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| Swami Vivekananda and Universal Harmony | | National Youth Day (12th January) | | Mahesh Kaul | 1/11/2015 11:28:05 PM |
| We are witnessing changes not only in political domain but social matrix is also in the
cusp of change. In such a dynamic scenario one cannot ignore the discourse the nation
is witnessing in terms of nation building with our youth at the forefront. This role was prophesized by the Wandering Monk of India, Swami Vivekananda for the Indian youth to serve the Motherland with full vigor and vitality.
It is his spiritual legacy that is manifested in the action of our youth in terms of professional expertise in various spheres ranging from IT to sports, research to business. He was conscious of the role that the Vedic religion has played in India in shaping the national destiny for the total resurgence of the Motherland-Bharata. Vedic ideals of cosmic benevolence is the life blood of Indian nation.His personality shaped by clarity of vision and comprehending the national destiny has undoubtedly made him the eternal youth icon and on his birth anniversary celebrated as "National Youth Day" his message is loud and clear that India has to be the nation of innovation and universal excellence guiding the humanity at all fronts of religious dilemma .
This year his teaching and ideals have added meaning as the nation is facing numerous challenges in terms of religious debate on conversions .Who else can be the guiding force than Swami Vivekananda to act as the beacon light to dispel the darkness of religious dilemma in terms of conversions from the public domain. Swami Vivekananda is known for various things by various people and all these things in terms of presenting the civilisational continuity of Vedic ideals based on strong society and nation establish him as the torch bearer and sentinel of the Indian nation. He simplified the Vedic ideals of Hinduism and succeeded in presenting the message of universal brotherhood as envisaged by the Vedic seers for the national good. But the most important contribution of Swami Vivekananda was his affront to those indulged in proselytisation in India. Today, when there is oft repeated debate on conversions and "Ghar Wapsi",his tours of USA and his lectures on the issues related to conversion and missionaries indulged in proselytisation in India is of paramount importance as it will set the things in proper perspective.
The complete analysis of his lectures and talks in USA from February 1894 to April 1895 acts as a formidable response to those who have raised the bogey of conversions or reconversion to weaken the Indian nation. Swami Vivekananda while giving a lecture on "Destiny of Man" on February 28,1894 in USA said,"Man assumes the perfect state when he realizes he is a spirit.Religion is the manifestation of the Soul nature.The deeper they see is what makes one holier than another.Worship is feeling the holiness of God".Then castigating those who lost no opportunity to teach and preach religion to India he said in the same vein,"Our religion does not believe in missions and teaches that man should love God for love's sake and his neighbor in spite of himself.The people of the West struggle too hard;repose is a factor of civilization.We do not lay our infirmities to God.There is a tendency towards a union of religions."
He took this discourse to an elevated state and explained the religious standpoint of civilisational Indian nation to the West on march 21,1894 at Bay City.He said,"The Hindoos have no theory of redemption in their religion.Christ is only to show the way.Every man and woman is a divine being,but covered as though by a screen,which their religion is trying to remove. The removal of that Christians call salvation,they freedom."
Further reinforcing his point he said Indian religion has given philosophy to Western thought.To explain this he said,"the entire system of the Roman Catholic Church had been taken from the books of Buddhism.The people of the West should learn one thing from India-toleration."
Castigating the missionaries for doing disservice to Christ,he said,"The Christian missionaries, the zeal of the Presbyterian Church and its non-toleration,the dollar-worshipping in this country,and the priests needed overhaul".He said,"The latter were in the business for the dollars in it and wanted to know how long they would stay in the Church if they had to depend on getting their pay from God."
There is a profound message for those who have considered India as a market space to sell salvation to the so called heathen.In this context he made a comprehensive observation on March 22,1894 in USA.Swami Vivekananda said,"If there were not different religions no one religion would survive .The Christian needs his selfish religion. The HIndoo needs his own creed. Those who were founded on book still stand. Why could not the Christian convert the Jew? Why could they not make the Persians Christians? Why not so with the Mohammedans? Why cannot be any impression be made upon China or Japan? The Buddhists, the first missionary religion, have double the number of converts of any other religion and they did not use the sword.The Mohemmedans used the most force, and they number the least of the three great missionary religions.The Mohammedans have had their day. Every day you read of Christian nations acquiring land by bloodshed.What missionaries preach against this?Why should the most bloodthirsty nations exalt an alleged religion which is not the religion of Christ?The Jews and Arabs were the fathers of Christianity, and how have they been persecuted by the Christians! The Christians have been weighed in the balance in India and found wanting."
He was not unkind to any religion but wanted to make an unbiased relative analysis.To take the debate to a higher plane of harmony of religions, he said,"In every religion there is an essential truth and non essential casket in which this jewel lies.The believing in the Jewish book or the Hindoo book is non essential. Circumstances, the receptacle is different, but the central truth remains. The essentials being the same, the educated people of every community retain the essentials. The shell of the oyster is not attractive ,but the pearls are within."Attacking the missionaries and taking them head on for conversions, he attacked them with the Vedantic zeal of universal harmony and said,"Before a small fraction of the world is converted to Christianity, it will be divided into many creeds. That is the law of nature. Why take a small instrument from the great religious orchestra of the earth?Let the grand symphony go on.""Be pure", he urged "give up superstition and see the wonderful harmony of nature. Get the better of religion. All religions are good since the essentials are the same. Each man should have the perfect exercise of his individuality but these individualities form a perfect whole. This marvelous condition is already in existence.Each creed has had something to add to the wonderful structure."
Swami Vivekananda sent a clear message of Vedantic wisdom and harmony depicting the vision of the Indian religious philosophy for universal brotherhood. Thus debunking and blowing into smithereens the bigoted onslaught of conversions and proselytisation on the Indian soil.
To sum up, the message of Swami Vivekananda is loud and clear to all those who are acting against the spirit of humanity and conversions .He says, "I claim no affiliation with any religious sect, but occupy the position of an observer, and so far as I may ,of a teacher to mankind. All religion to me is good. About the higher mysteries of life and existence I can do no more than speculate, as others do…………….The Western doctrines have made about as much impression there as have the eastern doctrines here, perhaps not so much. That is , among the higher thinkers of the country. The effect of the missionary work among the masses is imperceptible. When converts are made they of course drop at once out of the native sects, but the mass of the population is so great that the converts of the missionaries have very little effect that can be seen."
*****(Author is a PhD scholar at SHTM, Faculty of Business Studies, University of Jammu & Member, Patriots Forum, National Security Think Tank, New Delhi) |
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