Vivekananda’s Universal Religion: Exploring Its Philosophical Foundations and Contemporary Relevance

Abstract

The concept of “universal religion,” a fresh take on religion, is among Swami Vivekananda’s greatest gifts to humanity. It is not a brand-new religion with fresh text, but rather a fresh outlook on religion and a brand-new spiritual attitude. It makes religions into a principle of human unification by not only encouraging tolerance but also encouraging acceptance of different religions as true. The discovery of universality in all faiths, eliminating their own creeds, dogmas, beliefs, rites, and conventions, is known as universal religion. An adherent of universal religion maintains his or her sense of belonging to his or her own religion with its doctrine and rituals while having an enlightened understanding and respect for all other religions. Swami Vivekananda emphasized the legitimacy and universality of all religions in his Chicago Addresses in 1893. He said that every religion has the power to instill kindness, sanctity, and purity in people. He thus acknowledged the legitimacy of all religions. He urged everyone to maintain their religious unity and to embrace all that is admirable in other religions. According to him, a religion can be deemed universal if it can satisfy and soothe members of all other faiths. The true nature of man is already divine. But it is a concealed divinity. The achievement of such divinity should therefore be the goal of life; it is what religion teaches. It is the coexistence of all religions, making it one of the finest approaches to resolving the world’s many ongoing religious conflicts. This study will examine Swami Vivekananda’s idea of a universal religion and how it relates to the ongoing religious disputes around the globe. Additionally, the paper will go at his opinions on how the postmodern society operates and ask the question, “Is there a need for universal religion?”