Maha Yoga - The Sage of Arunachala, #8

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One particular trait that marks him out as unique is the fact

that neither praise nor censure has any effect on him; he is neither

pleased to hear praise of himself, nor pained by words of censure

or detraction. This may not seem to be very important; but the

fact is that other perfections of character are to be seen in varying

degree in almost any good man, but not so this particular trait;

indeed this is the one trait by which the Sage can be recognised;

it is pointed out that even the most saintly of men — if they have

not won the Egoless State — react just like common men to

praise and blame. So long as even a trace of ego remains, it is

impossible not to be affected by praise or blame; only the Sage

in the Egoless State is unaffected by them.

 

Being egoless the Sage sees no distinction between himself

and others, nor between one person and another. For him neither

sex, nor fortune, nor social status has any existence; his sense

of equality is absolute; even animals — dogs, cats, birds,

squirrels — he treats as if they were human. And — incredible

as it seems — in his eyes no one is ignorant or a sinner.

Many maintain that a Sage alone can recognise a Sage, and

that therefore no one can positively assert that this one is a Sage.

This is not altogether true; he that is in earnest to find a competent

guide — a Guru — on the path of deliverance has to decide

somehow whether the person he would elect be a Sage or not;

and if he be of pure and devout mind, he will be aided by

divine grace to make the right choice. It is also a help for him,

to understand the profound truths taught in the Sage’s

Revelation; we have already noticed a few of the marks of a

real Sage. A few more will be set down later on.

 

The mission of a born Sage or Messenger of God is

twofold. He renews and confirms the essentials of the old

Revelation. He also serves as a centre of divine grace to his

disciples — especially to those who, intuitively or through

understanding of the sacred teaching, recognise him as an

embodiment of God, and therefore bear unto him the same

devotion that they formerly bore to God, seeing no distinction

between the two. This is in accordance with the spirit of the

ancient sacred lore, which is expressed in the following verse.

 

“Obeisance to the Lord of Divine Wisdom, infinite like

the sky, who is three in one, as God, the Guru and the Real

Self.”

 

It seems that for one who understands this truth and

becomes a disciple and devotee of the Sage it may not be

quite necessary to go to the Sage and live near him always.

The Sage transcends time and space and is therefore

everywhere.

 

taken from MAHA YOGA, by WHO