We think that the day we come
into this world is our birth. In truth, it is a day of
congratulations for those souls who have risen from the
lower species to the human birth, but for those who come
from a higher circle, birth into the world is like entering
a prison. However, it is a good prison for the latter, as
they rule over all the 8,400,000 species.
In this human form, a man
can realize God. When the people gathered around Christ on
the occasion, he said, "...except man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus, who was a learned
lawyer and much respected for his knowledge, asked, "How can
a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time
into his mother's womb, and be reborn?" And Jesus answered,
"...That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that
which is born of the spirit, is spirit...Art thou a master
of Israel, and knowest not these things?" The soul has to
take birth after freeing itself from the outer prison to
enter the home of God. With great emphasis, Christ repeated,
"Ye must be born again." So, to be born in what is called a
body, a physical form, is like entering a prison. But, it is
God's will that we come, and He knows best.
From the physical level,
one can say that February 6 is my birthday, but I do not
know about it. My parents told me this, so it might be
possible. Does anyone remember when he was born? I think you
will not find one man who remembers the event; all have just
heard about it. A man is born every day. Sleep at night is
the younger sister of death--this is what the Koran says.
Every night man dies, and in the morning he is born. Ever
since we entered this physical form, we daily go through
birth and death. The only difference between this daily
death and the final death is that, because of our prarabdh
or destiny karmas, the silver cord cannot be broken until we
have taken the allotted number of breaths.
So what is a true birth?
It is to be born in a Guru's (Master's) home, which frees us
from this wheel of birth and death in the world. When Guru
Nanak was asked, "When did you finish your births and
deaths?" he replied, "The day I took birth in my Guru's
home, I ended my coming and going in this world." For most
people, this cycle never finishes.
My true birth was in May
1917, the day that I left my body and traveled the heavens
with Hazur (the Master's Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji--the
Master met his Master and was initiated by him in 1924, but
seven years before this he started leaving his body and
traversing the higher regions with the radiant form of his
Master). When I met my Master physically and sat at his
feet, the month was February; the day was Basant Panchmi (a
religious festival day which opens the season of the sown
fields starting to burst into bloom). I think, therefore,
that this day you are celebrating is not really a day for
celebration. It was just a day when the soul entered the
world to perform some allotted work. A true birth is when
the soul leaves the body and travels to higher planes, and
is able to return at will.
Does celebrating a
birthday mean merely to pay one's respects to a person? Or
to show happiness? Or to light candles, or to eat and drink?
No, brothers, it is not any of these. The true birthday is
when you are born in your Guru's home. One kind of birth is
to be born in the physical form, and the other, the true
one, to be born above. We are confined in a prison with nine
doors! Forgive me, but can you tell me if this is a birth or
a prison? When we release ourselves from these nine doors,
that is indeed a birth.
If you want to celebrate a
spiritual Master's birthday, there is only one way, and that
is to take up whatever He has learned. That would be a true
celebration. Whenever Masters come, people should learn
whatever They have learned.
When Masters come, what is
Their work? They tell us to "Know God," "Create a love for
God," "Reunite with God!", "Return to your true home from
where you came." This is Their work. To celebrate a birthday
in the true manner, one should revive the age-old teaching,
which is still with us but has been forgotten. Masters come
with as much knowledge as God has given Them, and They, in
turn, give freely of whatever They have to lift the seekers
to the same level as Themselves. They tell us, "There is a
God, and you can have experience of Him." When? "You must be
reborn. When you rise above the body and become a conscious
co-worker of the Divine plan--then, there is something."
There was once a teacher
who became an atheist. He wrote on his door, "God is
nowhere." One day, the teacher became very ill and was on
the point of dying. A child approached his house, and seeing
the notice on the door, read aloud, "God is now here." The
teacher heard this and replied, "Child, you are right." Why
the sudden change of heart? Because when one is dying, the
soul withdraws to the place between and behind the eyebrows.
There, the knowledge comes that there is some great power
existing. It is either reasoned intellectually, through
inference, or, at the time of death, we become conscious of
the power that is controlling everything. Added to this, we
might discover that we are going along in life helplessly
under the control of some power. The other way is to die
while living at will. These are the only ways of knowing the
truth.
What happens when one dies
while living? At the actual time of this death, what
happens? Plutarch says that those souls who are initiated
into the mysteries of the Beyond have the same experience as
at the time of death of the human body. So God can be
experienced. At the time of death, a man goes helplessly
without any choice. Unfortunately, those who go do not
return to tell us what happened. Through inferences some
conclusion can be reached, but it is better to have the
actual experience. When? When one has learned how to leave
the body at will. You must be reborn. Small, big, child or
adult, learned or unlearned, rich or poor--all can realize
this great Truth.
The words of the Masters
assure us that they have seen God. It is true that there is
also another statement which says that no one has seen God
at any time. Still, Guru Nanak said, "Nanak's Emperor can be
seen in all clarity." Christ said, "Behold the Lord." Kabir
Sahib said, "God cannot be seen with physical eyes, nor
apprehended by the senses. Kabir has seen Him through the
grace of His Master, and all His doubts are dispelled." Guru
Arjan Sahib Said, "I see the all-pervading Lord residing in
the hearts of all creatures." When Swami Vivekananda went to
Ramakrishna Paramhansa, he asked, "Oh Mahatma, have you seen
God?" Ramakrishna replied, "Yes, my child, I see Him as I
see you." So God can be seen. I have told about three ways
of knowing this. One way is by inference--for example, there
is a small seed, which also has the same controlling power
in it. You may sow that seed in the soil, water it, and it
will grow into a huge tree. That one seed will give fruit by
the thousands, so there is obviously some power working
there--the same Life which is working in everything. But
when can you actually know this? Either at the time of death
when you will feel that something is pulling you out of the
body, that some great power is taking you away; or you may
die while living. Learn how to leave the body at will. Then
you will see and you will become a conscious co-worker of
the Divine plan, thereby qualified to say in all truth,
"Yes, there is something."
There is another aspect to
the subject. You may have read about this power in books
covering the study of energy. When we see a wrestler, who
has controlled that energy in his body, we get a feeling of
power just by watching him. He radiates strength. By the
same principle, when we see a spiritual Master, we start to
believe that there is a God just by watching him. "The
yearning for the resplendent, overflowing love of God comes
only in the company of a God-man."
"Only in this human life
can you see God." He who has learned something in this life
will remain learned after death. My Master used to say, "He
who is without spiritual knowledge during this life will be
without it, even after death." Now, the question arises--who
can see? Who are we? We are embodied souls. Each individual
is a soul, a conscious entity, and that soul must experience
God. God cannot be known through the senses, the mind, or
the pranas (vital airs); only the soul can know Him.
Ail Masters have said that
we are, in true fact, the soul. Kabir Sahib says, "This is a
particle of God--a drop of the ocean of All Consciousness."
Tulsi Sahib says, "The Supreme Being resides in the fourth
region." Man's form is made in the image of Brahmand (the
three divisions of creation). "Whatever Brahmand is, so is
this body; whosoever searches within will find it." In
Brahmand there are three planes: physical, astral, and
causal. This comprises Brahmand. It has been mentioned also
that there is a Par Brahmand. So there is Brahm and a Par
Brahm or fourth stage beyond Brahm. In all three regions
below Par Brahm, action and reaction are working. One is
sometimes rising, sometimes falling. We are indeed greatly
blessed that we have this form in the image of the divisions
of Brahmand, which Masters have described in Their own terms
in various languages: in Persian, these divisions are called
Kaseef, Lateef, and Lateef-ul-lateef; in Hindi, sthool,
suksham, and karan; and in English, physical, astral, and
causal. He who can take off these three coverings will
realize the Truth, and, therefore, have true belief. Not
only will he believe, but he will see that "I and my Father
are one."
Though we are a part of
God, of Sat Purush (Primal Cause), there is a difficulty. We
have forgotten ourselves and have identified with the body.
Tulsi Das says, "Soul, the indweller of the human body, is
of the same essence as God; ever-existent, all wisdom,
eternal bliss." It is Truth, the figure of wisdom and bliss;
just like God who is permanent, unchangeable, and all
wisdom. When people asked Guru Nanak about the soul, he
said, "The soul is in the oversoul, and the oversoul is in
the soul." So, God is residing in our soul, and our soul is
residing in God--all consciousness.
How can we know Him? By
sitting beside a true Master, and through practical
self-analysis, learning how to rise above the body
consciousness. Then we become the seer. We are meant to
realize God in this human form. When spiritual or realized
people come, they give the love of God to us. They make us
enthusiastic for God-realization. They are drenched in God's
color, and they distribute that color to the seeking souls.
They see God and They teach others how to see Him. "In the
company of Saints, I have seen God within." And They
demonstrate the process by giving a practical experience. "A
powerful Guru draws the soul up."
However, there are
problems due to attachment and entanglement with illusion.
This illusion all started with the body, for since we came
into the world, we have been looking outward and filling
ourselves with the whole world's impressions. When the
heart's reservoir was filled up with outer impressions, we
became the world itself, forgetting ourselves completely and
forgetting God. The true owner of the physical house had
come to rule but imagined that it was the body. With the
soul in such a vulnerable position, it was easy for the
powerful influence of the mind to take over. Unchangeable
and permanent though it truly was in such a complicated
condition, the soul had become jiva (encased in all three
coverings--physical, astral, and causal), from then on
subject to the experience of birth and death.
The senses are like
windows from which the soul looks out to take the
impressions from outside; and so wherever the senses drag
its attention, it goes without any control. This is how,
from birth through our whole life, we go on filling the
heart's reservoir. We dream of the world by day, and when we
sleep we even talk about the world in our dreams.So when can
we realize God? When the soul forsakes the companionship of
the mind. It is actually a servant of the mind. It goes
wherever the senses drag it--the senses, in turn, being
dragged by the various outer enjoyments. All this amounts to
the reason why we have not returned to the lap of the Lord
since we came here. If we had not succumbed to these
influences, we would be something other than what we are.
The Masters repeatedly
impress upon us Their invaluable advice. There is a story of
a shepherd who found a lion cub and brought him up with the
sheep. He started eating grass and bleating "baa baa" like a
sheep. One day a lion passed nearby and was amazed to see
the young lion amidst the sheep behaving as one of them. He
called him over and told him, "You are the son of a lion."
The cub replied, "No, no, I am a sheep." With great concern,
the lion took the cub to a pond of still water, and pointing
to the reflection, asked, "Do we not resemble each other?
Now roar like me." When the cub roared loudly, the shepherd
and sheep ran away in fear, leaving the lions alone--lords
of the countryside. The God-realized men say, "You are the
children of God--you are soul--all consciousness, but are
under the control of the mind (the shepherd) and outgoing
faculties (the sheep). You are the giver of strength to the
mind and outgoing faculties but are being controlled by
them." We are all brothers and sisters in God but are in
deep forgetfulness, as if we are trapped in a well and
cannot get out, going wherever the attention goes, falling
again and again.
Why do the Masters
continue to come to this world? To awaken the souls and take
them back to their true home, because the soul belongs in
God. When the soul, realizing its imprisonment in the body,
becomes greatly afflicted and grieved with the separation
from the Lord, then its anguished cry rings out, "Where is
God?" Ironically it resides in that very form which is the
temple of God.
"The man body flourisheth
as long as its companion is with it. When the companion
leaves, unto dust it doth return." The body can retain its
glory only as long as we, the soul, are in it. It was the
very first companion we had when we came into the world, but
forgetting the Truth, we followed the illusion, and so
mistook it for our true identity. Now we have to suffer for
our actions because we are attached to the mind. Only by
getting untied from this association can we become free from
the results of the karmas (reactions of the past actions).
Rishis and munis (holy men), have called the human birth
karm bhumi (the land of actions). In the Koran it is
written that this is the field of tomorrow. "Oh Tulsi, one
tastes the fruit of whatever one has sown."
We are at the mercy of our
actions and whatever we do sets up an action-reaction. Good
actions bring good reactions; bad actions, bad reactions. In
the Gurbani (sayings of the Sikh Gurus) it is written, "Do
not blame others, but blame your own past actions."
Brothers, do not blame anyone. You got this human form as a
result of your prarabdh karmas (destiny, governing this
life's pattern); it is the good fruit of your past. Whatever
you have to give and take from the past lives must be
accounted for now. You have to take from some people and
give to others. Sometimes when giving something to a certain
person, such warmth of love swells up from within the heart,
and yet on another occasion, one gives with hatred and
reluctance. This is reaction from the past. Someone is rich,
another poor. Some are masters, others servants. In all,
there are six things over which man has no control: life,
death, poverty, riches, honor, and dishonor. These are all
beyond or control.
When I was working
in my office, there was a typist who, during the 1914-18
war, went to Persia. They wanted to create a new
accountant-general's post there, but because of the war,
there was a shortage of qualified accountants. So the
typist, who had just arrived there with little knowledge of
accounts, was given the office of the new
accountant-general. This clearly shows that there was some
impetus from past actions behind the event. We have no
control over this kind of thing--if one puts one's hand into
clay, it can turn into gold, and put into gold, it can turn
into clay. For another example, it sometimes happens that
one very clever and experienced man and an illiterate
inexperienced man both start businesses, and the
inexperienced man succeeds where the experienced man goes
bankrupt. This indicates that the reactions of the past are
making people go helplessly along in life, with very little
control over what happens. In Guru Nanak's
Jap Ji,
it is written, "You have no power to ask or to give. No
power over wealth or state." Christ told us, "As ye sow, so
shall ye reap." However, in this human form, we can do that
through which we shall not return to the world again.
There are three types of
actions: first, those which we do every day; second, those
through which we got a human form and present circumstances;
third, those which are in store and have not yet borne
fruit. During this human life we should make sure that we do
not sow any new seeds. Whatever was done in the past will
have to be harvested. There is no escape from that. Tulsi
Sahib says, "Whatever has been made, is already made; you
cannot change it into something different. When Tulsi thinks
of this, his mind is at peace." Masters are never worried,
for they can see the laws working.
Now that our fate has
brought us here, how can we make the best of the human life?
We should not sow any more seeds. Whatever happens in life
due to past actions should be borne with cheerfulness.
Happiness and unhappiness will come, but one should never be
disheartened. The great spiritual leaders also go through
similar experiences, but without suffering the pinching
effects. My Master used to say, "You cannot clear up all the
thorns which you yourself have spread in your path, but you
can wear heavy boots for protection." The task of saving
ourselves from the reactions in store for us should be
seriously considered, for only in the human form do we have
any chance of rendering them inactive. The Saints who
come--forgive me, but they also leave the body at death.
They also get riches or poverty, but they always avoid those
actions which will cause reactions.
One great spiritual
Master, Ravi Das, was a poor cobbler who lived on whatever
he earned from his work. Mira Bai was a princess and also a
queen by marriage, but she accepted him as her Guru. One day
she was very sad thinking of her Master making shoes and
living in such a simple manner. So she offered him a very
valuable ruby saying, "Master, have a good house made with
this, and live comfortably." The Master refused to accept
it, but on her insistence agreed, and told her to put it
somewhere. Finding no better place, she put it in a hole in
the wall which served as a shelf. On returning to him after
about one year for his holy darshan (the blessed glance from
a Saint), she saw that he was still mending and making shoes
in the same small hut. She said, "Master, I left a valuable
ruby here for your use, what happened?" He replied, "It must
be where you left it."
God-realized people do not
live on gifts from others, but from their own earnings. If
donations are given, they are used for the benefit of the
followers and the needy. Another great Saint, Kabir Sahib,
was a poor weaver although he had kings among his disciples.
King Abraham-Adham was one of his followers. Nevertheless,
Kabir Sahib earned his living by his loom. Great Masters
like Kabir Sahib, Ravi Das, and others, not only feed the
soul with the Bread of Life, but will make the seeker a
conscious co-worker of the Divine plan. They release the
soul from the mind and senses and make it powerful.
On the spiritual health
depends the life of mind and body both. If the soul is fed
with spiritual food, one becomes unaffected by the reactions
of life. How do the Masters give food to the soul? By
pulling it above its casing of mind and senses and
connecting it with God. Where is this God? He is the very
soul of our soul. At present the soul is completely
identified with the body and the world and is scattered
outwardly in many directions. It has to withdraw from outer
things and rise above the senses. We have taken birth in
this body which has two parts: one up to the eyes, the other
above the eyes. Although we have wandered very far from our
true home, if we leave the lower body and go to the upper
part, we get nearer the Truth. So a true Master raises the
soul up from the body and opens the inner eye to see the
Light of God, which is the Bread and Water of Life. The soul
then starts seeing in truth that he is not the doer, that
the Lord within is doing everything; and he gains great
strength.
Guru Nanak says, "I can do
nothing of my own; but only whatever are God's wishes. When
Nanak starts obeying His orders, the I-hood does not
remain." By coming across a true Master, the accounts are
wound up in this way. Masters themselves ask, "Why do we
have to go to a spiritual Master?" and then reply, "Because
he will wind up the actions." The whole of creation is
throbbing and resounding under the beat of action. How does
the Guru free the soul? How can we be saved from the outer
impressions when all the windows in the body are open to
receive greedily from outside? Masters sometimes give small
examples to help us to understand the facts. One Master said
that if one is pushed into a room full of black mascara, no
matter how careful one may be, one cannot escape from
getting some black stains somewhere. Another Master says,
"It is a very peculiar situation--you have thrown a plank of
wood in the river and have made me sit on it, and now you
tell me not to get my clothes wet!"
Oh brothers, how is it
possible to stay dry? The senses are permitting the outer
impressions to flood through them every day to settle
inside. How can one save oneself? The Masters say, "Make a
hole in the top and escape from there." This is the only
way. You must be reborn. One birth has been taken in this
body, and now another must be taken above the body where the
Bread and Water of Life are available. When one has become
the conscious co-worker of the Divine plan, all past
actions, sanchit karmas (those in store), are
erased--finished. If the person who was tasting the actions
is not there, then who is there to taste them and be
responsible? When there is I-hood, one must receive the
results of one's actions. A man may state, "I am not the
doer," but within the folds of his heart he cannot believe
this, and continues to consider he is doing everything,
thereby holding responsibility for his actions and the
reactions to follow. If he becomes the conscious co-worker
of the Divine plan and knows that he does only that which
God wills, how can he be burdened by any action?
Take some seeds and roast
them, then sow them in the soil--will they bear any fruit?
Similarly, all the kriyaman (present action) karmas are
erased for the future. Masters do not touch the prarabdh
karmas, for if they did, at the time of initiation the
initiate would die. "He who is afraid of life and death
should sit at the feet of a Godman."
Tulsi Sahib says, "Some
are unhappy through the mind and the body, and some are
perpetually unhappy. One way or another, everyone has some
kind of sorrow. Only a true disciple of a Sant is happy."
Who is called a Sant? "My Lord is fully awakened, for He
Himself manifests in a body and proclaims that He is a
Sant." Our Lord is truly awakened because to whichever house
(body) He goes, He appears in there (in radiant form). He
who is the manifested God in man is called a Sadhu, Mahatma,
or Sant. To be clever or intellectual is not the criterion
of a Master, and even one who has mastered all the holy
scriptures is not entitled to be called either Sant, Sadhu,
or Mahatma. Those who teach outer subjects, likewise, are
not necessarily true Masters. Then who is a Master? He who
has freed Himself from the mind and the senses, has realized
Himself and realized God, and has become one with God. He is
the mouthpiece of God. He truly sees the Reality, and He
makes whoever is truly seeking see it also.
The soul, as I have said
before, is eternal, all wisdom, and bliss. If it is all
wisdom and full of bliss, then how is it possible for it to
have any unhappiness in this world? For how long will it
enjoy the outer tastes? We think that we are enjoying the
enjoyments, but, in fact, the enjoyments are enjoying us.
The God of Food once went to Lord Vishnu (part of the triune
Lord of Creations Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva--the Creator,
Sustainer, and Destroyer, respectively) and complained. "The
people are eating me up brutally without any sympathy for
me!" Lord Vishnu said, "All right, if anyone eats you beyond
his needs, then you eat him up." Just think; what is the
cause of all disease? Indigestion. We enjoy, and enjoy, and
enjoy until we are no longer capable of enjoying anything.
Then the enjoyments start enjoying us.
Because bliss is the
quality of the soul, happiness lasts as long as our
attention is attached with a particular thing of interest,
but if we are taken away from that thing, then unhappiness
results. So where should we put our attention? "He who has a
strong desire for the heart's own never-ending happiness
should get re-connected back to God, who has ever been in
existence. God is not in either birth or death. How can
sorrow come when He never dies?" One will get that
everlasting life, for Masters do not just use empty words,
but actually make the connection spiritually and
scientifically.
The power that is called
God is known by different names for easier understanding by
the different peoples. "No matter what words are used to
describe Him, I rejoice in them all." It might be Ram, Ram;
Allah; Waheguru; Khuda; one might read a whole hymn praising
Him, or only use Onkar, Sat Naam; one might go on reading
books upon books. To truly know God, however, we have to
know Him for whom all these words were created. "Everyone
says God, God, but by just saying it you will not become it.
only by the Guru's grace can God manifest in you--only that
will bear fruit." If the all-pervading God manifests Himself
in you, then by just taking His name you will get
intoxicated. That which we believe is giving us satisfaction
is not true; it is merely that our attention is there and
the enjoyment comes from that; so happiness is not in the
thing, but in ourselves. How can pure consciousness (the
soul), get any happiness out of matter? When a dog chews a
bone, is there any sweetness in it? But he cuts his tongue
or gums on the sharp bone and tastes his own blood.
Only when a man has become
free from the mind and senses can he truly understand all
these things--when he starts realizing them practically.
Now, in our condition, what should we do? For instance, a
child leaves the shelter of the homestead to visit a fair
for a day with his parents. There is such a huge crowd of
people there, but as long as the child is holding his
mother's hand he cannot be separated from her. Masters have
said, "I do not ask you to renounce the world; I only ask
you to remember the Lord in all you do." By quoting this, I
am not saying that you should leave life in the world and
take the road to the lonely forests. I mean that no matter
where you are or what you are doing, you should not forget
God. It is possible that the child might be inclined to
leave his mother's hand if he could, but if the mother is
holding him firmly, how is it possible? You should dedicate
your hand--surrender it. If you have not seen God, then you
can surrender yourself to one in whom God is manifested--a
God-in-man. With such surrender to the God in him, His hand
will always be holding you. You understand what I am saying?
To meet a perfect Master
is the greatest blessing a man could ever have· He connects
our soul (or attention) to God. He teaches us that we are
all one--that we have got a soul and that we are a conscious
entity--a drop of the ocean of all consciousness· He who has
freed himself can free others. Those who have not freed
themselves have therefore not risen above their body
consciousness by self-analysis, and cannot give a
demonstration of the same practical science· This type of
person cannot give anyone salvation.
"No one is hungry, oh
Bheek: everyone has a valuable ruby locked inside him."
There is not a single human being who has not got God in
him. Being all brothers and sisters in God, the whole of
mankind is one. We have stuck various labels of the
different religions on us to show which school we are
studying under, but which is the greatest religion? That
which teaches us that we are all students of the same
subject. From all those who are fortunate to have a human
form, who is successful in realizing God? Only he who is
able to control his mind. The mind wants some attraction,
naturally, but if you give it a better attraction inside,
why should it want to come out? The spiritual Masters give a
taste of that nectar inside, by tasting which, the soul
ceases to roam restlessly in the outer environments.
"We are all the children
of one Father, and all living creatures have one Provider·"
No matter what their race, creed, or country, the Masters
have said that the Lord of Creation is not different to a
Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain, or others.
Furthermore, "Mankind is all one. Related to each other, we
are like different organs of the body, and the same Divine
link animates us all." Like one man with various limbs, we
are the limbs of God--all infused in one another, and that
controlling power which controls all creation is also one
and the same. Saints come and teach humanity to worship the
one God, and then to love God in the true way.
How can love be created?
First, a desire is created within by hearing about it--and
then by seeing a perfect Master. Masters are overflowing
cups of the intoxicated love of God; so by just seeing Them,
the love starts awakening in us, too. However, if They also
give the connection with the Lord within, then one can be
assured that he is on the True Path back to God.
The soul, having the true
qualities of bliss and love, must attach itself to
something. Through illusion and no knowledge of the Truth,
it has at present connected itself to perishable things,
resulting inevitably in continued revisits to the world of
matter. In the Koran it is said that it is very necessary
for a momin (devotee) to have a Beloved. The soul's Beloved
was God, but the world became its beloved instead. Guru
Nanak describes this very beautifully. "Perishable is the
king; perishable are his subjects; perishable is the whole
world. Perishable is the husband, perishable the wife; we
are so much in contact with the perishable, we have
forgotten the Imperishable (God). Who can we call our friend
in this perishable world?"
So we should create a love
for the imperishable God alone. What caste is His brother,
and what religion does He come from? When we came to the
world we became a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, etc. What is
God's caste? If He has no caste, then what is our caste? Is
it not the same as God's? All the different castes and
religions were formed for the benefit of the body. Some
years ago in India, those who were learned in Brahm (having
religious knowledge) became known as Brahmins. Those who
were warriors and defended the country were known as
Kshatriyas. The people responsible for the food were
Vaishyas. The rest, who looked after other needs including
various services, were called Shudras. A Brahmin's son was
also known as a Brahmin. Forgive me, but what an illusion it
was for the Brahmin's son to be called Brahmin, when his
knowledge might be in some other field. How then could
Brahmins be the highest caste if some of them had no
specialized knowledge befitting the title? One can see why
the Masters stress that to realize God does not require any
special caste, for God has no caste, and ours is the same as
His. It is very clear and simple: if you love God, you
become what God is.
Just note that Saint Saina
was a barber, Kabir Sahib was a weaver, Ravi Das Ji was a
cobbler, and Tulsi Sahib a Brahmin. What I mean is this: in
the eyes of God there is no caste or creed, a man is a man
and he has got a soul, and that soul is the same essence as
of God. All castes and creeds are connected with the body
only, which is made of matter, and which will end up under
the earth or on the cremation fire.
Because the soul does not
remember the Truth, whatever impressions go into the astral,
give cause for it to return to the world continuously.
Everyone should understand this very important fact. If we
do anything that brings the attention of the world upon us,
each pore of our being gets filled with such great ego that
we become full of pride and egoism. Without a Master we
cannot get connected to the Truth, and without that, we are
just leather tanners. A leather tanner's attention is always
on the leather. If we do not rise above the body
consciousness, we can be ranked as a tanner with our
attention constantly at the level of the body.
You must have heard of
King Janak. He wanted self- and God-realization very much.
He spread the news all over India that he wanted a spiritual
Master who could give him true spiritual knowledge in as
much time as it takes to mount a horse. Of course, everyone
was astonished to hear this, for they thought it impossible.
How could anyone teach Spirituality, such a vast subject, in
that short space of time? After the announcement, Ashtavakra
came to the King's palace and said that he could give the
King the knowledge he required.
Ashtavakra's body was
twisted into eight different deformities. Asht means eight
and avakra means twisted. He was a Brahmgyani, which means
he had knowledge of the Beyond. He approached the King in
all confidence, for whosoever holds mastership in any field
has confidence in his own ability. Take for example a
laundryman, who will take even the dirtiest clothes, knowing
that if not the first time, then with two or three washes he
will make them clean. A spiritual Master also knows with
full confidence that by self-analysis he can clean up a
person's sins of the ages.
When Ashtavakra sat down
on the dias in King Janak's court, the many courtiers who
were present burst out laughing. There were two reasons for
this--it seemed an impossible task for anyone to undertake,
and on top of that, they could not imagine that this
strange-looking man, with such peculiar deformities, could
have any special powers. Undaunted, Ashtavakra asked the
King, "Your Majesty, do you want the knowledge of the
Beyond?" The King replied, "Yes, Master." "Then," said
Ashtavakra, "why have you collected these tanners and
cobblers around you, whose attention is only on my skin, and
not on my soul?"
Now, you understand what
this means? We are all children of God--we are all
micro-Gods, but unfortunately we have forgotten ourselves,
being given up to outer symbols and appearances. Tulsi Sahib
says, "The poor and oppressed got salvation by sitting at a
Master's feet; the high born paid the penalty of their
pride." Those who sit at a Master's feet with full
attention, get his protection; but people of position, high
caste or possessing riches, because of their pride, get
death only. Other Masters, like Paltu Sahib, have said this
in similar words. Even in the countless holy books one can
read that only through love and devotion can one realize
God. To describe the facts in a few words, one can say that
the lowest caste of all is the one in which those souls are
not connected to God. That man is an emperor, and the
richest of all, who is connected with the Truth.
All Masters regard
humanity either at the level of man or the level of the
soul, while humanity itself continues in forgetfulness of
its nature. In every age the Masters come to bring us out of
this illusion. In the beginning, there were only two castes
in India--Hindu and Muslim. Today there are more than seven
hundred different castes and branches; so there is a greater
necessity for adhering to the basic true religion underlying
all. The only real answer to the problem is actual practical
experience of the Truth given by some true Master.
The controlling power
residing in each body, which sees our every action and
condition, is the controller of the whole world. "Whatever
there is, is in this very house (physical)--not outside. To
search for it without will bring forgetfulness in the
illusion." If you are in need of the Bread of Life, search
within; He is the Life-Sustainer, and He is everywhere--not
a single place is without Him. If an electrical connection
is needed, it has to be taken from the powerhouse.
Similarly, if you want a connection with God, go to where He
has manifested Himself in fullness, in a human pole. He is
Alakh (Formless), and is above the senses; so long as the
attention is on the body, He will never be found. What a
great blessing that we have been given this human form for
the purpose of getting this Bread of Life, and further, to
realize God.
Kabir Sahib asks us if we
can see the oil within a sesame seed. If you see flint
stone, can you see the fire in it? By grinding the seeds one
can take out the oil, and by striking the flintstone you
will see the sparks of fire. "Thy Beloved is within; awaken
yourself, if you can." Time and tide wait for no man, so
make the best use of your time while you can. "As the pupil
is in the eye, so God resides in the human form. Foolish
people know this not, and search for Him outside." This all
began from the field of karmas.
It may be difficult to
believe that God is within each individual. For example, if
someone says that there is ghee (clarified butter) in milk,
a person who knows nothing of this process will ask, "How
can one fry anything in milk?" Whereas, he who has actually
seen ghee being made will say with authority, "Potentially,
there is definitely ghee in milk." God is in our soul and
our soul is in God. By rising above the body by
self-analysis, one will see for oneself that "I and my
Father are one."
The light we look for in
temples, books, religions, and places of pilgrimage, is in
the true temple of God--the human form. It may be observed
that all outer temples have been made in the image of the
human body. Dome or head-shaped are the Hindu temples;
nose-shaped are the church steeples; forehead-shaped is the
mehrab of the mosque where the priest stands at the
appointed time to call the people to prayer--this
corresponds to the same spot in the body where the holy
Sound is vibrating. It is so sad that we are bound in this
body, listening to outer sounds and not hearing at all the
holy Sound within our own form. "Alas, bound in this house
of flesh, thou hearest not the Divine clarion call!"
Once one is connected to
the Sound, to where will it lead? It will take you to your
true home. This Sound is the Voice of God which is saying,
"Come child, unto me." Shamas Tabrez says, "Every second my
soul is hearing the Voice of God. What is it saying? Oh,
Shamas Tabrez, come back home."
The Sound is vibrating
continuously in this human form, behind the eyes. As long as
one goes on sitting below the level of the eyes, the coming
and going in this world will never finish. If one rises
above the eye-level, the holy Sound can be heard and the
beauty within can be seen. This is food for the soul,
obtainable by rising above the nine "doors" of the body to
where the soul withdraws at the time of death. When the
inner eye is opened, the human form is put to its most
important use.
We are talking of a true
Master, whose daily work is to raise tile souls of the
seekers above the body consciousness, with one glance. With
one glance. It matters not if there are ten, twenty, one
hundred, five hundred, one thousand, or any number of people
sitting--each one's attention will be drawn up to this
level. When a true Master accepts a seeker who then sits at
the Master's feet, he winds up the past karmas of the
initiate by drawing a line. He then advises that in the
present life the future should be improved by: speaking the
truth, observing chastity, having love for all beings as God
is in all, practicing non-violence, and doing selfless
service to benefit others. This advice is like drawing a
second line which one should not overstep. They do not touch
the prarabdh, otherwise death would come at the very moment,
but they make the soul strong by feeding it the Bread and
Water of Life, that this world's happiness and unhappiness
may have little effect. If you want this, you can have it
for the asking. Your whole angle of vision will change. The
past karmas (sanchit or storehouse) will get burned up
through daily contact with the Truth.
So, we have all been born
in this human body, but from today be born anew. Up to
today, you have lived, but from now on live above the body
consciousness. The day that you do this will be a day for
congratulations, and that day I myself will congratulate you
a thousand times. This is a true birthday, and only then may
you truly rejoice and celebrate a day of birth. I
congratulate those who are already on this Path and they can
celebrate the Master's birthday only if they have
well-learned what he has taught, and are living up to his
teachings. If they are so doing, I will accept their
congratulations not once but a thousand times. If this work
is not done, then what is the use of celebrating by singing
and playing music?
What I am telling you
today is no new thing, for these teachings have been given
out by all Masters in the past, but again and again they are
forgotten; so they continue to come to revive the old, old
Truth. Whatever I have learned up to this age, I have
learned through the grace of my Master or the God within
Him, or through the parallel study of religions.
You should take all these
things deep into your heart and bring them into practical
use every day. Then your coming to this world will be worthy
of congratulations. |