- 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.