Topical Musings
transforms as concerted, team-work done under a new socio-economic world-view, and corporate organization is the new Ashrama (or station of life) where this modern Sadhana is performed. Swamiji once told Sister Nivedita, “The older I grow, the more everything seems to me to lie in manliness. This is my new gospel.” We shall attempt to understand this idea of Swamiji, which he himself declared to be supremely important in his scheme of things, by reproducing an 1899 essay that had a tremendous impact in shaping the modern world. This essay ‘A Message to Garcia’ was written by Elbert Hubbard. He was born in Illinois, USA on June 19, 1856. He founded ‘Roycroft’, an avant-garde Arts and Crafts community in New York in 1895. Hubbard edited and published two magazines, ‘The Philistine’ and ‘The Fra’. He was an influential thinker, known for his ardent defense of free enterprise. His ideas have contributed in no small measure in shaping the work culture that placed America at the top of the global economy. More importantly, all the countries and cultures that embraced Hubbard’s ideas in ‘A Message to Garcia’ effectively transitioned from the medieval to the modern world-view. A Message to Garcia Initiative The world bestows its highest rewards, both in money and in honors, for only one thing. And that is Initiative. What is Initiative? I’ll tell you: It is doing the right thing without being told. But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once. That is
January 2019
The next few issues of Topical Musings, will present a broad outline of the spiritual practice that Swami Vivekananda designed for the modern man. Everyone knows what spiritual practice generally means. Did Swamiji change anything in this area? Did he add or delete anything from the vast repertoire of practices that have traditionally come down from generation to generation? The answer is yes, and no. We believe that Swamiji brought in some vital changes in the spiritual practices meant for the modern world. It is but natural. When the world has got a new spiritual ideal to strive for, can the spiritual practices that lead you to that new ideal be the same as before? Hence we say ‘Yes, Swamiji did initiate some changes in the spiritual practices meant for this age.’ However, any idea, or practice, cut-off from its connection to our past will be only a novelty. It cannot last long, devoid as it will be, of sustaining life-force. So, the modern spiritual practices that Swamiji prescribed will have to be situated in the larger framework of the ageold, traditional practices of Japa, Dhyana, Bhakti and Swadhyaya. They will have to be an organic development from the past, and not an isolated, standalone interjection in the present. Hence we say ‘No, Swamiji did not change any of the spiritual practices, traditionally understood, but expanded their scope by introducing new elements, to make them relevant for this age.’ Thus we find that ‘Harmonious living’, ‘Clarity of thought’ and ‘Creativity’ are now powerful spiritual practices under the new dispensation. Vyakulata is now seen as Manliness and Brahmacharya appears in a new form as Obedience. All ritualistic worship
49 The Vedanta Kesari
PA G E S P O N S O R : S R I R A J U Z . M O R AY, M U M B A I
A Message to Garcia
