SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: CHICAGO SPEECH- WELCOME ADDRESS

WELCOME ADDRESS:


(Swami Vivekananda's famous speech at the Parliament of the World's religions that took place at chicago , USA on september 11, 1893.)


"Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal."

-Swami Vivekananda

This is a clipping taken from an audio release about the Life and Works of Swami Vivekananda. Though it is not the actual voice of Vivekananda, we can feel the power of his thoughts on Hinduism, and his respect for other religions.

SWAMI SIVANANDA QUOTES ON MIND CONTROL

"THOUGHTS DECIDE THE FUTURE. EVERY THOUGHT MUST HAVE A DEFINITE PURPOSE."

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"IF YOU WANT RAPID PROGRESS IN THE SPIRITUAL PATH, WATCH EVERY THOUGHT."

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"THE GREATEST WAR IS THE WAR WITH THE MIND."

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"TRUE GLORY LIES IN THE SILENT CONQUEST OF MIND."

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"CONTROL YOUR MIND AND THE SENSES. THIS IS THE GREATEST
VICTORY."

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"GIVE NO LENIENCY TO YOUR MIND."

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"YOUR THOUGHTS PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT PART IN YOUR LIFE."

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"THE HUMAN BODY IS A WORLD IN MINIATURE."

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"PURIFY YOUR MINDS WITH DISCIPLINE AND SATURATE YOUR MINDS WITH THOUGHTS DIVINE."

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"HE WHO PURSUES THE PATH OF WISDOM MUST HAVE DISCRIMINATION FIRST."

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-Swami Sivananda

MOTHER TERESA QUOTES

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier"
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"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. "
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"Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. "
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"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. "
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"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between. "
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"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. "
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"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."

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-Mother Teresa

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S QUOTES

"You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you Spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul."
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"Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it,
live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to
success that is way great spiritual giants are produced."
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"We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think.Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far."
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"The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be
purified, and God will be in them."

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"By the study of different RELIGIONS we find that in essence they are one."

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"Arise ! Awake ! and stop not till the goal is reached !"

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"All Power is within you ! you can do anything and everything. Believe in that !"

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-Swami Vivekananda.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL MEDITATION

1.Meditate Everyday:

It is good to make it a practice of meditating daily, rather than an improper schedule. Allot a proper time everyday for meditation so that it becomes a habit that helps you in the long run. Further it is better to meditate twice a day, during early morning and evening. however it is not at all limited to any of these time tables . Whenever you find yourself with some free time–even a few minutes–during the day, sit and meditate. Every little bit certainly does help.

2.Duration:

The duration for meditation is not specific. The more you meditate, the more you are benefitted.But start with a modest time of around 10-15 mins. Make sure you don't strain yourself to meditate. It is always a general mistake of doing meditation for some days at the beginning and then, gradually taking it out of your schedule. This usually happens if you are not careful with your mind and do not have proper self control.It is always better to make meditation a practice, slowly and steadily.

3.Keep it within:

The calmness and clarity of mind, obtained due to meditation must not be dissipated by talking about it to others. The experiences gained in meditation are not only subtle, they are very fragile, as delicate as a glass, and speaking about them can shatter their beneficial effects. Bragging, eulogizing, and swapping notes about meditation experiences is a very harmful activity. So it must be avoided.However you can tell everyone about the importance of meditation and how it helps you in very general terms.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Whenever a person comes across the word "meditation", the usual questions that may arise to them are : "what is meditation ? what is the use of meditation ? how to meditate ? what are the ways to succeed in meditation ?...." and many more.

First let us all know: what is meditation?

Meditation can be explained both spiritually and scientifically. In spiritual way, it is the bridge between you and the Almighty.A person interested in liberation from this material world has to undergo deep meditation for ages in order to attain God. Scientifically Meditation can be explained as the relaxation of mind from unnecessary stresses and thoughts. It makes you more relaxed and confident while carrying out your daily activities.

what is the use of meditation ?

Whenever a person meditates, his energy starts conserving; the nervous system gets relaxed ; the blood flow becomes uniform; breathing becomes normal; pulse rate becomes normal;the mind gets more and more stable. As a result the entire body is benefitted, especially the mind. The mind gets relieved from external fears and phantoms.As a result the person finds new ideas and new ways of solving problems. This boosts up the self confidence and morale of the person.Irrespective of the nature of person,place,gender,age and religion, meditation does good for everyone. Even a small kid, or an old person can be benefitted through meditation.

how to meditate ?

Meditation can be done in many ways. The simplest and the most convenient method could be this:

1. First of all, find a place free from external disturbances(if any) such as noise, other persons,etc.
2. Get yourself into a suitable position that gives you comfort and at the same time doesn't make you feel sleepy. As far as possible try to sit down somewhere and do not lie down.
3. Close your eyes so that you could gain some concentration and relax your body.Do not keep your body tight, or else you might get tired after sometime.
4. Try to make your mind free from thoughts(perhaps the most toughest task, that needs a lot of practice). When you are new to meditation, this is however difficult. Please make sure that you donot strain yourself to get rid of thoughts,as this leads to increase in restlessness.
5. During this time, you can also meditate on your favorite god. It is also good to have a chanting machine or a tape recorder by your side for repeated chanting of the Lord's name.For beginners,this method is effective to gain concentration and self control.
6. At beginning stages, start meditation for approximately 10-15 minutes and you can gradually increase this duration, as time passes by. Do not try to meditate more than half an hour while you are at beginning stage because your body could not resist such a sudden change in your behaviour at that time.Perhaps you can very well meditate longer when you have practiced it for a certain period of time.
7. The best schedule for meditation can be two hours a day which can be splitted as 1 hour in the early morning and 1 hour in the evening.

what are the ways to succeed in meditation ?

Success in meditation is not absolute. It is the path to reach the infinity. The effectiveness of meditation decides whether we are on the path to success or not. To find whether a person is in the path of success in meditation, one has to compare and analyze the changes that had occured in their lives before and after practicing meditation. The impact of meditation will surely be a successful path in everyone's life which can well be realized after a certain period of time.

Note:

At the beginning meditation is a hard nut to crack. But as days pass by, the essence of meditation can be realized. Patience and endurance is all that is needed to enter the path of success.

" let the art of meditation bestow the path of enlightenment upon you !"