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Swami
Vivekananda's Message
for the New Millennium
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Swami Vivekananda's Message for the
New Millennium
By Mahendra Jani
Dr. Mahendra Jani, Chairman of the Department of
Mathematics, William Paterson University, New Jersey is the Founder and
President of the Vivekananda Vidyapith, an Academy of Indian Philosophy
and Culture in New Jersey. The following lecture was delivered on the
occasion of Swami Vivekananda's Birthday Celebration, held on January 21,
2001 at the Ramakrishna Vivekananda Center of New York.
(This
lecture has been edited by Uma Ramakrishnan for publication)
I.
Introduction:
Revered Swami Adiswaranandaji and friends,
This is a great honor - to speak from this podium, on
Swami Vivekananda’s birthday celebration.
I am well aware that this is not an honor to me alone – on this
occasion, Swami Adiswaranandaji is honoring my family, the institution,
Vivekananda Vidyapith and all the teachers and helpers of the Vidyapith,
and the great cause of giving “character building education” to the
children of the Vidyapith. I
sincerely thank Swami Adiswaranandaji for giving me this opportunity.
Today’s topic is: “Swami
Vivekananda’s Message for the New Millennium.”
II.
The New Millennium
Let
me ask you….Do you feel that we are something special?
Were you excited that we have lived through the change of
millenniums? On the 1st
of January, 2000 or 2001, did you feel that this is the first day of the
new millennium? Some might
say, “only when I looked at the calendar, I felt that way” otherwise,
walking down the streets of New York, we find the same houses, same
buildings, same shops and same Hudson River.
There is no change.
However,
those who were born or will be born after January 1st, 2001,
will wonder how people felt during this change of the new millennium, what
their thoughts were at that time and will be kind of jealous that they
were not part of that special moment.
In one way, we have lived through a special time.
If
we count in terms of “millennium units”, the society which follows the
English calendar is just a 2 year old infant.
Counting thus, some countries are 5, or 8, or 10 years old.
If we want to predict something about the new millennium, this is a
very small data set. What can
we predict from a data set of
2 samples? Very little.
However, in terms of centuries, we find that human race has made
tremendous progress in science and technology in the last two centuries.
These advances have brought substantial changes in the lives of
people.
When
Swami Vivekananda came to America, the nation was in the thralls of
scientific and technological advances.
In 1892, Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first vocal message
by electricity from New York to Chicago, and George Eastman founded the
Eastman Kodak Company. In
1893, Henry Ford built his first gasoline engine that ran successfully,
and Nikola Tesla demonstrated his polyphase alternating current system at
the Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
(By the way, Swamiji had a personal interview with the scientist
Tesla). New York City, the
great metropolis, was the hub for much of this activity.
On the Pearl Street Thomas Edison designed and installed the first
large central power station. His
electric lamps lit up the city. [2]
100
years ago, people would not have thought that human beings will walk on
the moon or traveling in the sky from one end of the earth to the other
end will be as easy as traveling in the bus.
People would not have thought that pressing a few buttons one can
talk to another person anywhere in the world or with the click of a mouse
one can bring a whole library of the world to one’s desk or shop for
anything from a pin to a plane ticket.
Not
only the rate of discoveries is accelerating, but the acceleration rate
itself is accelerating
.
Every
day tons of research papers are being produced – hard copies as well as
soft copies. On the one hand
we are exploring the mysteries on Mars and stars several billion light
years away, and on the other hand going deeper into the atom to study the
quantum behavior of the electrons, or going deeper into the human cell to
decode the messages imprinted on DNAs.
Scientists are creating new animals like ANDY, by combining genes
of a monkey and a jelly fish. Some
are studying the signals of the neuron-cells by opening up the skulls of
human beings to understand the functions of their brains in order to fix
problems. Recently, scientists have completely stopped light which
travels at the speed of 186,000 miles/second, wrapped it up and released
it again. Human race is advancing in all directions with a dazzling speed.
At
this time it is extremely difficult to predict the future ten, a hundred,
or a thousand years ahead. However,
do you know that there are some “futurologists” all over the world
attempting to predict the future? Let
me give you one interesting example:
I read about an office [5], set up in London by British Mobile Company,
where a casually-attired group of young brains spends all day thinking
about things to come. One of
their several ideas is about “the stud.”
The stud is a tiny device that looks like a small studded earring.
It will be a 7-24-365 all-purpose link to the rest of the world,
just like the one Lieutenant Uhura wore in Star
Trek. The stud will be
audible in your ear in a voice and personality of your choosing. It will wake you up in the morning, softly calling your name.
As you shower – the stud having set the water temperature just
right and remotely switched on the coffee maker in the kitchen – it will
give a rundown on your schedule, the weather, news items which might
interest you, any e-mails or voice-messages it had received overnight and
whether it would be advisable to drive to the office or take the train
that day.
At the work, it will set up multi-national conference calls, in foreign
languages if necessary. During
the day, it will keep tabs on your state of health as well as your car’s
and that of your finances, guide you if you get lost, tell you where the
nearest parking space is, give updates on your children, and quietly shop
around for the latest grocery bargains which it knows you need.
Based upon the progress of science and technology, people are making all
kinds of predictions about the New Millennium.
For example, the fastest running quantum computers, PalmPilot
equivalents as an addition to our brains, house-hold robots, self-fixing
body parts, multiple copies of a human being created by cloning, quantum
communication, quantum teleportation, life on another planet (with aliens)
and many others.
Talking about aliens, Dame Margaret Anstee, head of the UN peacekeeping
mission to Angola in 1992-1993, gravely said, “I am by nature
optimistic, but sometimes I think the only solution will be an invasion
from the outer space. Then,
at last everyone would unite (on earth).”
People are also
imagining environmental catastrophes some natural and some due to the
abuse of the natural resources, moral and ethical problems, (it has been
predicted that the number of lawyers will increase. We can believe this by the Florida recount business) People
are predicting nuclear disasters, wars with chemical, biological, or some
unknown weapons, complex physio-psychological and drug problems, new
diseases and many others.
Looking at the accelerated progress of science and technology, questions
come to mind; Where are we going? What
for? What are we seeking?
Are we going to get what we are seeking?
I was looking at the chronology of science and technology in the last
millennium. We find progress, inventions after inventions and then comes
two world wars. Millions of
people were killed. After the
wars people lost their faith in science and technology.
Existentialism and absurd movements prevailed in Europe.
Philosophers, artists, poets and writers expressed their
frustration, anguish and pathos in their writings and paintings.
We see some
reflections in the poems “Waste Land” and “The Hollow Men” of T.
S. Eliot [3], the great American
poet. He writes
“We are the hollow men.”
We are the stuffed men.
………………..
The eyes are not here
There are no eyes here
In this valley of dying stars
In this hollow valley
This broken jaw of our lost kingdoms
In this last meeting places
We grope together
And avoid speech
Gathered on this beach of the tumid river
Sightless, unless
The eyes reappear
As the perpetual star
Multifoliate rose
Of Death’s twilight kingdom
The hope only
Of empty men.
…………….(and at the end he writes)
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
Sensible people
remembered the “Myth of Sisyphus.” The gods had condemned Sisyphus to
ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone
would fall back of its own weight.
The main question is, “What are we searching for?”
If we observe carefully, we find that besides food, comforts and
sense pleasures, a mature human being wants three things: Knowledge,
longer lasting Happiness and Immortality.
A mature human being wants to know about the world and about
oneself. He/she wants to
attain happiness which does not depend on the constantly changing people,
situations or society. A
mature human being will not be satisfied with the limited self, bound by
the body, the mind and the intellect.
He/she wants to break all limitations, including the limitation of
death, and be free.
There are two worlds in a human life; external and internal.
The external world can be satisfied with food, comforts and
sense-pleasures, but the internal world needs much more beyond these three
things. The internal world is
filled with feelings, questions, and desires..
Science and technology can provide good health and comforts, but
cannot bring longer lasting happiness, because happiness lies in the mind.
There are so many aspects of a human being about which Science and
technology cannot do anything. The
sooner we learn the limitations of Science and technology, the better for
us and the better science itself.
Scientists are realizing this. Albert
Einstein said "Science
without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
People shrink at the word “religion”, and I won't blame them.
The Earth has seen much bloodshed in the name of religion than for
any other reason. However,
the fundamental aspect of religion -“search within” remains.
Recently, several active scientists are getting together under the
title “Science and Spiritual Quest” and discussing among themselves
how to combine the knowledge given by the mystics of the world with the
knowledge of science. Last month, I attended one of their conferences in New York,
and I was impressed by the awareness of the scientists about such a need
and also their attempts in this direction.
People are realizing that we have to improve within in order to
keep up with the progress of science and technology and derive benefits
from it.
After the conference, walking in midtown, I was thinking that in the same
New York city, 105 years ago, in 1896, Swami Vivekananda was giving public
lectures, conducting classes, and guiding individuals for that very same
purpose.
Those who have studied Swami Vivekananda’s life and teachings realize
that this is exactly what Swamiji was working for.
III. Swami
Vivekananda and his message
It will not be inappropriate to remember his life briefly on this
occasion.
Swami Vivekananda was born on January 12, 1863 .
His childhood name was Vireswar, a name of Shiva.
Later, he was known as Narendra.
His father, Viswanath Datta, was a High Court lawyer of Calcutta,
considered a prestigious position. His
father was well versed in English and Persian literature.
He was also open minded, compassionate by heart towards poor people
and did his best to help them. Narendra’s
mother, Bhuvaneswari Devi was a pious devout person, well versed in Hindu
mythology. Narendra learned
logical thinking from his father, and Hindu mythology form his mother.
His grandfather, Durgacharan,
had renounced the world in search of God.
Narendra excelled in studies, singing, in gym and sports. From childhood, he had an inner urge to realize God.
This urge became a blazing fire as he grew.
As a teen, he was asking all the renowned religious people whether
they had seen God. As we know, he met Sri Ramakrishna. Upon asking the same question, “Sir, have you seen God?,
Sri Ramakrishna said, “Yes, I
have seen God. I see Him as I
see you here, only more clearly. God
can be seen. One can talk to
Him. But, who cares for God?
People shed torrents of tears for their wives, children, wealth,
and property, but who weeps for the vision of God?
If one cries sincerely for God, one can surely see Him.”
Narendra was convinced that he had found the right teacher.
For five years Narendra closely watched the Mater, his teacher,
never allowing himself to be influenced by blind faith, always testing the
words and actions of Sri Ramakrishna in the test-tube of reason.
Sri Ramakrishna passed away in 1886, leaving the responsibilities of his
disciples on Narendra. Under
the leadership of Narendra, a few disciples renounced everything in order
to live God-centered lives and to carry on the work of their Master.
Narendra became Swami Vivekananda.
After traveling all over India, following his vision at
Kanyakumari, he decided to come to America in 1893 (note, 108 years ago, a
mystical number). He
represented the ancient Hindu religion in the Parliament of Religions. The
very first talk of Swami Vivekananda made him known to the whole world.
When he was here (in America), he had to go through several difficulties,
like renting a place, collecting money, cooking his own food, and talking
to people who had no idea or had wrong ideas about India and Indian
philosophy and culture. In
New York, he was not charging people for his classes and he decided not go
to the lecture bureaus. To
pay the rent, he used to arrange public lectures on week-ends.
I was moved when I read about the difficulties and adversities he
had to go through to deliver his message.
In Texas, someone started shooting around him in order to check
whether he was truly identifying himself with the Immortal Self and
whether he was free from the fear of death.
The rest of his life he dedicated to helping humanity; inspiring
people into spiritual path by giving lectures and guidance, training
disciples for monastic lives, founding the great Institution - the
Ramakrishna Mission. Since
then, the Mission has inspired and continues to inspire people in their
spiritual quest and has constantly engaged in humanitarian activities
helping millions of people. Swami
Vivekananda wore out his robust body in the service of humanity.
At the age of 39, on July 4th, 1902, he gave up his
body.
Let us see how Sri Ramakrishna looked at Narendra.
It is like a recommendation from an advisor:
Sri Ramakrishna considered Narendra as Narayana, the Lord of the universe.
Sri Ramakrishna realized the potential of Narendra.
One day in the presence of Keshav Chandra Sen and Vijay Goswami,
two outstanding leaders of the Brahmo Samaj, he said:
“If Keshav possesses one virtue which has made him world famous,
Naren is endowed with 18 such virtues.
I have seen in Keshav and Vijay the divine light burning like a
candle flame, but in Naren it shines with the radiance of the sun.”
Narendra, instead of being flattered by these complements, became
annoyed and sharply rebuked the Master for what he regarded as his
foolishness. The Master
protested. He said, “I
cannot help it. Do you think
these are my words? The
Divine Mother showed me certain things about you, which I repeated.
And she reveals to me nothing but the truth.”
When Sri Ramakrishna was suffering from throat cancer, he had great
difficulty in speaking. He
wrote on a piece of paper: “Naren will teach others.”
Narendra demurred. The Master said, ”But you must.
Your very bones will do it.”
(Remember the Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna
was refusing to fight. Sri
Krishna told Arjuna that his very nature will force him to fight a
righteous war.) Sri
Ramakrishna further said that all the supernatural powers he himself had
acquired would work through his beloved disciple.
Absorbed in Samadhi, one day Sri Ramakrishna found that his mind was
soaring high, going beyond the physical universe of the sun, moon, and
stars, and passing into the subtle region of ideas.
As it continued to ascend, the forms of gods and goddesses were
left behind, and it crossed the luminous barrier separating the phenomenal
universe from the Absolute, finally entering the transcendental realm.
There Sri Ramakrishna saw seven venerable sages absorbed in
meditation. There, he saw a
portion of the undifferentiated Absolute become congealed, as it were, and
take the form of a Divine Child. Clasping
the neck of one of the sages with His soft arms, the child asked, “I am
going down to earth. Won’t
you come with me?” The sage
with half-opened eyes and a benign look expressed assent and returned into
deep samadhi. When Sri Ramakrishna saw Narendra, he immediately recognized
him as the sage he saw in his vision [6].
Swami Vivekananda's teachings have been compiled into several volumes [7].
We are indebted to Mr. Goodwin for writing down most of Swami
Vivekananda’s lectures and teachings and thus preserving them.
Without him, most of Swamiji’s teachings would have been lost to
us. Note that, Swami
Vivekananda found Mr. Goodwin in New York.
Swami Vivekananda's message:
Every thought of Swami Vivekananda is inspiring.
I have selected the following two teachings [8, 7]which, I think,
reflect the central theme of his message.
(1) Each
soul is potentially divine.
The goal is to manifest this divinity within
By controlling nature, external and internal.
Do this either by work or worship or psychic control or philosophy
By one or more or all of these
And be free.
This is the whole religion.
Doctrines or dogmas or rituals or books or temples or forms
Are but secondary details.
(2) “After so much austerity, I have understood this as the real
truth;
God is present in every Jiva (being), there is no other God besides that.
Who serves Jiva serves God indeed.”
The message is very clear. Also,
it is clear that he lived what he preached.
IV. The
significance of Swami Vivekananda’s message:
Why is Swami
Vivekananda’s message is appropriate for the new millennium?
What is the significance of his message?
Why a message given a hundred years ago becomes useful for the new
millennium? Let us try to
find answers from his life and teachings.
First, the significance of his message.
I think, the most significant contribution of Swami Vivekananda is that he
made religion as a scientific search to realize the divinity within.
Also, this inner search is
grounded in humanity. Combining
these two, we can say that he made religion a “humanistic science of the
Self.” I would say, a
“MetaScience”.
1.
Realizing the Divinity
within is essential
Swami Vivekananda emphasized that as we are making
progress in the external world with science and technology, a progress in
the inner world is equally, nay more important. According to Swamiji,
to make progress in the inner world means to manifest the divinity within.
Such progress enables us to properly enjoy the benefits of scientific
achievements and simultaneously help us to manage the destructive
consequences follow from these achievements.
If we neglect the internal world, then the progress of the external
world, especially the negative consequences of scientific and
technological achievements will destroy human race.
We hear the echo of Swamiji’s message in the words
of Romain Rolland [1], a well known French writer and philosopher.
He writes in the biography of Swami Vivekananda, "I
advise the “extrovert” peoples of the West to rediscover in the depths
of themselves the…sources of active and creative “introversion.” If they fail, there is not much hope for the future.
Their gigantic technical knowledge, far from being a source of
protection, will bring about their annihilation.”
One worries that an introvert person will not be able to make
progress in the external world. This
is not true. Again, Romain
Rolland emphasizes that “A
great “introvert” will know at the same time how to be a great
“extrovert”…Interiorisation has never led in principle to diminution
of action.”
2.
Religion should not contradict reason:
In this day and age, religion cannot be and should
not be taught in an irrational, ambiguous, whimsical way to reach an
unclear goal, and it should not encourage blind faith.
Even though, the truths of the inner world surpass rationality,
they should not contradict reason. Swamiji
always encouraged genuine questions and reasoning.
In India also, I have found that people become uncomfortable when certain
ideas or rituals of religion are challenged.
People are afraid of such challenges, as if someone from the sky is
going to come and punish them.
We encourage students
in the Vidyapith to ask questions. We
found that students feel good when ideas are rationally explained.
A scientist or a mathematician always encourages people to ask
questions, and if he/she does not know the answer, will not hesitate to
say “I don’t know.” Somehow
in the field of religious, this kind of attitude is not encouraged.
Swami Vivekananda wanted all the religious
ideas to be tested by reasons. He
said ‘Do not believe because your grandfather believed it, or because it
is written in some book. Believe
when you are fully convinced.’ He
himself reasoned out everything, and so he could explain spiritual truths
rationally. The following
incident [6] illustrates how he challenged and tested a statement of his
Master.
Sri Ramakrishna told his intimate disciples
that through spiritual practices his nervous system has undergone a change
and that he cannot bear the touch of any metal, such as gold or silver.
Narendra wanted to test this.
One day, in the absence of Sri Ramakrishna, he slipped a coin under
his bed. When Sri Ramakrishna
returned and sat on the bed, he jumped up in pain as if stung by an
insect. The bed was examined and the coin was found.
Narendra was guilty. Sri
Ramakrishna was always pleased when his disciples put to the test his
statements or behavior before accepting his teachings.
He would say, “Test me as the money-changers test their coins.
You must not believe me without testing me thoroughly.”
Every religion has two parts: the fundamental
or the essential part, and the
non-essential part.
The essential part consists of eternal truth which is true all the
time. It’s validity does
not depend on a person or a place. The essential parts of all religions are the same.
The non-essential part of a religion is based on the local customs,
geography and traditions. When religion goes through reasoning, its essential and
eternal part survives and the non-essential part falls off.
- Religion
is the Science of the Self:
Just as science is a search in the external world, religion is a search in
the inner world. Therefore,
religion should be expressed and recognized as a science.
He answered: “In
my opinion, this must be so, and I am also of the opinion that the sooner
it is done the better. If a
religion is destroyed by such investigation, it was then all the time
useless, unworthy superstition; and the sooner it goes the better…All
that is dross will be taken off, no doubt, but the essential parts of
religion will emerge triumphant out of this investigation.
Not only will it be made scientific-as scientific, at least, as any
of the conclusions of physics or chemistry-but will have greater strength,
because physics or chemistry has no internal mandate to vouch for its
truth, which religion has.”
Swamiji was eager to meet scientists and discuss his ideas with them.
When he was in New York, he met a well-known
scientist, named Nikola Tesla. Swamiji
writes in his letter to Mr. E. T. Sturdy [4], “….Mr. Tesla was charmed
to hear about the Vedantic Prana and Akasha and Kalpas, …. according to
him (the Vedantic theories) are the only theories modern science can
entertain…..Mr. Tesla thinks he can demonstrate mathematically that
force and matter are reducible to potential energy.
I am to go and see him next week, to get this new mathematical
demonstration.” Then,
Swamiji drew charts showing equivalence between Brahman, Akash, Prana and
Energy, Matter and Force. After
explaining the relationship between Brahman and the identity of an
individual, he wrote, “I have to work all this out carefully, but you
will see at a glance that I am on the right track.”
It is clear that Swamiji wanted religion to be expressed and
recognized as a science of the Self.
We find the idea of science in the Upanishads.
In Kathopanishad there is a beautiful description:
‘Body is a chariot, senses are the horses, mind is the rein,
intellect is the driver (charioteer), and soul is the master sitting in
the chariot. One who knows
the science of driving this chariot and whose mind is focused, that
person’s senses are well-behaved like trained horses.’ Further, it has been said that ‘One who knows
the science of controlling the mind and is pure, attains the highest
knowledge and does not get deluded again.’
Sri Ramakrishna's classification of information, knowledge and science is
simple but superb. He said,
" One who has only heard about milk has gathered information,
one who has seen the milk has acquired knowledge, but one who has
drank the milk and became strong has known the science of the
milk." Thus, mystics and
Upanishads talk about spirituality as the science of the Self.
Like a scientist, Swami Vivekananda first outlined
the goal. Then he told that
the same scientific methods of investigations which we apply in the
external world should be applied in the inner search.
After that, he gave the methods from the Bhagavad Gita to achieve
this goal. In science
there are methods to perform experiments in order to verify the
hypothesis. Every religion
has methods to attain the goal of the religion.
According to Swami
Vivekananda, all the religious methods can be classified under four
categories:
(i)
Karma Yoga:
A way to realize one’s own divinity through unselfish actions.
(ii)
Bhakti Yoga:
A way to realize one’s own divinity through love of God
(iii)
Raja Yoga:
A way to realize one’s own divinity through self control, and
(iv)
Jnana Yoga:
A way to realize one’s own divinity through knowledge obtained by
reasoning and analysis.
One of the important contributions of the Bhagavad
Gita is these four yogas. Swami
Vivekananda elaborated all these paths in greater detail and they can be
applied in any religion. Swamiji
said realize your divinity by one, or more, or all paths.
Here he emphasizes to achieve the goal is most important.
However, Swami Vivekananda wishes that every person develops all
these four aspects in life, namely selfless service, devotion,
self-control and reasoning. He
found that when a religion emphasizes only one or two of these four paths,
it becomes one-sided and considers other paths as dangerous and horrible.
Swamiji says, “To become harmoniously balanced in all these four
dimensions is my ideal of religion.”
He wanted to give to the New Yorkers harmoniously balanced
spiritual practices. In a
light tone he writes in his letter to Mr. Sturdy [4] from New York,
"..I have a clear light now, free of all hocus-pocus.
I want to give them dry, hard reason, softened in the sweetest
syrup of love and made spicy with intense work, and cooked in the kitchen
of Yoga, that even a baby can easily digest it."
5. Experiments and
Experiences:
When experiments are performed in science,
one can take objective observations and collect data of information to
verify the hypothesis or derive conclusions.
In spiritual practices, experiences are more subjective. Therefore, they could be misleading. There are many baseless experiences created by
auto-suggestions like seeing light, or hearing sounds etc.
Based on this possibility, Narendra told Sri
Ramakrishna that the latter’s visions could be hallucinations or
auto-suggestions. Sri
Ramakrishna, with his childlike nature, assumed it might be true and he
questioned his own experiences. He
went to Mother Kali in order to find out the truth.
Then it was revealed to him that it is not the case.
When he was convinced that his visions are genuine, he told that to
Narendra.
Finally, not only
were all these experiences confirmed, but Narendra himself had such
experiences. One day,
Narendra was making fun of Sri Ramakrishna’s statement that everything
is Brahman. Narendra was
telling his friend that ‘this cup is God, this pot is God, we are
God’. Just then Sri
Ramakrishna entered the room. He heard this. Then
he gently touched Narendra. With
this divine touch, Narendra entered into a new realm of consciousness and
he felt the presence of Brahman everywhere and in every thing.
He struck his head against the iron railing to see if this
experience was real or a mere illusion of his mind.
This state of his remained for a few days.
So, we can see
Narendra himself treating spirituality as a science.
Later he said, “Experience is the only source of knowledge.
In the world, religion is the only science where there is no
surety, because it is not taught as a science of experience.
This should not be. There
is always, however, a small group of men who teach religion from
experience. They are called
mystics, and these mystics in every religion speak the same tongue and
teach the same truth. This is
the real science of religion. As
mathematics in every part of the world does not differ, so the mystics do
not differ.”
- Conclusion
of the experiment:
After experiments of science, conclusion must be
reached which either verifies or rejects the hypothesis or leads us to a
plan for another modified experiment. In spirituality, the final conclusion is the realization of
the divinity within, or realization of God.
After spiritual practices, one must reach the final conclusion.
If this does not happen, one must question the purpose of one’s
spiritual practices or consult an expert who can help in correcting the
mistakes. If we perform
various rituals and spend months and years in spiritual practices, we must
ask ourselves whether we are going towards the goal or not.
Swami Vivekananda emphasizes in strong words the importance of
achieving the goal. Also,
this goal is universal in the sense that all religions' ultimate goal is
the same.
“A man may believe in all the churches in the world, he may carry in his
head all the sacred books ever written, he may baptize himself in all the
rivers of the earth; still, if he has no perception
of God, I would class him with the rankest atheist.”
“And a man may have never entered a church
or a mosque, nor performed any ceremony, but if he feels God within
himself and thereby lifted above the vanities of the world, that man is a
holy man, a saint, call him what you will.”
Even if one does not have the final realization,
there are milestones in the spiritual path.
We have to ask ourselves whether we are improving within.
We have to ask ourselves: Am I gaining control on my weaknesses,
like anger, greed, jealousy, and hatred?
Is my delusion decreasing? Do
I see myself more clearly and objectively?
Do I recognize my strengths and weaknesses more?
Do I feel more inner strength, inner peace and satisfaction in
doing the right things? Am I
gaining control on my mind and senses?
Is the grip of worldly things on my mind loosening?
Is my selfishness decreasing?
Do I really enjoy serving my fellow-beings unselfishly?
If the answer is "yes", then this is called
transformation. The
difference between science and religion is that science gives information,
while religion brings transformation.
Kabir was a great Saint and was a householder.
He used to weave for living. One
of his disciples had a bitter tongue.
This disciple wanted to go on a pilgrimage.
Kabir advised him to sit at home and do spiritual practices and
bring some inner transformation. The
disciple was determined to go and was asking Kabir to join him. Kabir said, “You can go.
But, please take this tumbadu (a vessel which Sadhus use to
carry water etc.) with you and bring it back.”
After the pilgrimage, the disciple came back and returned the tumbadu.
However, from certain behavior of the disciple, Kabir found that he
still had a bitter tongue. The
disciple asked, “Why did Kabir send his tumbadu with me?”
As an answer, Kabir bit his tumbadu to taste it and with a
grave face said, “Oh! I was
hopping that by pilgrimage my bitter tumbadu will transform into a
sweet one. Alas, pilgrimage
did not do any good to it.” The
disciple understood the message.
Even though we may not have realization of God, we
must transform and become fit for realization.
This process of becoming fit for realization is in itself enjoyable
and it brings much inner peace, satisfaction and clarity of thoughts.
Swamiji says no matter which religion we practice, we should
undergo these transformations, and ultimately the realization of God
should follow.
- Unity
in Variety is the Plan of Nature
Scientific truth is same everywhere.
For example, gravitational force in America is not different from
the gravitational force in Europe or any other country.
The sum of angles of a triangle drawn on a piece of paper in
America or in India or anywhere else in the universe will be 180 degrees. As there are practical errors or approximations in science,
so there are in religion. The
basics or fundamental truths of all religions are same.
All religions are trying to bring out the best in human beings, and
the culmination of the best is the realization of the divinity within.
If we read Swami Vivekananda’s life and teachings,
we find that he was constantly trying to find a common ground for all
religions where they accept each other without loosing their identities.
In the final lecture at the World Parliament of Religions in
Chicago, Swami Vivekananda said that if people hope to bring unity by the
triumph of one religion and the destruction of others, then it is an
impossible hope.
Swami Vivekananda’s lecture, “The Ideal of a
Universal Religion” [7] is an excellent illustration of his attempts to
find a common ground for all religions.
He said that each religion has three parts: philosophy, mythology
and rituals. There cannot be
a universal philosophy or mythology or a set of rituals for all religions.
However, one can still find a
common ground for all religions without losing the individual
characteristics of any one of them. He
explains this very clearly. He
states, “As a man, I am different
than a woman or a child, but
as a human being I am one with woman and child and different than
animals. However, as a being
I am one with all animals and plants but different than stones, and as an
existence, I am one with the whole universe.
That universal existence
is God. In
God, we are all one. At the
same time, in manifestation, we are different.”
Swamiji wanted all religions to realize this double-fold phenomena,
unity in diversity, and make the world run smoother. He used to say, “Help the world rather than destroying
it.” According to him,
helping a person to grow spiritually is most important.
It does not matter through which religion.
He said if it is true that God is the center of all religions, then
all of us must reach the center. All
differences cease when we reach the center.
- Service
to the living God
Science stops after reaching a conclusion or creating
an instrument or a machine. Then, it is up to the person to decide what to do with the
conclusion or how to use the instrument.
If the invention of science falls in the hands of a good person, it
will be used for a good purpose. If
it falls in wrong hands, it will bring destruction.
A scientist will say, “I am not at fault. I was curious, I performed an experiment and I obtained a
result. Now it is up to you
to decide what to do with it.”
Swami Vivekananda does not want to stop here.
He says suppose you close your eyes and do research in the internal
world, perform experiments, get transformed, realized God.
Then what happens when you open your eyes?
If you see demon in the world outside, then you saw demon while
your eyes were closed also. If
you have seen God in the internal world, then you will see God in the
external world, because of the ultimate Unity in the universe.
The outer world is not different than the inner world. Those who have realized the Self say that the outer world is
a projection of the inner world. Now,
when you see God in all, then naturally you get involved in doing service
to this living God. That will
be the true worship to the God you have realized.
We can see from the following incident [6] that Swami Vivekananda wanted
this message of 'worshiping God through the service of human beings' to be
delivered to the whole world.
One day, a devotee was reading a holy book to Sri
Ramakrishna. The book talked
about three salient disciplines of a devotee, namely love of God’s name,
service to the devotees and compassion for all living beings.
Sri Ramakrishna did not like the word compassion.
He said, “How foolish to speak of compassion!
A human being is an insignificant worm crawling on earth-and he to
show compassion to others! It
must not be compassion, but service to all.
Recognize them as God’s manifestations and serve them.”
Narendra felt that Sri Ramakrishna had wonderfully combined the
path of knowledge, love and action. He
concluded, “If it be the will of God, I shall one day proclaim this
noble truth before the world at large.
I shall make it the common property of all-the wise and the fool,
the rich and the poor, the Brahmin and the pariah.”
The following incident [6] shows how his Master Sri
Ramakrishna encouraged and guided Swami Vivekananda towards the service to
the humanity.
Knowing that his Master will not live long, Narendra
intensified his spiritual practices.
One day, he asked Sri Ramakrishna for the boon of remaining merged
in Samadhi three or four days at a stretch, interrupting his meditation
for a bite of food. Sri Ramakrishna said, “You are a fool. There is a higher state than that. It is you who sing, ‘O Lord! Thou art all that exist.’”
On another occasion Sri Ramakrishna said, “Shame on you!
You are asking for such an insignificant thing.
I thought that you would be like a banyan tree, and that thousands
of people would rest in your shade. But
now I see that you are seeking your own liberation.”
Narendra shed profuse tears. He
realized the greatness of his Master and his command for his future.
9.
Do we need divinity to serve humanity?
Several youngsters ask me this question:
Why do we need God? Can’t
we just serve humanity? According to Swami Vivekananda's teachings, the answer
is: theoretically "yes", but practically, "no".
When one tries to do service without spiritual background, then one
will not be aware when selfishness creeps in, and unknowingly one may harm
people instead of helping them. Selfless
service is not easy. There
are many other difficulties and obstacles in doing service without proper
spiritual background; for
example, after sometime, frustration comes, ego builds up, family members
react, the people whom you helped might talk ill about you etc.
These are not easy things to handle without proper training of the
mind. Spiritual practice is
the best training of the mind.
V. Who will be
benefited by the message?
People might ask, What do I do with this knowledge of the divinity of
the soul? Is it going to help
me in my studies? Is it going
to help me in my job performance? Is
it going to solve the problems of my life,
my family, my society, my country, or the world?
The root cause of most problems lies in the mind.
The mind cannot find the cause of the problems, because it is
confused or deluded. One
needs a sharp and unbiased intellect to clear the mind and see things in
their true perspective. Only
spiritual practices prepare such sharp and unbiased intellect.
Also, when one realizes one’s own divinity within through
spiritual practices, the intellect remains sharp and unbiased under
all circumstances. Only then,
one thinks unselfishly from a broader perspective, and one acquires inner
strength to solve problems. Thus,
realizing the divinity within is beneficial to all the people in all walks
of life.
The following
teachings of Swami Vivekananda emphasizes this fact.
“These conceptions
of the Vedanta must come out…They must come out to work at the bar and
the bench, in the pulpit, and in the cottage of the poor man, with the
fishermen that are catching fish, and with the students that are studying.
They call to every man, woman, child whatever be their occupation,
whatever they may be…”
“If the fisherman thinks that he is the
Spirit, he will be a better fisherman: if the student thinks he is the
Spirit, he will be a better student.
If the lawyer thinks that he is the Spirit, he will be a better
lawyer, and so on…”
“…If all mankind today realize only a bit of
that great truth, the aspect of the whole world will be changed, and, in
place of fighting and quarrelling, there would be a reign of peace.
This indecent and brutal hurry…will…vanish… With it will
vanish all struggle, with it vanish all hate, with it vanish all
jealousy…
VI. Did Swami Vivekananda
deliver a new message?
The answer is “No”. This
is the eternal message we find in the Upanishads.
For example,
Arise, Awake, find
wise people and through their guidance realize the Self.
About
Knowledge, it has been said:
The
Supreme knowledge is the one through which one attains the Imperishable
Self.
About Bliss,
Upanishads say:
One rejoices by
realizing this Self whose nature is blissful.
About Immortality,
Sages proclaim:
By knowing the
Self, one breaks the bondage of death and becomes free.
There is no other way.
Swami Vivekananda
himself did not claim that his message was new.
Once in England, he gave a lecture.
As usual, his lectures were well attended.
The hall was packed and the impact of his lecture was magical.
People were sitting or standing like statues absorbing his
inspiring words and getting overwhelmed by the beauty of his magnetic
personality. At the
conclusion of his lecture, a white-haired and well-known philosopher said
to Swamiji. “You have spoken splendidly Sir, but you have told us
nothing new.” Quickly came Swamiji’s reply, “Sir, I have told you the
Truth. That, the Truth, is as
old as the immemorial hills, as old as humanity, as old as creation, as
old as the great God. If I
have told you in such words as will make you think, make you live up to
your thinking, do I not do well in telling it?”
Loud applause greeted him at the end of these remarks. [6]
Swami Vivekananda’s
message is eternal and essential for the new millennium.
He delivered the message in the language of the new
millennium. This message gets
lost in the hum-drum of the new discoveries of science and technology and
the noises and attractions of the world.
Swamiji’s message has been tested by four generations and has
given new courage, new hope, new direction, and new inspiration to
millions of people. That
message is flowing like a river with clean nourishing water.
The choice is ours, the people of the new millennium, whether to
quench our thirst for knowledge, bliss, and immortality and feel blessed,
or to live a miserable life and die thirsty.
Thank you.
References:
1.
The Life of Vivekananda and the Universal Gospel, Romain Rolland,
Advaita Ashrama, 12th Impression, Calcutta, 1992
2.
Swami Vivekananda, A Hundred Years Since Chicago, A Commemorative
Volume, Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Calcutta, 1994
3.
The Complete Poems and Plays, T. S. Eliot, Faber & Faber, 1969,
reprinted 1990.
4.
Letters of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta, 1989, p281
5.
A Brief History of Tomorrow, the future, past and present, Jonathan
Margolis, Bloomsbury Pub., 2000
6.
Vivekananda, A Biography, Swami Nikhilananda, Ramakrishna
Vivekananda Center, New York, 1953, (paperback edition 1989)
7.
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.1-8, Advaita Ashrama,
Calcutta, 18th Reprint, 1991
8.
Teachings of Swami Vivekananda, Advaita Ashrama, Mayavati,
Himalayas, 5th Edition, 1971
APPENDIX:
ABOUT THE VIDYAPITH AND
CHARACTER-BUILDING EDUCATION
In a1976 my wife Vandana and
myself felt a dire need to introduce to children growing in America, the
great treasure of the inspiring and life-giving ideas of the Upanishads
and Bhagavad Gita, the wealth of mythology, the stories of great epics
like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the teachings of Bhagavatam and
others. We started
Vivekananda Vidyapith’s classes on “character-building education” in
our one-bedroom apartment with 7 students.
The curriculum was based upon the teachings of the Upanishads and
the Bhagavad Gita as expounded by Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, and
Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi.
Why Character-building Education? In
the very first chapter of Karma
Yoga, Swami Vivekananda explains that any word we speak, any act we
perform, or any thought we entertain leaves a mark on the soul-may be on
the DNA-and this constitutes the character of a person.
Our character attracts an environment around us and inspires us to
do things accordingly. A
constructive and positive character attracts an environment conducive to
constructive and positive activities and it inspires one to perform
constructive and positive deeds. The
same is true for the opposite – for destructive and negative character.
Swami Vivekananda says,
“Let positive, strong, helpful thoughts enter into your brains from very
childhood." Why do we do
wrong things and suffer? Swamiji
says, “Weakness
is the one cause of suffering. We
become miserable because we are weak.
We lie, steal, kill and commit other crimes, because we are
weak.” He said, “Strength
is life; weakness is death.” Weak
minds become victims of harmful ideas, influences and vices.
The thing we need is inner strength.
This inner strength comes from asserting our divine nature.
Swamiji Says,
“We are the children of the Almighty, we are sparks of the
infinite, divine fire. How
can we be nothing? We are
everything, ready to do everything. Therefore,
my brethren, teach this life-saving, great, ennobling grand doctrine to
your children, even from their very birth.
This marvelous doctrine of the soul, the perfection of the soul, is
commonly believed in all sects.”
Such character building
education gives children a head-start in their lives.
And when they grow, these are the ideas which are going to help
them to become decent human beings and save them during critical times of
their lives. For younger
children, we have made it simple: Character building means Respect,
Prayer, and Service.
In the beginning we had
classes every Saturday, 8:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m..
Now, with the help of several teachers and helpers, the Vidyapith
is conducting classes on Saturday and Sunday and more than 300 students
are participating in the program. Several
hundred students have taken advantage of the Vidyapith’s program.
Many have attended the Vidyapith for consecutive 8-10 years, until
they graduated from their high schools.
Several students are still keeping contact with Vidyapith after
going to colleges. Currently,
Vidyapith has started serving its 2nd generation.
A student’s 5-year old child now attends the Vidyapith.
I remember, Swami Adiswaranandaji attended our 1st
Annual Function in 1976 and since then his constant guidance is a source
of inspiration for all of us throughout our 25 years.
During the last three week-ends, we celebrated Swami
Vivekananda’s birthday and held speech competitions, essay writing
competitions, and a special symposium on ‘Science & Religion.’
When we decided to start these classes, we
were not sure whether children would enjoy these classes. To our utter surprise, they loved the program.
Do you know why? From my 25 years of experience, I can tell you one sure
thing: Swami Vivekananda’s
teachings and ideas are most appropriate for the youth.
I have experienced that these teachings have
been most effective for the last four generations (that I know) and will
be effective for many more. I
remember, my father telling me that he kept in his pocket copies of Swami
Vivekananda’s teachings on strength and perseverance.
Everyday, he used to read a few of these teachings.
They gave him tremendous inner strength, infinite courage, build
self-confidence, and inspiration to strive for higher goals and to keep a
positive attitude in life. Especially,
when he was in distress, these teachings gave him strength to face the
problems of life and move on.
Let me read a couple of these teachings which
my father used to recite to me:
“All power is within you; you can do
anything and everything. Believe
in that; do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are
half-crazy lunatics, as most of us believe now-a-days.
You can do anything and everything.
All power is there. Stand
up and express the divinity within you.”
“What we want is muscles of iron and nerves
of steel-gigantic wills which nothing can resist, which can penetrate into
the mysteries and secrets of the universe and will accomplish their
purpose in any fashion even if it meant going to the bottom of the ocean
and meeting Death face to face.”
“To succeed, you must have tremendous
perseverance, tremendous will. ‘I will drink the ocean,’ says the
persevering soul, ‘at my will mountains will crumble up.’
Continue to exercise your will and it will take you higher still.
The will is almighty. Have
that sort of energy, that sort of will, work hard, and you will reach the
goal.”
My
father’s voice is still ringing in my ears.
These teachings have inspired him, they have inspired me and I have
no doubt that they will continue to inspire men, women and children
everywhere.
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