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Although every date in history is known for some special topic, but that date was 11 September 1893, which has forever become famous for the victory flag of India's Advaita Vedanta in the modern era. Swami Vivekananda, a 30-year-old saffron-clad young monk from India, said in the Chicago religious assembly – “My brothers and sisters of America”. That's all he said and then what happened! These two words of his became those words in the pages of history, which forced the Art Institute of Chicago to reverberate with thunderous applause for two full minutes and even today, remembering Vivekananda in the memory of that day, efforts are made to understand the essence of Indian religious philosophy at many places across the world.
Swami Vivekananda further said- I am proud that I belong to a country which has sheltered the persecuted people of all the countries and religions of this earth. The affection with which you have welcomed me has filled my heart, I thank you on behalf of the ancient saint tradition of my country. I also thank you on behalf of the mother of all religions and express my gratitude on behalf of millions and crores of Hindus of all castes and sects. I also thank those speakers who said from this platform that the idea of tolerance in the world has spread from the countries of the Far East. I am proud that I belong to a religion which taught the world the lesson of tolerance and universal acceptance. We not only believe in universal tolerance, but we also accept all the religions of the world as truth.
I am proud that we have preserved in our hearts the sacred memories of Israel, whose holy places were destroyed by Roman invaders, and then they took refuge in South India. I am proud that I belong to a religion that gave refuge to the people of the Parsi religion and is still continuously helping them.
Brothers, I would like to recite to you a few lines from a shloka which I have memorized and repeated since my childhood and which is repeated by millions of people every day – 'Ruchinaam vaichitryaadrujukutilnanapathjusham… nrinaameko gamyastvamasi payasamarnava iva…' It means that just as different rivers originating from different sources ultimately merge into the ocean, similarly man chooses different paths according to his wish, which may appear straight or crooked, but all lead to God.
In the same speech Swami Vivekananda further said, I have full hope that the clarion call of this conference today will destroy all dogmas, all kinds of afflictions, whether by sword or pen, and all ill-will among human beings. The present conference, which is one of the most pious gatherings ever held, is in itself a testimony to the teachings of the Gita: “Whosoever comes to me, however he may be, I reach him. People choose different paths, suffer hardships, but finally reach me.” Communalism, fanaticism and religious bigotry of its terrible progeny have long gripped this beautiful earth. They have filled this earth with violence and many times this earth has turned red with blood. God knows how many civilizations have been destroyed and how many countries have been wiped out. If these dreadful demons were not there, human society would have been much better than it is now. But their time is over now. I hope that the trumpet of this conference will destroy all kinds of fanaticism, dogmatism and misery. Be it with the sword or with the pen.
In fact, these words made it clear that he comes from a country where Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the basic tradition and ideology of Sanatan Dharma. In which the whole world is one family. At a time when efforts were being made to tell through Britain and the Church that India is a country of snake charmers, sorcerers, illiterate and uneducated people. Through the British and Christian missionaries, the work of civilizing the people of India was being done there. Certainly, what Swami Vivekananda said was forcing all the 7000 people sitting in that meeting to think that India is completely different from the picture that was being shown to us and is many times more advanced than our civilization and culture on the spiritual peak, that is why they become mesmerized by these words of Swami Vivekananda.
Further, Swami Vivekananda's journey seems to inspire not only America but the whole of Europe to gain knowledge of India's spirituality and the sublime teachings of Advaita Vedanta. It was the date of 11 September that destroyed all the narratives about India that the Church and all the Catholic and Protestant churches were creating at that time. It must be said that Swami Vivekananda's Chicago visit has now become famous in history, not only this visit but all his visits after that worked to reestablish India's spirituality and the words of the Vedas with modern thinking in the eyes of the whole world, whose endless journey we and you are witnesses to today even in the 21st century in the year 2024.