THANK ME ONLY FOR THE PAIN

 
The parting from Baba was an extremely painful one. In my farewell moments with him I was moved to thank him for all the joy and pain of my life with him, to which he replied: "Thank me only for the pain."

Now, years later, I fully appreciate the wisdom of these words. The expression 'growing pain' is just as applicable to the spiritual life as it is to the physical, and without it no growth is possible for the human creature.