If there is ever to be a universal religion, it must be one which will have no location in place or time; which will be infinite, like the God it will preach, and whose sun will shine upon the followers of Krishna and of Christ, on saints and sinners, alike; which will not be Brahminical or Buddhist, Christian or Mohammedan, but the sum total of all of these, and still have infinite space for development; which in its catholicity will embrace in its infinite arms, and find a place for, every human being, from the lowest groveling savage, not far removed from the brute, to the highest man, towering by the virtues of his head and heart almost above humanity, making society stand in awe of him and doubt his human nature. It will be a religion which will have no place for persecution or intolerance in its policy; which will recognize divinity in every man and woman, and whose whole scope, whose whole force, will be centered aiding humanity to realize its own true, divine nature.

On Sri Ramakrishna

It is always the same Book. It is always the same Man – the Son of Man, the Eternal, Our Son, Our God reborn.  With each return he reveals himself a little more fully, and more enriched by the universe … The man whose image I here evoke was the consummation of two thousand years of spiritual life of three hundred million people.

Romain Rolland

The Atman that is absolute existence and knowledge cannot be realized without constant practice.  So, one seeking after knowledge should long meditate upon Brahman for the attainment of the desired goal…

While thinking of an object the mind verily identifies itself with that, and while thinking of a void it really becomes blank, whereas by the thought of Brahman it attains to perfection.  So, one should constantly think of (Brahman to attain) perfection.   Those who give up this supremely purifying thought of Brahman, live in vain and are on the same level with beasts.  Blessed indeed are those virtuous persons who at first have this consciousness of Brahman and then develop it more and more.  They are respected everywhere.  Only those in whom this consciousness being ever present grows into maturity, attain to the state of the ever-existent Brahman; and not others who merely deal with words.

Teachings of Buddha

“The Eye of man, brethren, is an ocean.  Its motion is of shapes.  Whoso overcomes that motion made of shapes, he is called “crosser over”.  He who has crossed over, gone beyond the motion of eye, with its waves, its inlets, its sharks and goblins (which are lusts), that Brahmin stands upon the further shore.

So, likewise, a man’s tongue, brethren, is an ocean and made of taste is its motion.  He who conquers taste … so crosses over.

Man’s mind, brethren, is an ocean.  Its motion is made of ideas.  He who conquers mind stands upon the further shore.”

Thus spoke the Exalted One …

Religion does not consist in doctrines or dogmas.  It is not what you read nor what dogmas you believe that is of importance, but what you realize.  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” yea, in this life.  And that is salvation.  There are those who teach that this can be gained by the mumbling of words.  But no great master ever taught that external forms were necessary for salvation.  The power of attaining is within ourselves.  We live and move in God.  Creeds and sects have their parts to play, but they are for children, they last but temporarily.  Books never make religions, but religions make books.  We must not forget that.  No book ever created God, but God inspired all great books.  And no book ever created a soul.  We must never forget that.

Swami Vivekananda

When a man can act without desire

Through practice of Yoga;

When his doubts are torn to shreds,

Because he knows Brahman;

When his heart is poised

In the being of the Atman

No bonds can Bind Him

Bhagavad Gita

The love of God, conceived of as the Divine Mother, is the purest love we can imagine. Love may be found in everyday life, but it is often mixed with self-consideration. When one's own limited self becomes a prime consideration, love has the power to bind us. This same love has to be purified. Since we can only conceive of divine love based on the analogy of human love, we try to emulate the mother's love for the child. In order to free our love from all other associations and limitations, we turn to the mother's love, since this is the purest form of love we find amidst all human relationships. The love that the mother has for her child is virtually motiveless. When a mother loves her child, she has no selfish considerations. In other forms of love there is always some element of expectation – the love of a husband, wife or relative. But the love of a mother is to a very high degree, a pure love. In human terms, it is the purest form of love we know. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that one should call on God as Mother because the love one feels from one's own mother enables him to understand the true meaning of pure love.