Blessed Mureeds, This is a very blessed occasion that we are opening for the first time the group of our movement in Chicago. In San Francisco the first group was established in 1910; it is fifteen years now, and that was the beginning of the Sufi Movement which now extends in many different parts of Europe: in England, in Holland, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and in Scandinavia. Since last three years a branch was established in New York, and now it is renewed during my visit. Also a branch was established in Detroit which was renewed during my visit, and a branch was established in Los Angeles which was renewed during my visit. A new branch was opened in Denver.

As pioneer members of the Movement, your duty is greater and your difficulty is greater. When there is a school established for a long time, you need not speak for it; the school itself speaks for it. Everyone speaks of it. But a school which is now starting for the first time. In the first place, I appreciate your confidence in me and appreciation of my teachings more than words can express. For the reason there was no school established, it is on this ground scale to be attracted by. It is your confidence in me that has brought your cooperation in the great cause.

And now since destiny has brought us together, let us pray that providence will keep us together, and that we shall bear with one another. There will be among us some who are on the path of evolution and some who will evolve. But we must bear with one another. If one of us is lacking something, we must think that lack is in us also. We must cover it, add to it, fill it in, this lack. It is in this way that friendship can last. You will give me a great joy and I shall be proud to see you when I come again united with one another and helping one another. And for the reason that our work is pioneer work, that it is in its infancy, it needs greater care. And therefore, you are called upon individually, each one of you, to be conscious of it.

I have spoken in my lecture once that my spiritual teacher, my murshid, one day spoke to me that, "Once you have received in my hands, I hope that you will keep to it, considering it a sacred trust, and will not wander about even if there came an angel from heaven." I have not understood it at that time; only I was impressed by it. But as years passed by I understood the meaning of it. And today I realize the benefit of that ideal that my murshid has given me. For I have seen those who go from one thing to another. They arrive nowhere. But those who have full trust and confidence and faith and take the path they have taken, they certainly reach their desire, which is the yearning of every soul.

And now I would like to tell you something more of the Sufi activity in the world. The headquarters of this activity is in Geneva, which is the international centre for the very reason that people of different countries, specially representatives of different countries. Therefore, it is more neutral for headquarters of a world movement.

This movement has three different activities. (1) One activity is that of the brotherhood of humanity, to work in every direction and in every way possible and to choose methods that may be practical in order to make different nations, which today distrust one another, and different races, which are not united even today at this time of civilization, that to do everything in our power to bring about better understanding and to remove barriers between sections of humanity which are today divided.

(2) And the second object is the Universal Worship, that there are so many different churches and houses of worship which are devoted for some certain reason: Christian religion, or Muslim religion, Buddhist, Hindu or Zoroastrian religion. And this movement is trying the same thing which Jesus Christ would have approved the most, and Muhammad would have encouraged the most, Buddha would have liked the most, Krishna would have served the most, of Universal Worship being benefited by all different religions.

What does it matter if we keep by Muhammad or Moses? It is the great ones who have come time after time and wakened millions of souls. It is to have regard for them, to light candles in their names on the altars, and in this way to bring about a fellowship between the followers of different religions. Our ideal lets them be whichever religion they are, only makes them tolerant to one another, to not oppose on Muhammad, to be Buddhist or....

It is not necessary anyone to be this or this. It is not necessary. What is necessary is to understand the wisdom given by the same source to one another, and to create adherence or respect for wisdom, of divine wisdom. That is the object to be received by Universal Worship.

(3) And now the third thing is the esoteric school, which is the most important thing, in which you are initiated. The work of this esoteric school is to waken those who are changing their sides to the deeper knowledge of life by giving the breathing practices, by giving the sacred names of God, by developing in them the desire to seek the ultimate truth. There is a continual unfoldment of the soul.

Therefore, this initiation you have taken is a responsibility, although no particular discipline is forced upon you. But at the same time, it is a responsibility you have taken of yourself, it is not of anyone else, it is your own responsibility of your spiritual unfoldment because you have taken a step in the path. A person who sits in the house and says, â€œI do not wish to journey,â€ but once he has prepared his bundle and started to go, it is his responsibility to make a success, because he has started on the journey. As long as we do not seek for anything, we are not responsible. As soon as we begin, we are responsible for every step we take in that direction.

No doubt, you keep the advice given in initiation, you do not speak of practices to the others. At the same time, a punctual and regular practice every day will bring desirable results. One thing must be understood. Sometimes some seekers after truth continue to do practices perhaps for three months, perhaps for six months, perhaps for a whole year. They donâ€™t realize anything. When there is time enough, in the life of one in a weekâ€™s time development manifests; in the life of another, after some months. But at the same time, no time is lost. Even if after three years, if the effect is beginning to show, the three years are not lost. Perhaps you will not see the effect, but it is there just the same. It is as putting money in the bank. You donâ€™t see the money, not the interest. But after three years you see the money with the interest. The same thing with these practices. I have seen among my own relations one person who practised one certain practice for forty years. I think very few would have patience to continue a practice for forty years. But the effect for that practice was most wonderful. After forty years it became living. The motive with which it was started began to manifest in every move this man made.

Besides that, since it is my destiny to give the message to the Western countries, I have tried my best not to inflict upon my friends any special disciplines as they are enforced in the East.

You shall not be surprised if I were to tell you, just twenty years ago in Hyderabad there was a teacher who was very interested in his intelligent pupil and who very graciously answered him his curious questions every time the pupil went to the teacher. One day he was in a condition of ecstasy and this pupil as usual began to argue on philosophical subjects. And the teacher said, "Silence." And he kept silence, and never again he spoke before the teacher and never again before anyone else. Years passed. And what happened? That his one glance would heal and one glance would inspire anyone he would meet.

Therefore, friends, there are hard disciplines in the East. But they have their result also. Since in the Western world every soul has so many responsibilities and difficulties, knowing this I give very few exercises, no rules about diet, life, nothing, for the very reason that life in the Western countries is difficult. But it does not matter. As long as you will continue your practices regularly, there will always be a development. And the greatest sympathy you could show me is to uphold the honour of our infant Movement which is started here in Chicago.

And now I wish to speak about the work that is done at the centre. Besides the practices which are given to each of you according to his need, powers, and reason, that I do not consider the development of the realization of the ultimate truth as only necessity in a person's life, but is the last necessity. The other necessity is whatever problem is pressing in his life just now. I do not wish to overlook that.

Everyone of you has two objects. One is to answer your present problem, your other to help in your realization of the ultimate truth. Naturally, the practices of one are not as the practices of another. Therefore, each one has his own practices.

As to the time of development, also each one has his own time of development. But it is better to develop naturally and not hurriedly. And one must not think that any practice given brings one further than others. As long as one can practise, as many months, so much more benefit one derives by them.

For instance, when doing physical culture exercises it is not necessary to be more strong. Some will suffice the purpose for your whole life. The same thing in singing. The same exercises perhaps which a beginner must do, the same are done by Caruso. The greatest singer will do the same as everybody else. Paderewski will play the same scale which a child begins to play. He will never be tired of it. It is the most necessary thing. The same with spiritual practices. You must not think addition to this means development. You must think this will take you further and further and will again be of the greatest importance.

And now I will give you one more example of my own study in this line. When first I saw my teacher, I had a great enthusiasm and was also in a hurry to advance, as everybody is. And having for the first time in life a spiritual teacher, I thought I will go up in the air like a balloon. But to my surprise, I went to have to do with my teacher, who lived at a long distance from the place I lived, and would you believe, for about six months continually I went to the house of my teacher, and every time he spoke to me about ordinary things, about vegetables, fruits, about flowers, gardening, about something else. I in the end realized that my teacher was trying my patience.

But the most amusing thing is that after six months, one day my teacher opened his lips to speak about some planes of metaphysics. And six months absence of teaching and going every day such long distance had made me so eager. I took my notebook out and was beginning to write. As soon as I took the notebook my teacher passed to another subject, again to vegetables, fruits, and flowers. And I understood that it did not please my teacher. He did not want me to be so impatient. He did not want me to write in the notebook something that should have been written on the heart. That was the test of the ancient teachers.

But you must know that why that test? Their teaching has great effect because it is living teaching. Then when I once pondered on the subject that, "These six months, did I benefit by it or not?", and when I pondered, I thought, "Without one word of teaching I benefited just the same, much more than words had taught me. Even to see the living example is a greater benefit than reading thousand books. What is intellectual teaching, after all? Learning and learning and learning. Besides, spiritual attainment does not come by learning things." And then I began to see every day more and more that the presence of my teacher uplifted the consciousness, inspired and blessed, and enforced the powers and inspirations that were latent in me. And others began to notice it. I was unaware of it for many years before others noticed it. Even to such extent that in my music it would come, it would express itself. And yet, I did not know. For six months I did not know what was taught.

Therefore, spiritual growth is quite a different thing. You must not think that in order to be spiritual, one must grow taller. It is not necessary that any outer manifestation should be viewed. And very often we do not know our inner growth. Often we are unconscious of it. Even under the teacher, under different circumstances, during illness, during trouble very often we grow. And yet what we see is difficulty, we donâ€™t see the growth. What is before us is difficulty. But this difficulty made us something we donâ€™t know. So it is with spiritual growth.

Therefore, my friends, you will have patience and confidence in the words I have said. And again you will know that if I have gone away, I am still nearer to you for the very reason that I am away. But at the same time, I very often come to America, and the friendship and devotion of my friends will draw me still oftener. There is no reason to think that I am going. You may just as well think that I am staying with you all.

God bless you.