A person who is free from desire, anger, and selfishness will be happy. Whenever there is a problem, be it in the family or at work – it is sure that one of these three malas is the reason behind the problem. Only a person who has transcended these malas will attain the deathless state, otherwise nature won’t leave that person.

Teaching is important for the growth of a sense of discrimination and for an individual to progress spiritually. One who has proper awareness will attain liberation rather than one who has helped dig thousands of wells or built numerous homes for pilgrims. Doing good deeds leads to good karma but not to liberation. For that, proper understanding is important.

One who isn’t strong-willed won’t get liberation. A person should have strength of character. Sadhana (spiritual practice) helps in building character. Problems arise in life and education teaches how to solve them and also helps in developing self-discipline.

The great yogi Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra didn’t have scriptural knowledge. He neither had body consciousness nor world consciousness. Once a Muslim was angry with him and cut off Sadasiva’s hand but even then he didn’t have body consciousness and just walked away. The Muslim realised his mistake and was repentant. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra then took the detached hand and put it against his arm and immediately it got re-attached. Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra attained jiva samadhi. In his view we are all murderers of the Self and not realising the Self is suicide.

If someone praises us we get happiness and if someone criticizes us we get sadness. Identifying with the root ‘I’ thought causes this ebb and flow (rise and fall). Because of this we are attached to the body and become body-conscious but when attachment to this ‘I’ recedes we move closer to atma-consciousness.

An old man used to say, ‘If I am bedridden my friends will look after me.’ At the time of his death his friends were elsewhere. Those who have relations to look after - the body only will do that. Man proposes and God disposes!

A person who used to preach the Ramanaya used to pray, ‘God should grant that in my next birth I teach the Ramayana better.’ What is the need that he should only be born to preach the Ramanaya? God can use another person for that. Also the thought that it should only be he that preaches is a vasana.

• Don’t judge yourself to be great or pass judgment on others. God will give the judgment. Your devotion will lead you on the correct path. It will also teach discipline.

• Imitation isn’t useful in spiritual practice. Till date no two jnanis attained jnanam (knowledge) by the same path. People should practice according to their own convenience.

• Nature won’t leave us till we attain liberation and until that time we will continue to get rebirth.

• Everything is dependent on its user. A knife can be used for doing good as well as doing bad. If wealth is used in a proper way it gives us good karma but if it is misused it gives bad karma.

• Even if we do a hundred per cent good deeds, there will be at least ten people who will abuse us. The world is like that. We shouldn’t give importance to unnecessary issues.

• All worldly pleasure that we are now enjoying will later turn into unbearable sorrow.

• As the mind keeps going into the heart, fickleness gets reduced. Till the deathless state (liberation) is attained, no one can prevent further rebirths.

• Although you may be a good person until you have a subtle intellect you can’t attain knowledge.