I don’t understand the meaning or the sense of your question about hippies and junkies. Who can say by outward things as to who is on the path and who is not. It has always been said in all authentic spiritual teaching that one should not judge by appearances. The spiritual journey is primarily an inner journey and just as teaching or studying in Harvard does not indicate true knowledge or wisdom nor even a developed intelligence, so too wearing an ochre robe, singing bhajans, visiting temples or doing rituals has no bearing upon the true spiritual life. All that I am saying is that the true worth of a man does not lie in any of his outer achievements but on what he inwardly is and becomes. This is again not to say that the outer life and its achievements have no importance. Everything has its place in its own context. All that I am saying is that the true worth of a human being is not to be judged by these outer achievements. Of course you are free to believe or not believe. But in any case, the sense of superiority and egoism that looks down upon others is not helpful to one’s progress. On the other hand humility and the will to learn from everyone and everything is very helpful from several points of view, above all from one’s own progress and collective harmony.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
