The Great Journey of Swami Vivekananda: A Tribute to a Visionary Seer
Swami Vivekananda, a revered figure in Indian history, embarked on a remarkable journey to the West that showcased his charisma, determination, and profound impact on others. Despite facing numerous challenges, his unwavering belief in self-reliance and divine assistance guided him to significant opportunities, such as speaking at the Parliament of Religions. Through encounters with supportive individuals like Professor J.W. Wright, Vivekananda's journey exemplified his magnetic personality and enduring legacy.
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Character of Vivekananda Character of Vivekananda in in "Vivekananda: The Great Journey "Vivekananda: The Great Journey to the West to the West BA 2ndYEAR English (Compulsory) ENG CE201
Character of Vivekananda in "Vivekananda: The Great Journey to the West Vivekananda :A Great Seer The essay "Vivekananda: The Great Journey to the West" by Romain Rolland presents a true picture of Vivekananda, a great seer of India. The essay shows that there was a certain charisma in Vivekananda's very personality which attracted
others to him. When he reached America, he drew the attention of all the people, whether they liked him or not. In the Parliament of Religions, too, he became the centre of attraction even before he had spoken a word. His fascinating face, his noble figure and his gorgeous robes drew everyone's attention. Apart from his appearance, what attracted people most was Vivekananda's iron determination. At every stage of his journey he faced numerous' difficulties. He had no
invitation to attend and speak at the Parliament of Religions. He did not have any money. Nor did he know about the exact venue and date of the Parliament. Moreover, he did not have any letter of recommendation from any religious society or sect. But he remained firm in his purpose. He sincerely believed that God helps those who help. themselves. God and fate did indeed help him at every stage of his journey. The money for the passage as well as a gorgeous
flowing robe was provided to him by the Maharaja of Khetri. This enabled him to travel to America. Again, when Vivekananda reached Chicago in July and found that the Parliament of Religions was to be held in September, he decided to visit Boston. On his way, he came across an American lady, who took him to her house and introduced him to Professor J W. Wright of Harvard University.
Professor Wright was equally impressed by Vivekananda's personality and genius. So he took it upon himself to ensure that Vivekananda did take part in the Parliament of Religions. Though the date for registration had expired, Professor Wright used his influence to get Vivekananda registered as a delegate. Again, he bought for him the ticket from Boston to Chicago and gave him the address of the reception committee of the Parliament of Religions.
And once again, when Vivekananda lost the address of the committee, a man saw him sitting in the street. He came to him and asked him whether he was a delegate for the Parliament of Religions. When Vivekananda told him that he was one such, this man took him to the committee. In this way one after the other, all the hurdles in his way were removed.
Vivekananda was a man of strong conviction. He sincerely believed what he said. This was why his emotional speech fired the souls of his listeners. When he addressed the audience as "My brothers and sisters of America," his opening words were not different from other speakers' but they also came from the core of his heart. This is all the people present there gave him a big applause.
His speech too came from the core of his heart. He told the audience that Hinduism was the mother of all religions. While other speakers spoke of their different Gods, Vivekananda spoke of the one of the Supreme Universal Being Instead of finding fault with any other religion quoted the Hindu scriptures to emphasize that though people were struggling through different paths, all the paths led to the same destination: God. No wonder, when speech was finished, all the people there gave him a standing ovation"
