Universal Brotherhood Day 2024 :Yuva Bharati September 2024

 

Universal Brotherhood Day 2024

Vivekananda Kendra celebrates 11 September in all its branches as Universal Brotherhood Day. This was the Day when Swami Vivekananda gave the soul stirring speech in 1893 at Chicago in the Parliament of Religions. The Parliament of Religions was organized as the part of the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the European discovery of America by Columbus. The purpose of the Parliament was to proclaim the Christianity as the ‘Only True Religion.’ Even then the organizers of the Parliament had to face the opposition from the fanatic Christians. There were objections from orthodox quarters as what was the need to listen to heathen faiths. For example, the view of the Anglican Church was reflected in the letter written by the Archbishop of Canterbury of England to Dr Barrows, Chairman of the organising committee of Parliament of Religions in response to the participation in Parliament of Religions. He wrote, 'The difficulties which I myself feel are not questions of distance and convenience, but rest on the fact that the Christian religion is the only true religion. I do not understand how that religion can be regarded as a member of a Parliament of Religions without assuming the equality of the other included members and the purity of their position and claims.' The Hong Kong clergyman accused Dr. Barrows of 'planning treason against Christ' and thereby jeopardising his soul.

 In 'defence' of the parliament idea, Dr. Barrows cited the example of St. Paul, who 'was careful to find common ground for himself and his Greek auditors in Athens, before he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.' While answering to these objections Dr. Barrows wrote that 'those who have the full light of the Cross should bear brotherly hearts toward all who grope in a dimmer illumination.' He expected that Parliament would end in the triumphant recognition of Christianity as the best religion of the world. In the Parliament of Religions, there were sessions only to proclaim Christianity as the only true religion. The West in her arrogance and dominance not only looked down upon other cultures but also wanted to prove them as false.

The exclusive approach considers one’s religion as the only true religion. Once this exclusive approach is adopted then others’ religions are not tolerated. This intolerance impels the followers of exclusive religion to set out on large-scale conversion of others even by fraud and force.

Swami Vivekananda was aware that it is the exclusive approach of these Semitic religions like Christianity and Islam, which was responsible for so much bloodshed and human massacre in the human history. It is this exclusive approach which is the biggest obstacle in the universal realization of brotherhood of man. We all know that when Swami Vivekananda addressed the audience as ‘Sisters and Brothers of America’ it had an electrifying effect on them. Because it was not merely a form of address but behind those words was the great spiritual strength of India, which has always proclaimed and practiced the universal brotherhood in her long history of more than 5000 years. Taking pride in this fact Swami Vivekananda said, "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." Hindus have this universal approach because they never claim that, 'the God I worship is the 'Only True God'. But they say it is 'also' the form of God. Thus our approach is an inclusive approach, an 'also' approach. The exclusive approach says 'this only' whereas inclusive approach says 'this also'.  It is because of this inclusive approach – 'also' approach that the Hindus never went destroying others religious faiths. To usher in Universal Brotherhood it is essential that all religions and also various ideologies accept this inclusive –'also' approach. The word inclusive is used in a very different sense nowadays. So we need to qualify to communicate exactly what we want to communicate. Thus we should say inclusivity with mutual respect.

Swami Vivekananda not only addressed the audience as Sisters and Brothers of America but also for the first time to that audience which was used to the exclusive claim to religious truth he gave the message, “Much has been said of the common ground of religious unity…. But if anyone here hopes that this unity will come by the triumph of any one of the religions and the destruction of others, to him I say, “Brother, yours is an impossible hope” ….If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion and the destruction of others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart, and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance, “Help and not fight” “Assimilation and not Destruction” “Harmony and Peace and not dissension.”

The words of Swami Vivekananda electrified the audience of 10,000 Americans. As told by Swami Vivekananda, “The one characteristic of Indian thought is its silence, its calmness. At the same time, the tremendous power that is behind it is never expressed by violence. It is always the silent mesmerism of Indian thought.” The impact of Swami Vivekananda’s words was like this-mesmerizing the America on 11 September of 1893 as has been in earlier centuries the impact of Indians who had gone to various lands. They never denied or derided the local traditions but only enriched them with India’s spirituality. It is really a sad affair that today in our own country there are people who do not understand the nobility of Sanatana Dharma or the non-violent work of Hindus over the millenniums. Thus the message of Swami Vivekananda has to be taken to people in our own country too.

It was for the first time that the western audience heard the message of universal Brotherhood and its proper understanding from Swami Vivekananda. Therefore, Mananeeya Eknathji wanted this day to be celebrated as Universal Brotherhood Day. Variety is the plan of nature. Homogenizing the humanity or bringing uniformity in the human society will not usher in Universal Brotherhood but it will only bring further dissentions and destruction. Integrating the various faiths and accepting, as ‘other’s faith also is good for them’ will bring in Universal Brotherhood. Because homogenizing brings destruction of the identity and also the traditional values in the society where as the integration – harmonizing keeps the identity of the communities intact but binds them in the bonds of oneness and fellow-feeling. Therefore, on this day the message is also for those who are very exclusive in their approach and are undertaking the conversions by destroying the faiths and culture of various tribal and other communities.

Hindus by their philosophy and practice of inclusive approach are destined to give this message of Universal Brotherhood to the humanity. But in order to do that first Hindus will have to understand this unifying and integrating nature of their Dharma.  In this Parliament of Religions Swami Vivekananda also gave us the unifying principles of Hinduism. As put very beautifully by Sister Nivedita, “Of the Swami’s address before the Parliament of Religions, it may be said that when he began to speak it was of “the religious ideas of the Hindus”, but when he ended Hinduism had been created.…These, then were the two mind-floods, two immense rivers of thought, as it were, Eastern and modern, of which the yellow-clad wanderer on the platform of the Parliament of Religions formed for a moment the point of confluence. The formulation of the common bases of Hinduism was the inevitable result of the shock of their contact, in a personality, so impersonal. For it was no experience of his own that rose to the lips of the swami Vivekananda there. He did not even take advantage of the occasion to tell the story of his master. Instead of either of these, it was the religious consciousness of India that spoke through him, the message of his whole people as determined by their whole past.” Thus, on the Universal Brotherhood Day we have to study, absorb and highlight the message that Swami Vivekananda gave in the Parliament of Religions. Not just the lecture given on the first day of the parliament, which is very well known, but the main lecture that he gave in the Parliament of Religions - “ The Paper on Hinduism” needs to be studied. It was with this speech that Swami Vivekananda single-handedly destroyed the narratives about Bharat and Hindus in those days. It is the study and application of this lecture, which will make us capable of giving the message of Universal Brotherhood Day to the world.

Samuel Huntington a topmost defense analyst and Director of John Olin Institute for Strategic Studies, Harvard University has predicted about the clash of civilization. There would be clash of civilization if the cultures and religions are exclusive in nature. 11 September 2001 proved it. If the clash of civilizations is to be avoided, then the world religions and ideologies have to be inclusive with mutual respect for each other. The current discourse about inclusion is distorted. One segment can talk, charge anything they want and some other segment is made to feel guilty. Inclusiveness is really possible only when there is mutual respect amongst all segments of the society. Each segment has to accept and respect the existence of multiplicity of religions in the world and would have to stop converting others. Indian culture based on Hindu Dharma which sees the whole worlds as expression of One, alone can teach the world this inclusive approach with mutual respect.

In order to avoid the future clashes and to guide the world towards brotherhood, India has to rise, has to be powerful to emerge as Guru of the world. The lecture of Swami Vivekananda “The Work Before Us” in the book “Columbo to Almora” stresses on this point. In that he starts with the Vedantic concept of Solidarity of all life and then says, “Every idea has to become broad till it covers the whole of this world.” This lecture of Swami Vivekananda should form the basis of the celebration of Universal Brotherhood Day including competitions and main lectures. For the sake of ease few points from that lecture is attached herewith.  

To sum up- the focus of the Universal Brotherhood Day celebrations should be on:

 a)      Universal Brotherhood is possible in an atmosphere of inclusive approach with mutual respect that comes from vision of Oneness of existence

b)      Hindu Dharma has the philosophy and practice of brotherhood by keeping intact diversities. Therefore, it is our duty to equip ourselves to give it to mankind

c)      Conversion brings dissentions and not brotherhood.

d)      Not ‘the only way’ but ‘also a way’-approach need to be adopted by exclusive religions.

e)      To be able to give the message of Universal Brotherhood, we have to work for our people to equip ourselves as a nation.

We are supposed to celebrate Universal Brotherhood Day as a grand function and do Shaktipradarshan. This is also an opportunity for us to strengthen our vistars, to update our lists of Karyakartas including participants of various Vargas and satras, Well-wishers, patrons, donors, acquaintances and invite them all with their families.

                                                                                         

                                                                                                                   Nivedita Raghunath Bhide

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