Sri Ramakrishna

God has made different religions to suit different aspirants, times and countries.

All doctrines are only so many paths, but a path is by no means God itself.

Indeed, one can reach God if one follows any of the paths with wholehearted devotion.

One may eat a cake with icing, either straight or sideways.

It will taste sweet either way.

All religions are true.

God can be reached by different religions.

Many rivers flow by many ways, but they fall into the sea.

They all are one.

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 realized within, that is true knowledge.

Travel in all the four quarters of the earth

you will find nothing, no true religion anywhere.

Whatever there is, is only here, in one's own heart.

When the divine vision is attained, all appear equal,

and there remains no distinction of good and bad or of high and low.

One day it was suddenly revealed to me that everything is pure spirit.

If you meditate on your ideal, you will acquire its nature.

If you think of the divine day and night, you will acquire the nature of God.