Page:The Gospel of Râmakrishna.djvu/85

 polao for one, soup for another, fried fish for a third, fish with sour tamarind for a fourth, and so on, exactly according to the power of digestion of each. Do you now understand?" The disciple replied: "Yes, Bhagavan, now I do. But, Revered Sir, how can one fix one's mind on God?" Sri Ramakrishna: To that end one must always sing forth the Holy Name of God and talk without ceasing of His glory and at- tributes. Then one must seek the company of holy men. One must from time to time visit the Lord's devotees or those who have given up attachment to the things of the world for the sake of the Lord. It is, however, difficult to fix one's mind upon God in the midst of worldly cares and anxieties; hence the necessity of going into solitude now and again with a view to meditating on Him. In the first stage of one's spiritual life one can-not do without solitude. When plants are  young, they stand in need of fences around them for their protection; otherwise goats and cattle will destroy them. The depth of the heart, the retired corner, and the forest are the three places for meditation.