The World Parliament of Religions: Swami Vivekananda's Address to the World Parliament of Religions September 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me." Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

- SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

INDIA : OSHO VIEW

India is not a piece of land or some political entity or a part of some historical facts. It is not a mad race for money, power, position and prestige. India is a longing, a thirst to attain truth - the truth that resides in every heartbeat of ours, the truth that is lying asleep under the layer of our consciousness, the truth that is ours but yet forgotten. Its remembrance, its reclamation, is India.

The days of the Upanishads in this land were the most glorious. The only search, the only seeking, the only longing, was to know oneself - no other ambition ruled mankind. Riches, success, power, everything was absolutely mundane. Those who were ambitious, those who were running after riches, those who wanted to be powerful were considered to be psychologically sick. And those who were really healthy psychologically, spiritually healthy, their only search was to know oneself and to be oneself and to declare to the whole universe the innermost secret. That secret is contained in this statement, ``Aham Brahmasmi''.

The lotus flower has been very symbolic to the East, because the East says you should live in the world but remain untouched by it. You should remain in the world, but the world should not remain in you. You should pass through the world without carrying any impression, any impact, any scratch. If by the time of death you can say that your consciousness is as pure, as innocent as you have brought with you at birth, you have lived a religious life, a spiritual life.

The lotus flower grows from the mud in the water, and yet remains untouched. And it is a symbol of transformation.

The East has so many secret keys, but even a single key is enough because a single key can open thousands and thousands of locks. The relationship between master and disciple is one such key.

So if we want to be truly happy and we recognize that real happiness is found only in those times when we want absolutely nothing, then we must begin to question what our relationship to our own experience actually is.

---`India My Love', excerpts from Osho's writings and talks

मैं दो कदम चलता और एक पल को रुकता मगर.....इस एक पल जिन्दगी मुझसे चार कदम आगे बढ जाती ।मैं फिर दो कदम चलता और एक पल को रुकता और....जिन्दगी फिर मुझसे चार कदम आगे बढ जाती ।युँ ही जिन्दगी को जीतता देख मैं मुस्कुराता और....जिन्दगी मेरी मुस्कुराहट पर हैंरान होती ।ये सिलसिला यहीं चलता रहता.....फिर एक दिन मुझे हंसता देख एक सितारे ने पुछा.........." तुम हार कर भी मुस्कुराते हो ! क्या तुम्हें दुख नहीं होता हार का ? "तब मैंनें कहा................मुझे पता हैं एक ऐसी सरहद आयेगी जहाँ से आगेजिन्दगी चार कदम तो क्या एक कदम भी आगे ना बढ पायेगी,तब जिन्दगी मेरा इन्तज़ार करेगी और मैं......तब भी युँ ही चलता रुकता अपनी रफ्तार से अपनी धुन मैं वहाँ पहुँगा.......एक पल रुक कर, जिन्दगी को देख कर मुस्कुराउगा..........बीते सफर को एक नज़र देख अपने कदम फिर बढाँउगा।ठीक उसी पल मैं जिन्दगी से जीत जाउगा.........मैं अपनी हार पर भी मुस्कुराता था और अपनी जीत पर भी......मगर जिन्दगी अपनी जीत पर भी ना मुस्कुरा पाई थी और अपनी हार पर भी ना रो पायेगी"

ढूँढ रहे हैं

दुनिया से वफ़ा करके सिला ढूँढ रहे हैं

हम लोग भी नदाँ हैं ये क्या ढूँढ रहे हैं

कुछ देर ठहर जाईये बंदा-ए-इन्साफ़

हम अपने गुनाहों में ख़ता ढूँढ रहे हैं

ये भी तो सज़ा है कि गिरफ़्तार-ए-वफ़ा हूँ

क्यूँ लोग मोहब्बत की सज़ा ढूँढ रहे हैं

दुनिया की तमन्ना थी कभी हम को भी 'फ़ाकिर'

अब ज़ख़्म-ए-तमन्ना की दवा ढूँढ रहे हैं

वक़्त

बदलते वक़्त का इक सिलसिला सा लगता है

के जब भी देखो उसे दूसरा-सा लगता है

तुम्हारा हुस्न किसी आदमी का हुस्न नही किसी

बुजुर्ग की सच्ची दुआ सा लगता है

तेरी निगाह को तमीज़ रंग-ओ-नूर कहाँ

मुझे तो खून भी रंग-ऐ-हिना सा लगता है

दमाग-ओ-दिल हूँ अगर मुतमईन तो छाओं है धूप

थपेडा लू का भी ठंडी हवा सा लगता है

वो छत पे आ गया बेताब हो के आखिर

खुदा भी आज शरीक-ऐ-दुआ सा लगता है

तुम्हारा हाथ जो आया है हाथ में मेरे

अब ऐतबार का मौसम हरा-सा लगता है

निकल के देखो कभी नफरतों के पिंजरे से

तमाम शहर का "मंज़र" खुला सा लगता है

Khvaab

dekh lo Khvaab magar Khvaab kaa charchaa na karo

log jal jaayenge suuraj kii tamannaa na karo

vaqt kaa kyaa hai kisii pal bhii badal sakataa hai

ho sake tum se to tum mujh pe bharosaa na karo

ajanabii lagane lage Khud tumhe apanaa hii vajuud

apane din raat ko itanaa bhii akelaa na karo

Khvaab bachcho ke khilauno kii tarah hote hai

Khvaab dekhaa na karo Khvaab dikhaayaa na karo

be-Khayaalii mein kabhii ungaliyaa jal jaayengii

raakh guzare hue lamho kii kuredaa na karo

By : Kafeel Aazer

Dard kii had se guzaranaa to abhii baaqii hai

dard kii had se guzaranaa to abhii baaqii hai
Tuut kar meraa bikharanaa to abhii baaqii hai

paas aake meraa dukh-dard bataanevaale
mujhase kataraa ke guzaranaa to abhii baaqii hai

chaand sheron mein kahaa dhalatii hai ehasaas kii aag
Gam kaa ye rang nikharanaa to abhii baaqii hai

rang-e-rusvaaii sahii shahar kii diivaaro par
naam "Rashid" kaa ubharanaa to abhii baaqii hai

By : Rashid Kamil