College Publication

Publishers Note

Swami Vivekananda, writes in one of his letters to Swami Ramakrishnananda, in 1894 from Chicago : ‘…see that universality be not hampered in the least. Everything must be sacrificed, if necessary, for that one sentiment, universality. Whether I live or die, whether I go back to India or not, remember this specially, that universality — perfect acceptance, not tolerance only — we preach and perform’. Such strong was his emphasis on universality. Charged with his inspiration the Ramakrishna Mission has tried its level best to render physical, intellectual and spiritual service to mankind irrespective of caste, creed or nationality with a vision of seeing oneself equally in all. With this legacy of universal love poured out in service at the background the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College, Rahara is publishing ‘Swami Vivekananda and his Universal Ideas’ –a book to promote, analyse and apply the universal message of Swami Vivekananda along multifarious channels.

Swami Vivekananda has said ‘One-sidedness is the bane of the world. The more sides you can develop the more souls you have, and you can see the universe through all souls’. Thus if we desire to be a friend of all then we have to reach the universal core from which can admire and inspire all around us of any social identity, of any mental make-up, of any school of thought. We pray to Shri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Shri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda to inspire us through this book to reach this true state of universality where we can relish the bliss of universal love and radiate universal service from ourselves.

Rahara, Kolkata

28th October, 2016

150th Birth Anniversary of Sister Nivedita