Thoughts

…He taught that a man ought to live in this world like a lotus leaf, which grows in water but is never moistened by water; so a man ought to live in the world — his heart to God and his hands to work.  The higher your ideal is, the more miserable you are, for such a thing as an ideal cannot be attained in the world – or in this life, even. He who wants perfection in the world is a madman – for it cannot be. How can you find the infinite in the finite. There are two sorts of persons in the world – the one strong-nerved, quite, yielding to nature, not given too much imagination, yet good, kind, sweet, etc. for such in this world –they alone are born to be happy. There are others, again, with high-strong nerves, tremendously imaginative, with intense feeling –always going high, and coming down the next moment. For them there is no happiness. The first class will have almost an even an even tenor of happiness. The second will have to run between ecstasy and misery. But of these alone what we call geniuses are made. There is some truth in a recent theory that geniuses is ‘a sort of madness’. Two close friends sat by a pool. She filled the palm of her hand with some water, held it before him and said: “You see the water in my hand? It Symbolizes Love.” As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you close your fingers around it to possess it, it will spell through the first cracks it finds. The greatest mistake that people make in love is they try to possess it, the demand, expect... and just like the later spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you. For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, free them. Give, don’t expect. Advice, don’t order. Ask, never demand. It may be that I shall find it good to get outside of my body - to cast it off like a disused garment. But I shall not cease to work! I shall inspire men everywhere, until the world shall know that it is one with God. -Swami Vivekananda. Arise Awake! And stop not till the goal is reached. -Swami Vivekananda. What the world wants is character. The world is in need of those whose life is one burning love--selfless. That love will make every word tell like a thunderbolt. Awake, awake, great souls! The world is burning in misery. Can you sleep?Work unto death--I am with you, and when I am gone, my spirit will work with you. This life comes and goes--wealth, fame, enjoyments are only of a few days. It is better, far better, to die on the field of duty, preaching the truth than to die like a worldly worm. Advance! -Swami Vivekananda Books are infinite in number, and time is short; therefore the secret of knowledge is take what is essential. Take that and try to live up to it. -Swami Vivekananda. All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in our own mind. -Swami Vivekananda. In a day, when you don't come across any problems, you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path. -Swami Vivekananda. 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, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced. Others are mere talking machines. - Swami Vivekananda All knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe is in our own mind.

- Swami Vivekananda

When I Asked God for Strength He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face When I Asked God for Brain & Brown He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve When I Asked God for Happiness He Showed Me Some Unhappy People When I Asked God for Wealth He Showed Me How to Work Hard When I Asked God for Favors He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard When I Asked God for Peace He Showed Me How to Help Others God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted He gave Me Everything I Needed

-Swami Vivekananda