The Voice of the Saints

Sant Ji Visits Italy PHOTOCREDITS front cover, Jonas Gerard; pp. 2, 9, Bobbe Baker; pp. 13, 16, 21, Giulio & Patrizia Viez- zoli; p. 20, Carlo Massarini; pp. 23, 24, Debbie As- beck; p. 31, Tom Kuhner; back cover, Hartmut Ternes. The Voice of the Saints August 198

FROM THE MASTERS

The Real Ritual 3 Sant Ajaib Singh Ji December 30, 1986 Separation and Yearning 10 Sant Kirpal Singh Ji January 20, 1964 A Meditation Talk 16 Sant Ajaib Singh Ji May 23, 1989- Ribolla, Italy Only by Going Within 26 Sant Ajaib Singh Ji December 25, 1988

OTHER FEATURES Reports of Sant Ji's Visit to Italy To Trust the Master 13 Russell Perkins from a talk given June 4, 1989 Tell Your Mind to Wait 22 Mildred Meeh On Taking Responsibility for 25 Debbie Asbeck Ourselves

SANT BANIlThe Voice of the Saints is published periodically by Sant Bani Ashram, Inc., Sanbornton, N.H., U.S.A., for the purpose of disseminating the teachings of the living Master, Sant Ajaib Singh Ji, of His Master, Param Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, and of the Masters who preceded them. Editor Emeritus: Russell Perkins. Editor: Richard Shannon, with kind assistance from: Debbie Asbeck, Edythe Grant, Russell Perkins, Susan Shannon, Mary Swan, and technical assistance from Joe Malinowski.

Annual subscription rate in U.S. $30.00. Individual issues $2.50. Back issues $2.50. Foreign and special mailing rates available on request. All checks and money orders should be made payable to Sant Bani Ashram, and all payments from outside the US. should be on an International Money Order or a check drawn on a New York bank (with a micro-encoded number). Correspondence should be addressed to Sant Bani Ashram. Franklin. N.H. 03235. U.S.A. Articles, including stories and poems, on the theory and practice of Sant Mat, are most welcome. Views expressed in individual articles are not necessarily the views of: the journal.

The Real Ritual Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

E KNOW that whenever Saints and their religion, Islam, and their holy W Mahatmas, the Beloveds of God, book, the Koran, which they said was come into this world, They do not use "the book which had come down from rites or rituals in Their Satsangs, nor do heaven," were criticized in the holy book They lay emphasis on righteous or reli- Guru Granth Sahib. They complained to gious deeds. They only teach Their disci- the Emperor Jehangir, and he had the ples to do the meditation of Surat Granth Sahib read through six times to Shabd. find any criticism of Islam or the Koran. They do not come into this world to But he did not find any criticism there: attach Their disciples to Their shoes or he did find the praise of Naam- that clothes or any of Their physical belong- without Naam one cannot be liberated, ings. The fact is, They consistently teach without the perfect Master one cannot and inspire the dear ones to go within, to get Naam, and without the Satsang we meditate on Naam, and to realize them- cannot know our shortcomings and fail- selves. ures. But it is a pity that whenever a Ma- It is a pity that Guru Arjan Dev Ji was hatma leaves this world, people begin tortured by the rulers of that time: He doing rituals in His name; and whatever was made to sit on a hot pan, and burn- book He may have written, they under- ing sand was thrown on His head. His stand it as the order of God or the voice physical brother was friendly with the of God and begin to worship it-even powerful people of that time, and he was though we all know that books are writ- the instrument of the torture given to ten by bodies, and the Mahatmas also Guru Arjan. What was Guru Arjan's of- write books only after assuming the fense? That He said, "All human beings body. are the same," and, "Who is the real Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj called the Muslim? Only he whose heart is like rites and traditions of His time (many of wax," and, "We have been given this hu- which are prevailing now) "deeds of hy- man birth to do the devotion of the pocrisy"; He said, "No matter what reli- Lord." So this was Guru Arjan's offense: gious deeds you do, it is all hypocrisy, that He told people the reality. and you will not become free from the It is very easy to say, "He was made to beating of the angel of death." sit on hot pans." Just imagine our condi- When He said that, the Muslims cre- tion if we were made to touch even a ated an uproar and complained that little hot place, or if we were forced to step barefooted on hot sand, what would This talk, the fifth in the series of com- mentaries on the Asa Ji Di Vars of the happen to us? Just imagine what that Mahatma had to go through. Guru Granth Sahib, was given at Sant Bani Ashram, Village 16PS, Rajasthan, In the same way Lord Krishna and Lord Rama came into this world; but if on December 30, 1986. we read the Bhagavad Gita which con- August 1989 tains the teaching of Lord Krishna, we Their ornaments are air, water, and find out that he did not come to establish fire or inspire any rites or rituals. He did And the moon and sun, who are the inspire people to live a pure life; but incarnations of time. after he left, how people misunderstood his teachings! They began the practice of What are the ornaments with which that dressing themselves up as Krishna, they play is made beautiful? Air and water, began chanting sections of the Gita as a the sun and the moon, are the jewelry form of prayer, and they gave birth to a which remain on guard 24 hours a day religion. and which support and protect us: they In His writings, Guru Gobind Singh are the ornaments which make that play has written about Rama and Sita, and beautiful. called them very good and noble people. According to the Hindu Shastras, if a Sita was a woman who did very religious god comes in human form he is called an deeds; she was a very righteous person. avatar or incarnation; and some Hindus But it is a pity that nowadays people believe that 24 avatars have come. They think that by disguising themselves as say that avatars are those who incarnate Rama and Sita, going from door to door by themselves without taking birth from and begging in their name, and playing the womb of a mother; but it is strange their parts, they are following them. that they refer to Krishna and Rama as In today's and tomorrow's Satsangs avatars and also speak of their parents. you will hear a lot about them. Because, And the riches of this earth are a when Sheikh Baram saw people enacting trap given to us to use. the parts of Rama and Krishna and other deities, and performing plays in their The earth produces food for the jivas to name, he asked Guru Nanak, "Tell me, eat, which appears to be very useful; but all these plays and rituals which they are that usefulness is in fact part of the trap. doing in the name of past gods, is that Nanak says, Without Knowledge right? Or is there some other play which the creatures are deceived, is worth doing?" So Guru Nanak told And the Yama devours them. him about that play being performed in the Court of the Lord which the Saints Lovingly He says, "Those creatures I have written about: that play which is have mentioned in the above lines-if always happening and which the Saints they do not have the Knowledge of are always enjoying. Naam, the Yama or angel of death will devour them all." Guru Arjan Dev says, The hours are like the gopis "Even this earth and sky will be de- And the pahars are like the friends voured and go away; they will not re- of Krishna. main forever." Guru Nanak tells Sheikh Baram that in The disciples play music and the the olden days the day was divided into gurus dance eight pahars or watches of three hours They wave and move their feet and each (instead of 24 hours) and each heads. pahar was divided into eight parts. So He says, "You can understand those 64 When the performers go from village to hour-like parts as the gopis or admirers village to perform acts in the name of of Lord Krishna, and the eight pahars or Krishna and Rama and all those other watches of the day as Krishna's friends." avatars, someone disguises himself as

4 SANT BANI Krishna and the others become "disci- They sing and act as the gopis and ples" and they play musical instruments as Lord Krishna; and dance before an audience. So when They sing and act as Sita and as the person playing Krishna (the guru) Lord Rama. makes a mistake while dancing, the audi- Someone becomes a gopi from among ence and the "disciples" shake their head them; someone becomes Sita; someone and say, "No, this is not right, you sings as Rama; what more insult could should do it again." You see, Lord we give those Mahatmas? Can a son Krishna was the owner of the three make his mother dance? worlds, but what is his condition today? He is dancing and repeating steps, danc- The True Naam is the Formless, ing again and again just for the sake of without any fear; money. He has created this whole creation. Bhai Gurdas said, "The time will come The Timeless Almighty God is the only when the disciples will sit in their homes One Who is fearless; only His Naam is and the masters will go to see them. The worth meditating upon and worth re- disciples will play musical instruments membering. and the masters will dance to that mu- sic." Those servants who have good We do not mean to criticize anyone, as karmas serve Him; Guru Nanak Sahib had no intention to Those who have love for Him in criticize anyone. Guru Nanak is describ- their minds- their night is sweet. ing what He has seen and what is still When a disciple comes to the Master, he happening today. tells Him, "Master, I am very unhappy; I Thus they blow away the dust which have suffered very much in this world. falls into their hair; Tell me the means of liberation." Master Looking at them, people laugh- gives him, and tells him about, the best even back in their homes. ritual: the meditation of Shabd Naam. He says, "Along with attending to your In foreign countries there may be floors worldly responsibilities, do the medita- where people dance; but in India plays tion of Shabd Naam. Wake up early in and dances are usually performed on the morning, sit in meditation for two or sand. When people dance on it, the sand three hours every day, connect yourself gets blown around and often ends up in with the kirtan or music festival happen- their hair. The people enjoy that dancing ing within you, and absorb yourself in and when they go home and remember that. Only by doing this meditation of how they danced, they laugh a lot. Shabd Naam can you get liberation from They dance for the sake of earning the suffering world." bread By thinking upon the Word of the And for this they strike their heads Master, the disciple has learned against the ground. this: When children go home after seeing Only by His Grace can one go these plays and tell their elders what they across. have seen, the elders tell them, "These Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj says, "Who are not the real Krishna or gopis; they is the sikh or disciple? Only the one who are doing this for their own interest." has the teachings of the Master." And August 1989 5 what are the teachings of the Master? in the sky. The threshing machine which The Master has taught us to do Simran is attached to a tractor, as well as the and Bhajan-the meditation of Shabd stick with which we churn milk, also Naam - and to attend Satsang and obey moves in a circle; why are they not all the good things the Master tells us. If the liberated? son of a worldly father obeys his instruc- Many creatures revolve around an tions and molds his life accordingly, how axle; pleased his father becomes! He even Nanak says, By moving around gives him his own earnings. Do you think that if we are working according to only, one does not know his end. the Master's instructions and we are Now He is talking about a children's pleasing Him, He will keep anything merry-go-round, how we put children on hidden from us? No: He will also give us it and it goes around in a circle: if the all that He has earned-the wealth of circular dance leads to liberation, then spirituality which He has earned for us. all those children should also get it. He will give us everything. When a disci- Saints do not intend to criticize any- ple molds his life according to the in- one. Guru Nanak is not criticizing any- structions of the Master, when he obeys one here; but in order to dispel Sheikh His commandments, then the Master sits Baram's illusion- that maybe those who within such a disciple, carrying all His go around in circles get liberation- wealth. Guru Nanak is giving him these exam- In the home of the Master, only those ples of things which move in circles to who do the meditation of Naam are ap- show him how that is not possible. preciated and welcomed; only those who do Simran and seva are respected and They are bound in the bond as He appreciated. People who talk a lot and has willed, tell stories are not appreciated. They all dance for their livelihood; They laugh and dance - in the end The oil mill, spinning wheel, flour they leave weeping: mill, potter's wheel, They neither fly nor become sid- Countless cyclones and storms - dhas. Now He tells Sheikh Baram, "You have Guru Nanak says, "Look here, dear one: seen people performing in those plays all these people are doing what they are about Rama and Krishna and dancing in doing because of food and money. They circles; in the circular form they go on dancing. But if one could get liberation have taken up this business because of just by dancing in circles, then why their bad karma from the past; by fol- wouldn't the oil mill or potter's wheel get lowing it they are creating more bad liberated? And what about sandstorms? karma for the future. These people will They all move in circles; if that led to neither become siddhas nor will they be- liberation, all these things would have come liberated ones." it." Playing and dancing amuses the The spinning tops, the churning mind; sticks, the threshers, Nanak says, Only those who have Birds fly and roam without giving fear in their minds have love for rest to their wings- Him. Children play with tops, which move in All this dancing and jumping around is circles; some birds fly round and round feeding the mind. Those who are the 6 SANT BANI devotees or beloveds of God are not Guru Nanak even says that after doing afraid of anything: they have the fear of good deeds, you should think of yourself God, they love God, and they do not do as one who has done bad deeds; He says anything- like this. that if God makes you do good deeds, Your Naam is the Formless One; you should think of yourself as a sinner By meditating upon it, one does not with bad qualities on whom God has go to Hell. showered grace. Master Sawan Singh Ji used to tell a Now Guru Nanak sings the praises of story about a businessman who was very *lmighty God' He says' "O Lord' miserly and would never give anything to You are the One Who can shower grace anybody, but whose wife was very good. On the and are the One She always wanted to feed the pundits Who can give liberation." In Sant Mat, and poor and needy people, but she Naam is given a lot of importance. never could because her husband was a Which Naam? That Naam (Name) miser. But she did what she could and which cannot be written or spoken in her husband thought, "Well, today I any language. should go the River Ganges and see if I With firm determination, Guru can find some pundit I can feed without Nan& says that one who has the Naam spending much money.,, So he found never goes to Hell. Tulsi Sahib also said, four pundits sitting on the bank of the "Just as gold cannot be eaten by rust and Ganges doing their rites and rituals, and iron by moth, in the same way, whether when they had finished he asked them he is good or bad, the devotee of a per- all, "Pundit ji, how much will you eat?" fect Master who has Naam cannot go to They told him they would eat ten kilo- Hell." grams of ghee, sweets, milk, and what- This body and soul is all His: ever they were used to eating. That man Share with all and lose nothing. thought, that will cost too much; so he Guru Nanak is telling His disciples, left that place. Finally he found a pundit "God has given you this soul-the soul who was very thin and emaciated, and Who is the doer is given to you by God - he thought, this pundit is fit for me: he and the body in which your soul is won't eat very much and it won't cost me residing-in which you are residing-is too much, and maybe I will be able to also given by God." He has also given please my wife. The pundit saw right you many other things, and you should away that he was a miser, so when the be grateful and thankful to Him because businessman asked him, "How much of what He has given you. If out of what will you eat?", he thought, if I tell him God has given you, you are able to feed everything I want he will run away; so he someone and to share some of what you said, "Well, you see I am very thin, and I have with others, you should be humble: always have a fever, so I am not able to not proud that you are doing it, because eat much. But whatever you give me- you are not doing anything; God Him- wet or dry -I will accept." So the busi- self is doing it through you. nessman thought, "This is it! He's a good Baba Sawan Singh Ji used to quote person," and he invited him to his home. from the words of Lord Jesus, that if you When he got home, he told his wife, are giving a donation your left hand "Today I have found a pundit and he will should not know what your right hand is be here soon. Whatever he demands, you doing. should give him." His wife was very August 1989 7 pleased that at last he had invited some- Sheikh Baram told Guru Nanak, "Mas- body and given her permission to give ter, I have supernatural powers within him what he wanted, so when he got me and the angel of death will leave me there, she asked him what he wanted. He alone." Guru Nanak said, "Sheikh told her, "Ten kilos of milk, five kilos of Baram, if you are that strong you should ghee, fifteen kilos of sweets, plus prevent old age from coming; you should clothes, and all that stuff." And then he remain forever young. If you are able to demanded a thousand rupees for the do that, I will accept your might." wear and tear on his teeth. So after he If one postpones the appearance of got all those things, he went home. But he was afraid because he had de- old age, still it comes: No one remains here when the cup ceived that businessman, so he gave ev- erything to his wife and told her, "Today is full. I have brought all this from a miser's In the old days they had a container home, and now it is up to you to keep it: which was used as a measure to weigh because when he finds out about it, he wheat and other things. Guru Nanak may well come and take everything says that when that measure is filled with back." His wife was very clever; she said, breath- when all our breaths have been "Don't worry about it. When he comes, used up-no one stays in this world. lie down on the bad and cry and act as Nowadays people connected with var- though you are sick. I will take care of ious religions and institutions give lec- the rest." tures and talk about making life better When the miser found out what the for the people. They all talk about free- pundit had done, he went straight to his dom, but they do not know what free- house, where he found the pundit weep- dom really is. Whatever we have done in ing and sighing and saying, "I feel as the past, we are suffering the conse- though I'm dying." The pundit's wife be- quences of that; and now we are free to gan to weep and to say, "I don't know do the karma whose consequences we where he has been today; I don't know will have to suffer in the future. Free- who the sinner was that gave him all the dom is, that we should do such a thing food. He must have given him poison which makes us free from a suffering and now he is going to die! What will world and which does not make us come happen to me? Who will take care of me back again. after he leaves the body? I don't even The effect of the Kali Yuga is in its full have money to get him medicine!" When force. Nowadays they have made movies the businessman observed all this, he was in the name of past Masters: Kabir, Rav- afraid: he thought that the police would idas, Guru Nanak, and many others. investigate him because the pundit had People go to see those movies, and take taken food from his home. So he gave their families to see them. I have often the pundit's wife some more money and heard that those people who make said, "Take him to the doctor and get movies in the name of past Masters him treated." boast that they can make more money This is the condition of misers. They that way than what is collected in gurd- want to give donations, but still they are waras and holy places. People go to see misers; so they act like this. those so-called religious movies thinking If one wants one's good, they are going to get some inspiration, Doing good, one should call himself but instead they earn sins, and get more the lowly one. in the habit of watching movies. SANT BANI You know that the teachings of the tell us how to discipline ourselves Saints are for our improvement, to teach and purify ourselves, and how to do us how to purify ourselves, and you things in this world while keeping our- know how the men and women and selves in the Satsang and improving our youth of today are indulging in lust and lives. So according to Their instructions destroying their own lives. and teaching we should improve our Saints do not criticize anyone. They lives. Separation and Yearning a talk given January 20, 1964 Sant Kirpal Singh Ji

[Madame Hardevi sang a poem by Mas- times.) So Lord Krishna sent Uddho as a ter Kirpal to his Master Sawan Singh. It messenger to go and console them: "Con- told of the anguish he feels in his heart sole them, 'Look here, God is everywhere; on being separated from him.] Master is everywhere; He is in your heart of hearts; He is the very controlling power HE HYMN just now read out is a of your own self in the body. Why are you Tprayer from the disciple to his Master. worrying? He is the soul of your soul' . . ." He says: "It is you who have lacerated my Uddho went to them and spoke to them mind, my heart. There is no remedy other the best he could. With all that, they lis- than your own self. The remedy for the tened to it very calmly and finally told wound in this heart lies only in your him, "0 Uddho, what you say is all right. hands. No other doctor can heal it. You But tell us, what remedy do you have with are going away, but don't forget us." you for the eyes that are yearning to see That is a prayer. Well, Master does not the form of the Master?" forget-that's right. But still, out of the This is a prayer from the disciple to the anguished heart come the words of the Master: "Don't forget us!" And usually disciple: "For God's sake, don't forget us! you'll find, as a matter of fact, that the We cannot forget you; but you also must Master himself never forgets. But the dis- not forget us. We are, after all, your own. ciple cries, "I have only one heart and that If you forget us, who will heal the pain in you have now taken possession of; what our hearts? What will be our own rem- am I to do? I can think of no one other edy?" than you yourself." What remedy can there be for the heart There cannot be ten or twenty hearts. which is aching to have a glimpse of the You cannot devote one heart here, an- Master? Nothing else - no words, no con- other there, and then another there. It is solation, will help. only one heart. Well, it is the throne of In the time of Lord Krishna, there were God; don't let anybody sit on it except many gopis who were very much in love God. What do we do? We let every with him. Once, it happened that he re- worldly thing sit there, and we dethrone mained away from them for some time- God. say, about six or eight months-and they Guru Arjan said, "The Master loves could not reach him. They were crying and remembers his disciples with every disconsolately. (Separation is a very bad breath." Can a mother forget her small thing. Two times are very difficult for a children? She might be working in the man who has developed love in his heart kitchen, and the child might be lying in for someone. One, the time which has his room; but there's a connection. If the just passed in awaiting him; and the child moves, then her milk begins to come other, when he leaves him. Both are hard from her breast. If the little child cries,

SANT BANI she at once runs to him and leaves every- What is meant by that? Any prayers thing behind, even the most valuable that are said, any rites or rituals that are thing. performed or any scriptures that are read Similarly, we are the children of God - mechanically, with dry hearts, like a gym- of the God-in-man. He does not forget nastic, won't help you to reach God. Your us. But because of the yearning of the heart should be full, and that heart heart, his disciple does pray like that: should overflow through the eyes. "Don't forget us. Even if you go away, we Once there was a pundit who was relat- are still yours, after all." ing the story of Rama, reading it out of But I tell you, it is the mother who first the scriptures in Sanskrit. An illiterate loves us-the child. The child's love is man was sitting, listening to him and only reciprocal. The love that a Master shedding tears like anything. The pundit has for his children- for his disciples - thought, perhaps he has followed me very comes from the level of the God in him. well. When the talk was over, the pundit He loves his disciples as hundreds of called him and said, "You understood my mothers won't love their children. But he sermon very well." loves the soul, the development of the The man said, "I did not follow a word soul, with no consideration, no recom- of what you were saying." pense; nothing of the sort. A mother may "Then why were you crying and weep- love her children with the hope that when ing?" they grow up they will help her and care "I had the scene of Lord Rama before me; my heart was full and I was shedding for her in her old days. But the Master tears, all the time watching that scene. I does not do that. He simply sees that they never heard a word of what you said." are all souls. The God in him thinks, he is So this sort of love is the foreshadow of my child. coming things. When rain is coming, The more we have yearning like that, there are first clouds. When there are the more our mind is cleansed of all the blossoms in the fruit trees, there is hope dross of the world; it is washed away with for fruit. Similarly, the heart which is the tears that roll down from the eyes- yearning, which is overflowing with tears, that's the water. With that water alone can reach God the quickest. And some- can the dross of filth of many past births times we never remember God. Days and be washed away. days pass by, and we never think of Him. There are two ways to go to Mecca Perhaps we have not seen all the as- from India: one is on the sea, the other pects of keeping the spiritual diary. There over land. But the way on the land is very is one very important thing about it; that sandy; there is a dearth of water; there during the day you are remembering the are no communications through the de- God-in-man; otherwise you won't remem- serts of Arabia. So it is very hard to reach ber him. At least at night you will think the place of pilgrimage if you go on back, what have I been doing? I have to foot-or even on horses; and no car can fill in the diary. Is it not a great blessing? cross the sands. But there is a way, across We never realize the truth of the things the sea, that takes you there in three days. that are given to us. All the time you say So, somewhere Maulana Rumi said, "If to yourself, 0 my Lord, I have not to do you want to make a pilgrimage to God, this, not to do that. So you are always go through the waters of tears. You'll go thinking of the Master or the God in him. quicker than you can on the land or Such a heart becomes the fittest to receive through the sands." Him a quicker way. August 1989 So that was a prayer, so very full of suchlike prayers help. Sometimes we have pathos, of yearning: "0 Master, you are models, specimens of prayers given by going away, but don't forget us; we can- past Masters. But those are only the not remember you unless you remember words they gave out. The words should us." Our love is reciprocal, as I told you. come out-should gush out-from our So when two disciples of the Master sit very hearts. Only a mechanical repetition together, naturally the remembrance of of something cannot have an effect. the Master comes, is it not so? This is the If you love Him, you abide in His first reason why you are asked not to miss heart: "Let my words abide in you, and attending the group meeting. When you you abide in me." How can you abide in sit together, you think of the Master. And Him? When you remember Him. The someone might say, of his own accord, more you remember Him the more He "This is like this; the other is like that"; reacts-do you see? And what does it and that way, the remembrance is re- cost? Anything? And times flies away, vived. Another thing is what Christ said: like anything. "When two or more sit in my name, I am At the time of separation from my there." And moreover, you will develop Master-one time it was for eight receptivity. months -these things came out of my When Master initiates anybody, he re- heart. The heart is only one, not two or sides with him from that very tine. And three. How many have you got? One? he never leaves him, unless he takes him Well? He wants your heart. When you to the lap of the Father. That is what is give your heart, what remains? Where the called God Power or Guru Power or heart goes, everything goes -both the Christ Power. So, such an attitude, such body and soul. time spent, makes us fit; and when it This is what is meant by surrender and comes, just sit in sweet remembrance. devotion. Simply following in an intellec- You will have response when you are tual way or by philosophical ways of there. thinking won't help you. Hafiz said, "If This is one of the poems I wrote when I the learned men come to know just an was away from my Master. This state of iota of the madness we have got yearning mind cannot be expressed in words. It has for the Lord, they will forget everything, not been given to words to express the and they will dance like anything." Do feelings of the heart, the yearning of the you see? Such a heart is the abode of the heart. Lord. Even when we say prayers, we are So, such an attitude radiates in the at- thinking of the worldly children and this mosphere. It goes to cleanse away all for- and that thing. Tulsidas said, "Just clean eign, external thoughts for the time being. your mind, so that God, your Beloved, Just as when an eagle comes, all the spar- may manifest Himself there." Then he rows fly away, so when the eagle of love defines what is the cleansing of the heart. comes anywhere, no thoughts arise there. He says, "The heart in which no other So all Masters say, "The heart has been thought other than that of God comes up given to you as a sacred trust. Don't mis- is the pure heart." A heart in which there appropriate it. It is meant for God; let is love for God, yearning for God, is a only God, and no other thing, sit on that fitting thing in which God manifests. throne." That is why it is said: "Blessed are the Suchlike prayers help you. These things pure in heart, for they shall see God." gush out afresh from the heart; only Purity means that.

SANT BANI To Trust the Master from a talk given June 4, 1989 RUSSELL PERKINS ANT JI'S VISIT to Italy was beautiful, and it seemed to me that this S Tour in Italy went about as smoothly, and as successfully, as any Tour has ever gone. And this is due to a great deal of love and cooperation among the European Satsangis - and some Americans too, who went over and did seva for several weeks or months before the Master arrived. The ashram in Italy is one of the most beautiful places on this earth. It is absolutely exquisite; it's like a jewel. It's in the Appenine hills, not very far from Saint Francis' country, in Tuscany, what we might call the "spiritual" part of Italy; and it is not far from the coast either, although you can't see the coast from the ashram. What you do see is a magnificent, beautiful sweep of mountains and hillside; and of course when the Master is there you see all kinds of tents and travel vehicles, etc., dotted on the near hillside, and all kinds of people who are there because of Him.

August 1989 The place is beautiful, and the way in myself-I would be listening to what He which things were handled was extremely said and then I would realize that I was appropriate. And I think that the Master still pondering something He had said sev- was able to accomplish what He went eral paragraphs back, and therefore I of- there for with a minimum of problem- ten missed things. So I don't feel that I which is always the aim in preparing for a have a particularly good grasp of the total- Tour: to make His work, work, as well as ity of what He said. But still, I found that it can. the Satsangs were extremely thought- And He gave a great deal. I think He provoking. gave a great deal to everyone. From my He told a number of stories. One struck point of view I see it through a prism of me as a very important story, as important infinite protectiveness and very tender as any the Master has ever told. Sant Ji has care, with which I was surrounded. My told it before, and I think Master Kirpal brothers and sisters in Italy knew that I also told it. It's the story of Mana, the had been sick, and they treated me accord- disciple of Guru Arjan Dev, who refused ingly. Sant Ji ordered me to rest, and I did to do what his brother and sister Satsangis rest; I rested a lot. But just by virtue of told him to do. He was supposedly a being with Him at the times that He sevadar; he was at Guru Arjan's ashram; wanted us to be with Him, we had to do a and he wouldn't do seva, because the peo- great deal of movement also; so I got a ple who were giving him orders were his very wonderful combination of rest and equals. He told them, "I'm not going to exercise- which I think was just perfect - obey you; I obey only the Master." So especially coming when it did, after the people complained about him, and he was period of rest that He had made me have taken to the Master. And the Master said, instead of going to Ghana. "Well, what is this?" and Mana said, There were about three hundred people "Well, I don't want to obey them, Master, there from all over Europe, and what was because they are my equals. I only want to provided for them was perfect. The langar obey You. You give me an order and I will was wonderful. Initiation was given in five obey it." And Guru Arjan looked at him languages - which is standard for Europe. and said, "All right. Go into the forest, There's no other way to do it, since the build a fire, and then jump into it and people don't all speak the same language. burn yourself to death." Mana said, "Yes, So it was given in Italian, in French, in Master." He went into the forest and built Spanish, in German, and in English. I was a fire, but he didn't jump into it; he real- fortunate enough to be given the job of ized that he didn't really want to do that, taking care of the English part, and that and he started to ponder what to do next. was the first large, sustained thing that I In the meantime, a thief who had just had done since I had become ill. It was stolen a lot of jewelry from a house, and hard work for me, but it was possible. I who was being chased by the police, ran was extremely grateful that the Master up to Mana and asked him what he was Himself had given that to me, and had doing. Mana told him and the thief said, made sure that I could do it, before giving "All right, I will give you the jewelry that I it to me. He also gave us a lot of time, and have taken, and you give me the Master's a lot of attention, which I needed very order; I will jump in and do what He much. And I soaked it up. said." I found the Satsangs in Italy extremely So Mana said, "Well, that's a good interesting. And yet, I would find deal," and he took the jewelry, and the

SANT El4N1 thief jumped into the fire, burned himself us there is this discrepancy, as in the story to death, and was immediately met by the of the swan and the crane-the idea of Master and taken up. In the meantime imitating the Master. It is possible up to a Mana was there with the jewelry and, pre- certain point only. Beyond that point, we dictably enough, the police arrived a few don't have the ability to do that. Mana minutes later. Mana was the only one declared that he would only obey the order there, and he had the jewelry, so they ar- of the Master; he would not obey the or- rested him. And although he protested and ders of his equals. And yet in fact he told them what had happened, they quite couldn't do either. And he didn't do either. understandably didn't believe him. So he The other thing is of course the princi- was hanged, which was the penalty for pal error, and obviously Sant Ji was mak- thievery in those days. ing a point here about the satsangis coop- Now this story is disturbing on the face erating with each other, and the way in of it, because of the idea of the Guru which the Master works. That is to say, giving you horrible orders - the kind some satsangis are given authority for cer- which the Guru never does. (I mean, who tain jobs, and others are given authority wants to be told to build a fire and jump for other jobs, and so on down the line; into it?) But if we think about it, we can and if we don't cooperate with each other, see the point of this story. For one thing, obviously, how is it going to happen? And there is an obvious point here which is in the Tour situation especially: we were in sometimes very difficult for us to grasp. the middle of something which could not That is, the difference between saying have happened had not people obeyed something and doing it. It was very easy their equals. There was a great deal of seva for Mana to say, "I will obey the order of to be done, and it had to be organized and the Master." In fact, he couldn't do it. He directed, and it was; it was organized very couldn't come close to it. And for any of (continued on page 18) August 1989 15

A Meditation Talk given May 23, 1989, in Ribolla, Italy Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

We have been showered with very much grace by our Beloved Masters Sawan and Kirpal. All the Masters have said that God Almighty is an Ocean of Grace, a very big sea of mercy. And as the ocean, when it is in its full force, brings out the pearl which is the food of the hansas, in the same way, when in the Will of God Almighty, that Ocean of Grace comes in the human body, He also gives our souls food as the ocean gives food to the hansas. Master Kirpal used to say that spirituality is like a contagious disease, and a person who has that disease of the spiritual practices can give that disease to others. Masters spread this disease of spirituality among all of us. When any disciple goes anywhere -wherever he sits, wherever he lives - he spreads that disease-he spreads the Path of Spirituality, of doing the meditation, among other people also. So our Masters have showered very much grace upon us. Even in His old age, with a very old body, Master Kirpal made many trips abroad. Wherever there was any thirsty soul, He quenched his thirst and He made him drink the nectar of Naam. That Ocean of Grace showered so much grace upon us that even though He was born in India, still that Ocean knew no limits; He went everywhere in the world. If that Ocean of Grace had not showered grace upon us, we would never have been able to sit here together and we would never even have thought of doing the devotion of God. Paltu Sahib said, 'What wish or what interest do the Masters have? Why do they go all over the world? To liberate the souls, They suffer so much." He also used to say that the Giver has come all the way from His Home to give us His grace. Everyone who went to Him, according to his receptivity, accord- ing to his vessel, received the grace from Him. Even now He is showering all His grace upon us. So let us all go within and get His grace, because within us He is showering all His grace. All of you please close your eyes and start doing the meditation. I hope that until I tell you to leave off, you will not open your eyes. The dear ones who are not in the habit of meditating for one hour in their homes, for them it is very difficult to keep their eyes closed for one hour. Many times they open their eyes to see whether everybody else has left or is still sitting. I assure you that we will not leave you without making you leave off. So I hope that you will devote all your attention to the Simran and you will keep your eyes closed. (continued from page 15) would you refuse it? Tell me, what does he successfully. So it was kind of a living hope for you?" In other words, there is a example of what is required. But if we reason why we are given something; some- won't do that, it's like refusing to under- thing is being accomplished that way. Mas- stand the extent to which the Path perme- ter Kirpal was in His final illness, He was ates our life. I use the word "permeate" in a very terrible way, giving darshan when advisedly: it is intermingled, intertwined; He could barely talk-"What does he there is no compartmentalization possible. hope for you?" There is something; it's not What Mana didn't understand-and we arbitrary. often don't understand-is that the orders So we should consider the order that that his equals were giving him were, in Guru Arjan gave Mana in that light, and fact, what the Master wanted him to have. also realize that no one can die until their Now the idea of our circumstances be- fate karmas run out, and no one knows ing a gift from the Master can be mis- when that is going to be, except the Mas- used, and no one has to remain in an ugly ter. When the Master gave Mana that or- situation because they think it's the Mas- der, He knew very well that Mana didn't ter's wish; Master doesn't want that from have very long to live; and therefore He any of us. But still, to a great extent we was giving him a way to go which would don't see the way in which our present have short-circuited lifetimes of karma. By situation, whatever it is, can be used for obeying the Guru's order, taking Him on our own growth if we grasp that it has trust, and doing that, he could have ac- been given to us by the Master. And this complished a lot. Actually he could have was Mana's big mistake, and it is the big accomplished that which was accom- mistake made by me, as well as other peo- plished by the thief, who took it over from ple. him. Now, when Guru Arjan gave him the Mana was hanged. He didn't live very order, the really heavy order, to build a fire long, as a matter of fact. And the Master and jump into it and burn himself to looking at him must have known that. death-what was being demanded of And the point is that when the Master Mana at that point was exactly what was gives us something, He does know that. demanded of Jesus. Or Guru Arjan Him- And when we have problems with what He self, a few years later. Or for that matter gives us, we are not trusting Him. Sant Kirpal Singh, our own Master Kirpal-Who wasn't killed by anybody, I had a problem like this. Before the but still, when He was asked at the very Tour I spoke about the stroke that I had, end of His life, His last words - I'll read and I said that there was a point when I them directly: "Master was gasping for finally faced up to the fact that I couldn't breath. A young American then asked the move my left side. I was not brave; I was first question: 'Master, why don't You heal not a good disciple; I gave in to despair. Yourself? You're all-powerful.' Master re- You might say, "Of course not; that's very peated, 'Why don't you heal yourself?' understandable." But the Master made it Then a radiant smile appeared on His face clear to me that, had I been able to be and He asked so sweetly, 'Anyone whom brave and trust that what was being given you love, if he gives you something, would to me was from Him and was in my best you refuse it? Tell me, what does he hope interest, had I not lost faith at that point, for you? You should gladly accept it.' " even for the very short time that I did, had Notice the wording here: "Anyone I been able to surrender what I wanted (to whom you love, if he gives you something, be able to move the left side of my body)

SANT MN1 with the knowledge and confidence that Master, and is able to get it! Of course, what He was giving me at that time was from the Master's point of view, he also what was best for me . . . then I would counted-which is part of the story too. have been the gainer, as Mana would have And in Mana's lack of trust he failed to see been the gainer had he been able to follow the most glaring factor of all: if he took the order that his Master had given him. the jewels from the thief, he would be But the Masters don't make that error. caught red-handed! Of course the police They climb the cross. And the point is, we would think he stole them! So he was are not Them, but how do we become caught in that way, and he died- but not Them? These are the ways in which we are in the way that would have benefited him. able to partake, to share in, what They We know that in the long run Master will have. When they offer us short-cuts like not let anyone perish; but still at the same this, very steep kinds of things, we can time he could have saved himself a lot. take hold of Their Hand (as Master Kirpal And Sant Ji indicated that to me: that used to say, the little finger), and not had I been able to maintain my trust at the worry. And in that sense we can share in darkest moment, I would have gained a the crucifixion. lot-in the same sort of way. Now I am The points of our life are fixed by fate not wallowing in self-recrimination; what karma, but how they happen are not fixed. happened has happened. But I know that That's up to us. We can die obedient to the when the Master rebukes us, He is not Master, or we can die being hanged as a talking about the past; He's talking about thief. We have those options. And when the future, or maybe sometimes the pre- we suddenly find that things are not pro- sent. He is not interested in making us feel ceeding the way that we want them to- bad or guilty about what we didn't do; He and 0 God, no one knows more than me just doesn't want us to repeat the same how hard that is- I am so attached to the mistake, if the same situation arises. He is way that I want things to be, that when I concerned about the present moment, find that they are not going that way, it is from here on in. He points out our mis- hard for me. But where is the trust? This is takes, so that we can have a better under- where we have to trust the Master. Other- standing the next time, and not commit wise the Path is nothing. If it's just some- the same error. thing we give lip-service to, and say we * * * believe in, and maybe do a little bit of At one point during the stay, a very practice in the morning and evening, then distinguished elderly gentleman from Bra- what does it amount to? It's the Stuff of zil came to see me. I had never met him Life. We are given it precisely because before. He was an initiate of Master Kir- there is real knowledge involved. pal, initiated at the inauguration of Manav So the thief came, and took over from Kendra in the early seventies. He told me Mana his fate. This is similar to a lot of that after Master Kirpal left the body he parables that Jesus told, most of which was very confused; he didn't know what to end up with the phrase, "So the last shall do, and he lost touch with people. People be first, and the first last." There was came through Brazil but he wasn't con- Mana, an initiate of many years, and sud- vinced by them; he didn't feel good about denly this thief comes out of nowhere, them, and he didn't know what to do. And probably at the very bottom of anybody's fifteen years went by. He was called to social ladder, and suddenly grasps what Europe on business, and in Florence he has to be done, accepts the order of the met a Sant Ji initiate, who somehow un- August 1989 19

Sant Ji blessing the food at the langar in Italy, which He did every day at noon. Right after blessing the food He graciously gave darshan to the seated dear ones.

derstood that he was a Kirpal initiate. The I find things like that very sweet, and I Sant Ji initiate gave him my book, The was extemely happy to meet him. There Impact of a Saint, which is why he was were a lot of things like that-many indi- talking to me, and he said that in reading vidual stories, many of which never get that and in talking to the Sant Ji initiate, told; but for the people involved they are he suddenly understood the connection. the whole world. And he had never heard of Sant Ji before. I am extremely grateful to Him for hav- And he found out that Sant Ji was in Italy ing shown me all that He has shown me. at that precise moment! He didn't make And on this trip, in some ways I would say trips to Italy often; he lives in Brazil. But that His love, and His Power, and His all- there he was in Italy right at that moment encompassing protectiveness, were clearer and he had twelve hours free. So he made to me than ever before. It was extremely his way to the Ashram, met Sant Ji, had an blessed to be with Him at this time. interview with Him, attended the Satsang, Master Kirpal used to say, "If those peo- and was ecstatically happy. And he told ple over there knew how much I love them, me that he was extremely grateful that he they'd be dancing all around." And you had been led to the Master in His new know, He really does love us like that. Form, after fifteen years. August 1989 Tell Your Mind to Wait recollections of Sant Ji's Visit to Italy BY MILDRED MEEH

HE ITALIAN ASHRAM is situated that radiates from Him. Do we need to Tnorth and west of Rome in beautiful recognize that His spiritual strength is hills. It looks out over sweep after sweep not necessarily reflected in His physical of lovely ranges. Unlike our hills, only body? Sant Ji was driven to the langar to some are wooded up to the peaks. bless the food and give darshan, to the Others are mowings or pastures or or- children's darshan, to the Meditation chards of silver leaved olives. Hall and to the interview room. He did The vast amount of work done there take the walks that are so necessary to became immediately obvious. Every- His health. We have been reminded that thing for Master and for the comfort of each of us must do everything we can not the dear ones had been done, but all of to deplete His physical strength. That those involved said that only the Master reminder is: Simran, Bhajan. could have caused that miracle to hap- The day after His arrival we learned pen. Shortly after my arrival, someone that He would come to the langar. Again took me to see Master's new house- the expectancy and waiting grew strong. beautiful, simple, immaculate, smelling The feeling became an actual physical of new wood and pristine purity. Appro- thing; it seemed that it could be touched. priately it sits atop a hillside in that It seemed that the vast langar had be- lovely hilly countryside. All else lies come too small, the yearning pushed the spread out just below, flowing along the high cathedral ceiling even higher. Each slope at Master's feet - the Meditation of us was filled and over-filled with long- Hall, the kitchen, the tenting areas, the ing. The hunger, the love seemed audible two original buildings, and the langar. too. They seemed to throb. At last, the The dorm in which I stayed allowed me car arrived and soon He entered. First to look up at Master's House and that He blessed the food and then He felt good. Then I could look outward to stopped before a seventeen-year-old girl, a pasture where a large flock of sheep looking at her for a long, long time. He contentedly grazed. That too, so appro- walked up one aisle and down another priate: our Shepherd above caring for us as does that other shepherd out there giving and giving. One loving mother, protecting his sheep. called out, "bambino, bambino" know- As yet, Master had not arrived. Ex- ing that nothing of greater value than pectancy and waiting took on a very spe- that darshan could be given to her child. cial and positive quality. We were told And then He left. It seemed as though that He would give us a very brief dar- everything had gone. Truly, the metal shan when He arrived at the Ashram supports for the langar seemed to after the long voyage from Ghana. Sit- shorten, and the ceiling lower and every- ting in the Meditation Hall, we waited thing contract and become heavy, heavy. until finally He entered and stayed a Some people were sobbing, others smiled short time. We were grateful for that, wide, wide smiles, and tears slipped aware of His giving despite His fatigue. down the cheeks of others. When people ask me how Sant Ji is, I Later, when I saw the young girl, I remember the enormous spiritual power said, "That was very special for you." 22 SANT BANI She answered, "Everyone tells me that. throughout His discourse and while But what is it?" I told her that I did not Pappu and Sirio were translating. It know but that the Master had chosen her flowed over us like waves-wave after for some very special giving. "Yes, I wave. After the Satsang, someone asked know," she said, and her joyful expres- me if I thought we had been receiving a sion indicated that indeed, she did know. great deal of darshan. "Oh yes." The waiting in front of the room in Throughout those days, over and again, which Sant Ji gave interviews also as- I heard disciples marvel with one an- sumed a very special quality. Far from other about the power, the love covering empty, as waiting sometimes can be, it us. "Are you sensing an enormous became a full and rich experience. Some- power?" Was it that Master had softened times entire Italian families would enter us so that we could be more receptive? together -grandparents, parents, chil- He melts us even when we go to Him as dren, grandchildren-a little later they hard as New Hampshire granite. came out, so happy, sometimes hugging Sometimes when Sant Ji began His one another. Sometimes a person or a evening discourse, He would say, "This is couple would enter, heavy stepped and a very important Bani, you should listen burdened, then exit radiant. I began to very carefully." The final three dis- feel as though I should not look, all that courses seemed to be specially powerful. I was seeing seemed too private, too per- Based on the writings of Bhai Gurdas, sonal, too much of a Master-disciple re- they built up steadily into a potent cre- lationship for others to see. But clearly, scendo. Bhai Gurdas, his name meaning, our Great Master was working His mira- "Brother, servant of the Guru," had cles in that room. Through the sheer luck served four Masters, but he himself of having been born into a French speak- never gave initiation because no Master ing family and through great grace, I was had told him to do so. Although his writ- given the privilege of translating for the ings are not part of the Guru Granth French initiates who wished to have an Sahib, they are seen as a key to it. He, interpreter with them during interviews. too, must have been a Saint. Over and Both sitting with them at their very spe- over Bhai Gurdas describes the perfect cial times with Sant Ji and the waiting disciple and says again and again, "I will outside were truly great gifts. sacrifice myself for that disciple." The During the first Satsang, Sant Ji power of that repetition and the precise seemed to be flooding us with love definition of the true follower, night af- August 1989 23 ter night, presented us with the kind of not criticize others, but he stops others discipleship to which we must aspire. from criticizing. First we would hear Bhai Gurdas' I sacrifice myself on those who do the words describing the perfect disciple, meditation of Naam given to them by then Sant Ji would expand on that, and the Master, wholeheartedly with all their then back to Bhai Gurdas, "For that dis- mind and body. ciple, I sacrifice myself." Here follows He who lives according to the teach- but a brief sampling. ings of the Master, he who does his bha- jan and simran, is called a disciple of the He who while living in this world and Master. I sacrifice myself for him. even though he has everything, yet un- For those husbands who do not look derstands that all belongs to God and at any other wife and those wives who do understands himself only as a guest in not look at any other husband; they look this world, I sacrifice myself for that on others as their brothers and sisters, I disciple. sacrifice myseg He who surrenders himself to the I sacrifice myself on those who earn Master and does the meditation of their livelihood by honest means. For he Naam, I sacrifce myself on that disciple. who following the path of the Master He who gives up pride of wealth and always is humble in his within, I sacrifice position. He who lives in the will of God myse& and always accepts the will of God no matter how much he has to suffer; no Even now, as I listen to the tapes of matter if anything goes wrong, he always those Bhai Gurdas satsangs, I feel again says this is according to the will of the the power of the words and the enormity Lord and he says he does not know how of His love sweeping over us. much the Master has helped him. I sacri- Sometimes, Sant Ji gives a helpful say- fice myself for such a disciple. ing that can be packed up, taken home, He who very willingly walks in the and used. That happened for me one path of the Master, who while living in morning just before meditation when He this world always does the devotion of said, "Repetition of the Simran is very Naam. For such a disciple I sacrifice my- holy. It is very special. Tell your mind selJ: that you are doing something very holy, I sacrifice on him who not only does very special and that he must wait."

SANT BANI On Taking Responsibility for Ourselves a member of Sant Ji's party offers a brief report on Italy BY DEBBIE ASBECK

HERE WERE two things that really great to go in for a private interview- Tstruck me in Italy. The first was the Master is the great happiness giver - but way that He makes us change. The Nega- do we unload all our difficulties on Him tive Power has so many traps and subtle instead of doing our work? ways to ensnare us and keep us here, but He keeps telling us that the true and the Master Power only has one weapon lasting peace and contentment comes He can use on us - His Love. At Satsang, from meditation. If we meditate at all we there was the Godman just sitting there in know that's true; but it's always so much front of us, explaining the value of taking easier to get the darshan and the instant the Naam initiation from a living Master. joy instead of working at fighting the The Master isn't allowed to perform mira- mind and doing the meditation steadily. cles or use any supernatural powers or How fair is that to Him? Can't we do a anything like that to convince us to live up little more to hold up our end of the deal to the Path and to fight the mind. All He and take a little more responsibility for can do is talk to us and hope that we'll ourselves? listen. Towards the end of the visit in Italy The second thing that struck me was a Sant Ji gave three talks based on hymns of sort of wondering whether we're using the Bhai Gurdas Ji. One of them was partic- Master the right way. Some of us have ularly powerful. In it He talked about been with Him since the beginning of His seva. He mentioned how good it was to do mission (1976)-thirteen years. Sant Ji seva and He thanked those who had gone was fifty years old then, He is sixty-three to the Ashram early to set up, and those now. How many years are left? I could not who had donated money to make the help remembering the story many of us facilities possible: they receive some of the have heard about Sawan Singh-that benefit of the meditation of the other peo- ple who come to the program. And He some astrologers had predicted He would thanked those who had meditated and live to be one hundred years old. When had done the Simran, because that was someone mentioned it to Sawan Singh, also doing the Guru's seva. His reply was something like, "Yes, that's The last day - a rest stop in Rome with true, but only if people will meditate and no program planned was wonderful be- make use of me for the purpose I came; if cause Sant Ji was able to rest. (A four-day you trouble me with your desires for program was scheduled to start as soon as worldly matters, I may go early also." But He arrived back in Delhi.) people brought Him their problems, and The whole tour was pretty wonderful, Sawan left fourteen years early. now it's time for all of us to live up to what And what are we doing to Sant Ji? He told us to do: fight the mind and During tours we make Him sit in a chair meditate. He said that every moment that four to six hours a day and listen to our we remember Him is counted in our devo- problems. Are we cutting down on His tion. How many lost moments are there lifespan by making Him do that instead of every day that we can find to think of His work, which is to give the Satsangs Him? They all add up. Simran is the only and convince us to meditate? Sure it's thing that counts. August 1989 Only by Going Within Sant Ajaib Singh Ji

ow YOU can ask your questions. shoulders; He takes care of all those san- N chit karmas stored from the past life- Master, this is a question about the pra- times, whether they are good or bad, all labdha karma. It is my understanding those karmas which are stored in that when a disciple is initiated, their Brahm. He does not touch the pralabdha sanchit or storehouse karmas get de- karmas because pralabdha or fate stroyed and the disciple is only left with karmas are those karmas by which God thepralabdha karma in this lifetime, and Almighty determines all the incidents or I am wondering Master, out of all the accidents or whatever is going to happen karma from our past lives, good and in our life. Masters do not touch that bad, how is it determined what will be because that is something which has to our pralabdha karma for this lifetime? happen in the Will of God and Masters are not allowed to touch them. But as far First of all I would like to tell you that in as the sanchit or stored karmas are con- order to understand such a deep thing, cerned, Masters take all those karmas Masters always advise us to go within upon Themselves and They have to pay because this is such a thing which we can off those karmas. Often I have said that not understand unless we have gone it is up to the Negative Power how he within. But when the Masters do not wants the Master to pay off those find many people who go within, what karmas. So this is something that the do They do? By giving us worldly exam- Master has to take care of, and the disci- ples and talking to us in an easy-to- ple does not need to worry about the understand way, They touch our soul sanchit karmas. with Their astral intellect and They put But for the pralabdha karmas Masters us on the Path of Naam. When we are always say, "Whatever has been written put on the Path of Naam by the Master, in your fate whatever your pralabdha then our search for such a deep under- karmas are, whether pain or happiness, standing begins. whether good or bad, you have to pay Still I will try to explain to you very off those karmas and while paying off lovingly about this. It is just like when a those pralabdha karmas you should al- farmer sows seeds in a field, he does not ways feel happiness, even in the state of use up all the seeds he has, he puts some pain, you should feel happiness and you seeds aside in the storehouse and if his should understand that it is coming in crop fails then he lives on the stored seed the Will of God, because the fate karmas which he has kept aside. When we get the or the pralabdha karmas are nothing but holy Initiation from the Master, the the Will of God for us in this lifetime." Master takes our responsibility on His So that is why Masters always tell us that when a disciple gets Initiation he should This question and answer session was forget about the sanchit karmas but for given December 25, 1988, in Rajasthan. the pralabdha karmas he should always

SANT BANI accept the Will of God, and for the "Giving Naam Initiation is not only giv- kriyaman or the present karmas, we ing out the words, it is taking up the should only do the karmas after thinking responsibility. If it were only giving out about their consequences. the words a five-year-old girl could also There are many dear ones sitting here have done that. Only the Masters know who concentrate and go within and for how severe, how strong, the karmas of them it is very easy to understand the the person They are going to Initiate are, answer to this question. Masters always and how They have to purify that soul tell us that we should not give Initiation and take her within; that is why They are to anyone unless Master has authorized the only Ones Who can decide about us to do so; we should not give out the giving the Initiation." Initiation instructions to anyone without You know that a turtle lays her eggs in the permission of the Master. Because the dry ground and she herself returns to when we give out the Initiation instruc- the water to live; only through her atten- tions or when we initiate other people tion she hatches those eggs. Afterwards, without getting authorization from the when the babies are born, even though Master we become their Master and then there may be many other animals there, we have to take care of their karmas. those baby turtles would never go with You know how difficult it is for us even anyone else, they would at once recog- to take care of our own karmas, so how nize their mother, their parents and they can we think of taking care of the other would go and live with them. Imagine people's karmas. how it is possible that those baby turtles So that is why the Masters always tell recognize their parents at once even us, "You should never do such a thing, though the mother has been away from you should never become responsible for them for quite a long time. others as long as you are not able to be As the turtle's concentration of responsible for your own self and even thought hatches the eggs, in the same then you should not give Initiation un- way, the cuckoo bird lays her egg in the less you have permission from the Mas- nest of a crow but she wanders here and ter." there away from that nest. But she sings Masters come into this world in the and speaks to her baby, and even though Will of God. They are the form of love the baby cuckoo bird is still in the egg it and grace, and They shower grace and is receptive to her. And when it comes love upon the people only because it is in out from that egg it doesn't care for the the Will of God. They give Initiation crow who has hatched it, but at once it only because They are compelled by flies out and goes to the cuckoo bird. their Master to do so. They know how Another bird lays her eggs in the moun- difficult it is and what is involved in tain but she herself goes and lives on the giving Initiation. It is the mission of the plateau, and using her simran, using the Masters to come into this world and to remembrance of the eggs, she hatches awaken the sleeping souls and put those the eggs. lost souls who have forgotten their There is another bird which is called Home back on the Path. And even the anul bird; it is mentioned in Kabir though it is Their job to do this, still Sahib's Anurag Sagar. You may have They do it only when Their Master has read about it. That bird lives in the sky, told Them to do it. it never comes down on the earth; when Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say, she lays an egg, by the time that egg August 1989 27 touches the ground the baby bird is al- centration and through the remem- ready hatched and she flies out back to brance of the disciple the Masters always her mother. nourish and provide things for Their dis- So the laws of nature are applied to ciples. everyone and the same law of nature ap- Dear Ones, before we jivas enter the plies to the Masters also. Masters nour- womb of the mother the number of ish and protect Their disciples through breaths that we are supposed to take and Their Simran and only through Their the number of days that we are going to concentration and remembrance of live on this earth are already written, Their disciples and through Their Sim- because before entering into the womb ran do They take care of Their disciples; of the mother our ~ralabdhakarmas are the distance does not make any differ- already determined. That is why we are ence. Behind the Simran given to us by helpless in front of the pralabdha karma; the M~~~~~,~i~ ~~i~i~~i~~,~i~ hard we cannot do anything because God Al- work, His meditation works; and that is mighty has kept everything in His hands. why ~i~ simranis more effective than Those moments which we have to live in the simran of other people. And just as this world and the time when we have to outside He is tells us all these things: He leave this has been gives us Satsangs, He explains things to kept in the hands of God Almighty. us-in the same way, within us also Dear Ones, why do we cry and suffer through His Simran and through His when we see our friends and relatives leaving this world? We know that God concentration and remembrance He Almighty has kept everything in His teaches us all the things. Those disciples hand and we cannot increase or decrease who go within know how much the Mas- the moments we are supposed to live in ter is working within us also. He tells this world, but still when we see our them about those sounds which they friends and relatives leaving this world catch and those sounds which we cry and suffer. Why is it so? Because they catch and how they we have not yet understood the reality, should proceed on the inner journey. we have not gone within. Those who When you go within, Master you have gone within, those who have under- about everything; and there these subtle stood the reality, never become things can be very be- unhappy-they never cry, they never cause these things need very under- suffer - because they know that for a standing and we get these Satsangi the day he leaves the body is the things only when we go within. happiest day of his life. Guru Nanak Sahib says, ''Just as the Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say, mother takes care of the baby, she walks "Usually people consider the wedding around, she moves around, she does ev- day as the happiest day in their life. But er~thingwhile at the mme time she is for a Satsangi, when he knows that he is also feeding and taking care of the baby. about to leave the body and go back to In the same way Master also provides US his Real Home and meet his beloved with all the things we need." He does not Master, he becomes the happiest person. become careless after giving us Initia- For him that is the happiest day of his tion; He knows about our every need life, because he knows that all the suffer- and He is aware of everything. That is ings of this world are going to end and why, even after giving us the Initiation, he will be going back to the home which through that Simran, through that con- is full of peace and happiness."

28 SANT BANI Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say, to be disturbed. So even though she be- "Those who are Initiated by the Perfect came sick many times, she never com- Master for them the beloved Master al- plained and she never wrote to Master ways comes at the time of their departure Sawan Singh. But when her end time from this world, and they will definitely came Master Sawan Singh was cabled, report that the Master has come. You and when Master Sawan Singh arrived can experience how much happiness he He asked, "Mother, do you have any feels at the time of death by sitting very pain? Any difficulty? What kind of help quietly and patiently with that person would you like me to give?" His mother who is about to leave the body. Don't then replied very lovingly, "I don't have feel anxious and don't even let him feel any pain; I don't have any complaint. anxious; just sit there quietly and do the But I am wondering: before this last ill- Simran and you yourself will see how the ness I used to have the darshan of Baba Master has come to take him, and he will Jaimal Singh but lately I have not been also report that the Master has come to having the darshan of Baba Jaimal take him and he will say how much hap- Singh. What is the reason?" piness he is feeling." Her end time had already come and That is why Masters always tell us that she was only waiting for her son, and we should prepare ourselves for that Baba Sawan Singh had already come time. How can we prepare ourselves for there so she was going to die, so she that time? How can we die while living? requested him to find out from Baba We can do that only by concentrating Jaimal Singh why she was not having His our attention at the Eye Center and with- darshan. Baba Jaimal Singh told her drawing our attention from all over the why she was not having the darshan. He body and everywhere outside, and com- said, "Many times it happens that when ing to the Eye Center. a person is going to be sick, or he is sick, Master Sawan Singh Ji often used to or if anything bad is going to happen, he talk about His mother, what happened stops having the darshan of the Master. when she left the body. Master Sawan The Master thinks that if this person has Singh's mother was very devoted to Baba the darshan of the Master, instead of Jaimal Singh, she was a very loving lady, enjoying that darshan and utilizing it for and she used to do a lot of Bhajan and going further within, this Initiate will Simran. Sunder Das got many oppor- start asking favors from the Master, and tunities to be very close to Master Sawan it is possible that the disciple may even Singh. (Sunder Das is the person whose ask the Master to remove that pain or stories you have read in Mr. Oberoi's suffering. And Master does not want the book.) He had seen Master Sawan disciple not to pay off his karmas. Mas- Singh's mother also and he often told me ter wants the disciple to pay off all the how devoted she was and how much pralabdha karmas which he is supposed meditation she used to do. At that time to pay, so that it will be easier for the Master Sawan Singh Ji was posted at the disciple to go within." Because Masters Murree Hills, and she would never write never touch the pralabdha karmas, They a letter to Master Sawan Singh when she always want Their disciples to pay off became sick because she was worried the pralabdha karmas so that by squar- that if Master Sawan Singh learned of ing off all the karmas in this lifetime, in her sickness He would come at once to this plane, they may go within and fi- be by her bed, and she didn't want Him nally go back to the Real Home. August 1989 29 When Baba Sawan Singh told his were supposed to get water from the well mother about this explanation, she was and water the field of corn. It was very content and said, "I don't want to re- hot that day and they knew that if they quest to Master Baba Jaimal Singh did not get the water, all their corn about removing this pain; I am content." would dry and they would lose a lot, but And at once she had the darshan of Mas- still they said, "Well even though we ter Jaimal Singh and she left peacefully. have to do this work but we should first So this is how the Masters work for sit down and have the darshan of Baba their disciples. Masters know how They Ji, if this crop will die, it is the Master's have to make Their disciples pay off and not ours." their karmas, and what kind of karmas So both of them left their work and the disciples should pay and which are sat in meditation and after an hour they the things that the Masters have to do both got the darshan of Baba Jaimal for a disciple's liberation. Those who go Singh and then they resumed their work. within know how much pain of separa- So such disciples who go within and who tion they feel when they do not have the know the value of the darshan of the darshan of the Master, but when they go Master, even though outwardly it may within they also know why they are not seem to them that what they are doing is having the darshan of the Master. not profitable, still they will not allow So these are only worldly examples their faith to waver and they will surren- through which I have tried to explain to der completely to the Will of the Master. you how we have to pay off the karmas In the same way, dear Glen Jarman, and how much the Master helps us to who used to live in the ashram in Cali- pay off the karmas and which are the fornia, came many times to this ashram. karmas which the Masters do not touch. He had the habit of saying "Sat Sri Akal" But the real understanding about this to me whenever he would see me and he question of the pralabdha karmas can would always be so happy seeing me.* come only if you were to go within and The last time he came to see me he had see with your own eyes inside how all this already been told by the doctors that he theory of karma works. did not have a long time to live in this Master Sawan Singh Ji also used to world and he knew that his death was talk about two initiates of Baba Jaimal coming. So when he came to see me for Singh who were farmers; they were so the last time he told me, "Now I am devoted that every day they would have seeing a very bright light and I am very the darshan of Baba Jaimal Singh. happy. Even though I know I have to Sometimes the Masters test Their de- leave, I don't have any complaints; I am voted disciples to see how much devotion not unhappy, I am very much happy that the disciples have, how much faith they I am leaving this world. Ask Michael have in the Master. So one day when and Sally to take care of me until I leave they were farming they did not have the this world." If someone tells us that we darshan of Baba Jaimal Singh, so one of are going to die how would we feel? We those two disciples, named Mucha, told would even give up eating and we would the other one whose name was Ramdita, die beforehand, because we know that "0 Ramdita, today I did not have the the fear of death is very terrible. But darshan of Baba Ji." Ramdita replied, because of the Power of the Shabd he "Yes, Mucha, I also did not have the * A traditional Sikh greeting, roughly trans- darshan of Baba Ji." On that day they lated as, "Hail Truth Eternal."

SANT BANI did not feel that fear of death, he ac- and is able to function normally so that cepted it very lovingly and when he left, you can do everything you want. In the he left very peacefully and he was happy. same way, only those who do the medita- Many dear ones talk about those dear tion know about how the meditation ones who have left this world peacefully, works as food for their soul. Those who having the experiences of the Master. are feeding their soul know how much You cannot hide the truth, and based on confidence and how much determination their experiences we should also under- they are getting in their soul and how stand, we should also concentrate at the much bliss they are getting within. They Eye Center because our progress on this do not get confused, they do not become Path depends mainly upon our concen- worried, and they do not wander away tration. from the Path whenever anything small or big happens. Whatever happens they Master, I still need Your help in under- accept it as the Will of God and they are standing just what exactly is my soul and always steady on this Path of the Mas- what affect Your darshan has on it and ters. how meditation is food for it. Now what is the soul? Soul is the same essence as that of Almighty God. Soul It is a very simple thing; if you try to also has the same qualities, the same split the hair it is not possible and we attributes as God Almighty has. It is like may waste all our energy and time. But if God Almighty is a vast ocean and our you want to understand there is a very soul is a drop of that ocean, as long as simple way to understand this. You know the drop is separated from the ocean it is that your body needs food and you feed called a drop, as long as our soul is sepa- your body and it is only because you feed rated from the Almighty Lord it is called your body that your body gets strength a soul. When she becomes one with that August 1989 Almighty God she also becomes the is to go back to the Real Home, He same. wants us to come back to Himself, and Kabir Sahib has said, "0 Kabir, soul is that is why He loves us. the essence of the Lord; as you cannot We disciples should look in our within erase written things very easily, in the and see whether our love for the Master same way, you cannot erase or destroy is unconditional, whether it is selfless or the soul." When you burn a piece of not. You know that we may be sitting for paper on which something was printed meditation for just a few minutes a day, or written, unless you smash that piece but we may be spending hours requesting of paper after burning it, you cannot and praying to our Master for doing this erase or remove the print or writing or that for us. We always tell Him, "Mas- which was on the paper. Even after ter, do this thing for us, or do that thing burning that paper, you can still see that for us." You know these desires are all something was written on the paper; created by our mind and we want our such is the existence of the soul. The Master to fulfill those desires for us. So difference is that the soul cannot be can we call our love unconditional or erased; the soul cannot be destroyed, it selfless for the Master? If there is any cannot be cut by any sword, it cannot be such thing which can be called uncondi- burned in any fire and it always remains tional or selfless love that is the love of the same. No one can hurt the soul, no the Master for us. one can beat the soul. Of course you can Often I have said that before I met beat or hurt the body in which the soul is beloved Master Kirpal many of my rela- residing, but as far as the soul is con- tives came to see me; they all had their cerned it cannot be hurt. own desires; they all wanted me to fulfill Guru Nanak Sahib says, "Within the their desires. Nobody listened to me and soul, where the knowledge of the Naam nobody cared for how I was doing. Even of God is manifested, pains and happi- though I tried to tell them they were not ness do not exist." interested in how I was doing. Instead they all told me what they wanted and Master, how does one develop uncondi- how they were doing. But when beloved tional love, and remove fear from the Lord Kirpal came, He did not ask me mind? anything except this: He asked me how I was doing in meditation? I always re- We can develop unconditional love only member that, and in one of the bhajans I when we rise above the snares of mind have written, "Many of my relatives and matter, when we go within, and came and they all sang their songs, no- when we remove all the covers from our body asked me about my welfare; but soul. Only then that unconditional love today I am a very fortunate one because can be developed or created within us. my beloved Lord, the Saint, has come We cannot even call it as unconditional; and He has asked about my well being, it is the selfless love. That love is devel- He has asked me about my meditation." oped within our soul and the soul always So Master is the only one who asks us loves the Oversoul because she is of the about our welfare; He is the only one same essence as that of God Almighty. who asks us about our meditation and And God Almighty does not have any our soul, because He becomes very self interest in us. His love for us is self- happy and is pleased knowing about our less; the only thing that He wants for us soul.

32 SANT BANI Sant Bani Ashram Publications by Sant Ajaib Singh Ji The Two Ways: the Gauri Vars of Guru Ramdas $10.00 The Jewel of Happiness: the Sukhmani of Guru Arjan 15.00 The Ocean of Love: the Anurag Sagar of Kabir 15.00 Streams in the Desert: Discourses & Conversations 1976- 1980 12.00 by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji The Light of Kirpal 12.00 The Way of the Saints: Sant Mat 10.00 Life and Death: (The Wheel of Life & The Mystery of Death) 8.50 The Crown of Life: A Study in Yoga 7.00 Naam or Word (a study of the Sound Current) 5.50 The Jap Ji: The Message of Guru Nanak 3.50 Baba Jaimal Singh: the story of a great Saint 3 .OO Prayer 3.95 Godman 3.95 Morning Talks 7.50 Spirituality: What It Is 3.95 The Night is a Jungle 10.00 The Teachings of Kirpal Singh (selected writings by subject matter) 10.00 Seven Paths to Perfection (pamphlet) 1.oo How to Develop Receptivity (pamphlet) .50 by Ajaib, Kirpal and other Masters Songs of the Masters (combined, revised, spiral bound edition) 7.00 The Message of Love: An Introduction to Sant Mat 2.00 Light on Ananda Yoga, by Shiv Brat La1 10.00 New Book The Self-Introspection Diary (featuring selections from the writings of Ajaib Singh, Kirpal Singh, & Sawan Singh) 7.00 by other authors Support for the Shaken Sangat, by A. S. Oberoi 15.00 The Impact of a Saint, by Russell Perkins out of print Sant Ajaib Singh: A Brief Life Sketch 1.50 Servants of God: Lives of the Sikh Gurus, by Jon Engle 6.00 The Third World Tour of Kirpal Singh 2.50 Cooking with Light: Favorite Vegetarian Recipes 7.00 A Nutrition Compendium (pamphlet) .50 The Book of Jonah: Bible text illustrated by Sant Bani School students 6.95 Allison's Shadow, by Tracy Leddy 12.00 October on Nantucket, by Tracy Leddy 9.00 A New Beginning, by Gretchen Foy 4.95 Tape Catalog - Sant Bani Tape Service 3 .OO Please add 10% to all orders to cover postage and handling costs. Minimum $1.50 Books and information are available from: Sant Bani Ashram Feb. '89 Franklin, N. H. 03235, U.S.A. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, giving darshan, during His last illness