The Power of Selflessness: Swami Vivekananda’s Story

Swami Vivekananda’s inspiring personality has been well-known for many decades both in India and abroad. At the Parliament of Religions in Chicago (America) in 1893, this unknown Indian monk representing Hinduism suddenly became famous.

Many people were touched by his deep spiritual insight, brilliant conversational skills, empathy, and colorful personality, in addition to his extensive knowledge of western and eastern culture. After more than half a century, people who saw or heard Swami Vivekananda once or more still cherish his memory.

Vivekananda’s mother invited him to dinner to determine whether he was all set for this mission before he left for the first time to preach Hinduism abroad. Vivekananda ate well because it tasted like his mother’s special love and affection.

Vivekananda’s mother gave him a knife and a fruit dish after the delicious dinner. After cutting and eating the fruit, Vivekananda’s mother asked, “Son, can you please give me the knife, I need it?” Vivekananda responded immediately by presenting the knife.

“Son, you have passed my test, and I heartily bless you for going abroad,” Vivekananda’s mother calmly stated. Surprisingly, Vivekananda asked, “Mother, how did you test me? I didn’t get it.”

“Son, when I asked for the knife, I saw how you handed it to me. You held its sharp edge and kept the wooden handle of the knife toward me,” the mother replied. “Because of this, I won’t get hurt when I take it, which shows that you cared about me. Additionally, you passed this examination.”

“You have the right to preach to the world if you think about the well-being of others more than you do about yourself. All of my blessings are for you.”

The most lasting impression he left on many of the people he met was this: to put others first before oneself.

Moral of The Power of Selflessness: Swami Vivekananda’s Story

There are certain characteristics that distinguish the common man from the uncommon man. An extraordinary quality is to consider the well-being of everyone. The true noble person considers the happiness of others, even if it is insignificant to our day-to-day lives.

The person who only thinks about themselves is self-centered and will not be valued by the world in the long run. The natural law says that the more noble and big-hearted you become, the more you’ll get, and the more narrow-minded you become, the less you’ll get.