It so happened that Gopal Swamy reported having had “sakshatkar darshan'” of Shri [Baba] last night in a state of full wakefulness. Having stayed awake through most of the night, all of a sudden he saw an -assembly of devtas” (gods) in the heavens. All of them stood up to honor the arrival of some high divine official—who turned out to be Shri! To behold, in full wakefulness, one’s guru in such heavenly assembly, surrounded by gods and other such beings—this is called saksatkar darshan, and it can be obtained only after much preparedness and deserving. Shri thereupon spoke about the swamy in terms of praise and promised that he would make him a sant. The swamy had been found to be very sincere, silent, and obedient: his comportment had given nothing at all to complain of. His vision of his guru in this heavenly assembly on the very eve of Baba’s departure from meherabad indicated his love and faith in Shri, who is sure to bestow his grace on such a sincere devotee as he.
The topic then turning to “sakar darshan,” Shri, in the course of his explanation, informed the mandali about an American, one of the circle but not among the chief members, who saw him every day in this way. This person saw Shri in his usual pose and dress; and this he could do whenever he liked. To see a guru in his assumed’ form (such as that in which Shri appears at present) is called “sakar darshan”— as compared with sakshatkar darshan, in which one beholds the guru in his original form. Sakar darshan is higher than sakhsatkar darshan. This same appearance (of the guru in his assumed form). When it occurs in a dream, is called dristant (literally, a typical instance, an example) Shri continued:
Now, who and what is a “sant“? The true sant is he who has reached the sixth plane and can see Paramatma from that station. A sant has dristi (sight) but no Experience—he has not yet experienced himself as one with the Almighty. That can happen only after he leaves his present body. He feels neither the desire nor the longing (talmali) that others do to become one with God. For he knows that he is indeed destined for union with Paramatma, whom he can now see, and whom he sees completely. Yet for that—union with Paramatma—a Sadguru’s grace is essential; and that grace requires preparedness and deserving. The achievement of that preparedness and deserving is no small thing!
– “Meher Baba’s Tiffin lectures”, p303
24-November-1926; Meherabad