FOUR THINGS OF LASTING VALUE

 
The things of lasting value for the Path are:

(1) Divine Love;
(2) Obedience to a Perfect Master;
(3) Absolute sincere and whole-hearted service to others;
(4) True renunciation of all worldly things, leaving no room for thoughts other than of God, the only Reality.

Divine love is purely a gift from God to man. It is not only the richest of all gifts on earth or in heaven, but it is indeed so rare that very, very few are blessed with it. It is beyond all prayers, beyond all wishing and willing on the part of man.

Contact with a Perfect Master is never equally available to all men at all times. It is only the really fortunate ones who come across a Perfect Master during their life time, and the few most fortunate ones who live their lives in obedience to him. The Perfect Master Jalaluddin Rumi says that one moment passed in the company of a saint is infinitely better than a hundred years of sincere prayers and penance. Remember, he refers only to saints — the least you can say about a Perfect Master is that he is a maker of saints!

Selfless service and true renunciation are open to all but possible only to the true heroes amongst men.

For those to whom any of the above four — which constitute the essential marrow for an aspirant of the Path — is not possible, the last and least best thing is to take recourse to the bare bones of one's religion and live one's life in accordance with it.

The best thing for the mandali is to obey me and go on obeying me to the last . . . I know how difficult that is . . . I do not often obey Me myself . . . but even if a few amongst you succeed in really obeying your Baba, you will indeed make him truly great.