"Thirty-three years."
"What is your secret message or special advice?"
"The elimination of the ego."
Amazed, James went out to consult with his friend Sir Denison Ross who had accompanied him and was waiting downstairs.1
Returning, he said he had not yet begun to ask the questions he had really meant to ask. But before that, he again asked, "What is the mysterious power in this room, and from where is it emanating?"
"First, finish your questions," Baba said. "I will answer your query at the end."
"May I ask you another question?"
"Very willingly."
"You want to bring about the salvation of the world. Is there any Bible, Koran, or any other book, for which ..."
Baba interrupted, "I give counsel, and people take me for a Master. But I do not attach any importance to book knowledge or to learning because I awaken the divinity hidden within [each one]."
"Do you believe in Buddha and his eight principles, and in that ..."
Again before he could finish, Baba replied, "Yes, any religion is a step on the path of progress toward Self-knowledge. You want to ask about Christ and Krishna, and the answer is the same."
This made Douglas stand up in surprise, and he gazed at Baba. Baba motioned to him to take his seat and to continue with his questions.
"Which God do you believe in? Of the Christians or ... "
"God is only one for all!"
"Which religion is closest to your accepted religion? That is, which religion is worthy of being accepted?"
"All religions are of God and, therefore, all are one."
"Is there a future life after this?" Douglas then asked.
Baba spelled out, "Yes, but only for the body. The soul is one. It never dies. It goes on taking one body after another, birth after birth. Unless it becomes one with God, it goes on taking rebirth."
"Is that nirvana?"
"Yes, but not at the cost of the soul's most pristine existence."
Douglas was about to ask something else when Baba stopped him, explaining, "The essence of existence of the soul is everlasting, and this Eternal Existence is one with God. Do not mistake this Eternal Existence, which is the soul, with the mind or the intellect. The soul makes the intellect work, but nothing controls the soul. The soul is absolutely independent. Intellect depends on the soul, but the soul is totally independent. Intellect is the instrument of the soul. That is, it is a means to attain the Original, Eternal Existence and to experience it. Love, service, devotion and dedication make a person know God."
Footnotes
- 1.Edward Denison Ross, a Persian and Arabic scholar, was the first director of the London School of Oriental Studies.