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On Doubts and How to Choose a Master

One day, the Master invited the young men to go on a mission to a neighboring city to give his friend some books and manuscripts.

“This walk will be very useful for you,” — the Master said.

... While looking for the home of Master’s friend, they started asking some locals for some directions to find the house.

One man they met told them how to find it.

Many people in those places considered the friend of their Master to be a great sage.

The man who showed them where to look for the house, also knew him, but did not share the same respect for the spiritual Masters.

He asked the young men some questions:

“So, you also decided to join the spiritual life? How naive! I want to warn you: you’re wasting your time!

“Once, when I was young, I too indulged myself in such dreams... I dreamed of achieving the spiritual Perfection, I believed that I would cognize the Highest...

“After all, who, in their youth, does not also burn with such exalted desires and aspirations? Who, in such times, is not also seized by dreams of the great ‘Straight Path’?

“Back then, I even found a mentor. We meditated year after year. It seemed that with just a little more time and effort the desired Enlightenment would be achieved... But alas...

“And time went by! Meditations then ceased to please us, and they became just a routine part of an everyday life in which nothing changed day after day, year after year... Everything was the same in that monastery as it was in the world: just hard work, which, moreover, brought neither progress, nor satisfaction!

“But, with age, I grew wiser: I realized that in pursuing these unattainable aspirations I almost wasted my whole life in vain!

“And that mentor and his disciples — up to this day — are still searching for the ‘Highest’ with every moment of their lives! They continue their monastic life in the hope of some kind of ‘Enlightenment’, depriving themselves of pleasure and any entertainment!

“I realized that I was missing out on real life, by following these empty dreams of the unreal and the beyond...

“These tales of spirituality are only a consolation for those who have not been able to achieve anything in life! In this way, they build illusions about the ‘spiritual Path’ and say that this is the meaning of life...”

“But what about God? What about love for God? Did your mentor not teach you this?” — the young men asked in surprise.

“It’s all just words!

“And who told you that people, who call themselves spiritual Masters, are right? Who? They themselves? And look: there are so many of such ‘Masters’, each of whom teaches that only he is right! And every one of them disagrees with the others, because they only consider their own teachings to be absolutely true!

“And why have you, you naive men, decided that you should devote your lives to God? What for?

“Look: some preachers say that God Himself wants people to come closer to Him through worship and veneration, while others teach meditation and say that only in this way can souls become perfect, some others speak about cognition of God, others, on the contrary, say that God can not be cognized and that people should only offer sacrifices to God and pray for His mercy... And there are even those who teach that you need only to believe that we are already perfect — and this will be the Perfection!

“And which of them is right? Who actually knows what God really wants from people? These teachers?... Or maybe God wants a very different thing? Maybe He just wants us to live here and enjoy life?

“And do you believe in such ‘Masters’? Live as long as I have lived — and you’ll find out what really has a price!”

“But what about the Great Teachers Who have attained Enlightenment?”

“It is they, themselves, who claim to have achieved this! And who told you that this is true? What can they — these unfortunate ones — say when their whole lives have been wasted? And those, who worship them, also invent fairy tales about their teacher’s miracles: because it is customary to worship something ‘holy’!

“Listen to my advice: live and enjoy life, while you are still young and healthy! Stop wasting time on nonsense and serving those who declare themselves ‘cognizant’!”

... The young men became confused... Doubts entered into their minds...

“Yes, our Master speaks beautiful and lofty words that seem fair and true. But how can we know, whether the Path that he talks about is true? What if we have not found a real Master? And what if all our efforts on the spiritual Path are not true and will not bring good results? And what if suddenly our Master himself is mistaken and leads us all to a dead end?

“How to verify that we are not mistaken? How can we know that our Master knows the Path to cognition of the Divine Consciousness? He does not demonstrate miracles that could prove His Divinity, but only speaks words that seem wise to us. We have not even listened to the other Masters yet, and we have not compared his words to what the others teach...”

… Being thus immersed in doubts, they talked until they came to the right house.

* * *

The friend of their Master joyfully met the young men who were still in doubt and confusion.

He invited them to wash and rest after their long journey, and he himself began to prepare the meal.

When the host and his guests were seated at the table, the young men ventured to ask their questions.

“Tell us, did you study only from one Master or did you listen to the speeches of different mentors?” — they asked.

“Oh! I had to see many of them in this life! I tried to learn from different preachers!”

“And how did you choose the right Master?”

“I did not choose a Master; I chose God,” — he answered after pausing for a while.

“In my wanderings, I always observed people who worshiped God in different ways, who performed rituals, or who practiced various methods of immersion in meditation...

“I looked at the crowds of admirers who grabbed onto every word of their mentor, admiring him, only to then hear of another guru — and flee to practice other methods of achieving Enlightenment, which supposedly would make them Perfect...

“I watched their faces. I watched the light in the eyes of the meditators, the worshipers — and of those who taught them. I looked at how the words of the mentors and their students corresponded to how they lived, spoke, kept silent, and acted in their lives.

“These observations taught me a lot. They made me realize that the main Teacher for everyone is God! He is ready to help anyone who sincerely aspires to Him. And He helps in accordance with the sincerity of a particular person and his or her willingness to comprehend every new step of the Path.

“I became convinced that only heart love allows one to gradually develop the ability to feel the Guidance of God.

“It is God Who helps the person, who has rushed to Him, to find that which corresponds to the readiness of a particular soul. God teaches us to doubt and choose, to learn from our mistakes and failures, to love and show our loyalty, to follow worthy mentors and to leave those who mix Truth with falsehood, or those who only seek to make a profit on their followers!

“For example, now you are full of doubts as to whether your Master is good. You want to hear from me the confirmation that you made the right choice in learning from Him, and not from the others.”

“Yes... But how did you know this?”

“It’s not difficult to understand other people.

“But my opinion will not make your choice right or wrong. Your choice is your decision based on your life experience! And, therefore, it is this experience that you need!

“Look here: there is a variety of food in front of you. Now you will eat what you like, that is, what you choose. From this food, you will receive energy for life — both for bodies and souls. This food will become you.

“It is the same case with spiritual food: it is transformed by the person who uses it. To one person — it brings benefits aplenty, to others — less so, and to some — it is even harmful. It depends on what we choose to absorb from spiritual knowledge — and make into our own knowledge. It also depends on the ability of each soul to carry out what one desires, and on one’s diligence in mastering what has been received. Everyone chooses what he or she deems suitable and desirable.

“Learn not to mindlessly accept the advice and teachings of others!

“And even these words of mine should not be taken without due consideration! Learn to distinguish between what is good and what is not! Even your doubts will help with this!

“Do not follow even the most famous Master — just out of imitation of the crowd of his students!

“Gradually, gaining experience, each person learns to distinguish between what is useful and what is harmful when following the path of development that he or she has chosen...”

“You speak so wisely! Why do not you have students?”

“When my advice can be useful to people, God leads them to me, just as He has led you.

“But I do not consider myself to be someone who has the right to tell others how to live. In my life, I have seen too many of those who, by their violence and their way of forcing others to be ‘righteous’, pushed people away from the Truth. And also, I saw many who self-confidently preached lies in place of truth. Words about Truth are often so closely intertwined with misunderstandings and lies — that it is not easy to sort out which one is which!

“A certain wise mentor once suggested that spiritual seekers be like ants, who only can choose sugar from a mixture of sugar and sand.

“I myself follow what I feel in my heart to be the Truth, and I try to understand the guidance of God in everything. Over the years, I have learned this.

“I’ve seen a lot of mentors. It’s impossible to follow many of them. This is similar to how it is not possible for a person to sail across the sea on several boats at once, even if they are sailing to the same place. One who cannot choose between different spiritual paths, trying one of the numerous practices after another, does nothing more than develop one's discernment.

“Anyone, who seeks a spiritual Master, should make this choice as if they were choosing a captain, to whom one is ready to trust in everything. A boat cannot make a successful journey, if the sailors do not follow the commands of the captain and are not obedient to his leadership!

“To choose that captain, who will lead the boat to the desired goal without getting lost on the way, without getting stranded, and without crashing — it is not easy. But with the team of such an ‘ark’ — it is easier to achieve the desired goal.

“It is also important to remember that a Master, Who has reached the Goal, does not at all make His disciples Enlightened. He only indicates the methods for reaching Perfection.

“In the material world, if a certain boat has reached the opposite shore, then it means that everyone, who was on it, has also arrived.

“But, in the spiritual world, things are different. Usually, a great Master only manages to take a few disciples ‘with Him’. And the rest receive help only on a certain part of their personal path of development. But, in future births in bodies, they will have more opportunities. They can then very successfully continue and complete their evolution, or even gradually become Masters, who help others, themselves.

“Personally, I am not ready to entrust my spiritual progress to another man. I myself build my ‘boat’... Perhaps someday, I will want to recruit my own team... But, for the time being, I’m not ready to take responsibility for the fates of other seekers.

“Today, you brought me some new books from your Master, and this for me is a great joy! I will read them with pleasure, and they will give me an opportunity to explore and build my own Path to the Goal, and to comprehend the Divine Consciousness, Which is One, despite the differences in names and religious teachings. But I do not call upon anyone to follow me and to do the same as I do.”

“Have you ever regretted that — instead of worldly pleasures — you have chosen the life of a spiritual ascetic?”

“There are people, for whom, what you call worldly joys, are the apex of their dreams. Such people do not yet need to master in-depth meditations. It is appropriate for them to live according to the laws of kindness, listening to their conscience, rejoicing in everything beautiful in life, and striving to bring feasible help to surrounding people and other beings. It is better, if such a person is just a baker who likes to bake bread, or a potter who enjoys his work — than to be an unfortunate imitator of those who have dedicated themselves to the spiritual life, serving God!

“If the monastic life for the sake of the comprehension of God does not bring joy and satisfaction, then this means that the road that you have chosen is not yours, or that you have entered it prematurely!

“It is much more joyful for God to look at those who are happy from their feasible help to people and other beings in everything good — than to look at those who spend their lives in fanatical sermons or bitter prayers!

“But those who are already overcome by spiritual thirst, are striving for something else! I myself have never regretted my choice. But this does not mean that you will not regret your choice too.

“Think for yourselves: do you need God? Do you want to live for Him, and not just as a momentary urge, but for your entire life until your last breath? Do you want to master what is needed in order to feel and understand Him always?

“If such knowledge is not dear to you, if you do not burn with love for Him, — then you do not need to continue trying to learn this!”

“Oh no! We very much like the practices that we are learning! We really feel that there is a Living God — and it’s so wonderful! We want to cognize Him, to draw near to Him!”

“Then why do you have so many doubts?”

“Apparently, we got infected with them by talking with one gentleman when we were searching for your house. We were overwhelmed by doubts, not about having to go through the spiritual Path, but in wondering if we were travelling It correctly... We are still so inexperienced. After all, we have only recently started to learn!”

“I think I know who you are talking about. His story is very sad but not uncommon. His self greatly grew and strengthened, he ceased to feel love and God’s Presence in his life. He did not want to see in himself those problems and vices that were intensifying in him! And so, he began to struggle, with all his strength, to prove to himself and others that everything around him was wrong! And now, he is disappointed with everything in life and tries to find for himself at least some excuses and consolations. That’s why he condemns everyone and tries to forget himself in momentary pleasures! Unhappy, offended by the whole world, he now preaches that there is no sense to work on the transformation of the soul!

“But also appreciate how much good the meeting with this person and his speeches have brought you! Due to it, you have started thinking about many very important things!

“In the same way, everything that comes into your lives, according to the Will of God, can be used for your progress, purification, and for the development of your knowledge of this entire vast world and of the other souls developing in it!”

* * *

The young men returned to the house of their Master in a joyful mood after the conversation with His friend.

One of them said:

“Look: God has confirmed the rightness of our choice!

“And our Master — He foresaw all this! Do you remember, what He told us? He already knew in advance how useful this journey would be for us! Do you remember how He said that those, who have attained Enlightenment, do not necessarily have to demonstrate their Divine Abilities to other people? And the older disciples of our Master more than once mysteriously smiled when they talked about His skills! Now I understand that He does not demonstrate His Divine Abilities just to attract disciples and bring up faith in them! He teaches us all — the love for God and the ability to perceive the Divine Guidance. He teaches us to think on our own, and not blindly believe Him or anyone else.”

“Yes, how wonderful it is! And this friend of His, whom we were visiting, also learns from our Master, although he does not live with Him! If such a person, who is already so wise, looks for advice and instructions from God through the books of our Master, then how lucky we are that we are close to Him and can learn from Him every day!