128th Anniversary of Historic Chicago Addresses and 22nd Foundation day celebrations of VIHE- DAY -1

Celebrations for the 128th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's Chicago addresses and the 22nd foundation day of the Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence begin on September 11, 2021. The day was planned around the talks of eminent speakers, one of whom is the founder of the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement, another is a journalist from the Times of India, and Swami Bodhamayanandaji, the event's ratha saradhi, who guided and mentored the participants throughout the session. The session was full of incredible power and helped us to have a positive outlook on our inner selves. The following is a write-up by one of VIHE's volunteers.

The event was started with the Vedic chanting rendered by Swami Bodhamayananda Maharaj followed by a welcoming song "Veer Senapati" sung by Advait Roy on harmonium accompanied by Anirudh Sharma on the mridangam both are accomplished singers who were associated with VIHE for the past couple of years. The meet was followed by the vision and mission of Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence and explained the journey of VIHE through a video. Swamiji continued the session explaining how we can improve ourselves from the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Guest speaker Dr. Balasubramaniam sir was been introduced by Prashanthi Vinoth, a volunteer of VIHE.

Dr. R Balasubramaniam ji :

Sir founded the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a Saragur based development organization, started when he was 19 years old. Swami Vivekananda's message and ideas were expressed through his work in SVYM. How swamiji's message will benefit the country's youth and future generations and also how he represented India physically, emotionally, and powerfully at the World Parliament of Religions. In addition, the significance of an emergency in comprehending humanity's oneness in society was discussed.

The breadth of his conviction was not limited to Indian spirituality, but also to how today's societal inequalities needed to be addressed. The youth, in particular, had to take upon the responsibility of implementing the 3H formula (Head to think, Heart to feel, and Hands to work) while also learning leadership qualities. As well as take on the responsibility of eradicating hunger in the country. That is the freedom Swamiji desired for us.

This country not only believes in tolerance but also in accepting every possible point of view from every mind. Sir also discussed thyaga guna, seva guna, and how they are related to toleration and acceptance. How appreciation is important in one's life and how it contributes significantly to nation-building. Swamiji's new dimensions of Spirituality are explained by the quote "atmano mokshartham jagath hitayacha."

Can we empathize with the poor's plight? explained an incident in which, one day as he was crossing the road, a baby sitting alone on the road side started crying as he watched the entire scenario. On the same roadside, a lady who was selling bananas was fighting with a customer who was bargaining for the extra banana. The lady quickly turned off the customer. At the sight of the child, the same lady plucked two bananas and gave them to the child. This is the feeling we must cultivate in ourselves, the sensitivity we must instill in our personalities. Followed by answering to some of the questions raised by the participants in session

Anshul Chaturvediji:

A fascinating discussion by Anshul Chaturvedi Ji, a renowned journalist from the Times of India continued the session. Revealed how he finds solutions to all of his questions in Swamiji and Ramakrishna's teachings, as well as how he overcomes his challenges at each stage of his life. How Swamiji was able to persuade his message to solve his problems. Working on your progress was his key philosophy, and the rest would take care of itself. Another thing he adds is that you shouldn't rush to teach anything, just build a way for them to accept the situation and walk away. It was an excellent lesson to learn indeed.

After Sir's discourse, we were treated to a video of Swamiji, "Vivekananda Simha Garjana" which had a feeling as if he were speaking directly to us. It was an honour to be a part of this session, and I feel extremely fortunate to have met and listened to such wonderful people. My gratitude to VIHE and Swami Bodhamayananda ji maharaj for arranging such an inspiring session. Pranams, Jai ramakrishna !