236 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.