#256 Replies to comments of Ms. Semanti

Semanti said... Swamiji need not influence Himself because He Himself is the Divine Nectar & Energy for all. Dear blog writer, I pray to Swamiji to forgive & Bless you always! March 30, 2013 at 4:20 AM

.
Reply from ybrao a donkey
vivEkAnanda as divine nectar The adjective `divine` is a vague term. The phrase `divine nectar` is intangible. Fans of celebrities be it vivEkAnanda or SalmAn khAn or Sharukh khAn or somebody else love their idols blindly and ignore even serious shortcomings. Well, fans are entitled to their own beliefs.
svAmIji forgiving and blessing this blog-writer:
We atheists and Marxists do not require blessings and forgiveness(es). vivEkAnanda needs blessings and forgiveness(es). The countless chicken, shad fish, American and Indian turtles, beef-giving buffaloes and cattle finished by svAmiji have to forgive him. Of course, souls do not exist as per current scientific thinking. Their physical structures have all got amalgamated into this nature.
svAmIji wrote that Mother would decide his future. But svAmIji decided the future(s) of cattle, chicken, fish and turtles. He did not allow Mother kALi to decide the future of the poor creatures.
-------------------------------------------------

Ms. Semanti commented as under:

Blogger Semanti said... Dear writer, how intelligent you are to compare the Great Master Swami Vivekananda with rubbish film stars!!! Your intelligence has been proved by addressing a girl (Semanti) as 'Mr. Semanti'. Anyway, I did not know that you, the Marxists use to think fishes & other animals as poor creatures, think to save their lives, but never think that man is the best creature within this universe & should be saved first. It may be possible for you people to love animals more than man, where our motto is to serve mankind (following our Master Swami Vivekananda's Ideals) so we have no time to waste by talking or arguing with you. Only one thing, I loved Marxism in my early life, & then somehow I heard that Marxists use to love & serve human beings the most. Now you have proven your sympathy (if any) is only for animals, not for men!!! My sympathy for Marxism is dying gradually after watching this blog. I admired this concept only because I love men, not animals. Now I have to leave this idealism to follow the Holy Footprints of my Master Swami Vivekananda! April 5, 2013 at 8:55 AM

---

ybrao-a-donkey`s reply
Error of my comparing SwAmI vivEkAnanda with film stars.
: Do you wish that I should compare SwAmi vivEkAnanda with cheats and imposters? I shall never do it. I have compared Swamiji with film stars because, he is an important celebrity ruling Indian minds. Film stars and cricketers also rule Indian minds. Hence, this comparison.
Error of calling you Mr. semAnTi
I sincerely apologise to you for this inadvertant error. At the same time, please allow me a little concession of making a sincere comment with no intent to hurt you. For a jignAsu (sanskrit for explorer in quest of self-realisation), it helps to lose a consciousness of sex of the body. Sex is only a reproductive mechanism of humans, and beyond that it conveys nothing. Fortunately, modern English language is evolving, to eliminate suffixes which indicate the sex of persons and occupations, unless it is absolutely essential and neutral nouns and adjectives have become preferable. For example, pilot of an aircraft, it is immaterial whether the steerer of the craft is male or female. I hope English will shortly evolve an honorific prefix which does not indicate sex in the place of current Mr. and Ms.

About saving animals vs. saving humans
Saving animals and Saving humans are not mutually exclusive. A human-savior need not be a reckless-animal-devourer. Both traits can co-exist. This requirement of coexistence of both compassions apply even to Jesus Christ. If we call Jesus, a great compassionate person, with a lamb in his arms, we expect that he would save the lamb rather than cut it and serve the meat in the next day`s last-supper or roast it in some barbecue. Even a born non-vegetarian can be compassionate to animals by minimising meat consumption (he-she may not be able to stop it altogether). A family which consumes 30 kg. of meat per month, if it can reduce its consumption to 10 kg. per month voluntarily , they will be doing great service not only to animals, but also to humanity. When we say that Buddha as a personification of compassion, then we expect that he would not eat pork and die of poisoning. Praying for the peace of the soul of the culled-animal-bird makes no sense as long as the animal`s/bird`s existence is challenged by devourer. When we say that Shri rAma is an Ocean of Compassion, we expect from him that he will not kill deer recklessly or sacrifice them to please Gods for house-warming ceremonies.

About Communism, Marxism, Socialism, etc.

All these concepts are born from the compassion and empathy which Marx, Engels and their predecessor philosophers had towards the poor and the down-trodden. They were moved with kindness because the working class laborers were forced to live a life of precarious existence of starvation and were denied their basic rights of living with dignity and self-respect. Right to dignity and equality, every human being is entitled to. Their immediate-priorities were different, and hence they could not deal with the element of compassion towards animals. We may probably say: Compassion-towards-animals was/is not a taboo to them.

Religious preachers of almost-all-religions (swAmi vivEkAnanda was also a religious preacher) day-in-and-day out of speak of ethics and duty, try to interpret what is moral and what is immoral and impose on everybody. karuNa (compassion) is one such common preaching-item.

Monks and religious preachers cannot show behavioral patterns which are similar to those of common-folks. They are supposed to be exceptionally-exemplary. For this reason only, we are supposed to fall down at their feet and revere them. If they also like us go on indulging in worldly pleasures, while preaching self-control and self-restraint, and if we continue to kneel before them, probably then we shall be losing our sanity. I had a science teacher in my seventh standard days (1960) at Bapatla Municipal High School who used to teach (preach?) that we should not eat sweets or savories sold on street carts because they would be unhygienic. Many times I used to see him during evenings buying eatables on carts and walking upto Municipal Library/park till the stuff was finished. He was a great teacher of noble qualities. I do not intend to belittle or vilipend him when I quote this anecdote of my childhood. The only limitation is, we cannot regard him as a role-model, as far as learning hygiene is concerned.

I get an impression that you have not studied the Complete Works of sWamI vivEkananda thoroughly, before taking him as a master. Once we start accepting somebody as our master, we rarely dare to go back, even if adequate evidence is available that h our object of reverence does not deserve it. Vivekananda declared that he disliked hypocrisy. His Complete Works reveal that he himself practised hypocrisy. This is not only with regard to meat or liquor, but also in respect of many other things. From my blog, you can see many such instances with proof from his Complete Works. For example, vivEkAnanda, claimed himself to be a paramahamsa (Great Swan). From this instance, a question should automatically arise, who suffixed the title `paramahamsa` to his guru rAmakrishNa paramahamsa? Should we say, since vivEkAnanda wanted to call himself paramahamsa (discontinued later), he started calling his guru also paramahamsa?

All religions have self-proclaimed prophets and pretenders .

About serving humanity, by religious bodies and monasteries
The claim of service to humanity is just a mask for the inability of religious-preachers to work like common-people and earn an honest-livelihood. Collecting donations from gullible-impressionable persons and vulgarly rich guilty-complex suffering individuals who want to wash their sins by donating, is not real service. Collecting Government grants is not real service. Most charity is only intermediation. Use a part of collections for personal luxuries, keep something for future, and spend a meagre part on keeping orphanages-schools as `exhibits-of-proof-of-work`, for collecting more funds. This is a vicious circle.

Marxism does not advocate this type of fake-service and intermediation. It clearly recognises that poor-and-downtrodden have rights and deserve their due share, which is knocked away by the billionaires. It aims to promote equality and dignity of individuals within the framework of needs of society. No need of charity or pity, which are hypocrisies. Our vivEkAnanda, as he claimed, hated hypocrisies. Then he should have hated charities and monasteries. Instead, he preferred to build a mansion-temple-monastery and started doling out small benefits to orphans. Hence, the service to humans, made by your master vivEkananda was just part-mithya (illusion) and part-truth.

Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao et al, had their own shortcomings. Communism, Marxism and Socialism too have their own shortcomings. I am not covering them here because I go too far away from the main subject of this blog.

Imperative: to recognise that saints are not made by tours of lecturing-to-aristocratic-drunken-women, while promoting religious-discord or by running orphanages to attract donations from innocent-or-guilty persons and Govt.

About waste of time talking/arguing with me
I am sad that you have considered it a waste of time. But for me, it is not a waste of my time. It gave me an opportunity to re-examine the tenability and veracity of things I am writing.

#255 What difference will shoes make?

The globe is agog with the news that retired Pope Benedict XVI will stop wearing his official red shoes. He will not be allowed to wear papal red-shoes, it is said. He will have to start wearing brown shoes.

Packing is very important in trade. This everybody knows. But, packing is the-most-important in religious-preaching. Preachers wear uniforms of different colors, patterns, and symbols, reflecting their authority-clan-cult. Christianity has a tendency to mock other religions for such practices, whereas Christianity itself is not devoid of those same practices.

Back-to-Vivekananda. Traditional-foot-wear for Hindu-monks: topless-wooden-bottoms, with one sculpted-wooden knob for the head-toe and the second-toe. These are called 'pAvu-kOLLu' in my mother-tongue telugu. This is an All India tradition. I am unable to quote Indian language equivalents of pAvukOLLu.

Mendicant-monks (theoretically, every Indian-Hindu-Monk should-be a mendicant moving all the time). They are not supposed to live luxuriously in monasteries. They have to live on limited-alms, without bothering themselves and the gracious-housewives about quantity-quality. I cannot believe that VivekAnanda led this type of life, prior to his departure to U.S. for attending the World Congress of Religions, Chicago, 1893. Of-course, in one of his Californian-discourses, we-can-see his referring to stale-pAn-cakes (capAtIs) doled out by housewives. This-reference might have been in an attempt to garner some sympathy from listening American-Aristocratic-Housewives.

Back-to-shoes : The preceptor of Swami Vivekananda i.e. rAmakrishNa paramahamsa too wore good-shoes and quality-clothes, contrary to his popular image of being too-simple-a-person who shunned gold and silver and who swept the floors of dakshiNESwar temple with his hair-locks. Of-course, as per the black-and-white photographs of RKP available, the color of his shoes is black. Hinduism has no formal administrative-structure like the Catholic-pope-cardinal-archbishop-bishops-suffragans and dioceses. God-persons establish monasteries and adjunct temples, and declare themselves as heads of their personal empires (called `pIThams` and `pIThAdhipatis`).

Shoes-of-Swami-VivekAnanda: swAmi vivEkAnanda, prior to his departure, while on his All-India tours of meeting native-rulers and native-landlords-merchants (period say- 1887 to 1893), seems to have initially used wooden sandals befitting the formal dress-code of a Hindu monk. He also carried with him a carved-long-wooden-stick in his hands. Vivekananda claimed himself to be a Great-Swan (parama-hamsa). Carrying the wooden-stick (presumably a sort of `danDam` in Sanskrit and Indian languages) may be part of the dress-code of great-swan-parama-hamsas. He seems to have discontinued using the title of (great-swan)-paramahamsa in United States, probably because he found it inconvenient to answer querries from his aristocratic-American-Lady-listeners.

True-mendicant-monks of India have abandoned wooden-sandals long back, because they were inconvenient to walk on forest-paths and river-beds. Some mendicant-monks, who could find patrons and monasteries, shifted to monastic lives. Depending on the level of their penury, they wore either no-footwear or wore leather-chappals. Shoes, they could-not-cannot afford to wear, unless gifted by some patron.

Vivekananda might have shifted to dual-ware i.e. wooden-sandals while in the courts of patrons-and-rulers and shoes while on journeys. This is a practical need.

After returning back to India from United States: shoes-and-local-wear= during the 1897-1899 intermission-interregnum of period between his first-US-visit and his second-US-visit.

#243 GADKARI - DAWOOD IBRAHIM - and SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

I felt that I have already overzealously overcovered the subject of swAmi viVEkAnanda, and I thought that if I write further, I shall be gradually pushing myself towards unintended slandering. I wish/wished to DRASTICALLY SLOW DOWN making further posts on this blog and concentrate on making corrections of the posts already made, particularly those which are unreasonable to swAmi vivEkAnanda.

But, alas, the BJP stalwarts narEndra mODi (Chief Minister, gujarAt) and today, Mr. nitin gaDkAri (President of the BJP Party) have again by their utterances triggered me to write further.

context: Mr. gaDkAri, in a public meeting equating the IQs of the international (criminal?) don Mr. dawood ibrahIm and swAmi vivEkAnanda.

There is an immediate reaction from the Congress, demanding apology from BJP. I, as a firm believer of the principles of Marxism and Communism (not the current Russian or the Chinese brand), regard both of them as bourgeois parties and communal parties. Hence, in this particular blog post, I am not going to take any political sides. Allegations of corruption against Mr. gaDkAri or Robert vAdra or salmAn khurshId are not subjects covered in this particular blog post. They are not connected with vivEkAnanda, and hence I am not dealing with them here. I shall try to write a separate post about them in my Indianpoliticsyb.blogspot.com blog.

I (this blogger) am neither a great admirer nor a bitter critic of swAmi vivEkAnanda. Whatever I have written at this blog, is only a fact finding exercise and my criticism is intended against those who wanted to show vivEkAnanda as an uplifter of this Nation or deify him by attributing him superhuman qualities. Mr. gaDkAri has provided some explanation for his view. I quote it from Hindusthan Times.

click to go to http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Vivekananda-IQ-remark-adds-to-Gadkari-woes-Congress-seeks-apology/Article1-955117.aspx.

---

Quotes from gaDkAri's explanations: "I have only said if someone utilises his brain in a good way, he is Vivekanand and if he does not, he is evil. There is no comparison and whatever I have said was presented in a wrong way, which is not right," he told reporters in Delhi.

---

"In psychology, we measure IQ level of people...But it depends from person to person, in which area they use their intelligence," he said. "As per psychology if we can compare the IQ level of Swami Vivekanand and that of Dawood Ibrahim, then it could have been the same. But Vivekanand used it in nation building, brotherhood and spiritualism while Dawood used that in excelling in crime world," Gadkari said.

---

Analysis of this blogger, ybrao a donkey First, we have to take up the definition of the word "IQ":--

DEFINITION OF I.Q. as per ARTHA WORDNET of Princeton University: a measure of a person's intelligence as indicated by an intelligence test; the ratio of a person's mental age to their chronological age (multiplied by 100)

The freedictionary.com also supports this definition.

There may be variations of the definition.

The term IQ is very abstract, and for different people, it may mean different things.

Intelligence Tests as well as their results can vary depending on who conducts them, what aspects of intelligence they include in the test, and the weights they give for each aspect . In other words, the tests lack the mathematical exactitude required for 'scientific experiments'.

But, something is better than nothing. Just as a person caught up in the waves of a whirlpool of sea, tries to cling on even to a small wooden plank, we have to depend on IQ as an approximate indicative measure of the intelligence of a person.

IMPORTANT: Apparent IQ and real IQ may vary owing to the variations in environments in which people live, work. For example, a beggar may have more IQ than Mr. Obama or Ms. Sonia Gandhi. A beggar, in spite of his good IQ, may not try to capture a key post either because he has no desire, or he lacks resources in spite of desires.

---

A destitute hungry child when subjected to intelligence tests, may not perform well, while a pre--prepared pre-worked child of affluent parents may show outstanding IQ grade. We have more of these instances as a general phenomenon, occasionally see some rare exceptions. Otherwise, why so much preparation is made for Olympics and Wimbledon? Pre-trainings have their effects on performances and results. We cannot compare the IQ of a dhAravi child with the IQ of a korAput child. Nor can we compare the IQ of a dhAravi child with the IQ of a bhAnDup child. I do not wish to say that a rich child will have great IQ simply because he is rich. I wish to emphasize that the korAput and dhArAvi children are like unpolished diamonds, whereas the bhAnDup and vasant vihAr children are like overpolished colored stones. Just as genuine gemmologists alone can distinguish between a true diamond and fake diamond, only IQ experts can really identify truly HIGH IQ children.

vivEkAnanda was said to have astonished a librarian by instantaneously and photographically studying a book and returning it to him immediately and by answering all the questions posed by the librarian correctly. But, I personally feel that this seems to be a hagiographic exaggeration. Of course, vivEkAnanda might have had a high IQ, but definitely not SUPER HUMAN IQ.

We must distinguish between IQ and MEMORY RETENTION. Some great persons may have both great IQs and great MEMORIES. Coupled with great hard work and favourable environment and circumstances, they may be greatly successful. But these will become exceptions.

I, often get a doubt, at 0 hours midnight. Do manmOhan Singh or Ms. sOnia gAndhi remember the names of all the Congress MPs -- both of the Lower House and the Upper House? Or at least, do they remember the names of all the 82 Ministers in their Cabinet? Can rAhul gAndhi, the Heir Apparent of sOnia gAndhi, distinguish between income and real income? Does Mr. rAhul gAndhi know at least know the meanings of the words 'rAhul' and 'gAndhi'? IQ thus, NOT ONLY include the prime trait of REAL INTELLIGENCE (presumably analytical power of reasoning applying principles like analogies, relationships), but also learnt knowledge (information database) and memory recall. This refers to the hard-disk of a person's mental computer. But, he may also need a large RAM and a super-fast processor to analyse data and evolve solutions. This imperative because, GREAT POWERFUL PERSONS HAVE TO TAKE GREAT COMPLEX DECISIONS, whereas we ordinary hoi polloi have to make only ordinary decisions. A Nation of 1.2 billion will be affected by their whimsical and fanciful decisions, though paraded as TOUGH STEPS.

Then again, a person's successes, failures, contributions, gifts, crimes, etc. done to himself and the society may depend on his own attitude and the attitudes of his community, and his countrymen. For example, mahAtma gAndhi might have had a less IQ than many other ICS Officers (Civil and Administrative Services), but his contribution to the Nation, is definitely greater than some of the Government Officers of Higher IQ of those days. Vice versa.

Two other similar situations in human lives
In my boyhood, I took some interest in learning palmistry and astrology. In one or two books, I came across a remark: If we compare the palm impressions of Abraham Lincoln and a criminal, a criminal may sometimes have better lines and mounts on his palm. Yet he ended up as a prisoner, where as Lincoln became a savior of United States.

we can find similar positions in astrology. Let us take two babies of same sex born exactly at the same time and date (including seconds), at the same hospital. One baby when grown up may become a doctor who saves lives. Another may become a habitual murderer. Why?

In spite of so much pretentious noise made about date and time of birth, etc. by astrologers, we find that, what we get are approximations and guesses.

How people make use of their IQs This comparison will also be futile, because in Capitalist set up, people are driven by a motive to make money, sometimes in spite of their severe dislike to think of money 24/7/365/100 years. Whether a criminal minded person or a virtuous person, they cannot starve. It is like this: A hungry child standing before a restaurant may be justified in stealing a pan cake from its kitchen. But, how can we justify the Presidents and the Prime Ministers of countries, stashing millions of dollars in some Caveman Islands or makAlu?

After getting food, clothing, shelter, and old age security, a person may have to strive for making better use of his IQ. But, by that time, we may become prisoners of the system in which we operate, and every step of ours may become a 'FORCED STEP', just as it happens in chess game, till 'mate'.

We can find PLENTY of this type of FORCED STEPS in the lives of all -- dawood ibrahim, swAmi vivEkAnanda, Mr. gaDkari, Ms. sOnia gAndhi, Mr. manmOhan singh et al. Thus, we get many combinations, whether voluntary actions or forced actions:-- 1. good goals, good actions, good results; 2. good goals, mediocre/bad actions, yet good results; 3. good goals, mediocre/bad actions, average/bad results; 4. bad goals, good actions, good results; 5. bad goals, mediocre/bad actions, mediocre/bad results; so on so forth. These are only some examples.

CONCLUSIONS Some of the comments of the readers, I found at the above Hindusthan Times link, seem to be influenced by their unreasonable love/hatred towards persons and things. Unreasonable love/hate has become a part of psyche of citizens of many Nations. Citizens may have to clean not only their bodies and garments, but also their minds and beliefs, from time to time. However, no hard and fast preachings and rules can be made. (subject to further revisions and corrections.)

#242 What is common between Allen Solly Dressing and vivEkAnanda Dressing?

What is common between Allen Solly and swAmi vivEkAnanda? It is coppery saffron.

DESIGNATIONS ARE FORGOTTEN ON A FRIDAY

---

DRESS UP!

HOT FRIDAYS

Allen Solly

Thus advertises a readymade garment marketer.

We then have a lady (model) walking between two lads. The lady has coppery-red hair. She is dressed in matching robes, with a well-tucked dark saffron pants, a dark saffron coat covering her shoulder and hands. Her blouse, though white in background, has saffron flowery-design. There is an air of semi-flamboyance, probably by the striking domination of coppery-saffron color.

The accompanying men are dressed in suits, of in gray and a sort of navy blue. But the "saffron color" matching with the pants of the lady, has not been left out. The modelling gentleman on the right of the model-lady, wore a conspicuous shirt with large saffron checks. The modelling on the gentleman on her left, wore a saffron tie, not to be left out in a matching color.

The advertisement images and the text-copy are, by and large, quite captivating and are in line with the state-of-art craft of the 21st Century Advertising.

"Designations are forgotten on a Friday" refers to an office environment, where on working days other than Fridays, designations might have to some extent determined and divided the dressing behaviors of the staff. We have an indication that the 21st Century Offices and staff, attach great importance to dressing.

---

We shall now go back to the end-19th Century years of United States and Swami vivEkAnanda. Swamiji wrote to Alasinga from Metclaff, Mass. on 20.8.1893:

From this village I am going to Boston tomorrow. I am going to speak at a big Ladies' Club here, which is helping Ramabai. I must first go and buy some clothing in Boston. If I am to live longer here, my quaint dress will not do. People gather by hundreds in the streets to see me. So what I want is to dress myself in a long black coat, and keep a red robe and turban to wear when I lecture. This is what the ladies advise me to do, and they are the rulers here, and I must have their sympathy. Before you get this letter my money would come down to somewhat about £70 of £60. So try your best to send some money. It is necessary to remain here for some time to have any influence here.

In the same letter quote:

"...Just now I have been to the tailor and ordered some winter clothings, and that would cost at least Rs. 300 and up. And still it would not be good clothes, only decent. Ladies here are very particular about a man's dress, and they are the power in this country...."

ybrems - primary By the 1893 price levels, a sum of Rs. 300 and up must have been very high for vivEkAnanda's fancy and alasinga's back (because he had to send the money to vivEkAnanda). Poor alasinga had to bear this burden, because he had to enable vivEkAnanda to have influence with the American big ladies, who advise him to wear what and win their sympathies. alasinga should save vivEkAnanda from looking queer.
Can't a monk have courage to face crowds? Ans: An ascetic or monk should not be afraid of looking queer or unnatural. Whatever way the onlookers may see him or mock at him, a true ascetic will not take their actions and reactions into cognizance.
It is worth quoting bhartruhari here, the great poet of the first millennium India gave birth to:

Sanskrit: camd`aaloo kim ayam? dvijaatir athavaa s`uudroo atha? kim taapasaha?

kim vaa tattva viveeka pees`ala matir yogiis`varaha koo api kim?

iti utpanna vikalpa jalpa mukharair aabhaashyamaan`aa janair

na kruddhaupathi naiva tusht`a manasoo yaanti svayam yoginaha .96

English: Those who see the ascetic on the path, will be wondering who this person is! Is he an outcast? Is he a Priest? Is he of a low caste? A person doing penance? A scholarly saint who can distinguish between strains of principles of philosophy? Who ever he is? The passersby will be estimating and commenting about him. But the ascetic himself will not get irritated and in a contented and serine mode he proceeds. (vairAgya Satakam verse No. 96.)

For reading vairagya satakam of bhartrihari: vairagyasatakam.blogspot.com.

While Allensolly wants people to have a HOT FRIDAY, vivEkAnanda wanted to have "Hot TIME IN THIS OLD TOWN" (the rage of Chicago of those days).

ybrems - secondary What is "decent" ? What is "good" ? These are all abstract adjectives. They neither have definitions. Nor do they have any meaning. They should not have any meaning, more so for "monks".

ybrems - tertiary I wanted to avoid my mania with this vivEkAnanda blog. The Governments (plural because it includes State Governments and the Union Government) have prevented me from my self-cure, by going ahead spending Rs. 100 billion (approx. $2 billion) on the bashes of Swami vivEkAnanda's 150th Day Celebrations. Most of the amounts are spent on organising seminars, sending decorated chariots, All-India trains and not on serving poor, the avowed objective of rAmakrishNa-vivEkAnanda cult or heritage. The gujarAt Chief Minister narEndra mODi has tried even to win elections on a vivEkAnanda platform.

And this is the same Nation which expects to mobilise a trillion dollars foreign investments, to develop infrastructure sector.
How can a Nation, which has its citizens spending thousands of bucks on DRESSING UP think of domestic investments? The citizens who spend lavishly on gold and diamong jewelleries, luxury homes, great cars, get their bucks not from any genuine production activity, but from speculative profits in real estate, commodity trading, share and derivative trading. Genuine growth cannot take place in India today. The sluggishness in manufacturing sector growth rate is mainly because of the hazards associated with making goods. The wreckless growth in Indian population pushes up demand for subsistence goods (necessities), migration to urban areas, large-scale conversion of agricultural lands into speculative plots used neither for construction nor for agriculture.

Unbriddled urban expansion gives raise to speculative business opportunities in real estate and commodities, helping a few hundred speculators to make undeserving millions. Even bank loans extended for ostensibly manufacturing and business purposes are diverted to speculative investments. This illegitimate income and wealth creates the demand for mansions, luxury cars, jewellery, expensive dresses, lavish wedding events, mals and supermarkets, and crazy sports like cricket. Why Walmart is so hungry to enter Indian Cities, at least through their indian crony proxies?

It is not the question of vivEkAnanda's coats or Allen Solly's Dressup banger ads. It is: We Indians have to change a lot!

#241 What is common between Mr. salmAn khAn and swAmi vivEkAnanda?

What is common between swAmi vivEkAnanda and salmAn khan? Ans: Both have strong bodies and handsome appearances, which can capture the attention of women. vivEkAnanda thought he suffered from neuresthania, acquired in United States. Mr. Salman Khan is said to be having some neurological problems. I am not sure where and when Mr. Khan acquired his neuro problems.

---

Year: 2012. salmAnkhAn: A leading Bollywood star. Sports a six-pack bod. Mr. salmAn khAn is said to be receiving acupuncture treatment for his neurological problems. He was said to have been spotted with 'needles on his face', while shooting at satAra for the film 'dabAngg 2'. Mr. khAn's brothers Mr. Arbaaz and Sohail khAn were said to have persuaded a reluctant Khan to give it a try. Mr. khAn is said to be happy with his health.

---

Year 1899. swAmi vivEkAnanda sent a telegram to swAmi brahmAnanda, presumably from California, on 13th Dec. 1899:

PERFECTLY CURED. BLESS ALL. VIVEKANANDA.

---

swAmi vivEkAnanda wrote to Ms. Ole Bull from Los Angeles on 22nd Dec. 1899. Quote:

As for me, I had a slight relapse of late, for which the healer has rubbed several inches of my skin off.

swAmi vivEkAnanda wrote to Ms. Margaret Noble (Sister nivEdita) from Los Angeles on 23rd December 1899. Quote:

Yes, I am really getting well under the manipulations of magnetic healing! At any rate I am all right. There was, never anything serious with my organs — it was nerves and dyspepsia. Now I walk miles every day, at any time — before or after meals. I am perfectly well — and am going to remain so, I am sure.

---

Swamiji wrote to Ms. Ole Bull, presumably from California, on 17th January 1900:--

...I am decidedly better in health. The healer thinks I am now at liberty to go anywhere I choose, the process will go on, and I shall completely recover in a few months. She insists on this, that I am cured already; only nature will have to work out the rest. Well, I came here principally for health. I have got it; in addition I got Rs. 2,000, to defray the law expenses. Good. Now it occurs to me that my mission from the platform is finished, and I need not break my health again by that sort of work. ...

---

But the same swAmIji wrote to Ms. Ole Bull from San Francisco on 7th March 1900 (after four months of magnetic healing):

I have some hopes yet in England. It is necessary for me to reach England in May. There is not the least use in breaking my health in San Francisco for nothing. Moreover, with all Joe's enthusiasm, I have not yet found any real benefit from the magnetic healer, except a few red patches on my chest from scratching!

---

swAmiji wrote to his brother disciple swAmi brahmAnanda (rAkhAl) from San Francisco on 12th March 1900:--

This disease is called neurasthenia, a disease of the nerves. Once it comes, it continues for some years. But after a complete rest for three or four years it is cured. This country is the home of the disease, and here it has caught me. However, it is not only no fatal disease, but it makes a man live long.

---

swAmIji wrote to Ms. Legget from San Francisco on 17th March 1900 (after four months trying with magntc healing):--

...Dr. and Mrs. Hiller returned to the city, much benefited, as they declare, by Mrs. Melton's rubbings. As for me, I have got several huge red patches on my chest. What materialises later on as to complete recovery, I will let you know. Of course, my case is such that it will take time to come round by itself....

---

ybrems -primary We see from SV's letter to rAkhal, that the sWamiji believed that his neurasthania would be cured after a complete rest of three or four years. swAmiji died on July 4, 1902, nearly 2.5 years after the magnetic treatment, followed by complete rest on couches.

---

ybrems -secondary Will Mr. salmAn khAn also try the complete rest technique?

---

disclaimer: No ill-will intended against swAmi vivEkAnanda or against Mr. salmAn khAn. They are only humans. Media presents stars with bloated personalities. Hatred of other religions, false national pride, need to advertise and publicise institutions for mobilising donations, make Gods out of monks.

---

If at all, there should be any illwill, it should be against our treatment methods, both traditional and modern, Indian and foreign. Sufferers run from pillar to post on the entire Earth, trying every method available on the Earth, and spending wads of currency. But, they may get some temporary respite and a dream-like (I cannot call it hallucinational) feel of well-being. Our diagnostic methods, therapeutic treatments, surgical procedures, have made great progresses, with investments in equipments and industries of millions/billions of dollars.

---

The doctors and hospitals earn more and invest more and more. Patients are made to spend more and more. This balloon will never burst, unlike rubber balloons. I do not even blame the doctors and the hospitals. We live in the 21st Century. We live amidst capitalism.

---

This post is subject to review and revision, depending on exchange of facts and views with readers.

#240 Christina I need advertising and few dollars quick

swAmi vivEkAnanda wrote to Ms. Christina Greenstidel from Los Angeles on 9th December 1899.

...I had a lecture here last night. The hall was not crowded, as there was very little ad[vertisement], but a fairly good — sized audience though. I hope they were pleased. If I feel better, I am going to have classes in this city soon. I am on the business path this time, you know. Want a few dollars quick, if I can.

---

ybrems - primary 1. Monks too need advertisements, if crowds have to fill halls. 2. Monks too should be on business path. 3. Monks too should make few dollars quick.

---

ybrems - secondary Why monks? Even politicians too need advertisements, be it obAma or rOmney or sOnia gAndhi or narEndra mODi or arvind kejriwal. Not necessarily few dollars. Can be millions of dollars. But, 'quick' is important. We cannot afford to wait.

Do the questions of beef eating - drinking and smoking by Vivekananda really matter?

Question: Thousands of Vivekananda devotees seem to hold a view: *Was Vivekananda not entitled to his quota of fun? *What was wrong in Vivekananda's eating beef? *What was wrong in Vivekananda's consuming alcohol? *What was wrong in Vivekananda's smoking cigars?

ybrems ANSWERS: I am not here to pass any value judgements on Vivekananda's character or lifestyle. My objects here are to find out facts and examine how they differ from the generally held views of millions of Indians who worship him, reading the literature published by the Managers of his Cult. These things have now become contextually important, because Mr. Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat State is on a vote-gathering mission, with bundles of Vivekananda's quotes in his luggage.

Answer to: Vivekananda's entitlement to his quota of fun: Ans: Did Vivekananda go to United States to have fun? Did Alasinga and others of Madras pool up their small savings and fill the pockets of Vivekananda for going to United States to have fun? Did Vivekananda allow his co-disciples (brother disciples) and disciples to have fun? A person gets entitled to something, when he allows others to have similar things. Vivekananda administered one rule for himself and another rule for the rest of the world. The posts made by me at this blog, mainly center around these divergences between preachings and practices of SV.

Answer to devotees views about Vivekananda's beef eating: First of all most devotees of Swami Vivekananda do not know that Swamiji encouraged beef eating. Even deeply religious organisations like Visva Hindu Parishad and R.S.S.do not know about it, because they do not bother to research into facts. The militant Hindu Organisations claim to strive for a ban on beef eating and cow-slaughter, whereas Vivekananda wanted Indians to become strong by consuming meat and beef.

Answer to : What was wrong in consuming alcohol? Ans: Nothing wrong. But this answer applies to ordinary citizens like you and me and not to a supposedly great monk who uplifted the Hindus and the Indian Nation. Everybody knows that alcohol makes a person an addict and an inebriated person does not know the consequences of his utterances and actions. Yogis are supposed to be conquerers of senses. Vivekananda claimed himself and his Guru Ramakrishna to be paramahamsas (Great Swans). How can Great Swans be so crazy for alcohol? If a great monk cannot exercise control on a small thing like alcohol, how can he guide a Nation?

What was wrong in Vivekananda's smoking cigars? Above reply holds good. Additional observation: Swamiji wrote to Mr. Sturdy, his onetime host in London:

"...I remember your place at Reading, where I was fed with boiled cabbage and potatoes and boiled rice and boiled lentils, three times a day, with your wife's curses for sauce all the time. I do not remember your giving me any cigar to smoke — shilling or penny ones. Nor do I remember myself as complaining of either the food or your wife's incessant curses, though I lived as a thief, shaking through fear all the time, and working every day for you. ... "

ybrem Any monk should be greatly pleased when a housewife offers him boiled cabbage, boiled lentils, boiled potatoes, and boiled rice, THREE TIMES A DAY. That must have been a royal feast, for a monk who claimed that he was given stale pan cakes (chapatis) by Indian housewises, when they went round streets seeking alms. Swamiji raised issue about his host's cursing him when he asked for more sauce. Vivekananda ought to have recalled the story of the Brahmin kausika in mahabharata, who was directed by a housewife to the meat seller DharmavyAdha for learning true dharma. Had Swamiji not been addicted to smoking cigars, he would not have made a hue and cry of Mr. Sturdy not offering him cigars. Another quote:

"...I remember Mrs. Sturdy giving me a dinner and a night's lodging in her place, and then the next day criticising the black savage — so dirty and smoking all over the house. ..."

This embarrassing predicament of being cursed by a tired housewife-cum-host, Swamiji could have easily avoided by relinquishing cigars. Another quote:

But "Willy" or no "Willy", I must have my money, don't forget. Harriet is discreetly silent since she got her boy; but where is my money, please? Remind her and her husband of it. If she is Woolley, I am greasy Bengali, as the English call us here — Lord, where is my money? I have got a monastery on the Ganga now, after all, thanks to American and English friends. Tell Mother to look sharp. I am going to deluge your Yankee land with idolatrous missionaries. Tell Mr. Woolley he got the sister but has not paid the brother yet. Moreover, it was the fat black queerly dressed apparition smoking in the parlour that frightened many a temptation away, and that was one of the causes which secured Harriet to Mr. Woolley; therefore, I want to be paid for my great share in the work etc., etc. Plead strong, will you?

ybrem: Vivekananda seems to believe that it was he who fetched Harriet as the wife for Mr. Woolley. He wanted to extract his price for the service, by threatening to appear as a fat black queerly dressed apparition smoking in the parlor. This belittling one's own self, even for fun, just to collect a few bucks, could have been avoided by quitting smoking. (For detailed crticism on the above, please see my blog posts, here.) summary: A Nation's up-lifter has to live an exemplary life, unlike hoi polloi Indians like us.

#238 -some exam questions to students of Andhra Pradesh

NEWS KIND COURTESY : TIMES OF INDIA SEP. 8, 2012.

HYDERABAD: School textbooks for Class IX will have a chapter on Swami Vivekananda from the next academic year. Officials of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), AP, said textbooks are currently being revised and the new chapter on Swami Vivekananda will be included in the Telugu non-detail book of Class IX. Incidentally, the move coincides with the 150th birth anniversary year of Swami Vivekananda, 2013.

"In 2009, a GO was issued which stated that a lesson on Swami Vivekananda's life and his teachings should be included in Class IX textbooks. Last year we revised the books of Class VI and VII and this year we are working on Class VIII and IX books. So next academic year onwards students will be reading the chapter," said Upendra Reddy, HoD, curriculum, SCERT, AP.

YBREMS
It is now, the turn of the students of Andhra Pradesh to be banged with the Vivekananda stuff. The Officials administering the curriculum, State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Andhra Pradesh, have obviously yielded to the pressures of the Ramakrishna Math.

Additional Suggestions.
*One lesson can be included, explaining the differences between American turtles and Indian turtles.
*Some short answer questions can be given:
--Explain the taste of shad fish.
--Explain the difference between Indian cigars and the American cigars.

*Some letter-writing questions can be given:
--Write a letter to an American Aristocratic lady explaining her how you helped her in getting a husband.
--Write a letter to a German girl requesting her to send one of her latest photos. Inform her that you want to see how much fat she has built in one year. Do not forget to add that you will have "an hot time in this old town".
--Write a letter to an American lady how American women could contribute to a fund for your maintenance.
--Write a letter to your foreign friend, lamenting how awfully you are suffering, because doctor has forbidden you from eating meat.

Quotes - lives - deeds diverge

Quotes, lives, and deeds rarely converge. They, often, conflict.

I, for one, thoroughly believe that no power in the universe can withhold from anyone anything they really deserve.
-- a quote of Swami Vivekananda.

ybrems
*Did Swamiji deserve diabetes?
*Did Swamiji deserve varicose veins?
*Did Swamiji deserve premature death at 39?
*Did Swamiji deserve the fate of 'lying restless on couch' for nearly one year, lamenting that he was unable to eat meat? (Doctors forbade him eating meat).
*Did Swamiji deserve the fate of begging American drunken high society women to mobilise a fund of $100 for his maintenance?

This quote is very high-sounding, but unfortunately it conveys nothing worthwhile. For example, there may be hundreds of leaders in India, who deserved to be the President of India. But Ms. Pratibha Patil became the President of India, not because she deserved it, but because she could curry favor the U.P.A. President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi.

There is always great disparity between what a person deserves and what he gets. The reason for this, is the vagaries of environments of lives of individuals, owing to vicissitudes of the Capitalist Society. Without understanding this, saffron-clad monks called it 'karma' and attributed things to 'Mother', whenever they wanted to totally disown themselves from their roles.

What the Punjab Technical University - Chandigarh will study now?

Punjab Technical University, Chandigarh, India, is reported to have announced a fellowship for conducting research on Swami Vivekananda, to commemorate his 150th Birth Day. The Fellow is expected to research on the philosophies said to have been introduced by Vivekananda to the West.

ybrems
What is there left to research now? What philosophy did Vivekananda introduce to the West, which they already didn't know? His speeches in United States to inebriated audiences consisted mostly of rhetoric, empty boasting and praise of one's own religion, rather than a human being's search to know the truth.

Vivekananda's special peculiar ochre robes, head-gear served as attractions. He was not averse to listeners consuming non-veg. and liquors at the venues.

Vivekananda's second visit was a failure. He himself lamented:

Wrote to Mrs. Ole Bull from US on 17th January 1900:

"... I do not expect anything much here or anywhere by lecturing. I can scarcely make expenses. No, not even that; whenever it comes to paying, the people are nowhere. The field of lecturing in this country has been overworked ; the people have outgrown that. ..."

For him India was a rotten corpse and jelly fish. Indians were rogues. In his view, his co-speaker on the dais was a loafer. Those who taught VEDANTIC THOUGHT in United States, prior to him were CRANKS!

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Albert Sturges from his ship on Dec. 5, 1895:

"...In your country, Alberta, the Vedantic thought was introduced in the beginning by ignorant "cranks", and one has to work his way through the difficulties created by such introductions ..."

In his view Shankara and rAmAnuja were mere pandits and they did not weep for the poor. Let us see how Vivekananda wept for the poor:

Swami Vivekananda in his letter dated 12th Dec. 1901 (six months before his death), wrote to Ms. Christina Greenstidel ( Christine ), from Belur Math.

"This is our best season for eating turtles, but they are all black. The green [ones] can only be found in America. Alas! I am prevented from the taste of meat. ... ".

Even as a story of fantasy, Shankaracharya produced a shower of 'gold gooseberries' for the poor woman who gave him a gooseberry (Hindi: Amalaka), because she had nothing to offer. What did Vivekananda weep? "Alas! I am prevented from the taste of meat!"

Readers will be suprised to know that Swamiji did not like social reform. He wrote to Alasinga:

Swamiji wrote to Shri Alasinga Mudaliar in the second half of 1895 from New York, USA:

"Meddle not with social reform, for there cannot be any reform without spiritual reform first. Who told you that I want social reform?. Not I. ..."

What spiritual reform did Swamiji make!:--
In his letter dated the 2nd September 1901 addressed to Christine, he showed his attachment to SHAD FISH (a species of fish swimming upstream from sea to a river for spawning, found in the Hooghly river flowing beside the Belur Monastery).

"...How I wish you were here to taste our SHADS — one of the most delicate fish in the world. ... I would not take any supper tonight, as I ate rather heartily of the aforesaid shad! ... "

OBSERVATIONS
Fortunately only few foreigners came. Otherwise, the Hooghly river would have been emptied of shad fish.

In the same letter:

"How I wish you were here to taste our shads — one of the most delicate fish in the world. It is raining outside — pouring. But the moment this downpour ceases, I rain through every pore — it is so hot yet. My whole body is covered by big patches of prickly heat. Thank goodness there are no ladies about! If I had to cover myself in this state of things, I surely would go crazy.

I have also my theme, but I am not despondent. I am sure very soon to pan it out into a beautiful ecstasy [excision]. I am half crazy by nature; then my overtaxed nerves make me outrageous now and then. As a result I don't find anybody who would patiently bear with me! I am trying my best to make myself gentle as a lamb. I hope I shall succeed in some birth. You are so gentle. Sometimes I did frighten you very much, did I not, Christina? I wish I were as gentle as you are. Mother knows which is best. "

This great wise philosopher was happy to announce that they sacrifice a goat for the Durga pUja and burnt fireworks! Illiterate wife of Swamiji's guru rAmakrishna paramahamsa was said to have dissuaded goat's sacrifice at Belur Math and started the practice of offering bananas to Goddess Durga. Who was better? Illiterate housewife or the global philosopher?


Imagine a saffron-clad monk preaching philosophy while releasing rings of cigars! Imagine the monk shaking his peg with Prof. Paul Deussen and telling him what they vowed at the feet of their Guru Ramakrishna was only to abstain from kAnta (woman) and kAncan (gold).

The new Fellow at the Punjab Technology University will have to research on who Bentley was (Michigan Governor's wife), about whom Vivekananda was unable to provide any satisfactory explanation to Prof. Harrier. The new Fellow has to trace out the document which Vivekananda and Ms./Mrs. Christina Greenstidel signed and countersigned. The new Fellow has to search out why Ms. Henrietta Mueller, an important donor for the Belur Math Site, called Vivekananda a fraud, in her interview with a Bombay Newspaper and shifted to Theosophical Society.

If he makes all these enquiries, his employer will summarily kick him out!

summary
I have wasted nearly five years, researching on Vivekananda. Now, Indian Universities and foreign Universities will do the same thing with Governments' funds.

Oneness is the secret of everything except turtles

Here is a quote of Swami Vivekananda found on the website of the Government of Gujarat, : http://vivekananda.gujarat.gov.in/quotes.aspx.

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.
Swami Vivekananda

ybrems

*If oneness is the secret of everything, how could Vivekananda find a difference between American turtles and Indian turtles? How could he distinguish between chicken and ice creams? How could he distinguish between cigars and hari-bhari luchies?

Swami Vivekananda in his letter dated 12th Dec. 1901 (six months before his death), wrote to Ms. Christina Greenstidel ( Christine ), from Belur Math.

This is our best season for eating turtles, but they are all black. The green [ones] can only be found in America. Alas! I am prevented from the taste of meat. ... ".

Or did Vivekananda lose his philosophy of oneness of the world philosophy?

*If oneness is the secret of everything, how could Vivekananda find a difference between the great yankee land and the rotten corpse he called India?

*Quotes are for quoting. Facts do not support quotes. Vir chand Gandhi toured United States at the same time as Vivekananda. Virchand Gandhi sent two shiploads of wheat for famine relief in India. Vivekananda gave two shiploads of quotes!

Why does not Narendra Modi think of Virchand Gandhi as a role-model instead of whimscal Vivekananda?

Why did Gujarat forget its own son virchand Gandhi?

*Mr. Narendra Modi may not know that Swami Vivekananda supported beef-eating!

#234 Why one religion - all are frogs in wells

Story of frogs in well told by Swami Vivekananda, is quoted quite frequently. I reproduce it here, as available from the site
http://www.payer.de/neobuddhismus/neobud0202.htm which contained the program papers of the Parliament of Religions, Chicago, 1893.

* Just before the close of the afternoon session, the Chairman invited some remarks from the Hindu monk SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, of Bombay, who responded with a little fable intended to illustrate the variance among men of different races and religions.
The frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course the evolutionists were not there then to tell us whether the frog lost its eyes or not; but, for our story's sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it, with an energy that would give credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat — perhaps as much so as myself.
Well, one day another frog, that lived in the sea, came and fell into the well.
"Whence are you from ?"
" I'm from the sea."
"The sea ? how big is that ? Is it as big as my well ?" and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.
" My friend," says the frog of the sea, " how do you compare the sea with your little well ? "
Then the frog took another leap, and asked : " Is your sea so big ? "
" What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well! "
" Well, then," said the frog of the well, " nothing can be bigger than my well; there can be nothing bigger than this ; this fellow is a liar, so turn him out."
That has been the difficulty all the while.

The proceedings of this crowded day concluded with an EVENING SESSION, at which, by a coincidence unusual enough on our republican soil, the audience listened to discourses from men of the highest title and rank in their own countries.

ybrems
--Audience of the Congress of Religions 1893, mostly consisted of citizens of Chicago, born in Christianity. Most of the organisers, participants assembled there, were also Christians. From this, we get an impression, that Swami Vivekananda intended this story as an indirect 'clue' to the Christian faith assembled there, that they cannot think that theirs alone was the sole religion in the world and that there are/were other religions. He seems to have meant Christianity as the well and the other religions outside as the sea.

--Swami Vivekananda forgot that his own religion Hinduism was also like a well and the people of India were living like frogs in a well. For that reason only untouchability on dalits continued for several centuries without being disturbed, till the alien religions Islam and Christianity came and weaned away the oppressed persons into their religion.

--We can expand the analogy of frogs in well further. Chrstianity and Islam have only one God. Hence, they may be treated as very narrow wells with a very small radius. In Indian homes, we have 'single-pully' wells of about 1 or 2 meter radius, and supported by a long rope and a bucket. They are suitable for small families for domestic purposes. Hinduism is a single-God-with-multiple-forms religion. It is like a bigger community well with at least 4 pulleys, 4 ropes and 4 buckets on all the four sides. At least four people can draw water from these wells at a time. If a devotee is unable to concentrate on one form and one name, they can shift to another God/Goddess. For different purposes, there are different name and different forms. For example, Goddess Sarawati for learning, Lakshmi for prosperity, pArvati for energy and stamina.

--It is not the question here, whether multi-form-multi-name-single God/Goddess religion Hinduism is superior or inferior to single God monoliths Christianity or Islam. HINDUISM has developed some flexibility while the other religions continue with their rigidity.

--Readers will forgive me, if I compare Vivekananda himself to a frog from a well called 'Hinduism and India'. Proof: After the conclusion of the Congress of Religions, he continued lecturing in the United States for money. He liked to be a guest of aristocratic wealthy women who found his peculiar dress very appealing and his flexibility with meat and liquor quite accommodative with their habits.

--Unable to understand the SEA (United States and Europe = Sea), he went ahead teaching yoga to drunken women, without bothering about the time, place, fitness and receptivity. At the same time he went on writing belittling letters to his Indian fraternity. Some quotes generate laughter:---

In May 1896 Swami Vivekananda wrote to Ms. Alberta Sturges (age 19) that he liked Amerique - the yankee land. He called India a jelly fish.

" ... I have had two classes already — they will go on for four or five months and after that to India I go. But it is to Amerique — there where the heart is. I love the Yankee land. I like to see new things. I do not care a fig to loaf about old ruins and mope a life out about old histories and keep sighing about the ancients. I have too much vigour in my blood for that. In America is the place, the people, the opportunity for everything. I have become horribly radical. I am just going to India to see what I can do in that awful mass of conservative jelly-fish, ... "

Swamiji wrote to Ms. Ole Bull on the 17th Jan. 1900 during his second visit to USA:

"...No, not even that; whenever it comes to paying, the people are nowhere. The field of lecturing in this country has been overworked; the people have outgrown that...."

"...They come in crowds when there is a free lecture and very few when there is something to pay...

"...No money. Hard work. No result. Worse than Los Angeles.

They come in crowds when the lecture is free — when there is payment, they don't. That's all..."

On March 27, 1895 Vivekananda wrote to Ms. Isabelle Mckindley from New York.

"...This is a wonderful country for cheating, and 99.9 per cent have some motive in the background to take advantage of others. If any one just but closes his eyes for a moment, he is gone!! ..."

Vivekananda wrote to Ms. Ole Bull, from India, on August 19, 1897.

"...I had a letter from Joe saying that you are both coming to India. I, of course, will be very glad to see you in India, only you ought to know from the first that India is the dirtiest and unhealthiest hole in the world, with scarcely any European comforts except in the big capitals..."

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Swami Ramakrishnananda (head of Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, his brother-disciple, also called "Shashi") from Belur Math on Feb. 25, 1898.

"...India is a rotten corpse inside and outside. We shall revive it by the blessings of Shri Maharaj. ..."

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Swami Suddhananda from Almora on July 11, 1897:

"...India is full of lazy rogues, and curious, they never die of hunger, they always get something..."

ybrems
--The frog which came out of the Indian well, sprung into the Sea of the United States and Europe, finally had to *leap back DOWN TO A COUCH into a palatial building called Belur Math in Calcutta. *A literal jump over the monastery's gate had to be done, as the security watch man could not recognise Vivekananda and open the gate.

(Seems to be too strong a comment. I shall revise this post, after seeing the readers' responses.)

#233 - Why did Vivekananda ignore lakshmi nArain?

.


The above photo is kind courtesy commons.wikimedia.org. Here is the link, where you can see more details:

Description
English: Swami Vivekananda in World Parliament of Religions, 1893 in Chicago. In the photo: (from left to right) "Narasimha Chaira [Narasimhacharya of Chennai], Lakeshnie Narain [Lakshmi Narain, a barrister from Lahore], Swami Vivekananda, H. Dharmapala [Anagarika Hewivitarne Dharmapala, a Buddhist from Ceylon and later the founder of the Mahabodhi Society in Kolkata], and Vichand Ghandi [Virchand Gandhi, a lawyer of Mumbai and the chief exponent of the Jain religion.]"
Date 1893(1893)
Source http://www.vivekananda.org/archivedphotoslideshow.asp?id=30
Author Unknown

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Swami_Vivekananda_1893_with_The_East_Indain_Group.jpg.

ybrem 1

The first from left was narasimhacharya, whom I have already covered in post No. 232.
The second from left was Shri Lakshmi Narain (in the photo mentioned as Lakeshnie Narain, a barrister from Lahore.).

ybrem 2
Who this lakshmi nArain was apart from being a barrister from Lahore? Whom did he represent?

--According to the Parliament of Congress program papers (link I have already given in my post No. 231), lakshmi nArAin represented the kAyastha Society of India. He was one of the speakers on the stage along with Vivekananda, narasimhacharya, dharmapala and virchand gandhi.

--Rev. Barrows, No. 2 in command, in the organisers of the World Parliament of Religions, in his memoirs, mentioned lakshmi nArain as representing Arya sAmAj. This might have been owing to an inadvertance. Reason: In 1892-93, Arya SamOj underwent a split, and it was most unlikely that they would have sent a representative to the Parliament. However, punjab and lAhore were the pioneers of the Arya samAj movement, we cannot rule out lakshmi nArain representing the Arya Samaj. If any of the leaders of the Arya Samaj of 2012 sees this blog and digs out the Arya Samaj records of 1892-93, they may be able to provide more details.

--Anyway, the most important question: Why did Swami Vivekananda TOTALLY ignore lakshmi nArain, whether he was the fellow kAyastha or the representative of the Arya Samaj.

(To continue).

Who was loafing and who was not loafing?

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Alasinga, his disciple-cum-patron at Chennai, from Chicago, on 2nd November 1893.

This letter was very lengthy. Vivekananda thundered and trumpeted his own success at the World Parliament of Religions. I have discussed this letter in other postings at this blog. One quote which I missed earlier, as adequate info. was not available, I am presenting now.

... A boy called Narasimhacharya has cropped up in our midst. He has been loafing about the city for the last three years. Loafing or no loafing, I like him; but please write to me all about him if you know anything. He knows you. He came in the year of the Paris Exhibition to Europe...

ybrems
This Narasimhacharya, I could not trace earlier. Now, his details are available from the agenda of the Parliament of Religions, 1893. Here is a quote from the programme of the 22nd September 1893:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 10:30 A.M.

* Address by Rev. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA.
* Conference on Orthodox Hinduism and the Vedanta Philosophy.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

* Address by MR. LAKSHMI NARAIN, of Lahore, India, Secretary of
the Kayasth Community ; Mr. NARASIMA CHARI, a Brahman of
Madras, representing the Sei Vaishnava Sect and the
Visishtadwaiti Philosophy ; Rev. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, a
Sannyasi, or Monk;And by Mr. MERWIN-MARIE SNELL.
* Conference on the Modern Religions of India.

ybrems
--Readers will find from the above program that Vivekananda spoke. In the afternoon session, one Mr. Lakshmi Narain of Lahore, representing kAyasth community spoke. Mr. Narasimhachari, representing Sri VaishNava Sect and the visishTAdvaita philosophy spoke.

--The link provided by me in my previous post also contains the photograph of Mr. Narasimhachari, in civil dress, somewhat western. He was in his youth.

--When Mr. Narasimhachari and Vivekananda spoke from the same platform, how Vivekananda could call his co-speaker, a boy? A loafer? Mr. Narasimhachari might not have been as successful as Vivekananda, in terms of orations, but he was quite straightforward in his utterance at the Parliament. I shall quote from the Parliament's speech reproduced in the link.

At the close of the address of General Fielding (who took the
platform in the absence of Commander Ballington Booth), a Brahman, a
member of the School of Philosophy at Madras, Mr. NARA SIMA
SATSUMCHYRA, was introduced, and began his brief address by
referring with high respect to the work of the Salvation Army in
India as more effective than that of any of the churches.
He concluded thus :

Our friends of the Brahmo-Somaj have been picturing to you
Christianity standing with the Bible in one hand and the
wizard's wand of civilization in the other. But there is another side, and that is the goddess of civilization with a bottle of
rum in her hand. O that the English had never set foot in India ! O that we had never seen a single European face ! O that we
had never tasted the bitter sweets of your civilization, rather than it should make us a nation of drunkards and brutes!

--ybrem: It appears that PC Mazoomdar (Brahmo Samaj) in his speech presented Christianity standing with bible in one hand and civilisation in another hand. (The civilisation here referred to the Western Civilisation, which has its own merits and demerits.). Mr. Narasimhachari presented the other venomous example of the same civilisation with Christianity in one hand and a bottle of rum in the other hand. He lamented that English were making India a nation of drunkards and brutes! Narasimhachari's words were golden words, as can be seen from this 21st Century example:

--Rave parties have become common in the Hyderabad City of Andhra Pradesh. Sons of rich politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists, film personalities, whoever have great money to spend money are attending the rave parties happening in Indian cities. Reckless sex, alcoholism, drugs have become common. One live incident: A Police team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police raided the Tonic Pub, at Jubilee Hills, in Hyderabad, and arrested dozens of persons swinging in an inebriated state, late midnight of 8th July 2012. We today have a pub and pizza culture in Indian cities. Even moral policing by some so-called Hindu militant organisations cannot solve this problem, because they have their own weaknesses.

--Thus Narasimhacharya who spoke with great forthrightness could not have found audience in United States. He might have exhausted his money in the process and struggling for survival. Since, Vivekananda was a co-Indian, co-Hindu, co-speaker on the platform of the Parliament, he might have sought some company and succour from Vivekananda, who was making big bucks from his speeches.

--Question: Did Vivekananda help Narasimhacharya?
Ans: We find three or four letters in the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, which made a mention about "Narasimha", apart from the above loafer reference. From none of them, we can make a deduction that Vivekananda helped Narasimhacharya monetarily or otherwise. I quote from one letter Vivekananda wrote to Ms. Hale from Annisquam, United States:

...I have a letter from Madras which says they will soon send money to Narasimha (Narasimhacharya. Vide the letter dated February 14, 1894.) — in fact, as soon as they get a reply to their letter written to Narasimha. ...

--Even if any help had been given by Vivekananda, that might have been full of disdain and scorn, because the first impression of Vivekananda about Narasimha was that of a "loafer". The help which was to come, might have come from Alasinga, (Madras-Chennai). Though Vivekananda said that Swamiji's Madras friends were sending help, the help could have been from Alasinga, because Alasinga knew Narasimhachari. The point here is, Vivekananda was very prosperous in 1894, 1895 years and it would not have been difficult form him to pay for the passage of Narasimha to India, instead of waiting for the Madras friends to send the succour.

--About Alasinga: Though Alasinga was a person of small means in Madras, it was he who with all sincerity mobilised subscriptions for the expenses of Vivekananda's visit to the Parliament of Religions, while RAjA of khEtri paid his passage. Even after the conclusion of Parliament of Religions, Vivekananda stayed in U.S. and on one occasion asked Alasinga to send money from India. During the second visit of Swami Vivekananda, when he could not make money, he lamented in a letter to Ms. Ole Bull, that he had some hopes from the South (meaning: South India). It was, therefore, no wonder that Alasinga might have sent some support to Narasimhachari.

More dependable website of the proceedings of the World Parliament of Religions - Chicago - 1893

I have spent last three years searching for authentic websites which contained the authentic proceedings of the World Congress of Religions (Or Parliament of Religions), Chicago, 1893.

This has become necessary because the Indian websites on Swami VivEkAnanda trumpeted his speeches at the Parliament as something unequal, unique and unparalleled in Indian History and the History of the World, and the History of the World Religions.

On the other hand, the North American sites presented everything from the Christian side. They ignored Swami Vivekananda. But we cannot estimate the degree to which they ignored his work at the Parliament. (Of course, the object of the Parliament was to inject Christianity into the heads of the representatives of the pagan religions.)

At last, I found one reasonably dependable and informative website on the proceedings of the World Congress of Religions. It is, as per the URL, a website of the Neobuddhism.
http://www.payer.de/neobuddhismus/neobud0202.htm.

The web-page is quite comprehensive. Of course, it has active links only to speeches and writings of the Buddhist representative dharmapAla. Yet, by and large, it helps our task of estimating the real contribution of Swami Vivekanada, at the Parliament of Religions.

My next four or five postings will be on this topic. I shall, as per my promise, try to be unbiased.

Barrows - Give me beef

*The Outlook*

*July 17, 1897 *

Dr. John Henry Barrow's reminiscences of Vivekananda (9/11/93)

Dr. Barrows says:

"After the first session of the Parliament of Religions I went with
Vivekananda to the restaurant in the basement of the Art Institute, and
I said to him, 'What shall I get you to eat?' His reply was "Give me
beef !""

ybrems
--The Outlook - was the name of the magazine, which published the report.
Year of publication was July 1897.
--Dr. John Henry Barrows (Reverend Barrows) was one of the chief organisers of the World Parliament of Religions, Chicago, 1893.
--9/11/93 refers to the date of reminiscence of Rev. Barrows. This date was the same as the date on which Vivekananda gave his first speech at the Parliament.

Some questions which arise:
1. Why did Rev. Barrows withhold this information in his mind for three years+ (from 1893 to 1897) without disclosing?
Why did he suddenly burst out in 1897?

2. Why did Barrows choose Vivekananda for company, to dine in the restaurant?
Probable answer: Barrows wanted to cultivate VivekAnanda for spreading Christianity in India. But this did not bear fruit. But the bonhomie continued till 1897. By that time, Vivekananda started his own business of speech-making, yoga classes, and established some relationships with aristocratic women of the United States. Vivekananda became Barrow's competitor in U.S., instead of helper in India.

3. Rev. Barrows disclosed the news of Vivekananda's beef-eating in July 1897. Prior to that he was in India, probably for spreading Christianity. Vivekananda, seems to have arranged for his reception in India and accompanied him to some places. His letter to Ms. Hale, dated 28.4.1897 from Darjeeling, shows that relations got burst between the Reverend and the Swamiji.:

" ... Dr. Barrows has reached America by this time, I hope. Poor man! He came here to preach the most bigoted Christianity, with the usual result that nobody listened to him. Of course they received him very kindly; but it was my letter that did it. I could not put brains into him! Moreover, he seems to be a queer sort of man. I hear that he was mad at the national rejoicings over my coming home. You ought to have sent a brainier man anyway, for the Parliament of Religions has been made a farce of in the Hindu mind by Dr. Barrows. ..."

Thus, the breakdown of relations between Vivekananda and Rev. Barrows, made Barrows to disclose to the Outlook news Paper about Swamiji's beef eating in Chicago and got it published by using his influence.

Yet, we cannot say that Barrows created an imaginary incident of Vivekananda asking for beef. Vivekananda did not hide his support for meat and beef eating by Hindus. Swamiji's 3Bs: biceps, bhagavadgita and beef, as a formula appears in one of his biographies by his own disciples. In those days, communications were not well-developed. Hence, very few Hindus knew it.

Had Vivekananda helped Barrows in spreading Christianity in the vast sub-continent of India, the Reverend would have conveniently ignored Vivekananda's asking for beef.

#229 - Oh Angels and Gods- Come down and eat shad fish and turtles

Here is a quote from the 'gnAna yOga' of sWAmi vivEkAnanda. Source: his Complete Works.

Man, therefore, according to the Vedanta philosophy, is the greatest being that is in the universe, and this world of work the best place in it, because only herein is the greatest and the best chance for him to become perfect. Angels or gods, whatever you may call them, have all to become men, if they want to become perfect. This is the great centre, the wonderful poise, and the wonderful opportunity — this human life.

ybrems
Great persons should always make lofty writings, if they have to impress themselves on innocent persons. For others, the lofty books will become show-pieces in glass cup-boards.


*It is a belief of humans that they are the greatest beings in the Universe. Another belief is that they are born to do great things. This belief is not new, something first propounded by Swami VivEkAnanda. It has been there since several centuries. Yet, what is done by the so called Great Preachers have done pales down before the work of a buffalo or a bullock or a mango tree.

--A buffalo just gets few bunches of grass from the humans. Throughout the day it is tied down to a post with chains. Yet, it gives sweet milk (or man takes away from its calf).

--A bullock just gets a few bunches of hay from its master. Throughout the day it pulls cartloads or plough the fields, to be tied down again at the end of the day.

--A mango tree gets a few litres of water a day and some manure occasionally. It gives hundreds of sweet fruits which hundreds of people can eat.

In what way a man is greater than them?

Even seemingly useless marine or riverine beings like shad-fish and turtles help humans to save themselves from starvation, but also satisfy their fanciful cravings! Humans cannot satisfy themselves with one or two cuds, but they want stomachfuls, so that if they put their fingers in their throats, the fragments of the creatures touch their nails mockingly.

Swami Vivekananda wants the angels and Gods to come down. What the angels and Gods will do when they come down?

*Eat shad fish and turtles?
--(Swamiji loved eating shad fish to his stomach's full and inviting foreign women to come to India for sharing them.).
-- (Swamiji loved comparing the Indian turtles and the American turtles, their appearance, taste etc.)

*Ask foreign women to send their photos?
*Ask foreign women to come back to India and have a 'HOT TIME IN THIS OLD TOWN'

*Beg foreign women to mobilise few bucks to make a fund for his lifelong personal maintenance in India?

*Beg Indian rulers like rAja of khEtri to send Rs. 100/- per month for personal maintenance?

*Go abroad in search of magnetic healers, when the natives die like fleas, when India was hit by plague?

*Shocked by this hypocrisy, Ms. Henrietta Mueller, an important donor for the purchase of his bElUrmaTh site called everything fake and drifted towards Annie Besant's Theosophy, saying:

"she is face to face with the unavoidable conclusion that it is utterly rotten and corrupt from beginning to end and full of danger to the unhappy people who place their faith in it."

Do children and adolescents learn from the lives of so called great men?

Question: Do children and adolescents learn from the lives of so called great men?

Answer:Answer will have to be 'yes and no' at the same time.

Question: Why this question has arisen now? What is the context?

Ans: Tirumala Tirupati dEvasthAnam, the largest temple in India, in terms of income, has through its TV channel SVBC, broadcast a program called 'mahanIyata (Greatness)', on 6th July 2012, around 8.00 p.m.

The essence of the particular episode was: a boy was deviating from studies and going on errands like films with school and class mates. Parents scold him. His maternal grand father gave some counselling to the boy's parents. The boy goes to his mgf's house and was given a book on Swami vivEkananda. From that very day, the boy makes a turnround, shuns his friends etc. etc.

ybrem 1
The boy was in an impressionable age. Boys in impressionable age tend to believe whatever comes before them and form role-models. If they get good models, they become good guys; if they get bad models, they become bad guys; if they get mixed models, they become mixed guys.

What the boy got was a sanitised version of Swami vivEkAnanda's life. He might have genuinely believed its contents and emulated the sanitised role-model.

His mgf. too read the sanitised version and thought that all that was printed therein was genuine. TTD i.e. the temple authorities too believed. We cannot find fault even with the temple authorities. Indian society believed it.

ybrem 2
Not caring to verify facts in case of 'celebrities' is a universal phenomenon. Such lack of care is not restricted to adolescents of impressionable age. Fads develop from lack of care in knowing the deeper facts.

A saffron-clad person occupied the Government-assigned land of a poor person in kakinADa, Andhra Pradesh and started an ostentatious cow-shelter. When quizzed by a TV channel, he simply said that the land given to that scheduled caste man was not fit for cultivation and that he "effectively and efficiently" repulsed the objections. How did he repulse? By meeting influential bureaucrats and political leaders?

It is the law which has to decide whether the claim of the saffron-clad person is correct or the poor person's claim is correct. But a poor person cannot easily approach bureaucrats or engage expensive lawyers.

Temple landgrabs by Government is different from grab of Government assigned lands by saffron-clad persons.
(To continue).

Brainwashing children in Gujarat

Government of Gujarat distributed note books to school children on the occasion of school enrolment drive launched in vaDodAra City on 28th June 2012.

The notebooks contained side-by-side the photos of swAmi vivEkAnanda and narEndra mODi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

It is a common and standard practice among the Central Government and the 28 State Governments and their public enterprises to depict the photos of the Chief Minister / Prime Minister / President / other Ministers on everything. We need not, therefore, find fault with narEndra mODi trying to publicise himself or his Government's achievements.

But why his photo should appear, beside the photo of sWami viVEkAnanda.

A careful study of the Complete Works of Vivekananda indicates that he made a facade of loving India and hinduism, whereas he in reality called India a rotten corpse and jelly fish. In his eyes Indians were rogues. Of course, these things will not be revealed to the children of India. The children get brainwashed just with photos, to show that something great was happening to hinduism under the leadership of MODi and in the name of swAmi viVEkananda.

So far, United States has not, for reasons known to itself did not grant a visa to Modi. They should have granted him a visa and started facilitating and felicitating him profusely, so that he would have started calling India a jelly fish and rotten corpse and yankee land as heaven on earth. After all, he is going to be the future Prime Minister of India, considering the velocity, acceleration and momentum of fanatism growing in this country. We can also see how the Chrstian terrorism and the Hindu terrorism cohabit.

US Dollars 3.24 million going into the drain

University of South California
USC School of Religion

Times of India (June 26, 2012) reported that one "Dharma Civilisation Foundation" a forum of Asian Indians in United States is funding US$ 3.24 million for starting a "Swami Vivekananda visiting professorship" at the above school.

A quote from the Times of India Report:--

"We are very proud to house the first chair of Hindu studies in the United States endowed by the Indian-American community," the USC President C L Max Nikias said in a statement.

Another quote:

Last year Nikias led a delegation of university faculty, administrators and trustees, including USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni, to India, where they met with key Indian partners in higher education, business and government, and with USC alumni, to build sustainable alliances in the areas of medicine and health care, neurosciences, the arts, communication and journalism, business, technology and engineering.

"This historic gift to the USC School of Religion highlights the department's commitment to study the enduring questions of human life and values from a global perspective," said Duncan Williams, chair of the School of Religion.

ybrem 1
A sizable number of Poor Hindus in India, convert into Christianity, lured by fraudulent promises of missionaries, in the guise of "service". The Dharma Civiliation Foundation should have used its funds for helping the poor Hindus who have become the objects of conversion, just for the sake of survival, to the misdeeds of the merchants of spirit. Instead, the Foundation is pampering the arrogant and rich American Universities making them to pretend to do something in which they will not really be interested to do if there are no sponsors.

Now, here is an American University, begging Indians for funds and starting "chairs and visiting professor-ships". The University may be struggling for where-with-all of survival.

ybrem 2
Enough material is already available on the Net, about Hinduism and vivEkAnanda. What is there, to research now! And that research can never be truthful and unbiased, as sponsors will get hurt, if inconvenient truths emerge out of researches.

This is the tiger and that is its tail

We have a proverb in my mother tongue in Telugu:

1. idigO puli, adigO tOka. Approx. meaning: This is the tiger and that is the tail. This proverb seems to have a forest origin and may be around 2000 years old. Tigers attack villages bordering forests. Next day, aggrieved villagers may go on an exploration to trace the tiger and kill it/frighten it away. When persons are eager/anxious about something, they get illusions. If one person, under a temporary illusion says 'here is the tiger', others get equally deluded and say 'there, you can see the tail.'

ybrem 1
Who is yelling here now: 'Here is the tiger' ?
The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee is yelling. Occasion: visit of Ms. Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State for United States in Obama Administration. The purpose of her visit was to persuade India not to buy Irani crude. Mamta Banerjee is asking Hillary Clinton to arrange for to declare the Birthday of Swami Vivekananda as the World Youth Day, as if Hillary Clinton is the boss of the whole world.

(It is already observed as a Youth Day in India.). Mamta wants it to be global. Hillary might have promised. She will promise anything as long as India surrenders to her demand of not buying Iranian Crude.

Neither Mamta nor Hillary Clinton might have studied the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. They do not know how detrimental and fatal will be for Indian youth to follow Swami VivEkananda as a role-model.-- Eat ham burgers and beef steaks like a true monk. Smoke premier cigars. Have alcohol. Ask girls to send photos and invite them for sharing shad fish. Be shy of working for livelihood. If you are tired of everything, just sweat yourself on a couch or sit in meditation. Or sacrifice goats to Goddess Durga. Or think of presenting some amber or gem to your precious founds. Always live on somebody else's money and never maintain an official family.

Hillary on her part praised Rabindranath Tagore. Mamtaji presented Tagore's gItAnjali. But, she didn't forget to beg for American Investments into West Bengal.

Most of the World Stock Exchanges are gambling dens. The principal two Indian Stock Exchanges BSE and NSE do not lag behind. At least 40% of Foreign Portfolio Investments into India are through Mauritius and they are nothing but laundered Indian monies sent out of India through a circular route.

Foreign Direct Investments mostly center around retail marketing chains, real estates and car-making. The demand will be for cheap land. Will Mamata Banerjee procure land from poor farmers and feed the hungry MNCs? Unlike Gujarat which has Kutch desert, West Bengal is a land-starved State. This is the reason for the revolt of the NandigrAm farmers whose lands were acquired by the previous CPM Government for gifting Tata Motors. At that time, it was convenient for Mamta to blast the CPM.

Mamata will now acquire lands of poor farmers and gift to Corporates. CPM will start blasting Mamta.

ybrem 2
We have another proverb in my mother tongue Telugu.

'dunnapOtu Inindi.' ani okaDu anTE 'gATiki kaTTEyanDi' ani inkODu annADu. English: One person said: 'Male buffalo gave birth to a calf.'. Another person advised him: 'Tie it to a pole.'

The second person fails to apply reason: "Can a male buffalo deliver a calf?".

So Mamta asks. Hillary promises. The blind king ManmoHan okays. The Queen Mother 'Sonia Gandhi' claps.

Circumstances which refute the theory of father-daughter relationship between Vivekananda and Ms. Christina Greenstidel

This is in response to the comments made by readers that Vivekananda's relationship with Ms. Christina Greenstidal was that of a father and daughter and that I am unnecessarily making fuss.

For the information of my readers I wish to make it clear, that I have no-where mentioned that there was a sexual relationship between Swami Vivekananda and Ms. Christina Greenstidel.

At the same time it is necessary to recall the circumstantial and docy. evidence available to doubt the claim of 'father-daughter' relationship. I summarise them here.

1. Father Vivekananda will not send documents to daughter Christina with a request to countersign them. He would not regret that he had written her name as 'Miss' instead of 'Mrs.'. What for was this dilemma? What was this document for a father to send to a daughter?

"... Herewith [words excised] to countersign it and put it [words excised]. I am afraid I have made a mistake in writing Miss to your name. In that case you will have to sign also as Miss etc. ..."

2. Father Vivekananda will not ask daughter Christina :

""... They all are expected here in November, and will have a "hot time in this old town" etc. I pray you can come, and the Mother will open the door for it. I cannot but say my prayers mostly have been heard, up to date.".

What was this "hot time in this old town?" My search in internet suggested that it was a popular opera song of those days. Why should a Hindu Swamiji have a hot time in this old town with an American(German) girl? Why should the Mother Ole Bull open the door for it? Why should Vivekananda pray her to come to India to have a hot time?

3. Do Indian fathers write to their youthful daughters like this:

"...Well now, Christina, send me one of your latest photos next mail, will you? I want to see how much of fat you have accumulated in one year. ...".

4. Does a father ask her daughter to subdue her emotions, when she comes to see him in a sea-port-dock?

"... Come to the Dock if that is possible and discreet. Yes, it is discreet, as there is a lady in the party and others will come to meet her. Only, Christina, don't if you feel the least tired or unwell. I hope you are enjoying London immensely.
The Orientals do not like any effusion of feeling. They are trained to hide all expression. ..."

Why should Christina be discreet? Swamiji was asking her not to come! (of course with a tail-piece tired/unwell). Why should she become a Oriental and hide her expressions? Why there is a need for Oriental daughters and fathers to hide their expressions? Hinduism allows fathers and daughters to embrace lightly, shed tears, wipe tears etc., particularly when they meet after long gap..

5. Why should there be excisions (removal by editing) in a father Vivekananda's letters to daughter Christina? Did he write anything about his overtaxed nerves or his theme? What was this frightening? What was this lamb? Why did father Vivekananda frighten daughter Christina?

I have also my theme, but I am not despondent. I am sure very soon to pan it out into a beautiful ecstasy [excision]. I am half crazy by nature; then my overtaxed nerves make me outrageous now and then. As a result I don't find anybody who would patiently bear with me! I am trying my best to make myself gentle as a lamb. I hope I shall succeed in some birth. You are so gentle. Sometimes I did frighten you very much, did I not, Christina? I wish I were as gentle as you are. Mother knows which is best.

6. What is this "our condition", gasping, melting, puffing, in father Vivekananda's letter to daughter Christina?

I congratulate you on your successful visit to the Huron Lake; a few more of them (according to your letter) will force you to sympathize with our condition — oh, the gasping and the melting and the puffing and all the rest of them!

7. Why the missing portions were excised in the following letter?

I will try your tonic when it arrives; and the gift, I pray, will even be followed by the giver, for surely a [words excised] . . . is more stimulating and healing than dead drugs.

Didn't father Vivekananda use the word 'daughter' or equivalent words in the excised portion? What did he write there?

8. When money was scarce at Belur Math, does an adopted father send $468 to an adopted daughter? This money's purchasing power should have been very large at the prices prevailing in 1901-02.

Quotes: Herewith I send you four hundred and eighty dollars by cheque drawn on Thomas Cook & Son, Broadway, New York.

...
Second-class passage across the Atlantic is all right, but the second class from Italy to Bombay is rather bad. There are always a few rough men and fast women. There is money enough for travelling first class all through, if you so like.
...
In case, however, things take another turn and you cannot come, no matter. Do with the money just as it pleases you.

So, father Vivekananda sends 468 dollars to his daughter to come to India in first class or spend the money as she likes. So, this Vivekananda who found fault with Shankara and Ramanuja for not weeping for the sorrows of others, could send $468 to a foreign girl for her travel or "spend as she likes", when there was famines and plague epidemic in this country.

9. Why father Vivekananda's expressions were so subdued?

MY DEAR CHRISTINE,

You know how welcome you are — I need not express it. This is a land where expressions are studiously subdued.

10.Why should there be a flutter in dovecote when a father writes letters to a daughter?

So there was a great flutter in our dovecote owing to my letters, but things must have assumed their old form by this time.

11. Why was father Vivekananda asking daughter Christina not to come down to Calcutta or Bagh Bazar? Why should a father be anxious when a daughter stays nearby? Why Vivekananda didn't ask Christina to stay at Belur Math in Women's Wing? Shouldn't a daughter be nearer to her father? Did anybody object to her stay in Belur Math?

I will be very anxious if you are in Calcutta, at Baghbazar. I am slowly recovering. Stay with Mrs. Sevier as long as you can. Don't come down with Margot [Sister Nivedita].

12. Why should there be anxiety for father Vivekananda if Marie Louise arrived in Calcutta. Why was he assuring Christina that there was no anxiety? What was this noise making by Marie Louise? Did he expect her to make noise and if so what type of noise was it?

No anxiety on the score of Marie Louise's* arrival in Calcutta. She has not yet made any noise.

13. Father Vivekananda's life got fulfilled after diving to find a pearl:

"I have attained my aim. I have found the pearl for which I dived into the ocean of life. I have been rewarded. I am pleased.
Thus it seems to me that a new chapter of my life is opening ..."

He resigned from the Presidentship of the MaTh. What was this new chapter which had to begin? Finding an adopted daughter, will it open a new life for a SanyAsi who had devoted his life to weep for the sorrows of others? In the new life, would he have stopped weeping for others?

14. Father Vivekananda planning to buy gold or amber or coral for his precious jewel. Who was this precious jewel? What was this apple coming to mouth, it is coming, coming, coming, etc.? Why should a 'sanyAsi' fret so much? For what?

"... What do you think will be very good for me on earth? Silver? Gold? Pooh! I have got something infinitely better; but a little gold will not be amiss to keep my jewel in proper surroundings, and it is coming, don't you think so?

I am a man who frets much, but waits all the same; and the apple comes to my mouth by itself. So, it is coming, coming, coming.

"... Well, you are right as about taste: I renounce the yellow of gold and the white of silver, but stick to amber always — that is to my taste ... "

" ... Amber and corals I always hated; but of late I am awakening to their beauty. One learns as he lives, is it not? ... "

How did Vivekananda suddenly awaken to the beauty of amber and corals for presentation to his jewel? Who was his jewel?

15. Vivekananda's letters to Ms. Mary (Harriet) Hale clearly addressed her as 'sister'. His letters to Mrs. Ole Bull addressed her as 'mother'. He has used 'My dear Christina'. He did not use 'my dear' for others. If Ms. Christina were the daughter of Vivekananda, as is made out by his worshippers, what prevented him to address her as a daughter or mention at least in one letter something which reflects paternal love? His letters ended with 'love and blessings'. But adding 'blessings' seems to be a part of his declared Oriental characteristic of subduing expressions. There were only references to her plumpness, fat, leanness all the time. There was only mention of photographs. Why doesn't he enquire about her original mother/father/brothers/sisters/other relatives? She was not a total orphan. Why didn't he teach her advaita philosophy at least in one letter and ask to her to write her doubts on philosphical matters? No time? Why didn't he ask her about studies or job? An adopted father has no such responsibility?

16. Ms. Christina appears to be quite innocent, as she seems to have regarded Swamiji as a great preceptor. But Vivekananda was continuously asking her for something or other which is not connected with a guru-sishya or father-daughter relationship.

But if you come to Cambridge with all the instructions of the Battle Creek food, I will have it prepared there; or, between you and me, we will cook it. I am a good hand at that. You don't know a thing about cooking. Well, you may help in cleaning the plates etc. I always get money when I need it badly. "Mother" always sees to that. So, no danger on that head. I am not in the least danger of life, the Doctors agree — only if this dyspepsia goes away. And that is "food", "food", "food", and no worry. Oh, what a worry I have had! Say we go somewhere else and make a little party and keep house ourselves. In Cambridge, Mrs. Bull has a quiet separate place — her studio house. You can have rooms there.

What was this joint cooking and cleaning plates? Cooking and cleaning plates, food-food-food, go somewhere else and make a little party -- what are all these? Mrs. Bull arranging quiet separate place what for all these? These are qualities of 'samsAris' (householders) and not the qualities of sanyAsies (monks).

17. Swamiji didn't hide his dislike for his own family members (mother, brothers et al ) whom he considered as great obstacles in spiritual life. Why Indian-Bengalee relatives alone were obstacles in spiritual path and not foreign women? How did he enjoy joint cooking, washing plates, quiet separate places etc. calling a foreign girl pearl, jewel, and planning to buy amber and corals? Why couldn't he call any single Indian girl as pearl or jewel and plan to buy amber and corals for her?

18. Swamiji wrote to Ms. Christine from 6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS,
PARIS on 14th October, 1900. Swamiji started this letter as "My dear Christine", and ended it with "Your devoted friend,
VIVEKANANDA." . If there were a father-daughter relationship between them, he would have used some other words which showed paternalistic love. It was very clear that he regarded her only as a friend. He was assuring her of his devotion.



19. It will be for the Government of India and Courts or their Agencies to inquire into these things. Not my job. I have already sufficiently wasted my time on a futile exercise, which will be like araNya rOdanam--weeping in forest or "bUDidalO pOsina pannIru" (rosewater poured into ashes). My friends and relatives cautioned me not to go too deep into the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. They have also advised me not to bother if Govt. of India or Govt. of Bengal or Gujarat throw away a few million dollars or a few hundred crore Rupees on commemoration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of this Weight-lifter of the Nation. I didn't listen to them because, making people "enabled and enlightened enough to dig for truth and shed blind beliefs" is a part of my Atheist and Marxist Action Plan. This seems to be a mistake.

Probably this country may not be ready for such "self-realisation". Otherwise, how could the people of Uttar Pradesh elect 111 candidates with criminal cases, out of 224 of its ruling party?. In such situation, will the criminal winners lose or the voters lose? If worthy persons have not contested/won the elections, do they lose anything? Wise persons will always spend their time in wise pursuits and leave this planet when the time comes. It is the people who pay the penalty for electing substantial number of criminals as M.L.As and M.Ps.