Why should we worship anybody? Why should we give preference to the God-in-man? First of all, God is manifested in Him. He is also within us, but is not manifest. With just a little thought of His, He gives us a boost to rise above body consciousness. We are given some capital, something to start with, of seeing and hearing God. Why should we worship the God-in-man? God is love, and we are also love personified. The natural way of love is that it is always attached to something. We are attached through love to our body, to our children, to our society, to our country. Our love is divided into so many parts. The whole purpose of loving the God-in-man is that our love should be united, centered in one place. It is just like a water pipe that has some holes in it, the water will run out
drop by drop. If you close all the holes of the pipe, but leave one hole open, then through that open hole you will find that the water will shoot forth. The purpose of loving the God-in-man is that your whole love should be centered in one place, where He is manifest. Because God is manifested in Him, He has got an attraction. He will attract your soul towards His own self. You will have seen that a bird sings when it sees flowers that grow outside. The bird will not sing on flowers that are made of paper and it will not be attracted by pictures of flowers. The beauty of God that is refulgent in the God-man attracts the souls of others. The more you direct your attention towards Him, that radiance in Him will attract you, and will become so strong that all of your other attachments will be cut away. This is one main reason why we should worship the God-in-man.

    The other reason is, "As you think, so you become". Every day you get an injection from His Life in your own soul. You get an abundance of that Life within you, which comes from all Life itself. If you love somebody, even though there will be hundreds of others sitting around you, your attention will be directed to him. Similarly, the radiance from the God-in-man will attract you. Every minute, you will be worshiping Him. So, "As you think, so you become". In due course of time, you will forget whether it is you or He. As Saint Paul said, "It is I, yet not now I, it is Christ that liveth in me". Such an initiate becomes as good as the Master, and the Master is as good as God. So this is why we should love the God-man.

    Why should we keep His commandments? If you are attached to someone, you will follow him, wherever he goes. But if you have love for the Master, the God in Him, where will you go? You will go where He goes. If he is not to return to the world how can you come back! There are so many reasons why we should love the God-in-man.

    I have given an instance of a lover of one Master, whose name was Bheek. The disciple used to recite the very repetition of the Master's name. He was so much in tune with the Master. At that time, it was the reign of the Muslim kings. The people heard him reciting "Bheek, Bheek" and asked him, "Who is your God?" He replied, "Bheek is my God." "Who is his prophet? .... My Master is the only prophet." So, according to the Mohammedan rites and rituals, they decided to behead him and his case was brought before the king, so that the order could be given. The king saw his God-intoxicated eyes and said, "Leave him, leave him." The people said, "He will run off." The king replied, "No, no, he won't go." The king then spoke to the man and said, "Well look here, there is a dearth of rain in our country. Would you ask your Master Bheek to send us some rain, so that the fields will have enough water? .... All right, I will tell Him," replied Bheek's disciple. He had so much confidence in his Master. Are we so confident about the Master? "All right," said the king, "when will you come back?" "The day after tomorrow," replied Bheek's disciple. He went away and naturally, there was very heavy rain. The country was flooded with water. On the third day he returned, and the king offered some income and villages, saying, "This I offer to your Master." "Oh no, no, these are all perishable things. I can't take perishable things to my Master," replied Bheek's disciple.

    What is the good of worshipping a Master? You have not seen God, and unless you see God, then what to do? The best remedy is, to see Him where He is manifest. If you see the God-in-man, you see God. Christ said, "Who has seen me, has seen my Father". So the worship of the God-in-man is the worship of God. Constantly you are imbued with His sweet memories, from head to foot. Then, in due course of time, you forget yourself, whether it is you or He. Maulana Rumi said that "My inner self is so much overflooded with my Master that I have forgotten who I am. I am no more".

    So for these reasons, for so many reasons, we worship the God-in-man. If you worship Him, where will you go? You will go where He will go. If you direct your whole attention to Him, He will attract you and cut off all your fetters. You will be all alone, even when sitting amongst thousands of people. You will be just devoted to your Master. Outside, you appear to be a man moving on earth, but you are no more a man, you are a Master's man. If the Master is God in man and you become a Master's man, then you will become God in man. This is the most natural way. It requires no philosophy. As you think, so you become. We have just to abide by the commandments of the Master. The ABC starts from there.

    Yesterday, I was just putting before you what things stand in the way of devotion and how devotion gives you full fruit. Now I am telling you why you should worship the Master. These things are brought to your notice to understand. Everything has its why and wherefore. But be careful that you are not devoted to a false master. What is the criterion of a real Master and an acting and posing master? A real Master can give you a lift. He gives you something to see within and something to hear within. If He does this for a while, and also gives you something to start with in Light and Sound, well, this is the outer criterion. Don't be led away by outer pomp and show. Simply see what He can give you. Generally, the world is flooded with so-called masters. A real Master is one who can give you something to start with on the very first day. Then you can develop it from day to day. If a seed is planted in the earth and watered regularly, then it will grow. The love of the Master is the water. The more you love, the more you will keep His commandments and will have constant remembrance. The more you love, the more you will have the life impulse from the Master, and you will be overflowing with life. There are so many benefits. Christ said, "I am the vine and thou art the branches. So long as you are embedded in me you will bear forth ample fruit". The same teachings were given by all Masters who came in the past.

    God consciousness can be developed by coming into contact with a God-conscious man. He is God-consciousness Himself. He has risen to it. What happens if you rise in the Master? Because He is a God-conscious man, you will become God-conscious. This is the simple way and if you are regular in your devotions, in a very short time you can achieve anything. The pity it is that so many things stand in the way, as I told you yesterday. We have to be very careful about what I told you. If you have constant remembrance of Him, you will have more love. When you are stabbed for instance (God forbid), you will have a pain in your heart. Nobody sees, but you have got a constant pain within you. Similarly, if you have love for the Master, you will never forget Him. You may just be thinking of the Master and tears will flow down from your eyes. This is why we should love the Master, and this love will only commence when we keep His commandments.