Tranquil pleasure constitutes human beings' supreme good

Pleasure is the greatest incentive to evil.

Pleasure is our first and kindred good. It is the starting point of every choice and of every aversion, and to it we always come back, inasmuch as we make feeling the rule by which to judge of every good thing.

Pain and pleasure are transitory; endure all dualities with calmness, while trying at the same time to remove their hold. Imagination is the door through which disease as well as healing enters. Disbelieve in the reality of sickness even when you are ill [...].The power of unfulfilled desires is the root of all man's slavery.

How long do we wish to continue this drama, this play of karma, this play of emotion, anger, jealousy, fear, frustration, and worry? We choose whether we want to continue the drama a little longer. Gurudev liked to use the expression, “The world is the play of kiss and kick.” This world is full of suffering, but little pleasure. A little sweetness, lots of sourness. Gurudev used to call it a “sugar-coated bitter tablet.”

....service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show or for fear of public opinion, it stunts the man and crushes his spirit. Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served.

True penance is to endure the dualities in life like heat, cold, pleasure, pain, loss, and gain, praise and censure.

In this world, all pleasures are sources of pain.

The religion of the Sufi is the religion of the heart. The principal moral of the Sufi is to consider the heart of others, so that in the pleasure and displeasure of his fellow-man he sees the pleasure and displeasure of God.

There is no pleasure without a tincture of bitterness.

Abide in peace, banish cares, take no account of all that happens, and you will serve God according to his good pleasure and rest in him.

As long as the mind is outward, only ida and pingala remain active. But when the mind is calm and tranquil, sushumna, the central channel, is awakened. The joy derived from the mind traveling through the sushumna channel is unique; it cannot be compared with any sensory pleasure. Because of that inner joy, the mind loses its taste for worldly pleasures.

Find out what it means to die - not physically, that's inevitable - but to die to everything that is known, to die to your family, to your attachments, to all the things that you have accumulated, the known, the known pleasures, the known fears. Die to that every minute and you will see what it means to die so that the mind is made fresh, young, and therefore innocent, so that there is incarnation not in a next life, but the next day.

Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience which calls you to be pure...a home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure which burns quickly like a pile of withered grass. Passing encounters are only a caricature of love; they injure hearts and mock God's plan.

Pleasure puts you to sleep and pain wakes you up. If you don't want to suffer, don't go to sleep.

How can you call a man free when his pleasures rule over him.

God is the father of all living entities. We are all His children. We must show our love for our father by how we treat our brothers and sisters. There’s no greater pleasure for a mother and father than seeing the children love each other.

A beginner must look on himself as one setting out to make a garden for his Lord's pleasure, on most unfruitful soil which abounds in weeds. His Majesty roots up the weeds and will put in good plants instead. Let us reckon that this is already done when the soul decides to practice prayer and has begun to do so.

Material progress and a higher standard of living bring us greater comfort and health, but do not lead to a transformation of the mind, which is the only thing capable of providing lasting peace. Profound happiness, unlike fleeting pleasures, is spiritual in nature. It depends on the happiness of others and it is based on love and affection.

The secret of the enjoyment of pleasure is to know when to stop. Man doesn't learn this secret easily, but to shun pleasure altogether is cowardly avoidance of a difficult job. For we have to learn the art of enjoying things BECAUSE they are impermanent.

Pleasure simply brings more craving, but the problem is that we try to get contentment through pleasure. True contentment can only come through service.

To die every day to every problem, every pleasure, and not carry over any problem at all; so the mind remains tremendously attentive, active, clear.

When you look at the whole package of energy, the food you eat should match the story you want to live, which means: as fresh as possible, without dullness, repetition, and routine. As colorful as possible, giving delight to the eyes; food is a rainbow brought down to earth. As cheerful as possible, maximizing moments of happiness and pleasure.