MYSTERY - MONGERING WEAKENS THE HUMAN BRAIN

" Anything that is secret and mysterious in these systems of Yoga should be at once rejected. The best guide in life is strength. In religion, as in all other matters, discard everything that weakens you, have nothing to do with it. Mystery-mongering weakens the human brain "

- Swami Vivekananda
Volume 1, Raja-Yoga

NOT TO SHIRK OUR DUTIES, BUT TO TAKE THEM UP MANFULLY

Therefore Krishna teaches us not to shirk our duties, but to take them up manfully, and not think of the result. The servant has no right to question. The soldier has no right to reason. Go forward, and do not pay too much attention to the nature of the work you have to do. Ask your mind if you are unselfish. If you are, never mind anything, nothing can resist you! Plunge in! Do the duty at hand. And when you have done this, by degrees you will realise the Truth: "Whosoever in the midst of intense activity finds intense peace, whosoever in the midst of the greatest peace finds the greatest activity, he is a Yogi, he is a great soul, he has arrived at perfection."

Now, you see that the result of this teaching is that all the duties of the world are sanctified. There is no duty in this world which we have any right to call menial: and each man's work is quite as good as that of the emperor on his throne.

- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Lectures and Discourses/The Great Teachers of the World

ADJUST THE MICROCOSM - HYDROSTATIC PARADOX

The more we grow in love and virtue and holiness, the more we see love and virtue and holiness outside. All condemnation of others really condemns ourselves. Adjust the microcosm (which is in your power to do) and the macrocosm will adjust itself for you. It is like the hydrostatic paradox, one drop of water can balance the universe. We cannot see outside what we are not inside. The universe is to us what the huge engine is to the miniature engine; and indication of any error in the tiny engine leads us to imagine trouble in the huge one.

- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 7/Inspired Talks/Wednesday, July 3

THE HIGHEST MEN ARE CALM, SILENT AND UNKNOWN

In the life of Gautama Buddha we notice him constantly saying that he is the twenty-fifth Buddha. The twenty-four before him are unknown to history, although the Buddha known to history must have built upon foundations laid by them. The highest men are calm, silent and unknown.

They are the men who really know the power of thought; they are sure that, even if they go into a cave and close the door and simply think five true thoughts and then pass away, these five thoughts of their will live through eternity. Indeed such thoughts will penetrate through the mountains, cross the oceans, and travel through the world. They will enter deep into human hearts and brains and raise up men and women who will give them practical expression in the workings of human life. These Sâttvika men are too near the Lord to be active and to fight, to be working, struggling, preaching and doing good, as they say, here on earth to humanity.

- Swami Vivekananda
Chapter - VII - Freedom

IS MAN A TINY BOAT IN A TEMPEST ?

Is man a tiny boat in a tempest, raised one moment on the foamy crest of a billow and dashed down into a yawning chasm the next, rolling to fro at the mercy of good and bad actions......The heart sinks at the idea, yet this is the law of of Nature. Is there no hope ? Is there no escape ? - Was the cry that went up from the bottom of the heart of despair. It reached the throne of mercy, and words of hope and consolation came down and inspired a Vedic sage, and he stood up before the world and in trumpet voice proclaimed the glad tidings:

" Hear, ye childern of immortal bliss! Even ye that reside in higher spheres! I have found the Ancient One who is beyond all darkness, all delusion: knowing Him alone you shall be saved from death over again. "

" Children of immortal bliss" - what a sweet, what a hopeful name! Allow me to call you, brethren, by that sweet name - heirs of immortal bliss - yea, the Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth - sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not your servant of matter "


- Swami Vivekananda
Page 339, Universal Message of the Bhagavad Gita - An exposition of the Gita in the light of Modern Thought and Modern Needs, Volume 1 - Swami Ranganathananda

IF YOU ARE STRONG, TAKE UP THE VEDANTA PHILOSOPHY AND BE INDEPENDENT

If you are strong, take up the Vedanta philosophy and be independent. If you cannot do that, worship God; if not, worship some image. If you lack strength even to do that, do some good works without the idea of gain. Offer everything you have unto the service of the Lord. Fight on! "Leaves and water and one flower — whosoever lays anything on my altar, I receive it with equal delights." If you cannot do anything, not a single good work, then take refuge [in the Lord]. "The Lord resides within the heart of the being, making them turn upon His wheel. Do thou with all thy soul and heart take refuge in Him.


- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Lectures And Discourses/Krishna

WHERE IS THAT MARTICAL SPIRIT ?

Where is that martial spirit which, at the very outset, requires one to know how to serve and obey and to practice self-restraint!. The martial spirit is not self-assertion but self-sacrifice. One must be ready to advance and lay down one's life at the word of command, before he can command the hearts and lives of others. One must sacrifice himself first.

- Swami Vivekananda
Call to the nation - Page 71

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WHAT BRUTALITY IS THERE WHICH PURITY

What brutality is there which purity and chastity cannot conquer ? - Swami Vivekananda

THOSE THAT BLAME OTHER - AND ALAS!

Those that blame others - and alas! the number of them is increasing everyday - are generally miserable with helpless brains; they have brought themselves to that pass through their own mistakes and blame others, but this does not alter their position. It does not serve them in any way. This attempt to throw the blame upon others only weakens them the more. Therefore, blame none for your own faults, stand upon your own feet, and take the whole responsibility upon yourselves. Say, " This misery that I am suffering is of my own doing, and that very thing proves that it will have to be undone by me alone. "


- Swami Vivekananda

WE WANT AN ENTERPRISING SPIRIT

We want an enterprising spirit. Nothing is done by leading idle lives.


_ Swami Vivekananda

The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Epistles - Second Series/LVIII Sarada
17th Jan., 1895. 228 W.39, NEW YORK

WE MAY DIE UNKNOWN, UNPITIED, UN BEWAILED

Let us unite our wills in continued prayer for their good. We may die unknown, unpitied, un-bewailed, without accomplishing anything; but not one thought will be lost. It will take effect sooner or later.


- Swami Vivekananda [ Page: - 107 Vivekananda - The Man and His Message ]

BE FEARLESS; SHRI RAMAKRISHNA IS OUR HELPER, WHAT FEAR ?

There is famine in many other places as well, so it is not necessary to stay so long in one place. Tell them to move to other localities and write to each man to go to a separate place. All such work is real work. If the field is made ready in this way, the seeds of spiritual knowledge can be sown. Remember this always — that the only answer to those conservative fanatics who abuse us is such work.

A work can be judged by its results only, just as one can infer the nature of previous mental tendencies by their resultant in present behavior. . . .Do the work very confidentially. Be fearless; Shri Ramakrishna is our helper, what fear? Give my love to all.

Yours affectionately,
Vivekananda - 13th July, 1897.
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 8/Epistles - Fourth Series/XCVIII Rakhal

GOOD PURPOSE, RIGHT MEANS, RIGHTEOUS COURAGE

Be a man first, my friend, and you will see how all those things and the rest will follow of themselves after you. Give up that hateful malice, that dog - like bickering and barking at one another, and take your stand on good purpose, right means, righteous courage, and be brave. When you are born a man, leave some indelible mark behind you.

- Swami Vivekananda

WHAT IS THE GRANDEST OF ALL THE TRUTHS IN LIFE ?

[ Shri Surendra Nath Das Gupta ]: One day, with some of my young friends belonging to different colleges, I went to the Belur Math to see Swamji ( Swami Vivekananda ). We sat round him; talks on various subjects were going on. No sooner was any question put to him than he gave the most conclusive answer to it. Suddenly he exclaimed, pointing to us, “You are all studying different schools of European Philosophy and metaphysics and learning new facts about nationalities and countries; can you tell me what is the grandest of all the truths in life?”

We began to think, but could not make out what he wanted us to say. As none put forth any reply, he exclaimed in his inspiring language:

“LOOK HERE - WE SHALL ALL DIE!” Bear this in mind always, and then the spirit within will wake up. Then only, meanness will vanish from you, practicality in work will come, you will get new vigor in mind and body, and those who come in contact with you will also feel that they really got something uplifting from you."

- Swami Vivekananda
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 5, Page 329

WHAT MEETS THE EYE OF THE EUROPEAN TRAVELER IN INDIA

Devastation by violent plague and cholera; malaria eating into the very vitals of the nation; starvation and semi-starvation as second nature; death-like famine often dancing its tragic... dance; the Kurukshetra (battlefield) of malady and misery, the huge cremation ground, strewn with the dead bones of lost hope, activity, joy and courage; and in the midst of that, sitting in august silence, the Yogi, absorbed in deep communion with the Spirit, with no other goal in the life than Moksha: This is what meets the eye of the European traveler in India.

- Swami Vivekananda
(Book: The east and the west - Swami Vivekananda Page - 5)

VIKRAM SATH AT HIS BEST..

NDTV facilitated India’s 25 Greatest Global Living legends @ Rastrapati Bhawan on Dec 14, 2013. When Vikram Sath (One of the 25 living legends of India) was called to share his three advices to youth of India, he ...shared below three corner stones which can act as elevated pedestal for any individual in 2014.

Intolerance is violence: -

My first piece of advice is …as great Ela Bhatt said “Poverty is violence. And poverty is violence with the acquiescence of society”. I would say in a perfectly parallel mode that “Intolerance is violence (applause). And accepted…. (Applause) intolerance is violence with acquiescence of society“.

There is no point in rapping yourself up in colors of a flag, when you don’t realize that the flag has more than one component. There are different colors in it, they mean different things, and in the heart of it – is the wheel. The wheel of Buddhism – you might call it, but really it's the wheel of Justice, the wheel of dharm, the wheel of recycle of birth, the wheel of law.........

We cannot have intolerance in family; you can see how disastrous that would be! And we cannot certainly have a spirit of intolerance within our country, as a whole….

Go with yourself: -

And the second one is …You may as well be yourself because really there is no else you can be. We are here for such a ridiculously short time, in this ridiculous trivial corner of the universe that if we aren’t ourselves than what’s the point of doing anything at all. So I would say in all matters…, whether it’s your profession, whether it’s your beliefs or whether it's the person you love, you must go at heart with who you are? Not what someone else tells you…Not what your clan tells you….Not even what unjust law tells you, go with yourself….!?

Respect your parents: -

And the third thing which I would say is…..Your parents are who make you who you are, in case of I, loving…hardworking, generous hearted parents…. I can only say I really vow more to them, then I can describe…Thank you....

THE LAW OF KARMA MUST HAVE ITS POUND OF FLESH

" Possibly the priest says his routine words and expects something. Sixty thousand people look to the skies and pray and pay the priest. Month after month they still look, still pay and pray. ...Think of that! Is it not lunacy? What else is it? Who is responsible? You may preach religion, but to excite the minds of undeveloped children...! You will have to suffer for that. In your heart of hearts, what are you? For every weakening thought you have put into anybody's head you will have to pay with compound interest. The law of Karma must have its pound of flesh......"

- Swami Vivekananda

WORK THROUGH YOGA [ CONCENTRATION ]

Gita teaches Karma - Yoga. We should work through Yoga ( concentration ). In such concentration in action ( Karma - Yoga ), there is no consciousness of the lower ego present. The consciousness that I doing this and that is never present when one works through Yoga.

- Swami Vivekananda [ Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - V5, Page 248 ]

THE HEART MUST BECOME A BURIAL GROUND

“The heart must become a burial ground” “Pride, selfishness, and desire all broken into dust” “Then and then alone will the Mother (Kali) dance there!”

- Swami Vivekananda
[From: Sister Nivedita - The Master as I Saw Him]

ADAPTABILITY - THE WHOLE MYSTERY OF LIFE

 What I say is not “Reform ", but “Move on". Nothing is too bad to reform. Adaptability is the whole mystery of life - the principle underneath, which serves to unfold it. Adjustment or adaptation i...s the outcome of the self-pitted against external forces tending to suppress it. He who adjusts himself best lives the longest. Even if I do not preach this, society is changing, it must change.

- Swami Vivekananda

I WANT SAPPERS AND MINERS IN THE ARMY OF RELIGION

I want sappers and miners in the army of religion. So, boys, set yourselves to the task of training your muscles. For ascetics, mortification is all right, for workers, well - developed bodies, muscles of iron and nerves of steel

- Swami Vivekananda

COMMON RUN OF MEN

 

“Won’t you do something to show that you are in any way removed from the common run of men?”

- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Epistles - Second Series/XLV Brothers

TO WHOM SHALL I BOW DOWN ?

What does the Advaitist preach? He dethrones all the gods that ever existed, or ever will exist in the universe and places on that throne the Self of man, the Atman, higher than the sun and the moon, higher than the heavens, greater than this great universe itself. No books, no scriptures, no science can ever imagine the glory of the Self that appears as man, the most glorious God that ever was, the only God that ever existed, exists, or ever will exist. I am to worship, therefore, none but myself. "I worship my Self," says the Advaitist. To whom shall I bow down? I salute my Self.

 - Swami Vivekananda
 The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 2/Jnana-Yoga/The Atman

CREEDS AND SECTS - THEY ARE FOR CHILDREN

 

"Creeds and sects have their parts to play, but they are for children, they last but temporarily. Books never make religions, but religions make books. We must never forget that. No book ever created God, but God inspired all the great book...s. And no book ever created a soul. We must never forget that. "

- Swami Vivekananda
Talk given at Unity Hall, Hartford (Connecticut), USA, on March 8, 1895, as reported in ”Hartford Times " ( March 11, 1895 )See More

LISTENING TO VIVEKANANDA

"I was listening to Vivekananda this morning an hour. I believe him to be the reincarnation of some great spirit, perhaps Buddha, perhaps Christ. He is so simple, so pure, so unselfish..... His discourses this morning was most uplifting, his mere presence is that."

—Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(A celebrated journalist & poetess of Chicago, America)

"I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration but we accept all religions as true “.

LIBERTY OF THOUGHT AND ACTION

" Liberty of thought and action is the only condition of life, of growth and wellbeing." Where it does not exist, the man, the race, the nation must go down.

- Swami Vivekananda

 

THIS IS A BATTLEFIELD, FIGHT YOUR WAY OUT.

" This is a battlefield, fight your way out. Life in this world is an attempt to see God. Make your life a manifestation of WILL strengthened by renunication "

- Swami Vivekananda
[Bhagavad Gita - As viewed by Swami Vivekananda ]

THAT IS - THE POSITION OF STRENGHT

The solution of the Vedanta is that we are not bound, we are free already. Not only so, but to say or to think that we are bound is dangerous — it is a mistake, it is self-hypnotism. As soon as you say, "I am bound," "I am weak," "I am helpless," woe unto you; you rivet one more chain upon yourself. Do not say it, do not think it. I have heard of a man who live...d in a forest and used to repeat day and night, "Shivoham" — I am the Blessed One — and one day a tiger fell upon him and dragged him away to kill him; people on the other side of the river saw it, and heard the voice so long as voice remained in him, saying, "Shivoham" — even in the very jaws of the tiger. There have been many such men. There have been cases of men who, while being cut to pieces, have blessed their enemies. "I am He, I am He; and so art thou. I am pure and perfect and so are all my enemies. You are He, and so am I." That is - the position of strength.

- Swami Vivekananda

THIS LIFE IS HARD FACT; WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH IT BOLDLY

This life is a hard fact; work your way through it boldly, though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger. It lays no responsiblity on little gods; for you are the makers of your own fortunes.

- Swami Vivekananda

THE AWAKENING OF THE MASSES MUST COME FIRST

" 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 "

- Swami Vivekananda
 

HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION

" The history of civilization is the progressive reading of spirit into matter " - Swami Vivekananda

KEEP UP THE DEEPEST MENTAL POISE

All great undertakings are achieved through mighty obstacles. Keep up the deepest mental poise. Take not even the slightest notice of what puerile creatures may be saying against you.

- Swami Vivekananda

WE MUST BECOME WORLD-MOVERS, FOR EVERYTHING IS IN US

 

We have to remember that you, I and every one of us will be called upon to become Rishis; and we must have faith in ourselves; we must become world-movers, for everything is in us.

- Swami Vivekananda

WE HAVE TO BECOME ABHIH, FEARLESS AND OUR TASK WILL BE DONE

We have to become Abhih, fearless, and our task will be done. Arise, awake, for your country needs this tremendous sacrifice.

- Swami Vivekananda

MEN, MIND AND NOT BRUTES

India wants the sacrifice of atleast a thousand of her young men - men, mind, and not brutes.

- Swami Vivekananda

IF MATTER IS POWERFUL, THOUGHT IS OMNIPOTENT

Whatever you do, think well on it. All your actions will be magnified, transformed, deified, by the very power of the thought. If matter is powerful, thought is omnipotent.

- Swami Vivekananda

WITHIN THERE IS THE LION - THE ETERNALLY PURE

Within there is the lion - the eternally pure, illumined and ever-free Atman; and directly one realizes Him through meditation and concentration, this world of Maya vanishes.

- Swami Vivekananda

 

LIBERTY OF THOUGHT AND ACTION IS THE ONLY CONDITION OF LIFE

" Liberty of thought and action is the only condition of life, of growth and well being. Where it does not exist, the man, the race, the nation must go down "

- Swami Vivekananda

IT WILL RAISE YOU HIGHER

If you remember what I say, think of it, and digest it, it will be yours, it will raise you higher, and make you capable of understanding and living in truth.

- Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda - News paper Reports

AN ORIENTAL GOD IN NEW YORK.

 

Davenport Daily Republican
Jan 30, 1896

......IT SHOULD BE DONE NO DOUBT WHEN SUCH BRAVE SOULS AS YOU STILL HOLD YOUR OWN.

It is a great work to bring this world into a spirit of sympathy with each other but it should be done no doubt when such brave souls as you still hold your own. Lord help you ever and ever my brother and may you live long to carry on the mighty work you and your society has undertaken.

- Swami Vivekananda
54 W. 33 NEW YORK, 25th April, 1895.

IT IS THAT ETERNAL LOVE, UNRUFFLED EQUANIMITY UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Truth will preach itself, it will not die for the want of the helping hands of me! "Making happiness and misery the same, making success and failure the same, fight thou on" (Gita). It is that eternal love, unruffled equanimity under all circumstances, and perfect freedom from jealousy or animosity that will tell. That will tell, nothing else. 

Yours,
VIVEKANANDA
1895

A WORD FOR YOU.

. . . A word for you. Remember always, I may not see you again. Be moral. Be brave. Be a heart-whole man. Strictly moral, brave unto desperation. Don't bother your head with religious theories. Cowards only sin, brave men never, no, not even in mind. Try to love anybody and everybody. Be a man and try to make those immediately under your care, namely Ram, Krishnamayi, and Indu, brave, moral.

- Swami Vivekananda
Allahabad
5th January, 1890.
My Dear Fakir,

THE DIFFERENCE WAS MADE BY PERSONALITY

" Compare the great teachers of religion with the great philosophers. The philosophers scarcely influenced anybody's inner man, and yet they wrote most marevellous books. The religious teachers, on the other hand, moved countries in their lifetime. The difference was made by personality. In the philosopher it is a faint personality that influences; in the great prophets it is tremendous. In the former we touch the intellect, in the latter we touch life. "

- Swami Vivekananda
Prophert and Pathfinder - 224

I CARE ONLY FOR THE SPIRIT

" I am no politician or political agitator. I care only for the spirit. When it is right, everything will be righted by itself "

- Swami Vivekananda

SO STAND UP MEN AND WOMEN, DARE TO BELIEVE IN THE TRUTH, DARE TO PRACTICE THE TRUTH !!!

 

“It was the great King Bhartrihari¹ who said – “Let the sages blame or let them praise; let the goddess of fortune come or let her go wherever she lik...es; let death come to-day, or let it come in hundreds of years; he indeed is the steady man who does not move one inch from the way of truth.”

“So stand up men and women, dare to believe in the truth, dare to practice the truth!”

- Swami Vivekananda

HE SEETH THE SPARROW'S FALL

It is all He! In the tiger and in the lamb, in the saint and sinner all He! In Him I have taken my refuge, body, soul, and Atman. Will He leave me now after carrying me in His arms all my life? Not a drop will be in the ocean, not a twig in the deepest forest, not a crumb in the house of the god of wealth, if the Lord is not merciful. Streams will be in the desert and the beggar will have plenty, if He wills it. He seeth the sparrow's fall. Are these but words, mother, or literal, actual life?

- Swami Vivekananda
 

CHARACTER IS REPEATED HABITS, AND REPEATED HABITS ALONE CAN REFORM CHARACTER

The only remedy for bad habits is counter habits; all the bad habits that have left their impressions are to be controlled by good habits. Go on doing good, thinking holy thoughts continuously; that is the only way to suppress base impressions. Never say any man is hopeless, because he only represents a character, a bundle of habits, which can be checked by new and better ones. Character is repeated habits, and repeated habits alone can reform character.

- Swami Vivekananda

THIS MISERY THAT I AM SUFFERING IS OF MY OWN DOING, AND THAT VERY THING PROVES THAT IT WILL HAVE TO BE UNDONE BY ME ALONE

 

Say, " This misery that I am suffering is of my own doing, and that very thing proves that it will have to be undone by me alone. " That which I created, I can demolish; that which is created by someone else, I shall never be able to destroy. Therefore, stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.

- Swami Vivekananda
[ Page 28 - Education for character ]