Why We Feel Stuck in Life — According to Vivekananda
Most people don’t fail because they lack talent.
They fail because they are trapped.
This is what Swami Vivekananda tried to explain through a powerful metaphor he called “The Mystery of the Three Walls.”
It is one of his clearest teachings on human limitation and why freedom feels so rare.
The Three Walls of the Human Mind
Vivekananda observed that every human being is instinctively moving toward “The Light”—whether they call it success, peace, fulfillment or truth.
But instead of moving freely, we live inside three concentric walls.
To reach the Light, each wall must be broken – one by one.
1. The Wall of Iron
(The Physical / Tamasic Wall)
This is the outermost wall, and the first prison most people never escape.
It represents:
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Physical inertia
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Laziness
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Attachment to comfort and bodily impulses
The Trap
We become slaves to hunger, sleep, pleasure, and ease.
If the body says “stop,” we stop.
If it says “rest,” we rest, even when the mind knows better.
Life is ruled by convenience.
The Breakthrough
Vivekananda taught that this wall is broken through Activity.
The body must be trained to obey the will.
This is why he emphasized:
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Physical strength
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Discipline
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Hard work
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Action before philosophy
Before you can be spiritual, you must first be strong.
2. The Wall of Gold
(The Ego / Rajasic Wall)
Once the Wall of Iron is broken, a far more dangerous wall appears.
It looks beautiful.
It feels rewarding.
It shines.
This is the Wall of Gold—the prison of:
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Ambition
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Ego
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Name, fame, and recognition
The Trap
You are no longer lazy.
You work hard.
You achieve.
But now your happiness depends on how others see you.
You don’t ask:
“Is this true?”
You ask:
“Will this be admired?”
It is called a Golden Wall because it feels like success – so you never want to leave it.
The Breakthrough
This wall is broken through Unselfishness.
You begin to act:
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Without expecting praise
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Without craving validation
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Without needing a “thank you”
Work becomes service, not self-advertisement.
3. The Wall of Glass
(The Intellectual / Sattvic Wall)
The final wall is the most subtle—and the hardest to see.
It represents:
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Knowledge
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Ideals
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Concepts
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Philosophy
The Trap
You are now disciplined.
You are ethical.
You are refined.
Yet you are still trapped—because you are living through ideas about life, not life itself.
Glass is transparent.
You can see the truth—but you cannot touch it.
You mistake understanding for freedom.
The Breakthrough
This wall is broken through Realization.
You stop thinking about truth
and start being it.
The glass must shatter so you can finally breathe the open air beyond thought.
The Double-Edged Sword of Success
Vivekananda gave a sharp warning:
Most “successful” people in the world are not free.
They are simply trapped inside the Wall of Gold.
They have:
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Muscles of Iron (discipline and effort)
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But fragile hearts dependent on applause
Their happiness is outsourced.
He taught that:
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A Man of Gold is higher than a Man of Iron
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A Man of Glass is higher than a Man of Gold
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But true freedom comes only when even the glass is shattered
As Vivekananda famously said:
“A golden chain is as much a chain as an iron one.
You must be free from both.”
Final Reflection
Ask yourself honestly
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Which wall are you inside right now?
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And more importantly – Are you willing to break it?
Vedik Mind 