An inspirational (and learning) conversation between Ramkrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekanad

I came across a conversation between Ramkrishna Paramahansa & Swami Vivekananda, which I feel is so particularly useful for all of us in today’s context. If you are wondering who these two people are, let me share a bit of a background of them. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was an Indian mystic and yogi during the 19th-century. Ramakrishna was given to spiritual ecstasies from a young age, and was influenced by several religious traditions, including devotion toward the goddess Kali, a powerful Hindu goodness

Swami Vivekananda, was an Indian Hindu monk, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. He was a major force in the revival of Hinduism in India and he is perhaps best known for his speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America ..., in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in 1893.

Born into an aristocratic family in India, Vivekananda was inclined towards spirituality. He was influenced by his Guru, Ramakrishna, from whom he learnt that all living beings were an embodiment of the divine self; therefore, service to God could be rendered by service to mankind. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe.

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? Question: Swami Vivekananda- I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic.

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: Why has life become complicated now?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Stop analyzing life... It makes it complicated. Just live it.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: Why do good people always suffer?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: You mean to say such experience is useful?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons later.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading…

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: Does failure hurt more than moving in the right direction?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

 ? Question: Swami Vivekanand: What surprises you about people?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"

? Question: Swami Vivekanand: How can I get the best out of life?

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

? Question: Swami Vivekanand: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

? Answer: Ramkrishna Paramahansa: There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

 I guess the moral of this dialogue is “Stay Happy Always & contented ??”