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So Long As The Bee Is Outside The Petals Of The Lily, And Has Not Tasted The Sweetness Of Its Honey, It Hovers Around The Flower Emitting The Buzzing Sound; But When It Is Inside The Flower, It Noiselessly Drinks The Nectar. So Long As A Man Quarrels And Disputes About Doctrines And Dogmas, He Has Not Tasted The Nectar Of True Faith; When He Has Tasted It, He Becomes Quiet And Full Of Peace.
-Ramakrishna
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So Long As The

Ramakrishna
So Long As The Bee Is Outside The Petals Of The Lily, And Has Not Tasted The Sweetness Of Its Honey, It Hovers Around The Flower Emitting The Buzzing Sound; But When It Is Inside The Flower, It Noiselessly Drinks The Nectar. So Long As A Man Quarrels And Disputes About Doctrines And Dogmas, He Has Not Tasted The Nectar Of True Faith; When He Has Tasted It, He Becomes Quiet And Full Of Peace.
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Faith
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Only Two Kinds Of People Can Attain Self-knowledge: Those Who Are Not Encumbered At All With Learning, That Is To Say, Whose Minds Are Not Over-crowded With Thoughts Borrowed From Others; And Those Who, After Studying All The Scriptures And Sciences, Have Come To Realise That They Know Nothing.
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You Speak Of Doing Good To The World. Is The World Such A Small Thing? And Who Are You, Pray, To Do Good To The World? First Realise God, See Him By Means Of Spiritual Discipline. If He Imparts Power You Can Do Good To Others; Otherwise Not.
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If You First Fortify Yourself With The True Knowledge Of The Universal Self, And Then Live In The Midst Of Wealth And Worldliness, Surely They Will In No Way Affect You.
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A Boat May Stay In Water, But Water Should Not Stay In Boat. A Spiritual Aspirant May Live In The World, But The World Should Not Live Within Him.
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Men Are Like Pillow-cases. The Colour Of One May Be Red, That Of Another Blue, And That Of The Third Black; But All Contain The Same Cotton Within. So It Is With Man; One Is Beautiful, Another Is Ugly, A Third Holy, And A Fourth Wicked; But The Divine Being Dwells In Them All.
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Little Children Play With Dolls In The Outer Room Just As They Like, Without Any Care Of Fear Or Restraint; But As Soon As Their Mother Comes In, They Throw Aside Their Dolls And Run To Her Crying, "mamma, Mamma." You Too, Are Now Playing In This Material World, Infatuated With The Dolls Of Wealth, Honour, Fame, Etc., If However, You Once See Your Divine Mother, You Will Not Afterwards Find Pleasure In All These. Throwing Them All Aside, You Will Run To Her.
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Night
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One Cannot Be Spiritual As Long As One Has Shame, Hatred, Or Fear.
Spiritual
Long
Hatred
You Should Love Everyone Because God Dwells In All Beings.
God
Should
Love Everyone
Who May Be Called A Paramahamsa? He Who, Like A Swan, Can Take The Milk From A Mixture Of Milk And Water, Leaving Aside The Water. He Who, Like An Ant, Can Take The Sugar From A Mixture Of Sugar And Sand, Leaving Aside The Sand.
Swans
Water
Leaving
Through Selfless Work, Love Of God Grows In The Heart. Then Through His Grace One Realize Him In Course Of Time. God Can Be Seen. One Can Talk To Him As I Am Talking To You.
Heart
Talking
Grace
By The Mind One Is Bound; By The Mind One Is Freed. ... He Who Asserts With Strong Conviction: "i Am Not Bound, I Am Free," Becomes Free.
Strong
Mind
Conviction
Sunlight Is One And The Same Wherever It Falls; But Only A Bright Surface Like That Of Water, Or Of A Mirror Reflects It Fully. So Is The Light Divine. It Falls Equally And Impartially On All Hearts, But The Pure And Pious Hearts Of Holy Men Receive And Reflect That Light Well.
Fall
Heart
Men
Work, Apart From Devotion Or Love Of God, Is Helpless And Cannot Stand Alone.
Devotion To God
God Love
Stand Alone
The Grace Of God Is A Wind Which Is Always Blowing.
God
Wind
Grace
God Is In All Men, But All Men Are Not In God; That Is Why We Suffer.
Inspirational
Men
Suffering
Man Needs A Guru. But A Man Must Have Faith In The Guru's Words. He Succeeds In Spiritual Life By Looking On His Guru As God Himself.
Spiritual
Men
Needs
A Devotee Who Can Call On God While Living A Householder's Life Is A Hero Indeed. God Thinks: 'he Is Blessed Indeed Who Prays To Me In The Midst Of His Worldly Duties. He Is Trying To Find Me, Overcoming A Great Obstacle -- Pushing Away, As It Were, A Huge Block Of Stone Weighing A Ton. Such A Man Is A Real Hero.
Prayer
Block
Real
If There Are Errors In Other Religions, That Is None Of Our Business. God, To Whom The World Belongs, Takes Care Of That.
Errors
World
Care
It Is Very Pleasant To Scratch An Itching Ring-worm, But The Sensation One Gets Afterwards Is Very Painful And Intolerable. In The Same Way The Pleasures Of This World Are Very Attractive In The Beginning, But Their Consequences Are Terrible To Contemplate And Hard To Endure.
World
Way
Scratches
When The Fruit Appears The Blossom Drops Off. Love Of God Is The Fruit, And Rituals Are The Blossom.
Fruit
God Love
Ritual
The Sun Can Give Heat And Light To The Whole World, But He Cannot Do So When The Clouds Shut Out His Rays. Similarly As Long As Egotism Veils The Heart, God Cannot Shine Upon It.
Heart
Clouds
Light
One Man May Read The Bhagavata By The Light Of A Lamp, And Another May Commit A Forgery By That Very Light; But The Lamp Is Unaffected. The Sun Sheds Its Light On The Wicked As Well As On The Virtuous.
Inspirational
Men
Light
Unalloyed Love Of God Is The Essential Thing. All Else Is Unreal.
Essentials
God Love
Unreal
God Has Created The World In Play, As It Were.
Play
World
When An Unbaked Pot Is Broken, The Potter Can Use The Mud To Make A New One; But When A Baked One Is Broken, He Cannot Do The Same Any Longer. So When A Person Dies In A State Of Ignorance, He Is Born Again; But When He Becomes Well Baked In The Fire Of True Knowledge And Dies A Perfect Man, He Is Not Born Again.
Ignorance
Men
Fire
It's Enough To Have Faith In One Aspect Of God. But Never Get Into Your Head That Your Faith Alone Is True And Every Other Is False.
Faith
Have Faith
Enough
Men Bound Hand And Foot In The Endless Chain Of Cause & Effect Cannot Free Each Other.
Men
Feet
Hands
Meditate Upon The Knowledge And Bliss Eternal , And You Will Also Have Bliss. The Bliss Indeed Is Eternal, Only It Is Covered And Obscured By Ignorance. The Less Your Attachment Is Towards The Senses, The More Will Be Your Love Towards God .
Ignorance
Attachment
Bliss
Man Suffers Through Lack Of Faith In God.
Men
Suffering
Faith In God
God Has Revealed To Me That Only The Paramatman, Whom The Vedas Describe As The Pure Soul, Is As Immutable As Mount Sumeru, Unattached, And Beyond Pain And Pleasure. There Is Much Confusion In This World Of His Maya. One Can By No Means Say That 'this' Will Come After 'that' Or 'this' Will Produce 'that'.
Pain
Mean
Confusion
Pray To Him Anyway You Like, He Can Even Hear The Footfall Of An Ant.
Ants
Praying
The World Is Impermanent. [all Things Change. Knowing This Helps You See The End Of Any Difficulty And Thereby Have Hope.]
Knowing
World
Helping
As For Myself, I Look Upon All Women As My Mother. This Is A Very Pure Attitude Of Mind. There Is No Risk Or Danger In It. To Look Upon A Woman As One's Sister Is Also Not Bad. But The Other Attitudes Are Very Difficult And Dangerous. It Is Almost Impossible To Keep To The Purity Of The Ideal.
Inspirational
Mother
Attitude
Do Not Be Small Minded. Do Not Pray For Gourds And Pumpkins From God, When You Should Be Asking For Pure Love And Pure Knowledge To Dawn Within Every Heart.
Love
Heart
Dawn
Imagine A Limitless Expanse Of Water: Above And Below, Before And Behind, Right And Left, Everywhere There Is Water. In That Water Is Placed A Jar Filled With Water. There Is Water Inside The Jar And Water Outside, But The Jar Is Still There. The 'i' Is The Jar.
Water
Jars
Imagine
All Will Surely Realize God. All Will Be Liberated. It May Be That Some Get Their Meal In The Morning, Some At Noon, And Some In The Evening; But None Will Go Without Food. All, Without Any Exception, Will Certainly Know Their Real Self.
Morning
Real
Self
The Ego Is Like The Root Of A Banyan Tree, You Think You Have Removed It All Then One Fine Morning You See A Sprout Flourishing Again.
Morning
Thinking
Roots
Try To Cultivate Love Of God. You Are Born As A Human Being Only To Attain Divine Love.
Love
Trying
Divine
To Work Without Attachment Is To Work Without The Expectation Of Reward.
Attachment
Expectations
Rewards
Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.


2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.


2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.


2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.


3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.


3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.


3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.



4. Proper Usage of Quotes


4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.


4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.


4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).


5. Common Mistakes to Avoid


5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.


5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.


5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.



6. Quotes in Different Contexts


6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.


6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.


6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.



7. Punctuation and Formatting


Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:


Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.


Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.


Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.



8. Ethical Considerations


Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes


Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.



Conclusion


Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.


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