Strength

--- extract from the Gospel of Strength by Swami Vivekanand ---

First step in getting strength is to uphold the Upanishads, and believe -
“I am the soul,”
“Me the sword cannot cut;
nor weapons pierce;
me the fire cannot burn;
me the air cannot dry;
I am the Omnipotent, I am the Omniscient.”
So repeat these blessed saving words and be strong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You must know what you are , what your real nature is. You must become conscious of that infinite nature within. Then your bondage will burst.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think all of you that you are the infinitely powerful Atman, and see what strength comes out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Knowledge is power,” says the proverb, does it not? It is through knowledge that power comes. Man has got to know that he is a man of infinite power and strength. Really he himself is by his own nature potent and omniscient. And this he must know. And the more he becomes conscious of his own Self, the more he manifests this power, and his bonds break and at last he becomes free.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soul was never born and will never die, and all these ideas that we are going to die and are afraid to die are mere superstitions. And all such ideas as we can do this or cannot do that are superstitions. We can do everything. The Vedanta teaches men to have faith in themselves first... Not believing the glory of our own soul is what the Vedanta calls atheism. To many this is, no doubt, a terrible idea; and most of us think that this ideal can never be reached; but the Vedanta insists that it can be realised by everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Always talk and hear and reason about this Atman. By continuing to practice in this way, you will find in time that the Lion (Brahman) will wake up in you too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The self within is always shining forth resplendent. Turning away from that people say, “I”, “I”, “I”, with their attention held up by this material body, this queer cage of flesh and bones. This is the root cause of all weakness.

-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hear day and night that you are that Soul. Repeat it to yourselves day and night till it enters into your very veins, till it tingles in every drop of blood, till it is in your flesh and bone. Let the whole body be full of that one ideal, “I am the birthless, the deathless, the blissful, the omniscient, the omnipotent, ever-glorious Soul.” Think on it day and night; think on it till it becomes part and parcel of your life. Meditate upon it... All your actions will be magnified, transformed, deified, by the very power of the thought. If matter is powerful, thought is omnipotent. Bring this thought to bear upon your life, fill yourselves with the thought of your almightiness, your majesty and your glory.

- Swami Vivekanand