The seed is put in the ground, and earth and air and water are placed around it. Does the seed become the earth; or the air, or the water? No. It becomes a plant, it develops after the law of its own growth, assimilates the air, the earth, and the water, converts them into plant substance, and grows into a plant.
Similar is the case with religion. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.
If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: "Help and not Fight," "Assimilation and not Destruction," "Harmony and Peace and not Dissension."
- Swami Vivekanada
* Thanks to Holy Trio Google Groups.
3 comments:
Swami Vivekananda seems to have rewritten his speech and recorded in a grammaphone plate.
The original speech of SV at Congress of Religions, Chicago is not traceable.
Vivekanandayb.blogspot.com.
Respected Yb, i agree with your comments.
Here you go,I'm leaving a nice quote of swamiji - This earth is higher than all the heavens; this is the greatest school in the universe. - Swami Vivekananda.
@Multisubj Yb TruthSeeker
If original voices of vivekananda at congress of religions are present, that will be great. anyway we are having in the written format :)
Post a Comment