150th birth anniv of Swami Vivekananda:15 Quotes by the Monk

Bangalore, Jan 12: India commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on Saturday, Jan 12. Swami Vivekananda was born as Narendra Nath Datta in Calcutta Jan 12, 1863. He was the main force behind the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world.

He was credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century.

On his 150th birth anniversary, we bring you 15 famous quotes from the Monk, who taught us the lesson of humanity.

1. All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

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

3. 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.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The moment I have realised 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.

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

9. As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.

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

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

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

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

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