Amritageetananda Swami Talk Matruvani

Many devotees come to Amma and ask, "How can we know whether we are progressing on the spiritual path?" Amma replies, "If you feel compassion towards others arising in your heart, then you can be sure that you are progressing. But if, even after many years of spiritual practice, you don't feel any compassion for all living beings, then you can be sure that you haven't progressed at all."
Once there was a sadhak (spiritual aspirant) who stayed in a small hut at the foot of a mountain. He took a firm vow that he wouldn't eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. After some time a beautiful star appeared on the eastern horizon, and he heard a voice say that the star was a symbol of his noble austerities. Sometime later he was walking on the mountain, accompanied by a small boy. It was very hot and the two became extremely thirsty. When they passed a little stream, the sadhak gave the boy a small vessel and told him to drink. The boy filled the cup with fresh water and offered it to the sadhak, but he refused to drink because of his vow.
Seeing this, the boy said that under this condition, he wouldn't drink anything either. Now the sadhak was in a dilemma. He did not want to break his vow, but he also did not want to see the boy suffer because of him. He finally thought, "This boy is extremely tired and thirsty. Let me break my fast for his sake and drink a little water." After he had taken one sip, the boy immediately started drinking.
Later, the man felt a little unhappy for having broken his vow. Hesitatingly, he looked at the eastern horizon to see what had happened to the star. To his surprise, he saw two beautiful stars. This showed that he was really progressing. Through his austerities, he had been able to purify his mind, and as a result, compassion had grown in his heart. That compassion, which is love without attachment, is the sign of progress.