Chicago Address

Book Information

Book Name: Chicago Address

Author: Swami Vivekanand

Genre: Non-Fictional

Pages: 72

The book is nothing but about the speeches by Swami Vivekanand in the different sessions of Parliament of Religion held at Chicago in Year 1893. This conference of ‘Parliament of Religion-1893’ was scheduled on the occasion of 400^th anniversary of discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.  However, it is very famous for the opening line of speech by Swamiji in the very first session,“Sisters and Brother of America”. He had Started the journey from Bombay on 31^st May 1893 and reached Chicago at the end of July 1893.

This conference of ‘Parliament of Religion-1893’ was scheduled on the occasion of 400^th anniversary of discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

About Author

He was Born on 12^th January, 1863 in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency. He completed his education from Bengal only. Being of Hinduism religion view, he followed the philosophy of  Advaita Vedanta. He had been to many institutions as Ramakrishna Math; Ramakrishna Mission; Vedanta Society of New York. He died on 4^th July 1902 in Belur Math, Bengal.

Bibliography

A Karma Yoga (1896)

Raja Yoga (1896)

Lectures from Colombo to Almora (1897)

My Master (1901)

“Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached.”

-Swami Vivekanand

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book is short reading about the exact speech delivered by Swami Vivekanand. The extreme intellect of Swami Vivekanand made him eligible to think about attending the Parliament of Religion ceremony. The book also described about his tough and unforeseen journey to Chicago. for which he was not at all prepared and that made the initial phases of his travel rigorous. But he was so determined to give the message to correct the dismantling cultural figure of India and the world that he smoothly tackled all the obstacles. He had the experience of seeing the educated, who blindly imitated the glamour of the west and understood that spirituality was at a low ebb in the land of its birth.

Main Theme

From Hinduism, its tolerance and universal acceptance to the destructive concept of Sectarianism ( narrow minded adherence to a particular sect), bigotry(intolerance & prejudice of a person/bigot)  and fanaticism (excessive intolerance of opposing views), Swami Vivekanand had presented the country and his believes so noticeably. In 2^nd Session (15^th Sept 1893), he talked about the need to understand the importance of each in surrounding. In 3^rd session he had  read a paper on Hinduism that was held on 19^th Sep 1893 in which he was explaining not only about Hinduism but about Veda and its essence in his own words, so clear and so reachable.  In later seesions (20^th, 26^th & 27^th Sep. 1893), he very well pointed out that it is an insult to a starving people to offer them religion; it is an insult to a starving people to teach them metaphysics. He clarified that in every religion, finding God is finding God in Wo/men around.

Conclusion

Though, this parliament of religion is famous for his 1^st Session speech that was held on 11^th Sep 1893 but there were few more sessions in which he has elaborated mind blowing philosophy, some I agree some I don’t and for some I am too naïve to understand, I guess. The book is a one go read is good to understand the religious concept through the corner of one’s eye.