May 09, 1899 |
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FROM THE BELUR MATH DIARY A class held by Swami Vivekananda on the evening of May 9, 1899 Swamiji said in part: "The end should never be lost sight of. For all my respect for the Rishis of yore, I cannot but denounce in the strongest terms their method which they always followed in instructing the people. They always enjoined them to do certain things, but they never took care to explain to them the reason why they should do so. This method was pernicious to the very core and instead of enabling men to attain the end, it laid upon their shoulders a mass of meaningless nonsense. They said they kept the end hidden from the view of the people only because they could not understand its real meaning, because they were not worthy recipients of such high instructions. This adhikarivada, as they call it, is the result of pure selfishness.... Those who were so eager to support the adhikarivada ignored the tremendous fact of the infinite possibilities of the human soul. Every man is capable of receiving knowledge if it is imparted in his own language.... You must speak out the truth without any fear that it will perturb the weak. Truth is always truth. Speak it out boldly. Men are selfish, they do not want others to come up to the same level of their knowledge. But they explain it by saying that knowledge of the highest spiritual truths will bring about confusion in weak-minded men. I cannot believe in the self contra dictory statement that light brings greater darkness. It is like the chance of losing life by being drowned in the deep of satchidananda. You call it the ocean of absolute existence and at the same time think that you would cease to exist. How absurd is that!... Men also desist from speaking out broad truths from fear of losing the respect of people. They always try to make a compromise between real eternal truths and the nonsensical prejudices of the people. The result is that the grand truths are soon buried under heaps of rubbish and the latter is eagerly held as real truths.... Know ye for certain that this attempt at compromise proceeds from arrant downright cowardice, and adhikarivada is a sure result of the most abominable sort of selfishness. Therefore repeatedly I say to you, be bold to speak out your convictions. Never hesitate to do so from fear of losing your respect or causing unhappy friction..."
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- www.vivekananda.net edited by Frank Parlato Jr.