Impediments to Progress (Cont'd)

(c) Satisfaction: People like to follow difficult paths and spend a lot of time and money. Why do they do this? I will tell you. They get satisfaction from such worship. Now look here, people worship for satisfactions! Or if they are a little more developed they may do it to get peace of mind. See how much we have fallen. We do not worship to get God. We worship to get satisfaction or peace of mind, or some such thing.

There are unimaginable levels in Sahaj Marg. And I don't think anybody has yet understood that they are even there, forget the levels themselves. And we all talk glibly of seeing Babuji, hearing Babuji, receiving Babuji, you know. I am so, sometimes nauseated when I hear these stories. Of course, I am not denying the veracity of the statement, but it is of such a low order of experience. I mean in Hindi we say the difference is like between the sky and the earth. The real experience and these... I mean they are not pseudo-experiences, they too are real in their own way, but on the lowest order of reality. And if we are satisfied with this order of exposure to reality, the way is barred. Satisfaction itself is a bar to progress. So Babuji said, you know, we must always be restless, never satisfied that, "Yes, I have achieved." So, you see, this going beyond and beyond and beyond, it needs this restlessness, inner restlessness, which Babuji called craving. But it is not there. We want to rest. "Yes, today I have achieved. I have seen Babuji Maharaj. He is in my house." No rest. You understand?

(d) Repeated experiences: My Master said, "There can be no progress without change. Without change there is only stagnation. Even in our abhyas we must remember this. The condition, that is the spiritual condition, must keep changing if there is progress. Often we find that an abhyasi has a good experience at a particular level, which he likes to be repeated at subsequent sittings. But I always tell them that if they have the same experience again and again, then they should run to the preceptor, because such repetition of experience shows stagnation, and requires correction. So change is necessary because without it no progress is possible."

(e) Doubt: As Babuji said, "Doubt poisons the will." The moment we begin to doubt, the will is lost. After that we cannot sit in meditation. Whenever people come and say, "Sir, I don't feel inclined to do meditation. I am not able to meditate, it is a manifestation of their doubt in the Master, in the system, because otherwise the mind is an instrument, why should it not? As Babuji said, "Mind does not feel inclined, mind is made to feel inclined. Otherwise you don't have to sit in meditation. Meditation is a training to apply the mind for the purpose of regulating the mind by our efforts.

(f) Criticism: To my personal knowledge Master has rarely criticized a person for anything. He also offers advice very very rarely. I asked Babuji once, why he did not offer criticism when he saw something wrong. Babuji answered, "Lalaji Saheb never offered advice in a direct manner. Yes, he would give hints; but how many are capable of understanding such hints? We should never offer advice unless asked. As a trainer it is the duty of the guide to bring about change by creating the proper conditions for it. That is the work of the trainer. This is the positive approach. If you criticize, then the abhyasi may begin to worry about it, and this will interfere with his progress."

"There is another thing I am telling you. Suppose I advise an abhyasi to do something and he does not do it. Then I am adding to his difficulties by putting upon him the sin of disobedience of the Master. So instead of helping him, I have done him a disservice. Do you understand why I avoid direct advice? I do offer a lot of advice, but it is given out as general talk when all are with me. The intelligent person will take it up and apply it in his own life. Then progress is faster for that person because now he is cooperating with the Master." We see from this that Master's attitude is not merely one of tolerance, but extends far beyond this to taking up responsibility for the abhyasi's progress. As Master has emphasized again and again, this is the duty of a trainer in spirituality.

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