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Swami Prapannanda
Vedanta Society of Sacramento, California

"Respected Swamiji’s and friends! We have heard very inspiring talks. I do not think I can add anything more to what has been said.

When I decided to visit the Vidyapith, I was trying to find out any information available on Swami Vivekananda’s visit to an academic institution like the Vidyapith. I found that after returning to India, Swamiji visited an educational institution named ‘Mahakali Pathashala.’ He was accompanied by one of his young disciples. After the visit the disciple asked Swamiji’s opinion about the institution. The institution was for girls. However, Swami Vivekananda’s response may be useful to you. He said that in a school like this, religion should be the topmost priority, second should be art, third should be science, fourth, housekeeping, fifth, cooking, and then sewing & hygiene…

I think that to preserve culture two mundane things are very important, food and language. Once I visited a family. Mother had cooked delicious food. Her son came back from the school. Mother asked the boy to eat what was cooked by her. But, the boy went to the refrigerator, took out milk and started eating cereal with the milk. I asked the boy, ‘why are you not eating this delicious food your mother has just cooked?’ Then the mother said, ‘Swami, Rocky eats what the television says.’ I think that a habit should be cultivated in children to eat and enjoy the meals cooked at home. I know a person in whose family children are studying well and they mix with other children playing and enjoying with them basketball, tennis, baseball and movies etc. However, they enjoy food cooked at home and also converse in their mother tongue with the family members. So, I think from practical point of view, food and language tie families together. Thank you.”