Part I — Attachment

• Question: Guru, sometimes when I begin to meditate I feel overwhelmed by the pressure of all my attachments and I feel that my aspiration is dying. Shall I try to surrender them to you or shall I just try to aspire more?
• Question: Do you have any suggestions as to how I can be happy doing things I don't want to do?

Part II — Careers

• Question: Guru, I used to be very active in my work and I liked it very much. But now I feel that it is taking away from my duties as an aspirant.
• Question: I find that lately I am doing so many things that my outer activities take up most of my energy and I feel that my spiritual life suffers.
• Question: I work in a warehouse and the atmosphere is very unspiritual. How can I keep the undivine consciousness from my job and the outside world from interfering with my spiritual growth?
• Question: On my job as a tour guide I find it difficult to stay in my best consciousness. I listen to what people are saying and I am affected by what they say. How can I keep my consciousness high in a situation like this?
• Question: I am studying to be an actor. Is it possible for me to follow a spiritual path and also to have this outside activity?
• Question: I know there are certain professions that are not ideal if you are trying to live the spiritual life. Is acting suitable for an aspirant?

Part III — Depression

• Question: What causes depression?
• Question: I know that frustration and feeling sorry are wrong forces; yet I feel sad quite often.
• Question: Guru, how do we free ourselves from depressions?
• Question: Will people who are depressed ever realise God?
• Question: If we feel elated or depressed and we don't know why, can there be an inner reason for it?
• Question: Sometimes when I am very happy because I have had a very good meditation, the next day I get depressed. Why does that happen?
• Question: How can I prevent getting upset or depressed over small things, such as a car break-down or a screaming child?
• Question: Guru, do you ever feel depressed?

Part IV — Desire

• Question: If we are not able to extinguish our desires, is there any point in trying to meditate?
• Question: Is watching TV a hindrance to the spiritual life?
• Question: Why do you stress regularity in the spiritual life?
• Question: Is pranayama necessary?

Part V — Drugs

• Question: What is your opinion about the use of drugs?

Part VI — Spiritual dryness

• Question: Quite often it happens that after I have high experiences, they are followed by the feeling that I am in a spiritual desert.
• Question: I often find that in the spiritual life I go up and down. I always hope that I will not fall down again, but it happens constantly.

Part VII — Expectation

• Question: What can we expect from the spiritual life?

Part VIII — Fear

• Question: Can you tell me if I'm meditating correctly?

Part IX — Habits

• Question: Is there a spiritual way to break bad habits?

Part X — Impatience

• Question: In the beginning of my spiritual life I had a lot of enthusiasm but it has waned. How can I continue to make steady progress?
• Question: Sometimes I feel that if I don't realise God soon, I shall commit suicide.

Part XI - Poems from the first edition

• Problem, problem!
• Protect yourself
• Hopeless, useless and helpless
• Under control
• He and his
• No little enemy