Swami Vivekananda Quotes on Freedom

A collection of quotes on freedom by Swami Vivekananda.

You must remember that freedom is the first condition of growth. What you do not make free, will never grow... Let men have the light of liberty. That is the only condition of growth.

We struggle hard to attain to some goal and then discover we do not want it. This dissatisfaction we are having time after time, and what is there in the mind if there is to be only dissatisfaction? What is the meaning of this universal dissatisfaction? It is because freedom is every man’s goal. He seeks it ever, his whole life is a struggle after it. The child rebels against law as soon as it is born. Its first utterance is a cry, a protest against the bondage in which finds itself.

Freedom means independence of anything outside, and that means that nothing outside itself could work upon it as a cause. The soul is causeless, and from this follow all the great ideas that we have. You cannot establish the immortality of the soul, unless you grant that it is by its nature free, or in other words, but it cannot be acted upon by anything outside.

Explanation of the above quote:

Swami Vivekananda's quote delves into the concept of freedom and its implications on the nature of the soul. Let's break it down:

Freedom as Independence: According to Vivekananda, freedom is synonymous with independence from external influences. This implies that nothing external has the power to act upon the soul as a cause.

Causelessness of the Soul: Vivekananda posits that the soul is causeless, meaning it exists without being influenced or caused by anything external to itself.

Implications of Soul's Freedom: From the premise that the soul is inherently free and uncaused, Vivekananda suggests that this freedom leads to profound implications. It forms the basis for various important ideas.

Immortality of the Soul: Vivekananda asserts that to establish the concept of the soul's immortality, one must acknowledge its inherent freedom. In other words, the soul's freedom implies its eternal nature, as it cannot be subject to external forces that might cause its cessation.

Conclusion: Vivekananda's argument links the freedom of the soul to its immortality. He suggests that the soul's freedom from external influences is a fundamental aspect that underpins its eternal existence.

This perspective offers a philosophical interpretation of the relationship between freedom and the nature of the soul, highlighting the profound implications of this freedom on concepts such as immortality.