In plain words
Wherever you are, what is to come cannot fail to come. But human effort is essential. The potato chapātī is there on the plate, it has been got; but for what is on the plate to reach the stomach, we must put mouth and hand to work. This is human effort. Under the influence of the Kali age, by the force of his desires, man forgets his humanness, longs for the life he desires, and tries for a short cut so as to reach the very highest level in no time. They think they can get there quickly by the short cut. To look at, it seems very close. But inside that short cut there are many stones and thorn bushes; it is full of troubles of many kinds. Avoiding all these, you reach that goal by the main road: though it is four times longer than that, you walk it easily, and the time to get there comes out the same. But man keeps searching for the way that gets him there quickly. This is not right. Even though it is far, we must enter upon the good royal road.
Here is a small example. The road to heaven, they say, is very narrow. The road to hell, they say, looks very wide. Why is it such a big main road? Why does this need so big a road? Why so small a road for going to God? One may ask this, going by the Buddhi. God's creation was made after many kinds of inquiry, with the feeling of Viveka, with a heart of Vijñāna, with a broad principle. Those going to hell number lakhs upon lakhs. To go there they need a big road. Those going to heaven are one or two, one in a hundred, one in a crore. They do not need a big road. A small road is enough. In just the same way God, by His own will, carries on creation, every single part of it, for the welfare of all: yogakṣemaṃ vahāmyaham. A devotee wished to become a rich man and kept praying to Lakṣmī Devī. To fulfil his physical desires a devotee will bear toil of any size. He will endure any number of hardships. He will put up with any number of rebukes and reproaches. But devotees who strive on the spiritual path cannot bear it if even a small hardship comes. Judging by this, men have a boundless attachment to physical desires. This devotee did very severe tapas for Lakṣmī's gracious glance. Lakṣmī appeared. "Son! What do you want?" she said. "It is You I want, Mother!" he said. "Then I shall come right behind you, adorned with all my ornaments.