No matter who houses a bad thought —
A desire-man or an aspiration-man —
A bad thought is a dire challenge
To humanity’s progress-life.
Sri Chinmoy, Twenty-Seven Thousand Aspiration-Plants, part 24, Agni Press, 1984
How important is it to have faith in one's Guru?
Faith is of paramount importance. One needs faith in infinite measure in one's Master. The human mind may sometimes find it difficult to believe in the Master's way, but the aspiring heart is always one with the Master's inner and outer operations. The seeker always has to remain in the heart. To have faith in one's Master is to feel God's own Presence here, there and everywhere.
At the journey's start the Master is the boatman, the boat and the river. At the journey's end, the Master becomes the goal itself. A beginner-seeker sees the Master as the boat. When he crosses beyond the barrier of the mind, he sees the Master as the boatman. When he establishes his constant oneness with the Master, he sees the Master as the river. And when he becomes the most perfect instrument of the Master, he sees the Master as his goal itself. When the hour strikes for the disciple, the disciple also has to play the role of a Master, for progress must continue in the world of self-giving and God-becoming.