Dear TKS ji,
What was the need to mention caste?The topic was Women of India.
Why does a Sanyasin still see people based on their caste?
If one is a Sanyasin..why talk about caste? Does not make sense right?
This is what I find totally not in coordination in the Hindu religion.
Even in the famous Adi Shankara Chandala episode one can argue about it in 2 ways:
1)Adi S wanted to show the world that everyone need to be honoured and Atma Jnaana is not a monopoly of any one caste or community..but I doubt this is seriously practiced!LOL
2)The other thing which makes you wonder..at the age of some 8 or 9 Adi S composed the Atma Shatakam singing Na Me Mrthyu Shanka Na Me Jati Beda etc Chidananda Roopah Shivoham Shivoham but when He becomes an adult He asks the Chandala to move out of His way!LOL
I am not trying to defend Swami Vivekananda or Sri Sankara or whatever people understand by the umbrella term Hindusim.
Let me state a few of my 'assumptions' and understanding as applicable to this discussion.
The only thing I can say is how I read and understood the same passage. In your question I sense non-articulated assumptions that can cause one to make conclusions different from what may be happening. As human beings we all fall for such assumptions (I certainly do now and then) and so I find that questioning our own assumptions periodically is helpful in our ongoing emotional growth.
1. In my understanding all beings are searching for the truth overtly or otherwise.
2. The world as we perceive is about diversity - in fact we are all unique human beings with various shapes and forms, various degrees of skills and variety of opportunity & problems. It is not possible to homogenize this diversity by simply wishing that since such a wish is like wishing to walk through a wall.
3. There are no God-men or God-women doing miracles - Miracles described by a few are just unexplained phenomena. The apparent reality of life is the miracle if there is one. The act of me lifting a single finger to type is a miracle because a fraction of trillion messages have to happen in a coordinated manner for that act to happen
4. I do not see the historical figure of Swami Vivekananda or Sri Sankara or Sri Rama or Sri Krishna as some kind of all powerful Godhead. They were human beings like you and I but the symbolism they represented is an ideal. In our quest to understand the apparent miracle of this universe as it is perceived by us , taking an ideal (based on the historical figure but NOT the historical figure itself) as an element of Isvara can help as a step towards maturity. But it is only a step which itself has no value by itself. It is like use of a one time ladder to go up. Chapter 10 of B.Gita teaches about getting ordinary people to see Vibhoothi of Isvara in witnessing extraordinary skills or accomplishments by ordinary people. It leads one to 'see' the 'miracle' in ordinary events as part of ongoing growth. These Swami's teaching are Vibhoothi of Isvara is a good starting point but not the ending point.
5. The universe is in complete harmony and the issue is with the mind of people not seeing it. In other words the existence of serial killers, slave traders and Sannyasis all exist in this universe. The entire so called creation is about creation of 'opposites' . One cannot wish away the opposites. From what I have studied, only Vedanta has the final word on how all these apparent contradictions are reconciled completely and fully and in a startling manner.
I dont want to debate about Vedanta here except to say that 'little knowledge is a dangerous thing'. Superficial understanding without putting the time will make the snippets of vedanta appear comical and those that swallow those will run away from the topic over time. Anyone that profess to be an intense theist may run into the same problem. There is a superficial understanding of Bhakti and out of upbringing it makes many ignore logic and the end result is a numbed mind or one that wants 'freedom' - a form that happens is to want to disown everything. It is like the proverbial statement - throw the baby with the bath water. Except what I see some members do here is throw the baby and swim in its bath water
Now coming to your specific question: I read the full text. A person, who has taken up Sannyasi lifestyle (namely Swami Vivekananda) was just describing the status of what he sees in India and in the West- he described what may be taken as positive or negative aspects of either society but it was the statement of what it is.
How he acted towards others matter if one has to read some hypocrisy in his words and actions. He was simply addressing an audience and describing race, caste beliefs and divisions, practices like cousins marrying etc. Describing the diversity the way it is as part of the address of the topic in my view is legitimate. Swami was not running away from diversity that exists.
I mentioned a statement like this in another post - not sure which one. Let me repeat this and bold it. You can disagree but only after understanding it because there is profoundness to this.
Many traditions of Hindusim are based on teachings in Upanishads and often practiced without understanding...
The underlying knowledge of the traditions by and large does not try to unify the diversity that apparently exists with all the opposites. Instead it embraces that diversity and finds the essential unity among the apparently diverse manifestations.
Varna (based on nature of work) or Ashrama (based on stages of life) or Jati (loosely based on customs and physical appearance) are not inherently adharma. But unfair discrimination based on race, caste, sexual orientation, and gender to name a few is Adharmic. But human beings will always find ways to do Dharmic and Adharmic means based on some classifications or the other. This also will never change. Even if caste discrimination is eliminated like polio is eradicated in India there will be other discrimination that will rise to prominence.
The above fact has to be embraced as the way Jagat is ...
The issue you see has to do with the assumptions in your mind...about Sannyasi, religion, what is good and bad etc.
I have not directly answered your question on purpose right now but have tried to answer what I think are the reasons behind your concerns.
So this makes you think 'what the hell is Hinduism trying to preach"? A Bipolar disorder??
Next the crying episode..as I said earlier Why Cry?
When Hindus have decided to be Fatalistic and Judgemental thanks to the Karma theory why cry?
Crying is a human emotion. Sadness is a human emotion. Swami Vivekananda is a human being first not a robot. But your mind assumes that sadness is wrong, just like death is wrong. We celebrate happiness but not sadness, we celebrate birth but not death though both are part of natures order.
The issue is that his sadness in this context do not lead into grief for him is my guess- this is a huge Vedanta topic that I cannot get into here.
Hindus have decided to be fatalistic and judgmental using their understanding of Karma theory. But allow for the possibility that they do not understand the actual teaching which is much more profound in my view. In more than two decades I am amazed how immature I was on such topics just 5 years ago and this happens every so often for me.
One can use name like Karma theory to put forth all kinds of nonsense as done in the world and as witnessed by many posts here.
The only suggestion I have is that learning properly can remove the conflicting understanding. It is a suggestion - most people think that these topics are simple and any Tom, Dick and Harry can discuss without doing due diligence. That is how the world is ..
I am submitting this without edit, will edit later .. I dont want to lose all I have typed
Today is the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
