Swami Vivekananda: The Real Nature of Man.

[Guest guest]

Om Namah Shivaya:

 

Swami Vivekananda delivered a talk in London called "THE REAL NATURE OF MAN"

 

Please allow a personal note. Back in the 1980's I was browsing books at the

old Half Price Bookstore in Berkeley when it was on Telegraph Avenue. The

storefront today is now an Ethiopian restaurant.

 

The excerpt cut and pasted below had a catalytic/life changing/transformational

effect on me. This browsing session caused a permanent shift in my then

infantile spirituality. Here is the excerpt:

 

 

 

"As soon as I think that I am a little body, I want to preserve it, to protect

it, to keep it nice, at the expense of other bodies; then you and I become

separate. As soon as this idea of separation comes, it opens the door to all

mischief and leads to all misery. This is the utility that if a very small

fractional part of human beings living today can put aside the idea of

selfishness, narrowness, and littleness, this earth will become a paradise

tomorrow; but with machines and improvements of material knowledge only, it will

never be. These only increase misery, as oil poured on fire increase the flame

all the more. Without the knowledge of the Spirit, all material knowledge is

only adding fuel to fire, only giving into the hands of selfish man one more

instrument to take what belongs to others, to live upon the life of others,

instead of giving up his life for them.

 

Is it practical?--is another question. Can it be practiced in modern society?

Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay

homage to Truth or die. Societies should be molded upon truth, and truth has

not to adjust itself to society. If such a noble truth as unselfishness cannot

be practiced in society, it is better for man to give up society and go into the

forest. That is the daring man. There are two sorts of courage. One is the

courage of facing the cannon. And the other is the courage of spiritual

conviction. An Emperor who invaded India was told by his teacher to go and see

some of the sages there. After a long search for one, he found a very old man

sitting on a block of stone. The Emperor talked with him a little and became

very impressed by his wisdom. He asked the sage to go to his country with him.

"No," said the sage, "I am quite satisfied with my forest here." Said the

Emperor, "I will give you money, position, wealth. I am the Emperor

of the world.No," replied the man. "I don't care for those things." The

Emperor replied, "If you do not go, I will kill you." The man smiled serenely

and said, "That is the most foolish thing you have ever said, Emperor. You

cannot kill me. Me the sun cannot dry, fire cannot burn, sword cannot kill, for

I am the birthless, the deathless, the ever-living omnipotent, omnipresent

Spirit." This is spiritual boldness, while the other is the courage of a lion or

a tiger. In the Mutiny of 1857 there was a Swami, a very great soul, whom a

Mohammedan mutineer stabbed severely. The Hindu mutineers caught and brought the

man to the Swami, offering to kill him. But the Swami looked up calmly and said,

"My brother, thou art He, thou art He!" and expired. This is another instance.

What good is it to talk of the strength of your muscles, of the superiority of

your Western institutions, if you cannot make Truth square with your society, if

you cannot build up a society into which the highest

Truth will fit? What is the good of this boastful talk about your grandeur and

greatness, if you stand up and say, "This courage is not practical." Is nothing

practical but pounds, shillings, and pence? If so, why boast of your society?

That society is the greatest, where the highest truths become practical. That is

my opinion; and if society is not fit for the highest truths, make it so; and

the sooner, the better. Stand up, men and women, in this spirit, dare to believe

in the Truth, dare to practice the Truth! The world requires a few hundred bold

men and women. Practice that boldness which dares know the Truth, which dares

show the Truth in life, which does not quake before death, nay, welcomes death,

makes a man know that he is the Spirit, that, in the whole universe, nothing can

kill him. Then you will be free. Then you will know your real Soul. "This Atman

is first to be heard, then thought about and then meditated upon."

 

There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry

thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations

of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought,

there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest

ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great

work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotized

ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we

are going to die, and into a constant state of fear.

 

There is a story about a lioness, who was big with young, going about in search

of prey; and seeing a flock of sheep, she jumped upon them. She died in the

effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the

sheep and the sheep brought it up, and it grew up with them, ate grass, and

bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, full-grown lion,

it thought it was a sheep. One day another lion came in search of prey and was

astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing

like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion,

to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal fled at his

approach. However, he watched his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion

sleeping. He approached it and said, "You are a lion.I am a sheep," cried the

other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him

towards a lake and said, "Look here, here is my

reflection and yours." Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then

at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. The

lion roared, the bleating was gone. You are lions, you are souls, pure,

infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. "Why weepest

thou, my friend? There is neither birth nor death for thee. Why weepest thou?

There is no disease nor misery for thee, but thou art like the infinite sky;

clouds of various colours come over it, play for a moment, then vanish. But the

sky is ever the same eternal blue." Why do we see wickedness? There was a stump

of a tree, and in the dark, a thief came that way and said, "That is a

policeman." A young man waiting for his beloved saw it and thought that it was

his sweetheart. A child who had been told ghost stories took it for a ghost and

began to shriek. But all the time it was the stump of a tree. We see the world

as we are. Suppose there is a baby in a room with a bag of gold on

the table and a thief comes and steals the gold. Would the baby know it was

stolen? That which we have inside, we see outside. The baby has no thief inside

and sees no thief outside. So with all knowledge. Do not talk of the wickedness

of the world and all its sins. Weep that you are bound to see wickedness yet.

Weep that you are bound to see sin everywhere, and if you want to help the

world, do not condemn it. Do not weaken it more. For what is sin and what is

misery, and what are all these, but the results of weakness? The world is made

weaker and weaker every day by such teachings. Men are taught from childhood

that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children

of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive,

strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood. Lay

yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralyzing ones. Say

to your own minds, "I am He. I am He." Let it ring day and

night in your minds like a song, and at the point of death declare, "I am He."

That is the Truth; the infinite strength of the world is yours. Drive out the

superstition that has covered your minds. Let us be brave. Know the Truth and

practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till

the goal is reached. "

 

 

 

With Love and Prayers,

 

 

 

GeorgeSon

 

 

 

P.S. The part that really shocked me back in the 1980's was: "Truth does not

pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay homage to Truth

or die. Societies should be molded upon truth, and truth has not to adjust

itself to society. If such a noble truth as unselfishness cannot be practiced in

society, it is better for man to give up society and go into the forest"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for Good

Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear GoergeSon,

 

Thank you for this.. Funny, I too read this passage around 1983 and simply

loved it. Thanks for the reminder . Reading Swami V is a tonic for the soul.

 

bala

 

GeorgeSon <leokomor wrote:

Om Namah Shivaya:

 

Swami Vivekananda delivered a talk in London called "THE REAL NATURE OF MAN"

 

Please allow a personal note. Back in the 1980's I was browsing books at the

old Half Price Bookstore in Berkeley when it was on Telegraph Avenue. The

storefront today is now an Ethiopian restaurant.

 

The excerpt cut and pasted below had a catalytic/life changing/transformational

effect on me. This browsing session caused a permanent shift in my then

infantile spirituality. Here is the excerpt:

 

 

 

"As soon as I think that I am a little body, I want to preserve it, to protect

it, to keep it nice, at the expense of other bodies; then you and I become

separate. As soon as this idea of separation comes, it opens the door to all

mischief and leads to all misery. This is the utility that if a very small

fractional part of human beings living today can put aside the idea of

selfishness, narrowness, and littleness, this earth will become a paradise

tomorrow; but with machines and improvements of material knowledge only, it will

never be. These only increase misery, as oil poured on fire increase the flame

all the more. Without the knowledge of the Spirit, all material knowledge is

only adding fuel to fire, only giving into the hands of selfish man one more

instrument to take what belongs to others, to live upon the life of others,

instead of giving up his life for them.

 

Is it practical?--is another question. Can it be practiced in modern society?

Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay

homage to Truth or die. Societies should be molded upon truth, and truth has

not to adjust itself to society. If such a noble truth as unselfishness cannot

be practiced in society, it is better for man to give up society and go into the

forest. That is the daring man. There are two sorts of courage. One is the

courage of facing the cannon. And the other is the courage of spiritual

conviction. An Emperor who invaded India was told by his teacher to go and see

some of the sages there. After a long search for one, he found a very old man

sitting on a block of stone. The Emperor talked with him a little and became

very impressed by his wisdom. He asked the sage to go to his country with him.

"No," said the sage, "I am quite satisfied with my forest here." Said the

Emperor, "I will give you money, position, wealth. I am the Emperor

of the world.No," replied the man. "I don't care for those things." The

Emperor replied, "If you do not go, I will kill you." The man smiled serenely

and said, "That is the most foolish thing you have ever said, Emperor. You

cannot kill me. Me the sun cannot dry, fire cannot burn, sword cannot kill, for

I am the birthless, the deathless, the ever-living omnipotent, omnipresent

Spirit." This is spiritual boldness, while the other is the courage of a lion or

a tiger. In the Mutiny of 1857 there was a Swami, a very great soul, whom a

Mohammedan mutineer stabbed severely. The Hindu mutineers caught and brought the

man to the Swami, offering to kill him. But the Swami looked up calmly and said,

"My brother, thou art He, thou art He!" and expired. This is another instance.

What good is it to talk of the strength of your muscles, of the superiority of

your Western institutions, if you cannot make Truth square with your society, if

you cannot build up a society into which the highest

Truth will fit? What is the good of this boastful talk about your grandeur and

greatness, if you stand up and say, "This courage is not practical." Is nothing

practical but pounds, shillings, and pence? If so, why boast of your society?

That society is the greatest, where the highest truths become practical. That is

my opinion; and if society is not fit for the highest truths, make it so; and

the sooner, the better. Stand up, men and women, in this spirit, dare to believe

in the Truth, dare to practice the Truth! The world requires a few hundred bold

men and women. Practice that boldness which dares know the Truth, which dares

show the Truth in life, which does not quake before death, nay, welcomes death,

makes a man know that he is the Spirit, that, in the whole universe, nothing can

kill him. Then you will be free. Then you will know your real Soul. "This Atman

is first to be heard, then thought about and then meditated upon."

 

There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry

thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations

of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought,

there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest

ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great

work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotized

ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we

are going to die, and into a constant state of fear.

 

There is a story about a lioness, who was big with young, going about in search

of prey; and seeing a flock of sheep, she jumped upon them. She died in the

effort; and a little baby lion was born, motherless. It was taken care of by the

sheep and the sheep brought it up, and it grew up with them, ate grass, and

bleated like the sheep. And although in time it became a big, full-grown lion,

it thought it was a sheep. One day another lion came in search of prey and was

astonished to find that in the midst of this flock of sheep was a lion, fleeing

like the sheep at the approach of danger. He tried to get near the sheep-lion,

to tell it that it was not a sheep but a lion; but the poor animal fled at his

approach. However, he watched his opportunity and one day found the sheep-lion

sleeping. He approached it and said, "You are a lion.I am a sheep," cried the

other lion and could not believe the contrary but bleated. The lion dragged him

towards a lake and said, "Look here, here is my

reflection and yours." Then came the comparison. It looked at the lion and then

at its own reflection, and in a moment came the idea that it was a lion. The

lion roared, the bleating was gone. You are lions, you are souls, pure,

infinite, and perfect. The might of the universe is within you. "Why weepest

thou, my friend? There is neither birth nor death for thee. Why weepest thou?

There is no disease nor misery for thee, but thou art like the infinite sky;

clouds of various colours come over it, play for a moment, then vanish. But the

sky is ever the same eternal blue." Why do we see wickedness? There was a stump

of a tree, and in the dark, a thief came that way and said, "That is a

policeman." A young man waiting for his beloved saw it and thought that it was

his sweetheart. A child who had been told ghost stories took it for a ghost and

began to shriek. But all the time it was the stump of a tree. We see the world

as we are. Suppose there is a baby in a room with a bag of gold on

the table and a thief comes and steals the gold. Would the baby know it was

stolen? That which we have inside, we see outside. The baby has no thief inside

and sees no thief outside. So with all knowledge. Do not talk of the wickedness

of the world and all its sins. Weep that you are bound to see wickedness yet.

Weep that you are bound to see sin everywhere, and if you want to help the

world, do not condemn it. Do not weaken it more. For what is sin and what is

misery, and what are all these, but the results of weakness? The world is made

weaker and weaker every day by such teachings. Men are taught from childhood

that they are weak and sinners. Teach them that they are all glorious children

of immortality, even those who are the weakest in manifestation. Let positive,

strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from very childhood. Lay

yourselves open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralyzing ones. Say

to your own minds, "I am He. I am He." Let it ring day and

night in your minds like a song, and at the point of death declare, "I am He."

That is the Truth; the infinite strength of the world is yours. Drive out the

superstition that has covered your minds. Let us be brave. Know the Truth and

practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till

the goal is reached. "

 

 

 

With Love and Prayers,

 

 

 

GeorgeSon

 

 

 

P.S. The part that really shocked me back in the 1980's was: "Truth does not

pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay homage to Truth

or die. Societies should be molded upon truth, and truth has not to adjust

itself to society. If such a noble truth as unselfishness cannot be practiced in

society, it is better for man to give up society and go into the forest"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for Good

Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

 

 

 

 

 

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit your group "Ammachi" on the web.

 

Ammachi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

for Good

Click here to donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.