Swami Vivekananda’s Thoughts on Various Subjects

Swami Vivekananda’s Thoughts on Various Subjects

(Based on the following two books published by Advaita Ashrama, Kolkata – An official publishing department of Ramakrishna Mission and Swami Vivekananda)

I – VIVEKANANDA – A Biography by Swami Nikhilananda, 33rd Reprint, July 2016

II – Teachings of SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, 31st Reprint, January 2016

EATING MEAT

 

1. Orthodox brahmins regarded with abhorrence the habit of eating animal food. The Swami courageously told them about the eating of beef by the brahmins in Vedic times. One day, asked about what he considered the most glorious period of Indian history, the Swami mentioned the Vedic period, when ‘five brahmins used to polish off one cow.’ He advocated animal food for the Hindus if they were to cope at all with the rest of the world in the present reign of power and find a place among the other great nations.  Book I, Pages 108-109

 

2. To the accusation from some orthodox Hindus that the Swami was eating forbidden food at the table of infidels, he retorted :

Do you mean to say I am born to live and die as one of those caste-ridden, superstitious, merciless, hypocritical, atheistic cowards that you only find among the educated Hindus? I hate cowardice. I will have nothing to do with cowards. I belong to the world as much as to India, no humbug about that. What country has a special claim on me? Am i a nation’s slave?…. i see a greater power than man or God or Devil at my back. I require nobdoy’s help. I have been all my life helping others.

To another Indian devotee he wrote in similar vein :

… If the people of India want me to keep strictly to my Hindu diet, pleae tell them to send me a cook and money enough to keep him.   Book I, Page 144

3. Is God a nervous fool like you that the flow of His river of mercy would be dammed up by a piece of meat? If such be He, His value is not a pie.

Book II, Page 70

4. The taking of life is undoubtedly sinful. But so long as vegetable food is not made suitable to the human system, through progress in Chemistry, there is no alternative but meat-eating. So long as man shall have to live a Rajasika (active) life under circumstances like the present, there is no other way except through meat-eating.    Book II, Page 70

 

5. Rather let those belonging to the upper ten, who do not earn their livelihood by manual labour, not take meat; but the forcing of vegetarianism upon those who have to earn their bread by labouring day and night, is one of the causes of the loss of our national freedom.                                             Book II, Page 70-71

 

6. l say, eat large quantities of fish and meat, my boy!    Book II, Page 71

 

7. To eat meat is surely barbarous and vegetable food is certanly purer – who can deny that?                                                                Book II, Page 71

 

ISLAM

1. Therefore we are firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, the theories of Vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be, are entirely valuless to the vast mass of mankind.                         Book I, Page 284
2. For our own motherland a junction of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam – Vedantic brain and Islamic body – is the only hope.                        Book I, Page 284

 

3. I see in my mind’s eye the future perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedantic brain and Islamic body.                   Book I, Page 285

 

4. The Mohammedans came upton them slaughtering and killing : slaughtering and killing they overan them.    Book II, Page 151

 

5. For instance, the Mohammedan religion allows Mohammedans to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly stated in the Koran, “Kill the infidels if they do not become Mohammedans”.                                                Book II, Page 189

 

AMERICAN WOMEN

1. Well, I am almost at my wit’s end to see the women of this country (USA). They take me to the shops and everywhere, as if I were a child. They do all sorts of work – I cannot do even a sixteenth part of what they do. They are like Lakshmi (the Goddess of Fortune) in beauty, and like Saraswati (the Goddess of Learning) in virtues – they are the Divine Mother incarnate, and worshipping them, one verily attains perfection in everything. Great God! Are we to be counted among men? If I can raise a thousand such Madonnas – Incarnations of the Divine Mother – in our country, before I die, I shall die in peace. Then only will your countrymen become worthy of their name. I am realy struck with wonder to see the women here.                              Book II, Page 136-137

 

2. India cannot yet produce great women, she must borrow them from other nations.                      Book I, Page 289

 

RELIGION

1. At World’s Parliament of Religions, Chicago, 11 September, 1893

We believe not only in universal tolerance, but we accept all religions as true.

 

2. All religion are, at bottom, alike. Book II, Page 40

 

CHRIST

1. If I, as an Oriental have to worship Jesus of Nazareth, there is only one way left to me, that is, to worship him as God and nothing else. Book II Page 34

 

2. The Christ who is the Incarnation of God, who has not forgotten His divinity, that Christ can help us, in Him there is no imperfection. Book II, Page 36

 

IDOL WORSHIP

God in eternal, without any form, omnipresent. To think of Him as possessing any form is blasphemy.       Book II, Page 138

WESTERN HELP

It has ever been my conviction that we shall not be able to rise unless the Western Countries come to our help.          Book I, Page 285

 

Krishan C. Garg, 0172–4010679, kcg831@yahoo.com