There is a mureed who regards the Sufi Message as an esoteric school, where to study and to practice meditation, and to understand something of the inner laws of nature, to obtain powers which are latent in man, and to arrive at that inspiration which in the end culminates into a revelation. For this mureed all different esoteric schools are more or less the same. Perhaps the esoteric school of the Sufis appeals to his nature more, perhaps the contact that he feels with Murshid is deeper, and he prefers to continue his spiritual journey through this school.
There is another mureed who looks upon it as an attempt among many other attempts of furthering the world brotherhood. He recognizes the need and importance of it, and so he joins forces with the Movement, recognizing at the same time that there are several other brotherhood movements besides, preferring at the same time to be in the Sufi Movement, because his friends are in the Movement, he is friends with Murshid, and he feels tied in this brotherhood movement, especially by friendship.
And there is another mureed who sees the beauty and the vastness and an ideal in the form of Universal Worship. He sees in it his innermost inclination of religion being one. He adheres to it; and he feels in sympathy for such an ideal of different forms of religions being practiced in one form to be world known, that it will in the end bring about the divided sections of humanity by their particular faiths closer together, keeping wars and disasters of all kinds, which very often arise by religious differences, from rising in the world.
But there is a mureed who sometimes before entering the Sufi Movement or sometimes at the moment of coming into the Sufi Movement, and sometimes after a period of time, gets a glimpse of the idea of the Message. All these three [above] activities are for him incomparable with anything else; for he sees the light of the Message behind them, and therefore he does not compare them with any other activities. He dare not compare them, but sees the light of the Message from behind, kindling these three activities.

And many there are who ask a question that: "I can understand what an esoteric school means, I can understand a brotherhood movement, I can understand a universal worship, but I cannot perceive the meaning of the Message. Will you explain it to me in two words?" But this is something which is beyond explanation. And if one tries to explain it, one spoils it, because one limits it. One attaches value to something which is invaluable; one gives form to something which is the spirit.

For my mureeds, therefore, it is best to wait, and not trouble about the meaning of the Message; not to try to ask the explanation of the Message in words; till the meaning is revealed in their heart itself . . . only it has its own time. And those who feel the meaning of the Message, for them to make an attempt of explaining it to another who does not understand it will be fatal. Words will never explain it, but words will spoil it. This is the proof of truth, that truth springs itself in the heart of a person. This is true of the Message also. Instead of being spoken in words, it must speak in the heart of those who follow it.

In India and in Persia there is a special name of God; that name is Khuddha, which means self-revealing. In all the different qualities of God, which are not different from the qualities of man -- only the difference is that they are in perfection in God -- this quality is beyond all qualities: self-revealing.

Truth is something which reveals itself. You do not need to ask anyone. It begins to speak itself when the time comes. And so it is with the Message. The Message of truth must reveal itself; only it has its own time with every person. When the spiritual Message is pleaded by one or defended by one, then it is a human Message. It can only be spiritual when the soul itself begins to plead, when the spirit itself begins to defend. Then no man can deny it.

There arises a question in a sincere follower of the Message: "Why does not every person feel it, does not recognize it as I do, I wonder?" The answer is that you need not wonder. Your wonder would make your faith feeble. No matter, if the whole humanity did not recognize it, if you alone recognized it, it is sufficient for yourself. Nevertheless, the Message apart, everything that is real, sincere, earnest, is a living thing, whether one recognizes it or does not recognize it. One's soul certainly feels it, knows it. The mind may stand as a barrier, yet the soul cannot refuse it, cannot deny it. For the innermost of every being is the Being of God. And there truth is known; truth is recognized.

There is no reason for us to be discouraged, however slow the Message spreads in the world. For all things that are stable will spread slowly. For us there is one thing to think of, and that is that the truth is victorious, that the truth will never fail. Human efforts are limited, means are limited. Our power and vision may be limited, but not truth. When there is the flow of truth, trying from within to rise up and spread all around, it is from the unlimited source, and it must culminate into that fulfillment for which it is destined. What we require in our spiritual pursuit is the patient working, with firm faith and belief.