When Swami Vivekananda spoke about “love” or tried to define/explain it, he actually meant “higher and superior form of love” or “divine universal love” and not mere sexuality (as love is often confused with sexuality).
In this website, we have attempted to prepare a series of articles on Swami Vivekananda‘s comments, quotes and views on love.
This article’s title might be a bit strange, but it’ll attempt to make a distinction between Swami Vivekananda‘s views on what is love and what is not love.
20 Terms and Conditions of Love
According to Swami Vivekananda—
- Beggar’s love is no love at all. The first sign of love is when love asks nothing, [when it] gives everything.[Source]
- Begging is not the language of love.[Source]
- Books and learning, Yoga and meditation and illumination — all are but dust compared with love.[Source]
- Love and ask nothing; love and look for nothing further.[Source]
- Love and forget all the “isms”.[Source]
- (Love) can never be the means. The man who says, “I love you for such and such a thing”, does not love. Love can never be the means; it must be the perfect end.[Source]
- Love is always a manifestation of bliss. The least shadow of pain falling upon it is always a sign of physicality and selfishness.[Source]
- Love is always the giver, and never the taker.[Source]
- Love is great and noble, but, it may die away in meaningless sentimentalism.[Source]
- Love knows no bargaining.[Source]
- Love knows no fear. You may cut me to pieces, and I [will] still love you.[Source]
- Love knows no reward. Love is always for love’s sake.[Source]
- Love loves for the sake of love itself.[Source]
- Love makes no distinction between man and man, between an Aryan and a Mlechchha, between a Brâhmana and a Pariah, nor even between a man and a woman. Love makes the whole universe as one’s own home. True progress is slow but sure. Work among those young men who can devote heart and soul to this one duty — the duty of raising the masses of India. Awake them, unite them, and inspire them with this spirit of renunciation; it depends wholly on the young people of India.[Source]
- Love never asks; it always gives. . . . When a young man goes to see his sweetheart, . . . there is no business relationship between them; theirs is a relationship of love, and love is no beggar.[Source]
- Love should be unrelated. Even when we love wrongly, it is of the true love, of the true bliss; the power is the same, use it as we may. Its very nature is peace and bliss. The murderer when he kisses his baby forgets for an instant all but love. Give up all self, all egotisms get out of anger, lust, give all to God. “I am not, but Thou art; the old man is all gone, only Thou remainest.” “I am Thou.” Blame none; if evil comes, know the Lord is playing with you and be exceeding glad.[Source]
- Lust is the death of love.[Source]
- Pure love has no motive. It has nothing to gain.[Source]
- The highest love is the love that is sexless, for it is perfect unity that is expressed in the highest love, and sex differentiates bodies. It is therefore only in spirit that union is possible.[Source]
- The reward of love is love, and what a reward it is! It is the only thing that takes off all sorrows, the only cup, by the drinking of which this disease of the world vanishes Man becomes divinely mad and forgets that be is man.[Source]
See Also
- Swami Vivekananda’s Quotes On Love
- Swami Vivekananda On True Love
- Love for God
- ‘I cannot Trade in Love’
