Away From Worldly Desires For Spiritual Life !

QUESTION: Previously I used to do Japa andmeditation for 20 to 30 minutes both in the morningand evening but now I am not able to concentratemore than 10 minutes. My mind remains restlessand I cannot concentrate on the Ishtam (one’schosen form of God). Please suggest how my mindmay think of the Ishtam during Japa and meditationand not think of other things.

ANSWER: Japa and meditation alone arenot enough for spiritual advancement. In theYoga Sutras of Patanjali, as well as in theBhagavad Gita, it is said that both abhayasa(repeated practice) and vairagya (dispassion)are required for attaining the goal of Yoga. Ifone does only Japa and meditation and has norenunciation, one cannot make any spiritualprogress. This is a mistake which most peoplecommit: they do Japa and meditation but donot try to detach themselves from worldly entanglements.