Why drag out your existence as a mere consumer of food, as a moving burden encumbering the earth? Eat, but transform food into good deeds, good thoughts and sweet speech; move, but do not cause pain to others or add to their misery.
Do not condemn yourselves as weak, sinful, conceited, wicked, outlawed, mean etc. When you so condemn yourself, remember you are actually condemning Me, who is your inner self. Live, so that with every breath and every step you come nearer and nearer to Me. (SSS Vol.3, p. 106)
Do not get attached to worldly things and pursuits. Be in the world, but do not let the world be in you. Work disinterestedly; content to do your duty as best as you can. Have no desires to place before God, for whatever He does with you, however He treats you, is the gift that He likes best, to give you! Do not waste a single moment, in idling or loose living, Live in the Presence, in fear and humility, in love and service. (SSS Vol.7, p. 4)
The ideal of a high standard of life, instead of a high level of living, has played havoc with society. A high level of living insists on morality, humility, detachment, compassion; so, the competitive greed for luxury and conspicuous consumption receives no encouragement and will be destroyed. Now, man is the slave of his desires; he finds himself helpless to conquer the thirst for pleasure and luxury; he is too weak to keep his nature under control; he does not know how to arouse the Divine Consciousness that is latent in him. (SSS Vol.9, p. 47)
Live without hating others, condemning others, and seeking faults in others. Vyasa summarised all the Puranas in one single line in a small couplet: ‘Doing good to others is the only meritorious act; doing evil is the most heinous sin’. When you feel you cannot do good, at least desist from doing evil. That itself is a meritorious service! Do not discover differences, discover unity. (SSS Vol.9, pp. 195-196)
Faith is weak, discipline is absent; earnestness is lacking. But, do not forget or ignore God; do not be misled into attachment for the world: do not dread death; be happy with whatever you have and hold. Live ever in the remembrance of the Name of God. (SSS Vol.9, p. 80)
The Vedanta, the Adhyatmic Shastras, Dharma all invite man to live and act as Bhagavan, and not as bondsman. Then, all acts become Dharma karma and not Kamya karma (acts done with intent to gain the fruits thereof). The shackles of bondage cannot be avoided, by a mere change of type of activity. They can be avoided, only by changing the point of view from the deha to the Deva, from the created to the Creator. (DV, pp. 11-12)
One of the first principles of straight living is: practise silence. The second sign is cleanliness: not outer cleanliness alone, but, even more, inner. The third sign is that the true aspirant will have a reverent attitude to the duty he is bound with. Duty is God; work is worship. Regulate the food habits of children; food determines to a large extent health and intelligence, emotion and impulse. Parents must observe rules strictly, themselves. (SSS Vol.7, p. 186)
Live together in love; live in peace, live in service. (SSS Vol.8, p. 35)
Do not tell the students that world is an illusion. It is intensely real so long as we are present here. Let people live the lives with deep interest in process. For a meal that takes up a few minutes, we take great trouble to make it a tasty, delightful experience. Then, for a life that covers long decades should we not take the trouble to make it tasty? What imparts taste to living? Good thoughts, clean habits, virtues, good deeds; these provide charm and delight to life, and make living delicious. (WLMG, pp. 201-202)
‘No matter what others think about you, no matter how they treat you, don’t worry in the least. Follow the divine Person. Follow Jesus Christ. Live for your own evolution. Do not live for what others will say. You have your own life, your own heart, your opinion, your own ideas, and your own will. There is no need for you to imitate others. Imitation is human; creation is divine. Follow your own path! Let your experience of God be your Master. Follow the Master (within). Face the devil (temptation). Fight to the end. Finish the game.
‘Carry out these four. Don’t go to your grave weakly copying other people. Conduct research. Find your sacred spirit. You won’t find God in the outside world. Your own loving heart is God’s home. You are God! The true you is God. You are not one person, but three: the one you think you are, the one others think you are, and the one you really are.’ (LIG, p. 84)
The greatness of a human being does not consist in returning good for good. It consists of doing good to one who has done him harm. It is enough if men try to be at least truly human, if they cannot rise to the level of the human-divine. Men should seek to live as true human beings. Thereby they may go towards the divine. (SSS Vol.20, p. 130)
Living becomes a glorious experience only when it is sweetened by Tolerance and Love. Willingness to compromise with others’ ways of living and co-operation in common tasks, make living happy and fruitful. Certain modes of behaviour have been laid down and proved beneficial by centuries of practice. These have to be observed with modification to suit the conditions of today. (SSS Vol.27, p. 54)