Advaita and Older Theories

Akasha and Prana

Prana cannot work alone without the help of Akasha. 
All that we know in the form of motion, vibration, or thought is a modification of the Prana, and everything that we know in the shape of matter, either as form or as resistance, is a modification of the Akasha. 

The Prana cannot live alone, or act without a medium; when it is pure Prana, it has the Akasha itself to live in, and when it changes into forces of nature, say gravitation, or centrifugal force, it must have matter. 
You have never seen force without matter or matter without force; what we call force and matter are simply the gross manifestations of these same things, which, when superfine, are called Prana and Akasha. 

              - Swami Vivekananda, 
                Talk in New York

Be Not Afraid

Remedy for all Disease

That is the remedy for all disease, the nectar that cures death. 
Here we are in this world, and our nature rebels against it. 
But let us repeat, "I am It; I am It. I have no fear, nor doubt, nor death. I have no sex, nor creed, nor colour. What creed can I have? What sect is there to which I should belong? What sect can hold me? I am in every sect!"

However much the body rebels, however much the mind rebels, in the midst of the uttermost darkness, in the midst of agonizing tortures, in the uttermost despair, repeat this, once, twice, thrice, ever more. 
Light comes gently, slowly, but surely it comes. 

          - Swami Vivekananda, 
           Talk in Los Angles, California

Basis for Morality and Ethics

Dualism - First View of Religion

We have seen that there is the eternal God, and there is eternal nature. And there is also an infinite number of eternal souls. 
This is the first stage in religion, it is called dualism, the stage when man sees himself and God eternally separate, when God is a separate entity by Himself and man is a separate entity by himself and nature is a separate entity by itself. 
This is dualism, which holds that the subject and the object are opposed to each other in everything. 

When man looks at nature, he is the subject and nature the object. He sees the dualism between subject and object.
When he looks at God, he sees God as the object and himself as the subject. They are entirely separate. This is the dualism between man and God. 
This is generally the first view of religion. 

                 - Swami Vivekananda, Talk in New York

Difference Between Dualism and Monism

Impossible Question

… how is it that what is infinite, ever perfect, ever blessed, Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute, has come under these delusions? 
It is the same questions that has been asked all the world over. In the vulgar form the question becomes, "How did sin come into this world?" This is the most vulgar and sensuous form of the question, and the other is the most philosophic form, but the answer is the same. 

The same question has been asked in various grades and fashions, but in its lower forms it finds no solution, because the stories of apples and serpents and women do not give the explanation. In that state, the question is childish and so is the answer. 
But the question has assumed very high proportions now: "How did this illusion come?" And the answer is as fine. 
The answer is that we cannot expect any answer to an impossible question. The very question is impossible in terms. You have no right to ask that question. Why? 

What is perfection? 
That which is beyond time, space and causation -- that is perfect. Then you ask how the perfect became imperfect. 
In logical language the question may be put in this form: "How did that which is beyond causation become caused?" You contradict yourself. 

                   - Swami Vivekananda, 
                       Talk in New-York