Motivational Quotes (English)

Dear Readers


Enclosed here is a collection of Inspirational quotes in English from India's greatest spiritual Masters- Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Vedmurti Acharya Shriram Sharma, Maharishi Ramana, Maa Sarada Devi  and other eminent direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa.

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Inspirational Quotes:


God:



Why evil exists:



Knowledge:



Gayatri worship benefits:




Vedanta:



Wealth :



Bhagvad Gita / works on Vedanta:



Religion and spirituality:




Wise Men:



Correct way of worship:




Does God exist?




Spiritual struggles:




Gods view of lowest animals and the highest man:



Meaning of religion:




Why has Science not found God?



Thoughts never die!






How to be happy?














































                                            


















QUOTES THAT BUILD MENTAL STRENGTH and HELP US FACE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS!



FACING HARDSHIPS IN LIFE: 
You must be prepared to face hardships in your Life. You may be predisposed to feel that you cannot face them, but where you find doubt, tiredness and despair in yourself you will also find immense strength. Finish your work wholeheartedly and step aside. Let the results come to you in due course of time.
Work to your full potential. Do not get discouraged by any situation. The only actions you can control are your own and not those of others. Do not criticize others and do not hold any expectations of them. There is no need to be afraid; everything will turn out for the best. Do not despair you are standing on firm ground.


LOOK TO YOURSELF FOR GUIDANCE:

One who knows himself to be part of God neither blames failures on others nor attributes success to himself. He does not become blinded by his own power and never fails to see the real situation. Be as cautious of your own ego as you would be of a rabid dog. 

Avoid attachment to your achievements as you would avoid a poisonous snake, and avoid people who will mock you for this. Direct every effort of your mind and heart towards God.
Depending on others for your happiness ultimately leads to helplessness and misery. Look within yourself for direction and not towards others. Your true nature will help you become determined, and this determination will help you reach your goal.




INTROSPECT and INSPECT YOURSELF FOR WEAKNESS:
Whatever happens, let it happen. Whatever is said about you, let it be said. You should consider these things to be as illusory as a mirage. If you have really detached yourself from the world, then why should such things affect you? Focus on inspecting yourself thoroughly for weakness. Only then can you begin the process of growth.
Take advantage of every moment and every opportunity. Your path is very long and time is very short. Concentrate your inner strength on reaching your goal. 
Do not despair in any situation. Have faith not in the capacity of man but in the capacity of God. God will show you the right path.


WALK ALONE:Great Men go far on their paths because they walk alone. Their inspirations comes from within. They alone spur their happiness and remove their sadness and they are helped along by their own ideas. 
Loneliness is an undeniable truth. To be afraid of it, or lose sight of it is the greatest folly. What you believe to be Loneliness is actually a kind of solitude given to you to develop your inner strength. When you depend on yourself you are better able to realize your full potential.


THE SPIRIT OF SPORTSMANSHIP
If you wish to do something extraordinary, do not pay attention to what others think of your goals and plans. If they see you as an unrealistic dreamer, ignore it. Have faith in yourself. Do not let your faith waiver because of someone's words or an adverse condition. If you keep going, you will ultimately find a way to proceed.
Keep applying your efforts, but do it with a spirit of sportsmanship, do not give up even upon losing!
Instead of looking for faults in others, discover your own faults. There is nothing to be gained by finding faults in others. You are only responsible for the mental and physical weaknesses of your own person. One- fourth of the circumstances you receive are a result of your own past actions. Three -Fourths of the situations life gives you are a result of your current outlook and the effectiveness with which you are fulfilling your duties. If you take up the task of correcting yourself, you can solve many of your own mental and physical problems. 
No one is impressed by those who talk a great deal and accomplish very little. Those who have incorporated contemplation and character into their lives, however can influence many people. Such people are the ones who make a difference to their environment.



BELIEVE IN THE STRENGTH OF YOUR SOUL:

It is useless to complain that circumstances are not favorable, or that no one helps you, or that there are no opportunities for you. People say things like this only to blame their misfortune on others or cover their own personal shortcomings. Some people even blame such things on their fate or luck and beg for better fortune from various deities. This is all because their lack of confidence in themselves.
We often fall prey to jealousy and fail to consider that others have achieved happiness because of their own hard work. God does not play favorites. He has given everyone the opportunity and the strength of the soul to make progress.



AWAKEN YOUR OWN SELF CONFIDENCE:

When you find yourself in adverse situations and you feel that nothing is under your control, take it as a sign that you lack self-confidence.
Until you change your mindset, you cannot be rid of these adverse situations. You cannot create favorable conditions until you fully believe that you are fully capable of doing so. If you do not change your thinking now, the divinity in you will diminish. Tell yourself that the divinity within you is working in your favor and replace your mental weakness with this awakened self-confidence.



YOU ARE YOUR OWN FRIEND AND ENEMY:

Do not dwell on repeated failures. You have plenty of time before you. Start afresh and keep performing your duties regularly and diligently; Success will be yours in due time.
Do not beg others for help, because in reality no one has the capacity to truly help you. Likewise, do not blame others when you are depressed as no one has the capacity to cause you pain. You are your own friend and enemy. Every situation you find yourself in, whether good or bad is of your own creation. Change your outlook towards a situation and right away the fear surrounding it will vanish.



THE POWER OF SELF CONFIDENCE & PERPETUAL EFFORT: 
Great Men have always begun as ordinary people. They did not despair or lose self-esteem based on their ordinary status. They kept going on the strength of their self-confidence and perpetual effort. Even when faced with adverse situations they did not remove their sight from their goal. Even with limited resources and strength they continued to offer their lives up for their country, religion, society and humanity.





DO NOT DEPEND ON OTHERS:
The day you develop faith in the strength of your own hands, feet and heart, your soul will tell you to go forth alone. Keeping high expectations of others is like building castles in the air, unreal and worthless.
Pinning your hopes on others cripples your own originality and courage. The person who centers his life on another person becomes alone very quickly. Putting your life in another person's hands is like setting sail without knowing where you are going.



LOVE IS A GREAT POWER:
Love is a kind of power that can further any aspect of life. It is impossible to bring about a change in any one's thinking without love. Healthy mindsets are rarely ever formed through reasoning and arguments. Healthy mindsets as well as trust are developed through prolonged good company. The result of this prolonged good company is love. Therefore, a healthy mindset and trust are both results of love.
We must use love to change others outlook and way of thinking. Logic and intelligent arguments are not sufficient. If what you have to say is full of love and sympathy, the world will be willing to follow you.



THE CAUSE OF FAILURE:
We are constantly trying to force others to think and act according to our own beliefs. These attempts to correct other's behavior neither changes their minds nor satisfies us. 
We justify controlling others in several ways. We believe that if we control them we may acquire some immediate gain, or that the person is a hindrance to our progress, or that the person is constantly criticizing us, spreading rumors about us etc. Using such reasoning to blame others for your own failure will not benefit you.



FORGET PAINFUL MEMORIES:
When you find yourself recalling painful memories, the best thing to do is forget and ignore them. The way to preserve your emotional stability is to replace your unpleasant memories with pleasant ones. If you wish to keep your physical, mental, and emotional health, then learn to remove unhealthy memories in this way.
Even if someone close to you has caused you grief, will you keep obsessing over your pain? Lose yourself in purposeful work and forget these painful experiences. The best way to free yourself from worry is to forget our misery.



CONTROL OVER HAPPINESS & UNHAPPINESS:
Instead of being controlled by happiness and unhappiness, establish your mastery over them. This will render your life more interesting and meaningful. It is every person’s responsibility to uplift himself and better his life, and you should full involve yourself in this task. 
You can achieve a great deal if you take full advantage of favorable circumstances and are not afraid of adverse ones. Learn from every circumstance and move forward. As you progress, whatever seemed adverse will seem favorable, and then when that time comes you will be free from your sadness.





FIND HAPPINESS IN CHANGING  SITUATIONS: 

It is only wise to be prepared for changing times. You should never feel conceited about your successes, happiness, luxuries, or progress, because you do not know how long these will last. In case  they do not last , there is no point in spending your energy, complaining, despairing or becoming angry. Use your time to think through the situation and devise a solution, or otherwise reconcile yourself to the new circumstances. In the end this will be more beneficial for you.

Real intelligence comes from finding happiness in whatever is available, and in this way in keeping your mental balance.



THE NEED FOR SPIRITUAL CONTEMPLATION FOR THOSE ENGAGED IN PHILANTHROPY:
The Performance of social service without a spiritual outlook makes people obsessed with their own importance and virtue. Such people start considering themselves to be great philanthropists and expect obedience and praise from others. They experience an increase in arrogance and therefore make enemies of many. They become not philanthropists but destroyers. Without a spiritual outlook they can never develop humility and they are unable to change themselves. Such people go on committing endless mistakes and make their own lives miserable.



TAKE REFUGE IN YOUR CONSCIENCE:
For peace of mind, it is absolutely necessary to take refuge in your conscience. Even if you deceive the entire world, you will never be able to deceive your conscience. If you consult your conscience on every occasion you will never lose your ability for moral discretion and no matter what the opposition, you will be able to succeed.
Spiritual decay begins when you start thinking of yourself as the most virtuous and exemplary person and you lose contact with your conscience.

 Therefore make your life like an offering:
  • Work for the welfare of others
  • Utilize your time with honesty and discipline
  •  Limit your speech to worthy causes.
  • Accept only that which we have honestly earned.
  • Constantly keep God in our thoughts.
  •  Stay focused on your duties
  •  Maintain our mental equilibrium


DEALING WITH GOSSIP AND ILL-WILL:
When confronted with gossip and ill will, it is best to ignore such comments and treat them as trivial and not worthy of attention. Doing so makes sure that the hostilities do not get a chance to increase. It is important to note that true happiness comes to those that focus on enhancing one’s own virtues rather than focusing on the shortcomings of others.
Life is full of ups and downs, but we must always strive to remain cheerful. Do not be irritated by the criticism from others,ignore it and you will retain your mental equilibrium.


DEVELOPING SIMPLICITY and DISPLAYING COURTESY,EMPATHY, and COMPASSION TOWARDS OTHERS:
It is our responsibility to develop courtesy, simplicity, empathy and compassion towards other beings. Before looking for faults in others and criticizing others we should learn to address glaring faults in each of us. If you are unable to control your speech, use it against yourself instead of others.
First discipline yourself. Without discipline you cannot experience your true and divine nature. Courtesy, simplicity, empathy and compassion towards all, are all manifestations of this divine nature.
Disregard how others treat you and stay focused on your own growth. If you are able to understand and implement this, you have understood a great and powerful secret.



LOOK FOR THE TREASURE WITHIN YOURSELF:
Keep your mind engaged in useful tasks; do not let the mind  remain idle. Take Life seriously. The task of spiritual growth is before you, and time is very short. If you are led astray by your own negligence, you alone will have to pay the price.
Patience and hope will enable you to face any situation. Stand on your own feet and challenge the entire world if you need to and be satisfied only when you have achieved your highest goals. When others look outside for worldly treasure, look inside for the treasure with yourself.



SPEAK LESS and DO MORE:
Many people complain that no one listens to them. They say that their comments go unheeded and their thoughts un-appreciated and that they are tired of being ignored. The fault here lies with the speaker and not the listener.
When you know how to carry out your work and lead by example your instructions will be followed. Speak little, if at all. Above all involve yourself in your work and your work will speak for you and call out to others to follow your example.
Therefore speak less and do more. The effects of speech are fleeting, whereas the effect of your work will be long lasting...
  


THE CALL OF THE TIMES :
We owe a responsibility to the current era that we live in and, the demands of the  times. Current times are tough times for mankind and demand courage from us. To uplift our individual selves and society at large we will need to endure paths that are filled with thorns. We should not worry about what others say and do; rather we should be guided only by our own conscience.
Let those who wander aimlessly in the dark do so but we need to take refuge in the light of our own wisdom and move forward. We will not look for support from others, instead we will be guided by our soul and our conscience and we will have the courage to carry out our tasks as wise people should.



THE POWER OF VALOR:
We have in society today with many social and spiritual reformers who are just pretending to be so. These false preachers shout from rooftops that they will bring about social, religious and political change. However there is a great difference between their speech and actions. Seeing the wide proliferation of such false preachers sometimes we are overcome by a feeling of hopelessness.
We do not need to wait quietly for a bright future, nor do we need to feel helpless and dependent on others to usher it in. We have the power to create it ourselves.



DO NOT STRAY:
The desire to live simply can quickly give away to the desire for wealth, fame and material success. Each of these desires is so powerful that an ordinary person can easily be swept away. Only those with their sights set on higher ideals can remain firm against the tide.
When you feel lost, remember the time when firm determination first took root of your heart. Make sure that your commitment to your cause is not ebbing away.



THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD WORK and DESIRE:
The desire to achieve is an immensely powerful force. It can drive a person to work hundred times harder than his normal capacity. You might be surprised at what I have achieved- from writing an incredible amount of Literature and bringing  together so many people under one umbrella. Even to start this “thought transformation revolution” or to develop  so many temples of knowledge “Shaktipeeth”, how did all this happen? This is just the result of hard work and a desire to succeed!
If I had not applied myself to hard work, I might have remained the type of person for whom it is difficult to even make his own living. I may have accumulated money for my own petty entertainment by whatever means possible, but I would have never been able to accomplish such a Himalayan task!



THE COMBINATION OF CONTEMPLATION AND CHARACTER:
Instead of looking for faults in others, discover your own faults. There is nothing to be gained by finding faults in others. You are only responsible for the mental and physical weaknesses of your own person. One fourth of the circumstances you receive are a result of your own past actions.
Nevertheless 3/4ths of the situations life gives you are a result of your own current outlook and the effectiveness with which you are fulfilling your duties. If you take up the task of correcting yourself, you can solve many of your own mental and physical problems.
No one is impressed by those who talk a great deal and accomplish very little. Those who have incorporated contemplation and character into their lives however can influence many people. Such people are the ones who make a difference in their environment.



LIVE IN CONTENTMENT:
It is only wise to be prepared for changing times. You should never feel conceited about your success, happiness, luxuries or progress, because you do not know how long these will last. If they do not, there is no point in spending your energy complaining, despairing or becoming angry.
Use your time to think through the situation and devise a solution, or otherwise reconcile yourself to it. In the end this will be more beneficial to you.
Real intelligence comes from finding happiness in whatever is available and in this way keeping your mental balance.



BALANCE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS:
When the mind is pulled in many different directions it cannot accomplish anything. It becomes disturbed by half completed tasks and runs out of control. When it is burdened by too many tasks, it will not be able to complete any single task. You will quickly lose time, energy and also your temper. By limiting your tasks and organizing your thoughts you will not  likely  waste your energies and you will also be able to achieve greater success in the tasks you undertake.
Before starting a task, saturate your mind with noble and positive thoughts. This is the formula for worldly success. While we cannot change our situations we can change ourselves to accommodate a situation and remain cheerful at all times.



EXPECTATIONS AND MENTAL STRESS:
Expecting that others will agree with us and that they will do whatever we say causes mental stress and complicates our lives. The solution to this is to concentrate on our own work and let others work at their own pace. We should never try to dominate anyone and neither should we try to please everyone. In both these situations our valuable time and energy get wasted.



HOW TO REACH FULL POTENTIAL:
The greatest source of stress today, is a disorganized lifestyle. People are always rushing to complete things and every moment of their day is occupied by thoughts of work. There is no time left for thoughts about the greater purpose of life.  A healthy lifestyle must include time for rest and relaxation. This will enable us to reach full potential. Therefore it is important to organize everyday life so that this critical aspect is included in your routine. In order to utilize our God given capabilities to their full potential we have to integrate the qualities of honesty, discipline, self-control and organization into our lives.



SELF CONFIDENCE and SUSTAINED EFFORT:
Great men have always begun as ordinary people. They did not despair or lose self-esteem because of their ordinary circumstances. They kept on foraging ahead on the strength of their self-belief, self-confidence and tireless efforts. Even in adverse situations they did not remove the sights from their goals. Even with limited resources and limited strength they continued to volunteer their lives for their country, religion, society and humanity. Thus from ordinary people they became extra ordinary men!



THE PURPOSEFUL LIFE:
We spend much of our lives trying to acquire food, shelter and various sensory pleasures. We center our activities around the body and activities associated with it. But if this is all there is to Life than, what is the difference between us humans and them animals?

Since human beings are the most intelligent and capable beings they have also to take on greater and wider responsibilities. Those who do not live beyond their bodily and physical requirements are not living a life of full potential and purpose.



Credits: awgp.org
The above Quotes are from the Book - LOSE NOT YOUR HEART. The Book is a compilation of Quotations from Vedmurti Acharya Shriram Sharma an illumined and enlightened sage of the 21st century.


Some Quotes have been edited for a better reading experience. All Quotes are translations into English of Acharyaji's original writings in Hindi.

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