THOUGH God-realisation is the ultimate destiny of all persons, there are very few who have the necessary preparation for the early fulfillment of that glorious destiny. Value and limitations of external conformity The mind of the worldly minded is darkened by a thick layer of accumulated sanskaras which must be considerably weakened for the aspirant even to enter the Path. The usual method for gradually dissipating the load of sanskaras is to follow as strictly as possible the external code of religious rituals and ceremonies. This stage of external conformity to religious injunctions or traditions is known as the pursuit of Shariat or Karma-Kanda. It covers actions like the offering of daily prayers, visiting of holy places, performance of duties prescribed by scriptures and observance of well established rules of the ethical codes generally accepted by the moral consciousness of the times. The stage of external conformity is useful in its own way as a spiritual discipline; but it is by no means free from evil effects, for it not only tends to make a man dry, rigid and mechanical, but it often nourishes some kind of subtle egotism. However,