Indian Hindu monk and philosopher who introduced Vedanta and yoga to the West.

You must worship the Self in Krishna, not Krishna as Krishna.

We must not pin our faith to any man, howevergreat; we too must become Buddhas and Christs.

The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor is a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth. If the Parliament of Religions has shown anything to the world, it is this: It has proved to the world that holiness, purity, and charity are not the exclusive possessions of any church in the world, and that every system has produced men and women of the most exalted character. In the face of this evidence, if anybody dreams of the exclusive survival of his own religion at the expense of the others, I pity him from the bottom of my heart and point out to him that upon the banner of every religion will soon be written, in spite of resistance: Help and not Fight, Assimilation and not Destruction, Harmony and Peace and not Dissension.

The knowing ones must have pity on the ignorant.One who knows is willing to give up his body even for an ant,because he knows that the body is nothing.

You, without the fear of censure, can take meat and fish to your heart's content. The whole country is flooded with hermits who become gastric patients by living on vegetables. These are not the symbols of purity, but of terrible ignorance and ignorance is the name of the darkness of death. A shining glow on countenance, irrepressible enthusiasm in heart and constant activity and inspired energy- these are the signs of purity. On the contrary, the signs of ignorance are indolence and weakness, indiscriminate attachment and desire for sleep.

A few heart-whole, sincere, and energetic men and women can do more in a year than a mob in a century.