It is indeed a hopeful sign that in spite of the responsibilities of family life, you have commenced practices. Can one fulfil the mission of life rightly by remaining a professor, a principal or a member of an institution? All these are just expressions of gross desires. You should never believe that you are carrying the burden of the family or the society. Like the sparrow wishing to measure the heavens, there are people, not wanting, who suffer from such delusions. Sadhana will suffer as long as this disease is not cured.
This path of sadhana appears to be difficult at the outset, but later on it suddenly becomes easy. Sadhana becomes easy for those who have come to know its mysteries through a guru. People are told that a guru is not necessary, but great souls have considered a guru to be indispensable on the path of yoga. You should, therefore, test your self-imagined conclusions on the touchstone of truth. It will not be proper to alter the technique of yoga to suit society’s interests.
A sadhaka must always remember his sankalpa, determination. The test does not lie in how much sadhana you have practised but how alive you are to your sankalpa. Therefore, go on revising all your good resolutions. Take a bird’s eye view of your last year’s progress.
If difficulties distract the sadhana at times, let them come. Do not leave your efforts. If it is not possible to practise sadhana in one fixed posture, intensify the practice of inner silence or indwelling in any position. Intense concentration is at times achieved by doing sadhana at any odd hour. But endeavour to keep the time for sadhana fixed and steady.
Whatever your domestic and social responsibilities, let them be. Once again I awaken you to the supreme goal. To the exclusion of all social duty, realize your birthright and serve people by your attainments.
If you have faith in what I say, your family affairs will be settled satisfactorily. I say this to you in full confidence. I am leading you towards the study of yoga because I know what I am doing.
1 March 1961, Ahmedabad, India