
Swami Vivekananda
Narendranath Datta
1863-1902 • Indian
HinduismVedanta
Indian Hindu monk who introduced Vedanta and yoga to the Western world. His 1893 Parliament of Religions speech was historic.
Key Works
- Complete Works
- Lectures
- Letters
104
quotes in library
Quotes by Swami Vivekananda
104 quotes“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.”
selfComplete Works
“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.”
awakeningKarma Yoga
“The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves.”
selfLectures from Colombo to Almora
“Strength is life, weakness is death.”
strengthLectures
“Comfort is no test of truth. Truth is often far from being comfortable.”
truthComplete Works
“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”
mindKarma Yoga
“In a conflict between the heart and the brain, follow your heart.”
heartInspired Talks
“The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you free.”
fearlessnessComplete Works
“Anything that makes you weak — physically, intellectually, and spiritually, reject as poison.”
strengthComplete Works
“Do one thing at a time, and while doing it put your whole soul into it to the exclusion of all else.”
presenceKarma Yoga
“Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.”
toleranceComplete Works
“External nature is only internal nature writ large.”
unityRaja Yoga
“Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the creator of your own destiny.”
responsibilityLectures from Colombo to Almora
“All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.”
unityComplete Works
“Be free, hope for nothing from any one. I am sure if you look back upon your lives you will find that you were always vainly trying to get help from others which never came.”
self-relianceComplete Works
“The fire that warms us can also consume us; it is not the fault of the fire.”
wisdomComplete Works
“Faith, faith, faith in ourselves, faith, faith in God — this is the secret of greatness.”
faithLectures
“Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”
educationComplete Works
“The great secret is not to kill the desire, but to redirect it.”
wisdomComplete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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