Discovering God

Purification of the Self essential for tazkiya, because that facilitates a fruitful exchange of ideas. That is, one must keep in touch with the religious guide and seek guidance from him in all matters. This contact can be made through direct meetings or through other means of communication. Such contact is necessary on a daily basis; occasional contact will not serve the purpose. Without Mediation Consciously or unconsciously, people generally think that tazkiya requires some mysterious mediation, say, of past saintly figures or great men of learning, or some religious guide who has attained a high degree of spirituality. According to this mysterious concept of mediation, the religious guide (shaikh) himself becomes the goal, or the focus, whereas it is God Who must be at the centre, and the position of the religious guide must be purely peripheral, i.e., as a means to an end. The concept of mediation is entirely without foundation. Tazkiya is attained through contact with God, without any mediation; no mediation can be of any help in this matter. Tazkiya in reality is bestowed by God. There is no need of mediation to receive this gift from God. God directly bestows whatever He wills on all human beings; the condition for this to happen is to become a seeker of tazkiya in real earnest.