Spiritual Heroism

Extracted from 

The One Infinite Being:Teachings and Sayings of Swami Vivekananda

Let people say whatever they like, stick to your own convictions, and rest assured, the world will be at your feet. They say, “Have faith in this fellow or that fellow,” but I say, “have faith in yourself first,” that’s the way. Have faith in yourself – all power is in you – be conscious and bring it out. Say, “I can do everything.” (6, 274)

Be free; hope for nothing from anyone. 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. All the help that has come was from within yourselves. (2, 324)

Those who are always downhearted and dispirited in this life can do no work; from life to life they come and go wailing and moaning. “the earth is enjoyed by heroes” – this is the unfailing truth. Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear.” Tell this to everybody – “Have no fear.” Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in this world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear. (7, 136)

The sign of vigor, the sign of life, the sign of hope, the sign of health, the sign of everything that is good, is strength. As long as the body lives, there must be strength in the body, strength in the mind, in the hand. (6, 62)

Freedom is never to be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded faith and hope in yourself. (1, 146)

No great idea can have a place in the heart unless one steps out of his little corner. (6, 331)

Blows are what awaken us and help to break the dream. They show us the insufficiency of this world and make us long to escape, to have freedom. (7, 79)

The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves! (1, 483)

The One Infinite Being - A Book of Self-discovery

The one Infinite Being

Teachings and Sayings of Swami Vivekananda

Compiled and Edited by Swami Chidakarananda

Since the beginning of mankind there has been one quest that has continually employed the mind and heart of humanity: knowing who we are. The One Infinite Being brings a satisfying answer to that search from the very lips of true knower of the Self.

Swami Vivekananda is not only a renown and globally acclaimed master of the internal Truth, he is a master of modern times and therefore capable of transmitting his experiences in a language that echoes our own. His teachings provide an unencumbered path to the inner realm, bringing the light of clear and direct perception to our mind.

 

I have selected for this book a variety of his sayings with the intention to cover all the aspects of life, from which and through which we can apply Vivekananda’s wisdom to our greatest spiritual and intellectual profit.

Below is an extract from The One Infinite Being. Enjoy the power of its words.

Our sole concern is to know the highest truth. Our goal is the loftiest. We have said big words to ourselves – absolute realization and all that. Let us measure up to the words. Let us worship the spirit in spirit, standing on spirit. Let the foundation be spirit, the middle spirit, the culmination spirit. There will be no world anywhere. Let it go and whirl into space – who cares? Stand thou in the spirit! That is the goal. We know we cannot reach it yet. Never mind. Do not despair, and do not drag the ideal down. The important thing is: how much less you think of the body, of yourself as matter – as dead, dull, insentient matter; how much more you think of yourself as shining immortal being. The more you think of yourself as shining immortal spirit, the more eager you will be to be absolutely free of matter, body, and senses. This is the intense desire to be free. (8, 120)

If you think that you are bound, you remain bound; you make your own bondage. If you know that you are free, you are free this moment. This is knowledge, knowledge of freedom. Freedom is the goal of all nature. (2, 462)

We are ever free if we would only believe it, only have faith enough. You are the soul, free and eternal, ever free, ever blessed. Have faith enough and you will be free in a minute. . . . That which is bound is nature, not the soul. Therefore proclaim your freedom and be what you are – ever-free, ever-blessed. (6, 93)