You put such stress on not hurting anybody's feelings. What is the spiritual significance of that?

    When one man hurts another's feelings unknowingly, that's another thing. If anything is done purposely, that will react. If it is done unknowingly--you never meant it--that won't react. But what you do purposely, that will react.

Will that person chase you around the astral, or something like that? I mean, what is the spiritual aspect of it?

    If you do it purposely, you think evil of others--thoughts are most potent--you hurt them by words, or maybe physically, naturally this will react; action and reaction will go on. The more still the water, the more it will reflect your Self.

I know, but is that worse karma than other kinds of karma to collect?

    We incur many karmas without knowing. Truly speaking, even to eat is a sin. Even vegetables have got life, although in the lowest form, but they have got life. All creation is made of five elements. There are vegetables, reptiles, birds, animals, and man. In man all five elements are fully developed, in animals four, in birds three, in reptiles two, in vegetables one. So to know God, live on that which causes the least sin. To breathe also is a sin, excuse me; we kill so many insects, and so many get trampled underfoot. You don't do it purposely; all the same, ignorance of the law is no excuse. You should become a conscious co-worker. Then all are absolved--there's nobody to suffer reactions against you anymore.
    Is mind your servant, or are you the servant of your mind? If mind is your servant, then it's all right, but if somebody lives in your house, and somebody takes you by the neck and somebody by the nose, or by the ears, and drags you here and there. Would you like that? If not, while you are in this body you must be the master of the body. On account of you the body is working. Would you like your mind to come and drag you here and there? That is not honorable, I tell you. Your mind gets strength from you. Yet your servant, who is dependent on you, is dragging you here, there, and everywhere. Do you think it is honorable? Then why not say, "Wait please. I'll attend to you later. Let us do this first." The mind wants some enjoyment. Tell him, "All right dear friend, wait." Make him wait; befriend him, you see. "All right dear friend, I'11 attend to you. Let me do this work first." This is the best way, I think. Try that tonight when you are sitting for meditation. "Well dear friend, what do you want? We'll see to that. Wait--let me finish this first." Wholly, solely, do it, and you'll succeed. Do it tonight, and tell me in the morning. Befriend your mind; strike up a friendship with him--this is the best way. Try this morning and tomorrow morning; otherwise come along tomorrow--I will give you a sitting. That's all I can say, stop all reading...

All reading?

    Yes. Are you writing any letters?

No, I just keep a diary.

    A diary means that once in a while when you do something you put it down, that's all. I am afraid you are not putting in full time into your spiritual diary. If you are watching yourself fully each moment, then where will the mind go? The mind won't affect you.

Should I be spending all available time in trying to meditate?

    Not trying, but doing.

Every moment of the day?

    If you can do it, but you cannot do it even for two hours. Even if you do it correctly for half an hour, you will have the experience. It is not impossible. The word impossible is found in the dictionary of fools--this is what Napoleon said. There is nothing impossible. You're great; great is man. Why are you belittling yourself?. Are you not the son of God like all others? What is the short-coming in you? You are simply led away by your servants. In many spiritual books, you'll find the mind is not spoken of very highly; but I say: Be friends with your mind.
    If there is a thief in your house, and you know he is a thief, he will steal all your books, everything. But if you tell him, "You're a very honest man, very truthful. Keep this money with you; I will take it back in the morning." Do you think he will take the money away from you? He is a thief, a professional thief; but you have said, "You are a very good man. You're very honest, very truthful; I leave this money with you." Don't you think you will save your money in that way? It is possible. You know he is a thief, but tell him, "You are very honest, very truthful; glad you have come here to live with me." I think he won't make a fool of you if you treat him in this way. So in the same way, befriend your mind. Give him enough to eat, then sit down and meditate, saying, "Now, dear friend, let us remain still for a few minutes." Just try this way.
    I remember an incident of a man who went into the street and bought some melons, small melons. He took one or two and ate them. They were very sweet. His mind wanted more; again he took one or two more. After that he thought, "they are really very sweet"; the mind still wanted more. Once, twice, thrice, he gave in. He then sat down, "All right," he said, "Now eat as much as you want." He finished up to the gullet. "No, no, don't stop; eat more," his mind kept saying. This is a very drastic way which I don't advise. But there have been incidences like that--after that, the mind never wanted anything more! "Take more." "No, no, I don't want any more." You see? He'll say no. Now he can be easily led by you. I don't advise you to try this way. I would advise the other way: befriend him. When he is afraid of you, he'll never dare to disobey you. Be the master of your house.
    When you meet a Master, what does He do? He gives you some way to be the master of your house. And you are given servants to work at your beck and call, and those are the outgoing faculties. The way is there to come into contact with the Naam Power within. With that, the mind is controlled once and for all, forever. By the outer performances and rituals, and doing this and that, the mind is stilled for a while--but then it rakes things up again.
    Once, I remember, a very learned pundit came to our Master. I was there. He had a talk with my Master. At the end he said, "Will you kindly initiate me?" He was initiated. Then he told the Master, "Master, I will become proficient within three months. I'll do everything You say and come back." Master said, "All right, what more is wanted?" He came back after six months, and fortunately I was there because I had the privilege to be back with the Master. He said, "Master, previously l had been putting in eight hours a day in worship, and my mind never disturbed me. Now I cannot sit for a moment." You see? It is because in the outward performances, the mind gets food. You light the candle, you offer flowers, then you do this and that. The mind gets food. But in this way, the mind meets its death. He would prefer to go into the mouth of a cannon rather than enter within.
    So this is the only means to control the mind. Befriend him; you won't do it the other way, the strong way. He will complain, "I don't like to be such a servant; why should I be?" The easiest way is to befriend him for a while. Then do this. I think you follow what I say? All right, do it! This way is very easy; the other way I don't think you'll do because life is more dear to you. You won't force yourself. But in coming in contact with the Naam Power and befriending him, that you can do. What did Christ say? "Get thee behind me, Satan." What does that mean? That means, "Now wait." So you've got two prescriptions. And the third one is to keep the company of the Saints, but fully; not when the body is there but the mind is running away somewhere else. That is no company of the Saints. Be wholly there. No thought should arise of the world while sitting there. And you'll see that the mind will stay still for a while. In the company of the Master, as He is surat [attention] controlled, by radiation He controls your attention. Mind gets food from the attention. When attention is not there, it cannot get water. Digest these things. Sometimes we are sitting with the Master, and thinking of such and such, "Oh, who is sitting there?" Your body is there but you are not there. Even the stone which is put near cold water will become cold, what to speak of a conscious man.
    So anybody else? You? You are going on all right?

Yes, Master. I wanted to know, is it all right to keep pushing the mind to do as much meditation each day, as much as it possibly can? Just keep forcing it and forcing it?

    You see, forcing is all right, but by loving way is better. "All right, dear friend, let us enjoy this for a while." But have some discipline also. You will be able to do your meditation correctly only when you have control over yourself. Sit when you are flesh and buoyant.

We shouldn't try to sit all day then?

    Who can sit all day? All day means how many hours--twenty four? During the day, say twelve?
If you can sit even two, three, four hours, wholly, solely, then it's all right. In twelve hours, if you really sit three or four hours, that you might be able to do. But I'm afraid you won't be able to. In the beginning, start from two, then three, then four, like that; step by step--you may prolong the time. Or there's another way: we fast for three days. What sort of fast? The fast of the mind--remembrance of God and no other thing. Do it! Temporary fasting, that will help you. After three days, then hunger is not felt. After three days you don't feel hungry. So if you can do this--fasting from food--now fast inside from all outward things having sweet remembrance of God. It helps temporarily. But we are worldly men. How can we do all that? Maybe we can do it for a week. All the Saints in the past did it, you see. Christ fasted forty days, did He not?

Yes, in the wilderness.

    That is a true fast. Empty your mind; there's no harm in it. Do it while you're here. At meal times you might eat something, morning and evening. Then the rest of the time think of no other thing except God, sweet remembrance of God, or the sweet remembrance of God-in-man. That's a good idea. We go for excursions two or three days in a month. Every week we enjoy one day off from work. Why not have the enjoyment of God every week, or his excursion two or three days a month? These things are helping. That is required at the beginning, in early stages. When you are trained, even in busy towns you'll enjoy [His presence]. So do that, please. You are here only for that.
    All these questions you put will make a book!