1st and further steps in spirituality

[dattaswami]

1st and further steps in spirituality

 

If you want to progress in the spiritual line, you should not look back and feel satisfied. Then, you will see the ground by looking back and get satisfied with your position on the first higher step. With this satisfaction, you will sit on the first step forever. I therefore, appreciate people following the tradition with real love for fruit, which shows false love to God. My appreciation to these beginning devotees is with reference to the atheists sitting on the ground. A teacher should appreciate the student for his success in achieving the first higher step from the ground.

 

This gives confidence and encouragement to the student. But, if the teacher stops with this appreciation only, the student will sit on the first step only forever without looking forward towards the second higher step. Therefore, the teacher should immediately show the second step and criticize the student for not climbing the second higher step. The student can sit on the first step for some time to take rest for putting the efforts to climb it from the ground. But he should not sit on the first step only lifelong! Hence, the treatment of a teacher towards the student should be a mixture of cold water (appreciation) in the summer and hot water (criticism) in winter.

 

Winter follows the summer. Criticism should follow the appreciation. Therefore, it is My duty to open the eyes of the people of instrumental devotion towards climbing the next step of goal-devotion. In the first step it is one way - traffic of aspiring the flow of love from God towards devotee. In the second step also it is one way-traffic only, but it is flow of love from devotee to God without any aspiration for fruit. All My efforts in preaching the spiritual knowledge are only for just change of direction of devotion. The material of devotion is not changed except its direction. In instrumental devotion you want God to love you without aspiration for any service from you. In goal-devotion God wants that you should love Him without aspiration for any fruit from Him.