The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

"Why does a man have sinful tendencies?" Sri Ramakrishna: "In God's
creation there are all sorts of things. He has created bad men as well
as good men. It is He who gives us good tendencies, and it is He again
who gives us evil tendencies." P. 97 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Letter to Alasinga. From Chicago: January 12, 1895. Complete Works, 5:67

My life is more precious than spending it in getting the admiration
of the world. I have no time for such foolery.

Letter to Alasinga. From Chicago: January 12, 1895. Complete Works, 5:67

The Gospel of The Holy Mother

It is the mind that makes one pure or impure. There is nothing called
impurity outside the mind. P. 320 The Gospel of The Holy Mother

Karma Yoga. New York, 1896. Complete Works, 1: 115.

There are only two ways out of this complex world-machine: one is to
give up all concern with the machine, to let it go, and to stand
aside, and give up our desires. That is very easy to say, but is
almost impossible to do. I do not know whether in twenty millions of
people even one can do that. The other way is to plunge into the world
and learn the secret of work, and that is the way of Karma Yoga.

Karma Yoga. New York, 1896. Complete Works, 1: 115.