Purity and Silence

 (Tags: Lord, World, So-called, Workers, Purified, Regiment, Preachers, Purity, Silence, Word, Power)

Million-headed Serpent

       (Tags: Enjoyment, Million-Headed, Serpent, Foot, Despair, Hold On, World, Demon, Puny Ego, King, Lust, Gold)

Crushing Ego

               (Tags: World, Rascal, Ego, Body, Revile, Good, Hurt, Hate, Thrash, Lord)

Kill Puny "I"

       (Tags: Adamantine, Shuts, Egoism, Puny, I, Diabolism, World, Ego, Kingdom, Heaven)

Hiding Best

        (Tags: I, Humbug, Bullock, Tied, Lord, Hidden, Hides, Conquer, Universe)

Instrument of God

                   (Tags: Best, Work, Self, Divine, Actor, Duty, Arjuna, Krishna, Resigned, God, Little, I)

Be Unattached

                                          (Tags: Seek, Avoid, Liberty, Endure, Unattached)

Mud Puddle!

                    (Tags: Heart, Ocean, Trifles, World, Mad, Joy, Evil, Picture, Beauty, Beads, Mud-Puddle, God, Play)

Let us be God!

(Tags: World, Me, Good, Evil, Slaves, Brute, Man, God, Blissful)

Infinite Lake

(Tags: Pleasure, Pain, Good, Evil, Equilibrium, Freedom, Creation, Infinite, Life, Death, Maya, Atman)

Beyond Intellect

(Tags: Walking, Dreams, Power, Reason, False, Intellect, Bondage, Human, Soul)

Pleasure of the Self

All pleasures of the senses or even of the mind are evanescent but within ourselves is the one true unrelated pleasure, dependent upon nothing. 
It is perfectly free, it is bliss. 

The more our bliss is within, the more spiritual we are. 
The pleasure of the Self is what the world calls religion.

                       - Swami Vivekananda

High Stand

Stand upon the Self, then only can we truly love the world.
Take a very, very high stand; knowing our universal nature, we must look with perfect calmness upon all the panorama of the world. 

It is but baby's play, and we know that, so cannot be disturbed by it.

               - Swami Vivekananda

Neither Happiness Nor Misery

After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. 
What we want is neither happiness nor misery. 
Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains — one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. 
These are states and states must ever change; but the nature of the Soul is bliss, peace, unchanging. 
We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.

            - Swami Vivekananda

Love of God

Give up all evil company, especially at the beginning. 
Avoid worldly company, that will distract your mind. 
Give up all "me and mine". 
To him who has nothing in the universe the Lord comes. 
Cut the bondage of all worldly affections; go beyond laziness and all care as to what becomes of you. 

Never turn back to see the result of what you have done. Give all to the Lord and go on and think not of it. The whole soul pours in a continuous current to God; there is no time to seek money, or name, or fame, no time to think of anything but God; then will come into our hearts that infinite, wonderful bliss of Love. 
All desires are but beads of glass. Love of God increases every moment and is ever new, to be known only by feeling it. 
Love is the easiest of all, it waits for no logic, it is natural. 
We need no demonstration, no proof. 
Reasoning is limiting something by our own minds. 

We throw a net and catch something, and then say that we have demonstrated it; but never, never can we catch God in a net.

                     - Swami Vivekananda

Between You and God

Let nothing stand between God and your love for Him. 
Love Him, love Him, love Him; and let the world say what it will. 
Love is of three sorts — one demands, but gives nothing; 
the second is exchange; and the third is love without thought of return — love like that of the moth for the light.

"Love is higher than work, than Yoga, than knowledge."

                         - Swami Vivekananda

Scriptures

Obey the scriptures until you are strong enough to do without them; then go beyond them. 
Books are not an end-all. 
Verification is the only proof of religious truth. 
Each must verify for himself; and no teacher who says, "I have seen, but you cannot", is to be trusted, only that one who says, "You can see too". 

All scriptures, all truths are Vedas in all times, in all countries; because these truths are to be seen, and any one may discover them.

                  -Swami Vivekananda

Mad for God

My Master used to say, "This world is a huge lunatic asylum where all men are mad, some after money, some after women, some after name or fame, and a few after God. 
I prefer to be mad after God. God is the philosophers' stone that turns us to gold in an instant; the form remains, but the nature is changed — the human form remains, but no more can we hurt or sin."

                       - Swami Vivekananda

To BE

We are striving "to be" and nothing more, 
no "I" ever — just pure crystal, reflecting all, but ever the same, When that state is reached, there is no more doing; 
the body becomes a mere mechanism, 
pure without care for it; it cannot become impure.

Know you are the Infinite, then fear must die. 
Say ever, "I and my Father are one."

                     - Swami Vivekananda

Nishtha

Nishthâ (devotion to one ideal) is the only method for the beginner; but with devotion and sincerity it will lead to all. 

Churches, doctrines, forms, are the hedges to protect the tender plant, but they must later be broken down that the plant may become a tree. 
So the various religions, Bibles, Vedas, dogmas — all are just tubs for the little plant; but it must get out of the tub. 

Nishthâ is, in a manner, placing the plant in the tub, shielding the struggling soul in its path. . . .

                - Swami Vivekananda

World is a Play

In our miseries and struggles the world seems to us a very dreadful place. But just as when we watch two puppies playing and biting we do not concern ourselves at all, realising that it is only fun and that even a sharp nip now and then will do no actual harm, so all our struggles are but play in God's eyes. 

This world is all for play and only amuses God; nothing in it can make God angry.

                    - Swami Vivekananda

Give without Barter

In the world take always the position of the giver. 
Give everything and look for no return. 
Give love, give help, give service, give any little thing you can, but keep out barter. Make no conditions, and none will be imposed. 
Let us give out of our own bounty, just as God gives to us.
                - Swami Vivekananda