Vedanta Society members view a statue of Swami Vivekananda, to be erected next week at a Lemont temple.

 

The 4th of July takes on a reflective mood at the Vivekananda Vedanta Soci-
ety in Hyde Park, as members recall the charismatic 19th Century Hindu prophet
who they believe chose to die on this day as a sign of his profound respect for
the nation he took by storm.
     It has been 105 years since Swami Vivekananda burst onto the American
consciousness, achieving overnight celebrity with his appearance at the 1893
Parliament of the World's Religions In Chicago. In the years that followed,
Vivekananda is credited with introducing Hinduism to the United States and
paving the way for waves of immigration from India to America.
     But on the 4th of July, as fireworks crackle outside, modern-day followers of
Vivekananda remember the quiet of his final day. On that day in 1902, they say,
the swami hinted repeatedly about his impending death. Then he began to med-
itate, going deeper and deeper into a trance, they say, until he stopped
breathing altogether and his heart stopped beating.
     To commemorate the occasion, the Vedanta society has invited the public
to a reading of Vivekananda's lectures and a discussion about the last day of
his life, beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday at 5423 S. Hyde Park Blvd.
     On July 12, the society will celebrate in grander style, as it unveils a 10-foot-
tall statue of Vivekananda outside a Hindu temple in Lemont, a replica of a
statue found in Calcutta. It is believed to be the first of its kind in North
America
     The Vedanta Society In Chicago is one of 12 Vivekananda centers in the United States. Vedanta is one of the six major philosophies of Hinduism, which teaches that humans have divine potential.
     But the members of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society, many of whom are
American-born converts, do not limit their beliefs to Hinduism. Some incorpo-
rate elements of Christianity and Buddhism into their worship as well.
     At the core of their teachings is the man who was born in Calcutta in 1863
Sith the name of Narenndranath Datta.
     Educated at a Christian college and Iater by Hindu mentors, Datta took on
the title of Swami Vivekananda and soon became renowned for his mission-
ary zeal and social concerns.
     In 1893, he took on his greatest challenge yet, speaking about Hinduism at
the first-ever meeting of the world's religions, which took place at the Art Insti-
tute in Chicago.  Vivekananda's striking appearance and powerful oratory won
over the crowd that day, carrying him on to fame in the United States and
back in India.
     He is credited with furthering interfaith dialogue, publishing the first book
about yoga in the West and breaking the long-held Indian taboo about traveling
to the West.
     He returned to India, where he received a royal homecoming and con-
tinued studying as a monk. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission and the
Ramakrishna monastic order in Belur, India, near Calcutta, in 1897. The mis-
sion has become a leading social-service organization throughout the world, with
138 branches.
     "Vivekananda had a deep compassion for men and women, and because of
this, he Is a revered figure in India. He is recognized as one of the shapers of
modern India," said Dr. Pankaj, of the Indian consulate in Chicago.
     On the morning he died, Vivekananda meditated privately for three hours, an
unusually long time and peculiar, because he did not regularly meditate
alone.
     "The 4th of July is not by any means sad, because we believe he chose this
day specifically to die, but it is very solemn," said Frank Parlato, a yogi at
the Vedanta Society in Chicago. "It's a fascinating 24 hours in a man's life,
because it was an extremely active day, and he gave numerous hints that he was
going to die."
     The temple In the Vedanta Society looks like a page out of a comparative
religions textbook, pointing to Vivekananda's interfaith message. Pictures
of Jesus, Buddha, Ramakrishna and his wife, Sarada Devi, and Swami Vive-
kananda himself are surrounded by flowers and candles on the altar, where
society members gather for worship.
     "The society emphasizes that one must respect the different manifesta-
tions of God, Including Buddha and Jesus Christ," said Mithilesh Mishra, a
professor of Hindi language at the University of Chicago and Vedanta member.
     Half of Vedanta members are American converts, the other half India-born
Hindus. Vedanta members do not have to label themselves as particularly
Hindu. They believe that there are many paths to one God.
     The many-paths philosophy is what attracted a believer who goes by the
name Girija, a Chicago native who formerly practiced Catholicism, Methodism
and Unitarianism. She has been a Vedanta monastic at the center for
almost two years. She said she found Vedanta while looking for "a living
teacher, not another book."
     Followers hope that the new statue, erected in front of and donated to the
Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, will inspire others to find their
own paths.
     The statue was designed by G. Paul and Sons, an Indian firm that made a
similar statue in Calcutta.
     Swami Chidanandra, head swami at the Vedanta Society of Chicago, started
working on getting a statue in the United States three years ago.
     Gajanan Patwari, a Vedanta member for 31 years, said he thinks the statue
will heighten awareness of Vivekananda's philosophy.
     "The statue will be a profound influence on our society. People from all
walks of life will be able to come to the statue and the temple and learn about
the swami's teachings and put them Into practice," he said.