Inaugural address for 2001-02

Speech given by Sri P Parameswaran ji (all India President, Vivekananda Kendra) at the 5^th Inauguration Function of Vivekananda Study Circle, IIT Madras, Chennai, on the 11^th of September 2001. Also present on the dais were Swami Gautamananda ji, (President, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai), Swami Baneshananda ji, (Editor, Vedanta Kesari), Professor SS Gokhale, (Dean of Students, IIT Madras)

Pujya Swami Gautamananda ji, Swami Baneshananda ji, Swami Aptalokananda ji,    Professor Gokhale, dear students and  members of the staff of this prestigious Institution.

I congratulate the organizers of VSC for fixing this inauguration programme on this unique day. You couldn’t have selected a better day for this inauguration than the 11^th of September. It was on the 11^th September 1893 that Swami Vivekananda burst upon the international scene like a bomb and delivered the message of Sanatana Dharma to the world at large. About 110 years have lapsed but Swamiji’s lecture at the Parliament of religions is not a thing of the past. I want to impress upon you that it is not an event in history. On the other hand, the lectures that Swamiji delivered at the Parliament of religions are as much relevant today as they were at that time. Passage of time has made little difference. I will tell you an interesting experience: I am invited to Seoul, Korea to deliver a lecture on the role of Hinduism among religions in inter-religious dialogue for word peace. When I was preparing for the speech, I thought of looking up Swamijis' lectures at the Parliament of religions. I found I had only to lift sentence after sentence from Swamijis' lecture in 1893 to address a gathering in South Korea in the year 2001 -they are so relevant today and they will remain relevant for centuries to come, for they represent an eternal truth. I will tell you one or two very significant things. The Parliament of religions was organized by the youthful nation America to proclaim to the world that America was going to lead the world.

The scientific and technological revolution, the materialistic affluence of America was going to be the paradigm for the whole world in the days to come. They were so optimistic, they were so self-confident they were so sure of themselves: but Swamiji saw differently and he gave expression to his feelings. He had a premonition, as it were. After landing in India from his first tour of he west, in this southern city of Paramakudi, he was given a rousing welcome. In reply to that welcome, Swamiji made his feelings clear. “Europe, the center of manifestation of material energy, will crumble into dust within 50 years,if she is not mindful to change her position, to shift her ground and make spirituality the basis of her life. And what will save Europe is the religion of the Upanishads.” The youthful America was dreaming of unlimited progress, Swami Vivekananda knew that is not going to be the case. Europe, the center of manifestation of material energy will crumble into pieces within 50 years if she does not shift her center of gravity and what will save Europe is the religion of the Upanishads. And we see that within 50 years the whole of West shook to its foundations. Two world wars in which nations were induced to ashes, crores of people lost their lives, human lives were thrown away like useless things- the whole dream shattered. Faith in humanity was shaken. There was no unlimited progress. The world met with calamity after calamity and as Swamiji said, this happened within 50 years and Swamiji said the western civilization could be saved only by the message of Upanishads. He was not being chauvinistic but he was being very realistic and we know what they showed: their systems were not functioning. They had to seek a new foundation for their existence. There was intellectual turbulence all over Europe, England, and America. If you read the history of the 1960’s, you will find that all the campuses braced violence. There was no sense of security or safety. Intellectual life was in shambles. In every sphere of life, there was a new sense, a new quest. You find, there were new discoveries in science, which questioned the old theories of science- the chemical science wave rule, the uncertainity theory, the relativity theory, and so many changes took place in the scientific approach itself. The same thing happened in the literary world, in the world of history: modernism gave way to post-modernism, existentialism, realism and then structuralism, deconstruction; all sorts of theories, each contradicting the other and no theory, no school of thought being able to maintain and absorbing a generation for more than 10 or 15 years. One school of thought leading to another, there was chaos and confusion in the campuses, in the concepts of people, in the theories presented one after another, and that intellectual confusion continues even today. The old schools of history are replaced by new schools. Better narratives were replaced by subaltern theories, deconstruction, so many new systems and schools are arising: they are not able to find their feet. Then we remember Swamiji’s words that only the philosophy of the Upanishads can give a proper foundation to the western quest, to the western problem. From the Upanishadic point of view, they have only the apara vidya, not the para vidya. What is apara vidya? It is the knowledge of temporary things, the material wisdom, science and technology. These are looked upon by the Upanishadic seers as only part of knowledge. It is the apara vidya, the lower half, the lower half of knowledge. Knowledge can be safe and secure only when it is founded on the unchangeable, eternal foundation of para vidya. The spiritual wisdom, that alone can sustain the apara vidya. The west had, so far, only the apara vidya, the material knowledge. Science and technology and all that form part of the apara vidya. But they are lacking the sustaining spiritual vision. That is at the root of all their problem. All the visions are true, all the approaches are true, all the answers are true. But they are all partial. They have all to be integrated within the framework of a wholesome, total philosophy, which only the Upanishads knowledge can give. This the west has not been able to find out. They have only the ideologies. They don’t have a philosophy. Ideology is an intellectual construct. You can construct ideologies by your intellectual acumen. But philosophy can arrive only out of an intuitive vision. The west doesn’t have it. That is the problem with the west. And they are grappling with it without coming to any solution so far. And that is why Swamiji said Science and Technology is necessary, material progress is necessary, affluence is necessary, legislature is necessary, political system is necessary, but all these things will provide you with a permanent solution to life’s problems only if they are founded upon the unassailable foundation of spiritual vision. Swamiji said, “I stand for socialism, socialism can survive only of it is founded upon the principles of Vedanta” and we find even after 110 years from the time of Chicago address, the west has not been able to find a solution, a philosophy that can answer to all their problems. Communism came, communism went. Problems remain as they are. Now this is the situation the west is facing-neither their religion nor their science is capable of providing a lasting solution to their problem.

The other day, I read, you might also have read in Indian Express, the Archbishop of Westminster openly confessing, I quote: “Christianity no longer influences the government or peoples' life and a revolutionary thinking is needed is order to reach lapsed Catholics, non-believers and young people. It does seem, in Britain, especially in England  and Wales that Christianity as a backdrop to peoples’ life and government and the social life of the country has almost been vanquished.” This is the Archbishop of Westminster saying that Christianity has almost been vanquished. He said that Christ was being replaced by music, new age movements, and occult practices. His comments echoed the sentiments of the Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carriage who said that Britain is a country where passive atheism prevails. This is the current situation. To share my experience with you, I had the opportunity to visit UK a few months back. Pujya Swamiji also was in UK at that time, though we narrowly missed each other. I could observe from close quarters, the state of affairs prevailing, the current situation. On the face of it, everything is fine, wonderful- people are happy, affluence in writ large. On the face of the country nothing is wanting; there is mechanical efficiency, a rationally oriented society, everything looks fine. But then, when you go closer, you find the exterior belies the interior. People are not happy. I had discussions with many. They are all finding a void, emptiness within. They do not know, for what all these things are meant. There is no life. And people are becoming self-centered, drawing within themselves. No sharing and caring for others.  One of the most serious diseases, which the younger generation in UK and possibly in America is facing, is that of depression. They have everything close, built - they have nothing to live for. There is depression and that is a major disease, as far as the younger generation is concerned, and nobody cares for the others. And when you talk to many people, who have been living there for years together, they say this is a very serious situation, a very grave situation. Unless they look inward and try to find solace in their spiritual existence, unless they are able to find spiritual remedy for this materialistic malady, there is no hope for them. Either individually or collectively they are facing a grave, very serious situation; this is what people who know, confess. This is the situation prevailing in the materialistically advanced west. There is a void within it. Now again Swamijis’ words come to us. “The whole of the west is standing on the peak of a volcano, it will crumble to pieces and what will save the west, is the religion of the Upanishads”. No doubt there are many institutions and organizations, in the west, which are trying to provide this spiritual need. The Sri Ramakrishna mission in there, other organizations are there, like the Chinmaya mission etc, a number of missions are there, but most of them are confined to the Indians, to the Hindus living there. The white people at large are still untouched by the spiritual message, the living message of the Upanishads. And when we come to think of it, India has to play a very radical role in these times. This is the period of globalization, the whole world has become one. But people speak about global market. I am not very happy when I hear the word ‘global market’, market is a place where cut throat competition takes place; market is not a place where you get joy and happiness; market in not the place you go for praying, for peace. But we are only concerned with global market. And we are the inheritors of the great Vedic wisdom, which said “Vasudaiva kutumbakam”. For us world is not a market. It is a kutumbam. It is family. The whole world is a family. It is this concept that has to be developed, and because it is inherent in our blood. Swami Vivekananda most naturally expressed his feelings when he said “Brothers and Sisters of America”. It is the most natural and spontaneous expression of a person, who has inherited this culture, to look upon the whole world as a family. Now this is the Upanishadic concept. This is a very beautiful concept. Where the whole universe becomes like a birds’ nest. So small, where there lives the mother bird, child bird, a father bird: they live together in cozy warmth: feeding each other, loving each other, rubbing shoulders with each other. The whole world is like a birds’ nest. The whole world is like a family. This is the wisdom of the Upanishads. This is what Swamiji said, would lead and save the west. But when we look towards us, when we look towards Bharat, when we looks at the current scene, are we encouraged, are we inspired, are we confident that we are in a position to save the world?. True, we have got all the Upanishads, texts, in our libraries, we have got all the books in the monasteries, but then the basic question is, books are not going to save any body, books have never saved anybody.  Are are we living the Upanishadic life? We the inheritors of the immortal message of the Vedic Rishis, are we living this life? Are we internalizing this message? Are we living to the real standard? That is the real question. Unless we are able to create a paradigm, based on the Vedic views and Vedic vision, we will not be able to save the world. In the Vedas it is said 'sarvam khalu idam Brahma', Swamiji mentioned, the westerners are in search of the fundamental unity, they are trying to find out the unifying force. They are asking questions after questions and they are answering in the form of theories after theories, but no theory has given the final solution. Now they have come to the string theory. In half humor I feel we have got a beautiful theory. Swamiji mentioned about that “Mayi Sarvamidam Pravadam Sutre Manigana Iva” from the Bhagavad-Gita .It is that string which unites us together- all the flowers, all the pearls. There is one underlying unity that sustains this wonderful diversity that is apparent. Behind the diversity there is an underlying unity. That thread of unity, that is a string of which lord Krishna speaks in the Bhagavad Gita. “I am the thread that unites all this colourful, multiplicity that is apparent.”. So the Upanishads say “Sarvam khalu idam Bhrama”. All that you see in divide colours and forms and shapes and sounds, they are all one fundamental truth. This the western science has yet not been able to arrive at. They are trying to find the unifying force, but they have not yet been able to. Our Rishis say, “All this is essentially one ”;    "I pervade everything in an unmanifest, invisible form, there in nothing, no where out there where I am not there: It is my invisible presence that is all pervasive.” “Mayi Sarvamidam Pravaram Sutre Manigana Iva”. So this philosophy of interdependence, this philosophy of one becoming the many, one uniting the many- this philosophy must form the basis for a socio, economic and political structure. So far as we are concerned, if we are different, if our philosophy is different, that philosophy must manifest in our social life, in our economic life, in our political life, in our cultural life, otherwise philosophy has no value. Now this fundamental unity and this diversity that is manifest, this has to be applied into the economic, social, political, cultural life of this country, an Indian paradigm, a paradigm where the Vedic and the Upanishadic truths are reflected in actual life, that is the need of the hour. If we are able to create that, if India is able to create a paradigm, different from the western, based on our own Vedic vision, then we will be able to hold our head aloft and tell the world “Look here, this is way for the world with all its variety has to come together as our family”. This is the responsibility that Swamiji bequeathed to us when he said “It is the message of the Upanishads that will save the west”, and when we are given this responsibility as Swamiji said, when he spoke in Madras “Young men of Madras my hope is in you". In the freshness of youth, the un smelled flowers, it is those that are to be offered at the feet of the Divine Mother, to carry the future of the country and Swamiji was very particular about the privileged young people. He had a very bitter expression about these privileged youths who were not very particularly careful of the unprivileged, the deprived, to unfortunate ones. Swamiji was very harsh on them: (like) Swamiji when he came to Kerala, he called it a lunatic asylum. It is a very bitter pill, but we were saved by that. I come from Kerala. Because of the mad, Lunatic way of behaviour the caste differences, Swamiji said called it a lunatic asylum. That gave us a vision, how to come out of this lunatic asylum, and the first social reform movement in Kerala, came out of Swamiji’s exhortation. Similarly to the privileged youths Swamiji said, I will quote him “So long as millions live in ignorance and hunger I hold every man a traitor, who having been educated at their expense does not pay a least heed to them”; those who are privileged enough to be educated to the highest level that is available, if they don’t pay the least heed to those unfortunate brothers. Swamiji did not mince words when he said “I hold him a traitor”, but then Swamiji also gave the remedy, particularly to the youths of this country he said -A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, purified with eternal faith in the Lord, wedded to courage, by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden should go over the length and breadth of the land. He was very sure about it and hoped, that would happen, “Tomorrow if not today": that tomorrow in today; you know what will happen if a hundred thousand men and women particularly young men and women will go to the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation. Not individual salvation, but the gospel of help and the gospel of social raising up, the duty towards the society, and the gospel of equality. (I think my time is up). So the duty cast upon the young men and women is to go through the length and breadth of the country with this gospel of salvation, not individual salvation but collective salvation, the social raising up. This is the duty cast upon, especially the privileged section of the youth. When your representatives came to see me, I asked individually and got the answer, which I already knew, that almost all of them are from the upper middle class and higher class. But we must realize that more than 50% of the population of our country is living below the poverty line. We are thus the privileged class, God has given us this privileged position, not for selfish enjoyment, but to make ourselves, readily available for the uplift of the less privileged people. That only will make us human, as it was said “expansion is life, contraction is death”. Let us take up this message of Swami Vivekananda. This message which is relevant today as it was 110 years back. This day on which Swamiji delivered his memorable, historic lecture at the Parliament of religions is an occasions for all of us to think about, to recollect, to get inspired and to dedicate ourselves under the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda for the sake of this great mother land of ours. Swamijis said once, “for the coming fifty years, let all other gods disappear; only this one God, Bharat Mata, this Divine Mother.” my only prayer, and my fervent hope is that Swamijis’ inspiring words will find an echo in all your faithful hearts, and it will produce a tremendous result so far as the future of our country is concerned.

Thank you.