Baba says, ‘Until they know the Father, their doubts cannot end.’

The first basis of knowledge is to recognize the Father, that is, to discern that this task that is being carried out is the Father’s. And so, first of all, the power to discern is essential. It comes from studying well. The knowledge is the light that shows me true from false, it dispels the darkness and allows me to see things as they are, clearly. This is why the power to discern is also known as the stage of being knowledge-full.

In any school, there is an aim and objective. Students know what they are studying for, they know what degree they will attain: ‘I will become a surgeon’ or ‘I will become a lawyer’ etc. Similarly, in this unlimited school run by God Himself, I have the aim and objective of changing from human into deity. Deities are those whose sanskars, nature are God like. So surely, it must be God who is teaching me to make me like Him; there can be no doubt in this. Also, at this time in the cycle, it takes one look around to see the state of human beings- degraded, impure, corrupt, unrighteous. In other words, they are the exact opposite of what a deity is. Therefore, no human being – be it a guru or sannyasi, because they are impure themselves, can perform this impossible task of changing a completely vicious, degraded human being into a completely viceless, elevated deity. Only God can, only He is the Ever Pure One. This is why the praise is: it didn’t take God long to change humans into deities.

Many expect God to come with a lot of pomp and show- loud thunder and lightning flashes, maybe a voice from the skies. But God comes in an ordinary way, in an old impure and ordinary body. He is so subtle and comes so unannounced that no one even knows the exact time of His arrival. And He doesn’t always stay in the body He enters; rather, He comes and goes as needed. Unlike the sages and gurus who have an entourage wherever they go, God comes to meet His children. And so many think: is this really God?

This, Baba says simply, is a study. There is no need for visions or sounds or anything else. God comes and changes me into a deity through teaching me Raja Yoga. He comes and reminds me of who I am- that I am a pure soul, gives me His own introduction and reveals to me the secrets of the beginning, middle and end of the cycle. When I imbibe this knowledge, I am able to set forth on the pilgrimage of remembrance. I start to reawaken my truth that was dormant for half a cycle based on the light I have received. As my truth awakens, I shed my attachments to the old world or the falsehoods and attach myself to the one Father.

To understand the knowledge intellectually is easy, even little kids can do this. But to be able to become an embodiment is not like going to your aunty’s home. To obey His directions, no matter ‘what I think’ or ‘how I feel’ takes courage and faith. To stay on the pilgrimage even when everything around me seems to be falling apart also takes courage and faith. Without faith, there is no victory but even for faith, I first need courage. But many children start out on the journey with God feeling intoxicated about the aim and objective but along the way, they find it difficult to follow the directions. Without following directions, there is no change and when there is no change, that initial faith I had when I came decreases. They come thinking that because they now belong to God, things will be smooth and easy, that all their desires for success and glory in the world will be fulfilled; while they understand that transformation is the aim, they still want glory and recognition in the old world and they go to God for it. But God is the Purifier, He is here to purify souls and establish the new deity religion; He is not a consultant for success in Ravan’s world. So they feel cheated and think: ‘if this is God, He would have helped me’.

God says, ‘even amongst the children, only a handful know Me as I am accurately.’ As soon as they have doubts about Who is teaching, they stop studying and leave. Baba says, ‘this is an important examination. You need a lot of courage to pass it.’ Maya is such that one minute I have faith, the next minute, she plants seeds of doubt. Those who leave never realize and therefore never admit, that they developed doubt because they didn’t study well; instead, they blame the study and say: ‘this study is wrong, it is all lies.’ They thus push others away from the Father and their rightful inheritance as well. It is said that those with doubtful intellects are led to destruction, they cannot claim a high status. Unless I have faith that I am a soul, not this body, I cannot have faith in God Who is the Supreme Father of souls. I will be too caught up in the expansion of the body- roles, relationships, name, fame, titles and all the other traps of Maya to be able to connect with Him.

Some experience obstacles along the way and thereby develop doubt. For example, they say: ‘I don’t have faith in this instrument teacher.’ Not all teachers are equal – that’s a fact but that doesn’t mean I stop studying! This is not the instrument teacher’s study, this is the Father’s study. He is my Supreme Teacher and the instruments simply relate His knowledge to me. But if I allow myself to forget this truth, I will stop studying. Then I cause defamation and a bigger harm is done.

I die a living death when I come to the Father but if I develop doubts, it’s as if I die another living death and go back into Ravan’s world. This is my new birth, I come here to belong to God and go into the new world for which the foundation is being laid now. I myself become God’s helper and make Bharat heaven through my body, mind and wealth. But it is I, the soul that will go there, not this body, this role or status. I, the soul, am now imbibing the true knowledge of becoming the true Narayan and only the Godfather can teach me this. Why? because only God is Truth because only He knows the truth. He is incorporeal, never comes into the cycle of birth or death and so never forgets. He is in constant realization and helps me to realize as well. When I do, I change from an ordinary human into Narayan, that is, I claim my full birthright. ‘Now sit in front of the pictures and think about all these things’, says Baba.

He says, ‘Everyone has become trapped in the kingdom of Maya. The Father has now come to release you from that. Some don’t want to be released, so what can the Father do?‘ This is why the Father says: If you want to see the most unfortunate ones, see those who stop studying here. They have doubtful intellects and kill themselves for many births. This happens when their fortune becomes spoilt. When there are bad omens, then, instead of becoming beautiful, they become ugly.’ Many come to the Father but then it takes courage to stay with Him, to become His child and claim my rights. If I don’t become His child, then it is as if I remain a bud and never blossom into the fragrant flower that I am meant to be.

So the question is: ‘what is my relationship with the Supreme Father, the Supreme Soul?’ Everything depends on how I answer this question.