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Part VII: Spiritual Discernment.1437
“After many lives, and with accumulated wisdom, the Wise Ones come
to Me, knowing me to be All. Such are called Mahatmas, and are rare and
difficult to find by lesser men. And the others, who are drawn away through
lack of understanding, to this deity, or that one, with varying rites and
ceremonies, find other gods. They find that which they seek, according to
their natures.
“But, knoweth this, O Arjuna—and note it well, for it is difficult of
understanding among those who are bigoted, fanatical and narrow of mind
and sympathy—the Truth is this: that though men worship many gods,
and images, and hold many conceptions of Deity, which they reverence as
objects of worship—yea, even though these men seem utterly opposed to
each other, and to Me—yet doth their faith arise from a latent and unfolded
faith in Me.
“Their faith in their gods and images is but the dawning of faith in Me;
in worshipping these forms and conceptions, they wish to worship Me,
although they know it not. And, verily, say I unto you, such Faith and
Worship, when honestly and conscientiously held and performed, shall not
go unrewarded nor unaccepted by Me. Such men do the best possible to
them, according to their light of dawning knowledge; and the benefits they
seek, according to their faith, shall come to them, yea, even from Me. Such is
my Love, Understanding and Justice.
“But, remembereth always this, O Prince, that these very rewards of finite
desires, are likewise finite in the nature of things. The things these men pray
for, are things of the moment—and things of the moment are given them as
their reward. Those who worship the lesser gods—these distorted shadows
of Me—pass into the shadow-worlds ruled over by these shadow-gods. But
those who are wise, and are able to know Me as Myself—the All—the One—
such come to Me in My world of Reality, where shadows are not, but where
all is Real, even as the Flame which casteth the shadow.
“There be those, who lacking in Discernment, think of Me as being Manifest
and visible to their eyes. Know thou, Arjuna, that in my essence I am not