inspirational quotes by swami vivekananda

“A bitter thing cannot be made sweet.
The taste of anything can be changed.
But poison cannot be changed into nectar.”

“One cannot have any respect or regard for men who take the position of the reformer and
then refuse to see the logical consequences of that position, let alone following them out in action.”

“Religion must mainly be a matter of principles only. It cannot be a matter of rules. The moment it degenerates into rules, it ceases to be a religion, as it kills responsibility which is an essence of the true religious act.”

“For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent. What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political and social rights.”

“Constitution is not a mere lawyers document, it is a vehicle of Life, and its spirit is always the spirit of Age.”

“The basic idea underlying religion is to create an atmosphere for the spiritual development of the individual.”

“My definition of democracy is -

A form and a method of Government whereby revolutionary changes in the social life are brought about without bloodshed.

That is the real test. It is perhaps the severest test. But when you are judging the quality of the material you must put it to the severest test.”

“Law and order are the medicine of the politic body and when the politic body gets sick, medicine must be administered.”

“The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends.”

“Freedom of mind is the real freedom.
A person whose mind is not free though he may not be in chains, is a slave, not a free man.
One whose mind is not free, though he may not be in prison, is a prisoner and not a free man.
One whose mind is not free though alive, is no better than dead.
Freedom of mind is the proof of one's existence.”

“Cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence.”

“History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict, victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.”

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean,
man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives.
Man's life is independent.
He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self too.”

“Indifferentism is the worst kind of disease that can affect people.”

“Humans are mortal. So are ideas. An idea needs propagation as much as a plant needs watering. Otherwise both will wither and die.”

“Life should be great rather than long.”

If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.

God, our Creator, has stored within our minds and personalities, great potential strength and ability. Prayer helps us tap and develop these powers.

Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.

You have to dream before your dreams can come true.

Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.

Man needs his difficulties because they are necessary to enjoy success.

To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.

My message, especially to young people is to have courage to think differently, courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.

To succeed in your mission, you must have single-minded devotion to your goal.

Educationists should build the capacities of the spirit of inquiry, creativity, entrepreneurial and moral leadership among students and become their role model.

As a child of God, I am greater than anything that can happen to me.

Be more dedicated to making solid achievements than in running after swift but synthetic happiness.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.

Tell me, why is the media here so negative? Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognise our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?

Those who cannot work with their hearts achieve but a hollow, half-hearted success that breeds bitterness all around

It means, people who are in high and responsible positions, if they go against righteousness, righteousness itself will get transformed into a destroyer.

The youth need to be enabled to become job generators from job seekers.

How accurately can the law fix the crime? There has to be a mechanism for very fast action. The law is like this: catch them and punish them.

swami vivekananda quotes

swami vivekananda quotes

Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

We are what our thoughts have made us ;so take
care about what you think. Words are secondary.
Thoughts live; they travel far.

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.

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.

If money help a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.

That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.

Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.

Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.

When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.

The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

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.

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.

Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material

Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.

External nature is only internal nature writ large.

God is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.

When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.

The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free.

Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being