A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

298 REALIZATION.the difference between the worldly utilitarian and tfcereligionist. The worldly utilitarian says, see how happy Iam. I get a little money, but about all these things I danot bother my head. They are too unsearchable, and so Iam happy: so far, so good ; good for all of you utilitarians.This world is terrible. If any man gets happiness in anyway excepting by injuring his fellow-beings God speed him,but when this man comes to me and says you must do thesethings, you are a fool if you don t, I say you are wrong,because the very things which are pleasurable to you, if Ihad to do them I would die. If I had to go after a fewhandfuls of gold my life would not be worth living I!would die. That is all the answer the religious would maketo him. The answer is that religion is only possible forthose who have finished these lower things. We must haveour experiences, must have our full run. It is only whenwe have finished this run that the other world opens.There is a great question that arises in my mind. Itis a very harsh thing to say, and yet a fact. These enjoyments of the senses sometimes assume another size andproportion which is very dangerous and tempting. Theidea you will always hear it was in ;very old times, in everyreligion that a time will come when all the miseries of lifewill cease, only its joys and pleasures will remain and thisearth will become a heaven. That I do not believe.This earth of ours will always remain this same world. Itis a most terrible thing to say, yet I do not see my way outof it. It is like rheumatism ;drive it from the head, itgoes to the legs, drive it from there, it goes to other parts.Whatever you do it is there. So is misery. In olden timespeople lived in forests, and they ate each other up ; inmodern times they do not eat each other s flesh, but theycheat one another. Theyruin whole countries and cities-