Passage 2

In English

comes for the protection of all with good virtues

The astronomical comes to you whether you strive for it or not; it is part of the law of nature. But for the real , you must make efforts, tremendous efforts. Know that there are only two entities: the substance and the shadow, (or, rather, only One and its appearance, produced by ignorance), the and the , the seer and the seen, the rope and the snake. When this knowledge becomes part of the mental make-up, it liberates you from delusion, and you see (’s mountain abode) at the end of the northward journey. Like , that stage is all light, all white. The path is straight and hard but the goal is glorious; it is nothing less than Illumination. It is when people forget this goal that the comes to save them. The comes when there is yet a remnant of good men, yet a trace of righteousness (), for what is the use of a doctor when the patient has collapsed? When a large number of good men are afflicted with the fear for the survival of goodness, the Lord incarnates to feed their drooping spirits and revive faith and courage. “ ” in the does not mean the “protection of wise aspirants or ascetics;” it means the “protection of all who have good () virtues;” Good virtues might be found even in animals and insects and worms. The Lord will guard and guide even such. He comes to promote , and virtue is the foundation of . The worldly outlook will deceive you and land you in grief. You do not know which articles will satisfy your inner cravings, and you try to possess whatever attracts your eye. When you crave the thought of the Lord and the company of the Godly, then you are in . was in that mood. He prayed, “From this transient world of decay, lead me to the everlasting world of bliss ()”; “Give me the effulgence of Thy grace and illumine my soul with truth ()”; “Save me from the torture of birth and death, destroy the cravings of the mind, which produce the seeds of birth, and lead me to immortality ()” That prayer and that yearning of gave him the vision of when he passed away. That was the real for him.