New Research Findings by Carl Aronsson |
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"To the Master Vivekananda from one who both reverences and admires his teachings, H.R. Haweis." A note accompanying the gift read: My dear Scwami With every sentiment of profound esteem & admiration I wish you heartily God speed and return to London. Your teaching is a kind peculiarly adapted to the Western mind & you are doing inestimable good – Allow me to ask your acceptance of the accompanying little booklet 10,000 of which are now in circulation. It is nothing but a few condensed short hand reports of my general teaching – Yours truly and faithfully H.R. Haweis Source: the letter from Rev Haweis dated 17 July 1896 in the Sara Chapman Bull papers.
2. Vivekananda letter to Rev Haweis 17 July 1896 (New discovery) The letter was attached inside the 1st edition book "Raja Yoga" written by Vivekananda and published on 13 July 1896. The book has the owner's inscription Hugolin Haweis - Rev. Haweis' daughter. The letter is signed and also signed on the outer letter sheet - the book was probably given with the letter as it was newly published (4 days prior to the letter). Vivekanada went on vacation to Switzerland on 19 July 1896. 63 St George's Road, London SW You can see the original letter with blog on the following link: “But how about Christ’s own words? 4. Vivekananda lecture "Christ the Messenger" This highlighted lesson learnt by Vivekananda is used by him in his lecture "Christ the Messenger" on 7 January 1900 in Los Angeles. Excerpt from the lecture: ".....So, we find Jesus of Nazareth, in the first place, the true son of the Orient, intensely practical. He has no faith in this evanescent world and all its belongings. No need of text-torturing, as is the fashion in the west in modern times, no need of stretching out texts until they will not stretch any more. Texts are not India-rubber, and even that has its limits. Now, no making of religion to pander to the sense vanity of the present day! Mark you, let us all be honest. If we cannot follow the ideal, let us confess our weakness, but not degrade it; let us not try to pull it down. One gets sick at heart at the different accounts of the life of the Christ that Western people give. I do not know what he was or what he was not! One would make him a great politician; another, perhaps, would make of him a great military general; another, a great patriotic Jew, and so on. Is there any warrant in the books for all such assumptions? The best commentary on the life of a great teacher is his own life. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." That is what Christ says is the only way to salvation; he lays down no other way. Let us confess in sackcloth and ashes that we cannot do that. We still have fondness for 'me' and 'mine'. We want property, money, wealth. Woe unto us! Let us confess and not put shame to that great Teacher of Humanity! He had no other occupation in life; no other thought except that one, that he was a Spirit. He was a dis-embodied, unfettered, unbound Spirit. And not only so, but he, with his marvellous vision, had found every man and woman, whether Jew of Gentile, whether rich or poor, whether saint or sinner, was the embodiment of the same un-dying Spirit as himself. Therefore, the one work his whole life showed, was calling upon them to realise their own spiritual nature. Give up, he says, these superstitious dreams that you are low and that you are poor. Think not that you are trampled upon and tyrranized over as if you were slaves, for within you is something that can never be trampled upon, never be troubled, never be killed. You are all Sons of God, Immortal Spirit. "Know", he declared, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you".
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- www.vivekananda.net edited by Frank Parlato Jr.