THE ELEPHANT PASSING THROUGH THE MARKET - PLACE IS ALWAYS BESET BY CURS, BUT HE CARES NOT. HE GOES STRAIGHT ON HIS OWN WAY.

I hate this world, this dream, this horrible nightmare with its churches and chicaneries, its books and blackguardisms, its fair faces and false hearts, its howling righteousness on the surface and utter hollowness beneath, and, above all, its sanctified shopkeeping. What! measure any soul according to what the bond-slaves of the world say? — Pooh! Sister, you do not know the Sannyasin. "He stands on the heads of the Vedas!" say the Vedas, because he is free from churches and sects and religions and prophets and books and all of that ilk! Missionary or no missionary, let them howl and attack me with all they can, I take them as Bhartrihari says, "Go thou thy ways, Sannyasin! Some will say, 'Who is this mad man?' Others, 'Who is this Chandâla?' Others will know thee to be a sage. Be glad at the prattle of the worldlings." But when they attack, know that, "The elephant passing through the market-place is always beset by curs, but he cares not. He goes straight on his own way. So it is always, when a great soul appears there will be numbers to bark after him."

- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 5/Epistles - First Series/XXXII Sister

STRUGGLE, STRUGGLE, WAS MY MOTTO FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS.

Struggle, struggle, was my motto for the last ten years. Struggle, still say I. When it was all dark, I used to say, struggle; when light is breaking in, I still say, struggle. Be not afraid, my children. Look not up in that attitude of fear towards that infinite starry vault as if it would crush you.

- Swami Vivekananda
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Writings: Prose/To my Brave Boys

THESE ARE THE ONLY TRAITS THAT LEAD TO INDIVIDUAL AND NATIONAL REGENERATION

" It is not at all in our nature to do a work conjointly. It is to this that our miserable condition is due. He who knows how to obey knows how to command. Learn ...obedience first. Among these Western nations, with such a high spirit of independence, the spirit of obedience is equally strong. We are all of us self-important — which never produces any work. Great enterprise, boundless courage, tremendous energy, and, above all, perfect obedience — these are the only traits that lead to individual and national regeneration. These traits are altogether lacking in us "

- Swami Vivekananda
LONDON, 13th Nov., 1895.
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 6/Epistles - Second Series/LXXXV Akhandananda

 

 

PURITY, PERSEVERANCE AND ENERGY

C/O E. T. STURDY, ESQ.,
HIGH VIEW, CAVERSHAM, READING, ENGLAND

17th Sept., 1895.
DEAR MRS. BULL,

Mr. Sturdy and I want to get hold of a few of the best, say, strong and intelligent men in England to form a society, and therefore we must proceed slowly. We must take care not to be run over with "fads" from the first. This you will know has been my policy in America too. Mr. Sturdy has been in India living with our Sannyasins in their manner for some time. He is an exceedingly energetic man, educated and well versed in Sanskrit. ... So far so good. ... Purity, perseverance, and energy — these three I want, and if I get only half a dozen here, my work will go on. I have a great chance of such a few.

VIVEKANANDA