Saturday, June 12, 2010

selfishness and misery

With the sense of possession comes selfishness,
and selfishness brings on misery.

Swami Vivekananda : Class on Karma Yoga. New York, January 10, 1896. Complete Works, 1.100

God is one who can alter the destiny of people

How to recognize God when he assumes a human form?

Vivekananda: God is one who can alter the destiny of people. No sâdhu, however advanced, can claim this unique position. I don't see anyone who truly recognizes Ramakrishna as God. We sometimes feel it hazily, that is all. To realize Ramakrishna as God and yet be attached to the world is inconsistent.

Swami Vivekananda : Selections from the Belur Math Diary. Complete Works, 5.325.