第一部分：美国报纸报道
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中文
为保存这些报纸报道的历史真实性，原文的拼写、语法及标点均予以保留。为清晰起见，辨喜（Vivekananda）的原话以块引号标出，出版者所拟标题则以星号标记。凡有可能，均选用原始新闻打字稿，而非其迟后的海外转载版本。——出版者
〔综合芝加哥四家报纸的报道：《先驱报》《泛大洋报》《论坛报》及《记录报》， 约1893年9月11日〕
〔美国的姐妹们和兄弟们，〕
听到您们对我们热情洋溢的欢迎之词，我心中充满了难以言表的喜悦，起身作答。我谨以世界上最古老的僧侣传承的名义向您们致谢——乔达摩（即释迦牟尼）不过是这一传承中的一员。我以宗教之母的名义向您们致谢——佛教与耆那教不过是她的分支；最后，我以数以亿计的印度各种姓、各派别的人民的名义向您们致谢。我也要感谢台上某些发言者，他们告诉您们：来自遥远异域的这些不同的人，将把他们在此所见的宽容理念带回各自的土地。我为他们提出这一理念而感谢他们。
我为自己属于这样一个宗教而自豪——这一宗教曾向世界传授宽容与普遍接纳。我们不仅相信普世宽容，而且接受一切宗教皆为真理。我为自己属于这样一个宗教而自豪——在其神圣语言梵文（Sanskrit）中，"排外"一词无可翻译。（掌声）我为自己属于这样一个民族而自豪——这一民族庇护了大地上所有宗教、所有民族的受迫害者与流亡者。我以自豪的心情告诉您们，我们曾将以色列人最纯正的遗民收入怀抱——他们的圣殿被罗马暴政夷为瓦砾的那些年间，这批遗民来到印度南部，向我们寻求庇护。我为自己属于这样一个宗教而自豪——这一宗教庇护了并至今仍在扶持伟大的琐罗亚斯德民族的遗民。
我要向您们，诸位兄弟，引述一首赞美诗中的数行——每一位印度教子弟每天都在吟诵这首诗。我深感，这首赞美诗的精髓——我记得自幼年便日日吟诵，如今每天仍有数以亿计的印度人在吟诵——终于得以实现了。"正如不同的河流，发源于不同的地方，却将水流汇入同一片大海；哦，主啊，人们因不同的性情而走上的不同道路，尽管各异，或曲或直，最终都引向你。"
眼前这场大会是有史以来最庄严的集会之一，本身便是向世界所作的一个昭示，宣告《薄伽梵歌》（Gita）所传布的那一奇妙教义："无论谁来到我身边，无论以何种形式，我皆相迎，所有人都在跋涉于最终必归于我的道路之上。"宗派主义、偏执，以及由偏执所孕育的可怕后裔——狂热主义，长久以来主宰着这美丽的大地。它以暴力充塞大地，一次又一次以人血将其浸透，摧毁文明，令整个民族陷入绝望。然而它的时日已尽，我虔诚地相信：今晨为会集于这一宗教议会的各宗教代表们所鸣响的钟声，是对一切狂热主义的丧钟（掌声）；是对一切以刀剑或笔墨施行的迫害的丧钟；是对所有走向同一目标、却行于不同道路的兄弟之间那种心胸狭隘之情的丧钟。
〔《芝加哥记录报》，1893年9月11日〕
四位宗教思想领袖坐在巴罗斯博士（Dr. Barrows）的客厅里——耆那教徒、在华传教十六年的乔治·康德林（George Candlin）、学识渊博的婆罗门印度教徒辨喜，以及芝加哥长老会的约翰·H·巴罗斯博士。这四人谈话时宛如同一信仰的兄弟。
这位印度教徒面容平和，略显丰腴的面庞明亮而睿智。他头戴橙色头巾，身披同色长袍。他的英语十分流畅。"我没有家，"他说道。
我在印度各地游历，从一所学院奔赴另一所学院，向学生们讲演。启程赴美之前，我曾在马德拉斯（Madras）盘留了一段时日。抵达美国后，我受到了极为有礼而亲切的款待。能在这一议会中获得认可，对我们而言深感欣慰——这一议会或将对世界的宗教史产生深远影响。我们期望在此获益良多，并将一些重要真理带回给我们那一千五百万忠诚的婆罗门信众。
〔1893年9月20日在宗教议会所作演讲的逐字记录稿〕 〔《芝加哥泛大洋报》，1893年9月21日〕
斯瓦米·辨喜
在黑德兰先生（Mr. Headland）题为《北京的宗教》的论文宣读结束后，莫默里博士（Dr. Momerie）宣布，当晚公告栏上所列的其余发言人均未能到场。时间不过晚上九点，正厅与回廊座位已相当充实。当人们望见这位身着橙色长袍、头缠猩红头巾端坐于台上的印度教僧侣辨喜时，一阵掌声骤然爆发。
这位颇受爱戴的印度教徒回应着热烈的掌声说，他今晚并非为演讲而来。然而他借此机会批评了黑德兰先生论文中的诸多论述。谈及中国普遍存在的贫困时，他说传教士们与其竭力劝说中国人放弃数百年来的信仰、以食物为代价皈依基督教，不如将精力用于解决饥饿问题。随后，这位印度教徒退回台上，俯身向天主教基恩主教（Bishop Keane）耳语片刻。
他随即恢复演讲，说基恩主教告诉他，美国人不会因坦诚的批评而感到冒犯。他说，他听闻了中国种种可怕的事情与骇人的状况，但他从未听说基督徒为改善这一切建立过任何救济院。
他说：
美国的基督教兄弟们，你们热衷于派遣传教士，去拯救异教徒的灵魂。我要问你们：你们为拯救他们那饱受饥饿折磨的肉身做了什么，又在做什么？（掌声）在印度，有三亿男女老少，平均每月仅靠五十美分略多一点度日。我曾亲眼见过他们常年以野花果腹。每逢小小的饥荒，便有数十万人死于饥饿。基督教传教士前来赐予生机，条件却是要印度教徒皈依基督教，放弃祖祖辈辈的信仰。这是正确的吗？城中不乏救济院，但穆斯林或印度教徒若登门求助，便会被驱逐出去。印度教徒所建的救济院有数千所，任何人都会受到接待。有许多教堂是在印度教徒的资助下建成的，但从未有一位基督徒为印度教神庙捐出过一分一厘。
美国的兄弟们，东方的切肤之痛不在宗教。我们的宗教已经绰绰有余；他们所需要的是面包，得到的却是石头。（掌声）向一个正在饥饿中垂死的受苦之人大讲玄学，是对他的侮辱。因此，若你们真的希望诠释"兄弟情谊"的含义，就请更善待印度教徒——即便他是印度教徒，并忠诚于其宗教信仰。向他们派遣传教士，教他们如何更好地挣得一口更好的面包，而非向他们灌输玄学废话。（热烈掌声）
随后，这位僧侣说他今日身体不适，希望能获准退席。但雷鸣般的掌声与"继续讲"的呼声接踵而至，
辨喜遂继续演讲。
方才宣读的论文中，涉及一些可悲而无知的神职人员。此言于印度亦然。我正是那些被描述为行乞的僧侣之一。这是我生命中的骄傲。（掌声）在这个意义上，我以效法基督为荣。我今日有什么便吃什么，不思明日之事。"试观野地里的百合花，如何生长；它不劳苦，也不纺线。"印度教徒将此话贯彻于字面之上。今晚身在芝加哥、坐在这台上的许多绅士都可以作证：过去十二年间，我从来不知下一顿饭从何而来。我以为主行乞为荣。东方的观念是：为金钱而宣讲或传授任何事物，是低俗而鄙陋的；而以布道主之名换取薪酬，是如此卑劣的堕落，足以令神职人员丧失种姓资格，遭人唾弃。论文中有一点建议确属真知灼见：若中国与印度的神职人员能够组织起来，将有巨大的潜在能量可用于社会与人类的振兴。我曾试图在印度组织这一力量，却因经费匮乏而未能成功。或许我将在美国得到所需的援助。
但我们深知，对于一个异教徒而言，从"基督教人民"那里获得任何帮助是何等艰难。（热烈掌声）我听说了这片自由之地、自由与思想自由的种种，我因此并不气馁。我感谢你们，女士们，先生们。
随后，这位深受欢迎的来访者面带优雅的微笑，彬彬有礼地欠身，试图退席，但听众齐声呼唤他继续讲下去。辨喜洋溢着一副满面温和的神情，随即阐释了印度教的轮回理论。演讲结束后，莫默里博士〔英国代表〕说，他现在终于明白，为何报界一致称这次议会是接近千年圣世的一步……
〔《纽约评论者》，1893年11月11日〕
……这是宗教议会的余波产物——这场议会使我们看清了一个事实：古代信仰的哲学中蕴藏着许多对现代人大有裨益的美好智慧。一旦我们对此有了清晰的认知，对其传播者的兴趣便随之加深，我们以惯常的热情踏上了求知之路。议会闭幕之后，获取这种知识的最便捷途径，是通过仍驻留此城的斯瓦米·辨喜的演讲与报告。他来到这个国家的最初目的，是希望激发美国人对在印度教徒中兴办新实业的兴趣，但他目前已将此计划搁置一旁，因为他发现——正如"美国人是世界上最慷慨的民族"——每个有所抱负的人都来这里寻求帮助以实现其目标。当被问及这里与印度的穷人状况之比较时，他回答说，我们的穷人在那里也算得上王公，他曾被带着走访这座城市最贫困的街区，却发现以他所了解的标准而言，那里其实舒适甚至宜人。
辨喜是婆罗门中的婆罗门，却放弃了这一身份，加入了僧侣兄弟会——在那里，一切种姓的骄傲均自愿摈弃。然而种族的印记仍留存于他的举止之间。他的学识、他的口才、他迷人的个性，赋予了我们对印度文明的全新认识。他是一个引人注目的形象——那张聪慧而生动的面庞衬托于黄色衣袍之间，深沉而悦耳的声音令人一见倾心。因此，他被文学俱乐部奉为上宾、在教堂中布道讲演，也就不足为奇了——直至佛陀的生平与其信仰的教义对我们而言已不再陌生。他发言不用讲稿，以最高超的技艺、最令人信服的真诚呈现他的论据与结论，有时更升华至一种富丽而鼓舞人心的雄辩之境。他的学识与修养似乎不亚于最博学的耶稣会士，其思维方式也颇有几分耶稣会的特质；然而他在演讲中偶尔投射的那些小小讽刺如剑锋般犀利，却又如此精妙细腻，以至于许多听众竟未察觉。尽管如此，他的礼貌始终无可挑剔，因为这些讥刺从未直指我们的风俗习惯而失之无礼。目前他只满足于向我们阐明其宗教及其哲学家的言论。他期待着那一天的到来——届时我们将超越偶像崇拜（在他看来，这对无知阶层尚属必要）、乃至超越崇拜本身，进而认识到上帝存在于自然之中、人的神性与人的责任。"自证其救，"他引用临终的佛陀之言说，"我无法帮助你们。没有人能帮助你们。靠你自己。"
维瓦·卡南达，印度演说家发表精彩讲演 〔《每日红衣主教报》，威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校，1893年11月21日〕
昨晚，维瓦·卡南达在公理会教堂迎来了一座满堂宾客。演讲者身着本土服饰，头戴奶油色头巾，身穿黄色长袍，系有深红色腰带。
讲演的第一部分着重阐述梵文（Sanscrit）——印度教徒的语言——与英语之间的诸多相似之处。他们的语言中没有一个词语对应"救赎"；对他们而言，那是从束缚中获得"解脱"（Moksha）。他们相信人的真实本性是完美的，因果律主宰一切，唯上帝除外。演讲者用一个故事巧妙地诠释了宗教：几个盲人各自触摸了一头大象身体的某个部位，每个人都以为这头动物就像他所触及的那个部位的样子；宗教亦然——各种派别都掌握了整体真理的一个部分，而真理本身是无限的，没有人能说"我已洞见全部"。
印度教信仰被证明是一切信仰中最具包容精神的信仰之一。迫害在印度是闻所未闻的事——他们的语言中甚至没有这个词。讲演者向全世界挑战，请人们举出一例在印度教文明进程中，基督教传教士遭受迫害的案例。一位希腊历史学家曾这样写道："没有一位印度教男子是不诚实的，没有一位印度教女子是不贞洁的。"
维瓦·卡南达代表世界宗教大会从印度来到这个国家，他昨晚以《印度的宗教》为题所作的讲演，对所有与闻者都是一种激励。他面容和善，轮廓清晰，肤色黝黑，举止仪态颇为动人。他的声音低沉悦耳，其中有某种令人一开始便凝神屏息的神秘魅力。
出自一位印度教僧侣之口
〔《艾奥瓦每日国会报》，1893年11月28日〕
斯瓦米·辨喜讲述古老信仰 今晚再度登台
昨晚，得梅因（Des Moines）的民众在基督中央教堂享受了一场罕见而又别致的盛宴。一位奉行梵天（Brahma）古老信仰的僧侣，将这一信仰作了令人愉悦的阐述——与其说着眼于其特异之处，不如说着力于其基本原理。听众颇为可观，或有五六百人之多，正厅座无虚席，楼座亦约有两三百人。
演讲者开篇即指出，一切宗教体系都是对"我是谁？"这一问题的尝试性回答。这一问题，连同与之相关的"我从何处来？"与"我将往何处去？"，是不断循环往复的。且不追随演讲者逐一历数整场讲演的内容，可以说，据演讲者所言，印度教的基本信念是："我们皆是神圣的。"每个人内心都有一个有觉知的灵，它超越肉身与心智而长存，是绝对本体的一部分。演讲者对科学的攻击作出了有力的辩护。科学只能运用五种感官，凡不能被这五种感官证明其存在之物，科学便倾向于质疑其存在。然而科学是否确知人只有五种感官？演讲者力主存在一种超感官的感知能力，人类正是通过它获得灵性真理的启示。印度教中对应"启示"的词语是"吠陀"（Veda）。因此，"吠陀"便是"启示"之书。这些著作并不局限于印度教徒所书写的内容，而是涵盖所有民族的启示；因为，演讲者说，一切宗教皆为真理。
当"启示"试图论及物质事物时，它便踏入了属于科学的领域，不应被轻信接受。古时曾有一种迷信，认为摩西既然传达了上帝的旨意，那么摩西所写的一切必然为真。而今又有一种现代迷信，认为既然摩西的著述中存在错误，那么摩西所写的一切皆不为真。摩西书写律法诫命之时，确是受到了神圣启示；然而当他论及创世之事时，他所陈述的不过是身为犹太人的摩西个人的推测而已。
演讲者对于将印度教徒——他称之为"改宗者"——皈依基督教，或反其道而行之的种种努力，并无好感。他认为，既然一切宗教皆为真理，此类改宗之举毫无裨益。演讲者主张，印度教并无与任何信仰相对抗的倾向，它包容吸纳一切。至于容纳异见信仰，印度语言中甚至没有与英文"intolerance"（不宽容）相对应的词汇。那种语言有"宗教"一词，也有"教派"一词，前者涵盖一切信仰，而后者的涵义，演讲者以青蛙的故事加以阐释——那只青蛙浑然不知，在它终其一生所居的那口井之外，竟还有另一个世界。
演讲者敦促听众培育内在的神圣性，并摒弃教派的"无稽之谈"。
这位讲师是一位才华横溢、仪态庄重、言辞有力的演说家。他的英语造诣炉火纯青，仅带有极为隐约的外国口音痕迹。听众全神贯注地聆听他的每一句话。演讲结束后，留下来的部分听众提出了问题，演讲者欣然作答。在回答过程中，他谈到印度教徒完全反对伤害任何动物的生命。他承认印度教徒对神牛的崇拜，并进一步说明，印度教徒中并无与我们的教会组织相对应的机构。他自己便是自己的祭司、主教与教皇……
辨喜（Vivekananda），印度著名僧侣学者，现身得梅因 〔《爱荷华州纪事报》，一八九三年十一月二十八日〕
一位三十岁的青年 头脑活跃，心怀赤诚
昨日，著名的印度僧侣斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）以亲口讲授的方式，令得梅因市民得以一睹东方生活与思想的精华。他是今夏芝加哥盛大世界宗教议会的核心人物，在那里，他与国内一些最杰出的思想家切磋论辩，为自己和自己的民族赢得了荣誉。他不仅令到场听众，更令在布里登医生处有缘与他相会的人，获得了崭新的思考材料。这是一则来自重洋彼岸、来自另一个民族的信息，那个民族的生活环境、教育培养、风俗习惯与传统皆与我们迥然不同。然而这位僧侣指出，所有宗教的根本原则是相同的。他的主张是：一切宗教皆有其善，并以磅礴之力传扬这一理念……
昨日下午，应H·O·布里登夫人之邀，他在她位于林荫大道一三一八号的府邸，与得梅因众多最具才识的女性——各文学俱乐部的成员——相聚，畅谈了两三个小时，主题涵盖他的宗教、他对基督教的看法（他对此真诚认同），以及他的民族的风俗习惯。辨喜最为坚持强调的一点是：印度教不应为印度的一切弊端承担罪责，正如基督教不应为美国的一切弊端承担罪责一样。他同样坚持认为，将一个民族所取得的一切伟大成就与事业归功于他们所信奉的宗教，是荒谬的。他对《圣经》中的崇高内容予以赞扬，但指出，当摩西试图言说创世时，他不过只是一个犹太人摩西，仅此而已。
这种来自另一方、且充满同情理解的视角，极具启发意义、教育价值与引人入胜之处。辨喜使用最为纯正的英语，因为他在加尔各答的英语大学接受过良好教育。
他对美国女性赞不绝口，热情洋溢。
我真不知道，若非得到你们这些女性的帮助，我将如何度日，
他昨晚对《纪事报》的一位记者说道。
她们接纳了我，照料了我，为我做好了一切必要的安排。她们是世界上最好的女性，对我如此善待，
〔斯瓦米〕面带感激的微笑如此说道。 ……
〔《爱荷华每日国会报》，一八九三年十一月二十九日〕
斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）昨晚讲述了轮回之道。他主张，轮回的依据在于：从未有过新的创造；创世与上帝同在，自永恒以来便共同存在。离去的灵魂所栖居的躯体，或优于、或劣于其前世之居所，端视其自身在世时将自己塑造得适合何者而定。这位讲师将于感恩节晚间在同一地点再次讲演，主题为印度的风俗习惯。
〔《爱荷华州纪事报》，一八九三年十一月三十日〕
这位著名印度僧侣辨喜所引发的非凡讨论，昨日成为知识界关注的焦点话题。尤其引人瞩目的，是他对美国传教士在印度所从事工作的评论，以及他对本国人民、道德与宗教的有力维护。他的立场是：印度人民所需要的，并非更多宗教，而是实际生活能力方面的培训，以使他们能够与占据印度的英国人相抗衡。昨日，辨喜应F·W·莱曼先生与O·H·帕金斯先生之邀，在两位先生的陪同下参观了州议会大厦，留下了深刻印象。他对在那里所见到的美洲印第安人肖像产生了特别的兴趣……
〔《得梅因每日新闻》，一八九三年十一月三十日〕
辨喜（Vivekananda）周三晚间出席了一个祈祷会，并见证了两位年轻女性的洗礼仪式。这次礼拜仪式令他深受感动。他说：
我明白了。这种情怀令人心灵升华，仪式亦庄严美丽。更令人动容的是，这位牧师言出至诚，满怀热忱，深信他所宣讲的一切。
〔《爱荷华每日国会报》，一八九三年十一月三十日〕
如今声名远播的印度僧侣斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）将于今晚在得梅因举行最后一次讲演，主题为"印度生活"〔"印度的风俗习惯"〕，是一个极为引人入胜的话题。这位声誉卓著的印度学者年约三十，才华横溢。他认为美国女性可爱非凡，但美国男性则过于务实。
〔《爱荷华州纪事报》，一八九三年十二月一日〕
在离开得梅因之前，辨喜（Vive Kananda）借机对梵社〔sic〕——这个组织在印度所从事的工作，尤其是为女性所做的工作，以及其在这个国家的代表人——给予了热情的赞誉。辨喜的到访在得梅因知识界引发了深远的震动，激起了一场生动活泼的宗教讨论，也为如今这位来自东方的访客〔纳加卡尔〕铺就了道路，并提升了公众对其言论的关注与兴趣。
〔《明尼阿波利斯日报》，一八九三年十二月十五日〕
斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vivekananda） 再度吸引大批听众
昨晚，大批民众汇聚于唯一神论派教堂，聆听来自印度的斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）讲演。讲演介绍了印度人民的风俗习惯，期间这位婆罗门（Brahmin）也借机指出了美国若干不尽如人意之处。他颇具幽默感，其机智的应答与妙语连珠的言辞几乎每每引发掌声。他并不承认自己的民族事事皆错，认为印度有许多特有的事物，虽不为美国人所认可，却未必有失妥当。他从未见过夫妻双方对簿公堂、相互诉诸苦情的情形。他们在长大成人的过程中便已知晓自己将要成婚，相互之间以兄弟姐妹般的情感相爱。
他描述了本国的各种风俗、神庙、魔术师的技艺，以及东方国度一切奇特之处，描述的方式令人心旷神怡。演讲结束后，听众中有人提出了若干问题。
〔《明尼阿波利斯论坛报》，一八九三年十二月十五日〕
斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vive Kananda），这位婆罗门（Brahmin）祭司，昨晚在第一唯一神论派教堂迎来了座无虚席的盛况，这是他第二次在明尼阿波利斯与听众相见。辨喜思维敏锐，能言善辩，随时准备进击或应辩，并将幽默融入演讲之中，令听众无不心领神会。昨晚的讲演由卡帕卡帕伽马大学联谊会主办，听众中汇聚了大批渴求启迪的有识之士，他们乐于就其所选定的主题——"印度的风俗习惯"——获得启发。
身着本国服饰，双手在大多数时候背负于后，辨喜在狭小的讲台上来回踱步，边踱边说，句与句之间停顿颇长，仿佛甘愿等待，让他的话语渗入最深沉的土壤。他的言谈并非深奥到令轻松的心灵无从领略他的部分妙语，但他所阐述的哲理，亦承载着最为深重的真理。他讲述印度的风俗习惯、男女有别的生活方式、对女性的崇敬与神圣地位，以及她们的堕落退化；他讲述那宁静祥和而又并非真正意义上的生活——因为那不是自由；他谈及占印度人口五分之一的伊斯兰教徒，那是六千五百万人，相当于美国的全部人口。他描述神庙的宏伟壮丽，描述魔术师的技艺——他们是印度民族中的吉卜赛人，他触及人民的种种迷信，讲述他们在出门远行之前如何盛满水坛、摆于门前；他讲述那犁田的农夫所具备的形而上学知识，而那农夫却只知道自己"向政府缴税"；他承认印度教徒对恒河的崇敬，以及那挥之不去的心愿——希望在河岸边溘然长逝；他以一种平静而略带俯视的语气娓娓道来这一切，随即引出对美国人处事方式的某番评论，听众便在一阵涟漪般的笑声中，以颤颤的掌声表达了他们对其讥讽的莞尔认可……
讲演结束时，有人问道："传教士究竟触及并感化了哪类人群？"他迅即作答："关于这一点，您和我知道的一样多——美国人看到的是报告，我们则从未见到过。"他已将这个提问化作引人莞尔的话题，在全场恢复镇定之际，他依旧在台上从容踱步。整场讲演赢得了听众最为专注的聆听，随后更有听众与讲演者之间多番问答，他亦主动欢迎大家提问。
〔《底特律论坛报》，一八九四年二月十八日〕
辨喜（Vive Kananda）的近期表达
其使命值得美国人认真关注
令这位杰出的异教徒感到满意的 美国两件最值得关注之事——环境对任何民族的塑造作用——对传教士的一番批评
在底特律，鲜少有哪件事能在文化圈中引发如此强烈的震动，堪比斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vive Kananda）这位博学的印度僧侣的到来。他对我们语言的非凡掌握，使我们得以从东方的视角获得关于自身的印象，并增进对一个我们早已久闻其独特文明与哲学的民族的认识。
无论是公开场合还是私下交谈，这位印度同仁都坦率而直言不讳。他承认，印度的普通大众生活极为贫困，知识极为匮乏，被划分为各种各样的教派，崇拜形式从纯粹的偶像崇拜，到以人类博爱与上帝之一性为基础的最为宽宏自由的神圣观念，不一而足。他说，他此行的使命，并非要在我们中间传播他的宗教——并非要让我们按照他的方式思考——而是筹集资金，在印度创办一所学院，培养师资，深入普通民众之中，从事现存诸多弊端的改革工作。他指出，印度在骇人听闻的程度上受制于祭司势力。正是祭司的权术，扭曲了真理，延续了蒙昧；正是祭司的权术，以其粗陋狭隘的解释取代了真理，蒙蔽了民众，阻碍了他们道德的进步。这位斯瓦米以宽宏的视野审视一切教派与信仰，甚至从偶像崇拜中也看到了其善。他认为，对于心智尚不足以把握抽象观念、需要借助某种物质形式来直观人格化的愚昧者而言，偶像是一种理想的媒介。他坦率地指出，我们西方人同样因过多的祭司权术而在进步上受到阻碍，我们自身也并非没有偶像崇拜的习俗——我们中有些教派崇拜神龛、圣像与图画，甚至现代教堂的讲坛与布道台所被赋予的神圣性，也是一种理想化的偶像崇拜。
当被问及对我们的坦率看法时，这位斯瓦米指出了这个国家最为卓越的两件事：其一，我国女性在地位与才智方面的优越性；其二，在对贫困者的慈善与待遇上，我们几乎已解决了如何对待他们的问题——不仅体现在医院与慈善机构的建设上，也体现在我们对劳动力节省机械的大规模发展上。然而他对我们物质上的进步并无崇仰，因为这并不能使人变得更好；对我们引以为傲的文明，他亦无崇仰，因为我们不过是在追摹模仿英国人的风俗习惯——有时已到了颇为可笑的程度。我们尚还年轻，尚未形成独特的文明；我们尚需消化吸收我们所允许倾泻于此的欧洲人口，方能形成独特的美国人类型。
〔作者接着指出，斯瓦米的印度背景使他难以理解，西方人的竞争精神并非不可取，而是自然本身的一条基本法则——适者生存；印度教徒那"梦幻而多愁善感的哲学"正是造成印度贫困、堕落以及被"寥寥数名英国人"所统治的原因，因此斯瓦米不宜对西方的物质主义等闲视之或嗤之以鼻。在如此发表完社论式评论之后，他继续写道：〕
倘若他所陈述的有关境外传教在印度所取得成效的情况属实，各传教组织的委员会确应向他虚心请教，并遵从他的建议。他来此，是为了改善本国人民的处境。然而他指出，传教工作毫无裨益，只不过是在一个本已宗派林立的国家再添更多教派与信条；《吠陀》（Vedas）的教义——每一位印度教徒对此皆耳熟能详——与基督的教义如出一辙。他提出了合情合理的主张：外来的信条与教义与印度人世代相承的禀性或文明格格不入，因而极难得到传播。
然而辨喜（Kananda）的使命，确是一项值得每一位人类之友倾心支持的事业。他希望看到我们物质哲学与进步中最精华的部分融入印度文明，同时也希望我们能从他们那里汲取教益，直至我们终将重新成为如远古时代般的兄弟雅利安人，共同拥有一种文明——那超越小我的崇高哲学，同样超越教派与信条的藩篱，与上帝合而为一。
弗雷德·H·西摩尔
〔《底特律论坛报》，一八九四年二月十九日〕
格罗斯曼拉比深受斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vive Kananda）启发
……"我接受你们的耶稣，"辨喜（Kananda）于上周六晚间〔二月十七日〕说道。
我将他请入我的心中，正如我接受古今中外所有伟大而美善的人物一样。但是，你们呢，你们愿意将我的克里希纳（Krishna）请入你们心中吗？不——你们不愿意，你们不敢——而你们依然是有教养的文明人，我则是野蛮异教徒……
〔《底特律日报》，一八九四年二月二十三日〕
他讲述印度劳工的处境
斯瓦米辨喜（Swami Vive Kananda）昨日下午以撰写诗句——那些诗句兼具宗教意味与半感伤色彩——回报了女性友人们对他的爱戴与仰慕。今晨他已启程前往俄亥俄州阿达市。
在一次有关印度教劳工物质生活状况的谈话中，这位博学的僧侣指出，穷苦百姓仅靠稀粥度日。劳工早餐吃一碗稀粥，便出门从事每日劳作，傍晚归来又以一碗稀粥充作晚餐。在大多数省份，农民穷困至极，连自己种出的小麦都舍不得食用。农场日工每日所得仅有十二便士，但在印度，一美元的购买力却相当于美国的十倍。当地虽种有棉花，但纤维过短，只能手工纺织，且仍需进口美国棉和埃及棉加以混纺。
［底特律晚报，一八九四年二月二十五日］
辨喜（Vivekananda）斯瓦米访问底特律轶事。
辨喜斯瓦米访问底特律期间留下了诸多轶事，颇为有趣——至少对他本人而言必是如此，尽管对美国人的自尊心不免有几分伤害。一位女士说道：
「他与我们底特律某些自诩饱学之士之间的学识差距，着实令我感到羞愧。一次晚宴上，一位绅士请教卡纳达（Kananda）应读哪些化学书籍，这位印度僧侣随即列出了一长串英文化学著作——这些书本应是美国人比印度人更为熟悉的。另一位绅士接着请教天文学方面的书目，卡纳达同样慷慨应答，列出了一份同样出色的英文天文学著作清单。然而，令众人惊愕之至的是，一位女士提及『基督』，问道：'这两个字是什么意思？'他再次给出了解答，但语气中已略带几分讽意。」
十九世纪文明与教养最为典型的例证，或许当属另一位女士——她问卡纳达是否喜欢英国人。他很自然地答以不喜。她随即展示出高超的「外交技巧」，继续就那段令人不快的往事——印度士兵起义——追问不休。待那位印度人情绪激动之际，她以一抹讥讽的微笑看着他，说道：
「我就知道我能打乱你那东方哲人的宁静。」
［底特律论坛报，一八九四年三月十一日］
昨晚讲座抨击基督教传教活动
听众报以热烈掌声
他说，基督教国家大肆杀戮，又将疾病输入异邦，复以十字架上的基督之名传教，是为侮辱叠加伤害。
辨喜斯瓦米昨晚在底特律歌剧院向众多听众发表演讲，主题为「印度的基督教传教活动」。此番演讲，人们不难推想，乃是对过去两周内本市众多传教士矛头所指之言论的正面回应。
昨晚介绍卡纳达出场的是托马斯·W·帕尔默荣誉先生，他以一则寓言作为开场白。「昔有两位骑士相遇于野外，」他说，「见一面盾牌悬于树上，便勒马而立。一人道：'此乃银质盾牌，甚为精美。'另一人答曰：'非也，此乃铜盾。'两人各执一词，争执不下，终于下马，将马系于树旁，拔剑相斗数小时。待双方皆因失血而精疲力竭，互相踉跄倒地，各倒于原先所站方向的对面。此时，一人抬头望向悬着的盾牌，说道：'朋友，你是对的，此乃铜盾。'另一人望去，说：'是我错了，此乃银盾。'若当初两人都看过盾牌两面，便可免去许多流血之苦。我以为，若我们凡事都能看清两面，争论与纷争必将大为减少。
「今晚与我们同在的这位先生，从基督教的立场而言，我想，可称为一位异教徒。然而，他所归属的那个宗教，早在我们的宗教为人所思之前便已古老悠久。我相信，倾听铜盾那一面的声音，必是一件愉快之事。我们迄今只从银盾一侧审视世界。女士们，先生们，辨喜斯瓦米。」
卡纳达一直端坐于舞台上聆听帕尔默先生的致辞，此时步至台前，身着梵（Brahman）祭司的橙色僧袍，头戴独特的头巾，向迎接他的掌声颔首致意，随即直入主题。
［斯瓦米说：］
关于基督教传教士在中国和日本的努力，我除了通过阅读相关书籍和文献以外，所知甚少，但我可以就基督教化印度的种种努力发表看法。不过，在此之前，我想先向诸位描绘一幅关于印度的图景。
随后，他详细说明了印度三亿居民如何被划分为各个种姓，不同种姓之间绝无往来；南方土著与北方土著语言不通，反之亦然。他讲述了低种姓者以死畜之肉为食、从不沐浴，以及高种姓者与之交往之难——尽管法律同样给予他们保护。
他谈及基督徒试图令佛陀信众皈依时的最初登场。他说，那是西班牙人，他们在锡兰附近发现了一座寺庙，其中供奉着佛陀的一枚牙齿，视为圣物。「西班牙基督徒以为上帝命令他们去征战杀伐，」他说，于是他们夺取了佛陀之牙并将其毁去。顺便一提，那并非佛陀真牙，而是祭司制造的圣物——足有一英尺之长。（笑声）
每种宗教都有其神迹；不必因为那枚牙齿足有一英尺长而发笑。总之，西班牙人拿走牙齿之后，改宗了数百人，杀死了数千人；至此，西班牙在佛教徒传教史上的记录便告终结。
他说，葡萄牙基督徒发现了孟买的那座宏伟寺庙，寺庙以一身三头的形态建造，象征着印度教所信仰的三位一体。
「葡萄牙人看见了，却无从解释，」卡纳达语带讽刺地说，于是他们断定这是魔鬼之物，集结兵力，将寺庙的三个头颅悉数击落。魔鬼真是万能的替罪羊。我遗憾地看到，他正在迅速消失。
随后，卡纳达概述了基督教在印度传教的各个阶段，并对两三位传教士给予了高度赞扬——他说，这些人是例外中的例外，他们深入民间，致力于提升民众生活、为其服务。
这位印度教祭司讲述了印度土地落入英国人手中之后，每个村庄如何出现一个白人聚居区，将自己封闭起来，与当地人断绝往来。他说，传教士抵达印度后，自然而然地径去与英国人交往——那些人与他们志趣相投，语言相通。传教士对当地语言一无所知，因而无法与民众共处。大多数传教士已成家立室，为使妻子跻身英国社交圈，他们将自身利益与英国人完全捆绑，从而直接与当地人的利益相抵触，使得与民众建立联系成为不可能之事。
「我们印度有时会发生饥荒，」他说。
于是，那些年轻传教士便流连于饥荒的尾声，施舍给一个奄奄一息的本地人五先令，于是便得了一个现成的基督徒——把他拿去吧。那或许是一位浸信会传教士，待一位卫理公会传教士到来，再给同一个本地人五先令，其名字便又被登记为一名改宗者。每位传教士周围的改宗群体，皆由那些依赖他为生的人组成。他们不得不成为基督徒，否则便要忍饥挨饿。而随着资金减少，这些人也在日益凋零。若你们真心想通过赠予工作与面包来令印度人皈依，我乐见其成。上帝保佑你们这样去做。传教运动有一项功绩不得不承认：它使教育变得廉价。传教士带来了派遣他们的人所捐助的资金，印度政府也拨付了一些款项，因此通过传教士的渠道，本地人能够获得一些相当不错的学院和学校的教育。但我将坦诚以告：学校中并没有人因此皈依基督教。印度教男孩非常聪明。他们取了诱饵，却从不上钩。
演讲者说，女传教士走进某些家庭，每月收取四先令，诵读《圣经》——当地女孩漠然相对，却在教她们编织时聚精会神。他说，女孩与男孩一样，对实用之事总是专心致志，但对基督教却漫不经心，尽管若能借此获得其他好处，她们也会表面奉行。
「你们派往我们那里的大多数传教士都是不称职的，」他说。
据我所知，从未有哪位传教士在赴印之前学过梵文，而我们所有的典籍与文献皆以梵文写就。
他对传教士出行的原因提出了一种解释，认为「或许是国内的无神论与怀疑主义正将传教士推向世界各地」。他说，在印度时，他曾以为基督教的唯一使命是将所有人送入地狱之火，但自来美国后，他发现这里有许多思想开明之人。他提及了万国宗教大会，并谈及一位长老会报纸编辑如何在大会闭幕后撰文，题为「撒谎的印度人」，对他进行了猛烈抨击。
文中，该编辑写道，「在大会期间，他以宾客身份在此，但如今大会已毕，我们理应对他及其谬论发动热烈攻势。」
卡纳达在谈及印度的医疗传教士时说：
印度需要健康，但那健康必须是属于人民的健康。若不能与我们的人民建立联系，你们又怎能帮助他们？当你们以传教士身份来到我们中间，就应当抛弃一切民族观念。耶稣并未流连于英国官员的香槟晚宴。他并不在意自己的妻子能否跻身欧洲上流社会。若你们的传教士不效法基督，他又有何权利自称基督徒？我们需要基督的传教士。让这样的人百千万地来到印度。将基督的生命带给我们，让它渗透社会的每一个核心。让他的教诲在印度的每一个村庄、每一个角落得到传扬。但不要让你们的传教士将此作为谋生之道。让他们蒙受基督的呼召。让他们内心感受到，自己生来便是为了这项工作。
就令印度皈依基督教而言，毫无希望可言。纵使可能，也不应如此。那将是危险之举；那将意味着一切宗教的毁灭。若整个世界都拥有同一种精神气质——无论是肉体上的还是精神上的——毁灭将随之而至。为何你们无法使犹太人皈依？为何你们无法将波斯人变为基督徒？为何每有一位非洲人成为基督徒，便有一百人成为穆罕默德的追随者？为何你们无法在印度、中国、日本留下印记？因为全世界精神气质的统一，只会带来死亡。自然界有其智慧，不容此等事发生。
［斯瓦米说：］
基督教国家以鲜血与暴政充斥世界。如今是他们的时代。你们在我们的国度杀戮、屠杀，带来醉酒与疾病，复以钉在十字架上的基督之名传教，是为侮辱叠加伤害。有哪个基督教的声音响彻大地，抗议此等暴行？我从未听到过。你们自母乳之时便灌入这样的观念：你们是天使，我们是魔鬼。仅有阳光尚且不够，你们还须有眼睛去看。不仅人心须有善意，你们自身还须具备对善意的感知，方能辨别善恶。此乃人人心中皆有之物，直至被迷信与可憎的亵渎所扼杀。
随后，卡纳达以一个极为优美的比喻，阐明了所有宗教的根本真理皆为一体，其余种种不过是偶然的外在形式。他讲述了一个野蛮人或许偶得数枚宝石，视若珍宝，以粗绳穿起挂于颈间。待他稍有开化，或许会将粗绳换成细绳。再进一步，获得更多启蒙时，他会以丝绳系之；当他拥有高度文明后，便会为这些珍宝精心打造金质底座。然而，无论底座如何更迭，宝石本身——亦即那些根本所在——始终如一。
若印度教徒欲批评基督教，他会谈及《圣经》中的种种寓言与神迹，以及所有荒诞不经之处，但他绝不会对登山宝训或耶稣美善的生命说一句贬词。同样，当基督徒批评印度教时，他谈的是教条与庙宇，却对印度教的道德观与哲学无可指摘。帮助犹太人，也让他帮助你们。帮助印度教徒，也让他帮助你们。我否认任何人如若不能在一切地方见到善，便具有任何见善的能力。基督的品格与佛陀的品格中有着同样的美。我们所寻求的不是同化，而是调适与和谐。我请求传教士们首先放弃民族观念，其次放弃宗派观念。上帝的子女没有宗派之分。
关于印度妇女，已有许多议论，谈及她们的缺失与处境。缺失确实存在；愿上帝助我们加以改正。我们感谢你们对我们妇女的批评。但当你们谈论她们之际，我要说，我很希望能在美国看到十几位富有灵性的女性。华丽的服饰、财富、璀璨的社交、歌剧、小说——即便是才智，对一个人而言也并非一切。人还应有灵性，而这一面在基督教国家中完全付之阙如。灵性，活在印度。
辨喜的庞大听众昨晚十分恭敬地聆听了他的讲话，并在一两处给予了热烈掌声。
［底特律论坛报，一八九四年三月二十日］
灵魂追随灵魂，据卡纳达所言。
辨喜昨晚在礼堂向约一百五十名听众（据《日报》报道为五百人）发表演讲，主题为「佛教——亚洲之光的宗教」。唐·M·迪金森荣誉先生将他介绍给听众。
「谁能断言这一宗教体系是神圣的，而那一种注定灭亡？」迪金森先生在介绍词中问道，「谁能划定那条神秘的界线？」
他还说，佛陀的信徒曾一度成为基督教的非自愿盟友。卡纳达身着橙黄色僧袍，腰间系有腰带般的绳索，头缠一顶用某种东方丝质布料裹就的头巾，头巾飘垂的一端从一侧肩膀前绕而来。
辨喜详细回顾了印度早期的各种宗教。他讲述了祭坛上宰杀大量牲畜的情形；讲述了佛陀的诞生与生平；讲述了佛陀就创造之因与存在之由向自身提出的种种难解问题；讲述了佛陀为寻找创造与生命之解答所进行的艰苦探索；以及最终的结果。
佛陀，他说，在所有人中鹤立鸡群。他说，此人无论是友是敌，皆无法指摘他的一言一行、一饮一食，不是为了众生之福。
"他从未宣讲灵魂的轮回，"卡南达说，
然而他相信，一个灵魂之于其后继者，犹如大海的波浪，生起又消逝，留给后继波浪的不过是其力量。他从未宣讲有神，亦未否认有神。
"我们为何要行善？"弟子们问他。
"因为，"他说，"你们承继了善。让你们在自己的时代，为后世留下一份善的遗产。让我们共同助益善行的前进步伐，为善而善。"
他是第一位先知。他从不诋毁任何人，也不将任何荣誉归于自身。他相信我们在宗教中自证救赎。"我无法告诉你，"他在临终之际说，"任何人也无法告诉你。不要依赖任何人，自证你自己的宗教〔救赎〕。"
他反对人与人之间、人与禽兽之间的不平等。他宣讲，一切生命平等。他是第一个倡导禁酒之道者。"行善，为善，"他说，"若有神，行善即得神。若无神，行善本身即是善。一切苦难皆由己招，一切善行皆由己享。"
他是第一个使传教士成为现实者。他以救主之姿，降临于印度数百万受压迫的民众之中。他们无法理解他的哲学，但他们看见了此人与其教诲，便追随了他。
最后，卡南达说，佛教是基督教的根基；天主教会源自佛教。
〔《底特律晚报》，1894年3月21日〕
好奇心，据我们这位印度来访者所言，是美国人最显著的特质，但他补充道，好奇心正是通向知识的途径。这一直是欧洲人对美国人——更确切地说是对新英格兰人——性格的评价，也许这位印度人的评论，不过是他在印度时从英国人口中听来的回响。
〔《湾城时报》，1894年3月21日〕
他昨晚在歌剧院发表了一场引人入胜的演讲。湾城市民难得有机会聆听像辨喜（梵文：Vivekananda）斯瓦米昨晚所作的那般演讲。这位先生是印度人，约于三十年前生于加尔各答。当演讲者由C·T·纽柯克博士介绍出场时，歌剧院底层约有半数座位已满。在演讲中，他对这个国家崇拜万能金钱的风气进行了批评。诚然，印度存在种姓制度，但在那里，杀人犯永远无法跻身高位。而在这里，若一个人赚得百万，便与任何人平起平坐。在印度，一个人一旦犯罪，便终身蒙羞。印度教的一大要素，是对其他宗教和信仰的包容。传教士对印度宗教的批评，比对其他东方国家宗教的批评更为严苛，原因正在于印度教徒允许他们这样做，从而践行了包容这一核心信条。卡南达是一位受过良好教育、举止优雅的绅士。据说他在底特律被问及印度教徒是否将孩子投入河中。对此他答道，他们不这样做，正如他们也不在木桩上焚烧女巫。演讲者今晚将赴萨吉诺演讲。
〔《萨吉诺晚报》，1894年3月21日〕
辨喜斯瓦米，这位印度修道僧，今日下午从湾城抵达，现登记入住文森特旅馆。他着装如同一位颇为富裕的美国人，英语说得极为流利。他身材略高于中等，体格健壮，肤色酷似印第安人。在接受《新闻报》记者采访时，他说他的英语是从私人教师处习得，并通过与来访印度斯坦的欧洲人交往而精进。他进一步表示，今晚的演讲将阐释印度教的宗教，并说明他们并非异教徒，而是相信来世的存在。
〔《林恩每日晚报》，（日期不详）〕
北岸俱乐部
周二下午的例会——由来自印度的博学修道僧苏阿米·维韦卡南达主讲——介绍本国的风俗礼仪
北岸俱乐部周二下午的例会，座中来宾众多且才俊荟萃，代表着最高雅的文化层次，并有许多杰出宾客出席。来自印度的博学修道僧苏阿米·维韦卡南达能以流利自如的英语演讲，对其国家的风俗礼仪作了极为生动有趣的介绍。身着本教黄袍与头巾的苏阿米·维韦卡南达，开口即言，印度分为南北两部分。两部分的语言和风俗大相径庭，以至于来自北方的演讲者在宗教议会上遇到来自南方的同胞时，不得不以英语交谈，因为双方皆无法理解对方的母语。全国各地使用九种语言，有一百种方言。
宗教上虽有一定的共通之处，但各教派自成一体，各有其律法。关于印度，已有诸多基于片面知识的错误描述，由此得出的推断极为有害。对于印度教徒而言，一切皆从属于宗教，他们放弃一切与之相悖的事物，其信条是：人生的目的不在于享乐，而在于征服人生，获得对自我的最高主宰——这才是文明的最高境界。正在消亡的种姓差别，不过是雅利安人与非雅利安人——婆罗门与首陀罗之分。婆罗门乃千年文化之子，必须过一种严格自律的生活；而无知的首陀罗，则被允许享有极大的自由。
在印度，身为母亲的女性受到普遍的崇敬。当一个出家为僧的儿子返回故里，父亲迎接时须跪地以额触地；然而此僧人自己，却须跪拜于其母亲面前。印度女性不会将孩子抛入河中任鳄鱼吞噬，寡妇也不会在丈夫的葬火上自焚，除非那是她本人自愿的殉身之举。
高等种姓不允许离婚；一个女性即便是离开了丈夫，哪怕她已极为堕落，仍对其夫的财产拥有权益。苏阿米·维韦卡南达朗诵了《罗摩衍那》史诗中一段优美的篇章——此乃印度最伟大的诗篇之一，展示了妻子对丈夫应有的爱。此即悉多对罗摩的爱。他补充道："如今人们常谈论'适者生存'，西方国家以此为据攻击印度，认为自身的财富、繁荣与强盛证明了其文明更为伟大，宗教更为高尚纯粹。"
然而印度曾见证过无数强国的兴衰，那些强国的目标不过是征服之权与今世之荣。印度屡遭掠夺，承受过征服者的枷锁与压迫者的重负，以坚忍不拔的耐心承担一切，并对万事万物保持包容，因为她深知，她的人民坚守着一种宗教——这种宗教建立在高尚的灵性之上，而非建立在眼前享乐的流沙之上。
〔《纽约每日先驱报》，1894年4月25日〕
辨喜斯瓦米昨晚在沃尔多夫饭店为亚瑟·史密斯夫人的谈话圈发表了关于"印度与
印度教"的演讲。女中音萨拉·汉伯特小姐与女高音安妮·威尔逊小姐献唱了数首曲目。演讲者身着橙色上装与配套的黄色头巾，此乃所谓"乞僧之服"，当佛教徒"为神与人类放弃一切"时便着此装束。会上探讨了轮回理论。演讲者说，许多比知识更盛于气的神职人员问道："若曾有前世，为何人对前世毫无意识？"他的回答是："为意识奠定基础将是幼稚可笑的，正如人对自己在今世的出生毫无意识，对许多已发生之事亦毫无意识一般。"
演讲者说，在他的宗教中不存在"审判日"，他的神既不惩罚也不奖赏。若有任何错行，其自然的惩罚即刻而至。他补充道，灵魂从一具身体转移到另一具身体，直至成为完美的精神，足以超脱身体的种种局限……
〔《史密斯学院月刊》，1894年5月〕
4月15日星期日，印度教修道僧辨喜斯瓦米在晚祷时发表演讲——正是此人在宗教大会上对婆罗门教的学术阐释赢得了广泛好评。——我们常谈论人类的兄弟情谊与上帝的父道，但鲜有人真正理解这些话语的含义。真正的兄弟情谊，只有当灵魂与全父如此接近时才成为可能，以至于嫉妒与卑微的优越之争必将消散，因为我们已超越于它们之上。我们须警惕，切莫成为那古老印度故事中井中之蛙——它在狭小之处生活了许久，终于否认了更大空间的存在。
〔《纽约每日先驱报》，1894年5月3日〕
辨喜斯瓦米〔原文如此〕昨晚在西三十八街十九号玛丽·菲利普斯小姐家中就"印度与轮回"发表了演讲。他谈及印度教即婆罗门教的若干要点，指出其宗教没有独特的名称；他认为，相信一切信条之真理即为宗教，而相信某一特定教条是唯一真正宗教的信念则是宗派。他阐释了业（梵文：Karma）因果律，以及外部与内部本性之间的密切关系。前世行为对今世的支配，以及今世转化为另一来世的变化，均得到了详细的阐述。
辨喜斯瓦米谈论高种姓印度人的宗教
〔马萨诸塞州劳伦斯《晚论坛报》，1894年5月16日〕
自由厅昨晚座无虚席，此乃辨喜斯瓦米演讲之夜——他是著名的婆罗门修道僧，曾以突出的姿态出现在去年夏天芝加哥世界宗教议会上，目前正在此国访问，考察其风俗习惯。此次演讲由妇女俱乐部主办，是一次新颖而有趣的盛会。这位著名的印度教人士由俱乐部主席韦瑟比小姐愉快地介绍出场，她提及了印度悠久的历史、其非凡的传承以及印度民族崇高的智识品质。
当晚的演讲者身着本国服饰，即一袭鲜红色长袍，腰间以同色长巾束扎，头戴一顶由白色丝绸缠绕而成的美观头巾。乍见之下，便可看出一位高种姓婆罗门特有的黝黑肤色、深邃而沉思的眼神，以及内省的风度——此人将一生奉献于宗教，同时也是一位独身者。其受过精良教育、学识渊博，由他出色的英语驾驭能力与论辩才能可见一斑，而偶尔引用弥尔顿与狄更斯的句子，则表明他对英国经典名著有着深厚的欣赏。
他首先谈到印度社会状况中种姓制度这一显著特点，指出它如今已不如过去那般严格，但即便如此，一切仍按血统世袭而行。种姓之间的通婚虽非绝对禁止，但会给子女带来不利。婆罗门或高种姓者，将生命的前半部分用于研习吠陀（梵文：Vedas）或圣书，后半部分则用于冥想神性，被认为已超越了自身的人性，只余一个灵魂。
演讲者毫不犹豫地批评了西方的若干习俗，尤其是与女性地位相关的一些习俗。他主张，我们崇拜女性在妻子角色中的一面，而对于印度教徒来说，所有女性都代表着母性。在美国，当一个女人不再年轻美丽时，她便举步维艰；但在印度，国王也须为一位年迈的女性让路，她们所受的尊重何其崇高。他主张，吠陀——印度教的圣经——中一些最优美的篇章是由女性写就的，而这世上没有任何其他圣典中有女性的参与。
他花了相当多的时间来反驳关于印度对寡妇施以残酷之举的说法——他将这些说法定性为不实之词。演讲者在谈话中提及了闺院寡妇，她们长久以来一直是来自其他国家的基督教传教士的关注对象。婚姻是一项受到严格保护的制度，除了婆罗门不得与亲属通婚的规定外，凡已知患有肺结核或其他不治之症者，一律不得成婚。种姓制度的严格规定——禁止与他人共用同一杯器以及其他类似规范——虽〔不〕属于宗教的组成部分，但对于一个拥有两亿八千五百万人口的国家而言，其防止传染病蔓延的效果确实优良，有益于全国的身体健康。演讲者对本国铁路车厢和车站内随意共用饮水器具的现象深感震惊，而这种震惊也是情有可原的。孩子们自幼便被教导善待一切生灵，这种教育如此彻底，以至于最小的孩子也会本能地避免踩踏蚯蚓。一个奇特的念头油然而生——在这些所谓的异教徒之中，根本无需那个名称冗长却常常在基督教国家中有负其使命的协会。对于印度教徒而言，来到门口说"我饿了"的客人，是神的形象，受到极为亲切和周到的款待，在主人夫妇用餐之前便先行招待。
演讲者满怀悲悯地谈及其国家的贫困。虽然上层种姓过着安逸的生活，但有数百万人的唯一食物不过是干花，他们在生存层次上如此低下，几乎没有任何身份可言，是生存平面上令人怜悯的存在。他相当有力地暗示，食物和教育，比基督徒和穆斯林一百年来向他们布道的说教更为有益。这一独特民族的许多简朴而质朴的习俗，以一种在这个以言语掩盖思想的时代中令人耳目一新的率真与纯朴娓娓道来。他说，他们的年轻男女之间没有调情或卖弄风情，年轻女子也不会盛装打扮地涌入公共场所以寻觅夫婿——凡此种种，使这个伟大而荣耀的共和国的居民们不禁思忖，丹麦的国情是否有些许腐朽之处。见识事物的两面，方能以不带偏见的眼光作出判断，许多听众离开时内心颇为困惑，因为他们亲耳听到，自己一些珍视的美国习俗遭到了一位印度教徒、一位"异教徒"的评判。
这篇演讲极为精彩，在场所有人皆全神贯注地聆听。演讲结束后，许多〔问题〕向这位深思熟虑的修道僧提出，而他在社交上的客套话或无谓的言辞极少。他似乎对鲍克博士很感兴趣——此人是台下唯一一位曾亲访那片奇异土地的人，那片土地早在这个共和国诞生之前已有数百年历史。
辨喜斯瓦米出席妇女俱乐部
〔劳伦斯《美国人与安多弗广告报》，1894年5月18日〕
他指出婆罗门教的较优秀层面。
并向基督徒传达了一则言辞犀利的信息。
辨喜法师，这位婆罗门僧侣，周二晚间在劳伦斯妇女俱乐部主办的图书馆大厅内，向一群兴致盎然的听众发表了演讲。
韦瑟比小姐为演讲者作了介绍，为这位来自异国他乡的杰出访客赢得了热情的接待——美国式的礼遇向来不会令贵宾失望。
韦瑟比小姐明智地将他介绍为世界宗教议会上的重要人物，并提及他在世界博览会上留下的深刻印象……
……在他的祖国，在他所属的阶层中，他称所有女性为母亲。婆罗门自幼便被教导将女性视为母亲，而人不得娶自己的母亲。在那个国度，母性本能在女性身上得到了充分发展；他认为在这里，妻性本能受到更多培育。他演讲中最动人之处，在于他对母亲的礼赞；他提及印度小孩天生的悲悯之心——宁可绕道而行，也不愿踩死一条虫——同样引人深思。
……这一话题构成了他演讲的主要内容。在被称为雅利安人的上层阶级中，女性视婚姻为不雅之事【？】。寡妇不被期望再嫁。终身不娶之人备受称颂，甚至被奉若神明；然而一旦成婚，一切顿时改观。不娶者被视为高尚、神圣而具灵性之人。
在雅利安人中，婚姻不以金钱交换【？】，且由于女性人口占绝大多数，为女儿寻得夫婿是做父亲者最为棘手之事，从女儿呱呱坠地起，他便殚精竭虑地为她物色婚配。
下两个阶层在婚姻方面的规矩则全然不同。寡妇可以再嫁，夫妻若有意愿亦可离婚。孩子降生时，占星师前来为其推算星盘，预测男孩或女孩日后的品性——或判定其具男子气概，或判定其为"魔性"孩童；若为后者，则将其嫁娶于次一等种姓之人，以此寻求改善其命运的微渺机会。
婚姻大事并不交由孩子自行决定，因为若听凭其意，他也许会仅仅因为迷恋某人好看的鼻子或眼睛而成婚，一意孤行之下便毁了大事。演讲中着重指出，唯有上层阶级才将……
……以及以崇拜神明代替一心想着婚嫁视为人生追求。他谈及下层阶级的悲苦处境、他们的贫困……
……与无知。成千上万的人不会书写自己的名字，然而他说道：
我们向他们布道讲经，而他们伸出的手却是在乞求面包。下层阶级的贫困极为严酷，一个印度人每月平均收入不过五角钱。数以百万计的人每日仅能果腹一餐，还有数以百万计的人以野花充饥度日。
他提到外界流传着一种说法，认为印度女性中没有学者，并指出这是一种误解——许多婆罗门女性虽已出嫁，却同样成为了学者。他满怀自豪地指出，纵观世界各国，唯独在他的祖国，才能找到……
……出自女性之手的文字，在他们的圣典中，诸多优美篇章皆由女性所写。
辨喜法师没有回避，而是用措辞清晰、不容误解的英语告知听众：试图以基督教来提升他的人民，不过是徒劳之举。他说道：
我们曾见希腊人与波斯人来到我们的土地——我们曾见西班牙人携枪前来强迫我们皈依基督教，然而我们依然是印度教徒，我们将永远如此。
倘若辨喜以他那双炯炯有神的眼睛与富于表情的嗓音倾力诉说，以下这番话当是最为动人心弦之语：
我敢在美国这片土地上宣告：我们印度人将坚守我们的宗教。
他说，我们的习俗适合我们自己，我们有权保留。他站在我们面前，一如他曾经站在无数美国文化界听众面前——他，这位学识渊博的婆罗门宗教诠释者，迄今唯一来到这个国家的印度教徒，……
……以他所敢言的最有力、所能言的最礼貌而又不失力度的方式，向我们传递这样一个信息：请不必再向可怜的印度教徒多言，而是好意地管好自己的事。
演讲结束后，许多听众欣然接受了杨格夫妇的邀请，前往其寓所与辨喜相见——辨喜一直在那里作客，据闻是位极令人愉快的宾客。
【奥勒·布尔夫人向《波士顿晚报》提交了以下关于辨喜法师公开演讲的报道，该演讲于1894年8月3日星期五在缅因州绿亩举行，无逐字记录稿存世。参见本卷全集中题为《印度的宗教》（第267—271页）的绿亩缅因州讲座笔记。】 【《波士顿晚报》，1894年8月11日】
一位印度教徒在基督徒听众面前为穆罕默德【原文如此】作出辩护；一课是说明所有先知皆应受到尊崇，其教义应被虔诚研习；其信众不应以自身行为遮蔽神对人类通过预言所做的启示——这便是昨日绿亩演讲的主题。
清晰的思维与耐心的阐述，纠正了外界对东方信仰——轮回——的粗浅与片面的批评和评论。这番论述之所以精彩，在于其简明扼要，并以熟悉而平易近人的譬喻加以说明。随后是一篇高贵而雄辩的呼吁，呼吁人们以公正的精神评判穆罕默德所处时代的历史、其本人的信仰，以及这位神的先知从本质上为人类所作的贡献。在场的男男女女，其中许多人本对"异教徒"心存畏惧，却被深深打动——正如人们所述，温德尔·菲利普斯曾以同样的力量叩动顽固的心灵，使其正视奴隶制之罪。
以讥讽、智慧与学识，此次演讲以全然的温和与尊严发出呼吁：各种宗教的缺陷与恐怖应当搁置一旁，而那些共同的本质——灵魂不朽、唯一真神、各位先知各为人类某一族群所神圣尊崇、各自皆有真理奉献于众生——应当被认可并尊崇，以求得救赎。
演讲者辨喜法师给予了唯有伟大灵魂方能给予的一切。这是一段令人永生难忘的时光。无论听众抱有怎样的偏见与成见，这位印度人都将他们引入了真理之光，犹如菲利普斯·布鲁克斯融合了一神论与圣公宗，凡爱善爱真者皆奉他为主教。同样，这位印度教徒，以其建设性的思想，一旦倾情奉献，便能以自身的存在让我们领悟先知的力量。
【辨喜法师在缅因州绿亩诵读了由他部分翻译的商羯罗所作《涅槃六章颂》，此文被收录于1894年出版的《绿亩之声》。】
在绿亩辨喜著名的松树下，辨喜说道： "我既非肉身，亦非肉身的变化；我既非感官，亦非感官的对象。我是绝对的存在，绝对的喜乐，绝对的智识。我即是它，我即是它。 "我既非死亡，亦非对死亡的恐惧；我从未降生，亦无父母。我是绝对的存在，绝对的喜乐，绝对的智识。我即是它，我即是它。 "我既非苦难，亦无苦难。我既无敌人，亦无仇。我是绝对的存在，绝对的喜乐，绝对的智识。我即是它，我即是它。 "我无形无限，超越空间，超越时间；我在万物之中，我是宇宙的基础—— 无处不在。我是绝对的存在，绝对的喜乐，绝对的智识。我即是它，我即是它。"
【《波士顿晚报》，1894年8月15日】
以下是对辨喜在埃利奥特松树下最后一次谈话的简短摘要，此地堪称众神之殿，借用布莱恩特的诗句加以比拟—— "树林乃神最初的圣殿。"
何为国家？何为法律？我们立法，只为超越法律（凌驾于法律之上）。
有灵魂的自由；经由此自由，我们方知法律的自由。我属于那些寻求灵魂自由之人的国度。我属于那些崇拜神明之人的国度。
神的使者皆是我的导师。在学习克里希纳时，我学习你们的基督；在学习佛陀时，我学习穆罕默德。我唯一崇拜的是神。"我是绝对的存在，绝对的喜乐，绝对的智识。"我不谴责我在国家、邦国或宗教中所发现的任何事物，因为我在一切之中皆见神。我们的成长不是从恶到善，而是从善到更善，如此循环往复。我从一切被称为恶或善的事物中汲取教益。国家与诸如此类的无稽之谈，皆可去也。重要的是爱，爱，爱神与爱我的兄弟。
【《巴尔的摩美国人报》，1894年10月13日】
辨喜抵达巴尔的摩 其宗教观点
辨喜，印度一位婆罗门大祭司，昨晚抵达巴尔的摩，现为沃尔特·弗罗曼牧师的贵宾……
昨晚，辨喜向一位美国记者说道：
在这个国家逗留期间，美国的各种制度令我印象深刻。我的时间分别在四座城市度过——芝加哥、纽约、波士顿和底特律。我在印度时从未听闻芝加哥，却常常听到巴尔的摩之名。我对美国的主要批评是：这里的宗教信仰太过稀薄。印度则相反，宗教太多。我以为，若能将印度多余的宗教精神输送到这里，而印度人也能获得一些美国的工业进步与文明，对双方都将是裨益。我是所有宗教的信仰者。我认为我的宗教中有真理，我也认为你们的宗教中有真理。这是同一真理，借由各种不同的渠道，通向同一目的。我认为这个世界最迫切需要的是少一些法律，多一些敬虔的男男女女……
【《巴尔的摩新闻报》，1894年10月13日】
一位高种姓印度教徒访问巴尔的摩
华美服饰在雷纳特酒店大厅引人注目——他吹口哨、展现东印度式幽默——他途经此地进行全国巡讲，明晚将在学院礼堂演讲。
辨喜，印度教高祭司，今日上午步入雷纳特酒店大厅，身着一件鲜红色斗篷，头缠醒目的黄色头巾，令他成为众人瞩目的焦点……
他的幽默感
辨喜颇有幽默感。今晨他谈起他打算参观的食品展览会，说自己对食物所知不多，除了把它吞下去，而这正是一个颇具代表性的东方式妙语。
另有一次，他谈到了妇女权利问题，笑着说全世界妇女实际上比人们所承认的拥有更多的权利。当他换下黑色外套，前往雷纳特酒店，穿上那件深红色衣袍，头戴黄色头巾走出房间时，面带微笑地说道： "换了个人！"
这位高祭司会吹口哨，灵魂中有足够的音乐，若他是卫理公会教徒而非印度教徒，足以在班级礼拜中起调领唱。今晨他在自己房间里为《新闻报》的记者吹了几段口哨，既不是《雏菊贝尔》，也不是《甜蜜玛丽》，想必是某种异域的印度调子……
《新发现》第二卷，第196—200页。
法师正在全国巡回演讲，研究美国的各种制度——据他自己所说。然而他似乎尚未深入触及美国社会学的核心，因为他对欧洲移民、离婚、种族问题等令本国经济学家忧心的议题，几乎一无所知。
然而他对东方移民问题颇为了解，认为美国无权拒绝中国人入境。他说爱的法则必须凌驾一切，武力终将退让。他预言，任何诉诸武力的国家终将走向衰亡。他亦表示，美国应向世界敞开大门。他相信，非洲大陆南部应由印度教徒与中国人共同填充。 "在印度没有离婚这回事，"他说道；
我们的法律不允许离婚。我们的女性在其活动范围上比美国女性受到更多限制，但其中一些人同样受过良好教育。她们目前在一定程度上已进入医疗行业。我认为美国女性没有理由不应拥有选举权。
他对印度妇女在家庭中的地位及丈夫对待她们的方式这一问题避而不答。也许他对此并不甚了解——他本人未曾成婚，他所属种姓的祭司不得婚配。
他提到两件令他对美国印象深刻的事。其一是整个国家贫困现象的匮乏；其二是南部地区无知状况的异常普遍。
当他走向雷纳特酒店的电梯时，说道：
这是一种美国发明，在印度我们几乎没有。我非常喜欢它。
此时一位女士正好走出电梯，她对这位祭司那身红黄相间的服装略感惊讶，然而他那……
……泰然自若的神情丝毫未显示出他意识到自己正成为众人关注的焦点。
他明晚在学院礼堂的演讲将主要介绍他本人及印度教民族的情况。演讲时间不长，但他将留在巴尔的摩，并于下周五晚间发表更为详尽的演讲。
【《巴尔的摩周日先驱报》，1894年10月14日】
一位杰出的印度教祭司访问本城
他是弗罗曼兄弟的贵宾，并对创建国际宗教大学一事深感兴趣——其华美服饰。 …… ……维韦卡南达先生与《周日先驱报》记者进行了交谈，以流利的英语作答，口音与受过良好教育的意大利人颇为相似。他对这个国家在宗教、政治和社会方面的各种制度表现出极为熟悉的态度。
维韦卡南达先生受弗罗曼三兄弟——海勒姆、卡尔和沃尔特——的邀请来到巴尔的摩，在此期间将作为他们的贵宾。海勒姆·弗罗曼牧师昨日在其位于北卡尔弗特街1122号的寓所接受采访，坦率地谈及这位杰出贵宾来访一事。 "维韦卡南达先生，"他说，"是我所见过的最具智识的人之一。他应我们之邀来到此城，在此期间将与我们就创建…… 国际大学一事进行磋商——该大学拟作为世界宗教议会这一世博会最引人注目的活动成果而建立。这所大学……
这是辨喜先生最珍视的构想之一，得到了我本人及我的弟兄们的充分支持，也得到了若干富有且地位显赫的绅士的赞同，其中包括数位宗教人士。在其发起人中，有罗马天主教徒和希伯来教信徒。该大学的宗旨是推行普通宗教教育……
"辨喜先生在筹建该大学时的构想之一，是希望它能培育出一种更高素质的传教士，赴印度开展工作。尽管他坚守自身的宗教信仰，却希望目前向印度派遣无知传教士的做法得以改变，转而派遣能够从更崇高的立场讲授基督教的人士前往。他抱持这一愿望，纯粹出于对普遍宗教福祉的关怀……
"辨喜先生告诉我，他的父亲是耶稣基督的虔诚信徒——他如此称呼主——他幼年时曾阅读约翰福音，对救世主受难的震撼描述痛哭流涕。他将在本城逗留数周。明晚，他将在我们于公众讲堂举行的聚会上发表简短演讲，下周日则将在我们第二次聚会上详细阐述大学计划。"
辨喜，一位婆罗门僧侣， 在人民教堂布道
【华盛顿时报，1894年10月29日，星期一】
婆罗门僧侣辨喜昨日上午十一时在位于西北区G街423号的人民教堂向会众发表演讲……肯特博士为这位僧侣作了介绍……
辨喜走上前台，说道：他少年时在大学研习比较宗教学。印度有诸多宗教，五分之一的人口信奉伊斯兰教，百万人信奉基督教。他悉数研究过。他聆听了一位伟大的印度教布道者讲道，待其讲毕，问道：
"我的弟兄，您见过上帝吗？"
那位布道者诧异地抬起头来。
"没有。"
"那么，您如何知道这些事情为真？"
"我父亲告诉我的。"
"谁告诉了您父亲？"
"他的父亲。"如此追溯先祖，直至云雾之中。
他又聆听了一位辞藻华美的基督教布道者讲道。此人告诉这位寻道者，若不立即受水洗礼，必有遭烈火炙烤之危。在进一步追问下，这位基督徒也循着典籍的脉络，追溯至其先祖，再而追溯至云雾之中。
这并未令这位求学者满足。他开始祈祷，有时连续三昼夜，痛哭流涕，不进饮食。最终，他找到了一个目不识丁、甚至不会书写自己名字的人。这位智者正在布道。当被问及那个老问题时，他答道：
"是的，我此刻看见了上帝，我将教你如何见到祂。"
此人面容之上承载着上帝的印记。这与拿撒勒人在约旦河受洗时圣鸽降临所带来的印证如出一辙。他使聆听者相信，上帝真实存在，宗教并非虚妄。
辨喜在此人门下求学十二年。这位导师便是他的师父。师父有一日说道："拿起这本书来。"辨喜拿起书本，开始阅读。那是一本历书，书中预言了降雨情况——它记载着某一地区在特定时间内将降雨若干吨。"现在，"师父说，"合上书本，用力按压。"他照做了。"使劲挤压。"他遵从。"可有水从书中流出？""没有。"一切书籍皆如此。真正的宗教在这里——在心灵深处。
真相是，人们并不真正渴求上帝，此事甚为遥远。宗教在很大程度上不过是时髦之物。一位贵妇拥有精美的客厅、雅致的家具、一架钢琴、璀璨的珠宝、剪裁合身的华美衣裳，以及最新款式的礼帽。她不能缺少一点宗教的点缀，以便在社交圈中紧跟时尚。这类宗教比比皆是，然而不过是虚伪，而虚伪乃万恶之根。这种宗教与上帝无涉，不过是影子而已。持有这类宗教的人，有时会逐渐流于认真，谈论宗教事务，仿佛那些事物真有其实。如此空谈宗教而未曾真正拥有宗教，这些人便陷入争吵与纷斗。"我的，我的"——永远是这样的呼声，绝无"你的，你的"。"我的宗教最好。""不，是我的。"他们便如蛮荒部落争夺各自神明曼博与朱姆博一般相互厮杀。宗教上的竞争，如同商业竞争，乃万事之祸根。
你们的保罗说："其余一切终将消逝，唯爱长存。"这是伟大的真理。那种以牺牲他国而本国扬威的虚妄教义，绝非出自上帝。
一位青年来见师父，说道："我想认识上帝。"师父不以为意，然而青年坚持不懈，决不退让。最终有一日，师父说道："我们去河边沐浴吧。"于是二人来到河边，青年跳入水中。师父随后而入，扑向他，将他按压水下。青年拼命挣扎，而师父不肯放手。最终，当他看似即将溺毙之际，师父才松手，将他从水中拉出，使之复苏。"在水中时，你最渴望什么？"师父问道。"呼吸，"是那答案。"那么，你并不渴求上帝。"
人之情形亦是如此——你们渴望什么？你们渴望呼吸，没有它便无法生存；你们渴望面包，没有它便无法生存；你们渴望住所，没有它便无法生存。当你渴求上帝如渴求这些事物之时，祂便向你显现。渴求上帝，乃是伟大的事。
世间大多数男女渴求感官的享乐。他们被告知，远处有一位上帝，若向祂奉送一大车言词，祂便会助其获得这世间的美好事物。然而，每一片土地上都有少数人真正渴求上帝。他们愿与至善至真的本体合而为一。宗教并非讨价还价的买卖。爱不求回报；爱不行乞讨；爱只是给予。
宗教并非恐惧的产物；宗教是欢欣的。它是鸟儿歌声的自然迸发，是清晨美景的自然流露。它是精神的表达，是内心之中自由而崇高的灵魂的表达。
若苦难即是宗教，那地狱是什么？没有人有权使自己陷于苦难。这样做是一种错误，是一种罪。每一声欢笑，都是向上帝发出的祈祷。
回到正题——我所习得的是这样的道理：宗教不在典籍中，不在仪式中，不在宗派中，不在民族中；宗教在人的心灵之中。它铭刻于此。其证明就在我们自身之内。
我提出两点。宗派林立，就让它们继续增多，直至人人自成一派。没有人能与他人以完全相同的方式见到上帝；每人都必须依照自己所见的方式信奉祂、事奉祂。其次，我希望各宗派能够和谐共处。个体性与普遍性并不对立。
让每个人为自己，让众人齐心合力，共同抗击邪恶。若你拥有八分力量而我拥有四分，你若来摧毁我，你便已损失至少四分，只余四分去征服邪恶。唯有爱才能征服仇恨。若仇恨之中有力量，那么爱之中的力量便无限强大。
【华盛顿时报，1894年11月2日】
辨喜比较各宗教并论及轮回
据婆罗门僧侣辨喜的阐述，乐观主义乃是雅利安人或印度教信仰的特质，有别于西方宗教。辨喜昨晚在梅策罗特大厅向一批听众发表演讲，主题为轮回。演讲大部分内容致力于比较印度教与基督教教义。
为阐明轮回的教义，他将人体比作一条河流。每一滴水流过之后，由另一滴替代。他指出，整个水体在片刻之间便完全更替，但我们仍称之为同一条河。同理，身体的每一粒微粒不断被其他粒子所替代，没有哪两天我们拥有完全相同的身体，而我们却保持着自我同一性。
印度教徒相信，灵魂亦是如此——人在死亡时可能经历更为突然而剧烈的变化，然而灵魂依然延续其存在，前往宇宙中某处，前往某个星球或星辰，然后再次取得肉身或其他形式的躯体。
他说，不应谈及罪过。过去的错误只应作为未来的指引，而决不应为之哀叹痛惜。当从中汲取教训之后，便应将其忘却。"点一盏灯，"他说，"勿坐于黑暗与悲伤之中。常求进步，保持快乐。"……
【巴尔的摩新闻报，1894年11月3日】
辨喜大师，印度高级祭司，昨晚在哈里斯音乐学院音乐厅发表演讲，主题为"印度及其宗教"。他阐释了各东方宗教的信仰，包括他自己所信奉的婆罗门教。他嘲讽了向异教国家派遣如此众多不同信仰传教士的做法，并表示从事传教工作的各宗教应当联合起来。辨喜先生解释道，印度教是乐观主义的，而非悲观主义的。他的主要论点是轮回教义，即人人曾在过去存在，并将以其他形式再度降生。此次演讲的收益将用于筹建一所国际学院的工作。
【每日鹰报，1895年4月8日】
终将一切归于正道， 辨喜大师如是说
印度辨喜大师昨晚在波奇大宅对着熙熙攘攘的听众发表演讲，对英国人进行了一番犀利的抨击。他说，英国人在文明化印度的过程中使用了三个B——圣经（Bible）、白兰地（brandy）和刺刀（bayonets）。传教士先行，手持圣经，探察防御工事的虚实。他说，英国人在其著述中夸大了印度的社会状况，他们的观念来自于帕利亚人——一种类似人形清道夫的群体。他宣称，任何有自尊心的印度教徒都不会与英国人来往。他声称，关于寡妇投身朱格纳特神车车轮之下的故事不过是无稽之谈。他承认，童婚与种姓制度确实是弊病。他说，种姓制度起源于工匠行会。印度所需要的，是被置之不顾，如此便能一切归于正道。
【纽约世界报，1895年12月8日】
辨喜大师，瑜伽（Yoga）修行者，自孟买而来，宣扬对同胞的爱。
发现一位身披红色飘逸印度长袍、裤脚处隐约露出美式长裤的最高东方型苦行者，不免令人惊讶。然而，辨喜大师除着装之外，在其他方面同样令人惊奇。首先，他声称您的宗教或任何其他人的宗教与他自己的一样好，若您碰巧是基督徒或穆斯林、浸礼宗或婆罗门教徒、无神论者、不可知论者或天主教徒，这对他毫无差别。他唯一的要求是，您按照自己所理解的正道行事。
这位瑜伽修行者以其独特的着装与礼拜方式，于周五乘"不列颠尼卡号"抵达。他前往西三十九街228号下榻。他在纽约期间将讲授形而上学与心理学，并将以一般方式传播他关于普遍宗教的理念——这种宗教不要求任何人因信仰不同而扼住他人咽喉。"让我帮助我的同胞；这便是我所追求的一切。"他如是说。
"人有四种基本类型，"他说，"理性者、情感者、神秘者与劳动者。我们必须为他们提供各自相应的礼拜方式。理性者走来，说道：'我不在乎这种礼拜形式，给我哲学的、理性的方式——那才是我能欣赏的。'因此，为理性者设有理性的、哲学的礼拜方式。
劳动者走来，说道：'我不在乎哲学家的礼拜，给我为同胞服务的工作。'因此，为他设有一种礼拜方式，正如为神秘者设有情感的礼拜方式。在为所有这些人设立的宗教之中，融汇了他们各自信仰的要素。"
"不，"大师轻声回答一个问题，"我不相信玄秘之术。若一事为虚幻，则其不存在。虚幻之物不存在。奇异之事乃自然现象，我知其为科学范畴之内的事物，因此对我而言并非玄秘。我不相信玄秘社团。它们毫无益处，也永远无法带来益处。"
实际上，这位大师不属于任何社团、教派或信条。他的宗教涵盖一切礼拜、一切阶层、一切信仰。
这位大师面貌黝黑，容貌英俊，是位年轻男子，昨日以极为纯正的英语阐释了他的信念。当他讲话时，人们几乎忘却了他那孟买长袍衣领处隐约可见的正统衣领，以及长袍之下勉强遮掩的美式长裤。人们所看见的，是他那迷人的微笑与一双深邃明亮的黑色眼睛。
大师相信轮回。他相信，随着身体的净化，灵魂升至更高的境界；随着穿越物质界的净化过程持续推进，精神不断升华，直至从进一步的轮转中解脱，与宇宙精神合而为一。
大师无法理解仇犹者阿尔瓦尔特（赫尔曼？）刚刚抵达美国一事。"你们说，"他表示，"他来此布道，煽动对同胞的仇恨。他的心智是否有所失常？难道允许他散布这种仇恨？医生应当检查他的大脑，以查明其中的问题所在。"
这位瑜伽修行者的特殊名号，字面意思为"辨别之喜悦"。他是第一位来到美国的印度瑜伽修行者，自孟买而来。
【纽约先驱报，1896年1月19日】
以下是对大师基本教义的简要概述：
每个人都必须依照自身本性而发展。正如每门科学都有其方法，每种宗教亦然。达到我们宗教目的的方法称为瑜伽，我们所教授的各种瑜伽形式适应于不同性格与气质的人。我们将其分类如下，归于四个门类：
（一）业瑜伽——人通过劳作与职责实现自身神性的方式。
（二）虔信瑜伽——通过对人格化上帝的奉献与爱而实现神性。
（三）王瑜伽——通过控制心意而实现神性。
（四）智慧瑜伽——通过知识实现人自身神性。
这些都是通向同一中心——上帝——的不同道路。的确，宗教信仰的多样性是一种优势，因为所有信仰，只要能够鼓励人过宗教生活，都是善好的。宗派越多，就越有更多的机会向所有人内在的神圣本能发出成功的呼唤。
辨喜关于世界各宗教的演讲 【哈特福德每日时报，1896年2月1日】
昨晚，来自印度的印度教僧侣辨喜在相当规模的听众面前作了演讲……他由帕特森先生以简短的适宜言辞作了介绍……他昨晚演讲的主题是"理想宗教或普遍宗教"。
宇宙中有两种力量始终在运作——离心力与向心力，正极与负极，作用与反作用，吸引与排斥。我们发现有爱，也有恨；有善，也有恶。有什么领域比精神领域、比宗教领域更为强大？世间没有比宗教所激起的仇恨更深的仇恨，也没有比宗教所激起的爱更深的爱。没有任何教义给世界带来更多的不幸，也没有任何教义带来更多的幸福。佛陀（Bhakti注：此处为佛陀，非虔信）的美妙教义，由其弟子翻越喜马拉雅山两万英尺的高峰传播四方。五百年后，你们那位美丽的基督的教义降临，乘风飞扬，传遍天下。然而另一方面，请看你们那美丽的大地，竟为传教与宗教的利益而血流成河。一旦人与不同信仰者相处，其本性便随之改变。他所争的，是自己的意见，而非宗教。他成为残忍与狂热的化身。他的宗教本身并无问题，然而一旦他为一己私见而争斗，则全然错误。人们对亚美尼亚人与土耳其人的屠杀义愤填膺，却在同样的屠杀以本族宗教之名行事时，良心毫无一语。在人类身上，我们发现神性、人性与魔性奇异地交织，而宗教比任何事物都更易激起后者。当我们所思相同时，人性中的神性便显现；然而一旦意见相左，立刻风云突变，魔性便登场称霸。自古以来皆是如此，往后亦将如此。在印度，我们深知狂热意味着什么，因为那片土地在过去千年间，一直是传教士的主要战场。然而在众多意见的碰撞与宗教的争斗之上，和平之声油然而生。三千年来，人们不断努力，试图将各种宗教引向和谐。然而我们知道，这一努力已然失败。它将永远失败，且理应失败。我们织就了一张关于爱、和平与四海一家的词语之网，这些词语起初本意良善，然而我们像鹦鹉一样重复，对我们而言已毫无意义。世界是否存在一种普世哲学？尚未有之。每种宗教都有其自身的信条与教义，并坚持传播。你无法为整个世界制造一种宗教，那是不应有的。亚美尼亚人说，若你们都成为亚美尼亚人，一切便会好转。罗马教皇说："哦，是的，这很简单，若你们都皈依罗马天主教，一切便会好转。"希腊教会、新教教会及其他一切教会，皆持此论。世间永远不可能只有一种宗教，那将是所有其他宗教的死亡。若人人思想相同，则再无思想可思。若人人面貌相同，何等单调！面貌相同，思想相同——我们除了坐下在绝望中死去，还能做什么？我们不能像一排花栗鼠那样生活；变化多样，本是人类生命之所属。一神、一教，是一首古老的老调，其中却潜藏危险。然而感谢上苍，这永远不可能实现。拿起你们的巨额钱财、枪炮与大炮，去推行你们的传教事业吧。假设你们一时成功？不出十年，这所谓的统一便会四分五裂。这就是为何存在如此众多的宗派。取最大的宗教——佛教，他们致力于帮助世界变得更好。其次是基督徒，他们有许多教义可传。他们信三位一体、三位合一，三位中有一位承担了世人的罪孽而被杀。凡不信他者，将下极热之处。而穆罕默德，凡不信他者，皮肤将被烧焦，再生新皮，再被焚烧，使其知晓真主是全能的。所有宗教最初皆源于东方。这些伟大的教师或化身，以不同的形式降临。印度教徒有十种化身；第一种是鱼，如此类推，直至第五种，此后皆为人形。佛教徒说："我们不愿要那么多化身，我们只要一位。"基督徒说："我们只要一位，就是基督。"他们说他是唯一的。然而佛教徒说，他们在时间上占先，其伟大导师早五百年降临。穆斯林则说，他们的导师来得最晚，因此最好。每人都爱自己的，正如母亲爱自己的孩子。佛教徒从不见佛陀有任何过失；基督徒从不见基督有任何过失；穆斯林从不见穆罕默德有任何过失。基督徒说，他们的神化为鸽子降临，他们说这不是神话，而是历史。印度教徒说，他的神显现于一头牛，他说这不是迷信，而是历史。犹太人认为，他们的至圣所可以容纳在一只箱子或柜子里，两侧各有一位天使守护。然而基督徒心目中，以美丽男女形象出现的神，却是可怖的偶像。"把它打碎！"他们说。一个人的先知行了如此种种奇迹，另一些人却称之为迷信。那么，你们的统一在哪里？此外还有你们的礼仪。罗马天主教士穿上他的袍子，正如我穿着我的袍子。他有钟声、蜡烛与圣水，说这些都是好的、必要的，但你所做的，他说不过是迷信。我们永远无法推翻这一切，使世界只有一种宗教，因为思想的生命，正在于思想的分化。我们必须学会爱那些与我们意见截然相反的人。我们以人性为共同背景，但每人都必须保有自己的个性与思想。推动各宗派不断前进，直至每个男人和女人各自成为一个宗派。我们必须学会爱与我们意见不同的人。我们必须明白，分化是思想的生命。我们有一个共同的目标，那就是人类灵魂的完善，即我们内在的神性。宗教是帮助展现人内在神性的伟大力量。然而我们必须以自己的方式展现。我们不能都吸收同一种食物。让你们的抱负崇高，你们的灵感便将与理性及一切已知规律和谐，而主将永远与你们同在。
〔《论坛报》，一八九六年三月五日〕
他主张宗教应有多种形态
辨喜（Vivekananda），这位印度教传教士，昨晚在黎塞留酒店发表演讲。这家私人酒店的客厅座无虚席，聚集了大批女士。辨喜抵达酒店时，几乎难以挤身而入。他上楼，不久便身着一袭紫色长袍下来，腰间系着紫色腰带。
辨喜在讲话中说，宗教各异，每位信徒都认为自己的宗教是唯一真正的宗教。他说，以为所有人都应信奉同一宗教，是一种错误。
"若所有人宗教见解相同，"他说，
便不会有宗教。一种宗教一经兴起，便随即四分五裂。这一过程是：宗教不断分裂，直至每个人都拥有自己的宗教，直至每个人都思考出自己的思想，并为自己开创自己的宗教。
辨喜将在底特律停留约两周，每天上午十一时及每晚八时在该酒店举行讲习班。……
〔《新闻论坛报》，一八九六年三月十六日〕
辨喜在贝斯以礼会堂演讲
就普世宗教之理想发表演说 他或将于周二离开
昨晚，当斯瓦米（Swami）辨喜就"普世宗教之理想"发表演讲时，贝斯以礼会堂座无虚席。原定举行仪式的时间为晚八时，然而会众从傍晚便开始聚集，会堂不得不于
下午六时二十五分开门。七时关门，此后数百名赶到的人只得被婉拒于门外。
我们都听闻四海一家，各种社会团体纷纷起立倡导。然而这究竟有何意义？一旦你建立一个宗派，你便是在抗议平等，四海一家也就不复存在，
斯瓦米说道。
多样中的统一，是宇宙的规律。正如我们同为人类，却各自独立。我们由此发现，若所谓普世宗教的理念，是指一套教义应为全人类所信奉，这是不可能的，永远不会实现，正如世上所有面孔变得一模一样，永远不会出现。我们不应追求所有人思想相同，如同博物馆中的埃及木乃伊，彼此对视，却无思想可思。正是这种思想的差异、这种分化、这种思想的失衡，才是我们进步的灵魂，才是思想的灵魂。
斯瓦米或将于周二〔三月十七日〕离开。昨晚演讲结束时，他向底特律市民致谢，感谢他们对他本人及其哲学的盛情款待。
〔《波士顿晚报》，一八九六年三月二十一日〕
斯瓦米辨喜比较印度智慧与西方宗教的教义
斯瓦米辨喜曾以印度教代表的身份出席世界宗教议会，今此访问波士顿，担任三月份普罗科佩亚的系列讲师，地点位于圣博托尔夫街四十五号。过去两个冬天，斯瓦米在纽约进行了极富价值且成效显著的系统性授课，听众不断增加，此番来波士顿可谓恰逢其时。
斯瓦米就其工作作了如下介绍。在解释"僧侣"（sannyasin）一词时，他说，〔参见《全集》第五卷第二六〇页"僧侣"篇〕。
在介绍其工作及方法时，斯瓦米说，他之所以出离世俗，是因为自幼对宗教与哲学有深厚兴趣，而印度典籍将弃绝视为人所能追求的最高理想。 斯瓦米的教义，照其自述，
是我的上师（一位著名的印度圣者）以其智慧之光所照耀下，我对我们古代典籍的个人诠释。我不主张任何超自然权威。我所讲授的，凡能诉诸最高智识、为有思想之人所接受的，采纳这些便是我的酬报。所有宗教的目标，都是以具体形式传授虔信（Bhakti，虔诚）、知识或行动。吠檀多（Vedanta）哲学是涵盖所有这些方法的抽象学问，这正是我所教授的，让每人将其运用于自己具体的形式。我将每位个体引向其自身的经验，如涉及典籍，这些典籍均可获取，每人可自行研读。
斯瓦米所授，并非借助有形之物传达自隐藏存在的权威，亦不声称从隐秘典籍或手稿中获取学问。他认为秘密社团不能带来任何益处。
真理自有其权威，真理能经受天日的检验。
他所教授的，唯有隐藏于每个个体内心、为众生所共有的真我（Atman，自我）。少数知晓真我、生活于其光明中的强者，即便在今日，也能使世界为之改变，正如以往每个时代的杰出强者所为。
他对待西方宗教的态度，简而言之如下：他阐明一种哲学，可作为世界上所有可能存在的宗教体系的基础，他对所有这些宗教的态度，是极度的同情。他的教义与任何宗教都不对立。他将注意力指向个体，使人强大，教导人自身即是神性，呼唤人们使自身意识到内在的神性。他的希望，是以他所指及的教义浸润个体，鼓励他们以自己的方式将这些教义传授他人；任他们修改；他所授并非教条；真理终将必然获胜。……
〔《波士顿每日环球报》，一八九六年三月二十四日〕
斯瓦米辨喜所带来的信息——
在他的国度，众神乃"光明者"，予人帮助
斯瓦米辨喜此番访问波士顿，所享有的盛誉，与他上次访问时社交界、知识界与时尚界为之倾倒时毫无逊色。…… ……一家纽约报纸刊登了对斯瓦米的专访，据报道他在访谈中表达了这样的看法：在波士顿，"女性皆是赶时髦者，皆善变，不过是追逐新奇事物而已。"然而斯瓦米辨喜表示，这是对他批评所有美国
女性的一种夸大与曲解——他认为她们过于肤浅，过于倾向追逐耸人听闻之事，且朝三暮四。他说，这是他的观察所得。美国女性有才智，却不够沉稳、认真与诚恳。
斯瓦米首场演讲于周六晚上在艾伦体育馆向四百名听众发表，主题为"工作的科学"；该系列第二场演讲主题为"虔信"，在同一场地举行，大厅座无虚席，仍有数人因无法入场而被拒于门外。
演讲极为引人入胜，演讲者的风度颇具感召力。斯瓦米说，在他的国度，众神是"光明者"，给予人类帮助，也接受人类的帮助。众神不过是人类死后略有提升的存在，而最高的神——上帝，从不被祈求或请求帮助。对他，人们只给予爱与崇拜，而不求任何回报。这位神有两个面相：一是宇宙本体背后的抽象神，另一是通过人类理智所认识并被赋予属性的人格神。
给予神的爱，从不索取，只是给予，且不依赖任何条件。崇拜者不祈求健康、金钱或任何其他事物，而是安于命中所定之分。
那些出于纯粹好奇心而探问宗教的人，会成为时髦追风者，他们总在寻找新奇事物，其头脑逐渐退化，终成破旧之物。这对他们而言，是一种宗教上的放荡。
使人身处天堂或地狱的，不是地方，而是心境。爱中不知惧怕，有惧怕之处便不能有爱。无论何种形式的爱，外在的对象都不过是内心某种东西所暗示的——那是自己投射出的理想，而神是所能设想的最高理想。
对世界的憎恨，不会将善者驱离，而是世界从伟大圣洁者身边悄然溜走。世界、家庭与社会生活，皆不过是修炼的场所，仅此而已。
一旦人认识到神即是爱，其他属性便无关紧要，那是唯一本质。
人越是舍弃自我，神越是进入，因此，自我舍弃是一切宗教与道德的秘密。
太多人降低了自己的理想。他们想要一种安逸的宗教，然而世间并无这样的宗教。一切皆是自我交付与向上追求。
〔《波士顿晚报》，一八九六年三月二十七日〕
辨喜（Vivekananda）昨晚在艾伦体操馆（Allen Gymnasium）向座无虚席的听众发表演讲，主题为"普世宗教的理想"。他对台下云集的大批听众表示，芝加哥近期举行的宗教议会已然证明，普世宗教至今仍是一种不可能实现的构想。他说：
大自然比我们所以为的更具智慧。思想的竞争、观念的碰撞，正是使思想保持活力的动力。宗派历来相互对立，并将永远不断地分裂出各自的细小变体。而摆脱这场宗教纷争的出路，正在于任由各宗派继续分化下去。
宗教的三大要素——哲学（神学？）、神话与仪式——之间并无统一可言。每位神学家都渴望统一，然而他们所理解的统一，无非是将其他一切信仰纳入自身体系加以调整。我赞同古代先知，但仅限于他们与我意见相符之处。然而宗教中有一种要素凌驾于一切之上，那便是哲学。哲学家所追求的是真理，而真理始终如一。它能为宗教本性的四个面向所接受——情感的、神秘的、行动的与哲学的。而那些敢于为真理本身而探求真理的人，才是人类中最伟大者。
【《波士顿晚报》，1896年3月30日】
印度教斯瓦米在多个团体发表演讲。
辨喜斯瓦米（Swami Vivekananda）在过去数日间，借助普罗科皮亚（Procopeia）协会开展了极为成功的活动。在此期间，他在圣博托尔夫街44号艾伦体操馆为该俱乐部本身主讲了四场课程讲座，每场均吸引四五百名听众；另在剑桥奥莱·布尔（Ole Bull）夫人府邸主讲两场，并在哈佛大学哲学系教授及研究生面前主讲一场。
三年前，斯瓦米以印度教代表身份赴美出席宗教议会，这一使命成为其此后在美国与英国所有工作的指导动力，也是他此番重返美洲的根本初衷。这一理想对于议会的创立者们有着强烈的吸引力，而他所提出的方法却独具一格、出于己见。本周他的讲座之一题为"普世宗教的理想"，若以"和谐宗教"代之，或许同样切题，甚或能更为准确地表达他所追求的目标。斯瓦米并非泛论理论的布道者。他所阐扬的吠檀多（Vedanta）哲学，若有一处显得格外令人耳目一新，那便是其强烈的实践示范能力。我们几乎已经习惯于认为，宗教是一种崇高的理论，只有在来世方能付诸实践、化为可感之物；然而斯瓦米向我们揭示了这种观念的谬误。在宣扬"人的神性"时，他向我们灌输了一种刚健的精神，这种精神不承认今世与崇高实现之间存在任何障碍——而在普通人眼中，这些障碍似乎是不可逾越的。
在探讨他认为唯有依循其路方可建立普世宗教的总体方针时，他对自己的方案不作任何超然权威的宣称。他说：
我也有我小小的方案。我不知道它能否行之有效，我希望将它呈请诸位讨论。首先，我请求人类认可这一准则："勿加毁损。"破除偶像的改革者对世界并无裨益。若能给予帮助，便请帮助；若无力帮助，便请袖手旁观，静观事态自然发展。因此，切勿对任何人出于诚挚的信念说半句非议之词。其次，接纳人处于其所在之境，并由此出发给予提升。
多样中的统一，是宇宙的设计。正如我们同为人类，却各自独立。作为人类，我与你是一体；作为某某先生，我与你则有所不同。作为男性，你与女性有别，但作为人类，你们同归一体；作为生命体，你与动物及一切生灵同根，但作为人类，你又自成一类。那个存在便是梵（Brahman），宇宙中终极的统一。在祂之中，我们皆归一体。由此我们发现，若所谓普世宗教意指一套教义为全人类共同信奉，那是不可能的——正如不可能所有面孔皆相同一般，它永远不会实现。再者，若期望存在一种普世神话，亦属不可能，它永远不会出现。普世仪式同样无从实现。当此时代来临，世界便将走向毁灭，因为多样性是生命的第一原则。使我们成为有形存在的是什么？是分化。完全的平衡即是毁灭。
那么，我所说的普世宗教理想究竟意指什么？我所指的不是普世哲学、普世神话或普世仪式，而是指这个世界必须继续运转，轮中套轮，生生不息。我们能做什么？我们可以使它运转得更顺畅，减少摩擦，为车轮上油，可谓如此。凭借何种方式？凭借承认差异的存在。
【参见《全集》第二卷，第381—382页。】
正如我们凭借本性认识到统一，同样也必须认识到差异。我们必须明白，真理可以用千种方式表达，而每一种仍为真理。我们必须明白，同一事物可以从百种不同角度加以审视，却仍为同一事物。
在社会中，我们见到人类本性的诸多形态。作出实际的一般化概括几乎不可能，但为便于论述，我仅将其简化为四类。第一，行动型的人；第二，情感型的人；第三，神秘型的人；第四，哲学型的人。
宗教若要具有普世性，就必须为上述任何一类心灵提供通过其适宜方式实现真理的可能。若某种宗教宣称，无论这些心灵是否具备相应能力，所有人都必须经由同一条道路挣扎前行，那么这种宗教必然走向不可知论。
在讲授业力瑜伽（Karma Yoga）的课上，斯瓦米探讨了行动的科学。该讲座大体上分析了人们在行动中的动机，尤其是将天堂视为今世善行报偿的动机。斯瓦米说，这是一种商贩式的宗教。行动唯有在全然不求任何回报时——为行动本身而行动，不计后果——才达到最高境界。
在探讨虔信瑜伽（Bhakti Yoga）即虔信（Devotion）时，斯瓦米阐释了人格神观念存在的合理性。这种对某一存在怀有热爱、崇拜并能得到其爱的回应的情感，具有普世性。这种爱与虔信最低层次的表现是仪式主义——此时，人们需要具体可感的事物，而抽象观念几乎难以把握。纵观世界历史，我们发现人类始终试图通过思想形式、象征符号以及宗教的外在表现来把握抽象之物。钟声、音乐、仪式、经典、圣像，皆属此列。人只能凭借形式与语词进行思考。思想一起，形式与名称便随之在心中涌现，因此当我们思考上帝时，无论是将其视为具有人形的人格神，还是神圣原则，或任何其他面向，我们始终以某种形式来思考自身最高的理想——通常是人的形式，因为人的形式是人所能构想的最高形式。然而，在承认这是人类弱点之必然、并相应运用仪式、象征、经典与教堂的同时，我们必须始终铭记：生于教堂固然甚好，死于教堂则实属不幸。若一个人在这些形式的束缚中死去，便说明他从未成长，内在的真实——神性——从未得到显现。
真爱可视为一个三角形。第一个角是：爱不知讨价还价。因此，当一个人向上帝祈祷"赐我此物，赐我彼物"时，那并非爱。怎可能是爱呢？"我献上我微薄的祈祷，换取你的某种赐予"——那不过是商贩行径。第二个角是：爱不知恐惧。只要将上帝视为赏善罚恶者，就不可能产生对祂的爱。第三个角，即顶角，是：爱永远以最高理想为指向。当我们达到能够将理想本身作为理想加以崇拜的境界时，一切争论与疑惑便永远消散。理想永不可能逃离，因为它是我们自身本性的一部分。
在哈佛大学的讲座中，斯瓦米梳理了吠檀多哲学迄今所知的历史，并阐明了吠陀（即印度教经典）被接受为权威的程度——仅作为哲学的基础，且仅限于其诉诸理性的部分。他比较了三个学派：二元论者承认一位至高存在与一位在人中显现的较低存在，但二者永恒地各自分立；其次，他阐述了限定非二元论者的哲学，其核心观念是：存在一位上帝与一个自然界，而灵魂与自然界只是上帝的延伸或身体，正如人的身体之于人的灵魂。他们援引以下论点支持此说：结果与原因并无不同，而是以另一种形式再现的原因；因此，既然上帝是这一宇宙的原因，祂也是其结果。一元论者……则宣称，若有一位上帝，则上帝必既是宇宙的质料因，又是其动力因。祂不仅是创造者，也是被创造者。祂自身就是这个宇宙，表面上如此；然而实际上，这个宇宙并不存在——它不过是一种催眠。差异化只存在于名称与形式之中。宇宙中只有一个灵魂，而非两个，因为非物质的存在不能受限，必然是无限的；而不可能存在两个无限，因为一个会限制另一个。灵魂是纯净的，恶的表象恰如一块本身纯净的水晶，当花卉置于其前时，便显现出各种颜色。
在探讨王者瑜伽（Raja Yoga）——与上帝合一的心理之道——时，斯瓦米详述了心智通过专注所能达到的力量，并兼及其对物质世界与精神世界的影响。这是我们在一切知识中所采用的唯一方法。从最低到最高，从最微小的虫豸到最高的智者，都必须运用这同一方法。天文学家用它来探索苍穹的奥秘，化学家用它于实验室中，教授用它于讲堂之上。这是打开自然之门、引出光明洪流的唯一呼唤、唯一叩击。这是唯一的钥匙，唯一的力量——专注。在我们当前的身体状态下，我们已极度分散，心智将精力消耗在百种事物上。通过对驾驭身体之力的科学掌控，这一问题可以得到解决，其最终效果便是实证。宗教不能流于言谈。只有当它成为可感之物时，方才成为宗教；而在我们尚未努力去感受我们所谈论的一切之前，我们并不比不可知论者更强——因为后者是真诚的，而我们并非如此。
二十世纪俱乐部（The Twentieth Century Club）于周六【3月28日】邀请斯瓦米作客，聆听他就"吠檀多哲学的实践面向"所作的演讲。他今日离开波士顿，将于数日后扬帆赴英，途经英国回返印度。
印度教宗教与哲学讲座
【《洛杉矶时报》，1899年12月9日】
……………
……这位印度哲学的知名阐释者身着婆罗门种姓的黄色袍服，演讲内容节录如下：
女士们、先生们，我来到诸位面前，并非带来什么新宗教。我只是希望向诸位讲述几点将所有宗教联系在一起的原则。我将触及东方文明思想中某些对诸位而言或许显得陌生的内容，以及另一些我希望能引起诸位共鸣的内容。世界上所有宗教都有一根统一的脊梁，那便是哲学与宽容的原则。
这个国家中很少有人真正了解印度。那是一个面积约为美国一半的国家，居住着三亿人口，操着多种不同的语言，却因共同宗教的理念而凝聚在一起。凭借这些理念，印度教徒世代以来温和、沉默、耐心地发挥着影响，而西方文明则以武力征服开疆拓土。未来将显示，究竟是物质力量还是思想的力量更为强大。印度教徒的艺术与科学已遍及全球——他们的数字系统、数学思想、伦理体系，皆是如此。爱的教义不正是首先在印度——并且唯独在印度——得以宣扬的吗？那不仅是爱同类的教义，更是爱一切生灵的教义，乃至爱那在我们脚下爬行的最卑微的虫豸。当你开始研究印度的艺术与制度时，你便会被磁石般吸引，被深深迷住，无从自拔。
在印度，与其他地方一样，我们发现最初的状态是分裂为各小部落。这些不同的部落各有其神，各有其仪式。然而在相互接触时，这些部落并未走上西方文明所走的道路——他们没有因这些差异而相互迫害，而是努力在所有宗教中寻找共同观念的萌芽。正是由这种努力，产生了宽容的习惯，而宽容正是印度宗教的基调。真理是唯一的，也只能是唯一的，尽管它可以用不同的语言加以表达。
东西方宗教之间另一个重大差异，在于对宇宙哲学与科学观点的接受态度。在西方，不可知论近年来日益盛行，随着个人永生希望的破灭——而西方人始终渴望并追求这种永生——一股绝望之情已悄然渗入西方思想。早在数千年前，印度教徒便已认识到宇宙是一个法则的世界，在法则之下，一切皆在变化。因此，不可消灭的个体永恒是一种不可能。然而这一思想对印度教徒而言并非绝望之念。恰恰相反——而这正是西方人最难理解东方思想的地方——他渴望自由，渴望从感官的束缚、痛苦的束缚与欢乐的束缚中解脱（解脱，Moksha）。
西方文明寻求一位人格神，并在失去对此种信仰时陷入绝望。印度教徒同样有所追求。然而，上帝不能被外部感官所认识。无限者、绝对者，是无法被把握的。但尽管它逃逸于我们的把握之外，我们也不能由此推断其不存在。它存在。有什么东西是外部的眼睛所看不见的？正是眼睛本身。它可以看见其他一切事物，却无法映照自身。那么，解答便在此：若上帝不能被外部感官所发现，便将你的目光转向内在，在你自身之中发现万灵之魂。人自身即是一切。我之所以无法认识根本实在，正因为我就是那根本实在。并无二元对立。这便是一切形而上学与伦理学问题的解答。西方文明枉费心力地试图为利他主义寻找依据。答案在此。我即我的兄弟，他的痛苦即我的痛苦。我不能伤害他而不伤害自身，也不能对其他生灵行恶而不将那恶归于我自身的灵魂。当我已然认识到我自身即是绝对者时，对我而言便不再有生死、苦乐、种姓或性别之分。绝对者如何能够死去或降生？自然的书页在我们面前翻动，恰如书本的书页，而我们以为是我们自身在翻动，实则我们始终如一，永不变易。
印度遥远国度的宇宙观
【《洛杉矶时报》，1899年12月13日】
印度哲学家斯瓦米·辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）昨晚在团结教堂出席了南加州科学院的例行月度会议，发表讲演。听众众多，反应热烈，讲演结束后，多位听众提出问题，讲演者一一予以解答。……
讲演者首先援引印度教的神话传说——古人尝试以此解释宇宙的起源——并讲述了先贤们探索自身周遭种种奥秘的努力。
他说，依照印度人的信仰，人最初的观念是关于自身的。人的意志支配其全身各个部分。孩童对力量的认识，寄托于意志之中。宇宙间一切运动，背后皆有意志驱动。他说，印度教徒相信神只有一位，且这位神与常人相仿，不过无限伟大。他们的思想具有足够的哲学深度，不接受善恶两神并立之说。在他们看来，自然界是一个整体，万物之存在归于统一，而神与自然同一。
"世上没有任何一种哲学体系，"讲演者说道，
从古埃及的哲学，直至罗马天主教会，无不显示出同一思想的印记。印度已将心理世界与物质世界中一切力量，归结于"父"这一名词之中（"生命力"〔Prâna〕？）。凡存在之物，皆由其发出。
结语中，这位哲学家说道，印度的古老声音已在十九世纪赫伯特·斯宾塞的著作中找到了回响。
〔《洛杉矶先驱报》，1899年12月13日〕
斯瓦米·辨喜在科学院的讲演
团结教堂昨晚座无虚席，听众云集，共同聆听印度人斯瓦米·辨喜在南加州科学院主办下，就"宇宙"或"吠陀（Vedanta）宇宙观"发表讲演。
在引入主题时，讲演者回顾了洪水神话——此一神话在巴比伦人、埃及人、亚述人及其他民族中，与希伯来圣经所载如出一辙——表明各民族对宇宙创生均持有相近的信念。
在对太阳与自然力量的崇拜中，我们看到了古代民族探索自身周遭奥秘的尝试。人对力量最初的认识，来自自身。当一块石头落下，他看不到石头本身的力量，只见其背后的意志；于是他产生了一种观念，认为整个宇宙皆由意志之力所推动。这些意志逐渐趋于合一，科学由此兴起。诸神开始消隐，取而代之的是"一"；如今，神在现代科学面前已岌岌可危，濒临被废黜之境。科学力图以事物自身的本性来解释一切，使宇宙成为自足自洽之整体。
意志逐渐隐去，代之以"意志"之一。这是世界各民族共同的发展历程，印度亦不例外。印度的观念与诸神与其他地区大致相同，所不同者，唯在印度并未就此止步。印度人认识到，唯有生命方能产生生命，死亡决不能产生生命。在我们关于神的思辨中，已抵达一神论。在其他地方，思辨止步于此，人们将其视为万物之终极；但在印度，思辨并未停滞。一个无边的意志并不能解释我们所见的种种现象。即便在人身上，意志背后也有更深之物。就血液循环这一日常而普通的事实而言，我们便可发现，意志并非其动力所在。
我们将神设想为与自身相仿之人格，不过无限伟大；又因世间确有善良、慈悲与幸福存在，必有一位具备这些属性的存在，然而世上也存在着恶。印度教思想具有足够的哲学深度，不接受善神恶神并立之说。印度始终恪守"一"的理念。对我而言是恶的，对他人或许是善的；对我是善的，对他人或许是恶的。我们皆是一条锁链上的环节。由此引发了《奥义书》（Upanishads）的思辨——三亿人类的信仰所在。自然是一个整体，万物之存在归于统一，而神与自然同一。这是印度诸多思辨中，举世皆知的一种。
世上没有任何一种宗教或哲学体系，不显示印度思想之影响，就连天主教会亦不例外。能量守恒被视为一项新发现，而印度早以"父"之名称（生命力〔Prâna〕？）知之已久。凡存在之物，皆来自父。梵（Brahma，即生命力〔Prana〕？）必在某物上运作，印度人将其称为无形之以太。梵在以太上振动，固态、液态、光明态，皆是同一以太。一切之潜能皆蕴于其中。在下一个周期之初，梵将开始愈发强烈地振动。
由此可见，印度经典中的这一思辨与现代科学颇为相近。现代进化论也承继了这一观念。即便我们的身体，虽有尊卑之别，也不过是同一锁链上的环节。在每一个个体中，都蕴含着其他一切个体的可能性。生命个体包含着一切生命之可能，但只能表达出环境所要求的那一部分。现代科学形成了最为奇妙的思辨。作为宗教传播者，令我最感兴趣的，是一切宗教（生命？）之合一。当赫伯特·斯宾塞的声音说出，在植物中涌动的生命，与在个体中涌动的生命是同一种生命之时，印度宗教在十九世纪终于有了一位代言者。
〔《洛杉矶先驱报》，1900年1月3日〕
斯瓦米·辨喜昨晚在布兰查德厅的讲演
斯瓦米·辨喜，印度古老修道僧团之成员，目前正在本市举行一系列课程与讲演。昨晚，他在布兰查德厅就"印度历史"（"印度人民"）向听众发表演讲。斯瓦米以美式服装登台，在很大程度上失去了其教团所着绸缎长袍与头巾所赋予他的那种独特而鲜明的个人风貌。
讲演者说，印度不是一个国家，而是一块大陆，其上居住着为宗教所团结的众多民族。印度历史悠久。哥伦布因寻觅通往印度的捷径而发现美洲之时，印度早已存在；其所产棉花、蔗糖、靛青与香料，使世界大为受益。这片土地上居住着两亿人口，众多小村庄遍布于所有山谷之中，并沿山脉延伸至海拔数千英尺之处。土地的巨大肥沃，在很大程度上得益于充沛的降雨，有时一季可达一千八百英寸（原文如此），平均或为六百英寸。然而许多人，尽管物产丰饶，却仅以黍米（一种谷物）为食；不食动物性食物，不食肉、蛋或鱼。
这个国家自远古以来，保有其自身的习俗、语言与种姓制度。凭借宗教，它在目睹其他文明兴衰的同时，自身得以延续。巴比伦文明并非古老，而印度的历史远在其兴衰之前。最古老的语言梵语，由祭司使用，曾为各不同民族所通用。讲演者举出许多英语常用词源自梵语词根的例子，并追溯了古宗教观念乃至神话与古雅利安民族的渊源。
他还描绘了这个国家的诸多风俗，并进一步说明这片土地如何成为文明的摇篮、艺术、科学及世界哲学思想的中心。 印度人民通过在自身周围构筑种姓壁垒，以绝对化的种姓制度自保。在印度，一位皇帝以能追溯其祭司祖先为荣，因为祭司属于最高种姓。种姓制度已不复昔日之貌，但已分化为众多的支系与次级支系，多达数百之众。不同种姓之人不共食，不同灶。种姓之外的婚姻不具法律效力。种姓法则错综复杂，细密入微。最贫穷的乞丐与印度总督，或许同属一个种姓。
鞋靴不得穿着，因其以动物皮革制成。女性在这些礼俗上所付出的关注，甚于男性。所有这些习俗皆有其哲学根基。这才是真正的民主，是社会主义的理念，是大众而非个人的发展。
讲演者最后将印度女性的地位与本国女性的地位加以比较。在印度，女性的全部理想形象，是"母亲"。母亲受人崇敬。她是生命的给予者，是民族的奠基者。
〔《洛杉矶时报》，1900年1月17日〕
这位斯瓦米
斯瓦米·辨喜身着栗红色长袍，今晚（1月16日）在莎士比亚俱乐部向一批以女性为主的听众发表演讲。他讲述了婆罗门教（Brahmanism）的宗教传说——这些传说融入了印度教徒的日常生活之中——以及湿婆（Shiva）的起源，湿婆如何臣服于其妻子的纯洁精神，而这位妻子今日已成为全印度的母亲，对其的崇拜已达到连一头雌性动物都不得伤害的程度。辨喜自由地引用梵文，边诵边译。……
〔《洛杉矶先驱报》，1900年1月26日〕
东方先见之明者斯瓦米·辨喜，今晨（星期四，1月25日）在莎士比亚俱乐部就"瑜伽（Yoga）科学"发表讲演。他说，自然界中任何事物之间并无种类之差别，一切差别不过是程度之别。心智是至高之力量，是世界的原动力。
〔《团结》杂志，1900年2月（？）〕
…………… ……我们在"家园"聆听了斯瓦米的八场讲演，每一场都令人印象极深；虽有少数人心怀不满，抱怨他未能提供进入天国的捷径，也未能指引一条轻松获得心智力量的坦途；而他的回应却是：
回家去，发誓一整个月不为任何事情烦恼，即使女仆打碎了你最珍贵的全套瓷器。
斯瓦米·辨喜集大学校长之学识、大主教之威仪，与天真自由的孩童之优雅可亲于一身。他从不作任何事先准备便登台发言，旋即进入主题；有时，当他的思绪从深邃的形而上学转向当今基督教国家中那些手持利剑、手捧圣经前去"改化"菲律宾人，或在南非坐视同父所生的孩子相互残杀的现状时，其言辞几近悲怆。为与此形成对照，他描述了印度上次饥荒期间所发生的事情——人们宁可饿死在牲畜旁边，也不愿伸手将其宰杀。（《团结》的读者们，还记得那五千万正在挨饿的印度教徒吗？请为他们送去一份祝福。）
与其直接大量转述从斯瓦米那里所听到的内容，我不如附上其上师罗摩克里希那（Ramakrishna）的若干格言，这些格言更能体现其教导的本质。他的核心旨在鼓励人们过简朴、宁静、健康的生活——让生活本身成为宗教，而非与生活相割裂的另一套东西。
对于真正的母亲，他给予最崇高的地位，认为母亲比那些只知四处奔波说教者更值得尊崇。"任何人都会说话，"他说，
但若让我照看一个婴儿，我撑不过三天。
他常以我们称呼"父亲"的方式来称呼"母亲"，并说"母亲会照顾我们"，或"母亲会料理一切"。
圣诞节那天，斯瓦米为我们作了一场题为"基督使命于世界"的讲演，那是我所听过的关于这一主题最好的讲演。没有任何一位基督教牧师，能比这位博学的印度教徒更雄辩、更有力地将耶稣呈现为一位值得最崇高敬意的人物；而他也告诉我们，在这个国家，由于他深色的肤色，他曾被拒于旅馆门外，甚至有理发师拒绝为他剃须。我们的"异教"兄弟从不忘提及这样一个事实——就是"我们的"主也是一位东方人——这难道奇怪吗？
〔《旧金山纪事报》，1900年2月24日〕
斯瓦米·辨喜主题为"普世宗教的理念"
昨晚，斯瓦米·辨喜在金门厅向听众发表讲演，就"普世宗教的理念"侃侃而谈，历时一个半小时。……
他从历史之初追溯宗教的发展，谈及各种信仰体系的存在。他说，宗派自最古老的时代便已存在。随着岁月流逝，各宗派之间开始了争夺主导权的种种角力。他宣称，历史不过是以宗教为名义的杀戮之一再重演。他认为，随着人类心智的扩展，迷信正在迅速成为历史。如今人们思想更为开明，对哲学研究更为深入；而只有通过真正哲学的原则，宗教才能以其最深刻的形式被发现。他宣称，除非人们能够赋予他人在一切问题上自由信仰的权利，并愿意以任何形式接受真理，否则普世宗教永远不会显现于世。它绝不会由任何社团来传播，而将随人类智识的发展，自然而然地生长起来。
印度教徒宗教讲演之斯瓦米·辨喜
〔《奥克兰论坛报》，1900年2月26日〕
他说，这是唯一一种无需谎言、无需妥协便可传授的信条
婆罗门宗教或吠陀哲学对现代世界的诉求，今晚在第一唯一神教堂宗教大会上，由斯瓦米·辨喜这位极富口才的该信仰阐释者向与会者作了陈述。……
他今晚向听众解释说，吠陀哲学是吠陀（Vedas）的宗教，即古代印度典籍的宗教，他断言，这是"宗教之母"。 "一本没有开端、没有终结的书，听起来或许荒诞不经，"他说，
但吠陀并非指书本。它意味着不同时代、不同人物所发现的灵性律法之积累宝库。印度教徒相信自己是一个灵魂。剑不能刺穿他，火不能焚烧他，水不能消融他，风不能吹干他。他相信每一个灵魂都是一个圆，其圆周无处不在，而其圆心则落于某一身体之中。死亡意味着这一圆心从一个身体转移到另一个身体。我们是神的孩子。物质是我们的仆人。
吠陀哲学是对过去种种虚妄的一种反叛。有些人极为实际，以至于若得知斩断自己的头颅便可获得解脱（Moksha，梵文，脱离轮回之自由），也许许多人会照做不误。然而那一切都是外在的；你必须将目光转向内心，去探寻你的灵魂之中究竟存有何物。灵魂是无处不在的精神。死后灵魂归于何处？大地又将落向何方？灵魂能去往何处？有什么地方是它尚未所在之处吗？吠陀哲学的伟大基石，在于对真我（Atman，梵文，内在自我）的认识。人啊，要对自己充满信心。每一个人的灵魂都是相同的。它是纯洁与完美的全部，而你越是纯洁完美，你所见到的纯洁与完美也就越多。
一个整日哭嚎"啊，主啊，我不过是一条爬行的虫子！"的传教者，倒不如安静下来，爬回他自己的洞穴。他的哭号只会给这个世界增添更多的苦难。我曾在你们的一份报纸上读到这样一篇文章，题为"如果基督来编辑报纸，他会怎么做？"——何其荒谬。基督会怎么烧饭？然而你们却自诩为西方的进步之人。若基督真的来到这里，你们早就关门歇业、随他走上街头，去帮助那些贫苦与受压迫的人了。吠檀多（Vedanta）是唯一无需谎言、无需曲解经文、无需妥协便可传授的宗教。
〔《阿拉米达半岛报》，1900年4月5日〕
印度哲人阐述其思想
昨晚，斯瓦米·辨喜（Swami Vivekananda）在塔克礼堂就"宗教思想的演进"这一主题，开始了系列三场公开演讲的第一讲。
演讲者简略论及了正统基督徒、穆斯林与印度教徒在各自宗教起源问题上的思想共性。每一方都相信，其特定的先知或导师曾以某种神秘的方式受到神明的启示，而这位神明仿佛是从远处主宰或影响着尘世的一切事务。相比之下，现代科学理性的心灵不再向外寻求超自然原因来解释现象，而是致力于从事物或状态本身之中探寻其根由。
这种研究方法乍看之下似乎会剥夺宗教某些根本的生命力，然而实际上，其结果是使人发现：神性的精神属性，以及产生天堂与地狱之境界的心理状态，皆存于人自身之内。尽管这种理性的现代探究所得出的结论，看似与《圣经》、《古兰经》和吠陀经等古代宗教典籍所传承的许多内容相悖，但这种矛盾不过是表面的而非实质的——因为古代先知与导师们确有真实的感知，其谬误仅在于将自身的体验归因于外在力量，而未能认识到这些体验乃是其灵魂深处素来未知、未被认识的元素之发展与表达。
演讲者追溯了关于天堂与地狱位置的若干共同信仰，梳理了各种葬礼仪式与风俗，并谈及原始心灵受到自然现象的触动后，如何将围绕我们的种种现象中活跃的自然力量加以人格化……理想主义者将崇高的渴望拉回尘世，现实主义者则促使其通过劳作而成形。爱无法以正面的术语来定义，只能从否定的角度加以表述。其本质乃是舍离之形式。就其更广泛的意义而言，爱或可分为三类：（一）仅为自身快乐而爱，不顾他人苦乐——此乃纯粹的自私，是最低层次的爱；（二）相互交换的爱——"我爱你，若你也爱我，我们彼此令对方快乐"——此乃部分自私，是绝大多数人所走的中间道路；（三）付出一切而不求任何回报、无需事先筹谋、永不悔恨、不为任何来自爱之源头的恶行所征服的爱——此乃最高的爱，是神圣的爱。我们在此所关注的，唯有这最后一种。第一种是感官享乐者与动物之路，第二种是挣扎中的人类迈向更美好事物的道路，第三种才是真正的爱之路，由那些舍弃尘世、踏上通往永恒安宁之路的人所行走。在那种爱中，没有恐惧。爱消灭恐惧。一头雄狮或许会俯身于婴儿之上，威胁其性命；而母亲却毫无惧色，她不会逃走，而是挺身相对。在那一刻，爱摧毁了恐惧；而在其他时候，同一个女人或许会被一只小狗吓得四散奔逃。一位勇猛的穆罕默德教武士来到一座花园祈祷。同在这座花园中，一个女孩与她的情人约好在此相见。那武士依照其宗教规定的礼仪俯身跪拜，匍匐于地。就在此时，那女孩看见了情人，欣喜若狂地奔去相迎，竟踩在了那匍匐者的身上。武士跳将起来，拔剑在手，欲将那女孩斩杀。"你竟敢如此！"他怒喝道，"卑贱的女子，以你污秽的双脚扰乱我的礼拜、我对真主的虔敬！""礼拜！虔敬！"那女孩喊道，"你根本不知道那是何物。你匍匐于地时，并无虔敬，全无礼拜之心。我，一个胆怯的女子，在对我尘世情人的崇拜与虔敬中，竟能忘却你这令人敬畏之人的存在，踩在你身上而浑然不觉——若你的心真正沉浸于对真主的爱与虔敬之中，你又怎会察觉到我碰触了你？"武士闻言，俯首折服，怒气全消，悄然离去。我们对爱的最高理想，乃是……
## 参考资料
English
To preserve the historical authenticity of these newspapers reports, their original spelling, grammar and punctuation have been retained. For the sake of clarity, Swami Vivekananda's original words have been placed in block quotations and titles supplied by the Publisher have been marked with asterisks. Whenever possible, the original news typescripts have been selected, rather than their belated foreign reprints.-Publisher
[Editorial synthesis of four Chicago newspaper reports from: Herald, Inter Ocean, Tribune, and Record, ca. September 11, 1893]
[Sisters and Brothers of America,]
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the grand words of welcome given to us by you. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks the world has ever seen, of which Gautama was only a member. I thank you in the name of the Mother of religions, of which Buddhism and Jainism are but branches; and I thank you, finally, in the name of the millions and millions of Hindoo people of all castes and sects. My thanks also to some of the speakers on the platform who have told you that these different men from far - off nations will bear to the different lands the idea of toleration which they may see here. My thanks to them for this idea.
I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal tolerance but we accept all religions to be true. I am proud to tell you that I belong to a religion in whose sacred language, the Sanskrit, the word exclusion is untranslatable. (Applause) I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, a remnant of which came to southern India and took refuge with us in the very years in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brothers, a few lines from a hymn which every Hindoo child repeats every day. I feel that the very spirit of this hymn, which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions and millions of men in India, has at last come to be realized. "As the different streams, having their sources in different places, all mingle their water in the sea; O Lord, so the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself an indication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form I reach him, all are struggling through paths that in the end always lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry and its horrible descendant fanaticism, have possessed long this beautiful earth. It has filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human gore, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations into despair. But its time has come, and I fervently believe that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of the representatives of the different religions of the earth, in this parliament assembled, is the death - knell to all fanaticism (applause), that it is the death - knell to all persecution with the sword or the pen, and to all uncharitable feelings between brethren wending their way to the same goal, but through different ways.
[Chicago Record, September 11, 1893]
Four leaders of religious thought were sitting in Dr. Barrow's [Barrows's] parlor--the Jain, George Condin [Candlin], the missionary who has passed sixteen years in China, Swami Vivekananda, the learned Brahman Hindoo, and Dr. John H. Barrows, the Chicago Presbyterian. These four talked as if they were brothers of one faith.
The Hindoo is of smooth countenance. His rather fleshy face is bright and intelligent. He wears an orange turban and a robe of the same color. His English is very good. "I have no home," said he.
I travel about from one college to another in India, lecturing to the students. Before starting for America I had been for some time in Madras. Since arriving in this country I have been treated with utmost courtesy and kindness. It is very gratifying to us to be recognized in this Parliament, which may have such an important bearing on the religious history of the world. We expect to learn much and take back some great truths to our 15,000,000 faithful Brahmins.
[A verbatim transcript of the address, delivered at the Parliament of Religions, September 20, 1893] [Chicago Inter Ocean, September 21, 1893]
Suami Vivekananda
At the close of the reading of Mr. Headland's paper on "Religion in Peking" Dr. Momerie announced that the other speakers bulletined for the evening had failed to appear. It was but 9 o'clock, and the main auditorium and galleries were well filled. There was an outburst of applause as they caught sight of the Hindoo monk, Vivekananda, sitting in his orange robe and scarlet turban upon the platform. This popular Hindoo responded to the generous applause by saying that he did not come to speak to - night. He took occasion, however, to criticise many of the statements made in the paper by Mr. Headland. Referring to the poverty which prevails in China, he said that the missionaries would do better to work in appeasing hunger than in endeavoring to persuade the Chinese to renounce their faith of centuries and embrace Christianity at [as] the price of food. And then the Hindu stepped back on the platform and whispered to Bishop Keane, of the Catholic church, a moment. He then resumed his address by saying that Bishop Keane had told him that Americans would not be offended at honest criticism. He said he had heard of all the terrible things and horrible conditions which prevail in China but he had not heard that any asylums had been erected by Christians for remedying all these difficulties.
He said:
Christian brethren of America, you are so fond of sending out missionaries to save the souls of heathens. I ask you what have you done and are doing to save their bodies from starvation? (Applause). In India, there are 300,000,000 men and women living on an average of a little more than 50 cents a month. I have seen them living for years upon wild flowers. Whenever there was a little famine hundreds of thousands died of starvation. Christian missionaries come and offer life but only on condition that the Hindoos become Christians, abandoning the faith of their fathers and forefathers. Is it right? There are hundreds of asylums, but if the Mohammedans or the Hindoos go there they would be kicked out. There are thousands of asylums erected by Hindoos where anybody would be received. There are hundreds of churches that have been erected with the assistance of the Hindoos, but no Hindoo temples for which a Christian has given a penny.
Brethren of America, the crying evil of the East is not religion. We have more than religion enough; what they want is bread, but they are given a stone. (Applause). It is an insult to a suffering man dying of hunger to preach to him metaphysics. Therefore, if you wish to illustrate the meaning of "brotherhood" treat the Hindoo more kindly, even though he be a Hindoo and is faithful to his religion. Send missionaries to them to teach them how better to earn a better piece of bread and not to teach them metaphysical nonsense. (Great applause).
And then the monk said he was in ill health today and wished to be excused. But there were thunders of applause and cries of "Go on" and Mr.
Vivekananda continued.
The paper just read says something about the miserable and ignorant priest. The same may be said of India. I am one of those monks who have been described as beggarly. That is the pride of my life. (Applause). I am proud in that sense to be Christ - like. I eat what I have today and think not of tomorrow. "Behold the lilies of the field; they toil not, neither do they spin." The Hindoo carries that out literally. Many gentlemen present in Chicago sitting on this platform can testify that for the last twelve years I never knew whence my next meal was coming. I am proud to be a beggar for the sake of the Lord. The idea in the east is [that] to preach or teach anything for the sake of money is low and vulgar, but to teach the name of the Lord for pay is such a degradation as would cause the priest to lose caste and be spat upon. There is one suggestion in the paper that is true: If the priests of China and India were organized there is an enormous amount of potential energy which could be used for regeneration of society and humanity. I endeavored to organize it in India, but failed for lack of money. It may be I shall get the help I want in America.
But we know it is very hard for a heathen to get any help from "Christian people". (Great applause). I have heard so much of this land of freedom, of liberty and freedom of thought that I am not discouraged. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
And then the popular visitor bowed gracefully and sought to retire with a graceful smile, but the audience cried to him to proceed. Mr. Vivekananda, fairly bubbling with an expression of good nature, then explained the Hindoo theory of [re]incarna - tion. At the close of the address Dr. Momerie [a delegate from England] said that he now understood why the newspapers had well called this parliament an approach to the millennium. . . .
[New York Critic, November 11, 1893]
. . . It was an outgrowth of the Parliament of Religions, which opened our eyes to the fact that the philosophy of the ancient creeds contains much beauty for the moderns. When we had once clearly perceived this, our interest in their exponents quickened, and with characteristic eagerness we set out in pursuit of knowledge. The most available means of obtaining it, after the close of the Parliament, was through the addresses and lectures of Suami Vivekananda, who is still in this city. His original purpose in coming to this country was to interest Americans in the starting of new industries among the Hindoos, but he has abandoned this for the present, because he finds that, as "the Americans are the most charitable people in the world," every man with a purpose comes here for assistance in carrying it out. When asked about the relative condition of the poor here and in India, he replied that our poor would be princes there, and that he had been taken through the worst quarter of the city only to find it, from the standpoint of his knowledge, comfortable and even pleasant.
A Brahmin of the Brahmins, Vivekananda gave up his rank to join the brotherhood of monks, where all pride of caste is voluntarily relinquished. And yet he bears the mark of race upon his person. His culture, his eloquence, and his fascinating personality have given us a new idea of Hindoo civilization. He is an interesting figure, his fine, intelligent, mobile face in its setting of yellows, and his deep, musical voice prepossessing one at once in his favor. So it is not strange that he has been taken up by the literary clubs, has preached and lectured in churches, until the life of Buddha and the doctrines of his faith have grown familiar to us. He speaks without notes, presenting his facts and his conclusions with the greatest art, the most convincing sincerity; and rising at times to a rich, inspiring eloquence. As learned and cultivated, apparently, as the most accomplished Jesuit, he has also something Jesuitical in the character of his mind; but though the little sarcasms thrown into his discourses are as keen as a rapier, they are so delicate as to be lost on many of his hearers. Nevertheless his courtesy is unfailing, for these thrusts are never pointed so directly at our customs as to be rude. At present he contents himself with enlightening us in regard to his religion and the words of its philosophers. He looks forward to the time when we shall pass beyond idolatry--now necessary in his opinion to the ignorant classes,--beyond worship, even, to a knowledge of the presence of God in nature, of the divinity and responsibility of man. "Work out your own salvation," he says with the dying Buddha; "I cannot help you. No man can help you. Help yourself."
Viva Kananda, the Hindoo Orator Delivers an Interesting Lecture [Daily Cardinal, University of Wisconsin at Madison, November 21, 1893]
A crowded house greeted Viva Kananda at the Congregational Church last evening. The speaker was attired in native costume, which consisted of a cream turban, with yellow gown and cardinal sash.
The first part of the lecture was devoted to illustrating the many resemblances of Sanscrit [sic], the language of the Hindoos, to that of English. They have no word in their language which means salvation; to them it is freedom from bondage. They believe that man's real nature is perfect, and that cause and effect controls all except God. Religion was aptly illustrated by the story of the blind men who each felt of a portion of a huge elephant, and each thought the animal like the particular part he felt of it; so with religion each of the various sects have a part of the whole truth, while truth itself is infinite and no man can say "I have seen it all."
The Hindoo belief was shown to be one of the most charitable of beliefs. Persecution is something unknown in India; there is no such word in their language. The lecturer challenged the world to show an instance in Hindoo progress, of a Christian missionary being persecuted. A Greek historian, writing of them said: "No Hindoo man is dishonest, no Hindoo woman unchaste."
Viva Kananda came to this country from India in the interest of the world's congress of religions, and his lecture last evening on the "Religions of India," was an inspiration to all who heard him. He has a pleasant, clear - cut, dusky face, and a decidedly impressive manner and bearing. His voice is low and pleasant, with a secret something which rivets your attention at the start.
By a Hindu Monk
[Daily Iowa Capitol, November 28, 1893]
Swami Vivekananda Tells of Ancient Faith Speaks again Tonight
It was a rare as well as an odd treat which the people of Des Moines enjoyed last evening at the Central Church of Christ. A monk, of the ancient faith of Brahma, made a happy presentation of that faith, not so much of its peculiarities as of its underlying principles. The audience was a good sized one, perhaps 500 or 600 persons being present. The main floor being well filled and there were perhaps a couple of hundred in the gallery.
The speaker opened by saying that all religious systems were an attempt to answer the question What am I? This and the kindred ones, Whence Come I? and Whither Am I Going? are constantly recurring. Without following the speaker throughout the entire lecture, suffice it to say, that underlying the Hindu religion according to the speaker is the belief that "We are all divine". In each is a conscious spirit that survives the body and the mind and is a part of the absolute. The speaker very ably defended religion against the attacks of science. The latter can use only the five senses, and unless a thing can be proven to be by these senses [it] is disposed to doubt its existence. But does science know that there are only five senses? The speaker contended for the existence of a supersensuous sense; through which man obtains revelations of spiritual truths. The Hindu word for revelation is "Veda". Hence the "Vedas" are the revelations. These writings are not confined to those of the Hindus, but include those of all peoples; because said the speaker, all religions are true.
When "revelations" undertake to tell of material things they enter upon a domain which belongs to science and are not to be accepted. There was an ancient superstition that because Moses gave a revelation of the will of God, therefore everything Moses wrote must be true. There is a modern superstition that, because there are mistakes in the writings of Moses, therefore nothing Moses wrote is true. When Moses wrote the tables of the law he was inspired. When he told of the creation what he said was merely the speculations of Moses the Jew.
The speaker was not favorably impressed with the efforts to make Hindu converts--perverts he calls them--to Christianity, nor the converse. All religions being true, such perversions serve no good end. The Hindu religion the speaker claimed is not disposed to antagonize any belief; it absorbs them. As for tolerating different beliefs, the language of the Hindu has no word corresponding with the English word "intolerance". That language had a word for religion and one for sect. The former embraced all beliefs. The conception of the latter the speaker illustrated by telling the story of the frog, who had no idea there was any world outside the well in which he had always lived.
The speaker urged his hearers to cultivate the divine within them and to discard the "nonsense" of sects.
The lecturer is an able, dignified and forcible speaker. His mastery of English is perfect, there being only the faintest indications of a foreign accent. The lecturer was followed with closest attention by the audience. After the lecture, the speaker consented to answer questions to a portion of the audience that remained for that purpose. In the course of the answers he said that the Hindus were altogether opposed to the destruction of the life of any animal. He admitted the worship of the sacred cow. He said further that the Hindus had nothing answering to our church organizations. He was his own priest, bishop and pope. . . .
Vive Kananda, the Famous Hindoo Monk and Scholar, Appears in Des Moines [Iowa State Register, November 28, 1893]
A Young Man of Thirty Years and a Big, Active Brain and True Heart
The people of Des Moines had a glimpse of Oriental life and thought at its best yesterday, from the lips of the famous Hindoo monk, Swami Vive Kananda. A central figure in the great Parliament of Religions at Chicago this summer, where he coped with some of the greatest minds of the country with honor to himself and his people, he gave those who heard him, and especially those who met him at Dr. Breeden's, something new to think about. It was a message from over the sea, from another people of wholly different surroundings, training, customs and traditions, but as the monk says, the basic principles are the same in all religions. It is his doctrine that there is good in all religions and he preaches it with great power. . . .
Yesterday afternoon he met a large number of the brightest women in Des Moines, members of the various literary clubs, at the invitation of Mrs. H. O. Breeden, at her home, 1318 Woodland avenue, and he talked to them for two or three hours about his religion, his view of Christianity, in which he heartily concurs, and of the manners and customs of his people. The thing which Vive Kananda most strongly insists upon is that the Hindoo religion is not to be blamed for all that is bad in India any more than Christianity is to be blamed for all that is bad in America. And he insists that it is absurd to give Christianity credit for all the marvelous undertakings and achievements of the people who cherish it. He joins in the praise of the sublime things in the bible [sic], but says that when Moses undertook to speak of the creation of the world, he was merely Moses, the Jew and nothing more.
This view from the other side, and a sympathetic side at that, is a most helpful and instructive and intensely interesting one. Vive Kananda uses the purest English, for he was well educated in the English university, Calcutta.
He praises the American women most enthusiastically.
I do not know what would have become of me if it had not been for your women, he said to a reporter for The Register last night.
They took me up and took care of me and made all necessary arrangements for me. They are the best women in the world. They have been so kind to me, [the Swami said] with a grateful smile. . . . . . .
[Daily Iowa Capitol, November 29, 1893]
Swami Vivekananda last night talked of reincarnation. It is based, he contended, on the fact that there never has been a new creation; that creation has existed coevally with God from all eternity. Departed souls find bodies to inhabit either better or worse than their former tenement, according as they made them fit for one or the other. The lecturer will speak again on Thanksgiving evening at the same place on the manners and customs of India.
[Iowa State Register, November 30, 1893]
The remarkable discussions started by the famous Hindu monk, Vive Kananda, were the topic of interest in intellectual circles yesterday. Especially so was his comment on the work of American missionaries in India, and his strong defense of his own people and morals and religion. His position is that the people of India do not need any more religion, but training in the practical things of life that will enable them to cope with the English who have occupied India. Vive Kananda was the guest of Mr. F. W. Lehman and Mr. O. H. Perkins yesterday and in their company visited the state house, which he very much admired. He took a special interest in the portraits of the American Indians that he saw there. . . .
[Des Moines Daily News, November 30, 1893]
Vivekananda attended a prayer meeting Wednesday evening and witnessed the baptism of two young women. The service impressed him very much. He said:
I see. The sentiment is ennobling and the ceremony beautiful. It is the more impressive that the minister is honest, earnest and believes what he says.
[Daily Iowa Capitol, November 30, 1893]
The now celebrated Hindu monk, Swami Vivekananda will lecture for the last time in Des Moines tonight. He will speak on "Life in India" ["Manners and Customs of India"] a most interesting theme. The renowned Hindu is a brilliant man about 30 years old. He says American women are lovely, but American men are entirely too practical.
[Iowa State Register, December 1, 1893]
Before he left the city [Des Moines, Iowa], Vive Kananda took occasion to say a warm word of praise for the Bramo - somaj [sic], the work it is doing in India, especially for the women, and of its representative in this country. The visit of Vive Kananda, stirring as it did the intellectual centers of the city to their depths and starting a lively religious discussion, prepared the way for the present visitor [Nagarkar] from the Orient and heightened public interest in whatever he might have to say.
[Minneapolis Journal, December 15, 1893]
Swami Vivekananda Entertains Another Large Audience
A large number of people assembled at the Unitarian church last evening for the purpose of listening to Swami Vivekananda of India. The customs and manners of the people of that country were described, and during his lecture the Brahmin took occasion to show up some of the rough points of America. He is of the humorist order and his quick replies and witty sallies rarely failed to evoke applause. He would not admit that his people were wrong in everything, but there were a great many things peculiar to India which the Americans did not approve of and yet which might be all right. He had never seen husband and wife go before a magistrate to tell their troubles. They grew up with the idea that they were to be married and they loved each other as brothers and sisters.
He described the customs of his country, the temples, the art of the juggler and all of the other peculiarities of oriental countries in a manner that was charming. Following the address a number of questions were asked by persons in the audience.
[Minneapolis Tribune, December 15, 1893]
Swami Vive Kananda, the Brahmin priest, was greeted by a packed house last evening at the First Unitarian Church, when he appeared before his second Minneapolis audience. Vive Kananda is a bright, quick witted talker, ready at all points to attack or defend, and inserts a humor into his speeches that is not lost upon his auditors. He spoke last evening under the auspices of the Kappa Kappa Gammas of the University, and the audience embraced a large number of earnest thinking men and women, pleased to be enlightened upon the "Manners and Customs of India," which was his chosen subject.
Robed in his native garb, with his hands for the most part clasped behind his back, Kananda paces back and forth the narrow platform, talking as he paces, with long pauses between his sentences, as if willing that his words should sink into the deepest soil. His talk is not so weighty that the frivolous mind may not appreciate some of his sayings, but he also speaks a philosophy that carries gravest truth. He tells of the manners and customs of India, of the divided life between the male and female, of the reverence for and holiness of women, and again of their degeneracy; of the calm and peaceful life, that yet is not true life because it is not liberty; he speaks of the Mohammedans, who form one - fifth of the Indian population, and that 65,000,000, equal to the entire population of the United States. He describes the magnificence of the temples, the art of the jugglers, who are the gypsies of the Indian race, and he touches upon the superstitions of the people, of how they fill the water jars and stand them in the doorway before starting on a journey; he speaks of the metaphysical knowledge of the plowman, who yet only knows that he "pays taxes to the government"; he admits the reverence of the Hindu for the river Ganges, and his ever lingering wish that he shall die on its banks; he tells all these things in a quiet, half supercilious voice that presently leads to some remark on the American way of doing things, and then his audience is in a ripple of laughter, and a tremor of clapping expresses amused acknowledgement of his sarcasm. . . .
When some one at the close of his lecture asked him "What class of people are reached and converted by the missionaries?" he quickly replied, "You know as much about that, the American sees the reports, we never do", he has turned the query into a cause for smiling, and while the house regains its composure he paces quietly to and fro. The address was followed with the closest attention and was supplemented by several questions and answers among the audience, from whom he invited interrogation.
[Detroit Tribune, February 18, 1894]
Its Recent Expression by Vive Kananda.
His Mission Worthy the Serious Attention of Americans.
The Two Remarkable Things in the United States Which Gratifies the Distinguished Pagan--What Environment Will Do for Any People--Rap at Missionaries.
There has seldom been such a sensation in cultured circles in Detroit, as that created by the advent of Swami Vive Kananda, the learned Hindu monk, whose exceptional command of our own language has enabled us to receive impressions concerning ourselves from an oriental standpoint and to acquire knowledge of a people of whose peculiar civilization and philosophy we have heard so much.
Both in public and private the Hindu brother has talked freely and frankly. He acknowledges that the masses in India are very poor, very ignorant and are divided into a diversity of sects, with forms of worship varying from downright idolatry to the broadest and most liberal form of divine conception based on the brotherhood of man and the oneness of God. His mission, he says, is not to proselyte us--to try and make us think as he does--but to get means to start a college in India for the education of teachers who are to go among the common people and work a reform of existing evils, of which there are many. He states that India is priest - ridden to a harrowing degree. It is priest - craft that distorts truth and perpetuates ignorance. It is priest - craft that substitutes its own crude and narrow interpretations for truth, which perverts the people and prevents their moral progression. The Swami regards all sects and creeds from a broad basis. He even sees good in idolatry. It is an ideal, he thinks, for the ignorant whose mental capacity is insufficient to grasp abstract ideas, and who require a direct personification in some material form. He frankly states that we of the occident are also retarded in our progression by too much priest - craft, and that we are not free from idolatrous practices, in that some of our sects worship shrines, figures and pictures and even the sanctity with which the rostrum and pulpit of a modern church is regarded is an ideal idolatry.
The Swami notes two most remarkable things in this country, when asked his frank opinion of us: First, the superiority of our women, as regards influence in position and intellect. Second, in our charities and treatment of the poor, he says, we have almost solved the problem as to what shall be done with them. Not only in this, in the direction of hospitals and charitable institutions, but in our tremendous development of labor - saving machinery. He has no admiration for our material progress, as it does not make man better, nor for our boasted civilization, as we only ape and imitate the customs and manners of the English--sometimes to a very ridiculous extent. We are yet too young, to have a distinctive civilization; we have yet to assimilate the human sewerage of Europe we have allowed to be poured upon us, before we produce a distinct American type. [The writer goes on to say that the Swami's Indian background makes it difficult for him to understand that Western competitiveness is not undesirable but a primal law of nature itself--the survival of the fittest--and that inasmuch as "the dreamy and sentimental philosophy of the Hindoos" accounts for their poverty, degradation, and domination by a "mere handful of Englishmen," the Swami would do well neither to ignore nor to despise the materialism of the West. Having thus editorialized, he continues:]
If what he states is true about the results accomplished by foreign missions in India, the various boards of these various organizations would do well to consult him and follow his advice. It is for the betterment of his people he is here. But he says missionary work does no good; only adds additional sects and creeds to an already sect - ridden country; that the teachings of the Vedas, with which every Hindoo is familiar, is identical with the teachings of Christ. He makes the reasonable plea that foreign creeds and dogmas are not consonant with their inherited proclivities or civilization, and are consequently difficult to pro - pagate.
The mission of Kananda is, however, one that should commend it[self] to every lover of humanity. He hopes to see the best of our material philosophy and progress infused into Hindoo civilization, and that, also, we may take lessons from them, until we shall all become, as we once were in ages past, brother Aryans, possessing a common civilization--the exalted philosophy of non - self, being alike without sect or creed in oneness with God.
Fred H. Seymour.
[Detroit Tribune, February 19, 1894]
Rabbi Grossman is Refreshed by Swami Vive Kananda
. . . "I take your Jesus," Kananda said last Saturday evening [February 17].
I take him to my heart as I take all the great and good of all lands and of all times. But you, will you take my Krishna to your heart? No--you cannot, you dare not--still you are the cultured and I am the heathen. . . .
[Detroit Journal, February 23, 1894]
He Tells Something About the Conditions of Hindoo Laborers.
Swami Vive Kananda repaid the admiration of his lady acquaintances by writing verses, at the same time religious and semi - sentimental, yesterday afternoon. He departed this morning for Ada, O. [Ohio].
In a conversation concerning the material condition of the Hindu workingmen, the learned monk said that the poor lived on porridge alone. The laborer ate a breakfast of porridge, went off to his daily toil and returned in the evening to another breakfast of porridge and called it dinner. In most of the provinces the farmers were so poor that they could not afford to eat any of the wheat raised. A day laborer on a farm received only 12 pence a day, but a dollar in India brought 10 times as much as it would in this country. Cotton was raised, but its fiber was so short it had to be woven by hand, and even then it was necessary to import American and Egyptian cotton to mix with it.
[Detroit Evening News, February 25, 1894]
Anecdotes of Swami Vive Kananda's Visit to Detroit.
Anecdotes of Swami Vive Kananda's visit are numerous and amusing--at least they must have been amusing to him, al - though a little humiliating to the American self - love. One lady said: "I really was ashamed at the contrast between the knowledge possessed by him and by some of our Detroit men who consider themselves gentlemen of culture. At one dinner party a gentleman asked Kananda what books he would advise him to read on chemistry, whereupon the Hindu monk responded with a long list of English works on this science, which one would naturally expect an American to know more about than a Hindu. Another gentleman followed by a request as to books on astronomy, to which Kananda obligingly answered with another equally good list of English astronomical works. But his growing astonishment reached its climax when a lady spoke of 'The Christ,' and said, 'What do those words mean?' He again furnished the desired information, but in a tone growing slightly sarcastic."
Probably the choicest example of nineteenth century civilization and culture was given by a lady, who asked Kananda if he liked the English. He very naturally responded that he did not. Then she continued, with fine tact, to pursue the subject still further by touching references to that pleasant event, the Sepoy rebellion. As the Hindu grew excited she smiled at him ironically and said: "I thought I could disturb your philosophical Eastern calm."
[Detroit Tribune, March 11, 1894]
Attacked Christian Missions in Last Night's Lecture.
And his Words were Warmly Applauded by the Audience.
Christian Nations Kill and Murder, He Said, and Import Disease into Foreign Countries, then Add Insult to Injury by Preaching of a Crucified Christ.
Swami Vive Kananda lectured to a very large audience at the Detroit Opera House last night on "Christian Missions in India." One could believe that the lecture was intended as an answer to the many statements of missionaries which have been aimed at Kananda during the past two weeks in this city.
Kananda was introduced by Honorable Thomas W. Palmer last night, who recited a fable by way of preface. "Two knights of honor once met on the field," he said, "and seeing a shield hanging on a tree they halted. One said: 'What a very fine silver shield.' The other replied that it was not silver but copper. Each disputed the other's statement until at last they got off their horses, tied them to the tree, and drawing their swords fought for several hours. After they were both well spent by the loss of blood they staggered against each other and fell on the opposite sides from where they had been fighting. Then one glanced up at the pendant shield and said: 'You were right, my friend. The shield is copper.' The other looked up and said: 'It is I who was mistaken. The shield is silver.' If they had looked at both sides of the shield in the first place it would have saved the loss of much blood. I think that if we looked at both sides of every question there would be less argument and fighting. "We have with us tonight a gentleman who, from the christian standpoint is, I suppose, a pagan. But he belongs to a religion which was old long before ours was thought of by men. I am sure that it will be pleasant to hear from the copper side of the shield. We have looked at it only from the silver side. Ladies and Gentlemen, Swami Vive Kananda."
Kananda, who had remained seated on the stage during Mr. Palmer's remarks, stepped to the front, clad in the orange robe and unique turban of the Brahman [sic] priest, bowed in acknowledgement of the welcoming applause, and launched at once into his subject.
[The Swami said:]
I do not know about the efforts of christian missionaries in China and Japan except through reading the books and literature on the subject, but I can speak about the efforts of christianizing India. But before I go into this I want to place before you an idea of what India is.
Then he explained in detail how the 300,000,000 inhabitants of India are divided into castes, between which there can be no affiliation, how the natives of the south cannot understand the language of the ones of the north, and vice versa. He told how the lower caste lived on the flesh of dead animals, and never bathed their bodies, and how impossible it would be for the higher class to mingle with them, although they were granted the protection of the same laws.
He referred to the first appearance of the christians in an attempt to evangelize the followers of Buddah [Buddha]. They were Spaniards, he said, and they discovered a temple near Ceylon, in which was presented a tooth of Buddah as a sacred relic. "The Spaniard christians thought that their God commanded them to go and fight and kill and murder," he said, and so they seized the tooth of Buddah and destroyed it. By the way, it was not a tooth of Buddah at all, but a relic manufactured by the priests--it was a foot long. (Laughter)
Every religion has its miracles; you needn't laugh because the tooth was a foot long. Well, after the Spaniards took away the tooth they converted a few hundred and killed a few thousands; and there Spain stops in the history of missionary efforts among the Buddhists.
The Portugese [sic] christians, he said, discovered the great temple at Bombay, built in the form of a body with three heads, in representation of the trinity as the Hindoo believes in a trinity. "The Portugese saw it and couldn't explain it," said Kanan - da, with a sarcastic ring in his voice, and so they concluded that it was of the devil, and gathered their forces and knocked off the three heads of the temple. The devil is such a handy man. I am sorry to see him so fast disappearing.
Then Kananda outlined the various stages of christian evangelization in India, and paid very high tribute to two or three missionaries, who, he said, had been great exceptions to the rule, and lived among the people to uplift and minister to their needs.
The Hindoo priest told how as soon as the land came into possession of the English people every village had its white colony, which huddled itself together and withdrew from all association with the natives. Then when the missionaries reached the country, he said, they would naturally go at once among the English people, who sympathized with them and with whom they could converse. The missionaries know nothing of the native language, he says, and so they cannot dwell with the people. Most of them are married and for the sake of getting their wives into the English society they identify themselves with all their interests, and in doing so directly antagonize the interests of the natives, and make it impossible to get in touch with them. "We sometimes have famines in India," he said.
And so the young missionaries will hang about the fag end of a famine and give a starving native 5 shillings, and there you have him, a ready - made christian; take him. That was probably a baptist missionary, and so when a methodist missionary comes along he gives the same native 5 shillings, and his name is again registered as a convert. The only band of converts around each missionary is composed of those dependent upon him for a living. They have to be christians or starve. And they are dwindling as the money supply decreases. I am glad if you want to make christians in India by giving work and bread to the poor. God speed you to do that. There is one benefit that must be credited to the missionary movement. It makes education cheap. The missionaries bring some money with them from the people who send them, and the Indian government appropriates some, so that there are some very good colleges and schools available to the natives through missionaries. But I will be frank with you. There are no conversions from the schools to the christian religion. The Hindoo boy is very clever. He takes the bait, but never gets the hook.
The speaker said that the lady missionary goes into certain houses, gets four shillings a month, reads the Bible, while the native girls give indifferent attention, and teaches them to knit while they pay very keen attention. The girls, like the boys, he said are always alert to learn practical things, but they will give little heed to the christian religion, although they will espouse it if necessary to get the other advantages.
"The most of the men whom you send us as missionaries are incompetent," he said.
I have never known of a single man who has studied Sanscrit [sic] before going to India as a missionary and yet all our books and literature are printed in it.
He suggested as an explanation of the visits of the missionaries that "perhaps the atheism and scepticism at home is push - ing the missionaries out all over the world." When in India he said he had thought the sole business of christianity [was] to send all people to the fires of hell, but since coming to America he has found that there are a great many liberal men. He referred to the parliament of religions, and told how a certain editor of a presbyterian paper had written an article at the close of the parliament entitled "The Lying Hindoo," in which he had scored him very severely.
In the article the editor said that "while in the parliament he was here as our guest, but now that it is over we ought to make an enthusiastic attack against him and his false doctrines."
In referring to the medical missionaries in India Kananda said:
India requires health, but it must be health for people. And how can you help our people if you do not get in touch with them? When you come to us as missionaries you ought to throw over all idea of nationality. Jesus didn't go about among the English officials attending champagne suppers. He didn't care to have his wife get into high European society. If your missionary does not follow Christ what right has he to call himself a christian? We want missionaries of Christ. Let such come to India by the hundreds and thousands. Bring Christ's life to us and let it permeate the very core of society. Let Him be preached in every village and corner of India. But don't have your missionaries choose their profession as a means of livelihood. Let them have the call of Christ. Let them feel within that they were born for that work.
As far as converting India to christianity is concerned, there is no hope. If it were possible it ought not to be done. It would be dangerous; it would mark the destruction of all religions. If the whole universe should come to have the same temperament, physical or mental, destruction would immediately result. Why couldn't you convert the Jew? Why couldn't you make the Persians christians? Why is it that to every African who becomes a christian 100 become followers of Mohammed? Why can't you make an impression on India and China, and Japan? Because oneness of mental temperament all over the world would be death. Nature is too wise to allow such things.
[The Swami said:]
The christian nations have filled the world with bloodshed and tyranny. It is their day now. You kill and murder and bring drunkenness and disease in our country, and then add insult to injury by preaching Christ and Him crucified. What christian voice goes through the land protesting against such horrors? I have never heard any. You drink the idea in your mothers' milk that you are angels and we are devils. It is not enough that there be sunlight; you must have the eyes to see it. It is not only necessary that there be goodness in people; you must have the appreciation of goodness within yourselves in order to distinguish it. This is in every heart until it has been murdered by superstition and hideous blasphemy.
Then Kananda drew a very beautiful simile to illustrate that the essential truths of all religions are [the] same, and all else is but incidental and unimportant environment. He told how the savage man might find a few jewels, and prizing them, tie them with a rude thong and string them about his neck. As he became slightly civilized he would perhaps exchange the thong for a string. Becoming still more enlightened he would fasten his jewels with a silken cord; and when possessed of a high civilization he would make an elaborate gold setting for his treasures. But throughout all the changes in settings the jewels--the essentials--would remain the same.
If the Hindoo wishes to criticize the christian religion he talks of the fables and miracles, and all the nonsense of the Bible, but he does not say one word in disparagement of the sermon on the mount, or of the beautiful life of Jesus. And so when the christian criticizes the Hindoo religion he talks about the dogmas and the temples, but he says nothing [should say nothing] against the morality and philosophy of the Hindoo. Help the Jew and let him help you. Help the Hindoo and let him help you. I deny that any human being has the faculty of seeing good at all who cannot see it in all places. There is the same beauty in the character of Christ and the character of Buddah. It is not an assimilation that we want, but adjustment and harmony. I ask the preachers to give up, first, the idea of nationality; and second, the idea of sects. God's children have no sects.
Much has been said about the ladies of India, and of their faults and condition. There are faults; God help us to make them right. We are thankful for your criticism of our women. But while you are speaking of them I will say that I should be glad to see a dozen spiritual women in America. Nice dress, wealth, brilliant society, operas, novels--. Even intellectuality is not all that there is for a man or woman. There should be also spirituality, but that side is entirely absent from christian countries. They live in India.
Vive Kananda's large audience listened very respectfully to his remarks last night, and once or twice applauded heartily.
[Detroit Tribune, March 20, 1894]
So Soul Follows Soul, According to Kananda.
Vive Kananda lectured to an audience of about 150 [according to the Journal, 500] at the Auditorium last night upon "Buddhism, the Religion of the Light of Asia." Honorable Don M. Dickinson introduced him to the audience. "Who shall say that this system of religion is divine and that doomed?" asked Mr. Dickinson in his introductory remarks. "Who shall draw the mystic line?"
He also said that at one time the followers of Buddha were the unwilling allies of the christian religion. Kananda appeared in a robe of orange yellow with a sash - like cord about the waist, and a turban draped out of some eastern cloth of silken texture, the flowing end of which was brought in front over one shoulder.
Vive Kananda reviewed at length the early religions of India. He told of the great slaughter of animals on the altar of sacrifice; of Buddha's birth and life; of his puzzling questions to himself over the causes of creation and the reasons for existence; of the earnest struggle of Buddha to find the solution of creation and life; of the final result.
Buddha, he said, stood head and shoulders above all other men. He was one, he said, [of] whom his friends or enemies could never say that he drew a breath or ate a crumb of bread but for the good of all. "He never preached transmigration of the soul," said Kananda, except he believed one soul was to its successor like the wave of the ocean that grew and died away, leaving naught to the succeeding wave but its force. He never preached that there was a God, nor did he deny there was a God. "Why should we be good?" his disciples asked of him.
"Because," he said, "you inherited good. Let you in your turn leave some heritage of good to your successors. Let us all help the onward march of accumulated goodness, for goodness' sake."
He was the first prophet. He never abused any one or arrogated anything to himself. He believed in our working out our own salvation in religion. "I can't tell you," he said, on his death bed, "nor any one. Depend not on any one. Work out your own religion [salvation]."
He protested against the inequality of man and man, or of man and beast. All life was equal, he preached. He was the first man to uphold the doctrine of prohibition in liquors. "Be good and do good," he said. "If there is a God you have him by being good. If there is no God, being good is good. He is to be blamed for all he suffers. He is to be praised for all his good."
He was the first who brought the missionaries into existence. He came as a savior to the downtrodden millions of India. They could not understand his philosophy, but they saw the man and his teachings and they followed him.
In conclusion Kananda said that Buddhism was the foundation of the christian religion; that the catholic church came from Buddhism.
[Detroit Evening News, March 21, 1894]
Curiosity, says our Hindoo visitor, is the most conspicuous trait of the American people, but he added that it is the way to knowledge. This has long been the European estimate of the American, or more strictly the Yankee character, and perhaps the Hindoo's comment was an echo of what he had heard the Englishmen in India say of the
[Bay City Times Press, March 21, 1894]
He gave an interesting lecture at the Opera House last evening. It is rarely that Bay City people have the opportunity of listening to a lecture similar to the one given last evening by Swami Vive Kananda. The gentleman is a native of India, hav ing been born at Calcutta about 30 years ago. The lower floor of the Opera house was about half filled when the speaker was introduced by Dr. C. T. Newkirk. During his discourse, he scored the people of this country for their worship of the almighty dollar. It is true that there is caste in India. There, a murderer can never reach the top. Here, if he gets a million dollars he is as good as any one. In India, if a man is a criminal once, he is degraded forever. One of the great factors in the Hindoo religion is its tolerance of other religions and beliefs. Missionaries are much more severe on the religions of India than upon that of other Oriental countries, because the Hindoos allow them to be, thus carrying out one of their cardinal beliefs, that of toleration. Kananda is a highly educated and polished gentleman. It is said that he was asked in Detroit if the Hindoos throw their children into the river. Whereupon, he replied that they do not, neither do they burn witches at the stake. The speaker lectures in Saginaw tonight.
[Saginaw Evening News, March 21, 1894]
Swami Vive Kananda, the Hindu Monk, arrived this afternoon from Bay City and is registered at the Vincent. He dresses like a well to do American and speaks excellent English. He is slightly above the medium height, is stoutly built and his complexion resembles that of an Indian. In answer to a question by a NEWS representative, he said he learned English from private tutors, and by contact with Europeans, who visited Hindustan. He further stated that his talk tonight would be explanatory of the religion of the Hindoo and to show that they are not heathen but believe in a future state.
[The Lynn Daily Evening Item, (date?)]
NORTH SHORE CLUB
The Meeting, Tuesday Afternoon, Addressed by Suami Vive Kananda, a Learned Monk from India--Description of the Manners and Customs of His Country
At the meeting of the North Shore Club, Tuesday afternoon, the audience was a large and brilliant one, representing the highest culture, and including many distinguished guests. Suami Vive Kananda, from India, a learned monk, who speaks English with ease and fluency, gave an intensely interesting description of the manners and customs of his country. Suami Vive Kananda, who wore the yellow robe and turban of his order, began by saying that India is divided into two parts, the northern and the southern. In each the language and customs are so different that the speaker who was from the northern portion on meeting a fellow countryman at the Parliament of Religions from the southern, was obliged to converse with him in English, neither being able to understand the other's native language. Throughout the entire country there are nine languages and 100 dialects spoken.
There is some uniformity of religion, yet each sect is a religion and a law unto itself. Many erroneous descriptions have been written about India, based on imperfect knowledge from which inferences have been drawn that have been most prejudicial. With the Hindoo everything is subservient to religion and he gives up all that is antagonistic to it, his creed being that he is not to enjoy life but to conquer it and gain a supreme mastery over self, which is the highest type of civilization. Caste distinctions which are being obliterated are simply the Aryans and the un Aryans--the Brahmins and the Sudras. The Brahmin, who is the child of a thousand years' culture, must lead a life of rigid discipline; but the Sudra, who is ignorant, is allowed great latitude.
Woman in the position of mother is accorded universal reverence in India. When a son who has become a monk returns to his home, his father, when greeting him, must kneel and touch his forehead to the earth; but the monk must kneel before his mother. Women in India do not throw their children into the rivers to be devoured by crocodiles. Widows are not burned on the funeral pyre of their husband unless it is a voluntary act of self immolation.
There is no divorce allowed for the high class; a woman who leaves her husband, even if she be most degraded, holds still an interest in his property. Suami Vive Kananda recited a beautiful passage from the Legend of the Ramayana, one of the grandest poems of India, which showed what the love of a wife for her husband should be. The love of Sita for Rama. He added, "Much is said in these days of the 'survival of the fittest,'" and western nations use it as an argument against India, reasoning that their own wealth, prosperity and power show them to be greater and their religion higher and purer.
But India has seen mighty nations rise and fall whose aim has been only the power of conquest and the glory of this life. India has been repeatedly despoiled, has worn the yoke of the conqueror and borne the burden of oppression with indomitable patience and has shown tolerance to all, because she has possessed the knowledge that her people hold fast to a religion that stands securely on a high spirituality and not on the shifting sand of present enjoyment.
[New York Daily Tribune, April 25, 1894]
Swami Vivekananda lectured before Mrs. Arthur Smith's conversation circle last evening at the Waldorf on "India and
Hinduism." Miss Sara Humbert, contralto, and Miss Annie Wilson, soprano, sang several selections. The lecturer wore an orange colored coat and the accompanying yellow turban, which is called a beggar's suit. This is worn when a Buddhist has given up "everything for God and humanity." The theory of reincarnation was discussed. The speaker said that many clergymen who were more aggressive than learned asked: "Why one is unconscious of a former life if such a thing had been?" The reply was that "It would be childish to lay a foundation for consciousness, as man is unconscious of his birth in this life, and also of much that has transpired."
The speaker said that "no such thing" as "a Judgment Day" existed in his religion, and that his god neither punished nor rewarded. If wrong was done in any way, the natural punishment was immediate. The soul, he added, passed from one body to another, until it had become a perfect spirit, able to do without the limitations of a body. . . .
[Smith College Monthly, May 1894]
On Sunday, April 15, Swami Vivekananda, the Hindoo monk whose scholarly exposition of Brahmanism caused such favorable comment at the Congress of Religions, spoke at Vespers. --We say much of the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God, but few understand the meaning of these words. True brotherhood is possible only when the soul draws so near to the All Father that jealousies and petty claims of superiority must vanish because we are so much above them. We must take care lest we become like the frog of the well in the old Hindoo story, who, having lived for a long time in a small place, at last denied the existence of a larger space.
[New York Daily Tribune, May 3, 1894]
Swami Virekanmda [sic] lectured on "India and Reincarnation" last evening at the home of Miss Mary Phillips, No. 19 West Thirty eighth st. He mentioned among other salient points regarding Hindooism, or Brahminism, that their religion bore no distinctive name; that it was considered that a belief in the truth of all creeds was religion, and that the belief that one certain dogma was the real and only religion was sect. The Karmic law of cause and effect was explained, also the external and internal natures in their close relations to each other. The actions in this world, as governed by a previous life and the change to still another life, were dwelt upon in detail.
Swami Vivekananda Tells About the Religion of High Caste Indians [Lawrence, Massachusetts, Evening Tribune, May 16, 1894]
Liberty hall was comfortably filled last evening, on the oc casion of the lecture by Swami Vivekananda, the noted Brahmin monk, who was a prominent personality at the world's parlia
ment of religions at Chicago last summer, and who is spending some time in this country, studying its manners and customs. The lecture was under the auspices of the woman's club, and was a novel and interesting occasion. The noted Hindu was pleasantly introduced by the president of the club, Miss Wetherbee, who alluded to the great antiquity of India, its wonderful history and the high intellectual qualities of the Hindu race.
The speaker of the evening was attired in native costume, namely, a bright scarlet robe, confined at the waist by a long scarf of the same color, and wore a picturesque white silk turban wound round his head. At the first glance one saw the swarthy complexion, the dark and dreamy eyes and introspective manner of a high caste Brahmin, whose life is devoted to religion and who is also a celibate. That he is a finely educated person, appeared in his wonderful command of English and his power of argument, while an occasional quotation from Milton and Dickens, showed that he was appreciative of the great English classics.
He first spoke of that striking peculiarity of the social condition of the Hindu's caste, affirming that it is not now as strict an institution as in the past, although even now everything goes by heredity. Mixture of castes, though not absolutely forbidden, entails disadvantage on the children. The Brahmin or high caste person devotes the first part of his life to the study of the Vedas or sacred books and the latter part to meditating on the divinity, being supposed to have overcome the human in himself, and to be only a soul.
The speaker did not hesitate to criticise adversely some western customs, especially some connected with the position of woman. He affirmed that we worship women in the wife, while all women to the Hindu represent the mother element. In America when a woman ceases to be young and beautiful, she has a hard time of it, but in India kings must step aside for an aged woman to pass, so great is the respect in which they are held. He affirmed that some of the most beautiful portions of the Vedas, the Hindu bible, were written by women, but that there was no other bible in this world in which they had any part.
Considerable time was given to refuting the statement, which he characterized as untrue, in regard to the cruelty prac - tised to widows in India, the speaker referring in the course of his remarks to the zenana widows, who have been for some time the objective point of Christian missionaries from other countries. Marriage is an institution very safely guarded and, in addition to the law that a Brahmin must not marry a relative, none are allowed to marry who are known to have such a disease as consumption or any incurable physical ill. The strict rules of caste which prevent a person from drinking from the same glass as another, and other kindred regulations, although [not] part of the religion, were excellent in their result on the physical condition of a country, numbering 285 millions, in the prevention of the spread of contagious diseases. The speaker was horrified, as he might well be, at the promiscuous water drinking seen in railroad trains and stations in this country. The children are, first of all, taught kindness to all living beings and so thoroughly is this training that the smallest child instinctively turns aside from stepping on a worm. A strange thought that among these so called heathen there is no need of the society with the long name which often fails in its mission in Christian lands. The guest of a house, that is, a man who comes to the door and says, "I am hungry," is God's own image to the Hindu and is treated with the utmost kindness and consideration, being fed before the master and mistress of the establishment.
The speaker alluded sadly to the poverty of his country, for, while the upper caste live in comfort, there are millions whose only food is dried flowers, and who are so low in the scale of existence that they have hardly an identity, and are pitiful objects in the plane of existence. He hinted quite forcibly that food and education would be better than the sermons which Christians and Mohammedans had been throwing at them for the last hundred years. Many of the simple and primitive customs of this peculiar people were told with naivete and innocence that was refreshing in this age when words are used to conceal thoughts. He said there was no flirting or coquetting between their young men and maids, and that the latter did not strut forth into public places with all their bravery [finery?] on for the purpose of securing a husband, all of which made the inhabitants of this great and glorious republic wonder if something were not slightly rotten in the state of Denmark. It is well to see both sides of the shield in order to be able to decide with an unprejudiced eye, and many of the listeners went away quite puzzled in mind at hearing some of their pet American customs arraigned by a Hindu and a heathen.
The address was a most interesting one and was listened to with deep attention by all present. At the close many [questions] were presented to the thoughtful monk, who wasted very few words in social flourishes or unmeaning talk. He seemed much interested in Dr. Bowker, the only one in the audience who had ever visited the strange land which was centuries old before this republic was born.
Swami Vivekananda the Guest of the Woman's Club
[Lawrence American and Andover Advertiser, May 18, 1894]
He Points Out the Better Phases of Brahmanism.
And Delivers a Pointed Message to Christians.
Swami Vivekananda, the Brahman monk addressed a most interested audience Tuesday night in Library Hall under the auspices of the Lawrence Woman's Club.
Miss Wetherbee introduced the speaker and prepared the way for a cordial reception which American courtesy rarely fails to give a distinguished visitor from another nation.
Miss Wetherbee wisely referred to him as a prominent personality at the World's Parliament of Religions, also to the strong impression made by him at the World's fair. . . .
. . . In his own country, in his own class, he addresses all women as mother. The Brahmin is educated thus to think of women as mother and a man may not marry his mother. In that country the mother instinct is developed in woman; in this he thought the wife instinct was cultivated, and the most beautiful thing in his lecture was his tribute to the mother, and not unnoticed was the reference to the kindness of heart of the little Hindoo child which would instinctively cause him to turn aside from his path rather than crush a worm.
formed a large part of his lecture. Among the high classes, called Aryans, women think of marriage as indecent [?]. A widow is not expected to ever marry again. A man who never marries, is highly praised, and indeed worshipped, but should he marry then in the minutes all would be changed. He who does not marry is looked upon as high minded, as holy and spiritual.
Among the Aryans no money is paid in marriage [?], and as female children are largely in the majority it is one of most difficult things for a father to marry his daughter, and from the time of her birth he racks his brains to find her a husband.
With the two lower classes the rules in regard to marriage are all different. Widows marry again and wives and husbands if desirous become divorced. When a child is born an astrologer comes and casts a horoscope of the child, he delineates the future character of the boy or girl--it is decided whether he is manly or a devilish child; if devilish--he is married to one next in caste, and thus is obtained a minute chance of bettering the condition of the devilish child.
The matter of marriage is not left to the decision of the child as in that case he might marry because [he was] in love with a good nose or good eyes and so in having his own way would spoil the whole thing. The fact was emphasised that only the higher classes think of a
and of worshiping God instead of thinking of marriage. He spoke of the pitiful condition of the lower classes, their poverty and their ignorance. Millions and millions are [un]able to write their name and yet he said:
We are all preaching sermons into them, when their hands are reaching out for bread. Poverty is so extreme in the lower classes that fifty cents a month is the average income of a Hindoo. Millions live on one poor meal a day and millions subsist on wild flowers for food.
He spoke of the idea being prevalent that there were no scholars among the women of India and stated that this was an error as many women of the Brahmins were married but became scholars, and with evident pride he referred to the fact that in no nation could one line be found
that had been written by a woman excepting his own country alone where many beautiful things in their Bible had been written by women.
Swami Vivekananda did not fail to inform the audience in English words which could not be misunderstood, that the effort to raise his people by teaching them the Christian religion was a thankless task. He said:
We have seen the Greek and the Persian come to us--we have seen the Spaniard with guns come to make us Christians, still we are Hindoos and thus we shall remain.
Had Vivekananda used all the power of his flashing eyes and his expressive voice it would have been a most dramatic speech when he said:
I dare here in America to say that we of India shall stand by our religion.
He said our customs were good for us and we were welcome to them. He stood before us as he has before many a cultured American audience--he, the learned exponent of the Brahman religion, the only Hindoo who has ever come to this country to tell us--as forcibly as he dared and as politely as he could and yet be forcible,--to say no more to the poor Hindoo but to be so very kind as to mind our own business.
After the lecture many of the audience gladly availed themselves of the opportunity offered by Mr. and Mrs. Young to meet Vivekananda at their residence where he has been entertained and has proven himself to be a most delightful guest.
[Mrs. Ole Bull submitted to the Boston Evening Transcript the following report of Swami Vivekananda's public lecture at Greenacre, Maine, delivered Friday, August 3, 1894, of which there is no verbatim transcript available. Vide the notes from discourses given at Greenacre, Maine, entitled "The Religion of India", in this volume of the Complete Works (pp. 267 71).] [Boston Evening Transcript, August 11, 1894]
A defense of Mahomet [sic] by a Hindu to a Christian audience; the lesson that all prophets are to be revered and their teachings studied reverently; that the followers of these teachers should not confound for us by their behavior the revelation made from God to man by prophecy--was the theme at Greenacre yesterday.
Clear thought and statement patiently corrected the crude and superficial adverse criticism and comment that had been made concerning the Eastern belief--reincarnation. The statement was masterful, because simple, and was brought home by illustrations familiar and commonplace. This was followed by a nobly eloquent plea for the judicial spirit in judging the history of the time and the faith of Mahomet himself and the service done the human race by the essentials of this faith as a prophet of God. Men and women present, many of whom fear the hea then, were moved as they tell us Wendell Phillips was wont to move the hard hearts to consider the sin of slavery.
Scorn, wit and intellect did noble service in all gentleness and dignity in this appeal that the defects, the horrors, of each and all religions should be put one side that the essentials common to all--the immortality of the soul, one God, the Father and his prophets sacred, each, to some division of the human family, and each having truth to give needful to all--should be recognized and reverenced to salvation.
The speaker, Swami Vivekananda, gave what only a great soul is capable of giving. It was an hour never to be forgotten. This man brought those present into the light of truth, whatever their prejudice and training, as Phillips Brooks united Unitarian and Episcopalianism, and all who love the good and true came to hold him for their bishop. So this Hindu, in his constructive thought, when he will give it, can make the power of the prophets known to us by his own presence.
[Swami Vivekananda's partial translation of the "Nirvâna shatkam" by Shankara, recited at Greenacre, Maine, and reported in an 1894 issue of the Greenacre Voice ]
Under the Swami's famous pine at Greenacre, Vivekananda said: "I am neither body nor changes of the body; nor am I senses nor objects of the senses. I am Existence Absolute. Bliss Absolute. Knowledge Absolute. I am It. I am It. "I am neither death nor fear of death; nor was I ever born, nor had I parents. I am Existence Absolute. Bliss Absolute. Knowledge Absolute. I am It. I am It. "I am not misery nor have I misery. I am not enemy nor have I enemies. I am Existence Absolute. Bliss Absolute. Knowledge Absolute. I am It. I am It. "I am without form, without limit, beyond space, beyond time; I am in everything, I am the basis of the universe-- everywhere am I. I am Existence Absolute. Bliss Absolute. Knowledge Absolute. I am It. I am It."
[Boston Evening Transcript, August 15, 1894]
A short résumé is given below of the last of the talks of Vivekananda under the pines at Eliot, in the temple of the gods, to paraphrase Bryant's line-- "The groves were God's first Temple."
What is the nation? What is law? We have laws only that we may become outlaws (above law).
There is the freedom of the soul; through this we know the freedom of law. I am of the nation of those who seek the liberty of the soul. I am of the nation of those who worship God.
The divine ones of God are all my Masters. I learn of your Christ in learning of Krishna, of Buddha, in learning of Mohamet. I worship God alone. "I am existence absolute, bliss absolute, Knowledge Absolute." I condemn nothing that I find in nation, state or religion, finding God in all. Our growth is not from evil to good, but from good to better, and so on and on. I learn from all that is called evil or good. The nation and all such nonsense may go. It is love, love, love God and my brother.
[Baltimore American, October 13, 1894]
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ARRIVES IN BALTIMORE HIS VIEWS ON RELIGION
Swami Vivekananda, a Brahmin high priest of India, arrived in Baltimore last night, and is the guest of Rev. Walter Vrooman. . . .
To an American reporter last night Swami Vivekananda said:
I have been very favorably impressed with American institutions during my stay in this country. My time has been divided between four cities--Chicago, New York, Boston and Detroit. I never heard of Chicago when in India, but I had frequently heard of Baltimore. The main criticism I have to pass on America is that you have too little religion here. In India they have too much. I think the world would be better if some of India's surplus of religion could be sent over here, while it would be to India's profit if its people could have some of America's industrial advancement and civilization. I am a believer in all religions. I think there is truth in my religion; I think there is truth in your religion. It is the same truth in all religions applying itself through various channels to the same end. I think the great need of the world is less law, and more godly men and women. . . .
[Baltimore News, October 13, 1894]
A High Caste Hindoo Visiting in Baltimore
HIS GORGEOUS GARB ATTRACTS MUCH ATTENTION IN THE LOBBY AT THE RENNERT--HE WHISTLES AND INDULGES IN EAST INDIAN WIT--HE COMES TO BALTIMORE ON A TOUR OF THE COUNTRY AND WILL SPEAK AT THE LYCEUM TOMORROW NIGHT.
Swami Vivekananda, High Priest of the Hindoos, walked into the lobby of the Hotel Rennert this forenoon attired in a flaming red cloak and a gaudy yellow turban that made him the centre of all eyes. . . .
His Idea of Humor
Swami Vivekananda has the sense of humor about him. He was talking this morning about the Food Show, which he intends to visit. He says he doesn't know much about food except to swallow it, and that is a very representative specimen of the wit of Ormus and of Ind.
Another time he spoke of women's rights and said laughingly that women had more rights the world over than they were credited with having. When he changed his black coat, before going to the Rennert, and put on the cardinal red garment with the yellow turban he came out of his room smiling, and said: "A transformation!"
The High Priest can whistle and has enough music in his soul to start the tunes in class meeting if he were Methodist instead of Hindoo. He whistled a couple of strains in his room this morning for a reporter of The News. It was not "Daisy Bell" nor yet "Sweet Marie," and must have been some sort of a heathen Hindoo jingle. . . .
New Discoveries, Vol. 2, pp. 196 200.
Swami is traveling around the country, as he says, lecturing and studying American institutions, but he seems not to have got much into the pith of American sociology, for he knows nothing of such questions as European immigration, divorce, the race problem, etc., which are worrying the economists of the land.
He is, however, posted on Oriental immigration, and says the United States has no right to bar out the Chinese. He says the law of love must prevail and force must yield. He predicts the downfall of any nation that uses force. He says also that the United States should open her doors to the world. He believes the Southern part of the continent should be filled with Hindoos and Chinese. "There is no such thing as divorce in India," he said;
our law does not allow it. Our women are more limited in their sphere than the women of America. Some of them are as highly educated. They are entering the medical profession to some extent now. I see no reason why American women should not vote.
He evaded a question as to the position of Hindoo women in their homes and their treatment by their husbands. It may be that he does not know much about it. He is not a married man. Priests of his caste do not marry.
He mentioned two things which he said had impressed him in America. One was the absence of poverty in the country at large, and the other was the unusual prevalence of ignorance in the South.
When he went to the elevator at the Rennert he said:
There is an American institution which we do not have to any extent in India. I like it very much.
A lady was just coming off the elevator. She was somewhat startled by the red and yellow costume of the priest, but his
imperturbable countenance gave no sign of consciousness of the attention he attracted.
His address tomorrow night at the Lyceum will be mainly introductory of himself and explanatory of the Hindoo nation. He will speak briefly, but will remain in Baltimore and speak more at length a week from tomorrow night.
[Baltimore Sunday Herald, October 14, 1894]
Visit of a Distinguished Hindoo Priest to This City
HE IS A GUEST OF THE VROOMAN BROTHERS AND IS INTERESTED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF RELIGIONS--HIS GORGEOUS GARB. . . . . . . . . . Mr. Vivecananda conversed with a Sunday Herald reporter, speaking English with ease and with an accent similar to that of an educated Italian. He displayed the greatest familiarity with the institutions of this country, religious, political and social.
Mr. Vivecananda came to Baltimore at the invitation of the Vrooman brothers, Hiram, Carl and Walter, and while in this city will be their guest. Rev. Hiram Vrooman was seen at his residence, 1122 North Calvert Street, yesterday, and talked freely in reference to the visit of the distinguished guest. "Mr. Vivecananda," he said, "is one of the most intelligent men I have ever met. He came to this city at our invitation, and while here will confer with us in reference to the founding of the international university, which it is proposed to establish as an outcome of the World's Congress of Religions, which was such an interesting feature of the World's Fair. This university
is one of Mr. Vivecananda's pet ideas, and has the full sympathy of myself and my brothers, and also a number of gentlemen of wealth and position, including several religions. Among its promoters are members of the Roman Catholic and Hebrew religions. The idea of the university is education in general religion. . . . "One of Mr. Vivecananda's ideas in the establishing of the university is that it may serve to educate a superior kind of missionary for work in India. While he is steadfast to his own religious belief, he wishes that the present system of sending ignorant men as missionaries to India may be discontinued and men sent there who can teach the Christian religion from an elevated standpoint. In this wish he is animated only by a desire for the good of general religion. . . . "Mr. Vivecananda told me that his father was a great believer in the Lord Jesus, as he called Him, and that when a boy he had read in the Gospel of St. John the thrilling description of the crucifixion of the Savior and wept over it. He will remain in this city for several weeks. To morrow evening he will deliver a brief address at our meeting at the Lyceum, and on Sunday week will speak at length at our second meeting on the university plan."
Vive Kananda, a Brahmin Monk, Preaches at the People's Church
[Washington Times, Monday, October 29, 1894]
Vive Kananda, the Brahmin monk, spoke to the congregation of the People's Church, No. 423 G Street northwest, at 11:00 a.m. yesterday. . . . Dr. Kent introduced the monk. . . .
Vive Kananda, coming forward, said as a boy at the university he studied comparative religion. In India are many religions. One fifth are Mahomedans. A million are Christians. He studied all. He listened to a great Hindoo preacher, and when he had finished, said: "My brother, have you seen God?"
The preacher looked up in surprise.
"No."
"How, then, do you know these things are true?"
"My father told me."
"Who told your father?"
"His father," and so on through his ancestors to the clouds.
He heard a Christian preacher of great eloquence. This man told the seeker for truth that if he was not immersed in water at once he was in great danger to be roasted alive. Upon further questions this Christian also, through the records of his books, went back to his ancestors, and so back to the clouds.
This did not satisfy the student. He set about praying. He prayed sometimes three days and nights with much weeping and without food. He finally found a man who knew no books, not even to write his own name. This sage was preaching his religion. When asked the old question, he replied: "Yes, I see God now and I will teach you to see Him."
This man bore the stamp of God in his features. It was the same certificate that came to the man of Nazareth when the dove descended upon Him at Jordan. He made his hearer to believe that God lives and religion is not a mockery.
For twelve years Kananda sat at this man's feet. He was the master. He said one day, "Take up this book." Kananda took up the book and read. It was a calendar. He read in it where the rainfall was foretold. It said that within a certain time so many tons of rain would fall in a certain district. "Now," said the teacher, "close the book and press it." He did so. "Squeeze it
very hard." He obeyed. "Did any water come from the book?" "None." So are all books. The true religion is here, at the heart.
The truth is people do not want God. Far from it. Religion is largely fashionable. My lady has a fine parlor, elegant furniture, a piano, beautiful jewelry, well fitting, costly dresses, a hat that is the latest thing out. She cannot get along without a dash of religion to keep up with her set. There is much of this religion, but it is hypocrisy, and hypocrisy is the root of all evil. This sort of religion is not of God. It is only the shadow. People with such religion sometimes grow to be in earnest and talk about religious things as if they had some reality. So talking about religion without having it these people fall to quarreling and fighting. "Mine, mine," is the cry, never "thine, thine." "My religion is best." "No, mine," and so they fight as did the savage tribes about their rival gods, Mambo and Jumbo. Competition in religion, as in business, is the bane of all.
Your own Paul says "all else shall perish, but love abideth." That is the great truth. That false doctrine that my nation shall be aggrandized at the cost of every other nation is not of God.
A youth went to his master and said, "I want to know God." The master paid little attention, but the youth persisted and would not be put off. Finally one day the master said: "Let us go down to the river and have a bath." So they went down and the youth plunged in. The master followed and falling upon him held him under. The youth struggled, but the master would not let him up. Finally, when he seemed to be almost dead he desisted, drew him from the water and revived him. "What did you most want when in the water?" the master asked. "Breath," was the answer. "Then you don't want God."
So it is with men, what do you want? You want breath, without it you cannot live; you want bread, without it you cannot live; you want a house, without it you cannot live. When you want God as you want these things, He manifests himself to you. It is a great thing to want God. A majority of men and women in this world want the enjoyments of sense. They have been told that there is a God afar off and if they will send him a cartload of words he will
help them get these good things of this world. But in every land there are a few persons who want God. They would be one with the essence of good and truth. Religion is not shopkeeping. Love asks no return; love begs not; love gives.
Religion is not an outgrowth of fear; religion is joyous. It is the spontaneous outburst of the songs of birds and the beautiful sight of the morning. It is an expression of the spirit. It is from within an expression of the free and noble spirit.
If misery is religion, what is hell? No man has a right to make himself miserable. To do so is a mistake; it is a sin. Every peal of laughter is a prayer sent to God.
To go back, what I have learned is this: Religion is not in books, not in forms, not in sects, not in nations; religion is in the human heart. It is engraved there. The proof of it is in ourselves.
I make two points. There are sects. Let them go on increasing in number till each is a sect by himself. None can see God exactly as another; each must believe in Him and serve Him as he sees Him. Then I want a harmonizing of the sects. Individuality is not in a fight with universality.
Let each for himself and all together fight evils. If you have a power of eight and I a power of four, and you come and destroy me, you have lost at least four. You have only four left to conquer evil. It is love alone that can conquer hatred. If there is power in hate there is infinitely more power in love.
[Washington Times, November 2, 1894]
Vive Kananda Compares Religions and Talks of Reincarnation
Optimism is the feature of the belief of the Aryas or Hindoos as distinguished from Western religions, according to the
Brahman monk, Vive Kananda, who spoke to a fair sized audience at Metzerott Hall last night. His subject was reincarnation. Much of his lecture was devoted to comparison of Hindoo with Christian doctrine.
To illustrate the tenet of reincarnation he compared the human body to a river. Each drop of water passes on and is replaced by another. The entire body of water, he observed, changes wholly in a few moments, but we call it the same river. In the same way the particles of the body are constantly replaced by others and no two days do we have the same body, yet we preserve our identity.
The spirit remains so, the Hindoos believe, that the person may have a different and more sudden and violent change in death and yet pass on in its existence to some other place in the universe, to some other planet or star, and then take on a body of flesh again or of some other kind.
He said there ought to be no talk of sin. The mistakes of the past ought to be used only for guidance in the future, never to be moaned over. When the lesson is learned from them they should be forgotten. "Strike a light," he said, "sit not in darkness and sorrow. Do always better and be happy." . . .
[Baltimore News, November 3, 1894]
Swami Vivekananda, Hindoo high priest, lectured last night at Harris' Academy of Music Concert Hall. His subject was "India and Its Religion." He explained the belief of the various Eastern religions, including his own, which is Brahminism. He ridiculed the idea of sending missionaries of so many different faiths to heathen lands, and said that the various religions engaged in missionary work should be united. Mr. Vivekananda explained that the Hindoo religion is optimistic and not pessimistic. His main point was the doctrine of reincarnation, which means that all have existed before and will live again in other forms. The proceeds of the lecture will be applied to the work of founding an international college.
[Daily Eagle, April 8, 1895]
Then It will Come Out All Right, Says Swami Vivekananda
The English people were given a raking over last night by Swami Vivekananda of India, who lectured to a throng at the Pouch mansion. He said that the English used three B's--Bible, brandy and bayonets--in civilizing India. The preacher went ahead with the Bible to get the lay of the fortifications. The English, he said, had exaggerated the social conditions of India in their writings. They got their ideas from the Pariahs, who were a sort of human scavenger. No self respecting Hindoo, he declared, would associate with an Englishman. The story about widows throwing themselves under the chariot of Juggernaut he declared to be a myth. Child marriage and caste he agreed were bad. Caste, he said, originated with the mechanics' guilds. What India needed was to be let alone, and it would come out all right.
[New York World, December 8, 1895]
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA THE YOGI, COMES FROM BOMBAY, PREACHING LOVE FOR HIS FELLOW MAN.
To find an ascetic of the Highest Eastern type clad in a red and flowing Hindoo cloak over unmistakable American trousers is necessarily a surprise. But in other things besides dress is Swami Vivekananda astonishing. In the first place he declares that your religion or any one else's religion is just as good as his own, and if you should happen to be a Christian or Mussulman, Baptist or Brahmin, atheist, agnostic or Catholic, it will make no difference to him. All that he asks is that you act righteously according to your lights.
The Yogi, with his peculiar notions of dress and worship, arrived Friday on the Brittanic. He went to No. 228 West Thirty ninth street. While in New York he will lecture upon metaphysics and psychology, and will also disseminate in a general way his ideas on the universal religion which asks no man to take another by the throat because his creed happens to be different. "Let me help my fellowman; that is all I seek," he says. "There are four general types of men," he says,
the rational, the emotional, the mystical and the worker. For them we must have their proper worship. There comes the rational man, who says, "I care not for this form of worship. Give me the philosophical, the rational--that I can appreciate." So for the rational man is the rational, philosophic worship.
There comes the worker. He says: "I care not for the worship of the philosopher. Give me work to do for my fellow men." So for him is made a worship, as for the mystical the emotional. In the religion for all these men are the elements of their faith. "No," said the Swami, very softly, in answer to a question,
I do not believe in the occult. If a thing be unreal it is not. What is unreal does not exist. Strange things are natural phenomena. I know them to be matters of science. Then they are not occult to me. I do not believe in occult societies. They do no good, and can never do good.
In fact, the Swami belongs to no society, cult or creed. His is a religion which compasses all worship, all classes, all beliefs.
Swami, who is a very dark featured and good looking young fellow, explained his creed yesterday in remarkably pure English. One forgot when he spoke that an orthodox choker peered over the Bombay robe which in turn scantily concealed the American trousers. One saw instead a winning smile and a pair of deep, lustrous black eyes.
Swami believes in reincarnation. He believes that with the purification of the body the soul rises to a higher condition, and as the purification through matter continues the spirit rises, until released from further migration and is joined with the universal spirit.
Such a man as the Jew baiter [Hermann?] Ahlwardt, who has just arrived in this country, the Swami cannot understand. "You say," he said, that he comes here to preach hate against his fellow men. Is he not of wrong mind? Is he allowed to spread this hate? The doctors should examine his brain to find out the wrong.
The peculiar name of the Yogi signifies, literally, "The bliss of discrimination." He is the first Indian Yogi who ever came to this country. He comes from Bombay.
[New York Herald, January 19, 1896]
The following is a brief sketch of the Swami's fundamental teachings:
Every man must develop according to his own nature. As every science has its methods so has every religion. Methods of attaining the end of our religion are called Yoga, and the different forms of Yoga that we teach are adapted to the different natures and temperaments of men. We classify them in the following way, under four heads: (1) Karma Yoga--The manner in which a man realizes his own divinity through works and duty. (2) Bhakti Yoga--The realization of a divinity through devotion to and love of a personal God. (3) Rajah Yoga--The realization of divinity through control of mind. (4) Gnana Yoga--The realization of man's own divinity through knowledge.
These are all different roads leading to the same center-- God. Indeed, the varieties of religious belief are an advantage, since all faiths are good, so far as they encourage man to religious life. The more sects there are the more opportunities there are for making successful appeals to the divine instinct in all men.
Vivekananda's Lecture on the Creeds of the World [Hartford Daily Times, February 1, 1896]
A fair house greeted the Hindu monk, Vivekananda, last night. . . . He was introduced by Mr. C. B. Patterson, in some fitting remarks. . . . His subject last night was "The Ideal, or Universal Religion".
Throughout the universe there are two forces constantly at work, the centrifugal and centripetal, positive and negative, action and reaction, attraction and repulsion. We find love and hatred, good and evil. What plane is stronger than the spiritual plane, the plane of religion? The world furnishes no hate stronger than that engendered by religion, and no love stronger. No teachings have brought more unhappiness into the world, nor more happiness. The beautiful teachings of Buddha have been carried across the Himalayas, at a height of 20,000 feet, by his disciples. Five hundred years later came the teachings of your beautiful Christ, and these have been carried on the wings of the wind. On the other hand, look at your beautiful earth deluged in blood in the interest of propagandism and religion. As soon as a man comes into the company of those who do not believe as he does, his very nature changes. It is his own opinions he fights for, not religion. He becomes the very embodiment of cruelty and fanaticism. His religion is all right, but when he starts out to fight for his own selfish opinions he is all wrong. People are up in arms about the Armenian and the Turkish butcheries, but their consciences don't say a word when the butcheries are committed in the interest of their own religion. In human beings we find a curious mixture of God, man, and devil, and religion stirs up the latter more than anything else. When we all think alike, the God side of our nature comes out; but let there be a clash of opinions, and presto, change! the devil has the floor. This has been so from time immemorial, and will be so always. In India we know what fanaticism means, for that country for the last thousand years has been the especial field of missionaries. But above the clash of opinions, and the fight for religions, there comes the voice of peace. For 3,000 years efforts have been made to bring the different religions into harmony. But we know how this effort has failed. And it always will fail, and it ought to fail. We have a network of words about love, peace, and universal brotherhood, which were meant all right originally, but we repeat them like parrots, and to us they mean nothing. Is there a universal philosophy for the world? Not yet. Each religion has its own creeds and dogmas and insists upon propagating them. You can't make one religion for the whole world. That must not be. The Armenians say it will be all right if you will all become Armenians. And the Pope of Rome says: "O yea, it is a very easy thing. If you will all become Roman Catholics, it will be all right." And so with the Greek church, and the Protestant church, and all the rest. There can never be one religion only, it would be death to all other religions. If every one thought alike there would be no more thought to think. If everybody looked alike, what monotony! Look alike and think alike--what could we do but sit down and die in despair? We can't live like a row of chipmunks; variation belongs to human life. One God, one religion is an old sing song, but there's danger in it. But, thank God, it can never be. Start out with your long purse, and your guns and cannon, to push your propagandism. And suppose you succeed for a while? In ten years your so called unity would be split into fragments. That is why there are so many sects. Take the largest religion, the Buddhist. They try to help the world to be better. Next come the Christians, with [a] good many things to teach. They have three Gods in one, and one in three, and one of the three took on the sins of the world and was killed. Whoever doesn't believe in him, goes to a very hot place. And Mohammed, whoever doesn't believe in him will have his skin burnt off, and then a fresh one will be furnished to be burnt, that he may know that Allah is the all powerful. All religions came originally from the Orient. These great teachers or incarnations come in different forms. The Hindus have ten incarnations; the first was a fish, and so on, down to the fifth, and from there, they were all men. The Buddhists say: "We don't care to have so many incarnations; we want only one." The Christians say: "We will have only one, and this is Christ." And they say he is the only one. But the Buddhist says they have the start in time; their great teacher came five hundred years earlier. And the Mohammedans say theirs came last, and therefore is the best. Each one loves his own, just as a mother loves her own child. The Buddhist never sees any fault in Buddha; the Christian never sees any fault in Christ, and the Mohammedan never sees any fault in Mo - hammed. The Christian says their God took the form of a dove and came down, and that they say is not mythology, but history. The Hindu says his god is manifested in a cow and that he says is not superstition, but history. The Jew thinks his Holy of Holies can be contained in a box or chest, with an angel on guard on either side. But the Christian's God in the form of a beautiful man or woman, is a horrible idol. "Break it down!" they say. One man's prophet did such and such wonderful things, while others call it only superstition. So where's your unity? Then there are your rituals. The Roman Catholic puts on his robe, as I have mine. He has his bells and candles and holy water, and says these are good and necessary, but what you do, he says is only superstition. We can never upset all this and have but one religion for the very life of thought is the differentiation of thought. We must learn to love those who think exactly opposite to us. We have humanity for the background, but each must have his own individuality and his own thought. Push the sects forward and forward till each man and woman are sects unto themselves. We must learn to love the man who differs from us in opinion. We must learn that differentiation is the life of thought. We have one common goal, and that is the perfection of the human soul, the god within us. Religion is the great force to help unfold the god within man. But we have to unfold in our own way. We can't all assimilate the same kind of food. Let your aspirations be of the highest, and your inspirations will be in harmony with reason and all known laws, and the Lord will always be with you.
[Tribune, March 5, 1896]
He Would Have Many Kinds of Religion
Vivekananda, the Hindoo missionary, lectured at the Hotel Richelieu last night. The parlors of the private hotel were filled to overflowing with a crowd of ladies. When Vivekananda arrived at the hotel it was with difficulty he worked his way in. He went upstairs and very shortly came down again robed in a purple gown, caught about the waist with a purple cord.
Vivekananda in his talk said that there were various religions and each believer thought his religion the only true religion. It was a mistake, he said, to suppose that all should have the same religion. "If all were of the same religious opinion," said he,
there would be no religion. No sooner does a religion start than it breaks into pieces. The process is for the religion to go on dividing until each man has his own religion, until each man has thought out his own thoughts and carved out for himself his own religion.
Vivekananda will remain in Detroit about two weeks and will give classes every morning at 11 o'clock and every evening at 8 o'clock at the hotel. . . .
[News Tribune, March 16, 1896]
Vivekananda Lectured in Temple Beth El
Spoke on the Ideal of a Universal Religion He Will Probably Leave Tuesday
Temple Beth El was crowded to the doors last night when Swami Vivekananda delivered his address upon "The Ideal of a universal religion." The time announced for the service was 8 o'clock, but the congregation began to assemble at the temple early in the evening so that the doors had to be opened at
6:25 p.m. They were closed at 7 o'clock and the hundreds that arrived after that time had to be turned away.
We all hear about universal brotherhood, and how societies stand up and want to preach this. But to what does it amount? As soon as you make a sect you protest against equality, and thus it is no more, said Swami.
Unity in variety is the plan of the universe. Just as we are all men, yet we are all separate. We find then, that if by the idea of a universal religion is meant one set of doctrines should be believed by all mankind, it is impossible, it can never be, any more than there will be a time when all faces will be the same. We must not seek that all of us should think alike, like Egyptian mummies in a museum, looking at each other without thought to think. It is this difference of thought, this differentiation, losing of the balance of thought, which is the very soul of our progress, the soul of thought.
Swami will probably leave Tuesday [March 17]. At the close of his address last night he thanked the people of Detroit for the kind reception tendered him and his philosophy.
[Boston Evening Transcript, March 21, 1896]
Swami Vivekananda Compares Teachings of Hindu Wisdom and Western Religions
The Swami Vivekananda, who will be remembered as the Hindu delegate to the World's Parliament of Religions, is in the city as the March class lecturer at the Procopeia, 45 St. Botolph street. The Swami has been doing some most valuable and successful work in systematic class lecturing in New York, with constantly increasing audiences, during the past two winters, and comes to Boston at a most opportune time.
The Swami gives the following description of his work. In explanation of the term sannyasin, he said, [Vide "The Sannyasin", Complete Works, V: 260].
In giving some idea of his work and its methods, the Swami says he left the world because he had a deep interest in religion and philosophy from his childhood, and Indian books teach renunciation as the highest ideal to which a man can aspire. The Swami['s] teaching, as he expresses it,
is my own interpretation of our ancient books in the light which my master (a celebrated Hindu sage) shed upon them. I claim no supernatural authority. Whatever in my teachings may appeal to the highest intelligence and be accepted by thinking men, the adoption of that will be my reward. All religions have for their object the teaching of devotion, or knowledge, or activity, in a concrete form. Now, the philosophy of Vedanta is the abstract science which embraces all these methods, and this is what I teach, leaving each one to apply it to his own concrete form. I refer each individual to his own experience, and where reference is made to books, the latter are procurable, and may be studied for each one by himself.
The Swami teaches no authority from hidden beings, through visible objects, any more than he claims learning from hidden books or MSS. He believes no good can come from secret societies.
Truth stands on its own authority, and truth can bear the light of day.
He teaches only the Self, hidden in the heart of every individual, and common to all. A handful of strong men, knowing that Self, and living in its light, would revolutionize the world, even today, as has been the case of single strong men before, each in his day.
His attitude towards Western religions is briefly this. He propounds a philosophy which can serve as a basis to every possible religious system in the world, and his attitude towards all of them is one of extreme sympathy. His teaching is antagonistic to none. He directs his attention to the individual, to make him strong, to teach him that he himself is divine, and he calls upon men to make themselves conscious of divinity within. His hope is to imbue individuals with the teachings to which he has referred, and to encourage them to express these to others in their own way; let them modify them as they will; he does not teach them as dogmas; truth, at length, must inevitably prevail. . . .
[Boston Daily Globe, March 24, 1896]
Message Brought by the Swami Vivekananda--
in His Country the Gods Are "Bright Ones" That Help
The Swami Vivekananda is enjoying as great a degree of popularity on his present visit to Boston as he did when society, fashionable, intellectual and faddist, went wild over him on his former visit. . . . . . . A New York paper published an interview with the Swami, in which he is reported to have expressed the opinion that in Boston "the women are all faddists, all fickle, merely bent on following something new and strange." But Swami Vivekananda says that this is an exaggerated and distorted presentation of a criticism which he made upon all American women, that they were too superficial and too prone to follow the sensational and to change from one thing to another. This he says his observation has forced upon him. The American women are intellectual, but they are not steady, serious and sincere.
The first of the Swami's lectures was delivered before an audience of 400 people in the Allen gymnasium, Saturday evening on "The Science of Work," and the second one of the course on "Devotion" was given in the same place, the hall being filled and a number turned away unable to gain admittance.
The lecture was exceedingly interesting and the speaker's manner was very magnetic. In his country, said the Swami, the gods were the "bright ones" who gave help to men and received help from them. The gods are only human beings who are somewhat elevated after death, but God, the highest, is never prayed to or asked for help. He is given only love and worship without anything being asked in return. There are two phases of this God, the one, the abstract God behind the substance of the universe, and the other the personal God who is seen through human intellect and given attributes by it.
The love which is given to God never takes, but always gives, and it does not depend on anything. The worshiper does not pray for health, money or any other thing, but is content with the lot apportioned to him.
People who ask about religion from mere motives of curiosity become faddists, they are always looking for some thing new and their brains degenerate until they become old rags. It is a religious dissipation with them.
It is not the place that makes heaven or hell, but the mind. Love knows no fear, there can be no love where it is. In love of any sort external objects are only suggested by something within --it is one's own ideal projected, and God is the highest ideal that can be conceived of.
Hatred of the world does not drive good men from it, but the world slips away from the great and saintly. The world, the family and social life, are all training grounds, that is all.
When one realizes that God is love, it does not matter what his other attributes are, that is the only essential.
The more a man throws himself away, the more God comes in, hence self abnegation, which is the secret of all religion and morality.
Too many people bring down their ideals. They want a comfortable religion, but there is none such. It is all self surrender and upward striving.
[Boston Evening Transcript, March 27, 1896]
Swami Vivekananda told the large audience that crowded the Allen Gymnasium to hear him speak on the "Ideal of a Universal Religion," last night, that the recent Parliament of Religions at Chicago proved, to that date, that universal religion was impossible. "Nature," he said, is wiser than we have thought her to be. It is competition of ideas, the clash of thought, that keeps thought alive. Sects have always been antithetical, and always will be splitting into little varieties of themselves. And the way to get out of this fight of religions is to let the sects go on subdividing.
There is no unity in the three elements of religion-- philosophy [theology?], mythology and ceremony. Each theologian wants unity, but his idea of unity is the adjustment of all other creeds to his own. I agree with the old prophets as long as they agree with me. But there is an element of religion that towers above all; that is, philosophy. The philosopher seeks truth, which is one and the same always. And it is acceptable to the four sides of every religious nature--the emotional, mystical, active and philosophical. And he who dares to seek the truth for truth's sake is greatest among men.
[Boston Evening Transcript, March 30, 1896]
The Hindu Swami Lectures Before Several Societies.
The Swami Vivekananda has, during the past few days, conducted a most successful work in connection with the Procopeia. During this time he has given four class lectures for the club itself, with constant audiences of between four and five hundred people, at the Allen Gymnasium, 44, St. Botolph street, two at the house of Mrs. Ole Bull in Cambridge, and one before the professors and graduate students of the philosophical department of Harvard University.
The idea, which brought the Swami to America three years ago as Hindu delegate to the Parliament of Religions, and has been the guiding motive of all his subsequent work, both in America and England, is one which appeals strongly to the people whose creation the parliament was, but the methods which he proposes are peculiarly his own. One of his lectures during the week has been "The Ideal of a Universal Religion," but a "harmonious religion" would, perhaps, equally meet the case, if, indeed, it would not more adequately express that for which he is striving. The Swami is not a preacher of theory. If there is any one feature of the Vedanta philosophy, which he propounds, which appears especially refreshing, it is its intense capability of practical demonstration. We have become almost wedded to the idea that religion is a sublime theory which can be brought into practice and made tangible for us only in another life, but the Swami shows us the folly of this. In preaching the Divinity of Man he inculcates a spirit of strength into us which will have none of those barriers between this life and actual realization of the sublime that, to the ordinary man, appear as insurmountable.
In discussing the general lines on which it appears to him universal religion can alone be established, he claims for his plan no super authority. As he says:
I have also my little plan. I do not know whether it will work or not, and I want to present it to you for discussion. In the first place, I would ask mankind to recognize this maxim: "Do not destroy." Iconoclastic reformers do no good to the world. Help, if you can; if you cannot, fold your hands, stand by, and see things go on. Therefore say not a word against any man's convictions, so far as they are sincere. Secondly, take man where he stands, and from thence give him a lift.
Unity in variety is the plan of the universe. Just as we are all men, yet we are all separate. As humanity, I am one with you; as Mr. So and so, I am different from you. As a man you are separate from woman, but as human beings you are all one; as a living being you are one with animals and all that lives, but as man you are separate. That existence is God, the ultimate unity in this universe. In Him we are all one. We find, then, that if by the idea of a universal religion is meant that one set of doctrines should be believed by all mankind, it is impossible, it can never be, any more than all faces will be the same. Again, if we expect that there will be one universal mythology, that is also impossible; it cannot be. Neither can there be a universal ritual. When this time comes the world will be destroyed, because variety is the first principle of life. What makes us formed beings? Differentiation. Perfect balance will be destruction.
What then do I mean by the ideal of a universal religion? I do not mean a universal philosophy, or a universal mythology, or a universal ritual, but I mean that this world must go on, wheel within wheel. What can we do? We can make it run smoothly, we can lessen friction, we can grease the wheels, as it were. By what? By recognizing variation.
Cf. Complete Works, II: 381 82.
Just as we have recognized unity, by our very nature so we must also recognize variation. We must learn that truth may be expressed in a thousand ways, and each one yet be true. We must learn that the same thing can be viewed from a hundred different standpoints, and yet be the same thing.
In society we see so many various natures of mankind. A practical generalization will be impossible, but for my purpose I have simply characterized them into four. First, the active man; then the emotional man; then the mystical man, and lastly the philosopher.
To be universal, religion must provide possibility of realizing truth through means suitable to any one of these minds, and a religion which says that through one alone all men must struggle, whether these minds are capable of the struggle or not, must end in agnosticism.
In his lecture on Karma Yoga, the Swami dealt with the science of work. The lecture for the most part analyzed the motives men have in work, and particularly the motive of heaven as a reward for good work on earth. This, said the Swami, is shopkeeping religion. Work alone reaches its highest when it is done absolutely without hope of reward, work for work's sake, and without regard to the consequences.
In discussing Bhakti Yoga, Devotion, the Swami explained the rationale of a Personal God. This idea of devotion and worship of some being who has to be loved, and who can reflect back the love to man, is universal. The lowest stage of the manifestation of this love and devotion is ritualism, when man wants things that are concrete, and abstract ideas are almost impossible. Throughout the history of the world we find man is trying to grasp the abstract through thought forms, or symbols, and the external manifestations of religion. Bells, music, rituals, books, images come under that head. Man can only think with form and word. Immediately thought comes, form and name flash into the mind with them, so that when we think of God, whether as the Personal God with human shape, or as the Divine Principle, or in any other aspect, we are always thinking of our own highest ideal with some or other form, generally human, because the form of man is the highest of which man can conceive. But, while recognizing this as a necessity of human weakness, and while making proportionate use of rituals, symbols, books and churches, we must always remember that it is very good to be born in a church, but it is very bad to die in a church. If a man dies within the bounds of these forms, it shows that he has not grown, that there has been no uncovering of the real, the Divinity, within him.
True love can be regarded as a triangle. The first angle is, love knows no bargain. So when a man is praying to God, "give me this, and give me that," it is not love. How can it be? "I give you my little prayer, and you give me something in return"; that is mere shopkeeping. The second angle is, love knows no fear. So long as God is regarded as a rewarder or a punisher there can be no love for him. The third angle, the apex, is, love is always the highest ideal. When we have reached the point where we can worship the ideal as the ideal, all arguments and doubts have vanished forever. The ideal can never escape, because it is part of our own nature.
In his lecture at Harvard University, the Swami traced the history, so far as is known, of the Vedanta philosophy, and showed to what extent the Vedas (the Hindu scriptures) are accepted as authoritative; merely as the foundation for the philosophy in so far as they appeal to the reason. He compared the three schools, the Dualists, who acknowledge a supreme being, and a lesser being manifesting in men, but eternally separate from men. Next he described the philosophy of the Qualified nondualists, whose particular idea is that there is a God and there is nature, but that the soul and nature is simply the expansion, or the body of God, just as the body of man is to man's soul. They claim, in support of this theory, that the effect is never different from the cause, but that it is the cause repro- duced in another form, and as God, therefore, is the cause of this universe, he is also the effect. The Monists . . . declare that if there is a God, that God must be both the material and the efficient cause of the universe. Not only is he the Creator; but he is also the created. He himself is this universe, apparently; but, in reality, this universe does not exist--it is mere hypnotisation. Differentiation is in name and form only. There is but one soul in the universe, not two, because that which is immaterial cannot be bounded, must be infinite; and there cannot be two infinities, because one would limit the other. The soul is pure, and the appearance of evil is just as a piece of crystal, which is pure in itself, but appears to be variously colored when flowers are placed before it.
In discussing Raja Yoga, the psychological way to union with God, the Swami expanded upon the power to which the mind can attain through concentration, both in reference to the physical and the spiritual world. It is the one method that we have in all knowledge. From the lowest to the highest, from the smallest worm to the highest sage, they have to use this one method. The astronomer uses it in order to discover the mysteries of the skies, the chemist in his laboratory, the professor in his chair. This is the one call, the one knock, which opens the gates of nature and lets out the floods of light. This is the one key, the only power--concentration. In the present state of our bodies we are so much distracted, the mind is frittering away its energies upon a hundred sorts of things. By scientific control of the forces which work the body this can be done, and its ultimate effect is realization. Religion cannot consist of talk. It only becomes religion when it becomes tangible, and until we strive to feel that of which we talk so much, we are no better than agnostics, for the latter are sincere and we are not.
The Twentieth Century Club had the Swami as their guest Saturday [March 28], and heard an address from him on the "Practical Side of the Vedanta Philosophy." He leaves Boston today, and will, within a few days, sail for England, en route for India.
Lectures on Hindoo Religion and Philosophy
[Los Angeles Times, December 9, 1899]
. . . . . . . . . The well known expositor of the Hindoo philosophy, dressed in the yellow robe of the Brahmin caste, spoke in part as follows:
I come before you, ladies and gentlemen, to bring no new religion. I desire simply to tell you a few points that bind together all religions. I shall touch upon some things in the thought of eastern civilization that will appear strange to you and on others that I hope will appeal to you. All the religions of the world have a backbone of unity. This is the principle of philosophy and of toleration.
Very few people in this country understand what India is. It is a country half as large as the United States and containing 300,000,000 people, speaking a number of different tongues, but all bound together by the ideas of a common religion. By these ideas the Hindoos have made their influence felt through the ages, working gently, silently, patiently, while western civilization has been conquering by force of arms. The future will show which is the more powerful--physical force or the power of ideas. The arts and sciences of the Hindoos have found their way over all the earth--their numerals, their mathematical thought, their ethics. Was it not in India, there and there alone, that the doctrine of love was first preached, and not alone the doctrine of love of one's fellow men, but of love of every living thing, yea, even of the meanest worm that crawls under our feet. When you begin to study the arts and institutions of India, you become magnetized, fascinated. You cannot get away.
In India, as elsewhere, we find the earliest condition one of division into little tribes. These different tribes had each its different god, its different ceremonial. But in coming in contact with one another, the tribes did not follow the course that western civilization has taken--they did not persecute each other because of these differences, but endeavored to find the germs of common ideas in all the religions. And from this endeavor arose the habit of toleration which is the keynote of the Indian religion. Truth is one, can be but one, though it may be expressed in different language.
Another great difference between eastern and western religion lies in the reception of a philosophical and scientific view of the universe. In the West, agnosticism has been growing in late years, and with the loss of a hope in individual immortality, which the westerner is always desiring and seeking, a note of despair has crept into western thought. Ages ago, the Hindoo realized that the universe was one of law, and that, under law, all change. Therefore, an imperishable individuality is an impossibility. But this thought is not one of despair to the Hindoo. On the contrary --and this is what the westerner can least understand of eastern thought--he longs for freedom, for release from the thralldom of the senses, from the thralldom of pain and the thralldom of pleasure.
Western civilization has sought a personal God and despaired at the loss of belief in such. The Hindoo, too, has sought. But God cannot be known to the external senses. The Infinite, the Absolute, cannot be grasped. Yet although it eludes us, we may not infer its non existence. It exists. What is it that cannot be seen by the outward eye? The eye itself. It may behold all other things, but itself it cannot mirror. This, then, is the solution. If God may not be found by the outer senses, turn your eye inward and find, in yourself, the soul of all souls. Man himself is the All. I cannot know the fundamental reality, because I am that fundamental reality. There is no duality. This is the solution of all questions of metaphysics and ethics. Western civilization has in vain endeavored to find a reason for altruism. Here it is. I am my brother, and his pain is mine. I cannot injure him without injuring myself, or do ill to other beings without bringing that ill upon my own soul. When I have realized that I myself am the Absolute, for me there is no more death nor life nor pain nor pleasure, nor caste nor sex. How can that which is absolute die or be born? The pages of nature are turned before us like the pages of a book, and we think that we ourselves are turning, while in reality we remain ever the same.
CONCEPTION OF THE UNIVERSE IN DISTANT INDIA
[Los Angeles Times, December 13, 1899]
Swami Vivekananda, the Hindu philosopher, addressed the regular monthly meeting of the Southern California Academy of Sciences at Unity Church last evening. The audience was large and appreciative, and at the end of the lecture a number of questions were asked by members of the audience and answered by the lecturer. . . .
The speaker began with a reference to the mythological tales of the Hindus in which they attempted to explain the origin of the universe, and he told also of the endeavors of the ancients to explain the mysteries which surrounded them.
According to their belief, he said, man's first idea is of himself. His will moves all his members. A child's idea of power is in its will. All movement of the universe has a will behind it. The Hindus believe, said the speaker, that there is but one God, and he a person like the rest of them, but infinitely greater. Their mind is philosophical enough not to admit the existence of two gods, one bad and one good. With them nature is a unit, unity in all existence is the universe, and God is the same as nature. "There is not a system of philosophy," said the speaker,
from that of the ancient Egyptians down to that of the Roman Catholic Church, which does not show traces of the same thought. All forces that exist in the mental and physical world have been resolved, in India, into the one word "Father" ["Prâna"?]. Whatever is, has been projected by Him.
In closing, the philosopher said that the ancient voice of India had found an echo in the 19th century in the writings of Herbert Spencer.
[Los Angeles Herald, December 13, 1899]
Swami Vivekananda's lecture before the Academy of Sciences
Unity church was filled last evening with a large audience to hear the Swami Vivekananda, a native of India, lecture on the kosmos, or the Veda conception of the universe under the auspices of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. .
In introducing his subject the speaker reviewed the mythology of the flood, which among the Babylonians, Egyptians, Assyrians and other races is similar to the story of the Hebrew scriptures, showing that all held a similar belief concerning the creation of the universe.
In the worship of the sun and the forces of nature, we see the attempts of ancient peoples to explain the mysteries surrounding them. Man's first idea of force was himself. When a stone fell he saw no force in it but the will behind it, and he conceived the idea that the whole universe was moved by force of wills. Gradually these wills became one, and science begins to rise. Gods begin to vanish, and in their place comes oneness, and now God is in danger of being dethroned by modern science. Science wants to explain things by their own nature and make the universe self sufficient.
Wills gradually began to disappear, and in their place comes will. This was the process of development in all the nations of the world, and so it was in India. Their ideas and gods were pretty much the same as those of other lands, only in India they did not stop there. They learned that life alone can produce life, and that death can never produce life. In our speculations about God we have got to monotheism. Everywhere else speculation stops there; we make it the be all and end all of everything, but in India it does not stop there. A gigantic will can not explain all this phenomena we see around us. Even in man there is something back of the will. In so common sense a thing as the circulation of the blood, we find will is not the motive power.
We have conceived God as a person like ourselves, only infinitely greater, and because there is goodness and mercy and happiness in the world there must be a being possessing these attributes, but there is also evil. The Hindu mind is too philosophical to admit the existence of two gods, one good and one bad. India remained true to the idea of unity. What is evil to me may be good to someone else; what is good to me may be evil to others. We are all links in a chain. Hence comes the speculation of the Upanishads, the religion of 300,000,000 of the human race. Nature is a unit; unity is in all existence, and God is the same as nature. This is one of the Indian speculations known to all the world outside of India.
There is not a system of religion or philosophy in the world that does not show the influence of India's speculation, even to the Catholic church. The conservation of energy, considered a new discovery, has been known there by the name of father [Prâna?]. Whatever is comes from the father. Brahma [Prana?] must energize on something, and that they say is an invisible ether. Brahma [Prana?] vibrating on ether, the solid, the liquid, the luminous, it is all the same ether. The potentiality of everything is there. In the beginning of the next period Brahma [Prana?] will begin to vibrate more and more.
Thus this speculation of India's scriptures is very similar to modern science. The same idea is taken up by modern evolution. Even our bodies, different only in dignity, are links in the same chain. In one individual the possibilities of every other individual are there. The living entity contains the possibility of all life, but can only express that which environment demands. The most wonderful speculations are formed in modern science. The one that interests me as a preacher of religion is the oneness of all religions [life?]. When Herbert Spencer's voice says that the same life welling up in the plant is the life welling up in the individual, the Indian religion has found a voice in the nineteenth century.
[Los Angeles Herald, January 3, 1900]
Lecture last night at Blanchard Hall by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda, member of an ancient order of Hindu monks, who is giving a series of lessons and lectures in this city, addressed an audience last night at Blanchard hall upon the "History of India" ["The People of India"]. The Swami appeared before his audience in American dress, losing to a great degree the peculiar and characteristic personality given him by the aesthetic silken robes and the turban worn by his order.
The speaker said India was not a country, but a continent containing a huge mass of races united by religion. India was of ancient date. It was inhabited, when through a desire to reach it by a shorter passage, Columbus discovered America, and its production of cotton, sugar, indigo and spices have enriched the world. This country inhabited by 200,000,000 of people, is full of little villages that extend through all the valleys and up the mountains thousands of feet above the sea level. The immense fertility of the soil owes much to the tremendous rainfall, which is often 1,800 inches [sic] in a season, averaging perhaps 600 inches. Many of the people, however, in spite of the abundant productions, live wholly on millet, a kind of cereal; no animal food is eaten; no meat, eggs or fish.
The country from most ancient times has kept its own customs, its own languages and its castes. It has by its religion saved itself while it has seen other sections [nations] rise and decay. The Babylonian civilization was not new, but India dates long before its rise and fall. The most ancient language, Sanskrit, is spoken by the priests, and was spoken once by all the different races. The speaker gave examples of many of our common English words coming from Sanskrit roots, and traced the old religious ideas and even mythology to the ancient Aryan races.
Many of the customs of the country were sketched, and further it was shown how this country was the seat of civilization, the center of arts, the sciences, the philosophical thought of the world. The people of India have saved themselves by making a wall around themselves by making the castes absolute. An emperor in India is glad to trace his descent from a priest, who is the highest caste. The castes do not exist as they did once, but they are divided into many divisions and sub divisions. There are hundreds of them. No people of different castes eat together, or cook together. Marriage is not legal if made outside of one's caste. The intricacy of the laws of caste is very great and branch out into the minutest detail. The poorest beggar or the viceroy of India may belong to the same caste.
Shoes are not allowed to be worn, as they are made from the skin of an animal. The women pay even more attention to these details than the men. All these customs have their philosophy. This is the true democracy, it is the socialistic idea, the development of the masses, not the individual.
The speaker closed with comparing the position of women in India with that of this country. In India the whole idea of womanhood is the mother. The mother is reverenced. She is the giver of life, the founder of the race.
[Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1900]
The Swami
Clad in his maroon robe, Swami Vivekananda addressed a small audience composed mostly of women, at the Shakespeare Club this evening [January 16]. He gave an account of the religious legends of Brahmanism, which are embodied in the daily lives of the Hindus, of the origin of Shiva and his surrender to the pure spirit of his wife, today the mother of all India, whose worship is carried to such an extent that no female animal can be killed. Vivekananda quoted freely from the Sanskrit, translating as he went along. . . .
[Los Angeles Herald, January 26, 1900]
Swami Vivekananda, the Oriental seer, lectured at the Shakespeare club this morning [Thursday, January 25] on "The Science of Yoga". He said that there is no difference in kind between anything in nature, but that all differences are of degree merely. The mind is the supreme power, the motor of the world.
[Unity, February (?) 1900]
. . . . . . . . . We had eight lectures at the Home by the Swami and all were intensely interesting, though a few malcontents complained because he did not give some short cuts into the King
dom [of Heaven] and show an easy way to the attainment of mental powers; instead he would say,
Go home and promise yourself that you will not worry for a whole month even though the maid breaks all your best china.
There is combined in the Swami Vivekananda the learning of a university president, the dignity of an archbishop, with the grace and winsomeness of a free natural child. Getting on the platform without a moment's preparation he would soon be in the midst of his subject, sometimes becoming almost tragic as his mind would wander from deep metaphysics to the prevailing condition in Christian countries today who go and seek to reform Filipinos with the swords in one hand and the Bible in the other, or in South Africa allow children of the same father to cut each other to pieces. To contrast this condition of things he described what took place during the last famine in India where men would die of starvation beside their cattle rather than stretch forth a hand to kill. (Will Unity readers remember the fifty million Hindoos who are starving today and send them a blessing?)
Instead of trying to give much of what we heard from the Swami direct, I will append a few of the sayings of his master, Ramakrishna, that will better indicate the nature of his teaching. His chief aim seems to be to encourage people in living simple, quiet wholesome lives--that the life shall be the religion, not something separate and apart.
To the true mother he gives the highest place, counting her as more to be esteemed than those who simply run around teaching. "Anyone can talk," he said, but if I had to look after a baby, I could not endure existence for more than three days.
Frequently he would speak of the "mother" as we speak of the "father," and would say "the mother will take care of us," or "the mother will look after things."
We had a lecture on Christmas day from the Swami entitled, "Christ's Mission to the World," and a better one on this subject I never heard. No Christian minister could have presented Jesus as a character worthy (of) the greatest reverence more eloquently or more powerfully than did this learned Hindoo, who told us that in this country on account of his dark skin he has been refused admission to hotels, and even barbers have sometimes objected to shave him. Is it any wonder that our "heathen" brethren never fail to make mention of this fact that even "our" Master was an Oriental?
[San Francisco Chronicle, February 24, 1900]
Swami Vivekananda's Topic Is "The Idea of Universal Religion"
At Golden Gate Hall last evening Swami Vivekananda, a Hindoo monk, entertained an audience for an hour and a half with his lecture on "The Idea of Universal Religion." . . .
Tracing religion from the commencement of history he spoke of the existence of creeds. Sects were known from the earliest time, he said. As time rolled on there began various contests for a supremacy between the various sects. History, he declared, was a mere repetition of slaughter under the guise of religion. Superstition, he thought, was fast becoming a thing of the past through the expansion of the minds of men. They had more liberality of thought now. They were deeper students of philosophy and through the principles of true philosophy only could religion in its deepest form be found. Until men could accord to others the right of free belief on all subjects, and be willing to believe truth under whatever form it might appear, no universal religion would be manifest to the world, he declared. It would never be promulgated by any society, but would grow instinctively as the intellect of man developed.
Lecture of Swami Vivekananda on the Religion of the Hindoos
[Oakland Tribune, February 26, 1900]
It is the Only Creed, He Says, that Can Be Taught Without Lies and Without Compromise
The claims of the Brahmin religion, or Vedantism, on the modern world were presented to night at the Congress of Religions in the First Unitarian Church by Swami Vivekananda, a remarkably eloquent expounder of that faith. . . .
To his auditors to night he explained Vedantism as the religion of the Vedas, or ancient Hindoo books, which, he asserted, is "the mother of religion." "It may seem ridiculous how a book can be without beginning or end," he said, but by the Vedas no books are meant. They signify the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times. The Hindoo believes he is a spirit. Him the sword cannot pierce, him the fire cannot burn, him the water cannot melt, him the air cannot dry. He believes every soul is a circle whose circumference is nowhere, but whose center is located in a body. Death means the change of this center from body to body. We are the children of God. Matter is our servant.
Vedantism is a sort of rebellion against the mockery of the past. Some men are so practical that if they know that by chopping off their heads they could get salvation, there are many who would do so. That is all outward; you must turn your eyes inward to learn what is in your soul. Soul is spirit omnipresent. Where does the soul go after death? Where could the earth fall to? Where can the soul go? Where is it not already? The great cornerstone of Vedantism is the recognition of Self. Man, have faith in yourself. The soul is the same in every one. It is all purity and perfection and the more pure and perfect we [you] are the more purity and perfection you will see.
A man or preaching jack who cries, "Oh Lord, I'm only a crawling worm!" should be still and crawl into his hole. His cries only add more misery to the world. I was amused to read in one of your papers, "How would Christ edit a paper!" How foolish. How would Christ cook a meal? Yet you are the advanced people of the West. If Christ came here, you would shut up shop and go into the street with him to help the poor and downtrodden. Vedantism is the only religion that can be taught without lies, without stretching the texts, without compromise.
[The Alameda Encinal, April 5, 1900]
Hindu Philosopher Gives His Ideas
Last evening the Swami Vivekananda gave the first of a series of three public lectures at Tucker Hall on "The Development of Religious Ideas."
The speaker dwelt briefly on the similarity of ideas in the minds of orthodox Christians, Mohammedans and Hindus with regard to the origin of their religions. Each believed his particular prophet or teacher to have been inspired in some mysterious way by a God or Gods, who as it were, regulated or influenced the affairs of this world from a distance. The modern scientific mind, on the contrary, instead of seeking for outside or supernatural causes for phenomena endeavored to find cause in the thing or condition itself.
While at first glance this method of investigation might seem to take from religion some of its vital elements, yet in reality it resulted in man finding that the spiritual attributes of deity and the states of mind producing heaven and hell were all within himself, and although the result of this rational modern inquiry might appear to contradict much that had been handed down in the old religious writings such as Bible, Koran and Vedas, yet the contradiction was more apparent than real, for the prophets and teachers of old had true perceptions, but were mistaken only in attributing their experiences to outside agencies, instead of realizing them to be the development and expression of elements in their own souls before unknown and unrecognized.
The lecturer traced some of the common beliefs regarding location of heavens and hells, of various burial rites and customs, and he spoke of the impressions made on the primitive mind that resulted in a personification of the active natural forces in the phenomena with which we are surrounded. . . . idealist brought the bold aspiration down to earth, the realist caused it to take form through work. Love cannot be defined in positive terms, only negatively. Its nature is of the form of renunciation. In its more general sense it might be divided threefold: (1) That love which is for one's own pleasure, irrespective of pleasure or pain to others--the purely selfish, the lowest. (2) That love which exchanges--"I will love you if you love me. We will make each other mutually happy"--the partially selfish, the middle path trodden by the great majority of mankind. (3) That love which gives all and asks for nothing, without premeditation and which never regrets, unconquerable by any evil thing done to him from whom it emanates. It is the highest, the divine. Only with this last kind are we concerned here. The first is the path of the sensualist and the animal, the second the path of struggling humanity on its way to better things, the third the real path of love, trodden by those who renounce the world and set out upon that road which leads to Eternal Peace. In that love there is no fear. Love kills fear. A lion might stand over a babe and threaten its life; the mother knows no fear, she does not fly, but she opposes. At that moment love destroys terror; at other times the same woman would run from a small dog. A fierce Mahomedan [sic] warrior went to a garden to pray. In the same garden a girl had appointed to meet her lover. The warrior lay prostrate on his face according to the prescribed form of his religion. At that moment the girl espied her lover, and with joy rushing to meet him, trod upon the prostrate form. He jumped up and laying hand upon his sword would have slain the girl. "How dare you?" cried he, "vile wench, disturb my worship, my devotion to God, with your base feet." "Worship! devotion!" cried the girl, "you do not know what they are. You had no devotion, lying there, no spirit of worship. If I, a timid girl, could so forget the presence of an object of dread like you, in my worship and devotion to my earthly lover as to tread upon you and not even know it, how much more should you, if your heart had been absorbed in love and devotion to God, have been ignorant that I touched you?" The warrior was humbled and appeased and went away. Our highest ideal of love is the image
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