20 Mind-Boggling Quotations Of Swami Vivekananda ~ Swami Vivekananda Quotes

As you are aware that in this website we have been preparing articles and compilations of Swami Vivekananda on every possible topic and subject.

Here is a(nother) special article of this website. Here you'll find 20 mind-boggling quotations of Swami Vivekananda.

All of you may not find these quotations mind-boggling. We, however, found these quotations—

thought-provoking
insightful
interesting
powerful

Hope you'll like our attempt. (following our practice, we'll use WikiSource to refer quotes, so that you can read the entire chapter or discourse easily and freely)

20 Mind-Boggling Quotations of Swami Vivekananda

On Atheism

①

A great sage used to say, "Suppose there is a thief in a room, and somehow he comes to know that there is a vast mass of gold in the next room, and that there is only a thin partition between the two rooms What would be the condition of that thief? He would be sleepless, he would not be able to eat or do anything. His whole mind would be on getting that gold. Do you mean to say that, if all these people really believed that the Mine of Happiness, of Blessedness, of Glory were here, they would act as they do in the world, without trying to get God?" As soon as a man begins to believe there is a God, he becomes mad with longing to get to Him. Others may go their way, but as soon as a man is sure that there is a much higher life than that which he is leading here, as soon as he feels sure that the senses are not all, that this limited, material body is as nothing compared with the immortal, eternal, undying bliss of the Self, he becomes mad until he finds out this bliss for himself. And this madness, this thirst, this mania, is what is called the "awakening" to religion, and when that has come, a man is beginning to be religious.^[Source]

On Blaming

②③

How absurd to take the credit of doing the good act on oneself and lay the blame for the evil act on the Lord!^[Source]
Let us remember the words of Kâlidâsa: "Fools blame the actions of the great, because they are extraordinary and their reasons past the finding-out of ordinary mortals."^[Source]

On Cowardice

④⑤

Strength and manliness are virtue; weakness and cowardice are sin.^[Source]
We are for ever trying to make our weakness look like strength, our sentiment like love, our cowardice like courage, and so on.^[Source]

On Education

⑥⑦

If education is identical with information, the libraries are the greatest sages in the world, and encyclopaedias are the Rishis.^[Source]
If the mountain does not come to Mohammed, Mohammed must go to the mountain. If the poor cannot come to education, education must reach them at the plough, in the factory, everywhere.^[Source]

On Fear

⑧⑨

Always say, "I have no fear." Tell this to everybody --"Have no fear". Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in this world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear. This fear alone has kept the sun, air and death in their respective places and functions, allowing none to escape from their bounds.^[Source]
In this world we work through fear of others, we talk through fear, we think through fear, alas! we are born in a land of enemies. Who is there who has been able to get rid of this feeling of fear, as if everyone is a spy set specially to watch him? And woe unto the man who pushes himself forward! Will it ever be a land of friends? Who knows?^[Source]

On Friendship

⑩

Friendship with many is best at a distance, and everything goes well with the person who stands on his own feet.^[Source]

On God

⑪⑫

God is the one goal of all our passions and emotions. If you want to be angry, be angry with Him. Chide your Beloved, chide your Friend. Whom else can you safely chide? Mortal man will not patiently put up with your anger; there will be a reaction. If you are angry with me I am sure quickly to react, because I cannot patiently put up with your anger. Say unto the Beloved, "Why do You not come to me; why do You leave me thus alone?" Where is there any enjoyment but in Him? What enjoyment can there be in little clods of earth? It is the crystallised essence of infinite enjoyment that we have to seek, and that is in God. Let all our passions and emotions go up unto Him They are meant for Him. . .^[Source]
Go to God directly. No theories, no doctrines. Then alone will all doubts vanish. Then alone will all crookedness be made straight.^[Source]

On Habit

⑬

The only remedy for bad habits is counter habits; all the bad habits that have left their impressions are to be controlled by good habits. Go on doing good, thinking holy thoughts continuously; that is the only way to suppress base impressions. 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.^[Source]

On Love

⑭⑮

Beggar's love is no love at all. The first sign of love is when love asks nothing, [when it] gives everything.^[^Source^]
Man rails in love with woman, and woman goes to die for man. The chances are that in five minutes John kicks Jane, and Jane kicks John. This is a materialism and no love at all. If John could really love Jane, he would be perfect that moment.^[^Source^]

On Opposition

⑯

Each work has to pass through these stages — ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Each man who thinks ahead of his time is sure to be misunderstood. So opposition and persecution are welcome, only I have to be steady and pure and must have immense faith in God, and all these will vanish. . . .^[Source]

On Realization

⑰

I was once travelling in the desert in India. I travelled for over a month and always found the most beautiful landscapes before me, beautiful lakes and all that. One day I was very thirsty and I wanted to have a drink at one of these lakes; but when I approached that lake it vanished. Immediately with a blow came into my brain the idea that this was a mirage about which I had read all my life; and then I remembered and smiled at my folly, that for the last month all the beautiful landscapes and lakes I had been seeing were this mirage, but I could not distinguish them then. The next morning I again began my march; there was the lake and the landscape, but with it immediately came the idea, "This is a mirage." Once known it had lost its power of illusion. So this illusion of the universe will break one day. The whole of this will vanish, melt away. This is realization.^[^Source^]

On Salvation
⑱

Salvation never will come through hope of reward.^[Source]

On Weakness

⑲⑳

The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength.^[Source]
Many a time comes when we want to interpret our weakness and cowardice as forgiveness and renunciation.^[Source]