Today is the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, who was a spiritual leader, a reformer, a thinker, and a beacon of Hindu culture.
He was also the founder of the Ramakrishna Mission, a society that engages in humanitarian, educational, and philanthropic deeds across the world. He is known to singlehandedly bring Indian spiritual ideas and philosophies to the West and was known to bring about a wonderful confluence and synthesis of Indian spirituality and Western material progress, maintaining that the two supplemented and complemented one another.
He became internationally renowned after his inspiring speech at the Parliament of Religions held in Chicago in 1893, at which he was the spokesperson for Hinduism. So astounding was his speech that a newspaper account described him as “an orator by divine right and undoubtedly the greatest figure at the Parliament.”
His teachings and principles are full of wisdom and have inspired generations and will continue to do so.
His birthday, 12th January, is celebrated as National Youth Day in India because his ideals and teachings can serve as a huge inspiration to the youth and because he believed that the youth had immense power to shape the world.
On this day, here are a few inspirational quotes by this visionary leader.
“Anything that makes weak – physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”
“Desire, ignorance, and inequality—this is the trinity of bondage.”
“The greatest sin is to think yourself weak.”
“Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.”
“Talk to yourself once in a day, otherwise you may miss meeting an intelligent person in this world.”
“The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.”
“In a day, when you don’t come across any problems – you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path”
“You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.”
“Things do not grow better; they remain as they are. It is we who grow better, by the changes we make in ourselves.”
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the body, 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, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced.”
“In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart. ”
“The great secret of true success, of true happiness, is this: the man or woman who asks for no return, the perfectly unselfish person, is the most successful.”
“The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”
“Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you, but do not think of that now.”
“Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads, and dare to carry that out in your life. ”
“Strength is Life, Weakness is Death. Expansion is Life, Contraction is Death. Love is Life, Hatred is Death.”
“Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.”
“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.”
“Education is the manifestation of perfection already existing in man.”
Aren’t these some wonderful teachings by this great leader?
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