Quote: Realization

Source: Unknown/Favim

Do not believe a thing because you have read about it in a book. Do not believe a thing because another man has said it was true. Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition. Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.

~ Swami Vivekananda

Quote: Realization

Source: Unknown/Favim

Do not believe a thing because you have read about it in a book. Do not believe a thing because another man has said it was true. Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition. Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.

~ Swami Vivekananda

The Living God

Photo credit: cohdra from morguefile.com

He who is in you and outside you, 

Who works through all hands,

Who walks on all feet,

Whose body are all ye,

Him worship, and break all other idols!

He who is at once the high and low,

The sinner and the saint,

Both God and worm,

Him worship — visible, knowable, real, omnipresent,

Break all other idols!

In whom is neither past life

Nor future birth nor death,

In whom we always have been

And always shall be one,

Him worship. Break all other idols!

Ye fools! who neglect the living God,

And His infinite reflections with which the world is full.

While ye run after imaginary shadows,

That lead alone to fights and quarrels,

Him worship, the only visible!

Break all other idols!

~ Swami Vivekananda

(Written to an American friend from Almora, 9th July 1897.)

______________________________________________________

There is one absolute God. But each human being, according to my philosophy, is a portion of God. The Supreme God is like the ocean. Each drop has a little of the consciousness of the ocean; therefore, we can say each drop is a tiny god, a portion of God. When you are portion of the infinite, you can say that you also embody the essence of the Infinite.

According to our Indian philosophy, there are as many gods as there are human beings. What do we mean by that? We feel that each human being has God inside him. We believe in the soul; we believe that we have God inside us. Most of the time our God is fast asleep. But when we pray and meditate, our God comes forward. There are many who are still fast asleep. Their God is still sleeping. But we are praying, we are meditating; so we are bringing our God to the fore. The soul, which is God's representative within us, has a complete and inseparable connection with the Absolute God.

~ Sri Chinmoy

(Excerpt from God And The Cosmic Game)

The Living God

Photo credit: cohdra from morguefile.com

He who is in you and outside you, 

Who works through all hands,

Who walks on all feet,

Whose body are all ye,

Him worship, and break all other idols!

He who is at once the high and low,

The sinner and the saint,

Both God and worm,

Him worship — visible, knowable, real, omnipresent,

Break all other idols!

In whom is neither past life

Nor future birth nor death,

In whom we always have been

And always shall be one,

Him worship. Break all other idols!

Ye fools! who neglect the living God,

And His infinite reflections with which the world is full.

While ye run after imaginary shadows,

That lead alone to fights and quarrels,

Him worship, the only visible!

Break all other idols!

~ Swami Vivekananda

(Written to an American friend from Almora, 9th July 1897.)

______________________________________________________

There is one absolute God. But each human being, according to my philosophy, is a portion of God. The Supreme God is like the ocean. Each drop has a little of the consciousness of the ocean; therefore, we can say each drop is a tiny god, a portion of God. When you are portion of the infinite, you can say that you also embody the essence of the Infinite.

According to our Indian philosophy, there are as many gods as there are human beings. What do we mean by that? We feel that each human being has God inside him. We believe in the soul; we believe that we have God inside us. Most of the time our God is fast asleep. But when we pray and meditate, our God comes forward. There are many who are still fast asleep. Their God is still sleeping. But we are praying, we are meditating; so we are bringing our God to the fore. The soul, which is God's representative within us, has a complete and inseparable connection with the Absolute God.

~ Sri Chinmoy

(Excerpt from God And The Cosmic Game)

Quest For God

Source: Google/Favim

Over hill and dale and mountain range,

In temple, church, and mosque,

In Vedas, Bible, Al Koran

I had searched for Thee in vain.

Like a child in the wildest forest lost

I have cried and cried alone,

"Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?

The echo answered, "gone."

And days and nights and years then passed

A fire was in the brain,

I knew not when day changed in night

The heart seemed rent in twain.

I laid me down on Ganges's shore,

Exposed to sun and rain;

With burning tears I laid the dust

And wailed with waters' roar.

I called on all the holy names

Of every clime and creed.

"Show me the way, in mercy, ye

Great ones who have reached the goal."

Years then passed in bitter cry,

Each moment seemed an age,

Till one day midst my cries and groans

Some one seemed calling me.

A gentle soft and soothing voice

That said 'my son' 'my son',

That seemed to thrill in unison

With all the chords of my soul.

I stood on my feet and tried to find

The place the voice came from;

I searched and searched and turned to see

Round me, before, behind,

Again, again it seemed to speak

The voice divine to me.

In rapture all my soul was hushed,

Entranced, enthralled in bliss.

A flash illumined all my soul;

The heart of my heart opened wide.

O joy, O bliss, what do I find!

My love, my love you are here

And you are here, my love, my all!

And I was searching thee -

From all eternity you were there

Enthroned in majesty!

From that day forth, wherever I roam,

I feel Him standing by

Over hill and dale, high mount and vale,

Far far away and high.

The moon's soft light, the stars so bright,

The glorious orb of day,

He shines in them; His beauty - might -

Reflected lights are they.

The majestic morn, the melting eve,

The boundless billowing sea,

In nature's beauty, songs of birds,

I see through them - it is He.

When dire calamity seizes me,

The heart seems weak and faint,

All nature seems to crush me down,

With laws that never bend.

Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweet

My love, "I am near", "I am near".

My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,

A thousand deaths no fear.

Thou speakest in the mother's lay

Thou shuts the babies eye,

When innocent children laugh and play,

I see Thee standing by.

When holy friendship shakes the hand,

He stands between them too;

He pours the nectar in mother's kiss

And the baby's sweet "mama".

Thou wert my God with prophets old,

All creeds do come from Thee,

The Vedas, Bible, and Koran bold

Sing Thee in Harmony.

"Thou art," Thou art" the Soul of souls

In the rushing stream of life.

"Om tat sat om." Thou art my God,

My love, I am thine, I am thine.

~ Swami Vivekananda

_________________________________________

How idle it is to call certain things God-sends! as if there was anything else in the world.

~ Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare

Quest For God

Source: Google/Favim

Over hill and dale and mountain range,

In temple, church, and mosque,

In Vedas, Bible, Al Koran

I had searched for Thee in vain.

Like a child in the wildest forest lost

I have cried and cried alone,

"Where art Thou gone, my God, my love?

The echo answered, "gone."

And days and nights and years then passed

A fire was in the brain,

I knew not when day changed in night

The heart seemed rent in twain.

I laid me down on Ganges's shore,

Exposed to sun and rain;

With burning tears I laid the dust

And wailed with waters' roar.

I called on all the holy names

Of every clime and creed.

"Show me the way, in mercy, ye

Great ones who have reached the goal."

Years then passed in bitter cry,

Each moment seemed an age,

Till one day midst my cries and groans

Some one seemed calling me.

A gentle soft and soothing voice

That said 'my son' 'my son',

That seemed to thrill in unison

With all the chords of my soul.

I stood on my feet and tried to find

The place the voice came from;

I searched and searched and turned to see

Round me, before, behind,

Again, again it seemed to speak

The voice divine to me.

In rapture all my soul was hushed,

Entranced, enthralled in bliss.

A flash illumined all my soul;

The heart of my heart opened wide.

O joy, O bliss, what do I find!

My love, my love you are here

And you are here, my love, my all!

And I was searching thee -

From all eternity you were there

Enthroned in majesty!

From that day forth, wherever I roam,

I feel Him standing by

Over hill and dale, high mount and vale,

Far far away and high.

The moon's soft light, the stars so bright,

The glorious orb of day,

He shines in them; His beauty - might -

Reflected lights are they.

The majestic morn, the melting eve,

The boundless billowing sea,

In nature's beauty, songs of birds,

I see through them - it is He.

When dire calamity seizes me,

The heart seems weak and faint,

All nature seems to crush me down,

With laws that never bend.

Meseems I hear Thee whispering sweet

My love, "I am near", "I am near".

My heart gets strong. With thee, my love,

A thousand deaths no fear.

Thou speakest in the mother's lay

Thou shuts the babies eye,

When innocent children laugh and play,

I see Thee standing by.

When holy friendship shakes the hand,

He stands between them too;

He pours the nectar in mother's kiss

And the baby's sweet "mama".

Thou wert my God with prophets old,

All creeds do come from Thee,

The Vedas, Bible, and Koran bold

Sing Thee in Harmony.

"Thou art," Thou art" the Soul of souls

In the rushing stream of life.

"Om tat sat om." Thou art my God,

My love, I am thine, I am thine.

~ Swami Vivekananda

_________________________________________

How idle it is to call certain things God-sends! as if there was anything else in the world.

~ Augustus William Hare and Julius Charles Hare

Quote: One idea

Source: Tumblr/Favim

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, that is way great spiritual giants are produced. 

~ Swami Vivekananda

 

Quote: One idea

Source: Tumblr/Favim

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, that is way great spiritual giants are produced. 

~ Swami Vivekananda