A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

142 THE FREEDOM OF THE SOUL.and whom we are to love ?Sometimes it is very soothing.But, says the Vedanta, that soothing is something likemorphia, the soothing that comes from an opiate, notnatural. It brings weakness in the long run, and whatthis world wants to-day more than it ever did is strengthening. It is weakness, says the Vedanta, which is the causeof all misery in this world. Weakness is the one causeof suffering.We become miserable because we are weak.We steal, rob, lie, or commit any crime, because we areweak. We die because we are weak. We suffer becausewe are weak. Where there isnothing to weaken us, thereis no death or any sorrow. We are miserable throughdelusion. Give up the delusion and the whole thingvanishes. It is plain and simple indeed. Through all thesephilosophicaldiscussions and tremendous mentinf gymnastics we come back to this one religious idea, the simplest inthe whole world.The Monistic Vedanta is the simplest form in whichyou can put a truth. It was the tremendous mistake madein India, made everywhere else, because they did not lookat the principles they arrived at, but only thought of theprocess, which is very intricate indeed.These tremendousphilosophical and logical propositions were alarming tothem. They always thought these things could not be,made universal, could not be made teachings of everydaypractical life, and that under the guise of such a philosowould arise.phy much laxity of livingBut I do not believe at all that Monistic ideas preachedto the world would produce immorality and weakness andiso forth. On the contrary, I have reason to believe thatit is the only medicine there is. If this be the truth, whylet peopledrink ditchwater when the stream of life is