THE PROCESS OF ATTRACTION AND REPULSION

 
One night while seated alone with Him, I found Baba in a very communicative mood and a little teaser from me brought forth the following discourse on the subject of divine love, based on the Persian couplet:

Love originates first in the heart of the Beloved;
Unless the lamp burns, how can the moth go mad after it?

Baba explained: "It is assumed that there is a lover and the beloved and the connecting link between the two is love. Although God is love universal, let us for the sake of argument concede that at first He begins to love or attract a talib (aspirant) by means of sufferings.

"The aspirant, not understanding the true significance of such an overture from Him, begins to protest and resist. This results in easing the situation for the time being and again a pull is exerted toward the party to be attracted. The moment that sufficient love is kindled in the heart of the aspirant, which expresses itself in the desire for seeing God, God then becomes indifferent.

"In this manner the process of attraction and repulsion continues for an undefined period, ultimately resulting in the union of the two. This is exactly what Hafiz tries to explain when he says:

With one end of the string in my hand and the other end in the friend's hand;
This tug-of-war has been going on for years on this point.

"In proportion to the love that may be awakened in you, there will be moments when you will hate me also. This hatred or repulsion is the resistance offered by you when I am trying to attract you toward me by my internal love. In course of time, you will begin to respond to my love with equal intensity and then the force of my love will relax, i.e., I shall become indifferent.

"The master has love for all the members of His circle and this treasure of divine love which has come to me through Babajan and Maharaj will be shared at its proper time with the members of the circle and others in accordance with their connection, services and sufferings. The esoteric fact which I want you to remember is that the Beloved (God) is more keen and eager to realize the lower (man) than the latter's anxiety and longing for such a union."