which liberates consciousness from its bondage is very rare. Many worldly people, who seem to have devoted their lives to the service of humanity are actually serving their desires. They are really trying to achieve greatness or fame. Even when service is rendered with the sole idea of conferring some benefit upon others, the veil of duality is still there. In spiritual service, there is no room for obliging anyone. On the contrary, the person who renders spiritual service should feel that he is himself being obliged by being given the opportunity to serve. Even this phase, however, has in it a shadow of slight illusion, for the thought of separateness from those who are served, is still there, though not in aggravated or aggressive form. In perfect service, there is no thought of any separateness between the one who serves and the one who is being served. But such service is possible only for the God-Man.

Ordinarily, the universal mind of the Master is linked up both with the world and with God. It is ceaselessly active even without the interruptions of sleep, which bring psycho-physical rest to ordinary persons. If the Master wants to have rest from his work, he has to get away from the world. But as soon as he does this his universal mind has a tendency to get merged in the Truth. The link with the world is in danger of being snapped altogether. This difficulty is usually surmounted by taking recourse to physical activity like climbing mountains or running or playing. Such physical activity gives him the much needed interval of psychic rest or relaxation without snapping his link with the world.

It is for the Master to take the disciple to the heights of attainment, when he is willing to tread the Path. But the choice of whether or not he is going to tread the Path rests with the disciple. It is for the Master to give the clarion call of "Awake! Arise or remain fallen forever!" and to precipitate the awareness of the urgent need for spiritual advancement. It is for the disciple to pay heed to his clarion call and gird up his loins for treading the arduous spiritual path which is far from being a bed of roses.

The spiritual line requires a readiness to face the severest of difficulties. It requires an iron will and a heart which does not melt at the sight of worldly scenes, but which remains firm on the Path. One yogi actually saw his wife jumping from the gallery to the floor and dying for him, but he remained unmoved by the attractions of maya and did not stop even to look at her. He steadied his mind only in his Master's command that he was to give up everything and follow him. The Path often calls for such resoluteness. The disciple must be able to face the blame or the ridicule of the world as if it were only the chirping of birds. He should be able to stick to his considered decision in the face of all opposition.

Once the disciple makes up his mind to stick to his Master and follow him, he should not allow any other worldly considerations to derail him