Mualana Whaiduddin Khan | Speaking Tree Blog | March 3, 2019
Swami Vivekanand (1863-1902) had undertaken long journeys in search of truth before he reached the shores of Ras Kumari. Spotting a small island one furlong off the coast, he swam out to it, and there engaged himself in meditation. After som time he returned to the shore, and devoted himself to propagation of Hinduism.
A large center has now been established on this island at a cost of 2 crore rupees (20 million). The main aim of the center is “man-making”. When it made an appeal for recruitment of workers, dozens of highly-educated men and women, as well as hundreds of young volunteers, responded to the call, and dedicated their lives to continuing Vivekanand’s mission. They became life workers for this cause.
Dr. H.R. Nigendar is one of these dedicated volunteers. Previously, he held a high position in Space Flight Centre in America but is now content with the modest life that the center has to offer him. He does not feel out of place there. “A scientist’s job,” he said, “is to search for truth, and my search is continuing. Earlier it was in mechanical engineering, now it is in human engineering.”
At present, the Vivekanand Centre is concentrating its work in four particular fields – education, rural development, Yoga research, and the publication of literature. Hundreds of people have abandoned a comfortable life and high positions to engage in the quiet, constructive work that the Centre is conducting in various states around the country. In the words of Dr Nigendar, “It is a rich life indeed –rich in job satisfaction.”
A living nation alone can produce highly-talented individuals who are ready to dedicate their lives to a noble cause, whose intellectual prowess makes them alive to lofty ideals. If people of high intelligence are not ready to dedicate their lives to high ideals, but engage instead in base pursuits, then all one can say is that such a nation has lost all vision and vitality.