Inspirational Thoughts

The repetition of names, the rituals, the forms, and the symbols, all these various things are for the purification of the soul. The greatest purifier among all such things, a purifier without which no one can enter the regions of this higher devotion, is renunciation. This frightens many: yet, without it, there cannot be any spiritual growth. In all our yogas this renunciation is necessary. This is the stepping-stone and the real center and the real heart of all spiritual culture – renunciation. This is religion – renunciation.

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We must have friendship for all; we must be merciful toward those that are in misery; when people are happy, we ought to be happy; and to the wicked we must be indifferent. These attitudes will make the mind peaceful.

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Come out into the broad light of day, come out from the little narrow paths, for how can the infinite soul rest content to live and die in small ruts? Come out into the universe of Light. Everything in the universe is yours, stretch out your arms and embrace it with love. If you ever felt you wanted to do that, you have felt God.

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It is the cheerful mind that is persevering. It is the strong mind that hews its way through a thousand difficulties. And this, the hardest task of all, the cutting of our way out of the net of maya, is the work reserved only for giant wills.

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What is the true meaning of the assertion that we should depend on ourselves? Here self means the eternal Self. But even dependence on the noneternal self may lead gradually to the right goas, as the individual self is really the eternal Self under delusion.

-Swami Vivekananda