The heart of the devotee is the abode of God. He dwells, no doubt, in all beings, but He especially manifests Himself in the heart of the devotee. A landlord may at one time or another visit all parts of his estate, but people say he is generally to be found in a particular drawing-room. The heart of the devotee is the drawing-room of the devotee.
(p.133, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Thakur’s words to the devotees on the day of Laxmi Puja, while on a boat-trip on the Ganges arranged by Keshab Chandra Sen on Friday, 27 Oct, 1882.)
You have been born in this world as a human being to worship God; therefore try to acquire love for His Lotus Feet. Why do you trouble yourself to know a hundred other things? What will you gain by discussing ‘philosophy’? Look here, one ounce of liquor is enough to intoxicate you. What is the use of your trying to find out how many gallons of liquor there are in the tavern?
(p. 901, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Thakur’s words to the devotees on 26 Oct 1885.)
Unfortunately in this life, the vast majority or persons are groping through this dark life without any ideal at all. If a man with an ideal makes a thousand mistakes, I am sure that the man without any ideal makes fifty thousand. Therefore, it is better to have an ideal. And this ideal we must hear about as much as we can, till it enters into our hearts, into our brains, into our very veins, until it tingles in every drop of our blood and permeates ever pore in our body. We must meditate upon it. “Out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaketh,” and out of the fullness of the heart the hand works too.
(p.152, Vol.2, Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Swamiji in his lecture ‘God in Everything’ delivered in London, 27 Oct, 1896.)
Love never fails, my son; today or tomorrow or ages after, truth will conquer. Love shall win the victory. Do you love your fellow men? Where should you go to seek for God – are not all the poor, the miserable, the weak, Gods? Why not worship them first? Why go to dig a well on the shores of the Ganga? Believe in the omnipotent power of love. Have you love? – You are omnipotent. Are you perfectly unselfish? If so, you are irresistible. It is character that pays everywhere. It is the Lord who protects His children in the depths of the sea. Your country requires heroes; be heroes! God bless you!
(p.51, Vol.5, Swamiji’s letter to Alasinga Perumal from Washington on 27 Oct,1894.)
Only an ignorant person keeps worrying whether he will have to come back to the world again or not. Good devotees are not bothered by such questions. Those who have surrendered to the Lord depend entirely upon him. He knows whether you will come back or not. If they go, they go to him. If they stay anywhere, they stay with him. If they come back, they come back with him. He is with them always, in life and in death.
(p.105-6, Letters for Spiritual Seekers, Swami Shivananda’s letter from Almora on 27 Oct,1915.)