A Timeless Voice

WELCOME ADDRESS - Chicago, Sept 11, 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

By Swami Vivekananda

The world has changed in leaps and bounds and yet sometimes it seems as if we are just where we used to be...Still preaching the Gita to the world, still patient and hopeful, progressive, able and capable as ever.

This is one of my favourite speeches by great men, and I was shocked when recently one of my students failed to mention Vivekananda's Chicago visit in a Feature writing assignment that I had given her to do.

Perhaps we should remind our youngsters now and then of our rich heritage and the message of love and peace to the world over that India is all about

my memories

some grow like a banyan tree, some falter and creep
follows me like a shadow through the ages indeed
they are black, they are white, yellow and green
and not to forget good ones of red, blue and cream
pink is my favorite, gives a new hue to the morning dew
greens security is ever with you
yellow says hello to me and others few
blue becomes serious hunting for your naked view
red is annoyed, always ready for the fight
cream makes you dream with your head held high
my memories in sequel, like black, gray and white!

This is a poem by one of my favourite people. Memories and colour do blend well. The imagery is beautiful and the forced rhymes are intelligently crafted.

Hectic Schedule

Life comes and life goes
Every single day brings its shows
The good, bad and the fair
Sometimes it is difficult, but I dare.

I wish I had a little more time
Everyday to live life at its prime
But the days seem specifically small
And I have so many people who call.

Where is the time to count the puddles
The rains come and go in swift muddles
The time off to smell the fresh air is in vain
It remains a dream that goes down the drain.

It is work and then more work
Responsibility demands that I don't shirk
The satisfaction of smiles around dissolves the irk
But this hectic schedule is definitely no perk.

What have we let ourselves into
Even when on a holiday, think we tend to do
It plays somewhere at the back of the mind
That amongst laptops and files soon ourselves we will find!!!

Note: All this busyness doesn't allow for much personal time for ourselves anymore. This curtails our inner selves to grow and glow. Life has become so busy and self-sufficient - the pine for a break and a slower tempo creeps in once in a way.

It was no dream

I thought it was a dream
Because it was too good to be true
It had a lovely powerful sheen
The color of love in every hue.

The trust and the sheer faith
The cheer of my ever so special mate
The mind blowing crush during every date
All the way added its weight.

The laughter never stopped
Moods never flopped
Problems never cropped
And the boundaries never dropped.

Seconds were all it seemed
Every time that we beamed
In a jiffy passed the minutes
Love had laid its lovely hints.

Never a tear we knew
Or a heartbeat that flew
We lived and breathed bliss
Oh, how wonderful was love's kiss.

Suddenly, things changed
A morning came that it rained
I got a news that shattered
I knew nothing else mattered.

I learnt in pain, woe and and at ease
That my life's greatest tease
Which had seemed so long like a dream
Was a reality, only when it ceased.