“”But progress comes to a halt at the first plane if the rent in the veil is made through one's own efforts or with the help of an imperfect guru [yogi or saint]. Seekers advance on their own, but it is ultimately useless, as they inevitably become entrapped. If a Perfect Master is there to help, he would not tear the veil unless the aspirant is fully ready; then the Master would take him straight to the goal.
Continuing, Baba explained to Pleader:
“”Only a Sadguru can free one from the cage of illusion, but three conditions are required — longing, patience, and rock-like faith. Nothing is gained without longing. This is all that is needed, but the aspirant should remain restless continuously. For instance, if a man is stung by a scorpion, he constantly thinks of how to overcome the burning, throbbing pain. He forgets about eating drinking and worldly pursuits. He forgets everything and has only one thought: how to make the pain subside!
In the same way, there should be continual longing to be one with God. There should be no other thought except this: "I must be one with God today — immediately, this moment!" The mind and heart must be devoid of any other thought. Even though many years of suffering may pass, patience should never be forsaken. At first the longing is intense, but gradually it lessens and cools down. This should not be the case; patience must not be lost. It must be persistent. In the beginning there is great enthusiasm and a person is convinced he will soon gain Realization. But with the passing of time, his enthusiasm wanes.
A person may be purposely snared by the Master and then thrown out! I, too, do such things. But a wise man silently puts up with everything that comes from a Master. One who is unwise becomes impatient and starts grumbling. But Masters always coax the aspirant along and gradually give him a push on the Path. We always behave like this; it is our nature.
Traversing the Path is like a pulling-pushing tug-of-war. But a wise man does not act in this way. A clever bird who is caught in a trap does not flap its wings to free itself. It remains quiet and unflustered, waiting for an opportunity to escape. An inexperienced bird flutters and squirms, becoming flustered and injuring itself more.
