We Live in Eternity and They in Time

On 25th as per the earlier given schedule we know that Swamiji was going to speak on 'Shri Khrisna and His Message.' Spelling of Khrisna is as per the Newpaper advertisement. The lecture was to start at 30PM at the Union Square Hall and one Mr. Hugo Hertzer would sing the offertory in the beginning.

Everything before the lecture took place as per announced except the lecture. Mr. Allan memoirs say -

"At 3 p.m.Swami was not there. We waited and wondered what to do, and concluded that we must just wait."

But Mr. Allan was now the head usher of Swami's lectures so instead of waiting he walked from the hall to the corner of Post and Powell streets. He looked up and down the street,  waited but saw no sign of Swamiji and returned to the hall. This he did several times.

It was somethinf after his fourth or fifth trip to the corner that he saw Swamiji walking slowly up the Powell Street in his own composed and majestic rhythm. The time was then 3.30 p.m. But Mr. Allan's difficulties were not over. He further writes -"I met him at the corner of Post Street and walked with him towards the Hall."  Then Mr. Allan said, "Swami, don't you know you're late? The audience has been waiting." To which Swamiji replied -

"Mr. Allan, I am never late. I have all the time in the world. All time is mine."

 "Well, Swami, the audience may not feel the same as you do."   But Swamiji just went on with his same leisurely pace.

 "On the way we had to pass a shoe - shine stand and when Swami saw that, and saw that the shoe - shiner was idle, he decided to have his shoes shined. Did I not silently fidget, remembering the people who had come to hear the lecture! But all my fidgeting did no good. Well, at last, Swami got on the platform and was introduced to that audience, which had more or less patiently waited for him."

Once the similar incidence had taken place with one reporter named Miss Partington. During the interview she said, "I must go, I have to catch a train."  Swamiji smiled and said, " This is like all Americans, you must catch this car or that train always. Is there not another, later?"

and Ms. Partington says, " I had a glimpse of all Eternity in His utter restfulness. But I did not attempt to explain the Occidental conception to this child of Orient. As the Swami says, What have we in exchange? We Live in Eternity and you in Time."

It is most likely that while fidgeting at the shoe - shine stand, Mr. Allan might have had had "a glimpse of all eternity in the Swami's utter restfulness" as Miss Partington had!

But in a few minutes almost he became overpoweringly aware of the vastness of Swamiji's being. He says, "It was when I introduced him at that lecture, that I felt like a pigmy and saw him as an immense giant. After this experience I could not bring myself to stand beside him again, but always thereafter made my introduction from the foot of the platform."

I Extend My Arms to Touch Him and the Grace Flows

To speak on Swamiji makes me understand my limitations. He is a vast ocean and i have just been able to taste a drop of this infinite expansion. Will this one lifetime be sufficient to know His infinite personality? Will i be able to gauge His unconditional love? Will i ever be able to reach Him even if i extend my arms to touch Him? Will i be ever able to forget the unceasing grace i feel all the time?

I feel same like what Mr. Allan felt when he saw the Infinite in Him. I must tell you this incidence word to word. can't wait to reach the 5th Volume.

Mr. Thomas Allan heard Him first in the Unitaranian Hall in Oakland in the year 1900. Swamiji's ringing, musical voice had filled the room and later Mr.Allan came home as though walking in the air. He became an hard core Vedantin and lived so till the age of 89 till 1953.

Swamiji was giving 5 Sunday lecture series in March 1900 in San Francisco on the topic "The Great teachings of the World". These lectures started on March 11 till April 8 which were as follows -

1. March 11 - Christ's Message to the World
2. March 18 - Buddha's Message to the World
3. March 25 - Sri Khrisna's Message to the World (though He spoke extempore on Prophet Mohammed)
4. April 1     - Sri Khrisna's Messagge to the World
5. April 8     - Is Vedanta the Future Religion

For these lectures He would travel from Oakland to San Francisco on Sunday afternoons.

A very interesting incidence happened on 25 March which made Mr. Allan know His Vastness. We shall see that tomorrow.

Chitta ason dao mele, nai jodi darshan pele, andhare milibe taar sparsho, horshe jaagaye dibe pran...

On the evening of 12th Feb. i was at Rabi Baithak in Pune celebrating the combined 150th birth centenary of Gurudeo Rabindranath and Swami Vivekananda. Rabi Bithak is a group of Bengali people in Pune which have Sunday Meetings. I was asked to speak on Swamiji for 25 minutes. Though difficult to cover Swamiji in such a short period, i thought let me make them love Swamiji who is our very own, and not someone in remote space.

I chose flashes of Swamiji in the West from New Discoveries which are very dear to my heart and i can go  on repeating and telling those to anyone and everyone.

• I want to share somehing here - I am a great Rabindranath fan. I have original Geetanjali in bengali and many other books of his. In 1981 i had joined the Bengali learning course conducted by Shantiniketan and before i could give my 4th year exam i went to Vivekananda Kendra at Kanyakumari.

Even today i have Rabindra Sangeet in my mobile and every night i sleep listening to these songs. From one of my favourite songs these are 4 lines which i keep repeating for my Swamiji all the time -

"Chitta ason dao mele, nai jodi darshan pele,

 Andhare milibe taar sparsho, horshe jaagaaye dibe praan......!!

           

-This means in my Chitta i have spread the asan for You to come and take the seat...but even if i won't get Your darshan,  just your touch in the darkness will make my heart come to life of joy...!!!

After witnessing the holy sangam at Prayag, i was again at a sangam of two great personalities. I felt as though the gupt Saraswati was the national thread flowing through the lives of these great sons of India which flowed through the entire event.

On 12th February 1884 Swamiji was in Detroit, 12th to 23rd and from 9th March to 30th March to be precise. At Detroit by the end of his 8th lecture, He emerged as a Warrior Monk, a winner and here the two ladies met Him who later went searching for Him in the rains, bedragggled and shocked at their own boldness at Thousand Island Park. A topic in itself is very very dear to me.

Mandakini and Ganga maiyya, Yamunaji and Saraswati..!!!!!!

Missed my blog on my pilgrimage. I should have taken my laptop so that could have jotted down my experiences immediately. But let me share now ---- Our train reached Allahabad on time but we started late for Chitrakoot. The road was very lonesome and as the area is bit dangerous due to dacoits, but i didn't mention that as the moms would be scared. i wasn't scared at all as had put all the responsibility on Srirama. We stayed in the ashram of Punjabi Bhagwan where the river Mandakini flowed just below our room.

Never in my wildest dream i thought the place would be so beautiful. It is a tapobhumi as Ram, Janaki & Lakshmana stayed there for 11 and half years and as many Rishis have done tapa there and are still doing. First time i dared to bathe in the river as i had 2 inhibitions - one about the water to be icecold and about people around! But i could overcome & win over both the inhibitions this time. I felt as though the Mandakini has taken me in her arms, her touch so warm and full of life.

Then it was easy to have a dip in the holy sangam at Prayag. We can actually see the two colours of Gangaji which is brownish and the dark colour of Yamunaji. I can't yet get over the Gangaji ki Aarti at Benaras and still keep dreaming about the Gangamaiyya. We saw the Ganga Aarti on 1st day at Assi Ghat and then for two days at Dashashwamedh Ghat which is really awesome, splendid and taking us to differrent heights of happiness. Everywhere though the aarti is done witth same reverence.

When i took the darshan of Kashi Vishwanath i was full of awe and happiness. Thinking in my mind about Swamiji and saying to myself, "Oh, this is the Mool Swaroopa of Swamiji"! as He was born of Kashi Vishweshwara's blessings.

Saarnath & Bodhgaya too reminded only of Swamiji but at Gaya i was thinking only of Sri Ramakrishna, the Gadadhar!

On our return journey guess what happened? I got call from Sarada Math asking me to speak on Swamiji in a gathering of Bengali community in Pune. I said yes and was twice happy as they were celebrating Ravindranath and Narendranath's 150th birth centenary together.

So yesterday i was at Pune and being with Bengalis on this occasion made me proud.  

Alibag - 23.01.11 and 23.01.12 With Swamiji and the seagulls

Dear Atmiyas, going away tomorrow for almost 10 days to Chitrakoot, Prayag, Kashi and Bodhgaya with my mother and Sanika's mother. So won't be able to take you all en route with Swamiji.... again Away from Him but always with Him..!!!

Let me share something with all of you. Last year on 23rd i was invited  in Alibag to lecture on Swamiji. While crossing the ocean by jetty i had taken snaps of Seagulls and the date was 23.01.11.

On 20th my Sharyans office staff had been to Alibag for Picnic to hotel Radisson. Others went by jetty where as I and my colleague went by car as we had some work and also returned by car on 22nd so the Jetty journey was missed by me. But here comes the wonderful part of it - On 21st morning i & Sangita (my room partner) went for a walk. While returning i saw a school and just went in. Told the teacher in charge that i would love to tell stories of Swamiji to children, can? It was a Zilla Parishad school at Gondhalpada. She said due to cold weather few students are absent but around 92 students were present and the school would leave half day as it was a Saturday. 

I was very happy and reached the school at 9.25am. What an experience i had while telling these kids of 1st to 7th grades. Their eager & innocent faces still linger in my mind. This happened to be my 11th in the series of 150 lectures. One of the lady officer had come to visit and sat through out the lecture. She said Zilla Parishad had a 2 day workshop at a village near Alibag and can i come to speak? Girls & boys from many Zilla Parishad schools were to come. I accepted the invitation though it was after we returned from picnic.

Folks, guess what? Here i was travelling again on 23rd of January 2012 to speak at Veshvi village in Alibag and while returning was clicking my favourite seagulls! There was no clue absolutely one day before and no reason to travel to Alibag by jetty at all. Isn't this too curious enough to think about?

There were 230 students, majority 170 were girls and i was happy to tell them about Swamiji. How He would have loved to see the girls from remote parts taking eduction! There were many more teachers and the Zilla Parishad officers. They have invited me to many more schools to speak on Swamiji. Then i realised that now it is not only 'my singular mission' to cover 150 schools and colleges but here i could see the Divine Hand working behind.........Swamiji will take care of it!

So friends, see you probably after 8th February now...

It is a Sin to call Men Sinners-The Divine Essence is in all Men, Undivided and Eternal.

 It is very curious! i am not able to move away from the Parliament! As though some magic happens as i read through these pages - as if the Parliament opens new doors and i get stuck again. today i was reading and came accross Sir Hiram Maxim, Bishop Keane, Reverend H.R.Haweis, a critic Lucy Monroe and many more........But now let's see what Mr. Williams Ernest Hocking has to say -

"... We all carry about with us unsolved problems of adjustment to this many - angled world - without formulating questions, we are living quests, unless by some rare chance our philosophy of life is entirely settled. And to meet some person may resolve a quest wholly without his knowledge; it may be simply mode of being that brings the release.

 This was in some measure the story of my first encounter with Swami Vivekananda, though I was only one of an immense audience.... I was a casual visitor at the Fair, just turning twenty, interested in a dozen exhibits on the Midway.... But aside from all this, I had a quietly rankling problem of my own.

I had been reading Herbert Spencer, all I could get of his works.... I was convinced by him;... but it was somehow a vital injury to think of man as of the animals.- birth, growth, mating, death - and nothing more - finis. I had had my religion - methodism - an experience of conversion with a strange enlightenment which gave me three days of what felt like a new vision of things, strangely lifted up; Spencer had explained that all away as an emotional flurry - the world must be faced with a steady objective eye. The Christian cosmology was fancy.

 But still, Christianity was not the only religion. There were to be speakers from other traditions. They might have some insight that would relieve the tension. I would go for an hour and listen. I didn't know the program. It happened to be Vivekananda's period.

... He spoke not as arguing from a tradition, or from a book, but as from an experience and certitude of his own. I do not recall the steps of his address. But there was a passage toward the end, in which I can still hear the ring of his voice, and feel the silence of the crowd - almost as if shocked. The audience was well - mixed, but could be taken as one in assuming that there had been a "Fall of man" resulting in a state of "original sin," such that "All men have sinned and come short of the glory of. " But what is the speaker saying? I hear his emphatic rebuke:

             "Call men sinners??

             It is a SIN to call men sinners!"

 ... Through the silence I felt something like a gasp running through the hall as the audience waited for the affirmation which must follow this blow.* What his following words were, I cannot recall with the same verbal clarity: they carried the message that in all men there is that divine essence, undivided and eternal: reality is One, and that One, which is Brahman, constitutes the central being of each one of us.

 For me, this doctrine was a startling departure from anything which my scientific psychology could then recognize. One must live with these ideas and consider how one's inner experience could entertain them. But what I could feel and understand was that this man was speaking from what he knew, not from what he had been told. He was well aware of the books; but he was more immediately aware of his own experience and his own status in the world; and what he said would have to be taken into account in any final world - view. I began to realize that Spencer could not be allowed the last word. And furthermore, that this religious experience of mine, which Spencer would dismiss as a psychological flurry, was very akin to the grounds of Vivekananda's own certitude."

Prince of Gentlemen in the Orange Garb

I wish to move out of Chicago and travel with Swamiji to the midwest but as i read and re-read i come across certtain facts which hold my attention and does not allow me to move further.

Some of the Newspaper reports and a memoir is a must to read......

Northampton Daily Herald of 11th April, 1894 -

                     "At the Parliament of Religions Vivekananda was not allowed to speak until the close of the programme, the purpose being to make the people stay until the end of the session. On a warm day when some prosy professor talked too long, and people would leave the hall by hundreds, it only needed the announcement that Vivekananda would give a short address before the benediction was pronounced to hold the vast audience intact, and thousands would wait for hours to hear a fifteen minutes talk from this remarkable man."

Just His appearance on the platform would save a dull session. The talks given by Dwivedi and Dharmapala wwere also hair-raising but were dry & not at all to ignite the soul hence were not alarming to the Christian ministry. But the enthusiastic reception which Swamiji was given from the very beginning was a matter of serious concern. This instigated the Christain delegates to attack Hinduism openly on September 19th when Swamiji was to read his paper.

On September 20th, the Chicago Inter Ocean tells us -

                  "Great crowds of people, the most of whom werre women, pressed around the doors leading to the hall of Columbus, an hour before the time stated for opening the afterrnoon session, for it had been announced that Swami Vivekananda, the popular Hindu Monk, who looks so much like McCullough's Othello, was to speak. Ladies, ladies everywhere filled the great auditorium."

There are similar quotes by othe newspapers saying -

                  'From the day the wonderful Professor delivered his speech, which was followed by other addresses, he was followed by a crowd wherever he went. In going in and coming out of tyhe building, he was beset by hundreds of women who almost fought with each other for a chance to get near him, and shake his hand.'

But it was not only women who were responsive to Swamiji's thought and presence. Among many men who remembered His paper on Hinduism was William Ernest Hocking a young student who later beame a well known philosopher. He wrote about his experience a few years later in his "Recollections of Swami Vivekananda".

What he wrote cannot be cut short hence i shall tell tomorrow because it is so so very inspiring.