Guest guest Posted June 12, 2000 Report Share Posted June 12, 2000 There is a Swami vivekananda Quote which goes: I disagree with the idea that freedom is obedience to the laws of nature. I do not understand what that means. According to the history of human progress, it is disobedience to nature that has constituted progress. I had posted it on my Company Bulletin Board. Many people were surprised to find that Swami Vivekananda was advocating the destruction of nature(ie. the environment, trees, ecology etc.) I tried to explain it this way: ************************** I think the interpretation of it is different. Nature described here is not just the plants, trees & eco system. Nature here is used in the sense of property, like 'human nature'. Human nature is to have as much food as and when he wants. If you rebel against it, restrict your food intake only to the extent needed, u will be working against nature. Human nature is to heed to the mind's wishes. Mind being very vacillant, u are not able to concentrate on anything. You concentrate, enslave mind and thereby enslave nature. Look at the great Yogis of yore, they are the ones who had conquered nature. They were unaffected by happiness, sorrow, riches, poverty, wind, rain, summer, winter, and were steadfast in their blissful state. Are these people the conquerors of nature or a person who has 500 gadgets and is constantly worrying abt having more control over 'nature'? ************************** Is that what Swami Vivekananda meant? Can you please help me with this... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Uday<(*¿*)> " Let Noble thoughts come to us from all directions. " -Rig Veda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 13, 2000 Report Share Posted June 13, 2000 - UDAYAKIRAN_C <UDAYAKIRAN_C 'Vivekananda Centre' <vivekananda 13 June 2000 09:18 RE: Pls explain this... Thanks Jay, I think now I understand the Quote better. I had a completely different view of the Quote.. About the explanation that u have offered, I need a little more clarification. If disobedience of nature is basically overcoming the limitations put up by nature, and that is the sign of life, what is it that we call progress? From the spiritual viewpoint, progress is nothing but a Soul/Atman realizing itself completely. But, on a more mundane level, what is it that we call progress. How is it related to the overcoming limitations of nature? If a Yogi is doing kathora(severe) tapas and he doesn't show any sign of struggle, hot or cold, come rain or wind, is he said to be the person who has conquered nature or a person who is not disobeying nature? Pls clarify whenever u have freetime... Thanks.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Uday<(*¿*)> " Let Noble thoughts come to us from all directions. " -Rig Veda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Uday A few other list members have given interesting replies to your very interesting question. Further to your question about 'What do you call progress?' I suspect Swami Vivekananda would say something like this: Progress is the process of the infinite trying to express itself through the finite. That is what we are all about. All this, that we see as evolution is really the infinite trying its best to express itself fully. It struggles out of the in-animate and creates order to express itself. It continues to evolve more - develops more faculties like reasoning etc and tries its best to manifest itself. This is what we are all about. The infinite messing about in the finite. Spirituality dawns when we realise this. The individual realises that this is futile. Infinite can never be expressed in the finite and withdraws. The individual then looks within - and says what a great run around I have had! I am that infinite! Hopefully he says all this with a smile : ) jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.