Look at the dove; it can settle on mud, but its plumage remains white and pure. Thus is the very refined mystic, who little by little rises above the miasmas of the Earth and who gives importance to his divine nature. The great sages of the past and the present did the same to arrive at this self-control, which places them on a higher level. They fought; they constantly renewed their efforts, their desire to progress being the strongest. It is not easy to manage one's own nature. It is only human; it is tough in its weaknesses and its shortcomings. The candidate in his initiatory process becomes aware, as he advances, of his shortcomings and the weak points on which he must focus, and tries to correct them. An assiduous practice opens his eyes; this simple fact places him in a very different position, since he can make his own assessment which encourages him to act. The sadhana is the best remedy; it is by progressing that he truly discovers himself, without external assistance. He finds inside himself all the answers. He is no longer alone, he has understood the main thing; there lies the supreme blessing."

Babuji

--Reflections