Was there any use in repeating God’s name
if one did not have love for Him?’ asked a disciple.
‘If you fall into water, whether willingly or
unwillingly, your cloth will get wet all the same,
will it not?’ was her answer that immediately
quietened him.

 | Sri Sarada Devi




Why does one not experience God-absorption,
though one is constantly repeating God’s
name—is a problem that perplexes a spiritual
aspirant occasionally. When the Holy Mother was
asked that question, her practical advice was: ‘It
will come, by and by. But do not give up japa even
if the mind is unwilling and unsteady. You must
go on with the repetition of the name and you
will find that the mind is gradually getting
steadier, like a flame in calm air. Any movement
in the air disturbs the steady burning of a flame;
even so the presence of any thought or desire
makes the mind unsteady. The mantra must be
correctly repeated. As incorrect utterance delays
progress.’

-------------

But, then, a single utterance of the Lord’s name
is as effective as a million repetitions if you do it
with a steady, concentrated mind. What is the use
of repeating the mantra a million times with an
absent mind? You must do it whole-heartedly. Then
only can you deserve his grace,’ was her answer to
a similar question on another occasion.


When a man sees defects in others, his
own mind first gets polluted. What does he gain
by finding faults in others? He only hurts himself
by that.


Just as clouds are blown away by the wind,
so the thirst for material pleasure will be driven
away by the utterance of the Lord’s name

Surely the ‘wonderful things of God’ are all quiet—
stealing unnoticed into our lives—the air and the sunlight
and the sweetness of gardens and of the Ganges


| Sister Nivedita (A Short Life of Holy Mother)
Chief Disciple of Swami Vivekananda

If we are to judge what happens in spiritual life, what are the fruits
of spiritual practice, we must remember one thing. In worldly life,
many of those who have had splendid success did not dream that their
success in life would be so great. They began their life in an
ordinary way, they were struggling, and success began to come. The
greater the success, the greater was their boldness. They began to
aspire for more and more. Success leads to success. In the beginning
they were not so bold.

Einstein was dull when young. His father despaired of him. Afterwards
things came out. So also in spiritual life. Let us not, just in the
beginning, think in terms of the highest. Naturally we shall get
frightened. We shall see a great distance between us and the ideal.
That is not the way to reach the ideal.

In mountain climbing, from the foot of the hill you see first a peak
perhaps one thousand feet high, and what lies beyond is covered. When
you go to the top of that peak, you find another thousand or two
thousand feet above you. I remember the first time I went mountain
climbing. From the foot of the hill we could see, at a great height, a
peak covered with forest. When we reached that peak, we saw another
big peak in front of us. That is what happens in mountain climbing,
until you reach Mount Everest.

This is the way one attains the highest worldly success. Why should
you think, as soon as you feel interested in religion, that the
spiritual struggle is not possible for you because you will not be
able to reach the highest?

| Swami Pavitrananda



 You cannot have
religion, as Swami Vivekananda said, like an Oriental vase to decorate
your table. If you have it as a decoration, it will remain a
decoration. Not even that: it will dry up. Cut flowers will dry up
tomorrow or the next day.

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Describing the different stages of spiritual life, Buddha said that
first comes the practice of ethical virtues, then faith, then energy.
But that energy is of a different kind. When you have faith, your
energy becomes different. You assert your claim. "Why should truth be
denied to me?" Conviction has arisen. It is not simply a dreamy idea.
>From that conviction comes energy. Ramakrishna used to say to the
Divine Mother. "Thou didst reveal thyself to Ramprasad, so why not to
me?" This is how one prays when energy comes.

Then afterwards comes concentration, afterwards comes wisdom. These
are the higher stages. But as in ordinary life we find our level, in
spiritual life also, according to our struggle, according to the
intensity of our spiritual practice, we shall find our level. But no
one will go hungry if he has real hunger. One will get one's fruits at
the right time. The greater the hunger, the greater the fulfillment.
That is spiritual life.

"Hold your money merely as custodian for what is God's. Have no attachment for it. Let name and fame and money go; they are a terrible bondage. Feel the wonderful atmosphere of freedom. You are free, free, tree! Oh blessed am I! Freedom am I! I am the Infinite! In my soul I can find no beginning and no end. All is my Self. Say this unceasingly."

Once when a student asked him why there is
so much evil in the world, the Swami replied,
" Tulsidas says, ' to the good the world is full
of good, but to the bad the world is full of evil.'
The world is neither good nor bad. What I call
good, you perhaps call bad, and the reverse.
Where is the standard ? The standard is in our
own attitude towards life. Each one has his
own standard. And with increased experience
and insight, the standard changes

|Turiyananda of the Puri Order

It's easy to live forever.
All you have to do is
hunt down a wild elephant
that's lived its whole life
in your heart,
and teach it to go down on one knee
and fan you

One's destiny is in one's own hands — the Guru
only makes this much understood

Vivekanada



Through the power of the seed itself the tree grows,
the air and water are only aids.




Only get your mind to cling to Him as far as you can. For then
only the great magic of this world will break of itself. But then, you must persevere. You
must take off your mind from lust and lucre, must discriminate always between the real
and the unreal — must settle down into the mood of bodilessness with the brooding
thought that you are not this body, and must always have the realisation that you are the
all-pervading Atman. This persevering practice is called Purushakâra (self-exertion — as
distinguished from grace). By such self-exertion will come true reliance on Him, and that
is the goal of human achievement.


Whoever cannot cook well cannot
become a good Sâdhu; unless the mind is pure, good tasteful cooking is not possible