#100, Jesus worked hard for ages in previous births

It is common for yoga and meditation sellers to exaggerate the benefits of meditation. They even deride naturally relieving mechanisms of body like sleep. Swami Vivekananda was not an exception.

FACTS He said at his Washington Hall, San Francisco lecture, on Apr. 3, 1900.

"... Not even the deepest sleep will give you such a rest as meditation can. The mind goes on jumping even in deepest sleep ... " .

BOGGER'S VIEWs
*Experience of persons eating turtles and shad fish?
*Healthy persons eating 'Satvic foods' get full relief from deep sleep and there will be no need to meditate.

In the same lecture, further --

"... To every action there is equal reaction.... If a man strikes me and wounds me it is that man's actions and my body's reaction. ... Suppose I have so much power over the body that I can resist even that automatic action. Can such power be attained? The books say it can. ... If you stumble on [it], it is a miracle. If you learn it scientifically, it is Yoga. ..."

BLOGGER'S VIEWs
*Unless a person's life is in danger, it will not be scientific to resist automatic actions of the body. If yoga attempts at such powers, it cannot become scientific.
*Tall claims are made by Yoga sellers.

ATTRIBUTING HIGHEST LEVEL OF INSPIRATION TO JESUS CHRIST

In the same lecture, further --

" ... The highest so-called inspiration was the work of Jesus. He worked hard for ages in previous births ... "

OBSERVATION When did Vivekananda see the previous births of Jesus? This is a figment of imagination intended to win platform approval of Christian audience.

In the same lecture, further --

"... Inspired people in any line of thought only come among nations who have general education and [culture]. ... "

INTERPRETATION, DEDUCTIONS This is a harmful piece of prejudice. In his view Hindus were highly cultured. The white skins of the West are already cultured because they give him dollars. Then who is not cultured? Africans?!!! What is this inspiration which Vivekananda and Jesus have (had) and Africans do not have?

In the same lecture, further --

LIQUIDIFICATION AND GASIFICATION OF BODY

" ... Some of the Yogis claim that this body will become liquid etc. You will be able to do any thing with it — make it little, or gas pass through this wall — they claim. I do not know. I have never seen anybody do it. But it is in the books. We have no reason to disbelieve the books. ... "

INTERPRETATION, DEDUCTIONS Not clear in which book it was given. Vivekananda did not reveal what enquiries he had made to verify whether there are any reasons to disbelieve the particular claims of converting the body into liquid and gas and then pass through the wall.

In the same lecture, further --

"...Meditation, you know, comes by a process imagination. You go through all these processes purification of the elements — making the one melt the other, that into the next higher, that into mind, that into spirit, and then you are spirit.

Spirit is always free, omnipotent, omniscient. Of course, under God. There cannot be many Gods. These liberated souls are wonderfully powerful, almost omnipotent. [But] none can be as powerful as God. If one [liberated soul] said, "I will make this planet go this way", and another said, "I will make it go that way", [there would be confusion]. ..."

INTERPRETATION AND DEDUCTIONS Did Vivekananda think that planets are foot balls to be kicked by liberated souls? He was just flying kites.

In the same lecture, further --

"...In Sanskrit, God means absolute existence, knowledge, and wisdom, infinite self-luminous consciousness. No person. It is impersonal. ..."

INTERPRETATION AND DEDUCTIONS This lecture was in April 1900. By Nov. 1901 he turned into a goat sacrificer! Perhaps he might have felt that Mother Goddess Durga would save him only if he fed her with goat's blood and meat.

In the same lecture, further --

" ... The energy has to be sent down to [the base of the spine], and the Kundalini rises. The world will be changed ...

.... As this power of Kundalini rises from one centre to the other in the spine, it changes the senses and you begin to see this world another. It is heaven. You cannot talk. Then the Kundalini goes down to the lower centres. You are again man until the Kundalini reaches the brain, all the centres have been passed, and the whole vision vanishes and you [perceive] . . . nothing but the one existence. You are God. All heavens you make out of Him, all worlds out of Him. He is the one existence. Nothing else exists ... "

INTERPRETATION AND DEDUCTIONS Good lecture. Did Vivekananda experience awakening of Kundalini? He spoke as if he was talking about a neighborhood cinema hall.