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Progress through Transmission
Growth has to be nourished. There can be no growth without proper
nourishment. Master 'feeds' the abhyasis with his spiritual transmission
and nourishes them, so that growth continues to be strong and healthy.
What we call transmission, Master once defined as 'spiritual food.'
The body lives and grows at the physical level, and so sustains itself
on physical foods. The soul, being spiritual in nature, needs food of
that plane. I once asked Master whether the transmission was the same
in quality or whether it differed with the abhyasi's condition. Master
answered that there could be no change in it as it is the subtlest force
or power of Divinity, and hence unchanging. I was a bit puzzled as to
how the same power could do everything Master claimed it could achieve,
at all levels of development. I put this question to Master. Master
laughed amusingly and said, "When we plant a seed we water it;
when it comes up as a small seedling we water it; when it is a strong
plant we water it; and we go on watering it all its life. The same water
achieves the growth of the plant stage after stage."
On a different occasion Master described transmission in terms other
than what I have stated above. He said, "The body is alive only
because the soul is in it. At death the soul flies away, and then we
say the person is dead, and call the body a corpse. So the body lives
by the soul. How does the soul live? I will tell you. The soul lives
by transmission which we can think of as the essence of Divinity. I
am telling you a wonderful thing. Even a single transmission can make
a great difference in a person's future. One transmission from a Master
of calibre can transform a person instantly. The power is the same.
But the will must be there. There must be an unfailing will.
Then the result is wonderful."
The transmission is thus the only spiritually elevating power. This
enables the abhyasi to grow from stage to stage, passing through region
after region of spiritual existence, and so on to the Goal. Right through
this divine journey the Master's active help and guidance are essential.
This is unique in Sahaj Marg that the guru's role lasts until the abhyasi
has been taken up to the highest level of spiritual existence open to
mankind. In fact, the need for the guru is progressively more as we
grow. Master once explained why this is so. Master said, "As the
abhyasi grows, the transmission and cleaning make yet higher approaches
open to him. But at the higher approaches a resistance develops from
above. It is as if nature opposes his development. Here the Master has
to use the power at his disposal to take the abhyasi to the higher level.
The abhyasi by himself cannot undertake this. There are certain regions
where the abhyasi cannot even enter by himself. I will tell you one
more thing. There are regions which no person can cross by himself.
Only a capable guide who is in laya with the Ultimate, and who has travelled
the path himself, can do it. At such stages the Master takes the abhyasi
inside himself and crosses the region, and then brings the abhyasi out
again to continue the journey under Master's guidance and supervision.
Dr. Varadachari used to joke about this and say, 'The Master is like
a kangaroo!' You know, the kangaroo has a special pouch into which it
puts the baby kangaroo when there is any danger. So this is what the
Master has to do for his abhyasi whenever it becomes necessary."
This exposes to our understanding yet another role of the Master, that
of protector. [MM-141-142]
One has to be alert to the transmission and its action on the system.
Then the real joy of meditation begins. Now I tell you one thing, whether
a person has experiences or not, the transmission will work and complete
the job. But the real happiness comes when we know what we have got.
So sensitivity is necessary. Another benefit is that as you become more
sensitive, progress becomes faster, because when you know what is being
done you can co-operate with the Master actively.
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