Vivekananda’ Perspective of Universal Religion: Introspection

Abstract

Religion is deeply rooted in man and his blood since many centuries ago. Still it has been dominating man and his way of thinking and behavior. Within the framework of human rights, religion is considered as an inherent and individual right of the man. Therefore, religion is a very personal matter in man and his life. Within the Eastern Philosophical traditions, we can find a great thinker and the religious man who was not limited to the East and the one who spread that new ideal of the religion to the Western world. He is Swami Vivekananda. He was born in 1863 and expired in 1902. Within that short period, he did excellent contribution to the tradition of the Vedantic religion. To him, Religion is not just a talk and doctrines or theories, nor is it sectarianism Religion cannot live in sects and societies. It is a relationship between soul and God. He explains that religion does not consist in erecting temples or building churches or attending public worship. As well as it cannot find in the books or in words or in lectures or in organizations. Religion consists on realization. Religion does not consist in subscribing to a particular creed or faith but in spiritual realization. Therefore, spiritual realization is religion. He said “I shall try to bring before you the Hindu theory that religions do not come from without, but from within. It is my belief that religious thought is in man’s very constitution, so much so that it is impossible for him to give up religion until he can give up his mind and body, until he can give up his thought and life.”

Keywords

• Divine
• Universal Religion
• spirituality
• Yoga
• Tat Tvam Asi
• Soul
• unity
• God