Upaasana means approaching near the Divine. Often Upaasana is equated with fasting; this is not correct. When one is immersed in the bliss of Brahmaananda (divine bliss), one gives up food of one's own accord; this is true Upaasana. To subject oneself to fasting as a compulsory regimen is not Upaasana but mere starvation. For instance, to keep awake on the night of Shivaraathri by watching films or playing cards is a caricature of the sacred vigil that one is expected to observe at that time. The experience of Divine Bliss is not to be achieved by the mastery of various spiritual practices. It is only when the heart is purified that divinity can be realized. There is no room for divinity in a heart filled with egoism, pride and hatred.

- Divine Discourse, July 24, 1983.

The one with noble qualities such as purity, patience and perseverance is verily God. – Baba