In English
Do not regard the body as an end in itself
It is because you do not seek that which should be sought, do not experience that which has to be experienced, you are plunged in grief and do not have peace of mind. That is why the declared: "Lead me from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality." The meaning of this prayer is that man should realise the permanent unchanging Reality that underlies the changing appearances of the phenomenal world, shed his ignorance of his own true nature and seek oneness with the Immortal (divine spirit) that resides in his body which is subject to decay and death. The spiritual quest does not mean merely engaging oneself in meditation, (repetition of Lord's Name or some sacred formula) and the like. It embraces all activities aimed at realising the which has assumed a human form. The body must be regarded as the base for spiritual activity. With it as the basis, you must engage yourself in spiritual activity. You must not regard the body as an end in itself which has to be pampered and kept in comfort. All our mental and other abilities should not be used only for worldly achievements. Only by seeking the higher (spiritual knowledge) can man rise above the level of the animal. The animal is concerned only with the present. Man alone can realise that the present is the product of the past and that the future will be deter- mined by what he does in the present. Only if you act tightly in the present can the future be good and ennobling. This requires steadfastness and determination to adhere to the path of righteousness whatever may be the difficulties.