In this article you’ll find Swami Vivekananda‘s quotes on business.
Swami Vivekananda’s advice on business and business integrity
From a letter written to Nanjunda Rao, dated 26 August 1896—[Source]
I will give you one advice however. All combined efforts in India sink under the weight of one iniquity — we have not yet developed strict business principles. Business is business, in the highest sense, and no friendship — or as the Hindu proverb says “eye-shame” — should be there. One should keep the clearest account of everything in one’s charge — and never, never apply the funds intended for one thing to any other use whatsoever — even if one starves the next moment. This is business integrity. Next, energy unfailing. Whatever you do let that be your worship for the time. Let this paper be your God for the time, and you will succeed.
Swami Vivekananda’s quotes on business
- Business is business, no child’s play.[Source]
- Business is business, that is, you must do everything promptly; delay and shuffling won’t do.[Source]
- In business, all may not make a fortune, but everyone can make something.[Source]
- In the English character, the “give and take” policy, the business principle of the trader, is principally inherent.[Source]
- Learn business, my boy. We will do great things yet![Source]
- Many men can succeed in business; very few in this (science of mind).[Source]
- Preaching has always been the business of the Asiatics. The Western people are grand in organisation, social institutions, armies, governments, etc.; but when it comes to preaching religion, they cannot come near the Asiatic, whose business it has been all the time, and he knows it, and he does not use too much machinery.[Source]
- The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.[Source]
- …the more profitable the business, the greater the number of charlatans and cheats.[Source]
- This caste system had grown by the practice of the son always following the business of the father.[Source]
- We can form no idea of the millions of pounds that are spent every year in the making of dress in the West. The dress-making business has become a regular science. What colour of dress will suit with the complexion of the girl and the colour of her hair, what special feature of her body should be disguised, and what displayed to the best advantage—these and many other like important points, the dressmakers have seriously to consider. Again, the dress that ladies of very high position wear, others have to wear also, otherwise they lose their caste! This is FASHION.[Source]
- What an amount of attention does business require, and what a rigorous taskmaster it is! Even if the father, the mother, the wife, or the child dies, business cannot stop! Even if the heart is breaking, we still have to go to our place of business, when every hour of work is a pang. That is business, and we think that it is just, that it is right.[Source]
- You of the West are practical in business, practical in great inventions, but we of the East are practical in religion. You make commerce your business; we make religion our business.[Source]
Business mind of Marwaris and Bengalis
From Complete Works, Volume V, Conversation with Priya Nath Sinha—[Source]
Q. Yes, the Marwaris are wiser, since they do not accept service and most of them engage themselves in some trade.
Swamiji: Nonsense! They are on the way to bringing ruin on the country. They have little understanding of their own interests. You are much better, because you have more of an eye towards manufactures. If the money that they lay out in their business and with which they make only a small percentage of profit were utilised in conducting a few factories and workshops, instead of filling the pockets of Europeans by letting them reap the benefit of most of the transactions, then it would not only conduce to the well-being of the country but bring by far the greater amount of profit to them, as well. It is only the Kabulis who do not care for service—the spirit of independence is in their very bone and marrow. Propose to anyone of them to take service, and you will see what follows!