TWENTY SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get up at 4 a.m. daily. This is Brahma Muhurta which is extremely favourable for meditation on God.
2. ASANA: Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa andMeditation for half an hour, facing the east or the north. Increase the period gradually to three hours. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana for keeping up Brahmacharya and health. Take light physical exercises as walking,etc., regularly. Do twenty Pranayamas.
3. JAPA: Repeat anyMantra as pure Omor OmNamo Narayanaya, OmNamah Sivaya, OmNamo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, according to your taste or inclination, from 108 to 21,600 times daily.
4. DIETETIC DISCIPLINE: Take Sattvic food, Suddha Ahara. Give up chillies, tamarind,garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mustard and asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not overload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eat simple food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine, to keep life going. Eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a month. You must be able to live on rice, dhall and bread without any chutni. Do not ask for extra salt for dhall and sugar for tea, coffee, or milk.
5. Have a separate meditation-room under lock and key.
6. Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily, according to your means, say six paisa per rupee.
7. SVADHYAYA: Study systematically the Gita, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Vishnu-Sahasranama, Lalita Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads, Yoga-Vasishtha, the Bible, Zend Avesta, the Koran, the Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to one hour daily and have Suddha-Vichara.
8. Preserve the vital force (Veerya) very very carefully. Veerya is God in motion ormanifestation, Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya ismoney. Veerya is the essence of life, thought and intelligence.
9. Get by heart some prayer, Slokas, Stotras, and repeat themas soon as you sit on the Asanabefore starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind quickly.
10. Have Satsanga. Give up bad company, smoking,meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop any evil habits.
11. Fast on Ekadasi day or live on milk and fruits only.
12. Have a JapaMala (rosary) round your neck or in your pocket or underneath your pillow at night.
13. Observe Mouna for a couple of hours daily.
14. Speak the truth at all cost. Speak a little. Speak sweetly.
15. Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have plain living and high thinking.
16. Never hurt anybody. Control anger by love, Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion).
17. Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.
18. Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day, just before retiring to bed (self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction register. Do not brood over past mistakes.
19. Remember that death is awaiting you every moment. Never fail to fulfil your duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara).
20. Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go to sleep. Surrender yourselfcompletely to God (Saranagati).

This is the essence of all spiritual Sadhanas. This will lead you to Moksha. All these Niyamas or spiritual canons must be rigidly observed. You must not give leniency to the mind.