MAN has got himself so
enmeshed in mind and the outgoing faculties that his release
from them can only be brought about by struggle and
perseverance. His plight is, in a way, similar to that of a
bird that has been kept in a cage for so many years. Even if
you should open the door of the cage, the bird will be
loathe to fly out. Instead, it will fly from one side of the
cage to the other, clinging with its talons to the wire
mesh, but it does not wish to be free and fly out through
the open door of the cage.
Similarly, the soul has
become so attached to the body and the outgoing faculties
that it clings to outside things and does not wish to let go
of them. It does not wish to fly through the door that has
been opened by the Master at the time of holy initiation, at
the threshold of which the radiant form of the Master is
patiently waiting to receive the child disciple. True
discipleship does not start until one has risen above body
consciousness.
It is from this point that
the disciple will feel not only comfort, but will begin to
experience the joy and bliss that awaits him in the Beyond.
He will have as his companion the charming radiant form of
the Master, who is ever at hand to impart the guidance that
is so necessary in order to avoid the pitfalls on the way.
Until this point is reached, the disciple is, as it were, on
probation, but such probation that cannot be severed. It is
during this probationary period that the soul will feel some
discomfort. It has become so besmeared with the dirt of the
senses that it has lost its original purity of heart and is
not fit to be raised up out of the prison house of the body.
Even though the door has been
opened, it is so attached to the things of the outside world
that it does not wish to be free. It is only when the soul
begins to regain its original purity of heart and mind that
it can at last want to be free of the desires of the flesh
and outward attachments. The loving Master tries to avoid
all possible discomfort to the child disciple by explaining
what are the vices to be avoided and the virtues to be
developed in order to regard this purity.
Unfortunately, more often
than not the words of the Master do not sink in and little
or no action is taken by the disciple to amend his ways.
Therefore, the Master Power must take firmer measures to
bring home to the disciple the importance of the truths that
have been explained in words. Hence the discomfort that is
sometimes felt by the dear ones in their day-to-day living.
If implicit obedience would be given to the commandments of
the Master, all difficulties and discomforts would vanish.
If a child gets itself so dirty that the only way the mother
can wash it clean is by using a scrubbing brush, can it be
said that the child will feel comfortable during the
scrubbing process? It will only feel comfortable after the
scrubbing has ceased and it is shining clean and pure.
Help and protection is always
extended by the Master to his followers. He looks after
their comforts in every way, both outer and inner. Even the
effects of the reactions of the past—from the gallows to an
ordinary pim prick—so much concession is given. As the
mother sacrifices everything for the sake of her child, even
so does the Master sacrifice everything for the sake of his
children. The follower in fact does not dream of what the
Master does for him. He fills his followers with his own
thought, with his own life impulses. When we remember him,
he remembers us with all his heart and soul. He is not the
body. He is the Word personified, the Word made flesh. To
get the full benefit of the Master Power, the disciple must
develop receptivity. It is impossible to develop receptivity
until implicit obedience is given to the commandments of the
Master. When you pay heed to the Master's commandments, then
that is a sign that you are growing in love for him and the
more you grow in love for him, the more receptivity you will
develop.
When you begin to develop
this receptivity, all discomfort will vanish and you will
truly begin to tread the Path in the firm assurance that you
are on the right way, together with the loving companionship
of One who will demonstrate more and more his greatness and
his power on each step of the way until you find that it is
the very God Himself who is your Guide and Mentor, who will
never leave you until He has safely escorted you back to the
true home of the Father.
While on the way, one of the
main functions of the Master is to wind up the back karmas
of the disciple. It is through conscious contact with the
Sound Current only that the karmas of back lives can be
burnt away. This process is started at the time of holy
initiation, at which time the disciple is given a contact
with the Light and Sound Principle, or God-into-Expression
Power. To avoid opening a new account of bad deeds, the
disciple is enjoined to lead a clean life and weed out all
imperfections in him by self-introspection from day to day.
This is the sublime principle behind keeping the
diary,
which the disciple is asked to maintain in order to become
aware of the shortcomings which stand in his way to God.
Ego is the self-assertive
principle in man that makes him feel that "I do this" or "I
do that" When one rises above body consciousness and knows
himself and he becomes a conscious co-worker of the Divine
Plan, he sees that he is not the "doer" but is a mere puppet
in the hands of God, he will cease to be responsible for his
actions and will become jivan mukta, or a free
soul. The ego in man is part of the grand delusion that he
is laboring under. It will cease to act or will be nullified
only when a great degree of purity has been attained by the
disciple, in which all of his actions will reflect the
Master in him. Like Christ, he will proclaim, "I and my
Father are One." |