Sri Sai Baba`S:Charters And Sayings

NINETEENTH TALK 39l

On the other hand there is a danger in the case of
those who depend entirely upon their own inner
illumination of self-deception. If they see a certain
ceremony performed and certain definite force going
out, and they are there and receive a part of the
force, they may easily imagine that they can obtain
these illuminations entirely by themselves.

There are dangers along all lines. All the lines
have their places and their use, but just exactly as
that controversy goes on between the two sections of
the Christians, so in other religions, in other parts of
the world, there are the various aspects which a
religion may take. Each of them appears the only
one to its enthusiastic devotees, and in many cases all
the others are looked upon as superstitions. Certainly
the Protestant looks upon the Catholics as supersti-
tious persons who worship idols. It is exceedingly
probable that no human being ever did worship idols,
not even savages. I know very well the missionaries
think of the Indians as idolaters, but if you were to
ask a small coolie boy whether the image to which
he is making his offering is the God, he would say at
once ct No, it is not the God." God is one, God is far
away behind it all, but that is an image to remind
you of Him. So you can hardly call that the worship
of idols, but it suits the missionaries to say that it is so.
No ceremony is necessary, and yet these ceremonies
have their use, and on the whole there are more
people who will be benefited by them than injured.