It was conspicuous in the Swami that wherever he went he paid the highest tribute to his mother, whenever occasion arose. One of his friends, recalling the few happy weeks that he had spent as a fellow guest in the house of a common friend, writes: “He spoke often of his mother. I remember his saying that she had wonderful self-control, and that he had never known any woman who could fast so long. She had once gone without food, he said, for as many as fourteen days together.” And it was not uncommon for his followers to hear such words upon his lips as: “It was my mother who inspired me to this. Her character was a constant inspiration to my life and work.”

Vivekananda and Tesla were seriously interested in each other’s ideas; Swamiji hoped for a mathematical demonstration of the Vedantic concept of unity and Tesla wanted Swamiji to further illuminate his understanding of the ether.

A great spiritual personality who is perfectly established in higher realizations can transmit spiritual knowledge to a disciple even if the disciple has not undergone vigorous spiritual practices. Swami Vivekananda himself experienced it and says in a lecture, “I began to go to that man (Shri Ramakrishna), day after day, and I actually saw that religion can be given. One touch, one glance, can change a whole life. I have read about Buddha and Christ, about all those different luminaries of ancient times, how they would stand up and say, “Be thou whole,” and the man became whole. I now found it to be true, and when I myself saw this man, all skepticism was brushed aside. It could be done, and my Master used to say, “Religion can be given and taken more tangibly, more really than anything else in the world.” Mme. Calvé’s unique experience of Swami Vivekananda during the most tragic event of her life illustrates the truth of Swamiji’s assertion.

The Bhagavad Gita is universally known in India. It is reported to have been translated into 82 languages and it can safely be said that at least 65 or more of these are foreign languages. There is no missionary zeal behind the publication of the Bhagavad Gita. It has been done by the people out of their sheer love for the non-dogmatic philosophy and depiction, in the Gita,of the entire human life—of its source and culmination in emancipation.

This Atman (Self within) is Brahman. The individual self is only an "abridged edition," as it were, of Brahman. The Supreme Self, chained to a body-mind consciousness, appears to be limited, weak and finite. Although the individual is one with the Divine, each person is a partial manifestation of the Divine.

Gandhiji is very much talked about today in the West. Many schools, colleges and universities have introduced coursework on Gandhism along with Indian thought. In the 1980s, the musical, Satyagraha was presented in New York. The operatic drama in three acts was a great success in 1980. In November 1981, the same performance in a hall seating 2,000 was completely sold out for each of its five-day presentations. This indicates a spiritual hunger whose fulfillment alone can bring relief to the depressing circumstances of our age.

Vedanta can significantly help human beings get out of the death trap they have been lured into by the consumerism of the modern global village. Vedanta is concerned with timeless truth. Hence, it is universal. With its cosmopolitan and humanistic appeal, Vedanta has attracted the loving attention of thoughtful minds because it does not require submission to any authority, whether it is a prophet, teacher or scripture.

Every autumn, the Divine Mother is worshipped throughout Bengal during the four days of Durga-puja, its most popular form of Sakti-worship. Devotees offer their worship so ardently in this unsurpassed festival as to reach the highest peaks of fervent spiritual devotion, joy and delight. This festival is a virtual testimony of the social and cultural benefits that spiritual joy brings to the community that worships God.

Sri Ramakrishna left Sarada Devi in the world to manifest the Motherhood of God. God as Savior is full of love. As a mother loves her children, the great Mother-Heart of God loves all. Holy Mother was an incarnation of Love. Her love is not exclusive. She herself said: “I am the Mother of all. I am the Mother of the good. I am the Mother of the bad, too.”

A new wind is blowing all over the world due to the influence of Vedanta, and some Christian writers are voicing their views in this regard. Wisdom in Vedanta demonstrates a harmonious attitude of acceptance of all other religions. Hinduism has never prevented Christians and believers of other faiths from practicing their own spiritual traditions within India, which has been home to all the major world religions.

It is generally understood that the philosophy of Vedanta and science represent two distinct fields of enquiry. Hinduism accepts the Supreme Truth, which is all comprehensive and always subjective, it is never objective. Science, on the other hand, accepts the objective world to be real and claims that the secrets of nature can be known through the senses, mind and intellect.

The Vedantic idealism Swamiji taught—the unity of existence, universality of Truth and the divinity of man—brings new perspective to the motive of life. Truth is one—it can be approached by different methods. Vedanta has permeated the modern mind with its catholicity, universality and spiritual unity. Truth is to be personally experienced in our hearts, not circumscribed or limited by exclusivity and sectarianism. Each of us must be able to experience the immutable, divine Reality unconditioned by time, space, causality, name and form. Our struggle to experience that spiritual entity within us, which Vedanta calls the Self, is an abiding, joyous experience opening new vistas and making life meaningful. 

He was a dynamic monk. He touched many hearts through his loving, amiable, compassionate heart. He was easily accessible to others. He was liberal in giving initiation. His exemplary life, his scholarship, his loving personality and above all, his one-pointed goal of spreading Shri Ramakrishna’s message will be a great source of inspiration to all of us.

The etymological meaning of the ancient spirit and practice of Brahmacharya in India is “a course of conduct that keeps the mind on Brahma or God.” From this arises the specific means of a sincere search after Brahman, which is to follow certain spiritual principles and control all the organs of sense until a complete state of perfect chastity in thought, word and deed, at all times and in all conditions is attained. Only then can one be called a true Brahmachari.