Swami Vivekananda's Quotes On Democracy ~ Swami Vivekananda Quotes

First create the power, the sanction from which the law will spring.
The kings are gone;
where is the new sanction, the new power of the people?

—Swami Vivekananda

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

In this page we'll collect Swami Vivekananda's quotes on Democracy. Related articles are listed at the bottom of this page.

First create the power, the sanction from which the law will spring. The kings are gone; where is the new sanction, the new power of the people?^[Source]
In a country like ours, however, it does not seem quite practicable to me to start an organisation at once with a democratic basis or work by general voting. People in the West are more educated in this respect, and less jealous of one another than ourselves. They have learnt to respect merit.^[Source]
In every country, the means is the same after all, that is, whatever only a handful of powerful men dictate becomes the fait accompli; the rest of the men only follow like a flock of sheep, that's all. I have seen your Parliament, your Senate, your vote, majority, ballot; it is the same thing everywhere, my friend. The powerful men in every country are moving society whatever way they like, and the rest are only like a flock of sheep. Now the question is this, who are these men of power in India?—they who are giants in religion. It is they who lead our society; and it is they again who change our social laws and usages when necessity demands: and we listen to them silently anti do what they command. The only difference with ours is, that we have not that superfluous fuss and bustle of the majority, the vote, ballot, and similar concomitant tugs-of-war as in other countries. That is all.^[Source]
It is the democratic God that Vedanta teaches. Take for instance my case. I was just an insignificant man there, and yet see how cordially they received and entertained me. When with the spread of education the masses in our country grow more sympathetic and liberal, when they learn to have their thoughts expanded beyond the limits of sect or party, then it will be possible to work; on the democratic basis of organization. For this reason it is necessary to have a dictator for this Society. Everybody should obey him, and then in time we may work on the principle of general voting.^[Source]
It will certainly end in the working out of India's homogeneity, in her acquiring what we may call democratic ideas. Intelligence must not remain the monopoly of the cultured few; it will be disseminated from higher to lower classes. Education is coming, and compulsory education will follow. The immense power of our people for work must be utilised. India's potentialities are great and will be called forth".^[Source]
Just as in the West, we find this prominent fact in the political development of Western races that they cannot bear absolute rule, that they are always trying to prevent any one man from ruling over them, and are gradually advancing to higher and higher democratic ideas, higher and higher ideas of physical liberty, so, in Indian metaphysics, exactly the same phenomenon appears in the development of spiritual life.^[Source]
Kings having gone, the power is the people's.^[Source]
No priestcraft, no social tyranny! More bread, more opportunity for everybody!^[Source]
The new order of things is the salvation of the people by the people, and it takes time to make it workable, especially in India, which has always in the past been governed by king.^[Source]
The one problem you have is to give to the masses their rights.^[Source]
The poor man is a democrat. When he becomes rich, he becomes an aristocrat. In religion, too, human nature acts in the same way.^[Source]
There is a chance of Vedanta becoming the religion of your country (United States) because of democracy.^[Source]
They speak of democracy, of the equality of all men, these days. But how will a man know he is equal with all? He must have a strong brain, a clear mind free of nonsensical ideas; he must pierce through the mass of superstitions encrusting his mind to the pure truth that is in his inmost Self. Then he will know that all perfections, all powers are already within himself, that these have not to be given him by others. When he realises this, he becomes free that moment, he achieves equality.^[Source]
This is the true democracy, it is the socialistic idea, the development of the masses, not the individual.^[Source]