When one speaks of awakening, it means de-hypnotization; coming to your senses. But of course to do that, you have to go out of your mind.

Inspiration is a slender river of brightness leaping from a vast and eternal knowledge, it exceeds reason more perfectly than reason exceeds the knowledge of the senses.

Not only does the psyche exist, but it is existence itself. It is an almost absurd prejudice to suppose that existence can only be physical... We might well say, on the contrary, that physical existence is a mere inference, since we know of matter only in so far as we perceive psychic images mediated by the senses.

Remember, you are not so miserable as you have made yourself out to be. You are God, too, and cultivating this constant awareness within you will help keep you from false attachments, from identifying yourself with your body, mind, and senses. So you must say to yourself, “Body, mind, and senses are mine, but they are not me, for I am that eternal flame which is not subject to change, death, and decay.” This awareness should always be with you.

Suppose we ate a delicious dessert last night, like payasam (a marvelous Indian dessert made of milk, rice, and sugar). Because it was so tasty and nice, we were very happy. But if we had been served a bland dish without any sugar or spices, we would not have found it so delicious and we would not have been happy. The jnani, however, is happy no matter how it tastes. A jnani is not concerned with the taste of food. The jnani eats something, and he is neither happy nor unhappy. That is the difference. In our case, we experience everything according to our likes and dislikes, our doership; we are attached to the senses. The jnani has the same taste buds as we do, but without attachment to the taste.

The mind must become the servant of the intellect, not the slave of the senses. It must discriminate and detach itself from the body. Like the ripe tamarind fruit, which, becomes loose inside the shell, it must be unattached to this shell, this casement called body.

To go out of your mind once a day is tremendously important, because by going out of your mind you come to your senses. And if you stay in your mind all of the time, you are over rational, in other words you are like a very rigid bridge which because it has no give; no craziness in it, is going to be blown down by the first hurricane.

The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusudana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses.

To go out of your mind at least once a day is tremendously important. By going out of your mind, you come to your senses.

Even though the gopis had obeyed, they still had much doubt. How did the river part if what they were saying was not the truth? Indeed, the answer is that it was all a matter of “doership.” If your mind says, “I have done it,” you must receive the result of your action. But remember, it is crucial to understand that “doership” comes from the inside, not by saying it with the mouth. If one has the state of knowledge that all work is being done by the body and the senses, one is free from the consequences.

Things can give pleasure to the mind and senses, but only love can give pleasure to the heart. And ultimately, that is what we are looking for.

When senses trouble you, remember the sages Narayana and Nara. They are the supreme masters over the senses, before whom Indra had to bow his head in shame.

He who has not turned away from evil conduct, whose senses are uncontrolled, who is not tranquil, whose mind is not at rest, he can never attain this Atman even by knowledge.

When the tongue is raised, the senses are subdued.

We suffer from a hallucination, from a false and distorted sensation of our own existence as living organisms. Most of us have the sensation that "I myself" is a separate center of feeling and action, living inside and bounded by the physical body—a center which "confronts" an "external" world of people and things, making contact through the senses with a universe both alien and strange.

Be quiet in your mind, quiet in your senses, and also quiet in your body. Then, when all these are quiet, don't do anything. In that state truth will reveal itself to you.

We all need to go out of our minds at least once a day. When we go out of our minds we quickly come to our senses.

As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to unhook from the senses and bend inward.

The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time, and ability.

Meditate upon the Knowledge and Bliss Eternal, and you will also have bliss. The Bliss indeed is eternal, only it is covered and obscured by ignorance. The less your attachment is towards the senses, the more will be your love towards God.

You can conquer the whole world, the universe but if you cannot conquer your mind and senses, you are defeated in life.

Self-awareness is your awareness of the world, which you experience through the five senses (sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell). Pay attention to your sensory impressions and be aware of those five ways that the world comes to you.

Experience shows that Being is the essential, basic nature of the mind; but, since It commonly remains in tune with the senses projecting outwards toward the manifested realms of creation, the mind misses or fails to appreciate its own essential nature, just as the eyes are unable to see themselves.