A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

""". THE SAGES OF INDIA. 455senses, these are called Bishis, because they come face toface jwith spiritual truths. The proof, therefore, of theVedas is just the same as the proof of this table before me,pratyaksham, direct perception. This I see Vtith the senses,* and the truths of spirituality we also see in a superconsciousstate of the human soul. This Rishi state is not limited bytime,<jr bty place, or by sex, or by race. Vatsayana boldlydeclares that this Rishihood is the common property of thedescendant of the sage, of the Aryan, of the non- Aryan, of^even the Mlech. This is the sageship of the Vedas, andconstantly ought we to remember this ideal of religion inIndia, which I wish other nations of the world also remember and learn, so that there may be less fight and lessquarrel. It is this, that religiqn is not in books, nor intheories, nor in dogmas, nor in talkir^g, not even in reasoning. It is Being and Becoming. Aye, my friends, untileach one of you has become a Rishi and come face to facewith spiritual facts, religious life has not begun for you.Until the superconscious opens for you, religion is meretalk, it is all but preparation. You are talking secondhand, third hand, and here applies that beautiful saying ofBuddha when he had a discussion with some Brahmins.They came discussing about t^ie nature of Brahman, andthe great sage asked Have you seen Brahman ?"No,""said the Brahmin ;Or your father ?""No,neither he :""Or your grandfather?"I don t think even he saw Him."My friend, whom your father and grandfather never saw,how do you discuss about such a person, and try to putdown each other ?" That is what the whole world is doing.Let us say in the language of the Yedanta "This Atmanis not to be reached by too much talk, no, not even bythe highest intellect, no, not even by the study of fcheYedas themselves." Let us speak to all the nations