A spiritually illumined soul who has scaled the depths of the Divine is a constant source of inspiration to countless other seekers. Swami Shivananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna, was such a person whose simple conversations with spiritual seekers were treasured by them as unfailing blessings for the rest of their life. This book has brought together such spiritually illuminating and inspiring conversations for the good of many.
Those who have succeeded in attaching or detaching their minds at will have succeeded in Pratyahara, which means gathering towards, checking the outgoing powers of the mind, freeing it from the thralldom of the senses. When we can do this, we shall really possess character; then alone we shall have taken a long step towards freedom. Before that, we are mere machines.
-Swami Vivekananda