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Swami Vivekananda Quotes

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Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 – July 4, 1902) was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, and social reformer. Born as Narendranath Datta in Kolkata, he was a chief disciple of the mystic Ramakrishna. He is best known for his historic speech at the 1893 Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, where he introduced Hinduism to the Western world. He founded the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897, focusing on social service, education, and interfaith harmony. His teachings emphasized self-realization, service to humanity, and the unity of all religions. He wrote extensively on yoga and Vedanta philosophy, influencing global spirituality and Indian nationalism. He died at the age of 39, leaving a lasting legacy as a bridge between Eastern and Western thought.

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Famous Swami Vivekananda Quotes

“The body is our enemy, and yet is our friend.”

Body Enemy Human Body

Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

“The body is subject to the law of growth and decay, what grows must of necessity decay.”

Body Law Grows Growth Subjects Decay Human Body

Book:Pathways to Joy: The Master Vivekananda on the Four Yoga Paths to God

Source: Pathways to Joy: The Master Vivekananda on the Four Yoga Paths to God

“The body is the external coating and the mind is the internal coating of the Atman who is the real perceiver, the real enjoyer, the being in the body who is working the body by means of the internal organ or the mind.”

Mind Mean Real Body Internals Organs Human Body Mind Body Atman

Book:Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge

Source: Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge

“The body must be properly taken care of. The people who torture their flesh are demoniacal.”

People Body Care Taken Flesh Torture Human Body

Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

“The less the thought of the body, the better. For it is the body that drags us down.”

Body Drag Human Body

Book:The Powers of The Mind

Source: The Powers of The Mind

“The organs are the horses, the mind is the rein, the intellect is the charioteer, the soul is the rider, and the body is the chariot.”

Mind Soul Body Horse Intellect Organs Human Body Riders Reins Chariots

Book:Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

Source: Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

“The root of evil is in the illusion that we are bodies. This, if any, is the original sin.”

Ifs Body Evil Sin Illusion Roots Originals Human Body Original Sin

Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Source: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

“There are the altars, but here is the greatest of altars, the living, conscious human body, and to worship at this altar is far higher than the worship of any dead symbols.”

Humans Body Higher Worship Conscious Symbols Human Body Altars

Book:Practical Vedanta Philosophy

Source: Practical Vedanta Philosophy

“There is but one temple - the body. It is the only temple that ever existed.”

Body Temples Human Body

Book:Complete Works

Source: Complete Works

“Thirst after body is the great bane of human life.”

Humans Body Human Life Thirst Human Body Bane

Book:Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

Source: Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

“This body is a combination. It is only a fiction to say that I have one body, you another, and the sun another.”

Body Fiction Sun Combination Human Body

Book:Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

Source: Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

“This idea of body is a simple superstition. It is superstition that makes us happy or unhappy. It is superstition caused by ignorance that makes us feel heat and cold, pain and pleasure.”

Feels Ideas Body Pain Simple Pleasure Ignorance Cold Unhappy Heat Superstitions Human Body Pain And Pleasure Heat And Cold

Book:Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

Source: Raja Yoga (Annotated Edition)

“We have to keep the body in good health; we have to take care of what we eat and drink, and what we do.”

Body Care Drink Take Care Human Body Good Health

Book:Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

Source: Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

“When the forces that hold it together go away, the body must fall.”

Body Together Fall Force Going Away Human Body

Book:Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

Source: Raja Yoga: Conquering the Internal Nature

“When we free ourselves from name and form, especially from a body - when we need no body, good or bad - then only do we escape from bondage. Eternal progression is eternal bondage; annihilation of form is to be preferred. We must get free from any body, even a "god-body". God is the only real existence, there cannot be two. There is but One Soul, and I am That.”

Needs Two Real Soul Body Form Names Existence Eternal Bondage Progression Annihilation

Book:Vedanta Philosophy: Inspired Talks, Recorded by a Disciple During the Seven Weeks at Thousand Island Park

Source: Vedanta Philosophy: Inspired Talks, Recorded by a Disciple During the Seven Weeks at Thousand Island Park

“Work done for the Self gives no bondage. Neither desire pleasure nor fear pain from work. It is the mind and body that work, not I. Tell yourself this unceasingly and realise it. Try not to know that you work.”

Knows Giving Trying Mind Self Done Body Pain Desire Pleasure Working It Realising Bondage Mind And Body Work Done

Book:Complete Works

Source: Complete Works

“Even books are nurses, medicines are nurses. But we must work to bring about the time when man shall recognise his mastery over his own body. Herbs and medicines have power over us as long as we allow them; when we become strong, these external methods are no more necessary.”

Men Long Book Body Strong Method Medicine Nurse Mastery Recognise Herbs

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

Source: 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

“We can form no idea of the millions of pounds that are spent every year in the making of dress in the West. The dress-making business has become a regular science. What colour of dress will suit with the complexion of the girl and the colour of her hair, what special feature of her body should be disguised, and what displayed to the best advantage-these and many other like important points, the dressmakers have seriously to consider. Again, the dress that ladies of very high position wear, others have to wear also, otherwise they lose their caste! This is FASHION.”