Biography:
A spiritual genius of commanding intellect and power, Vivekananda crammed immense labor and achievement into his short life, 1863-1902. Born in the Datta family of Calcutta, the youthful Vivekananda embraced the agnostic philosophies of the Western mind along with the worship of science.
At the same time, vehement in his desire to know the truth about God, he questioned people of holy reputation, asking them if they had seen God. He found such a person in Sri Ramakrishna, who became his master, allayed his doubts, gave him God vision, and transformed him into sage and prophet with authority to teach.
After Sri Ramakrishna's death, Vivekananda renounced the world and criss-crossed India as a wandering monk. His mounting compassion for India's people drove him to seek their material help from the West. Accepting an opportunity to represent Hinduism at Chicago's Parliament of Religions in 1893, Vivekananda won instant celebrity in America and a ready forum for his spiritual teaching.
For three years he spread the Vedanta philosophy and religion in America and England and then returned to India to found the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Exhorting his nation to spiritual greatness, he wakened India to a new national consciousness. He died July 4, 1902, after a second, much shorter sojourn in the West. His lectures and writings have been gathered into nine volumes.

Source:www.vivekananda.org

Swami Vivekananda's Quote's

What India wants is a new electric fire tostir up a fresh vigor in the national veins.This was ever, and always will be, slow work.Be content to work, and, above all, be trueto yourself. Be pure, staunch, and sincere tothe very backbone, and everything will be allright. If you have marked anything in thedisciples of Sri Ramakrishna, it isthis--they are sincere to the backbone. Mytask will be done, and I shall be quitecontent to die, if I can bring up and launchone hundred such men over India. He, theLord, knows best.

Symbols have been used by all kinds ofreligions. In one sense we cannot think butin symbols; words themselves are symbols ofthought. In another sense everything in theuniverse may be looked upon as a symbol. Thewhole universe is a symbol, and God is theessence behind.

Vivekananda: I am the disciple of aman whocould not write his own name, and I am notworthy to undo his shoes. How often have Iwished I could take my intellect and thrownit into the Ganges!But, Swami, that is the part of youI like best.
Vivekananda: That is because you are afool, Madam--like I am.Mrs. Edith Allan's description of a teacher-student exchange in a San Francisco class.

Source:www.vivekananda.org