File photo: The Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shivraj V. Patil.
Chandigarh, April 5, 2013: Swami Vivekananda taught boldness, love and unity to all human beings. According to him and Advait philosophy, entire existence is one. It may be called the most powerful force, or the cosmos, the space, time matter and energy, sentient and insentient things, plants and creatures, plan, action, and results, all human beings are one and that one can be called God. Beyond Him, apart from Him, separate from Him, there is nothing.
Expressing these views, while speaking on Annual Celebrations of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram here today, the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Shivraj V. Patil said that Swami Vivekananda livid for others and for him, there exist only Humanity and Truth. He said the teachings of Swami Vivekananda are relevant at all times. Swami Vivekananda ji said “Awake, arise, and stop not until the goal is achieved”. He asked human beings to be strong and bold, and do their duties in the best possible manner. He thought that, in everything in the universe, there is divinity. He need not feel weak and unable to do his duties. This philosophy does not exclude anything. It includes everything. It speaks of the past, the present and the future, of things, plants, creatures and human beings, and the almighty force, God, he added.
Born with a yogic temperament, Patil said Swami Vivekananda emphasised on positive attitudes and did not support negative attitudes.
The Governor said that Swami Ji founded a unique type of organizations known as Ramakrishna Mission, in which monks and lay people would jointly undertake propagation of practical Vedanta, and various forms of social service, such as running hospitals schools, colleges, hostels, and conducting massive relief and rehabilitation work for victims of natural calamities.
He said one of the most significant contributions of Swami Vivekananda to the modern world is his interpretation of religion as a universal experience of transcendent reality, common to all humanity.
Emphasising on unity of science and space, matter and energy, Patil said that spirituality, science and technology should go hand in hand. He said when this kind of philosophy can be developed in the minds of the people then nothing can be impossible.
Speaking on the occasion, Swami Anupma Nanda, Secretary of the Rama Krishna Mission Ashram, Chandigarh said that we celebrate this Annual Function to spread the message and teachings of Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Swami Atmashraddhananda, Editor, Vedanta Kesari, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, Justice Hemmant Gupta, Principal Secretary to Governor, M.P. Singh and Dr. R.K. Mahajan, Department of Economics, Punjabi University, Regional Centre, Bathinda.