Baba says, “They don’t know the Father. He is incognito. Only you children know Him and give Him that importance.“

This is Ravan’s world. Here, name, fame, appearance, position, celebrity, wealth matters. Glamour matters. These things matter because everyone has forgotten who they are – pure souls- and think of themselves as bodies instead. This wrong consciousness has caused indescribable sorrow and confusion; it has led to competition and comparison, to fighting between brothers. Not realizing the cause of their sorrow, souls have been calling out to the Supreme Father to come and liberate them from their pain and suffering.

And so when God, the Mother and Father, Whose praise they have been singing, Whom they have been worshipping and seeking, finally comes, they don’t even notice. Why? Because they are used to seeing bodies, talking to bodies, worshipping bodies while God is incorporeal, bodiless. In addition to being invisible, He is also extremely subtle. It takes a subtle and refined intellect to recognize Him and all there is in the world today is grossness. That’s what Ravan, that is, the five vices have done to the human intellect. “They don’t know the Father. He is incognito. Only you children know Him and give Him that importance.“, says Baba. He doesn’t wear a special robe, fly into the world in a private jet, pose for photographs, give a big press conference, arrange for fireworks or speak with a booming voice. He comes in an old, ordinary body and speaks to His children. I come looking for my long-lost children, He says. He comes into a world that has transformed from heaven into hell and He finds His children speaking and acting in ways that are the opposite of who they are.

But despite that, God says, each one of My children is much more elevated than the gurus, the mahatmas and even the religious founders because they recognize me when I come in an ordinary body. To become the child means to follow the directions of the Father for my every thought, word and action. It means that I no longer do things that are unbecoming of who I am; The Father has reminded me of who I am and so I stop chasing after limited attainments in order to feel worthy and valuable. To become the child means that I let go of the ways of hell and replace them with the ways my Father is teaching me. It means that I obey. If the Father asks me to forgive someone that did me wrong, I don’t pretend as if that shrimat wasn’t for me; I forgive even though it feels hard, even though it feels unfair. If the Father asks me to not become angry when someone mistreats me, I maintain my good wishes and pure feelings by developing my power of tolerance, by being merciful like the Father. If the Father asks me to be more patient, I work on being more patient with determination. This is how I give the Father importance; I give Him regard by giving what He says regard.

People in the world continue to search for peace and happiness, they seek liberation from sorrow. But when the Liberator comes, they don’t recognize Him; they remain deprived of His help, His guidance to liberation. But if after having recognized Him, I still choose to disobey, if I still hear His directions through one ear but let it out the other because it feels hard or unfair or due to laziness or something else, then there is no excuse for it. “Some are shot with just one arrow like King Janak and they surrender. They never make excuses. Excuses don’t work here. However, there are also many storms of Maya. She makes you forget your own clan, and that you are the children of God.”, says Baba. The Father knows the stage of the children. The Teacher knows what the students are like. “You make mistakes by not following shrimat.“, explains Baba. “By moving along in that way, you develop that habit. You may ask: Shiv Baba, am I following Your shrimat? Baba would tell you: You do not follow it and this is why your fortune is seen to be as it is.” When I don’t follow shrimat, there is no change and when my sanskars don’t change, I continue to cause myself sorrow. Then, because I am still experiencing sorrow, I leave the study thinking it doesn’t work and I defame the Father’s name.

“Become a worthy child of the Father and give the proof“, says Baba. A worthy child is worthy of receiving the Father’s blessings. I receive the Father’s blessings when I obey His directions. I am only able to obey when I have the faith of who I am and Whose I am. It isn’t enough to simply list out the various titles of self-respect I have received from the Father, I have to actually believe that’s who I am deeply in my bones and remain in that awareness. I am master almighty powerful, that is, I have all the powers. I am master remover of sorrow and bestower of happiness, I am master merciful. Awareness brings power (smriti brings samarthi) which I need to follow the Father’s orders. And so a worthy child is someone who is both obedient and faithful. When I am this, then my very being gives the Father’s introduction. I don’t have to introduce myself or my Father, people automatically see it in my face, my vision, and my behavior.

Then, souls who are still stumbling in the world, my brothers and sisters, will realize that the Supreme Father, the Supreme Soul, is the greatest of all and that He is here and everyone will come to salute Him.