comfortable religion---swami vivekananda

[Guest guest]

The first obstruction to our following reason is our unwillingness to

go to truth. We want truth to come to us. In all my travels, most

people told me: " Oh, that is not a comfortable religion you talk

about. Give us a comfortable religion! "

 

I do not understand what they mean by this " comfortable religion " . I

was never taught any comfortable religion in my life. I want truth for

my religion. Whether it be comfortable or not, I do not care. Why

should truth be comfortable always? Truth many times hits hard — as we

all know by our experience. Gradually, after a long intercourse with

such persons, I came to find out what they meant by their

stereotypical phrase. These people have got into a rut, and they do

not dare to get out of it. Truth must apologize to them.

 

I once met a lady who was very fond of her children and her money and

her everything. When I began to preach to her that the only way to God

is by giving up everything, she stopped coming the next day. One day

she came and told me that the reason for her staying away was because

the religion I preached was very uncomfortable. " What sort of religion

would be comfortable to you? " I asked in order to test her. She said:

" I want to see God in my children, in my money, in my diamonds " .

 

" Very good, madam " , I replied. " You have now got all these things. And

you will have to see these things millions of years yet. Then you will

be bumped somewhere and come to reason. Until that time comes, you

will never come to God. In the meantime, go on seeing God in your

children and in your money and your diamonds and your dances. "

 

It is difficult, almost impossible, for such people to give up sense

enjoyment. It has grown upon them from birth to birth. If you ask a

pig to give up his sty and to go into your most beautiful parlour, why

it will be death to the pig. " Let go, I must live there " , says the pig.

 

from

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 9/Lectures and

Discourses/The First Step towards Jnana