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In America, some Satsangs
have thousands of dollars in funds in the Satsang account,
but Satsangs, to my knowledge, never do anything with it for
the help of the people around in their communities or
anything, and I wonder what advice you might have on that
behalf?
For instance?
For instance in ---- there
were migrant workers one time, and l think they were
actually starving at one time.
Who?
Migrant workers. They're a
low class of workers that travel, migrate around the
country, just picking crops and so forth. They were very
much in a tight spot one time, and that would have been an
ideal time for the Satsang to help with food and this and
that thing. Is there any general rule that the Satsangs
could follow in helping the very needy in the communities
and so forth?
You see, it is the duty
of everybody. For instance, if some needy man is there, and
you are close to him, you may help to the extent you can. If
more is wanted, you might ask the group officer. If
everybody goes up to the group officer, "Well help this
cause, help these people", then? Whatever is received is
required to be used in so many other ways, is it not? Do you
follow me? If only a little help is required; everybody's
duty is to help. If, for some reason or another, man has to
be helped more, then in that case you might approach the
group officer. But if everybody does it, "Help this man,
help this man, help this man, help this man--"; the group
officer has to see to the other needs also. We cannot doubt
their integrity, you see. Those group officers in charge
have to determine how to spend the money. There is not only
one man to be helped but it has to be used in other ways
too. They've got a traveling fund. They have their own tour
funds. Sometimes they have to receive somebody and spend;
this only those can know who are in direct touch. The others
cannot know. Suppose somebody, some other heads of other
departments, a big man is coming, he has to be received and
this is also an expense. So the group officers in charge
have to see to so many other things. That money is not only
for the help of others. It is to spend in other ways. If
there is a need, everybody should do his best. If you feel
it has to be used, then you might approach your group
officer, "Will you help out?" It is his duty to do that. But
when everyone from every side comes, "Help this, help this,
help this," then? It becomes a little hard for him. When you
are in charge of that group, then you will also feel that
way, is it not so?
They send their reports, regular reports. What is
balance, what is valid, what is received during the month,
what they expended. They send their regular accounts here.
So they have, apparently, good control over it.
Is it not advisable to just
give money to people who need, rather than to give them
something that you are not sure will help them? They may
spend the money in a way not appropriate.
You see, how can you
tell? If you find he acts and poses, and he is really not
due that, then...? Help when you see somebody really is in
need, starving. You might help, that's all right. But if man
only acts and poses, this and that thing, then in that case
naturally he will use the money for some other purpose. That
is why Swami Ji says, "Give to the Master..." When you give
to the Master, he does not use the money for himself. He
will spend for the good of the people at large, and for the
Mission. He won't accept anything for Himself. But you will
earn pleasure; you will earn His pleasure when you help
others. So for that He is responsible. You are absolved from
all responsibilities. But it does not mean that if someone
is starving, you let him starve. Give a help, food. Whether
or not he misuses the money, you do not know. If man is
apparently needy, starving, his children are starving, this
and that, naturally you will help him.
Now I have got this Manav Kendra started. So many lakhs
of money have been spent for it. I come and go; regular
accounts are kept. I live on my own pension, you see. I also
subscribe to the Satsang from my pension. Once I went to the
West, (Master points to His shirt), this was torn, and
somebody came up to me, "I will get you one. Do you want one
of those? .... No, no, I must buy it using my own means." I
hope you remember. Everybody is there to help each other. I
give my regular tithe, even more. As a son of man I should
do it, is it not so? As a son of man, I'm not absolved from
duty as a son of man, you see.
If you see that to be strong, to be rich, to be affluent
is good for your ownself, why would it not be good for
others also, is it not? Make others happy, affluent, to the
best you can; have good wishes for all. The only trouble
arises when we extract things for our own good. This is
wrong. If each man learned to live for others, there would
be happiness in the world. He who would like to make others
happy will become happy. If you won't let anybody die of
hunger, I think you will also not die of hunger. If each man
lives for that purpose, then there is happiness in the
world. The whole trouble arises when we want to live at the
cost of others. This is wrong.
The Masters teach sometimes by parables and sometimes by
straight talk. There is a parable given that Lord Vishnu
invited all people, good and bad, the goddesses, gods and
those who were not gods. The gods came up and took their
seats and the others also came in and a big feast was
served. Lord Vishnu stood up, "Well, dear friends, I am very
glad to receive you here. It is all for you, but there is
one condition--you should not bend your elbows to put the
food into your mouth. "Strange, if you don't bend your
elbow, how can you eat?" Those who were not gods said, "He
is certainly making a joke of us. He won't let us eat." They
became angry and left. Now only the gods remained. "Well, it
is Lord Vishnu Who is saying that, there must be some
meaning, purpose behind it." Then it struck them. "All
right, very easy; feed the person next to you. Let us feed
each other." Let others eat. Do you think you'll remain
without food in this way?
Only if you learn to live for others there is happiness.
We have always learned to live for our own selves--at the
cost of others. That is why there are all these dissensions
at home, abroad and everywhere. A very little thing. I think
it is a very simple principle if you would follow it: Make
others happy, that's all. We want to squeeze money
you see, squeezing very cleverly. Not letting others know,
by acting and posing. After all, the cat must be out of the
bag, will it not? How far can you go on doing this? These
things reflect here. Others do not say openly, but they see
and they resent. Do you follow me now? That is why I always
say, be true to your own self. If you are true to your own
self, you won't deceive your own Self, the God which is
within you, and the Master which is also within you. Each
should try to live for others, to whatever little extent it
is possible, then all these worries will soon be over.
I will tell you one incident in the time of Guru Amar
Das. He sent for a certain man who was by the river giving a
child a bath. Somebody told him, "Master wants you." He left
the child there and ran. "What are you doing? .... My Master
has sent for me." He left his child--how confident he was.
Then the other man naturally took care of his child. So
suchlike love is required between the disciples. One's face
is this way, the other's face is another way, each trying to
live for his own vanity or for one reason or the other. If
you say you love the Master, and don't love one another, it
means you're a liar. These principles are forgotten. Each
one wants to become a boss and naturally there's trouble.
The boss may be right sometimes, not always. So humility..,
sweet words imbued with humility is the panacea for all
ill-will. Try to live for others; I think this is a very
simple motto. We want to hold money for ourselves, squeeze
money, misuse, misappropriate. Then the whole trouble
arises. People see; they may not say anything. Don't you
think that what you are doing within four walls, people see?
They have eyes and ears. Even the walls have got ears. So
that is the greatest motto, not to deceive your own self.
Two disciples came to a Master. They wanted initiation.
He gave each man one pigeon to kill in a place where nobody
would see. One was very clever, went out around the wall and
killed it. The other was tossing about here, there,
everywhere. He could not find any place where nobody was
seeing. So he came back in the evening, "Master, I have not
been able to find anywhere where nobody would see." "Who was
there? .... Well, at first I was seeing the pigeon and then
he was seeing me too so I could not find any place." Deeds
of darkness are committed in the dark. All these
misunderstandings, misconceptions, the people see. They go
very deeply down into the very way you're living and they
form opinions from their own level of thinking. People even
write wanting to know the reasons [for the behaviour of some
initiates.] I always write them, "Well, all are not Saints.
They're on their way to perfection." What should I reply?
The main lesson is don't deceive yourself. One word. We
don't go deeply into what we know. What does that mean?
"Don't deceive yourself." Reply is there. Even if others
complain about you, the Satguru is complained of also. These
are the reasons. So long as our daily living is not
developed... How can you deceive God? Can you mock God?
Deceive God? If you are true to your own self, you are true
to God; you are true to God. Is this not the remedy for all
our daily dyings at home or in Satsangs everywhere? The
group leader in charge and others should be more polite,
more sweet, more humble, then... Kind words don't cost
anything.
These are the things to be learned by
self-introspection. What does that mean? If you live in that
way, there will be radiation. Others will be convinced by
your living. And, moreover, don't go by the hearsay of
others. Unless you see for your own self and hear with your
own ears, only then believe; otherwise don't believe. We
simply become the judge taking sides with one or the other,
then the whole trouble arises. Suppose a man says such and
such a man is not honest. Someone else says that he's not
honest. Don't believe that he's not honest. See for
yourself. He might be using money for some honest purpose.
Just hear what he says. When the two things agree, then you
have got the right perspective on which to judge. These are
the details I'm giving you. The very word is given. Don't
deceive, be true to your own self, live for others, that's
all. I simply say those who do not live for others are not
men, they are beasts. Beasts live for their own. They fight
with others for the sake of their children, for the sake of
the belly. Two dogs fight for a morsel of flesh, killing
each other. If a man also does the same, then is he a man?
He's not a man. If you follow two things: be true to your
own self and live for others, all troubles will be gone. All
differences will be quite gone. So naturally, when the head
in charge hears that someone is taking sides, some others
take sides without seeing, without hearing, there is
trouble. So two things will help you much: be true to your
own self; and, live for others. Is this not a remedy for all
diseases of our daily dyings? Each man is complaining. If he
has got that ideal life, then where's the trouble? There
will be nothing to create any troubles within the mind. You
will be sincere, you are true to your own Self, to your God.
If you are true to your own Self, to the God in you, then
whom do you have to fear. The more you go deep down
into these things, the more you'll find wonderful things.
Having been the President of the World Fellowship of
Religions and having had contact with many heads of the
social, political and religious sects here and abroad, I
have found very few really sincere. They are political at
heart. Is this not the remedy for all our daily dyings?
Heads of different religions, social bodies, and even
political bodies come up to me. Once I went to Austria. Then
some Italian and Tyrolian people were fighting. A war was
about to break out and the Governor, whom I met, said, "I am
in a dilemma, what to do. My country is out for war. What
should I do? I cannot decide." I told him, "What is good, do
at once, what is not, does not appear good, wait. Try to
reconcile by good will." And there was no war. That Governor
wrote back to me, sent me word through somebody, "When are
you coming back? We need you." Very simple things you see,
but you must be sincere to your own self. We are not
sincere. We say something, we do something else thinking
that nobody sees us. God sees us.
If you come in contact with that Power within you
continuously, you'll become the abode of all virtues. These
things come up of themselves without striving for it. Have
you read 'Jap Ji'? We read, we don't go into it, deep down
into it. If you hear and go deep down into the words, "all
virtue," you become the abode of all virtues. Just like when
a crop is cut and the grain is taken out. The crop is in a
big field but at one place all grain is piled up. So there
is a book behind each word of the Master, I tell you. The
Master's teachings are always very brief, simple, to the
point. They don't need any bombastic words, struggling,
drawing inferences. They use simple words. These two things:
Be true to your self and live for others. What a big book
behind these words: what a sermon behind them. On my Diamond
Jubilee they wanted me to give the teachings in a few words.
I gave them only, "Be good, do good, and be One." Few words.
They wanted the teachings very briefly, 'Be good, do good,
and be One.' You are already One, as man, as soul and
worshippers of Higher Body. The main purpose behind Manav
Kendra is that: Be good, do good and be One, at the level of
man. Service of man is service all around. It is in
furtherance of Ruhani Satsang, you see. Yes?
This third word, 'be One'...
Are you not One already?
Unity already exists, we have forgotten. As man we are born
with the same privileges from God. As soul we are all
brothers and sisters in God. As a worshipper of some higher
Power called by different names meaning the same, we are
already One. Unity already exists, we have forgotten.
Master's job is to bring all children of God together on one
platform, to understand each other. They are already One.
This is a big sermon behind, 'be One,' I'm not telling you
anything new, quite common sense talk. These things you can
not have in big lectures. When you go deep down, then you
hear the Music of the Spheres, you see then. So awake and
arise and stop not until the goal is reached. The goal is,
we are already one with God, in God. We are all brothers and
sisters in God.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, (in whose heart there is
no ill will for anybody) for they shall see God." "Peace be
unto all the world over, under Thy will, Oh God." Where
there is love for God, there is love for all creation. That
is the criterion. People ask, "What is purity of heart?"
Where no thought other than that of God arises in you--that
is purity. You want to be pure, no reservations--have no
other thought than God. Is this not the definition of a pure
heart? If these things are explained in your talks, in your
meetings, people will turn out, as these are the basic
teachings of all Masters who came. All said the same thing.
I think these things will help you. Anyone else? Good
question. There may be something wrong somewhere, maybe due
to what I tried to explain; it is not all wrong everywhere.
In the future, if thousands
of dollars are accumulated, would it be better not to help
the needy?
Did you follow what I
said? I built hospitals, free schools, etc., for the poor
and needy, old men's homes--what is that for? This was built
with the money from you people and others. I also subscribe,
you subscribe. I am only the custodian, that is all. So I
explained to you, if a man comes in contact with you
directly--he is dying--you help, sacrifice yourself. Try to
live for others. That's all right. I own no membership here.
Nothing. No imposition. When some give, I determine whether
they can afford it or not. I refuse many times.
So, if each man follows this principle, there will be
peace. There are so many stories about this in the lives of
great men. One man had to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He
collected some money for spending on the way. The night
before, he heard a number of people were dying of hunger,
having had no food for so many days. He gave all of his
money to them and did not go to the place of pilgrimage. We
go to a place of pilgrimage where God resides or where some
Godman had resided. If you serve God in man who is dying of
hunger, is that not a true pilgrimage? God told him, "You
are the first man whose pilgrimage has been accepted." If
the dogs all around you are howling... They may not know,
but the God is in them, is it not?
So living in society is required. Where you find
somebody really needy, sacrifice your own interest. You are
not doing anything to please others, but to please your own
Self. So that is what is meant by, "Be True to Your Own
Self." Follow these things. You will find that these things
are not ingrained within you unless you come in contact with
that Power constantly. You may leave Him, but that Power
does not leave you. It is hovering around you. Music of the
Spheres never leaves you, thank God. That's the Master
within you. You may find some incident when there is
trouble, but within, there is the Sound. He is saying, "I am
with you." We have been put on the very Golden Way. But it
is for us to now maintain and develop It--that's all. Man
has to work for everything. A strong man revels in his
strength and a weaker man wonders how he got it. He did not
get it in one day. So all this awaits you. Guru Nanak says,
"Why should we preach to others to know who is the living
God. If Master is Word made Flesh and the Word in them
radiates, no preaching is necessary. The more you come in
contact with that physical Form inwardly, you will develop
everything of itself. We do not realize how fortunate we are
to have been put on the Way--really; to have contact with
That.
So go on with it--God will help you. There is nothing to
be feared, nothing to be disappointed about. You will get
something. God will help you. All right.
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