Swami Vivekananda ( Swāmī Vivekānanda ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world, and the father of modern Indian nationalism who is credited with raising interfaith awareness and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born into an aristocratic Bengali Kayastha family in Calcutta, Vivekananda was inclined from a young age towards religion and spirituality. He later found his guru Ramakrishna and became a monk. After the death of Ramakrishna, Vivekananda extensively toured the Indian subcontinent acquiring first-hand knowledge of the living conditions of Indian people in then British India. Moved by their plight, he resolved to help his countrymen and found a way to travel to the United States, where he became a popular figure after the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago at which he delivered his famous speech beginning with the words: “Sisters and brothers of America …” while introducing Hinduism to Americans. He was so impactful at the Parliament that an American newspaper described him as “an orator by divine right and undoubtedly the greatest figure at the Parliament”. (from Wikipedia)
VALUABLE QUOTES OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
Say, “I can do everything.” “Even if poison of a snake is powerless if you can firmly deny it.” – Swami Vivekananda
“The earth is enjoyed by heroes”— this is the unfailing truth. Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear”.- Swami Vivekananda
“Calm and silent and steady work, and no newspaper humbug, no name-making, you must always remember.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Cowards only sin, brave men never, no, not even in mind.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Do not figure out big plans at first, but, begin slowly, feel your ground and proceed up and up.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Who makes us ignorant? We ourselves. We put our hands over our eyes and weep that it is dark.”—Swami Vivekananda
“Superstition is our great enemy, but bigotry is worse. If superstition enters, the brain is gone.”—Swami Vivekananda
“Do not wait for anybody or anything. Do whatever you can. Build your hope on none.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.” – Swami Vivekananda
“Give me a few men and women who are pure and selfless, and I shall shake the world.”—Swami Vivekananda
“The infinite library of the universe is in your mind.”—Swami Vivekananda
“Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.”—Swami Vivekananda
“Anything that makes weak – physically, intellectually and spiritually, reject it as poison.”—Swami Vivekananda
