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476
I am the Soul
in great chunks and hence such attainments become manifest. The bodies of Yogis become so purified that even if they excrete or discharge urine, it is contained of power. Sanatkumar Chakravarti's saliva is said to have developed such power that a finger immersed in it is said to have turned an afflicted part of the body into gold-like purity.
Brothers! A sadhaka in devoted pursuit gets many such powers, but he is not attracted towards them. Indeed, the pursuit is not of such attainments. If a power is added on effortlessly, it well may, but he does not get attracted by it. A true Guru never offers his disciples the secrets to such enticing pursuits. If the disciple insists and somehow learns such secrets from the Guru, the Guru is regretful for it.
A disciple practised devotedly for twelve long years to attain the power to walk on water. After attaining it he went to his Guru with a bouncing heart and proudly told him of his great achievement. The Guru just said, “Son! Did you have to spend twelve precious years of your life after something that a boatman could do for two bits?" Brothers! This is the state of mind of the Indian sadhakas.
Here the tradition of devoted practice is merely for the attainment of the atma. In the mind of the curious sadhak, there is an urge to know, understand and experience the atma. That is why in the Atmasiddhi Shastra, Srimadji has included the six statements in the form of doubts and clarifications. Here one of the questions arises along with its answer.
How deep is the thinking that has gone into the disciple's question! Such deep questions are not at all likely to arise without a deep thinking. We do know that Srimadji himself raises these questions and himself provides the answers. How deep must have been Srimadji's thinking about the principles, that he could raise such deep questions. Philosophy is not absorbed by merely
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