Today, Swami Vivekananda’s words are more relevant than ever with respect to the ongoing MeToo movement in India. Over 100 years ago Swami Vivekananda knew of the self control and restraint human’s need, the restraint men need from being the savage animals we are if left unchecked. He said this:
“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by controlling nature, external and internal.”
Control yourself, both externally and internally. It means that if someone is telling you to sexually harass or abuse a girl, whether that someone is a fellow colleague or just the way society works around you, or whether it is your own mind, control it! Even more potently Swami Vivekananda added that we must use whatever means possible to control ourselves:
“Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.”
If one way doesn’t work, try something else to get a grip on your raging animal instincts. If you need more than one way to control yourself, then find more than one way! Control yourselves men, no matter what it takes!
Swami Vivekananda says “Hands off!”
“Are you the Lord God that you should rule over every widow and every woman? Hands off! They will solve their own problems.”
Swami Vivekananda is epic! If he were speaking these words today, they hauntingly remind us of how society has deviated from Dharma, true Indian culture and thought of which Swami Vivekananda is one of the best examples.
“Educate your women first and leave them to themselves; then they will tell you what reforms are necessary for them. In matters concerning them, who are you?”
Men, let women decide what is best for them. We can be part of the decision process and we have to be since we all are part of society but if you think you know better than them in their own matters, then remember Swami Vivekananda’s condemning and mocking tone when he says, “who are you?”. Don’t think men are the ones who can script the destinies of women better than they themselves can as Swami Vivekananda says:
“Women will work out their own destinies — much better, too, than men can ever do for them. All the mischief to women has come because men undertook to shape the destiny of women.”
Swami Vivekananda also says to be careful of what you think men. Take the example of a girl in your workplace. If you think that no one will find out if you just plant a kiss on her cheek without her consent or harass her in some other way when no one is looking, and she is powerless to do anything about it, stop. If you think that this is the way your profession works, that this is part of the give and take process, stop, reflect and realise that the world no longer works like this. These kinds of things by now should be unsaid, but somehow it hasn’t clicked with menfolk as yet.
“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”
Swami Vivekananda’s message for Indian women
“To the women of this country. . . I would say exactly what I say to the men. Believe in India and in our Indian faith. Be strong and hopeful and unashamed.”
Be strong. Strong enough to come out and face your harassers. Strong enough to say stop, to say no. Strong enough to lead the way for change.
Be hopeful. Be hopeful that people will stand behind you when you do face your abusers. Be hopeful in the justice system. Have hope in our Indian faith and that India can change for the better.
Be unashamed. You are the ones who are paving the way for an India where we can better the condition of our women in all aspects. Each action counts. And you are not alone in this struggle, we hear you girls, we hear you…
“Women must be put in a position to solve their own problems in their own way. No one can or ought to do this for them. And our Indian women are capable of doing it as any in the world.”
Source of quotes: Our Women, by Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda Quotes, Goodreads. Swami Vivekananda’s quotes on women.
Featured Picture: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons