Last updated on February 14th, 2023 at 02:21 pm
Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk and one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born in 1863 in Calcutta, India, and became a disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna, who had a profound impact on his spiritual development. In 1893, he represented Hinduism at the Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago, where he delivered a series of powerful speeches that introduced Eastern spirituality to the Western world. His teachings emphasized the universality of all religions, the importance of self-realization, and the potential of every human being to achieve spiritual enlightenment. He died in 1902 at the age of 39, but his legacy lived on through the Ramakrishna Mission, an organization that he founded to promote education and social welfare. Read the article and discover the powerful speech of Swami Vivekanada in English right here.
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Speech of Swami Vivekananda in English
Swami Vivekananda was a Hindu monk and a key figure in the introduction of Indian spirituality to the Western world. He is best known for his speeches at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893, where he represented Hinduism. One of his most famous speeches from that event is known as “Sisters and Brothers of America”. Swami Vivekananda mentioned the most fundamental yet crucial rules of life in his lecture, which amazed everyone.
These qualities included patriotism, admiration for all religions, analysis of religion, familiarity with science, knowledge of the value and necessity of rituals, knowledge of the Hindu religion’s roots, knowledge of the purpose of science, knowledge of the reasons for India’s decline, and opposition to religious discussions.
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Glimpse of Swami Vivekanada’s Speech in Chichago
The speech of Swami Vivekanada in Chichago was “Sisters and Brothers of America” given at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893. In his speech, Vivekananda expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received and spoke about the principles of tolerance and universal acceptance that are central to the Hindu religion. He also spoke about the importance of coming together and working towards a common goal, despite differences in religious beliefs. He said, “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.” Through this speech Vivekanada made a bold call for unity and harmony among different religions and cultures.
“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 friends, 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!’
Check out the full text of Swami Vivekananda speech in chicago pdf here!
FAQs on Speech of Swami Vivekananda in English
The speech is commonly referred as “Sisters and Brothers of America” speech.
The speech was given at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, USA in 1893.
The audience for the speech was a diverse group of people from various religions and cultures from around the world who had gathered for the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Some of the key themes of the speech include tolerance, universal acceptance, the universality of all religions, the importance of self-realization, and the potential of every human being to achieve spiritual enlightenment.
The speech had a significant impact on introducing Eastern spirituality and the principles of Hinduism to the Western world. It helped to dispel many misconceptions about Hinduism and sparked an interest in Eastern spirituality among Westerners. It also helped to promote the idea of unity and harmony among different religions and cultures.
