WHITHER THE SPIRIT OF THE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA?

WHITHER THE SPIRIT OF THE SWAMI VIVEKANANDA?

In a world of scant character and idealism, confusing data deluge, insincere promises and camouflaging the reality of things cynicism is but the obvious output among the youth. Who will preach Vivekananda? Where lies character that can run through the system like wild fire and ignite the soul unto sharing the suffering of the masses, setting alight the hearts of the youth and dedicating them unto raising the masses? Vivekananda is preached but sleeps in the souls of the preachers. Who cares for what he cared for? Who sheds tears of agony for the apalling condition of the deprived, the dispossessed among men? The gods sleep as men make merry with ideals miscarried. Wish you to please the Mother with fine apparel, adornment and abode when her children starve, commit suicide when seeds are spent and there are none left to sow save those that are bought dear from crony capitalists at the price of precious lifeblood? Where is God? -- in marble sculpting? in stone image? in temples worth a treasure? or in the flowing blood of the starving mass of humanity, in the illiterate, the ignorant, the destitute and the diseased? The masses suffer and the few chosen children of the Lord rejoice in scriptural sport, in dabbling in architectural build-up of the House of God and in puerile pursuit of superficial charity that alters not the living condition of this suffering mass of humanity. Time for introspection. Time for change.

Written by Sugata Bose