What Jesus meant was that whoever is attached to the worldly life and this earthly body will lose them in death. But whoever lets go of attachments to this worldly life and this earthly body and identifies with the permanence or God-consciousness that Jesus represented, will never die.

The purpose of life is to grow, expand, and realize one's true identity.

Contentment is the first and foremost virtue that should be cultivated. It comes only when you have done your duties to your fullest capacity without worrying for the results. It is a virtue that always helps and never disappoints the seeker.

A time comes when meditation stirs the unconscious mind and brings forward hidden impressions. It quickens the method of analyzing, understanding, and surveying the unconscious.

Those who are not happy internally can never be happy externally; those who are not happy within themselves can never make others happy. Those who do not love themselves can never love others.

Selfless service is the finest of all prayers.

Many people think the mind can be controlled. That is not a useful idea. Like the monkey, the mind can never actually be controlled; it can only be directed. If you want to try to control your mind, you will regret the results. Forget the word "control" and learn to direct your mind and energy on all levels.

Swamiji, please come forward. He said, Sir, I want to ask you a question privately. So I asked the others present to please wait outside. He said, I want to know the secret of your success. I said, I am not aware that I am successful. In what way do you think I am successful? He said, Without asking for money, you get money. This cottage is at your disposal. Drivers come for you. Many people come and sit with you. Why? I replied, You know, when I wanted such things, they never came to me. But the day I determined I didn’t want them, I began getting them.

You are the architect of your life and you decide your destiny.

Be confident and self-reliant and say to yourself, 'I will do it. I can do it. I have to do it.'

All adversities are here to help you. They can become instruments of your progress.

Guru is not the goal. Anyone who establishes himself as a guru to be worshipped is not a guru. Guru is like a boat for crossing the river. It is important to have a good boat and it is very dangerous to have a boat that is leaking. The boat brings you across the river. When the river is crossed, the boat is no longer necessary. You don’t hang onto the boat after completing the journey, and you certainly don’t worship the boat.

Learn to be spiritual in your daily life by doing selfless action. Learn to meditate every day, a few minutes.

A thought is like an unripened fruit that is not yet eaten by anyone. Ripening the fruit means bringing a positive thought into action. Many good thoughts die because they are not brought into action, so your good thoughts should definitely be brought into action.

Every human being has potentials for healing. The healing energy is flowing without any interruption in every human heart. By the right use of the dynamic will, these channels of healing energy can be directed to the suffering part of the body and mind. The healing energy can nourish and strengthen the sufferer. The key to healing is selflessness, love, dynamic will, and undivided devotion to the Lord within.

Actually, it is not necessary to renounce the objects of the world, because a human being does not actually own or possess anything. Therefore it is not necessary to renounce anything—but the sense of possessiveness should be renounced.

The best of knowledge comes through revelation, not through the mind. It is a flood of knowledge that overwhelms the whole being.

He is never born, never dies, without beginning or end, eternal and infinite. Through all times, past, present and future, He remains the same. The origin and dissolution of the Universe is all within Him. Nothing exists without His existence. He is everything.

Yoga is not a religion. It is not just a system of exercises to keep the body fit or to cure minor physical disorders. Yoga is a discipline for the fullest development of the soul, mind, and body. Yoga is a scientific, holistic approach to life.

Do not allow yourself to suppress your thoughts. Instead, let the thoughts come before you and become a sort of observer. Start observing your own mind. Do not try to escape; do not be afraid of your thinking.

When we are inadequate ourselves but our ego is strong, we tend to blame others.

One evening after my brother disciple and I had walked thirty miles in the mountains, we stopped to rest two miles beyond Kedarnath. I was very tired and soon fell asleep, but my sleep was restless because of my extreme fatigue. It was cold and I did not have a blanket to wrap around me, so I put my hands around my neck to keep warm. I rarely dream. I had dreamt only three or four times in my life, and all of my dreams had come true. That night I dreamt that the devil was choking my throat with strong hands. I felt as though I were suffocating. When my brother disciple saw my breath rhythm change and realized that I was experiencing considerable discomfort, he came to me and woke me up. I said, Somebody was choking my throat! Then he told me that my own hands were choking my throat. That which you call the devil is part of you. The myth of the devil and of evil is imposed on us by our ignorance. The human mind is a great wonder and magician. It can assume the form of both a devil and a divine being any time it wishes. It can be a great enemy or a great friend, creating either hell or heaven for us. There are many tendencies hidden in the unconscious mind which must be uncovered, faced, and transcended before one intends to tread the path of enlightenment.

Guru is the disciple’s guide through life, through the mysterious terrain of the spiritual heart, and into and beyond the realm of death.