This
talk was given by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji in Brace's Hall,
Hollywood, Calif., on Dec. 11, 1963. It was directed
especially to those whom He had just initiated a few hours
earlier. It was published in the October 1975 issue of Sat
Sandesh.
I HAVE BEEN addressing you as friends, but now I see that we
have realized that we are all brothers and sisters in God:
we are children of light. Most of us here have been able to
have a glimpse of the Light of God which is controlling all
the universe. Truth is one. Whoever realized the Truth, or
became the mouthpiece of the Truth, always gave out the same
thing: in the man body that we have --which is considered to
be the highest in all creation --the highest aim is to know
the Truth. You can have the experience of Truth when you
rise above body consciousness and come in contact with it.
That Truth is clothed in Light. There is music of
all-harmonies emanating from the Truth. Those are fortuinate
who have had the good fortune to have a contact with It.
That seed has been sown: it will bear forth fruit. The only
thing that remains is that we live up to that Truth.
Our Master [Baba Sawan Singh Ji] used to say, If you take
some laxative pills, whether you take them by error or
knowingly, they will give you motions. Similarly, whatever
experience of Truth has been given you, if you live by it,
knowingly or unknowingly, or by compulsion even, you will
have the effect. The only thing is that we should take it up
and live up to it; and from day to day we will progress; and
one day we will find the True Home of our Father.
God-into-expression has two aspects: Light and Sound-Music
of the Spheres and Light. To come up to them, we require
love. Also, Truth is above all, but true living is still
above Truth . Our true living will safeguard us from losing
the Truth that we have got. And what is true living? Masters
have been giving this out in their own way from time to
time.
The first thing is, we should observe truthfulness. What we
mean we should say; whatever we say, we must mean. Our
hearts and tongues and brains should all agree with what we
give vent to. This is what is called truth or truthfulness.
You will simply find that we have no control over the words
of our mouth that go to express what lies in the heart of
our hearts. The two things should agree: what is in your
heart and what you are giving out with your tongue. If these
two agree, then there is one thing to test the usefulness of
the truth you are telling; that is, if your truth goes to
harm anyone. Say only that much that is required so as not
to harm anybody else. Don't do the work of the unpaid
apprentices of the C.I.D. of God (Confidential Investigation
Dept., the Indian equivalent of the American F.B.I.). Don't
carry tales. If somebody tells you something, mind your own
business. What are you after, really? You are really after
knowing God and adopting certain ways which go to help you
on the way. If you see something wrong somewhere, just point
it out to the person privately heart to heart; don't
broadcast it like anything. A true friend is one who sees
others to be on the right path. But there are ways and ways
to say something. In the case of Father Abraham I read his
life story, and it was given there he never spoke lies, but
told half-truths. By a half-truth is meant only that part of
the truth which does not go to harm anyone. This is one very
important thing. If your heart and tongue and brain agree,
your brain will test what you are going to say. Your
intellect is to test whether what you express goes to the
benefit of others or to harm others. If it is going to harm
others, then don't speak. Then wait. Better set it right
then and there.
As I told you before, don't work like the unpaid apprentices
of the C.I.D. of God. It creates much trouble, first within
your own hearts; because you have those things, which you
don't need, in your own way. Those things go to stand in
your own way, in the way of your own progress. The first
thing is, we must be true to our own selves: what we think
at heart we must give out. But before giving it out, think
twice: What are you going to say? What will be the result of
it? There you will use your intellect. And the only
criterion is, not to give out anything that goes to harm
others. This is the first thing.
Next comes humility. Water stays in a place which is low. It
may be raining cats and dogs, in torrents; but the water
will not stay on a steep place. It means that all good
resides in a heart which is lowly, in those who are meek.
St. Augustine was asked, What is the way back to God? And he
said, First, humility; second, humility; and third,
humility.
When you are humble you learn something. When you know you
know everything, you are naturally stuck fast in your own
self-assumed ignorance, which may be taken as truth; but it
may be wrong. You have taken up something, and that is good.
If you hear that there is someone else who knows better, go
to him, and hear him. Whatever you know, you know already.
If you only hear from him what you already have in your
mind, it will be confirmed. But if he has anything more to
say, you can grasp it. You will find that many people do not
have more of the truth, because in their own egotism, they
consider that they are right; and that may be wrong. Only
when he is humble can a man go to somebody. And if you go to
somebody, then listen to what he says. What he knows he
knows. Sometimes you simply say, "Oh, we know this already;
this is no new thing." Just listen; he might have something
new to say. If a glass is put under a tumbler of water, it
will be filled. If the glass is kept above the tumbler of
water, it won't be filled. Even if you have progressed on
the way and you have known the Truth, you will still become
truly humble. When a tree is laden with fruit, all branches
bow down to the earth. You will find that the Saints who
have become conscious co-workers of the Divine Plan are
truly humble: because they see, "It is He Who is doing it,
not I."
So the second thing required is humility. And the third
thing is chastity. Chastity is life and sexuality is death.
Be chaste. Chastity opens the door of meditation. You will
have quicker results. Marriage does not mean having unchaste
lives, if it is lived according to what the scriptures say.
The scriptures tell us that marriage means taking a
companion in life who will be with you in the earthly
sojourn. You should help each other to know God. This is the
ultimate goal of the man-body which we have. One duty may be
that of begetting children, but it is not all of our duties.
Try to adjust your lives according to the scriptures. And
what did the Bible say? "Love your wives as Christ loved the
Church." That is taking a companion in the earthly sojourn
for some higher purpose.
So chastity is the ground on which the building of
spirituality can be raised. First of all, those who are
chaste have their body, brain and everything built on it. So
if you are married, try to live up to what the scriptures
say.
These are the three things. If you observe them, Tulsi says,
"If you don't reach God, be rest assured: I am your surety
that you will, you must." For this, you will find that we
have to attain to Godhood. God and Godhood are not two
things. There is God Absolute, which cannot be seen at any
time. And there is God-into-action, which can be seen and
contacted. The expression of God-into-action Power, which is
called Word or Naam, is Light and Sound. To come in contact
with them is coming in contact with the Truth. They are the
electric lifts: if you come in contact with them, they will
take you to the ultimate goal from which they emanated.
Fortunate are those who have been put on the way by having a
lift above the Iron Curtain of the physical body! We are to
develop that from day to day. But to do that, something is
very important: purity of life. Purity of life has so many
aspects. First is the purity of the body. The body is the
temple of God, the true temple of God. The outer temples
raised by people are made in the image of the man-body; they
are models of the man-body.
The Light of God and the Voice of God are already within
your body. You can hear it; you can see it. Christ said to
his disciples: "Blessed are you who see things that the old
prophets and the righteous men could not see; who hear
things that the old prophets and the righteous men could not
hear." So, there are seals: our eyes and our ears are
sealed. With the grace of God in the Master, if those seals
are broken, you have some experience of seeing and hearing.
Then, we have to take heed of how we should keep this
man-body, which is the true temple of God. In this man-body
only you can have an experience of the same. If we keep the
outer temples raised by the hand of man so clean and tidy,
why should we not keep the man-body, which is the true
temple of God, in which God resides, clean?
There are two ways to keep it clean. The first is:
"Cleanliness is next to Godliness." Keep your body clean. It
is the true temple of God. Also Dont put anything into it
which goes to defile it. When we consider what we are to
eat, the first thing required is that our livelihood has
been earned by the sweat of our brow, in which there has
been no dishonesty: you have been true to your work. Work is
worship.
And further, whatever kind of food you take should be a
helping factor spiritually. It should be food that does not
go to flare up passions within you and that is digestible.
You will find that this is generally fruits, vegetables,
grains, milk and any products thereof. All Masters came and
advised this. Even Christ said that. If you read the Essene
Gospel of John you will find it there: "Whom you cannot give
life to, don't take their life. Fruits, vegetables, milk and
grain I give you for meat." This is the exact wording. All
other Masters have had the same thing to say. So first, our
livelihood should be earned by the sweat of our brow-honest
earnings. It does not matter whether somebody is seeing you
or not: the God in you must see to it.
Two men went to a Master. The Master told them, "Look here,
what have you come for?" They said, "We have come to know
God." "All right." He gave them two pigeons, one to each,
and told them, "Go and kill them where nobody will see you."
One man was very clever. He went round behind a wall and
killed it and came back within a few minutes. And the other
man poor fellow was tossing about from place to place: he
could not find any place where nobody was seeing him. In the
evening he returned. He said, "Master, I have not found any
place where nobody was seeing me." And he asked, "Who was
seeing you?" "The very pigeon was seeing me."
Mind that, when a man is initiated, that God-power resides
with him and watches his every action. Our Master used to
say, "If a child of five years of age is sitting by you, you
will not do anything wrong in front of him." You'll want
secrecy. When you think that that God-power is already
residing within you, how can you commit any sin?
And the last thing is: whatever things you have brought for
your eating, the hands through which these things pass
should also be of those with pure thoughts. Because little,
little things charge those things which pass through the
hands of people who are unchaste. I have read in scripture
that unchaste thoughts are like dogs. So earnings should be
pure and honest, and the quality of the food you take should
also be clean; and the hands through which these things pass
should also be clean; they should be of pure heart. Because
everything is charged, you see. Whatever thought
reverberates in your mind, you have that charging. Why don't
you feel it? That's the point. We do not feel it because
there is already so much filth in us, say tons, that if a
maund or even a seer (Units of weight in India. A maund is
about 82 lbs., and a seer is slightly over two lbs.) a
kilogram is added to it, what difference does it make? Those
who are pure in heart, even little ounces will affect them.
So, these three things are important: honest earnings; the
quality of the food; and the hands through which these
things pass should be pure. The first two things are, I
think, for those who earn their livelihood and bring things
in from outside. And the third part is for those who cook,
who prepare the dishes. They should be pure, with very noble
thoughts of God and love for all: with no anger, no enmity,
nothing of the sort.
Then, last, will come good character. So these are the
things which go to defile anything we eat. If your hearts
are pure, you will feel that little things will affect you.
For that reason, because it is the temple of God, we have to
keep the body clean. And also keep it clean from within by
giving it food that does not go to defile it and by living a
way which is pure. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God." Even if a fish is put in a river, still the
bad odor does not leave it. Water can cleanse your bodies,
but unless your thoughts are pure and your mind is pure,
your body cannot be pure. I will give you an example: every
morning you take a bath; and if for one day you do not take
a bath, you sense a bad odor in the body. That is due to the
thoughts that cross your mind daily. Every thought has its
own effect, its own odor, its own color, mind that. I tell
you, those who have lusty thoughts, the odor from their body
will be such that even if the body is cleansed every
morning, they will again find that bad odor there. What
results if you are feeling anger and are resentful or are
always having something against somebody? That affects your
body. Just smell your body. You will find a bad odor there,
like the smell of a cloth burning. If you are very greedy in
eating, too voracious, the smell of your body will be like
the bad odor of a fish. So there are different odors. If
your hearts are pure; if you have only good thoughts coming
in you, striking you; if you have love, thoughts of love,
thoughts of spiritual heights and love for God; then the
smell of your body will be like that of jasmine.
These are the things which are not given in books; but this
is how you feel. So the mind must be pure. If your mind is
not pure, no matter how you cleanse your body, it will again
give out a had odor. That is why we use so much toiletry
every day: we again find the bad odor there. For this, we
have to keep our thoughts clean. In the man-body of someone
whose thoughts are clean, you will find the good ground for
God to manifest. Tulsi tells us, "Just cleanse your heart,
your mind." And what is the cleansing of the mind? Let no
other thought other than that of God strike there. Even if
you are living in the world, amongst your children, your
families, your friends, the needle of your compass should be
towards God. It is God who has given; it is God residing in
them. If you always think: all men are alike; they have the
same privileges from God and are born the same way; they are
the same embodied souls, and the very same God-power is
controlling them in the body; their bodies are the true
temples of God; then, naturally, you will have respect for
all. So this is the purity required for being able to
progress from day to day.
And last of all comes selfless service, love for all, love
for God and love for all others. All Masters said this same
thing: Kabir said so; Guru Nanak said so: "Peace be unto all
the world over, under Thy will, 0 God." Christ said so:"Love
God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and love thy neighbor as thyself." So we have to love
God; and love knows service and sacrifice. Love knows
giving, sharing with others. Sometimes you will even
sacrifice your own interests for the sake of others. That
will go to expand your self. If need be, you will sacrifice
your own life for the sake of others. Man is truly one who
lives for the sake of others. Animals do live for their own
selves; and they do love their children. What is the
difference between a man and an animal? This is the only
difference: a man lives for others, too. He should share
with others; because we are all brothers and sisters in God.
We are all sharers and partners in God. We are the limbs of
the same body of God. And we have the same conscious essence
working in us all and the same God-power controlling us in
the body. For these reasons we must have selfless service.
If we live for others, naturally others will live for us.
"An example is better than precept." When you learn to give
for the good of others, naturally you will feel joy; because
your self expands. You will feel fresh. If you don't share
with others and go on congealing or holding things for your
own self, like animals, what will be the result? If there is
a well from which no water is drawn out, it will give a bad
smell. It will not even, I think, be good for drinking. But
the water of any well from which the water is taken out
profusely is always fresh, and fragrant, too. For that
reason, Masters say, "Let your boats of life remain in
water; but let not water enter vour boats." That means that
we should not live for outer attachments and outer
possessions, but they should live for us. We have to make
the best use of them.
You will find that these are very important things, which
are always helping factors. Being put on the way and given
the contact with the God-in-action Power, which is Light and
Sound, is just the commencement. Now you have learned a
little bit how to rise above body consciousness. That Light
and Voice whatever you have contacted is just the initial
thing. That still has to grow more and change, to ultimately
take you to the place from where it emanated: to the
Wordless state of God. The word Satsangi means: Sat means
eternal, unchangeable permanence; and sangi means one who
comes in constant contact with the Truth. You have had some
experience to start with. But you have to go on still furher
and live up to it. "Rome was not built in a day." Time
factor is necessary. When you develop from day to day you
will become conscious of that Light and Music of the Spheres
that is reverberating throughout all creation. It will come
like that in due course, but we have to work for that. Mind
that, one does not become a Satsangi, truly an initiate,
simply by being given an inner contact. Of course, some
experience is necessary to start with. If you have no
experience, it camot be developed.
So, fortunate you are, that with the grace of God, all of
you have some contact with that. Now we have to develop it,
so much so that even while sleeping, working and being
anywhere we will always be conscious of it. So the initiate
must mold his life in accordance with the principles of
Satsang in thought, word and deed. You must be pure and live
up to what you are told, even in your thoughts, even in your
own speech and even in your own actions. Live up to them.
And the Master tells us, "Those initiates who live up to
them, I am at their service.
So actions speak louder than words; and thoughts are even
more potent. You are not to tell others that, "I am a
flower; the flower is very fragrant." Let the flower emit
that fragrance, and let others say that the flower is
fragrant. Let your lives prove that you have something
higher. Otherwise, these things already exist in our
scriptures. Knowing something is not becoming something.
Knowing means just having in your brains and in your
memories something that such and such scripture says; but
that does not really give you anything, unless you live up
to it. People will judge you only by your actions and what
you speak. Your thoughts are even more potent than that,
because thoughts radiate: if you have loving thoughts, those
thoughts will radiate love. In the lives of the Saints,
events have occurred in which even snakes would not go to
harm them. In one story of Guru Nanak, he was lying under a
tree. His whole body was love personified, and love
overflowed his body. He was lying under a tree, and he was
in meditation. The angle of the sun changed, and the shadow
which had been over his head also changed. Now the sun's
rays were on his face. A cobra came up and stood in the
rays, so that no rays of the sun should fall on his face.
The ruler of the place passed by. He thought that Nanak was
dead because the snake was there and he must have bitten
him. When he went near him, the snake went away, and Guru
Nanak was alive. Why? Love radiates from our lives.
We had a similar event in our Satsang meetings at Delhi.
About 2,000 people were sitting there; and while I was
giving a talk, one cobra, a little cobra, came out and stood
on the stage just like that [Master demonstrates] in front
of me. And the people said, "A cobra is coming!" I said,
"Never mind; go on with it. Let him come and stand here."
And he that cobra stood for one full hour, hearing the talk
that was going on, looking at me. When the talk was over, he
sneaked away, and the people said, "Let us kill him." "Why?
He has not done anything. Why kill him?"
So this all is meant to say, if you have love for all, even
snakes won't harm you. We have got a proverb: "Be wise like
snakes." Snakes are very wise, mind that. When you see a
snake and think, "Oh, kill him!" the very thought goes out,
and he safeguards himself by attacking. If you have no evil
thoughts for anybody, they won't do any harm to you. So, I
am telling you, thoughts are more potent.
The initiate's daily conduct must reveal that he is a
follower of a true Master. When you are given something very
unusual, the special gift of God, your duty is to maintain
it: "Take heed that the light which is within you is not
darkened." By not observing these things, whatever light we
get inside or whatever music we hear is almost stopped. That
is why you will find I have prescribed diaries for
self-introspection under certain heads: truthfulness no
harm, non-violence, in thought, word and deed; chastity you
see? the underlying principle; and love for all. All
Masters, when they came, told us, "Love one another so that
people may know you are coming to a true Saint." Masters are
overflowing with the love of God and love for all humanity.
They take up this role as given by God. Otherwise, if they
were doing it in their own name, why should they be going
around for no purpose, no selfish motive? They have only one
motive: to just bring all children of God back to God.
That's all. They don't need any payment; their talks are
given free; they live on their own earnings; they are not a
burden to anybody else. So when they say something, they say
it out of their love for all. This is what is wanted.
Now, you will find that "an ounce of practice is worth more
than tons of theories." Of what use is it to know the
principles, if one does not live up to them? If you say,
"Tell the truth," and you don't tell the truth; if you say,
"Love others; don't think evil of others," and you still
think evil of others; what is the use of knowing that?
That's holding information in your brain. "Such and such
scriptures say such and such; such and such Masters say such
and such." Well, what is that to you? We should learn to
live up to them. A learned man with no practice is no better
than a beast of burden carrying a load of books, of
scriptures, that's all. So it is infinitely better to
practice than to preach. First live, then say. Otherwise,
even though you may be a scholar and you may have written
commentaries on certain subjects which sound outwardly very
religious; even though you read scriptures and preach them
to others; if you do not live up to them, then what is the
sense of that? Truly, suchlike preaching does not carry any
effect. Only the arrow that is drawn to the chest goes to
the target. The words that come out of our heart, as we live
up to them, carry effect by radiation to others' hearts.
I remember a case of one woman who brought her little child
to Gandhi. She said, "This child eats too much sugar." Then
Gandhi told her, "All right, mother, bring this child back
after three days." She went away, and she came back after
three days. Then he told her child, "Well, child, DON'T EAT
SUGAR."
And the mother said, "Well, Gandhi, if you have only that
much to say, why didn't you say it the other day?" He said,
"Because I was eating sugar then."
Mind that, if you don't live up to what you say, those words
won't carry any effect. I think there is so much preaching
going on nowadays: perhaps in the olden days nobody even
dreamt of it. And with all that, how many lovers are coming
up? How many Saints are there? With all our preaching, our
lives have not changed. What is the reason why? The
preachers are themselves not living up to what they say.
Mind that, any wind that strikes a burning fire and passes
by it, those men who are sitting on the other side of it
will have hot winds. And if there is some ice maunds of ice,
tons of ice, heaps of ice and if any wind passes by it, the
man who is sitting on the other side will have cold wind.
So whatever thoughts are in our hearts and any words we give
out come charged with those very things that are already
there. If a man openly is very good "I am a very good man"
and his heart is full of passions and he is not living up to
what the scriptures say, naturally whatever words he utters
even though they may be very sweet words will carry the
effect of heat. And if there is a heap of ice and you put a
black blanket over it which does not appear to be very cold,
even then, anyone who strikes that heap of ice, apparently
covered by a black blanket, will receive cold. Do you follow
my point?
This is what is required. A spoon passing through a sweet
dish does not have any taste of it. This is just the way it
is with persons who have so much knowledge at the
intellectual level, but don't live up to it.
As I told you, an ounce of practice is worth more than tons
of theories. This is one thing. And above all, I would say,
as I told you before, a pure heart is most essential for
spiritual progress. You cannot expect a king to enter a
filthy cabin. Even a dog does not sit in an unclean place:
he cleans the place with his tail. How can you expect God to
appear in a heart full of passions, greed, pride, attachment
or egotism?
So, what is a Saint? He is a man like you, but he is
developed in that way. A little word of his carries more
effect than hundreds of lectures given by others. As I told
you, so much preaching is going on in almost all the holy
places of worship of the religions. And are many men
changing? Not in the least.
Our body is the temple of the living God. It should not be
polluted, I would say, with the intake, as I explained to
you, of anything that would go to defile it, anything that
is not a helping factor on the way, such as meat, fish,
fowl, eggs and alcoholic drinks. We have to keep our bodies
pure and simple and have a loving heart for all, a helping
hand for all. For that reason, we should live up to what the
scriptures say. Try never to harm the feelings of others. If
a blind man is there and you say to him, "Oh, blind man!",
he feels it. If you just sit by him and say, "Dear friend,
how did you lose your sight?", the purpose served is the
same. Little words carry much effect. These very words go to
work either as a consolation or to flare up feelings. For
that reason, we must live up to what we say.
This is one side: this is self-introspection. Along with it,
put in regular time to your meditation practices. The secret
of success on the Path is practice, more practice and still
more practice. Practice makes a man . What is the way to
concentration? There is no high road to concentration. The
only high road is to concentrate, concentrate and
concentrate. For this very purpose, diaries for
self-introspection have been prescribed. They will make you
regular in your practices. They will bring to your notice
any shortcomings that you have in your life. When you know
there are so many scorpions and snakes sitting under your
seat, naturally you want to clean them out. You have to weed
out these things from day to day. For that reason, what
should we do? Keep a diary. It is a very helpful factor, I
tell you. It can make a Saint out of a robber. Man, who has
the man-body, has the birthright to see God. We can change,
especially when we are helped by others: by those who are
competent to give us help, who will take us in their charge
and who have good will for us not for us, but for our souls.
They look to all the world over from the angle of God in
them. They see all as the children of God, as their own
children. When Guru Nanak left his hearth and home to carry
the message of God to the world at large, he had two
children and a wife. His mother-in-law came up and said,
"Well, Nanak, what are you doing? Why are you leaving your
family?" He said, "All humanity is my family."
They give and see from that level. This is also what Christ
said. Once it so happened that his mother was seeking for
him in the multitude and could not reach him on account of
the greatness of the multitude. Someone told Christ, "Your
mother is seeking for you." And he said, "Who is my mother?
Who is my brother?" He pointed to the men sitting around
him: "They are my mothers, they are my brothers, who hear
the voice of God."
We already are brothers and sisters in God. Those who have
been put on the way, they are true brothers and sisters in
God. You see? This is the angle ion from which the Masters
look to us.
I'll tell you the story of a certain prince. He left his
hearth and home to become a Saint. His name was Gopi Chand.
He went to his Master. What did his Master tell him? (There
are ways and ways of Masters. This was a yogi Master.) He
said, "All right. Leave your hearth and home and come here."
He sent him to beg, because they had nothing to eat or live
on: "Go and bring alms from people's homes." But first he
advised him to go to his own family, to his own wife, and
then to others: to his mother and then everybody else.
He went to his wife, begging. She said, Now that my husband
is gone, what are al1 these things for? I am left alone."
She gave him all the ornaments that she had.
Then he came to his mother. He had up that way of life under
the advice of his mother. (Some mothers are very spiritual.
They wish their children to be godly. So she had advised her
son to take up that spiritual way.)
She said, "Look here, I will give you three pieces of advice
to live by. The first is that you must always remain in a
strong fort."
And Gopi Chand asked his mother, Well, mother, there's no
place to live in. Sometimes we'll have to pass our nights on
the roadside. Why do you say that I should always live in
castles in very strong fortresses?"
Then she explained to him, "Look here, live always under the
custody of your Master." That's a very strong fort, mind
that. Master is one at whose pole God is manifest and
radiates His protection and love, even from thousands of
miles. If you can catch a voice from thousands of miles
through the radio, why can't you have the radiation from the
man-pole at whom God is working? By radiation you can have
it. That means: live where you are, perhaps near or far;
always think of that God-power. Mind that, God is the true
Master in whatever human pole He is manifested: that
manifested God is the true Master who pervades all creation.
When you come under the custody of such a God-in-man, or
man-in-God, when he initiates you, he resides with you
always. Never forget him. And Christ said, "If you love me,
keep my commandments." That everybody knows. We should live
up to them 100 per cent of the time, if we would like to
derive the full benefit of the man's life and his teachings.
But Christ said one thing more: "Let my words abide in you
and you abide in me." The first part, everybody can
understand: "My words abide in you." Whatever you have been
told all those things live up to it. But how can you abide
in me? Whomsoever you remember truly at heart, that reacts
in the heart of the one whom you remember. That reacts. By
that reaction, you abide in his heart. What is meant by
this? Never transcend what he says, and live up to it 100
per cent. But all the same, always have your attention
directed to that God-power which is working at some human
pole which has given you contact with God. That resides in
you at the very time of initiation. The more you think of
Him: "As you think, so you become." And that reacts in the
heart of the one whom you remember. That gives you
receptivity; that gives you quicker results. You can have
that radiation whether from near or far. Kabir said, "If
your Master is living beyond the seven seas, and you are
living on this side, direct your attention towards him. You
will have radiation and effect." That is why Christ said,
"When more than one man sits in my name, I am there," Mind
that, Christ did live before Jesus. Jesus was the human pole
at which that Christ-power worked. What is Christ-power? It
is the God-power; it is the Guru-power: not the son of man,
but the God-power that never dies. Christ said, "I shall
never leave thee nor forsake thee till the end of the
world." That power always exists and resides in you from the
very moment you are initiated.
So it is a great privilege to be put on the way, or
initiated. It is no ordinary thing. It is the special grace
of God. The very same thing that people could not have after
many long years, you get on the very same day. Previously
the Masters used to prepare men first. Only when they were
ready, they gave them something. But the times have changed.
Also, in those times, the initiates had to live with the
Master for months and years. So now the times have changed.
Now Masters give the initiates something within to start
with and also take on the duty of "making" them by giving
them a self-introspection report to keep and submit at
regular intervals.
So this is the first advice that his mother gave to Gopi
Chand. And the second advice was: "Always sleep on very
soft, and very nice and elegant beds."
Then again, Gopi Chand told his mother, "Well, mother,
there's no place to sleep there. We might have to sleep on
stones and on earth. How can you say that we should have
very fine, very soft beds?"
Then she told him, "Well, look here; don't go to sleep
unless sleep overtakes you. When sleep overtakes you,
there's no question of whether you're lying on stones or
earth or in a bed." These were two pieces of advice given by
the mother to her son. And the third thing she said was,
"What should you eat? Eat the very best dishes, very
delicious dishes."
Then again he asked his mother, "Well, dear mother, how can
we, when we are begging alms? Somebody will give us dry
bread; sometimes we won't even get anything to eat. How can
you say that we should always have a very rich diet, very
delicious dishes?"
Then his mother told him, "Look here, don't eat unless you
feel very hungry. Do you see? Very hungry. When you are very
hungry, even the grams (In India, a kind of beans.) that you
eat will taste delicious."
So these are the three pieces of advice given by the mother
of Gopi Chand to her son. If you live up to them, you will
find how much good they carry. Live up to the sayings of the
Masters. They say, "Have pure lives." They say, "Let your
earnings be honest." They say, "Just have good lives, good
thoughts, good words and good deeds." And they say, "Always
have the sweet remembrance of God."
On spiritual health depends the life of mind and body, both
the health of body and mind, both. You have been given
something for spiritual health; that is, the Bread of Life.
And that Bread of Life and Water of Life is the Light and
the Sound Principle of God. That is the true food for bread.
You have to give your body something to eat. But we are not
born to eat; eating is made for us. It is said, by way of a
parable, that the things we eat and drink complained to the
god of nourishment that "people eat us too much very
relentlessly." And the god of nourishment said, "All right;
those that eat more than is required for them you eat them
up!" Do you see? If you eat what is digested, it will give
you strength. If you eat too much, it is not digested; and
it flares up diseases in us. If you have pure lives, normal
lives, as required by scirptures, and live on hard-earned
money you'll find that your body will also be all right.
Nature has a curative power. Our soul has a curative power.
Doctors simply help us to clear the way, thats all. When you
leave it to nature, the soul has the curative power that
cures all diseases of itself.
So these are the three instructions that were given by the
mother of Gopi Chand on how to live his life. You'll "'Never
step out of the commandments of what the Masters say." If
you just carry this out and live within the walls of the
teachings of the Masters, you'll develop from day to day.
What do the Masters say further? They say, "Silence is
golden. Speak as little as possible. SILENCE IS GOLDEN.
SPEAK AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. When you peak, speak in the
most kind and gentle manner. Don't lose your temper over
anything. Always keep your tongue under control." This is
one thing. The wound given by a sword will be healed in a
month or so, but the wound given by the tongue is not
healed. All through lifem whenever you remember again, it
becomes fresh.
So these are the things that we have to look after. Masters
tell us, "Just fill one half of your stomach with food,
one-fourth with water, and leave one-fourth vacant empty."
The more you keep the stomach empty, the more therein you
will find the light of God developed. We eat more than what
is required generally. We eat too much. We die of too much
eating rather than of hunger. [Audience reacts.] Yes, just
consider; that is why Masters tell us this. I circulated in
one of my circulars: simplify, simplify and simplify! Live
in a simple way. You won't need to earn more money. You'll
not have to cut the throats of others. Even from our
hard-earned money, after you have spent what is legitimate,
you can share with others. Generally you say, "We cannot
live within our earnings." Where do they go? They are spent
only on things which are not really required by us.
So, man becomes an angel by eating less, by not eating too
much, and a beast by eating too much. Too much eating and
sleeping clouds the inner vision, and over-eating always
makes one feel sleepy and sluggish. The less we sleep, the
more spiritual progress we make.
One man came to a Master in India, named Shivbrat Lal. (He
came to America, too, some time back I think about 60 years
or 50 years ago.) One man came to him and complained, "I've
got a headache." He said, "Look to your stomach." Another
man came up and said, "When I sit in meditation, I feel
drowsy and sluggish." He said, "Take care of your belly." A
third man came and said, "My mind is not under control."
Then he said, "Look to your belly."
So eating is made for us; and we are not made for eating.
These are little, little things which, if you act up to
them, you'll find of much help.
Daily find some period of silence; and night is the best
portion of the day for that. The Tenth Guru of the Sikhs
tells us, "The night is your lonely place." Those who have
utilized their nights have become Saints; they have become
Gods. And students have become scholars with the best use of
the night, the right use of what it is: those who have
spoiled their nights have spoiled their
lives. If we go to shows and have company and other
engagements at night up to eleven, twelve, one or two
o'clock, how can we progress in any way? A student who has
burned the midnight oil becomes a scholar. A lover of God
who has put in his nights in the best remembrance of God,
taking in that all-solitude, becomes a Saint.
So, silence is best. Then we also have to take up solitude.
Try to live alone as much as possible. "Cease from men; look
above thee." Just mix with others as required. Sometimes we
simply, for enjoyment's sake, waste time, kill time. And we
complain that we've got no time. Out of 24 hours, you'll
find that the amount of time you put into your daily
earnings is, say, eight hours, ten hours or twelve hours;
not more in any case. You've get then, twelve hours at your
disposal. Give to sleep, say, five hours or six hours six
hours is due it; give two more hours to your eating,
drinking and this thing and that; even then you've got four
hours at your disposal. When people say, "We've got no
time," they have to adust themselves. Time has not to come
from anywhere else; it is already there. We have to just
adjust ourselves to it.
You'll fnd, the fewer wants we have, the happier we are. So
cut down your wants, cut down your desires. Whatever subject
you take up, put in more time towards it. You'll become a
good scholar, a good scientist, a good lover of God, or good
in any line you take up.
For that, as I told you, a pure moral life is reqLired. As I
told you, TRUTH IS ABOVE ALL; AND TRUE LIVING IS STILL ABOVE
TRUTH. A man is known only by how others find him. If you
are true, you are helpinp, you are good, and you set a good
example, others will follow you. They will not even give you
credit; but they will give the credit to the school to which
you belong to the Master with whom you are connected.
For this, there is one principle to be followed. That
principle is: perform no action in secret, except prayers.
If anything requires secrecy, abandon it at once. Deeds of
darkness are always committed in the dark. Do nothing which,
after being done, leads you to tell lies. And don't desire
evil for anyone, irrespective of his creed or color, even in
thought, word, and deed; because thoughts are more potent.
Help some poor person, as He is in all; and do not hurt
anyone by word and deed. These are the things which go to
help us.
Always think that the God-power is residing within you and
watching your every action. This is the first thing. And the
second is: don't transcend the commandments given by him for
you to live up to. If you do that, Kabir says, "You are not
to be afraid in the three worlds, here and hereafter."
With all these things, devote regular time mornings and
evenings to your practices, and do it fully, just like a
child who has no wisdom: simply out of love, go to the lap
of the Father or the Mother. Leave off all your wisdom and
leave everything aside; go lovingly. In the evening, remove
your evil daily life; and like a strict judge, try to weed
out all the imperfections that you have, from day to day.
Even robbers have become Saints, I tell you. I met with
suchlike robbers who were the heads of the dacoits. They
took initiation, and now they are putting in six hours a day
meditation. They even brought other bandits and recommended
them for initiation. So man can change. There's hope for
everybody. Every Saint has his past and every sinner a
future.
Mind that, see no evil, hear no evil, talk no evil. If you
follow these things, you will progress from day to day. And
especially those people who are made group leaders: they
should set an example for others who are coming on the way.
They have not yet become Masters, I tell you. We are on the
way. We may be selected as a Master; it is for God, I mean,
to worry about whom He should give to continue the work. It
is not our job, you see. We may be selected as a Master. But
we should live up to what the Masters say. Those who live,
they are selected as one.
I wish each one of you to become ambassadors of Truth. But
that you can become only when you live up to what you say.
And the diaries are meant for a very noble purpose if you
live up to them, as I told you. Send me blank diaries; I
will accept them: blank diaries I will accept. But how long
will you continue sending me blank diaries? You would not
dare to send them blank every month. You'll feel morally
that you're not doing right. You'll come round. I tell you,
the diaries are not to be sent to the police station or
broadcasted. They are meant for your own purpose, so that
you may know what the shortcomings in you are; and further,
to weed them out one by one. They are sent to me only for
the purpose of guidance wherever necessary; because Rome was
not built in a day. A time factor is necessary.
As I told you, these are a few of the words which come out
of my heart to you all whom I hold dear the most. You are
all more dear to me than my sons, my own family. I wish you
progress, spiritually. You have the man-body by the grace of
God, and by the grace of God, you have been given a contact
with God. That you have to develop with due regard to the
self-introspecfion which will come up by keeping regular
diaries sent to me at regular intervals, say quarterly. If
you live up to it, everything will be cleared, I tell you
honestly. If you sit by fire, all cold will go; if you sit
by ice, all heat will go. If your soul comes into contact
with the Light and Sound principle, all doubts will go.
Doubts and other things arise because we don't live up to
what we say.
These are the few words I'm telling you at the time I am
with you physically. I may not be able to see you or you may
not be able to see me physically, but the God-power, which
is the true Master, now resides with you and "shall never
leave you till the end of the world." It will take you to
the true Father, and the true Father will take you to the
Wordless state of God. My best wishes are with each one of
you.
I wish you progress. This is the highest thing that I had in
my life, with the grace of God; and through the grace of God
working through my Master, I have passed it on to you, with
His grace. Live up to them and derive the full benefit of
this golden opportunity which God has given you.
So, with best wishes to you all, I'll be leaving tomorrow
for Tustin. Those people who would like to come, I'll be too
glad. And about the twentieth, I will have to leave for
Dallas and to other parts of the U.S.; then go to Panama and
South America. And after that, God willing, I may go back to
India. But my heart: you are always on my mind. Keep
regularly in touch with me through your diaries. If anything
comes up that is very urgent a life-and-death problem you
can write to me even before. But my real pleasure will go to
you when you live up to this. You may be proud of me, but I
will be proud of you, if only you become what I want. I want
each one of you to become like myself, or more than me, I
would say. This is the truth that has been given to you.
Well, live up to it. Don't be misguided. All scriptures tell
us about that which has been given to you an experience
thereof with the grace of God. If you find anything puzzling
to you, please write to me. If I find that that Truth is
more than what has been given to you, I will also follow
you. This is what my Master used to say. He said, "The truth
has been given to you. If you find any more Truth, take it
up and tell me; I will also go there." We are after Truth,
you see.
So, I thank you all. You can meet me tomorrow or today when
leaving. And my best wishes will always remain with you.
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