Energizing and Inspiring Words of Swami Vivekananda:

• All power is within you..... Believe in that; do not believe that you are weak.... Stand up and express the divinity within you.
• What makes you weep, my friend? In you is all power. Summon up your all-powerful nature, O mighty one, and this whole universe will lie at your feet. It is the Self alone that predominates, and not matter.
• Despondency is not religion, whatever else it may be. By being pleasant always and smiling, it takes you nearer to God, nearer than any prayer.
• Our power, and blessedness, and wisdom, cannot but grow into the Infinite. Infinite power and existence and blessedness are ours, and we have not to acquire them; they are our own, and we have only to manifest them.
• Man has infinite power within himself, and he can realize it.... It can be done; but you do not believe it.
• You are strong, omnipotent, omniscient. No matter that you have not expressed it yet, it is in you. All knowledge is in you, all power, all purity, and all freedom – why cannot you express this knowledge? Because you do not believe in it.... Believe in it, and it must and will come out.
• If you can think that infinite power, infinite knowledge and indomitable energy lie within you, and if you can bring out that power, you also can become like me.
• Arise, awake, sleep no more; within each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries. Believe this, and that power will be manifested.
• The infinite power of the spirit, brought to bear upon matter evolves material development, made to act upon thought evolves intellectuality, and made to act upon itself makes of man a god.
• I have committed many mistakes in my life; but mark you, I am sure of this that without everyone of those mistakes I should not be what I am today, and so am quite satisfied to have made them. I do not mean that you are to wilfully commit mistakes; do not misunderstand me in that way. But do not mope because of the mistakes you have committed....
• What is done is done.... Do not repent, do not brood over past deeds.... You cannot undo, the effect must come, face it, but be careful never to do the same thing again.
• Character has to be established through a thousand stumbles.
• Perseverance will finally conquer. Nothing can be done in a day.
• Mountain-high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but Maya. Fear not and it is banished. Crush it and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies. Be not afraid. Think not how many times you fail. Never mind.... Go forward: assert yourself again and again, and light must come.
• The more opposition there is, the better. Does a river acquire velocity unless there is resistance? The newer and better a thing is, the more opposition it will meet with at the outset. It is opposition which foretells success. Where there is no opposition there is no success either.
• Truth, purity, and unselfishness – wherever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole universe in opposition.
• So long as you have love for God and Guru, and faith in truth, nothing can hurt you, my son.
• If you are pure, if you are strong, you, one man are equal to the whole world.
• What the world wants is character. The world is in need of those whose life is one burning love, selfless. That love will make every word tell like thunderbolt.... Bold words and bolder deeds are what we want. Awake, awake, great ones!
• Men, men, these are wanted: everything else will be ready, but strong vigorous, believing young men, sincere to the backbone, are wanted. A hundred such and the world becomes revolutionised.
• Give up criticism altogether. Help all as long as you find they are doing all right, and in cases where they seem to be going wrong, show them their mistakes gently. It is criticising each other that is at the root of all mischief. That is the chief factor in breaking down organisations.
• Is there a greater strength than that of Brahmacharya – purity, my boy?

Practical Hints on Practising Brahmacharya:

• Keep away from bad habits such as smoking, drinking, drugs, etc., which excite the nervous system and stimulate sexual desire.
• Maintain internal (of mind) and external (of body) cleanliness.
• Get up in the Brahma Muhurata (starts 96 minutes before sunrise, and ends 48 minutes before sunrise; it is the second last muhurata before sunrise. So, if we suppose the time of sunrise at 6:00 a.m. someday, brahma muhurata would be from 4:24 a.m. to 5:11 a.m.), and do some meditation and prayer after bathing. This habit will help in increasing your satva, which is indispensable for the practice of Brahmacharya.
• Be moderate in everything. Over-exertion – mental as well as physical – should be avoided.
• You must have heard this famous proverb “It is better to be alone than in bad company.” Idle gossip and indecent talk leads to distractions of mind. Therefore, keep yourself away from such useless gossip.
• If free mixing with the opposite sex gives rise to your lustful thoughts causing sexual excitement in your mind, it is better to keep away from such associations.
• Our Ahara (food) should be pure, if we want to purify our mind. Here one thing should be kept in mind, ahara or food does not only mean the intake that we take from mouth, but as Sri Sankracharya observed: whatever we take in through our sense organs is ahara. So, we should see, hear, smell, taste, and touch only that which is conducive to the purification of our mind.
• Always talk about elevating topics, listen to lofty subjects; and entertain only noble and sublime thoughts in your mind. Sublime thoughts are the food for mind.
• Be in the company of noble persons and whenever possible associate with holy men.
• Keep away from circumstances that will sexually excite you. At least turn away your eyes and ears in such situations.
• Observe fasts from time to time. Fasting at regular intervals is an unfailing step to subdue passion.
• Regular practice of moderate pranayama (breathing exercise) must be made a habit. Pranayama is an effective measure in regulating mind.
• Think about the filth with which this body is filled, the fragility and vulnerability of this body; it will help in detaching the mind from the body. When one truly feels disgust for his body (through discrimination and thought), he/she also losses attraction towards other people’s bodies.
• Be humble and give up pride. Humility and modesty are the prerequisites for the practice of Brahmacharya.
• Do not compare yourself with worldly people or with those who are the puppets of passion, but rather compare yourself with great souls if you want to succeed on this path.
• Despite all the above measures, there is possibility of one being duped by his/her mind; such is the power of lust. But despair not; the most effective way to succeed in the practice of Brahmacharya is to fervently and earnestly pray to the lord (perhaps your Ishta Devta). God is omnipotent, omniscient, almighty, and the ocean of mercy. Strict observance of Brahmacharya might be an arduous and herculean task for us, but for the all powerful God it is not so. He is capable of ameliorating even the most lustful creatures in no time. What is required is praying to him with a sincere heart full of love for him, by repeating the divine name again and again. There is immense power in sincere prayers done with the core of the heart and it is the safest and infallible way to succeed in fulfilling such a superhuman task as observance of absolute and unbroken Brahmacharya.

Glory of Brahmacharya/Benefits of Brahmacharya:

• Brahmacharya is the basis for morality.
• It is the basis for eternal life.
• It is a spring flower that exhales immortality from its petals.
• It is the substratum for a life of peace in Atman.
• It is the firm support for Brahma-Nishtha, which is eagerly longed for by sages, aspirants and Yogic students.
• It is the shield for waging war against the internal Asuras—lust, anger and greed.
• It opens the door of liberation (Moksha).
• It contributes to perennial joy, to the uninterrupted and undecaying bliss. Even Rishis, Devas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras serve at the feet of a true Brahmachari.
• Brahmacharya is the only key to open the Sushumna and awaken Kundalini.
• It brings glory, fame, virtue and Mana-Pratishtha. The eight Siddhis and the nine Riddhis roll under the feet of the true celibate. They are ever ready to obey his command.
• Just as the oil comes up in a wick and burns with glowing light, so also, the Veerya or semen flows up by the practice of Yoga Sadhana and is converted into Tejas or Ojas. The Brahmachari shines with Brahmic aura in his face.
• By the practice of Brahmacharya, longevity, glory, strength, vigour, knowledge, wealth, undying fame, virtues and devotion to the truth increase.
• Lord Siva said: "Celibacy alone is the supreme penance. Of course, other penances (such as keeping fast and silence etc ...) are good in their place, but they are all inferior to Brahmacharya. That Urdhvareta saint who has done penance over the restraint of the sexual organ is not a human-being but God."
• Atharva Veda declares: "Celibacy is the supreme religious observance."
• Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa said: “One should strive to totally eradicate lust; if somebody succeeds in doing so, then a new fine nerve named ‘medha’ gets awakened in him/her. That nerve makes the sexual energy, which was earlier flowing downwards, to flow upwards (towards the brain). After this nerve gets opened, one attains the supreme knowledge of the God or God-Realization.”

Swami Vivekananda on Chastity (Brahmacharya):

• Chastity in thought, word and deed always and in all conditions is what is called Brahmacharya. Unchaste imagination is as bad as unchaste action. The Brahmacharin must be pure in thought, word and deed.

• Do you see, simply by the observance of strict continence all learning can be mastered in a very short time – one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country.

• Our goal of life is moksha; how can that be ever attained without Brahmacharya or absolute continence? Hence it is imposed upon our boys and youth as an indispensable condition during their studentship.

• Complete continence gives great intellectual and spiritual power. The Brahmacharin must be sexually pure in thought, word and deed. Unchaste imagination is as bad as unchaste action.

• Power comes to him who observes unbroken Brahmacharya for a period of twelve (12) years.

• One man may speak beautiful language and beautiful thought, but they do not impress people; another man speaks neither beautiful language nor beautiful thoughts, yet his words charm. Every moment of his is powerful. That is the power of OJAS.

• It is only the chaste man or woman who can make the OJAS rise and store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always been considered the highest virtue. A man feels that if he is unchaste, spirituality goes away; he loses mental vigour and moral stamina.

• That is why in all the religious orders in the world, which have produced spiritual giants, you will always find absolute chastity insisted upon.

• The chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will power. Without chastity there can be no spiritual strength. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind.

• What we want is Western science coupled with Vedanta. Brahmacharya as the guiding motto and also Shraddha and faith in one’s own self.

• Save the spiritual store in your body by observing continence.

• Is there a greater strength than that of Brahmacharya — purity, my boy?

• Brahmacharya should be like a burning fire within the veins!

• Our motherland requires for her well-being some of her children to become such pure-souled Brahmacharins and Brahmacharinis.

• You have now to make the character of Mahavira (Lord Hanuman) your ideal. He was a perfect master of his senses and wonderfully sagacious.

• Obedience to the Guru without questioning and strict observance of Brahmacharya – this is the secret of success.

• His childhood friend: Whatever you may say, I cannot bring myself to believe in these words. Who can come by that oratorical power of expounding philosophy which you have?

Swamiji: You don’t know! That power may come to all. That power comes to him who observes unbroken Brahmacharya for a period of twelve years, with the sole object of realising God I have practiced that kind of Brahmacharya myself, and so a screen has been removed, as it were, from my brain. For that reason, I need not any more think over or prepare myself for any lectures on such a subtle subject as philosophy. Suppose I have to lecture tomorrow; all that I shall speak about will pass tonight before my eyes like so many pictures; and the next day I put into words during my lecture all those things that I saw. So you will understand now that it is not any power which is exclusively my own. Whoever will practice unbroken Brahmacharya for twelve years will surely have it. If you do so, you too will get it. Our Shâstras do not say that only such and such a person will get it and not others!

Introduction

When we stand under a big and wide-spread banyan tree, could we be able to even imagine that this apparently all encompassing tree was once hidden inside a small seed. Similarly, on Monday, January 12, 1863 (posh Krishna saptami tithi), the child which took birth in the Simla locality of Kolkata in the house of Shri Vishvanath Dutta and Smt. Bhuvneshwari Devi was like that seed. The child was born on the day of Makar Sankranti – a great Hindu festival, at 6:33 a.m. Who could have wondered by seeing that child at that time that in future, in his short lifetime of mere 39 years, such an extraordinary and surprising genius and such irresistible power will get evolved in him, that will transcend the limitations of place and time. And that genius and power of his will: forever evoke the eternal glory of human soul; be the live inspiration of truth, justice and brotherhood; and kindle the sacred fire of fearless and selfless service to the humanity, in the hearts and souls of innumerable men and women, born and bred in different times, different circumstances and different ways. When this divine child gradually grown into a vigorous, versatile, vivacious, and courageous young man, even at that time nobody had wondered that this Narendranath Dutta will become the eminent and highly venerable Swami Vivekananda. But, at seeing the eighteen year old youth Narendranath Dutta, Sri Ramakrishna had recognized him at once. Sri Ramakrishna had become aware about who Narendra is, and why he is born. He had seen the vivid picture of Narendra’s effulgent future life through his divine vision. Sri Ramakrishna had once told about Swami Vivekananda that he was the incarnation of one of the Saptrishis.