Repartee of the Wise

After recounting the story of one of his disciples who had reached an inner state by praying for forty days, the Prophet said, “If anyone worships God, purely for God, for forty days, rich quarries of the heart’s knowledge will reveal themselves through his tongue.” Subsequently, one of his followers engaged himself in prayer and supplication to God for forty days, but noticed no advancement within. So he went to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of God, I tried my best for forty days, but nothing happened to me that resembles the state of the one whose story you told us – and I know there is no error in your words.” The Prophet answered, “I said ‘purely for God’. Purity and sincerity of desire for God, with no other desire or intention, is the condition necessary for success. Hearing about the rare words and talk of the other man, you became greedy with desire for that state, but not for God.”
_{Shams-e-Tabrizi}

A disciple complained to Maharaj Jagat Singh: “Sir, my mind does not allow me to sit in meditation.”

The Master smiled and said: “Well, what else should it do? It is doing its duty most faithfully. Should you not do yours? Attack it with full force. At this stage, it is a fierce battle between mind and soul. Never give any quarter to the mind. The best way is to open the attack first and to go on repeating it, so that it may never find any time to return the attack.”
_{The Science of the Soul}