The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 8/Epistles - Fourth Series/CX Margo
CX
To Sister Nivedita
SRINAGAR, KASHMIR,
1st October, 1897.
DEAR MARGO,
Some people do the best work when led. Not every one is born to lead. The
best leader, however, is one who "leads like the baby". The baby, though
apparently depending on everyone, is the king of the household. At least, to
my thinking, that is the secret. . . . Many feel, but only a few can
express. It is the power of expressing one's love and appreciation and
sympathy for others, that enables one person to succeed better in spreading
the idea than others. . . .
I shall not try to describe Kashmir to you. Suffice it to say, I never felt
sorry to leave any country except this Paradise on earth; and I am trying my
best, if I can, to influence the Raja in starting a centre. So much to do
here, and the material so hopeful! . . .
The great difficulty is this: I see persons giving me almost the whole of
their love. But I must not give anyone the whole of mine in return, for that
day the work would be ruined. Yet there are some who will look for such a
return, not having the breadth of the impersonal view. It is absolutely
necessary to the work that I should have the enthusiastic love of as many as
possible, while I myself remain entirely impersonal. Otherwise jealousy and
quarrels would break up everything. A leader must be impersonal. I am sure
you understand this. I do not mean that one should be a brute, making use of
the devotion of others for his own ends, and laughing in his sleeve
meanwhile. What I mean is what I am, intensely personal in my love, but
having the power to pluck out my own heart with my own hand, if it becomes
necessary, "for the good of many, for the welfare of many", as Buddha said.
Madness of love, and yet in it no bondage. Matter changed into spirit by the
force of love. Nay, that is the gist of our Vedanta. There is but One, seen
by the ignorant as matter, by the wise as God. And the history of
civilisation is the progressive reading of spirit into matter. The ignorant
see the person in the non-person. The sage sees the non-person in the
person. Through pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, this is the one lesson we
are learning. . . .
Yours ever with love and truth,
VIVEKANANDA.