welcome address by swami in chicago dharmaparishad

WELCOME ADDRESS -
Chicago, Sept 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 honor 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 honor
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.