Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan- April. 24

Implicit Obedience Ensures "belonging" to a Saint
No less important than the need to live is that of getting to know the creator. Who can escape criticism of the world? One who devotes himself to spiritual life is charged with neglecting worldly life; we had best ignore such comment. The only cause of real regret can be that one does not yet belong to God. One who accepts the Lord's doing and will, cannot but come by good. We should feel contented in whatever circumstances God keeps us. God is bliss itself, and it is in the very nature of all creation to lead everyone and everything to that bliss. There is scope for blissfulness even in the midst of the direst poverty. In fact, man cannot survive without some degree of joy. When every being is of that eternal bliss, whence comes this bugbear of sorrow? If I feel sorrow, there must be something wrong with me. The liberated never feels doubt as to whether he is right or wrong, because he is one with God. The spiritual ignoramus simply discounts the existence of God, and never suspects himself to be in the wrong; he assumes the authorship of whatever he does. Qualms are only felt by the mumukshu. When the qualms become acute, a saint comes along to quell them. This only happens where there is considerable store of past merit.
We should live as is meant for one "belonging" to the saints, that is, as one who has none but the saints to support him. Such a person acts scrupulously within their behests. We should not imitate their actions but act as directed by them. Cultivating association with the eternal truth is identical with the company of saints. To act without attachment to anything is the mark of a liberated soul. There is no cause for sorrow when we give up the desire to "have" or "not have" anything.
To feel the presence of the sadguru whatever we are, and to get perfect contentment in that feeling, is the true grace of the sadguru. What devout faith can achieve is unobtainable even by austere penance. Understand once and for all that the guru is identical with the Supreme Being, and there is no better spiritual exercise than implicit obedience to him; it is as good as penance, and we need feel no desire to do anything else by way of spiritual practice.

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