The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 7/Inspired Talks/Wednesday, June 19
(RECORDED BY MISS S. E. WALDO, A DISCIPLE)
WEDNESDAY, June 19, 1895.
(This day marks the beginning of the regular teaching given daily by Swami
Vivekananda to his disciples at Thousand Island Park. We had not yet all
assembled there, but the Master's heart was always in his work, so he
commenced at once to teach the three or four who were with him. He came on
this first morning with the Bible in his hand and opened to the Book of
John, saying that since we were all Christians, it was proper that he should
begin with the Christian scriptures.)
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God." The Hindu calls this Mâyâ, the manifestation of God, because it is the
power of God. The Absolute reflecting through the universe is what we call
nature. The Word has two manifestations — the general one of nature, and the
special one of the great Incarnations of God — Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and
Ramakrishna. Christ, the special manifestation of the Absolute, is known and
knowable. The absolute cannot be known: we cannot know the Father, only the
Son. We can only see the Absolute through the "tint of humanity", through
Christ.
In the first five verses of John is the whole essence of Christianity: each
verse is full of the profoundest philosophy.
The Perfect never becomes imperfect. It is in the darkness, but is not
affected by the darkness. God's mercy goes to all, but is not affected by
their wickedness. The sun is not affected by any disease of our eyes which
may make us see it distorted. In the twenty-ninth verse, "taketh away the
sin of the world" means that Christ would show us the way to become perfect.
God became Christ to show man his true nature, that we too are God. We are
human coverings over the Divine; but as the divine Man, Christ and we are
one.
The Trinitarian Christ is elevated above us; the Unitarian Christ is merely
a moral man; neither can help us. The Christ who is the Incarnation of God,
who has not forgotten His divinity, that Christ can help us, in Him there is
no imperfection. These Incarnations are always conscious of their own
divinity; they know it from their birth. They are like the actors whose play
is over, but who, after their work is done, return to please others. These
great Ones are untouched by aught of earth; they assume our form and our
limitations for a time in order to teach us; but in reality they are never
limited, they are ever free. . . .
Good is near Truth, but is not yet Truth. After learning not to be disturbed
by evil, we have to learn not to be made happy by good. We must find that we
are beyond both evil and good; we must study their adjustment and see that
they are both necessary.
The idea of dualism is from the ancient Persians.[6]* Really good and evil are one (Because they are both chains and products of Maya.) and are in our own mind. When the mind is self-poised, neither good nor bad affects it. Be perfectly free; then neither can affect it, and we enjoy freedom and bliss. Evil is the iron chain, good is the gold one; both are chains. Be free, and know once for all that there is no chain for you. Lay hold of the golden chain to loosen the hold of the iron one, then throw both away. The thorn of evil is in our flesh; take another thorn from the same bush and extract the first thorn; then throw away both and be free. . . .
In the world take always the position of the giver. Give everything and look for no return. Give love, give help, give service, give any little thing you can, but keep out barter. Make no conditions, and none will be imposed. Let us give out of our own bounty, just as God gives to us.
The Lord is the only Giver, all the men in the world are only shopkeepers. Get His cheque, and it must be honoured everywhere.
"God is the inexplicable, inexpressible essence of love", to be known, but
never defined.
* * *
In our miseries and struggles the world seems to us a very dreadful place.
But just as when we watch two puppies playing and biting we do not concern
ourselves at all, realising that it is only fun and that even a sharp nip
now and then will do no actual harm, so all our struggles are but play in
God's eyes. This world is all for play and only amuses God; nothing in it
can make God angry.
* * *
"Mother! In the sea of life my bark is sinking.
The whirlwind of illusion, the storm of attachment is growing every
moment.
My five oarsmen (senses) are foolish, and the helmsman (mind) is
weak.
My bearings are lost, my boat is sinking.
O Mother! Save me!"
"Mother, Thy light stops not for the saint or the sinner; it animates the
lover and the murderer." Mother is ever manifesting through all. The light
is not polluted by what it shines on, nor benefited by it. The light is ever
pure, ever changeless. Behind every creature is the "Mother", pure, lovely,
never changing. "Mother, manifested as light in all beings, we bow down to
Thee!" She is equally in suffering, hunger, pleasure, sublimity. "When the
bee sucks honey, the Lord is eating." Knowing that the Lord is everywhere,
the sages give up praising and blaming. Know that nothing can hurt you. How?
Are you not free? Are you not Âtman? He is the Life of our lives, the
hearing of our ears, the sight of our eyes.
We go through the world like a man pursued by a policeman and see the barest
glimpses of the beauty of it. All this fear that pursues us comes from
believing in matter. Matter gets its whole existence from the presence of
mind behind it. What we see is God percolating through nature. (Here
"nature" means matter and mind.)