Secret of unfailing Memory revealed by Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda attributed his phenomenal mental powers to a
lifelong observance of brahmacharya. A few days ago, a new set of the
Encyclopedia Britannica had been bought for the Math. Seeing the new
shining volumes, the disciple said to Swamiji, “It is almost
impossible to read all these books in a single lifetime.” He was
unaware that Swamiji had already finished ten volumes and had begun
the eleventh.Swamiji: What do you say? Ask me anything you like from
these ten volumes, and I will answer you all.The disciple asked in
wonder, “Have you read all these books?” Swamiji: Why should I ask you
to question me otherwise?Being examined, Swamiji not only reproduced
the sense, but at places the very language of the difficult topics
selected from each volume. The disciple, astonished, put aside the
books, saying, “This is not within human power!”Swamiji: Do you see,
simply by the observance of strict Brahmacharya (continence) all
learning can be mastered in a very short time — one has an unfailing
memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this
habit of not observing continence that everything is on the brink of
ruin in our country.
His childhood friend: Whatever you may say, I cannot bring myself to
believe in these words. Who can come by that oratorical power of
expounding philosophy which you have? Swamiji: You don’t know! That
power may come to all. That power comes to him who observes unbroken
Brahmacharya for a period of twelve years, with the sole object of
realising God I have practiced that kind of Brahmacharya myself, and
so a screen has been removed, as it were, from my brain. For that
reason, I need not any more think over or prepare myself for any
lectures on such a subtle subject as philosophy. Suppose I have to
lecture tomorrow; all that I shall speak about will pass tonight
before my eyes like so many pictures; and the next day I put into
words during my lecture all those things that I saw. So you will
understand now that it is not any power which is exclusively my own.
Whoever will practice unbroken Brahmacharya for twelve years will
surely have it. If you do so, you too will get it. Our Shâstras do not
say that only such and such a person will get it and not others!
The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will power.
Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. Continence gives
wonderful control over mankind.The spiritual leaders of men have been
very continent and this is what gave them power.
I heard him say on his wonderful power of retentive memory in this
manner. “If a person can be continent for twelve years, he can have
extraordinary memory. One must be celibate and keep his brahmacharya
absolutely even in his dream.“
From Mrs. George Roorbach’s reminiscences of Swami Vivekananda at Camp
Taylor, California, in May 1900:“In my first speech in this country,
in Chicago, I addressed that audience as ‘Sisters and Brothers of
America’, and you know that they all rose to their feet. You may
wonder what made them do this, you may wonder if I had some strange
power. Let me tell you that I did have a power and this is it — never
once in my life did I allow myself to have even one sexual thought. I
trained my mind, my thinking, and the powers that man usually uses
along that line I put into a higher channel, and it developed a force
so strong that nothing could resist it.”
