Part II
THE OCCULT BASIS OF SPIRITUAL LIFE
THOSE who have even a preliminary acquaintance with the structure and laws of the inner spheres of existence know that complete isolation of human beings is a figment of imagination. People constantly interacting on inner planes Whether they desire it or not, all persons are constantly acting and interacting upon each other by their very existence, even when they do not establish any contact on the physical plane. There are no limits to the spreading of the influence of man. The magnetic influence of the subtle spheres knows no barriers of national frontiers or any other conventional limitations. Good thoughts as well as evil thoughts, cheerful moods as well as gloomy moods, noble and expansive feelings as well as petty and narrow emotions, unselfish aspiration as well as selfish ambition—all these have a tendency to spread out and influence others, even when they are not expressed in words or deeds. The world of mental life is as much a unified system as the world of gross matter. The gross world as a vehicle of spiritual life has its own indubitable importance, but the links and connections existing
between different persons can by no means be fully estimated if we merely consider the tangible transactions which take place in the gross world.
For an aspirant to see saints and masters does not yield its full significance except in the context of all the corresponding happiness of the inner planes. Value of darshana and sahavasa The ancient Rishis have attached great importance to having the darshana of saints and masters, because they are the source of the constant flow of love and light which emanates from them and makes an irresistible appeal to the inner feeling of the aspirant even when he receives no verbal instruction from them. The effect of darshana is dependent upon the receptivity and response of the aspirant, whose reaction is determined by his own sanskaras and past connections. Often the aspirant is completely satisfied with the darshana of the Master and he desires nothing further from him. To derive bliss and contentment from the mere darshana of the Master is a great thing because it indicates that the aspirant has desirelessness and love, which are the two essentials of spiritual life. Having had the darshana of the supreme Beloved, the aspirant naturally desires nothing except to have more of his darshana, and is thus impelled by his inner spiritual urge to seek the sahavasa (company) of the Master as often as possible. Further sahavasa of the Master implements and strengthens the purifying effect of darshana and also results in drawing the aspirant closer and closer to the Master on the inner planes of life.
Like darshana, falling at the feet of the Master also has a special value of its own. The feet, which are physically the lowest part of the body, are the highest from the spiritual point of view. Physically the feet
