The sum and substance of the whole matter is that a man must love God, must be restless for him. It doesn’t matter whether you believe that god incarnates Himself as man. But you will realize Him if you have that yearning. Then He Himself will let you know what He is like. If you must be mad, why should you be mad for the things of the world? If you must be mad, be mad for God alone.
(p.449, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.)
Lay the burden of your mind before Sri Ramakrishna. Tell him your sorrows with your tears. You will find that He will fill up your arms with the desired objects.
(p.11, The Gospel of the Holy Mother, Her advice to some devotees on 15 June, 1912 at Udbodhan.)
Work, work, work – I care for nothing else. Work, work, work, even unto death! Those that are weak must make themselves great workers, great heroes – never mind money, it will drop from the heavens. If in the attempt to carry morsels of food to starving mouths, name and possession and all be doomed even – thrice blessed art thou! It is the heart, the heart that conquers, not the brain. Books and learning, Yoga and meditation and illumination – all are but dust compared with love. It is love that gives you the supernatural powers, love that gives you Bhakti, love that gives illumination, and love, again, that leads to emancipation. This indeed is worship, worship of the Lord in the human tabernacle….This is but the beginning, and unless we spread over the whole of India, nay, the whole earth, in that way, where lies the greatness of our Lord!
(p.400-1, V.6, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji’s letter dated 15 June, 1897 from Almora to Swami Akhandananda.)
It is not good merely working. Work is drudgery if there is no spiritual feeling behind it.
(p.93, Spiritual Talks, Swami Turiyananda.)