- Now and then seek the company of holy men, and at times meditate on God in solitude. And you should practice discrimination and pray to God: ‘Grant me love and faith!’
- One should go into solitude at times and perform spiritual practices to realize God.
- A householder should practice religious disciplines in solitude for some days. By doing so, a person develops love and devotion for God and gains spiritual knowledge. After this, there is nothing wrong in going back and leading a family life.
- During solitary spiritual practice, one should say to oneself, ‘I have no one in the world to call my own. God is my all in all.’ He should weep persistently and pray for spiritual knowledge and love and devotion for Him.
- Even so, there is a way. Occasionally you must go into solitude and pray to God. You should make an effort to attain Him.
- Whenever you are free, go to a solitary place and live there for a day or two so that you are detached from family affairs and don’t have to talk of worldly things to any worldly person. Either live in solitude or keep the company of the holy.
- Think of a tree on a footpath. As long as it’s small, it has to be fenced on all sides; otherwise, a goat or a cow might eat it. But when the plant develops a thick trunk, no fence is needed. If you can develop the trunk, there’s no worry, no fear.
- You can renounce even while living in the family. But in the beginning you must live for some time in a solitary place. You must practice spiritual disciplines in solitude. You should find a place near your home where you can retire and go home only for a meal.
- When the ashvattha tree is a small plant, it has to be protected by a fence around it so that cows or goats won’t destroy it. However, when it has grown a thick trunk, no fence is necessary. Similarly, if you practice spiritual disciplines in a solitary place and develop love and devotion to the lotus feet of God and gain strength, then you can go home and live a family life. Then ‘lust and greed’ will not harm you at all.
- Make curds in a solitary corner, and churn them to bring out the butter. When the butter of knowledge and love for God is taken out of the milk of the mind, it will float unattached on the water of the world. But if you keep the immature mind, which is in the state of milk, in the water of the household, it will not float.
- You do have to practice spiritual disciplines. And you have to live in solitude. When you have gained knowledge and love for God in solitude, then you may go and live in the world. Curds can only be set in a solitary corner. If you disturb the milk, it won’t curdle.
- One should live in solitude for some days. When you have touched the Grand-dame, there is no danger in being out of the game. Once you have been turned into gold, you can stay anywhere. If you gain bhakti by living in solitude, if you attain Bhagavan, you may even live in a family.
- You have engaged in worldly matters for so long. If you give your mind to this confusion any more, you will not be able to contemplate the Lord. Passing some days in solitude is essential. The mind will not settle down unless you live in solitude. You should arrange for a place of meditation a little away from your home.
- Arrange for a solitary place to contemplate Him – a place for meditation.
- What will you gain by just repeating ‘hemp, hemp?’ Even if you rinse your mouth with it, nothing happens. It has to go into the stomach. Only then will you feel intoxicated. Without calling on God in solitude and with yearning, all these things cannot be internalized.
- Householders should now and then retire into solitude and practice spiritual disciplines. After developing love for God through them, they can renounce mentally. Sannyasis should renounce both within and without.
- First you have to practice spiritual disciplines secretly, in seclusion. Then you can live in the world and become a King Janaka. But if you don’t, how can you be like him?
- Why do I ask you to meditate on Him and repeat His name in solitude? Living day and night in the world brings restlessness. Just see how brother kills brother and becomes a murderer for only one yard of land. The Sikhs say, ‘All the confusion and lack of peace in the world are because of land, wife and money.’
- In whatever way you can, call on Him in solitude for a few days – renounce all else. What is the use of just sitting there and saying, ‘He exists?’ There are big fish in the Haldarpukur. Can you get one by just sitting on its bank? Prepare some bait and offer it to the fish. Gradually, one will come out of the deep water, making ripples on the surface. Then you will feel joy. You might be able to have a little glimpse of it jumping out of the water. When you see it, you feel even more joy.
- Spiritual practice is necessary for this. From time to time you need to go into solitude and call on Him. You should first develop love for God and then do your duty. If you cut a jackfruit with your bare hands, its milky juice will stick to them. But if you rub your hands with oil first, and then cut the jackfruit, its juice won’t stick to them.