Baba says, “Only the children who pass with honors become karmateet.”

This is a school, explains Baba. In a school, students have to study and how well they have studied is evaluated through tests. A test is not just useful for the school to rank students, but it is also a useful tool for the students themselves to assess how well they have understood what was taught and identify areas of weakness they need to pay more attention to. When I have truly, deeply understood and imbibed all that I’m taught, I will pass with honors on any test. If there is even one area that I’m not so good with, then that area will pull my overall score down; I might still pass but not with honors.

So, asks Baba, have you become an embodiment of experience of every point? If I have, then the authority of that experience will automatically be visible in my every action. One is to understand, and the other is to experience. Is my every thought, word and action based on experience or is it just based on my understanding? If it is just understanding, I might speak very well on the point, but I am unable to apply it in my practical life and become victorious through it. For example, I might give great lectures about the point of ‘drama’ but when I find myself in a situation, my legs tremble, I wonder ‘why this happened?’ or ‘what will I do now?’ even as I say ‘this is drama, this is beneficial’ from the other side of my mouth. “To speak about the points of knowledge for every subject can also be done by outside speakers who give many speeches. However, to become an embodiment of the experience of every point means to be an enlightened soul.“, explains Baba. Similarly, He teaches, “There are many who have yoga, there are many who sit for yoga, but the experience of yoga means to be an embodiment of power, and an embodiment of power is recognized by being able to invoke a particular power that is needed at that time and becoming free from obstacles.” If even one power is lacking, if I speak about it but am not an embodiment of it, then, Baba explains, I will be deceived at that time.

Maybe someone says something insulting to me, I know that I need the power of tolerance at that time. I know that the soul is in the grasp of Maya and that it is Maya who is acting out through them. I know all this but despite this ‘understanding’, if the power to oppose appears instead of the power of tolerance, then I end up getting angry back at them, I insult them back and in doing so, I hand Maya the victory and accept defeat. I take her bait and fall from my elevated stage, lose my peace, lose my joy and cause myself and the other sorrow. “The sign of someone who is an embodiment of experience in all four subjects“, Baba explains, “would be that in your stage, you would have the consciousness of being an instrument; in your attitude, you would always have pure feelings, soul conscious feelings and altruistic feelings. In the atmosphere and in relationships and connections, you would always be humble, and your words would be pure and gentle.” These specialties, He explains, would be natural nature at every moment when I am an experienced soul. Natural nature.

More often than not, I catch myself saying: “I don’t like getting angry but what to do, it is my old nature.” My old nature does its work, and I don’t even have to think about it; it’s natural. I want badly to finish this old nature and sanskar but am unable to do it. The reason, Baba points out, is there is very little power of transformation.

I know what I need to do but I am unable to transform. The present time, Baba teaches, is the time for intense speed, for intense effort, not ordinary effort. Intense effort means transformation occurs in a second, I am not taken off course by negative or waste thoughts. For example, when someone says something insulting, in that moment, when I recognize that I need to be tolerant, there are also negative thoughts competing for my attention: “But why should I keep quiet and let him get away with this?”, “How will he know he is wrong if I don’t speak up?”, “There is a limit to everything and he doesn’t deserve my patience.” These thoughts are loud and often drown out the subtle whisper of “He is my brother in the grip of Maya, I need to be tolerant.” How long does it take to think “yes” or “no”? asks Baba. A second. Fast transformation means I am not influenced by the loudness, the noise of the waste and make my decision of being tolerant in a second. I put a full-stop to the waste in a second and make that which is correct practical. “You are knowledge-full but now also become powerful and bring about transformation in a second.“, teaches Baba.

Every test that comes my way and certainly the final test, at the final moment of my life, will be of a second. Only if I have the practice of a second over a long period of time will I be able to pass with honors in a second. To simply pass means I sometimes become victorious and other times, I become influenced by the waste. “You are Godly students, you are studying the Godly study and so you definitely have to pass with honors.“, says Baba. “Underline the word honors.“