The Role of a Guru in Spiritual Growth

The help of a ______ or master is, therefore, essential and indispensable for those engaged in spiritual pursuit.

______ is the connecting link between God and man.

During our spiritual march we have to pass through various points, known as ______ (figuratively called lotuses).

______ does not only mean undergoing the effect of our past actions but it really means passing through the process of unfolding the intricacies of the point which we have already arrived at.

Our stay at these points for the purpose of ______ is often very long and in most cases it is almost impossible to get out of it by mere self-effort.

It has been observed that most of the ______ of the past who had tried it by self-effort only, remained lingering for whole life on the very first or the second stage and could not cross it.

The fact is that at somewhat advanced stages we have to face what may be expressed as the ______ condition of the place.

They are the centres of concentrated energy of the ______ Power of divine force inherited by man.

Having in view our determined goal and the proper means to achieve it, our next look-out must be to find out the right type of person as our ______ , who might successfully take us along the path of realization.

It may, however, be possible that after acquiring some knowledge, we may proceed further by our ______ effort.

In spirituality the case is otherwise.The need of a ______ or master, grows greater and greater as we go on advancing and securing higher stages.

Books are of no avail to us in this respect.They may help us to acquire superficial knowledge of things to enable us to deliver eloquent ______ on spiritual topics and to win arguments, but practical approach in spirituality through them alone is impossible.

Yogic practices and sadhanas based on knowledge acquired through books, are mostly misleading and even harmful to our ______ advancement.

It is said of Maulana Rumi, a celebrated Persian poet and the author of eighteen books on ______, that once he approached a great saint to receive spiritual training from him.

The saint asked him to throw all his books into the ______, if he wanted to have practical training from him.

Actual realization comes only after training in the realm of ______, and for that, knowledge or erudition proves to be of little assistance.