Swami Vivekananda

[Guest guest]

4.

 

31. Every man should take up his own ideal and endeavour to

accomplishit. That is a surer way of progress than taking up other

men's ideals which he can never hope to accomplish.

 

32. The first manifest effect of life is expansion. You msut expand

if you want to live. The moment you have ceased to expand, death is

upon you, dangr is ahead .... Mark my words, it has got to come if

this nation lives at all. This question, therefore, is the greatest

of the signs of the revival of national ife, and through this

expansion ... our contribution to the general upheaval of the wrold,

is going out to the external world.

 

33. ... freedom is the goal .... it is freedom alone that is

desirable. That is what men struggle after.

 

34. The eyes of the whole world are now turned towards this land of

Indiafor spiritual food; and India has to provide it for all the

races. Here alone is the best ideal for mankind; and Western

Scholars are now striving to understand this ideal which is

enshrined in our Sanskrit literature and philosophy, and which has

been the characteristic of India all through the ages.

 

35. One may gain political and social independence, but if one is a

slave to his passions and desires, one can not feel pure joy or real

freedom.

 

36. Beintg all light into the world; light, bright light! Let light

come unto everyone; the task will not be finished till every has

reached the Lord. Bring light to the poor, and bring more light to

the rich, for they require it more than the poor; bring light to the

ignorant and more light to the educated for the vanities of the

education of our time tremendous! Thus bring light to all and leave

the rest unto the Lord.

 

37. After so much austerity, I have understood this as the real

truth, God is present in every Jiva; there is no other God besides

that. 'Who serves Jiva, serves God indeed.'

 

38. Have a gremendous faith in yourselves ... Have that faith, each

one of you, in yourself, that eternal power is lodged in every soul,

and you will revive the whole of India.... We must enter into the

life of evey race in India and abroad ... This is the time to decide

your future -- while you possess the energy of youth... Wrok; this

is the time, for the freshest, the untouched, and unsmelled flowers

alone are to be laid at the feet of the Lord.

 

39. It is a tremendous error to feel helpless. Do not seek help from

anyone. We are our ownhelp. If we cannot help ourselves, there is

none to help us.

 

40. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the

great cause of misery in the wrold. It is fear that is the greatest

of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of our woes, and

it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment.

Therefore 'Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.'

 

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