Meeting with Secretary maharaj

[Guest guest]

Hi Jay,

 

While I commend and have a great enthusiasm for the

work you do in London, I differ from you in some minor

points. You have said that Swamiji's teachings will

take root

in England and not in India, USA or europe. Are you

saying that 100+ years of vedanta

in the USA has not taken root in the american

thinking.

Please read this article by Pravrajika Vrajaprana at

http://www.vedanta.org/reading/monthly/articles/2000/8.vedanta_in_america.html

 

you will see at once the influence which Swami

Vivekananda has. That western youth are more attracted

to Swami Vivekananda than eastern youth is probably

false. I know of countless organizations in India

which are entirely composed of youth which derive

inspiration from Swamiji. Can you name some youth

organizations which is composed of western youth and

which runs on Swamiji's ideals ?

 

If you are looking for a place wherein Swami

Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna will be acknowledged with

great fanfare probably it will never be. They were

silent workers and are working silently transforming

humanity slowly but surely.

 

As far as the attendance in the Vedanta societies is

concerned even I have observed the drop in new western

adherents to vedanta. But a drop in attendance doesnt

mean a drop in following spiritual teachings. The

western people have lot of alternatives now open

before them. buddhism, taoism, sufism and some of the

churches have bought in meditation and bead counting

vigorously into their systems. This was what Vedanta

had to give. Make people strong in their own paths.

I have spoken to people who have been western

vedantins for a long time and they think buddhism has

attracted the western people a lot due to its emphasis

on psychology and deep emphasis on meditation. Lot of

options are available and the good thing is that

people have options and are practising them. A lot of

people are also attracted to Ramana Maharishi,

Nisargatta, Ramesh Balsekar teachings as it places the

emphasis on self effort rather than on any

personality. This is what I got from talking to

persons who have been vedantins in USA for more than

30 years.

 

I dont want to sound defensive but Swami Vivekananda's

message has taken root in the western and eastern

world. Yes work has to be done but people are familiar

and also are living the life in both USA, Europe and

India.

 

Regds

Vinay

 

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[Guest guest]

-

 

"Prashanti Kandarpa" <kprashanti

<Ramakrishna >

Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:43

Meeting with Secretary maharaj

 

> Hi Jay,> You have said that Swamiji's teachings willtake root in England and not in India, USA or europe. Are yousaying that 100+ years of vedanta in the USA has not taken root in the americanthinking.

I maintain that London today is more dynamic and innovative in this field

than USA and it is here that the teachings of Vivekananda will take root. What

has happened in the past 100 years is not what I am looking at but what is about

to happen in the near future.

 

That western youth are more attracted to Swami Vivekananda than eastern youth is probablyfalse. I know of countless organizations in India which are entirely composed of youth which deriveinspiration from Swamiji.

I am talking from first hand experience. When I present teachings of

Vivekananda to the Western youth, the response is far more dynamic

than when I present on the same teachings to the Hindu youth in UK.

This is not speculation but first hand experience.

 

Can you name some youth> organizations which is composed of western youth and> which runs on Swamiji's ideals ? None so far. You have highlighted the problem with the Hindu appraoch,

Hindus want to deify Vivekananda and want organisations run in his name.

The key feature to focus on are HIS teachings - the principles that he taught are far

more important -- not the number of organisations run in his name.

 

> If you are looking for a place wherein Swami> Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna will be acknowledged with> great fanfare probably it will never be. They were> silent workers and are working silently transforming> humanity slowly but surely.

Yes agreed.

> As far as the attendance in the Vedanta societies is> concerned even I have observed the drop in new western> adherents to vedanta. But a drop in attendance doesnt> mean a drop in following spiritual teachings. The> western people have lot of alternatives now open> before them. buddhism, taoism, sufism and some of the> churches have bought in meditation and bead counting> vigorously into their systems. This was what Vedanta> had to give.

Don't you think that Vivekananda's teachings are as important if not more

relevant than Buddhism, Taoism etc.? Don't you think they are more in line

with the needs of our times? Vivekananda is the contemporary messanger

of spirituality to the West. Then surely his teachings must enter the Western

mainstream thinking. Issues of these nature were discussed with the Secretary

Maharaj.

 

Thanks for being so forthright .......jay

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Again, I want to make another statement before this assembly. My work

in England has been more satisfactory to me than my work in America. The

bold, brave and steady Englishman, if I may use the expression, with his

skull a little thicker than those of other people — if he has once an idea

put into his brain, it never comes out; and the immense practicality and

energy of the race makes it sprout up and immediately bear fruit. It is not

so in any other country. That immense practicality, that immense vitality

of the race, you do not see anywhere else. There is less of imagination,

but more of work, and who knows the well-spring, the mainspring of the English

heart? How much of imagination and of feeling is there! They are a nation

of heroes, they are the true Kshatriyas; their education is to hide their

feelings and never to show them. From their childhood they have been educated

up to that. Seldom will you find an Englishman manifesting feeling, nay,

even an Englishwoman. I have seen Englishwomen go to work and do deeds which

would stagger the bravest of Bengalis to follow. But with all this heroic

superstructure, behind this covering of the fighter, there is a deep spring

of feeling in the English heart. If you once know how to reach it, if you

get there, if you have personal contact and mix with him, he will open his

heart, he is your friend for ever, he is your servant. Therefore in my opinion,

my work in England has been more satisfactory than anywhere else. I firmly

believe that if I should die tomorrow the work in England would not die,

but would go on expanding all the time.

 

http://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/volume_3/vol_3_frame.htm

 

 

 

Vivekananda Centre wrote:

-

"Prashanti Kandarpa" <kprashanti

<Ramakrishna >

Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:43

Meeting with Secretary maharaj

 

 

 

> Hi Jay,

>

You have said that Swamiji's teachings will

take root in England and not in India, USA or europe. Are you

saying that 100+ years of vedanta in the USA has not taken root in the american

thinking.

I maintain that London today is more dynamic and innovative in

this field

than USA and it is here that the teachings of Vivekananda

will take root. What

has happened in the past 100 years is not what I am looking

at but what is about

to happen in the near future.

 

That western youth are more attracted to Swami Vivekananda

than eastern youth is probably

false. I know of countless organizations in India which are entirely composed

of youth which derive

inspiration from Swamiji.

I am talking from first hand

experience. When I present teachings of

Vivekananda to the Western

youth, the response is far more dynamic

than when I present on the

same teachings to the Hindu youth in UK.

This is not speculation but

first hand experience.

 

Can you name some youth

> organizations which is composed of western youth and

> which runs on Swamiji's ideals ?

None so far. You have highlighted the problem

with the Hindu appraoch,

Hindus want to deify Vivekananda and want organisations run in

his name.

The key feature to focus on are HIS

teachings - the principles that he taught are far

more important -- not the number

of organisations run in his name.

 

> If you are looking for a place wherein Swami

> Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna will be acknowledged with

> great fanfare probably it will never be. They were

> silent workers and are working silently transforming

> humanity slowly but surely.

 

Yes agreed.

 

> As far as the attendance in the Vedanta societies is

> concerned even I have observed the drop in new western

> adherents to vedanta. But a drop in attendance doesnt

> mean a drop in following spiritual teachings. The

> western people have lot of alternatives now open

> before them. buddhism, taoism, sufism and some of the

> churches have bought in meditation and bead counting

> vigorously into their systems. This was what Vedanta

> had to give.

Don't you think that Vivekananda's

teachings are as important if not more

relevant than Buddhism, Taoism

etc.? Don't you think they are more in line

with the needs of our times? Vivekananda is the contemporary messanger

of spirituality to the West. Then surely his teachings must enter the Western

mainstream thinking. Issues of these nature were discussed with the Secretary

Maharaj.

 

Thanks for being so forthright .......jay

 

 

 

 

 

Sri Ramakrishnaye Namah

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk