The Master tells that there is no spiritual progress, no spiritual development without humility. Humility before the Master takes many forms and feelings – as we have shared before, this world is light. As God is Light, as The Master is self-effulgent Light – humility takes shape and form before our family, friends, co-workers, neighbours, strangers, so-called experts, so-called spiritual leaders and Masters, many of whom are fakes and seek to belittle us in front of others in order to protect themselves. saranagatha is the Sanskrit word; when all is surrendered up to God, there is no self left to be apart from God.
(blue text is The Master speaking … )
Everything we have talked about so far and what we will yet say, serves teaching you constant turning towards Love. One of the barriers on this path is your ego – the ‘I’ awareness developed as a separate consciousness related to the body. There are different theories explaining its role and methods that allow you to reduce the influence of ego upon you. Today I will give one more technique, and the most effective technique, too. Reading this book, you have surely got used to My continual reference to Myself and constantly drawing your attention to Me and My Love. I do so because this is the best way in the current times. Focusing attention on God, learning about turning towards Him with Love is the surest guide on the spiritual path – now and in the future. It has always been that way. Note that your teachers and gurus may make mistakes, even if only because of the fact that they do not know your past, your hidden inclinations and the effects that various meditation practices may trigger. At best, they draw this knowledge from Divinity. Thus, is it not better to turn directly to Divinity, so that it guides all your actions and arranges your life for your good and the common good? Love for God will be your best guide on this side and on the other side of life.
Love for the loving-you-Creator is an exquisite means for dealing with problems of the ego. Ask Loving Divinity that it takes all your problems into itself and deals with them according to its wisdom and loving will. Ask that it frees you from the limitations of personality, that it moulds your modesty and humility towards the higher worlds and above all towards Love. Love will never refuse you this. Very soon you will see what Love does for you.
You created a civilisation and culture that makes you believe that the development of ego and fulfilling its whims are the supreme achievements and the outright duty of every human being. Nothing could be more wrong! The truth is the exact opposite of today’s public declarations and mottos.
The ego is to serve you, others, and first and foremost, God and His Love. Today it is your master, and you do not have sufficient spiritual strength to be able to rise above its subtle but iron-strong power. That is why meditation as the means of calming and restraining of the overgrown personality is so important. Turn to Me, embrace Me, and stay this way as long as possible, staying right next to the loving-you-Divinity. Should it so happen that you leave Me, simply try to come back and continue staying beside Me. My closeness alone will make all the layers of ego, behind which the inner Light is hidden, fall down, one by one. Contact with Me and My energy will help you cope with all the negativity which is still buried within you. The meditation I described is very powerful and leads to quick spiritual cleansing. Know that this process may be painful for your personalities. While turning towards Me remember that I always respond to your requests. If life gets too difficult for you because events take a bad turn, then just tell Me about it, perhaps something can be done with it. Do so, because I want to develop in you the wonderful habit of turning with requests to your loving Creator.
And now questions, please.
The first question is how do we develop humility in oneself?
This is a good and appropriate question. Humility is one of bases of spirituality. The presence of humility signals the end of problems with the ego. The lives of people gifted with humility are much easier. They create and have considerably fewer problems than others. The only recipe for humility is turning towards Me and the request that I take care of this issue. Nothing else, no technique, not even the most sophisticated method, is able to do what I can do for you. Ask Me for humility before life, and before God, and that I shape you the way I wish. Remember also about the meditations that are described here: the meditation in My arms, and the meditation of Light in your heart. My energies will help you burn up everything that is negative — your pride and arrogance – irrespective of how big, covert and insidious they are.
I once asked you for humility. Perhaps it was the next day; during a conversation someone kind of chided me, so that I could not pull myself together through the rest of that day. I was under the impression that it was You who had broken something inside me.
If you remember the events of that day well enough, you would not have any doubt at all that it was Me who inspired the dialogue and said the words that had hit you so badly. Moreover, they broke, as you say, the strong resistance of ego. It was not pleasant, I know this very well, but since you have asked, know that I did it solely for your good. I did it out of love.
Yes dear Baba, I have no doubt about it, whatsoever. You are so beloved and You give exactly what is needed. Sometimes we simply need bitter or very bitter medicines. In no way does this impinge on You and your Love, on your tenderness for us. This I already know. Then, despite the pain I felt for the whole day, at the same time I was somehow glad that this very important operation was over and that I could be closer to You.
Yes, My dears, I am exclusively Love.
One remark is in order. If you had followed My hints earlier and constantly proceeded towards Me, or at least tried to turn with Love to Me instead of opening onto the pain you were feeling, it would have been much easier for you, and all the unpleasant consequences would have disappeared quickly. However some part of you deemed the pain exceptionally acute so that it should be borne through to the end, until it wore off. I am not denying justice to such an approach but I am bringing your attention to the fact that there are higher values than suffering due to mistakes of the past.
Even if you think that suffering turns you towards Me or for some reason is deserved or beneficial, know that compared to turning towards Love it does not mean so much. In such situations get up quickly and continue moving forward; do not keep Love waiting for you for so long. Do not pay so much attention to yourselves and your own experiences. Love is waiting. Come in.
Baba, besides that, I was happy You answered my request in such a swift manner. This impressed me a lot, also. I know I can always count on You. An answer to the request for a good thing always comes. Is it also the same when I ask in favour of others?
Yes, yes, yes.
I love You, Baba.
I love you and love each of you. I love you, the reader, and trust that someday you will find enough strength in yourself to even more fully turn towards Love. Love has no borders, Love is borderless Light, Love is the essence of the universe. The Love is the Creator.
One more question. Years ago I started learning humility by doing bows before You. This was meditation accompanied by the bows. Maybe such a combination would be helpful to the readers, or is it better to meditate according to what You have said in the beginning – in your closeness?
You can bow – only do it with devotion. You may approach Me doing the meditations described here. Reading books and following ‘truths’ revealed in them are not crucial for finding the right path. Turning to God whom you have in your hearts is. Ask Him to show you your path and then persist asking time and time again what is necessary to make the next step towards Him. Do ask … God who is in your heart will hear.
Pray and meditate offering the fruits of this work to the Highest One who loves you. Listen intently to His voice. Meditate, listen and love. Get closer to the Creator. Embrace Him as if He is your closest and most dedicated friend. And remain that way. While reading these words make efforts within to turn the mind towards the Creator and stay close to Him. Learn to maintain awareness of His closeness during your regular daily activities. Keep saying your prayers and submitting requests to Him asking for help. He will not deny. The Creator is the most tender Being in the world.
Dear Baba, I would like to ask You about a few things.
Ask, ask.
The first question is about how readers should treat the subject-matter given here by You. Is it to be taken as your voice, the conclusive answer with reference to essential issues, or rather, as a hint to think over?
Good question. My voice is in everyone’s heart. If you know how to reach the depth of your heart and, moreover, you show that you respect Me by putting what I tell you on the inner level into effect, then treat My words given here as helpful hints for your path. They are given for the sake of a wide group of people, thus not everything here may be needed for you in particular.
If you cannot yet hear My voice, then by studying My answers you are on the right track to recognise the voice sometime and apply in practice what it tells. Then, the book will cease being the guide for you because you will already have Me. Until then, it would be good if you, at least from time to time, reach for this book, asking Me to pass to you through this medium what I have to say. You may of course also avail yourself of other literature in the same way.
The phrase ‘My conclusive voice’ is too general. Everyone has this voice inside, usually, either you do not know about it, or you turn away from it following the voice of your own ideas or those of others instead. The inner voice definitely solves all problems and dispels all doubts at a given time. It does not mean that at some other time the solution has to be the same, or that it must be the same for all.
Keep turning towards Love. Ask Divinity to teach you how to love It. This is most important; all the rest results from this one step — the step made with love to the heart where God resides.
Thank you, Master, for this wonderful answer. The second question concerns relating to You. Can You, please, explain how You would like to be treated by us? Every religion says something, and different books pass on different opinions and there is a lot of confusion.
Chaos in your minds and hearts has been your natural state for a long time. This is the outcome of combining egoism with spirituality, which is due to ignorance of where the border between what is individual and what is Divine lies. People writing books and studying theology have based their work on other people who have written books and studied theology. Nobody, in the long succession of ‘students’, researchers and finally teachers who teach others, has ever asked Me how I would like to be perceived by you.
Egoism, consisting of favouring one’s own or group interest and neglecting the truth that you are all immersed in the loving God, has contributed to this state of affairs. Representatives of your religions were more interested in holding on to their own privileges and power than in turning towards Light and Love. And here we have the effect — darkness being authoritatively served as Light. Your religions have tried to engage Me in political games and fights for power. Today, changing this situation involves enormous suffering for thousands of people. You are more attached to your ideas and imaginations than to the Truth, to religion instead of God, to doctrines instead of the Living Source, which you have always been carrying within your hearts. Breaking of attachments is painful. The question is: What is it that you want? Do you want the apparent peace and safety that religion provides, or contact with Divinity? Find the answer yourselves.
After this introduction let us move to the reply to your question. The first part of the answer is love. Love yields respect and devotion. Humility is their companion. Be modest. This is enough for now on this subject. Let us move forward and talk about attachments.
Master, can I … ? I have one more question. Religion is something very important in life of many people.
It is wrong if religion is more important than God. You may abandon everything and everybody for Him. And if you want to taste Him and experience His love, then the time comes when you must abandon all religions and approach Him with love and confidence, leaving aside all that people have thought out.
If your problem is “Which way to go?” ask yourselves a simple question: “What is more important, God or religion?” And remember; do not let your answer be affected by any fear, even to the smallest degree. God does not scare anybody. God loves and provides with care. Love does not manipulate and does not have to win influence on you in any insidious way. Love shares itself and gives happiness.
Taken from Conversations with the Master, Book 1, First Steps Towards Love. http://www.loving-divinity.com refers.
