The soul is also sexless; we cannot say of the Atman that it is a man or a woman. Sex belongs to the body alone. All such ideas, therefore, as man or woman, are a delusion when spoken with regard to the Self, and are only proper when spoken of the body. So are the ideas of age. It never ages; the ancient One is always the same. How did It come down to earth? There is but one answer to that in our scriptures. Ignorance is the cause of all this bondage. It is through ignorance that we have become bound; knowledge will cure it by taking us to the other side. How will that knowledge come? Through love, Bhakti; by the worship of God, by loving all beings as the temples of God. He resides within them. Thus, with that intense love will come knowledge, and ignorance will disappear, the bonds will break, and the soul will be free. (III, 128)
Above is quoted a continuation of Swamiji’s lecture at Jafna titled Vedantism. It was for the first time that the world, as also Bharat, was listening to the wonderful ideals enshrined in Upanishads in such a precise scientific and rational language. No wonder he earned for himself the meaningful title of ‘Vedanta Kesari’.
He wanted the Upanishadic ideals to become part of the upbringing of the Indian child. He used to say, ‘from childhood make your children strong. Weaknesses of any kind and meaningless rituals should not be taught to them. Teach them to stand on their own feet. Let them learn of the glory of the soul. That you get alone in the. Vedanta.t. Vedanta also has the ideals to grow up as courageous, full of magnanimity. First of all let them be centered in the Self of love, worship, etc. found in the other religions, but the idea of the Self within is the most inspiring, the most wonderful. Vedantic religion alone can hormonise the material universe with the highest Truths of religion.
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