The text of
Swami Vivekananda’s address, in response to the welcome extended to him at the
Parliament of Religions in Chicago, on September 11, 1893
Sisters and Brothers of America:
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to
the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name
of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the
mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of
Hindu people of all classes and sects.
My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who,
referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from
far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the
idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the
world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal
toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a
nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and
all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our
bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took
refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to
pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has
sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I
will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have
repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of
human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths
which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear,
crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
The present convention, which is one of the most august
assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of
the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through
whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the
end lead to me.”
Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism,
have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence,
drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent
whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human
society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and
I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this
convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with
the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons
wending their way to the same goal.
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In the ninth century b.c., the Phoenician princess Jezebel orders the
execution of all the prophets who refuse to worship the pagan god Baal.
Commanded by an angel of God to flee Israel, Elijah seeks safety in the land of
Zarephath, where he unexpectedly finds true love with a young widow. But this
newfound rapture is to be cut short, and Elijah sees all of his hopes and
dreams irrevocably erased as he is swept into a whirlwind of events that
threatens his very existence.
“When we lose a loved one, something within
us dies. A bit of us dies with this enigmatic star.”
King Ahab. His "crime":
denouncing the false gods that Jezebel has brought from her native Phoenicia,
known to the Hebrews as Lebanon. Through an angel, God orders Elijah to make
the arduous journey across the desert and take refuge in the Phoenician city of
Zarephath, which its inhabitants call Akbar.
There, Elijah is befriended by a widow,
older than him, who offers him lodging with her and her young son. Like her
countrymen, she is a worshipper of Baal, who is said to reside with the other
gods at the fog shrouded summit of the Fifth Mountain. Still, she and the
Israelite gradually form a warm bond, though neither dare voice their feelings.
But events conspire against Elijah.
When the woman's son becomes ill and dies, the blame falls on Elijah, who is
accused of having brought misfortune with him. Taken before the High Priest of
Akbar, he is condemned to die on the Fifth Mountain, from which no man returns.
There, the priest declares, either he will be consumed by the fire from heaven
or, should the gods choose not to sully their hands with him, upon his descent
he will be beheaded in the city square.
On the Fifth Mountain, an angel of God
directs him to descend and, through God's power, restore the boy to life. The
people of Akbar, interpreting the miracle as a sign of the gods' favor, hail
the Israelite as a sage. Soon he is settling disputes among the townspeople and
becomes an adviser to the governor, evoking the wrath of the high priest.
As his feelings for the widow and her
son grow, Elijah is torn between an earthly love he has never known and the
desire to return to Israel and remove Jezebel from the throne, destroying
idolatry and restoring the worship of the One God. But he must remain in Akbar
until the Lord orders him to depart.
Phoenicia, the commercial center of the
Mediterranean at this time, has a merchant fleet that trades throughout the
known world. But the country's wealth draws the covetous attention of the Assyrians,
who begin gathering a force to conquer the coastal cities of Sidon and Tyre --
and Akbar lies strategically in the advancing army's path. Soon Elijah finds
himself at the center of a military and political maelstrom that challenges his
faith and forces him to confront the unavoidable.
Out
of the tragedy that emerges, Elijah learns lessons that are applicable to all
of humankind and are as timeless as the desert sands and the mountains that
gaze silently down on the ashes of Akbar. In a resolution that resonates
vividly for modem men and women, he wrests from the unavoidable a new
beginning, an opportunity to give meaning to tragedy and direction to a
shattered life.
Written with the same masterful prose and clarity of vision that made The
Alchemist an international phenomenon, The Fifth Mountain is a
quietly moving account of a man touched by the hand of God who must triumph
over his frustrations in a soul-shattering trial of faith.
This retelling of the life of Elijah by Brazilian author
Paulo Coelho has an elegant simplicity to it — similar in spirit to the
spiritual journey described in his bestselling The Alchemist. The
prophet is forced to deal with "the unavoidable" when he least
expects it. A crow and a shepherd help Elijah come to terms with his destiny.
Only by struggling with the Most High does he find a way to rebuild his life
and fulfill his mission. In The Fifth Mountain Coelho reveals the secrets
of true questing — transcending the limitations of the past, breaking free from
rigid habits, and practicing the impossible with enthusiasm and ardor.
Source: http://www.harpercollins.com/author/authorExtra.aspx?isbn13=9780060930134&displayType=readingGuide
I meet and learn from Champions every day. Not just in locker rooms but in classrooms, hospitals, homeless shelters, homes and office buildings. I’ve learned that to be a champion you must Think Like a Champion. Champions think differently than everyone else. They approach their life and work with a different mindset and belief system that separates them from the pack.
1. Champions Expect to Win – When they walk on the court, on the field, into a meeting or in a classroom they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don’t win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.
2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins – By celebrating the small wins champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. This doesn’t mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.
3. Champions Don’t Make Excuses When They Don’t Win – They don’t focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth. As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.
4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do – They see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome they must commit to and appreciate the process. They may not love every minute of their journey but their attitude and will helps them develop their skill.
5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future – Their faith is greater than their fear. Their positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Their certainty is greater than all the doubt. Their passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.
If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.
1. Champions Expect to Win – When they walk on the court, on the field, into a meeting or in a classroom they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don’t win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.
2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins – By celebrating the small wins champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. This doesn’t mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.
3. Champions Don’t Make Excuses When They Don’t Win – They don’t focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth. As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.
4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do – They see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome they must commit to and appreciate the process. They may not love every minute of their journey but their attitude and will helps them develop their skill.
5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future – Their faith is greater than their fear. Their positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Their certainty is greater than all the doubt. Their passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.
If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.
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