The First 9/11 Explosion In The USA, 1893

The first 9/11 explosion occurred in Chicago in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Congress of Religions and opened his address with "Sisters and brothers of America”. He got a standing ovation from a crowd of seven thousand, which lasted for two minutes. The explosion has had reverberations over a century and more; the most recent celebrity convert to Hinduism is Julia Roberts. However, one doesn’t convert to Hinduism, one goes on following one’s path and realizes that it is one of the many paths. You are unique, just like everyone else: that is the essence of Hinduism. Be that as it may, the New York Herald wrote, after Swamiji’s address, "Vivekananda is undoubtedly the greatest figure in the Parliament of Religions. After hearing him we feel how foolish it is to send missionaries to this learned nation."

During his brief address, he declared to be proud to belong to a religion which taught the world tolerance and universal acceptance. He stated that “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.” So Julia Roberts can go on being a Christian if she was one and she would still qualify to be a Hindu. There is nothing new you do, except go on loving other humans and being charitable to all of God’s creation – to be a Hindu. One doesn’t need to wear saffron or the vermillion mark on the forehead.

Swami Vivekananda addressed the World Congress of Religions a dozen times in the two weeks it was in session, the last time on 27th September.
Unfortunately in India, intellectuals of all shapes and shades urge us to shun religion (read: Hinduism). There are indeed many evil practices, like Sati, dowry, caste system; but these are not the essence of Hinduism. Hinduism is about serving the nara-narayana, the God residing in other humans. This principle is missed by the God’s own party which proclaims that they are true adherents of the Swami’s philosophy. They ended up in a mess of religious bigotry, while claiming that they are the torch bearers of Hindutva. Just as one doesn’t judge Islam by the 9/11 suicide bombers, one should not judge hindutva by the perpetrators of the post Godhra hate campaign.

Bala Gangadhar Tilak said: "Vivekananda saved Hinduism, saved India." Subhash Chandra Bose said: “I cannot write about Vivekananda without going into raptures. Few indeed could comprehend or fathom him even among those who had the privilege of becoming intimate with him. His personality was rich, profound and complex... Reckless in his sacrifice, unceasing in his activity, boundless in his love, profound and versatile in his wisdom, exuberant in his emotions, merciless in his attacks but yet simple as a child, he was a rare personality in this world of ours.”
Rabindranath Tagore, the poet told Romain Rolland: "if you want to know India, read Vivekananda, in him everything is positive and nothing is negative." The great electrical engineer, Nikola Tesla, after listening to Vivekananda's speech on Sankhya Philosophy, was much interested in its cosmogony and its rational theories of the Kalpas (cycles), Prana and Akasha. His notion based on the Vedanta led him to think that matter is a manifestation of energy. After attending a lecture on Vedanta by Vivekananda, Tesla also concluded that modern science can look for the solution of cosmological problems in Sankhya philosophy, and he could prove that mass can be reduced to potential energy mathematically.

On Science, the Swami said: “Science is nothing but the finding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus Chemistry could not progress farther when it would discover one element out of which all other could be made. Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfill its services in discovering one energy of which all others are but manifestations ...

“All science is bound to come to this conclusion in the long run. Manifestation, and not creation, is the word of science today, and the Hindu is only glad that what he has been cherishing in his bosom for ages is going to be taught in more forcible language, and with further light from the latest conclusions of science.”

Most of this is sourced from the internet; but what I can say from my own heart is this: I cannot read a few lines of Swami Vivekananda’s teaching without my hair standing on end and my eyes getting moist. He is the ubermench. One wonders what would have happened if he came face to face with Friedrich Nietzsche, who said: “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything”.

Nietzsche held religious people in great contempt: “After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands.” Alas, we never would know what Nietzsche would have done after coming into contact with Swami Vivekananda, if he ever did.

Interestingly, Swami Vivekananda died on American independence day – July 4th, 1902.