The significance of Satsang has been explained on a number
of occasions. This is a sacred place (Sawan Ashram) and must
be taken as such. Whenever you visit a Gurudwara or a
temple, you do so with a feeling of reverence. If you go
there without such a feeling and keep thinking about worldly
affairs, what will you gain? The purpose of your coming here
is love of God, His remembrance, and communion with Him.
Come here with a clean mind and pure heart remembering the
Lord. Then alone you will be able to derive full benefit
from Satsang. The more attentive you are, the greater will
be the benefit. Whatever you understand you must practice.
Otherwise, the result is sorrow.
Swami Ji Maharaj has aptly explained the significance of
Satsang. Kabir in a couplet says: "The heart is somewhere
else, but the body is with the Saint. How can an unbleached
cloth be dyed like this?" If you just sit quietly and
attentively, even if you are not able to follow the Satsang
fully, you will derive some benefit. By thinking about
mundane matters, you not only harm yourself, but also spoil
the atmosphere for others. We do not assemble here to make
friends, but to establish true relationship -- the
relationship with God that does not break even after death.
It cannot be snapped during one's lifetime. It is only
because of our lack of understanding, false sense of ego,
and such other ideas that we are amidst this conflict. To
where does this conflict lead us? To suffering.
There can be no (no ! no !!) salvation by visiting this
place as a routine. The more you put your heart into the
Satsang, the happier you will be. If you do this you will
get something which is not available elsewhere. You have
been asked to maintain a
diary,
but you remain adamant and do not do so. If we keep a diary
regularly, we can become angels. We are not Saints, but have
come here to become one. This can happen only if we put our
hearts to what we understand here.
For years we have been having Satsang;
At least now leave old habits. - Swami Ji
If we do something for a number of days or months, it
becomes a habit. Habit so formed should be unraveled. Bad
habits falsehood, deceit, enmity, intrigue, backbiting, etc.
should be discarded. It is to shed these old habits that we
come to Satsang. If that is not done and we make only a show
of it, then, what is the point of coming to Satsang ?
We come to Satsang to form such habits and adopt such ideas
as to forge a link with the Truth (Sat), to give up negative
ideas, and to assimilate positive thoughts in our lives. The
holy Quran says that even God does not care about a person
who does not think of reforming himself. By reforming
ourselves, we can change the whole world.
The worst of all the bad habits is to criticize others. One
must observe non-injury (nonviolence) even in thought. All
religions are good, but the observance of nonviolence is the
highest. Forget the past and discard all bad habits.
Otherwise, we will only harm ourselves and remain entangled
in the whirlpool of births and deaths. Thus, Saints lovingly
exhort us to give up obstinacy now.
How long are we going to deceive the Master?
It is high time we get to know Him. - Swami Ji
"Deceiving the Master" means that we think whatever we do
(good or bad) is all right and that He is not watching us.
But the Master Power is always within us and is watching all
our actions. The Master is not an ordinary human being. The
Master is a Divine Power manifest on a human pole. That
Power is always watching us, although physically He may not
be seeing us. So, recognize the Master Power. The Master
loves all, even those who may consider themselves as His
enemies. He wishes everyone well. Even if someone threatens
to kill, He will not wish ill of him. Why? Because of the
Master Power in Him. If we recognize this Power in Him, we
must obey Him, for He will never give us bad advice.
Swami Ji reminds us that Satsang is done by the Master, Who
is not an ordinary human being. Then Who is a Guru (Master)?
He is God Himself. You should come here in His remembrance
and go out remembering Him. Adopt whatever things are
helpful to reach Him and reject those that become obstacles.
To reach God is not difficult, but difficult it is to become
a man. Although we may appear to show great reverence and
understanding, we consider ourselves to be wisest of all.
That is why Swami Ji Maharaj has said that we must leave our
old habits.
Everyone judges things from his own level. Unless you
concede someone as your superior and obey him, you cannot
get anything. Anyone who has not attained a higher level
will take you downward. He Who is at a higher level will
unite all. All human beings are liable to make mistakes. If
someone commits a mistake, forgive and forget.
Kabir says that if someone considers the Master an ordinary
human being, he will get the lowest birth. The manifest
God-in-him is the Master. If you consider Him a superior
individual, you must listen to Him. If you do not agree with
Him, He may not contest it and may say that He might have
made a mistake. Even then, if He is blamed, it cannot result
in happiness and will cause suffering. There is not an iota
of doubt about it. The purpose of Satsang is to increase
happiness within ourselves. When a soul gets a link with
God, it will acquire all His virtues. The Master is full of
compassion; He ignores and washes our sins. For example, a
mother lovingly cleans the dirt of her child before
embracing him. She does not harm him. We come to Satsang to
become Saints. We can do so if we practice what we are able
to grasp. Swami Ji, thus, very lovingly explains that we are
committing a blunder if we see the Master from our own
levels.
Do not take Guru to be merely a human being;
He is the essence of Lord. - Swami Ji
The question now is: Who is a Master? This is not a new
question. Guru Nanak was asked this question. He replied
that the Word is the Guru (Master) and soul is the disciple.
The Lord Himself is the Master and our souls are His
disciples. Kabir also gave the same reply when He was put
this question. When the soul establishes a contact with Him,
it is free from transmigration. Then Who is the Master? He
is the human pole in which the Light of God is manifest. He
can show Light to others. That is the only proof of His
being the Master. Christ has said: "I am the Light of the
world; those who come to me shall never walk in darkness."
The Master's word is the real Master. Those who obey what He
says achieve salvation. He can give us some experience of
Light. If this is done, then there is no scope for doubt.
Swami Ji says that the Master is the essence of God. That
God Power working through the Master never dies.
Make the mind understand somehow,
And contemplate on Him with loving confidence. - Swami Ji
Swami Ji says that somehow we will have to understand that
the Master where God Power is manifest can give us the
experience of the Power. This is the only touchstone to
remove any doubt. Anyone can lecture, act, and pose; but few
can give the experience of Light within. Someone Who can
give this experience proves adequately that He has the
Divine Light in Him. Then, whatever He says must be
accepted. What He says is that we should have communion with
God Who is within us all and, therefore, we should love all.
The mind may refuse to understand this, but you will have to
make it understand.
So it is not difficult to find God; it is difficult to
become a real man. Dr. lqbal, the famous Urdu poet, once
said that Moses went to Mount Tur in search of God; but he
did not know that God Himself was in search of a real man.
Baba Jaimal Singh Ji found Hazur, my Master, in the Murree
Hills of Punjab. Was there no one else for Him to find in
the whole of Punjab? What I mean to stress is that mind will
have to recognize the Master. Then only we will be able to
obey Him. Otherwise, we will remain entangled in a maze of
doubts and the purpose of human life and of coming to
Satsang will not be achieved.
He discourses with compassion and grace;
He is God personified. - Swami Ji
The Master's mission is to teach us with compassion and
grace. All are the Lord's children. What is that Power which
creates such compassion and love in Him? It is the God Power
which compels Him to love all. He is Love Personified. He
teaches love and spreads vibrations of love. His words are
meant for increasing love. Swami Ji thus exhorts us to obey
the Master. If we developed love of God, enabling us to see
Him in all and all in Him, there is no reason for us to come
to this world again and again. When we forget the Lord, our
ego naturally gets bloated; and we are caught up in our
conflicts. The Karmic law is supreme; if you cause
suffering, you will suffer; if you do violence, you will
face violence; and, similarly, if you usurp somebody's
rights, your rights will be usurped. Thus, you will keep
coming and going in this world. Hence the need to change
ourselves. Saints always teach us with love; but, if
necessary, They may punish also to reform us.
The Master Power works on a human pole;
He will liberate you anyway. - Swami Ji
Man is the teacher of man. The Master comes in a human form
and becomes like us to teach us. He is a human being like
us. God is hidden in us and is the source of our lives, but
in Him (Master) God is manifest. This is the only
difference. Excuse me, old Masters cannot come back to guide
us, although we can benefit by reading whatever They have
said. The living Master, Who has passed through life just
like us, has the experience of life. He says He has done it
and you can do it likewise by strictly following the
principles. What are those principles? They are: Truth and
love of God. You should love all and ignore others' mistakes
with love. Blood cannot be washed with blood, but it can be
with the water of love.
Serve and worship Him. For He is not different from Guru
Nanak. - Swami Ji
Keep ready to serve. What is service? Obey His commandments
and mold your lives according to His teachings. He says keep
your lives clean and thoughts pure. Never think ill of
anyone. Adopt Truth. Love all for the Lord resides in all.
We are fortunate to have this human life, and we should
derive full benefit out of it by linking our souls with the
Oversoul.
He is Kabir; He is Satnam.
Know all the Masters as Him. - Swami Ji
The Master Power has been working on different human poles.
When one electric bulb is fused, another replaces it; but
the power remains the same. Once Jews brought a sinner
before Jesus Christ and asked Him to punish the culprit.
Christ agreed to do so and asked the people as to what was
the normal punishment for such a crime. On being told that
the accused should be stoned to death, He told the people
that only those who have never committed such a sin should
throw stones at the accused. No one came forward. Then
Christ asked the accused to "sin no more." So, try to
recognize the Master Power which never dies. "I shall never
leave thee, nor forsake thee till the end of the world."
Christ, the Master Power manifested in Him, said this and
not the human pole of Jesus. The Master will explain with
love, show sympathy, and even at times shed tears somehow to
bring us to the right path. His aim is to ensure that we
attain the Truth.
At least those who come to Satsang, and especially those who
have been initiated by the Master, should have love
for others. Christ asked His followers to live with
love so that others know that they were associated with Him.
If we are able to remove even one man's suffering by sweet
words and sympathy, we have done a big service.
You can achieve your goal only through Him;
Cast away delusion and vanity. - Swami Ji
Swami Ji now asks: What is your goal in life? To find God.
You can find God through right understanding. Your real
friends are those by meeting whom ignorance can be removed.
What is ignorance? God has made all of us alike. All are
embodied souls. Soul is the essence of God. He is present in
all. This realization means removal of ignorance and to get
the right perspective. So, He pulls you out of delusion. You
cannot succeed in your mission without Him. Your life's
mission was to realize God and not to lose yourself in
materialistic pursuits and struggles. We continue to sow new
seeds of karmas which we will have to reap. As you
sow, so shall you reap.
Do away with false pride and self-veneration and keep your
mission in view. By doing so, not only you, but the whole
world can be happy. Thus, to find God is the real mission of
our lives. Only God can fulfill this mission. Swami Ji has
stressed this point by saying that we should go and fulfill
our own mission and not get entangled in the material world.
Think before acting whether your actions will result in
happiness or suffering. It is very easy to increase pain,
but difficult it is to remove it. Love alone can wipe out
sorrow. There is no other remedy.
Dhritrashtra once abused Arjuna's bow, for which the latter
had high regard. Arjuna stood up and aimed his arrow at
Dhritrashtra. On Lord Krishna's intervention, Arjuna said
that he had taken a vow to kill anyone who abuses his bow.
Lord Krishna then asked him whether dharma (duty) would
cause happiness or sorrow. Happiness, Arjuna replied. Lord
Krishna then told Arjuna to ponder over the obvious result
of his intention to kill Dhritrashtra.
What is Dharma and what is its test? Both Viyas and Christ
were asked these questions. The common theme of their
replies is that we should treat others in a manner we
ourselves like to be treated. We have to decide, therefore,
whether our action will result in happiness or sorrow.
Saints aim at increasing happiness. Obey Them and you will
reach the goal. Otherwise, you will go on groping in the
dark as before.
A Saint (Master) is a Lightouse of both the worlds. In
association with Him you can get communion with God -- the
real goal of life.
Do not let go this opportunity;
There is none greater than Him. - Swami Ji
We are very fortunate to have this human life. If we miss
this opportunity (to realize God), who knows when this
opportunity will come again. Engage yourself in activities
that can be helpful to realize God. All other worldly
activities which cause self-veneration, cleverness, and
sense of ego are useless. It is hard to find a man who aims
at all-round unity. It is the Saints' mission to unite all.
If you are able to find such a Saint, and you obey Him, you
can accomplish your mission.
If you miss this opportunity to follow the Master now,
You will be deluded and remain entangled. - Swami Ji
Human life is a great boon. You have been able to find a
Master. If you let go this opportunity and fail to take
advantage of His association by not obeying Him, by not
shaping your lives according to His teachings, the obvious
result will be the endless wheel of life. For, what you
think so you become.
Bharat, after whom our country (India) has been named as
Bharat, was a king who renounced the world and became a
hermit; but he developed attachment for a deer.
Consequently, he had to take birth as a deer. The Master's
only concern is to see us all happy. He tries to set right
our mistakes. His ideal is love for all.
You will never find such a Master,
Understand this once and for all. - Swami Ji
Why is Gurudom in disrepute today? Modern gums are generally
political at heart. They have an axe to grind to make money
and to get honor and respect. They are not concerned with
the well being of the people. Their object is to impress the
people by their hypocrisy, deceit, and falsehood. You may be
taken in by these methods. On the contrary, the Saint will
talk to you frankly and lovingly and point out that you are
making a mistake. He will make you see the difference
between truth and falsehood. Such a Guru is a great
blessing. Our soul was once separated from the Lord and to
be reunited is the foremost mission of your lives.
By endless reading of scriptures and singing of hymns,
Do not inflate your sense of ego. - Swami Ji
What are you proud of?. Is it because you sing well, or you
can exhibit your knowledge, or you are a good orator? These
things lead you nowhere. Ravana was said to be proficient in
all the four Vedas and six Shastras. Still he is popularly
shown with an ass's head. Why? All his learning proved
useless due to his wrong action.
Intellectual pursuits, cleverness, and indulgence in tall
talk are easy. It is difficult to control your senses, to
rise above body-consciousness, to keep thoughts pure, and
not to think ill of others. If we accomplish these things,
it is not difficult to realize God.
Swami Ji has been exhorting us for about 100 years now that
we show only superficial respect for the Master instead of
respecting His teachings, in which lies our salvation.
Saints do not spare anyone, including Themselves.
It is this pride which has ruined our lives.
It is this pride which is harming us now.
Swami Ji says that our ego makes us come to this world again
and again. Do not follow your mind; follow your Master. This
will bring you happiness.
I am explaining to you fully, dear.
This carelessness is not good for you. - Swami Ji
Your carelessness in failing to change your old habits or
reforming yourself is harmful to you.
Make haste in discarding deceit.
Increase your sense of devotion. - Swami Ji
Discard deceit. What is deceit? You say something and do
something else. Only by doing away with hypocrisy can we
increase our sense of devotion. Therefore, deceit and
hypocrisy should go first. Then give up tall talk and
inculcate humility. A person with such virtues will
automatically get the Master's Grace.
Even now if the mind fails to understand,
Then, you suffer the consequences. - Swami Ji
If you refuse to listen, then what can be done? Even Saints
cannot help you. In that case, you will be miserable and
unhappy.
The Negative Power rules over you,
And will not let your mind understand.
The Negative Power will delude you. The compassionate Lord
alone can save you from doubts and delusions.
One thing is clear, brother,
That you are a man of no principle. - Swami Ji
You have no principle in life. What can be done to such a
person ?
If you keep the Master's association,
Perhaps your mind may gradually understand.
If your mind agrees, you go on making efforts to reform
yourself. What is true will always remain true. Even if your
vision is clouded, the Master's image will not be blackened.
Try to understand gradually; do not despair. There is every
hope that the delusion may ultimately disappear. To give up
heart after making flimsy efforts is not the solution. The
solution lies in reforming your inner self. Once you have
satisfied yourself about the competency of the Master, then,
you must persist in making efforts to understand. Do not
listen to your mind; listen to the Master. This will make
you understand.
The Master has explained fully
That such souls will have to suffer. - Swami Ji
The human pole on which the God Power is manifest is called
Radhaswami by Swami Ji Maharaj. The Master explains that if
you do not understand, you will grope in the dark.
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