Swami Vivekananda: Thoughts & Quotes

On his 150th birth anniversary, as we remember Swami Vivekananda, the monk who obtained sublime greatness at the feet of his Guru - Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, we enlist some pearls of his wisdom, so that we too may get inspired.

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.

The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.

Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.

The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them

Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

First, believe in the world—that there is meaning behind everything.

Don`t look back—forward, infinite energy, infinite enthusiasm, infinite daring, and infinite patience—then alone can great deeds be accomplished.

This is the first lesson to learn: be determined not to curse anything outside, not to lay the blame upon anyone outside, but stand up, lay the blame on yourself. You will find that is always true. Get hold of yourself.

I, for one, thoroughly believe that no power in the universe can withhold from a anyone anything they really deserve.

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 the world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear.

First get rid of the delusion “I am the body”, then only will we want real knowledge.

We have to go back to philosophy to treat things as they are. We are suffering from our own karma. It is not the fault of God. What we do is our own fault, nothing else. Why should God be blamed?

Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.

We must have friendship for all; we must be merciful toward those that are in misery; when people are happy, we ought to be happy; and to the wicked we must be indifferent. These attitudes will make the mind peaceful.

Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.

Each work has to pass through these stages—ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Those who think ahead of their time are sure to be misunderstood.

Whenever we attain a higher vision, the lower vision disappears of itself.

A few heart-whole, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century.

Work and worship are necessary to take away the veil, to lift off the bondage and illusion.

Man comes from God in the beginning, in the middle he becomes man, and in the end he goes back to God.

He is an Acharya through whom the Divine Power acts.

Despondency is not religion, whatever else it may be. By being pleasant always and smiling, it takes you nearer to God, nearer than any prayer.

The greatest men in the world have passed away unknown. Silently they live and silently they pass away; and in time their thoughts find expression in Buddhas or Christs, and it is these latter that become known to us.

Compiled by: Akrita Reyar