‘But, Baba, why is it that when we try and sit in silence there are more thoughts that assail us? When I sit for meditation often more thoughts come about ravaging my state of calmness to the extent that one is virtually scared of sitting for meditation?’

‘My sweet firefly, first and foremost, initially never try and sit for meditation hoping to immediately come to a state of calmness or nothingness. Even when you sit for meditation, initially be in the moment, which is focus on your breath. Don’t try and reach the state of nothingness as you are not equipped for such a state of emptiness yet. Be in the moment, means be with your chant or your breath. Focus on your chant or your breath, till you become your chant and your breath and then you dissolve into nothingness. Thoughts will come as you go deeper into your chant or your breath. Another thought will arise and another and another and you keep coming back home, keep coming back to your chant or your breath, keep at it, keep at it, till you become your very chant and your breath.’

‘When we sit silently or go within, initially more chaos will reign. The mind does not want to be controlled. The mind wants to be the Master not the server. Thus, more thoughts will prevail. Like steam rising from the scorched earth when the rain pours down. But as the rain continues to fall, the fragrance of Mother Earth envelops us all. Silence is that fragrance. Just keep at it and the khushboo of silence will intoxicate. Just keep at it. The space between inhalation and exhalation is most important. In that space resides silence and in that silence resides The One. The greater the distance between inhalation and exhalation, the greater the silence reigns, the deeper you shall go within, and one day you will become silence yourself. The space between inhalation and exhalation is silence and that silence is Oneness. Thus, focus on your breathing and you automatically focus on The One.’

‘Don’t expect that you will immediately zone out of everything. How is that possible? Stillness needs to be worked on. Yes, the more you are in the moment through the day, the easier it will be for you to meditate and be in that moment. The less you are in the moment through the day, it shall be painful for you to meditate as the mind has been ruling you through the day. What makes you think that just because now you want to meditate and become one with the moment the mind is going to allow you such comfort so easily? One has to work for everything in life. Nothing ever is free, beta. Remember this always. There are no free meals in the cosmos. We all have to work for each meal of ours. You want the most exquisite meal, the meal of nothingness and Oneness, for free? How is that ever going to happen? You want the most expensive dish in the world free of cost and effort, no bachha, that is not going to happen. Under no cost are you or anybody so privileged that you can expect meditation, Oneness and nothingness to come without proper effort and dedication.’