Swami Vivekananda translated the word Sachchidananda (Hindi: सच्चिदानन्द, Bengali: সচ্চিদানন্দ) as “Existence-Knowledge-Bliss”. The word is a combination of Sat+Chit+Ananda. When Swamiji was travelling all over India as a wandering monk, he took several (monastic) names. One of those names were Sachchidananda. Generally “God” is called Sachchidananda (“Existence-Knowledge-Bliss”). In this article we’ll make a collection of Swami Vivekananda‘s quotations on Sachchidananda.
- I am a Vedantist; Sachchidananda — Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute — is my God. I scarcely find any other God than the majestic form of my own Self.[Source]
- The Atman is Knowledge, the Atman is Intelligence, the Atman is Sachchidananda. It is through the inscrutable power of Maya, which cannot be indicated as either existent or non – existent, that the relative consciousness has come upon the Jiva who is none other than Brahman.[Source]
- The truth is, we have lost ourselves and think the world to be lost. “Fool! Hearest not thou? In thine own heart, day and night, is singing that Eternal Music — sachchidananda, Soham, Soham, (Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss, I am He, I am He)!”[Source]
- We are “Existence, Knowledge, Bliss” (Sachchidananda). Existence is the last generalisation in the universe; so we exist, we know it; and bliss is the natural result of existence without alloy. Now and then we know a moment of supreme bliss, when we ask nothing, give nothing, and know nothing but bliss. Then it passes and we again see the panorama of the universe going on before us and we know it is but a “mosaic work set upon God, who is the background of all things”. When we return to earth and see the Absolute as relative, we see Sachchidananda as Trinity — father, Son, Holy Ghost. Sat = the creating principle; Chit = the guiding principle; Ananda = the realising principle, which joins us again to the One. No one can know “existence” (Sat) except through “knowledge” (Chit), and hence the force of the saying of Jesus, No man can see the Father save through the Son.[Source]
- We sometimes indicate a thing by describing its surroundings. When we say “Sachchidananda” (Existence-Knowledge-Bliss), we are merely indicating the shores of an indescribable Beyond. Not even can we say “is” about it, for that too is relative. Any imagination, any concept is in vain. Neti, neti (“Not this, not this”) is all that can be said, for even to think is to limit and so to lose.[Source]
