Sri Sai Baba`S:Charters And Sayings

68 TALKS ON (< AT THE FEET OF THE MASTER ??

third stage of Purification—that of "perfection".
You will remember how S. Paul uses that term. He
speaks of preaching wisdom "to'them that are
perfect" ;' and he is not using the word " perfect" in
any ordinary sense, as you might use it in conversa-
tion to-day. He means to those who have attained a
certain level of occult progress. He uses the word,
in this sense, over and over again. Compare : t( We
speak these things only to those who are perfect.'"
To return to the " practice of virtue '\ When we
find it said that by the mere practice of virtue you
may presently arrive at the Path, you may wonder a
little what that means ; it seems going back to the old
theory: u Be good and you will be happy." The
explanation given is not quite so simple as that. It
is rather as follows. Though the man who leads a
good life through many incarnations may not thereby
develop intellect, he will presently acquire sufficient
intuition to carry him into the presence of the people
who do know, to bring him in fact to the feet of
someone who is a servant of the Master. But it is
admitted that the method takes thousands of years
and many lives. The man who practises virtue and
doe? not do anything else will get there eventually,
but it is a slow process. It would save ]^im much
time if he followed S. Peter's advice and added know-
ledge ; for then his progress would be much swifter.

By one or other of these means, then, the man is
led to this Discrimination, this knowledge of what is