To many, Indian thought,Indian manners,Indian customs,Indian philosophy,Indian literature,are repulsive at the first sight; but let them persevere,let them read, let them become familiar with the great principles underlying these ideas,and it is ninety-nine to one that the charm will come over them, and fascination will be the result.
But the Older I grow, the better I seem to think of these time honored institution of India. There was a time when I used to think that many of them were useless and worthless; but the older I grow, the more I seem to feel a diffidence in cursing anyone of them,for each of them is the embodiment of the experience of centuries.
Believe me, there is much talking in other lands, but the practical man of religion, who has carried it into his life is here and here alone.
I have said that we have yet something to teach to the world. This is the very reasons, the raison d'etre,that this nation has lived on,in spite of hundreds of year of persecution,in spite of nearly a thousand years of foreign rule and foreign oppression.This nation still lives; the raison d'etre is , it still holds to God, to the treasure-house of religion and spirituality.
In this land are,still religion and spirituality,the fountains which will have to overflow and flood the world to bring in new life and new vitality to the Western and other nations,which are now almost borne down, half-killed,and degraded by political ambitions and social scheming.
Those who give themselves up to the Lord do more for the world than all the so-called workers.One man who has purified himself thoroughly, accomplishes more than a regiment of preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power.
What we need today is to know that there is a God and that we can see and feel him here and now.
There is a vast difference between saying ?food, food? and eating it, between saying ? water, water? and drinking it. So by merely repeating the worlds ? God, God,? we cannot hope to attain realisalion. We must strive and practice.
Through the terrors of evil, say ? my God, my love! Through the pangs of death, say-my God, my love! Through all the evils under the sun, say ? my God, my love ! Thou art here,I see thee, Thou art with me, I feel thee, I am thine, take me. I am not of the world's but Thine; leave not then me. Do not go for glass beads leaving the mine of diamonds! This life is a great chance. What, seekest thou the pleasures of the world ? He is the fountain of all bliss. Seek for the Highest, aim at that Highest, and you shall reach the Highest.
We must be bright and cheerful,long face do not make religion. Religion should be the most joyful thing in the world, because it is the best.
Worship everything as God ? every form is his temple.All else is delusion. Always look within, never without.Such is the God that Vedanta preaches, and such is his worship.