Remembering Swami Vivekananda: Top 10 inspirational quotes from the spiritual leader

One of India’s most prolific spiritual leaders, Swami Vivekananda was instrumental in introducing the Indian philosophies of Vedanta to the western world.

He was born in Kolkata on January 12, 1863, and was named Narendra Nath Datta. He was a devout follower of an Indian saint named Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, whose ideologies inspired him. In 1887, he along with other disciples of Ramakrishna Paramhansa took formal vows of sanyasa and renounced the worldly pleasures. He later established the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission.

To spread his message across the globe, he went to the US to attend the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. There he delivered a landmark speech that touched on topics like universal acceptance, tolerance, and religion. The speech got him a standing ovation and the Art Institute of Chicago commemorated it with several rare photos and several plaques with his quotes and signature.

On his 120th death anniversary, on July 4, here are some of his inspirational quotes.

“Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work.”

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.”

“In a day, when you don’t come across any problems – you can be sure that you are travelling on a wrong path.”

“The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature.”

“Learn everything that is good from others, but bring it in, and in your own way absorb it; do not become others.”

“Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin, to say that you are weak, or others are weak.”

“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.”

“Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.”

“The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.”

“This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.”