How are you feeling--you were sick yesterday? Are you better today?

I feel good now.

    You must be feeling cold. Or are you cold proof?. Yes. Who are you · . . .hmmm--behind the shrouds, watching. Let me see. [Master spots one shy disciple behind a tree.] And you friend?

I've been having some lusty dreams.

    That's the reaction of the thoughts during the day. That's all.

Everything else is fine, progress is good.

    That's all right, thank God. But keep a vigilant watch over your thoughts during the day. Don't look into the eyes of others. That's the main place that you get the infection. Eyes are the windows of the soul. So only look into the eyes of someone who is chaste. All right, if what you want is to look into the eyes, you will be affected. If you're a strong soul, you must affect others. If you are weak, others will affect you; it's but natural. Keep constant vigilant watch over your thoughts, every moment. If you watch the present moment, that will go on till eternity. Nothing can go wrong. It is what you digest--reading and amassing your brain with facts and figures, all scriptures of the world won't help you. Right understanding only comes with God's Grace. Even if Grace comes, unless you live up to it, something is still lacking. So that is why it is said: First is God's Grace. He has given you human birth. This means you can go up: go back to your home. Again His Grace--the second Grace--you met somebody who was Word made flesh. This is His Grace. Then that Word made flesh--(Grace was there) gave you something to start with. So all this--God's Grace and Master's Grace is done. So many thousands of dollars have been deposited in your name. Now comes the third Grace--your own grace--have grace on your own self, and go to the window where that money can be drawn. So even God's Grace and the Master's Grace does not help much unless you have grace on your own self, you see. The whole thing depends on you. When you have the right understanding, that's all right, that's His
Grace. When you have the right understanding, that you have been given something, some capital to start with, and you don't go to draw the capital? Whose fault is it? Tell me whose fault it is. Ours? No--it's your fault unless you have grace on your own self, pity on yourself, I would say, God's Grace and Master's Grace do not fruit fully. Do you follow me?

Yes, Master.

    There's some thief watching over there--behind a tree. Send someone to catch her.
    All right. I think this is the main thing. Have pity on your own self. Don't be thinking of saving others, but save your own self first. When you are saved, you can save others. How can the man who is always worried--flowing down the river, sometimes breathing, sometimes going under the water--save others. He must save himself first; become a sailor, you see. Only then can he save others. You see, generally when we have got something--little or more--"O let us save others." If you can, that's all right--but if you drown your own self, then? Even if a man who is a swimmer goes to rescue some drowning man, the drowning man simply catches hold of his neck and the swimmer will also drown. This is how it happens. The whole thing boils down to that: You help yourself. Those who help themselves, God helps them. Now the whole defect, whole shortcoming lies where? Do you know? You can use the information well; do your best and leave the rest to Him. Hafiz says: "Sit at His Door completely shut off from all the world over. And also from your own body. Sit at His Door." Don't think of what He has given or not given, it is for Him to give. When somebody sits at your door, continually sits, you may not ask him for one day, two days. But eventually you will say, "Well dear friend, what are you here for?" Would you? This is but natural. When you sit at His door, naturally He will ask, "Well dear friend, what do you want?" This is a very simple thing, you see, it doesn't require long eloquence or acting. Simply understand. A thief is going. [Disciple leaving her position behind the tree.] Catch her.
    Any other thing? These are small heart to heart talks. They will help you much if you live up to them. Simply knowing won't do.

How can you avoid looking into the eyes of others?

    How can you avoid it? It is you who have to avoid it. Don't look into the eyes of others, that's all, what to speak of the opposite sex. Out of the abundance of his heart a man speaks. And the abundance of heart comes out through the windows of the soul. A weaker vessel will be affected. Even if you're strong enough--you affect others, otherwise you'll be affected. And how can you become strong? By giving the Bread of Life to your soul.

The Sound Current is the best it's ever been.

    The whole atmosphere is ringing. You go behind that tank--the atmosphere is ringing like anything. That is more solitary than here, too. Have you been in back? Back there--in the garden (Master refers to the garden area behind His house in Rajpur.) --there's a small tank with no water. You sit by it; you'll find. That is a gift of God--it is already there, but we simply have to attune ourselves, cut off from out-side.
    Make the best use of your time here--that's all. In the worldly daily life there is not so much time at your disposal, it is not so? Now you are here exclusively for that purpose.

Master, one question. How should we deal with worldly people in the business world who have no ethics?

    Avoid them. If you cannot, then have self control. Have self discipline. You must not be aggressive, but you must be defensive with no thought of harming anybody.

It's like the story of the cobra: he said, "I told you not to bite, but I didn't tell you not to hiss."

    Yes, yes--that is exactly what I mean. Have some respect for them--the God in them. Only mix up so much as you are not affected. For work's sake say: "All right dear friend, go on with it." If he does not want to do his work, "Well, you are paid for it. Please do it. I will help you." That's all. I've been in service in the world for 46 years now. Through worldly life we learn how to swim in the water. When everything goes according to your wishes, you are a Saint. You are not perturbed or anything like that. If anything goes against your wishes, then you can adjust yourself. This is what you learn only in water, not in solitude anywhere.
    Anything else? You say something, Yogi. (Master speaks to an English yogeshwar.) You have so much experience in this life too.

I'm learning, listening to you, Father.

    That's all right; listening gathers much of course--that's right. I learned only by listening. If you listen to some Saint regularly, you learn so many things. Even those things which you never had a thought to learn. The difficulties of everybody are the same--maybe in a modified form, that's all.
    You are going on all right with your meditations please, you?

I was sick for a couple of days, and the Sound current became very weak. But it seems to be getting better.

    You were sick or your body was sick?

My body was sick.

    Oh, then it's all right. Anything that's wrong with the house can be repaired, is it not so? When you go sick, then everything goes sick. So that you learn only by withdrawing. Not as a matter of inference, but by rising above body consciousness. So daily practice--regularity pays. In due course, everything comes up. When you are withdrawn, you'll find every time, "I'm working through the body." Your whole angle of vision will change.
    So all right, good day to you. Make the best use of your time today. I have to go there [Manav Kendra], you see.