A father with four sons cannot state that one of them has no right to a share in his property. It won't be just or proper. Then what shall be said of the Lord, who is devoid o the slightest tinge of partiality or prejudice and who is full of mercy? To attribute favouritism to Him is to commit sacrilege.

Referring to this question of who is entitled and who is not entitled to Brahmavidya, Krishna said in the Gita "I have no favourite, nor do I dislike anyone. Whatever might be the case, whether the person is man or woman, whoever worships Me with faith and devotion will reach Me, nothing can stand in their way. I too will manifest in the hearts of such". Is the Gita, therefore, meaningless? No, the Gita speaks profound Truth.

There is another wrong belief current today. It is said that in order to be entitled to the practice of the Sadhana for the realisation of Brahmam, like Japa and Dhyana, one must adhere strictly to certain modes of daily conduct laid down in tradition and thus attain purity. I do not agree. For medicines ar essential only for the bed-ridden. How can they become hale and healthy without first taking a course of the medicine? To say that a person must be pure and good and follow certain codes of conduct before he can tread the path of God is to say that he must be free from disease in order to deserve medical treatment! This is absurd. Purity, goodness etc., are all the consequences of the journey towards God; they cannot be insisted upon as essential for just starting upon it. The taking in of the drug will gradually induce health and cheer; health and cheer should not be insisted upon before the drug is even prescribed or supplied! This obvious fact is ignored by many; that is a serious malady indeed!

All those suffering from the malady of Ajnana or ignorance must read and ponder over the books dealing with the treatment of that disease, namely, the experiences of elders in the field of spiritual endeavour. It is only then that they can understand the real state of things.

There is also one other secret of success; this too has to be borne in mind. Every course of medical treatment involves some regulation and restriction of diet, movements, habits and conduct. These should not be neglected or taken lightly. In fact, if the doctor's advice on these matters is not strictly followed, even the costliest or latest or most efficacious medicine will be ineffective.