THE NONSENSE OF NATIONS
April 11, 2009 works of vivekananda
(New Discoveries, Vol. 2, pp. 154-155.)
[Boston Evening Transcript, August 15, 1894]
A short résumé is given below of the last of the talks of Vivekananda under the pines at Eliot, (Of which no verbatim transcript is available. Vide “The Religion of India” — notes from discourses delivered at Greenacre, Maine — in this volume of the Complete Works.) in the temple of the gods, to paraphrase Bryant’s (William Cullen Bryant (1794–1878).) line —
“The groves were God’s first Temple.”
What is the nation? What is law? We have laws only that we may become outlaws (above law).
There is the freedom of the soul; through this we know the freedom of law. I am of the nation of those who seek the liberty of the soul. I am of the nation of those who worship God.
The divine ones of God are all my Masters. I learn of your Christ in learning of Krishna, of Buddha, in learning of Mohamet. I worship God alone. “I am existence absolute, bliss absolute, Knowledge Absolute.” I condemn nothing that I find in nation, state or religion, finding God in all. Our growth is not from evil to good, but from good to better, and so on and on. I learn from all that is called evil or good. The nation and all such nonsense may go. It is love, love, love God and my brother.
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Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902) was an Indian saint, social reformer, and a great teacher of mankind. He was the foremost disciple of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Dev who is considered as the prophet of modern age. Swami Vivekananda was a towering spiritual personality, great thinker, orator and the prophet of universal harmony and progress.