Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Yet is it freedom to be a slave to the senses, to anger, to jealousies and a hundred other petty things that must occur every day in human life?

It is the most difficult thing in this world to work and not care for the result, to help a man and never think that he ought to be grateful, to do some good work and at the same time never look to see whether it brings

you name or fame, or nothing at all.

In so working we should never think that we can help on even the least thing in this universe. We cannot. We only help ourselves in this gymnasium of the world. This is the proper attitude of work. If we work in this

way, if we always remember that our present opportunity to work thus is a privilege which has been given to us, we shall never be atta

One man calls another a fool, and at this the other stands up and clenches his fist and lands a blow on his nose. Look at the power of the word! There is a woman weeping and miserable; another woman comes along and speaks

to her a few gentle words, the doubled up frame of the weeping woman becomes straightened at once, her sorrow is gone and she alr

Fire, by itself, is neither good nor evil. When it keeps us warm we say, “How beautiful is fire!” When it burns our fingers, we blame it. Still, in itself it is neither good nor bad. According as we use it, it produces

in us the feeling of good or bad; so also is this world. It is perfect. By perfection is meant that it is perfectly fitted to meet i

only, when he has gained the power to resist, will non-resistance be a virtue.