A rare conversation between Ramkrishna Paramahansa & Swami Vivekanand

Swami Vivekanand:- I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic.

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you free.

Swami Vivekanand:- Why has life become complicated now?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Stop analyzing life.. It makes it complicated. Just live it.

Swami Vivekanand:- Why are we then constantly unhappy?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

Swami Vivekanand:- Why do good people always suffer?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

Swami Vivekanand:- You mean to say such experience is useful?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Swami Vivekanand:- Because of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading…

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides the way.

Swami Vivekanand:- Does failure hurt more than moving in the right direction?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

Swami Vivekanand:- In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Swami Vivekanand:- What surprises you about people?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- When they suffer they ask, “why me?” When they prosper, they never ask “Why me?”

Swami Vivekanand:- How can I get the best out of life?

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Swami Vivekanand:- One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

Ramkrishna Paramahansa:- There are no unanswered prayers. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

Any Person can make you realise how wonderful the world is..!
But only few will make you realise how wonderful you are in the world..!

  1. Wow Subra Sir….amazing how I could relate to this conversation. Its hard to believe that the great Swami Vivekananda also had these doubts and fears…thanks for sharing!

  2. Truly amazing stuff. Reminds of reading conversations between Paramahamsa Yogananda and Lahiri Mahasaya. This is an absolute gem to read early in the morning 🙂

  3. Dear Subra sir I am daily reader of your blog for the past 2 years. Your blog has been great source of motivation for me. Please do write daily. Please suggest some good books on philosophy which contains the wisdom like the one mentioned in this article.

  4. Nice article 🙂
    Especially these lines:
    “Any Person can make you realise how wonderful the world is..!
    But only few will make you realise how wonderful you are in the world..”

  5. Take a bow subra sir.
    The reason I touch your feet everytime is this. you post many answers to my soul’s cry.

    take a bow again

  6. Hi Subra
    Please let your readers know the source of this gem. I googled a found a few links with the same conversation , but if this is from a book or a blog we would like to know since it will contain more such gems.

    Thanks

  7. @Shankar: If you read Swami Vivekananda’s life, you’ll realize that he was no ordinary mortal. All of the questions posed to Sree Ramakrishna here, have been put on our behalf (we, mere mortals).

    He had all the answers and this conversation is nothing but leela done by two of the saints who lived on Earth for our good. 🙂

  8. Dear Subra sir, Time to time, in ur blog…Please suggest some good books on philosophy which contains the wisdom like the one mentioned in this article or some non-technical books for guidance on life or spirituality.

  9. Hi Subra, I am not commenting on the significance of the conversation but on its historicity. There never took such a conversation between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda.Anybody interested in following the conversations between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda should read the following books:

    The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
    Sri Ramakrishna, the Great Master
    Ramakrishna and His Message

  10. Subhro,

    agree totally. If this was between a modern day psychiatrist and his patient people may not have read it. So I am sure the author misused their names. I do not know I just got it as a forward…

  11. Dear All,
    Such a conversation never took place between Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. You may read the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (which records conversations between Sri Ramakrishna and devotees in general) and know yourself that Sri Ramakrishna AND Swami Vivekananda will never come down to such WORLDLY things.
    My appeal: please do not forward/circulate fake matter.
    –Swami Durgananda

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