Swami Vivekananda and the Erasing of the Dividing Line
Swami Ranganathananda
This is a deeply insightful piece of writing by Swami Ranganathanandaji, the late thirteenth President of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission. Originally titled 'Swami Vivekananda and the Future of India', this article was written on that fateful day, 15 August 1947, and contributed to the Pakistan Independence Day special issue of The Daily Gazette of Karachi, Pakistan. In these pages is evident the loftiness of the Swamis historical vision, and its relevance stands undimmed even after six decades.
The important thing is how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter -- as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free from matter, body and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
-Swami Vivekananda