Self-Realization and Other Awakenings

exhausted trying to maintain those things that appear
in the illusion, as those things are ultimately
perishable.
In short, people are like donkeys. They never listen
because they are heavily conditioned from birth.
However, those of you who do listen to the guru will
attain Self-Realization.”
The same holds true for those possessed by various
ideas, such as spiritual purity, either of themselves or
the guru. Siddharameshwar says on page 156 Of the
Master of Self-Realization, the following:
“Once there was a disciple who although he had
received instructions from his guru, had not given up
his former attitude. He had a peculiar sense of
cleanliness and purity. His concept was that in order to
avoid the touch of the dirty earth, he climbed up a
tree. He lived in a tree, drank only rainwater and
continued to believe that the earth was impure.
When his guru came to know of this, he went to
see him. The disciple had become very famous. People
had built quite a large round platform around the tree
that he lived in, and had made a lot of decorations.
The disciple did not like to come down, because to
him the earth was impure. When the guru came to
him, he said, ‘You come down.’ The disciples said, ‘I