Subtlest Means
THE TIME has come that the man is awakened to the need of Spirituality. The force of creation has created outward tendencies in man. That is why, in course of time, he has created several worlds, which has resulted in making him complex. The present imperfect state of mind is the result of his own doings. Unfortunately, the basic fact that God is simple and can be achieved by simple means is lost sight of. It has been preached from almost all platforms that realisation of Absolute is beyond the capacity of the common man. This mistaken notion, prompted by self-styled gurus, has settled down in almost everybody's heart; and today they have even lost the craving for higher aspirations.
I wish to impress upon you that the common man has as much right and capacity to realise God as those sitting in the hierarchy of religion, rather more. What is needed is a correct and natural path followed with complete devotion. Sahaj Marg urges upon people to realise this simple truth and apply it in their routine of life.
God is the Subtlest Being and in order to realise Him, the subtlest means are the only way. This does not mean for realising God, one has to ignore the needs of physical body or empirical world. If perchance we fall upon the means, which go on adding grossness, we shall definitely remain away from the Vision of Absolute Reality. It is an established fact that meditation is a subtle method provided, the object of meditation is not concrete. That is why, under Sahaj Marg, we advise to meditate supposing the presence of Divine Light in the heart. The Upanishads also corroborate this. This practice, supported by the Transmission of the Divine Effulgence, becomes subtler and subtler until it becomes the Subtlest.
The job of the teacher is the component factor in weaving the destiny of man's life. It is a fact beyond doubt that an abhyasi cannot go above by his own effort after a certain level of improvement, because he comes in contact with the subtle force which he cannot cross. In the lower stages also, it becomes difficult, if he proceeds by his own effort. The human consciousness is there, which only he is aware of. He is to go into the Divine Consciousness, one after the other, which will ultimately lead him to the Goal.
It is our sad tale that we do not even think of Divinity in the Real State, because we have not yet created the environment of that type. We go backward to darkness instead of going face to face with Light and we boast of it. So we remain far away from Reality. We do not want to listen, even if these things are brought to our view, because we have lost the power of discrimination, affected by the present environment, created by ungodly god-persons. I believe, things will change, if humanity is to rise — and humanity has to rise — whether it may be by the lash of time or by experience, which will take sometime.
In Bangalore, on June 20th, 1967