You know that first you have to plough the land, feed it with water; then, sow the seed, pluck out the weeds, guard the crop by a fence from cattle and goats and wait patiently for harvest time. So also, the heart has to be ploughed by means of virtues fed with the water of Divine love, before the seeds of Divine Name are sown; later, the field has to be watched and weeds have to be destroyed it is best to prevent the cattle of unsteadiness and doubt, by putting up the fence of Discipline; then, the Name of the Lord will flower into Meditation and the rich harvest of Knowledge can be reaped.

Now, you are allowing the precious fertile field to lie fallow; the field of the heart is infested with thorns and weeds; it yields no joy to any one. Cultivate the heart and garner the grain of Atma-ananda. That ananda is your heritage; it is yours for the asking. But, you do not know how or whom to ask. Ask grief to quit and ananda is patent, as the very basis of your I-ness’, your Sat (existence) and Cit (consciousness) It is very simple. Grief will disappear as soon as you discover its real origin, for it has arisen out of ignorance only. (SSS Vol.5)

It is here in India that there is a mine of spiritual wisdom and spiritual treasure: the Darshanas, Upanishad and the Gita and the Vedas. This has to be distributed, pure and unsullied, guaranteed in value and quality, to eager aspirants everywhere and so, we have here a succession of sages and saints. On account of the teachings and the lives of these people, there is a vast field of spiritual virtue in this land, which needs only a little care to yield a rich harvest. (SSS Vol 29, p. 357)