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THE MYSTERIES OF MIND
to be seen. Our difficulty is that there is a curtain between the inner soul and the supreme soul and between both of these and the outer soul or the reflection of both on the outer world. We have to tear it asunder. It consists of the passions of delusion which clouds perception of knowledge and of antarāya (obstructing karma). It is very difficult to remove this curtain and see the Supreme. There is a huge distance between the soul tending outwards and the Supreme. The space between the two is filled with fantastic obstructions and it is a Herculian task to remove them. These obstructions are not material obstructions which can be seen by the eye. They are highly refined and subtle and it is very difficult even to feel their existence. We have no means of perceiving the subtle. That is why we are not fully aware of it.
When we are called upon to perceive subtle entities, we become overwhelmed with the long path we have to traverse in the course of our spiritual pilgrimage. But let us not be disheartened. Let us proceed. By and by we will realize that we are coming nearer and nearer to our goal. We should persevere in our attempts with hope and enthusiasm. Anyhow, we need a light to illumine our path. This light is the light of pure consciousness. It will not allow passions and likes and dislikes to interfere with us. We will be able to live through moments in which attachments and aversions do not disturb us so that we may freely walk on the path illuminated by the light of pure consciousness. Let us have patience and confidence in ourselves. With the help of this light we will be able to see that supreme light which never flickers and is never extinguished.
Readiness to undertake spiritual exertion is the greatest religious achievement. If religion does not inspire us to exert ourselves, it is a hoax, an illusion and an opiate. Unfortunately religious people in the modern world do not pay any attention to the need for spiritual exertion. They do preach spiritual and moral values like goodness, selflessness and altruism, honesty, morality, purity of conduct, friendliness, non-violence, abstinence from theft etc. These values are no doubt beneficial. But inspite of these sermons human beings have not changed much. They have remained what they were. The sermons have failed to reconstitute
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