Vivekananda mailing list-1/21/03

[Guest guest]

Language is not the result of convention; it is not that people ever

agreed to represent certain ideas by certain words; there never was an

idea without a corresponding word or a word without a corresponding

idea; ideas and words are in their nature inseparable. The symbols to

represent ideas may be sound symbols or colour symbols. Deaf and dumb

people have to think with other than sound symbols. Every thought in

the mind has a form as its counterpart. This is called in Sanskrit

philosophy Nâma-Rupa — name and form. It is as impossible to create by

convention a system of symbols as it is to create a language. In the

world's ritualistic symbols we have an expression of the religious

thought of humanity. It is easy to say that there is no use of rituals

and temples and all such paraphernalia; every baby says that in modern

times. But it must be easy for all to see that those who worship inside

a temple are in many respects different from those who will not worship

there. Therefore the association of particular temples, rituals, and

other concrete forms with particular religions has a tendency to bring

into the minds of the followers of those religions the thoughts for

which those concrete things stand as symbols; and it is not wise to

ignore rituals and symbology altogether. The study and practice of

these things form naturally a part of Karma-Yoga.

[Guest guest]

I have always enjoyed reading your short paragraphs from Swamiji's works, including the one you have posted today. I would appreciate if you also write the exact citation which will help the reader to go back to the particular article and read the whole thing if he or she wants to so so. Thanks for including me on your list.

Umesh Gulati