There are many people who fast, whose fast is nothing but hunger and thirst. There are those whose prayer is no better than wakefulness and hardship. The eating and drinking in case of the former and sleeping in the latter’s case is a far better option.
This is peace, this is excellent, namely the calm of all impulses, the casting out of all “basis”, the extinction of craving, dispassion, stopping-nirvana.
Without faith there is no knowledge, without knowledge there is no virtuous conduct, without virtues there is no deliverance, and without deliverance there is no perfection.
Delusion is a sort of demonic force. People’s original mind is pure but it becomes perverted due to delusion and other karmas.
Those who are ignorant of the supreme purpose of life will never be able to attain nirvana (liberation) in spite of their observance of the vratas (vows) and niyamas (rules) of religious conduct and practice of shila (celibacy) and tapas (penance).
The essence of the offering is that it be analogous to the sin, and that a man offer to God his desires and passions, for this is more acceptable than all.
The worthy person is grateful and mindful of benefits done to him. This gratitude, this mindfulness, is congenial to the best people.
A pure devotee’s heart is always filled with ideas about executing the Lord’s service, which is bestowed upon the pure devotee through the transparent medium of the spiritual master.
Not knowing the consequence of good and evil karmas, he is afflicted and hurt. Nevertheless, he, due to his egotism, piles up karmas and undergoes births and deaths again and again.
