The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Epistles - First Series/VII Friends
VII
C/O George W. Hale Esq.,
541 Dearborn Avenue, Chicago,
24th January, 1894.
Dear Friends,[1]
Your letters have reached me. I am surprised that so much about me has
reached you. The criticism you mention of the Interior is not to be taken as
the attitude of the American people. That paper is almost unknown here, and
belongs to what they call a "blue-nose Presbyterian paper", very bigoted.
Still all the "blue-noses" are not ungentlemanly. The American people, and
many of the clergy, are very hospitable to me. That paper wanted a little
notoriety by attacking a man who was being lionised by society. That trick
is well known here, and they do not think anything of it. Of course, our
Indian missionaries may try to make capital out of it. If they do, tell
them, "Mark, Jew, a judgment has come upon you!" Their old building is
tottering to its foundation and must come down in spite of their hysterical
shrieks. I pity them — if their means of living fine lives in India is cut
down by the influx of oriental religions here. But not one of their leading
clergy is ever against me. Well, when I am in the pond, I must bathe
thoroughly.
I send you a newspaper cutting of the short sketch of our religion which I
read before them. Most of my speeches are extempore. I hope to put them in
book form before I leave the country. I do not require any help from India,
I have plenty here. Employ the money you have in printing and publishing
this short speech; and translating it into the vernaculars, throw it
broadcast; that will keep us before the national mind. In the meantime do
not forget our plan of a central college, and the starting from it to all
directions in India. Work hard. . . .
About the women of America, I cannot express my gratitude for their
kindness. Lord bless them. In this country, women are the life of every
movement, and represent all the culture of the nation, for men are too busy
to educate themselves.
I have received Kidi's letters. With the question whether caste shall go or
come I have nothing to do. My idea is to bring to the door of the meanest,
the poorest, the noble ideas that the human race has developed both in and
out of India, and let them think for themselves. Whether there should be
caste or not, whether women should be perfectly free or not, does not
concern me. "Liberty of thought and action is the only condition of life, of
growth and well-being." Where it does not exist, the man, the race, the
nation must go down.
Caste or no caste, creed or no creed, any man, or class, or caste, or
nation, or institution which bars the power of free thought and action of an
individual — even so long as that power does not injure others — is devilish
and must go down.
My whole ambition in life is to set in motion a machinery which will bring
noble ideas to the door of everybody, and then let men and women settle
their own fate. Let them know what our forefathers as well as other nations
have thought on the most momentous questions of life. Let them see specially
what others are doing now, and then decide. We are to put the chemicals
together, the crystallization will be done by nature according to her laws.
Work hard, be steady, and have faith in the Lord. Set to work, I am coming
sooner or later. Keep the motto before you — "Elevation of the masses
without injuring their religion".
Remember that the nation lives in the cottage. But, alas! nobody ever did
anything for them. Our modern reformers are very busy about widow
remarriage. Of course, I am a sympathiser in every reform, but the fate of a
nation does not depend upon the number of husbands their widows get, but
upon the condition of the masses. Can you raise them? Can you give them back
their lost individuality without making them lose their innate spiritual
nature? Can you become an occidental of occidentals in your spirit of
equality, freedom, work, and energy, and at the same time a Hindu to the
very backbone in religious culture and instincts? This is to be done and
we will do it. You are all born to do it. Have faith in yourselves, great
convictions are the mothers of great deeds. Onward for ever! Sympathy for
the poor, the downtrodden, even unto death — this is our motto.
Onward, brave lads!
Yours affectionately,
Vivekananda.
PS. Do not publish this letter; but there is no harm in preaching the idea
of elevating the masses by means of a central college, and bringing
education as well as religion to the door of the poor by means of
missionaries trained in this college. Try to interest everybody.
I send you a few newspaper cuttings — only from the very best and highest.
The one by Dr. Thomas is very valuable as written by one of the, if not the
leading clergymen of America. The Interior with all its fanaticism and
thirst for notoriety was bound to say that I was the public favourite. I cut
a few lines from that magazine also.
- Notes
- ↑ His disciples in Madras.