Baba says, ‘The Father’s shrimat is: Children, don’t look at anyone’s defects. Have the aim of becoming virtuous and of making others virtuous.’ 

This study is called Raja Yoga; it is a study to change from ordinary human into Narayan, says Baba. But there is a step in between. I cannot become Narayan before I become an angel first. An angel means a child of God. An angel is one whose entire world is the Father, that is, they have completely renounced the old world. The old world is based on body consciousness and where there is body consciousness, there are vices. To become an angel is to therefore, renounce the vices and become an embodiment of virtues. The one Father has the maximum virtues and so an angel, being the child, emulates the Father and embodies all His virtues.

‘To be an embodiment of virtues‘, Baba says, ‘means to be virtuous and see virtues in everyone.‘ When I an embodiment of virtues, then my vision and attitude will be pure and clean such that I only see the virtues of others. It’s not that I’m ignorant or that I don’t see or understand defects but rather, my intellect will not imbibe anyone’s defects, that is, I will not allow them to take root within me. In this way, I become a holy swan, says Baba. Even while recognizing stones, I don’t pick them up. In fact, with the power of virtues I have attained, I will try to remove the defects of other souls and help them to become virtuous too because I have, from the Father, the sanskars of being a master bestower.

But sometimes I think, ‘yes, I want to be a bestower but it’s hard when the external behavior of the other soul is not so good.’ And so part of being a holy swan, Baba teaches, is also to be able to discern clearly the intention of the other soul and adjust accordingly. When I know their intention, then, Baba teaches, I will never be influenced by their ordinary or wasteful nature. The intention of every soul is to be a good Brahmin; when I keep this in my awareness, then I find it easy to forgive, to merge and maintain my good wishes and pure feelings. This is what it means to be one with a swan attitude, explains Baba. To constantly have an elevated and benevolent attitude towards each soul: while hearing and seeing ‘non-benevolent’ things of each soul, being able to transform that non-benevolence. In the same way, when it comes to my vision, Baba says, ‘always have a pure and elevated love for every soul. No matter what the other person is like, always adopt a vision of spiritual, soul conscious love for everyone.‘ This is called having a holy swan vision. In terms of words, forget bad words but even to speak wasteful words is not called having a holy swan mouth, He teaches.

So, a holy swan intellect, attitude, vision and mouth: when these become pure, that is, elevated, the practical impact of a holy swan stage is visible. So check yourself, He says, not others. Check to see to what extent do I constantly walk and move along as a holy swan? Because, explains Baba, there isn’t a lot of time now for self-progress. Therefore, check and change yourself.