Page 38 - Dawn of Reality an Exposition of REALITY AT DAWN of Sri Ramchandraji Maharaj

today, are based on hard and fast rules, which often do not correspond with our worldly life. Hence in most cases they prove to be impracticable for those leading a worldly life. Generally teachers induce people to practise restraint by adopting a particular form of living disconnected with worldly concerns and to practise devotion for hours together. Evidently such a type of training is not meant for people in general who cannot dissociate themselves from worldly ties or devote so much time to their devotional exercises. It is for this reason that their preachings do not produce the desired effect and in spite of their best efforts they fail to mould them accordingly. The fact is that they are more theoretical than practical. Is it ever possible for the masses to renounce the world for the sake of liberation? Certainly not. What good then do the common people derive from their teachings? Some of them are even bold enough to proclaim their mistaken notion that higher attainments in spirituality are not possible in a Grihastha Ashram or household life. It really means that they have nothing to impart to the common people except telling them certain superficial things such as frequent bath in the Ganges, feeding the fishes with flour pills or reading the scriptures over and over again. The real problem before us is not to provide means for the spiritual training of a chosen few who have renounced the world but of people in general whose duties in the world besides devotional are manifold and which they cannot safely ignore. They in fact fail in their duty if they neglect any of them. To them it is essential that their spiritual as well as worldly life must go side by side equally resplendent and for this we have to discover the right means.
Proper spiritual training, fitting closely with the present worldly life is, therefore, the only thing required for the spiritual growth of the common people and which has so far been unfortunately neglected. For such a type of training we stand in need of help from outside in most of the cases. This help comes from the Guru or the Master, who is the only person able to shape our destiny. When this help comes, the spiritual life is awakened and the higher powers of soul are roused to help our growth.
Such impulse is to be sought only from one of our own fellow beings of the highest calibre, who may be within our approach ready to solve our difficulties at any time. The practice of seeking inspiration or guidance from gods and demi-gods or from some departed soul treating it as Guru or Master is in most cases very dangerous. Similar is the case with those also who seek guidance from their inner voice, as they call it. I have come across people who lay great stress upon their inner voice, which they think to be the real guide in all controversial matters arising in the mind. We have concrete examples of people relying on their so-called inner voice who are found to have been misled in the spiritual field. Really what they think to be their inner voice or an impulse from the departed soul is only the play of their