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{{Hatnote|This article is on Swami Vivekananda's teachings and philosophy, See main biography [[Swami Vivekananda]]}}
[[File:Swami Vivekananda 1893 Scanned Image.jpg|thumb|Swami Vivekananda's teachings and philosophy stressed on different aspects of religion, youth, education, faith, character building as well as social issues pertaining to India.]]

[[Swami Vivekananda]] was a [[Hindu]] monk from India. His teachings and philosophy are a reinterpretation and synthesis of various strands of [[Hindu]] thought, most notably classical yoga and [[Advaita Vedanta]]. He blended religion with nationalism, and applied this reinterpretation to various aspect's of education, faith, character building as well as social issues pertaining to India. His influence extended also to the west, and he was instrumental in introducing [[Yoga]] to the [[Western world|west]].

==Advaita Vedanta==
{{Main|Neo-Vedanta}}
=== Western esoterism ===
While synthesizing and popularizing various strands of Hindu-thought, most notably [[classical yoga]] and (Advaita) Vedanta, Vivekananda was influenced by western ideas such as [[Universalism]], via [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]] missionaries who collaborated with the [[Brahmo Samaj]].{{sfn|King|2002}}{{sfn|Kipf|1979}}{{sfn|Rambachan|1994}}{{sfn|Halbfass|1995}}{{sfn|Rinehart|2004}} His initial beliefs were shaped by Brahmo concepts, which included belief in a formless God and the deprecation of [[idolatry]],{{Sfn|Bhuyan|2003|p=5}}{{Sfn|Chattopadhyaya|1999|p=29}} and a "streamlined, rationalized, monotheistic theology strongly coloured by a selective and modernistic reading of the ''Upanisads'' and of the Vedanta".{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=46}} He propagated the idea that "the divine, the absolute, exists within all human beings regardless of social status",{{sfn|Flood|1996|p=258}} and that "seeing the divine as the essence of others will promote love and social harmony".{{sfn|Flood|1996|p=258}} Via his affiliations with [[Keshub Chandra Sen]]'s ''[[Nava Vidhan]]'',{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=99}} the [[Freemasonry]] lodge,{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=100}} the [[Sadharan Brahmo Samaj]],{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=99}}{{sfn|Sen|2006|pp=12–14}}{{sfn|Banhatti|1995|p=8}}{{sfn|Badrinath|2006|p=20}} and Sen's [[Band of Hope]], Vivekananda became acquainted with Western [[Western esotericism|esotericism]].{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=19-90, 97-100}}

=== Ramakrishna ===
In 1881 Narendra first met Ramakrishna, who became his spiritual focus after his own father had died in 1884. According to Banhatti, it was Ramakrishna who really answered Narendra's question who had really seen God, by saying "Yes, I saw Him as I see you, only in an infinitely intenser sense."{{sfn|Banhatti|1995|p=58}} Ramakrishna gradually brought Narendra to a Vedanta-based worldview that "provides the ontological basis for <nowiki>'</nowiki>''śivajñāne jīver sevā''<nowiki>'</nowiki>, the spiritual practice of serving human beings as actual manifestations of God."{{sfn|Maharaj|2020|p=177}} According to Michael Taft, Ramakrishna reconciled the dualism of form and formless,{{sfn|Taft|2014}} regarding the Supreme Being to be both Personal and Impersonal, active and inactive. Ramakrishna stated that
{{blockquote|The Personal and Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its lustre, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one.<ref name="GM"/>}} Nevertheless, Vivekananda was more influenced by the Brahmo Samaj's and its new ideas, than by Ramakrishna.{{sfn|Michelis|2005|p=49}}

===Advaita Vedanta===
Adhikārivāda in Hinduism, claimed special rights and privileges with regard to the right to universal [[knowledge]] of the [[Upanishads]]. Vivekananda rejected Adhikārivāda which, in his view, was the outcome of pure [[selfishness]] and ignored both the infinite possibilities of the human [[soul]] and the fact that all men are capable of receiving knowledge if it is imparted in their own respective [[language]]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda Vol.5|year=1923|publisher=Kartindo.com|page=361|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=AAGNAwAAQBAJ&q=adhikarivada&pg=PA361 }}{{PD-notice}}</ref><ref>[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_5/Notes_from_Lectures_and_Discourses/The_Evils_of_Adhikarivada The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda] by Swami Vivekananda
Volume 5, Notes from Lectures and Discourses.</ref> He claimed, there is no reason for access to the universal knowledge of the Upanishads to be restricted on the basis of [[caste]] or [[religion]].

Vivekananda propagated that the essence of Hinduism was best expressed in [[Adi Shankara]]'s [[Advaita Vedanta]] philosophy.{{Sfn|Jackson|1994|pp=33–34}} Nevertheless, following Ramakrishna, and in contrast to Advaita Vedanta, Vivekananda believed that the Absolute is both immanent and transcendent.{{refn|group=note |According to Michael Taft, Ramakrishna reconciled the dualism of form and formless,{{sfn|Taft|2014}} regarding the Supreme Being to be both Personal and Impersonal, active and inactive.<ref name="GM" /> Ramakrishna: "When I think of the Supreme Being as inactive – neither creating nor preserving nor destroying – I call Him Brahman or Purusha, the Impersonal God. When I think of Him as active – creating, preserving and destroying – I call Him Sakti or Maya or Prakriti, the Personal God. But the distinction between them does not mean a difference. The Personal and Impersonal are the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its lustre, the snake and its wriggling motion. It is impossible to conceive of the one without the other. The Divine Mother and Brahman are one."<ref name="GM">{{cite book |title=Sri Ramakrisha The Great Master |author=Swami Saradananda |translator=Swami Jagadananda |edition=5th |volume=1 |pages=558–561 |publisher=Sri Ramakrishna Math |location=Madras. |isbn=978-81-7823-483-0 |url= http://www.chennaimath.org/istore/product/sri-ramakrishna-the-great-master/ |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304103006/http://www.chennaimath.org/istore/product/sri-ramakrishna-the-great-master/ |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>}} According to Anil Sooklal, Vivekananda's neo-Vedanta "reconciles Dvaita or dualism and Advaita or non-dualism," viewing [[Brahman]] as "one without a second," yet "both qualified, saguna, and qualityless, nirguna."{{sfn|Sooklal|1993|p=33}}{{refn|group=note |Sooklalmquoytes Chatterjee: "Sankara's Vedanta is known as Advaita or [[non-dualism]], pure and simple. Hence it is sometimes referred to as Kevala-Advaita or unqualified monism. It may also be called abstract monism in so far as Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, is, according to it, devoid of all qualities and distinctions, nirguna and nirvisesa [...] The Neo-Vedanta is also Advaitic inasmuch as it holds that Brahman, the Ultimate Reality, is one without a second, ''ekamevadvitiyam''. But as distinguished from the traditional Advaita of Sankara, it is a synthetic Vedanta which reconciles Dvaita or dualism and Advaita or non-dualism and also other theories of reality. In this sense it may also be called concrete monism in so far as it holds that Brahman is both qualified, saguna, and qualityless, nirguna (Chatterjee, 1963 : 260)."{{sfn|Sooklal|1993|p=33}}}} Vivekananda summarised the Vedanta as follows, giving it a modern and Universalistic interpretation,{{sfn|Jackson|1994|pp=33–34}} showing the influence of classical yoga:
{{blockquote|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 mental discipline, 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.}}

===Yoga and Samkhya===
Vivekananda's emphasis on ''nirvikalpa samadhi'' was preceded by medieval yogic influences on Advaita Vedanta.{{sfn|Madaio|2017|p=5}} In line with Advaita Vedanta texts like ''[[Dŗg-Dŗśya-Viveka]]'' (14th century) and ''[[Vedantasara (of Sadananda)]]'' (15th century), Vivekananda saw [[samadhi]] as a means to attain liberation.{{sfn|Comans|1993}}{{refn|group=note|The Advaita Vedanta tradition in medieval times was influenced by, and incorporated elements from, the yogic tradition and texts like the ''[[Yoga Vasistha]]'' and the ''Bhagavata Purana''.{{sfn|Madaio|2017|p=4-5}} The ''Yoga Vasistha'' became an authoritative source text in the Advaita vedanta tradition in the 14th century, while Vidyāraņya's ''Jivanmuktiviveka'' (14th century) was influenced by the ''(Laghu-)Yoga-Vasistha'', which in turn was influenced by [[Kashmir Shaivism]].{{sfn|Madaio|2017|p=4}}}}

Vivekananda popularized the notion of [[Involution (esoterism)|involution]], a term which Vivekananda probably took from western [[Theosophy|Theosophists]], notably [[Helena Blavatsky]], in addition to Darwin's notion of evolution, and possibly referring to the [[Samkhya]] term ''[[Satkaryavada|sātkarya]]''.{{sfn|Heehs|2020|p=175}} Theosophic ideas on involution has "much in common" with "theories of the descent of God in Gnosticism, Kabbalah, and other esoteric schools."{{sfn|Heehs|2020|p=175}} According to Meera Nanda, "Vivekananda uses the word involution exactly how it appears in Theosophy: the descent, or the involvement, of divine consciousness into matter."{{sfn|Nanda|2010|p=335}} With spirit, Vivekananda refers to ''[[prana]]'' or ''[[purusha]]'', derived ("with some original twists") from Samkhya and [[classical yoga]] as presented by [[Patanjali]] in the [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali|Yoga Sutras]].{{sfn|Nanda|2010|p=335}}

Vivekananda linked [[morality]] with control of the mind, seeing truth, purity and unselfishness as traits which strengthened it.{{Sfn|Bhuyan|2003|p=93}} He advised his followers to be holy, unselfish and to have ''shraddhā'' (faith). Vivekananda supported ''[[brahmacharya]]'',{{Sfn|Seifer |2001|p=164}} believing it the source of his physical and mental stamina and eloquence.{{Sfn|Vivekananda|2001|loc=Conversations and Dialogues, Chapter "VI – X Shri Priya Nath Sinha", Vol '''5'''}}

==Indian nationalism and personal development==
{{See also|Muscular Hinduism}}
Nationalism was a prominent theme in Vivekananda's thought. He believed that a country's future depends on its people, and his teachings focused on human development.{{Sfn|Vivekananda|1996|pp=1–2}} He wanted "to set in motion a machinery which will bring noblest ideas to the doorstep of even the poorest and the meanest".<ref name="Swami Vivekananda life and teaching">{{cite web|title=Swami Vivekananda life and teaching|url=http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm|publisher=Belur Math|access-date=23 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330175816/http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm|archive-date=30 March 2012}}</ref>

===Nationalism===
Vivekananda played a major role in the growing [[Indian nationalism|Indian nationalist]] sentiments in the late 19th and the 20th century, encouraging many Indians with his success and appeal in the West. His example helped to build pride in India's cultural and religious heritage, and supported the [[Indian independence movement]]. Vivekananda participated in several of these movements, calling for Indian independence from British rule. Swami Vivekananda believed that India is the blessed ''punyabhumi'', the "land of virtue":
{{blockquote|.. the land where humanity has attained its highest towards generosity, towards purity, towards calmness, above all, the land of introspection and of spirituality - it is [[India]].<ref name="Vivekananda’s Lankan connection">{{cite web|title=Vivekananda's Lankan connection|url=http://dailypioneer.com/sunday-edition/sundayagenda/spirituality-agenda/38428-vivekanandas-lankan-connection.html|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref>}}

According to Vivekananda, a country's future depends on its people, stating that "man-making is my mission."{{sfn|Vivekananda|1996|pp=1–2}} Religion plays a central role in this man-making, stating "to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life."<ref name="Swami Vivekananda: Life and Teachings, Belur Math">{{citation|title=Swami Vivekananda: Life and Teachings|url=http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm|publisher=Belur Math|access-date=30 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330175816/http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm|archive-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> It is coordinated willpower that would lead to independence, even with forty millions Britons ruling three hundred million people in [[India]]. According to Vivekananda, those forty million Britons put their wills together and that resulted infinite power, and that was the reason of their success. Vivekananda prescribed, to make a great future [[India]] the whole serest will lie in organization, accumulation of power, co-ordination of wills.<ref name="The future of India RKV">{{cite web|title=The future of India|url=http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_3/lectures_from_colombo_to_almora/the_future_of_india.htm|work=ramakrishnavivekananda.info|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref>

===Personal development and religion===
In line with the influence of western ideas, Vivekananda stressed the importance of individual development. Swami Vivekananda realized three things are necessary to make every man great, every nation great, namely conviction of the powers of goodness; absence of jealousy and suspicion; and helping all who are trying to be and do good.<ref name="Swami Vivekananda Ebook Q">{{cite web|title=Swami Vivekananda Ebook|url=http://www.consciouslivingfoundation.org/ebooks/13/CLF-SwamiVivekananda-Quotes.pdf|work=consciouslivingfoundation.org|access-date=30 March 2012|archive-date=5 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505142659/http://consciouslivingfoundation.org/ebooks/13/CLF-SwamiVivekananda-Quotes.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Swami Vivekananda suggested trying to give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work unitedly for others. He told that purity, patience and perseverance overcome all obstacles. He suggested taking courage and work on. Patience and steady work, according to Swami Vivekananda, this is the only way to get success.

According to Swami Vivekananda, "faith in ourselves and faith in God- this is the secret of greatness". Swami Vivekananda observed the history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves, and it is faith which calls out [[divinity]] within. So he told, if people have faith in three hundred and thirty millions of [[Hindu]] mythological gods, and in all the gods which foreigners have now and still have no faith in themselves, there will be no salvation.{{sfn|Vivekananda|1996|pp=110–111}} To Vivekananda, religion was not mere theory, but an actual practice to be applied in life, raising the brute into man, and man into God,<ref name="Swami Vivekananda Sayings AB">{{cite web|title=Swami Vivekananda Sayings|url=http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/H%20-%20World%20Religions%20and%20Poetry/World%20Religions/From%20the%20Indian%20Tradition/Teachers%20from%20the%20Indian%20Tradition/Swami%20Vivekananda/Sayings/Sayings%20of%20Swami%20Vivekananda%20-%20The%20Holy%20Trinity%20-%20%5B%20RMIC%20%5D.htm|work=abuddhistlibrary.com|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> stating "it is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes."<ref name="Swami Vivekananda: Life and Teachings, Belur Math" /> He hated the religious rituals that were in practice during that time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Universal teachings of Swami Vivekananda|url=http://www.ramakrishna.org/ut_sv.htm|work=ramakrishna.org|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> Vivekananda also noted that meditation in isolation won't suffice:
{{blockquote|The tidal wave of Western Civilisation is now rushing over the length and breadth of the country. It won't do now simply to sit in meditation on mountain tops without realizing in the least its usefulness. Now is wanted intense [[Karmayoga]], with unbounded courage and indomitable strength in the heart. Then only will the people of the country be roused.}}

==Social Services==

===Social service===
Social service was an essential aspect of Vivekananda's ideas, and an innovation which deviated from both Advaita Vedanta and Ramakrishna. He nevertheless attributed these ideas to both, trying to reconcile them with his own ideas.

According to Vivekananda, an important teaching he received from Ramakrishna was that ''Jiva is Shiva'' (each individual is divinity itself). So he stressed on ''Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva'', (to serve common people considering them as manifestation of God). According to Vivekananda, man is potentially Divine, so, service to man is indeed service to God.<ref name="IDEOLOGY of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission">{{cite web|title=IDEOLOGY of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Veda Mission|url=http://www.belurmath.org/Ideology.htm|work=belurmath.org|access-date=30 March 2012|archive-date=4 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004213350/http://www.belurmath.org/Ideology.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Non-injury===
Swami Vivekananda called [[Jain]] [[Digambara|monks]] the first great ascetics.<ref>[http://belurmath.org/complete_works_of_swami_vivekananda/volume_3/vol_3_frame.htm BUDDHISTIC INDIA Para 22-23]</ref> He praised their ancient knowledge of presence of low form of life in water:<ref>[[s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Buddhistic India|BUDDHISTIC INDIA Para 24]]</ref>
{{blockquote|A terrible thing, killing these low forms of life. So these monks, if they died of thirst, they would never kill these animals by drinking water. How all that we call ethics they simply bring out from that one great principle of non-injury and doing good.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_3/buddhistic_india.htm|title = Buddhistic India}}</ref>}}

=== Caste System ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=November 2021}}
He emphasized that the caste system was not by birth as per ancient Hindu traditions. It is more about social structure i.e. by profession where a child born in a Kshatriya family can become Brahmin also. A striking contrast was noticed in the idea of Vivekananda regarding the caste system. Strangely enough, he supported the Varna system as described in the Vedas. Unfolding the advantages of the caste system, he told that division of labour is a great blessing of this system. It would lead to excellence in any profession.

This division, of course, will lead to a caste on the path of progress. However, he also exposed the evils of this system. Untouchability was its worst part. So, Vivekananda criticized this type of “Don’t touches”. He wanted to curb out this type of dogmatism from the society.

===Education===
Vivekananda believed education is the manifestation of perfection already in men.<ref name="Swami Vivekananda: Life and Teachings, Belur Math" /> He thought it is a pity that the existing system of education did not enable a person to stand on his own feet, nor did it teach him self-confidence and self-respect. To Vivekananda, education was not only collection of information, but something more meaningful; he felt education should be man-making, life giving and character-building. To him, education was an assimilation of noble ideas.{{sfn|Vivekananda|1996|pp=1–2}}
{{blockquote|Education is not the amount of information that we put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life building, man making, character making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library...<ref name="The Future of India Wikisource">[[s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 3/Lectures from Colombo to Almora/The Future of India]]</ref><ref name="Swami Vivekananda quotes">{{cite web|title=Swami Vivekananda quotes|url=http://jnanagni.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/|work=jnanagni.com|access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref>}}

Swami Vivekananda felt that the education that young boys and girls receive is very negative. He thinks they do not gain confidence or self-respect from this education, so according to Swami Vivekananda only positive education should be given to children.<ref name="The Education that India needs">[[s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Translation: Prose/The Education that India needs]]</ref> Swami Vivekananda told, if young boys and girls are encouraged and are not unnecessarily criticized all the time, they are bound to improve in time.<ref>[[s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 7/Conversations And Dialogues/X]]</ref> <br /> He also told the youth:
{{blockquote|Set yourselves to the task of spreading education among the masses. Tell them and make them understand, "You are our brothers—a part and parcel of our bodies, and we love you and never hate you."<ref name="Vivekananda Reader">{{cite book | title=Vivekananda Reader |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fpIqDAAAQBAJ| publisher=Advaita Ashrama | date=2012 | author=Narasimhananda, Swami | pages=335|isbn = 9788175058354}}</ref>}}

===Womanhood===
Swami Vivekananda warned it is completely unfair to discriminate between sexes, as there is not any sex distinction in [[Ātman (Hinduism)|''Ātman'']] ('self', 'essence'), the soul has neither sex, nor caste nor imperfection. He suggested not to think that there are men and women, but only that there are human beings.<ref name="Thoughts on Women SV">{{cite web|title=Thoughts on Women|url=http://www.writespirit.net/inspirational_talks/spiritual/swami_vivekananda_talks/thoughts-on-women-swami-vivekananda/index.html|work=writespirit.net|access-date=30 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511145313/http://www.writespirit.net/inspirational_talks/spiritual/swami_vivekananda_talks/thoughts-on-women-swami-vivekananda/index.html|archive-date=11 May 2012}}</ref> Swami Vivekananda felt, The best thermometer to the progress of a nation is its treatment of its women<ref name="Thoughts on Women SV"/> and it is impossible to get back India's lost pride and honor unless they try to better the condition of women.<ref name="Vivekananda's letters condition of women">{{cite web|title=Vivekananda's letters|url=https://www.angelfire.com/ma/vivekananda/vivekanandaletters.html|work=Angelfire|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> Vivekananda considered men and women as two wings of a bird, and it is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing. So, according to him, there is no chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of woman is improved.

Swami Vivekananda noticed almost everywhere women are treated as playthings. In modern countries like America, women have more independence, still, Vivekananda had noticed, men bow low, offer a woman a chair and in another breath they offer compliments like "Oh, how beautiful your eyes.." etc. Vivekananda felt, a man does not have any right to do this or venture so far, and any woman should not permit this as well. According to Swami Vivekananda, such things develop the less noble side of humanity. They do not tend to noble ideals.{{sfn|Vivekananda|1996|pp=68–69}}

According to Vivekananda, the ideal of womanhood in [[India]] is motherhood – that marvelous, unselfish, all-suffering, ever-forgiving mother.<ref name="Swami Vivekananda RKMD">{{cite web|title=Swami Vivekananda|url=http://www.rkmdelhi.org/about-us/our-inspiration/swami-vivekananda/|work=rkmdelhi.org|access-date=30 March 2012}}</ref> Vivekananda felt, in [[India]], there are two great evils – trampling on the women, and grinding through the poor through caste restrictions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Letters written from Chicago January 1895, To Mrs. Ole Bull|url=http://www.vivekananda.net/knownletters/1895Chicago.html|work=vivekananda.net|access-date=30 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121055245/http://www.vivekananda.net/KnownLetters/1895Chicago.html|archive-date=21 January 2012}}</ref>

According to [[Swami Vivekananda]], [[Sita]] is typical of [[India]] – the idealized India. Swami Vivekananda assured if world literature of the past and world literature of the future are thoroughly exhausted, yet, it will not be possible to find another Sita, because Sita is unique, the character was depicted once for all. Swami Vivekananda felt there may have been several [[Rama]]s, perhaps, but never more than one Sita.<ref name="Valmiki's Sita">{{cite web|title=Valmiki's Sita|url=http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Valmiki%E2%80%99s_Sita|work=hindupedia.com|access-date=31 March 2012}}</ref><ref name=" View of Mary">{{cite web|title=A Vedantist's View of Sita |url=http://www.yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/theidealofwomanhoodsitajan55.htm |work=yabaluri.org |access-date=3 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416061555/http://www.yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/theidealofwomanhoodsitajan55.htm |archive-date=16 April 2013}}</ref> Sita was a true Indian by nature, Vivekananda concluded, one who never returned an injury.<ref>[[s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Lectures and Discourses/The Ramayana]]</ref>

==Influence on western spirituality==
Vivekananda's acquaintance with Western esotericism made him very successful in Western esoteric circles, beginning with his speech in 1893 at the Parliament of Religions. Vivekananda adapted traditional Hindu ideas and religiosity to suit the needs and understandings of his Western audiences, who were especially attracted by and familiar with Western esoteric traditions and movements like [[Transcendentalism]] and [[New Thought]].{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=119-123}} An important element in his adaptation of Hindu religiosity was the introduction of his four yoga's model, which includes [[Raja yoga]], his interpretation of the [[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali]],{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=123-126}} which offered a practical means to realize the divine force within which is central to modern Western esotericism.{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=119-123}} In 1896 his book ''[[Raja Yoga (book)|Raja Yoga]]'' was published, which became an instant success and was highly influential in the Western understanding of yoga.{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=125-126}}{{sfn|Michelis|2004|p=149-180}}

==See also==
{{Wikiquote|Swami Vivekananda}}
* [[Bibliography of Swami Vivekananda]]
* [[Self-control]]
* [[Yoga]]
** [[Ashtanga (eight limbs of yoga)|Ashtanga yoga]]
** [[Bhakti yoga]]
** [[Karma yoga]]
** [[Jnana yoga]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}

* {{cite book|last=Badrinath|first=Chaturvedi|title=Swami Vivekananda, the Living Vedanta|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qo1X96E0JPAC|year=2006|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-306209-7}}
* {{Citation |last=Banhatti |first=G.S. |title=[[Life and Philosophy of Swami Vivekananda]] |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |year=1995 |url= |isbn=978-81-7156-291-6}}
* {{Citation |last=Bhuyan |first=P. R. |title=Swami Vivekananda: Messiah of Resurgent India |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZLmFDRortS0C&pg=PR1 |year=2003 |isbn=978-81-269-0234-7 |location=New Delhi}}

* {{Citation |last=Chattopadhyaya |first=Rajagopal |title=Swami Vivekananda in India: A Corrective Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EtcoeaQIQdAC&pg=PA285 |year=1999 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-1586-5}}
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* {{Citation | last=Taft | first=Michael | year=2014 | title=Nondualism: A Brief History of a Timeless Concept | publisher=Cephalopod Rex}}

* {{Citation |last=Vivekananda |first=Swami |title=My India : the India eternal |year=1996 |publisher=Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture |location=Calcutta |isbn=81-85843-51-1 |pages=1–2 |edition=1st |editor=Swami Lokeswarananda}}
{{refend}}

{{Swami Vivekananda}}

[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:Hindu philosophy]]
[[Category:Swami Vivekananda]]

Teachings and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda - Revision history

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