"When connected with my work or carried out under my instructions, all prayers—whether carried out mechanically or in the true spirit-are helpful to my work. When prayers are offered in the spirit in which A. offered them, they help me greatly . . . Those who have been participating in maintaining the continuity of prayers (japa) day and night as desired by me, should go on doing so at least up to the end of April . . . if possible, I would prefer them to be continued for the next three months, till July end.

The japas and tapas (prayers and penances) as carried out by Rishis and Munis (saints and sages) for interminable periods have a significance of their own . . . all other so-called prayers offered mechanically have no true value for an aspirant to the Path of God-realization."

The things of lasting value for the Path are: (I) 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 lifetime, 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