10 Life Lessons I learned -From Swami Vivekananda
10 Life Lessons I learned -From Swami Vivekananda
Teachings of Swami Vivekananda
About Swami Vivekananda
Born in 1863, Swami Vivekananda was a social reformer who
fought against many social evils which were plaguing the Indian society during
the 19th and 20th century. For this purpose, he advocated a kind of Hinduism
which doesn’t discriminate on the basis of gender or caste but puts forth ideas
on how to lead a meaningful life. He wished to capture the essence of Hinduism
and spread it in the world and also founded the Ramakrishna Mission dedicated
to propagating the philosophies of Vedanta and yogic ideals of Jnana, Bhakti,
Karma, and Raja Yoga. Thus, in a sense, Swami Vivekananda dedicated his life
towards first understanding the world around him through the lens of Hinduism
and then spreading that knowledge for the greater good of humanity. Therefore,
it’s important to know and understand the teachings of Swami Vivekananda in order
to arrive at a better understanding of the world and lives that it consists of.
10 Golden Teachings of Swami Vivekananda
To help you learn more about the life lessons to learn from Vivekananda, here are the 10 golden teachings of Swami Vivekananda.
1.Be
Courageous in the Face of Troubles
“If
you ever feel afraid of anything, always turn around and face it. Never think
of running away.”
Amongst the most teachings of Vivekananda is the acceptance
that life consists of both the good and the bad. And one needs to be strong
enough to sail through the bad days for the good ones to come. That day you
accept this, you will not only be filled with the strength to face the world
but also be more positive in the wake of troubles and hardships. Vivekananda
also believed that if you wish to live your life to the fullest you need to
face everything that comes your way and not runs away from it. Isn’t this an
important lesson and something which we all need to practice today to really
make a difference in this world?
2.Importance
of Being Persistent
“Arise,
awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
How often does it happen that we give up on the face of
inconveniences and give up on our goal? But Swami Vivekananda believed in the
greatness of humanity and how humans have the potential to overcome any hurdles
only if they are persistent enough. This is another golden teaching of Swami
Vivekananda as he believes that we are persistent enough while working towards
something you are meant to succeed. So, it doesn’t matter if you fail over and
over again because if you keep trying you will reach your goal one day or the
other.
3.Believe
in Yourself
“All
the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands
before our eyes and cry that it is dark.”
Swami Vivekananda believed that if you wish to change the
world, you need to believe in yourself first. This teaching of Vivekananda is
meant to empower every human being into realising the potential that exists
within them. And also, just because you are different it doesn’t mean that you
are wrong. So, you need to believe in yourself and keep walking on the path
which you think is right for you without giving into others’ opinion and
letting go of your beliefs.
4.You
Need to Struggle to Grow
“In a
day, when you don’t come across any problems – you can be sure that you are
travelling on a wrong path.”
Swami Vivekananda also taught us about how if everything
comes easy to you then you will never reach your maximum potential. Amongst the
most inspirational teachings of Swami Vivekananda, this one is the greatest
mantra to help you understand the true essence of life and your own potential.
You need to keep testing yourself and your limit in order to arrive at the
truest and best version of yourself. So, the next time you face a dead end,
remember this and try to overcome it.
5.Real
Happiness Comes from Being Selfless
“The
great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who
asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.”
We live in a world where people generally focus on their own
personal gains over every other value. Therefore, such a world needs to
incorporate within itself this teaching of Swami Vivekananda. He believed that
if you have the resources, you need to be willing to contribute those resources
for the greater well being of others around you. If you involve yourself in
selfless acts of kindness you will reach a sense of happiness which will be
immeasurable.
6.Be
the Best Version of Yourself
“Learn
Everything that is Good from Others, but bring it in, and in your own way
absorb it; do not become others.”
Swami Vivekananda propagated the idea of individuality. He
believed that there are certain moralistic codes to which everyone should
adhere but that does mean that one should blindly follow these things. You need
to question what you hear, analyse it and then incorporate it into your life.
He was completely against any sort of blind adherence but propagated the idea
that we are different from each other and thus have an individualistic
perspective of looking at things.
7.The
Importance of Self-introspection
“Talk
to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person
in this world.”
This teaching of Swami Vivekananda is something which we all
need to follow at every wake of our life. Whatever you do in your life you
should be at peace with yourself. You need to self introspect to not only know
what you really want from your life but also to analyse yourself and find scope
for within. Vivekananda believed that only you have the potential to correct
yourself so, you need to keep yourself in check and keep on understanding your
innermost desires.
8.Honesty
is the Best Policy
“Everything
can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.”
You can’t stress enough on the idea that honesty is the best
policy. Even Swami Vivekananda advocated this idea. According to him, we all
need to be honest no matter the circumstances that we are faced with.
Obviously, your actions will always have some consequences but you cannot twist
the facts or lie in order to lead an easier life. Thus, another key teaching of
Swami Vivekananda is that the only way to live life is through walking a path
founded on the grounds of honesty.
9.All
Creations of God are Born Equal
“Soul
has no sex, it is neither male nor female. It is only in the body that sex
exists, and the man who desires to reach the spirit cannot at the same time
hold sex distinctions.”
We believe that this is one of the most important teachings
of Swami Vivekananda and if all of humanity understands this idea then the
world would definitely be a better place. He believed that God made us all
humans equal and therefore us as his creations have no right to discriminate on
the basis of religion, caste or gender. That’s why as a social reformer, he
stood for the rights of women and lower castes and strongly advocated their
position in the society.
10.Importance
of Empathy towards Fellow Beings
“So
long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor
who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.”
Swami Vivekananda believed that the nature of the world is
decided by humans who reside in it. So, if all of humanity is empathetic
towards one another and believes in working for the well-being of others then
the world would also be kinder towards us. This is a powerful one in our list
of teachings of Swami Vivekananda because it teaches us to be humble and
helpful towards our fellow human beings and help those who are actually in
need.
These are the top 10 teachings of Swami Vivekananda which
can help you in leading a better, honest and meaningful life.
Today is
Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary
Courtesy:leverageedu.com
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