Chicago address of Swami Vivekananda - 2

Addresses at the Parliament of Religions - 2 
 

Why We Disagree

I will tell you a little story. You have heard the eloquent speaker who has just finished say, "Let us cease from abusing each other," and he was very sorry that there should be always so much variance.

But I think I should tell you a story that would illustrate the cause of this variance. A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course the evolutionists were not there then to tell us whether the frog lost its eyes or not but, for our story's sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it with an energy that would do credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat. Well, one day another frog that lived in the sea came and fell into the well.

"Where are you from?"

"I am from the sea."

"The sea! How big is that? Is it as big as my well?" and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.

"My friend," said the frog of the sea, "how do you compare the sea with your little well?"

Then the frog took another leap and asked, "Is your sea so big?"


"What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well!"

"Well, then," said the frog of the well, "nothing can be bigger than my well. There can be nothing bigger than this. This fellow is a liar, so turn him out."

That has been the difficulty all the while.

I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christians sit in their little well and think the whole world is their well. The Muslims sit in their little well and think that is the whole world. I have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are making to break down the barriers of this little world of ours, and hope that, in the future, the Lord will help you to accomplish your purpose.

http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda_works.htm

Chicago speech of Swami Vivekananda - 1

Swami Vivekananda’s speech at the Parliament of Religion, Chicago:  

Response to welcome:

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world. I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks also to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as true.

I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.

I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, and which is every day repeated by millions of human beings:

As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which people take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita:

Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach them; all are struggling through paths which in the end lead to Me.

Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda_works.htm

The cyclonic monk who saved a fainting nation

Twelfth of January every year is observed as Youth Day, since it is Swami Vivekananda's  Birth day. The nation celebrates the 150th Birthday of the Swami with a situation comparably similar to that of the days of the Swamiji. In those days people were accepting that the culture of the land was inferior and the way of life needed refinement to reflect that of the European which was considered civil enough and anything that didn't have a semblance to it was termed barbaric. Macaulay, taking a mammoth step towards asserting British supremacy, summarily brushed aside the ancient scriptures of our culture with a sweep of left hand as unworthy. Did he read those and have any reason to conclude? Hardly is the answer to the first part and arrogance is the answer to the second part of the question.

Holocaust of Cattle - Are we living amongst Schultz Staffel?

Sunday normally starts with a lazy morning, my mom prodding about prayers and breakfast, dad enjoying his time with me speaking from politics to Vedanta to old time memories. One of the past Sundayas (7/10/12) was different. None was at home in the morning as parents left to home town for Navarathri. Bloody lazy day with loads of outstanding works is really a hell. But as there was no other go, started the day through that hell and was sailing through.

Goebbelsian tactics of Dravidian politics!

Anti Brahmin ramblings are not new to TamilNadu. The cowards of Dravidian political parties have been resorting to attacks on Brahmins as the community is known for its tolerance of even ruthless violence. There is still a controversy going on in Srirangam, the constituency of TamilNadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha. A small hotel named Krishna Iyyer Cafe has been targeted by a  group still clinging to the idiotic ramblings of EV Ramasamy Naicker the founder of  Dravidar Kazhagam, a group propagating atheism. EVR Naicker is a man of controversial lifestyle.

Asom - Must mitigate the migrant menace

I live in my town. Someone comes from a distant place as there is no possibility for decent living there. He slowly tries to dictate my terms of life and finally attempts to control me in total. If I retaliate, some say he needs to be given a humanitarian consideration. Some threaten me that my stern stand against him will turn him violent and harm me.

Some blame me as intolerant because his way of life is different from mine. He has come to my town to make a living and I don't have anything against him unless my existence is threatened. When threatened I'm not negotiating with the trespasser as it is my home and he has to mind his behaviour.

You call me terrorist? I don't care. You call me intolerant? I'm not bothered. You call me fascist? I have gross indifference towards your attitude. You blame my attitude? I don't give it a damn!!

Mahasannidhanam of Sringeri arrives at Chennai

It has been a long wait for the Sringeri devotees of TamilNadu especially the ones of Chennai. We have had the Holy presence of Sri Mahasannidhanam during his earlier visit in 1995. It has been 17 years since, and we have been praying for his visit and have been anticipating. His Holiness has given his consent to visit Chennai during his tour of Southern States. Southerners were ecstatic.We've been following His Vijaya Yatra right from 26-Feb-12 mentally and through media. The Chennai visit was confirmed with Kumbabhishekam of Sharadha temple at Kodambakkam, but the duration of His visit was still a matter of discussion.