You must stick to one path with all your strength. A man can reach the roof of a house by stone stairs or a ladder or a rope ladder or a ropeway or even by a bamboo pole. But he cannot reach the roof if he sets foot now on one and now on another. He should firmly follow one path. Likewise, in order to realize God a man must follow one path with all his strength. But you must regard other views as so many paths leading to God. You should not feel that your path is the only right path and that other paths are wrong. You must not bear malice toward others…The aim of spiritual discipline, of chanting God’s name and glories, is to realize just that. A man attains everything when he discovers his true Self in himself. The object of sadhana is to realize that. That also is the purpose of assuming a human body. One needs the clay mould as long as the gold image has not been cast; but when the image is made, the mould is thrown away. The body may be given up after the realization of God.
(p.514-521, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Ramakrishna’s advice to devotees on 7th September 1884)
You are, by the Lord’s grace, his devotee, and surrender to him is the chief concern in your religious life. Among your duties are constantly remembering the Lord and devoting every free minute you have to meditation, repetition of his name, prayer, and singing songs of praise to him. In due time he will transform you into a man of full knowledge and at the same time, a man of full devotion.
(p.136, Letters For Spiritual Seekers, Swami Shivananda’s letter on 7th September 1917)