Nikhil Yadav
In this time of social media and seamless connectivity, nearly everyday we celebrate a day with its own value and significance. But the majority users of social media in India, Youth, does not know that National Youth Day is celebrated on India. And it is more surprising to know that National Youth Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of a Sanyasi “Swami Vivekananda”. One always wonders why Youth Day is celebrated to remember a Sanyasi , Swami Vivekananda. But it was Swami Vivekananda, whose every word and deed is perennial source of inspiration for youth. When we remember Swami Vivekananada, a shloka from Katho Upanishad, popularized by him come to our tounge, “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”. These worlds from Upanishads is perfect embodiment of whole life of Swami Vivekananda.
The journey starts with Arise and awake, but the crucial phase in everyone’s life is to “Stop Not”. Stopping not is as crucial as Arise and awake. Swami Vivekananda’s life, after he realised his purpose, was a seamless flow of thought with a unity with purpose and unflinching conviction. In our daily lives, we come across many hinderences and obstacles, which dispels us from our mission. Swami Vivekananda’s message to ‘Stop Not’ is fearlessness, which comes from four pillars, श्रद्धा, Concentration, and Spirituality. The win of Tortoise over rabbit is श्रद्धा, Concentration and Spirituality as base, which are the keys to “Stop Not” approach. The standpoint of great success stories is not the arise and awake but it is the “Stop Not” approach.
In 1990, when Swami Vivekananda embarked the great wandering of whole India, he had came across many adverse situations and problems. Swamiji had to face sleepless nights with no shelters and he did not know that where he would spend the next night and from where the next meal would come. Although Swami Vivekananda had a mission to deliver but the greatest weapon he had was “श्रद्धा” I oneself and श्रद्धा in God. Like the human body, blood keeps body working and alive, in the same day, it is श्रद्धा that should be the lifeblood of our lives. Whenever we say we are in stress, depression and anxiety, at the time we lose श्रद्धा on ourself. Swami Vivekananda cites the reason behind, India’s degradation was lost of self-confidence and self-reliance in the common masses. श्रद्धा is the very engine of a missionful life for a “Stop Not” approach.
In today’s rapid changes and fast lifestyle, it is very difficult to sustain the” श्रद्धा” and continuity in the life. The greatest difficult task nowadays is to do anything consistently and incessantly for a pro-longed period of time and without utmost श्रद्धा. So, having no श्रद्धा in oneself is like pressing brakes and accelerator together. The key to have श्रद्धा is living self-consciously. The श्रद्धा builds with how we do every work in our day to day life whether, small or big. If we do not live a self-consciously then, we cannot have श्रद्धा on ourself. Living self-consciously is to become aware of our wake up time, daily routine and time management, which seems to be very basic but they are key to have श्रद्धा on oneself. श्रद्धा comes from self-consciousness self-responsibility and self-assertiveness.
The another pillar of a “Stop Not” mindsetis concentration. Swamiji says, “the key to all knowledge lies in “Concentration”. Today, in the name of multitasking, the mind is engaged in so many things that it is everywhere but still present nowhere. Like the blade can’t be used for shave and sharpening pencil at a time, it is same with mind also. Remember it is the same mind, if you let it loose throughout the day, whatever mind wants you do, no sooner it will be out of control. So, the training of mind is very important. Swamiji said, “Concentration is the essence of all knowledge. Nothing can be done without it, Ninety percent of the thought force is wasted by the ordinary human being.” The mind must be controlled by way of concentration which can be achieved by doing whatever we do with fullest possible attention as possible.
The third aspect of Stop Not approach is “Spirituality”. While living with idea, we should also keep firm with spirituality. Spirituality must be a very ground on which a firm home of श्रद्धा and concentration will be built. Sri Ramkrishna used to say, “If you have Zeros, add them you will get nothing. But add zeros with one, it will have values. And that one is spirituality.” Being spiritual is just not only to perform rituals or going to temple, but it is to see the same divinity in everyone, to always remember that it is one consciousness which manifests itself as different beings.
Swami Vivekananda gives a direct success mantra “Take up one idea, make that idea your life, think of it, dream of it. Let your brain, muscles, nerves and every part of your body, be full of that idea. And leave every other idea alone, this is the way to success. This is the way great spiritual giants are produced”. Taking up that one idea is not much difficult as to keep hold of that idea. We have to be aware of the mind game, which dispels us from our work. In this process, one must hold to purity. In the opposite circumstances, if one keeps hold of purity then, the rest work is not much difficult for us.
So, on the occasion of this National Youth Day, we must read Swami Vivekananda and take a eternal source of inspiration. Let’s arise, awake and Stop Not by utmost श्रद्धा on ourself, with firm concentration and spirituality as our ground to always hold, and always remember to be pure. Let’s start the journey to “Stop Not”.
