THE PRACTICAL PURSUIT # 1 E Our method is so simple that for this very reason it sometimes becomes very difficult for people to realise its true significance. Difficulties arise when people do not take God just as He is, but fit Him into numerous artificialities created in their own minds to suit their own taste and likings, and thus put Him completely within the sheath of maya. They worship Him as such, with the result that they themselves get engrossed in maya, or in other words they become the worshippers of maya in gross form. Now if anyone comes up to explain it to them they run away from him thinking that he is trying to delude them. They appreciate more the Mahatmas who, being themselves dyed in various hues of maya, offer them colourful things which are suited to their taste. The common mistake is that they do not care to pay attention to these most vital facts and they seek for liberation from those who have it not. Really most of them do not have any aspiration for liberation at all. They adhere to gods and goddesses only to serve their worldly ends. There may, however, be a few who worship God as well, but by the way only, and that too for merely selfish purposes. They are in fact not even worthy of having this type of spiritual training, nor are they capable of it. As a matter of fact while we are marching towards `unity they, on the other hand are drifting continually towards ‘diversity’, and are directing the flow of thought into numerous different channels. Thus our power of thought, being diversely applied, gets weakened and shattered and our efforts for realisation end in failure. Usually I do not take such persons into our satsangh, because I feel convinced that all labour upon them will be fruitless. Consequently, instead of wasting my time on them I must utilise it for the spiritual benefit of others who crave for it. Under this system there is absolutely no room for anything except true worship of God — the one Absolute. It is not at all possible to proceed with it with gods and goddesses besides. If there be any one who finds himself too weak to give it up, I cannot compel him to do so, but in that case I cannot be held responsible for his progress. If they are not prepared to give up what is not needed why should they at all go to others to seek for other means? Their very hankering after other means and methods goes to show that they have no firm faith in what they follow, that at the bottom of the heart they realise some error or deficiency. The only course open to them is to pray earnestly for sometime for His Grace to guide them on to the right path. For the practical aspect of Sadhana, it is essential to take up the practical course of spiritual training for which we need proper guidance. Guidance sought from books is not of much avail since it is often misleading, and sometimes dangerous too. Methods prescribed in books are generally confusing, touching the outer aspects only. One can never become a physician in the true sense by merely reading the names of medicines and their properties in books. Similarly, by acquiring an outer physical knowledge about God, soul etc. or of the various spiritual states on the path, one can never claim to have realised the object in the true sense. It is impossible to come to a thorough understanding of the taste of a mango merely by reading in books the description of it. That the proof of the pudding lies in the eating of it is a well-known saying.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 06:47:55 +0000
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