Teaching of Sadguru and Devotional Practice for spiritual endeavours is not a strain to the Sadhaka, but to make him a realised person and make him ever happy. Sadguru puts bliss directly into your heart. He always tells all in one simple sentence, which is “Mahavakya “, “you yourself is Brahman. If you do not seek happiness outside and remain what you are, you will then experience your own real identity. Realise this truth and be happy all the time.” If you give up attachments to what is outside you and retain the belief in what is truly your Self, then misery and mental agitation cannot touch you. Remember you are already “That “ He. To achieve Self-Realization, you must keep aside your personality, which is based on your body, organs and mind, and look inward to get the fundamental experience of your own awareness. Keep repeating the Gurumantra with its meaning,” I am the ultimate Absolute, I am ever free, the Atman.” Since this is in fact true, you experience it at once. This method of attaining the ultimate state straight away is called the “Birds Path “ ( Vihangam marg). All the other paths are the Ant paths (Pippilika marg). Those Practices are carried out over extended periods of time with much less success. But the proponents of those Sadhanas (practices) promise the full fruits. It is very important that the Sadhaka must not have false thoughts that there is no Atman or that the experience of the Atman cannot be obtained. Believe the words of your Sadguru, that “you are Atman only, you are the Reality.”Atman means You are That. Understand this fact and thoroughly convince yourself of it, and keep it firmly rooted in the mind. Decide forever, “I am the ever-free Atman “. Atman and Paramatman are both one only. One becomes the Atman from the standpoint of one’s own body, and the other the Paramatman from the standpoint of the universe. But the basic thing never divides itself into two different beings.
— Sadguru Shri Avadhootanand Maharaj, Nisargadatta Ashram. Mogarbav (Vangaon).