The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Epistles - First Series/XXXIX Alasinga
XXXIX
U. S. A.,
6th May, 1895.
Dear Alasinga,
This morning I received your last letter and that first volume of the
Bhâshya of Râmânujâcharya. A few days ago I received another letter from
you. Also I received a letter from Mr. Mani Iyer. I am doing well and going
on in the same old rate. You mention about the lectures of Mr. Lund. I do
not know who he is or where he is. He may be some one lecturing in Churches;
for had he big platforms, we would have heard of him. Maybe, he gets them
reported in some newspapers and sends them to India; and the missionaries
may be making trade out of it. Well, so far I guess from the tone of your
letters. It is no public affair here to call forth any defence from us; for
in that case I will have to fight hundreds of them here every day. For India
is now in the air, and the orthodox, including Dr. Barrows and all the rest,
are struggling hard to put out the fire. In the second place, every one of
these orthodox lectures against India must have a good deal of abuse hurled
against me. If you hear some of the filthy stories the orthodox men and
women invent against me, you will be astonished. Now, do you mean to say
that a Sannyâsin should go about defending himself against the brutal and
cowardly attacks of these self-seeking men and women? I have some very
influential friends here who, now and then, give them their quietus. Again,
why should I waste my energies defending Hinduism if the Hindus all go to
sleep? What are you three hundred millions of people doing there, especially
those that are so proud of their learning etc.? Why do you not take up the
fighting and leave me to teach and preach? Here am I struggling day and
night in the midst of strangers.... What help does India send? Did the world
ever see a nation with less patriotism than the Indian? If you could send
and maintain for a few years a dozen well-educated strong men to preach in
Europe and America, you would do immense service to India, both morally and
politically. Every man who morally sympathises with India becomes a
political friend. Many of the Western people think of you as a nation of
half-naked savages, and therefore only fit to be whipped into civilization.
If you three hundred millions become cowed by the missionaries — you cowards
— and dare not say a word, what can one man do in a far distant land? Even
what I have done, you do not deserve.
Why do you not send your defences to the American magazines? What prevents
you? You race of cowards — physical, moral, and spiritual! You animals fit
to be treated as you are with two ideas before you — lust and money — you
want to prod a Sannyasin to a life of constant fighting, and you are afraid
of the "Saheb logs", even missionaries! And you will do great things, pish!
Why not some of you write a beautiful defence and send it to the Arena
Publishing Company of Boston? The Arena is a magazine which will gladly
publish it and perhaps pay you hard money. So far it ends. Think of this
when you will be tempted to be a fool. Think that up to date every
blackguard of a Hindu that had hitherto come to western lands had too often
criticised his own faith and country in order to get praise or money. You
know that I did not come to seek name and fame; it was forced upon me. Why
shall I go back to India? Who will help me? . . . You are children, you
prattle you do not know what. Where are the men in Madras who will give up
the world to preach religion? Worldliness and realization of God cannot go
together. I am the one man who dared defend his country, and I have given
them such ideas as they never expected from a Hindu. There are many who are
against me, but I will never be a coward like you. There are also thousands
in the country who are my friends, and hundreds who would follow me unto
death; every year they will increase, and if I live and work with them, my
ideals of life and religion will be fulfilled. Do you see?
I do not hear much now about the Temple Universal that was to be built in
America; yet I have a firm footing in New York, the very centre of American
life, and so my work will go on. I am taking several of my disciples to a
summer retreat to finish their training in Yoga and Bhakti and Jnâna, and
then they will be able to help carry the work on. Now my boys, go to work.
Within a month I shall be in a position to send some money for the paper. Do
not go about begging from the Hindu beggars. I will do it all myself with my
own brain and strong right hand. I do not want the help of any man here or
in India. . . . Do not press too much the Ramakrishna Avatâra.
Now I will tell you my discovery. All of religion is contained in the
Vedanta, that is, in the three stages of the Vedanta philosophy, the Dvaita,
Vishishtâdvaita and Advaita; one comes after the other. These are the three
stages of spiritual growth in man. Each one is necessary. This is the
essential of religion: the Vedanta, applied to the various ethnic customs
and creeds of India, is Hinduism. The first stage, i.e. Dvaita, applied to
the ideas of the ethnic groups of Europe, is Christianity; as applied to the
Semitic groups, Mohammedanism. The Advaita, as applied in its
Yoga-perception form, is Buddhism etc. Now by religion is meant the Vedanta;
the applications must vary according to the different needs, surroundings,
and other circumstances of different nations. You will find that although
the philosophy is the same, the Shâktas, Shaivas, etc. apply it each to
their own special cult and forms. Now, in your journal write article after
article on these three systems, showing their harmony as one following after
the other, and at the same time keeping off the ceremonial forms altogether.
That is, preach the philosophy, the spiritual part, and let people suit it
to their own forms. I wish to write a book on this subject, therefore I
wanted the three Bhashyas; but only one volume of the Ramanuja (Bhashya) has
reached me as yet.
The American Theosophists have seceded from the others, and now they hate
India. Poor things! And Sturdy of England who has lately been in India and
met my brother Shivananda wrote me a letter wanting to know when I go over
to England. I wrote him a nice letter. What about Babu Akshay Kumar Ghosh? I
do not hear anything from him more. Give the missionaries and others their
dues. Get up some of our very strong men and write a nice, strong, but
good-toned article on the present religious revival in India and send it to
some American magazine. I am acquainted with only one or two of them. You
know I am not much of a writer. I am not in the habit of going from door to
door begging. I sit quiet and let things come to me. . . . Now, my children,
I could have made a grand success in the way of organising here, if I were a
worldly hypocrite. Alas! That is all of religion here; money and name =
priest, money and lust = layman. I am to create a new order of humanity here
who are sincere believers in God and care nothing for the world. This must
be slow, very slow. In the meantime you go on with your work, and I shall
steer my boat straight ahead. The journal must not be flippant but steady,
calm, and high-toned. . . . Get hold of a band of fine, steady writers. . .
. Be perfectly unselfish, be steady and work on. We will do great things; do
not fear. . . . One thing more. Be the servant of all, and do not try in the
least to govern others. That will excite jealousy and destroy everything. .
. . Go on. You have worked wonderfully well. We do not wait for help, we
will work it out, my boy, be self-reliant, faithful and patient. Do not
antagonise my other friends, live in harmony with all. My eternal love to
all.
Ever yours with blessings,
Vivekananda.
PS. Nobody will come to help you if you put yourself forward as a leader. .
. . Kill self first if you want to succeed.