In all Saivite monasteries,
one law presided over all others: the strictest obedience to the guru. Through adhering closely to the word of the guru, and even to the unspoken thoughts projected telepathically to the artisan by the guru, and moving immediately with the direction, the monastics endeavored to capture the power behind the guru’s instruction, a power aided by inner plane devas specially commissioned to work with each guru. In this way, the mathavasis, or monastics, were able to work intuitively and effectively in the external mind, fulfilling and communicating any mission bestowed on them with ease. Those who could not capture and work with their guru’s power were considered of a beginning nature and performed day-to-day mundane functions until they matured. Aum.§