Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three

Sai is Sarvajanapriya (beloved to all people) and so any name which gives you joy, you can take up. Tastes differ according to temperament and the character one has earned by generations of activity as a living being in this world. The proprietor of a coffee house goes to the nearby druggist for a pill to ward off his headache, and the druggist when he gets a headache goes to the coffee house for a cup of coffee which he thinks will cure him. Men are like that; tastes of people differ. A man of wisdom says, “Sarvam Brahma Mayam” i.e., “In God is all”; another, a yogi, says all is energy; a third, who is a devotee, says all is the play of the Lord. Each according to his taste and according to his progress in Sadhana (spiritual practice). Do not hurry or ridicule them, for they are all pilgrims trudging along the same road.

Sadhana is most required to control the mind and the desires after which it runs. If you find that you are not able to succeed, do not give up the Sadhana but do it more vigorously, for it is the subject in which you did not get passing marks that requires special study, is it not? Sadhana means inner cleanliness as well as external cleanliness. You do not feel refreshed if you wear unwashed clothes after your bath, do you? Nor do you feel refreshed if you wear washed clothes, but skip the bath. Both are needed, the external as well as the internal.

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Children believe your words when you say that the policeman will catch them or the ghost will beat them. They are full of fear, fortitude and faith! But having grown old and stuffed your heads with all kinds of doctrines and dogmas and theories and arguments, you have now to use your viveka (discrimination) and discover God the hard way. This I will tell you, there is no escaping it; all creatures have to reach God some day or other, by the long route or by the short route.— Baba

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three – A sacred message of patience, faith, and steady effort

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three is a meaningful spiritual theme that reminds every seeker to remain steady on the path of devotion. Spiritual growth does not happen in one day. Just as a seed needs time, water, sunlight, and care before it becomes a tree, the heart also needs regular prayer, discipline, self-control, service, and faith before it becomes pure and peaceful.

Many people begin spiritual practice with great enthusiasm. They pray, meditate, read sacred teachings, sing bhajans, and try to control the mind. But after some time, laziness, doubt, worldly pressure, or delayed results may weaken their interest. Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three teaches that the seeker must continue even when visible progress seems slow. Inner change often happens quietly.

Spiritual practice is not only for peaceful days. It is most needed during difficult times. When life brings illness, failure, loss, misunderstanding, or anxiety, the mind becomes restless. At such moments, prayer becomes medicine. Even if the heart feels heavy, one should still remember God. Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three reminds us that sincere effort during hardship brings deep strength.

The mind will not become calm immediately. It has old habits, desires, fears, and attachments. Sometimes it may wander during prayer. Sometimes anger may return. Sometimes doubts may rise. This should not discourage the devotee. A child learns to walk by falling many times. In the same way, the seeker learns steadiness through repeated effort and patience.

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three also teaches that regularity is more important than outer display. A few minutes of sincere prayer every day can be more powerful than long worship done rarely without attention. God values sincerity, not show. A small practice done with love, purity, and faith slowly purifies the mind and strengthens devotion.

Service is also a powerful spiritual practice. Feeding the hungry, helping the sick, comforting the sad, respecting elders, and speaking kindly to others are all sacred actions. Prayer purifies the heart, but service proves that prayer has become real. When spiritual practice becomes compassion in action, life itself becomes worship.

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three reminds us that obstacles are part of the path. The world will create distractions. The senses will seek comfort. The ego will ask for praise. The mind will sometimes become tired. But the devotee must not stop. Every time one chooses prayer over worry, truth over falsehood, kindness over anger, and service over selfishness, spiritual strength increases.

Faith is necessary because results may not appear quickly. A person may pray for peace and still face problems. A person may meditate and still feel restless at times. This does not mean the practice is useless. It means purification is taking place slowly. Just as medicine works inside the body before full recovery is seen outside, spiritual practice works within the heart before outer change becomes clear.

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three also teaches surrender. Surrender does not mean doing nothing. It means making sincere effort and leaving the result to divine wisdom. A devotee should pray, serve, study, control desires, and live truthfully. After doing this, the heart should remain calm and trust God’s timing. Divine grace never ignores sincere effort.

Good company helps the seeker continue. Noble thoughts, sacred books, bhajans, satsang, and association with sincere devotees strengthen faith. Negative company can weaken devotion by filling the mind with doubt, criticism, and distraction. Therefore, the seeker should carefully choose what enters the mind through sight, speech, hearing, and thought.

Do not give up spiritual practice Part – Thirty Three finally reminds us that the path may be long, but every step has value. No prayer is wasted. No act of service is forgotten. No sincere tear is ignored. No effort made for inner purity disappears. God sees even the smallest movement of the heart toward goodness.

In the end, spiritual practice is the lifeline of the soul. It gives courage in sorrow, balance in success, patience in delay, and peace in confusion. The seeker should continue with faith, humility, discipline, and love. When practice becomes steady, the mind becomes calmer, the heart becomes purer, and life becomes closer to God.