American beauty and Maya and Freedom’s 1896 speech relevance

Whats the relevance between a film by some social thinkers about America’s(or perhaps many countries included) plight of affairs and Swami Vivekananda’s more than 100 year old speech on ‘Maya and Freedom’.

The message conveyed by Swamiji, had it been listened 100 years ago, then message of American beauty is not relevant. But because Swamiji’s message was not heard enough, the message makes another round of appeal even now, after 100 years it was delivered.

What prompted me to write on this was, below lines read couple of days back.
‘Modern life, starting in the West and now spreading around the world, makes a deceptive promise with cruel results.’
‘..it’s especially common in the West to see people trying desperately to look happy, to look excited. It takes time before we can see the sadness behind the smile, the desperation behind the excitement. Not that it is better to go about looking depressed and hopeless. When we are depressed, we can make ourselves feel better by forcing ourselves to smile, to be pleasant. That is therapeutic. But this ebullience covering desperation is a mask which keeps us from dealing with our situation. Even in the midst of difficulties we can find a quiet happiness by changing our
attitude and expectations. That is growth. But this show of mirth covering a wail of unhappiness
is a tragic loss of integrity.’

These are from the Vedanta Kesari of 2008 December issue under ‘Gita’s Way to Self-fulfillment’ by Swami Atmarupananda, Sri Ramakrishna Monastery, California.
For complete reading http://www.sriramakrishnamath.org/magazine/Displaymagazine.aspx?month=12&year=2008&Lang_Type=Eng


How identical and relevant it is with the speech on ‘Maya and Freedom’ more than 100 years ago delivered in London, 22nd October 1896.
Swamiji says clearly,

"It may be very true, but do not think of it. `Make hay while the sun shines,' as the proverb says. It is all true, it is a fact, but do not mind it. Seize the few pleasures you can, do not look at the dark side of the picture, but always towards the hopeful, the positive side." There is some truth in this, but there is also a danger. The truth is that it is a good motive power. Hope and a positive ideal are very good motive powers for our lives, but there is a certain danger in them. The danger lies in our giving up the struggle in despair. Such is the case with those who preach, "Take the world as it is; sit down as calmly and comfortably as you can and be contented with all those miseries. When you receive blows, say they are not blows but flowers; and when you are driven about like slaves, say that you are free. Day and night tell lies to others and to your own souls, because that is the only way to live happily." This is what is called practical wisdom, and never was it more prevalent in the world than in this nineteenth century; because never were harder blows hit than at the present time, never was competition keener, never were men so cruel to their fellow-men as now; and, therefore, must this consolation be offered. It is put forward in the strongest way at the present time; but it fails, as it always must fail. We cannot hide a carrion with roses; it is impossible. It would not avail long; for soon the roses would fade, and the carrion would be worse than ever before. So with our lives. We may try to cover our old and festering sores with cloths of gold, but there comes a day when the cloth of gold is removed, and the sore in all its ugliness is revealed.”
For complete speech
http://www.rkmath.org/vl_mayaandfreedom.aspx?pid=221


And if one watches the film ‘American beauty’ then one could see ‘the sore in all its ugliness is revealed’ as mentioned in ‘Maya and Freedom’ more than 100 years ago.

Thus message delivered in London 1896 if not listened by ‘English’ educated ones, even ‘Indian beauty’ version might come out.