According to Hindu tradition, the disciple must obey the guru without question. However, the influence of Western thinking did not allow Narendra to accept this; he was determined to test for himself …
Gods and Demons – Swami Vivekananda
A god and a demon went to learn about the Self from a great sage. They studied with him for a long time. At last the sage told them, ‘You yourselves are the Being you are seeking.’ Both of them …
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Universal Brotherhood – Swami Vivekananda
I remember an old story. In India, taking wine is considered very bad. There were two brothers who wished, one night, to drink wine secretly; and their uncle, who was a very orthodox man, was sleeping …
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“What a Great, Loving Heart!”
Once Swami Vivekananda was giving a class on the Rig Veda and was in the process of explaining how creation evolved from sound, when Girish arrived. Turning to him, the swami said: “Well, G.C., you do …
Inspired Talks and Thousand Island Park
After a short visit to Camp Percy, Swamiji went to Thousand Island Park on the Saint Lawrence River in New York State. Miss Elizabeth Dutcher, a Vedanta student, gave her cottage to Swamiji so that he …
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True Individuality
Swamiji was bold and fearless. He never tried to please or flatter others: he told people what was good for them. Ida Ansell, Swamiji’s stenographer, wrote in her memoirs: “What becomes of one’s …