Etiquette:- Swami Vivekanand

All religions conference was held in Chicago in America in 1893. Swami Vivekanand had gone there to speak on Hinduism and its philosophy. He was to address the conference on 11th September . When he rose to speak, he found the slogan " Hindu religion- a dead religion" inscribed on the board on the dais.Unperturbed, he began his address with words, " My American sisters and brothers" The entire audience was so enthused by his address that they greeted Vivekannand with loud applause and clapped for a couple of minutes.The reason for the enthusiastic applause was that this oriental Sanyasi had given the first place to woman and then address them as a members of large family of human race. The audience did not know that in our culture women always have a higher place and the saying that this whole world is one large family in ingrained in our ancient culture.

This created a lasting impression on the assembly. Though only five minutes were allotted to each speaker, the president , Cardianal Gibbons requested Swamiji to continue speaking. He spoke for more than twenty minutes and the large gathering heard him with rapt attention about the basic tenets and philosophy of Hinduism.

Swamiji became very popular in America. People adored his simple attire and gracious manners. The newspapers brought out articles about him on the front page saying that such an intellectual giant had never visited their country in the past. Thousands become his disciples.

Not only that , people were eager to listen to him everyday. If there was noise in the hall, the people were quitened down by the announcement that Swamin Vivekanand will address them if they observed silence. The whole gathering would then sit with bated breath to listen to him. Such was the magic of his name.

In his speeches during his sojourn in America, Swamiji laid stress that goodness of Hindu religion. He asserted that the religion has the capacity to absorb all that is good in other religion. What he wanted to convey was that there is no dogmatism in Hinduism and it looked upon all religion with the same respect. The Indian culture and psyche was based on the concept of human brotherhood, tolerance for others and large hardheartedness. The Hindu religion does not denigrate other peoples' thinking. in this way, this great son of India, unfurled the flag of Indian culture in the far off land of America. Where the people become aware of the lofty ideas of Indian Culture for the first time.