Paramahansa Yogananda

“Calmness is the living breath of God's immortality in you.”

“Wrath springs only from thwarted desires. I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine.”

“The reflection, the verisimilitude, of life that shines in the film of creation can be understood only by reference to the creative Source.”

“Wisdom is not assimilated with the eyes, but with the atoms. When your convictions are not merely intellectual — when they spread to the atoms — then you have true wisdom.”

“One cannot practice the principles of religion with a begging bowl in his hand. A healthy body and a successful career are the foremost requirements.”

“Softness and gentleness of character are marks of true spiritual development.”

“The path to God is not a circus. Do not be distracted by the sideshows. Go straight to the main tent.”

“There is a right and wrong way to eat, to sleep, to think, to act. Every phase of life has a right and wrong approach.”

“Do not limit your ideas about God. He is ever new, ever revealing more of Himself to the inquiring devotee.”

“Evil is, literally, a parasite feeding on the life of goodness. Remove goodness, and evil has no existence.”

“To be vitally interested in the source of your existence — that is religion.”

“To him who meditates, every tomorrow brings him closer to the day when he shall walk in fields of light.”

“The mind, sheltered in a beautiful body, can be a source of great joy, or terrible misery. It is all in the training.”

“Never do anything that taints your mind. Wrong actions cause negative or evil mental vibrations that are reflected in your whole appearance and personality.”

“Tender inner weaknesses, turning to vices in outer expression, are the most dangerous enemies of the soul.”

“If you cling to a certain thought with dynamic will power, it finally assumes a tangible outward form.”

“The suffering we experience is not so much due to the nature of things as to our lack of adequate understanding.”

“In one sense, at least, the modern child has advantages over those of earlier generations — he lives in a world of greater marvels and is likely to have his imagination more stimulated.”

“In meditation, one becomes aware of the infinity of his potential power. When that power is fully realized, we discover that the ordinary tasks of life are accomplished with great ease.”