all his worldly engagements he should ever be alert on the Lord. The more he can remember the object of the heart-worship, along with the routine work of his everyday life, the better for him. Besides reiterating the name of the Almighty in the ordinary manner, the seeker of the subjective, spiritual sidelights in the second, more advanced stage of Bhakti Yoga should make it a rule to retire into a dark room all alone for about a couple of hours every night. During this period of retirement he must try to avoid all thoughts save that of "I want You, 0 Lord," and repeat continuously any one of the names of the Almighty which he has adopted for the purpose of Nam-Smaran.

This is the best course open for those who neither feel satisfied with objective worship, nor can afford to renounce all for God. If sincerely followed, this intermediate practice is bound to bear fruit sooner or later and provide the aspirant with the subjective "glimpses" of the great Reality in some way or another. For instance, one may be able to see or hear without using the gross organs of sight and sound; or perhaps even get established on the Path itself.

But for the few who insist, from the very depth of their souls and from the innermost core of their heart, on seeing the Reality actually face to face, at all costs and consequences, there is but one way. And that is complete renunciation. Such heroes must not only possess the indomitable courage of renouncing the world, forsaking all possessions and properties, tearing up all external connections, but also of practicing internal renunciation, which means giving up all desires and passions, but entertaining the aspiration for God-realization.

After renouncing fully and faithfully, both in the letter and spirit of the word, as described above, the hero-aspirant must either surrender himself completely to a Perfect Master, in whom he has faith; or retire for good in a forest, or on a mountain, or along the riverside, with the name of the Lord on his lips, with the thought of God in his mind, with the aspiration of seeing Him in his heart. In short, until the aspirant comes to the goal, or the guide—a living Perfect Master,—he should lead the life of renunciation, wandering or sitting in solitude, ever ready to lay down his life in the cause of his aspiration. But this does not mean he should never feel hungry or wherever or whenever food is available he should avoid it. Renunciation certainly means that one should, among other things, cease to think about food. But hunger is not always the result of thinking.