Professional Documents
Culture Documents
conflict between
the heart and the
brain, let the
heart be followed.
GOLDEN WORDS OF
SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
2
A man of intellect can Religion is not a
turn into a devil, but theoretical need but a
never a man of heart. practical necessity.
3 4
Renunciation does not There is no misery
mean simply dispassion where there is no want.
for the world. It means
dispassion for the world
and also longing for
God.
5
6
The secret of life is not Every new thought
enjoyment, but must create opposition.
education through
experience.
7
8
Renunciation is the Every man who thinks
withdrawal of mind ahead of his time is
from other things and sure to be
concentrating it on misunderstood.
God.
9
10
In this short life there is Do not wait to cross
no time for the the river when the
exchange of water has all run
compliments. down.
11
12
The greatest sin is fear. Better the scolding of
the wise than the
adulation of the fools.
13 14
If you love God's Everything can be
creation more than sacrificed for truth, but
God, you will be truth can't be sacrificed
disillusioned. for anything.
15 16
If it is impossible to
God has become man, attain perfection here
man will become god and now, there is no
again. proof that we can
attain perfection in any
other life.
17
18
That part of the Vedas If you want to do
which agrees with anything evil, do it
reason is the Vedas, before the eyes of your
and nothing else. superiors.
19
20
Happiness presents If one is a slave to his
itself before man, passions and desires,
wearing the crown of one cannot feel the
sorrow on its head. pure joy of real
freedom.
21
22
Never mind if your
If you can't attain contribution is only a
salvation in this life, mite, your help only a
what proof is there that little, blades of grass
you can attain it in the united into a rope will
life or lives to come? hold in confinement
the maddest of
elephants.
23
24
The cow never tells a lie,
and the stone never When even man never
steals, but, nevertheless,
hears the cries of the
the cow remains a cow
fool, do you think God
and the stone remains a
stone. Man steals and will?
man tells a lie, and
again it is man that
becomes the god.
25
26
Never are the wants of
Strength is life, a beggar fulfilled.
weakness is death.
27
28
We want the education
by which character is Let the heart be opened
formed, strength of mind first, and all else will
is increased, the intellect follow of itself.
is expanded, and by
which one can stand on
one's own feet.
29 30
Tell the man his Activity is life and
defaults directly but inactivity is death.
praise his virtues before
others.
31
32
Salvation is not Even the least work
achieved by inactivity done for others
but by spiritual awakens the power
activities. within.
33
34
New things have to be The man who says he
learned, have to be has nothing more to
introduced and worked learn is already at his
out, but is that to be last grasp
done by sweeping away
all that is old, just
because it is old?
35 36
No one can save a
As long as I live, so do person who hires a
I learn. carriage to go from one
street to another, and
then complain of
diabetes.
37
38
By the control of the It is the constant
subconscious mind you struggle against nature
get control over the that constitutes human
conscious. progress, not conformity
with it.
39
40
As we get further and
The very essence of further away from
education is sensepleasures,
concentration of mind, “knowledge for the sake
not the collecting of of knowledge” becomes
facts. the supreme pleasure of
mind.
41
42
The soul is the circle of
which the circumference
It is through the many is nowhere, but the
that we reach the one. center is the body. God is
a circle whose
circumference is nowhere,
but whose center is
everywhere.
43
44
If any one of you
believes what I teach, I
The body itself is the will be sorry. I will only
biggest disease. be too glad if I can
excite in you the power
of thinking for
yourselves.
45
46
When the world is the
end and God the The fear of God is the
means to attain that beginning of religion,
end, that is material. but the love of God is
When God is the end the end of religion.
and the world is only
the means to attain
that end, spirituality
has begun.
47
48
The sage is often ignorant
Do not give up of physical science,
anything! Things will because he reads the
give you up. wrong book the book
within; and the scientist is
too often ignorant of
religion, because he reads
the wrong book the book
without.
49
50
Experience is the only Do one thing at a time
source of knowledge. and while doing it put
your whole soul into it
to the exclusion of all
else.
51
52
Records of great
Where there is life, spiritual men of the
there will be death; so past do us no good
get away from life if whatever except that
you want to get rid of they urge us onward to
death. do the same, to
experience religion
ourselves.
53
54
We may read all the
Bibles of the world, but The brave alone can
that will not give us afford to be sincere.
religion.
55
56
The balance is so nice Save the spiritual store
that if you disturb the in your body by
equilibrium of one observing continence.
atom, the whole world
will come to an end.
57
58
The wicked see in God When good nectar is
wickedness. The unattainable, it is no
virtuous see in Him reason why we should
virtue. eat poison.
59
60
Everything that comes
from India take as
true, until you cogent
Love to enemies is not reasons for disbelieving
possible for ordinary it. Everything that
men. comes from Europe
take as false, until you
find cogent reasons for
believing it.
61
62
The benefit of Yoga is Never talk about the
that we learn to control faults of others, no
instead of being matter how bad they
controlled. may be.
63
64
All quarrels and You must not criticize
disputations concerning others, you must
religion simply show criticize yourself.
that religion is not
present.
65
66
What you have inside Our business is to
you is what you see in verify not to swallow.
others.
67
68
How can that be You cannot judge a
loveless which causes man by his faults.
love in me?
69
70
If you are pure, if you
You must believe in are strong, you, one
yourself and then you man, is equal to the
will believe in God. whole world.
71
72
Mother represents We trust the man in
colorless love that the street, but there is
knows no barter, love one being in the
that never dies. universe we never trust
and that is God.
73
74
My motto is to learn The secret of religion
whatever good things I lies not in theories but
may come across in practice.
anywhere.
75
76
Seek for the highest, There is an ocean of
aim at the highest, and difference between
you shall reach the idleness and
highest. renunciation.
77
78
The selfseeking man Hope is the greatest of
who is looking after all miseries, the highest
personal comforts and bliss lies in giving up
leading a lazy life, hope.
there is no room for
him even in hell.
79 80
No one ever succeeded Know that talking ill
in keeping society in of others in private is a
good humor and at the sin.
same time did great
works.
81 82
This Atman is not to Whatever fosters
be attained by one who materiality is no work.
is weak.
83 84
Why look up to men He who knows how to
for approbation, look obey knows how to
up to God. command.
85
86
Want of sympathy and India is the only place
lack of energy are at where, with all its
the root of all misery. faults, the soul finds its
freedom, its God.
87
88
It is the heart that All the strength is in
conquers, not the you, have faith in it.
brain.
89
90
In every attempt there
The body must go no are many obstacles to
mistake about that. It cope with, but
is better to wear out gradually the path
than to rust out. becomes smooth.
91
92
One must raise oneself Both attachment and
by one's own exertions. detachment perfectly
developed make a man
great and happy.
93
94
Where there is struggle, Isn't it man that makes
where there is rebellion, money? Where did you
there is a sign of life, ever hear of money
there consciousness is making man?
manifested.
95
96
He who always Fear is one of the worst
speculates as to what enemies.
awaits him in future,
accomplishes nothing
whatsoever.
97
98
If one intends to really
find truth, one must We manufacture our
not cling to comfort. own heaven and can
make a heaven even in
hell.
99
100
The satisfaction of Both happiness and
desire only increases it, misery are chains, the
as oil poured on fire one golden, the other
makes it burn more iron; but both are
fiercely. equally strong to bind
us.
101
102
Let us get rid of the
The world is neither little 'I' and let only the
true nor untrue, it is a great 'I' live in us.
shadow of truth.
103
104
Concentration of the Keep your thoughts on
mind is the source of virtue; what we think
all knowledge. we become.
105
106
What we are, we see Resist not evil. Face it!
outside, for the world is You are higher than
our mirror. evil.
107
108
Anything we do Be cautious now and
ourselves, that is the do not bow, however
only thing we do. sweet to chains.
109
110
Anything that brings Everything that has
spiritual, mental or selfishness for its basis,
physical weakness, competition as its right
touch it not with the hand, and enjoyment
toes of your feet. as its goal, must die
sooner or later.
111
112
This is a battlefield,
fight your way out.
Make your life a Be the witness, never
manifestation of will learn to react.
strengthened by
renunciation.
113
114
Of all the scriptures of
The Hindus believe the world, it is the
that a man is a soul Vedas alone which
and has a body, while declare that the study
Western people believe of the Vedas is
he is a body and secondary.
possesses a soul.
115
116
I find that whenever I Never forget that a
have made a mistake man is made great and
in my life, it has perfect as much by his
always been because faults as by his virtues.
self entered into the
calculation.
117
118
If a bad time comes,
what of it? The This world is our friend
pendulum must swing when we are its slaves
back to the other side. and no more.
But that is no better.
The thing to do is to
stop it.
119
120
Whatever others think The road to the Good
or do, lower not your is the roughest and
standard of purity, steepest in the universe.
morality, and love of Character has to be
God. established through a
thousand stumbles.
121
122
Eating, drinking, He who is always
dressing, and society afraid of loss always
nonsense are not things loses.
to throw a life upon.
123
124
Any amount of
theoretical knowledge Don't yield to sorrow;
one may have; but everything is in God's
unless one does the hands.
thing actually, nothing
is learnt.
125
126
In our moments of Every bit of pleasure
anguish, gates barred will bring its quota of
for ever seem to open pain, if not with
and let in many a flood compound interest.
of light.
127
128
If one gets one blow, Don't let egoism to
one must return ten enter your minds, and
with redoubled fury, let love never depart
then only one is a man. from your hearts.
129
130
It is a land of dreams; He whose joy is only in
it does not matter himself, whose desires
whether one enjoys or are only in himself, he
weeps; they are but has learned his lessons.
dreams, and as such,
must break sooner or
later.
131
132
I have worked for this Devotion to the mother
world, Mary, all my is the root of all
life, and it does not welfare.
give me a piece of
bread without taking a
pound of flesh.
133
134
It is religion, the Dare to be free, dare to
inquiry into the go as far as your
beyond, that makes the thought leads, and dare
difference between man to carry that out in
and animal. your life.
135
136
Every idea that The same fire that
strengthens you must be cooks a meal for us
taken up and every may burn a child, and
thought that weakens it is no fault of the fire
you must be rejected. if it does so; the
difference lies in the
way in which it is used.
137
138
The moment you
Whatever you think, quarrel, you are not
that you will be. going God ward, you
are going backward,
towards the brutes.
139
140
If there is any sin in
First learn to obey, the the world, it is
command will come by weakness; avoid all
itself. weakness, for weakness
is sin, weakness is
death.
141
142
In other countries great We, as Vedantists,
priests try to trace their know for certain that
descent to some king, there is no power in the
but here the greatest universe to injure us
kings would trace their unless we first injure
descent to some ancient ourselves.
priest.
143
144
Faith, faith, faith in To have the ideal is
ourselves, faith, faith in one thing, and to apply
God – this is the secret it practically to the
of greatness. details of daily life is
quite another thing.
145
146
One ounce of practice Let not your work
is worth twenty produce results for you,
thousand tons of big and at the same time
talk. may you be never
without work.
147
148
Religion is not in
books, nor in theories, This Atman is not to
nor in dogmas, nor in be reached by too much
talking, not even in talk, no, not even by
reasoning. It is being the highest intellect, no,
and becoming. not even by the study of
Vedas themselves.
149
150
If you have assimilated
Whoever has dared to five ideas and made
touch our literature has them your life and
felt the bondage, and is character, you have
there bound for ever. more education than
any man who has got
by heart a whole
library.
151
152
No good comes out of Follies there are,
the man who day and weakness there must be,
night thinks he is but remember your real
nobody. nature always – that is
the only way to cure the
weakness, that is the
only way to cure the
follies.
153
154
Everything in this life is The true man is he
fraught with fear. It is who is strong as
renunciation alone that strength itself and
makes one fearless. possesses a woman's
heart.
155
156
Verily, these three are
rare to obtain and Why should you feel
come only through the ashamed to take the
grace of God human name of Hindu, which
birth, desire to obtain is your greatest and
Moksha, and the most glorious
company of the great possession.
souled ones.
157
158
This religion is so great Don't believe what
that even a little of it others say unless you
brings a great amount yourselves know it to be
of good. true.
159
160
Rise at the expense of Show your power by
another? I did not come suffering.
to earth for that.
161
162
Our misery comes, not The man who can't
from work, but by our believe in himself, how
getting attached to can you expect him to
something. believe in anything
else?
163
164
It is better to do If we can't follow the
something; never mind ideal, let us confess our
if it proves to be wrong; weakness, but not
it is better than doing degrade it; let not any
nothing. try to pull it down.
165
166
If a man possesses First form character,
everything that is under first earn spirituality
the sun and does not and results will come of
possess spirituality, themselves.
what avails it?
167
168
If we sit down and Truth, purity and
lament over the unselfishness –
imperfection of our wherever these are
bodies and minds, we present, there is no
profit nothing; it is the power below or above
heroic endeavor to the sun to crush the
subdue adverse possessor thereof.
circumstances that
carries our spirit
upwards.
169
170
No claim is made by
the doer of great deeds, To know God is to
only by lazy worthless become God.
fools.
171
172
Bring in the light; the Ours not to question
darkness will vanish of why, ours but to do
itself. and die.
173
174
Education is the
manifestation of the
perfection already in Conscious efforts lead
man. Religion is the the way to super
manifestation of the conscious illumination.
divinity already in
man.
175
176
Who commits
mistakes, the path of He, the brave alone,
truth is attainable by can deny the self.
him only.
177
178
And if this Maya is so For one thing we may
beautiful, think of the be grateful; this life is
wondrous beauty of the not eternal.
Reality behind it.
179
180
When the mind tries to If I am impure, that is
think of anything else, also of my own
give it a hard blow, so making, and that very
that it may turn thing shows that I can
around and think of be pure if I will.
God.
181
182
Stand and die in your I do not know whether
own strength; if there is I succeed or not, but it
any sin in the world, it is a great thing to take
is weakness; avoid all up a grand ideal in life
weakness, for weakness and then give up one's
is sin, weakness is whole life to it.
death.
183
184
In the west, they are
trying to solve the It is the change of the
problem how much a soul itself for the better
man can possess, and that alone will cure the
we are trying here to evils of the world.
solve the problem on
how little a man can
live.
185
186
Teach yourself, teach Power will come, glory
every one his real will come, goodness will
nature, call upon the come, purity will come,
sleeping soul and see and everything that is
how it awakes. excellent will come,
when this sleeping soul
is roused to self
conscious activity.
187
188
You have done well; Work out the salvation
only try to do better. of this land and of the
whole world, each of
you thinking that the
entire burden is on your
shoulders.
189
190
Is it such a bad choice
in this world to think,
Let not the fire die out. not of matter but of
spirit, not of man but
of God?
191
192
If you attempt to get Anything that makes
the secular knowledge you weak physically,
without religion, I tell intellectually, and
you plainly, vain is spiritually, reject as
your attempt. poison; there is no life
in it; it cannot be true.
193
194
Love opens the most Never let curses rise on
impossible gates; love is your lips.
the gate to all the
secrets of the universe.
195
196
Feel that you are great You can't help anyone,
and you become great. you can only serve:
serve the children of the
Lord, serve the Lord
himself, if you have the
privilege.
197
198
The moment you fear Struggle for that Grace.
you are nobody. It is
fear that is the great
cause of misery in the
world.
199
200
If a man goes towards Knowledge is the
what is false; it is finding of unity in
because he can't get diversity, and the
what is true. highest point in every
science is reached when
it finds the underlying
unity in all variety.
201
202
Obey the scriptures Help, if you can; if you
until you are not strong can't fold your hands
enough to do without and stand by and see
them. things go on.
203
204
Until a man becomes a Be not in despair; the
prophet, religion is a way is very difficult,
mockery. like walking on the
blade of a razor. Yet
despair not; arise,
awake, and find the
ideal, the goal.
205
206
Death is better than a When you find
vegetating ignorant life; yourselves suffering,
it is better to die on the blame yourselves, and
battlefield than to live try to do better.
a life of defeat.
207
208
The highest direction is Understand my words
that which takes us to in their true spirit and
God; every other apply yourselves to
direction is lower. work in their light.
209
210
I want the why of
everything. I leave the
how to children.
211