Krishna said ‘Those who seek Me are of four types. One is always worn out by ills that affect the body; he is Aartha. Another is worried by the struggle for prosperity, power, property, posterity etc. He is the Aartharthi. A third yearns for the realisation of the Atma, reads the scriptures and sacred books, moves ever in the company of spiritual sadhakas, acts along the lines laid down by the sages as sadachara, and is always motivated by the eagerness to reach the Sannidhi of the Lord. He is the Jijnasu. The fourth is the Jnani. He is immersed in the Brahma tattvam. ‘The first, the Aartha, worships Me only when he is in difficulty and suffers from grief or pain. When he prays to Me, I hear it and I satisfy him only in relation to that particular difficulty, that particular grief or pain. So too, when the Aartharthi prays for riches or position or power or high status, I listen and award him only the particular thing he craves for. The Jijnasa is blessed with chances to do Nishkam Karma, with a proper Guru as guide, with an intellect that is sharp enough to discriminate between Atma and Anatman, and thus helped to achieve the Goal. I bless him so that he is saved from distraction and helped to concentrate on the single aim of Liberation.’ (GV, p. 69)

‘I am like the Kalpavriksha. My task is to give each what he asks for. I have no prejudice and no favouritism. Not even the shadow of cruelty can touch Me. No fault can be imputed to me.’ (GV, p. 70)

The gross can grasp only gross...... seekers, going through the primers of spirituality, need symbols, images and rituals. You cannot discard Name and Form until you translate yourself into the Nameless and Formless. Just as fish need water they could not come up into the atmosphere so long as they did not transmute themselves in to land animals, giving up their aquatic nature. That is the reason why the Nameless and Formless has often to assume Name and Form and come before humanity with limitations imposed by its own will, so it may be loved, reflected, worshipped, listened to and followed so that the Purpose of Humanity may be fulfilled. (FG, pp. 128-129)

Seekers of truth who are in the spiritual path should cultivate a broad and catholic outlook and belief in the equality of all religions. They should avoid and prevent conflicts and quarrels and promote among the people a spirit of brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God! (M&M, p.81)

Seek God with one-pointed attention

Detach yourselves from the senses; then, only can the Atma shine. I do not mean that you should destroy the senses. The mind must be withdrawn from its present comrades, the senses; it must be loyal to its real master, the intellect or buddhi. That is to say, you must separate the grain from the chaff, through the exercise of viveka and then, fix your desire on the things that last and nourish, rather than on things that are flashy and corroding. Keep a lamp in a room with all its five windows open; the wind will blow it out, for the flame is swayed from all directions. To keep the flame burning straight, close the windows. The senses are the windows; the flame is the mind concentrating on the single purpose of God-realisation. What do the outward-bound senses know of that sweetness? They are like the frogs that hop about on the petals of the lotus; they are unaware of the nectar in that flower. Only the intellect can reveal that to you. (SSS Vol.5)