Curiously enough, it seems that at times the spiritual side prevails, and then the materialistic side—in wave-like motions following each other. ... At one time the full flood of materialistic ideas prevails, and everything in this life—prosperity, the education which procures more pleasures, more food—will become glorious at first and then that will degrade and degenerate. Along with the prosperity will rise to white heat all the inborn jealousies and hatreds of the human race. Competition and merciless cruelty will be the watchword of the day. To quote a very commonplace and not very elegant English proverb, "Everyone for himself, and the devil take the hindmost", becomes the motto of the day. Then people think that the whole scheme of life is a failure. And the world would be destroyed had no spirituality come to the rescue and lent a helping hand to the sinking world. Then the world gets new hope and finds a new basis for a new building, and another wave of spirituality comes, which in time again declines. As a rule, spirituality brings a class of men who lay exclusive claim to the special powers of the world. The immediate effect of this is a reaction towards materialism, which opens the door to scores of exclusive claims, until the time comes when not only all the spiritual powers of the race, but all its material powers and privileges are centered in the hands of a very few; and these few, standing on the necks of the masses of the people, want to rule them. Then society has to help itself, and materialism comes to the rescue.

— Swami Vivekananda

Desire can be eradicated from the roots by firmly imbibing the four attributes of: Jean, Atmanishtha, Veranda, Dharma and the full-fledged devotion to God.

— Swami Vivekananda

Do not believe a thing because you have read about it in a book. Do not believe a thing because another man has said it was true. Do not believe in words because they are hallowed by tradition. Find out the truth for yourself. Reason it out. That is realization.

— Swami Vivekananda

Education is the manifestation of perfection already existing in man.

— Swami Vivekananda

External nature is only internal nature writ large.

— Swami Vivekananda

Feel nothing, know nothing, do nothing, have nothing, give up all to God, and say utterly, 'Thy will be done.' We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go.

— Swami Vivekananda

First build up your physique. Then only you can get control over the mind.

— Swami Vivekananda

Flying from work is never the way to find peace.

— Swami Vivekananda

Give up the idea that by ruling over others you can do any good to them. But you can do just as much as you can in the case of the plant: you can supply the growing seed with the materials for the making up of its body, bringing to it the earth, the water, the air, that it wants. It will take all that it wants by its own nature, it will assimilate and grow by its own nature.

— Swami Vivekananda

God is to be worshiped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.

— Swami Vivekananda