Born and raised in Calcutta originally as Narendra Nath Datta, Swami Vivekananda played an extremely important role in the spiritual and philosophical enlightenment of the Indian masses. He led the spread of the Vedanta philosophy in the West and even established Ramakrishna mission, an organisation named after his Guru that dedicated itself to the service of the poor.
When Vivekananda reached the threshold of his youth, doubts about the existence of God started arising in his blooming mind. He was conflicted spiritually. At this time, he met his Guru and spiritual leader, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, to whom he asked if he’d seen God. To this Ramakrishna answered, “Yes, I see Him as clearly as I see you, only even more intensely.”
After pulling out the roots of darkness and doubt from Vivekananda’s mind, Ramakrishna took him under his discipleship and so began the journey of the famous and revered student and teacher. After the death of his Guru, Vivekananda became the chief disciple of Ramakrishna and started the Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math.
He showed a ray of hope to the Indian masses who had lost their self confidence under the colonial rule. He instilled tonnes of this hope into them. He was one of the first spiritual leaders to have understood the plight and the pain of the masses and had attended to it in the earnest way possible.
Here are some famous inspirational sayings from Vivekananda, to carry you through your dark days:
“Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.”
“Like me or hate me, both are in my favor. If you like me I am in your heart, if you hate me I am in your mind.”
“Relationships are more important than life, but it is important for those relationships to have life in them.”
“Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is achieved.”
“If I love myself despite my infinite faults, how can I hate anyone at the glimpse of a few faults.”
“Take risks in your life. If you win, you can lead, if you lose, you can guide.”
“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care of what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”
“The reason for every misunderstanding is that we see the people as we are but not as they are.”
“Learn everything that is good from others but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.”
“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”
“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.”
“Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.”
“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.”
Got any more favourite sayings of his? Let us know in the comment section below!
