Swami Vivekananda
Quotes
A key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies to the Western world. He is renowned for his speeches at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893, where he spoke on the universality of spirituality and the importance of religious tolerance. His teachings emphasized the need for personal spiritual development and the idea of serving humanity as a form of worship. He played a crucial role in the revival of Hinduism and the promotion of Vedanta philosophy globally. His work inspired many to explore spiritual and philosophical thought.
Swami Vivekananda
Quotes
A key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies to the Western world. He is renowned for his speeches at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893, where he spoke on the universality of spirituality and the importance of religious tolerance. His teachings emphasized the need for personal spiritual development and the idea of serving humanity as a form of worship. He played a crucial role in the revival of Hinduism and the promotion of Vedanta philosophy globally. His work inspired many to explore spiritual and philosophical thought.
Man has infinite power within himself, and he can realise it - he can realise himself as the one infinite Self. It can be done; but you do not believe it. You pray to God and keep your powder dry all the time.
The ego of man and woman is the soul. If the soul is independent, how then can it be isolated from the infinite whole?
The essence of Vedanta is that there is but one Being and that every soul is that Being in full, not a part of that Being.
If there is no strength in body and mind, the Atman cannot be realized. First you have to build the body by good nutritious food-then only will the mind be strong.
All the forces that we see in nature, such as gravitation, attraction, and repulsion, or as thought, feeling, and nervous motion - all these various forces resolve into that Prana, and the vibration of the Prana ceases. In that state it remains until the beginning of the next cycle. Prana then begins to vibrate, and that vibration acts upon the Akasha, and all these forms are thrown out in regular succession.
As soon as we react, we become slaves. A man blames me, and I immediately react in the form of anger. A little vibration which he created made me a slave.
Above all, India is the land of religion.
Realize your true nature. That is all there is to do. Know yourself as you are - infinite Spirit. That is practical religion. Everything else is impractical, for everything else will perish.
Weakness is constant strain and misery: weakness is death.
Where will you go to seek Brahman? He is immanent in all beings. Here, here is the visible Brahman! Shame on those who, neglecting the visible Brahman, set their minds on other things! Here is the visible Brahman before you as tangible as a fruit in one's hand! Can't you see? Here - here - is Brahman!
No more materialism, no more this egoism, I must become spiritual.
The book one must read to learn natural sciences is the book of nature. The book from which to learn religion is your own mind and heart.
All objective pleasure in the long run must bring pain, because of the fact of change or death.
Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the greatest of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of all our woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment. Therefore, "arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached."
If religion and life depend upon books or upon the existence of any prophet whatsoever, then perish all religion and books! Religion is in us. No books or teachers can do more than help us to find it, and even without them we can get all truth within. You have gratitude for books and teachers without bondage to them; and worship your Guru as God, but do not obey him blindly; love him all you will, but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you, work out your own salvation. Have only one idea of God - that He is an eternal help.
Every change is being forced upon us.
The uplift of the women, the awakening of the masses must come first, and then only can any real good come about for the country, for India.
Proclaim the glory of the Atman with the roar of a lion, and impart fearlessness unto all beings by saying, 'Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached'!
The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.
Purusha is the great attraction of the universe; though untouched by and unconnected with the universe, yet it attracts the whole universe.
I believe that the Hindu faith has developed the spiritual in its devotees at the expense of the material, and I think that in the Western world the contrary is true. By uniting the materialism of the West with the spiritualism of the East I believe much can be accomplished. It may be that in the attempt the Hindu faith will lose much of its individuality.
A certain motion becomes understood when it is referred to a force; certain sensations, to matter; certain changes outside, to law; certain changes in thought, to mind; certain order singly, to causation - and joined to time, to law.
Be an atheist if you want, but do not believe in anything unquestioningly.
