"External nature is only internal nature writ large"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. "Only" is the provocation, downgrading the authority of the visible world and elevating consciousness as the primary fact. "Writ large" does the rhetorical work of scale: inner life isn’t a private, miniature diary; it’s the template that reality copies into grand forms. That’s classic Vedantic jujitsu - the mind is not a local phenomenon trapped in a skull, but a lens through which the cosmos becomes legible, even existent.
Context sharpens the intent. Vivekananda was speaking into a late-19th-century moment when Western materialism, colonial power, and "scientific" certainties were often treated as the final word on truth. His move is both spiritual and strategic: reclaiming intellectual dignity for Indian philosophy by asserting that the deepest explanation isn’t matter, but mind. Subtext: if you concede that reality is fundamentally internal, then mastery shifts from controlling the external world (the colonial, industrial obsession) to disciplining perception, desire, and attention.
It’s persuasive because it flips the hierarchy without sounding defensive. One line turns the cosmos into a mirror, then dares you to notice who’s holding it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Vivekananda, Swami. (2026, January 15). External nature is only internal nature writ large. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/external-nature-is-only-internal-nature-writ-large-14962/
Chicago Style
Vivekananda, Swami. "External nature is only internal nature writ large." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/external-nature-is-only-internal-nature-writ-large-14962/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"External nature is only internal nature writ large." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/external-nature-is-only-internal-nature-writ-large-14962/. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.










