The Voice of the Saints November 1982

my- PHOTO CREDITS: Front cover, Larry Matty; pp. 2, 12, 17, 32, Claire Mowbray (September-October 1982); back cover, Charlie Boynton. SANT BANI volume seven number five The Voice of the Saints November 1982

FROM THE MASTERS The Story of the Lover 3 Sant Ajaib Singh Ji September 28, 1982 The Blind Lead the Blind 20 Sant Kirpal Singh Ji December 18, 1963 In the Range of the Magnet 26 Sant Ajaib Singh Ji September 29, 1982

OTHER FEATURES The Higher Calling of Our Lord 13 Russell Perkins on returning from India October 10, 1982 Book Review: Light on Ananda Yoga: The Yoga of Happiness. 25 David C. Lane

SANT BANUThe Voice of the Saints is published periodically by Sant Bani Ashr Sanbornton, New Hampshire, U.S.A., for the purpose of disseminating the teac the living Master, Sant Ajaib Singh Ji, of his Master, Param Sant Baba Kirpal Si and of the Masters who preceded them. Editor: Russell Perkins.

Annual subscription rates $18.00. Individual issues $2.00. Back issues $2.50. Foreig special mailing rates available on request. All checks and money orders should be payable to Sant Bani Ashram, and all payments from outside the U.S. should be on an In tional Money Order or a check drawn on a New York bank. All correspondence should dressed to Sant Bani Ashram, Franklin, N.H. 03235, U.S.A. Manuscripts, including and articles on the theory and practice of Sant Mat, are most welcome. Views expresse dividual articles are not necessarily the views of the journal.

The Story of the Lover Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

Wonderfully Kal has deluded the So here Swami Ji Maharaj says, "The World: how can I describe it? Negative Power has deluded the souls in He has made people do things in very beautiful ways, and I cannot describe this age, which were made for all of them." Still the Masters try to previous ages. describe some of the beautiful ways of This is the bani of Swami Ji Maharaj. All Kal through which he has entangled us in the Param Sants have written in their this world. They tell us how the Negative banis about the Negative and Positive Power made the cage of the body to im- Powers, and the difference between the prison the soul; and how he made the two, very clearly and openly. The Anurag bonds of society, name and fame; and Sagar ("The Ocean of Love"), the book how he made the bonds of taste, the written by Kabir Sahib, is already pub- organs of senses. He made all these things lished; you have read in that how Kabir to delude the souls and to keep the souls Sahib has differentiated between the in this world. He has created laziness so Negative and Positive Powers. He has that people may not do the meditation on written very openly and clearly about Naam; and if anyone does the meditation what the Negative Power is, and what the on Naam a little bit, then he has created Positive Power does. egoism, so that he might lose the benefit Kabir Sahib has written about how the of all his effort by thinking that he has Negative Power troubles the souls; and done a lot of meditation. looking at their condition, how the Swami Ji Maharaj says, "First there is Positive Power, the Almighty Lord, the attachment of the body, then comes comes down into this world assuming the the attachment with the woman; later on human body. comes the attachment of the son, and The Negative Power tried many times, after that the attachment of the grand- and he asked Kabir Sahib what was his children." Eventually, the attachment of sign; he wanted to know the knowledge the children of the grandchildren comes! which Kabir Sahib was giving to the souls. Tell me, where is the place where the First lovingly he wanted to know that soul can become free of all these attach- sign, and then using all his force he ments? wanted to know the sign, so that he might Foolish fellows, whose minds like to delude the souls again and again. The wander about, get stuck to water Negative Power does not let the souls go and stones; beyond his domain. And that is why he Intelligent and proud people have never lets them get the knowledge of the become the slaves of the goddess Upper Regions. of learning. This talk was given on Sept. 28, 1982, at There are four ages: Golden Age, Silver Sant Bani Ashram, Rajasthan. Age, Copper Age, and Iron Age. All the November 1982 3 ages had their own means of liberation, Age, the power of the mind was equal to their own religion; but what did Kal do? the strength of a goat, and the prana was He established the means of liberation in a person's skin. Now in the Iron Age and the religions of the other ages in the it is said that the mind has become very Iron Age. It is written that in the Golden weak - and the prana, or life, is all in the Age, the potential life span of human be- food we eat. If one piece of sugar falls ings was 100,000 years; in the Silver Age in the sand, neither the elephant nor the it was 10,000 years; in the Copper Age it horse, nor even the goat, can separate it was 1,000 years; and in the Iron Age, it from the sand. Only the ant can come and is 100 years. Just consider: If those who separate that tiny piece of sugar. So were born in the Golden Age spent 90,000 knowing this, Kabir Sahib was very years searching for Truth, going to places gracious on the souls, and that is why he of pilgrimage, and bathing in holy waters, introduced this Path of the Surat Shabd still they had 10,000 years to do the devo- Yoga in its present form in this Iron Age; tion of Shabd Naam, so they were not los- because even though we have become very ing anything and they were getting liber- weak in this age, we can do that work ation. which could not be done by other people In the Silver Age also, if anyone spent in other ages. Only the Surat Shabd Yoga seven or eight thousand years searching can take our mind, and our soul, back to for Truth by visiting holy places, still he our Real Home, because when we start was left with a couple of thousand years getting the help of our mind, our soul to do the devotion of Shabd Naam which climbs the Shabd and goes back to the would take him to the Path of liberation. Real Home. But nowadays, you know that in the Iron So here Swami Ji says, "The foolish Age, if we do all things that were done people are fond of visiting places and that in other ages where the life span was very is why they are stuck in the water and in long in comparison with ours in the Iron the stone. The foolish people think that Age, we can never become successful. by visiting the holy waters and places of Because first, we do not have that much pilgrimage, they will be able to meet health, and further we don't have enough God." time to go to many places, and still in the Kabir Sahib said, "When the idol is be- end come to the Path of Liberation. In ing made, he who makes it has to step on the Iron Age also, even though it is said its body and use the chisel and hammer that man lives up to one hundred years, and many other pointed weapons to make there are many people who don't live even that idol beautiful and to bring it into that long; so if we do the things which the shape. If that idol had any life in it, it people used to do in the Golden Age or would punish that person who is stepping the Silver Age, how can we become suc- on him - but that never happens because cessful in achieving liberation? it doesn't have any life in it. But what do It is written that in the Golden Age the they expect who offer flowers and milk power of the mind was equivalent to the and water and other good foods to that strength of an elephant, and theprana or idol? And what will it do for them when the life of the person was in his bones. it cannot punish the person who was ham- Further it is written that in the Silver Age, mering it and giving it a very hard time the power of the mind was equivalent to with sharp weapons?" the strength of a horse, and the prana of Master Sawan Singh used to say, "If a person was in his blood. In the Copper there is any worst type of devotion or

SANT BANI worship, it is idol worship - because it has what happens to them? They think that no effect." Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj by using their mind or intellect they will says, "Those who rely on stones, all their be able to realize God. Even after going devotion and worship is useless, because to the Saints they use their mind and in- my God has life in Him and He gives life tellect. But the devotion of the Lord can- and gifts to everyone." Kabir Sahib has not be understood, the Lord cannot be said, "If by worshiping stones one could realized, by using the mind. Swami Ji realize God, I am ready to worship a Maharaj says, "Oh Intellectual Know- mountain." Kabir Sahib has said further ledge, you are very bad because you don't that people buy idols of God and worship appreciate the higher things." them, and obeying their mind they go to There are some souls of this category the places of worship. Looking at other who follow learned scholars if they are people, they are doing this type of wor- strong, and if at some time the idol wor- ship or devotion, but in the end they will shipers have a hold on the community, get nothing, they will be kicked and they follow them. Such people are neither knocked in the court of the Lord. Kabir the learned ones nor the foolish ones. has also said, "People have taken water Further, Swami Ji says, "The japas, as their God, and everyone is worshiping tapas, fasting, all these things which we water [of the sacred rivers]. But those who think are means of liberation, are in fact are relying on water, who think that it will illusions created by the Negative Power liberate them, they don't realize that in the to keep the souls in this world." end they will be drowned in it." Many times I have said this: that in the It is a pity that if the Saints or Mahat- month of June in India, people sit in the mas remove one illusion from within us, five fires (the month of June is very hot) after They leave the body, we create hun- starting at twelve o'clock noon. They sit dreds of illusions in their Name and get in one place and in the midst of four fires; deluded by them. Kabir Sahib struggled the fifth fire is the heat of the sun. Sit- very much in his life and worked hard to ting that way, they repeat some mantra. tell people that there was nothing in idol Some do it five thousand times, some ten worship, and he condemned it. But after thousand times. By doing that form of He left the body, it is a matter of great worship they think that they will realize sorrow that many people made His idol God. I myself have done this, but I did and started worshiping it. Kabir Sahib not get anything out of it. When I met said: "Without the devotion of the Lord Baba Bishan Das I told him I had been even the King will become a potter's doing that and he said, "What is the use donkey; the potter will carry sand on his of burning the fires outside when already back and will not give him any grass to inside there are many fires burning?" He eat." said, "Is there not the fire of lust burn- ing? Is there not the fire of anger, greed, The rest lying in between these cate- attachment? When we have so many fires gories, who are neither foolish nor burning within our own self, then what intelligent, is the use of burning the fires outside and Take to recitals [Japa], austerities sitting near them?" [tapa], fasts and other delusive actions; and, poor people, they See the tricks of Kal! Some are burn themselves in five fires. knocked down by his head, some Those who learn, who study a little bit, are smashed with his feet. November 1982 He has bewildered the whole world Satguru says, "Service to the Master, and led it astray and no one has achieving Naam, and Satsang are rest or peace. the important things." Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "Look at What does that Great Soul, that Holy the plays and the tricks of the Negative Soul, do after coming into this world? He Power-just within a few seconds, he tells us about the seva of the Guru, about deludes them!" Further he says, "Whom how to truly serve the Master. Further He should we mention? There is no one in tells us the importance of meditating on this world who is spared by the plays and Naam, what the Real Naam is, and what tricks of the Negative Power; everyone is we get by doing the meditation of the real being deluded by him." Mahatmas don't Naam - liberation. Then He starts His criticize any society or religion or com- Satsang, because only through Satsang munity; They have appreciation and can He create the yearning to do the devo- respect for all of them. The only dif- tion of Shabd Naam within us; only ference between Their Path and the com- through Satsang he tells us about our munities and religions, is that the religions mistakes; only in the Satsang is our in- are concerned with outer rites and rituals, trospection completed, and we become whereas the Path of the Masters is com- able to do the real devotion, the medita- pletely practical. They have no place for tion of Shabd Naam; and through the rites and rituals in Their Satsang. Satsang He takes us back Home. Guru Nanak has written of those in- volved in rituals: "What they are doing These are the three true methods which He explains; all otherprac- is as if any woman's husband has gone tices are useless. abroad, and in the absence of the hus- band, the woman is dressing herself up The perfect Satguru tells us that to do the and pretending that the husband were Satsang, to obtain the Perfect Naam, and with her. But her dressing up and becom- to go in the company of the Perfect ing beautiful does not count anywhere. Master are the only three things which are She does not get any respect in this world the means of liberation. All other things or in the world beyond." are like the skin of the fruit and it is all useless: the fruit itself is the Naam. Di- Seeing such conditions, Sant Satguru verting our attention from the skin, He appears in this world. makes us attentive to the fruit; He makes When Almighty God sees that the people us do the devotion of Naam. have given up His devotion and have Useless is the reading of the Vedas, started worshiping the holy books or idols Shastras, Smritis, and Puranas. or holy waters, etc., He feels sorry for them; and for the souls who have the Saints and Mahatmas do not criticize our yearning to do the real devotion of learning, or reading books; They say that Almighty God, He comes down assum- there is nothing wrong in reading the ho- ing the human body and lives among ly scriptures. But when we are reading, them. He tells them about the real way we should read carefully, and we should of devotion to Almighty Lord; and He understand what the Saints and Great puts those who have the yearning to go Mahatmas have written in their writings, back to Him on the Path, and takes them and whether we are living according to the back Home. writings or not. If anyone has a pain in

SANT BANI his stomach and he starts reading a book mas come into the world for our sake, written by a doctor in which is written and what do we do in return? how to remove a pain in the stomach, you I remember one sect of a certain know that he will not be able to remove religion wrote a book against Master the pain of his stomach just by reading Sawan Singh, and they used to criticize the book. Unless he makes the medicine Him a lot. Master Sawan Singh was told according to the instructions written in by people that He should respond to their the book, and takes that medicine, he criticism, but He replied that there was cannot remove the pain in his stomach. no need to do that, as Saints are unique What are these religious books and ho- examples and the critics would learn ly scriptures? Mahatmas, Fakirs, Gurus, something. They opposed Master Sawan and Saints worked very hard in their Singh so much that they made their reli- meditation, went up and worked through gious place in front of the place of Master the astral body and the causal body, and Sawan Singh; and from morning to eve- met Almighty God. Whatever obstacles ning they used to go on criticizing Him. came in their way, the Path through Still Master Sawan Singh was so gracious which they traveled to the Almighty Lord, and loving to them that He would invite They have written down these experiences them to eat the food in the langar, say- in the holy books, and all the scriptures ing, "It is the langar of the Masters and are full of things which can help us in our since you people don't have any means to Path to God. eat food over there at your place, you are welcome to eat food here." You see how Pundits, for their own self interest, much love Masters have for the people, criticize the Saints. even for their critics. But what do the critics do? They go on criticizing the When Saints and Mahatmas do Their Sat- Master and they don't appreciate and sang, what happens? The Pundits or fake understand the love of the Masters. people, those who have made a business We know how our Supreme Father, of reading holy scriptures and deluding Master Kirpal, was criticized and opposed the people, start throwing dirt at the by many people. Many people criticized Saints; they start criticizing the Saints Him in their writings too. Saints know because the Satsang of the Saints affects who criticizes others. They know that on- their business. ly those who have weakness within them- Reading history, we become ashamed selves criticize others; to hide their own when we understand that the Saints and weakness, they criticize and comment on Mahatmas came into this world to other peoples' ability. But Saints have big liberate us for our own benefit, but in- hearts, and that is why They have love stead of taking advantage of their com- even for their critics and always forgive ing into this world, we people gave them them. a very hard time. We know how Christ Lovingly Saints explain to them also, was crucified, and how Guru Arjan Dev but they do not understand. was tortured. In the same way, Swami Ji Maharaj was also bothered very much, Saints shower a lot of grace on their critics and many other Mahatmas Who came in- also, and They always explain lovingly to to this world for the sake of the souls were them that this is not a good thing for them given a very hard time. Reading all that to do. Master Kirpal Singh Ji used to say, history we feel embarrassed: the Mahat- "If you will throw a stone into the dirt you November 1982 7 will also get the stain." Guru Nanak Sahib any right to be Brahm; they don't know used to say, "To criticize even a sinner is what Brahm is. They read only the things a bad thing." which were written by the Great Masters, and they think that whatever they are They are desirous of name, fame reading, they are becoming like that. and wealth, and are devoid of spirituality. Kabir Sahib says that those who read the four Vedas and the eighteen Puranas, Why do people criticize Saints? Because six Shastras, and all the other holy scrip- they are fond of collecting wealth and tures, do not get anything. Their condi- they desire name and fame. They know tion is just like that bird which copies the that if anyone goes to the Perfect Saint voice of other birds. even once, that person will not come to them, and they will not be able to treat They do not realize the correct that person according to their own inten- method of liberation and are tions; and that is why they always criticize proud of their reading; the Saints. As they do not learn the knowledge In the sight of a Perfect Master Who of this age, the poor fellows fall has done meditation, the rich person and down. the poor person receive the same amount Now what is the knowledge of this age? of respect: Master respects both of them The knowledge of the Shabd Naam is the alike. In the same way, whether one is real knowledge of this age, and that is the man or woman, he or she will have equal only means of liberation. If, instead of respect. Those who criticize the Saints or learning that, we are involved in rites and Mahatmas will not get any spiritual rituals, we will get nothing; we will remain wealth. Swami Ji Maharaj says, "What- involved in them and get nothing in the ever spiritual wealth they have, they will end. All our lifetime we people follow our lose it, and they will not get any more." ancestors like one sheep follows another They go around in the cycle of sheep, no matter if the sheep is going in eighty-four lakhs, the right direction or not. In the same Again and again they go into the way, we say, "Our father used to do this four categories of birth. rite and ritual, that is why we are doing it; and our grandfather used to do this, Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "What hap- and that is why we are doing it." We do pens to them? They fall into the cycle of not bother to see if it is doing any good eighty-four lakhs births and deaths, and to us or not. they even have to take the forms of lower bodies." Humility and purity is the path of They read the knowledge of the this age, and Guru Bhakti is the previous age; surest way for liberation. Some talk about law, some about the Meditation on Naam, developing humili- Vedas. ty, and doing the devotion of the Master Now He says, "What do those people do? are the only things which are useful in this They read the Vedanta, and just in words age. Humility does not mean that we they say, 'I am Brahm,' and 'You are should leave whatever material things Brahm,' and like that. And they do not God has given us and go to the do anything in practice!" They don't have wilderness. It means that we should use

SANT BANI whatever we have been given by God and because it is coming through the five dif- understand it as God's. ferent planes. But really it is the same Sound coming from Sach Khand. So become pure and holy within and rise to the eye center, catching That is why, first of all, remember the Shabd. Master: Know all other works to be less important. What will happen when we develop humility within us? By developing humili- Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "If you ty within us we will understand that all want to become successful in the devotion the things which we have belong to God, of the Master, if you want to achieve and we will use all that in the cause of the something in the Path of spirituality, first Master, in the Holy Cause; and by doing of all you should do your devotion to the so we will gain the pleasure of the Master, Master." You should catch the Master and our Inner Path will become so clear because the Master has manifested the and open to us that whenever we will Naam within you; Master has seen the enter within, we will see our own form Naam, and he has become the Form of and the Form of God everywhere. It is as the Naam. So that is why, if you want to if we are standing in a Palace of Mirrors; achieve Naam, you first have to realize wherever we look we see our own form. your Master; you have to first manifest In the same way, when we develop your Master within you. We people do humility within us and when God not catch hold of our Master; instead we manifests within us, we will see the Form try to catch hold of the Shabd and we do of God everywhere. not love the Master as much as we should. We do not realize that the Master is the The inner Path is of Surat and Almighty, and unless we love Him that Shabd; the Five Sounds are the much we cannot realize the Shabd. goal. Regarding myself, I have said many Step by step, riding on Shabd, we times that I told my Master Kirpal, "I reach Sach Khand. don't believe in any Sat Naam, I don't Saints explain to us that we are not the believe in any Almighty Lord, I don't body; we are the soul, and we are the one believe in any Supreme Being, because I who makes this body function. And when am not seeing any of them: I have seen our soul rises above this body, and after You and I take only You as the Supreme crossing the stars, moon and sun, we Being, I take only you as the Supreme reach beyond all these things, then the Father and the Almighty Lord." Sound of the Shabd starts coming to us That is why, when Master Kirpal asked all by itself. The Shabd has started com- the dear ones to close their eyes if they ing into our life, and only then we realize wanted to see God, and everybody closed that the Shabd has created everything. their eyes, I did not close mine: and when When the Shabd starts coming within us, He asked me, I said, "Master, you have our soul becomes very pure. When our said that those who want to see God sould becomes pure, only then the Shabd should close their eyes; but what if I am starts coming very loudly, and we realize seeing the six-foot-tall God moving and that it is coming from Sach Khand and talking in front of me? Why do I need to it is sounding at our eye center. close my eyes?" Mahatmas have described the Shabd as We people fail to become successful the Five Sounds. They call it Five Sounds only because we do not catch hold of the No vem ber 1982 Master; we go in a different direction. should have the love for the Master that The key to the Shabd is also lying with the moonbird has for the moon." If we the Master; Master is the Mighty One; He have that much love for the Master, is very strong, and He knows when the whether we are sitting, talking, or mov- disciple has become ready to bear the ing here or there, or doing anything else, strength of the Shabd. When we have the magnificent and attractive form of the become so pure that we can attend to the Master will always reside in our eyes. Shabd, He will at once open the Shabd So long as your love is not so intense, for us. The door to Sach Khand is behind practice only this method. our two eyes, the eye center, and our job is to reach that, after concentrating and He says that until we develop the same withdrawing from all other things with love for the Master that the moonbird has the help of Simran. Master is sitting there for the moon, until the Form of the in the form of Shabd, and when He sees Master stays within us, we should con- that we are ready to enter Sach Khand, tinue doing this practice. He will at once open the door to us and When Guru Bhakti is completed, He will drag us inside. You know that then the soul ascends to the higher even the worldly master does not keep any planes. of his people unpaid if they are working for him; how can we expect the Almighty When does the Guru Bhakti get com- Master to be unjust to us? When we are pleted? Only when we rise above the working for Him, He will definitely pay moon, stars and sun and reach the Form us. This means that whenever we are of the Master. When we reach the Form ready, He will at once open His door and of the Master, the devotion of our Master drag us inside. is completed, and then starts our devo- We people do not give up the intoxica- tion to the Naam, the Naam Bhakti. It is tion of the sensual pleasures of the world, the duty of all the disciples to reach the but at the same time we always request Form of the Master, to complete the Guru the Master to open the Shabd to us. Just Bhakti; beyond that begins the duty of the imagine-how is that possible if we are Master. not ready to give up the intoxication of Know them as foolish who, without the worldly things? You know that he completing Guru Bhakti, attempt who has opened a school will never wish to catch Shabd. that any of his students will fail; he will always want that everybody should pass Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "We do not their examination and go on to the upper do the Guru Bhakti; instead we are try- grades. In the same way, Master has ing to listen to the Shabd." No doubt we opened this school of spirituality, and He hear the Shabd, but it is not powerful wishes that all those who have been ad- enough to pull us up. mitted into this school should become When with Master's Grace Shabd is successful in their examinations. heard, it is the powerful Guru Fix your Master's Form in your heart Who pulls up the soul. and cherish your love for Him like When the Satguru gives Initiation, He sits the moonbird does the moon. within the disciple in the Form of the Now he says, "What kind of love should Shabd, and He is the One who has to we have for the Master?" He says, "We open the Shabd for the disciple. He has 10 SANT BANI the key to the Shabd. He is the Mighty from the remembrance of his Master, at One, and God Almighty has given him once he dies. We should develop this kind the key and the authority to open the of love for the Master if we want to pro- Shabd. Guru Sahib says, "The Master has gress on this Path. the key; He Himself has locked the door, When you develop such love, only and He is residing within it." And since then will you be able to proceed on He has the key, he is the only one who the Path. can open the door; there is no one else who can open this door for us. Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "What I have explained to you in the above lines, Without the completion of Guru when you develop such a love for your Bhakti, the soul won't rise above, Master, then you will not need to ask your the sky won't burst, and one won't Master to open the Path for you. The get Naam; Path will become open to you by itself, Guru Bhakti is the root of every- and you will find no need to request it of thing; other things are the branches Him." He Himself will do all the work of success. when you will develop this kind of love Whatever outer rites and rituals we may for Him. do, they all are like the branches of the Whatever I had to say I have told tree. The meditation on Shabd Naam is you. like the roots of the tree, and unless we do meditation on Shabd Naam, the Now Swami Ji Maharaj says, "In this Shabd will not be opened within us and hymn I have lovingly explained to you we will not come to the Path of how the Negative Power has deluded the Liberation. souls beautifully, and how he has not spared any community, any religion or As the mother loves the son, as the society; everyone is deluded by him. And lover loves his woman, as the fish I have told you how the Satguru is sitting is sustained by the water, as the within you, and how the meditation on rainbird loves the rain- Shabd Naam is the only means of libera- tion. And since the Master is the Form of Now Swami Ji Maharaj explains to us the Shabd, He has the key to the Shabd, how our love for the Master should be. and unless you have so much love for the As the son is dear to the mother, in the Master, He will not open that Shabd for same way our love should be for the you. And I have told you that whenever Master; as the rainbird yearns for the you get liberation, it will always come raindrop and has love for it, in the same through the Shabd." way we should have love for the Master; He says, "Whatever I have told you, it as the unchaste person loves his wife, in is the path of the Gurumukhs and the the same way we should have love for the path of the lovers. The coming of the Master; as the fish loves the water, so Gurumukh or the lover souls to the much so that as soon as you separate the Master is just like the coming of dry gun- fish from the water he dies, in that way powder into contact with fire. This we should have love for the Master. The message is for the lovers." true disciple can never forget his Master Within me I still have the same amount for a minute; his condition is like the fish. of pain for the separation from my Belov- If he forgets his Master, if he is separated ed Kirpal as I had before. The pain has November 1982 11 not been reduced. I have the pain of love, Master, only they will follow this. Giv- and this pain is experienced by all lovers; ing up all other devotions-the devotion that is why I am talking about my pain which you are doing through the organs in front of lovers. Without love the story of senses, the devotion which you are do- of the lover cannot be completed. If I am ing for your religion, your community, saying anything wrong in this, you can tell your mind, and for the worldly pleasures me. People are looking for love by their -do your devotion to the Master; be- cleverness, but the real lovers always keep cause all the other devotions will take you quiet and wait for their beloveds. "Every- into the lower bodies, whereas the devo- one is talking about their own pain, but, tion to the Master will take you to the Ajaib Singh, whatever pain the people Real Home." have in this world, the pain which you In the end, Swami Ji Maharaj gives us have no one else has it." only one piece of advice. He tells us that we should do the devotion of the Master; Now it is up to you whether to we should do meditation lovingly without believe it or not. understanding it as a burden; and we should do more Simran. In order to make Swami Ji Maharaj says further, "I myself our mind and soul pure we need to do have done this devotion of the Master, more Simran. Simran works like a broom and that is why I am telling you about it. to purify our soul. We should never Those who have love for the Master, and understand meditation as a burden; we the yearning to do the devotion of the should do it lovingly and regularly. The Higher Calling of Our Lord Selections from a talk given October 10, 1982 RUSSELL PERKINS GROW OF US,including me, have just Judith on that occasion, "The pictures A returned from ten days with Sant don't get it, the movies don't get it, Ajaib Singh in Rajasthan. This was the nothing gets it - they're all lies, because first group this year, so I will try to con- His face is totally uncapturable in those vey something of it. I decided to keep a ways." And I remember also writing, journal this time. It didn't last long-I "After looking at that Face once, how can kept it two days- but my first entry just we ever do anything mean or petty or sil- reads in capital letters, written on the ly again?" It's a good question, and I still night we arrived, just before I went to wonder it. Because there it is: we're given bed: TONIGHTI HAVECOME BACK HOME. this, but we don't seem able to retain it That was the way it was. very long. We drove in, jumped out, and there He Sitting there, I knew, as I have known was, sitting there; and the second I saw many times before, that I was sitting at Him I realized once again I had forgot- the one place in the Universe that was ten completely what He was like. I don't worth sitting at, and I was doing that know why I never seem to be able to learn which above all else, I was born to do: this particular lesson, but nonetheless I sitting at the Feet of the Godman. And was absolutely astounded at how beau- it wasn't only a question of that night; it tiful He was. He was sitting on the plat- continued on, day after day. And I may form, elevated, with gas lamps burning. add that the Master is in excellent health; He had His glasses on, and He looked ab- He is radiating love and joy and positivi- solutely beautiful in them. I used to have ty. Not that He ever does not; but last worries: if the Master is continually wear- year there was a definite difference which ing glasses now, how on earth are we go- manifested itself in a lot of different ing to have good darshan? But I saw right ways, including my private personal ex- away that it was nothing like that; that periences too. Somehow or other the we were going to have great darshan, and Mauj (the Will), has changed; there is that it was not going to be a problem at nothing but upbeatness now. all. We just sat there and drank deep. He The trip was one continuous lesson on was radiating Light and Love and Beau- a lot of levels for me, and I suspect it was ty, and we were getting it in waves. for everyone. There did seem to be a I had occasion to discuss with Michael theme that repeated itself over and over Raysson the fact that exactly thirteen again; the theme of protection, that we years ago, we, along with several others, need not worry. We discussed the Sermon shared a trip to Master Kirpal's Feet - a on the Mount in Satsang a year or so ago, trip which changed my life. We left and I remember that we spent a lot of America this time the same day that I left time on the theme of cosmic helplessness; in 1969, and there were many other cor- that when we recognize that we can't do respondences. And on that trip too, I anything ultimately, then we trust, we put remember walking into the Master's ourselves in the hands of Him who can. house on the first night, seeing Him, and The question of forgiving others is tied realizing that I had completely forgotten up with this too: we don't need to worry what He was like. I remember writing to about exacting vengeance, we can let go November 1982 13 of that and forgive them-just as we are Just to show you, in a very minor way, forgiven. And this question of trust- how things work out at the ashram, and which is what is really meant by Faith- how our best-laid plans can be frustrated: this question of trust, of putting our hand I always like to sleep in the corner for in the Master's, and letting Him lead us, privacy. I like to keep away from the hus- has been hard for me. tle and bustle, comings and goings. They It is true that I've been with Master so have a porch now built around the dormi- many years, but certain things are hard tories, and it's really quite nice. I liked it for us to learn. We may get the same a lot: It means that in the hot weather you lesson over and over again. I remember can put your bed under the porch roof when Judith and I went to India for the and you don't have to pull it back and first time, in 1965, Master Kirpal said to forth continually from the room to the me, "How's that Karma book coming?" courtyard in order to be outdoors. It's That was The Wheel of Life which I was cooler during the daytime, and if it rains printing then; that was the first book that you're all right. So J saw that right away we ever printed here. And I said, "Well, and said, "oh great!" and I took a bed and there's a lot of problems, Master." And put it into the corner in my usual way for Judith said, "He always worries that he's privacy. It wasn't until all the beds were doing it wrong." And Master said to me, filled up that I realized that that bed was very seriously, "Look here, if you are right next to the bathrooms! There were travelling in a train and you insist on car- five bathrooms and one of them was just rying your suitcase on your head, what a foot and a half away from my bed. The is gained by that? If you put the suitcase others weren't much further. So I down on the floor of the train, it will go thought, "well, this is all right, there are at the same speed you do. You don't have certain advantages, sometimes I have to to carry it on your head." That's the go and it will be close. So we won't worry lesson, you see; that's the point. The about this." But wow, instead of being in Master does take care of things, He's the corner, I was in the absolute center! competent, and He has our interest at All of the activities of the first three days heart. And the basic element, the foun- centered around those bathrooms it dation, of trust, is to accept the cir- seemed, and I heard it all . . . I was aware cumstances of our life, whatever they may of everything. It was something else, I will be, as the best possible beginning for tell you! And I thought, "Well, we can whatever we have to learn. That includes only manipulate so much. We're so the conditions that might prevail, for ex- clever, we know exactly what we want; we ample, at the ashram in Rajasthan when want the corner, so we get the corner, and we're there. It may include any cir- the corner isn't what we thought it was!" cumstances that we find ourselves in. I'm Now one of the members of our group not saying that we never have to improve was a sweet lady who was eight months them if they can be improved. But the pregnant and when we got there it looked point is, as Master Kirpal wrote me many for a while as though she just might give years ago: "Please know it for certain that birth. And this sent me into a tailspin. I whatever comes to your count is in your was lying there on that bed during the first best spiritual interest." And that's a hard couple days worrying about whether she lesson. I had problems with it this time was going to give birth or not, worrying too; and the Master showed me over and that if she did it would be my fault for over again with out my asking. not having tried to dissuade Judith from 14 SANT BANI letting her come. The group did include death. His son was in his thirties, I think. a midwife (interestingly - Master always He was a grown man and a lawyer, and works like that) who let me know that, he died in an accident while Sant Ji was yes, there was a very good chance that she in Delhi recuperating from his first opera- was going to give birth. The next day, she tion, a year ago last spring. Sant Ji was had contractions. Wow! I asked her seeing no one during this period. He was about every five minutes how she was do- at Pappu's house, but he had bandages ing. That afternoon, though, Sant Ji went over the one eye that had been operated to see her, and He told her that everything on, and he was not giving darshan, or was going to be all right; that He was very holding Satsang. He was simply resting; glad she had come and other very the doctors had told him that it was of beautiful things. Her morale went the utmost importance that He rest ab- shooting up sky high, and so did mine. solutely or His eyes would be damaged Of course, she didn't give birth, and she and he was not under any circumstances didn't even have any more contractions; to exert or go out. So, Mr. Oberoi said, the whole time that we were there, she was he got a call from Pappu's sister; she said absolutely excellent. She had a marvelous, Sant Ji wanted him to come and bring a marvelous trip, and she told me the day book of Master Kirpal's Hindi discourses before she left, that she wouldn't have that had been recently published in Delhi. missed this trip for anything in the world. Sant Ji wanted to be read to from that It was a great lesson to me: the Master book, and he wanted Mr. Oberoi to bring is in control and He does make things it. Mr. Oberoi and his wife agreed that happen when they are supposed to hap- it was really a great honor to be invited pen. I realized again that it is a question to come at this time, so he procured of trust. So much agony we can spare a copy of the book and they went to the ourselves if only we can trust. And if it house. The first thing they saw when they doesn't turn out the way we think that it walked through the door was a copy of should, even then we can still trust, that very same book lying there. One of because we don't necessarily know what Pappu's other sisters said, "Oh yes, Sant the best thing is. Ji is read to from that book all the time." One of the sevadars there was a man So they thought, "This is strange. There I have mentioned before in Satsang. Some must be something going on here." of you know him and some of you will Anyway, the Master sent for them and remember him from years back: Mr. A.S. in the course of a jolly, loving conversa- Oberoi. He has been a friend of mine for tion, he asked them about their son. They many years. An initiate of Baba Sawan said that he was doing fine, and He said Singh, he was a very close sevadar of very strongly, "The Master will take care Master Kirpal. He was one of the prin- of him." Then the subject changed and cipal architects of the Unity of Man Con- they went on. Mr. Oberoi told me that the ference, for example, he worked very way Master said that - "The Master will hard on that, and those people who were take care of himm-stuck in his mind. there at that time definitely know him, His son had a strict schedule that he even if they have not seen him since. regularly followed, which involved his He told me a story which illustrates this working till 9:30 at night. He was in- whole point of protection, the way that variably home by 10. But on this par- the Master works, better than almost any ticular night - two days after the interview story I know. It is connected with his son's with Sant Ji - he didn't come home by 10, November 1982 15 and he didn't come home by 11. By I 1:30 one is taken by the Master, is put under Mr. Oberoi was calling the hospitals to his protection and taken up, cannot be see if something had gone wrong. His son and is not tragic. This is the beginning of rode a motorscooter to work, and the his liberation." Later he told Sant Ji that fifth or sixth hospital that he called said, he had said that. (Sant Ji had against the "Yes, there is someone of that description doctor's orders attended the funeral but here, you'd better come right down." He had left long before.) Sant Ji told him, wouldn't say anything more. So he and "Well, no one was there to say what I his wife went down and their son was would have said, so you had to say it." there; he was dead. He had been in an ac- I pondered this a lot. It was a miracle, cident and died instantly. And the man but what happened as a result of the in the hospital said, "Yes, he was dead miracle? Nothing was altered in God's when he was brought in." So they asked, Will; the person did not come to life "Who brought him in?" And the man again. He was not healed. But instead the looked very strange and said, "Well, that's Master showed the people who loved him the funny part of it. The man who brought in an unmistakable fashion how He him in was an old Sikh man; he had a watches over and takes care of them. white beard and a turban and was dressed There's no way that that can be dis- all in white. And he was carrying him in counted. Once this is understood, you see, front of him in his armsn-The son was our commitment can become complete. 6'3" and weighed 200 lbs, so in order to I think this sort of thing is often missing hold him in his arms like that took in- in our devotion. It's as if we feel, "Well, credible strength - "so he put the body we trust the Master, BUT . . ." Certainly down, and when we looked around for I've often felt that way. But if we see, real- him, he was gone and we never saw him ly grasp, that Master is taking care of us, again. We don't know who it was." He is watching over us with the express Mr. Oberoi and his wife immediately and specific purpose of enabling us to went to Pappu's house and they went grow in the way that is our destiny to upstairs to where Sant Ji was. He told me, grow, then what can hold us back? "The first thing I noticed was that there Another aspect of it is this: the accept- was a very strong breeze blowing, but that ance of our destiny. When we say to the Sant Ji was sitting there absolutely Universe that we are through fooling drenched in sweat and breathing very around - an image I have used a lot in the hard." Oberoi fell at his feet and told Him past - we are committing ourselves to what had happened, and Sant Ji looked whatever the Universe then wishes to deal at him and said very strongly, "The one out to us; because whatever we have ac- who carried in your son's body is not cepted will lead to our growth. This unknown to you." That was all He would means that our destiny is different than say, but from that time Mr. Oberoi has it would have been if we had not made felt absolutely convinced of the Master's that commitment. Our ultimate destiny protection. then is very high. That carries a lot of im- He said that at the funeral also some- plications with it, and we don't gener- one who should have known better, made ally - I don't anyway - act like that des- a reference to "this tragic death." And tiny is really there. We act like, well, just Oberoi said that at that point he was in- like anybody else. Part of that we can't spired, and he got up and said, "This is help, because we can't grasp, it's not pos- not a tragic death. A death when some- sible for us to grasp, the implications of 16 SANT BANI our real destiny, so we are shielded from I think that the Master's insistence that it to some extent. But we've got to grow when we go to India we should go direct- up sometime, and know the Master has ly to Him and also go directly home, - called us, to a high calling, "the higher Master Kirpal mentions this in Morning calling of our Lord." And we have to Talks also - this is what a true lover will press on in that. It's now appropriate for do. Sometimes people have a hard time us to walk on and on, closer and closer, with this; they've got a lot of irons in the deeper and deeper into the love of the fire, they want to do other things, too. In- Lord. And it's there waiting for us to dia is a fascinating place, -the Taj Mahal penetrate it. If a lot is demanded of us in is there, monkeys, elephants - the Hima- the meantime, if we are given greater laya Mountains - I've seen all these responsibility, and greater and greater things, so I'm not perhaps in a position . . . well, isn't that what happened to the to judge anybody who wants to see them; Master also- and did He want it? I enjoyed them. But the fact is that when We have to be aware that the other side the Master says this is the way it should of the coin of seeking-is finding. When be done, there is a profound reason for we find, we have to be able to accept the this. It is like a paradigm or epitome of implications of that which is found. And the spiritual journey. Because if we start if what we find is indeed ultimate Truth, out on our journey and go here, there and then that carries with it ultimate respon- everywhere, and in the course of time we sibility. And now is the time to begin, I end up at the ashram, meandering along, think, preparing ourselves for that. These and then we drift back home after- are things which I have had a lot of trou- wards - we're laying ourselves open to ble with, and that's why I bring them out. things. There was a lady on our trip who But on this trip Master talked to me a lot refused to obey this-I'm not blaming about this. her, I doubt that she fully understood the He told me to be strong. That's nothing point - in any case, she didn't pay any at- . . . everybody's supposed to be strong; tention to this request of the Master; she but the fact is that I'm often not strong, went over early and did the tourist thing precisely when I should be. And sorne- in India, and as a consequence, on the day times I let things happen that I shouldn't of the journey up to the Ashram, she got let happen because I want to be a nice terribly sick. She thought she was going guy. I don't want people to not like me. to die. It's not that she was being punished I want to be "all things to all men"'-as for disobeying the Master by getting sick; St. Paul said in another context. But Sant that's not the point. The point is that it Ji told me, "No. Be careful and be strong, is for precisely that reason that the Master and do what has to be done; it's your issues those instructions: He doesn't want responsibility." This is something that we us to be wide open to anything we might all share; we're all called to be children pick up. The physical thing is only a par- of God. That's our calling. We may have able of the spiritual, and illness is the least different ways of working that out, but of it. These things are very real; and when the calling remains the same. When the the Master lays these things down, they Master initiates us He's giving us the are to be paid attention to. It's the same passport - that's the term He uses in the way on the spiritual journey too. We have Anurag Sugar. He's giving us the passport to move along fully recognizing that the so that we can begin our journey. And end of the journey exists; in other words, our job is to continue the journey. we are really going someplace. We're go-

18 SANT BANI ing from the edge of our soul to the sing, she'd worked on it, and she was sit- center. And that involves responsibility. ting in the audience wondering if she We had a very sweet session on the should sing it or not. She was praying to Saturday night before the monthly Sat- Master, "If you want me to sing, let me sang. After supper, we went into another know." And she looked up at Sant Ji sit- courtyard, where the Indian sangat was ting there, and she said, suddenly He was already gathered; we joined them and totally and completely Kirpal Singh on the sang bhajans. Sant Ji was on a very sim- dais, and the second she saw that, her arm ple dais, a chair on a wooden table, and went up as if it were on a string, and He just beaming love. Oberoi told me the looked right at her and nodded. And she next day that an old initiate of Sawan started to sing; and sang it very sweetly Singh who was present told him that the too. The moment it was over, He com- way He sat on the platform radiating love mented on it. Obviously He had that in and happiness and jolliness was exactly mind; the whole thing was worked to the way Baba Sawan Singh used to do it. bring that about. So more and more people are beginning So the Master has very powerful things to see. in store for us, if we trust Him. After all, At that same session, and to illustrate as Jesus said, "If your father loves you how it works - that the Master does take he won't give you a stone if you ask for care of things and we don't have to bread. How much more will the Heaven- worry-one of the sisters from the West ly Father not do that?" We're always Coast told me that she had worked hard afraid - I'm always afraid - that we're go- to prepare a bhajan, and it was a hard one ing to end up with stones, and hungry. too: Mai To Kirpal- "Being separated That's my fear, but it's never happened from Kirpal I wept;" Sant Ji's bhajan, yet. So these things may be deep rooted really hard to sing well. She'd wanted to in us; but still our calling is to trust.

November 1982 The Blind Lead the Blind Sant Kirpal Singh Ji

QUESTION:What efJect does suicide things. If we enter into a state of mind have on the soul's development, Ma- that we even hate our life. that we are haraj Ji? going to kill ourselves-this is a very strong action and that reaction will THE MASTER:Well, the blind lead the come. The Theosophical Society says blind, and both fall into the ditch. They that a man who commits suicide will are expecting heaven after death. If, commit suicide for at least one hundred while alive, a man is not in heaven? how births afterward. Each time that reac- can he be after death? A man who is tion wlll come again. Some people com- learned while alive remains learned mit suicide for no reason. after death. If I go out of this room, I will be the same as 1 am here; I cannot COMMENT:Because the urge of kill- change, by my going out; I remain the ing is there. same. So similarly, you see, what we THE MASTER:Yes. yes, it is a reac- are when we leave the body, we cannot tion. That's a heinous crime. to kill one- change by leaving the body; we cannot self. How can you ever dream of kill- become, I mean, angels. Those who are ing your own life? It's a very strong given up like anything to the outward redction. If some Controlling Power. enjoyments, they are the earth-bound some higher Power or God Power or souls. Those who are better. who have Christ Power. you might say, is there. gone a little higher-and that is what that reaction might be softened down; is proved nowadays by the Spiritualists that's another thing. -they contact souls. And those who QUESTION:You say a hundred times have become divine or spiritually pure, thereafter? they go to the lap of the Father. THE MASTER:This, theosophical lit- QUESTION:1.r there a particular kar- erdture tells us. That reaction comes up. mic punishment because of the act of We generally never want to sacrifice our suicide or are the problems that caused life; with how much difficulty we do! the suide doubled? We wouldn't like to die; we would THE MASTER:By suicide what do rather sacrifice everything. all our outer you mean? He meant something else. possessions and even have the body cut COMMENT:NO, tuking your life. open, to save it. Nobody wants to die. But if a man wants to die it means it is THE MASTER:Yes. You see. our life a very strong action; that must react. is more valuable than our body: our Yes, please? body is more valuable than outward QUESTLON:You say that God is love and love will take one to the hearr This is selected from a session at Tustin, center: that'r in the hew-in the heart Calif., December 18, 1963. center, and yet the Scient e of the Soul

20 SANT BANI begins at the sixth ganglion, und there's There are four ages: the golden age, the .still u center in between. How cun that silver age, the copper age and the iron be reconcfled? age. The say these systems were intro- THE MASTER:I tell you, these are the duced in the golden age. Then people words that sometimes mislead us. Soul lived up to one million years. It is said is love personified. God is love and soul so in the Hindu scriptures. One sage is also love, being of the same essence Siringi Rishi put in 88 thousand years as God. The heart of the physical body in yoga practices; and excuse me, I need lies here [Master points to the heart]. not point out that, as told in the scrip- The heart of the Saints lies here [He tures. he was led away by desire and points to the forehead between the eyes]. had a son. Even after doing 88 thousand Do you see? When they say it is a years of penances that way, he could question of heart and not of head, they not control lust. Do you see? make a difference here. The head means Then. in the second age, the life-span the intellect; not this head, but this in- was cut down to ten thousand years. tellect. And the heart means our own Even then we could not put in some Self. Love is ingrained in our own soul, one. two, or three thousand years in the not in any particular part of the body. practices. In the copper age their length What is the machinery of the heart? It of life was cut down to one thousand is only some little growth of flesh. It is years. Even then we could not put in left behind when we die. If it is love, two or three hundred years that way. even when it is left behind, it should Nowadays, nobody lives beyond sixty emit love. Does it? When a man is dead or seventy years. on the average. How and the soul leaves the body, is there can we today do those systems that any love left in the heart? were introduced in the olden ages? We So, love is in our souls. And the seat are hereditarily not fit for them. Those of the soul is at the back of the eyes; are longer ways, time-consuming and from there it enlivens the whole body. hazardous. So, Masters cut out the There are six ganglions in the body, yruna system altogether, to befit the but Masters don't touch them. They times. This is the natural yoga that you give you a lift to come up to the seat have been given: it requires only that of the soul all at once, and they start you be still physically and intellectually; from there. How great a concession it and a little lift is given; you know your is! Yes, please? soul. You are of the same essence as that of God. This concession is given QUESTION:Musters speak of wrong according to the times; Masters intro- yoga practices leading the forces down- duced it. ward on the spine into the area of the With due deference to all those ways kundalini. Could you expand on that a -they are difficult. aod we are not fit little bit, please? for them. You referred to the kundalini THE MASTER:I tell you; there are question. The kundalini arises from the ways and ways: there are man-made rectum and thus passes through the ways, and there are God-made ways. spinal cord and comes out at the head. The times have changed. There are so That is a very much longer way. And many systems of yoga. These yoga sys- from its practice. the whole body ap- tems were introduced in the olden ages. pears to be burning like tire from head November 1982 down to foot. There is no remedy for ordained-all Masters say so. Even it. Only a very strong man could sufkr Christ said. "Thy days are nunlbered." and withstand it. Our age is tixcd. not according to the One man met me in India about three number of years or months or days. years ago. He was doing kundalini and mind that; it is fixed according to the he was all-burning from head down to n~~mberof breaths we take. Do you see? foot: that kundalini power had awak- The right use of breaths can prolong ened. And he came to me and said, "I our life. and the wrong use of breaths am in very much trouble; I cannot do can shorten our life. Nornlally we take anything about it. I've been to hundreds eight to ten breaths a minute. When we of people. but nobody can help me." I are passionate, we take eighteen to told him. "Please put that aside. Your twenty breaths a minute. Is it not short- purpose is to come up here [to the seat ened? If you have a rhythmic life. you of the soul]. Why not come up by the take three to four breaths a minute- straight way. the natural way?" So, I that prolongs it. And if you do kum- gave him a sitting. He was initiated. hhuk, you learn to control the breathing and all the trouble was gone. inside. 1 have met people who could Why take up the longer ways? If you even control their breath for two hours: have airplanes nowadays. why do you I have met people who were put under- go on plodding on foot? Times have ground for seven days: then. your life changed. There are various ways. of is prolonged. But Masters don't advise course, but we are not fit for them. hon- us to take up that way because we have estly-without any exaggeration. To- to develop spiritually; by following that day. three children sat: they saw light. way you do not. It can show miracles and they heard the sound of bell and to others: but, really. your inner life thunder and drum-beat, The other way should change. You must come in con- you cannot prove it: this way you do tact with the Light and Sound Principle. prove it. And the yogis. I tell you. can- Your life can be prolonged and short- not prove spirituality all at onct: as you ened, but not beyond the number of do in this way. They say "Go on. do it! breaths you have to take, Yes? It will come in due course." But this way. everybody can prove it-see for his own self-within half an hour or -whur tuigllt hr c~ot~sidererlthe ewipe so. So. this is the latest. I mean, conces- hcirc,h, yorr rrlight xrj? At ~.l~urpoint sion of God for those who are really ~t,o~rldthe jpirit Iru~.rthe hod!.? seeking after Him. to befit the age: that's all. Yes? THE MASTER: At what place? Havc you seen :I man dying? What happens QUESTION: IT the life spur1 of (it1 ill- then? The life is withdrawn from under- rltvid~uldetermined ut birth? neath: it goes up slowly and then comes THE MASTER: Yes. to the back of the eyes: the eyes are up- turned; then the drop-scene':' comes. QUESTION:Nothing one ~LIHdo uholrt it to either shortrtl it or lengthen it3 Drop-acene: A term uwd for drop or (I(./- d~r~l~:.~lw for the final cent. of ,I play or THE ZIASTER:Yes. He can shorten it. drama in real life, th~ton which the curtain he can prolong it. But it is definitely drops.

SANT BANI So. the scat of the soul is at the back of that is but natural. We must have some- the eyes; there thc drop-scene comes. body to be attached to-it may be right, That is why Masters say. "Learn to die it may be wrong. so that you may begin to live"; that is, We are spirit. The love of the spirit to whatever point in the body you go at or the conscious being should be love the time of death. you are to go while with the All-Spirit, All-Consciousness. you arc alive. When the meditation is That natural love which is within us is given, you comc up here, is it not so? attached to the outward things: to the And here the SOLII leaves the body. Yes? body. to the passions. to the enjoy- QUESTION : Wiwu you letrve the body ments. Those are not conscious. But docs the heart stop trtitl everything? the more you are attached to those things you feel drawn from inside; that THE MASTER: No, no. The heart is but natural. But that love has been stops only when you control the prantr, misplaced. When that very love is at- the vital airs. In this, the heart continues working; nothing is disturbed. The heart tached to the body and outward enjoy- stops only in the cases of those who ments. it is called attachment. And are put underground, who control the when that very love comes in contact pranas. No. the heart does not stop; not with God, it is called charity. It is the in the least. The breathing becomes same thing-misdirected. Misdirected rhythmic. of course. Yes? love is called attachment, and rightly directed love is called charity. QUESTION: IS it ~otu(,t~~ully the diu- This question was put to Maulana phrugnl that is the Inst thin,^ to stop Rumi. a Mohammedan saint. He said, heating? "Don't think that that is love which is THE MASTER: Yes, surely. surely. developed by our eatins and drinking. QUESTION: The heart ,goes first and That is called lust." Love is the quality the clittplzr~ip~i.5 last. of the soul. The soul overtlows with love THE MASTER: Slowly, the breathing if it is withdrawn from outside. The out- goes out, stops. becomes Ions breaths. ward expression of soul is what? Atten- Even when niachinery stops-the cn- tion. In the many ways our attention is gine is stopped-the lower portion goes diffused. so also is our love distributed. on slowly. If that is withdrawn from outside that QUESTION: Wodd ym please giv~us will overflow, Apd if it comes in con- .some lesson 017 how we might he mot-P tact with All-Consciousness, the lover lo \.iug? How we r~light pr~l(.ti(.e the will be the mouthpiece of God. They ~crltres-how M3e might pra~ti(,e love say a saint is defined as one who is rnore? overflowing with love for God and for THE MASTER: Love? I think therc is all of humanity. no need of giving any lecture. Every- So. it is not lust, mind that: that love body knows how to love. Hut wc have is attached to the body acd the out- not understood the right way to love. going faculties. and it stands in the way That is misused. I would say. Love is of realization. mind that. If love starts ingrained in our own selves. God is from the physical body and becomes love; and love is also ingrained in us, absorbed in the soul, that is right; you becausc we are of thc same essence as can go up. But if it is just attached to that of God. Love knows attachment; the body and the outward attachments, November 1982 23 it is standing in the way. That very thing When that love is there, all your atten- is called lust. tion is withdrawo from outside and is So, if you want to develop love, just attracted there. The glory of God, or withdraw your attention from outside. the beauty of God. is centered there. Come within your own self; you'll be That attracts every soul. When the soul overflowing with love. If you corne with- has been withdrawn and the attention in your own self, then you'll set: the has also been withdrawn from outside. Controlling Power which is All-Love. you get a flaring up. The principle works and you'll be overflowing with love. This the same way. by withdrawing your at- love cannot be purchased in shops; it is tention from outside. First you have to not grown in fields. It is already within make an effort. In this way you are you. There is one way to have an im- drawn in of itself, When you come petus to have it; that is, by being in the within you. love is there. Yes? company of saints. of those who have a QUESTION: Do you have in ltldia' III life of love-not of lust, mind that, but Delhi, India, a protege under your IU- of love. In their company, our love is torship to carry on when vou leave the awakened-it is flared up. physical plune? This question was put to Guru Amar Das. He said, "Thousands of curses be on the man who has the man-body and thut you are .schooling nm.? has not developed love for God. And thousands of curses be on the man who THE MASTER: Yes. I am schooling so is attached to the outward side, to the many: let us see whom the God selects. world, and has forgotten himself and Truly speaking, mind that. even in the God." Then he said, "What are we to Master, it is the God working in him. do? Where are we to get this love?" All That will come of itself when God Masters say, Love God with all thy wishes it. you see. I wish each one of heart. with all thy soul, with all thy you would be selected. But you must mind. So, we have to love God. But he come up to the mark. I wish each one said, "How are we to have it?" The of you would be ambassadors. Yes. first thing is by withdrawing from out- 1 told you what happened Inst time side and coming in the company of when I came in 1955. Two children someone who is love personified. who came to me. I generally make children is overflowing with love for God and sit; and they got some light. etc. Then. for all of humanity-for the sake of I asked them. "What do you want?" God, not for the sake of the physical They said. "We want to become Mas- bodies that we are carrying. whether ters." "All right. you have been put on they are black or white: for the sake of the Way. Go on with it-you may be the soul in us. That love will be flared selected as a Master." It is not a selec- up when you come across the company tion from the people below as you se- of someone in whom that love is over- lect a president or a minister. or this flowing. They are called saints. They and that thing. It is :I selection from have that love flared up. What happens? God. you see.

24 SANT BANI BOOK REVIEW LIGHT ON ANANDA YOGA: The Yoga of Happiness, by Shiv Brat Lal. Paperback, 160 pages, 2 photos: Sant Bani Ashram, Sanbornton, N.H., 1982, $10.00

N THE time of Baba Sawan Singh there and Sant Ajaib Singh said of it, "This book I were very few English books on the is very important and will lead many souls practice and theory of Surat Shabd Yoga. to the truth. It should be published." Due to this deficiency, the Great Master The text itself is unique and represents used to send Sant Mat books to America a significant contribution to Sant Mat that were written by gurus and mystics out- literature. As Steve comments in the in- side of the lineage at Beas. One such work troduction, "Those familiar with the was Maharishi Shiv Brat Lal's Light On The teachings of Ananda Yoga (which literally Anand Yog (first published in December means Yoga of Bliss) will appreciate the 1931 in India), which was quite popular unique perspective that Swami Shiv Brat among satsangis during the 1930's and Lal had concerning the Path. The un- 1940's. This small classic, though, soon familiar will find this book a powerful in- became obscured by the flood of newer troduction to the ancient yoga of the books on Shabd Yoga written by such Saints." authors as Julian P. Johnson, Lekh Raj Perhaps the most provocative section in Puri, and Sant Kirpal Singh, and was the book is Chapter Five: "Unity." In un- almost entirely forgotten by the 1960's. compromising terms, Shiv Brat Lal clearly This historical negligence, however, has points out that though God is One there are recently been overcome by the efforts of many approaches and avenues to His Steve Morrow, who became convinced that Abode. Instead of being confused and Light On The Anand Yog deserved to reach bewildered by the multiplicity of spiritual a larger audience. Utilizing a parched sec- paths, Shiv Brat La1 argues that there ond edition published by the Dayal Com- should be an appreciation for the diversity pound in Aligarh in 1962, Steve re-edited apparent in the world. All too often as sat- the book and prepared a new publication sangis we forget that the Lord is concerned of Shiv Brat Lal's English treatise with an only with Love and Devotion, not blind updated title, Light On Ananda Yoga: "The beliefs or dogmas. Yoga of Happiness." The result is an ex- A final note should be added to this quisitely produced volume. It is not an ex- review. In the spirit of seva, all of the prof- aggeration to say that the Sant Bani edition its from Light On Ananda Yoga will go of Light On Ananda Yoga is the finest prin- directly to Steve's Prison Project which ting ever done on any of Shiv Brat Lal's distributes Sant Mat literature free of charge books. And this is quite a compliment when to inmates throughout the world interested one realizes that the esteemed Urdu author in the path of Surat Shabd Yoga. There- had over 2,000 of his books published. fore, not only will readers benefit person- The present edition of Light On Anan- ally from their exposure to Shiv Brat da Yoga was published under the direct Lal's Light On Ananda Yoga, but they will authorization of the late Baba Faqir Chand also be contributing to a genuinely worthy (Shiv Brat Lal's spiritual successor), who cause. gave Steve world-wide rights to the work, David C. Lane

Novern ber 1982 In the Range of the Magnet Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

During the Death process of the soul withdrawing from the body, what is the Perfect Master will always come there; He will save the soul from all types of pain soul going through? What effect does that people experience at the time of Simran have on the dying person? death. And saving him from all types of Everyone knows that the time of death is pain, the Perfect Master will take him to very painful; it is the most critical time the Real Home. If the satsangi is doing of one's life. But the meditators on Shabd even a little bit of meditation, he comes Naam leave this world with no pain: they to know about his end time one or two do not experience even a little bit of pain days before his departure. Master tells while leaving the body. him that he will come on such a day and In my life, I have seen that many times take his soul up. And many times the Sat- it happens that when an initiate is dying, 'sangis tell other people that they will be he is not concerned about the world and leaving on a certain day. worldly things; but his family members Simran has a powerful effect on our life. sometimes bring the children in front of 'When we are living it has a great effect on him, or sometimes make him remember our life, and when we leave this body, then the things he was supposed to do. But he also it has a great effect on our life. It helps feels no attachment to the worldly things, us concentrate; it helps us purify our life he is not worried about them, because because the charging of the Master, the within himself he is preparing for the meditation of the Master, works behind journey beyond this world; and he is very the Simran which He has given us. But if happy. The reality is that when the initiate the initiate, after taking Initiation from the leaves the body he feels the happiness that Master, does not give up his bad habits he would feel if he were getting married. and continues indulging in drinking wine What is the use of going to the Master and eating meat and all sorts of other bad and taking Naam from Him if still you deeds, you can very well imagine that it have to suffer pain at the time of death? will be his mistake if he expects his Master If the Master does not help you at the to come at the time of his death. If he is time of death then what is the use of tak- not performing his duties well, if he is not ing shelter in Him? Death is for those doing what his Master wanted him to do, people who have not met the Perfect how can he expect the Master to come Master, and who have done many bad there and help him? deeds in their lifetime. But those who Kabir Sahib has said, "What can the have the Perfect Master will not be poor Ahlaster do if the disciple has not thrown into the mouth of death. The obeyed him?" It is like blowing a hollow pipe: the wind will not be stopped at any From a question and answer session, place. No matter how perfect the Master September 29, 1982, at Sant Bani Ash- is, if the disciple is not obedient, then ram, Rajasthan. what can the Master do for him?

SANT BANI Satsangis should live a very pure and you out; you can stay." After some time holy life, because if our life is pure, if our when Master Kirpal visited the Ashram, body is pure, then our mind also will be I told Him about that bullock. I asked pure; and if we do the Simran given by Him what was going to happen to that the Master with truth in our heart and bullock - because he was not doing any with sincerity, I am sure, and it is a fact: seva, he was not doing any work, and he the Master will never let the disciple suf- was eating too much, more than he fer in this world. He will definitely come; should eat. So Master Kirpal smiled, and and He does not want His disciples, those said, "Well, what will happen to him? who remember Him, to suffer the pain of Master will take care of him." You know death. He will at once come whenever the that the Masters never say that They take need is there. care of the souls: They always give the credit to Their Masters. So Master Kir- This March my mother was very ill; she pal said, "The Master will take care of had an operation and I was sitting beside him." her and she saw Sant Ji over me, smiling After some time, that bullock-he did and very much alive. It was a great com- not become sick - he just lay down on the fort to her; she was very happy. ground, and after one second he left the Yes. Before also, I said that the Master body without any pain. Usually the always comes at such moments, and Sat- animals, the bullocks, leave the body with sangis can feel that. Satsangis can see the a lot of pain. But that bullock did not ex- Master coming, and even if one is not in- perience any pain because the Master was itiated, but if he is related to an initiate there to take his soul up. and if he has sincere thoughts for the Your mother is a human being, and it Master, he also gets help from the Master. is not an extraordinary thing that she had In our ashram we had one bullock who the darshan of the Master. The Master was very strong and he would eat the food protects even the birds and animals of the of two or three bullocks, but would not Satsangis. work as he should: he was very lazy, but Why are we given two kinds of medita- still he was very good at eating the food! tion, and what is thepurpose of each one? Everybody in the ashram, all the seva- dars, disliked him because he was eating From life after life we are in the habit of too much and was not working. So they doing the simran (or remembrance or told me, and I also decided, that we repetition) of the world and worldly should kick that bullock out of the ash- things. And whatever desire or wish we ram. So once when we were talking in have at the time of our death, we get the front of that bullock, I said that we next body according to that. That is why should kick him out because he was not we come into this world again and again. doing any work. Hearing that, that Saints know that we are in this body on- bullock started weeping. Guru Nanak ly because of that simran. So in order to Sahib has said, "Every creature, whether make us forget the simran of the world, he is animal or man, they all have the They give us the Simran of the Charged knowledge; whatever you speak in front Words, so that by doing the Simran of the of them, they understand that." So maybe Charged Words we may forget the simran he understood that and he started weep- which is keeping us in this world. ing. So looking at him, we felt sorry for Now when you are sitting here, your him, and I said, "O.K. We will not kick mind may be thinking of something, he November 1982 27 may be fantasizing about something. And tention at the eye center. And the second now the thing which you are remernber- type of practice, Bhajan, is meant for tak- ing or fantasizing about, the form of that ing our soul into the higher planes. When thing is coming in front of you automat- we collect our scattered thoughts and ically. That is why in order to make us bring them to the eye center and concen- forget the simran or remembrance of the trate there, our soul comes into the range world, the Saints have given us Their of the Shabd. And as soon as she comes Simran. So when we do that Simran, the into the range of the Shabd, the Shabd form of the Master starts coming in front at once attracts the soul and takes her to of us, or in our memory, by itself. the Real Home. It is like when a piece of The seat, or the residence, of our soul iron comes in the range of the magnet, the and mind is at the eye center. Coming magnet at once pulls the iron towards down from this place, both soul and mind itself. In the same way, when our soul have spread all over the body, and beyond comes in the range of the Shabd, when the body they have spread all over the the soul reaches the eye center, which is world: in our religions, our relations, and the range of the Shabd, the Shabd takes everything. At the time of Initiation we no time to take the soul up to the higher are taught how to withdraw from the planes. outer world and how to collect all our On this Path, of course being free from scattered thoughts and bring our attention desire is very important. Is it true that to the eye center. When we are doing that there are two ways to be free from desire? process, we feel, as our soul starts One is to forget about the desire and ig- withdrawing from the lower part of the nore it; and the other is possibly to try to body, as if the ants were biting us.. And achieve your desire so it can be finished. gradually when the soul withdraws and And most importantly, how can we tell goes higher and higher in our body, when if we should forget the desire and ignore all our attention is collected and we con- it, or whether we should try to achieve the centrate at the eye center, all our atten- desire? tion is brought up there. All the things which we have been given The place behind the two eyes is our by God have one or another meaning; but school, and it is our duty to reach that since we are ignorant, out of our ig- place. As it is the duty of every student norance we misuse the things which God to go to school, and then the duty of the has given us. Take the element of desire: teacher starts (of teaching), in the same have the desire to reach your Real Home; way it is our first duty to reach the eye have the desire to meet your Master and center, and then the Master's duty starts. manifest Him within you; have the desire When we reach the eye center and con- of doing the devotion to the Master; if centrate there, there the Master manifests. He tells us to catch the Sound Current you change your desires to such desires, then you will become successful and you which is already coming there. When will not have any other desire. Master gives us the Initiation, He sits within us at the eye center, in the form Having been initiated by Master Kirpal, of the Shabd; and before we get there, at it is through Master Kirpal that all my the eye center, He is there to take us into help comes; but I have found not only the higher planes. You endearing Whom I have met, but So the first type of practice, Simran, also Sawan Singh Whom I think I have is meant for collecting our scattered at- not met, very helpful. Just to think of SANT BANI You, or to think of Sawan Singh, to perience with this pain even before you cultivate this kind of attitude, is it harm- were initiated. ful then to the devotion towards Kirpal? My question is about "Is the Master there It is not harmful if the disciple of a Master when the Satsangi leaves the body, " and has done the meditation and has become You said, "if the Satsangi is a good Sat- as our Master, if he has become the Form sangi, then the Master will be there." of the Shabd. Because in the Form of the What happens after that? . . . What Shabd all the Masters are one. In that case about the cycle of rebirth? it is not harmful. But in any case, we [Laughs]When the child goes into the lap should never think of any other Master of the father, how does he feel? He feels other than our own Master. Master protected and happy. And when the child Sawan Singh Ji used to say that in the goes back to his home, after that he is not Path of spirituality no relations such as worried about anything. When the drop Grand-Master or Great-Grand-Master are goes into the ocean and becomes one with found there. Our relationship is only with the ocean, what happens? When the soul our Master. is taken by the Master, something like I'd like to know how does one develop that happens. love for the Master? I have been told by a Satsangi that our By obeying the commandments of the greediness and our bad eating habits Master, by doing meditation, by doing make Him suffer. Could you tell me Simran, and by going within. Go within, something about this? just a little bit, and you will see the flames I have a lot of greediness in me, even of love for the Master raging within you. more than everybody in this world has. The Master has not given you a little bit My greed is that I am waiting for the time of love; He has given you a lot of love when my Master will bring me back to my which is within you. That is why Saints Home, when He will call me back. always emphasize this a lot. They say, "After taking Initiation, don't become It seems to me that whenever somebody lazy, don't become a coward. Work hard, asks a question you give them quite a lot go within and see the Truth for your own of darshan, so maybe it's worth asking self ." questions . . . I have a lot of trouble with pain in my [Much laughter] No, it's not like that. It leg when I'm sitting. And it doesn't mat- is not like that, and you should not think ter whether I'm sitting anywhere; it's been that you are the only ones here who are going on for 35 years. And I haven't been getting the darshan of the Master. Mas- initiated that long, so I know it's not that! ters are giving their darshan to all the How can I make a differentiation between disciples, no matter if a disciple is living when I'm leaving the body, and when my on an island, or if he is living on the top leg just hurts because my leg hurts? of a mountain-no matter where the disciple is. Many times when the Master Since you work with a doctor, and you is giving Satsang at one place, at the same already know that you have been having time He is giving his darshan to the yearn- this pain for thirty-five years, you should ing souls who have the receptivity, and be able to differentiate between the pains many times it happens that while They are very easily - because you had a lot of ex- sleeping physically or doing other things November 1982 29 at one place, they are giving darshan or their Master, and they should always taking care of the souls at a far distance. pray, "Oh Master, since You have given Satsangis should never think that they me this food, I am eating it. It all belongs get the darshan of the Master only when to You, it is all because of Your grace." they are sitting in front of the Master or In the place called Dalhousie, some of only when Master is looking at them, and the Sangat was about to eat food; and the that when the Master goes away from sevadars had served them all the food. them, or they go away from the Master, Before they started eating, all of them they are not getting darshan. It is not like folded their hands and started praying to that; Master is always giving darshan to Master Sawan Singh. At the same time, the disciples. And as you cannot separate the lady who was preparing food for the shadow of the man from the body of Master Sawan Singh was ready with the the man, in the same way, you cannot food for Master; but when everybody in separate the Master from the disciple. The the Sangat was praying to Master, Master only difference is that unless the disciple was sitting there, and since the food which has complete faith in Him, and love and was made for him was cooling down, that devotion for Him, he cannot see the lady requested Master Sawan Singh to Master face to face. Otherwise Master is eat. Master Sawan Singh replied, "Don't always accompanying the disciple like the you see that the dear ones are feeding shadow. Master is a Pure Soul and He me?" Because the dear ones were not eat- comes into this world to purify our souls. ing at that time, they were praying to Many times, even when we are sleeping, Master Sawan Singh, they were offering using His grace, He is purifying our souls. the food to Master Sawan Singh. So hear- But it is a pity that the dear ones don't ing that, that lady told the Sangat, "Now understand that; and that is why they you should stop remembering the Master always leave themselves dirty with the dirt and eat the food, and let Master also eat." of the worldly pleasures, and Master has The meaning of saying this is, whenever to spend all His grace on purifying their you are about to eat food, and if you souls again and again. remember the Master, if you say, "Oh Master, may You accept this food which Are all men, sooner or later, destined to is given by Youn-if you have this at- meet the perfect Master? titude, and if you pray in this way, this The time for every soul is fixed. food becomes parshad. And Master also finds pleasure in that; Master also is very When we're away from the physical pleased. Master, and we're about to take food, if In the beginning you may find it dif- we do Simran and remember the Master ficult to remember the Master before with love, and thank the Master for the eating food, because you are not used to food we have, does that food become just it. But when you will make it your habit, like parshad? after that if someday by mistake you start Why will that not become parshad if you eating, you will not find the food will remember the Master with your delicious, and at once you will realize you heart? The food will become parshad ac- had not remembered the Master before cording to the feelings, according to the eating the food. devotion you will have for the Master. It is my daily practice now also. You I will say that whenever the Satsangis can ask Pappu's family, or those who eat food, they should always remember cook food for me. Whenever they bring 30 SANT BANI the food, first I fold my hands to my after the food is served He Himself gives Master, and then I tell Him, I thank Him: them the water to wash their teeth. He "You have given me this food and I am himself serves them food, He Himself sits eating it. And it is all due to your kind- there among the Sangat and eats the ness and grace." I don't do that only for food." the doing's sake. I do it from the heart I know that Master never leaves us, He's because it is true that we eat the food always with us: we are never separated which is given to us by the Master. Here from Him. But I'm also anticipating that also, Bhalvant, who has been living here less than a week from today there will still for eight or nine years, and cooks food be apain of separation from the physical for me, knows that not even one day has presence. How is that? passed when I did not remember my Master, and when I didn't thank Him. If you still feel that pain of separation Always I thank Him and remember Him that will not be less than the happiness before eating the food. So if you also do you may get from the union with the this before eating food, if you offer your Master. You will feel the separation only food to the Master, and request Him to from Him whom you love more than your make your food parshad, what will hap- relatives, more than anything in this pen? You will get the habit of doing world. Those souls are the most fortunate Simran with every mouthful you eat and ones, who remember the pain of separa- that food will have a very good effect on tion from their Master. your Simran and on your practices. Master, I have no question, I just want So when you eat the food with Simran, to say . . . and it could have been done and when you first offer the food to the better silently . . . that I was very deeply Master, and accept that food as parshad moved in yesterday's Satsang. There came given by the Master, then you will not a point where the tone of your voice leave any food on the plate. And that will changed, and then you spoke so personal- have a good effect on other people: they ly, "Ajaib Singh, " as if in fact by doing will also think that you are a very good so you took on yourself all the power left person because you are not throwing by the departure of the beloved Master away any food. And they will also try to Kirpal. You told us the depth of your sor- become like you. row which had not yet diminished, and While you are eating, every Satsangi you also said to us in very strong words, should be very attentive. All his attention on the verge of being themselves silence, should be towards the Master and he that no one but you could ever feel the should do Simran with every mouthful he same pain. eats. You may say that you have cooked the food you are eating, you have worked Yes, that is why I always say that if I find very hard and earned your livelihood, so anyone who feels the pain as I am feel- you have earned this bread. But the ing, then I may tell him about my pain. Mahatmas whose inner vision is opened, Those who have always remained happy, don't say that. They say, "Oh Lord, You how can they know the taste of pain? have given us this food, You have cooked How can the priest know what is written it for us, and it is You who is eating this in the holy books? Ajaib Singh, only you food." Guru Nanak Sahib says, "He Him- know, because it has happened with you; self invites the Sangat, He Himself makes you are suffering: If the Master leaves them sit and serves them the food, and when the disciple is still in the body, there November 1982 can be no greater pain than that. He who Maybe my quesrion is nor very imporrant, has been separated from his Beloved, only bur ir is lurking in my mind for guile a he can know the pain of separation. He long rime. I read in a book once, rhar who has experienced the disease, only he when Masrer Sawan Singh left the body, knows what the pain is like. The disciple many of his disciples commil red suicide; does not get as much benefit from remov- and I was wondering whar happened 10 ing sins as he gets when he is having the rhese disciples. darshan of the Master. No matter if He within whom Master has manifested Himself has the same sympathy for us as Master Sawan Singh was very strict and the Master used to have for us, and He he was very much against those people will give us the same love Master used to who committed suicide. He used to say give to us, still He will not be able to get that those people who committed suicide the benefit of the physical darshan of our will never be forgiven; Master will hang Master. them.