… the all-merciful Lord has manifested in the present age, as stated above, an incarnation [i.e. Sri Ramakrishna] which in point of completeness in revelation, its synthetic harmonising of all ideals, and its promoting of every sphere of spiritual culture, surpasses the manifestations of all past ages.
- Swami Vivekananda,
‘Hinduism and Sri Ramakrishna’
If there is anything which Sri Ramakrishna has urged us to give up as carefully as lust and wealth, it is the limiting of the infinitude of God by circumscribing it within narrow bounds. Whoever, therefore, will try to limit the infinite ideals of Sri Ramakrishna in that way, will go against him and be his enemy.
- Swami Vivekananda, Notes on Class Talks
He is the true disciple and follower of Sri Ramakrishna, whose character is perfect and all-sided like this. The formation of such a perfect character is the ideal of this age, and everyone should strive for that alone.
- Swami Vivekananda, Notes on Class Talks
That man was the embodiment of renunciation. … …
He was a triumphant example, a living realisation of the complete conquest of lust and of desire for money. He was beyond all ideas of either, and such men are necessary for this century.
- Swami Vivekananda, Talk on ‘My Master’
… Buddha would have been worshipped as God in his own lifetime, all over Asia, for a moment's compromise. And his reply was only: 'Buddhahood is an achievement, not a person!' Verily was He the only man is the world who was ever quite sane, the only sane man ever born!
- Swami Vivekananda, Sayings and Utterances
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you."
Where goest thou to seek for the Kingdom of God, asks Jesus of Nazareth, when it is there, within you? Cleanse the spirit, and it is there. It is already yours.
- Swami Vivekananda,
‘Christ, The Messenger’ at Los Angles
In worshipping Christ I would rather worship Him just as He desires; on the day of His birth I would rather worship him by fasting than by feasting -- by praying.
- Swami Vivekananda, Addresses on Bhakti-Yoga, New York
"I go forth to preach a religion of which Buddhism is nothing but a rebel child and Christianity, with all her pretensions, only a distant echo!”
- Swami Vivekananda,
before he left for America in 1893
To many the path becomes easier if they believe in God. But the life of Buddha 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 confessed materialist, even he can attain to the highest.
We have no right to judge him.
- Swami Vivekananda, Talk at Detroit
Buddha came to whip us into practice.
Be good, destroy the passions. Then you will know for yourself whether Dvaita or Advaita philosophy is true -- whether there is one or there are more than one.
Buddha was a reformer of Hinduism.
- Swami Vivekananda, Notes taken at Madras (1892-93)
These various names mark only differences of degree in the expression of that One. The worm of today is the God of tomorrow. These distinctions which we do love are all parts of one infinite fact, and only differ in the degree of expression.
That one infinite fact is the attainment of freedom.
- Swami Vivekananda,
Lecture in New York, June 1900
You see, the fact is that Shri Ramakrishna is not exactly what the ordinary followers have comprehended him to be. He had infinite moods and phases. Even if you might form an idea of the limits of Brahmajnana, the knowledge of the Absolute, you could not have any idea of the unfathomable depths of his mind!
Thousands of Vivekanandas may spring forth through one gracious glance of his eyes!
- Swami Vivekananda, Conversations and Dialogues,
recorded by Sharat Chandra Chakravarty
It is my opinion that Shri Ramakrishna was born to vivify all branches of art and culture in this country. Therefore this Math [i.e. Belur Math] has to be built up in such a way that religion, work, learning, Jnana, and Bhakti may spread over the world from this centre.
Be you my helpers in this work.
- Swami Vivekananda,
Conversations and Dialogues,
recorded by Sharat Chandra Chakravarty
Religion is not intellectual jargon at all, but realization. If you think about God, you are only a fool. The ignorant man, by prayer and devotion, can reach beyond the philosopher. To know God, no philosophy is necessary.
Our duty is not to disturb the faith of others. Religion is experience.
- Swami Vivekananda,
‘Jnana and Karma’, Lecture in London
If God may not be found by the outer senses, turn your eye inward and find, in yourself, the soul of all souls.
Man himself is the All. I cannot know the fundamental reality, because I am that fundamental reality. There is no duality. This is the solution of all questions of metaphysics and ethics.
- Swami Vivekananda,
Report in ‘Los Angeles Times’ (December 9, 1899)
of a Talk in California
In the presence of my Master I found out that man could be perfect, even in this body. Those lips never cursed anyone, never even criticized anyone. Those eyes were beyond the possibility of seeing evil, that mind had lost the power of thinking evil. He saw nothing but good.
That tremendous purity, that tremendous renunciation is the one secret of spirituality.
- Swami Vivekananda, Talk on ‘My Master’
When I have realized that I myself am the Absolute, for me there is no more death nor life nor pain nor pleasure, nor caste nor sex. How can that which is absolute die or be born?
The pages of nature are turned before us like the pages of a book, and we think that we ourselves are turning, while in reality we remain ever the same.
- Swami Vivekananda,
Report in ‘Los Angeles Times’ (December 9, 1899)
of a Talk in California
All knowledge is of the reflected as we can only see our own faces reflected in a mirror. So no one can know his Self or Brahman; but each is that Self and must see it reflected in order to make it an object of knowledge.
This seeing the illustrations of the unseen Principle is what leads to idolatry -- so-called.
- Swami Vivekananda,
Discourses on Jnana-Yoga, US
… help whenever you can, but mind what your motive is. If it is selfish, it will neither benefit those you help, nor yourself. If it is unselfish, it will bring blessings upon them to whom it is given, and infinite blessings upon you, sure as you are living.
The Lord can never be hoodwinked. The law of Karma can never be hoodwinked.
- Swami Vivekananda, ‘My Life and Mission’,
Talk at Shakespeare Club House, Pasadena, California
Buddhism is historically the most important religion -- historically, not philosophically -- because it was the most tremendous religious movement that the world ever saw, the most gigantic spiritual wave ever to burst upon human society.
There is no civilisation on which its effect has not been felt in some way or other.
- Swami Vivekananda, Talk at San Francisco
