Put into practice what you have listened to and prepare yourself to listen to more good things. (SSB 1974, p. 274)

By uninterrupted attention and discipline; and by the practice of renunciation, it is possible to control the mind. Hence, practise Dhyanam. Impulses and desires have to be suppressed in order to get mastery over the mind. Free yourself from the bondage of desires. (DhyV, p. 62)

It is the inner joy, the Love that you radiate that is important. Mere sentiment and sympathy are of no use; they must be regulated by intelligence. Shower cheer on the sad; soothe those that have lost the way; close your eyes to the faults of others, but keep them open to discover you own. All these are hard jobs. Practice alone can make you perfect. Practice, not only in items of service, but, in meditation on the Divine. Japa and Dhyana will render you more and more efficient in the field of service. Practise what you preach! Be what you profess to be. Your word and your work have to tally. Keep your senses and the mind under rigorous control; be sweet and soft in speech, do not injure the feelings of even a little child. (SSS Vol.7, pp. 57-58)

Practise Dhyana Yoga. Resolve to master the senses through this Yoga and follow it steadily, systematically, regularly, at a stated time and in a stated place, without changing them as the whim takes you. A regular system is essential for this Yoga. Observe it strictly. Do not alter as fancy dictates; that will bring about dire consequences. (GV, p. 99)

You must be prepared to put into practice one out of ten things you preach rather than just saying ten good things. (SSB 1976, p. 4)

Sometimes it has been said that Dharma has declined. But this is not correct. Being based on truth, Dharma will never undergo any change. However, in a particular age, it is the practice of Dharma which may undergo change. Shri Krishna incarnated in order to re-establish the practice of Dharma, not to re-establish Dharma itself. Dharma never left nor did it ever change, but it was out of use.  (DBG, p. 183)

We must develop a sense of oneness and brotherliness. If we are to win the vision or our atmic reality, if we are to experience the unity and love that is the basis of all creation, we must practice brotherliness. But man has fallen into a sorry state. He says one thing but practises another. He says that we are all brothers - but then brother takes brother to court to fight over property and land - pitting one against the other. To gain the bliss that comes from realizing the atma, one has to put into practice a true sense of brotherliness. (S&M, pp. 179-180)

Being aware of these high principles, do your duty in life. Maintain an even mind and make sure that the work you do is good, and that it is even appropriate to the occasion. The verses from the Gita should not merely be memorized but they must be put into practice. Only when you practice them in your daily life and fully understand their meaning will all your worries leave you and your sorrows disappear. But if you don’t understand their meaning and merely repeat these verses, your sorrows might even increase. (DBG, p. 12)

The Bhagavad Gita has said, that for everything practice is the starting point. In the l2th verse of the Chapter on Bhakti Yoga it says,

sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj

jnanad dhyanam visisyate

dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas

tyagac chantir anantaram

(Bhagavad Gita, 12:12)

‘Through practice you will be able to get knowledge, through knowledge you will be able to develop meditation, through meditation you will develop sacrifice, and only when you have sacrifice will you obtain peace of mind.’ Therefore, it all starts with Abhyasa or steady practice. (DBG, p. 65)

Practice does not refer to just the observance of daily religious rituals. Using the body, using the mind and using the tongue in such a way that you will not develop attachment, that is what is meant by practice. Practice means orienting your whole life towards the one goal of reaching the divinity. (DBG, p. 79)

Practice refers to the combination of the three types of Tapas or penance, the bodily Tapas, the mental Tapas, and the Tapas of the speech. Renunciation refers to recognizing the defects in objects, and living a life which does not get attached to these things; In other words, living as a witness. If you can incorporate these two important qualities. Abhyasa and Vairagya, in your daily life, then there will be no need for any other spiritual practice. (DBG, p. 80)

Practise the unremitting chanting of the names of the Lord, which are so full of sweetness and beauty. This will give you unlimited ananda (happiness). (DG, p. 39)

Students! Put into practice at least a fraction of what you have studied. Plunge into society and engage yourselves in social service. Make society happy. Having taken birth in society, if you achieve this much, it is enough. Remember that nothing lasts - the body, the mind or senses. Only one’s reputation survives him. This is what Swami expects from you. If you achieve a good name and bring credit to the Institute where you have studied, you would have rendered great service to the nation. (SSS Vol.29, pp. 91-92)

Bali was engaged in an elaborate Yajna, (Vedic ritual sacrifice) under the guidance of his Guru (preceptor), Shukracharya, where he was giving away to pundits and priests land, homes, cattle and gold when the Lord appeared at the place as a young dwarfish mendicant Brahmin, named Vamana. Bali tempted Him with gifts of dominion, riches and power, but Vamana asked only for a patch of space, as much as could be measured by three steps of His feet.

The Emperor’s preceptor realised that the mendicant was the Lord Himself and that the three steps will encompass Bali’s empire and beyond. He warned his disciple of the disaster that would ensue. He tried personally to prevent the gift, by entering the spout of the vessel used by the Emperor to conclude the rite of gifting. When a bunch of blades of grass was inserted into the spout to clear the obstruction, Shukracharya lost the eye, which was pricked by the bunch. Teaching and practising what he preaches are the two eyes of the Guru. Shukracharya taught but did not himself honour his teaching. So, the loss of the eye was highly symbolic. (SSS Vol.17, pp. 137-138)

Many educationists and Vice-chancellors are present here today. Their vision is turned outwards toward the external physical world. I am concerned with the Inner Vision. It is not possible to reconcile the physical and the internal spiritual vision. The heart cannot be transformed by lessons in a classroom. The world cannot be changed by mere preaching. Only through action and practical example, can the impulse for change be intensified. When one leads a disciplined and regulated life, the lesson will be learnt without any teaching. The people will follow of their own accord. This applies to human values. Only when they are practised by teachers and elders, will students practise them.

Those who seek to impart the value of Satya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa to others, must first try to practise them themselves whole-heartedly. To imagine that values can be instilled by teaching is a mistake. Such learning will have no permanent effect. Educationists must take note of this fact. If transformation is to be effected in students, the process must start from a very early age. (SSS Vol.20, p. 176)

There are many who will not shout about their Guru or their favourite Nama and Rupa but whether you declare them to others or not, keep them ever in your consciousness. Rama nama or any other name must be as constant as breathing. For this, practice is essential. A person once told Dr. Johnson, the famous English thinker. That he could seldom get time to recite the Name of god, what with hundreds of things he had to do from morning till nightfall and even far into night. Dr. Johnson replied with another question. He asked how millions of people found space to live upon the earth, which is two thirds water and rest is full of mountains, deserts, forests, icy regions, river-beds, marshes and similar impossible areas. The questioner said that man somehow struggled to find living space, So too, said Dr. Johnson, man must somehow find a few minutes a day for prayer to the Lord. (SSS Vol.1, p. 19)