"Authorities" of the Hindu Religion

The three Prasthanas ["Courses", viz, the Upanishad (Shruti), the Gita, and the Shariraka-Sutras], then, 
in their different explanations as Dvaita, Vishistadvaita, or Advaita, with a few minor recensions, 
form the "authorities" of the Hindu religion. 

The Puranas, the modern representations of the ancient Narasamsi (anecdote portion of the Vedas), supply the mythology, and 
the Tantras, the modern representations of the Brahmanas (ritual and explanatory portion of the Vedas), supply the ritual. 

Thus the three Prasthanas, as authorities, are common to all the sects; but as to the Puranas and Tantras, each sect has its own. 

                       - Swami Vivekananda, 
                       ‘Reply to the Madras Address’   

  

Science of the Maker

One Solution to Life

Life is but momentary whether you have the knowledge of an angel or the ignorance of an animal. 

Life is but momentary, whether you have the poverty of the poorest man in rags or the wealth of the richest living person. 

Life is but momentary, whether you are a downtrodden man living in one of the big streets of the big cities of the West or a crowned Emperor ruling over millions. 

Life is but momentary, whether you have the best of health or the worst. 

Life is but momentary, whether you have the most poetical temperament or the most cruel. 

There is but one solution of life, says the Hindu, and that solution is what they call God and Religion.

- Swami Vivekananda, 

Talk on ‘My Master’

Remain Unattached

Principles and Not Persons

Our allegiance is to the principles always, and not to the persons. Persons are but the embodiments, the illustrations of the principles. 
If the principles are there, the persons will come by the thousands and millions. If the principle is safe, persons like Buddha will be born by the hundreds and thousands. But if the principle is lost and forgotten and the whole of national life tries to cling round a so-called historical person, woe unto that religion, danger unto that religion! 

Ours is the only religion that does not depends on a person or persons; it is based upon principles. At the same time there is room for millions of persons. 

               - Swami Vivekananda, 
                 Address at Madras, 
                 Lectures From Colombo to Almora

Search for My Own Reality

Weakness - Cause of all Problems

It is weakness that is the motive power in all evil doing; 
it is weakness that is the source of all selfishness; 
it is weakness that makes men injure others; 
it is weakness that makes them manifest what they are not in reality. 

Let them all know what they are; let them repeat day and night what they are. Soham. Let them suck it in with their mothers' milk, this idea of strength -- i am He, I am He. 

This is to be heard first – श्रोतव्यो मन्तव्यो निदिध्यासितव्य:  etc. 
And then let them think of it, and out of that thought, out of that heart will proceed works such as the world has never seen.  

              - Swami Vivekananda, 
                  Address at Lahore, 
                  Lectures From Colombo to Almora

Dualistic, Non-Dualistic