Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) 150 Years on: Critical Studies of an Influential Hindu Guru

Beckerlegge, Gwilym

doi:10.1111/rec3.12073

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(17 reference statements)

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“…34 Swami Vivekananda has been arguably the name most associated with the contemporary yoga revival. 35 He was one of the first Hindu "missionaries" to the Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras (without commentary) were presented by Vivekananda as the foundational text of yoga, although academic comparison between Vivekananda and historical yoga traditions has revealed as much innovation as continuity. 36 Vivekananda adjusted Sen's "fourfold classification of devotees" into a "four yogas" scheme, presenting yoga as a form of Hinduism that was universalistic and accessible for the spiritual improvement of all mankind.…”

Section: Samaj and Swami Vivekanandamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Revival of Yoga in Contemporary India

Newcombe¹

2017

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion

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The word yoga refers to a multifaceted array of beliefs and practices. Yoga is twinned with sāṃkhya as one of the six orthodox darshanas (worldviews) of Hindu philosophy, with Patañjali’s Yogaśāstra having been codified by around the 5th century of the Common Era. A distinct body of texts known as the haṭhayoga corpus appears around the 11th century and emphasizes physical practices most likely used by ascetic communities. The ultimate aim of yoga is described by various words (e.g., kaivalya, samādhi, mokṣa, etc.); it is often described as an experience of an individual soul’s uniting with the divine, and/or becoming liberated from the material world. These historical precedents have continuities with contemporary yoga practices, and for many Indians today, yoga is understood as the essence of Indian spirituality. Yoga, however, took on new meanings in the late colonial period, becoming a mental, physical, and ethical discipline to aid in the struggle for an independent Indian nation state; a scientific, evidence-based practice to improve health and well-being; and a template for the evolution of an individual as well as humanity as a whole. At the same time, yoga kept an association with liberation and the realization of the ultimate nature of reality. In the early 21st century, all these meanings remain current in the Indian context, where yoga is continuing to experience a revival. In India, yoga is understood as a unique and valuable cultural resource that has the potential to revitalize both an individual’s health and the Indian nation-state, being an exemplar of the unique insights that Indian traditions can give to the rest of the world. Despite a notable shift in what is understood by yoga in the modern period, yoga continues to be a multivalent and increasingly popular practice in contemporary India.

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Section: Samaj and Swami Vivekanandamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Revival of Yoga in Contemporary India

Newcombe¹

2017

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion

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“…See also Sen (2013) and Raghuramaraju (2014). On the critical study of Vivekānanda, see Beckerlegge (2013b). For an insider’s perspective, see Nikhilananda (1953) and Rolland (1930).…”

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Tolerance in Swami Vivekānanda’s Neo-Hinduism

Rigopoulos

2019

Philosophy & Social Criticism

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Tolerance was and still is a key notion in Neo-Hindu discourse. Its systematic articulation is to be found in the speeches and writings of Swami Vivekānanda. Inspired by his master Rāmakr . s . n . a, he proclaimed non-dual (advaita) Vedānta as the metaphysical basis of universal tolerance and brotherhood as well as of India's national identity. Conceptually, his notion of tolerance is to be understood as a hierarchical inclusivism, given that all religions are said to be ultimately included in Vedāntic Hinduism. The claim is that Advaita Vedānta is not a religion but Religion itself. Thus Vivekānanda promoted his understanding of Vedāntic Hinduism as the world religion based upon what he perceived to be universally valid ethical and metaphysical principles. Neo-Hinduism has had a profound, lasting influence among the educated middle classes of India and Vivekānanda was among those who paved the way for the independence movement of the early 20th century. The popular Western view of Hinduism as being synonymous with Advaita Vedānta is part and parcel of this heritage. The Indian gurus who have become popular in the West in the last hundred years are all indebted to the Vivekānandian model of spirituality.

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Vedānta: A Survey of Recent Scholarship (I)

Allen

2023

J Indian Philos

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Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) 150 Years on: Critical Studies of an Influential Hindu Guru

Cited by 7 publications

References 19 publications

The Revival of Yoga in Contemporary India

The Revival of Yoga in Contemporary India

Tolerance in Swami Vivekānanda’s Neo-Hinduism

Vedānta: A Survey of Recent Scholarship (I)

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