To Miss Mary Hale

Posted on by admin

102 E. 58TH STREET,
NEW YORK,
11th July, 1900.
MY DEAR DEVOTED SISTER,
I was glad to get your note as also to learn that you were going to Greenacre. Hope you will have much profit. I have been much censured by everyone for cutting off my long hair. I am sorry. You forced me to do it.
I had been to Detroit and came back yesterday. Trying as soon as possible to go to France, thence to India. Very little news here; the work is closed. I am taking regularly my meals and sleeping — that is all.
Ever faithful and loving brother,
VIVEKANANDA.

PS. Write to the girls to send my mails, if any, at Chicago.

V.

To Swami Turiyananda

Posted on by admin

102 E. 58TH STREET,
NEW YORK,
18th July, 1900.
MY DEAR TURIYANANDA,
Your letter reached me redirected. I stayed in Detroit for three days only. It is frightfully hot here in New York. There was no Indian mail for you last week. I have not heard from Sister Nivedita yet.
Things are going on the same way with us. Nothing particular. Miss Müller cannot come in August. I will not wait for her. I take the next train. Wait till it comes. With love to Miss Boocke,
Yours in the Lord,
VIVEKANANDA.
PS. Kali went away about a week ago to the mountains. He cannot come back till September. I am all alone, and washing; I like it. Have you seen my friends? Give them my love.

V.

To Miss Josephine MacLeod

Posted on by admin

102 E. 58TH STREET,
NEW YORK,
20th July, 1900.
DEAR JOE,
Possibly before this reaches you I shall be in Europe, London or Paris as the chance of steamer comes.
I have straightened out my business here. The works are at Mr. Whitmarsh’s suggestion in the hands of Miss Waldo.
I have to get the passage and sail. Mother knows the rest.
My intimate friend did not materialise yet and writes she will come some time in August, and she is dying to see a Hindu, and her soul is burning for Mother India.
I wrote her I may see her in London. Mother knows again. Mrs. Huntington sends love to Margot and expects to hear from her if she is not too busy with her scientific exhibits.
With all love to “sacred cow” of India, to yourself, to the Leggetts, to Miss (what’s her name?), the American rubber plant.
Ever yours in the Lord,

VIVEKANANDA.

24th July 1900

Posted on by admin

To Swami Abhedananda

102 E. 58th Street
New York, N.Y.
24 July 1900
Dear Abhedananda,
I would have gladly remained here, but sastay kisti mat. Got a fine berth–one room all to myself–on a fine vessel. As soon as August comes it will be a terrible Bhida [crowd] as the companies are reducing prices.
Things are going quite all right. Mr. Johnson has returned to their house, and all the rooms are full except two. You write to Mrs. Crane whether you want to get them or not.
You need not feel the least anxiety about the N.Y. work; it will go as a marriage bull next season. Give my love to Mrs. [Mary B.] Coulston and explain to her the circumstances.
With all love,
Vivekananda

To Miss Josephine MacLeod

102 E. 58TH STREET,
NEW YORK,
24th July, 1900.
DEAR JOE,
The sun = Knowledge. The stormy water = Work. The lotus = Love. The serpent = Yoga. The swan = the Self. The Motto = May the Swan (the Supreme Self) send us that. It is the mind-lake. (This explains the design on the Ramakrishna Math and Mission seal, printed on the title page of this volume — Ed.) How do you like it? May the Swan fill you with all these anyway.
I am to start on Thursday next, by the French steamer La Champagne. The books are in the hands of Waldo and Whitmarsh. They are nearly ready.
I am well, getting better — and all right till I see you next week.
Ever yours in the Lord,

VIVEKANANDA.

To Hari Bhai

Posted on by admin

 

(Original in Bengali)

6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS,
PARIS,
13th August, 1900.
DEAR BROTHER HARI,
I got your letter from California. So three persons are getting spiritual trances; well, it is not bad. Even out of that much good will come. Shri Ramakrishna knows! Let things happen as they will. His work He knows, you and I are but servants and nothing else.
I am sending this letter to San Francisco — care of Mrs. C. Panel. Just now I got some news from New York. They are well. Kali is on tour. Write in detail about your health and work in San Francisco. And don’t be indifferent to the question of sending money to the Math. See that money goes certainly every month, from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
I am on the whole doing well. I am shortly starting for England. I get news of Sharat. Recently he had an attack of dysentery. The rest are all well. This time few got malaria; nor is it so prevalent on the banks of the Ganga. This year, owing to the scarcity of rain, there is fear of famine in Bengal also.
By the grace of Mother, go on doing work, brother. Mother knows, and you know — but I am off! Now I am going to take a rest.
Yours affectionately,

VIVEKANANDA.

3rd August 1900

Posted on by admin

To Sister Christine

a Bord de Paquebot la Champagne,
Friday morning, 9 a.m.,
3rd August 1900.
Dear Christina,

It is foggy this morning. We are in the channel–expect to reach [Le Havre] at 12 a.m. [noon]. It has been a very bad voyage–rolling and raining and dark nearly all the time. Terrible rolling all through. Only last night I had good sleep. On other occasions the rolling makes me sleep well, but this time I don’t know what was the matter; the mind was so whirling. Anyway,
I am well and soon to reach land.
Hope to reach Paris this evening.
I send this to Detroit, expecting you there.
With all love and blessings,
Vivekananda.

 To Mrs. Francis Leggett

[Swami Vivekananda sent the following telegram on Friday, August 3, 1900, when the S.S. Champagne (which he had boarded in New York on July 26) docked at Le Havre, France.]

[Postmarked: Friday, August 3, 1900]

ARRIVE A HUIT HRES STLAZARE — VIVEKANANDA

[Translation: “I arrive at eight o’clock (p.m.) St. Lazare — VIVEKANANDA”.]

14th August 1900

Posted on by admin

To Sister Christine

6, Place des Etats-Unis
14th August 1900
Dear Christine,

Your letter from New York reached just now. You must have got mine from France, directed to 528 Congress.
Well–it was a dreary, funeral-like time. Just think what it is to a morbid man like me!
I am going to the Exposition, etc., trying to pass time. Had a lecture here. Pre Haycinth [Hyacinthe], the celebrated clergy-man here, seems to like me much. Well, well what? Nothing. Only, you are so good, and I am a morbid fool–that is all about it. But “Mother”–She knows best. I have served Her through weal or woe. Thy will be done. Well, I have news of my lost brother [Mahendranath Datta]. He is a great traveller, that is good. So you see, the cloud is lifting slowly. My love to your mother and sister and to Mrs. Funkey [Funke].
With love,
Vivekananda

 To Mr. John Fox

BOULEVARD HANS SWAN,
PARIS,
14th August, 1900.
JOHN FOX, ESQ.,
6 Dr. Wolf Street,
Dorchester, Mass, U.S., America.
Kindly write Mohin (Mahendranath Datta, younger brother of Swamiji.) that he has my blessings in whatever he does. And what he is doing now is surely much better than lawyering, etc. I like boldness and adventure and my race stands in need of that spirit very much. Only as my health is failing and I do not expect to live long, Mohin must see his way to take care of mother and family. I may pass away any moment. I am quite proud of him now.
Yours affectionately,

VIVEKANANDA.

23rd August 1900

Posted on by admin

To Sister Christine

6, Place des Etats-Unis, Paris
23rd August 1900
Dear Christine,

What is the matter with you? Are you ill? Unhappy? What makes you silent? I had only one little note from you in all this time.
I am getting a bit nervous about you–not much. Otherwise I am enjoying this city. Did Mrs. A. P. Huntington write you?
I am well–keeping well as far as it is possible with me.
With love,
Vivekananda

 To Sister Nivedita

6, PLACE DES ETATS UNIS,
PARIS,
23rd August 1900.
DEAR NIVEDITA,

The manuscript accounts of the Math just reached. It is delightful reading. I am so pleased with it.

I am going to print a thousand or more to be distributed in England, America and India. I will only add a begging paragraph in the end.

What do you think the cost will be?

With love to you and Mrs. Bull,

VIVEKANANDA.

To Sister Nivedita

Posted on by admin

6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS, PARIS,
25th Aug., 1900.
DEAR NIVEDITA,
Your letter reached me just now. Many thanks for the kind expressions.
I gave a chance to Mrs. Bull to draw her money out of the Math; and as she did not say anything about it, and the trust deeds were waiting here to be executed, I got them executed duly at the British Consulate; and they are on their way to India now.
Now I am free, as I have kept no power or authority or position for me in the work. I also have resigned the presidentship of the Ramakrishna Mission.
The Math etc., belong now to the immediate disciples of Ramakrishna except myself. The presidentship is now Brahmananda’s — next it will fall on Premananda etc., etc., in turn.
I am so glad a whole load is off me, now I am happy. I have served Ramakrishna through mistakes and success for 20 years now. I retire for good and devote the rest of my life to myself.
I no longer represent anybody, nor am I responsible to anybody. As to my friends, I had a morbid sense of obligation. I have thought well and find I owe nothing to anybody; if anything, I have given my best energies, unto death almost, and received only hectoring and mischief-making and botheration. I am done with everyone here and in India.
Your letter indicates that I am jealous of your new friends. You must know once for all, I am born without jealousy, without avarice, without the desire to rule — whatever other vices I am born with.
I never directed you before; now, after I am nobody in the work, I have no direction whatever. I only know this much: So long as you serve “Mother” with a whole heart, She will be your guide.
I never had any jealousy about what friends you made. I never criticised my brethren for mixing up in anything. Only I do believe the Western people have the peculiarity of trying to force upon others whatever seems good to them, forgetting that what is good for you may not be good for others. As such, I am afraid you might try to force upon others whatever turn your mind might take in contact with new friends. That was the only reason I sometimes tried to stop any particular influence, and nothing else.
You are free, have your own choice, your own work. …
Friends or foes, they are all instruments in Her hands to help us work out our own Karma, through pleasure or pain. As such “Mother” bless them all.
With all love and blessings,

Yours affectionately,

VIVEKANANDA

To Sister Nivedita

Posted on by admin

 

PARIS,
28th August, 1900.
DEAR NIVEDITA,
Such is life — grind, grind; and yet what else are we to do? Grind, grind! Something will come — some way will be opened. If it does not, as it probably never will — then, then — what then? All our efforts are only to stave off, for a season, the great climax — death! Oh, what would the world do without you, Death! Thou great healer!
The world, as it is, is not real, is not eternal, thank the Lord!! How can the future be any better? That must be an effect of this one — at least like this, if not worse!
Dreams, oh dreams! Dream on! Dream, the magic of dream, is the cause of this life, it is also the remedy. Dream’ dream; only dream! Kill dream by dream!
I arm trying to learn French, talking to — here. Some are very appreciative already. Talk to all the world — of the eternal riddle, the eternal spool of fate, whose thread-end no one finds and everyone seems to find, at least to his own satisfaction, at least for a time — to fool himself a moment, isn’t it?
Well, now great things are to be done! Who cares for great things? Why not do small things as well? One is as good as the other. The greatness of little things, that is what the Gita teaches — bless the old book!! . . .
I have not had much time to think of the body. So it must be well. Nothing is ever well here. We forget them at times, and that is being well and doing well. . . .
We play our parts here — good or bad. When the dream is finished and we have left the stage, we will have a hearty laugh at all this — of this only I am sure.

Yours etc.,

VIVEKANANDA