not mean that the subtle-conscious soul does not take a gross form or dwell in the gross world with his gross body, (but) that the consciousness of the soul is no longer entangled with the gross form or gross world and that it is chiefly engrossed in the subtle world. "Baba makes an arresting contrast: “The subtle-conscious aspirant, though linked up with the gross world, gets wafted to the subtle planes . . . (but) ghosts, though severed from the gross body, gravitate to the gross world . . . Thus, in a sense, the subtle-conscious soul is an inverted ghost."

In speaking of the kundalini, "The name for the power latent in the individual soul," Baba says: "The awakened kundalini, cannot by itself take anyone to the seventh plane. The awakened kundalini is helpful only up to certain degree . . . It cannot dispense with the need for the grace of Perfect Master."

Calling the creation-point of the infinite God the OM, Baba makes this interesting semantic equation of OM, Amen and Amin: "The sacred words Amin and Amen are frequent at the end of Muslim and Christian prayers. They both mean 'So be it.' Coming from a man, 'So be it' is a blessing or a wish; but coming from God, it is creation. Creation is God's Amen or Amin, i.e., an immediate and instantaneous fulfillment of His will into actuality. The Arabic word Amin comes from the root Omn, which means safety or peace."

Perhaps the most fascinating chapter for the student of Baba is the one in which Baba explains the relationship of the Avatar and the First Master. In this chapter also, Baba gives the reason subsequent Masters need a Master's help for God-Realization and discusses the veil placed upon the Avatar by the five Perfect Master’s of the cycle who bring Him down, as well as another veil which the Avatar places upon Himself.

In a long chapter on the orders in the spiritual universe, Baba explains that there are grades of laws which supervene upon one another so that a miracle is not an exception to the existing laws of the universe" and not a "violation" of them, but "the suppression of ordinary and known laws of nature by the supernatural and unknown laws of the inner spheres." But the only true miracle is that of divine grace, "which transcends all the graded orders," and through which sins are forgiven. —VIRGINIA RUDD.

"Beams," published on December 5th by Baba’s request, comes just in time for the ideal Christmas gift for a Baba-lover or for a newcomer to his teachings. Copies may be ordered through John Bass or the Sufi Centers.