able to give satisfaction and comfort to
every religious sect. So, universal religion has a broader perspective. One religion should pay
due honour to other religion. That is good. But, better is to harmonize one religion with other
through spiritual interaction. Vivekananda believed in a plurality of religions. Humanity,
sympathy, tolerance and other related terms are the distinguished religious segments for

8
catering the universal religion. Universal religion would consist in various ways of approach
to the religious objects. It gives perfect liberty to the individual in this regard. Religion comes
out of life. It can never be divorced from it. The purpose of life is to realize God. That is to
say, religion is based on realization. It cannot be hypothetical in outlook. One cannot prove it
in a laboratory. So, Vivekananda wanted to establish a unity of religion. Good God is the
ultimate unity of the universe. Realization of this unity is God. This may be said to represent
the ideal of Universal Religion. Universal Religion is a search for power to overcome the evil
side of life even more than its concern for understanding what life as its centre or depth
means. Religion has an element of feeling with its rich overtones. It is all pervading. It is all
comprehensive. It pleads for unity of humanity. It makes a happy harmony between religion
and religion. It needs universal service. It is a human activity. It believes the fundamental of
all living faiths. Universal religion is basis for universal peace and co-existence. It brings up
a sense of socio-cultural relation in the world; and keeps the humanitarian service for living
and leading a peaceful co-existence in the human society of the world. Swamiji has also a
practical plan of realizing harmony of religions. According to him, in first place he would ask
mankind to recognise this maxim that do not destroy humanity and secondly take man where
he stands and from there give him a lift. All religions are directed towards the same goal
along different paths. He uses the metaphor of different radii leading to the same centre. And
at the centre, where all radii meet, all the differences will cease. Each of us is naturally
growing and developing according to his own nature, each will in time come to know the
highest truth. Your duty is to afford opportunities and to remove obstacles and there your
duty ends. Each man’s master is his own soul. Each has to learn for himself. Each has to
make himself. Therefore help, if you can, but do not destroy. One common element of the
universal religion is God. There is a unity in all things. We see man and woman are different
but they are human beings. Different religious talk of different aspects of truth still they are
one. Truth is God. Every religion is struggling towards the realization of the ultimate unity or
God. This is the ideal of the universal Religion. A religion is universal religion when it is
universally accepted by all. It is above the caste, creed, sex and nationality. The universal
religion must open its gates to every individual. It must honour to every religious sect. It
gives satisfaction and comfort to every religious sect. So, universal religion has a broader
perspective. One religion should pay due honour to other religion. Swamiji, wants to
establish a religion that will be equally acceptable to all minds. It must be equally

9
philosophic, equally emotional, equally mystic and equally conducive to action. This
combination will be the ideal of the nearest approach to a universal religion to become
harmoniously balanced in all these four directions in his ideal of religion. And this religion is
attained by Yoga or union with God. ‘Yoga’ means “Yoke” to join, that is, to join the soul of
man with the supreme soul or God. Swamiji wanted a total development of all the four
Yogas. Hence he advocated a combination of all the four Yogas. To the worker it is union
between the men and the whole of unity. To the mystic, it is union between his lover and
higher self. To the lover, it is union between himself and the God of love. To the philosopher,
it is the union of all existence. The ultimate goal of each Yoga is the same that is realization
of the supreme self. Each of four Yogas represents the development of one particular mental
faculty that is reason, emotion or will. The spiritual practices prescribed by these Yogas build
up character. Universal religion is a discovery of universality in all religion. Swamiji thinks
of the possibility of bringing together all religions of the world under one umbrella. The
dream of Vivekananda was to propagate a universal religion based on the spiritual synthesis.
The aim of the universal religion of Swami Vivekananda is to glorify the universe with peace
and harmony by overcoming the apparent contradictions and fictitious differences among the
different religious faiths. The main aim of Universal Religion is just to teach us the
knowledge of the divinity of the soul, the nonduality of God-head, the unity of existence and
one greater thing, that is, universality or harmony of all different religions. “All religions are
true”. The important thing is to reach to roof. One can reach it by stone stairs. One can reach
it by wooden stairs. One can reach it by bamboo steps. One can reach it by a rope. One can
also climb up by a bamboo pole. It depends upon one’s sincerity and earnestness of faith on
God. It is God alone who is called ‘Satchidananda
Brahma’ in the Vedas, ‘Satchidananda Krishna’ in the Puranas, and
‘Satchidananda Shiva’ in the Tantras. It is one and the same Satchidananda. One can realize it
after a long period of earnest quest. Where it comes, it shakes the very foundation of the
personality of the seeker. It is like a huge elephant entering a small hut. The house shakes to
its foundation. Perhaps it falls to pieces. It is the question of state of realization. The state of
Brahman – realization is not Philosophy. It is a matter of spiritual attainment. Vivekananda is
an Advaitavadin. His philosophy of Universal Religion teaches us that to love God and
realized the Ever-living God and feel that “All are one” is the true spiritual mark of
understanding religion. It regulates the human life. If there is no inner life there is no religion

10
either. Religion is a matter of the inner life. Religion intervenes human conduct. One should
not make any distinction between a Bihari, Bengali and Kualite, Pratestants and Catholics.
He should realize his oneness with other followers of various other religions. All distinctions
differences and dualism will be blotted out. Man cannot live without religion. It is rational
and very deeply intellectual. This is all about what Swami Vivekananda’s philosophy of
Universal Religion. It has great socio-philosophic relevance to built up the world peace in the
modern times. In other words, religion will be prominent enough to guide the scientific
world.

The 21st-century information technology revolution has changed societal values, economics,
culture, and social stratification in our society. The term "cyber society" or "virtual society"
refers to the postmodern, post-industrial era in which we live; in this society, the workplace
has undergone transformation. Modern communication system developments have made the
world a global village. Creating and modifying symbols is becoming a business for our
culture. What matters is how it brings the culture to light, not that the culture has grown into
a major induatrythat fuels conflict and confrontations in the contemporary world.

Man and his existence are inextricably linked to religion. Additionally, it is something that a
guy possesses. Through self-realization, everyone should comprehend God as a part of their
soul. Religion is the human manifestation of the innate divine. As a result, intellectual
reasoning and doctrines or dogmas are not required. That is what our hearts deep down
realise. It is experiencing God, realising that I am a spirit in relationship to the universal spirit
and all of its magnificent expressions, and touching God.

His basic interpretation of religion is that man needs to recognise, experience, see, and
communicate with God. That's the faith. Material riches and fortune don't have much
significance for him. But for human evolution, a wealth of spiritual ideas is required.

He recognised the multiplicity of religions in human society and their equal standing. He did
not, however, come to this conclusion right away. He questioned multiplicity of religions and
veracity. Because all other faiths instantly become untrue if we declare one to be true. He
asserts that all faiths are complementary to one another rather than inherently incompatible.

11
He asserts that "each religion, in a sense, takes up one portion of the great universal truth and
devotes all of its energy to embodying and typifying that portion of the great truth." Thus, it
is an inclusion rather than an exclusion [Vivekananda, 1984: 28].

The world's faiths together form a single whole. According to him, there is only one Eternal
Religion, and all other religions are only its variants. Every religion has a distinct bent, a
specific quality, or some redeeming qualities, and what makes them unique isn't their
architectural design.

Some faiths use different languages, ceremonies, literature, etc., yet every religion has an
interior essence. The spirit that underlies each religion varies from religion to religion
[Vivekananda (Vol.II), 1989: 365]. "So, in my opinion, all these religions are distinct forces
operating in God's economy for the benefit of humanity," he says [Ibid.]. The world's faiths
together form a single whole. Every religion may be used to achieve the same goal. It is not
required to convert to a different religion. Accepting some of the moral precepts of different
religions can enhance one's life.
We might refer to his creation of a new worldwide religious ideal as universal brotherhood or
universal love. Since it is based on the existence of truth, all faiths in the world are accorded
equal weight. In addition to being the ultimate truth, his definition of truth is scientific and
applicable to everyone [Kenneth, 1989: 89]. It doesn't need much literary expertise to
comprehend this; rather, practice is needed. Because of this, I think this idea is applicable to
all people, all cultures, and all countries, regardless of their religious views. It is nothing
more than the unity of all religions, and it may be the greatest way to resolve the many
religious disputes that now exist in the globe.

When he adds, "The proof of one religion depends on the proof of all the others," he relates
the story rather well. "If I have six fingers and no one else does, you may say that it is
abnormal." The claim that one religion is true and all others are wrong may be supported
using the same logic. Just one religion would be strange, like having just one set of six
fingers in the universe. As may be seen,

12
Consequently, all other religions must be true if one is. Religion in this sense is like the
saying, "Many lamps, one light." The ideal reality, the One and only perfection of existence,
is the Ultimate. "Going beneath the surface reveals that unity between humans and other
humans, between races and races, high and low, rich and poor, god and humans, and between
humans and animals," he declares. All things may be understood as only different
manifestations of the One if you dig deep enough, and someone who has reached this level of
Oneness will no longer be deluded. What could possibly fool him? He is aware of the truth
and the mystery behind everything. Where are his days of suffering to come from?
Vivekanada (Vol, ii), 1989: 153. "He has traced the reality of everything to the Lord, the
Centre, the Unity of everything, and that is Eternal Existence, Eternal Knowledge, and
Eternal Bliss."

The famous Vedic saying "Tat Tvam Asi," which translates to "Thou art That," encapsulates
this statement of Universal Being. It holds that every soul resides in the body and that when
you injure someone, you also hurt yourself, and when you love someone, you also love
yourself. A current of hatred harms you and everyone else it comes into contact with. In order
to make the garden of harmony and love flourish, disseminate love [Vivekananda, 2015: 37].
It emphasises the central tenet of Vedanta, which holds that man is divine and that everything
that surrounds us is a byproduct of that divine awareness. Therefore, every soul has the
capacity to be divine, and the aim is to make this divinity known within by manipulating both
internal and outward nature. This is what religion is all about.

The idea of human equality serves as the foundational idea for his proposal of a global
religion. It serves as the foundation for his theological thought. This is a notion that is crucial
to the contemporary global period. Its applicability to the current, cosmopolitan world is
crucial, because material fulfilment of one's desires should be prioritised above all else. It is
causing ideals like fraternity, tolerance, compassion, and love to disappear and increasing
racial, caste, and religious strife. In my opinion, Vivekananda's "Universal Religion"
ideology is the only thing that can halt this and plant the seed of peace in the globe. Another
characteristic of universal religion is that it has to be acceptable to all minds. It has to satisfy
the largest possible pro- proportion of mankind, and, therefore, it must be able to supply food
to all the various types of mind. Therefore, Vivekananda says that the ideal religion must

13
harmoniously balance all the as- pects of religion namely, philosophy, emotion, work, and
mysti- cism. "And this religion is attained by what we, in India, call Yoga-union. To the
worker, it is union between men and the whole of humanity, to the mystic, between his lower
and Higher Self, to the lover, union between himself and the God of Love, and to the
philosopher, it is the union of all existence. This is what is meant by Yoga", and, the aim of
yoga is union, realisation of oneness. Vivekananda says, "Religion is realisation, not talk, nor
doctrine, nor theories...it is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the
whole soul becoming changed into what it believes."

14
 Chapter -3
Religion Tolerance

The word "tolerance" has been used since the 15th century to refer to "the power or capacity
of sustaining." In the sixteenth century, it took on a more political connotation, signifying
"action of allowing; licence, permission granted by authority" (e.g., Queen Elizabeth I might
permit the Puritans to continue their religious traditions, which she did not adhere to). The
term "tolerance" then gained more recognition in the English language. "The disposition of
being patient with or indulgent to the opinions and practices of others" is what Richard Davis
defined as tolerance. As a result, the meaning associated with the word "tolerance" is a
unique cultural creation of Europe that occasionally developed within a particular religious
and political context. But concepts like tolerance are taught to us as "enlightened" values that
are fostered for humanity and are thought to be universal values unaffected by the historical
particularities of any particular civilization.

Similar to how the word tolerance may have varied meanings in different religions or
cultures, its meaning would also fluctuate throughout Europe. The idea of tolerance, which
originated in Hinduism, is not the same as how it is portrayed in secular modernity, which is
mostly shaped by Western narratives. This article is devoted to the great spiritual teacher
Swami Vivekananda, who approximately 130 years ago brought the Indian concept of
coexistence on the global stage in Chicago. After September 11, 1893, new doors opened for
him, Hinduism, and India in the West because of his insightful remarks at the Parliament of
World's Religions, which expressed the message in a manner understandable to Western
minds.

Religious tolerance is a useful tool that has been applied in a variety of contexts in the past.
Even in the modern period, every faith makes an effort to claim the term for itself and
characterise itself as fundamentally tolerant. The subtle differences that lie at the core of each
religion's inclusivist and exclusivist attitudes towards other religions, which are in turn
largely shaped by their worldview, are what allow each religion to claim to be tolerant.

15
The core of the Western perspective on religious evolution is supersessionism. Christianity
claims to have advanced from Judaism and to have built upon it. Furthermore, Islam
describes itself historically as a religion that developed from earlier faiths, while Islam is
seen by Christians as a heresy. Within this conceptual framework, every religion asserts that
it has reached a state of perfectum with respect to a universal truth claim, which is seen as a
"historical" accomplishment brought about by the passage of time. Each religion in this
scheme of things lowers its predecessor to nothing more than a step required to reach a state
of perfection. It suggests that since the new faith is based on a fresh revelation from God, the
old religion is "outdated" and the new faith is "true." A constant contrast to the other serves to
legitimise such self-positioning, much as Christianity views itself as a "New creation"
derived from Judaism because it is both fundamental to and in constant contradiction to
Judaism.

Therefore, the ancient Testament is still regarded as "old" in the language of the "New"
Testament. "For it, the new emerges only out of overcoming the old, from the break with it,
from its dissolution or destruction, out of a reform, a revolution or a turn," as stated by
Arbogast Schmitt. This is also the paradigm under which "modernity" and "tradition,"
"science" and "faith," interact with one another in the West as diametrically opposed entities.
Other faiths that emerged after that perfection was attained—like Islam from a Christian
standpoint—are viewed as a heresy or a degeneration from the real faith. Undoubtedly, this
has frequently resulted in bloodshed and strife between different religions and their factions.
However, supersessionism has also had an impact on how each religion views "tolerance"
and how people should respect one another.

Having recognised this issue within the Abrahamic religions, which dominated the world,
Swami Vivekananda saw that in order for religions and mankind to coexist, this
supersessionist culture needed to be exposed and destroyed. What Swamiji highlights is a
shift towards assimilation and harmony rather than discord and destruction, in contrast to
supersessionism, which 'dreams of exclusive survival of his own religion and destruction of
others'.

16
The Vedic teaching of ēkam sat viprah bahūta vadantī, which states that there is only one
truth and that different sages express it, was expounded by Swami Vivekananda. Coming up
with such a magnificent philosophy that has the volume to accept everything while remaining
proud of its own traditions is not only challenging but enlightening, especially when the
conversation turns to whether my god is the only true god or whether my religious book
contains the most superior truth in the world. By taking the initiative, Swāmiji not only
expanded the definition of brotherhood beyond its original connotations but also set an
example for "acceptance" as opposed to "tolerance." The idea of brotherhood based solely on
religious affiliation is quite constrained. Eventually, it turns into another kind of arrogantly
self-righteous organisation. By approaching the idea of brotherhood from a universal
perspective, Swami Vivekananda expanded its meaning. He made this statement on
September 11, 1893, in Chicago, Illinois, at the Parliament of World's Religions.
Nonetheless, as the Vedās and the Upanisads served as the foundation for Swāmiji's lectures,
he never claimed ownership of the idea, instead attributing it to the Indic textual traditions.

The West, which had been limited to religious and sectarian fraternity, was overtaken by
Swāmiji’s ideas on universal brotherhood. The Parliament of World's Religions was quietly
meant to serve as a venue for demonstrating the superiority of one religion over another, but
Swamiji turned it into a forum for interfaith harmony. Swāmiji gave an example of how one
might appreciate all other religions while still being proud of one's own. There is still a
temptation to force one's beliefs on others, even in today's world of divided creeds and sects.
He described the future direction of religious talks and debates as follows: "The Christian is
not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian," in
his speech to the Parliament of World's Religions during its last session. However, each must
absorb the essence of the others while maintaining his uniqueness and developing in
accordance with his own rule of growth."iii

During this time, everyone can find guidance in Swāmiji's message of universal brotherhood,
which encourages acceptance rather than just tolerance. Over the course of the 17-day
Parliament of World's Religions (September 11–27, 1893), Swami Vivekananda gave six
speeches. India experienced a paradigm shift during the Parliament, as Swāmiji not only

17
demonstrated his unparalleled oratory skills but also fostered a reverence for Indian
philosophy among Western intellectuals.

18
 Chapter -4
Universal Religion and practical vedanta

Native Americans must let rid of their narrow-mindedness, superstitions, religious

intolerance, and sense of enslavement if they are to transcend their nationalism. One cannot
feel the pride of a nation if they do not recognise their own divinity, the power of equality
and togetherness, and the grip that fraternity and sovereignty have over them. To me, the
Indian Renaissance was a philosophical awakening that deeply connected to reformation by
freeing the intellect from the ignorance of dogmatic ideas that hindered humanity's
development towards the divine.

In addition to the role Brahmasamaja had in Bengal's national awakening, Vivekananda's

support of the most complete, secular, and ethically and spiritually correct version of
Hindutva had a profound and enduring ethical-religious influence on the Indian Renaissance.
In this essay, I want to evaluate his achievements and discuss their applicability in light of the
current cultural crises. One Practical Vedantic is Vivekananda. Realising the identity of one's
own personal and social reality leads to the development of vedantic philosophy, which is
founded on the Upanisads, Gita, and Brahmasutras. According to his Vedanta, each person is
one and the same with the all-encompassing truth rather than a separate entity. It is so ancient
that the great masters have continuously interpreted it, and their interpretations occasionally
illuminate the ideal that should be followed.

The conventional understanding of Vedanta is that it is a philosophy grounded in Advaitic

metaphysics, according to which there is only one reality—individual consciousness—and
therefore the outside world is untrue. The two logics that underpin the whole Advaita Vedanta
metaphysical philosophy are "Abadhitvam hi satyavam," which states that reality is
unaffected by time in any form—past, present, or future—and "Badhitvam hi
anirvaaniyatvam," which states that those who falsify are untrue (Mithya). Theorists who
emphasise the former view everything as spirit-driven and therefore true, while those who
emphasise the latter view the world of knowing and doing as false, fearing that accepting the
world as real would amount to a dualistic position. These two characteristics served as the
distinct criteria of two different sorts of existences. Why support the cause of the world,

19
which is essentially supporting untruth, if the latter kind of existences is false? This may be
the reason why Dvaita Vedanta is regarded by those who seek spiritual guidance as a
transcending philosophy. Modern Indian philosophers have recognised that everything is
spirit in the grand scheme of things; nothing is untrue, according to their interpretation of the
Vedas. The sensation of diversity—which is simply to be sublated—is what is untrue, not the
universe or the individual—because it gives rise to the vision that "all is spirit" when
sublated. The philosophical community has recognised the need to thoroughly examine the
ethical and social implications of Vedanta without getting bogged down in pointless
metaphysical disputes, thanks to the various interpretations of Vedantic metaphysics and the
various logics offered for various kinds of existences, even though all things are spirit.
Among those visualizers, Vivekananda made a significant contribution that is still very
important now. In fact, as a philosophy of helping mankind as one's own service, it is
pertinent for all ages.

He seems to me to be a spiritist humanist whose goal was to free humanity's thinking from
religious and philosophical beliefs in order to facilitate the realisation of the same spirit both
within and outside. Through his many lectures and writings that are in our possession, we
have the privilege of assessing the uniqueness and spirit of Vivekananda's ideas, his attempt
to liberate human thought from various sectarian ideologies, the depth of his intellect, and the
amazing analytic and synthetic sectarian poet of his mind. For a variety of reasons, he strikes
me as a non-technical philosopher who was more interested in the freedom of mind, its
applications, and its practical implications than in the methodical theorization of Vedantic
concepts. His belief that the existence of an impersonal God is logical or rationally necessary
in order to accept the existence of the individual, the cosmos, and God. The word "Maya,"
used in a non-technical sense to refer to flaws and faults, and his concept of religion as a
spirit without an external master—to which, as religious groups often assume—everything
and ideas are subject. Although his concept of a global religion may not sit well with
technical academics or religious groups, it has such practical implications for shaping human
existence to resemble divine that it will always have value.In this work, I limit my
observations to a few of his spirit philosophy's implications and their applicability in light of
the current cultural crises.

20
Many religious groups with some covert ideologies have developed in the name of religion
these days. They are active religious organisations with roots outside that practise several
religions throughout the nation. They are helpful in deceiving the religious community since
they are, in reality, active mafia gangs masquerading as godmen. They want to maintain the
members of the group's sexually chaotic lives and materialistic appetites behind the curtain of
religion.

According to Vivekananda, religion ought to be inclusive of all mentalities. According to

Swami Bhasyananand, it is imperative to foster religious thinking in the purest meaning
possible so that disagreements would spark new ideas rather than arguments. While sects
could still exist, sectarianism is not appropriate. Static water has whirlpols in it. Such water is
unsuitable for usage and only begs for moss. Every person should have the freedom to adhere
to the rites and mythology of their chosen ancestry. Religions are weak because they
encourage people to believe in fictitious entities that exist outside of the spirit and educate
them to disregard superstitions. He states, I have see enough evils from the authority other
than the spirit,so I believe in raccoon and follow reason."
Vivekananda asserted that every man's thoughts are unique. No seer has notions that are
exactly the same as everyone else's (Nasau muniryasya matam na bhinna). In the sense that
he attempts to reconcile differences, even opposites, not only as the manifestation of the same
spirit but also as the unmanifested spirit with the ability to manifest as the same spirit, a
spiritualist is a universalist.According to him, there are open opportunities to realise
underprivileged beings in there who share the same spirit, therefore the diversity and
distinctions between lives are numeric rather than qualitative because they are essentially all
the same spirit. The religion of Vedanta, he thanks, completely refutes the notions that
animals and humans are distinct entities and that animals were created by God to be our
nourishment. There is simply a degree difference—not a sort difference. Spiritually speaking,
these distinctions are meaningless and may be eliminated by expanding the spirit inside and
altering the narrow sense.

Though it is not one of the numerous sectarian faiths, religion of spirit is a religion intended
to elevate a person to divinity. It is a religion that is thoroughly convergent with finding out

21
the truth or spirit without a claim of self as final. It is neither precisely a synthesis of various
faiths, nor is it a culmination based on a process of generalising the great values of many
religions. Basic superstitions of a sectarian religion include the separate authority of only
one's own book of faith, man-worship including the words of a prophet, angel, or even God,
and the bigotry that one's faith is the only one that is legitimate and acceptable. However, in
his religion of spirit, all books, prophets, and faiths are of relative importance, and the spirit
is the only being that is accommodating. Each and every religion is an expression or
manifestation of spirit, and each one serves as a kind of spiritual nursery for those who aspire
to be religious. As Swami Bhajanananda correctly points out, "Swami is the founder of world
religion. His idea of a worldwide religion, however, does not involve spreading Vedanta over
the entire world and converting people to its teachings, as Christianity and Islam have been
doing for millennia. The coexistence of all religions, each recognising the finest aspects of
the others, is his conception of a global religion.

Religion in India, as well as practically every other country in the globe, is increasingly
centred around superstitions that are supported by self-proclaimed godmen. It is growing
more enigmatic and undermining the average person's capacity for reason. Vivekananda's
findings indicate that we already possess all of the universe's capabilities. We wail because it
is dark and place our hands in front of our eyes. and go to gods or godmen to force us to see
things that we are blind to if we close our eyes.

He distinguishes between the life of spirit and the life that is hypnotised. The former is a false
existence, according to him, a life of a slave to God, prophets, books, rituals, or other similar
separatist myths, which one mistakenly believes to be untrue. These are weaknesses, and the
solution to them is not to dwell on them but to consider our own inner strength. "Teach men
about the strength that is already within them," he adds. Make a strong impression on them.
The greatest benefit we may receive from trust in ourselves comes from the faith of God
inside.

As I have already mentioned, Vivekananda believed that religion ought to be inclusive of all
minds and ways of life. Considering this, he defined an atheist as someone who did not
believe in oneself. Saying that he is an atheist and does not believe in God or prophets is

22
untrue. Spirit religion promotes faith in everything because everything is you. When he states
that action will follow from a full heart, the hand will work and speech will flow from it, he
sets himself apart from other philosophers. The life of work with all divinity and without
superstitions is the life of divine energy and action beyond all weaknesses, and the person
who follows his vocation, which is the spirit, lives a true religions life, a life that gives one's
life meaning. All actions are manifested, transformed by the very power of the thought.

23
 Chapter-5
Universal Religion and Yoga

1) Yoga's meaning: Everyone aspires to live a happy, contented, and tranquil existence.
because enjoyment is innate to our nature. However, man looks outside himself for this
enjoyment, when the source of happiness lies inside.
Every soul has the capacity to be divine, according to Swami Vivekananda. The objective is
to govern both internal and exterior nature in order to express this divinity. It implies that just
as a seed may grow into a large tree, so too does every human being have the potential to be
divine and immortal, and that the purpose of life is to bring this innate divinity to life by
mastering both our interior and exterior natures. Continuing what Swami Vivekananda has
said, "Achieve this through labour, devotion, spiritual guidance, or philosophy—by any or all
of these, and be free." This encompasses all of religion. Meaning that there are several
methods, such as Karma, Bhakti, Meditation, or Knowledge, that may be used to govern
nature. And yoga aims to achieve this.
According to Swami Vivekananda, the word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word "yoke,"
which means "to join," uniting us with God and reality. implies that the reunion of our true
essence, Atma, Divinity, and God, is the sole purpose and objective of all religions and the
ultimate goal of all humankind. And yoga is the name of both the goal and the strategy used
to achieve it.
Many people still think of yoga as "Postural Yoga," which refers to the asanas used during
meditation. However, in contemporary postural yoga, meditation may or may not be
incorporated, with the postures itself being used for physical well-being. Even further, the
Maharshi Patanjali defines yoga as -Yogah chitta vritti nirodh, which is closer to Swami
Vivekananda's assertion that yoga is about realising oneself in relation to God. Physical
wellbeing is secondary, despite its importance.
2) The doctrine of yoga: According to Swami Vivekananda, the practice of yoga teaches that
all power resides within the soul. It is already present, and all of the power will manifest if
we can control this body.
All wisdom resides in the soul. Why do individuals face difficulties? to decrease the
suffering. We are the source of all misery because we lack control over our bodies. If you can
manage your body in this way, all of the world's suffering will end. The senses are the source

24
of all human suffering. Only the sensual individual man is capable of possessing both delight
and misery. Controlling the senses, the will, and the mind allows one to transcend relative
knowledge and the sense-world through yoga.
And how to recognise Him both within and without is the central idea of yoga. 3)
The Path of Yoga: The ultimate goal of yoga is union with God, but due to the
diversity of human temperaments, there are diverse approaches to achieving this goal.
While there are many other types of union yogas, the most popular ones are Karma,
Bhakti, Raja, and Jnana yogas.
a) Karma-Yoga: A man discovers his own divinity by deeds and obligations. The
"troublemaker" ego may become the "troubleshooter" ego by taking the right
activities, according to the yoga of selfless action. It states that you should still use all
of your mental strength, honesty, and commitment to your work, even if you do not
believe in God. Remain detached and diligent in your task for its own sake. Leave the
products of your labour to the Lord and stop worrying about the outcome.
b) Bhakti-Yoga: The understanding of one's own divinity via love and devotion to a
personal God. This is the cleansing process that occurs within. It teaches that love is the
essential component for all human beings. Ego contaminates love, releasing bad aspects such
as desire, greed, envy, and rage, whereas love itself is pure and cosmic. The only one who
really loves us is God. Pray, chant, study, and hold sacred company near to your heart to
instill holy ideas and words into your consciousness.
c) Raja-Yoga: Mind control leading to the realisation of divinity. It aims to awaken the
inner spark of self-knowledge in order to become divine. The majority of searchers
lack the endurance and patience necessary to follow this road and make the sacrifices
that it requires. Raja-Yoga refutes the idea that the mind is corrupted and cannot
follow reason. It instructs you to face and remove your mind's uneasiness by teaching
you how to meditate and focus.
d) Jnana-Yoga: Knowledge-based realisation of one's own divinity. The route to wisdom
is this one. It purges the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge, reviving
the "fire" and "light" by consuming all mental impurities. Until the mind has
experienced something more sublime and elevated, it will not relinquish its
commitment to earthly pleasures. True emancipation, according to Jnana-Yoga, comes
from self-knowledge.

25
4.Yogas for Harmony:- A crucial aspect of Swami Vivekananda's yoga philosophy is the
harmony of the four forms of yoga. With the help of each of these four yogas, one can
advance more successfully in the direction of God-realization.
Would to God, according to Swami Vivekananda, that all people were so well formed that all
these components of philosophy, mysticism, emotion, and labour were equally and fully
present in their thoughts! That's my conception of the ideal man, that's the ideal,My objective
of religion is to become harmoniously balanced in each of these four directions. And what we
in India refer to as Yoga Union is the path to this religion.
Swami Vivekananda is asked, "What do you mean by the harmony of four Yogas?" by a
questioner. "Discrimination between the real and unreal, dispassion and devotion, work and
practices in concentration," responds Swami Vivekananda.
In reference to the fact that all of these yogas complement one another, Swami Vivekananda
states of Karma-Yoga to a disciple: "You can never practise Karma-Yoga without spiritual
practices." To maintain your mind and heart focused entirely on the Lord, you need to
balance the four various forms of yoga. Meditation promotes all of these things: labour,
study, and devotion support each other. Even if one may predominate, all are beneficial to
one's spiritual life.
Vivekananda strongly asserts that the essence of all the religions is one. To realize this type of
religion, man should have to practice four yogas. It is the yoga of knowledge or control of
mind, or of selfless work or of love of God everything is possible and this is the realization of
religion. Vivekananda believed that the ideal of religion can be attained through four paths:
Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga. As a Karma-Yogi, he believed that
the highest expression of religion is work with detachment, or work for impersonal ends. He
believed that all religions of the world together constitute one whole, and that there is only
one Eternal Religion of which all other religions are variations. It is possible to attain this
religion with the help of 'Yoga' — 'Union'. For instance, to the worker it is the union between
men and the whole of humanity, to the mystic between his lower and the higher self and the
God of love and to the philosopher it is the union of all existence being and this is meant by
yoga. Swamiji Identifies the aim of yoga with the aim of Vedanta: namely, the attainment of
God-realisation, the manifestation of the potential divinity within us and within all beings, a
realisation which leads to liberation moksha or mukti from the cycle of rebirth, samsara, to
which we have been subject for countless lifetimes.Other important features of Swamiji’s

26
approach to yoga include an emphasis on renunciation as an essential condition for the
practice of yoga.

Swami Vivekananda’s perspectives on yoga provide valuable insights into the holistic nature
of this ancient practice. Through his teachings, we understand that yoga is not merely a
physical exercise but a comprehensive approach to achieving optimal health and well-being.
Swami Vivekananda emphasized the integration of mind, body, and soul, highlighting the
significance of physical health, mental discipline, and spiritual growth. By embracing yoga as
a communiqué to the mind, body, and soul, individuals can enhance their immunity, vitality,
and overall well-being. Swami Vivekananda’s teachings continue to inspire and guide
countless individuals on their yogic journey towards self-realization and optimal health.
Renowned Indian philosopher and spiritual guide Swami Vivekananda highlighted the
potential of yoga in attaining overall well-being. His teachings clarified the importance of
yoga as a way to achieve the highest levels of immunity, vigour, and health. We will examine
Swami Vivekananda's theories on yoga as a message to the mind, body, and soul in this
scholarly blog, as well as how it might improve energy and immunity. We may learn more
about the holistic nature of yoga and how it affects general well-being by looking at his ideas.

Yoga as the Union of Mind, Body, and Soul: According to Swami Vivekananda, yoga is a
complete discipline that includes mind, body, and soul integration. He underlined that only
when these three elements were harmoniously united could real well-being be attained.
Swami Vivekananda asserted that yoga encompassed not just physical exercise but also
mental and spiritual disciplines.
Physical Well-Being and Vitality via Yoga: Swami Vivekananda understood the significance
of good physical health as the cornerstone of spiritual development. He highlighted the use of
yoga poses, or asanas, as a way to detoxify the body and enhance flexibility, strength, and
general wellbeing. According to Swami Vivekananda, the mind and soul cannot operate at
their best if the body is not in good condition.
Mental Control and Discipline for Emotional Stability and Clarity: Swami Vivekananda
highlighted the need of meditation and focus as essential elements of yoga. He understood
that our inability to reach our full potential is caused by our minds' frequent restlessness and

27
disarray. By practicing yoga, people may develop a peaceful, concentrated mind that
improves mental clarity, emotional stability, and general well-being.
Yoga as a Road to Spiritual Development and Self-Realization: According to Swami
Vivekananda, yoga is a life-changing technique that enables people to connect with their
higher selves and recognise their inherent divinity. He thought that practicing yoga was a
method to get beyond the ego's constraints and achieve a deep oneness with the universal
awareness. For maximum health and well-being, self-realization and spiritual development
are necessary, according to Swami Vivekananda.
Swami Vivekananda recognised the close connection that exists between the mind and body
as well as immunity. He thought that having a clear, concentrated mind improved immunity
and enhanced general health and wellbeing. In his yoga teachings, Swami Vivekananda
stressed the value of keeping a balanced lifestyle that comprised a healthy diet, consistent
exercise, and an optimistic outlook. People who do yoga may feel less stressed, have a
stronger immune system, and have more energy.
The views of Swami Vivekananda on yoga offer important insights into the comprehensive
character of this age-old discipline. Through his teachings, we have come to perceive yoga as
a complete method to obtaining optimal health and well-being, rather than just a physical
activity. The unity of mind, body, and soul was stressed by Swami Vivekananda, who also
underlined the need of mental clarity, physical well-being, and spiritual development.
Through accepting yoga as a communication between the mind, body, and spirit, people may
improve their general health, vigour, and immunity. Numerous people are still motivated and
assisted by Swami Vivekananda's teachings as they pursue yoga in order to achieve
selfrealization and good health.

28
 Conclusion
Racial segregation and civil unrest are occurring on the name, number, and nature of God.
Super government corruption mafia is there, posing as god men. Because of its more efficient
government, political leaders have been drawn to it as a means of obtaining wealth, power,
and positions in politics. God mankind are becoming more powerful than God, and under the
guise of religion and spirituality, many superstitions, divisions, and misunderstandings are
pervasive in the minds of the general public.
Practical Vedanta holds that God is not one or many, but that God is everything. This view of
God is quite uncommon in the annals of philosophy. Because of the nature of God, it is
illogical to claim that A is the god of my faith while B is the god of his. The good deeds of
prophets, priests, seers, and all great men are manifestations of spirit in many languages, and
they are not distinct from the language of spirit of which they are diverse expressions. These
manifestations are beneficial for encouraging one to grow and pursue divinity. He thus
advises those who follow the religion of the spirit to honour them as channels for a heavenly
existence. He views all religious groups, ceremonies, and the worship of God and man as
nurseries from which one might learn to realise one's own spirit within the cosmos. It adheres
to self-restrained principles that emphasise independence, dignity, and self-reliance.
Religions that believe that strength, protection, knowledge, contentment, and happiness
originate from inside rather than from the outside are those that believe in making a man
closer to God rather than God himself. These are weak things: God, prophet, book, God
men, etc. He believes that Spirit is the truth and that it belongs to no one. Each person is
given it as their own soul, and the role of a religious teacher is to impart that knowledge to
other people. He once said, "If you are not God, there never was and never will be a God."
Man is capable of achieving the greatest glory, even if he does so on his own. His sole safety
measure is to avoid weakness and to pursue the vovation of spirit, which guides him to self-
worth, mental clarity, independence, truth, enlightenment, and happiness. Rationality
disproves the superstitious beliefs held by Godmen concerning the identity, nature, and
number of God, which lead to social unrest and violence. It discovers the disarray that
godmen have produced.
The most crucial and significant discussion in the world now is around the idea of religious
plurality. The goal of this research paper is to comprehend Vivekananda's definition of

29
universal religion and how it relates to the postmodern, global society. We have spoken about
the philosophical significance of the idea of universal religion thus far. It is now evident that,
rather than revisiting the topic of religion, we must apply it to the contemporary reality in this
century. We may thus draw the conclusion that there is only one answer for this multicultural
and multireligious society.If we accept the idea of a single universal religion as proposed by
Vivekananda, we will not be imposing our will on followers of other religions in order to
convert them to our own. Rather, we will be accepting of religious plurality, which is
fundamental to Swami's vision of a world in which everyone is bound together by love and
no one's advancement should stand in the way of another's. This universal ideal, which is
based on the ideas of humanity and oneness and is geared towards human self-realization—
which is not exclusive to any one religion—can be practiced by believers of various religions
as well as by non-believers. It is a place where we can honour the religion of mystics and
humanitarians. We can bring about the idea that the "entire world is one family" and provide
the groundwork for everyone to live in peace across the planet with this really global vision.

30
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Prabhauddha Bharata, Vol LXXXII, May, 1977, p. 208, Advaita Ashrama,
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Must Religion Divide Mankind, Swami Bhasyananda, The Vedanta Kesari, Vol
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Brightman, Edgar S. Philosophy of Religion. Green Wood Press Publishers, New York, 1940.
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Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata, 1989. Samples, Kenneth R. The Challenge of Religious Pluralism.
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Vivekananda: The Exponent of Sri Ramakrishna’, Prabuddha Bharata, May, 1963.

Swami Smaranananda is a Trustee of the Ramakrishna Order, Belur Math.

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Swami Shraddhananda is the Minister-in-charge of the Vedanta Society of Sacramento,
California, U.S.A.
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Order, Belur Math.

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Vivekananda: His Message of Vedanta and the Western Way', Prabuddha Bharata, January,
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Center, New York.

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