B. Sc. Sem - II - The Chicago Speech

The Chicago Speech

1. Mahatma Gandhi Arts, Science & Late N. P. Commerce College, Armori , Dist. Gadchiroli Class :- B. Sc. – I ( Sem. – II ) Subject :- Compulsory English Topic :- The Chicago Speech -Swami Vivekananda - Prepared By - Asst. Prof. Anil P. Raut

2. About the Author:- Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was a Hindu monk who represented India at the World's Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893. It was the largest and the most impressive event among the various congresses held during the World Columbian Exposition, a world trade, fair. The Parliament of Religions is recognised as the first formal assembly of representatives from eastern and western spiritual traditions. Born in an affluent and educated Bengali family, Vivekananda had acquired a vast knowledge of various subjects, especially western logic, philosophy and history, by the time he graduated from Calcutta University. This opened his mind to various intellectual and philosophical influences and perspectives. Later, he travelled across India and his close interaction with the Indian masses helped him understand the need to eradicate poverty, illiteracy, and the oppression of women and the poor in Indian society. He resolved to devote his life to serve people. To this end, he formed the Ramakrishna Mission a few years later. Around this time, he attended the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

3. About the Speech :- As the Indian delegate to this unprecedented inter-faith congress, Swami Vivekanand’s welcome address introduced the world to Hinduism. This brief but pithy speech propagates the idea of tolerance and universal harmony within the context of religious pluralism. His speech at this platform brought him international attention. After this, he embarked on a series of public and private lectures spreading the doctrine of Hindu philosophy in the UK, the USA and Europe. Initiating the western world to the rational and humanistic tenets of Yoga and Vedanta, he travelled internationally for almost four years spreading inter-faith awareness.

4. Summary of the Speech - “ The Chicago Speech” - Swami Vivekananda Whenever there is talk of Vivekananda, the speech given in the year 1893 in the Parliament of Religions of Chicago, USA, is definitely discussed. This is the speech that presented India with a strong image in front of the whole world.   Response to Welcome, 11 September 1893 1. American brothers and sisters, the warmth with which you have welcomed me warms my heart. I thank you on behalf of the oldest saint tradition in the world and the mother of all religions. I express my gratitude to you on behalf of lakhs and crores of Hindus of all castes and sects. 2. I would also like to thank some of the speakers who spoke on this forum who showed that the idea of ​​tolerance in the world has spread from the countries of the East. 3. I am proud to belong to a religion that has taught the world the lessons of tolerance and universal acceptance. We do not only believe in universal tolerance, but we accept all religions as truth.

5. 4. I am proud that I belong to a country which has given refuge to the persecuted people of all religions and all countries. I am proud that we have kept in our hearts those sacred memories of Israel in which their shrines were destroyed by Roman invaders and then they took refuge in South India. 5. I am proud that I belong to a religion which has given refuge to the people of Parsi religion and continues to help them even now. 6. On this occasion, I want to recite the shloka which I have memorized since childhood and which crores of people repeat every day. "Just as rivers originating from different places, passing through different paths, finally meet in the sea, so man chooses different paths of his own will. These paths may seem different to see, but they all lead to God. 7. The present conference, which is one of the holiest assemblies till date, is itself a testimony to this exhortation in the Gita: “Whoever comes to me, no matter what, I reach him. People take different paths, face difficulties, but they reach me in the end.”

6. 8. Communalism, bigotry and the religious obstinacy of its dreadful descendants have gripped this beautiful earth for a long time. They have filled this earth with violence and how many times this earth has turned red with blood. Do not know how many civilizations were destroyed and how many countries were wiped out. 9. Human society would have been much better off than it is now, if it were not for these dreaded monsters. But his time is now over. I hope that the bugle of this conference will be the destroyer of all fanaticism, dogma and misery. Be it with a sword or with a pen.

7. Why we disagree (15 September 1893):- In this speech Vivekananda tried to explain the reason of disagreement between each other and different sects and religions. He told a story of a frog,which is populary known as “ কুয়োর ব্যাং ” ( kuor bang). And in the story, he told, a frog used to live in a well. It was born there and brought up there and it used to think his well was the biggest water land of the world. One day, a frog from a sea came to that well. When the frog from the sea told the frog of the well that sea is much bigger than that well, the frog of the well did not believe it and drove the frog of the sea away from his well. Vivekananda concluded– “That has been the difficulty all the while. I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Muslim sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world.”

8. Address at the Final Session (27 September 1893):-   This was Vivekananda’s final address at the Parliament of World’s religion. In his last speech he said that the Parliament had become an accomplished fact. He thanked the “noble souls” for organising the Parliament which he felt “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”. He finished his speech with appeal “Help and not Fight,” “Assimilation and not Destruction,” “Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.”.  

9. Thank You