WHAT IS RELIGION? (Feb )
By Swami Vivekananda
Summary
The text explores Swami Vivekananda's perspective on religion as a process of spiritual evolution through unselfishness. Religion is defined as the training that elevates the soul from selfishness to selflessness, ultimately realizing God through gradual unfoldment. The soul progresses by manifesting increasing degrees of unselfishness, with life experiences serving as the training ground. Initially, humans operate as dualists, distinguishing themselves from God, but through love and relationships, they eventually merge with the divine, realizing "I am you, and you are I." Selfishness, though natural, is identified as the root of mistakes and the obstacle to spiritual growth. The text emphasizes that eliminating selfishness through duty and persistent self-awareness leads to unselfish work, which becomes worship and eventually aligns with universal love. Society's structures, rooted in duty and ethics, aim to curb selfishness, enabling the higher self to emerge. The culmination is the realization of oneness, where love, lover, and beloved merge into infinite love, transcending duality and desire.
Conclusion
Religion, as a transformative force, cultivates unselfishness, guiding the soul’s evolution from selfishness to universal love. It trains individuals through life’s experiences, gradually dissolving ego to reveal the divine within. This journey—from duality to oneness—transcends cultural definitions, emphasizing selfless action as the essence of spiritual progress. By confronting selfishness and embracing duty, one’s work becomes worship, channeling energy toward higher ideals. Ultimately, religion’s significance lies in its power to dissolve boundaries, fostering unity and revealing the infinite within.