Opposition

The more opposition there is, the better. Does a river acquire velocity unless there is resistance? The newer and better a thing is, the more opposition it will meet with at the outset. It is opposition which forestalls success. Where there is no opposition, there is no success either.

Mind and Attachment

One who gives up living in houses, wearing fine clothes, and eating good food, and goes into the desert, may be a most attached person. This man's only possession, his own body, may become everything to him, and as he lives he will be simply struggling for the sake of his body. Non-attachment does not mean anything that we may do in relation to our external body. It is all in the mind.

God's Love

Never during his life did Ramakrishna refuse a single prayer of mine. Millions of offenses has he forgiven me. Such great love even my parents never had for me. There is no poetry, no exaggeration in all this. It is the bare truth and every disciple of his knows it.

Existence

God is the only real existence, there cannot be two.
There is but One Soul, and I am That.

Praise and Censure

Praise and censure have no value in this world of ours. They only rock a person as if in a swing. Praise I have had enough of; showers of censure I have also had to bear; but what avails thinking of them! Let everyone go on doing their own duty unconcerned. When the last moment arrives, praise and blame will be the same to you, to me, and to others. We are here to work, and will have to leave all when the call comes.

Non-attachment

The lotus leaf is in the water. The water cannot touch and adhere to it. You should be in the world like that. This is called vairāgya, dispassion or non-attachment. Without non-attachment there cannot be any kind of yoga. Non-attachment is the basis of all the yogas.

Bondage

Eternal progression is eternal bondage; annihilation of form is to be preferred. We must get free from any body, even a "god-body."

Selfishness

Karma Yoga says: first destroy the tendency to project the tentacle of selfishness, and when you have the power of checking it, hold it in and do not allow the mind to get into the ways of selfishness. Then you may go out into the world and work as much as you can. Mix everywhere, go where you please, you will never be contaminated with evil.

Free from Bondage

When we free ourselves from name and form, especially from a body - when we need no body, good or bad - then only do we escape from bondage.

Religion

The religion is one; all prophets teach the same; but they can only present the principle in a form; so they take it out of the old form and put it before us in a new one.

Principle

Principle is bound to be clothed in matter, though we know that later we shall lose sight of the real in the covering. Every great teacher understands this, and that is why a continual succession of prophets has to come to show us the principle and give it a new covering suited to the times.

Possession

Never say "mine." Whenever we say a thing is "mine," misery will immediately come. Do not even say "my child" in your mind. Possess the child, but do not say "mine." If you do, then will come misery.

Never say "mine." Whenever we say a thing is "mine," misery will immediately come. ... Do not say "my house," do not say, "my body." The whole difficulty is there. The body is neither yours, nor mine, nor anybody's. These bodies come and go by the laws of nature, but we are free, standing as witness. This body is not more free than a picture or a wall. Why should we be attached so much to a body? If somebody paints a picture, he does it and passes on. Do not project that tentacle of selfishness, "I must possess it." As soon as that is projected, misery will begin.

True Work

Be perfectly resigned, perfectly unconcerned; then alone can you do any true work. No eyes can see the real forces; we can only see the results. Put out self, forget it; just let God work, it is His business.