7 Things You Should Never Say ~ Swami Vivekananda Quotes

We know about popular sayings/proverbs like "Never say die" or "Never say goodbye".

This is another special article of this project and our this article's topic is "7 things you should never say" — according to Swami Vivekananda.

① Never say . . . "I cannot"

Swamiji suggested—^[Source]

Never say, "No", never say, "I cannot", for you are infinite. Even time and space are as nothing compared with your nature. You can do anything and everything, you are almighty.

② Never say. . . "Man is weak"

Swamiji told—^[Source]

Never say man is weak. Wisdom - yoga is no better than the others. Love is the ideal and requires no object. Love is God. So even through devotion we reach the subjective God. I am He! How can one work, unless one loves city, country, animals, the universe? Reason leads to the finding of unity in variety. Let the atheist and the agnostic work for the social good. So God comes.

③ Never say. . . "I am a miserable sinner"

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Swamiji's bold words—^[Source]

Never say, "O Lord, I am a miserable sinner." Who will help you? You are the help of the universe. What in this universe can help you? Where is the man, or the god, or the demon to help you? What can prevail over you? You are the God of the universe; where can you seek for help? Never help came from anywhere but from yourself. In your ignorance, every prayer that you made and that was answered, you thought was answered by some Being, but you answered the prayer yourself unknowingly. The help came from yourself, and you fondly imagined that some one was sending help to you. There is no help for you outside of yourself; you are the creator of the universe.

④ Never say. . . "Mine"

Swamiji advised—^[Source]

Never say "mine". Whenever we say a thing is "mine", misery will immediately come. Do not even say "my child" in your mind. Possess the child, but do not say "mine". If you do, then will come the misery. Do not say “my house," do not say "my body". The whole difficulty is there. The body is neither yours, nor mine, nor anybody's. These bodies are coming and going by the laws of nature, but we are free, standing as witness. This body is no more free than a picture or a wall. Why should we be attached so much to a body? If somebody paints a picture, he does it and passes on. Do not project that tentacle of selfishness, "I must possess it". As soon as that is projected, misery will begin.

⑤ Never say. . . "An idolater worships a piece of stone"

Vivekananda asked—^[Source]

Is there any God? Is there anyone to be loved, any such one capable of being loved? Loving the stone would not be much good. We only love that which understands love, that which draws our love. So with worship. Never say [that] there is a man in this world of ours who worshipped a piece of stone [as stone]. He always worshipped [the omnipresent being in the stone].

⑥ Never say. . . "Enough"

It was Swamiji's suggestion—^[Source]

Persevere on, my brave lads. We have only just begun. Never despond! Never say enough! . . . As soon as a man comes over to the West and sees different nations, his eyes open.

⑦ Never say. . . "Any man is hopeless"

Swami Vivekananda advised—^[Source]

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.