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## Friend's Perspective: The Fivefold Without the Shelter of Saint's Feet (163)
This poor soul must have done so much, endlessly! But nothing has come into his hands yet! His hands are empty, empty! He was mixed up, and that's why he's fallen away!
Because the one fundamental cause, the most important thing to do first, he couldn't get his hands on it; he didn't get the true Sadguru, he hasn't reached that point yet. There's still a flaw! So all those means, even though they were true,
became bonds for him, they ended up in nothingness! Even if you have a thousand or a million electric bulbs, but the main switch isn't on, the lights won't turn on, it will remain dark. Similarly, even if you do endless practices, but you don't have the Sadguru, the light of knowledge won't shine, it will remain dark.
Regarding this, as if the entire world were roaring, with these illuminating, penetrating words, Shrimad Rajchandraji has revealed:
"You have done Yama, Niyama, and Samyama, and then you have taken renunciation, dispassion, and unwavering devotion. You have taken to the forest, kept your mouth silent, and sat firmly on the seat. You have made your mind and intellect a treasure of self-knowledge, and you have practiced Hatha Yoga with fear of the Creator. You have chanted, understood the essence of chanting, practiced austerities, and endured them. You have become detached from the world, and you have done all this. You have embraced all the scriptures and their principles, you have analyzed, refuted, and understood the different philosophies. You have done all these means, endlessly. But still, nothing has come into your hands yet. Now, what is it that you are thinking in your mind? Is there something left in those means? Without the Sadguru, you will not understand the essence. What is the point of saying all this?
Compassion is flowing towards you. That point remains with the Sadguru. It will manifest in front of you in an instant, when the supreme love of the Sadguru's feet resides within you. From your body, mind, and wealth, everything, the joy of the Gurudev will reside in your own self. Then your work will be accomplished, and you will drink the nectar of love."
- Shrimad Rajchandraji
Thus, without the shelter of the Saint's feet, all practices and actions have become futile, they have become deceitful, they have become cheats. One should take shelter in the true Satpurush, the true Bhavasadhu, the one who is full of love. By focusing on that true form, one becomes free from deceit, the actions become free from deceit, and the fruits become free from deceit. That's why the scripture writer, in the absence of the great soul, has emphasized the words "taking shelter in the Sadhu," "taking shelter in the Saint." Because before the attainment of this non-deceitful trinity, whatever yogas the soul has done, whatever actions the soul has performed, whatever fruits the soul has received, all of them have become deceitful, cheats, as shown above.