The Goal of Life, the Goal of Knowledge: What Is It?
How Baba taught receptivity, upward movement and practical spiritual progress.
Sai BabaDevotee experienceVolume 4
The chapter
The Valambi station master came to Baba without faith and without the receptivity needed to receive instruction. Baba washed the man’s pots and placed them mouth-down. A vessel turned upside down cannot hold water; in the same way, a mind closed by pride or disbelief cannot receive knowledge.
Kaka Dixit once asked Baba where he should go. Baba answered, “Up.” The short answer points to the direction of the seeker’s life, not to a place on a map. The stories of tigers and bears in the chapter represent the dangers and obstacles that make the ascent difficult.
Baba did not settle every philosophical disagreement before helping a devotee move. He gave faith, patience, service and the guidance of the Guru as working means. Knowledge becomes real when the seeker’s conduct and inner attitude change; argument alone does not carry a person upward.
The goal of life and the goal of knowledge therefore meet in actual progress toward God. A receptive mind, steady practice and the removal of pride matter more than claiming allegiance to one theory.
Editorial note: This page is a concise paraphrase for web presentation and does not reproduce the complete chapter. Please consult the original PDF for the full account and wording.