In Jain, meditation is considered a central practice and it has been considered so for a long period. Various known names in Jainism have contributed a lot to Jain meditation. Among them, one is Lord Mahavir who has contributed a lot to Jain meditation.
Lord Mahavir has achieved the divine state through meditation and unfolded many secrets in Jain meditation.
Lord Mahavir taught to meditate in two kinds, first with the help of external objects I.e. Using external objects as the source to focus and concentrate and the second was the meditation without the support of any external objects.
The way to meditate in Jain meditation by Mahavir
First one needs to sit firmly and fix their vision at the tip of the nose while stretching both of the arms gently. Now, put the eyes in the semi-closed position. Normally, either we close our eyes or open them but during Jain meditation by Mahavir, we semi-open the eyes where they are half-opened and half-closed.
When our eyes are opened, we are aware and conscious of our surroundings and respond to their work and live in it. However, when our eyes are closed, we are in a state of rest, we regain our energy and are not aware of our surroundings. However, their state is the state of meditation as per the Jain meditation where there are qualities of both of the states. One is aware of the surroundings with the half-opened eyes while the half-closed eyes give a sense of rest and relaxation.
A relaxed body is another integral part of the Jain meditation as per Mahavir. The body should be as relaxed as it should be a feather that is floating through the air.
To achieve perfection in this form of Jain meditation, Mahavir took various aspects and let us look at the ways he followed to enhance his meditation:
Food
Mahavir accepted all kinds of food that is considered edible by a monk. Yes, he fasted for some time, even days sometimes, but he never completely gave up food and ate when he felt his body required food. He went on to practice meditation and yogic principles for 12 and half years. While converted to days it becomes 4515 days, among those days it is believed that he only ate for 341 days and on other days he took complete fasting.
Sleep
According to Mahavira one needs only enough sleep, and more sleep is not ok. He had gained a complete victory over his sleep. He was never in a deep sleep and only slept as much as he needed, no more than that. He never vowed to get rid of sleep but accepted sleep as equal to medicine, neither more nor less just of the right amount.
Silence of speech
Mahavira also practiced silence of speech during his Jain meditation. Our speech is a powerful tool. It is so powerful that it can create wars and also end them. Mahavira knew the power of speech and was also controlled by accepting the practice of Mauna during the mediational and yogic processes.
Poutre
Posture is also an important element in meditation. Various meditation techniques belonging to various civilizations have several postures. These postures also change according to the goal of meditation as well as the type of energy that is going to be channeled using it. Katotsarga, Utkutasan, Virasana, and Goduhi kasana are various meditation postures that were used by Mahavir during practicing his form of Jain meditation.
Isolation from others
Meditation is a deep process and often requires self-isolation. Even in ancient society sages and gurus isolated themselves from society and practiced meditation in forests and in isolation. Mahavira also spent time in isolation away from others and finding the truth. In Jain meditation also isolation is required and when an individual isolates themselves from the sound of the world they will find themselves.
Place
Mahavir always resided at the edge of the city and villages and never at the center where there were a large number of people. According to his teachings Jain meditation place also deeply impacts the meditation and yogic practices. When a place is connected with nature and possesses the elements of nature, it will enhance yoga, yogic activities as well as meditation. He did not settle in one place and was on move, but he was not also in constant motion and stayed for some time in one place.
Independence and self-reliance
Independence is truly needed and not just in Jain meditation. Mahavir was truly independent in every sense. He avoided big cities and settlements because their people would help him in every way. According to him, one needs the power of independence and self-reliance to find the truth. According to stories not only the humans but gods also offered their help to him, but he rejected them every time. One time even the king of heaven Lord Indra offered his help and assistance, but he rejected him and remained independent in his life.
Parshuram is believed to be the sixth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is known for many things and is beloved to be one of the Astha Chiranjivi. If we were to believe the mythologies and stories, he is still alive and present in this world. The word Ashta Chiranjivi means eight immortals and he is one of those immortals. It is said that he will be one of the teachers who will guide the tenth and final Avatar of Lord Vishnu and will be one of the seven celestial sages of Kali Yoga.
Father and Mother
Parshuram was born to Father Jamadagni who was one of the greatest sages of his time and mother princess Renuka who was of the Kshatriya class. The name he got during the time of birth was Ram, which later turned into Parshuram. Some of the other names by which he is known are Rama Bhargava, Rama Jamagdanya, and Veera Rama. It is believed that when the earth fell into the hands of corrupt people and was flooding with their sins and evil works, Lord Vishnu took his one of the most fearsome Avatars.
Teacher
The teacher of Parshuram was non-other than Lord Shiva. The Lord himself trained and give knowledge to the sixth Avatar of Lord Vishnu. According to the legends, Lord Parshuram was one the best among the best in everything. Being the disciple of Lord Shiva himself and more than that being the sixth Avatar of Lord Vishnu there was nothing in the world Parshuram could not accomplish with his power. Among the many things, he learned from Lord Shiva one was the art of war, archery, and use of various cosmic weapons.
He also obtained Parsh (Axe) from Lord Shiva, by which he is famous. Lord Shiva gave him Brahmastra (Brahmastra is one of the most powerful and greatest cosmic weapons which is mentioned often in Hindu mythology and stories) in the form of the ax. He is known by his Axe and is always depicted as holding Axe in his dominant hand. By gifting the ax Lord Shiva also gifted the name Parshuram to his beloved student, Ram with ax Parshuram.
Personality
Lord Parshuram is known for his rage and anger. Normally, the Avatars of Lord Vishnu are born with his temper and calmness. However, Parshuram is one of those Avatars of Lord Vishnu who is known for their rage and anger. Another, Avatar of Lord Vishnu who is known for his anger and rage alongside Parshuram is his Narshima (Half man and half-lion form of Lord Vishnu) Avatar.
Other Avatars are known for their calmness and getting hold of the situation but not Lord Parshuram. There are various stories in Hindu mythology that describes the rage of Parshuram. In rage Parshuram even attacked Lord Ganesh when he was stopped by Lord Ganesh when he came to meet his teacher, Lord Shiva. According to the stories, the broken tusk of Lord Ganesh is due to the attack by Parshuram.
Parshuram is rage even tried to attack another Avatar of Lord Vishnu which is Lord Ram. Lord Ram in Sita Swoyamber broke the bow of Lord Shiva. This activity deeply angered Parshuram as someone had broken the beloved bow of his teacher Lord Shiva.
He was so angered by this activity that he went to the marriage location of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita deciding to kill the one who had committed the crime of breaking the bow of Lord Shiva. He only left his rage when he found out that Ram was another incarnation of Lord Vishnu. If other people have done the same, he would have definitely killed them.
War with the Kshatriya
Lord Parshuram is famous for his war with the Kshatriya. In the era of the birth of Parshuram, the Kshatriya clan was possessed by evil. They were performing heinous acts on the people of the world. Chetriya are the warrior clan in Hindu society who were the kings and great warriors, when they turned evil and corrupt there was no one who could have opposed them in war.
In the same period, Karti Birya Arjun (One with thousands of arms) or known as Sahastra bahu for his thousands of arms was one powerful ruler and also one who killed the father of Parshuram. Parshuram in rage for revenge for his father’s murder killed Karti Birya Arjun.
Even after killing the murderer of his father rage of Parshuram did not finish and he killed all the evil kings of the world 21 times and gifted earth to his teacher Rishi Kashyap. As he had gifted earth to his teacher Parshuram do not stay on the earth at nighttime as it is now the property of his teacher, and he could not use something he had already gifted to another person.
In Mahabharat
Lord Parshuram also had a great impact on the war of Mahabharat. He was not actively involved in the war of Mahabharat, but his actions and decisions had a great impact on the war. According to him in the period till Mahabharat, he had retired from the actions of warfare and was involved in Tapasya and teaching the candidates who were worthy of his teachings and knowledge.
The three greatest warriors of Mahabharat Bhisma (Devrat), Drona, and Karna were the students of Parshuram. All of the students of Parshuram were killed in the war of Mahabharat as they were fighting on the side of Kaurab, which was the side of Duryodhan who was the main antagonist of the Mahabharat war.
Arthritis is one of the most common, painful as well as irritating disease. It affects the joints of bones and causes much pain. In time the people suffering from Arthritis will have breakdown and inflammation in the bones. Science says there are 100 types of Arthritis. There are various types of activities that can be done to treat this painful and irritating disease.
In the minor cases and beginning of the disease applying ice and warm water to the place of inflammation can lessen the pain. In extreme cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as the medication. Yoga for Arthritis is also the popular way to tackle this disease. There is various yoga for Arthritis which aids to strengthen the bone as well as lessen the pain.
Arthritis
Arthritis is not a disease that is caused when a foreign body enters the body and hampers its system. Instead, it is the condition of the body where the joints of the body give extreme pain. There are many types of pain in the bones and joints. About 100 types of those pains are classified as Arthritis. Among the 100 types of Arthritis, the most common types are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Those two are the most common and let’s talk about these two. Osteoarthritis is caused by the effects of old age. With time the bone in the body gets weaker and weaker and osteoarthritis may occur in the bones. This mostly occurs at the knees and hips. This is common as most people get various bone and joint-related problems at a later age.
Another form of common Arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. It is a kind of autoimmune disorder that mostly affects the bone of the hand and leg but occasionally can affect the bone of other parts of the body as well. Unlike osteoarthritis, this is not bound to age and can happen to any age group.
Autoimmune disease is a condition where the immune system attacks its own cells mistaking them for the invading organism. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks its own cells which causes inflammation in the joints and results in severe pain. When the condition gets severe it causes stiffness and in the severe condition, the individual also may find it very difficult to move and walk.
Yoga for Arthritis
Tree pose/ Vrisksasana
It is also known as the tree pose and it is an excellent yoga for arthritis.
To do this pose first stand firmly on the ground. Then place the feet of your left leg to the right thigh. To do this one must first have the right balance and be firm on one foot otherwise putting feet on another may make you lose yoga balance, and you may fall. Then the next step is inhaling with a deep breath. To take a deep breath one must rise both and join the hands above the head in the namaste position. Then after this in the step of exhaling one must lower the hand in the relaxing position. Now, get back in the relaxing position and get back on both of your feet.
Half of the process of tree pose yoga for Arthritis has been completed now what’s left is to repeat the same process with right feet on the thigh of the left foot.
Advantages of Vrisksasana yoga for Arthritis:
The biggest advantage of the tree pose is the sense of balance. During, Arthritis patients may lose the sense of balance due to the pain in their joints. Tree pose practice gives a better sense of balance to the people who practice it. When they stand on one pose each foot becomes better at balancing the body. Humans are designed to balance their body on both feet but on one foot also the body can be balanced for quite a time, tree pose practices make them able to do that.
Another advantage of the tree pose is that it gives strength to the legs and back. When this pose is practiced the bone of the legs and back becomes strong and their bone density increases. Therefore, tree pose is a must-do in yoga for Arthritis.
Virabhadrasana or warrior pose
Warrior pose is a very famous pose, this is more than yoga for Arthritis as it has various benefits for just bones in the body.
How to do warrior pose as yoga for arthritis:
At first stand with a strong pose straightly, then move either foot so that your feet be at least three feet apart. The thigh of the foot which is forward should be at the angle of 90 degrees with the leg. Another foot should be at a 45-degree angle with the ground. Then stretch your hand slowly upward. The hands should be parallel to each other with your head in between. Hold this position for 25 to 20 seconds then come to the relaxing position. This completes the warrior pose yoga for Arthritis.
Following are the advantages of warrior pose yoga for Arthritis:
Warrior pose gives complete exercise to hands, shoulders, back, and legs. It makes the bones move to their maximum capacity thus improving their movement and flexibility. It improves and strengths the bones and structure of the body. Warrior pose also boosts the confidence of the individual who tries it. This pose is also easy to do and with a little help and instructions, anybody can do it almost right away.
Triangle pose or Trikonasana
Triangle pose is another weapon in the arsenal of yoga against Arthritis. This is a must include pose in yoga for Arthritis.
How to do triangle pose yoga for arthritis
First, stand strongly on both your feet and take a deep breath preparing your body for the pose. Now, slowly stretch your feet apart from each other. Doing so, the right feet should be stretched further away while the left feet should be less stretched and closer to the body. Try to balance the body during the slow movement as if you do wrong you could trip and fall.
Now, slowly bend your body downwards so that your torso and head region will be parallel to the ground. Now, slowly extend your right arm to touch the ground while the left arm goes upward in the same position as the right arm. Now, stretch as much as you can as you inhale and exhale with long breaths.
This completes half the work for triangle pose yoga for Arthritis. Now, repeat and do the same for the other side. This time the left hand will touch the ground while the right hand will stretch in the upward position.
Advantages of Triangle pose:
Triangle pose yoga for Arthritis is a stretching yoga that improves the muscle and bone condition of the individual who practices it. It is very good for the bones of the hips, legs, and torso. Arthritis can slowly immobilize the bone of the joints; triangle pose yoga keeps the body part mobilized and in the right shape.
Forward fold
Forward fold pose yoga for Arthritis is one unique way to battle Arthritis. This posture is easier than other poses but there are few steps where one can get the entire yoga wrong decreasing the efficiency of the entire pose.
How to do forward fold yoga for Arthritis:
To do forward fold yoga for Arthritis first stand still and take a deep breath relaxing your body from the inside. Now, from the standing still, position slowly bend forward so that the upper body region hangs forward. The entire upper body hangs without tension and pressure. The body should not rest on anything, not even the hands are allowed to have support on anything.
The hands can either be put behind the back in the folded position or they can rest on the elbows of another hand. The entire pressure and weight of the upper body need to be felt on the mid-section of the feet if you are feeling it on the toe part or back of the feet there is something wrong with your posture. Also, one needs to be alert that they do not lock their knees during this posture.
Advantages of the forward fold:
Forward bold is a very amazing exercise for the back and hips part of the body. It improves the hips movement and provides a flexible body to the individual who practices the forward fold pose.
Cow pose
Cow pose is a simple yoga pose that has multiple benefits. This is easy to do and can be done within seconds.
How to do cow pose yoga for Arthritis:
First, stand still and take a deep breath, then get down on your knees. After standing on your knees then tilt forward and support your body with the wrists also. The knees and thighs should be perpendicular to the body. In this position slightly bend the mid-section and tilt the stomach downward. Then extend the chest forward, lowering the shoulder blades.
Advantages of cow pose:
Cose pose is a very easy yoga for Arthritis. This yoga is much easy to do, it is so easy that anyone can do it almost immediately. This exercise is good for the hands and shoulders, but it is best for the spine. A healthy spine is the backbone of health itself. It gives flexibility to the spine and aids in restoring and healing its mobility.
Bridge pose
This yoga is called the bridge pose and it is quite an odd pose as well as a unique pose at the same time. This yoga posture is extremely efficient and also can be done easily.
How to do bridge pose yoga for Arthritis:
First standstill and take a deep breath before beginning your yoga. Then lie down on the mattress with your face towards the sky. Then bend your knees and lay your hands comfortably parallel to your body. Now, here is the main part. Press your feet to the ground to lift your body upward. Support your body will your upper back and feet. Try to remain in this posture for 15 to 20 seconds before coming back to the normal position.
Benefits of Bridge yoga for Arthritis
Bridge yoga strengthens the posture of the body. Sometimes due to bad posture, the condition of Arthritis can increase as the pain can increase. This pose maintains a good posture dampening the pain caused by Arthritis. It is also good for the back and hip region and improves its flexibility and movement.
Downward facing dog
The downward-facing dog is another amazing yoga for Arthritis, it is best for the spinal region.
How to do downward facing dog yoga for Arthritis:
The first step of doing any form of yoga is to take a deep breath while standing still and strong. Then band down with your palms touching the ground while your feet also touch the ground. Now, stretch your hip upward as much as you can. This should be done so that the hip region should be the upmost part of the body while doing this posture.
Also, one needs to stretch their palms as far away from the head as possible. Push on your knees so that your knees will be as far away as possible from the ground. Hold this position as long as you can and then get back to the relaxing position.
Advantages of Downward facing dog yoga for Arthritis
The downward-facing dog is an average kind of yoga posture. This is not so hard to master but also not that easy and needs some kind of instruction from the instructor or detailed written instruction to perform properly. Despite everything, it has its amazing benefits. This is best for the back and spine. The health and strength of the individual depend upon the strength of the spine.
When the spine suffers from Arthritis the entire body suffers. As. It is the bone that gives strength and support to the entire body when it gets weakened and when it pains on the spine the body becomes weakened and in lots of pain.
Downward facing dog yoga for Arthritis also helps with the strength of hands and legs. While its main target area is the spine region and hips it is well for legs and hands. Hands and body become mobile and strong when this yoga posture is performed.
Vivekananda is one of the most popular and spiritual figures of modern times. His life, knowledge, travel, spirituality are examples and sources of teaching and inspiration to many. Vivekananda had a huge contribution to connecting Indian culture to the world. His ways of teaching and knowledge are still celebrated as much as was celebrated when he was alive. The most notable thing that Vivekananda had done was founding the Ramakrishna Ashram and making known the Indian ways, philosophies, and knowledge to the western world.
Vivekananda early life
Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863, in Kolkata, India to a Bengali family. He was born to his father Vishwa Nath Datta and his mother Bhubaneshori Devi. He was among the nine siblings of his family. His father Vishwanath Datta was an attorney at Kolkata (Calcutta) high court.
Vivekananda is the name he acquired later in life, when he was born, he was not Vivekananda he was named Narandranath Datta. His close one called him Naren or Narendra, as a nickname or shortened version which is quite common in families. Narendra was a very bright child and one extremely energetic one. He was known for how naughty he was and how troublesome he was for his mother. Even the naughtiness reflected his enthusiasm for life and the world.
His naughtiness was one fragment of his life, his other part was spirituality and devotion. From an exceedingly early age, he was immersed in meditation and was very fascinated by the life of the monks. He was to some level enchanted by the ascetic life and its ways. Grandfather of Narendranath (Vivekananda), also accepted monkhood and left to achieve true knowledge. He was just 25 at the time when he accepted the path of monkhood and ascetic life. Before exploring the life of monkhood, he was a Sanskrit scholar. It was fate or something else, but Narendra was also attracted to the life his grandfather choose.
Narendra spent his childhood with his parents. His personality was heavily influenced or shaped by his parents. His father was a government employee with strong morality and his mother was a very devoted and religious housewife.
Education of Swami
The Father of Narendra himself was in a very respectable position in the community, with resources so it was not hard for Narendra to get academic education. Narendra was also very bright from an early age and was very fascinated with reading books and acquiring knowledge. Social science, arts, and religion were the major field of interest to him.
Ishwar Chandra Vidhyasagar was the school he went to until his family relocated to Raipur in 1977. Sometime later the family moved back to Kolkata. Aside from the academics, Narendra (Vivekananda) used to read a wide range of subjects, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Vedas, Geeta, Veda, Upashinads were all the fields of interest to him, and he loved to spend time with his books.
Aside from the religions, books, and findings of the Indian sub-continent, Narendra also was immersed in the western world and its findings and achievement. Charles Darwin, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Baruch Spinoza, Auguste Comte, were some of the many people who Narendra studied in his life as a student. Narendra was immersed in the world of science as he was involved in the world of religion and devotion. In 1884 he completed his bachelor’s in the arts.
Narendra was sort of a prodigy from his childhood and possessed amazing memory and learning skills. When Narendra got of age these skills also developed and came to the peak as time passed. He always stood out among others due to his abilities, memory, and ability to understand the topics and circumstances. Some of his teachers and friends who were impressed by his abilities always believed he would later achieve wonderful things in his life.
Ramkrishna – Guru of Vivekananda
ramkrishna Paramhans was the spiritual teacher of Vivekananda. He was a Hindu saint who was known for his austere life and teachings. He is one of the most prominent figures in the life of Swami Vivekananda. By his teachings and guidance, he walked the path of spirituality. Ramkrishna was born on Feb 18 1836 in West Bengal of India. Ramkrishna was immersed in spirituality and the religious world from an exceedingly early age. From childhood, he was inclined towards goddess Kali, Bhakti, Tantra, and the idea of Advaita Vedanta.
Ramkrishna was a truthful devotee of goddess kali and wanted to get her divine blessing. It is said that to get the blessing of goddess Kali, he meditated and worshipped her for days. He desperately wanted to get one vision of her and her blessing. Even after numerous attempts and many times, he remained unsuccessful. After this failure, he decided to end his life and moved towards the sword in the temple. At that moment he had the divine vision of the goddess.
Ramkrishna was born a Hindu and lived by the rules of Hinduism till his death on 16 August 1886. However, more than Hindu he was a true seeker and attempted to find and approach God from the perspectives of the other religions also. At a point in his life for some time, he practiced Christianity and Islam also and attempted to find the truth that way.
After his life devoted to learning about God and trying to approach God through various ways and religions, he concluded that “To realize God is the one goal in life.” He also said that the goal of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam is to pursue the god, and they all move towards the same god using their ways and mediums.
Ramkrishna and Vivekananda
Narendra (Vivekananda) met Ramkrishna in 1981 when he was exploring spirituality in his ways and was going to places which taught spirituality and means to attain it. At their first meeting, Ramkrishna asked Narendra to sing for him and was impressed by his singing.
That was the first meeting of the many meetings. Shortly after, Narendra starts to go to the place where Ramkrishna taught his findings and knowledge (Dakshineswar).
At the first phase of their student-teacher relationship, it was not the ideal one and Narendra (Vivekananda), challenged the views and teachings of Ramkrishna. There were many steps and views where Narendra simply said he could not agree with them. Narendra even rejected the idea of Advaita Vedanta and mocked the belief as ridiculous and hollow. Despite the mocking Ramkrishna always dealt with and answered the questions raised by Narendra with love and patience.
Time was passing like that, however, another turning point arose in the life of Vivekananda that established the true teacher-student relationship between Narendra and Ramkrishna. Narendra’s father passed in 1884, which led to the poor economic status of his family. The family which once was prosperous fell into the clutches of poor financial conditions then. Narendra was financially broken, and his spiritual journey was just beginning.
At that time Narendra was economically and emotionally in bad shape. Slowly due to the love and compassion of his teacher, he started exploring the teachings of his guru by heart and accepted him in his life as a teacher from his heart.
Death of Ramkrishna
In 1886 Vivekananda lost his guru also, after two years losing his father. Ramkrishna was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1985. In his last hours, he was cared for by his students until he passed on August 16, 1886.
Forming Ramkrishna math
Narendra with other disciples of Ramkrishna located the new building for the students of Ramkrishna. They had to leave the old settlement due to the huge rent.
After the death of Ramkrishna, some disciples left that life and went home. Narendra with other disciples found another building with cheap rent and inaugurated the first building of Ramkrishna math in Baranagar. The rent of the first building was also raised by holy begging (madhukari).
After getting on the building, Narendra went fast on his journey to become Vivekananda. He therewith other disciples started meditating, amassing knowledge, practicing rituals, and many more.
Vivekananda as the wandering monk
In 1888 Vivekananda practiced the life of the wandering monk. Wandering monk is practiced by many in various religions. What happens here is that the monk has no fixed place to stay, owns nothing, and sustains his body by holy begging. Vivekananda had only one pot for drinking water and had two books Geeta and The Imitation of Christ. He visited many places as a wandering monk.
Like this, he reached the heart of the people and gained knowledge from them. He got to know about the suffering of people, poverty, discrimination in society, and many more. However, on this journey he also got to learn many things as daily he met many people with many experiences and knowledge to share. He continued to live the life of the wandering monk for the next five years till 1893.
Dispersion of knowledge to the world by Vivekananda
Vivekananda after returning from his life as the wandering monk traveled the world dispersing the knowledge and the way of life he chooses. His first official international trip begun in 1993 when he visited various cities in Japan, Canada, and the USA. During his journey, due to his wisdom and knowledge, he impressed many. Harward Psychology professor William James even said that “That man simply wonders for oratorical power. He is an honor to humanity.”
Speech at Parliament of the world’s religion
On September 11, 1893, at the Art Institute of Chicago Vivekananda gave his speech regarding Hinduism and Religion representing India. After this speech, Vivekananda was given a two-minute standing ovation by the crowd there. The speech was regarded as one of the greatest dispersions of knowledge and spirituality. That day the world knew Vivekananda.
The world tour of Vivekananda that started in 1893 continued till 1897. During this time after the speech at parliaments of the world’s religion Vivekananda visited other countries and gave speeches there. He spent quite an amount of time in the USA alone visiting various cities and dispersing the knowledge to thousands. After leaving the USA he also went to the UK and taught many about his way of life and findings.
Return to India
Vivekananda returned to India after four years in 1897. After returning to India also he kept on his work of teaching and distributing his knowledge. After returning to his home country, he received a very warm welcome and everyone’s praise for giving spiritual knowledge to the world.
Second time leaving India
In 1899, after staying in India for two years he again went abroad. This time also he went to United Stater after staying some time in Uk. During his visits, he inaugurated various ashrams and meditation centers in various parts of the world. After leaving the USA, he went to Paris for the congress of religion in 1900. In Paris, he gave lectures about religion and Hinduism. This time his focus was Bhagwat Geeta and Shiva Linga.
Vivekananda after the congress of religion made few stops in some countries along the way, after finally returning to India in December 1900. At this point, the health of Vivekananda had started deteriorating at a very alarming rate. Due to his health condition, he was not able to attend the Congress of religion in 1901 in Japan. Asthma, Diabetes, and Chronic Insomnia were some of the conditions that were responsible for making his health worse day by day. Despite this he made some pilgrimage travels in some parts of the country.
Death of Vivekananda
Vivekananda died on 4 July 1902. He had prophesized that he would not live to see the age of 40 and the same happened. The cause of death was found to be the ruptured blood vessel in his brain. Vivekananda was not bedridden during the time of his death.
On July 4, 1902, Vivekananda woke up and performed his daily duties like meditation, worshipping, etc. like any other day. He performed his duties of the day also met some people and disciples. In the evening Vivekananda went to his room telling his students not to disturb him. Around 9 pm he was found dead by his students while meditating. According to his disciples and some people, he did not die but took Maha Samadhi thus transcending from this life.
It is more than a hundred years that Vivekananda has left this world, but his teachings will forever remain with us guiding the people towards the path of spirituality and awareness.
