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In a previous article I outlined the two paths that lead to enlightenment. First is the Path of the Gods. This path is very popular, it is not particularly threatening to the ego; it is characterized by enjoyment and following the inner voice for guidance. Most who come to Ascension choose to walk down this path, because it seems to be possible to have one's cake and eat it too. Second is the Path of the Sages. This path is less popular, is death to the ego; it is characterized by ruthless choosing for the Ascendant over the ego however it might make one feel and surrenders to God on the outside for guidance. "Surrenders to God on the outside" means that all fundamental life-choices are bounced off of other enlightened beings before they are implemented. The Path of the Gods is "me first:" it exists to take and take and take and if anyone else gains by the process, it is almost by accident. The Path of the Sages, on the other hand, is the path of giving. "Whatever I can do to heal the Earth, that I will do." This is the guiding principle of the Path of the Sages.
We exist at a peculiar moment in human history. The purpose of human life has been all but totally obscured. The meaning of what it means to be human is forgotten or but dimly remembered; very few people on the Earth care to align with the will of God if it means inconveniencing their lives in any way. This is the age that if Christ suddenly appears at your door, you say, "Oh, Christ! how great of You to come! But You see, I've had this appointment to go to the movies for a week, so I'll just run out now and You'll still be here when I return because You're so great, yes?" From the inception of life, human priorities are scrambled in the mad dash to feed desire and enjoyment.
Please don't misunderstand! There is nothing wrong with desires or enjoyment. Correctly practiced, desire can arrow a soul into the heart of God. But today there is little or no understanding of which desires serve; there is little or no understanding of how enjoyment can be channeled as a tool for growth. And therefore life remains stuck in narrow boundaries of belief and judgment.
Life is meant for continual progress, joy, and fulfillment. Enlightenment unfolds perfectly naturally and gracefully once one has suitable tools for growth. The Ascension Attitudes offer to a thirsty world the means to choose at any moment of time for the living waters of the Holy Spirit, replacing the dry and faulty counsel of the ego with the perfection of life as it is. The Path of the Sages is not difficult to traverse once one has made the commitment to be free of the ego. What is the advantage of walking down the quicker path? If all roads eventually lead to full enlightenment, why not take the path of enjoyment? The primary reason is time. Who can say how long the life will be? Yes, one continues from where one leaves off, but why start over again as a baby if it isn't required? Waa!
Once one fully understands the grandeur of full human consciousness, one naturally becomes eager to do whatever one can to realize it. I would submit to you that those who are not dedicating their entire lives to the pursuit of full enlightenment haven't yet understood it. Unity Consciousness is as different from Perpetual Consciousness as is the consciousness of the human from that of a gnat. All limits of space and time are opened to those in Unity; there are no limits to the human other than those we artificially impose.

Most love as it is found in the world today is born of attachment. We naturally feel closer to our children, to our husband, to our friends, because we spend more time with them, because we have more experiences with them, because we know them better than other people. The trouble with this attached kind of love is that it is subject to its opposite: if the loved person is no longer there or no longer reciprocates the love, we feel pain. Carried on far enough, such frustrated love can turn to hate.
Unconditional love, on the other hand, loves everyone equally and without the slightest reservation. Unconditional love is the most significant characteristic of full enlightenment, of Unity When one experiences unconditional love, every moment is filled with inexpressible joy; the bliss of feeling for every single person and thing is unlimited. Enlightenment is not a dry, super-conscious state in which one feels less. On the contrary, in full enlightenment, every sensual experience, every mental experience, every emotional experience is lived to the maximum. And that maximum is not a relative thing, determined by comparison or judgment: that maximum is determined by the very nature of the Ascendant One.
One of the most ancient names for the Ascendant is Sat-Chit-Ananda: absolute bliss consciousness or eternal bliss consciousness. The bliss that is experienced when one unconditionally loves is absolute, it is infinite, it is eternal. This is why the Path of the Sages is considered so vastly superior to the Path of the Gods. The eternal bliss of divine realization, of unconditional love, so far outweighs the temporary joys discoverable by following the ego, there can be no valid comparison. It could be said that unconditional love is like the sunlight; relative happiness is like the starlight, but that falls far short of describing the reality of the essential difference between the two.
I don't know. It is funny, sitting here at the Academy, watching the world unfold. The other teachers and I have dedicated our lives to bringing this Teaching to all of humanity. It has been at times personally challenging, but the result of living unconditional love in Unity has made it all radiantly worthwhile. And now, as the Teaching advances, the tenacity of the Opposition increases, as was long-ago predicted. That is not only predictable, it is even a quantifiable reality.
What can't be predicted or quantified is the wonder of the ways the Ascendant winds through humanity, bringing the inexpressibly lovely gift of unconditional love to every open and receptive heart. It takes such a small dedication, such a small commitment, to walk the Path of the Sages. Faith like a grain of mustard seed is all that is required, one-pointed faith that leads inevitably to the goal is all that it takes. It is so easy, it is so simple; the astounding thing to me is that everyone doesn't do it, instantly. What is the attraction of the past constructs of the ego? What is the great gift that the past behavior patterns have given that keeps a soul bound to the waking state? It is inconceivable, from the perspective of Unity, that all of humanity would not instantly respond to this offer. And yet the world unfolds at its own pace; humanity is healed at its own pace. It is a little mind-boggling.
In the Upanishads, those ancient texts of Unity, there is an interesting passage describing the bliss of full human realization:
This is the inquiry concerning bliss.
Let there be a youth, a good youth, well read, prompt in action, steady in mind and strong in body. Let this whole earth be full of wealth for him. That is one human bliss.
That which is a hundred times the human bliss, that is one bliss of the human angels, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the human angels, that is one bliss of the divine angels, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.

That which is a hundred times the bliss of the divine angels, that is one bliss of the Fathers in their long-enduring world, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the Fathers in their long-enduring world, that is one bliss of the gods who are born so by birth, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the gods who are born so by birth, that is one bliss of the gods by work, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the gods by work, that is one bliss of the gods, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the gods, that is one bliss of the Lord of Evolving Consciousness, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the Lord of Evolving Consciousness, that is one bliss of the Lord of the Unbounded, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of the Lord of the Unbounded, that is one bliss of God the Creator, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.
That which is a hundred times the bliss of God the Creator, that is one bliss of God the Father, and also the bliss of a human in Unity.

The glory of full human realization is beyond the ability of any words to express. There are no limits to the human condition other than those we artificially impose due to painful past belief in limitation, suffering and loss. These limits are the lies of the ego; the simple truth as presented by the Holy Spirit is that life is free! life is joy! life is unconditioned by time or space or causation; all limits on life are without exception born of illusion.
This is the ultimately simple and true Reality of life. This is the essence of the Teaching of Ascension. This is the Truth that needs no defense. Life is meant to be lived in eternal joy and infinite freedom and unconditional love and unbounded awareness. Any other life is utterly missing the point of being born as a human.
I love you all. Good night.

- MSI-

The following is something I added because I thought it was an interesting parallel to the Path of the Gods and the Path of the Sages. It comes from another Teaching of a different name. (interesting how tradition manifests itself in the names of different teachings to reveal similar information and ultimately the same goal or essence of life...) - Mahadeva Ishaya

1. How can one distinguish between a guru and the Sadguru?

A) In the word Sadguru (sat-guru), the prefix 'sat' means the Truth. A Sadguru always preaches the truth. Truth is always harsh and is not liked by most people. Therefore a Sadguru has very few disciples. A Sadguru says that the path with thorns will lead to the Lord. People do not like this. He also says that the path with flowers leads to hell. People are not happy with this preaching either. A guru's preaching is what pleases the majority. The guru says that the nature of the goal will be the nature of the path. Since the Lord is full of bliss, the path also must be filled with flowers and happiness. Since hell gives pain, the path to hell must also be the painful and thorny path. This argument is very attractive. Majority of people will be taken in by it and will become followers of the guru. People will praise him and give him a lot of guru daksina (donations) because his argument is what they want to hear. A Sadguru on the other hand says that the path with thorns alone will lead to the Lord. In this path you have to cut the bonds with your family and with your hard-earned money. Sacrifice gives a lot of pain but sacrifice alone will lead to the Lord. The path with flowers strengthens your bonds with your family and money. It gives you lot of happiness temporarily. However, it leads straight to hell. People do not like this argument and so the rare one or two persons who realize the veracity of the Sadguru's words alone become His disciples. A Sadguru will never worry about the number of the disciples and about the quantity of guru daksina. Even if a single disciple is available He is happy.

The majority always goes to hell. Only one in millions like Sankara, Vivekananda, Mira can reach the Lord. Diamonds are always rare. Gravel stones are in plenty. Therefore among thousands of gurus there may be only one Sadguru and among millions of disciples there may be only one true disciple. When you pray to God you are praising the Lord as a poet in the court of a king, praises the king. The foolish king may get flattered and give him some reward but the Omniscient Lord can never be fooled by such praise and flattery. When you sing songs, chant the name of the Lord or express feelings of devotion by shedding tears or by meditation, you get happiness and peace immediately as a result of those actions. You achieve the fruit of those actions there and then. The Lord will not give any more fruit for these same actions. When you are pained and you lose your mental peace by cutting family bonds and by sacrificing your work and wealth for the sake of the Lord, then only will the Lord give real rewards to you.

Suppose you are working in the field for the owner. Doing the work pains you. The owner will pay you for your work. Without doing work, if you simply chant the name of the owner or sing songs in praise of the owner, a wise owner will never give you any wages. The songs you sung made your heart light. They were of no benefit to the owner. The owner is concerned only with his work, which you did not do. So where is the question of getting paid? When you do all the spiritual practices, you get peace from it. God does not get anything from it. If you have already derived bliss and peace by eating the sweet in your hand, why should anyone pay you for enjoying yourself? When you sacrifice the sweet to the Lord, he will pay you. Therefore a Sadguru teaches only sacrifice, which is the thorny path leading to the Lord.

Veda says that sacrifice alone can bring the grace of the Lord (dhanena tyagenaike amrtatvam anasuh). If you ask for a payment for your prayers and devotion the Lord will pay you from your pocket alone. He will bring the results of good deeds from your future life cycles and present them to you. It is like the owner giving you money out of your next month's salary for the songs that you sung for him. In short, he will not pay you for it. You will get a reduced salary next month. If you sacrifice the sweet to the Lord in spite of your hunger and your heartache, the Lord will reward you from His pocket. Therefore the true path leading to the Lord can be identified by a loss of peace, mental worry and pain. The path to the hell is identified by temporary peace, happiness and benefit. Sadguru leads you to the Lord and guru leads you to hell.

2. What is the difference between guru and Sadguru?

A) guru may replace your present ignorance by another type of ignorance. The Sadguru on the other hand, replaces all ignorance by the true knowledge. Sat means the infinite special knowledge, which is the Brahman itself (satyam jnanan anantan Brahma).

3. What is the difference between Guru and Swami?

A) Swami is the human incarnation of the Lord. Swami can also be a Guru. A Guru is a human being who preaches the knowledge, which was already preached by the Lord. Every Guru is not Swami. Therefore the preaching by Swami and the knowledge of Swami is always wonderful. Every concept preached by Swami is clear and pure as crystal. There is no confusion because Swami is always very clear of the Truth. A Guru sometimes fails to clarify the concept because he gets confused in places. Swami is the very source of the knowledge and therefore He is called as Narayana. The Guru preaches the knowledge and leaves you but Swami preaches and also guides you till you reach the goal.

One can see a doctor in the out-patients' ward in a hospital. He will treat you and prescribe medicines for you. However he will not be able to follow up on you and monitor you continuously. This is the case of a Guru. However if you are admitted in the hospital, you will be under the personal supervision of the doctor. The doctor will make all required tests on you. He will check on your progress every day and give you medicine with his own hands. He will take full responsibility for you and will not discharge the you until you are cured of the disease completely.

Similarly Swami will test you severely and give appropriate knowledge, which is the medicine. The responsibility of Swami is complete. Swami will not leave you unless you get salvation and kaivalyam (Oneness with the Lord). Salvation means getting rid of the disease. Kaivalyam means getting the strength. The detachment from all the worldly bonds is salvation. The attachment to the Lord is kaivalyam. Both are the duties of the doctor. Therefore Swami will not leave you unless you achieve both. Once you are admitted into the hospital you have no choice and you are at the mercy of the doctor.

Therefore the usage of the word Swami should be done very carefully. Unless you are fully sure that you have recognized the Lord in human form, you should not call Him as Swami. You can call Him as Guru. If you recognize Swami you have to completely surrender to Him like the in-patient. Otherwise you can call Him as Guru and be an out-patient. In such a case you may follow His preaching or you may not follow. If the worldly bonds are not cut, you will be reborn as an animal or worm. This is a great loss to you. If you attain kaivalyam, it is the greatest benefit. Even if there is no benefit, at least make sure that you do not suffer a loss. Therefore, even if you do not attach yourself to the Lord, at least cut the worldly bonds and ensure that you get another human birth. One should note that there is no use of the salvation (moksa) without kaivalyam. If you merely maintain your present status there is no use. What is the use of selecting the best doctor unless you follow his prescription in practice? You cannot get rid of the illness by praising the doctor or his prescription. Similarly even if you have found the real Sadguru who is the incarnation of the Lord there is no use if you do not follow Him. There is no use of praising the Lord unless you practice the preaching of the Lord. Following the diet prescribed by the doctor and avoiding contraindicated foods is comparable to salvation. Take the medicine is kaivalyam. Salvation involves vairagyam (detachment) and kaivalyam involves bhakti (devotion).

4. Why is there such a difference in the preaching of various Gurus?

A) The first reason is that the preaching of a Sadguru differs from the preaching of a false Guru. The Sadguru shows the true path, which is full of thorns but leads to God. The false Guru shows the flowery path which leads to hell. Therefore there is a difference. The false Gurus are in plenty but the Sadguru is rare. You must choose the Sadguru by knowing the characteristics of a Sadguru from the Vedas. The special knowledge that liberates love and bliss in your heart and which no one else can preach, is the main characteristic of the Lord in the human form (Sadguru). He also does miracles but only whenever there is a necessity; never for cheap exhibition. Thus one can recognize Sadguru who is the Lord in human form.

Sometimes there may be different human forms of the Sadguru existing at the same time to preach to people at different levels. The Sadguru will preach to each person according to the person's level of understanding and spiritual evolution. A certain Sadguru may preach something to a certain person. If you accidentally happen to overhear what was told, and are confused, then it cannot be blamed on the Sadguru. That preaching was not meant for you. It was meant for some else. That person is at different level as compared to you. Also each Sadguru will in general, cater to a certain level of people. In such case the preaching of every Sadguru may not suit your level.

You must follow the Sadguru who suits your level. The Sadguru, who is generally suitable for your level of spiritual evolution and understanding, will preach to you from a level that most suits you. The apparent difference in the teachings of other Sadgurus is due to the fact that they teach different levels of students. Thus it is important to not only eliminate the fraud Guru but also choose the Sadguru who suits your level. Once you find the right Sadguru, you must stick to Him and follow Him steadfastly. Then there will be no confusion owing to the apparently different teaching of different Sadgurus.