Remember : attachment to or the craving for the pleasures of sense cannot be, eradicated by change of abode, dress or name or simply by outwardly changing one’s mode of life. For this consummation, weaning of the mind from the objects of senses and freedom from craving is essential. A man who inwardly nurtures such craving for the pleasures of sense, though outwardly putting up a show of renunciation, not only deceives the world but badly deceives his own self too.

Remember : hankering after enjoyment undercover of renunciation is very dangerous. A man openly given to the pursuit of sensuous enjoyment is known to be such by all. He too is consciousness of his weakness and never claims to be man of renunciation. He, however, who deems himself to be a man of renunciation and asks the world too to recognize him as such, and yet cherishes fondness and a craving for the pleasures of sense, descends into a deep abyss of degradation. His hankering after sense-objects finds expression and seeks gratification through various perverted channels, with the result that, distorting and bringing into disrepute renunciation, dispassion, yoga, devotion, love, spiritual knowledge and enlightenment, he sets an exceedingly ignoble example before the world.

Remember : If you really think yourself to be a man of renunciation and glorify renunciation, but at the same time look with envy on the luxuries of others, on their comfortable cars, their attractive houses and mansions, their honour and prestige, their fame and glory, their worship and adoration, the number of their servants and disciples, their affluence and power; if all these excite your cupidity, if you regard such persons as fortunate and if you are seized with a longing to enjoy such luck, know it for certain that you are worse than those sensual men who is their natural eagerness to acquire luxuries openly pursue the pleasures of sense. They have chosen for themselves the straight path of self indulgence; while you have to make a crooked endeavour to acquire luxuries and enjoy them while maintaining your garb of renunciation-keeping up the show of self denial. For this you have to fall back upon hypocrisy, chicanery and deceit, to pervert the scriptures by twisting their texts and putting upon them the construction sought by you, and to allow yourself to be bound with stout shackles of infatuation by founding various institutions in the name of altruism, public service, service of the Lord, propagation of piety, spiritual wisdom and Devotion and the good of the world, pitching their standard and raising slogans in that behalf. You profess popularize good morals, ideal Devotion, good disposition, spiritual knowledge and holy books such as the Gita and the Ramayana and the ways and means of ameliorating society and the world of large. Really speaking, however, you advertise yourself, celebrate the prestige and glory of your own name and personality, scatter abroad, disrespect towards God by installing your own gross body and illusory name on the holy seat of God, and disseminate rank ignorance in the name of spiritual knowledge by writing and getting others to write a chronicle glorifying a false name and personality.

Remember : you bring about your own woeful degradation thereby. You will certainly not be able to deceive God. On the other hand, you alone will be deprived of the highest reward of human existence and will badly rue it if you seek to propagate luxury in the name of renunciation and if you proceed to launch an undertaking to get yourself honoured and adored in place of God; but then you will have no remedy left at your disposal. Therefore, desist from such endeavour at once and silently devote yourself to the practice of adoration-to the thought of and contemplation on the Lord’s divine personality, virtues and essence and to the recital of His sweet names.

Remember : if you turn out to be a true devotee of the Lord or realize His essential character by gaining an insight into it, the world will be supremely benefitted by you as a matter of course, even though you do not claim to seek the good of the world and even though you do not exert for it. You will prove to be an automaton working for the highest good of the world. You will not only cross the ocean of mundane existence but enable others too to cross it.

“The Practicant, possessed of the disinterested spirit, knows this holy, effulgent, abode of Brahma, on which the whole world appears as placed. The wise practicant, free from desires, who adores the supreme Being, will not take birth again in this world.”