Vivekananda on the Vedas (part 206)

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Earlier postings can be seen at http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda.htm

 

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

By Sister Gayatriprana

part 206

b) To Study the Internal World of Humanity Vedanta Offers Methods Which Are

Practicable Even for the Brightest Intellectual Minds

 

1. Reason Is an Independent, Universal Authority Which Can Judge the Claims of

Religions

 

Just as there are millions of people who are ready to believe in a personal

Creator, there have also been thousands of the brightest minds in this world who

felt that such ideas were not sufficient for them and wanted something higher;

and wherever religion was not broad enough to include all these minds, the

result was that the brightest minds in society were always outside of religion;

and never was it so marked as at the present time, especially in Europe.

 

To include those minds, therefore, religion must become broad enough. Everything

it claims must be judged from the standpoint of reason. Why religions should

claim that they are not bound to abide by the standpoint of reason, no one

knows. If one does not take the standard of reason there cannot be any true

judgement, even in the case of religions. (18)

 

What is needed is fellow-feeling between the different types of religion, seeing

that they all stand or fall together, a fellow-feeling which springs from mutual

esteem and mutual respect, and not the condescending, niggardly expression of

goodwill, unfortunately in vogue at the present time with many. And above all,

this is needed between types of religious expression coming from the study of

mental phenomena - unfortunately even now laying exclusive claim to the name of

religion - and those expressions of religion whose heads, as it were, are

penetrating more into the secrets of heaven though their feet are clinging to

the earth - I mean the so-called materialistic sciences. (19)

 

One religion may ordain something very hideous. For instance, the Islamic

religion allows Muslims to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly

stated in the Koran, " Kill the infidels if they do not become Muslims. " [sura

4.89] They must be put to fire and sword. Now, if we tell Muslims that this is

wrong, they will naturally ask, " How do you know that? How do you know that it

is not good? My book says it is. " If you say your book is older, there will come

the Buddhist and say, " My book is much older still. " Then will come the Hindu

and say, " My books are the oldest of all. " Therefore, referring to books will

not do. Where is the standard by which you can compare?… There must be some

independent authority and that cannot be any book, but something which is

universal - and what it more universal than reason? It has been said that reason

is not strong enough, it does not always help us to get at the truth; many times

it makes mistakes and therefore the conclusion is that we must believe in the

authority of a church! That was said to me by a Roman Catholic, but I could not

see the logic of it. On the contrary, I should say that, if reason be so weak, a

body of priests would be weaker and I am not going to accept their verdict, but

will abide by my own reason; because, with all its weakness, there is some

chance of my getting at truth through it, while by the other means there is no

such hope at all. (20)