SV150 Speech

This is a speech delivered at an SV150 event.


Namaste!

Today I want to speak about Vivekananda. But not the  man, rather the idea that is Vivekananda, because it is the idea of Vivekananda that has shaped the growth of  the Hindu world.

It is the idea of Selfless work, the idea of a middle class  boy who turns into a wandering monk at the behest of  his own SPIRIT, against the wishes of all those around  him, who walked bare foot across the length and width  of Bharat to only discover suffering, pain, hopelessness,  defeat and despair amongst his countrymen. It is the idea that in the face of over whelming odds, ONE  DEDICATED individual can change the destiny of a  nation.



It is THIS idea that has brought us together here tonight.  It is this idea that has brought 200 people in Leicester  and Birmingham together, 300 people in London  together, 100 people in Cardiff, boys at Eton College  together, 100 people in Edinburgh, and Belfast together.

Further afield all of India is today introspecting on what it  has achieved and using the idea of Vivekananda as an  honest mirror. All across the Americas there are Hindu  brothers and sisters who are organising similar  gatherings.This is the IDEA OF VIVEKANADA that I want to reflect  on tonight.

Anyone that has studied Vivekananda's ideas and  experiences will quickly learn that he was an  INTELLECTUAL GIANT. A man that was offered the  chair of eastern studies at HARVARD and Chicago - two  of the most prestigious universities in the world. A man  that chose to live in poverty. A man that chose to leave  his widowed mother behind to search for the spirit of the  nation.

He chose to struggle. He chose HARDSHIP. He  struggled internally throughout his life - he struggled  through a bout of atheism, he struggled and fought the  communism of his peer group and his own brothers, he  was rejected by many at the time. Yet HE CHOSE to  struggle on.

Frederick Nietzsche the 18th century German  philosopher said PAIN is the fertile soil that nurtures  spirituality and if VIVEKANANDA is anything to go by,  then he was certainly right. Nietzsche said that  underneath every beautiful plant are ugly roots in the  soil. People are no different. Behind every spiritual and  intellectual giant there are roots grounded in personal struggle.

But the idea of Vivekananda goes further. He was a  handsome man, a charismatic man, a charming man, a  sophisticated man, and a natural leader. These are all  the traits of a man who would be greatly desired by women - yet he chose celibacy.

There is an incident which comes to mind. An American women in her early  20's became infatuated with the idea of Vivekananda,  she one day bluntly stated that "I want to be the mother  of your children"

He is said to have smiled and politely replied "then from  this point onwards I will call you mother."

It is much easier to give up everything when you have nothing! But what about when you have everything, all the material joys and pleasures at your beckoning call - what tremendous superhuman strength does it require to still resist and reject all pleasures and choose PAIN, AND HARDSHIP.

The idea of Vivekananda is not easy. But to worship him is. The idea of fore going material pleasures is not easy.

But to merely read his quotes are. The idea of Vivekanada as a man just like you and I is hard to  imagine. But to turn him into a messiah is easy. The idea of Vivekananda has influenced hundreds of  revolutionaries during the independence struggle; he has inspired educationalists, and religious leaders.

It was Vivekananda who bumped into the founder of TATA when both were on their way to America.

It was Vivekananda who encouraged TATA to set up and finance much of India's indigenous technology that today is doing so well.

What about today? Is the idea of Vivekananda relevant today?

The man Vivekananda died at 39 through ill health. But the idea of Vivekananda is alive and well and resonates here with us tonight.

Today more than ever, in a world of gross materialism, in an age where we worship money and status in equal measure, we live in a time of unsustainability, we live in a time of great environmental damage and global instability caused by the apparent scarcity of resources.

What the world needs now more than ever is NOT a Vivekananda but hundreds and thousands of  Vivekananda's. We don't need Hindus who worship the man; rather we need Hindus who are Vivekananda, who embody the idea of Vivekananda; who live with the values, the ethics, and the energy of Vivekananda.

“Let there be a thousand Vivekananda’s! But please oh lord do not make on one in my house!”

Isn’t that our real problem? Every mother wants their child to be inspired by Vivekananda, but God forbid that my child might actually not get married and give me grandchildren; or that my child might not pursue a career, or become rich!

We can no longer accept this. We must invite a Vivekananda to be born in our house. We must allow Vivekananda to grow and be nurtured in our house even if our material progress, or our material status is to be compromised.

Vivekananda was adamant that every nation has a unique destiny. The German philosophers would call it zeitgeist of the nation; the Christians would call it the Holy Ghost; and Adam Smith, the father of modern economics would have called it the invisible hand. All of them were alluding to what Vivekananda had said. The Bharatiya nation, and Hindus have an offering to make to this world; and that is the gift of Spiritual knowledge and practice. Vivekananda was clear: he said “allow the West to be obsessed with the pursuit of material wealth, but the Hindus must have a balance between artha and jana.

The Hindus must be materially strong, but never obsessed. The Hindus must gift the world spiritual  knowledge. But to do that Hindus require another quality.

We need Hindus that are fearless.

When I speak of fear - I do not mean fear of others. But I mean fearlessness from within ourselves. Can we be fearless in the face of our EGO? Can we be fearless in face of hard work? Can we be fearless in the face of no appreciation for the work we do? Can we be fearless as parents to encourage our children not to pursue material pleasures? Can we be fearless in the face of alcohol, tobacco, and other intoxicants? Can we be fearless and confront our own sadness, and futility? And finally can we become fearless in the face of death itself?

That is what the world needs today. A world in which Hindus play the central role in protecting the  environment; where Hindus set the education agenda; where Hindu’s struggle for a peaceful world, - a world where we can respect and honour character of a person rather than his bank account.The world needs Hindu leadership.

What does that Leadership look like?

Vivekananda, as you know has written a great deal in his short life. He said there are 6 traits a leader must possess:

1) the leader is a servant of the people
2) the leader must be selfless
3) the leader must not be driven by self-love
4) the leader must work silently i.e. not for fame
5) the leader must not be career focused i.e. jostle for power or prestige
6) the leader must have integrity, compassion and the respect of all

Now in the light of this: let us ask – are we leaders?

What are we going to do about our world?

Are we going to remain passive, and allow adharma to flourish for another century? Or are we going to make the 21st century a Hindu century? A century of unprecedented technological growth; a century of  citizens who are gentle and know their duties; a century where we will learn to live in harmony with nature; and a century where we will replace competition with cooperation.

I see that world. And I see it all the more clearly when I see it through the lens of Vivekananda.

But to get there requires the spirit of Vivekananda in us. And that will mean great internal struggle; hardship; constant setbacks; fortitude and a deep practice of spirituality.

Are we willing to do this? Are we willing to allow our children to take up this great task? And if we will not rise up and take this challenge...

WHO WILL?

Let me end with a call to everyone here to embrace and reflect upon the idea of Vivekananda. And we should all strive to not worship him but rather to live by his spirit and legacy.

Thank you. And NAMASTE.