The search for truth must become your daily spiritual discipline; every moment must be used for this primary duty. Truth can reflect itself in your intelligence only when your intelligence is purified by penance (tapas). Tapas means all acts undertaken with higher motives, all activities indicating yearning for the spirit, repentance for past blunders, staunch determination to adhere to virtue and self-control, and finally, serene equanimity in the face of success or failure. It is tapas that fosters renunciation and discipline. This discipline is essential when the temptations to deviate are so many like it is now. In this iron age, when darkness is enveloping the mind of people, any little lamp that can light the steps is most welcome. That is why I advise you to resort to good deeds, good conduct, and good behaviour (sat-karma, sad-achara and sath-pravartana), so that you are constantly established in the presence of the Lord!

- Divine Discourse, Nov 23, 1965.