The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Writings: Prose/A Plan of Work for India
A PLAN OF WORK FOR INDIA[1]
It is with a heart full of love, gratitude, and trust that I take up my pen
to write to you. Let me tell you first, that you are one of the few men that
I have met in my life who are thorough in their convictions. You have a
whole-souled possession of a wonderful combination of feeling and knowledge,
and withal a practical ability to bring ideas into realised forms. Above
all, you are sincere, and as such I confide to you some of my ideas.
The work has begun well in India, and it should not only be kept up, but
pushed on with the greatest vigour. Now or never is the time. After taking a
far and wide view of things, my mind has now been concentrated on the
following plan. First, it would be well to open a Theological College in
Madras, and then gradually extend its scope, to give a thorough education to
young men in the Vedas and the different Bhâshyas and philosophies,
including a knowledge of the other religions of the world. At the same time
a paper in English and the vernacular should be started as an organ of the
College.
This is the first step to be taken, and huge things grow out of small
undertakings. Madras just now is following the golden mean by appreciating
both the ancient and modern phases of life.
I fully agree with the educated classes in India that a thorough overhauling
of society is necessary. But how to do it? The destructive plans of
reformers have failed. My plan is this. We have not done badly in the past,
certainly not. Our society is not bad but good, only I want it to be better
still. Not from error to truth, nor from bad to good, but from truth to
higher truth, from good to better, best. I tell my countrymen that so far
they have done well — now is the time to do better.
Now, take the case of caste — in Sanskrit, Jâti, i.e. species. Now, this is
the first idea of creation. Variation (Vichitratâ), that is to say Jati,
means creation. "I am One, I become many" (various Vedas). Unity is before
creation, diversity is creation. Now if this diversity stops, creation will
be destroyed. So long as any species is vigorous and active, it must throw
out varieties. When it ceases or is stopped from breeding varieties, it
dies. Now the original idea of Jati was this freedom of the individual to
express his nature, his Prakriti, his Jati, his caste; and so it remained
for thousands of years. Not even in the latest books is inter-dining
prohibited; nor in any of the older books is inter-marriage forbidden. Then
what was the cause of India's downfall? — the giving up of this idea of
caste. As Gitâ says, with the extinction of caste the world will be
destroyed. Now does it seem true that with the stoppage of these variations
the world will be destroyed? The present caste is not the real Jati, but a
hindrance to its progress. It really has prevented the free action of Jati,
i.e. caste or variation. Any crystallized custom or privilege or hereditary
class in any shape really prevents caste (Jati) from having its full sway;
and whenever any nation ceases to produce this immense variety, it must die.
Therefore what I have to tell you, my countrymen, is this, that India fell
because you prevented and abolished caste. Every frozen aristocracy or
privileged class is a blow to caste and is not-caste. Let Jati have its
sway; break down every barrier in the way of caste, and we shall rise. Now
look at Europe. When it succeeded in giving free scope to caste and took
away most of the barriers that stood in the way of individuals, each
developing his caste — Europe rose. In America, there is the best scope for
caste (real Jati) to develop, and so the people are great. Every Hindu knows
that astrologers try to fix the caste of every boy or girl as soon as he or
she is born. That is the real caste — the individuality, and Jyotisha
(astrology) recognises that. And we can only rise by giving it full sway
again. This variety does not mean inequality, nor any special privilege.
This is my method — to show the Hindus that they have to give up nothing,
but only to move on in the line laid down by the sages and shake off their
inertia, the result of centuries of servitude. Of course, we had to stop
advancing during the Mohammedan tyranny, for then it was not a question of
progress but of life and death. Now that that pressure has gone, we must
move forward, not on the lines of destruction directed by renegades and
missionaries, but along our own line, our own road. Everything is hideous
because the building is unfinished. We had to stop building during centuries
of oppression. Now finish the building and everything will look beautiful in
its own place. This is all my plan. I am thoroughly convinced of this. Each
nation has a main current in life; in India it is religion. Make it strong
and the waters on either side must move along with it. This is one phase of
my line of thought. In time, I hope to bring them all out, but at present I
find I have a mission in this country also. Moreover, I expect help in this
country and from here alone. But up to date I could not do anything except
spreading my ideas. Now I want that a similar attempt be made in India.
I do not know when I shall go over to India. I obey the leading of the Lord.
I am in His hands.
"In this world in search of wealth, Thou art, O Lord, the greatest jewel I
have found. I sacrifice myself unto Thee."
"In search of some one to love, Thou art the One Beloved I have found. I
sacrifice myself unto Thee." (Yajurveda Samhitâ).
May the Lord bless you for ever and ever!
- Notes
- ↑ Written to Justice Sir Subrahmanya Iyer from Chicago, 3rd Jan., 1895.