Quotes of Swami Shantananda Puri

“All are Bhagavan. All should realise it.”

"Be thankful always for a slight glimpse of the bird, even if the song is not heard."

"How is one to understand the words of a Guru? You shake all the sentences he has told you until all of the words fall off. What remains is the essence of his teaching – absorb it."

"Everyone moves towards the Lord in their own way, and in their own capacity. That is why the life in, and leading to the Lord, is called the Pathless Path and the Choiceless Choice."

"It is mainly the Grace of God or Guru which takes one to God Realisation, but one's own efforts in the form of Sadhana are essential in order to draw the Grace which is ever flowing."

"Love God to the exclusion of everything else. Be obsessed and possessed by God day and night. Think of Him constantly and chant His name. All your impurities will dissolve and God will reveal Himself."

"The greatest miracle is the Ego ('I' sense) which having no existence of its own, makes such a big show that it enslaves us all."

"In the final analysis, all worldly enjoyments are only thoughts. Pleasure and pain are only mental, not physical."

"How is one to understand the words of a Guru? You shake all of the sentences he has told you until all of the words fall off. What remains is the essence of his teaching- absorb it."

"It is true that blessings do encourage us, but finally all things seen and enjoyed are as true as this body only. We have to unite wholly with the Spirit. That is the goal!"

"The highest and final goal is Moksha, and it cannot be attained through any action, or by a combination of knowledge and action. The experience of Knowledge (Vedanta Vijnana) alone is the means to liberation. That knowledge can alone be gained by an inwardly turned mind."

"The Lord never denies us, we deny Him."

"Truth is to be attained in silence by an introverted mind. That is what is to be done! Otherwise, we will be lost in the jungle of words."

"Japa and Meditation are the best and fastest way. When we approach God step by step, deeper and deeper in meditation, He draws nearer to us leap by leap, within and without."

"Every one moves toward the Lord in their own way, and in their own capacity. That is why the life in, and leading to the Lord, is called the Pathless Path, and the choiceless Choice."

"The secret of life is to choose the Giver of the gift, rather than the gift itself."

"It is absolutely true that the Divine Mother is manifested everywhere in all things that compromise the external world. However, until that understanding stands revealed in once awakened spiritual consciousness, it is imperative to guard yourself from that which is earthly."

"Spiritual life unfolds progressively, much as a small seed brings forth life and grows to a mighty tree."

While spiritual growth is at the sapling stage, it is imperative to hedge it about and protect it from all that would impede or even destroy its life."

"If one is following a path that begins to bring about spiritual awakening, some degree of bliss and joy can be experienced from the very early stages of sadhana."

"One must be careful that this feeling of inner contentment does not put one off guard and complacent as to the dangers of the outer world. Many of the greatest saints have continued inner spiritual practice, even after the attainment of the highest degrees of life in the Spirit."

"Whenever a sensuous feeling touches our senses, withdraw it like a tortoise withdrawing itself into its shell. However, my own feeling is that if we have a competent and Realized Guru, invoking his Grace gives us the strength to bear."

"The best time for prayer and meditation is in the early morning hours between 3:30 a.m. and sunrise. This is because a particular beneficial ray comes from the moon called the 'ray of nectar'."

"Regardless of how formal and elaborate the imaginary or even physical worship is, it is merely a preparation for the real work, which is done deep within in silence and stillness."

"It is only the Guru who can give you right vision, right thinking and right understanding."

"Ultimately, the day will come when the Lord in His compassion gives us what we lack, and truly becomes our comrade in arms. A firm belief in this ensures that victory in spiritual life is within our grasp."

"One can pray, "Oh Lord, my mind is as hard to control as the wind. Therefore, please help me. For thou art the struggle, and thou art the victory.""

"It is mainly the Grace of God or Guru which takes one to God–Realization, but one's own efforts in the form of Sadhana are essential in order to draw the Grace which is ever flowing."

"The magician disappears when his magic is projected. The Self disappears when the World of imagination is projected."