Baba says, ‘While moving along, some children put aside the Seed and become attracted to the branches and twigs.’

There are those who are merged in love with the Father and then those who simply have love for the Father, says Baba. Those who are merged in love with the Father- to them, the Father is their entire world. Without any effort, their love automatically goes to the One they have love for. But those who have love- their love is sometimes connected, sometimes it is broken. They therefore have to repeatedly make effort to reconnect their love again.

This is because, for them, the Father is not their whole world. Together with love for the Father, I also have love for some people or for some facilities. Then, at that time, I experience the people or facilities to be a greater support than even the Father. It’s not that I forget the Father, no. I still retain the love for the Father in my thoughts and even understand that the Father’s love is the most elevated, but then I also think that it is necessary to have the support of facilities or of other people. And so my love is incomplete in both directions and I have to re-connect my love again and again. Instead of experiencing all attainments through love for the Father, I am attracted by the temporary attainment of other supports. They attract me to such an extent that I even consider them to be essential; I don’t consider them to be an attachment, but a support.

It’s as if, despite knowing the seed, I am attracted to the branches and twigs. Baba says, ‘it’s because the color and form of a seed is not beautiful, whereas the color and form of the branches and twigs are very beautiful.’

When I perform a task, when I am merged in love, I don’t wait for applause, I simply do what I need to and leave. My attitude throughout is: I am simply an instrument of the Father. He is getting everything done. Success nor failure belongs to me, it is His. But then, being an instrument is not all that attractive in Ravan’s world; here, it is all about show and tell. So I wonder if others know of what I did and how well I did it. I secretly crave for the instrument teacher’s attention or the boss’s attention. If they know, then I get applauded, praised, recognized through words and physical reward. It’s all very exciting!; on the other hand, if its just the Father who knows, there is none of that pomp; I simply did my part.

Similarly, I think: ‘Thank you Baba that you have given me such a beautiful home to live in..’ but somewhere in my mind, I also think: ‘but it would have been nice to have an air conditioner, and a maid to help around the home….’. It’s not that I am not grateful to Baba, I really am, but I also want more. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it, I think it’s essential. On the one hand I say: ‘I will sit wherever you make me sit, I will go wherever…’ but I also let Him know all the things ‘I need’. I forget that He is my Father and already knows what I need and when I need it.

In my mind, I think: ‘Baba, You are my one Trust and one Support’ and I even mean it but it doesn’t stop me from also thinking and plotting about how to get into the good books of that senior teacher or that executive. If only I could get close to that teacher, I would get more opportunities to serve on a bigger platform. If I could somehow make this exec aware of my skills, he could open new doors for me. That would mean more money, more influence, more… etc. I am so blinded in that moment that I forget that doors are not opened by human beings, they are opened by God and that He happens to be my very own Father! I know the Seed Himself! He does things quietly, in an incognito way, at the right time. He doesn’t open doors when I think I am ready, He opens them when He thinks I am ready. He first works on me – maybe on increasing my faith, building up my character….- and gets me prepared for what’s on the other side of the door. Without the preparation, I would most certainly fail and my Father only wants me to succeed. But when I forget, I take matters into my own hands and look to other people for support.

Similarly, when I lose a job or a contract, I immediately panic: ‘what will happen now? how will I survive?’ or there is a re-org at the office and I am now moved into a different team and so I wonder: ‘how will I progress without so-and-so on my team?’. I forget, in that moment, Who my Source is. Sure, the job or the contract was the means through which I received a paycheck but they are not the source, God is. He is the One Who got me the job in the first place. If that door is now shut, then there is no more need of that in my journey. He knows how to open the next door. Similarly, my progress at work or growth at a center is not dependent on a few specific people being there; my support is God alone. He is my Source, the job, the contract etc. is simply the delivery mechanism; if one is gone, another will show up.

And thus, explains Baba, as you move along, you let go of the Seed and become attracted to the twigs and branches. You either makes souls or facilities as your support for peace, happiness and contentment without realizing that this is inheritance you can receive only from the Father, not from brothers. He is the basis of all attainments, He is the Creator, the facilities are the creation. I know all this intellectually but I become body conscious anyway, even against my own wish. I understand that it is not right but make others my support anyway. This, Baba says, is like the story of the parrot who was told not to sit on the tap. However, the parrot continued to sit on the tap even as it repeated that it shouldn’t sit on the tap! You too, Baba says, think in your own mind that you belong to the one Father and none other, you even repeat this to yourself again and again but together with this, you also rely on other supports. ‘This is when Maya takes her chance‘, explains Baba, ‘she transforms your intellect to such an extent that you experience a false support to be the real support.‘

Baba says, ‘now increase the experience of the Father being the physical support, giving you co-operation in a practical way, in every situation, even in your physical life.’ The Father alone always has to be the support that I rely on. He has to be all my relationships. Only then will I remain safe. Else, I will be deceived by the temporary support in one way or another. Sometimes I make the mistake of thinking that Baba is incorporeal, He is subtle, while my needs are physical. Yes, He is incorporeal and subtle but He knows very well how to be my physical support. I can experience, on a daily basis, His company in the physical form in every situation. If I were to just reflect back, I’d find innumerable instances where I thought: ‘Phew! thank You Baba. You just saved me’ or when I said: ‘that was Baba’s magic, He got me in the right place at the right time’ or ‘I don’t know how I got this idea, it was Baba..’

So, says Baba, understand this experience in depth and make yourself strong in this. Then, people, things and facilities will not attract you to themselves. Now, increase, the experience of using the facilities just for name sake and of using them for service as detached observers, says Baba. Do not make them your support, but simply use them for name sake. This is known a a soul who is merged in love and is equal.