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There Are Three Kinds Of Love; Unselfish, Mutual, And Selfish. The Unselfish Love Is Of The Highest Kind; The Lover Only Minds The Welfare Of The Beloved And Does Not Care For His Own Sufferings. In Mutual Love The Lover Not Only Wants The Happiness Of His Beloved; But Has An Eye Towards His Own Happiness Also. It Is Middling. The Selfish Love Is The Lowest. It Only Looks Towards Its Own Happiness, No Matter Whether The Beloved Suffers Weal Or Woe.
-Ramakrishna
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There Are Three Kinds

Ramakrishna
There Are Three Kinds Of Love; Unselfish, Mutual, And Selfish. The Unselfish Love Is Of The Highest Kind; The Lover Only Minds The Welfare Of The Beloved And Does Not Care For His Own Sufferings. In Mutual Love The Lover Not Only Wants The Happiness Of His Beloved; But Has An Eye Towards His Own Happiness Also. It Is Middling. The Selfish Love Is The Lowest. It Only Looks Towards Its Own Happiness, No Matter Whether The Beloved Suffers Weal Or Woe.
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Attitude
Men
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Scent
Deer
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Play
World
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Night
Thinking
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Want
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Mind
Worship
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Ignorance
Knowledge
Diversity
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Knowing
World
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Self
Two
The Breeze Of Grace Is Always Blowing; Set Your Sail To Catch That Breeze.
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To Work Without Attachment Is To Work Without The Expectation Of Reward Or Fear Of Any Punishment In This World Or The Next. Work So Done Is A Means To The End, And God Is The End.
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Attachment
Punishment
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Needs
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Helping
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True Nature
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Healing
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Doe
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Path
Devotion
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Vision
Dawn
Sun
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Selfish
Eye
Love Is
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God
Mad
World
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Men
Years
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Religious
Perfection
Lust
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Prayer
Lying
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Men
Grace
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Vanity
Long
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God Love
Unreal
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Ego
Doe
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Doe
Birth
Realizing
One Must Be Very Particular About Telling The Truth. Through Truth One Can Realize God.
God
Realizing
Telling The Truth
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Heart
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God Love
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World
Care
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Children
Simple
Illumination
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
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Evil
Doe
Plot
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.
Beautiful
Men
Blue
A Man Is Truly Free, Even Here In This Embodied State, If He Knows That God Is The True Agent And He By Himself Is Powerless To Do Anything.
Men
Agents
States
Live Like A Mud-fish: Its Skin Is Bright And Shiny Even Though It Lives In Mud.
Advice
Skins
Mud
What Is The Use Of Merely Listening To Lectures? The Real Thing Is Practice.
Real
Persistence
Practice
The Truth Is That You Cannot Attain God If You Have Even A Trace Of Desire. Subtle Is The Way Of Dharma. If You Are Trying To Thread A Needle, You Will Not Succeed If The Thread Has Even A Slight Fiber Sticking Out.
Desire
Trying
Way
Pray To Him Anyway You Like, He Can Even Hear The Footfall Of An Ant.
Ants
Praying
Travel In All The Four Quarters Of The Earth, You Will Find Nothing (no True Religion) Anywhere. Whatever There Is, Is Only Here (i .e . In One 's Own Heart.)
Travel
Earth
Four
If You Desire To Be Pure, Have Firm Faith, And Slowly Go On With Your Devotional Practices Without Wasting Your Energy In Useless Scriptural Discussions And Arguments. Your Little Brain Will Otherwise Be Muddled.
Practice
Brain
Desire
Pray To God That Your Attachment To Such Transitory Things As Wealth, Name, And Creature Comforts May Become Less And Less Every Day.
Attachment
Names
Comfort
Live In The World Like A Waterfowl. The Water Clings To The Bird, But The Bird Shakes It Off. Live In The World Like A Mudfish. The Fish Lives In The Mud, But Its Skin Is Always Bright And Shiny.
Water
Bird
Skins
Infinite Are The Paths And Infinite The Opinions.
Journey
Path
Opinion
Bondage Is Of The Mind; Freedom Too Is Of The Mind. If You Say 'i Am A Free Soul. I Am A Son Of God Who Can Bind Me' Free You Shall Be.
Son
Mind Freedom
Soul
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
Wisdom Leads To Unity, But Ignorance To Separation. So Long As God Seems To Be Outside And Far Away, There Is Ignorance. But When God Is Realised Within, That Is True Knowledge.
Ignorance
Long
Meditation
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.
Spiritual
Mean
Discipline
The Rishis Of Old Attained The Knowledge Of Brahman. One Cannot Have This So Long As There Is The Slightest Trace Of Worldliness. How Hard The Rishis Laboured ! Early In The Morning They Would Go Away From The Hermitage, And Would Spend The Whole Day In Solitude, Meditating On Brahman. At Night They Would Return To The Hermitage And Eat A Little Fruit Or Roots. They Kept Their Mind Aloof From The Objects Of Sight, Hearing, Touch, And Other Things Of A Worldly Nature. Only Thus Did They Realize Brahman As Their Own Inner Conciousness.
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Night
Sight
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Brother
Boys
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Compassion
Given
Protect
How Long Do Small Girls Play With Their Dolls? As Long As They Are Not Married And Do Not Live With Their Husbands. After Marriage They Put The Dolls Away In A Box. What Further Need Is There Of Worshipping The Image After The Vision Of God?
Girl
Husband
Play
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Anger
Lust
Desire
The Ordinary Man Says In His Ignorance, "my Religion Is The Sole Religion, My Religion Is The Best." But When His Heart Is Illuminated By The True Knowledge, He Knows That Beyond All The Battles Of Sects And Of Sectaries Presides The One, Indivisible, Eternal And Omnipresent Benediction.
Heart
Ignorance
Men
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Two
Firsts
Kind
Finish The Few Duties You Have At Hand, And Then You Will Have Peace.
Hands
Duty
With Sincerity And Earnestness One Can Realize God Through All Religions. The Vaishnavas Will Realize God, And So Will The Saktas, The Vedantists, And The Brahmos. The Mussalmans And Christians Will Realize Him Too. All Will Certainly Realize God If They Are Earnest And Sincere.
Christian
Realizing
Sincerity
The Supreme Purpose And Goal For Human Life... Is To Cultivate Love.
Goal
Purpose
Life Is
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.
Spiritual
Water
World
A Bath In Ganges Undoubtedly Absolves One Of All Sins; But What Does That Avail? They Say That The Sins Perch On Trees Along The Banks Of The Ganges. No Sooner Does The Man Come Back From The Holy Waters That The Old Sins Jump On His Shoulders From The Trees. The Same Old Sins Take Possession Of Him Again. He Is Hardly Out Of The Waters Before They Fall Upon Him.
Fall
Men
Water
These People Are Like ... A Frog Living In A Well, Who Has Never Seen The Outside World. He Knows Only His Well, So He Will Not Believe That There Is Such A Thing As The World. Likewise, People Talk So Much About The World Because They Have Not Known The Joy Of God.
Believe
People
Joy
As The Snake Is Separate From Its Slough, Even So Is The Spirit Separate From The Body.
Snakes
Body
Spirit
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
Men Bound Hand And Foot In The Endless Chain Of Cause & Effect Cannot Free Each Other.
Men
Feet
Hands
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
It Is Easy To Talk On Religion, But Difficult To Practice It.
Practice
Easy
Difficult
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.
Mother
Running
Children
You Should Love Everyone Because God Dwells In All Beings.
God
Should
Love Everyone
When You Meditate, Go Into The Solitude Of A Forest, Or A Quiet Corner, And Enter Into The Chamber Of Your Heart. And Always Keep Your Power Of Discrimination Awake.
Heart
Meditation
Solitude
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
The Magnetic Needle Always Points To The North, And Hence It Is That Sailing Vessel Does Not Lose Her Direction. So Long As The Heart Of Man Is Directed Towards God, He Cannot Be Lost In The Ocean Of Worldliness.
Ocean
Heart
Men
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
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
When The Head Of A Goat Is Severed From Its Body, The Trunk Struggles For Some Time, Still Showing Signs Of Life. Similarly, Though Ahamkara (egotism) Is Slain In The Perfect Man, Yet Enough Of Its Vitality Is Left To Make Him Carry On The Functions Of Physical Life; But It Is Not Sufficient To Bind Him Again Into The World.
Struggle
Men
Perfect
To Work Without Attachment Is To Work Without The Expectation Of Reward.
Attachment
Expectations
Rewards
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
One Cannot Completely Get Rid Of The Six Passions: Lust, Anger, Greed, And The Like. Therefore One Should Direct Them To God. If You Must Have Desire And Greed, Then You Should Desire Love Of God And Be Greedy To Attain Him.
Anger
Passion
Desire Love
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
The Winds Of Grace Are Always Blowing, But You Have To Raise The Sail.
Wind
Grace
Sail
If You Want To Go East, Don't Go West.
East
Want
West
It Is On Account Of The Ego That One Is Not Able To See God. In Front Of The Door Of God's Mansion Lies The Stump Of Ego. One Cannot Enter The Mansion Without Jumping Over The Stump.
Lying
Jumping
Doors
Bondage And Liberation Are Of The Mind Alone.
Mind
Bondage
Liberation
Those Whose Spiritual Awareness Has Been Awakened Never Make A False Move. They Don't Have To Avoid Evil. They Are So Replete With Love That Whatever They Do Is A Good Action. They Are Fully Conscious That They Are Not The Doer Of Their Actions, But Only Servants Of God.
Love
Spiritual
Moving
If You Spent One-tenth Of The Time You Devoted To Distractions Like Chasing Women Or Making Money To Spiritual Practice, You Would Be Enlightened In A Few Years.
Spiritual
Years
Practice
Man Suffers Through Lack Of Faith In God.
Men
Suffering
Faith In God
God Cannot Be Realizxd If There Is The Slightest Trace Of Pride.
Humility
Pride
Ifs
Many Good Sayings Are To Be Found In Holy Books, But Merely Reading Them Will Not Make One Religious.
Religious
Book
Reading
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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