February 2006 Zushi Retreat
(Celebrating Swami Vivekananda's 144th Birth Anniversary)

Vivekananda, Champion of Freedom
A Talk by Swami Medhasananda

Swami laughed saying that he had done much homework in preparing his talk on Swami Vivekananda for today, as it is an important topic, but as there is not much time before lunch, but that perhaps less study will be needed for next year's talk. "But again", he said, "as Professor Nara just mentioned, it depends on God's will."

He went on to say that the subject Swami Vivekananda, the Champion of Freedom, encompasses many ideas. And although the word champion is used in Japanese now, this word also encompasses other meanings, such as being an advocate, of liking, practicing and pursuing something. "There are also many kinds of freedom; political freedom, economic freedom, social freedom, freedom of speech, press, judiciary, women's liberation, but the real freedom that all these freedoms lead to - that gives direction to these other freedoms, is freedom of mind and freedom of soul."

"Swami Vivekananda was a protagonist of that freedom of the mind and the soul in his own life and in his teachings, and cherished the idea that all should experience that freedom. What we mean by this is freedom from attachment, freedom from secular desires, freedom from delusion, freedom from ignorance; freedom from the impulses of greed, anger, fear, hatred, vanity and pride - to become aware of the true nature of one's soul."

"This is mental and spiritual freedom and Swamiji said that freedom of mind and soul is our birthright. Everyone, even an ant, is heading, consciously or unconsciously for that freedom. No one is actually fond of bondage, and unless you have freedom, you cannot really have love or joy. In today's reading it is said the love we commonly experience is that of a slave, real love is not possible without freedom. If there is no real freedom, there is no real love, no real fraternity, no real equality, no real rationality, no real knowledge.
 
Modern civilization and the French Revolution all highlighted four things; liberty, equality, fraternity and rationalism that leads to knowledge. But these are based upon a fragmented idea of humanity. In the name of establishing liberty and equality in many places we see so much bloodshed, because these ideals are not based on something universal."

"The universal aspect of these ideals is the idea of Self. This Self includes universal love, freedom, equality and rationalism. If we place our emphasis on the ideal of Self, we will inherit the ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity in a natural way. This is why Swami Vivekananda always placed emphasis on the idea of Self, because it brings us real freedom."

"The following reveal how Swamiji was free from orthodoxy, attachment, delusion and petty things like jealousy. Once Swamiji's Irish disciple, Sister Nivedita (Margaret Elizabeth Noble), wrote a letter to him charging that he was jealous of her famous new-found Indian friends, like Rabindranath Tagore. In response Swamiji answered, 'Margot, know once for all that whatever vices I may have, I am never jealous.' Swami Turiyananda asked how Swamiji could be jealous, because a man can only be jealous of his equals or his superiors. 'Was there anyone even equal to Vivekananda?' he concluded. Though one may doubt this explanation, on a higher philosophical level, such as given in the Gita; if one sees everyone in himself and himself in everyone, how can such a man be jealous of others? He sees the same Self in everyone. One certainly cannot be jealous of oneself, seeing that same entity in everyone."

"In another example we see he was free from temptation. In the prime of his youth, preaching in America, Swamiji was a striking figure of a man and some western lady devotees sought to caution him of the disguised motives of some women. Swamiji assured them not to worry and gave a concrete example. He said that as an invited guest at palaces of India, the prince or king would often assign a very beautiful maid servant to fan him throughout the night. He assured these devotees that he knew temptation and not to worry about him."

"Swamiji was free of those weaknesses and delusions that cause trouble for others. He was free from all bondage. That great Mahamaya seeks to bind us always with the rope of attachments and desires. Speaking of Swamiji, the great actor and dramatist, Girish Chandra Gosh, a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, said that even Mahamaya did not have enough rope to  bind the infiniteness of Swami Vivekananda. Something must be of a length or breadth, must have some finite limitation, to be bound. Swami Vivekananda was spiritually infinite and beyond the bondage suffered by ordinary people."

"On a visit to Amarnath in the Himalayas, Swamiji received the boon from Shiva that he may decide his own time of death. Before his passing he asked a puzzled attendant for an Almanac, checked some dates, and returned it. Swamiji liked the idea of American independence and had once written a poem to the 4th of July. It was later learned that Swamiji had chosen that 4th of July from the Almanac to leave the body."

"We see that Swamiji was indeed the champion of freedom in every aspect of the word champion and in the ultimate meaning of freedom." ･