Heteronomous discipline

In this approach on the spiritual path the seeker finds fulfilment and meaning in service to a master, whether his present teacher (as in Ch'an Buddhism) or some personal or impersonal authority whose service must be learned from another, as from a rabbi in Judaism, from a Buddhist arhat, etc. In Islam, service to the will of God is by following the guidance of Muhammed. To follow this guidance so as to have direct experience of God, particularly according to the Sufi practice and beliefs, one must first seek out a teacher to guide one through the stages of the path or spiritual journey. The spiritual duties performed during these stages gradually rid the seeker of all imperfections and he takes on the qualities of the divine.