"Real Bhakti or devotion is when one forgets oneself. Real Karma yoga (service) is              when one forgets oneself."

The Bhakti (devotion) or Karma-yoga (deeds of service) must all be selfless. Then, and then alone, is one said to have found a true path. Then alone do sparks of light from Beyond fall on the mind: the sparks of Light, Knowledge, Power and Perfect Bliss; and one is enabled to proceed gradually towards the goal.

Then one does acquire some powers; if one gets in the clutches of these powers and misuses them to perform miracles, one is doomed. If one is fortunate enough to escape the allure of using these powers, which are like rays of the sun, he can reach the goal, and become one with the Sun. Then one is the Sun, one is in all places where there are Rays, practically everywhere.

The Aid of the Guru

 

 

Suppose one aspirant is in the fourth place--is not in the third, second, first or anywhere except in the fourth—a small ray. Although he is a ray of the Sun, he is not the Sun itself. For he has no knowledge that he is a ray of the Sun; but when he becomes one with the Sun, he realizes he is the Sun, and is everywhere in all the rays.

All this is very hard to achieve without the aid of a Sadguru. Hence, even an important personality in the world, a Mahatma, like Ghandaji, who really does seek for Light and Realization, wants to have a guru.* Because a Karma-yogin, however resolute, sincere and painstaking he may be in his service to the world, is after all imperfect, and hence he gambles. Although he knows in his heart he is sure to succeed, he has a little doubt ever haunting him as to whether his gamble will pay off.

One may be really sincere in all his Karma yoga efforts, his service to humanity; however, a little doubt as to whether he is on the right track never leaves him. It is there as long as he is imperfect, even if multitudes follow him, But they are as ignorant as he, perhaps more so, as they also grope in the dark in the absence of any definite knowledge or experience of the true path to be followed to the goal of Realization.

The enthusiastic devotee of Truth is sure to falter as to the accuracy and correctness of the path he has hitherto followed, as long as his mind, body, and powers are finite and imperfect. Every time he has to consult his inner conscience as to whether he is on the right track or has gone astray.

However, with all these doubts and imperfections, one must make sincere efforts at service to all, without the least consideration of self. All Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga and Dnyan yoga must be done with no thought of self. Then one is sure to meet a real Sadguru. The only requisite is to think ''I am doing nothing," even while doing the greatest services to humanity. Otherwise, if that "I" says with vanity "I did this" or "I did that," there comes that cursed egotism which practically destroys the result of the Punya (good actions) of all the services rendered.

*Ghandaji contacted Meher Baba several times