“Praying to Sri Guru Maharaj to increase your hankering to know Him and to have a pure and holy life…We are all human; temptations and bad thoughts come. Shall we have to weep for them? Let them come, we shall have to pray with double the energy to the Lord. They come, as it is the will of the Lord; and when it will be His will again, they won’t come. Know you to be his children-so you cannot be impure and unholy. Knowing this pray to Him. Never indulge in these bad thoughts and evil deeds. Throw them away as soon as they come.
(p.172-3, Mahapurush Maharaj As We Saw Him, Swami Shivananda’s letter to Swami Ranganathananda dt.10th July 1928)
“Come, be men! Kick out the priests who are always against progress, because they would never mend, their hearts would never become big. They are the offspring of centuries of superstition and tyranny. Root out priestcraft first. Come, be men! Come out of your narrow holes and have a look abroad. See how nations are on the march! Do you love man? Do you love your country? Then come, let us struggle for higher and better things; look not back, no, not even if you see the dearest and nearest cry. Look not back, but forward!… India wants the sacrifice of at least a thousand of her young men — men, mind, and not brutes.”
(p.10-1, V.5, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji’s letter to his Madras Disciples dt. 10th July 1893)