To know India one must know her ancient culture, must know her people and identify oneself with their hopes and aspirations, joys and sorrows, and with their daily problems. Swami Vivekananda was unique in this respect. In fact very few have known India as thoroughly as did the author of this book, and without any fear of exaggeration, we may say that very few have loved India with the same degree of intensity as he did. In the pages of this book are collected some of the writings of the author dealing with India. They are extremely relevant at a time when India is entering on a new era of her history.
Those who die, merely suffering the woes of life like cats and dogs, are they human beings? The worthy are those who, even when agitated by the sharp interaction of pleasure and pain, are discriminating and, knowing them to be of an evanescent nature, become passionately devoted to the Atman. This is all the difference between human beings and animals.
-Swami Vivekananda