WHAT YOU ARE DOING, he said, PUT YOU WHOLE MIND ON IT.

Vivekananda in America
After the people had stopped their cheering and clapping, Swamiji began his speech. The speech he made that day made him famous throughout the world.

He said that he was proud to belong to a religion which had taught people to accept all religions as true. His country, India, had given shelter to many people when they were not allowed to follow their own religions in their own countries.

He then told them about a hymn which was repeated every day by millions of people in India. The hymn said that just as dif­ferent rivers all meet in the sea, so the different religions all meet in the one Lord of the universe.

The next day, big pictures of Swamiji were put up in the streets of Chicago. People wrote about him in the newspapers.
After the Parliament was over Swamiji travelled all over America. Wherever he went, he gave lectures and talked to the people. He answered their questions and told them about India.

In those days, people in western countries did not know much about India, and they had many wrong ideas about her. It was through Swamiji that they came to know and respect India.

People said: ‘Swami Vivekananda is not only a great spiritual teacher. He is also a great patriot. When he says the words “my country”, we feel how much he loves India!’
It was not only the grown-ups in America who loved Swamiji, children loved him too. Once Swamiji was watching some boys. They were standing on a bridge trying to shoot at egg-shells that were floating on the river. The egg-shells bobbed up and down. The boys could not hit any of them. They fired the gun many times, but they always missed the target!

They noticed that Swamiji was watching them. So they called out to him: ‘Well, you are watching us. Do you think you can do better?’

Swamiji smiled and said: I will try.’ Then the boys said: ‘It’s not so easy as you think!’ Swamiji took the gun and aimed at the egg-shells. He stood very still for a few minutes. Then he fired the gun. He fired twelve times, and every time he hit an egg-shell! The boys were very sur­prised. How could any man shoot egg-shells like that? They thought. They said to Swamiji: ‘Well, Mister, how did you do it?’ Swamiji laughed. He liked the boys.

‘Whatever you are doing,’ he said, ‘put your whole mind on it. If you are shooting, your mind should be only on the target. Then you will never miss. If you are learning your lessons, think only of the lesson. In my country boys are taught to do this.’
- Swami Vivekananda

TREMENDOUS ENTHUSIASM. ONLY MAKE IT PERMANENT; KEEP IT UP...WE WANT TO WORK OUT GREAT THINGS IN INDIA

Swamiji in Madras

Long before Swamiji reached Madras, the people of that city were planning to welcome him. It was from Madras that Swamiji had left for the West, taking his ship at Bombay. The people of Madras felt that he was their Swamiji. And so he was!

Swamiji was coming by train from Kumbakonam. It was a through train, and it did not stop at small stations. But at every station there were large crowds of people waiting to get a glimpse of the great Swamiji! At one small station, near Madras, the people wanted very much to see Swamiji. ‘Please,’ they begged the Station-master, ‘flag Swamiji’s train and make it stop. We must see Swamiji!’ ‘I can understand your feelings,’ said the Station-master, ‘but I cannot stop the train. It is a through train, and it will not stop here.’

What could the people do? They saw the train in the distance. It was coming very fast. About a hundred people ran and lay down on the tracks, in front of the rushing train! The Station-master was frightened. He had to stop the train! Then the people ran to Swamiji’s compartment and garlanded him and asked for his blessings. Swamiji stood there, radiant with love for them. He blessed them, and the train moved on.

At last the train reached Madras. Again, there was a huge crowd to greet him. He was garlanded, and many people threw flower petals as he walked.

They cheered and shouted: ‘Welcome, Prince of Men’, and ‘Hail to Sri Ramakrishna’s worthy disciple’.

The streets were decorated with arches and flags and flowers. All the shops were closed. The people filled the streets. Swamiji was taken by carriage through the streets of Madras. Some young men took the horses away from Swamiji’s carriage and pulled it themselves through the streets. Never before in Madras had there been such a welcome for anyone!
Swamiji was taken to a large hall, and there addresses of wel­come were read to him. Wave after wave of people surrounded Swamiji. It became impossible for him to give a long speech. So he said: I am intensely pleased at the show of enthusiasm. That is what is required—tremendous enthusiasm. Only make it permanent; keep it up. … We want to work out great things in India. For that I require your help; such enthusiasm is necessary.’

A day or two later, Swamiji was able to give a long speech to the people. He called it ‘My Plan of Campaign’, and in it he said: ‘Make your nerves strong. What we want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel. … Stand on your feet and be men.’ Today, if we want to serve India, we should first understand Swamiji’s ideas and then follow them in our lives. If you want to serve India, he said, three things are necessary. First, you must have great feeling. Love is the gate to all the secrets of the universe. If you want to help the people who are starving and living in ignorance, you must feel for them, you must love them. Secondly, you must find a practical way to help them. Mere talking will not do. Thirdly, you must have a strong will. Even if the whole world stands against you, you must still dare to do what you think is right. If you have these three things you will work wonders. You will be powerful. Even if you live in a cave your thought will go vibrating all over the world and help people. Such is the power of thought, of sincerity, and of purity of purpose.
- Swami Vivekananda

RELIGION IS BUT MOTHER OF US. WHEN SOMEONE ABUSES THE MOTHER, SHOULD A SON LISTEN TO IT QUIETLY ?

 PREACHING IN AMERICA

Swami Vivekananda became world famous with his maiden speech on the first day of the Parliament of Religions at Chic...ago.

The following day large facsimiles of a photograph of Swamiji were displayed on the streets of the city of Chicago. You now see the same photograph on this page. The media went crazy in praise of him.

This was a time when the people of the West usually looked down upon India. Having seen and heard Swamiji, a deep respect for the Indian religion and civilisation began to grow in their mind. Swamiji won a high place for his mother­land among the nations of the world.

When the Parliament was over, he travelled far and wide in the States to deliver lectures. Many became his disciples and a few, even monks.

Swamiji could never tolerate any unjust criticism or cal­umny about India. He used to retaliate like a lion. Once, dur­ing a sea voyage, some Christian missionary was abusing the Indians and the Hiduism. Initially Swamiji tried patiently to explain points. But the man did not relent. At last Swamiji caught the man by his neck and warned, “If you dare to utter a single word more, I shall throw you overboard.” The man had to beat a retreat. Later he observed on this incident as, “Religion is but mother of us. When someone abuses the mother, should a son listen to it quietly?”

- Swami Vivekananda

GITA - WORK INCESANTLY

" This is the one central idea in the Gita: work incessantly, but be not attached to it "

" That wonderful poem, without one note in it, of weakness or unmanliness "

- Swami Vivekananda
 

MOUNTAINS CAN BE CRUMBLED INTO ATOMS

" If the mind is intensely eager, everything can be accomplished—mountains can be crumbled into atoms "

" Your Atman is the support of the universe—whose support do you stand in need of? Wait with patience and love and strength. If helpers are not ready now, they will come in time. Why should we be in a hurry? The real working force of all great work is in its almost unperceived beginnings.

- Swami Vivekananda

BE AN IDEAL MAN - STRENGTH IS LATENT WITHIN YOU

INVOKING STRENGHT: SERVICE OF PEOPLE

On his way to Calcutta, specially in Madras, Swamiji had come inspiring his fellow countrymen. He had appealed, “Be an ideal man. Serve your countrymen in the same way as you serve and worship God. Be mentally very strong. Never forget that you can accomplish whatever you wish. Strength is latent within you. It is man who has done everything towards human progress. Now, you shall have to do a lot for the sake of your country. You must not be scared of anything. Be fear­less”.

Swamiji had shown also the practical way to serve men as living God. At the Baranagar monastery, the young disciples of Sri Ramakrishna took to sanyasa. Swamiji started this mission with the help of them. At the call of Swamiji many had joined the Math by this time. He employed them in the service of men. He stressed, “Service of men as God brings the same result as obtained by the ritual worship of God”.

In Calcutta, scores were dying of plague at that time. The disease was of awful type and everybody was dead scared of it. Swamiji along with his brother monks started attending on the plague patients. He declared, “Carry on with your nursing. Do not worry about fund. We shall not fight shy of selling
the very estate of the monastery, if necessary”.

- Swami Vivekananda
http://belurmath.org/kids_section/2010/11/09/invoking-strength-service-of-people/

NO SHILLY - SHALLY, NO ESOTERIC BLACKGUARDISM, NO SECRET HUMBUG, NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE IN A CORNER.