Back to America: Consolidating the gains there
To Boston:
In the second half of March 1896, the swami went to Boston and stayed there for another two weeks. Here he spoke before the most prestigious and highly intellectual class of people of America: The Professors and scholars of the Graduate Philosophical Club of Harvard University. Swami's most devoted disciple, Mrs. Bull, had arranged the lectures, ably supported by equally respectful Professor John Henry Wright. The Swami spoke on "The Vedanta Philosophy" on 25th March before the club where such distinguished thinkers as George H. Palmer, William James, Josiah Royce, Hugo Munsterberg, and young George Santayana were present.
Swami Vivekananda was at his best in bringing forth the essence of Vedanta philosophy, and made an indelible impression on the minds of the learned professors and scholars. Indeed, the Swami was offered the prestigious 'Chair of Eastern Philosophy' in the university, which the sannyasin did not accept! The lecture was followed by critical evaluation of the eastern thought in all its ramifications, in particular Vedanta, by way of question and answer sessions, and criticism and discussions. Reverend C. C. Everett, Dean of the Harvard Divinity School wrote:
"There are indeed few departments of study more attractive than the Hindu thought. ...Vedanta System is not to be regarded merely as a curiosity, as a speculative vagary. We Occidentals busy ourselves with the manifold. We can, however, have no understanding of the manifold, if we have no sense of the One in which the manifold exists. The reality of the One is the truth, which the East may well teach us; and we owe a debt of gratitude to Vivekananda that he taught this lesson so efficiently."
Such and more reports appeared, with full praise for the Swami, in many more journals, magazines, periodicals, and newspapers. The swami's answers, after the lectures, were sincere, erudite, emotionally appealing, and impromptu. Full with eloquence, and penetrating with truth, freshness, vitality, and wit these lectures affected the curious minds with a force that was great, but always gentle and never disturbing. Speaking on Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and other Yogas, the Swami emphasized the need to understand the limitations of mind and senses, including emotions and feelings; even in their all-encompassing realm of esthetic expressions: art, music, painting, science, and literature! The bliss and beauty of Atman was incomparable with any of these, to say the least. Every art, every scientific truth is surely worthy of experience and knowledge, but Vedanta preaches a state beyond all these, the state where hypnotic spell of mind and matter vanishes into inexplicable Freedom.
But, it is indeed very difficult, even to think of such state, let alone, try to attain to it; hypnotized as we are by the magic of this world.
To Chicago and back to New York
From Boston, the swami traveled to Chicago on March 30. Here also he remained for about two weeks before returning to New York. In Chicago he conducted many classes arranged by his friends. However, soon his health was not all that good; he felt the strain of his arduous tours and lectures, and thus, he soon returned to New York for rest and planning the future course of action (13th April 1896).
In New York, the swami busied himself with editing and perfecting the Harvard Lectures, and adding explanatory notes to them, for they were to be printed soon. The swami was constantly mindful and thoughtful of the need to 'systematize his religious ideas'. He felt it necessary to reorganize the whole Hindu philosophy in such a way as would become intellectually appealing and to the western mind and psyche. Of course, Vedanta was firm base, but the swami wanted to reconcile the dualism, qualified monism, and Advaita Vedanta into a grand synthesis of truth. Each has its own place, a necessity, depending on the faiths, beliefs, and the customs of the different sections of the people, he maintained. It was necessary to show the Vedanta in every religion, for Vedanta was not only the practical, but also the philosophical basis of every religion. The Indian sects like the Shaivaite, the Shakta, the Vaishnava, and the followers of religious faiths practiced but one denomination of Vedanta. 'His first and immediate task was to remodel the Indian thought forms they contained along the lines acceptable to modern intellect of the west.' He insisted that 'Hindu spiritual ideas were truly scientific as well. Thus, he tried to bring closeness between the progress of science and the Hindu spiritual philosophy.
*
Second Visit to England
The first phase of American work came to an end about middle of 1896, and Swami Vivekananda decided to revisit England. Accordingly he left America in July and reached England on 17th September 1896. He stayed here for about three months and left for India in the month of December 1896. His second visit to England, in fact, was more fruitful and intense as far as his work was concerned. During this short stay, the Swami delivered eight very important lectures that projected his clarity of the intricacies of Vedanta in its all ramifications culminating into the full-blown flower of Advaita. More importantly, as a consequence of the substance of and mastery over the subject, he could push forward his plan for the western world to put Vedanta into practice in daily life. Out of these lectures four were on "Maya" and the other for on "Practical Vedanta". Margaret Noble, later to become Sister Nivedita, was highly impressed by his knowledge and spiritual personality now accepted Swami Vivekananda as her Master and decided to dedicate her life in the service of the poor and the education for girls in India. Similarly, Mr. and Mrs. Sevier also became his disciples and came to India to work and take up the full responsibility of managing and running the Advaita Ashrama at Mayavati in the district of Almora at the foot-hills of the Himalayas.
In his lectures on "Maya" the Swami elaborated the concept of Maya as not something illusory, not something that does not exist, but as 'it is a statement of fact about the world as one perceives it.' Such simplicity of definition could come only from someone who has fully comprehended the essence of Universal Philosophical thought. On the basis of such understanding the Swami came to the conclusion that 1) The aim of human life is to realize our true divine nature, and 2) as a natural consequence of this, the person should be able to render selfless service, to enrich the world of values, and to effect the welfare of all from the manifestation of one's divinity.
Thus, Practical Vedanta is the method to struggle to realize and manifest our Divine Nature. In this way was born the Motto of Ramakrishna Order: Atmano Mokshartham Jagad-hitayacha - For the liberation of self and welfare of the world.
*
Return to India
After triumphant success in spreading India's message of Advaita Vedanta - Eternal Truth of Eternal Religion - Swami Vivekananda returned to India on 15th January 1897.
American Work Part 6... |
American Work Part 1...
*
c s shah