Address at the Rameswaram Temple on Real Worship
Context: This is the gist of all worship — to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva; and if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste, or creed, or race, or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.
“It is in love that religion exists and not in ceremony, in the pure and sincere love in the heart. Unless a man is pure in body and mind, his coming into a temple and worshipping Shiva is useless.”
Address at the Rameswaram Temple on Real Worship
Context: It is in love that religion exists and not in ceremony, in the pure and sincere love in the heart. Unless a man is pure in body and mind, his coming into a temple and worshipping Shiva is useless. The prayers of those that are pure in mind and body will be answered by Shiva, and those that are impure and yet try to teach religion to others will fail in the end. External worship is only a symbol of internal worship; but internal worship and purity are the real things. Without them, external worship would be of no avail. Therefore you must all try to remember this.
People have become so degraded in this Kali Yuga that they think they can do anything, and then they can go to a holy place, and their sins will be forgiven. If a man goes with an impure mind into a temple, he adds to the sins that he had already, and goes home a worse man than when he left it.
Help us to complete the source, original and additional information
Swami Vivekananda 261
Indian Hindu monk and phylosopher 1863–1902Related quotes
“When in Love,
body, mind, heart and soul don't even exist.”
Hush Don't Say Anything to God (1999)
Meher Baba’s Call (1954)
Context: Be pure and simple, and love all because all are one. Live a sincere life; be natural, and be honest with yourself.
Honesty will guard you against false modesty and will give you the strength of true humility. Spare no pains to help others. Seek no other reward than the gift of Divine Love.
Source: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (1942), p. 844
Original: (it) L'amore vero, sincero, intenso e puro è come un fiore, più lo curi e più trasmette profonde emozioni.
Source: prevale.net
"Four Things," Poems, vol. 1 (vol. 9 of The Works of Henry Van Dyke) (1920).
prema-bhakti
Women Saints of East and West
Meditation:Insights and Inspirations (2010) https://books.google.com/books?id=s2ctBgAAQBAJ,
Source: Esoteric Christianity, Or The Lesser Mysteries http://books.google.co.in/books?id=6Uk0AHHn-cgC&pg=PT8, p. 8