The Master’s Talk: Celebrate a
True Birthday
We think that the day that we come into this world is our
birth. In truth, it is a day of congratulations for those
souls who have risen from the low-species to the human birth, but for those who
come from a higher circle, birth into the world is like entering a prison. However, it is a good prison for the latter,
as they rule over all the 400,000 species. In this human form a man can realize God. When the people gathered around Christ on
one occasion, he said, “. . . except a man be born again, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God.” Nicodemus, who was a learned lawyer and much respected for his
knowledge, asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the
second time into his mother’s womb, and be reborn?” And Jesus answered, “. . .
That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the
spirit, is spirit. . . .Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these
things?” The soul has to take birth after freeing itself from the outer prison,
to enter the home of God. With great
emphasis, Christ repeated, “Ye must be born again.” So, to be born in what is
called a body, a physical form, is like entering a prison. But, it is God’s will that we come, and He
knows best. From the physical level, one can say that February 6 is
my birthday, but I do not know about it.
My parents told me this, so it might be possible. Does anyone remember when he was born? I
think you will not find one man who remembers the event; all have just heard
about it. A man is born every day. Sleep at night is the younger sister of
death- this is what the Koran says.
Every night man dies, and in the morning he is born. Ever since we entered this physical form, we
daily go through birth and death. The only
difference between this daily death and the final death, is that because of our
prarabdh or destiny karmas, the
silver cord cannot be broken until we have taken the allotted number of breaths So what is a true birth? It is to be born in a Guru’s
(Master’s) home, which frees us from this wheel of birth and death in the
world. When Guru Nanak was asked, “When
did you finish your births and deaths?” he replied, “The day I took birth in my
Guru’s home, I ended my coming and going in this world.” For most people, this
cycle never finishes. My true birth was in May 1917, the day that I left my
body and traveled the heavens with Hazur.
(The Master’s Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji. The Master met his Master and was initiated by him in 1924, but
seven years before this he started leaving his body and traversing the higher
regions with the radiant form of his Master.) When I met my Master physically and sat at his feet, the month
was February; the day was Basant Panchmi (a religious festival day which opens
the season of the sown fields starting to burst into bloom). I think, therefore, that his day you are
celebrating is not really a day for celebration. It was just a day when the soul entered the world to perform some
allotted work. A true birth is when the
soul leaves the body and travels to higher places, and is able to return at
will. Does celebrating a birthday mean merely to pay one’s
respects to a person? Or to show
happiness? Or to light candles, or to
eat and drink? No, brothers, it is not
any of these. The true birthday is when
you are born in your Guru’s home. One
kind of birth is to be born in the physical form, and the other, the true one
to be born above. We are confined in a
prison, with nine doors! Forgive me, but can you tell me if this is a birth or
a prison? When we release ourselves from these nine doors, that is indeed a
birth. If you want to celebrate a spiritual Master’s birthday,
there is only one way, and that is to take up whatever he has learned. That would be a true celebration. Whenever Masters come, people should learn
whatever they have learned. When Masters come, what is their work? They tell us to “
Know God,” “Create a love for God,” “Reunite with God!” “Return to your true
home from where you came.” This is
their work. To celebrate a birthday in
the true manner, one should revive the age-old teaching, which is still with us
but has been forgotten. Masters come
with as much knowledge as God has given them, and they have, to lift the
seekers to the same level as themselves.
They tell us, “There is a God,
and you can have experience of Him.”
when? “You must be reborn. When you
rise above the body and become a conscious co-worker of the Divine plan- then,
there is something.” There was once a teacher who became an atheist. He wrote on his door, “God is nowhere.” One
day, the teacher became very ill and was on the point of dying. A child approached his house, and seeing the
notice on the door, read aloud, “God is now here.” The teacher heard this and replied, “Child, you are right.” Why the sudden change of heart? Because when
one is dying, the soul withdraws to the place between and behind the
eyebrows. There, the knowledge comes
that there is some great power existing.
It is either reasoned intellectually, through inference, or, at the time
of death, we become conscious of the Power that is controlling everything. Added to this, we might discover that we are
going along in life, helplessly, under the control of some power. The other way is to die while living, at
will. These are the only ways of
knowing the truth. What happens when one dies while living? At the actual
time of his death, what happens? Plutarch says that those souls who are
initiated into the mysteries of the Beyond have the same experience as at the
time of death of the human body. So God
can be experienced. At the time of
death a man goes helplessly, without any choice. Unfortunately, those who go do not return to tell us what
happened. Through inferences some
conclusion can be reached, but it is better to have the actual experience. When? When time has learned to leave the
body it will. You must be reborn.
Small, big, child or adult, learned or unlearned, rich or poor-all can realize
this great Truth. The words of the Masters assure us that they have seen
God. It is true that there is also
another statement which says that no one has seen God at any time. Still, Guru Nanak said, “Nanak’s Emperor can
be seen in all charity.” Christ said, “Behold the Lord.” Kabir Sahib said, “God
cannot be seen with physical eyes, nor apprehended by the senses. Kabir has
seen Him through the grace of his Master, and all his doubts are dispelled.”
Guru Arjan Sahib said, “I see the all-pervading Lord residing in the hearts of
all creatures.” When Swami Vivekananda went to Ramakrishna Paramahansa, he
asked, “Oh Mahatma, have you seen God?” Ramakrishna replied, “Yes, my child, I
see Him as I see you.” So God can be
seen. I have told about three ways of
knowing this. One way is by inference-
for example, there is a small seed, which also has the same controlling power
in it. You may sow that seed in the
soil, water it, and it will grow into a huge tree. That one seed will give fruit by the thousand, so there is
obviously some power working there – the same Life which is working in
everything. But when can you actually Know this? Either at the time of death
when you will feel that something is pulling you out of the body, that some
great power is taking you away; or you may die while living. Learn how to leave the body at will. Then you will see and you will become a conscious co- worker of the Divine plan
thereby qualified to say in all truth, “Yes, there is something.” There is another aspect to the subject. You may have read about this power in books
covering the study of energy. When we
see a wrestler, who has controlled that energy in his body, we get a feeling of
power just by watching him. He radiates
strength. By the same principle, when
we see a spiritual Master, we start to believe that there is a God just by
watching him. “The yearning for the
resplendent, overflowing love of God comes only in the company of a God-man.” “Only in this human life can you see God.” He who has
learned something in this life will remain learned after death. My Master used
to say, “He who is without spiritual knowledge during this life will be without
it, even after death.” Now, the question arises- who can see? Who are we? We are embodied souls. Each individual is a soul, a conscious
entity, and that soul must experience God.
God cannot be know through the senses, the mind, or the pranas ( vital airs); only the soul can
know Him. all Masters have said that we are, in true fact, the
soul. Kabir Sahib says, “This is a
particle of God- a drop of the ocean of All Consciousness.” Tulsi Sahib says,
“The Supreme Being resides in the fourth region.” Man’s form is made in the
image of Brahmand ( the three divisions of creation).
“Whatever Brahmand is, so is this body; whosoever searches within will find
it.” In Brahmand there are three
planes: physical, astral and causal.
This comprises Brahmand. It has
been mentioned also that there is a Par Brahmand. So there is Brahm, and a Par
Brahm or fourth stage, beyond Brahm. In all three regions below Par Brahm,
action and reaction is working. One is
sometimes rising, sometimes falling. We
are indeed greatly blessed that we have this form, in the image of the
divisions of Brahmand, which Masters have described in their own terms in
various languages: in Persian, these divisions are called Kaseef, lateef, and lateef-ul-lateef;
in Hindi, sthool suksham, and karan; and in English, physical, astral
and causal. He who can take off these
three coverings will realize the Truth, and therefore have true belief. Not only will he believe, but he will see
that “ I and my Father are one.” Though we are a part of God, of Sat Purush ( Primal
Cause), there is a difficulty. We have
forgotten ourselves and have identified with the body. Tulsi Das says, “Soul, the indweller of the
human body, is of the same essence as God; ever-existent, all wisdom, eternal
bliss.” It is Truth, the figure of wisdom and bliss; just like God who is
permanent, unchangeable and all wisdom.
When people asked Guru Nanak about the soul, he said, “The soul is in
the Oversoul, and the Oversoul is in the soul.” So, God is residing in our
soul, and our soul is residing in God-all consciousness. How can we know Him? by sitting beside a true Master, and
through practical self-analysis, learning how to rise above the body
consciousness. Then we become the
seer. We are meant to realize God in
this human form. When spiritual or
realized people come, they give the love of god to us. They make us enthusiastic for
God-realization. They are drenched in
God’s color, and they distribute that color to the seeking souls. They see God and they teach others how to
see Him. “In the company of Saints, I
have seen God within.” And they demonstrate the process by giving a practical
experience. “A powerful Guru draws the
soul up.” However, there are problems, due to attachment and
entanglement with illusion. This
illusion all started with the body, for since we came into the world we have
been looking outwards and filling ourselves with the whole worlds
impressions. When the heart’s reservoir
was filled up with outer impressions, we became the world itself, forgetting
ourselves completely and forgetting God.
The true owner of physical house had come to rule, but imagined that it
was the body. With the soul in such a
vulnerable position, it was easy for the powerful influence of the mind to take
over. Unchangeable and permanent though it truly was, in such a complicated
condition the soul had become jiva (
encased in all three coverings, physical, astral and causal), from then on subject
to the experience of birth and death. The senses are like windows form which the soul looks out
to take the impressions from outside, and so wherever the senses drag its
attention, it goes without any control.
This how, from birth through our whole life, we go on filling the
heart’s reservoir. We dream of the world by day, and when we sleep we then talk
about the world in our dreams. So when
can we realize God? When the soul forsakes the companionship of the mind. It is actually a servant of the mind. It goes wherever the senses drag it – the
senses in turn being dragged by the various outer enjoyments. All this amounts to the reason why we have
not returned to the lap of the Lord since we came here. If we had not succumbed to these influences,
we would be something higher than what we are. The Masters repeatedly impress upon as their invaluable
advice. There is a story of a shepherd
who found a lion cub and brought him up with the sheep. He started eating grass and bleating “baa
baa “ like a sheep. One day a lion
passed nearby and was amazed to see the young lion amidst the sheep, behaving
as one of them. He called him over and
told him, “You are the son of a lion.”
The cub replied, “No, no I am a sheep.”
With great concern, the lion took the cub to a pond of still water, and
pointing to the reflection, asked, “Do we not resemble each other? Now roar
like me.” When the cub roared loudly,
the shepherd and the sheep ran away in fear, leaving the lions alone- lords of
the countryside. The God-realized men
say, “You are the children of God- you are soul – all consciousness, but are
under the control of the mind (the shepherd) and outgoing difficulties (the
sheep). You are the giver of strength
to the mind and outgoing faculties, but are being controlled by them.” We are all brothers and sisters in God, but
are in deep forgetfulness, as if we are trapped in a well and cannot get out;
going wherever the attention goes, falling again and again. Why do the Masters continue to come to this world? To
awaken the souls and take them back to their true home, because the soul
belongs in God. When the soul,
realizing its imprisonment in the body, becomes greatly afflicted and grieved
with the separation from the Lord, then its anguished cry rings out, “Where is
God?” although ironically it resides in that very form which is the temple of
God. “The man body flourisheth as long as its companion is
with it. When the companion leaves,
unto dust it doth return.” The body can
retain its glory only as long as we, the soul, are in it. It was the very first companion we had when
we came into the world, but forgetting the Truth we followed the illusion, and
so mistook it for our true identity.
Now we have to suffer our actions because we are attached to the mind,
and only by getting untied from this association can we become free from the
results of the karmas (reaction of the past actions). Rishis and munis (holy men), have called the human birth karm bhumi (the land of the
actions). In the Koran it is written
that this field of tomorrow. “Oh Tulsi,
one tastes the fruit of whatever one has sown.” We are at the mercy of our actions and whatever we do
sets up an action-reaction. Good
actions bring good reactions; bad actions, bad reactions. In the Gurbani ( sayings of the Sikh Gurus)
it is written, “Do not blame others, but blame your own past action.” Brothers,
do not blame anyone. You got this human
form as a result of your prarabdh karmas (destiny, governing this life’s
pattern); it is the good fruit of your past.
Whatever you have to give and take from the past lives must be accounted
for now. You have to take from some
people and give to others. Sometimes
when giving something to certain person, such warmth of love swells up from
within the heart, and yet on another occasion one gives with hatred and
reluctance. This is reaction from the
past. Someone is rich, another poor.
Some are masters, others servants. In all, there are six things over which man
has no control: life, death, poverty, riches, honor and dishonor. These are all beyond our control. When I was working in my office, there was a typist who,
during the 1914-18 war, went to Persia.
They wanted to create a new accountant-general’s post there, but because
of the war there was a shortage of qualified accountants. So the typist, who had just arrived there
with little knowledge of accounts, was given the office of the new
accountant-general. This clearly shows
that there was some impetus from past actions behind the event. We have no control over this kind of thing-
if on puts one’s hand into clay, it can turn into gold, and put into gold it
can turn into clay. For another
example, it sometimes happens that one very clever and experienced man and
illiterate, inexperienced man both start businesses, and the inexperienced man
succeeds where the experienced man goes bankrupt. This indicates that the reactions of the past are making people
go helplessly along in life, with very little control over what happens. In Guru Nanak’s Jap Ji it is written, “ You have no power to ask or to give. No power over wealth or state.” Christ told
us, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.” However, in this human form we can do that
through which we shall not return to the world again. There are three types of actions: first, those which we
do every day; second, those through which we got a human form and present
circumstances; third, those which are in store and have not yet borne
fruit. During this human life we should
make sure that we do not sow any new seeds.
Whatever was done in the past will have to be harvested. There is no escape from that. Tulsi Sahib says, “Whatever has been made,
is already made; you cannot change it into something different. When Tulsi thinks of this, his mind is at
peace.” Masters are never worried, for they can see the laws working. Now that our fate has brought us here, how can we make
the best of the human life? We should not sow any more seeds. Whatever happens in life due to past actions
should be borne with cheerfulness. Happiness
and unhappiness will come, but one should never be disheartened. The great spiritual leaders also go through
similar experiences, but without suffering the pinching effects. My Master used to say, “You cannot clear up
all the thorns which you yourself have spread in your path, but you can wear
heavy boots for protection.” The task
of saving ourselves from the reactions in store for us should be seriously
considered, for only in the human form do we have any chance of rendering them
inactive. The Saints who come-forgive
me, but they also leave the body at death.
They also get riches or poverty, but they always avoid those actions
which will cause reactions. One great spiritual Master, Ravi Das, was a poor cobbler,
who lived on whatever he earned from his work.
Mira Bai was a princess and also a queen by marriage, but she accepted
him as her Guru. One day she was very
sad, thinking of her Master making shoes and living in such a simple
manner. So she offered him a very
valuable ruby, saying, “Master, have a good house made with this, and live
comfortable.” The Master refused to
accept it, but on her insistence he agreed, and told her to put it
somewhere. Finding no better place, she
put it in a hole in the wall which served as a shelf. On returning to him after about one year for his holy darshan
(the blessed glance from a Saint), she saw that he was still mending and making
shoes in the same small hut. She said, “Master, I left a valuable ruby here for
your use, what happened?” He replied, “It must be where you left it.” God-realized people do not live on gifts from others, but
from their own earnings. If donations are given, they are fed for the benefit
of the followers and the needy. Another
great Saint, Kabir Sahib, was a poor weaver, although he had kings among his
disciples. King Ibraham-Adham was one
of his followers. Nevertheless, Kabir
Sahib earned his living by his loom.
Great Masters like Kabir Sahib, Ravi Das and others, not only feed the
soul with the Bread of Life, but will make the seeker ad conscious co-worker of
the Divine plan. They release the soul
from the mind and senses and make it powerful. On the spiritual health depends the life of mind and body
both. If the soul is fed with spiritual
food, one becomes unaffected by the reactions of life. How do the Masters give food to the soul? By
filling it above its casing of mind and senses and connecting it with God. Where is this God? He is the very soul of
our soul. At present the soul is
completely identified with the body and the world, and is scattered outwardly
in many directions. It has to withdraw
from outer things and rise above the senses.
We have taken birth in this body, which has two parts: one up to the
eyes, the other above the eyes.
Although we have wandered very far from our true home, if we leave the
lower body and go to the upper part, we get nearer the Truth. So a true Master raises the soul up from the
body and opens the inner eye to see the Light of God, which is the Bread and
Water of Life. The soul then starts
seeing in truth that he is not the doer, that the Lord within is doing
everything; and he gains great strength. Guru Nanak says, “I can do nothing of my own; but only
whatever are God’s wishes. When Nanak
starts obeying His orders, the I-hood does not remain.” By coming across a true
Master, the accounts are wound up in this way.
Masters themselves ask, “Why do we have to go to spiritual Master?” and
then reply, “Because he will wind up the actions.” The whole of creation is throbbing and resounding under the beat
of action. How does the Guru free the
soul? How can we be saved from the outer impressions when all the windows in
the body are open to receive greedily from outside? Masters sometimes give
small examples to help us to understand the facts. One Master said that if one is pushed into a room full of black
mascara, no matter how careful one may be, one cannot escape from getting some
black stains somewhere. Another Master
says, “It is a very peculiar situation- you have thrown a plank of wood in the
river and have made me sit on it, and now you tell me not to get my clothes
wet!” Oh brothers, how is it possible to stay dry? The senses
are permitting the outer impression to flood through them every day, to settle
inside. How can one save oneself? The
Masters say, “Make a hole in the top and escape from there.” This is the only way. You must be reborn. One birth has been taken in this body, and
now another must be taken above the body, where the Bread and Water of Life are
available. When one has become the
conscious co-worker of the Divine plan, all past actions, sanchit karmas (
those in store) are erased – finished. If the person who was tasting the
actions is not there, then who is there to taste them and be responsible? When
there is I-hood, one must receive the results of one’s actions. A man may state, “ I am not the doer, “ but
within the folds of his heart he cannot believe this, and continues to consider
he is doing everything, thereby holding responsibility for his actions and the
reactions to follow. If he becomes the
conscious co-worker of the Divine plan and knows that he does only that which
God will, how can he be burdened by any action? Take some seeds and roast them, then sow them in the
soil-will they bear any fruit? Similarly, all the kriyaman (present action)
karmas are erased for the future.
Masters do not touch the prarabdh karmas, for if they did, at the time
of initiation the initiate would die.
“He who is afraid of life and death should sit at the feet of a Godman.” Tulsi Sahib says, “Some are unhappy through the mind and
the body, and some are perpetually unhappy.
One way or another, everyone has some kind of sorrow. Only a true disciple of a Sant is happy.”
Who is called a Sant? “My Lord is fully awakened, for he himself manifests in a
body and proclaims that he is a Sant.” Our Lord is truly awakened because to
whichever house ( body) he goes, he appears in there ( in radiant form). He who is the manifested God in man, is
called a Sadhu, Mahatma or Sant. To be
clever or intellectual is not the criterion of a Master, and even one who has
mastered all the holy scriptures is not entitled to be called either Sant,
Sadhu or Mahatma. Those who teach outer
subjects, likewise, are not necessarily true Masters. Then who is a Master? He who has freed himself from the mind and
the senses, has realized himself and realized God, and has become one with
God. He is the mouthpiece of God. He truly sees the Reality, and he makes
whoever is truly seeking see it also. The soul, as I have said before, is eternal, all wisdom
and bliss. If it is all wisdom and full
of bliss, then how is it possible for it to have any unhappiness in this world?
For how long will it enjoy the outer tastes? We think that we are enjoying the
enjoyments, but in fact the enjoyments are enjoying us. The god of food once went to Lord Vishnu (
part of the triune Lord of Creation:
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva; the Creator, Sustainer and Destroyer,
respectively) and complained, “The people are eating me up brutally, without
any sympathy for me!” Lord Vishnu said, “All right, if anyone eats you beyond
his needs, then you eat him up.” Just
think; what is the cause of all disease? Indigestion. We enjoy, and enjoy, and enjoy until we are no longer capable of
enjoying anything. Then the enjoyments
start enjoying us. Because bliss is the quality of the soul, happiness lasts
as long as our attention is attached with a particular thing of interest, but
if we are taken away from that thing, then unhappiness results. So where should we put our attention? “He
who wants permanent happiness should surrender himself to God.” He who has a
strong desire for the heart’s own, never-ending happiness, should get
re-connected back to God, who has ever been in existence. God is not in either birth or death. “How can sorrow come, when He never dies?”
One will get that everlasting life, for Masters do not just use empty words,
but actually make the connection spiritually and scientifically. The power that is called God is known by different names
for easier understanding by the different peoples. “No matter what words are used to describe Him, I rejoice in them
all.” It might be Ram, Ram; Allah:
Waheguru; Khuda; one might read a whole hymn praising Him, or only use Onkar, Sat Naam; one might go on reading
books upon books. To truly know God,
however, we have to know Him for whom all these words were created. “Everyone says God, God, but by just saying it
you will not become it. Only by the
Guru’s grace can God manifest in you – only that will bear fruit.” Then the all-pervading God manifests Himself
in you, then by just taking His name, you will get intoxicated. That which we believe is giving us
satisfaction is not true; it is merely that our attention is there and the
enjoyment comes from that, so happiness is not in the thing but in
ourselves. How can pure consciousness
(the soul), get any happiness out of matter? When a dog chews a bone, is there
any sweetness in it? But he cuts his tongue or gums on the sharp bone, and
tastes his own blood. Only when a man has become free from the mind and senses
can he truly understand all these things- when he starts realizing them
practically. Now, in our condition,
what should we do? For instance, a child leaves the shelter of the homestead to
visit a fair for a day with his parents.
There is such a huge crowd of people there, but as long as the child is
holding his mother’s hand he cannot be separated from her. Masters have said,
“I do not ask you to renounce the world; only ask you to remember the Lord in
all you do.” By quoting this, I am not saying that you should leave life in the
world and take the road to the lonely forests. I mean that no matter where you
are or what you are doing, you should not forget God. It is possible that the child might be inclined to leave his
mother’s hand if he could, but if the mother is holding him firmly, how is it
possible? You should dedicate your hand – surrender it. If you have not seen God, then you can
surrender yourself to the God in him, his hand will always be holding you. You understand what I am saying? To meet a perfect Master is the greatest blessing a man
could ever have. He connects our soul (
or attention ) to God. He teaches us
that we are all one- that we have got a soul and that we are a conscious
entity- a drop of the ocean of all consciousness. He who has freed himself can free others. Those who have not freed themselves have therefore
not risen above their body consciousness by self-analysis, and cannot give a
demonstration of the same practical science.
This type of people cannot give anyone salvation. “No one is hungry, oh Bheek: everyone has a valuable ruby
locked inside him.” There is not a single human being who has not got God in
him. Being all brothers and sisters in
God, the whole of mankind is one. We have stuck various labels of the different
religions on us, to show which school we are studying under, but which is the
greatest religion? That which teaches
us that we are all students of the same subject. From all those who are fortunate to have a human form, who is
successful in realizing God? Only he
who is able to control his mind. The
mind wants some attraction, naturally, but if you give it a better attraction
inside, why should it want to come out?
The spiritual Masters give inside a taste of that nectar by tasting
which the soul ceases to roam restlessly in the outer environments. “We are all the children of on Father, and all living
creatures have one Provider.” No matter what their race, creed, or country, the
Masters have said that the Lord of Creation is not different to a Hindu, Sikh,
Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain or others.
Furthermore, “Mankind is all one.
Related to each other, we are like different organs of the body, and the
same Divine link animates us all.” Like one man with various limbs, we are the
limbs of God-all infused in one another, and that controlling power which
controls all creation is also one and the same. Saints come and teach humanity to worship the one God, and then
to love God in the true way. How can love be created? First, a desire is created
within by hearing about it – and then by seeing a perfect Master. Masters are overflowing cups of the
intoxicated love of God, so by just seeing them the love starts awakening in us
too. However, if they also give the
connection with the Lord within, then one can be assured that he is on the True
Path back to God. The soul, having the true qualities of bliss and love,
must attach itself to something.
Through illusion and no knowledge of the Truth, it has at present
connected itself to perishable things, resulting inevitably in continued
revisits to the world of matter. In the
Koran it is said that it is very necessary for a momin (devotee) to have a Beloved. The soul’s Beloved was God, but the world became its beloved
instead. Guru Nanak describes this very beautifully. “Perishable is the king; perishable are his subjects; perishable
is the whole world. Perishable is the
husband, perishable the wife; we are so much in contact with the perishable, we
have forgotten the Imperishable (God).
Who can we call our friend in this perishable world?” So we should create a love for the imperishable God
alone. What caste is His brother, and
what religion does He come from? When we came to the world we became a Hindu,
Christian, Muslim,etc. what is God’s
caste? If He has no caste, then what is our caste? Is it not the same as God’s?
All the different castes and religions were formed for the benefit of the
body. Some years ago in India, those
who were learned in Brahm (having religious knowledge) became known as brahmins. Those who were warriors and defended the country were known as kshatriyas. The people responsible for the food were vaishyas. The rest, who
looked after other needs including various services, were called shudras.
A brahmin’s son was also known as a brahmin. Forgive me, but what an illusion it was for
the brahmin’s son to be called brahmin, when his knowledge might be in some
other field. How then could brahmins be
the highest caste if some of them had no specialized knowledge befitting the
title? One can see why the Masters stress that to realize God does not require
any special caste, for God has no caste, and ours is the same as His. It is very clear and simple: if you love
God, you become what God is. Just note, that Saint Saina was a barber, Kabir Sahib was
a weaver, Ravi Das Ji was a cobbler, and Tulsi Sahib a brahmin. What I mean is this: in the eyes of God
there is no caste or creed; a man is a man and he has got a soul, and that soul
is the same essence as of God. All
castes and creeds are connected with the body only, which is made of matter and
which will end up under the earth or on the cremation fire. Because the soul does not remember the Truth, whatever
impressions go into the astral give cause for it to return to the world
continuously. Everyone should
understand this very important fact. If
we do anything that brings the attention of the world upon us, each pore of our
being gets filled with such great ego that we become full of pride and
egoism. Without a Master we cannot get
connected to the Truth, and without that we are just leather tanners. A leather tanner’s attention is always on
the leather. If we do not rise above the
body consciousness we can be ranked as a tanner, with our attention constantly
at the level of the body. You must have heard of King Janak. He wanted self-and God-realization very
much. He spread the news all over India
that he wanted a spiritual Master who could give him true spiritual knowledge
in as much time as it takes to mount a horse.
Of course, everyone was astonished to hear this, for they thought it
impossible. How could anyone teach Spirituality, such a vast subject, in that
short space of time? After the announcement, Ashtavakra came to the King’s
palace and said that he could give the King the knowledge he required. Ashtavakra’s body was twisted into eight different
deformities. Asht means eight and avakra means
twisted. He was Brahmagyani, which means he had knowledge of the Beyond. He approached the King in all confidence,
for whosoever holds mastership in any field has confidence in his own
ability. Take for example a laundryman,
who will take even the dirtiest clothes, knowing that if not the first time,
then with two or three washes he will make them clean. A spiritual Master also knows with full
confidence that by self-analysis he can clean up a person’s sins of the ages. When Ashtavakra sat down on the dais in King Janak’s court,
the many courtiers who were present burst out laughing. There were two reasons for this – it seemed
an impossible task for anyone to undertake, and on top of that they could not
imagine that this strange-looking man with such peculiar deformities could have
any special powers. Undaunted,
Ashtavakra asked the King, “ Your Majesty, do you want the knowledge of the
Beyond?” The King replied, “ Yes, Master.” “Then,” said Ashtavakra, “Why have
you collected these tanners and cobblers around you, whose attention is only on
my skin, and not on my soul?” Now, you understand what this means? We are all children
of God- we are all micro-Gods, but unfortunately we have forgotten ourselves,
being given up to outer symbols and appearance. Tulsi Sahib says, “The poor and oppressed got salvation by
sitting at a Master’s feet; the high born paid the penalty of their
pride.” Those who sit at a Master’s
feet with full attention get his protection, but people of position, high caste
or possessing riches, because of their pride get death only. Other Masters, like Paltu Sahib, have said
this in similar words. Even in the
countless holy books one can read that only through love and devotion can one
realize God. To describe the facts in a
few words one can say that the lowest caste of all is the one is which those
souls are not connected with the Truth. All Masters regard humanity either at the level of man or
the level of the soul, while humanity itself continues in forgetfulness of its
nature. In every age the Masters come
to bring us out of this illusion. In
the beginning, there were only two castes in India- Hindu and Muslim. Today there are more than seven hundred
different castes and branches, so there is a greater necessity for adhering to
the basic true religion underlying all. The only real answer to the problem is
actual practical experience of the Truth, given by some true Master. The controlling power residing in each body, which sees
our every action and condition, is the controller of the whole world. “Whatever there is, is in this very house
(physical)- not outside. To search for
it without will bring forgetfulness in the illusion.” If you are in need of
Bread of Life, search within; He is the Life-Sustainer, and He is everywhere-
not a single place is without Him. If an electrical connection is needed, it
has to be taken from the powerhouse.
Similarly, if you want a connection with God, go to where He has
manifested Himself in fullness, in a human pole. He is Alakh (Formless),
and is above the senses; so long as the attention is on the body, He will never
be found. What a blessing we have been
given this human form for the purpose of getting this Bread of Life, and
further, to realize God. Kabir Sahib asks us if we can see the oil within a sesame
seed. If you see flintstone, can you
see the fire in it? By grinding the seeds one can take out the oil, and by
striking the flintstone you will see the sparks of fire. “Thy Beloved is within; awaken yourself, if
you can.” Time and tide wait for no man, so make the best use of your time
while you can. “”As the pupil is in the eye, so God resides in the human
form. Foolish people know this not, and
search for Him outside.” This all began
from the field of karmas. It may be difficult to believe that God is within each
individual. For example, if someone
says that there is ghee(clarified butter in milk, a person who knows nothing of
this process will ask,, “How can one fry anything in milk?” whereas, one who
has actually seen ghee being made will say with authority, “There is definitely
ghee in milk, potentially.” God is in our soul and our soul is in God. By rising above the body by self-analysis,
one will see for oneself that “I and my Master are one.” The light we look for in temples, books, religions and
places of pilgrimage, is in the true
temple of God – the human form. It may
be observed that all other temples have been made in the image of the human
body. Dome or head-shaped are the Hindu
temples; nose-shaped are the church steeples; forehead-shaped is the mehrab of the mosque here the priest
stands at the appointed dome to call the people to prayer- this corresponds to
the same spot in the body where the holy Sound within our own form. “Alas,
bound in this house of flesh, thus hearest not the Divine clarion call!” Once one is connected to the Sound, where will it lead
to? It will take you to your true home.
This Sound is the Voice of god which is saying, “Come child, unto me.”
Shamas Tabrez says, “Every second my soul is hearing the Voice of God. What is it saying? Oh, Shamas Tabrez, come
back home.” The sound is vibrating
continuously in this human form, behind the eyes. As long as one goes on sitting below the level of the eyes, the
coming and going in this world will never finish. If one rises above the
eye-level, the holy Sound can be heard and the beauty within can be seen. This is food for the soul, obtainable by
rising above the nine “doors” of the body to where the soul withdraws at the
time of death. When the inner eye is
opened, the human form is put to its most important use. We are talking of a true Master, whose daily work is to
raise the souls of the seekers above the body consciousness, with one
glance. With one glance. It matters not if there are ten, twenty, one
hundred, five hundred, one thousand or any number of people sitting: each one’s
attention will be drawn up to this level.
When a true Master accepts a seeker who then sits at the Master’s feet,
he winds up the past karmas of the initiate by drawing a line. He then advises that in the present life the
future should be improved by : speaking the truth, observing chastity, having
love for all beings as God is in all, practicing non-violence, and doing
selfless service to benefit others.
This advice is like drawing a second line which one should not overstep.
They do not touch the prarabdh, otherwise death would come at that very moment,
but they make the soul strong by feeding it the Bread and Water of Life, that
this world’s happiness and unhappiness may have little effect. If you want this, you can have it for the
asking. Your whole angle of vision will
change. The past karmas (sanchit or storehouse) will get burned
up through daily contact with the Truth. So, we have all been born in this human body, but from
today be born anew. Up to today, you
have lived, but from now on live above the body consciousness. The day that you do this will be a day for
congratulations, and that day I myself will congratulate you a thousand
times. This is a true birthday, and
only then may you truly rejoice and celebrate a day of birth. I congratulate those who are already on this
Path and they can celebrate the Master’s birthday only if they have
well-learned what he has taught, and are living up to his teachings. If they are so doing, I will accept their
congratulations not once but a thousand times. If this work is not done, then what is the use of
celebrating by singing and playing music? What I am telling you today is no new
thing, for these teachings have been given out by all Masters in the past but
again and again they are forgotten, so they continue to come to revive the old,
old Truth. Whatever I have learned up
to this age, I have learned through the grace of my Master or the God within
him; or through the parallel study of religions. You should take all these
things deep into your heart, and bring them into practical use every day. Then your coming to this world will be
worthy of congratulations. ( This is an English translation of a talk delivered in
Hindi by the Master Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj at a satsang in India.) |