Self-abnegation

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5. There are people whose self-abnegation is complete, and who do only good to others
6. even at the sacrifice of their own lives. These are the highest of men and women.
   If there are a hundred such in any country, that country need never despair. But
   they are unfortunately too few.
   Class on Karma Yoga. New York, January 3, 1896. Complete Works, 1.85.

Distinguishing feature

   What do you consider the distinguishing feature of your movement, Swamiji?
Vivekananda: Aggression. Aggression in a religious sense only. Other sects and parties
have carried spirituality all over India, but since the days of Buddha we have been
the first to break bounds and try to flood the world with missionary zeal.
Interview in the Prabuddha Bharata. September 1898. Complete Works, 5: 225-26.

Virtue and Sin

 

    Doing good to others is virtue (dharma); injuring other is sin (adharma). Strength
and courage are virtue; weakness and cowardice are sin. Independence is virtue;
dependence is sin. Loving others is virtue; hating others is sin. Faith in God and
in one’s own Self is virtue; doubt is sin. Knowledge of oneness is virtue; seeing
diversity is sin. The different scriptures only show the means of attaining virtue.
Sayings and Utterances. Complete Works, 5.419.

Holy Place

 

   The presence of those who love God makes a place holy, “such is the glory of the
 children of the Lord.” They are he, and when they speak, their words are scriptures.
The place where they have been becomes filled with their vibrations, and those going
there feel them and have a tendency to become holy also.
Retreat given at the Thousand Island Park, USA. June 24, 1895. Complete Works, 7.10.

Quote 5

     The main effect of work done for others is to purify ourselves. By means of the
constant effort to do good to others we are trying to forget ourselves. This forgetfulness
of self is the one great lesson we have to learn in life.
Class on Karma Yoga. New York, January 3, 1896. Complete Works, 1.84..

Quote 4

I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood. Even if all the
world should be against me, Truth must prevail in the end.
Sayings and Utterances. Complete Works, 5:418.

Quote 3

I consider that the great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is
 one of the causes of our downfall. No amount of politics would be of any avail
until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed, and well cared
for. They pay for our education, they build our temples, but in return they get
kicks. They are practically our slaves. If we want to regenerate India, we must
work for them.
Interview in Madras Times. Chennai, February 1897. Complete Works, 5.222-23.

Quote 2

 

   Life is a state of continuous struggle between ourselves and everything outside.
 Every moment we are fighting with external nature, and if we are defeated, our
life has to go. It is, for instance, a continuous struggle for food and air. If
food or air fails, we die. Life is not a simple and smoothly flowing thing, but
it is a compound effect. This complex struggle between something inside and the
external world is what we call life. It is clear that when this struggle ceases,
 there will be an end of life.
Class on Karma Yoga. New York, January 3, 1896. Complete Works, 1.84.

Quote 1

    Point of health, the Westerners are far superior to Indians. In the West, men
 of forty years and women of fifty years are still young. This is, no doubt, because
they take good food, dress well, and live in a good climate, and above all, the
secret is that they do not marry at an early age.

 From “The East and the West,” originally written in Bengali. Complete Works, 5.466.