SWAMY VIVEKANANDA CALL TO NATION

1. He is an atheist who does not believe in himself. The old religions said that
he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is
an atheist who does not believe in himself. CW II 301
2. The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in
themselves. That faith calls the divinity within. You can do anything. You fail
only when you do not strive sufficiently to manifest infinite power. As soon as
a man or a nation loses faith, death comes. CW VIII 228
. !aith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God, this is the secret of
greatness. "f you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your
mythological Gods, and in all the Gods which foreigners have now and again
introduced into your midst, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is
no salvation for you. CW III 190
#. $ever thin% there is anything impossible for the soul. "t is greatest hearsay to
thin% so. "f there is sin, this is the only sin & to say that you are wea%, or others
are wea%. CW II '(
). *e free+ hope for nothing from anyone. " am sure, if you loo% bac% upon your
lives, you will find that you were always trying to get help from others, which
never came. All the help that has come was from within yourselves. CW II
324
,. $ever say, -$o., never say, -" cannot., for you are infinite. /ven time and
space are as nothing compared with your nature. You can do anything and
everything, you are almighty. CW II 300
0. Ye are the children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect
beings. Ye divinities on earth 1 sinners2 "t is a sin to call a man so+ it is a
standing libel on human nature. 3ome up, 4 lions, and sha%e off the delusion
that you are sheep+ you are souls immortal, spirits free blest and eternal. CW I
11
(. $ever mind the struggles, the mista%es. " never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is
only a cow 1 never a man. 5o never mind these failures, these little
bac%slidings+ hold the ideal a thousand times+ and if you fail a thousand times
ma%e the attempt once more. CW II 152
6. The remedy for wea%ness is not brooding over wea%ness, but thin%ing of
strength. Teach men of strength that is already within them. CW II 300
1'."f there is one word you find coming li%e a bomb from the 7pnishads,
bursting li%e a bomb&shell upon masses of ignorance, it is the word,
fearlessness. CW III 160
11. "f you loo%, you will find that " have never 8uoted anything but the 7pnishads.
And of the 7pnishads, it is only that one idea, strength. The 8uintessence of
the 9edas and 9edanta and all lies in that word. CW VIII 267
12.*e strong, my young friends, that is my advice to you. You will be nearer to
heaven through football than through study of the Gita. These are bold words,
but " have to say them, for " love you. " %now where the shoe pinches. " have
gained a little e:perience. You will understand the Gita better with your
biceps, your muscles, a little stronger. CW III 242
1.This is one 8uestion " put to every men;..Are you strong< =o you feel
strength< 1 for " %now it is the truth alone that gives strength;;.5trength is
the medicine for the world.s disease. CW II 201
1#.This is great fact+ 5trength is life+ wea%ness is death. 5trength is felicity, life
eternal, immortal+ wea%ness is constant strain and misery, wea%ness is
death. CW II 3
1).To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. -" will
drin% the ocean., says the persevering soul, -at my will, mountains will
crumble up.. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will+ wor% hard, and you
will reach the goal. CW I 178
1,.>en, men, these are wanted+ everything else will be ready, but strong,
vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the bac%bone, are wanted. A
hundred such and the world become revolutioni?ed. CW III 223-24
10.Are not drums made in the country< Are not trumpets and %ettle&drums
available in "ndia< >a%e the boys hear the deep&toned sound of these
instruments. Hearing from boyhood the sound of these effeminate forms of
music, ;; the country is well&nigh converted into a country of women.
CW II 232
1(.=eath is better than a vegetating ignorant life+ it is better to die on the battle&
field than to live a life of defeat. CW II 124
16.3ome, do something heroic, *rother, what if you do not attain mukti, what if
you suffer damnation a few times< "s the saying untrue@ -There are some
saints who, full of holiness in thought, word, and deed, please the whole world
by their numerous beneficent acts, and who develop their own hearts by
magnifying an atom of virtue in others as if it were as great a mountain.. CW
VI 314-5
2'.3an anything be done unless everybody e:erts himself to his utmost< -"t is the
man of action, the lion&heart that the Goddess of Aealth resorts to.. $o need
of loo%ing behind. !4BAAB=2 Ae want infinite energy, infinite ?eal, infinite
courage, and infinite patience, then, only will great things be achieved.
CW VI 383-84
21.*e not in despair+ the way is very difficult, li%e wal%ing on the edge of a
ra?or+ yet despair not, arise, awa%e, and find the ideal, the goal. CW II 124
22.Ahy weepest thou, brother< There is neither death, nor disease for thee. Ahy
weepest thou, brother< There is neither misery, nor misfortune for thee. Ahy
weepest thou, brother< $either change nor death was predicted of thee. Thou
art /:istence Absolute. ;; *e your own self. CW V 275
2.Cet people say whatever they li%e, stic% to your own convictions, and rest
assured, the world will be at your feet. They say, -have faith in this fellow, or
that fellow., but " say, -Have faith in yourself 1 all power is in you 1 be
conscious and bring it out. 5ay, -" can do everything.. -/ven the poison of
sna%e is powerless, if you can firmly deny it.. CW VI 274
2#.4nce when " was in Varanasi, " was passing through a place where there was a
large tan% of water on one side and high wall on the other. "t was in the
grounds where there were many mon%eys. The mon%eys of Varanasi are huge
brutes and sometimes surly. They now too% it into their heads not to allow me
to pass through their street, so they howled and shrie%ed and clutched at my
feet as " passed. As they pressed closer, " began to run, but the faster " ran, the
faster came the mon%eys, and they began to bite at me. "t seemed impossible
to escape, but Dust then " met a stranger who called to me, -!ace the brutes.. "
turned and faced the mon%eys, and they fell bac% and finally fled. That is the
lesson for all life 1 face the terrible, face it boldly. CW I 338
2).5tand up and fight2 $ot one step, bac%, that is the idea. !ight it out, whatever
comes. Cet the stars move from the spheres2 Cet the whole world stand against
us2 =eath means only a change of garment. Ahat of it< Thus fight2 You gain
nothing by becoming cowards. Ta%ing a step bac%ward, you do not avoid any
misfortune. You have cried to all Gods in the world. Has miseries ceased<
;.The Gods come to help you when you have succeeded. 5o what is the use<
=ie game. You are infinite, deathless, birthless. *ecause you are infinite spirit,
it does not befit you to be a slave. Arise2 Awa%e2 5tand up and fight2 CW I
461
2,.Ta%e up one idea. >a%e that one idea your life 1 thin% of it, dream of it, live
on that idea. Cet the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of
that idea alone. This is the way to success. ;.. "f we really want to be blessed,
and ma%e others blessed, we must go deeper. CW I 177
20.All the great prophets, saints, and the seers of the world 1 what did they do< "n
one span of life, they lived the whole life of humanity, traversed the whole
length of time that it ta%es the ordinary humanity to come to perfection. "n one
life, they perfect themselves+ they have no thought for anything else, never
live a moment for any other idea, and thus the way is shortened for them. This
is what is meant by concentration, intensifying the power of assimilation, thus
shortening the time. CW I 157
2(.The more this power of concentration, the more %nowledge is ac8uired,
because this is the one and only method of ac8uiring %nowledge. /ven the
lowest shoeblac%, if he gives more concentration, will blac% shoes better+ the
coo% with concentration will coo% a meal all the better. "n ma%ing money, or
in worshipping God, or in doing anything, the better the power of
concentration, the better will that thing be done. This is the one call, the one
%noc%, which opens the gates of nature, and lets out the floods of light. CW II
391
26.How has all the %nowledge in the world been gained but the concentration of
the powers of mind< The world is ready to give its secrets, if we only %now
how to %noc%, how to give it the necessary blow. The strength and force of the
blow come through concentration. There is no limit to the power of the human
mind. The more concentration it is, the more power is brought to bean on one
point+ that is the secret. CW I 130-31
'.$o force can be created+ it can only be directed. Therefore, we must learn to
control the grand powers that are already in our hands, and by will power
ma%e them spiritual, instead of animal. Thus it is clearly seen that chastity is
the cornerstone of all morality and of all religions. CW VIII 46
1.!ree2 Ae, who cannot, for a moment, govern our own minds, nay, cannot hold
our minds on a subDect, focus, it on a point to the e:clusion of everything else,
for a moment2 Yet we call ourselves free. Thin% of it2.....The mind
uncontrolled and unguided will drag us down, down, forever & rend us, %ill
us+ and the mind controlled and guided will save us, free us. CW VI 30
2.The main difference between men and the animals is the difference in their
power of concentration. All success in any line of wor% is the result of this.
;.. The difference in the power of concentration also constitutes the
difference between man and man. 3ompare the lowest with the highest man.
The difference is in the degree of concentration. CW VI 37
.$inety percent of thought&force is wasted by the ordinary human being,
therefore he is constantly committing blunders+ the trained man or mind never
ma%es a mista%e. CW VI 123-24
#.Ahat wor% you do e:cept from the men of little hearts< $othing in the world2
You must have an iron will if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong
enough to pierce mountains. CW VI 297
).Good and evil thoughts are each a potent power, and they fill the universe. As
vibration continues, so thought remains in the form of thought until translated
into action. !or e:ample, force is latent in the arm until he stri%es a blow,
when he translates it into activity. Ae are the heirs of good and evil thought. "f
we ma%e ourselves pure and the instruments of good thoughts, these will enter
us. The good soul will not be receptive to evil thoughts. CW VI 134
,."n the history of man%ind, you will find that there come >essengers, and that
from their very birth there mission is found and formed. The whole plan is
there, laid down+ and you see them swerving not one inch from that. *ecause
they come with a mission, they come with a message, ;.. Ahen they spea%,
each word is direct+ it bursts li%e a bomb&shell. Ahat is in the word, unless it
has the Eower behind< Ahat matters is what language you spea%, and how
you arrange your language< Ahat matters it whether you spea% correct
grammar or with fine rhetoric< Ahat matters it whether your language is
ornamental or not< The 8uestion is@ Ahether or not you have anything to
give< "t is a 8uestion of giving and ta%ing, and not listening. Have you
anything to give< 1 that is the first 8uestion. "f you have, then, give. CW VI
122-23-24
0.Ahatever you do, devote your whole mind, heart and soul to it. " once met a
great sannyasi, who cleansed his brass coo%ing utensils, ma%ing them shine
li%e gold, with as much care and attention as he bestowed on his worship and
meditation. Life p284
(.How to attain purity living this life< 5hall we all go to the forest caves< Ahat
good it would do< "f the mind is not under control, it is no use living in a cave
because the same mind will bring disturbances there. Ae will find twenty
devils in the cave because all the devils are in mind. "f the mind is under
control, we can have the cave anywhere, wherever we are. "t is our own
mental attitude which ma%es the world what it is for us. 4ur thoughts ma%e
things beautiful, our thoughts ma%e things ugly. The whole world is in our
own minds. Cearn to see things in proper light. CW I 440-41
6.Ahat do " care if >ohammed as a good man, or *uddha2 =oes that alter m!
own goodness or evil< Cet us be good for our own sa%e and our own
responsibility2 $ot because somebody way bac% there was good2 "em# p#273
#'.Ae are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we
have the power to ma%e ourselves. "f what we are now has been the result of
our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future
can be produced by our present actions+ so we have to %now how to act. CW
I 31
#1.This human body is the greatest body in the universe, and the human being the
greatest being. >an is higher than all animals, than all angels+ none is greater
than man. CW 1 142
#2.$an is man% s& l&n' as (e is stru''lin' t& rise a)&*e nature, and his nature is
both internal and e:ternal. ;;. And if we read the history of nations between
the lines, we shall always find that the rise of a nation comes with an increase
in the number of such men+ and the fall begins when the pursuit after the
"nfinite, however vain the 7tilitarian may call it, has ceased. That is to say, the
mainspring of the strength of every race lies in its spirituality, and the death of
that race begins the day that spirituality wanes and materialism gains ground.
CW II 64-65
#.This world is the great gymnasium where we come to ma%e ourselves
strong. CW V 410
##.All healthy social changes are the manifestations of the spiritual forces
wor%ing within, and if these are strong and well adDusted. 5ociety will arrange
itself accordingly. /ach individual has to wor% out his own salvation+ there is
no other way, and so also with nations. ;.. "t is very easy to point out the
defects of institutions, all being more or less imperfect, but he is the real
benefactor of humanity who helps the individual to overcome his
imperfections under whatever institutions he may live. The individuals being
raised, the nation and its institutions are bound to rise. CW V 415-16
#).You have to grow from inside out. $one can teach you, none can ma%e you
spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. CW V 410
#,.>en in general lay all the blame of life on their fellowmen, or, failing that, on
God, or they conDure up a ghost, and say it is fate. Ahere is fate, and who is
fate< Ae reap what we sow. Ae are the ma%ers of our own fate. $one else has
the blame, none has the praise. The wind is blowing+ and those vessels whose
sails are unfurled catch it, and go forward on their way, but those which have
their sails furled do not catch the wind. "s the fault of the wind< CW II 224
#0.5ay, -This misery that " am suffering is of my own doing, and that very thing
proves that it will have to be undone by me alone.. That which " created, " can
demolish+ that which is created by someone else, " shall never be able to
destroy. Therefore, stand up, be bold, be strong. Ta%e the whole responsibility
on your own shoulders, and %now that you are the creator of your own destiny.
All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves. CW II 225
#(.>a%e your own future. -Cet the dead past bury its dead.. The infinite future is
before you, and you must always remember that each word, thought and deed
lays up a store for you, and that as the bad thoughts and bad wor%s are ready
to spring upon li%e tigers, so also there is the inspiring hope that the good
thoughts and good deeds are ready with the power of hundred thousand angels
to defend you always and for ever. CW II 225
#6.-4urs not to reason why, ours but to do and die.. *e of good cheer and believe
that we are selected by the Cord to do great things, and we will do them. CW
V 23
)'.7nfortunately, in this life, the vast maDority of persons are groping through
this dar% life without any ideal at all. "f a man with an ideal ma%es a thousand
mista%es, " am sure that the man without an ideal ma%es fifty thousand.
Therefore, it is better to have an ideal. CW II 152
)1.>an begins to struggle and fight against nature. He ma%es many mista%es, he
suffers. *ut eventually, he con8uers nature and reali?es his freedom. Ahen he
is free, nature becomes his slave. CW VII 249
)2." disagree with the idea that freedom is obedience to the law of nature. " do
not understand what that means. According to history of human progress, it is
disobedience to nature that has constituted that progress. CW VIII 257
).!or the world can be good and pure, only if our lives are good and pure. "t is
an effect, and we are the means. Therefore, let us purify ourselves. Cet us
ma%e ourselves perfect. CW II 9
)#.Ahat is the use of fighting and complaining< That will not help us to better
things. He who grumbles at the little thing that has fallen to his lot to do, will
grumble at everything. Always grumbling, he will lead a miserable life, and
everything will be a failure. *ut that man who does his duty as he goes,
putting his shoulder to the wheel, will see the light, and higher and higher
duties will fall to his share. CW V 242
)).=o not fly away from the wheels of the world&machine, but stand aside it and
learn the secret of wor%. Through proper wor% done inside, it is also possible
to come out. CW I 115
),./very thought that we thin%, every deed we do, after a, certain becomes fine,
goes into seed form, so to spea%, and lives in the fine body in a potential form,
and after a time, it emerges again and bears its results. These results condition
the life of man. Thus he moulds his own life. >an is not bound by any laws
e:cepting those which he ma%es for himself. CW II 348
)0.>y ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is@ to preach unto
man%ind their =ivinity, and how to ma%e it manifest in every movement of
life. CW VII 498
)(.Eurity, patience, and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and
above all 1 love. CW VI 281
)6.Cife is ever e:panding, contraction is death. The self&see%ing man who is
loo%ing after his personal comforts and leading a la?y life 1 there is no room
for him even in hell. CW VI 294
,'." am sure God will pardon a man who will use his reason and cannot believe,
rather than a man who believes blindly instead of using his faculties He has
given him. ;;. Ae must reason+ and when reason proves to us the truth of
these prophets and great men and about whom the ancient boo%s spea% in
every country, we shall believe in them. Ae shall believe in them when we see
such prophets among ourselves. Ae shall then find that they were not peculiar
men, but only illustrations of certain principals. CW VI 12-13
,1.Ahy should you not try to hit the mar%< Ae become wiser through failures.
Time is infinite. Coo% at the wall. =id the wall ever tell a lie< "t is always the
wall. >an tells a lie 1 and becomes a God, too. "t is better to do something+
never mind even if it proves to be wrong+ it is better than doing nothing. The
cow never tells a lie+ but she remains a cow, all the time. =o something2 CW
IV 126-27
,2.Go on doing good, thin%ing holy thoughts continuously, that is the only way
to suppress base impressions. $ever say any man is hopeless, because he only
represents a character, a bundle of habits, which can be chec%ed by new and
better ones. 3haracter is repeated habits, and repeated habits alone can reform
character. ;. The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will
power. CW I 208%263
,.Ae can overcome the difficulty by constant practice. Ae must learn that
nothing can happen to us, unless we ma%e ourselves susceptible to it. CW II 7
,#." was once traveling in the Himalayas and the long road stretched before us.
Ae poor mon%s cannot get anybody to carry us, so we had to ma%e all the way
on foot. There was an old man with us. ;; He said, -4h, 5ir, how to cross it+
" cannot wal% any more+ my chest will brea%.. " said to him, -Coo% down at
your feet.. He did so, and " said, -The road that is under your feet is that you
have passed and is the same road that you see before you+ it will be soon
under your feet.. The highest things are under your feet, because you are
=ivine 5tars. CW VIII 186-87
,).-"t is the coward and the fool who says, FThis is my fateG. 1 so says the
5ans%rit proverb. *ut it is the strong man who stands up and says, -" will
ma%e my own fate.. "t is people who are getting old who tal% of fate. Young
men generally do not come to astrology. CW VIII 184
,,."f you really want to Dudge the character of a man, loo% not at his great
performances. /very fool may become a hero at one time or another. Aatch a
man do his most common actions+ those are indeed the things which will tell
you the real character of a great man. Great occasions rouse even the lowest of
human beings to some %ind of greatness, but he alone is the really great man
whose character is great always, the same wherever he be. CW I 29
,0./very good thought that we send to the world, without thin%ing of any return,
will be stored up there and brea% one lin% in the chain, and ma%e us purer and
purer, until we become the purest of mortals. CW I 116
,(."f you proDect hatred and Dealousy, they will rebound on you with compound
interest. $o power can avert them+ when once you put them in motion, you
will have to bear them. Bemembering this will prevent you from doing wic%ed
things. CW I 262
,6./verything is conscious which rebels against nature@ there, consciousness is
manifested. Hust try to %ill a little ant, even it will once resist to save its life.
Ahere there is struggle, where there is rebellion, there is the sign of life, their
consciousness is manifested. CW VI 453
0'."sn.t it man that ma%es money< Ahere did you ever hear of money ma%ing
man< "f you can ma%e your thoughts and words perfectly at one, if you can, "
say, ma%e yourself one in speech and action, money will pour in at your feet
of itself, li%e water. CW VI 455
01.The road to the Good is the roughest and steepest in the universe. "t is a
wonder that so many succeed, no wonder that so many fall. 3haracter has to
be established through a thousand stumbles. CW VIII 382
02./ach wor% has to pass through these stages 1 ridicule, opposition, and then
acceptance. /ach man who thin%s ahead of his time is sure to be
misunderstood. 5o the opposition and persecution are welcome, only " have to
be steady and pure and must have immense faith in God, and all these will
vanish. CW V 91
0./ach soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by
controlling nature, e:ternal and internal. =o this either by wor%, or worship, or
psychic control, or philosophy 1 by one, or more, or all of these 1 and be free.
This is the whole of religion. =octrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or boo%s, or
temples, or forms, are but secondary details. CW I 257
0#./ach one thin%s his method is best. 9ery good2 *ut remember, it may be good
for !&u. 4ne food which is very indigestible to one is very digestible to
another. *ecause it is very good for you, do not Dump to the conclusion that
your method is everybody.s method, that Hac%.s coat fits Hohn and >ary. All
the uneducated, uncultured, unthin%ing men and women have been put into
that sort of strait Dac%et2 Thin% for yourselves. *ecome atheists2 *ecome
materialists2 That would be better. /:ercise the mind2 Ahat right, have you to
say that this man.s method is wrong< "t may be wrong for you. That is to say,
if you underta%e the method, you will be degraded+ but that does not mean
that he will be degraded. Therefore, if you have %nowledge and see a man
wea%, do not condemn him. Go to his level and help him if you can. He must
grow. " can put five buc%et&fuls of %nowledge into his head in five hours. *ut
what good will it do< He will be a little worse than before. CW I 470
0).Go and preach to all@ -Arise, awa%e, sleep no more+ within each of you, there
is power to remove all wants and all miseries. *elieve this, and that power
will be manifested.. ;; "f you can thin% that infinite power, infinite
%nowledge, and indomitable energy lie within you, and if you can bring out
that power, you also can become li%e me. CW VI 454
0,./ducation is the manifestation of the perfection already in man. CW IV 358
00.Ahat is education< "s it boo%&learning< $o. "s it diverse %nowledge< $ot even
that. The training by which the current and e:pression of will are brought
under control and become fruitful is called education. CW IV 400
0(.To me the very essence of education is concentration of mind, not the
collecting facts. "f " had to do my education over again, and had any voice in
the matter, " would not study facts at all. " would develop the power of
concentration and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument " could
collect facts at will. CW VI 38-39
06.The education which does not help the common mass of people to e8uip
themselves for the struggle for life, which does not bring out strength of
character, a spirit of philanthropy, and the courage of a lion 1 is it worth the
name< Beal education is that which enables one to stand on his, own legs. CW
VII 147-48
('./ducation is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs
riot there, undigested all your life. Ae must have life&building, man&ma%ing,
character&ma%ing, assimilation of ideas. "f you have assimilated five ideas and
made them your life and character, you have more education than any man
who has got by heart a whole library. CW III 302
(1.Inowledge is inherent in man+ no %nowledge comes from outside+ it is all
inside. ;. Ae say $ewton discovered gravitation. Aas it sitting anywhere in a
corner waiting for him< "t was in his own mind+ the time came and he found it
out. All %nowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind, the
infinite library of the universe is in your own mind. The e:ternal world is
simply the suggestion, the occasion, which sets you to study your own mind.
CW I 28
(2./very one wants to command, and no one wants to obey+ and this is owing to
the absence of that wonderful )ra(ma+(ar!a system of yore. !irst, learn to
obey. The command will come by itself. Always first learn to be a servant and
then you will be fit to be a master. CW III 134-35
(./ducation, education, education, education alone2 Traveling through many
cities of /urope and observing in them the comforts and education of even the
poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people,
and " used to shed tears. Ahat made the difference< /ducation was the answer
" got. CW IV 483
(#.Ahat we want is the s(ra,,(a# 7nfortunately, it has nearly vanished from
"ndia, and this is why we are in our present state. Ahat ma%es the difference
between man and man is the difference in this s(ra,,(a and nothing else.
Ahat ma%es one man great and another wea% and low is this s(ra,,(a. CW
III 319
().Give up the awful disease that is creeping into our national blood, that idea of
ridiculing everything, that loss of seriousness. Give that up. *e strong and
have this s(ra,,(a, and everything else is bound to follow. CW III 320
(,.The only service to be done for our lower classes is to give them education, to
develop their lost individuality. ;;. Give them ideas 1 that is the only help
they re8uire, and then the rest must follow as the effect. 4urs is to put the
chemicals together, the crystalli?ation comes in the law of nature. ;.. $ow if
the mountain does not come to >ohammed, >ohammed must go to mountain.
"f the poor boy cannot come to education, education must go to him. CW IV
362-63
(0.Ae want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is
increased, the intellect is e:panded, and by which one can stand on one.s own
feet. CW V 342
((."s that education, as a result of which the well being continuously cho%ed by
force through generations, is now well&nigh %illed out+ under whose sway,
why mention new ideas, even the old ones are disappearing one by one+ is that
education which is slowly ma%ing man a machine< "t is more blessed, in my
opinion, even to go wrong, impelled by one.s free will and intelligence, than
to be good as an automation. CW IV 490
(6.Ahat we want are western science coupled with 9edanta, )ra(ma+(ar!a as
the guiding motto, and also s(ra,,(a and faith in one.s own self. ;.. 9edanta
says that within man is all %nowledge 1 even in a boy it is so 1 and it re8uires
only awa%ening, and that much is the wor% of a teacher. ;; *ut the root is
religion. Beligion is as rice, and everything else, li%e the curries. Ta%ing only
curries causes indigestion, and so is the case with ta%ing rice alone. CW V 366
6'.=o you see, simply by observance of strict brahmacharya JcontinenceK, all
learning can be mastered in a very short time 1 one has an unfailing memory
of what one hears or %nows but once. "t is owing to this want of continence
that everything is on the brin% of ruin in our country. CW VII 224
61.>y idea of education is personal contact with the teacher 1 'uru'ra(a-*asa.
Aithout the personal life of a teacher, there should be no education. Ta%e your
universities, what have they done during the fifty years Jthis was said in 1(60K
of their e:istence< They have not produced one original man. They are merely
e:amining body. The idea of the sacrifice for the common weal is not yet
developed in our nation. CW VI 224
62.-rut( ,&es n&t pa! (&ma'e t& an! s&+iet!% an+ient an, m&,ern# .&+iet! (as t&
pa! (&ma'e t& -rut( &r ,ie# 5ocieties should be molded upon the truth, and
truth has not to adDust itself to the society. ;. -(at s&+iet! is t(e 'reatest%
(ere t(e (i'(est trut(s )e+&me pra+ti+al# That is my opinion+ and society is
not fit for the highest truths, ma%e it so+ and the sooner, the better. CW II 84-
85
6." say, liberate, undo the shac%les of people as much as you can. ;.. Ahen you
would be able to sacrifice all desire for happiness for the sa%e of society, then
you would be the *uddha, then you would be free. CW VI 491
6#.6#. Three things are necessary to ma%e ever man great, every nation great.
1. 3onviction of the powers of goodness. 2. Absence of Dealousy and
suspicion. . Helping all who are trying to be and do good. CW VII 29
6). 6) "f your ideal is matter, matter shalt thou be. *ehold2 4ur ideal is the 5pirit.
That alone e:ists. $othing else e:ists, and li%e Him, we live fore ever. CW
VIII 72
6,.The Hindu man drin%s religiously, sleeps religiously, wal%s religiously,
marries religiously, robs religiously. ;; /ach nation has a mission for the
world. 5o long as that mission is not hurt, that nation lives, despite every
difficulty. *ut as soon as its mission is destroyed, the nation collapses. CW
VIII 74-75
60.=o you not find in history, that the first death sign of a nation has been
unchastity< Ahen that has entered, the end of the race is in sight. CW II 101
6(.$ow we are not much more moral than the animals. Ae are only held down
by the whips of society. "f society said today. -" will not punish you if you
steal., we should Dust ma%e a rush for each other.s property. "t is the
policeman that ma%es us moral. "t is social opinion that ma%es us moral, and
really, we are little better than animals. CW II 164
66.The maDority of sects will be transient, and last only as bubbles, because the
leaders are not usually men of character. Eerfect love, the heart never reacting,
this is what builds character. There is no allegiance possible where there is no
character in the leader, and perfect purity ensures the most lasting allegiance
and confidence. Ta%e up an idea, devote yourself to it, struggle on in patience,
and the sun will rise for you. CW VI 135
1''. Ae are as%ed@ Ahat good is your religion to society< 5ociety is made a
test of truth. $ow this is very illogical. 5ociety is only a stage of growth
through which we are passing. ;.. "f the social state were permanent, it would
be the same as if the baby remained a baby. There can be no perfect man&
baby+ the words are a contradiction in terms, so there can be no perfect
society. >an must and will grow out of such early stages. ;; >y >aster
used to say, -Ahy don.t you help your own lotus flower to bloom< The bees
will then come of themselves.. CW VI 144
1'1. =o not recogni?e wic%edness in others. Aic%edness is ignorance,
wea%ness. Ahat is the good of telling people they are wea%< 3riticism and
destruction are of no avail. Ae must give them something higher+ tell them of
their own glorious nature, their birthright. CW VI 141-42
1'2. Ahat " say is not -Beform., but ->ove on.. $othing is too bad to reform.
Adaptability is the whole mystery of life 1 the principle underneath, which
serves to unfold it. AdDustment or adaptation is the outcome of the self&pitted
against e:ternal forces tending to suppress it. He who adDusts himself best
lives the longest. /ven if " do not preach this, society is changing, it must
change. CW VI 110
1'. $othing else is necessary but these 1 l&*e% sin+erit!, and patien+e. Ahat
is life, but growth, i.e. e:pansion, i.e. love. Therefore, all love is life, it is the
only law of life, all selfishness is death, and this is true here and hereafter. "t is
life to do good, and it is death not do good to others. $inety percent of human
brutes you see are dead, are ghosts 1 for none lives, my boys, but he who
loves. CW IV 367
1'#. 4n one side, new "ndia is saying, -"f we only adopt western ideas,
western language, western food, western dress, and western manners, we shall
be as strong and powerful as the western nations.+ on the other, old "ndia is
saying, -!ools2 *y imitation, others. ideas never become one.s own+ nothing,
unless earned, is your own. =oes the ass in the lion.s s%in become the lion<
4n one side, new "ndia is saying, -Ahat the western nations do is surely good,
otherwise, how did they become so great< 4n the other side, old "ndia is
saying, -The flash of lightning is intensely bright, but only for a moment+ loo%
out boys, it is da??ling your eyes. *eware2 CW IV 477
1'). 5ocial life in the Aest is li%e a peal of laughter+ but underneath, it is a
wail. "t ends in a sob. The fun and frivolity are all on the surface@ really it is
full of tragic intensity. $ow here, it is sad and gloomy on the outside, but
underneath are carelessness and merriment. CW VIII 261-62
1',. As far bac% as the days of the 7pnishads, we have thrown the challenge
to the world@ -$ot by progeny, not by wealth, but by renunciation alone
immortality is reached.. Bace after race has ta%en the challenge up and tried
their utmost to solve the world&riddle on the plane of desires. They have all
failed in the past 1 the old ones have become e:tinct under the weight of
wic%edness and misery, which lust for power and gold brings in its train, and
the new ones are tottering to their fall. The 8uestion has yet to be decided
whether peace will survive or war+ whether patience will survive or non&
forbearance+ whether goodness will survive or wic%edness+ whether muscle
will survive or brain+ whether worldliness will survive or spirituality. Ae have
solved our problem ages ago. ;. 4ur solution is unworldliness 1
renunciation. CW IV 314-15
1'0. 4ne of the greatest lessons " have learned in my life is to pay as much
attention to the means of wor% as to its end. ;.. " have always been learning
great lessons from that one principle, and it appears to me that all the secret of
success is there@ to pay as much attention to the means as to the end. CW II 1
1'(. 4ur duty to others means helping others+ doing good to the world. Ahy
should we do good to the world< Apparently to help the world, but really to
help ourselves. ;.. =o not stand on a high pedestal and ta%e five cents in your
hand and say, -Here, my poor man,. but be grateful that the poor man is there,
so that by ma%ing a gift to him, you are able to help yourself. "t is not the
receiver that is blessed, but it is the giver. *e than%ful that you are allowed to
e:ercise your power of benevolence and mercy in the world, and thus become
pure and perfect. CW I 75-76
1'6. "t is the level headed man, the calm man, of good Dudgment and cool
nerves, of great sympathy and love, and who does good wor% and so does
good to himself. CW I 79
11'. Great wor% re8uires great and persistent effort for a long time. $either
need we trouble ourselves, if a few fail. "t is in the nature of things that many
should fall, that troubles should come, that tremendous difficulties should
arise, that selfishness and all the other devils in the human heart should
struggle hard, when they are about to be driven out by the fire of spirituality.
CW VIII 382
111. "n doing evil, we inDure ourselves and others also. "n doing good, we do
good to ourselves and to others as well. ;.. According to Iarmayoga, the
action one has done cannot be destroyed until it has borne its fruit+ no power
in nature can stop it from yielding its results. "f " do an evil action, " must
suffer for it+ there is no power in this universe to stop or to stay it. 5imilarly, if
" do a good action, there is no power in the universe which can stop its bearing
good results. CW I 82
112. The watchword of all well&being, of all moral good, is not -". but -Thou..
Aho cares whether there is heaven or a hell, who cares if there is a soul or
not, who cares if there is an unchangeable or not< Here is the world, and it is
full of misery. Go out into it as *uddha did, and struggle to lessen it or die in
the attempt. !orget yourselves+ this is the first lesson to be learnt, whether you
are a theist or an atheist, whether you are an agnostic or a 9edantist, a
3hristian or a >ohammedan. CW II 353
11. *uddha is the only prophet who said, -" do not care to %now your various
theories about God. Ahat is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines about
the soul< =o good and be good. And this will ta%e you to the freedom and to
whatever truth there is.. ;; He wor%s best who wor%s without any motive,
neither for money, nor for fame, nor for anything else+ and when a man can do
that, he will be a *uddha, and out of him will come the power to wor% in such
a manner as will transform the world. CW I 117-18
11#. 5elfishness is the chief sin, thin%ing of ourselves first. He who thin%s, -"
will eat first, " will have more money than others, and " will possess
everything,. he who thin%s, -" will go to heaven before others, " will get to
heaven before others, " will get mu%ti before others., is the selfish man. The
unselfish man says, -" will be last, " do not care to go to heaven, " will even go
to hell, if by doings so " can help my brothers.. This unselfishness is the test of
religion. He who has more of this unselfishness is more spiritual and nearer to
5iva. CW III 143
11). You cannot help anyone, you can only serve+ serve the children of the
Cord, serve the Cord Himself, if you have the privilege. "f the Cord grants that
you can help any one of His children, blessed you are+ do not thin% too much
of yourselves. *lessed you are that, that privilege was given to you when
others had it not. =o it only as a worship. CW III 246
11,. *lessed are we that we are given the privilege of wor%ing for Him, not of
helping Him. 3ut out this word help from your mind. You cannot help+ it is
blaspheming. You are here yourself at His pleasure. =o you mean to say, you
help Him< You worship. Ahen you give a morsel of food to the dog, you
worship the dog as God. God is in that dog. He is all and in all. CW V 246
110. After so much austerity, " have understood this as the real truth 1 God is
present in every Diva+ there is no other God beside that. -Aho serves Diva,
serves God indeed.. CW VI 247
11(. "f in this hell of a world, one can bring a little Doy and peace even for a
day into the heart of single person, that much alone is true+ this " have learnt
after suffering all my life+ all else is mere moonshine. CW V 176
116. 4ne idea that " see clear as daylight is that misery is caused by i'n&ran+e
and nothing else. Aho will give the world light< 5acrifice in the past has been
the Caw, it will be, alas, for the ages to come. The earth.s bravest and best will
have to sacrifice themselves for the good of many, for the welfare of all.
*uddhas by the hundred are necessary with eternal love and pity. CW VII 498
12'. Cet us calmly and in manly fashion go to wor%, instead of dissipating our
energy in unnecessary fretting and fuming. ", for one, thoroughly believe that
no power in the universe can withhold from anyone anything he really
deserves. The past was great no doubt, but " sincerely believe that the future
will be more glorious still. CW IV 396
121. *ehold, how men are already in the Daws of the shar% of infatuation2 4h,
listen to their piteous heart&rending wails. Advance2 !orward2 4 ye brave
souls, to set free those that are in fetters, to lessen the burden of woe of the
miserable, and to illumine the abysmal dar%ness of ignorant hearts. Coo%, how
the 9edanta proclaims by beat of drums, -*e fearless2. CW VII 500-01
122. The only way of getting our divine nature manifested is by helping others
to do the same. "f there is ine8uality in nature, still there must be e8ual chance
for all 1 or if greater for some and for some less 1 the wea%er should be given
more chance than the strong. "n other words, a *rahmana is not much in need
of education as a 3handala. "f the son of a *rahmana needs one teacher, that
of a 3handala needs ten. !or greater help must be given to him whom nature
has not endowed with an acute intellect from birth. "t is a madman who carries
coals to $ewcastle. The poor, the downtrodden, the ignorant 1 let these be
your God. CW VI 319
12. This is the gist of all worship 1 to be pure and to do good to others. He
who sees 5iva in the poor, in the wea%, and in the diseased, really worship
5iva+ and if he sees 5iva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. CW
III 141-42
12#. The life of *uddha shows that even a man who does not believe in God,
has no metaphysics, belongs to no sect, and does not go to any church, or
temple, and is a confused materialist, even he can attain to the highest. ;. He
was the only man who was ever ready to give up his life for animals, to stop a
sacrifice. He once said to a %ing@ -"f the sacrifice of lamb helps you to go to
heaven, sacrificing a man will help you better+ so sacrifice me.. The %ing was
astonished. CW IV 136
12). -The good live for others alone. The wise man should sacrifice himself
for others.. " can secure my own good only by doing your good. There is no
other way, none whatsoever. CW VI 317
12,. Go from village to village, do good to humanity and to the world at large.
Go to hell yourself to buy salvation for others. ;; -Ahen death is certain, it
is better to die for a good cause.. CW VI 265-67
120. Throughout the history of the world, you find great men ma%e great
sacrifices and the mass of man%ind enDoy the benefit. "f you want to give up
everything for your own salvation, it is nothing. =o you want to forgo even
your own salvation for the good of the world< You are God, thin% of that. CW
VI 280
12(. The world is not for cowards. =o not try to fly. Coo% not for success or
failure. Hoin yourself to the perfectly unselfish will and wor% on. Inow that
mind which is born to succeed Doin itself to a determined will and perseveres.
;.. Cive in the midst of the battle of life. Anyone can %eep calm in a cave or
when asleep. 5tand in the whirl and madness of action and reach the center. "f
you have found the center, you cannot be moved. CW VI 83-84
126. A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the ?eal of holiness,
fortified with eternal faith in Cord, and nerved to lion.s courage by their
sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the
length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of
help, the gospel of social raising&up 1 the gospel of e8uality. CW V 15
1'. >y boy, if you have any respect for my words, the first thing " will
advice you to do is to throw open all the doors and windows of your room. "n
your 8uarter there are lots of poor people sun% in degradation and misery. You
will have to go to them and serve them with your ?eal and enthusiasm.
Arrange to distribute medicines to those who are sic%, and nurse them with all
care, supply food to him who is starving, teach with as much as lies in you to
the ignorant+ and if you begin to serve your brethren in this wise, " tell you,
my child, you will surely get peace and consolation. "em# /#330
11. Ahere is that martial spirit which, at the very outset, re8uires one to
%now how to serve and obey, and not to practice self&restraint< The martial
spirit is not self&assertion, but self&sacrifice. 4ne must be ready to advance
and lay down one.s life at the word of command, before he can command the
hearts and lives of others. 4ne must sacrifice himself first. CW VII 270
12. "t is fear alone that is death. You have to go beyond all fear. 5o from this
day, be fearless. 4ff at once, to lay down your life for your own liberation and
for the good of others. Ahat good it is carrying along a load of bones and
flesh2 CW VI 473
1. Trust not the so&called rich, they are more dead than alive. The hope lies
in you 1 in the mee%, the lowly, but the faithful. Have faith in the Cord+ no
policy, it is nothing. !eel for the miserable and loo% up for help 1 it s(all
+&me# ;.. " may perish of cold or hunger in this land, but " be8ueath to you,
young men, this sympathy, this struggle for the poor, the ignorant, the
oppressed. ;.. 9ow, then to devote your whole lives to the cause of
redemption of these three hundred millions, going down and down every day.
CW V 16-17
1#. The history of world is of si: men of faith, si: men of deep pure
character. Ae need to have three things@ the heart to feel, the brain to
conceive, the hand to wor%. >a%e yourself a dynamo. 0eel, first for the world.
;; As% yourself, does your mind react in hatred or Dealousy< Good wor%s
are continually are being undone by the tons of hatred and anger which are
being poured out on the world. "f you are pure, if you are strong, !&u% &ne
man, are e8ual to the whole world. CW VI 144-45
1). Aill such a day come when this life will go for the sa%e of others. good<
The world is not a child.s play & and great men are those who build highways
for others with their heart.s blood. This has been ta%ing place through eternity,
that one builds a bridge by laying down his own body, and thousands of others
cross the river through its help. *e it so2 *e it so2 CW VI 273-74
1,. Beligion is the idea which is raising a brute unto man and a man unto
God. CW V 409
10. The definition of God and man@ >an is an infinite circle whose
circumference is no where, but the center is located in one spot+ and God is an
infinite circle whose circumference is nowhere but center is everywhere. CW
II 33
1(. The difference between God and the devil is in nothing e:cept in
unselfishness and selfishness. The devil %nows as much as God, is as powerful
as God+ only he has no holiness 1 that ma%es him a devil. Apply the same idea
to the modern world@ e:cess of %nowledge and power, without holiness,
ma%es human beings devil. CW I 425
16. 9irtue is that which tends to our improvement, and vice is to our
degeneration. >an is made of three 8ualities 1 brutal, human and godly. That
which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to
increase brutality in you is vice. You must %ill the brutal nature and become
human, that is, loving and charitable. You must transcend that too and become
pure bliss, 5achchidanananda, fire without burning, wonderfully loving, but
without the wea%ness of human love, without the feeling of misery. CW VI
112
1#'. 1nselfis(ness is G&,. 4ne may live on a throne, in a golden palace, and
be perfectly unselfish+ and then he is in God. CW V 409
34>E"C/= *Y 5HB" *HABAT 3H7B"AACA, >A$AG/B 4! TH/ GB47E