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

“Experience is the only teacher we have. we may talk and reason all our lives, but we shall not understand a word of truth until we experience it ourselves.”

“The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”

“Learn Everything that is Good from Others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.”

“There is a great tendency in modern times to talk too much of work and decry thought. Doing is very good, but that comes from thinking. Little manifestations of energy through the muscles are called work. But where there is no thought, there will be no work. Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. Talk not about impurity, but say that we are pure. We have hypnotized ourselves into this thought that we are little, that we are born, and that we are going to die, and into a constant state of fear.”

“The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.”

“Let us proclaim to every soul: उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत — Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness.”

“Anything that makes weak - physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”

“Do not be afraid of a small beginning. great things come afterwards. Be courageous. Do not try to lead your brethren, but serve them. The brutal mania for leading has sunk many a great ships in the waters of life. Take care especially of that, i.e. be unselfish even unto death, and work.”

A collection of quotes from Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu monk and philosopher who popularized Vedanta in the West. The quotes cover topics such as fearlessness, self-reliance, knowledge, and service.

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

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