Spiritual practice begins with control of the tongue. The reason for this is that the tongue has two functions. The eyes have only the one power, that of seeing. Similarly, the ears have only the one power, that of hearing. And the nose has only the one power, that of smelling. But the tongue has two powers; it can speak and it can taste. Therefore, you must make a special effort to control it. You have no right to criticize others; you have no right to think badly about others; it is far better for you to think of your own shortcomings. See the good in others and remove the bad in yourself. (DBG, p. 117)

The physical body, which performs Japam or Dhyanam or the various other spiritual practices, is but a water-bubble. The mind, which is based upon, this physical body is but a mad monkey. With the help of this mad-monkey- mind and this water-bubble body, how can you hope to achieve the permanent Atma? Japa, Dhyana, Bhajans, austerities, sacrifices - these are all methods for temporarily controlling the mind. But there is one practice that will have a permanent effect and that is enquiry. You should go on enquiring, ‘Who am I? Who am I? Until you reach the stage where you find out who you really are. The enquiry should go on thus, ‘Here is my body, here is my mind, my heart, my feelings, my intellect, my memory power.... I am not any one of these. Someone has praised me; someone has censured me, but to whom does this pertain? Only to this physical body’. In this way you have to develop a sense of detachment and a sacrificing nature. How can a physical body abuse another physical body? That is inert, and this is also inert. How can inert things criticise or admonish? They cannot. How can they even worship anything? But then can Atma criticize another Atma? That is absurd. (SS April 87, p. 97)

Despite aeons of evolution and considerable progress in scientific knowledge, man is not able to make significant progress towards the Divine because of absence of strenuous striving in the spiritual sphere. Without spiritual practice, reading religious books and listening to spiritual discourses have no value. Study of the Upanishad and Shastras (spiritual sciences) and reciting God’s names may be good acts in themselves. But, if there is no love, which is the basis of all sadhana (spiritual discipline), they are of no use. They are like buttermilk. But the love of God is like well-boiled milk. Everything is contained in it, all proteins and vitamins. Love reinforces one’s physical, mental and spiritual energies. Devotional acts without love are like diluted buttermilk in which there are no nutrients. (SSS Vol.17, p. 13)

The divine power latent in man is not found in any other being. Since man is unable to understand his own divine nature, he is undertaking various spiritual practices such as penance, meditation, and yoga. Spiritual practices bereft of love are a mere waste of time. Love is most important in life. Whatever you may say with love, it is bound to be true. Any work you undertake with love is dharma. So, in the first instance, develop love. (SSS Vol.32 Part II, p. 129)

All spiritual practices are of no avail, if the heart is not pure. Your cravings and attachments will not disappear even if you are immersed in many spiritual practices so long as the heart is full of the illusion of egoism. Remember that agitations of the mind cannot exist in the same heart filled with love. Can light and darkness ever co-exist at the same place and the same time? Hence, you must remove the illusion of egoism from your heart. To get rid of the feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’, you must worship the Lord. You must become an aspirant without likes and dislikes. (Divine Discourse)