The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Epistles - First Series/LXXVIII Sister
LXXVIII
Almora,
9th July, 1897.
Dear Sister,[1]
I am very sorry to read between the lines the desponding tone of your
letter, and I understand the cause; thank you for your warning, I understand
your motive perfectly. I had arranged to go with Ajit Singh to England; but
the doctors not allowing, it fell thorough. I shall be so happy to learn
that Harriet has met him. He will be only too glad to meet any of you.
I had also a lot of cuttings from different American papers fearfully
criticising my utterances about American women and furnishing me with the
strange news that I had been outcasted! As if I had any caste to lose, being
a Sannyâsin!
Not only no caste has been lost, but it has considerably shattered the
opposition to sea-voyage — my going to the West. If I should have to be
outcasted, it would be with half the ruling princes of India and almost all
of educated India. On the other hand, a leading Raja of the caste to which I
belonged before my entering the order got up a banquet in my honour, at
which were most of the big bugs of that caste. The Sannyasins, on the other
hand, may not dine with any one in India, as it would be beneath the dignity
of gods to dine with mere mortals. They are regarded as Nârâyanas, while the
others are mere men. And dear Mary, these feet have been washed and wiped
and worshipped by the descendants of kings, and there has been a progress
through the country which none ever commanded in India.
It will suffice to say that the police were necessary to keep order if I
ventured out into the street! That is outcasting indeed! Of course, that
took the starch out of the missionaries, and who are they here? — Nobodies.
We are in blissful ignorance of their existence all the time. I had in a
lecture said something about the missionaries and the origin of that species
except the English Church gentlemen, and in that connection had to refer to
the very churchy women of America and their power of inventing scandals.
This the missionaries are parading as an attack on American women en masse
to undo my work there, as they well know that anything said against
themselves will rather please the U.S. people. My dear Mary, supposing I had
said all sorts of fearful things against the "Yanks" — would that be paying
off a millionth part of what they say of our mothers and sisters? "Neptune's
waters" would be perfectly useless to wash off the hatred the Christian
"Yanks" of both sexes bear to us "heathens of India" — and what harm have we
done them? Let the "Yanks" learn to be patient under criticism and then
criticise others. It is a well-known psychological fact that those who are
ever ready to abuse others cannot bear the slightest touch of criticism from
others. Then again, what do I owe them? Except your family, Mrs. Bull, the
Leggetts, and a few other kind persons, who else has been kind to me? Who
came forward to help me work out my ideas? I had to work till I am at
death's door and had to spend nearly the whole of that energy in America, so
that the Americans may learn to be broader and more spiritual. In England I
worked only six months. There was not a breath of scandal save one, and that
was the working of an American woman, which greatly relieved my English
friends — not only no attacks but many of the best English Church clergymen
became my firm friends, and without asking I got much help for my work, and
I am sure to get much more. There is a society watching my work and getting
help for it, and four respectable persons followed me to India to help my
work, and dozens were ready, and the next time I go, hundreds will be.
Dear, dear Mary, do not be afraid for me. . . The world is big, very big,
and there must be some place for me even if the "Yankees" rage. Anyhow, I am
quite satisfied with my work. I never planned anything. I have taken things
as they came. Only one idea was burning in my brain — to start the machine
for elevating the Indian masses — and that I have succeeded in doing to a
certain extent. It would have made your heart glad to see how my boys are
working in the midst of famine and disease and misery — nursing by the
mat-bed of the cholera stricken Pariah and feeding the starving Chandâla —
and the Lord sends help to me and to them all. "What are men?" He is with
me, the Beloved, He was when I was in America, in England, when I was
roaming about unknown from place to place in India. What do I care about
what they talk — the babies, they do not know any better. What! I, who have
realised the Spirit and the vanity of all earthly nonsense, to be swerved
from my path by babies' prattle! Do I look like that?
I had to talk a lot about myself because I owned that to you. I feel my task
is done — at most three or four years more of life are left. I have lost all
wish for my salvation. I never wanted earthly enjoyments. I must see my
machine in strong working order, and then knowing sure that I have put in a
lever for the good of humanity, in India at least, which no power can drive
back, I will sleep, without caring what will be next; and may I be born
again and again, and suffer thousands of miseries so that I may worship the
only God that exists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls
— and above all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God the poor of
all races, of all species, is the special object of my worship.
"He who is in you and is outside of you, who works through every hand, who
walks through every foot, whose body you are, Him worship, and break all
other idols.
"He who is the high and the low, the saint and the sinner, the god and the
worm, Him worship, the visible, the knowable, the real, the omnipresent,
break all other idols.
"In whom there is neither past life nor future birth, nor death nor going or
coming, in whom we always have been and always will be one, Him worship,
break all other idols.
"Ay, fools, neglecting the living Gods and His infinite reflection with
which the world is full, and running after, imaginary shadows! Him worship,
the only visible, and break all other idols."
My time is short. I have got to unbreast whatever I have to say, without
caring if it smarts some or irritates others. Therefore, my dear Mary, do
not be frightened at whatever drops from my lips, for the power behind me is
not Vivekananda but He the Lord, and He knows best. If I have to please the
world, that will be injuring the world; the voice of the majority is wrong,
seeing that they govern and make the sad state of the world. Every new
thought must create opposition — in the civilised a polite sneer, in the
vulgar savage howls and filthy scandals.
Even these earthworms must stand erect, even children must see light. The
Americans are drunk with new wine. A hundred waves of prosperity have come
and gone over my country. We have learned the lesson which no child can yet
understand. It is vanity. This hideous world is Maya. Renounce and be happy.
Give up the idea of sex and possessions. There is no other bond. Marriage
and sex and money the only living devils. All earthly love proceeds from the
body. No sex, no possessions; as these fall off, the eyes open to spiritual
vision. The soul regains its own infinite power. How I wish I were in
England to see Harriet. I have one wish left — to see you four sisters
before I die, and that must happen.
Yours ever affly.,
Vivekananda.
- Notes
- ↑ Miss Mary Hale.