january july born indian hindu monk chief disciple 19th century indian mystic key figure introduction indian western world credited raising awareness bringing status major world religion late 19th century major force revival india contributed concept nationalism colonial india founded math mission best known speech began sisters brothers america introduced chicago born aristocratic family calcutta inclined spirituality influenced guru learnt living beings embodiment divine self service god rendered service mankind death toured indian extensively acquired hand knowledge conditions prevailing british india later travelled united_states representing india parliament world religions conducted hundreds public private lectures classes hindu philosophy united_states england europe india regarded patriotic saint birthday celebrated national youth day early life birth childhood born shortened ancestral home calcutta capital british india january festival belonged traditional family siblings father attorney grandfather sanskrit persian scholar left family monk age mother devout housewife progressive rational attitude father religious temperament mother helped shape thinking personality interested young age images deities fascinated wandering monks naughty restless child parents difficulty controlling mother said prayed son sent ghosts education age enrolled went school family moved family return calcutta student receive division marks presidency college entrance examination avid reader wide range subjects including philosophy religion history social science art literature interested hindu scriptures including trained indian classical music regularly participated physical exercise sports organised activities studied western logic western philosophy european history known passed examination completed bachelor_of_arts degree studied works fascinated corresponded translating book education studying western philosophers learned sanskrit scriptures literature principal general_assembly institution wrote genius travelled far wide come talents possibilities german universities philosophical students accounts called person memory spiritual influence joined established meeting christianity member lodge point twenties faction led active band hope tried discourage youths smoking drinking acquainted western initial beliefs shaped concepts included belief god streamlined theology strongly coloured selective reading founder strongly influenced interpretation ideas altered considerably romantic approach development new doctrines questioned central hindu beliefs like rejected authority brought neo closer line western development influenced american philosophical religious movement strongly connected emphasised personal religious experience mere reasoning theology accessible non type spirituality introducing lay systems spiritual practice regarded prototypes kind exercises west search direct understanding seen satisfied knowledge philosophy came question marked real beginning intellectual quest god asked prominent calcutta residents come face face god answers satisfied time met leader asked seen god instead answering question said boy eyes according answered question saying yes infinitely sense influenced new ideas influence brought fully contact western met met spiritual focus father died introduction occurred literature class heard professor poem excursion explaining word trance poem suggested students visit understand true meaning trance prompted students including visit probably met personally november consider meeting man mentioned meeting later time preparing upcoming examination accompanied house invited deliver lecture according meeting asked young sing impressed singing talent asked come late early went friends met meeting proved turning point life initially accept teacher rebelled ideas attracted personality began frequently visit initially saw visions mere imagination member opposed idol worship worship rejected identity absolute madness ridiculed idea tested faced arguments try truth angles replied father sudden death left family bankrupt creditors began demanding loans relatives threatened family ancestral home son family students college unsuccessfully tried find work questioned god existence found visits increased day requested pray goddess family financial welfare suggested temple pray following suggestion went temple failed pray kind ultimately prayed true knowledge devotion goddess gradually grew ready renounce sake realising god accepted guru developed throat cancer transferred calcutta later garden house disciples took care days spiritual education continued experienced disciples received robes forming monastic order taught service men effective worship god asked care monastic disciples turn asked leader died early morning hours august founding math death stopped supporting disciples unpaid rent accumulated disciples find new place live returned home adopting family oriented way life decided convert dilapidated house new math monastery remaining disciples rent math low raised holy begging math building math monastery monastic order disciples spend hours practising meditation religious day later early days monastery underwent lot religious practice math absorbed meditation strong spirit detachment days thought world existed compiled song anthology named collected arranged songs compilation finish work book unfavourable circumstances monastic vows december mother invited brother monks village aspiring monks accepted invitation went spend days christmas eve disciples took formal monastic vows decided live lives master lived took travels india left monastery hindu religious life wandering monk fixed ties independent strangers sole possessions water pot staff favourite books imitation christ travelled extensively india years visiting centres learning diverse religious traditions social patterns developed sympathy suffering poverty people resolved nation living primarily travelled foot railway tickets bought travels met stayed indians religions walks life scholars muslims christians low workers government officials left bombay chicago suggested means bliss wisdom visit west started journey west visited cities japan including nagasaki osaka tokyo china canada route united_states reaching chicago july took place september congress initiative judge gather religions world substantial unity religions good deeds religious life gatherings chicago world fair avant garde intellectual manifestation east west society invited representative wanted join disappointed learn credentials organisation accepted delegate contacted professor harvard_university invited speak harvard wrote professor urged necessity going thought introduction nation submitted application introducing monk oldest order founded supported representative member parliament selection committee classifying representative hindu monastic order parliament world religions parliament world religions opened september world exposition day gave brief speech representing india initially nervous hindu goddess learning began speech sisters brothers america words received minute standing ovation crowd seven thousand according silence restored began address youngest nations behalf ancient order monks world order religion taught world tolerance universal acceptance quoted passages different streams having sources different places water sea lord different paths men different tendencies appear straight lead thee comes whatsoever form reach men struggling paths end lead according short speech voiced spirit parliament parliament president said india mother religions represented orange monk exercised wonderful influence attracted widespread attention press called cyclonic monk india wrote divine right strong intelligent face picturesque setting yellow orange hardly interesting earnest words rich gave noted undoubtedly greatest figure hearing feel send missionaries learned nation american newspapers reported greatest figure parliament religions popular influential man parliament reported great favourite parliament merely crosses platform applauded spoke times scientific section private homes topics related buddhism harmony religions parliament ended september speeches parliament common theme religious tolerance soon known handsome oriental huge impression lecture tours toured parts guest popularity opened new views expanding life religion thousands question answer session remarked message west message east spent nearly years eastern central united_states primarily chicago detroit boston new_york founded spring busy schedule affected health ended lecture tours began giving free private classes beginning june gave private lectures dozen disciples new_york months visit west travelled twice successfully november met irish woman second visit met noted oxford_university wrote biography west visited european countries germany met offered academic positions american universities chair harvard_university similar position columbia_university declined duties conflict commitment monk success led change mission establishment centres west adapted traditional hindu ideas suit needs western audiences especially attracted familiar western traditions movements like new thought important element adaptation hindu introduction model includes interpretation offered practical means realise divine force central modern western book published instant success highly influential western understanding attracted followers europe including lord ferdinand initiated followers french woman continue work mission society filled foreign nationals located los_angeles stay america given land mountains southeast california establish retreat students called peace retreat largest american centre hollywood main centres hollywood publishes books english translations hindu scriptures texts detroit initiated established close father daughter relationship west revived work india regularly corresponded followers brother monks offering advice financial support letters period reflect campaign social service strongly wrote door door poor lower classes town teach religion let oral lessons geography subjects good come sitting idle having dishes saying lord good poor founded periodical teach later translation chapters published left india december england disciples captain way visited france italy set sail india naples december later followed india devoted rest life education indian women india independence india ship europe arrived sri_lanka january received warm welcome gave public speech east india journey calcutta triumphant travelled madras delivering lectures common people gave enthusiastic reception train travels people sat rails force train stop hear madras continued journey calcutta west spoke india great spiritual heritage india repeatedly addressed social issues uplifting people eliminating system promoting science addressing widespread poverty ending colonial rule lectures published lectures demonstrate spiritual ideology calcutta founded social service ideals based governing body consists trustees math conducts religious work math mission headquarters math founded monasteries near madras journals founded english year famine relief work begun district earlier inspired set research educational institution travelled chicago visit west asked head declined offer citing conflict spiritual interests visited attempting ideological conflict hindu movement orthodox brief visits delhi returned calcutta january consolidated work math trained disciples months composed prayer song dedicated second visit west final years despite declining health left west second time june accompanied following brief stay england went united_states visit established san_francisco new_york founded peace retreat california went paris lectures paris concerned worship authenticity visited brittany vienna istanbul athens egypt french philosopher host period returned calcutta december brief visit settled math continued works mission math work england visitors including royalty politicians unable attend japan deteriorating health declining health including diabetes chronic restricted activity death july day death early went chapel math hours taught sanskrit grammar philosophy pupils later discussing colleagues planned college math went room asking disturbed died according disciples attained blood vessel brain reported possible cause death disciples believed opening crown head pierced attained fulfilled prophecy live years cremated funeral bank opposite cremated sixteen years earlier teachings philosophy propagated essence best expressed philosophy following contrast believed absolute according neo non summarised follows giving modern interpretation soul potentially divine goal manifest controlling nature external internal work worship mental discipline philosophy free religion doctrines rituals books temples forms secondary details nationalism prominent theme thought believed country future depends people teachings focused human development wanted set motion machinery bring ideas linked morality control mind seeing truth purity traits strengthened advised followers holy faith supported believing source physical mental stamina emphasised success outcome focused thought action lectures said idea idea life think dream live idea let brain muscles nerves body idea leave idea way success way great spiritual giants produced influence legacy main representatives modern interpretation selected aspects line western traditions especially new thought successful creating new understanding appreciation outside india principal reason enthusiastic reception meditation forms indian spiritual self improvement west explained modern derive knowledge directly indirectly espoused idea religions different paths goal view criticised background emerging nationalism british ruled india ideal words social reformer patriotism gave new colour national movement india single individual period contribution new awakening india drew attention extent poverty country maintained addressing poverty national awakening ideas influenced indian leaders regarded awakened india counted hindu maintained hindu religion state cutting dead wood tradition governor general independent india said saved saved india according proponent armed struggle indian independence maker modern india influence increased love country influenced india independence movement writings inspired independence activists intellectuals years death told french nobel want know india study positive negative wrote words great music phrases style stirring rhythms like march choruses touch scattered pages books thirty years distance receiving thrill body like electric shock transports produced burning words issued lips hero inspired establish india best known research universities abroad communicated scientist influenced teachings india observed birthday january day delivered speech september world brotherhood day september india highlighted relevance teachings values modern economic environment union finance minister current president india approved principle values education project cost billion million objectives including involving youth competitions essays discussions study circles publishing works number languages west police training college renamed state police academy state technical university named airport renamed birth anniversary celebrated india abroad india officially observed occasion declaration year long events programs organised branches math mission central state governments india educational institutions youth groups film director film light tribute birth anniversary works lectures powerful writer english thorough scholar published works compiled lectures given world mainly delivered impromptu little preparation main work consists talks delivered new_york literary works according singer painter wonderful master language poet complete artist composing songs poems including favourite mother blended humour teachings language writings testify belief words spoken written clarify ideas demonstrating speaker writer knowledge meaning present day india language essay written published march issue language magazine essay reprinted book later compiled fourth volume essay refrain readers honour treat indian brother born poor lower publications printed sources web sources
Swami Vivekananda