DISCOURSES Volume II - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

THE PLACE OF OCCULTISM IN SPIRITUAL LIFE: 11 93between different persons can by no means be fully estimated if wemerely consider the tangible transactions which take place in thegross world.For an aspirant to see saints and masters does not yield itsfull significance except in the context of all the correspondinghappiness of the inner planes. The ancient Rishis have attachedValue of darshanaand sahavasagreat importance to having the darshana ofsaints and masters, because they are thesource of the constant flow of love and lightwhich emanates from them and makes an irresistible appeal to theinner feeling of the aspirant even when he receives no verbalinstruction from them. The effect of darshana is dependent uponthe receptivity and response of the aspirant, whose reaction isdetermined by his own sanskaras and past connections. Often theaspirant is completely satisfied with the darshana of the Masterand he desires nothing further from him. To derive bliss andcontentment from the mere darshana of the Master is a great thingbecause it indicates that the aspirant has desirelessness and love,which are the two essentials of spiritual life. Having had thedarshana of the supreme Beloved, the aspirant naturally desiresnothing except to have more of his darshana, and is thus impelledby his inner spiritual urge to seek the sahavasa (company) of theMaster as often as possible. Further sahavasa of the Master implementsand strengthens the purifying effect of darshana and alsoresults in drawing the aspirant closer and closer to the Master onthe inner planes of life.Like darshana, falling at the feet of the Master also has aspecial value of its own. The feet, which are physically the lowestpart of the body, are the highest from the spiritual point of view.Physically the feet