To Mrs. G. W. Hale*

Ridgely Manor 5th Oct'99

My dear Mother Church

Many many thanks for your kind words. I am so glad you are working on as ever. I am glad because the wave of optimism has not caught you yet. It is all very well to say --everything is right but that is apt to degenerate into a sort of laissez-faire. I believe with you that the world is evil--made more hideous with a few dashes of good.

All our works have only this value--that they awaken some to the reality of this horror--and [make them] flee for refuge to some place--beyond--which is called God--or Christ or Brahma or Buddha &c.Names do not make much difference. Again we must always remember our is only to work--we never attain results--How can we? Good can never be done without doing evil. We cannot breathe a breath without killing thousands of poor little animals. National prosperity is another name of death & degradation to millions of other races. So is individual prosperity the beggaring of many. The world is evil--and will ever remain so. It is its nature, and cannot be changed--"which one of you by taking thought &c." Such is truth--the wisdom is therefore in renunciation, that is-- to make the Lord our all in all. Be a true Christian , Mother--Like Christ renounce everything and let the heart & soul & body belong to Him & Him alone. All this nonsense which people have built round christ's name is not His teaching. He taught to renounce, He never says the earth is an enjoyable place--And your time has come to get rid of all vanities even the love of children & husband and think of the Lord and Him alone. Ever your Son, Vivekananda

* This version is the correct version with punctuations by the Swami. This is different from the Complete Works.