From Note Book 1 of ‘In Woods of God-Realization’

An ignorant man, having committed a fault, was thus reviled by some: “Shame upon you! You are no man,” Being ignorant, he approached another man to make himself sure that he was a man and addressed him (thus) “Tell me who I am.” The person addressed knowing him to be stupid, said, “I will enlighten you by and by,” So having disproved that he was anything immovable etc., he resumed silence after saying “You are not not-man.” The stupid man, again asked, “You who set about enlightening me are silent. Why do you not enlighten me?ā€

Such are the Ignorance-devoured men of the world.
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Even error has some foundation in truth.

Though the distorted or magnified image transmitted to us through the refracting medium of rumour is utterly unlike the reality, yet in the absence of the reality there would have been no distorted or magnified image.

Love truth more and victory less.

The fight between different religious sects illustrates the significant fable conceding the knights who fought about the colour of a shield of which neither looked at more than one face.

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They write of a pean dā€™ ane on which whosoever sat should have his desire but a piece of the skin was gone for every wish.

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A Jiwan Mukta on being liberated after dissolution of the physical body enters the condition of Videha Mukta (Videhamukta pavano aspandataamiva) like the wind coming to a standstill.

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Kant managed all his life through to keep himself in health by persistent adherence to certain maxims of diet and regimen. One of these was that the germs of disease might often be avoided if the breathing were systematically carried on by the nose; and for that reason Kant always in his later years walked alone with mouth closed. He was also careful to avoid perspiration.

Every man his own doctor, every man his own lawyer, every man his own priest, – that was the ideal of Kant.

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The faith that stands on authority is no faith.

Potential Existence is an absurdity of conception; if it is something, it is actual Existence.

Beauty – What is it that makes a face attractive? Neither features, nor colour, nor anything else; but a certain abandonment (or ….) which goes by the name ….

Resignation makes a countenance graceful.

In Sharirak (Vedanta Sutras), it is Adhyasa (attachment to physical body) that is treated first of all and not Ajnana (ignorance).

Reason: It is Adhyasa alone that causes misery and not Ajnana. Cf. Sushupti which has Ajnana but no Adhyasa and consequently is not Duhkharupa (painful).

A prudent man is like a pin; his head prevents him from going too far.

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Write ten maunds fire on paper and throw it in cotton. The cotton will not be set on fire. But a very small quantity of real fire will burn up the whole world.

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A slave is a slave because he is free,

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Beauty is one’s own creation, ugliness one’s own work. Everything is our own doing, and everywhere my own free Self is predominant.

Ko mohah kah sokah Ekatvamanupasyatah (Ishavasya Up.)

When outward beauty attracts your mind, release yourself by

thinking of a higher degree being conceiving,
the Atman as the reality of which all Beatify is a mere ripple.
Never resort to that beggarly morality which goes by the name of disciplinarianism.

Be a giver always, never a receiver. Regard everybody as free. A prisoner is a prisoner because of his freedom. A king is a king of his own free-will. One man is beautiful on account of his own free choice. Your ugliness is your own making. In consequence of that (1) you shall never get annoyed; because your demands or expectation will be nothing. Give what you can never ask. (2) You will never envy or desire anything, knowing that everything in others is the natural fruit of the same freedom which is your own birthright. Be a continuous spring of happiness and good. Let sadness or anger never ooze out of you.

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Says Herbert Spencer: Suppose the tickings and other movements of a watch constituted a kind of consciousness. The watch possessed of such a consciousness must insist on regarding the watchmaker’s actions as determined like its own by springs and escapements. Thus do people interpret Nature by Humanity.

The belief in a community of nature between himself find the object of his worship has always been to man a satisfactory one. Why it should be so is explained by Vedanta.

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The right punishment of one out of tune is to make him play in tune.

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Raja means satisfied. One who has been a Raja in some previous birth, can alone realise Vedanta. The stone that is fit for the wall will never be found in the way.