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Showing posts from May 27, 2008

#188, I LONG FOR MY RAGS, MY SHAVEN HEAD, MY SLEEP UNDER THE TREES

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Mrs. Ole Bull from New York, on Jan. 25, 1896: "... I long, oh! I long for my rags, my shaven head, my sleep under the trees, and my food from begging! India is the only place where, with all its faults, the soul finds its freedom, its God. All this Western pomp is only vanity, only bondage of the soul. Never more in my life I realised more forcibly the vanity of the world. May the Lord break the bondage of all — may all come out of Maya — is the constant prayer of VIVEKANANDA. ..." BLOGGER'S VIEWS *Did Swamiji go back to his rags? Shaven head? Sleep under the trees? *Was his food from 1900 to 1902 in India obtained by begging? *If his renunciation was real, why did he need expensive furniture at Belur Math? *If his longing to rags was real, there was no need to sign documents with Ms. Christina Greenstidel. *If his longing to rags was real, there was no need for him to send #480 to Ms. Christina Greenstidel, praying her to come to India or spe

#187, Black hole of London where I had to work almost day and night

Swami Vivekananda wrote to Mr. E.T. Sturdy, noted Sanskrit Scholar in Nov. 1899, about the room provided by by Miss Muller: "...The next memory is that of the black hole of London where I had to work almost day and night and cook the meals oft-times for five or six, and most nights with a bite of bread and butter..." BLOGGER'S VIEWS *Calling a room a black hole. Even getting a black hole should be difficult in a Metro City like London. *Did Swamiji expect luxury hotels? *While writing this letter, Swamiji was staying at Ridgely Manors, a resort owned by Mr. Leggett, near New York, teaching yoga to inebriated women. See post #.. at this blog. *Swamiji was making all these accusations because Mr. Sturdy questioned about his habits. Mr. Sturdy was not as accommodative and liberal as Mr. Leggett. Mr. Leggett was not a Sanskrit scholar, but a shipping magnet and tea trader. Sturdy was a Sanskrit scholar well-versed in Hinduism and Buddhism. Hence he expected a high stan