There are certain considerations necessary while treading the path of initiation. It is a process of melting. A personality is first put to melt by the initiator, and it is after the melting of the personality then something is made out of it. And if it was not allowed to melt, either by oneself, or by the environments and conditions, or by friends and associates, then the efforts would be wasted. It is the same process as the goldsmith works with the metal. If the process is interrupted or interfered with by any influence, then the result is not desirable.

The path of initiation is not a path of study. I have seen people who have not only read fifty volumes, but have written fifty volumes and published them, and not yet fit for initiation. It is not an act of brain, it is a process of the spiritual melting, going from that hard, metal aspect to the form of liquid; the ice turning into water. Therefore the mureed must guard himself against any disturbing influence that would interfere in this process, knowing that it is his responsibility. The teacher would have guarded him against it if the mureeds were children; the mureeds who are grown up, must feel responsible for themselves.

And there is another consideration to be taken, that the process of spiritual development is an expansion, and this expansion is brought about by the widening of the outlook. The outlook depends upon the attitude of the mind. If a mind is focused to thinking of small things, then this process of widening the outlook will not be completed. For instance, if you want to look at a coin, naturally the whole sight will be fixed upon that coin; the horizon of your vision naturally will be as large as that coin for that moment. On the other hand, if you were looking at a wide horizon, the scope of your vision will be incomparably wider. Spiritual progress is the lifting of the consciousness in order that the consciousness may expand to perfection. Therefore it is a continual work of trying to look into a wider sphere. By this attitude a person, without learning to be spiritual, will naturally become spiritual, his outlook on life will become different. Little things that people take to heart will seem to him of little importance; things that people become confused with will become clear to him; things that matter so much to everyone will not matter to him; many things that frighten and horrify people will not have the same effect upon him; disappointments and failures will not take away his hope and courage. His thought, speech and action—as his outlook becomes wide, so everything he says or does will be different. What we call nobleness, that natural nobleness which belongs to the soul, will blossom. For spiritual attainment is not in making life a riddle for oneself; but it is in the solving of the problem that spirituality is realised.