Attitude formation in the light of Swami Vivekananda

Chirag Akarsh

Abstract

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost”. Now the caption is very much pertinent in this present millennium under the context of Character Building for mankind when a greater part of this society used to run after name, fame, money and power even at the cost of own life. If one becomes determinate on the one aim of God realization, then man will turn towards God. On turning towards God, good qualities, good conduct come on their own, and character building begins to take place. However, if a man forgets about God realization and begins to hoard worldly possessions and enjoy sense pleasures, then he falls down in character. He, who loses his character, is not even worthy and deserving of being called a man. He himself is the central theme of building character. He is more valuable than any possession in the universe. In this context, Swami Vivekananda said that, “neither money pays, nor name, nor fame, nor learning; It is CHARACTER that can cleave through adamantine walls of difficulties.The purpose of education is ManMaking and Character building of the students. Defining character, Vivekananda said, “The character of any man is the aggregate of his tendencies, but the sum of the total bent of his mind. As pleasure and pain pass before his soul, they leave upon it different pictures and the result of these combined impressions is what is called a man’s character”. The present paper will try to shed some light on the character and character formation in the light of Swami Vivekananda.