Swami Vivekananda
Overview
 
Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Dutta , was the chief disciple of the 19th century mystic Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of the Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math
Ramakrishna Math is a religious monastic order, considered part of the Hindu reform movements. It was set up by Swami Vivekananda to follow the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna...

 and the Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Mission
Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are twin organizations which form the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as Ramakrishna Movement or Vedanta Movement. The Ramakrishna Mission is a philanthropic, volunteer organization founded by Ramakrishna's chief disciple Swami Vivekananda on...

. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Hindu philosophies of Vedanta
Vedanta
Vedānta was originally a word used in Hindu philosophy as a synonym for that part of the Veda texts known also as the Upanishads. The name is a morphophonological form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedic hymns." It is also speculated that "Vedānta" means "the purpose or goal...

 and Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

 to the "Western" World, mainly in America and Europe and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...

 to the status of a major world religion during the end of the 19th century C.E.
Quotations

Let us calmly and in a manly fashion go to work, instead of dissipating our energy in unnecessary frettings and fumings. I, for one, thoroughly believe that no power in the universe can withhold from anyone anything he really deserves.

s:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 4/Writings: Prose/Reply to the Calcutta Address |Vol 4. Reply to the Calcutta Adress

The whole life is a succession of dreams. My ambition is to be a conscious dreamer, that is all.

Letter to Mary Hale. From New York: February 10, 1896. Complete Works, 5.100.

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within, by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy - by one, or more, or all of these—and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.

The whole universe is one. There is only one Self in the universe, only One Existence.

You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.

In a day when you don't come across any problems—you can be sure that you are traveling in the wrong path.

Arise, Awake and Stop not till the Goal is Reached.

To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. “I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul; “at my will mountains will crumble up”. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.

 
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