Swami Vivekananda says every action and thought is forced on us

[Guest guest]

THE GOAL (Delivered in San Francisco, March 27, 1900)

 

Why did the infinite God make this world? [The dualist says:] Just as the

potter makes pots. God the potter; we the pots. . . . In more philosophical

language the question is: How is it taken for granted that the real nature

of man is pure, perfect, and infinite? This is the one difficulty found in

any system of monism. Everything else is clean and clear. This question

cannot be answered. The monists say the question itself is a contradiction.

 

Take the system of dualism — the question is asked why God created the

world. This is contradictory. Why? Because — what is the idea of God? He is

a being who cannot be acted upon by anything outside.

 

You and I are not free. I am thirsty. There is something called thirst, over

which I have no control, [which] forces me to drink water. Every action of

my body and even every thought of my mind is forced out of me. I have got to

do it. That is why I am bound . . . . I am forced to do this, to have this,

and so on . . . . And what is meant by why and wherefore? [being subject to

external forces.] Why do you drink water? Because thirst forces you. You are

a slave. You never do anything of your own will because you are forced to do

everything. Your only motive for action is some force. . . .

 

The earth, by itself, would never move unless something forced it. Why does

the light burn? It does not burn unless somebody comes and strikes a match.

Throughout nature, everything is bound. Slavery, slavery! To be in harmony

with nature is [slavery]. What is there in being the slave of nature and

living in a golden cage? The greatest law and order is in the [knowledge

that man is essentially free and divine] Now we see that the question why

and wherefore can only be asked [in ignorance]. I can only be forced to do

something through something else.

 

[You say] God is free. Again you ask the question why God creates the world.

You contradict yourself. The meaning of God is entirely free will. The

question put in logical language is this: What forced Him, who can never be

forced by anybody, to create the world? You say in the same question, What

forced Him? The question is nonsense. He is infinite by His very nature; He

is free. We shall answer questions when you can ask them in logical

language. Reason will tell you that there is only one Reality, nothing else.

Wherever dualism has risen, monism came to a head and drove it out.

 

Many want pleasure [as] the goal. For that pleasure they seek only the

senses. On the higher planes much pleasure is to be sought. Then on

spiritual planes. Then in himself — God within him. The man whose pleasure

is outside of [himself] becomes unhappy when that outside thing goes. You

cannot depend for this pleasure upon anything in this universe. If all my

pleasures are in myself, I must have pleasure there all the time because I

can never lose my Self. . . . Mother, father, child, wife, body, wealth —

everything I can lose except my self . . . bliss in the Self All desire is

contained in the Self. . . . This is individuality which never changes, and

this is perfect.

 

Whatever we [think] that we become. If you think you are poor sinners you

hypnotise yourselves: " I am a miserable, crawling worm. " Those who believe

in hell are in hell when they die; those who say that they will go to heaven

[go to heaven].

 

There is not much value in books, and in [secondhand] religion there is no

value whatsoever. It is like eating. Your religion would not satisfy me

Jesus saw God and Buddha saw God. If you have not seen God, you are no

better than the atheist. Only he is quiet, and you talk much and disturb the

world with your talk. Books and bibles and scriptures are of no use. I met

an old man when I was a boy; [he did not study any scripture, but he

transmitted the truth of God by a touch].

 

Silence ye teachers of the world. Silence ye books. Lord, Thou alone speak

and Thy servant listeneth. . . . If truth is not there, what is the use of

this life? We all think we will catch it, but we do not. Most of us catch

only dust. God is not there. If no God, what is the use of life? Is there

any resting-place in the universe? [it is up to us to find it]; only we do

not [search for it intensely. We are] like a little piece of maw carried on

in the current.

 

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