Inspirational Quotations by Swami Vivekananda
- Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book.
Do not believe in a thing because another man has said it was true.
Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition.
Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.
- All the powers in the universe are already ours.
It is we who have put our hands before
our eyes & cry that it is dark.
- We are what our thoughts have made us;
so take care about what you think.
Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
- We are responsible for what we are,
and whatever we wish ourselves to be,
we have the power to make ourselves.
If 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 know how to act.
- Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -
think of it, dream of it, live on idea.
Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body,
be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.
This is the way to success.
- God is merciful to those whom He sees struggling heart
and soul for realization. But remain idle, without any
struggle, and you will see that His grace will never come.
- Perfection does not come from belief or faith.
Talk does not count for anything. Parrots can do that.
Perfection comes through selfless work.
- What the world wants is character. The world is in need of those
whose life is one burning love, selfless. That love will make every
word tell like a thunderbolt.
- Face the brute, which is a lesson for all life—face the terrible,
face it boldly. The hardships of life fall back when we cease to
flee before them.
- We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate. None else has
the blame, none has the praise.
- Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or
her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every
work into one that suits their taste.
- We are ever free if we would only believe it,
only have faith enough. You are the soul,
free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed.
Have faith enough and you will be free in a minute.
- Be a hero. Always say, "I have no fear."
Tell this to everyone — "Have no fear."
- Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or
her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every
work into one that suits their taste.
- However we may receive blows,
and however knocked about we may be,
the Soul is there and is never injured.
We are that Infinite.
- Stand up, be bold, be strong.
Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders,
and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves.
Therefore, make your own future.
- So long as millions live in hunger and ignorance,
I hold every person a traitor who, having been
educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.
- We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate.
None else has the blame, none has the praise.
- Fill the brain with high thoughts,
highest ideals, place them day and night before you,
and out of that will come great work.
- This life is a hard fact; work your way through it boldly,
though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger.
- 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.
- This I have seen in life—those who are overcautious about themselves
fall into dangers at every step; those who are afraid of losing
honor and respect, get only disgrace; and those who are always
afraid of loss, always lose.
- All that is real in me is God; all that is real in God is I. The
gulf between God and me is thus bridged. Thus by knowing God, we
find that the kingdom of heaven is within us.
- Strength is the sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of hope,
the sign of health, and the sign of everything that is good. As long
as the body lives, there must be strength in the body, strength in
the mind, strength in the hand.
- As long as we believe ourselves to be even the least different from
God, fear remains with us; but when we know ourselves to be the One,
fear goes; of what can we be afraid?
- Look upon every man, woman, and everyone as God. You cannot help
anyone, you can only serve: serve the children of the Lord, serve
the Lord Himself, if you have the privilege.
- 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.
- The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what
will become of you, depend on no one.Only the moment you reject all
help are you free.
- Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time.
Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.
- We came to enjoy; we are being enjoyed.
We came to rule; we are being ruled.
We came to work; we are being worked.
All the time, we find that.
And this comes into every detail of our life.
- The more you think of yourself as shining immortal spirit,
the more eager you will be to be absolutely free of matter,
body, and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
- Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
- Strength is Life, Weakness is Death.
Expansion is Life, Contraction is Death.
Love is Life, Hatred is Death.
- Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.
- Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.
- It is our mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds.
- Come out into the broad light of day, come out from the little narrow paths, for how can the infinite soul rest content to live and die in small ruts?
- 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.
- Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man, and character is the test of that manifestation.
- Do not believe in a thing because you have read about it in a book.
Do not believe in a thing because another man has said it was true.
Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition.
Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.
- All the powers in the universe are already ours.
It is we who have put our hands before
our eyes & cry that it is dark.
- We are what our thoughts have made us;
so take care about what you think.
Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
- We are responsible for what we are,
and whatever we wish ourselves to be,
we have the power to make ourselves.
If 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 know how to act.
- Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -
think of it, dream of it, live on idea.
Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body,
be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.
This is the way to success.
- God is merciful to those whom He sees struggling heart
and soul for realization. But remain idle, without any
struggle, and you will see that His grace will never come.
- Perfection does not come from belief or faith.
Talk does not count for anything. Parrots can do that.
Perfection comes through selfless work.
- What the world wants is character. The world is in need of those
whose life is one burning love, selfless. That love will make every
word tell like a thunderbolt.
- Face the brute, which is a lesson for all life—face the terrible,
face it boldly. The hardships of life fall back when we cease to
flee before them.
- We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate. None else has
the blame, none has the praise.
- Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or
her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every
work into one that suits their taste.
- We are ever free if we would only believe it,
only have faith enough. You are the soul,
free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed.
Have faith enough and you will be free in a minute.
- Be a hero. Always say, "I have no fear."
Tell this to everyone — "Have no fear."
- Even the greatest fool can accomplish a task if it were after his or
her heart. But the intelligent ones are those who can convert every
work into one that suits their taste.
- However we may receive blows,
and however knocked about we may be,
the Soul is there and is never injured.
We are that Infinite.
- Stand up, be bold, be strong.
Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders,
and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.
All the strength and succor you want is within yourselves.
Therefore, make your own future.
- So long as millions live in hunger and ignorance,
I hold every person a traitor who, having been
educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.
- We reap what we sow. We are the makers of our own fate.
None else has the blame, none has the praise.
- Fill the brain with high thoughts,
highest ideals, place them day and night before you,
and out of that will come great work.
- This life is a hard fact; work your way through it boldly,
though it may be adamantine; no matter, the soul is stronger.
- 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.
- This I have seen in life—those who are overcautious about themselves
fall into dangers at every step; those who are afraid of losing
honor and respect, get only disgrace; and those who are always
afraid of loss, always lose.
- All that is real in me is God; all that is real in God is I. The
gulf between God and me is thus bridged. Thus by knowing God, we
find that the kingdom of heaven is within us.
- Strength is the sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of hope,
the sign of health, and the sign of everything that is good. As long
as the body lives, there must be strength in the body, strength in
the mind, strength in the hand.
- As long as we believe ourselves to be even the least different from
God, fear remains with us; but when we know ourselves to be the One,
fear goes; of what can we be afraid?
- Look upon every man, woman, and everyone as God. You cannot help
anyone, you can only serve: serve the children of the Lord, serve
the Lord Himself, if you have the privilege.
- 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.
- The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what
will become of you, depend on no one.Only the moment you reject all
help are you free.
- Great work requires great and persistent effort for a long time.
Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.
- We came to enjoy; we are being enjoyed.
We came to rule; we are being ruled.
We came to work; we are being worked.
All the time, we find that.
And this comes into every detail of our life.
- The more you think of yourself as shining immortal spirit,
the more eager you will be to be absolutely free of matter,
body, and senses. This is the intense desire to be free.
- Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.
- Strength is Life, Weakness is Death.
Expansion is Life, Contraction is Death.
Love is Life, Hatred is Death.
- Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself.
- Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.
- It is our mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds.
- Come out into the broad light of day, come out from the little narrow paths, for how can the infinite soul rest content to live and die in small ruts?
- 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.
- Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man, and character is the test of that manifestation.