Topical Musings

A Message to Garcia

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 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

to say, carry the Message to Garcia: those who can carry a message get high honors, but their pay is not always in proportion.

Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice; such get no honors and small pay.

Next, there are those who do the right thing only when necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honors and a pittance for pay. This kind spends most of its time complaining about hard-luck and injustice.

Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it; he is always out of job, and receives the contempt he deserves

To which class do you belong? (To be continued. . .)

What is Religion?

(Continued from page 48...)

pernicious, and should be at once checked. Our scriptures declare again and again that even the knowledge of the external senses is not religion. That is religion which makes us realize the Unchangeable One, and that is the religion for everyone. He who realizes transcendental truth, he who realizes the Atman in his own nature, he who comes face to face with God, sees God alone in everything, has become a Rishi. And there is no religious life for you until you have

become a Rishi. Then alone religion begins for you, now is only the preparation. Then religion dawns upon you, now you are only undergoing intellectual gymnastics and physical tortures. 3

Religion is not, and never can be, in the field of intellect. Intellectual reasoning is based on facts evident to the senses. Religion has nothing to do with the senses. 4

There have been various poets in Bengal whose songs have passed down to the people; they are sung in the streets of Calcutta and in every village. Most of these are religious songs, and their one central idea, which is perhaps peculiar to the religions of India, is the idea of realization. There is not a book in India on

religion which does not breathe this idea. Man must realize God, feel God, see God, talk to God. That is religion. The Indian atmosphere is full of stories of saintly persons having visions of God. Such doctrines form the basis of their religion;

and all these ancient books and scriptures are the writings of persons who came into direct contact with spiritual facts. These books were not written for the intellect, nor can any reasoning understand them, because they were written by men who saw the things of which they wrote, and they can be understood only by men who have raised themselves to the same height. They say there is such a thing as realization even in this life, and it is open to everyone, and religion begins with the opening of this faculty. 5

All references from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

1) 2) 3) Vol-5: Sayings & Utterances Vol-2: Jnana-Yoga; Ch- 8: Realization Vol-3: Lectures from Colombo to Almora: The Work Before Us

4)

5) Vol-6: Notes of Class Talks and Lectures: Lessons On Raja-Yoga Vol-4: Lectures and Discourses; My Master