Importance of Japa, Scriptural Studies and Discipline

Don't think that repetition is a small thing. Repetition is the whole key to Self-realisation. For example: mantra japa. We don't even have to know the meaning of our mantra. That is why Amma says, "It is enough if you just repeat it. Don't even bother about the meaning." Just practise that repetition again and again and again. Gradually, it will purify the mind. It will decrease the thoughts, and then everything will start to reveal itself.

...If a mahatma tells me to do a thing, God is telling me to do that thing. That is how we should also interact with great souls. They they tell us to do a thing, don't take it so lightly, as if somebody on the street has told you to do a thing. Take it that God Himself has told you to do that.

...If you take a book written by a mahatma like Tulasidas, or you take the Bhagavata, or the Mahabarata, or any book that is written by a rishi, a sage, and you go on reading it again and again and again, finally what happens? The Grace of that rishi starts to dawn in you, in spite of who or what you are; the divine knowledge comes: the Grace. And then, you get the bliss, and insight , ecstasy, and intuition. There is no other way. We can exercise our intellect any way, but we won't get it. We have to get it only through Grace, and Grace is got through repetition and discipline. There is no other way. 

Mantras are like that also. Just go on repeating it, again and again, and the Grace will dawn.

Don't think that habit and repetition are a bunch of nonsense. If Amma says to regularly repeat your mantra, or regularly do your meditation, she is not just saying it; it is not just to get a good habit. That is the way to get Grace, and you can't get Grace in any other way. We have to develop that discipline and that habit.

(pgs. 122-123, 124, 125, Talks, Vol.3)