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Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda Quotes

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Famous Swami Vivekananda Quotes

“Not only we can, but some have reached perfection; so no matter what finer bodies come, they could only be on the relative plane and could do no more than we, for to attain freedom is all that can be done.”

MatterDoneBodyPerfectionNo Matter WhatPlanesRelative
Book:Vedanta Philosophy: Inspired Talks, Recorded by a Disciple During the Seven Weeks at Thousand Island Park
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“Patanjali, declares that the true secret of evolution is the manifestation of the perfection which is already in every being; that this perfection has been barred and the infinite tide behind is struggling to express itself. These struggles and competitions are but the results of our ignorance, because we do not know the proper way to unlock the gate and let the water in. This infinite tide behind must express itself; it is the cause of all manifestation.”

KnowsWayHas BeensCausesWaterResultsSecretBehindsStruggleIgnoranceEvolutionPerfectionInfiniteCompetitionManifestationGatesTides
Book:Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)
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“Perfect life is a contradiction in terms. Therefore we must always expect to find things not up to our highest ideal. Knowing this, we are bound to make the best of everything.”

Life IsTermPerfectKnowingHighestIdealsPerfectionBoundsContradictionPerfect Life
Book:The Complete Works of the Swami Vivekananda, Comprising All His Lectures, Addresses and Discourses Delivered in Europe, America and India: All His Writings in Prose and Poetry, Together with Translations of Those Written in Bengali and Sanskrit; Reports of His Interviews and His Replies to the Various Addresses of Welcome; His Sayings and Epistles,--private and Public--original and Translated; with an Index; Carefully Revised & Edited
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“This is the gist of all worship: to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva. And if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste or creed or race or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples”

IfsThinkingMenPoorRaceSeeingHe ManPureWorshipWeakTemplesCreedsPoor ManCastesDiseasedShivaGist
Book:Lectures from Colombo to Almora
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“I am persuaded that a leader is not made in one life. He has to be born for it. For the difficulty is not in organisation and making plans; the test, the real test, of the leader, lies in holding widely different people together along the line of their common sympathies. And this can only be done unconsciously, never by trying.”

PeopleTryingMadeDifferentRealDoneTogetherLyingBornLinesCommonLeaderPlansTestsDifficultyDifferent PeoplesOrganisation
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“Do not stand on a high pedestal and take 5 cents in your hand and say, here, my poor man, but be grateful that the poor man is there, so by making a gift to him you are able to help yourself.It is not the reciever that is blessed, but it is the giver.Be thankful that you are allowed to exercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become pure and perfect.”

MenWorldHelpingHandsAblePerfectPoorExercisePureMercyBlessedGratefulCentsBe GratefulBeing ThankfulGiverBenevolencePoor ManPedestalHelp Yourself
Book:What Religion is: In the Words of Swami Vivekananda
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“Infinite power of the spirit, brought to bear upon matter evolves material development, made to act upon thought evolves intellectuality, and made to act upon itself makes of man a God. First, let us be Gods, and then help other to be GOds. Be and Make. Let this be our motto.”

MenFirstsMadeMatterHelpingSpiritMaterialsDevelopmentBearsInfiniteHelping OthersEvolveMottoGod FirstInfinite Power
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“Tremendous purity, tremendous renunciation, is the one secret of spirituality. “Neither through wealth, nor through progeny, but through renunciation alone is immortality to be reached,” say the Vedas. “Sell all that thou hast and give to poor, and follow me,” says the Christ. So all great saints and prophets have expressed it, and have carried it out in their lives. How can great spirituality come without renunciation?”

GivingSpiritualityChristWealthPoorSecretSellsSaintImmortalityProphetPurityFollow MeRenunciationGreat SpiritualVedasProgeny
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“This little separate self must die. Then we shall find that we are in the Real, and that Real is God, and He is our own true nature, and He is always in us and with us. Let us live in Him and stand in Him. It is the only joyful state of existence. Life on the plane of the Spirit is the only life, and let us all try to attain to this realization.”

TryingLittlesRealSelfStatesSpiritDiesExistenceRealizationPlanesJoyfulTrue Nature
Book:Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge
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“We should cultivate the optimistic temperament, and endeavour to see the good that dwells in everything. If we sit down and lament over the imperfection of our bodies and our minds, we profit nothing; it is the heroic endeavour to subdue adverse circumstances that carries our spirit upward.”

IfsShouldMindBodySpiritCircumstancesOptimismDown AndProfitOptimisticCarrieImperfectionHeroicTemperamentEndeavourLamentAdverse
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“If you are a strong man, very good! But do not curse others who are not strong enough for you. ...Everyone says, "Woe unto you people!!" Who says, "Woe unto me that I cannot help you?" The people are doing all right to the best of their ability and means and knowledge. Woe unto me that I cannot lift them to where I am!”

PeopleIfsMenInspirationalMeanEnoughHelpingStrongAbilityVery GoodLiftsCurseWoeStrong EnoughStrong ManNot StrongNot Strong EnoughWoe Unto
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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