Back to America: Consolidating the gains there
Meanwhile in the midst of his work in England, Swami Vivekananda received letters and messages from his disciples and friends in America to the effect that in his absence the American work was suffering, losing direction and force. The swami was pulled on one side by the American friends, and on the other by the British insistence to stay in England! As a compromise, the swami decided to call one of his brother disciples from India (Turiyananda, Saradananda, Abhedananda) to England to continue the work there, and he himself left again for the United States of America (27th November 1895), promising the British people he would come again.
In his absence of nearly four months, his friends and disciples, notably Swami Kripananda, Mme. Marie Louise and Leon Landsberg, had continued the work in America. In the early months of 1896, the swami consolidated the mains during 1895. Mr. Josiah J. Goodwin constantly accompanied the Swami and faithfully noted down every word the swami spoke at lectures and discourses. Thus, we owe much to him for the recorded details of swami's words.
In New York again
Swami Vivekananda delivered a series of lectures in a short span after his arrival back to USA. Beginning from January 1896, the lectures were - 'The ideal of Universal Religion,' 'The Cosmos: The Macrocosm,' 'The Cosmos: The Microcosm,' 'Immortality,' and so on. He continued with his classes and instructed the disciples about Yoga, and also helped in free translation and running commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Furthering his exposition of paths to purification of mind and realization of Self, the swami now talked on Karma Yoga, Bhakti, and Jnana. A year back he had already talked about Raja Yoga. Thus, for the first time, the swami attempted a neat, systematic, and complete elucidation of all the four yogas mentioned in the Scriptures, the Gita, and the Puranas. This unique contribution of Swami Vivekananda to elaborate different means for differing likings and aptitudes of the aspirants, and emphasizing the utility of combining these yogas suitable to the spiritual aspirants, can be seen as the new contribution and fresh wave in Vedanta.
The swami's success in America did not come easily. Many attempts were made to malign/tarnish his image by raising doubts about his intentions and even character. But the swami remained unruffled and calm. His disciples wrote in the columns of the newspapers and journals and won the war against narrow-minded distracters.
The swami's fame spread from one place to the next, from one corner to the other. Attendance at his lectures and public meetings significantly increased, reaching more than 1500 people at Madison Square. This 'Lightning Orator' gave lectures on (February 1896) 'Bhakti Yoga,' 'The Real and Apparent man,' 'My Master,' 'The Hindu Conception of God: the Atman,' and many more. Swami Kripananda wrote in his letter dated 19th February, 'People are quick to appreciate the grandeur and beauty of a system (Vedanta), which equally as a philosophy and religion appeals to the heart as well as to the reason, and satisfies all the religious cravings of human nature...'
To Detroit:
In February 1896 The Swami gave formal shape to the first Vedanta Society (of New York) in America. The work was organized to speed up the maintenance of accounts, distribution of books and literature, planning his lectures and discourses, and most importantly, to invite members of 'all religious creeds and organizations to become students of Vedanta without a change of faith'. 'Toleration and acceptance of all religion' was the watchword. Mr. Francis H. Legget was appointed as the president, while Miss Mary Philips was chosen as the secretary of this Vedanta Society. Miss Waldo, Mrs. Arthur Smith, Mr. And Mrs. Walter Goodyear, and Miss Emma Thursby counted themselves as dedicated workers.
Through this, the swami envisaged an interchange of ideals and ideas between the east and the west. He felt that this would reduce the friction and bias born out of strangeness between the two worlds. In exchange for the spiritual outpourings from the east, the swami dreamt of transport of the message of science, industry, economics, applied sociology, organization, and cooperation, and such highly evolved ideologies of the west to the east. The Vedanta would offer the necessary common platform for the eastern and the western people to meet, the swami believed.
In March 1896 the swami left for Detroit, where he stayed for two weeks. During this short stay he conducted twenty-two classes and gave three public lectures. These included: 'The Ideal of a Universal Religion,' in two sessions, and on March 15th - 'India's Message to the World'. His lectures were very well received; the organizers finding it difficult to accommodate the crowd! The swami had a spiritual aura about him; he was full with bhakti, and was spiritually at a very high level of expression. The listeners were inspired by his mere presence, his words adding the necessary finish.
American Work Part 5... |
American Work Part 7...
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c s shah