part 3 three

These are relative terms.

    Especially when we say qualities, we are aware of ebb and flow, but when we say substance, we think of the eternal and unchanging. We never perceive all the qualities at any one time, and perhaps one person perceives twenty qualities, while the object looks the same to everyone.
Even if we speak of qualities, one explains them in one’s own way and our awareness of substance is unchanging, while our awareness of qualities is changing. It cannot be that the idea of the permanent has been superimposed on the impermanent. Quality is the illuminator or witness; but the question is, even if the qualities are all aggregated, is there apperception of our permanent substance?
    “Our permanent substance beyond qualities is unchanging and eternal. Our mind is divided and fickle. Therefore if we perceive the Undivided, we have to do it by means of the bundle of qualities. We cannot express the permanence of a thing by means of the quality-bundle, as the former is itself the expresser and beyond the qualities. Nothing can be called the Void. We are accustomed to see the divided because we always observe with a divided mind and thought. So if we enter the Undivided, we become frightened and distressed and, not being able to find our usual aggregate of qualities, we feel it as void. But this very Undivided is Fullness.”
    This lecture consumed about one-and-a-half hours. He resorted to many philosophical arguments on both sides, comparing both, and finally propounded the Absolute of the Vedanta.

More lecture reports

Swamiji once said, “The trend of our mind is called a tendency (vritti) but the word really means circling. We have certain natural tendencies or we are under the sway of these, most of the time. These are degrading or harmful to others. Abiding in all these lower tendencies, the mind gets dirty and degraded. How can we stop such lower tendencies? That same lower tendency which depresses the mind must be replaced by filling the mind with its opposite higher one. For example, if anger overcomes the mind, to ward this off, the quality of forgiveness is to be cultivated. To get rid of egoism, cultivate sincerity (or uprightness). For injury, practice compassion or generosity.”
One evening Swamiji began his lecture with the quotation, “Both you and I, O Arjuna, have passed through many births; you know them not, but I know them all.” He talked a long time about the causes of rebirth. Letting our gross body go, we go with our subtle one, but our previous experience remains to a great extent in that subtle body. That is why it gets expression again through a suitable vehicle or receptacle. Therefore many experiences of previous births are visible in the human body. Two offspring are quite different in their endowment of intellect. This is explainable by reincarnation. Heredity is not enough. Swamiji said that when frightful plague occurred in England many years ago, it was noticed afterwards that the birthrate increased. This doctrine (of reincarnation) was found in many races in olden times.

Swami Vivekananda in an ecstatic mood

One day, toward evening, he said to Goodwin, “Please go down to the kitchen and tell the housekeeper to keep some fire in the stove. I will take a bath before retiring. The water boiler was next to the stove and hot water went to a cistern in the bathroom on the second floor. Having been busy the whole day, he had had no time to bathe, and it was not the custom to bathe every day. If one took a bath once or twice a week, it was considered enough. Swamiji, finishing his conversation with everyone, went to the bathroom at nine or nine-thirty, took plenty of hot water and had his bath; then he lay down in his pajamas. In England people have the custom of getting inside the covers. They work all day, have no time for bath, wash only hands and face, so at night they often take a hot bath and wrap up cozily in their blankets.
Swamiji chuckled a little. “You see,” he said, “at night I go to my room and lie down. I keep quiet for a while, and then within me so much ananda arises that I cannot stay lying down. I see the Blissful Mother. Men, animals, the sky and earth – all are saturated with bliss. I cannot lie or sit any longer, so I get up and dance in the middle of the room. That bliss can no longer be confined within my heart. The whole world becomes filled with it, as it were.” Saying this he began to dance a little while, like a child, and said, “Be happy; don’t be depressed, everything will be filled – the Bliss Mother is everywhere – all will be filled with bliss.” That day his facial expression, gestures and tone of voice, all were expressions of freedom, as if he had become the very image of ananda. But there was not the slightest touch of waywardness, so deep, so affecting, so affectionate, was the mood. All of us were dumbfounded watching Swamiji, and nobody could say a word.

Lecture at the Theosophical Lodge

    A lecture was given in the Theosophists’ Hall. Near Regent’s Park, probably in the section named Park Avenue, at 19 Avenue Road, St. John’s Wood, there is a prominent establishment where the writer once visited. They had invited Swamiji to give a lecture there on Vegetarianism and he had agreed. Now Swamiji said to Swami Saradananda, “Sharat, you go and give that lecture.” The latter was speechless and felt as if the sky had fallen on him. Upstairs he said to Mohendra, “Well, brother, Naren has put me into a fix. What danger there is here! I will have to give a lecture face to face; if I make a mistake, they will say, “He is inexperienced.” And Naren gets so worked-up; if a mistake is made perhaps he will knock me down! Am I finally to get a beating in my old age? Earlier he told me I would have to go to America and give lectures: that doesn’t bother me: over there, what will be will be; Naren will not be staying there. The danger is here in his presence. He can get so angry! If I am abused I will take it.”
    So Swami Saradananda was in difficulty. Even though himself a powerful man, because of lack of practice in speaking, he had no self-confidence. That is why he was hesitating so. If Swamiji asked a question, Swami Saradananda very humbly would answer with hesitation, indirectly showing his nervousness. Swamiji sometimes would fire him up with self-confidence, sometimes good-naturedly scold him. Both actions were indicative of their mutual love.
    At any rate, one afternoon Swamiji himself went to the Theosophist’s hall and gave the lecture. He praised vegetarianism and talked about the difference in manifestation of power due to the diets of the elephant and the lion. He extolled vegetarianism at great length. But at the end of the talk, he confessed that he was not always a vegetarian; sometimes he ate fish and flesh. Even if unable always to follow the ideal, he did not believe in lowering it. Showing by reference to their respective diets, the similarities and differences of the English and Indian races, he made the lecture interesting.
    Coming back from the lecture he said to Swami Saradananda, “Go on, you shouldn’t be afraid any more. Why, I gave a few words I had fixed up in advance and added whatever came to my mouth. They don’t have a hyper-critical attitude. Stirring and mixing, I showed who have the high ideals. They understand worldliness well enough. Why are you so afraid of them? Just trample on them like noxious insects. The essence of philosophy is found only among the Hindus. It will take a long time for them to understand India.” He spoke all of this walking back and forth in the room. When Swamji had gone to another room, Swami Saradananda said, “Anyway, my boy, the fever with its perspiration is over; now one part is finished; today at least I have escaped a scolding. Who knows when or where again he will tell me to give a lecture? If I stay around him, that is the peril. Let me now run to America. There, if I don’t make a go of it, I bolt, via Japan.”

A fish dinner

One day Sturdy and Miss Muller had gone elsewhere and that evening cabbage curry with fish was prepared. Swami Saradananda, Swamiji, Goodwin and Mohendra sat down at the table. The palate was much gratified to savor cabbage cooked with fish, after a long time. Even if it was not cooked in the genuine Indian way, the imitation itself was good. Probably Goodwin did not take any, as he had become a complete vegetarian. Swami Saradananda too, usually was, but whether he ate this dish on that day, I do not exactly recall.
After dinner Swamiji was pacing the floor. He was very happy. Goodwin remarked, “You teach vegetarianism. You give lectures on vegetarian food – why have you just now eaten fish?” Swamiji laughed and said, “Well, the cook brought the fish. If I didn’t eat it, it would be thrown down the drain; instead I have thrown it into my stomach. What harm is there in that? He quoted a Sanskrit sloka: “I am not the enjoyer etc.” and began to gloss on it. “I never eat; the body is the receptacle and into it various objects are put.” Goodwin, a little annoyed, replied, “I don’t understand all that Sanskrit you are muttering.” Swamiji again tried to give a Vedantic reply. Goodwin, more heated now said, “You are trying to counter my words with words. What I want to know is, why you are eating fish?” Swamiji was very jolly that day. Making a face at Goodwin, he got him more worked up. There was no serious mood in him; he was simple as a child and irritated Goodwin by laughing and smiling. Then, quoting more Sanskrit he said: “When you are threatened, hold still; when you are on the crest of the wave, be forgiving; never be vengeful.” Then each of them went his way.