Page 37 - SocialHarmony

Harmony Instead of Strife 41

“There is a swamp in front of us, where several people have
died. At present, our religion is not in the Vedas, Puranas,
devotion or deliverance; it has entered the kitchen. Currently,
religion in India is neither on the path of knowledge nor
intelligence; it only treads on untouchability. It has ended up
getting condensed in, “Aatmavat sarvabhooteshu” (consider all
the living beings as your own soul). Is this message meant to be
confined to books only? How will those who themselves are
sullied by someone’s breath purify others? Untouchability is a
mental disease. Rigidity ultimately leads to death. Only absolute
love can lead to progress. Narrow-mindedness is the extreme
form of selfishness. That is why love is the only enduring truth
of life.”

While worshipping Lord Buddha, Swami Vivekanand
would say: “In the Buddha incarnation, God says that creating
distinctions is at the root of all sorrows. Differences created on
the basis of in-born characteristics, qualities or wealth will only
lead to despair. The soul does not differentiate on the basis of
sex, class or any other distinction. Just as mud cannot be cleansed
by mud, spirituality can never be achieved by difference of
thoughts.”

Unique Approach of Swami Vivekanand
Once during a discussion on non-duality, Swami

Vivekanand told his disciples: “I belong to all people. We are
followers of the Vedic Hindu Religion. We have nothing to do
with untouchability as there is no such concept in the Hindu
religion. Our scriptures do not mention untouchability; it is
merely a superstition that keeps interfering with the routine
concentration of work of the population.”

Swami Vivekanand never missed any opportunity to awake
the society with his arguments based on religion, logic or
devotion. He refuted irrational traditions and rigid mindsets
with his irrefutable logic. He would say: “If virtue lies in obeying
strict rules and regulations passed down over generations, then
there can be nobody more virtuous than a tree? Has anyone
ever seen a piece of stone defying nature? Has anyone ever seen
animals indulging in sin?”