P. 291 The Gospel of The Holy Mother

Why, can't a married man lead a virtuous life? It is through the mind
that one achieves everything. Didn't the Master marry me?
P. 291 The Gospel of The Holy Mother

The Gospel of Strength - Swami Vivekananda

You may pray to everyone that was ever born, but who will come to
help you?... Help thyself out by thyself. None else can help thee,
friend... Get hold of the Self, then. Stand up. Don't be afraid. In
the midst of all miseries and all weakness, let the Self come out,
faint and imperceptible though it be at first.

The one great question asked by Vedanta is: why are people so afraid?
The answer is that they have made themselves helpless and dependant on
others. We are so lazy, we do not want to do anything for ourselves.
We want a personal god, a saviour or a prophet to do everything for
us... If everything is done for a man by another he will lose the use
of his own limbs. Anything we do ourselves, that is the only thing we
do. Anything that is done by another never can be ours... All this
running after help is foolishness.

You know, there are bullock carts... sometimes a sheaf of straw is
dangled at the tip of the pole, a little in front of the bulls but
beyond their reach. The bulls try continually to feed upon the straw,
but never succeed. That is exactly how we are helped! We think we are
going to get security, strength, wisdom, happiness from the outside.
We always hope but never realize our hope. Never does any help come
from the outside.

Complete Works of swami vivekanada, 5: 394

Think always, 'I am ever-pure, ever-knowing, and ever-free. How can I
do anything evil? Like ordinary people, can I ever be fooled with the
insignificant charms of lust and wealth?' Strengthen the mind with
such thoughts. This will surely bring real good.

Conversation with Priya Nath Sinha. Recorded in Bengali. Complete Works, 5: 394

Help Yourself - Swami Vivekananda

Therefore, stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole
responsibility on your own shoulders, and know that you are the
creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succour you want is
within yourselves.

It is a tremendous error to feel helpless. Do not seek help from
anyone. We are our own help. If we cannot help ourselves, there is
none to help us... this is the last and greatest lesson, and oh, what
a time it takes to learn it!... Just think of that huge mass of
misery, and all caused by this false idea of going to seek for help!

There is no help for man. None ever was, none is, and none will be...
But you are spirit. Pull yourself out of difficulties by yourself!
Save yourself by yourself! There is none to help you - never was. To
think that there is, is sweet delusion. It comes to no good.

Complete Works of swami vivekanada, 2: 100

Renounce and give up. What did Christ say? 'He that loseth his life
for my sake shall find it.' Again and again did he preach renunciation
as the only way to perfection. There comes a time when the mind awakes
from this long and dreary dream--the child gives up its play and wants
to go back to its mother.

Complete Works, 2: 100

Edgar Cayce Reading 397-1

. . in thine own heart there comes those things that would make
afraid. But fear is of the earth. The spirit of truth and
righteousness casteth out fear.

Edgar Cayce Reading 397-1