Q) Let me know the first step, which I have to enter and by entering which step I shall attain the

salvation and the complete grace of the Lord? Ans) This is a very good question. You want to know the first step which if you enter, it shall automatically lead to the goal. In fact all are failing to enter the first step only. If you correctly select the first step and put your foot on that first step, the other steps are connected automatically like in the case of a ladder. It is not sufficient if you know the first step. You should be firm in putting your foot on that first step and you should be firm also to climb the ladder. Therefore, simply knowing the first step is not sufficient. Further action should be associated with your firm determination. I will show you two ladders. The first ladder leads to God and the second leads to temporary heaven or hell. The wonder is that as soon as you put your foot on the first step, you need not make any effort to reach the goal because the steps are moving as in the case of an escalator. Therefore you are very lucky if you put your foot on the first step of first escalator and you are very unlucky if your step is on the second escalator. Let me not raise your anxiety any more by not revealing the two escalators. Listen! Be attentive! So far no one asked me such a question. You are very intelligent. Yes! I am revealing the two escalators. Attention Please! The first step of the first escalator is association with good devotees of "God". The first step of the second escalator is association with good devotees of this "World". Both are devoted towards their subsequent goals. The first one is going to a good doctor, who injects medicine into your body, which heals your disease. The second one is going to a bad doctor who injects poison into your body, which intensifies your disease. If you pay hundred rupees to the doctor for the injection of medicine, you must pay two hundred rupees to the doctor for the injection of poison. Even if you dont have strength and good health by the first injection, you must avoid illness by the second injection. Association is the first step that automatically leads to the goal. Sankara said that the first step, which is the association, will lead to the goal automatically (Satsangatve). A devotee of God may be your enemy, but you should develop friendship with him for his association. The medicine may be soar but it should be taken for the health. You may like the sweet, but it causes illness. Therefore, the devotee of the world, should be avoided at any cost. You must avoid even the closest relative who goes on speaking worldly matters and you can tell a lie that you are not feeling well and require rest, be it your wife or son. But you cannot get rid of them. In such case stay very little time in the house and avoid them. If they obstruct your association with devotees of God, you abondon them permanently, and that is not a sin. Prahlada was praying the Lord. He avoided his father and was praying alone. But his father interfered frequently. Therefore, he abondoned his father. Even when Lord was killing his father, Prahlada never prayed for the life of his father. He prayed only for a better-devoted life for his father in the next birth. Sankara left his mother because she was not encouraging his detachment. She was fond of her son and was too much attached to her son. Sankara wanted to bring detachment in her and therefore abondoned his mother. For the same reason, Bhuddha left His wife and son. Therefore, if the family

obstructs, you should leave them permanently like Prahlada. If you are still a stronger spiritual devotee, you can even leave the family, if the family is not congenial and encouraging your spiritual effort. Very fortunate people get the opportunity to have the whole family devoted to God. Markandeya became such a strong devotee since his parents were also strong devotees. If you catch this first step the other steps are automatic. When a newly married devotee told Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, that his wife was obstructing his visit to Paramahamsa, Shri Paramahamsa told him to divorce such wife immediately. One day Shri Paramahamsa was killing the bed bugs. Devotees wondered at this cruel action. Paramahamsa told that when he was sitting on the cot for the meditation, the bugs were disturbing him. He told that He would not mind to do anything that obstructs his path towards God. Veda says the same thing "Na Tat Samah", which means that no body and nothing should be equal to God. Gita also says the same "Eka Bhakthih". An illiterate cobbler became a great scholar in Vedas when Shri. Narasimha Saraswati placed sacred ash on his forehead. The same fellow became illiterate cobbler again by receiving the sacred ash from the hand of a miser. Even the touch has so much influence. Then think of the association! There are two fields. One is Pravrutti, which consists of justice and injustice. If you are in the association of justified people, you will not do injustice and do justice only. But for this the result is only temporary, which is the attainment of Heaven. That is good in the beginning stage, because instead of going to hell by associating with people of injustice, it is better to go temporarily to the heaven. But when you associate with devotees of Nivrutti, who are associated with the Lord in human form, you will go to Brahmaloka forever. Therefore for such a permanent result you should associate with devotees of Lord and not with the mere justified people. Leaving injustice and following justice gives only temporary heaven. But leaving the world, which consists of both justice and injustice and associate with devotees of Lord gives the permanent result. Pandavas achieved the heaven, but not Brahmaloka. Kauravas attained the hell due to association with Sakuni. But Gopikas left the whole world consisting of both justice and injustice and were associated with Lord Krishna only, which gave them permanent Goloka, which is higher than even Brahmaloka. They did not mind to leave their families for the sake of the Lord even though it is not justified. Written By His Holiness Shri Datta Swami website address: http://www.universal-spirituality.org e-mail address: swami@universal-spirituality.org Jai Guru Datta