The shortest and easiest way toward God-realization is that of the seeker who has the good fortune to be accepted as a disciple by a Perfect Master. Only a Perfect Master, who is the veritable incarnation of Divinity, can awaken in the individual the fire of Divine Love, which consumes in its flames the lesser desires of the body, mind and world, all of which must be completely relinquished before Perfection can be realized. The only requirement is complete surrender to His supreme will, perseverance, love, courage and trust in Him.

One of the best and easiest ways of overcoming the ego, and of attaining Divine or Christ-Consciousness, is to purify and deepen our love, and widen continually the circle of those we love, and to render selfless service to humanity at large, to the best of one's ability. But that alone is real service, where there is no thought of self at all. Selfless service may not only bring one to the mystical mountain, the summit of which is Self-Realization, but may enable one to ascend a large part of it, just as it may not only bring one into contact with a Perfect Master, but may drive one to surrender to Him.

Although absolutely selfless service is possible only to Perfect Masters, spiritually imperfect, but sincere persons, must do their level best to be as selfless as possible. All ethical and religious practices ultimately lead up to this. Our animal desires are gradually sublimated if we live more for others and less for ourselves, and our crude sense of ego is gradually diminished and transmuted. He who, driven by love, thinking as little as he can of his own self, and regarding all as the forms of the One Self, serves others, regardless of caste, creed and colour, is a Karma yogi, though he may not be intentionally aspiring to Self-realization.

Doubts may assail such persons, difficulties they may have to face, disappointments they may have to meet, but they would be false to themselves if owing to doubts, difficulties or disappointments, they stop practicing all possible service, in other words, Karma yoga. Regardless of results, they must go on working, all the while thinking that they are but doing their duty for God, and it is God Himself that makes them work; never thinking, "I am doing this," and "I am doing that," while serving others. The finite egotism comes into play as soon as that "I" takes hold of one's mind. The ego persists till the last stage of the Path or Gnosis. Not until the seventh stage of the Path is reached and God-consciousness is achieved, can the ego be completely transmuted from finite to Infinite. It is only in this stage that the false "I" (individual ego) disappears for good and the Real "I" reappears for all time. This is the state of "Christ-Consciousness," to which Jesus referred when He said, "I and My Father are One;'' and which implies living simultaneously in the Infinite and in the finite.

(NOTE: More chapters from this book are printed in the next issue, Volume_15,_N. 3&4_p.6) - webmaster