Vivekananda: A Harbinger of Harmony Swami Chetanananda
Prayer for harmony from the Rig Veda: May we be united in action, in speech, in mind. May we perform our duties, as did the wise men of old. May we be united in our prayer, in our goal, in our resolve, in our understanding, in our offering, in our feelings, in our hearts, in our thoughts. May there be perfect unity amongst us.
We are assembled here to celebrate the centenary of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, where Swami Vivekananda represented Hinduism
and
Vedanta
and
created
a
beautiful
harmony
among
all
religions. This Parliament was part of the Columbian Exposition that was held in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery of America. The magnitude of that Parliament is noteworthy: It continued for seventeen days of three sessions each and each session averaged more than two and a half hours. There were 115 speakers from all over the world and Vivekananda spoke six times at the Parliament. The Congress of Religions took place in a hall that combined Columbus Hall and Washington Hall, which had a combined capacity of seven thousand people. In
spite
of
opposition
from
the
leaders
of
various
Christian
denominations, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the advisory committee adopted ten objectives for the Parliament of Religions. Some of these were: 1. To bring together in conference, for the first time in history, the leading representatives of the great Historic
Religions of the world. 2. To show to men, in the most impressive way, what and how many important truths the various Religions hold and teach in common. 7. To inquire what light each Religion has afforded, or may afford, to the other Religions of the world. 9. To discover, from competent men, what light Religion has to throw on the great problems of the present age.... 10. To bring the nations of the earth
into
a
more
friendly
fellowship,
in
the
hope
of
securing
permanent international peace.1 I sincerely believe that these objectives are as pertinent today as they were one hundred years ago. When we open our newspapers in the morning, we see that there is so much unrest and violence all over the world -- often in the name of religion. I offer my humble appreciation to the organizers of this present parliament that has given
us
a
understanding,
chance peace
to and
imbibe
the
harmony,
spirit
which
is
of
mutual
badly
needed
love
and
in
this
present strife-stricken world. Nowadays many people have poor ideas about true religion. To most of us, religion is only an intellectual assent, mere talk, mere show or social status. Compared to the atheist, we are not sincere. We often consider a person religious who can give a nice sermon. But that is not religion. Religion begins when one experiences the Self or God within. Swami Vivekananda made this comment on religion: “Religion, the great milch cow, has given many kicks; but never mind -- it also gives a great deal of milk. The milkman does not mind the kick of the cow which gives much milk.�2 Science does so many good things for
mankind, and the same science has been used again and again for the destruction of human life. Similarly we find that so many good things have been achieved in this world in the name of religion, and again so much bloodshed! Is religion at fault? No. Swamiji said: “Now in my little experience I have collected this knowledge: that in spite of all the deviltry that religion is blamed with, religion is not at all at fault; no religion ever persecuted men, no religion ever burnt witches, no religion ever did any of these things. What then incited people to do these things? Politics, but never religion.”3 We are to blame. We talk about religion but do not practise it -- that is why religion declines and turns into lifeless mockeries. Hindu scripture says: “Those who talk about God, but do not do their duties and practise religion, they are enemies of God. Because God has to incarnate to demonstrate religion to those hypocrites.” In this present age, Vivekananda redefined religion: “Religion does
not
consist
in
talk,
or
doctrines,
or
books,
but
in
realization.” “Religion is the manifestation of Divinity already in man.” “The old religion said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.” “Religion is the idea which raises the brute unto man, and man unto God.” Swamiji cautioned: “Take religion from human society and what will remain? Nothing but a forest of brutes.” Origin of Vivekananda’s Concept of Harmony Vivekananda’s concept of harmony is rooted in four sources: the scriptures, his guru, his motherland, and his own realization.
1. The Scriptures He
came
across
the
seeds
of
harmony
It
by
of
religions
in
Hindu
scriptures such as: “Truth
is
one,
sages
call
various
names”
(Rig
Veda).
“Whosoever comes to me, through whatsoever form, I reach him. All men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me” (Gita). “As the different streams, having their sources in different places, all mingle their water in the sea, so, 0 Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee” (Sivamahimnah). “Each human body is a tabernacle of God, and each soul is nothing but God” (Upanishad). It is to be noted that thousands of years ago, when these
messages
of
harmony
were
declared,
there
was
no
Buddhism,
Christianity, or Islam. 2. The Guru Sri Ramakrishna, Vivekananda’s guru, was the prophet of harmony in this age. His every little act and all his teachings demonstrated the principle
of
harmony.
Ramakrishna
harmonized
the
life
of
a
true
sannyasin with the life of a true householder. He was unique in the religious history of the world: he realized God in the Hindu way, and then practised Christianity and Islam and experienced the goal of those
faiths
also.
In
so
doing,
he
demonstrated
the
harmony
of
religions in this present age. Finally he declared the message of harmony for this present age: yata mat tata path -- as many faiths so many paths.
Vivekananda mentioned in his lecture “My Master”: “I learnt from my Master that the religions of the world are not contradictory or antagonistic. They are but various phases of one eternal religion. That
one
eternal
religion
is
applied
to
different
planes
of
existence, is applied to the opinions of various minds and various races. There never was my religion or yours, my national religion or your national religion; there never existed many religions, there is only one. One Infinite Religion existed all through eternity and will ever
exist,
and
this
Religion
is
expressing
itself
in
various
countries, in various ways. Therefore we must respect all religions and we must try to accept them all as far as we can.... For years I lived with that man, but never did I hear those lips utter one word of condemnation for any sect. He had the same sympathy for all sects; he had found the harmony between them.”4 3. The Motherland During his itinerant days, Vivekananda travelled all over India and noticed that although Hindus are diverse -- their languages, social customs, religious practices, dress, food habits, physical formations and skin colour are all different -- they are all Hindus. He discovered the common bases of Hinduism: (a) all Hindus believe in the authority of the Vedas; (b) the concept of God may differ among the Hindus, but all believe in God; (c) all believe creation moves in a wavelike motion through eternity; (d) all believe in the immortal nature of the Atman, which is pure and perfect, beyond the body and the
mind;
and
reincarnation.
(e)
all
believe
in
the
doctrine
of
karma
and
Once, in Madras, Vivekananda said that the three main schools of Vedanta -- dualism, qualified nondualism, and nondualism -- are not contradictory but complementary. Finally all merge into One without a second. When someone remarked that nobody had ever said that before, Vivekananda replied, “Because I was born for this, and it was left for me to do.” 4. Vivekananda’s Realization One day at Dakshineswar Vivekananda mocked the Vedantic experience of oneness: “How can this be? This jug is God, this cup is God, and we too are God!
Nothing
can
be
more
preposterous!”
At
that
moment
Sri
Ramakrishna touched him. Vivekananda later said: “The magic touch of the Master that day brought a wonderful change over my mind. I was stupefied to find that there was really nothing in the universe but God!”
Later,
in
Cossipore,
he
attained
nirvikalpa
Samadhi,
the
culmination of Vedantic experience. In addition, during his itinerant days in the Himalayas, he realized that the microcosm (the internal world) and the macrocosm (the external world) are built on the same plan. The experiences of both these worlds should be in perfect harmony with Truth.
The Balance between Matter and Spirit Nature is the mother of variety, yet she functions harmoniously. Day and night alternate, the seasons change. Moisture accumulates from the ocean and becomes clouds, which turns into snow when it
reaches the snowclad mountains; again it melts and becomes a river, which flows over the hill and dale and ultimately returns to the ocean. Thus the mountain and the ocean are harmonized by the river. On television we see how the air current adjusts high-pressure and low-pressure zones of different regions of the globe. We are really unbalanced now. Science and technology reached their culmination
in
the
materialistic.
industrialized
In
1896
nations,
Vivekananda
told
and
made
people
the
American
very
people:
“Machines never made mankind happy and never will. He who is trying to make us believe this will claim that happiness is in the machine; but it is always in the mind.�5 Now, most nations are fighting for material advancement, neglecting the environment and other people. People have slowly begun to think: if we destroy nature, then nature will destroy us. People have forgotten their divine nature and have been reduced to money-making machines. What is the result? Physical and mental sickness. Dr.
Kevin
Southern
Grold,
California,
of
the
wrote
Mental
to
Dear
Health Abby
Referral
(a
Services
syndicated
of
newspaper
columnist) on 4 May 1993: May is Mental Health Month -- and is, therefore, a time to recognize illness.
the In
millions
any
six
of
month
Americans period,
suffering
nearly
from
thirty-six
mental million
adults and twelve million children are afflicted with a mental illness. More than six thousand older Americans commit suicide each year, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among children age fifteen to nineteen.
At a time when our nation [America] is focused on the economy, it is disturbing to note that the direct costs of mental illness account for more than 55 billion dollars; and the indirect costs, including
lost
substance-abuse
employment, programs
and
reduced
productivity,
social-welfare
accidents,
programs,
increase
the amount to nearly 273 billion dollars each year. But the real cost is in the vast amount of needless suffering of the afflicted and their families. It’s OK to have a broken arm, but it is not OK to be depressed, or to have an anxiety disorder. This attitude leads to so much fear and denial that we are now at the point where only one in five Americans who suffers from mental disorder seeks help. On the brighter side, America is the richest nation of the world and the most advanced in science and technology. Americans are slowly learning that peace and happiness are not in money or material prosperity. As a bird cannot fly with one wing, so human beings cannot function only with money and material goods, thus neglecting the Spirit, the essence of all beings. Harmony or balance is extremely important in human life. One
hundred
years
ago
Vivekananda
observed
this
disharmony
in
America and in other Western nations, and he reminded them, “Today, man requires one more adjustment on the spiritual plane.” 6 “The whole of Western civilization will crumble to pieces in the next fifty years if there is no spiritual foundation.” 7 Again, on 4 July 1902 (the day of his passing away), at 5:30 p.m., Vivekananda said to the monks of Belur monastery: “India is immortal, if she persists in her search for God. But if she goes in for politics and social conflict,
she will die.�8
Unity in Diversity Unity in diversity is an important theme of Hinduism, or Vedanta. Brahman, or God, has become many through His incomprehensible power of maya. God transcends space and time; He is also immanent in space and time. In God contraries meet and stand synthesized into a grand harmony. Vivekananda taught nondual Vedanta, where one can find true unity. Brahman, the Absolute, has no parts. The creator is Brahman, the creature is also Brahman. The Spirit is Brahman, matter is also Brahman. The sentient, the conscious is Brahman, the insentient, the unconscious is also Brahman. The static, the unchanging is Brahman, the dynamic, the ever-changing is also Brahman. Being is Brahman, becoming is also Brahman. He is greater than the greatest and at the same time smaller than the smallest. He is the Life of all life and He is also Death, the great dissolver. “I am immortality and also death; being and non-being am I, 0 Arjuna,� says Krishna in the Gita. Thousands of years ago, the sages of Vedanta discovered the unity in multiplicity by experiencing God in every thing and every being. They realized that the knowledge of oneness leads to liberation and the knowledge of plurality that is caused by ignorance leads to bondage. When a person attains the knowledge of Oneness, he becomes free from grief and delusion, free from hatred and jealousy, free from violence and vindictiveness. Freedom is the goal of life; the attainment of freedom demands a moral and intellectual discipline that
helps
the
individual
to
harmonize
differences.
Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan quoted the biting words of Swift in his The Hindu View of Life: “We have enough religion to hate one another but not enough to love one another.”9 However, “Vedanta
Vivekananda,
formulates,
not
who a
had
the
universal
unitive
knowledge,
brotherhood,
but
said:
universal
oneness. I am the same as any other man, as any other animal -- good, bad, anything. It is one body, one mind, one soul throughout... One leaf may fall -- does the tree die? The universe is my body. See how it continues. All minds are mine. With all feet I walk. Through all mouths I speak. In every body I reside.”10 According to Vivekananda, only this realization of unity can wipe out the violence, narrowness, bigotry, and superstition of the world. There
is
so
much
fighting,
misgiving,
misunderstanding,
ill-
feeling, and competition among the organized religions of the world -- yet all claim “God is one,” and preach “universal brotherhood.” We find
the
golden
rule
in
all
major
religions
of
the
world.
In
Buddhism: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful” (Udana-Varga 5.18). In Christianity: “Do for others what you want them to do for you; this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). In Hinduism: “Whatever you consider injurious to yourself, never do to others. This is the essence of dharma” (Mahabharata. Udyoga Parvan 39:71). In Islam: “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brothers that which he desires for himself (Sunnah). In Judaism: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowmen. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary” (Talmud. Shabbat 3id).
We read, we listen, we appreciate these wonderful sayings of the scriptures, but we do not practise them. That is why the world is in turmoil. Pointing to the unity of mankind, the German poet Goethe wrote: “Let none be like another; yet each be like the Highest. How can that be? Let each be perfectly himself.”11 Religious
sects
are
not
bad,
but
sectarianism
is
horrible.
A
sectarian is one who thinks that his or her religion is the only true one, clings to it fanatically, and regards all other religions as false. Can such a person ever attain the Truth? At present there are 296 Christian denominations in the U.S.A. and Canada. There are many sects amongst the Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, and Hindus. Many people denounce religious sects, but it is amazing how Vivekananda defended them: I am not against any sect. I am glad that sects exist, and I only wish they may go on multiplying more and more. Why? Simply because of this: If you and I and all who are present here were to think exactly the same thoughts, there would be no thoughts for us to think. We know that two or more forces must come into collision in order
to
produce
motion.
It
is
the
clash
of
thought,
the
differentiation of thought, that awakes thought. Now, if we all thought alike, we would be like Egyptian mummies in a museum looking vacantly at one another’s faces-no more than that!12 Variety is the sauce of life. A restaurant that lists various kinds of food in its menu attracts many people, because people get bored if they eat the same food every day. Sri Ramakrishna did not care for one-sidedness. He said, “In order not to become monotonous, I eat a variety of dishes.”13 We know from our own experience that
monotony is boring and disgusting. Although I am not a connoisseur of Western music, I sometimes go to the symphony. I watch one hundred musicians contributes
on
stage music
with and
their
thus
all
instruments: create
the
each
one
symphony.
of If
them the
violinists, or flutists, or drummers, or any individual group thinks that only it should be on stage, then it would be a solo performance, which might be appreciated by a few but not the majority. It is the duty of the conductor to arrange the music in such a way that each musician will take part in the symphony and give joy to the audience. To me, God is the great conductor in the symphony of life. He created all religions; He manifests in all religions; He listens to the prayers of the people of all religions; and He bestows grace on all His children. We would not care for a God who was only for the Hindus, or Muslims, or Christians, or Buddhists, or Jews, or any other individual faith. On 1 January 1881, listening to the nahabat music in the Dakshineswar temple garden, Ramakrishna said to the Brahmo leader Keshab Chandra Sen: Do you hear how melodious that music is? One player is producing only a monotone on his flute, while another is creating waves of melodies in different ragas and raginis. That is my attitude. Why should I produce only a monotone when I have an instrument with seven holes? Why should I say nothing but, “I am He, I am He?” I want to play various melodies on my instrument with seven holes. Why should I say only, “Brahma, Brahma?” I want to call on God through all the moods -- through santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhur. I want to make merry with God. I want to sport with God.14
Universal Religion Vivekananda got this idea of harmony from his Master. In the West, Swami Vivekananda talked about the ideal of a universal religion: “What
I
want
to
propagate
is
a
religion
that
will
be
equally
acceptable to all minds. It must be equally philosophic, equally emotional, equally mystical, and equally conducive to action.” 15 Thus Swamiji synthesized the four yogas: jnana, bhakti, raja, and karma. He said: “Everyone who has only one or two of these elements of character I consider one-sided. This world is almost full of such onesided men, who possess knowledge of that one road only in which they move, and to whom anything else is dangerous and horrible. To become harmoniously balanced in all these four directions is my ideal of religion.”16 Remain synthesis
Holland
wrote:
Vivekananda’s
“In
the
constructive
two
words
genius
may
equilibrium be
summed
up.
and He
embraced all the paths of the spirit... As in a quadriga, he held the reins of all four ways of truth, and he travelled towards Unity along them all simultaneously. He was the personification of the harmony of all human Energy.”17 Vivekananda visualized the religion of the future, where science and religion will meet and shake hands; poetry and philosophy will become friends; reason and faith will embrace each other; and heart and intellect will forget their conflict forever. He remarked: “In the old Upanishads we find sublime poetry; their authors were poets. Plato says that inspiration comes to people through poetry, and it seems as if these ancient rishis, seers of truths, were raised above
humanity to show these truths through poetry. Music came out of their hearts.... When a scientist makes the assertion that all objects are the manifestation of one force, does it not remind you of the God of whom you hear in the Upanishads: ‘As the one fire entering into the universe expresses itself in various forms, even so that one Soul is expressing Itself in every soul and yet is infinitely more besides?’ Do you not see whither science is tending? The Hindu nation proceeded through the study of the mind, through metaphysics and logic. The European nations start from external nature, and now they too are coming to the same results.”18
East Meets West People are people-whether one belongs to the East or the West. Features, skin colour, language, culture, religion may be different, but the same red blood flows in the veins of all human beings. When we talk about the East and the West, we must remember that Truth has no geographical limits; it is the same at all points of the compass. The law of gravitation does not function more in America than in Africa or Asia; the facts of chemistry are as true in an Indian as in an Italian or Canadian laboratory. A knower of Truth is a universal person. He or she transcends all
geographical,
social,
and
religious
barriers.
Vivekananda
experienced the Truth. He wrote to an English disciple from New York on 9 August 1895: “Every day my sight grows clearer. What is India or England, or America to us? We are the servants of that God who by the
ignorant is called Man. He who pours water at the root, does he not water the whole tree? There is but one basis of well-being, social, political, or spiritual-to know that I and my brother are one. This is true for all countries and all people.”19 As a lover of humanity, Vivekananda voiced what was good for the West as well as for the East. No society is perfect. He tried to shape an ideal society based on the law of give and take. Discussing Vivekananda’s mission to the West, Christopher Isherwood said: He
was
not
just
arriving
from
India
to
say,
“Now,
all
you
sinners out here in America, you are all going to be converted, and the cure for everything is Ramakrishna.” As a matter of fact, he hardly preached directly about Ramakrishna at all. To the West he said, “Yes, you are hopelessly materialistic. It is disgusting, the way you are enslaved by money, fame and power.” He taught them that India was an extremely spiritual country, and that they should not look down on India simply because India had been invaded and conquered, and because India had not got the same technological standards that America had. On the other hand, he returned to India and told them, “My goodness! If you had some of the energy that they have in the West,
then
maybe
you
would
get
somewhere.”
“You
cannot
manufacture a pin, and you dare to criticize the English,” he said on one occasion. You see, in other words, he balanced the whole
thing,
and
what
he
was
really
crusading
for
was
an
interchange of what the East had to give to the West and what the West had to give to the East. That was the whole meaning of his mission.20 After
the
interfaith
and
Parliament
of
interreligious
Religions councils
of
Chicago
evolved
in
in
1893,
American
many and
Canadian cities. Today, the different religions are slowly learning to hold out hands of friendship to each other in every part of the world.
Most
interfaith
of
groups
Comparative
in
swamis
to
religion
universities attitude
the
promote is
in
America,
towards
in
other
America mutual
the
which
are
understanding
curriculum helps
religions.
involved
to
of
and
many
develop
Vivekananda’s
with
these
harmony.
schools
an
and
unprejudiced
catholic
approach
towards religion directly and indirectly influenced many thinkers of the Western world. Swamiji revealed the secret of harmony in the final
session
of
the
Parliament:
A
seed
becomes
a
plant
by
assimilating the earth, air, and water, without becoming earth, air, and water. Similarly each person can assimilate the spirit of others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. Variety must continue to exist: it is the law of creation. Perfect balance or perfect harmony means dissolution. In the symphony of religions, each religion has its own place, and each plays its own role.
In
the
Chicago
Parliament,
each
representative
was
busy
representing his or her own faith, but Swamiji spoke on behalf of all religions. The universal religion has no location in time and space. Its
area
is
infinite.
Krishna,
Buddha,
Zarathustra,
Confucius,
Christ, Moses, Muhammad, Nanak, Ramakrishna-all have honoured places in it. The real universal religion is not a creed or a doctrine; it is an experience. It is God-consciousness, which runs through all faiths. It is the melting pot of diversity. Vivekananda preached this universal religion in the West as well as in the East. Pointing to
the universality of Vedanta, Swamiji said: Our watchword will be acceptance and not exclusion. Not only toleration, for so-called toleration is often blasphemy and I do not believe in it. Toleration means that I think that you are wrong and I am just allowing you to live. Is it not blasphemy to think that you and I are allowing others to live? I accept all religions that were in the past, and worship with them all. I worship
God
with
every
one
of
them,
in
whatever
form
they
worship Him. I shall go to the mosque of the Mohammedans; I shall
enter
the
Christian’s
church
and
kneel
before
the
crucifix; I shall enter the Buddhist temple, where I shall take refuge in Buddha and in his Law. I shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu, who is trying to see the Light which enlightens the heart of everyone. Not only shall I do all these, but I shall keep my heart open for all that may come
in
the
future.
Is
God’s
book
finished?
The
Bible,
the
Vedas, the Koran, and all other sacred books are but so many pages, and an
infinite number of pages remain yet to be unfolded. I shall leave my heart open for all of them.21
The Religion of the Twenty-First Century In the nineteenth century, the main focus of religion was on reason; and in the twentieth century on humanism. If anybody asks me: What type of religion will play the vital role in the twenty-first century? My answer will be -- mysticism. Mystics commune with God through love and contemplation. They are in every religious tradition and they are a class by themselves. In October 1992 there was a conference on the Great Contemporary Mystics in Avila, Spain. I was invited to speak on Sri Ramakrishna. I quoted that famous saying of Ramakrishna about mystics, “All jackals in the world howl in the same way.” In other words, the mystics of different religions may speak in different languages but their experience of Oneness is always the same. A medieval Indian mystic wrote: “There may be different kinds of oil in different lamps, the wicks also may be of different kinds, but when they burn, we have the same flame and illumination.”22 Fanatics and fundamentalists are in all religions and they argue amongst themselves, but mystics do not quarrel about their faiths, because they are illumined souls. They know that God is one with various
names.
In
fundamentalist:
“I
1897 have
at the
Lahore, power
to
Swamiji bring
said one
to third
a
Hindu of
the
population of the world under the banner of Sri Ramakrishna, but I have no intention to do that. Because that will counteract the great
message of harmony of my guru ‘As many faiths so many paths,’ and a new sect will originate in India.”23 In 1898, after installing the relics of Sri Ramakrishna at Belur monastery, Vivekananda said, “All faiths and sects must be respected and harmonized here; none should be considered subordinate to any other.”24
In the West nowadays, many people avoid organized religion because there is too much corruption and politics in it. Monistic Vedanta is never an organized religion; it depends on experience and is not confined
to
any
personal
God,
prophet,
or
book.
When
I
was
in
California in the early 1970s, I remember that a man came to our Santa Barbara Vedanta temple and asked, “Who is the prophet of this organization?”
One
of
organization.”
You
see,
the
soul
is
democratic:
“Each
our
nuns
answered.
Vedantic
“It
concept
potentially
is
a
of
God
divine.”
nonprophet is
very
Vedanta
also
proclaims: “Freedom is the song of the soul.” These messages of Vedanta appeal to many Americans, because they love democracy and freedom. Referring to interreligious relations, Swami Nikhilananda wrote: “Religions as human institutions cannot be absolutely perfect, but God is perfect. Religion is not God, but shows the way to God. It is said that Satan was once asked how he would tempt a possessor of pure truth, and he replied that he would tempt him to organize it. As clocks should be corrected from time to time by the sun, so also religions. The correction is made by mystic saints, who directly commune
with
God,
and
not
by
the
theologians,
who
are
only
interpreters of the scriptures.”25 Nowadays some people say: We have read enough, we have heard many sermons, now we want experience. That is the present popular sentiment in the West. We live in an age when creeds are shaken, dogmas are questioned, and traditions are dissolving. Some Western
thinkers have predicted that doctrine, dogma, or ritual will not be able to sustain religion in the twenty-first century. The external aspects, such as symbols, doctrines, creeds, and rituals of each religion
differ
from
one
another,
but
internal
aspects,
such
as
purity, love, compassion, and unselfishness, are the same in all religions. Swamiji once commented: “‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.’ This sentence alone would save mankind if all the books and prophets were lost. This purity of heart will bring the vision of God. It is the theme of music of this universe.”26 Sometimes people complain that religion is dry and difficult. It is difficult for one who does not try. How can it be dry when religious practices open the fountain of bliss of God? However, I want to tell three short stories that will teach us how we can live harmoniously in this world with love, relinquishing hatred. Rabia, a Sufi saint, was once asked, “Do you love God?” “Yes,” she replied. “Do you hate Satan?” “No.” “Why?” “Because God did not keep any hatred in my heart.” During his last years, St. John, a direct disciple of Christ, lived in the city of Ephesus. He had grown old and feeble and was no longer
able
to
speak
from
the
pulpit
of
the
church
where
he
worshipped. But the people carried him in every Sunday, and he sat there through the service with the light on his face which comes from neither land nor sea. At the end of the service the minister would ask him to say just a word to the people by way of benediction. He would rise slowly, look at them with a benign smile and say, “Little
children, love one another.” He always said that. When one of his friends asked him why he always said the same thing, he replied: “Because there is nothing more to be said. It is the final word. If we love one another, that is everything.”27 Finally,
three
Alwars
(South
Indian
mystics)
left
their
own
ashramas for a distant pilgrimage. The first saint did not get food for two days and then at night he was caught in a thunderstorm. After a long and arduous search, he found a cottage. It was closed, but it had a small veranda, where one person could hardly lie down. The first saint lay down there. In the meantime, the second saint came and asked, “I am devastated by the rain. Is there a little room for me?” The first saint said, “Where one person can lie, there two persons can sit. Please come in.” Within a short while, the third saint arrived and asked for shelter. The first two saints said: “You are welcome. Where two can sit, there three can stand.” Observing their
mutual
love,
unselfishness,
and
harmonious
living
the
Lord
blessed them with His vision.28 In this memorable convention, let us listen to the wonderful music of harmony, and try to practise it in our daily lives. This is the only way we shall be able to get rid of narrowness, bigotry, superstition, violence, and disharmony. The nearer we are to God, the closer we shall feel towards other religions. In God we all meet. Krishna said in the Gita, “I am the thread that runs through the pearls, as in a necklace.” Each religion is one of the pearls. In
conclusion,
I
bow
down
to
all
religions
and
their
representatives on this platform, who have come from different parts of the world to contribute their precious voices to this symphony. This symphony will not be sounded in vain. History will record it as a landmark for posterity.
I. John Henry Barrows, (Chicago, 1893), p. 18
The
World’s
Parliament
of
Religions
2. Swami Vivekananda, Inspired Talks. Ramakrishna Math (Madras, 1961). p. 102 3. The Complete Works of Swami (Calcutta. 1966). Vol. IV, p.125
Vivekananda.
Advaita
Ashrama
4. Ibid. Vol. IV. p. 178, 180 5. Ibid. Vol. IV, p. 155 6. Ibid. Vol. IV. p. 154 7. Ibid. Vol. III. p. 159 8. Swami Nikhilananda, Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Centre (New York. 1953), p. 178 9. Radhakrishnan, The Hindu view of Life. The MacMillan Company (New York, 1962), p. 44 I0. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (1964), Vol. VIII, p. 129 11. Quoted from Visvabharati Quarterly, Vol. XXV, 3-4. p. 25 12. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (1968). Vol. II, p. 363 13. Swami Nikhilananda, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. RamakrishnaVivekananda Centre, (New York, 1969). p. 782 14. Ibid. p. 1009-10 15. Complete Works. Vol. II. p. 387 16. Ibid. Vol. II, p. 388 17.
Romain
Rolland,
The
Life
of
Vivekananda
(Advaita
Ashrama,
1931). p. 326 18. Complete Works. Vol. II, p. 140 19. Complete Works. Vol. VIII, p. 349-50 20. Swami Chetanananda, Vivekananda: East meets West. Introduction 21. Complete Works. Vol. II. p. 373-74 22. Radhakrishnan, Occasional Speeches and Writings. Publications Division Government of India, 1960, p. 542 23. Bharate Vivekananda. Udbodhan. p. 477-78 and Udbodhan magazine. Vol. 25, p. 731 24. Swami Chetanananda. Swami Adbhutananda: Teachings Reminiscences. Vedanta Society of St. Louis, 1980, p. 85
and
25. Swami Nikhilananda, Hinduism. Harper and Brothers (New York, 1958), p. 180 26. Inspired Talks, p. 195 27. C. R. Brown, These Twelve, p. 64 28. Swami Ramakrishnananda, Ramanuj Charit. Udbodhan, p. 20-22
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14