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Similarly, all disciples possess different qualities; each disciple has different expectations and feelings. But is there one master who maintains everything? First, you must become clear: "Yes, I will walk on this path, and yes, I know where I am," without constantly changing. Whose constant changing will change the whole life, and in the end, it will yield nothing. The harder or stricter a master is, the greater that one must be. The grace of the master is hard. Did you see in the video yesterday, there was a blacksmith sitting? That hot iron in the fire is the disciple. The hammer in the blacksmith's hand is the teachings, and the blacksmith himself is the master. There was also a lady sitting, turning the wheel to blow air. That was the circumstances, created by the master's order, to discover the state of the disciple. As long as the iron is hot, it is ready to be turned and formed. As soon as it comes out of that fire, in kuṣaṅga (bad company) or worldly life, it becomes cold and resistant. It does not let the master form it again. So the master says, "Wait a minute, put him back in the fire." After going through that process—a few such processes—something beautiful happens, and everyone says, "Oh, it's the master's work." Or we call it the masterpiece. Why? Because it went through the hands of the master. Now, who here is ready to be heated in such a fire? Who is ready to be under that hammer? Then your qualities are all burned and purified; then you become one with that cosmic consciousness. Otherwise, you can read a few books, you can meditate, you can go on a retreat. Being healthy is good; okay, this is what millions of people are doing. But do you want to attain realization and become one with the cosmic Self or not? That is what you should ask yourself every day. And then decide for one path; there is no escape. There is nothing else. Otherwise, it is very easy to sing the song: "My Lord, I will be Thine always. My Lord, I will be Thine. Devotees may come and devotees may go, but still, my Lord, I may go far, farther than the stars. My Lord, I will be still Thine. When I die, look into my eyes. Mutely they will say, I will be Thine." Mere singing has no meaning. You should only sing if that is your reality. If you want to achieve something, then work for it. Learn that, undergo training. Do not escape. Do not think that you will do something here and another will grant you liberation; it is not possible. It is not like staying home, going for a retreat, doing this and that, and then telling someone, "Please give me the pilot's license." Perhaps you pay some money and get a stamp or a license, but then you can fly only twice in your life: the first time and the last time. So if you want to become a pilot, you must have practical experience and practical training. You must fly for several hundred hours, or thousands of miles, to get a pilot's license. A driver's license is easier, but a pilot's license is not. Until you get to fly a big jumbo jet with hundreds of people inside, that is no joke, my dears. There you need a master mind; it means you have learned, you need that knowledge. The person is the same, perhaps a few years older, but what has changed? The knowledge. And that is this: while practicing, while meditating, while doing kriyās, while doing good things in our life, that divine energy and divine consciousness—then you can receive the kriyās. Otherwise, the master tells you, "Please go there, be in harmony together," but you are not in harmony. So it is like this: the master is pouring from the top, but everything is dripping out below because there is a big hole at the bottom. So you have to do it; you have to surrender. It is said that you have to die in order to live. In the Testament also, Jesus said, "You have to die to live." So you have to kill that ego: "I like" and "I don't like." "I don't feel very good there. I don't feel happy there. I do this, I do that." This is our problem; liking and disliking is the biggest problem. So decide what you want; then the kriyā will function. Otherwise, it is better than nothing, that I can say to you. You will have a good life, a happy life, a somewhat healthy life, but it is not that which I would like to give you. And it will depend on me that I can give it to you—Self-realization—so easily. Trust me, I would give you all Self-realization today. But it does not function. You cannot build a multi-story house in the air, except an aeroplane. And that, too, is only temporarily flying; it must come back to earth again. So be sure, do not escape. Practice. Endure the tapasyā (austerity). It does not matter where it is, how it is, or how hard it is. That piece of iron went through so many fires, so much forming and heat. Finally, one day, it becomes the beautiful spoon on your table or on the altar of God. That spoon is used for giving holy water or prasāda. That spoon is held by the master himself, the priest, or any holy person. So it takes time until you arrive there. Recording location: Australia, Dungog, Swamiji's World Tour