Most people in the world do not do well in their lives because they do not have the courage they need at some point in their lives. It is really sad that everything Swamiji says happens when we read about things that happened in his life. I want to tell you about something that happened at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1893. This story says a lot about his courage and wisdom and the values of India. I want to share a story about something that happened when he was in Chicago. The Chicago Conference: A Moment of History In 1893 there was a meeting of religions in Chicago. Swami Vivekananda came from India to give a speech on September 11. When he got up to speak he saw something written on a board behind the stage. It said: "Hinduism: A Dead Religion." Most people would have gotten very angry if they saw something like that written about their religion.. Swami Vivekananda was not like that. He went up to the stage. Started speaking. He said: "Sisters and brothers of America..." Just these five words from Swamiji were enough. The whole room was clapping. People say the crowd was very moved by what he said. What were these five words that Swamiji said? The way he greeted the crowd was an example of an important Indian value. This value is about respecting women and thinking of the world as one family. No one had ever greeted them in such a way before. This message about his culture touched the heart of every man in the crowd. Swami Vivekananda was only supposed to speak for five minutes. Everyone was listening to him very carefully. When his time was up Cardinal Gibbons, the man in charge asked him to keep speaking. Swami Vivekananda did not stop. He kept talking for than twenty minutes. By then everyone in America knew about Swami Vivekananda. Everyone wanted to hear him speak. If the crowd got noisy they would say: "If you are quiet you will get to hear Swami Vivekananda speak again." Away the crowd would get quiet. The Triumph of Values Swami Vivekananda showed the world that Hinduism is not a religion but a living one that includes all religions. He also showed them that Indian culture does not insult anyones religion. Instead it teaches us to be united, kind and respectful. So at the end of the meeting Swami Vivekananda had proudly shown the world the flag of culture. He did it with dignity, wisdom and respect not with anger or hatred. Moral: Real strength does not come from being aggressive. From being brave in a gentle way. We should try to be like people, like Swami Vivekananda, who showed the world the power of Indian values and being respectful.
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