Page 182 - Complete Works of Dr. KCV Volume 1

without our being conscious that we are in God or the master. This is devotion. Once this occurs we recognize at once that God's Grace is flowing through us. And I hold the view that God's grace has begun to flow through us the moment we surrender either mentally or physically or vitally. Now all these things show that God is constantly with us and ready to take us up at the slightest sign on our part of accepting Him.
The most important thing in this matter is, we are willing to seek God or Master. That is an act of "will" not of "inclination" alone. If we have decided that we want the Master's help for our own higher evolution, or to reach the Ultimate, we will find that God is very near.
Now devotion is something which is like the fire of aspiration. Now whilst the old view was that devotion is a continuous, uninterrupted flow of aspiration upwards, and is described as a kind of liquid flow, (they call it "Thaila Dhara aviccinna Vat"). It is really a fire. It is a flame of aspiration which moves upwards and expands itself. But what is the function of this flame of devotion? Every flame as you know has its nature to burn whatever it touches.
Now the most important thing which has to be burnt in us is the "poorva samskaras" or habits of mind. The tendencies of our mind are always moving outwards to objects. Now those things produce certain complications in our affections. We get attached to those things. Those attachments have to be burnt up. And there are attachments of lifetime within us. All those things will have to be burnt up.
That is why Master says that the first experience that happens to us in this training is that we feel the Pranahuti which is a kind of air that makes the flame inside us burn brighter and look brighter and we experience a smoke, dark thick smoke, coming out of us. Some people are frightened about the matter. That is nothing to be frightened about except, I think the smoke. The same then slowly evaporates or goes out and we are left cleaner and lighter. There is also a light or heat produced in our bodies during that stage and that is why some people said it is Tapas. Tapas is that which heats. A heated condition is called Tapas. And when this increases, we find the old samskaras breaking from us and we get "Uparathi" as I may call it i.e., we do not worry about any enjoyment or we reverse ourselves from enjoyment.