Sister Nivedita, continued....

One cannot say that her projects were small because she lacked strength.

One must remember that the kind of strength Sister Nivedita had could easily have earned her significant prestige in her own country. All who came into contact with her there, acknowledged the enormous incandescence of her spirit. However Nivedita was not in the least interested in acquiring renown and fame in her own land.

Even in India, she did not wish to sway people’s opinion in a way that she could establish herself as an important personality. One has seen other Europeans too in this country who have looked upon their work in India as the most important thing in their lives. However, they have not worked without self interest and have always tried to remain in a position of preeminence in Indian society. They have not been able to give of themselves entirely in a spirit of humility. With them, one always has a sense that they worked more out of a principle of charity, rather than respect and love for the people to whom they gave. In this context let us remember the adage, ‘What one gives with an attitude of respect to the other, is truly a gift. If there is no respect, then there is no giving’. If the left hand does not respect what the right hand gives, then the act of giving is nullified.