When the question of learning or understanding mystical or occult subjects arises, the first thought that comes to the mind of a person in the East is that of discipleship. In the Vedantic language there is the guru and the chela; in Sufic terms we speak of murshid and mureed. Just as in every civilization we meet with the regard (called "pahal" in the East) of people for their relations--between father and son, mother and daughter, friend and friend, lover and beloved, husband and wife, master and pupil--so in the East there is the special regard between the spiritual teacher and his pupil.