While Swami Premananda was lecturing, a gentleman asked him to speak about love and devotion; but Premananda ignored him. But when the man repeated himself, Premananda said: “Who will listen to love and devotion? I don’t find anybody here who is fit to listen to it.” Then the swami continued: “Sir, listen to a story. Once a street hawker was calling out, ‘Who wants to buy love? Who wants to buy love?’ People opened their front doors and inquired about the price. The hawker said: ‘Price? It is priceless! But I can sell this invaluable love in exchange for a head. Are you ready to give up your heads?’ People immediately shut their doors.” Then pointing to the audience, Premananda said, “Is there anybody here ready to give up his head [the ego]?” Everyone kept quiet. (Source: God Lived with Them)
An occasion came, when this call was uttered with great force. Some dispute occurred in the course of a question–class. “What the world wants to–day”, said the Swami, – the determination to “throw a bomb,” as he called it, evidently taking sudden possession of him, –“What the world wants to–day, is twenty men and women who can dare to stand in the street yonder, and say that they possess nothing but God. Who will go?” He had risen to his feet by this time, and stood looking round his audience as if begging some of them to join him, “Why should one fear?” And then, in tones of which, even now, I can hear again the thunderous conviction, “If this is true, what else could matter? If it is not true, what do our lives matter?” (Source: The Master as I Saw Him)