A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

WHAT HAVE I LEARNT? 527faithing among my own countrymen, professing a peerlesssuch* a widespread indifference to our religion, though 7am very well aware of the unfavourable materialistic conditions in which* they pass their lives, owine^o thediffusionof European modes of thought in thisy/mir great motherland/There* are among us at the present day,certain reformers who want to reform our religion, or rather turn ittops^-turvy, with a view to the regeneration of the Hindunation. There are no doubt, some thoughtfunpeople amongYhem, but there are also^ many who follow others blindlyand act most foolishly, not knowing what they are about.TJJiis class of reformers are very enthusiastic in introducingforWgn ideas into our religion. 9 They have taken hold ofthe word idolatry, and aver that Hinduism is no^ true}because it is idolatrous. They never seek to find out whatthis so-called * idolatry is, whether it is good or bad ; onlytaking their clue from this word they are bold enough toshout down Hinduism as untrue. There is another classof men among us who are intent upon making out someslippery scientific explanations of any and every Hinducustom, rite, &c., and who are Always talking of electricity,Whomagnetism, air, vibration and all that sort of thing.knows, but they will perhaps some day define God Himselfas nothing but a mass of electric vibrations !However,Mother bless them all ! She it is who is having Her workdone in various ways through multifarious natures andtendencies.In contradistinction to these, there is that ancient,class, who say,"I do not know, I do not care to know orunderstand all these your hair-splitting ratiocinations I;want God, I want the Atman, I want to go to that Beyond,where there is no universe, where there is no pleasure or