Complete Works: Vol - VII

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
Volume – I	Volume – IV	Volume - VII
Volume – II	Volume – V	Volume - VIII
Volume – III	Volume – VI	Volume - IX

1. Selfish animals and selfless humans

Charles Darwin propounded the theory of evolution and said that survival of the fittest was the norm in this competitive world. In other words, the species which succeeds in eliminating competitors survived to establish itself in the ecosystem. For Vivekananda, this theory held good as far as animals are concerned; but for the evolved humans, he said their strengths have to be judged on the sacrifice they make.

In the animal kingdom instinct prevails;
But the more a man advances, the more he manifests rationality.
For this reason, progress in the rational human kingdom
    cannot be achieved, like that in the animal kingdom,
    by the destruction of others. (p. 155)

The highest evolution of man is effected through sacrifice alone.
A man is great among his fellows
    in proportion as he can sacrifice for the sake of others,
While in lower strata of the animal kingdom,
    that animal is the strongest which can kill the greatest number of animals. (p. 155)

2. Treatment by Doctors and Quacks

What is the evidence in his life to show us that Vivekananda himself was rational in his views? This story would suffice to prove it:

இடம்: பேலுர் மடம்.
ஆண்டு: 1901.

அதாவது, இந்நிகழ்ச்சி நடந்தது விவேகானந்தர் இறப்பதற்கு ஒரு வரும் முன்பு. அப்போது அவர் diabetes நோயால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டு சிகிச்சையில் இருந்த காலம் (அவர் இறப்பதற்குக் காரணமும் இந்நோய்தான்).

ஒரு முறை, விவேகானந்தரின் நன்பருள் ஒருவரான சுவாமி நிரஞ்சானந்தரின் நிர்பந்தத்தினால் ஒரு வாரமாக நாட்டு மருந்து சிகிச்சையில் இருந்தார். சிகிச்சையின் ஒரு விசேஷமென்னவென்றால், தண்ணீருக்குப் பதிலாக பால் குடித்து தாகத்தைத் தீர்க்க வேண்டும்.

ஒரு நாள் விவேகனந்தரின் சீடர் ஒருவர் நலம் விசாரிக்க வந்திருந்தார்.

சீடர்: கடந்த ஒரு வாரமாக வெறும் பால் குடித்தே வாழ்வதாகக் கேள்விப்பட்டேனே?

விவேகானந்தர்: ஆம், நிரஞ்சனின் சிபாரிசால் பாலையும் ஒரு நாட்டு மருந்தையும் கழித்துவருகிறேன்.

சீடர்: எப்படி, இந்த மருந்து வேலை செய்கிறதா?

விவேகானந்தர்: என்னால் சொல்லமுடியாது. நான் வெறுமனே என்னுடைய சீடர்களின் அன்புக் கட்டளையின் பேரில் இந்த மருந்தை கழித்து வருகிறேன்.

சீடர்: நமது நாட்டவர்க்கு, நாட்டு மருந்துகள்தான் ஒத்துவரும் என்று நான் நினக்கிறேன்.

(இதற்கு விவேகானந்தர் சொன்ன பதில் இதோ…..)

“My idea is that it is better even to die under the treatment of a scientific doctor than expect recovery from the treatment of laymen who know nothing of modern science, but blindly go by the ancient books, without gaining mastery of the subject – even though they may have cured a few cases.” (p. 223)

3. Christ and Buddha

விவேகானந்தரின் வசனங்களில் பெரும்பாலான இடங்களில் அவர் ஏசுநாதரையும் புத்தரையும் உதாரணமாக எடுத்துக்காட்டுவதைக் காணலாம். Here are few interesting selections from Volume VII. According to Swami Vivekananda, we as humans should aspire to be Christs and Buddhas.

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. (p 4)

Never forget the glory of human nature.
We are the greatest God that ever was or even will be.
Christs and Buddhas are but waves on the boundless ocean which I am.
Bow down to nothing but your own higher Self.
Until you know that you are that very God of gods,
    there will never be any freedom for you. (p. 78)

Look at the “ocean” and not at the “wave”;
See no difference between ant and angel.
Every worm is the brother of the Nazarene. (p. 7)

The Absolute cannot be worshipped,
So we must worship a manifestation,
Such a one as has our nature.
Jesus had our nature; he became the Christ;
So can we, and so must we. (p 29)

Christ and Buddah were the names of a state to be attained;
Jesus and Gautama were the persons to manifest it. (p. 29)

4. Prophet Mohammed on Jesus and Christianity

Swami Vivekananda has not spared any religion without commenting on them. Here are some of his references to Islam with respect to its view on Christianity.

Mohammed claimed to be the ‘Comforter’ that Christ promised to send.
He considered it unnecessary to claim a supernatural birth for Jesus.
Such claims have been common in all ages and in all countries. (p 16-17)

Mohammed found that Christianity was straying out from the Semitic fold and his teachings were to show what Christianity ought to be a Semitic religion, that it should hold on to one God. The Aryan idea that “I and my Father are one” disgusted and terrified him. In reality, the conception of Trinity was a great advance over the dualistic idea of Jehovah, who was forever separate from man. (p. 100)

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