Page 24 - All India Magazine Nov-2024

Even though they look very nice?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes these are the most dangerous.

But how can we know?

Ah! The easiest way, when you have a Guru, is to go and ask him.
It is within the reach of everyone. It is enough to have faith in
one’s Guru, to go and find him and ask him; he will tell you, for he
indeed knows.
If you do not have a Guru, then it is a little more difficult, be-
cause these forces are very clever; they do not put on a look of
catastrophe and misery and wickedness, for you will immediate-
ly find it out and will not let yourself be taken in; generally they
come in the garb of a friend. If you are very sincere, soon you no-
tice some little indications, like small suggestions that satisfy your
vanity or awaken in you doubts or make you a bit unconscious
of what exactly is to be done — very tiny things. If you are very
sincere, you see through them; particularly if you are alert enough
not to allow yourself to be deceived by compliments or attempts
that encourage you in these satisfactions of amour-propre. Things
that give just a little encouragement to your vanity — that is the
surest sign; something that makes you think: “After all, I am not
so bad. All that I do, I do well. My attempt is very praiseworthy. My
sincerity is above all reproach, etc.” You become more and more
self-satisfied and then there you may be sure. But even there, it
does not always take these forms. There are other things, depend-
ing upon the persons. For some it is this; for others, they awaken
ideas of grandeur: “If I continue in this way I shall become a great
Yogi. I shall have great powers. I shall do much fine work. How
nicely I am going to serve the Divine, how happy he will be with
me!” It is very dangerous. The very opposite thing may happen:
“After all, perhaps I am good for nothing. Is it worth while my mak-

24 All India Magazine, November 2024