Evil is everywhere; it is like chronic rheumatism. Drive it
from the foot, it goes to the head; drive it from there, it goes somewhere
else. It is a question of chasing it from place to place; that is all.
…, to try to remedy evil is not the true way. Our philosophy
teaches that evil and good are eternally conjoined, the obverse and the reverse
of the same coin. If you have one, you must have the other; a wave in the ocean
must be at the cost of a hollow elsewhere.
Nay, all life is evil. No breath can be breathed without
killing some one else; not a morsel of food can be eaten without depriving some
one of it. This is the law; this is philosophy. Therefore the only thing we can
do is to understand that all this work against evil is more subjective than
objective. The work against evil is more educational than actual, however big
we may talk. This, first of all, is the idea of work against evil; and it ought
to make us calmer, it ought to take fanaticism out of our blood. The history of the world teaches us that
wherever there have been fanatical reforms, the only result has been that they
have defeated their own ends.
All ideas of making the world perfectly happy may be good as
motive powers for fanatics; but we must know that fanaticism brings forth as
much evil as good.
Put The Good Before Them
Have faith in man first, and then having faith in him, believe that if there are defects in him, if he makes mistakes, if he embraces the crudest and the vilest doctrines, believe that it is not from his real nature that they come, but from the want of higher ideals.
If a man goes towards what is false, it is because he cannot get what is true. Therefore the only method of correcting what is false is by supplying him with what is rue. Do this, and let him compare. You give him the truth, and there your work is done.
Let him compare it in his own mind with what he has already in him; and, mark my words, if you have really given him the truth, the false must vanish, light must dispel darkness, and truth will bring the good out.
This is the way if you want to reform the country spiritually; this is the way, and not fighting, not even telling people that what they are doing is bad. Put the good before them, see how eagerly they take it, see how the divine that never dies, that is always living in the human, comes up awakened and stretches out its hand for all that is good, and all that is glorious.
Few lines of wisdom of Swami Vivekananda
Like me or Hate me, both are in my favor, If you like me I am in your Heart, If you hate me I am in your mind.
Gratitude and hospitality are the peculiar characteristics of Indian humanity.
Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
The more we come out and do good to others, the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in them.
Work, but let not the action or the thought produce a deep impression on the mind. Let the ripples come and go.
The more evil you see, the more you will create. Thought and matter are co-existent.
The mind is but the subtle part of the body. You must retain great strength in your mind and words.
This is a world of good and evil. Wherever there is good, evil follows, but beyond and behind all these manifestations, all these contradictions, the Vedanta finds out that Unity. It says, “Give up what is evil and give up what is good.” What remains then? Behind good and evil stands something which is yours, the real you, beyond every evil, and beyond every good too, and it is that which is manifesting itself as good and bad.
It is grand and good to know the laws that govern the stars and planets; it is infinitely grander and better to know the laws that govern the passions, the feelings, the will, of mankind. This conquering of the inner man, understanding the secrets of the subtle workings that are within the human mind, and knowing its wonderful secrets, belong entirely to religion.
Do not recognize wickedness in others. Wickedness is ignorance, weakness. What is the good of telling people they are weak? Criticism and destruction are of no avail. We must give them something higher; tell them of their own glorious nature, their birthright.