1. One day I felt the pain of a person (who troubled me in the past). I felt repentance that sometimes with overemphasis of self I overlooked their feelings.
The commandments of the Master get absorbed in our psyche as we practice this system properly.

2. I must say these 4 months have been tough one in terms of personal and professional life. I managed the workload at my job very well and did my sadhana regularly. The problems in personal life are more of material nature i.e financial debts. The debt is manageable one, but this is not required in the first place. Unfortunately these problems are created by my own family members despite my forewarnings.
If you understand the commandments of the Master properly you will see all these are related to your own actions in the past (in this life as well as lives in the past). Be courageous and bold and face things as a Lion. Never get into the foolish idea that you can better the past. It is already over and the present alone is what you can better and thereby possibly the future.

3. My sadhana has been regular but there is a need for me to become more serious and assiduous, especially in following of the Ten Commandments. One of the numerous flaws in me is that I am not doing monthly self assessment about following of the Ten Commandments and sending the monthly report. Please help me in determination to get rid of this lapse and guilt and follow Ten Commandments sincerely. Kindly guide and train me as you feel fit so that I could improve and progress on the path.
I am least interested in the reports but am particular that abhyasis should follow the commandments of the Master. No Master can gird up your loins; it is your duty and your duty only. My help is always there and that is my duty and I think I need no reminders from any one for that. I do not know whether you understand what I say. Please do your duty as assiduously as possible and leave the rest to the Lord.

4. Learned a little bit about non expectation from things in life as well as sadhana. Still trying to figure the right way to do anything without expectation. Trying to give this thought that whatever is due will only come to us. Also tried to keep this thought in mind that both positive and negative ideas, notions need to be thrown out. For the first time in my sadhana there was a feeling that even the bad that happens to us is for our own good and so we should accept it with happiness.
There is nothing like good or bad it is only our point of view that makes us state something as good and some other thing as bad. A sincere reading of the Commandments of the Master and the notes can help you understand things better.

5. Need help. Attitude of fighting back is still there, more at the mental level than at the physical level.
This is a problem of recognition; you see yourself as one who is capable of solving all problems and see yourself as healer of all. If you do your sadhana as advised and follow the Ten Commandments in letter and spirit over a period of time you may come out of this problem.

6. I feel peaceful and calm and gratitude to Rev. Master for blessing me in spite of the thoughts I get. I feel I should assiduously practice to ignore the thoughts during meditation. I got thoughts of contempt regarding some people's notions, behavior and attitude towards me. I know I have to practice a lot of Commandments 5, 6 and 7 and could only cry before Him.
If we do not get thoughts, that is a matter of worry for us. Thoughts will be there only their nature will change with maturity in meditation. Our thoughts which are most of the time self centred get transformed over a period time altruistic. But development is a process and not a sudden change.

7. I have been feeling disturbed off and on for the past few months. Mostly, feeling of anger directed towards no one in particular. In addition, there was the feeling that I seemed to be slipping away from the path with lessening of all feelings of love and devotion for Master. I was also finding Commandmants 5&7 almost impossible to follow. I realise that I was the actual cause of my disturbance and unhappiness. By allowing resentment to grow, I was creating more discord by polluting the atmosphere with negative feelings. I have resorted to prayer and cleaning and I feel a great improvement now. I no longer feel these negative emotions and feel calm once again.
I find that you try methods to control your thoughts and emotions than the easier one of yielding to the will of the Master. Circumstances in life are all results of our own actions and it requires a certain amount of courage to accept the things as they come rather than alter the same. Surely the commandments 5 and 7 are not all that easy to follow as they are aimed at controlling lower order emotional tendencies. But following them only can be called sanity. Kindly read the commandments by duly studying the commentaries of the Master and our interpretations to get to the root of the matter. Regarding the sadhana it cannot be as you want it to be, the method is given and it is for the aspirant to follow the same and then expect the result.

1st Commandment:

1. I am following the commandment to the word with respect to rising before Dawn, same pose, separate place and seat. With respect to understanding the commandment, I do not clearly understand about Dawn.
Experience will teach you this and till then persevere in the path.

2. The wisdom that, if I don't finish my puja by 6:30am there will be domestic disturbances is not remaining firm every day.
Refuse to entertain negative thoughts. His blessings are there and compliance will be there if there is trust.

3. Over the last three months, I noticed that there is progressive lapse in this regard. There were days I had either cut-short or skipped the puja. Most of the time it was because of waking up late and thereby attending to household work and missing puja. Most of the time the previous night I would be going bed late. Sloth has taken over me. I fell short very badly on this commandment. In spite of determined and strong will to get up early I could not follow this commandment.
That however is sadhana. If things happens as we plan then there is meaning for the word Sadhana. Your determination alone will carry you through these obstacles.

4. I am regular in offering my prayers before dawn as per the Master's directions.
That is one of part of the morning meditation. We should give importance to other aspects like purity of mind and body as also to asan and posture. I am sure you are doing as prescribed.

5. Overall Condition – Excellent. I am feeling deeper absorbance on heart during the morning Saadhana. Fewer thoughts are going by.
This TC relates to routines and is not connected with the quality of meditation.

6. As I struggle to follow this commandment in letter, I still falter. I feel I am not up to the mark of owning the viveka of transience of existence leading to sloth. My specific problem is unlike before, I am not waking up early enough to practice morning meditation consistently for one hour everyday. Sometimes I am good but not all days. I worry that sloth I had thought I got rid off is returning back. Need to come out of this complacency. Is this a vasana that is coming back?
Whatever it might be make a determined bid to follow the commandment. It is not anything connected to any samskara but only the influence of the environment.

7. TC-1: Very good. Offered prayer between around 5 AM and 9AM. Meditated for 40 minutes to an hour.
That is not surely following the commandment 1. Such a variation of time and timings shows lack of regularity. The evaluation as (Very Good) is perhaps not correct.

8. In this month, I was able to meditate early except for few occasions.
Read commandment 1 carefully along with the commentaries and understand when and how to meditate.

9. My sadhana for 2-3 weeks was not regular as I had fallen sick, but during that time, tried to be in the thought of the Master. Rest of the days, I am getting up early in the morning (3:00-3:30 AM), and doing my meditation. But due to pressure at home, that I will fall sick again if I take bath so early, I am doing the meditation just after washing my face. Meditations have been mostly peaceful and absorbing. After bath (7:00am), I am doing meditation again for around 20 minutes. Though I am doing meditation, sometimes I am feeling unhappy that I am doing meditation not taking bath.
When body does not co operate there is little that we can do. It is really good that you are able to attend to spiritual needs then also. Rigidity is not spirituality. It does not mean we violate rules as we like. The advice of your relatives are correct. It is stated that 'ya smaret Pundareekaksham sa bahyanta suchih' which I understand to mean when we remember our Lord we are cleaned both inside and outside. You may however try to offer regular prayer (morning meditation) after bath around 6:30 a.m.

10. I have been unable to get up before dawn. My daughter wakes up almost every 1 1/2 hours and there is no continuous sleep. I am starting meditation about 6 AM.
That is very good and your determination is good. Do not feel bad that you do not meditate before dawn. Try to fix up some time and be regular at that.

11. Total period including point B however doesn't exceed 60 minutes as against the required 10 + 60 minutes.
This is not a problem and you can ignore this.

2nd Commandment:

1. I begin my puja with a prayer for spiritual elevation with a love and devotion in heart but I am yet to understand the real meaning and implications of the terms –"love" and "devotion".
Surely you will come to know as you progress in the path. What is a drama in the beginning becomes a reality later.

2. Here, for me, the definition or epitome of love is what our Master has for all of us (I want to love the Master as much as He loves me, which is boundless) and devotion is what Bharat had for Sri Ram. I maintain a similar thought when I pray to the Master each day before morning meditation to grant me spiritual elevation (towards my goal).
Kindly read the commandment and go to the spirit of the instructions- it is all fine to compare with persons whom we do not know- imaginations are no substitutes for practices-you know what I mean.

3. With all devotion & love for the Master, I pray to Him to take me at His Feet. This TC invariably overflows in to TC – 3. (Overall Condition – Good).
The concept of getting to the feet of the Master may be figurative but cannot be taken as an actual goal as it is taken in religion.

3rd Commandment:

1. The urge to have complete oneness is gradually firming up. Attachment to things which could possibly hinder the spiritual growth are reducing and trying to balance them with due attachment.
This is a continuous process and our determination alone helps us in the path in this regard. Ofcourse the grace of the Master is always there.

2. I am absolutely clear about my goal which complete and final oneness with the Master and I strive for it with resolute will. Nothing less can satisfy me.
Kindly read the book Imperience Beckons several times to grasp the meaning of these commandments fully. To understand to become “one” is different from having “Oneness” with the Master.

3. I see the Master at the centre and pray that I merge with him and cease to exist.
Please do read the commentary on the TC carefully and try to imbibe the spirit of the commandment.

4. Being followed. He and He alone is the Goal. I am still thinking about your words in this regard that it’s TC 9 which plays up here.
Do think well and try to feel the Oneness in manifestation of God of which we are part of

5. The Feet of the Master are my Goal. It is a single pointed desire. Generally no other desire of permanent nature persists in my mind.
Oneness with the Master has to be understood in yoga differently.

6. My understanding of goal is that there is Divinity in every person and to serve them is to serve Rev. Master.
Your idea is good. But read the commentary on the commandment and understand what is being taught.

7. We should fix our goal which is the complete unity with God; it is particularly difficult for our Western mind to fix a goal about which we ignore everything in a practical way. (and the Western man is very pragmatical).
It is not the problem of the West only it is here also the same. However if we understand that the concept is not a person God but a principle things will become more clear. The Natural Path does not deny the practical and pragmatic way of life. It only asks us to balance our life and fix up priorities.

8. I felt that something pushed me out of this "bubble" and naturally, this state stopped. I was again on the road, facing my real difficulties, fighting with my resistances but also less "egoistic" perhaps and more in reality.
Restlessness should always be there: otherwise there will be stagnation. Our journey is towards the Infinity and not any goal post.

9. Trying to follow the system seriously, but somehow the attachments are pulling me down. I pray for help in following the Master’s system assiduously.
I think that your goal is not fixed and that is your task and no one can help you.

4th Commandment:

1. Sincere effort is on. More needs to be done.
This is one of the toughest commandments to understand. It requires to be read several times. If you go by the words of the Commandment with out reading the commentary of the Master on the same your understanding will be limited.

2. I am making sincere effort to be as simple as possible in my living and habits. Ego does raise its head once a while.
The idea of bringing in Ego in this connection is a bit far fetched.

3. During Morning Meditations, due to excessive involvement in the office activities, the state of mind is felt restive which is not enabling me to do sadhana in a settled manner. This state of mind is not only disenchanting but I feel repentant that it is affecting my orientation to the Master.
Why get into the muck and complain that it sticks. Read commandment four carefully and perhaps you will understand your problem.

5th Commandment:

1. In this period when I suffered bouts of illness I was very happy that Master gave me an opportunity to cleanse myself thru these illnesses. When I could not sit for a long time for any puja I was reminded of you. Despite your severe health condition you always were serving others but even for viral fevers I excused myself from Sadhana and satsangh. I hope that at least for a day I could rise to the level of courage and faith that you have.
Surely that will be so. It is all a matter of priorities and will to abide by the will of Master. You have those qualities in you and they will mature further.

2. At one instance in hospital during my wife’s delivery I raised my voice in anger on a clerk and later regretted for doing so. In another instance in my office I learnt that a senior director has instructed his staff not to help me lest I get credit for work. I missed that opportunity to treat it as a gift instead I brooded on it for long time.
That is a good feeling and may it improve further. Instead of brooding it will be wise to yield to the Master.

3. Miseries undergone due to circumstances are not bothering. But the process of overcoming it, working with others who are causing it, is disturbing. When others think from their point of view only, it is disturbing.
We need not necessarily be on the right side and no one causes miseries; they are our own creation. Read the commentary on the commandment well.

4. I was put to test in this regards recently when I had terrible tooth ache but I genuinely took it as a divine blessing and it stopped bothering me thereafter. I am also improving on the aspect of being truthful.
It is good that you developed the habit of accepting miseries in life. But being truthful has a different meaning in this system.

5. I have quite a few fears. Some situations I panicked and considered them as misery. How much ever I tried I couldn’t accept everything as God’s will. Yes. Ego will not allow such wisdom to dawn that easily. Practice and see unity then all these problems will dissolve.

6. The fifth commandment was remembered. Probably this is the first time in life that I have faced a misery or pain like this (my ulcers in the throat) and felt I have failed in following his commandment.
The link between your suffering and the miseries referred in the Commandment is difficult to understand. According to tradition it is the abuse of the mouth in the past lives that beget the problems for the mouth. Try to remember Him vocally and praise Him with your mouth and things may become better. Control your food habits and that is what the doctors will advise.

6th Commandment:

1. I continue to feel like serving others or helping others whenever there is an opportunity. Unfortunately this feeling is not due to the conscious wisdom that others are my brothers with divine light in their hearts. It is because I just feel like serving them or helping them.
The artificiality that you seek is rather not understood by me. When it is natural for you to empathize why should crave for a logic for that?

2. I am more than convinced that all people as my brothers and sisters and I am making a sincere effort to treat them as such.
Judge the quality of this from the seriousness with which you pray at 9 P.M.

3. I am very much convinced about universal brotherhood being the only way to coexist. If at anytime a thought to the contrary comes to my mind, it leaves me with a feeling of uneasiness.
Universal brotherhood is a reality and since we have forgotten the same we have conflicts and wars. Please read Rev. Babuji’s commentary carefully.

7th Commandment:

1. Three or four times when I faced with traffic coming in wrong side or recklessly towards me I gave very angry looks towards them. I later told myself that I shouldn't have done that but nevertheless I do it.
In Hyderabad the pedestrians have a worse plight. Some one spits on their face going by bus and the pedestrian is helpless even to shout!

2. An incident happened and I had to undergo some discomfort due to somebody. I suggested my mind not to bother or think bad for that person.
That is a good attitude and it helps us to be happy more than anything else. A happy mind meditates better.

3. This has been the greatest change that I have undergone since I have come under the umbrella of our Rev Master. I am no longer revengeful for the wrongs done by others. As of now, I take them as a part of destiny. Surely and steadily I shall start having a feeling of gratitude towards others who do any wrong to me and I will start accepting these so called wrongs as heavenly gifts.
That is the crux of spirituality and I am happy you are moving in the right direction.

4. Though the Master is so kind, I tend to get angry sometimes which I must improve. This commandment is very special gift from the Master for me.
Kama and Krodha are god given and therefore cannot be nullified totally.

5. I do not feel any resentment for the wrongs done by others. I still feel nervous to meet them and I am not sure why I feel sympathetic towards them (Can this be a sign of ego).
You have the answer.

8th Commandment:

1. There is a feeling of disinterestedness in eating the foods outside. But I am unable to avoid it as yet though making honest attempts.
In Telugu literature there is a story of a dog which decides not to eat leftovers. When there is nothing left over any where and the moment a leaf is dropped it ran after that. I am sorry if I hurt you with this story. But determination means not to repeat the mistakes and taking shelter under some pretext or the other is no good. What makes you unable to eat ‘trash’? Your answers have to be honest to yourself.

9th Commandment:

1. We recently had a cook who stayed with us for a month helping us in cooking. During a conversation with my parents about my life she told my parents that one pious son liberates seven generations. While I told her she overestimated me, I realized I carry lot of responsibilities.
The servant maid was surely wise and what she said is truth also.

2. Ahankar is slowly melting. The entire way of living is being given a re-look to make my 'self' smaller and pious.
Are you sure that is the what the Master says?

3. I had composed a poem long years back "Bande ki hasti mita, Bande ko khud mein mila", that is to say, " Oh God, please erase the existence of self / persona in me and merge me in thyself". This poem often comes to my thoughts during my meditation. "I" am waiting to merge in to the master like a drop in an ocean and there can be no separation thereafter.
If you merge in the Master as you say like drop in the Ocean you will be limiting your mergence you have with Him. On the contrary if you move in the path shown by Him not only does He keep company with you but enables you to display His greatness to the world at large. From my understanding the Commandment 9 is the mergence we have meaningfully.

10th Commandment:

1. Praying to Master to keep me in a good office, social environment as that may help to keep the goal always in front.
On your own admission your compliance is not upto the expectation of a good sadhaka. Prayer for anything other than the ultimate is cheap and vulgar. Please read the commentary on the commandments of the Master carefully and learn how to pray. For begging no Sadhana is required. You seek a good office, a social environment (what that means you alone should know). Your linking them with the goal of Natural Path is irresponsible and untenable understanding of the system.

2. I need to get more closer to the Master at this hour of "Bed Time Prayers". Though I do repent for the wrongs committed and beg forgiveness, the mood is yet to get supplicant. The resolve not to allow repetition of the same is not resolute enough.
It is good you understand the need to pray. There is no limit to prayer and humility.

3. Sometimes it becomes a rather hurried affair. Requisite supplicant mood does not engulf me many a times.
Try to be in the state of prayer as long as possible. Supplicancy and submissiveness develops as we practice.

4. I feel my deficiencies very bare. Ego, intolerance towards people and resentment to situations, thought tending to judge others and physical indiscipline are things which trouble me internally. The only advantage I see is at bedtime prayer there are enough reasons to feel low and repentful and pray. Whatever be my limitations, I feel submission to Him for His cause should be the continuous goal. I feel solace and joy in remembering Him thus.
Try to see the positive side of all issues.

5. Intensity of feeling of repentence is not same and only on few days I feel truly repentent. Other days it feels I am attempting to feel repentent. After prayer, a cosy feeling of warmth in His thought is felt which is very relaxing.
That is all the play of ego. Prayer is the toughest spiritual discipline to cultivate so far as I know. May you be in a state of prayer always and may that happen soon.

6. Out of 30 days in a month, I sincerely follow the Commandment only 10 days. The rest 20 days I fall asleep even while I am doing Point A. During such times I just pray and have a feeling that I am not able to follow the Commandment. Most of the days I sleep by 9:30 PM, so I am not sure what to do.
Early to bed and early rise is a good habit. After 9 P.M. you can sit in prayer for sometime and slip into sleep. The Prayer is a state of mind and not a ritual and we should slowly move into the condition of being prayer all the time. May you be blessed with such condition soon.

7. Most of the events during the day were recollected seeking pardon for lapses & mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly. Then offered prayer to Master to take me to my Goal of having complete oneness with HIM.
We are asked to repent and seek forgiveness in the prayer. Read the Tenth commandment well. What has this to do with seeking oneness with Him? Sincere submission to the Master will make Him understand what we need and he will act accordingly. Moksha is not had for asking or praying. One has to work hard towards that.

8. Regular in placing all lapses before the Master seeking his pardon. Care is taken not to repeat them . But still at times one or two get repeated and at that time feel very unhappy. I earnestly feel to become free from all impurities and pray Master for it.
Our task is to pray and the rest is His will.

9. Some days I get into prayerful mood and feel repentent for the current state. Some days this state seems to be far off. This is an aspect of sadhana that needs to be greatly improved.
If you learn how to pray in the real sense you have reached the goal. Therefore your task would be to pray with sincerity and improve on that.

10. Though I do repent for the wrongs committed and beg forgiveness, the mood is yet to get supplicant. The resolve not to allow repetition of the same is getting more resolute.
Regarding the 10th Commandment prayer becomes deeper by the day and finally we remain only in the state of prayer. You will surely see that happening to you by the grace of the Master.

11. Feeling that what ever mistake I have done, please forgive me not repeat the mistake again.
That is the method. Are you really able to place before Master your wrongs item wise and have you repented for them first? Then only the question of forgiving arises.

12. Feeling that, please give me the strength for follow the Masters commandments strictly.
Master has already given you everything. It is for you to determine yourself strongly and implement them.

13. Praying before the Master for better life for my children and abyasis.
The method is to repent for the mistakes we have committed and seek pardon of the Master and remain in a mood of devotion to Master. Prayer for the good of others whoever they are shows only attachment and that means the basic Vairagya has not developed.

14. Feeling of repentance for having forgotten Master for so long and gotten indulged in play and pleasure.
Such a repentance is of no practical value in sadhana except in the beginning. Having moved in the path considerably to think of the problems we had before we started our journey is only wasting our energies and resources.

15. The state of mind has been more balanced than previous months. At the same time the mental dispostion is turning more inwards. Master’s company is felt within as something which is continous with the thought. Only I tend to ignore this at times and consequently feel repentful.
Repentance should lead to learning and that means we should not be repeating the same mistake again and again.

More on Ten Commandments:

1. No one crosses the river three by fourths. Practice the Commandments properly and try to be deserving of the grace of the Master.

2. All negative emotions are very heavy on the heart. Try to see Master in all those who you feel harmed you and learn lessons in life which grant peace. Then revenge may not be your option.

3. While critical analysis is necessary we need not be unduly unkind to ourselves. The lapses that you feel in the implementation of the Commandments of the Master will make you over come them.

4. Without going to the merits and demerits of your version of the thesis of Winnicott (whom I have not studied) I must say I got amused when this problem is linked with the problem of moulding ones life so as to develop love and piety in others. (The 9th Commandment). I understand from varying figures of statistics that the percentage of human population deprived of the love of mother and father is more than 50% and the percentage is more in the case of the so called developed Nations. I am not sure. The thesis of the Psychoanalyst in consideration is based on an odd, yet fairly popular version of love as something possessive. Love as sharing and sacrificing is something that cannot be confused with the type of love the psychologists have been theorizing about. As a matter of fact the whole of psychology and psycho analysis rests on what they call the Pleasure Principle. I donot want to digress further in this regard.

5. Following the 9th Commandment is a development over the conditions of following the previous 8 Commandments and cannot be taken in isolation. If a person A has a relationship of love with B it can change if the relationship is bi-polar one. But if the Master is made the connecting link, then we get a picture of A being connected to M who is also connected to B and A and B are also connected. Then the energy of love flows from A to B and A to M to B and vice versa. Then no individual is loved for his/her sake but for the sake of the Divine. This is the logic of the prayer to be offered at 9 P.M. All are one and there is no separation in the real sense of the term.

6. When we mature in spirituality by following the Natural path by sincerely implementing the Commandments of the Master and doing meditations on the specific points and also attending to purgatory sessions with dedication and commitment we come to the state where Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. The Love that wells up from within then is something that is different and I may say that then, Love is a triumph of imagination over intelligence. Constant remembrance then gains a different meaning and the way we start loving is accompanied by a full realization that it might be lost any moment. The condition of universal love is something that we would not part with for any other thing: this is real non possessive love or real love. But many times this is either followed or preceded by the Unitive state. In that Unitive state there is neither father, nor mother, neither worlds nor gods nor even Scriptures, neither Monk nor ascetic. The Self is beyond good and evil, beyond all the suffering of the human Heart. Pain is always there but only when the heart is attached to it the suffering starts. I am not saying anything not understandable. In the presence of love that is established in the heart no pain ever turns into suffering. It is then a prayer similar to “Oh Lord, may all of mankind be safe, Let no one experience pain or suffering” emerges from deep within.