From My Spiritual Diary-38:

Ø All science is the search for unity. Vedanta discovered this unity in Atman; it followed its own conclusions with whatever positive knowledge was available at the time…. In fact, Vedanta hopes for and welcomes further advances in modern science by which its own spiritual vision of the One in the many may be corroborated by positive scientific knowledge, so that the spirituality of science and the spirituality of religion may flow as a united stream to fertilize all aspects of human life…..

Ø Vedanta is … both religion and philosophy. As religion, it discovers the truths of the inner world, and fosters the same discovery by others; and as philosophy, it synthesizes this science of the inner world with the other sciences of the outer world, to present a unified vision of total reality, and to impart to human life and character depth of faith and vision along with breadth of outlook and sympathy.

Ø Physically and socially, man is not free; he is conditioned by external and internal factors. Freedom is in our spiritual nature. That is our true nature, immortal and divine, and we must realize it in life. This alone is true progress, development; this alone is true religion. This great idea, Sri Ramakrishna lived, and, in so living, imparted such a power to it that, when other people received this idea, they received the power as well. They became convinced of the authenticity of this idea because Sri Ramakrishna had actually lived it.

Ø The Upanishads are an impressive record of the ‘reading of the book within’…. They are the only sacred books which addressed themselves exclusively to the discovery of these essential spiritual truths and leading man, irrespective of creed and race, to their realization in his own life… The theme of the Upanishads is FREEDOM OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT and their message is FEARLESSNESS and LOVE and SERVICE. (Swami Ranganathananda)

From My Spiritual Diary-37:

Ø Pranayama comes of itself to those who repeat the Lord’s holy name and think and meditate on Him with devout and intense longing. In the spiritual life, the result of this is immeasurable. In practical life also there is a growth of mental powers, purity of character, peace of mind, charity, resolute will etc. (Swami Shivananda)
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Ø Whatever progress and success humanity has achieved ever since the creation of the world is all due to the concentration of the mind. The leaders of our civilization during the early stages were men who were really yogis. Every invention, every new discovery is purely the outcome of concentration. … In whatever station of life you may be, if you can concentrate your mind, you are sure to be the best in that field…. Concentration is the mother of untold wealth, both material and spiritual. (Swami Ramakrishnananda)
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Ø We are the children of the Mother, and there is no fear for us. We shall rest satisfied wherever she places us. We cannot say what is good and what is evil, it is beyond our reasoning and so we have to pray, “You are beyond good and evil, therefore take us also beyond them.” (Swami Turiyananda)
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Ø The importance of purity in spiritual life was highlighted by Swami Vivekananda, when he described it as the condition of God’s mercy, in a paper he presented at the Parliament of Religions. We should struggle and struggle till his ideas are realized for the good of one’s own self, of the community, of the country and of the world. (Swami Rasajnanananda)
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Ø If in this hell of a world, one can bring a little joy and peace for a day into the heart of a single person, that much alone is true; this I have learnt after suffering all my life; all else is mere moonshine. (Swami Vivekananda)
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Ø Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. (Jesus Christ)
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Ø He who delights in solitude is on the way to self-perfection. (Saint Tayumanavar)

From My Spiritual Diary-36:

· Work is truly worship if it is done for others. The highest religion is living for others. At first, people look for God in temples and mosques outside of themselves. Finally, they discover that’s all that exists is God. The difference is only in the degree of manifestation. The goal of life is to realize the unity of existence, that the same being is in you and me; the difference is artificial and false. When this sense of unity dawns, love overflows all barriers, uniting all. This is yoga (union) in full. This is the consummation that man aspires to. He is no longer a fragment. He is the whole; he is All. This is bhuma, the ultimat in man’s growth; this is his destiny. India has always regarded this development as the highest goal of life. Political power, high social standing, money, scholarship – all these are nothing compared to this kind of development. This is the highest., the best, the most prized state lf being. Real peace, happiness, the sense of fulfillment, is in this state. Nothing short of this can satisfy man. The Kingdom of Heaven, NIRVANA, IMMORTALITY – these are various inadequate names applied to this state. One has to experience it to know what it is like. (Swami Lokeswarananda)
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· Whosoever that practices religion is endowed with more merits and less demerits. Mere formalism is not religion. Sectarianism is the negation of religion. True religion eliminates hatred, jealousy, greed, pride and selfishness. It engenders love of all beings, service to mankind and accommodativeness to the views and beliefs of the others. Self-denial, calmness and the adoration of the Almighty are its characteristics. (Swami Chidbhavananda)
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· Practice of religion is the supreme purpose of the human birth. (Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa)

From My Spiritual Diary-35:

Religion is a mere word if it is not applied in life. When truth and righteousness become involuntary habit patterns and conduct in the life of a person, that is applied religion.

It should be clearly borne in mind that applied religion does not mean a kind of watered down religion but making the true, pure and transcendental religion flow in every detail of life or making every movement of our thought and action responsive and responsible to the principles of essential religion.

The highest teaching of the Vedas is that the law of sacrifice is the highest law in the universe. This is taught through the symbology of the Purusa-sukta of the Rg Veda. The Supreme Being sacrificed himself to bring forth this creation and through his continuing sacrifice it is sustained. Through the principle of sacrifice, the Supreme Being proliferates Himself into the beings of this visible world in which we live, move and have our being. The implication is: now if we intend to reach the Supreme Being in whom alone is all self-fulfillment, we too must follow the law of sacrifice, and thus reach from the gross to the subtle, from the visible to the invisible, from the conditioned to the unconditioned.

This journey need not be dreary. It can be wholesome, gratifying and all-compensating if we pursue this law of sacrifice through righteous living. This may be called the sacramental view of life.

This sacrificial-cum-sacramental view of life constitutes the Vedic way of life. And the whole past of this heritage, Sri Rama quintessentially embodies in a manner which can be understood and accepted without nervous strain by every man or woman of average endowments. In this sense, Rama is the saviour of all.

… benign weapon was his pleasing word prefaced by a smile. Rama would not use harsh words even when wrongly addressed.

…Last but not the least comes Rama’s devotion to truth. Rama did not speak twice; once he spoke, he carried out it out and he did not go back upon his word. Nothing in the world, no weight of authority, no lilt of language, no persuasion of sentiment, no fear of uncertainty, no prospect of insecurity could influence Rama to deviate from truth.

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He calls them low, avaricious, cruel and criminal, who knowingly resort to untruth in any form; low, because such a person cannot find the higher path; avaricious, because he is devoid of self-control; cruel, because he inflicts great pain and suffering on himself and others; criminal, because he does the worst dacoity, dacoity on the welfare of society.

Rama said he would never forsake Truth and Dharma, for any prize here or hereafter, and the first things we are ready to drop under the slightest provocation or temptation are Truth and Dharma.

“One arrow, one woman and one word” – these three constitute the personality of Rama.

Let us be truthful in thought, word and deed, then prosperity on all levels will be around the corner.

…infinitely more we would gain – and there is the greatest need for this gain as we are called upon to live through the most demanding times of history – if we would practice the five simple principles of applied religion which Rama taught by living:

1. Purity of personal life
2. Strength and fearlessness
3. Ethical conduct through all situations of life.
4. Sacrificial and sacramental living
5. Truthfulness

Excerpts from “Sri Rama, the Supreme Exemplifier of Applied Religion”, Editorial, Prabuddha Bharata, April 1970.

From My Spiritual Diary-34:

· Verily, liberation is within easy reach for him who is never of evil intent even to the wicked, who speaks soothing words to the harsh and who is overflowing with friendly love. The world is held together by the prowess of such persons who are established in excellent conduct, and who allow no room for lust, anger and greed. One endowed with intelligence, therefore, must speak truth – truth that is liked by others. He ought to keep mum, if truth is productive of misery for another. What is to the liking of another, if it is not for his real good, that too must not be given out. It is certainly preferable to express what is conducive to good even though it is vehemently disliked. A prudent man must have recourse to that alone by thought, word and deed which will do good to living beings both in the seen worlds and the unseen. (Vishnu Purana).
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· Persons aspiring to be favoured by Sri, the goddess of prosperity, beauty and love, should perform their life’s duties with unshaken fortitude, joyfully setting their steps on the heavenward path. Their homes are to be immaculately clean and their servants and helpers heartily satisfied. They should be grateful to all for any good turn; be never uxorious; regularly worshipping the Deity in the holy fire; sweet and obliging in address; taking up only works fit and proper; gifted with the sense of shame; self-controlled by means of solemn vows; undergoing fast and austerities; continuously cheerful; mindful of scriptural studies; waking up before sunrise and not lounging in bed at morning hours; sleeping only half the night and never during day; happy in showing kindness to distressed, helpless, aged, weak and sick fellow-beings as well as to womankind in general; ever ready to console the alarmed, cheerless, the anxious, the terrified, the diseased, the deprived and the afflicted; averse to partake singly savory dishes; never knowing others’ women; regarding others with deep love as they would themselves; permanently disposed to charity; and skilful, upright, persevering, forgiving perfectly friendly, shorn of all arrogance, and never indulging in debauchery. (Mahabharata)

From My Spiritual Diary-33:

· The remedy for sorrow is to stop brooding over it. If the mind dwells on sorrow, it freshens and multiplies. One should eradicate mental suffering by wisdom and physical ailments with medicines. That is the power of intelligence, and no intelligent man should behave in a childish way. No one gifted with knowledge and understanding should ever have any inordinate clinging to youth, or physical charm or accumulated possessions, or unbroken company of friends or even health and life, for they are by their very nature impermanent. It does not befit one to sorrow long and loud for a natural misfortune. With an undepressed mind one should actively remedy evil if one should find a way. There is no doubt that sufferings outweigh the pleasures of life. Death is unpleasant because it cuts short the sense enjoyments witch the deluded man fondly longs for. The courageous man gives up either grief or pleasure or both and takes his stand absolutely on the Supreme. Such a wise man has no room for sadness. (Mahabharata)

· This day itself do what is good: let not any delay steal over you. While your plans are in the making, the pull of death is felt. Nobody knows to whom today will be time for death. From youth itself, therefore acquire the habit of righteousness. Life is, indeed, evanescent. This has been accomplished; this must be done; this another one is about to be completed – while indulging in such comfortable reveries, all on a sudden one is captured by Death. Death snatches away all – helpless and powerful, brave and timorous, stupid and wise – even a man who has not been able to accomplish anything desired by him. The body being closely wedded to death and senility, disease and misery, manifoldly caused, why are you standing still as if unconcerned? None could ever oppose the invading hordes of Death except Truth. What is false must be cast out. On Truth depends immortality. Both life eternal and death rest on the body. From inadvertence befalls death. Through truthfulness is reached the Deathless. He whose speech and thought are keen and controlled perfectly, and who is endowed with spiritual energy, renunciation and truthfulness – he will certainly get everything. (Mahabharata)