THE MASTER’S TALK
Inn of Madness Man spends his whole life exploring the so-called
wonders of the world in outer things and places, but few ever dream of
exploring the inner depths of this wonderful house in which we live the
physical form. Throughout history, few have solved the mystifying riddle of
life. When regarding the body, what do we see? Do we
see but a five to six foot statue of matter? Do we not realize that some power
sustains this human form, and is in fact imprisoned within it? Even thought the
body has nine outlets, yet the prisoner within cannot get out through any of
them. Why? Because it is being controlled. Breathing goes on incessantly, and
when the breath goes out, it does not stay out; some power is drawing it back
into the perhaps ten or twenty times – yet he does not die. On the other hand,
he might slip when walking and break his neck – what a grand enigma! We have no
knowledge of this power within; we never give a thought to it, or to that
source from which it draws life and sustenance. Masters have said that those people who do not
believe in God, even though they may always be near the holy places, are
atheists. However, those who do not know who they truly are, realistically
speaking, are more atheistic. Excuse me, but where God is concerned, are we not
all atheists? For no one has seen him. A small child is more conscious of his
true self than an adult, but as he grows he becomes more and more aware of the
body. When you ask him who he is he will open his eyes and mouth wide in an
endeavor to express what he truly is; but when fully grown he will tell you, “I
am Ram Das” or “I am Ram Singh” for he cannot differentiate between his body
and his real self. When you say, “This is my body”, have you ever
taken it off as you remove your coat or shoes? We say, “This is my body”, but
in fact we have become the body. We do not know who “I” is, or who it is that
says “This is mine.” So it is a more damaging ignorance not to know one’s true
self – that self which must eventually experience the overself. The self or
soul is the conscious entity which enlivens the body, and which depends on
something even greater for its very existence. As long as it is not conscious
of its true nature, it cannot experience that greater nature, so in the true
sense there are very few theists in the world; for a theist is one who has
realized himself and has realized the Lord also. Intellectually, the whole
world can say, “I am not the mind, I am not the senses, I am not the intellect,
I am no the pranas,” and so on, but has anyone ever separated himself from
these things? We can take off our coat and hat, but can we step out of the body
and see who the indweller is? Self-realized people say that the greatest book
of knowledge is the physical form, through which all written scriptures have
come. The explorers of the body, the rishis, munis and mahatmas, realized the
truth of the mystery and found the power that controls the human being – and
that is one’s true self. That in turn is sustained by the over self. Scriptures
came through such men who were in tune from within, who, by analyzing
themselves and rising above body consciousness, got into higher touch and
became the mouthpiece of the greater power. Whatever they said came direct from
that power: they did not speak at the level of mind or senses, and this is the
big difference between words that come from a realized person and words that
come from the intellect for the intellectual can only speak from that level, whereas
the realized soul speaks as inspired from above. Emerson said, Though thoughts which come
without thinking are always perfect. A Muslim fakir says, Actually you
are the mother of all books, and he also says, When your outer self finds your
real self, Then you will see that something is within you and that God is
speaking within you. Guru Nanak says, Whatever comes from the beloved, I give
out. He does not speak from his own thoughts. Christs said, I have not
spoken of myself; but he father which sent
me, he gave me a commandment, what is should say, and what is should speak. When
Philip asked to be shown the father, Christ reminded him, Have I been so
long with you and yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me,
hath seen the father…I am in the father
and the father is in me. The words I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but
the father that swelleth in me, he doeth the works. For example, if one listens to a radio that is
tuned in, one hears the sound. From what place does the radio catch the sound? From
whatever station it is attuned to. A God-realized person is in tune with the
Lord and in him the Lord speaks: Brahm speaks through the physical form, how
would Brahm speak? That Divine link is in each human being: not more in one
and less in another, but the same in all. However, only those who have come
into realization and are the mouthpiece of God can see that I and my father are
one. This is because they rose above the mind, senses and the net of illusion
and saw that the sustainer of all life is the one Lord. During the life
of the Rishi Bhardwaj, a householder by the name of Shonak went to him one day
and said, “Maharaj, what is that thing knowing which all else is known?” The
rishi looked at him and saw that he was a householder. You should understand
that householders are very different today. In those days a man would become a
householder after twenty-five years of brahmcharya (chastity in thought, word
and deed), during which time he gained extensive knowledge of the Vedas and
Shastras, the ancient Hindu Scriptures. After twenty-five years of leading a
householders life according to the teachings of the Shastras, he would enter
the Vanaprastha ashram (secluded life, devoted solely to the realization of the
Lord), cut off the from worldly life and worldly people. You might say that in
this day and age the latter phase has become more like a business. A man reads
one or two books an then starts giving lectures, but pays little attention to
the inner self. If a mans eye is not open, what can he say on the subject? Kabir Sahib once had a conversation with a
learned pundit, and eventually remarked to him, Oh brother, your mind and my
mind can never agree; I say what I see and you say what has been written. It
is entirely different to speak from experience. One can never be fully
convinced by reading someone else’s statements, for seeing is believing. God
gave equal privileges to all human beings, and the only difference between a
Master-soul and an ordinary man is that one is in tune and the other is not. The
embodied soul has got consciousness, for while living in this physical form yet
it is of the same essence as God, who is all consciousness. He is the ocean and
we are the drops, but unfortunately we are under the influence of the mind; the
mind in turn is being dragged by the senses, and the senses are dragged by
worldly enjoyments. In this way, the jiva (embodied soul; soul in creation) has
become the image of the body and the world, identified so much so with these
that it has forgotten his own self, the matter of knowing the Lord is very far
away. For this reason nearly all Masters have advised, man know thyself. Nanak
says, without knowing oneself, this illusion will not go. And when does
one see what the soul is? When the sense are stilled the mind is stilled and
the intellect at rest, then only will one know the soul. It is for the soul
to experience the Lord – he cannot be known by the senses, mind, intellect
or pranas. It is very clear-cut. Knowledge is like a child of all books. Love is
the mother of all books, for God is love and the soul, being of the same
essence as the lord, is also love? At the sense level we scatter it in hundreds
and thousands of places. One heart and millions of desires; on top of that
more desires; then where is the place for him to sit? If one withdraws from
everything else and concentrates in one place, great power will spring forth. If
a pipe has ten holes and you close up nine of them, the water will simply gush
out of the tenth. Up to now our soul has been under the mind’s control, but by
withdrawing from the outer influences and receiving strength, it can gain
control of the whole being. Remember that God is all-attention, and the soul,
having the same nature, is also all-attention in miniature. When that
all-attention wished to become from one to many the whole of creation came into
being. The soul also has great power, but under the mind’s influence it has
scattered its attention hither and thither, thereby weakening itself. If only
it would withdraw from the outer attractions, it could create a town, at least.
It is with much sorrow that I say that the souls strength has been divided into
so many avenues. So all true Masters say that realizing God is a
simple matter – what is there to realizing the Lord? Just uproot the
attention from here and plant it there. It is simply a matter of
withdrawing and gathering together the scattered attention. As you know the
rays of the sun under normal conditions will not ignite anything, but if you
pass them through a convex lens and thereby concentrate them, anything they
settle upon will burst into flames. The whole of this life’s purpose is to
become still – to withdraw from the outer environments, and to concentrate. You
have strength in you, you are the child of a lion. So when Bhardwaj Rishi answered the householder
Shonak’s question, he sought to reply in such a way as to be of help to Shonak
in his household duties. Knowing he was a literate man, the Rishi said, “there
are two kinds of teachings. One is called apra vidya and the other is para
vidya. Apra vidya comes from books,
scriptures, etc,. and creates some interest in the seeker , which leads to some
devotion too. For this, customs, rites, pilgrimages, saying prayers and singing
hymns, giving alms, fasting, performing austerities, etc. will help to create
the bhakti (devotion to God). However this is all preparation of the ground and
there is all preparation of the ground and there is no real satisfaction in it
because it will not give salvation or realization. All these things come under
the category of good actions, and one may gain a heavenly place through them,
but again and again the soul will have to return to earth, for they are all at
the level of the senses.” These are the first steps to be taken toward
the Lord, just as a child goes to school and first learns how to use a pencil,
but you can see just ho much value these actions hold. You all have taken these
steps at some time or other, but now God ahead. Make the best use of the foundation
alone cannot take you to the ultimate goal, without your knowing the self. Brothers,
withdraw, become conscious of your self, and get the contact with the over
self. As Bharadwaj Rishi told Shonak the householder when you know yourself,
you will know everything. Now you can see that his teaching is for all true
seekers of God. God made man, but he did not stick any label on
him. The purpose of all religions is to realize God and to spend this life’s
journey in peace, contentment, and usefulness to each other. These were the
true aims, but what was the outcome? He started to realize God, but in
between the mind turned turtle. You may ask, “Have we lost ourselves?” Yes,
most decidedly yes. One Muslim fakir says that the atrocities man
has committed against himself could not have been done by even the blindest of
all. And the biggest atrocity? Living in this house, we lost contact with the
one who runs it. The mystery of life
must be solved , no matter to which religion a person belongs. The Masters who
solved this mystery were born into various religions, just as were those who
contacted them and who in turn were taught the solution. Ravidas was a cobbler,
Kabir Sahib was a weaver, Tulsi Sahib was a Brahmin. Man made castes but God
made the soul and embodied it within the human form. First rise above the
senses, and then tell what you are and what is your religion. No matter which
Masters hymns you take the subject will remain the same, even though language
and expression may vary. Masters do not consider men from their religious
labels, but rather they see everyone as soul in the body, and regard all from
the level of soul. They are not Gurus of any particular religion but are Gurus
of mankind. Satguru is one who brings all people together. For the satguru
there is no conflict of caste or creed – no thought of breaking old traditions
or making new ones. In fact they do say that there are already more than
sufficient religions and sects in existence. Our Hazur would remark that there
is no point in digging new wells when there are already more than enough to
serve people. Man must either live up to his religion, or make a new one. Is it
not better then to remain in your present formation? But while living according
to is aims and precepts seek for one who has already solved the mystery of life
and who can help you to fulfill the same. You may find such a personality in
any religion, and you may call him by any name you wish. To become proficient in any certain subject,
one must go to an expert in that study. If a person has a sincere desire to
learn about the soul, he or she should approach a competent teacher of
spirituality – one who has realized himself and the over self. This is a matter
of common sense, and needs no philosophy. All great teachers of this subject
say that we are all embodied souls, living in the house of the physical form
from which we can derive the greatest benefit if we but make the best use of
the situation. The human form is the king of all the species and is the highest
rung in the ladder of creation, for in this form God has placed the power of
differentiation through which one can define truth from untruth and so achieve
that which can be done in no other form. There is a prayer in the VedBhagwan
which says, O Lord take us from the untruth to the truth. But of course
if a man has no interest in either, what is the use? Swami Ji Maharaj says, Hansni (a mythical
swan like bird) separates the milk from the water. You are a hansni, O soul. Hansni is said to
have the ability in her beak to separate milk from water, and drinks only the
milk. O soul, you are like that hansni and you can differentiate the truth from
the untruth. Drink only the milk and leave the water. Think of this body as
matter; God resides therein, and only he is the truth. The body and all
things connected are in constant flux, for it is the nature of matter to be
ever changing. Only the soul is true permanent and unchanging; try to recognize
the soul. Atheist or devotee – manmukh or Gurumukh – what is the difference
between them? To know the atheist – he is lost in the world; to know the
devotee – the world is lost in him. The manmukh is lost – lost in the whirl
of mind and senses. For the true devotee the world does not really exist, for
he has the Lord intoxication and is awakened to the truth within himself, and
has thereby forgotten both the world and the after-world. Great is man. Do not think of him as merely of
form – just a five or six foot puppet. If the god and goddess desire to gain
salvation, they also must inherit this human form. The Upanishads say, soul
is riding in the chariot of the body; Intellect is the charioteer, mind is the
reins senses are the horses dragging it into the fields of enjoyments. So
it means that the sole barrier between us and the Lord is the mind. If we could
only cast aside the mind and the senses, we would realize our true selves, and
the Lord. If this aims which has been founded in all religion is not achieved a
man’s life is wasted. When Zoroaster was asked for advice, he said “join the
Army of God”, when he was asked what qualification a person required to join
this army , he replied, “Good thoughts, good words, good deeds.” This means,
live a righteous life in every way, and this has been advised by all Masters. Of
all dharmas, which is supreme? Take the name of God and live righteously. In
the sikh religion, it is said, Repeat the naam and share your food with
others. The teaching are all the same, and we want to enter the army of
God; but we enter only the army of religion. And the result of this is that men
are fighting among themselves. We put God aside and start saying, “I am a Sikh”
or “I am a Muslim” and so on. Kabir Sahib says, No one is Hindu or Muslim;
Think of us as one. God made the human beings; and man is older than all
philosophies and religions, which were formed long after man’s advent for the
noble purpose of realizing the soul. If this aim is not achieved where then is
the purpose? I can only say that if the leaders of the
religions were to give the correct peace. Is it not the aim of all religions to
pass one’s sojourn of worldly life in peace, to be of helpful use to each
other, to realize God? Surely this is the true aim of all, and if all are
devotees of the one God, then why all the conflict and strife? Hundreds of
lovers, but one beloved for all. Customs and religions may be separate, but
the aim is the same. But as things stand, brother is fighting brother, and both
declare that their sect is better. Is it not clear that all are the same? Do not say that the books are all lies; Liar is
he who does not absorb. The holy scriptures record the words of realized people who have walked
the path of spirituality. However many steps they took along this path, so
accordingly they taught others. We have respect for all. Just consider how the
Masters regard life. They are not bound by any special affiliation, and they
are not dictated to by any politics. They are cosmic beings. Peace be unto
all the world, under thy will, O Lord. Guru Nanak also said, O Nanak, the Naam
is ever-ascending; through thy will the whole world benefits. The hearts of
the Masters are so abounding everyone can have a place therein. When they come,
they come for the upliftment of all peoples: all sects are theirs, all
religions, all countries. When I was visiting the West, one place held a
meeting for East and West, and I was invited to represent the East. To
represent the West they invited a certain Frenchman, but at the last minute he
could not attend the meeting, so the organizers said to me, “Well, we will
leave both East and West to you.” I replied, “There is no doubt that the saying
is East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, but some man
has said that – not God. The whole creation is the house of the Lord, and there
is no East or West in it. All these countries are but so many rooms in the one
house of our father.” Airplanes have eliminated the vast distances
between countries. Today one may be in India and tomorrow in England – and the
day after in America. But man is a man, no matter where he is regardless of
outer garb or custom; all are devotees of the one Lord. When I was asked in
America if I had come to found some Ashram, I told them that I had come to
uplift the very ashrams that people carry around with them ( the physical
form). “People have forgotten these things; I have come to awaken them. There
is no need for introduction of anything new, for the thing already exists
within, but I have come to revive what you have forgotten.” Masters regard
situations with a very open outlooks, but those whose outlook is confined to
their own closed sect do not give the true teachings. Just before the partition of India and Pakistan
(in 1947) fighting between Hindus and Muslims was going on, and our Hazur went
to many such disturbed areas. People repeatedly told him, “if only you had come
before, there would have been no fighting here.” I am trying to explain very
clear and straightforward facts. Because of earning food for their stomach
through the name of religion, so much misunderstanding has been born. If four
drunkards can sit together and enjoy each other s company, then why not four
devotees from different religions, for the purpose of love and understanding? It
might be said here that the former have some kind of intoxication, but the
latter have none. Kabir Sahib explains it this way: that a hans (a mythical
swan like bird) once sat in a field of kodrai (kodrai is a rather inferior
grain). The farmer saw the hans, and started to chase him with his stick. So
Kabir observes: This poor ignorant farmer does not know that the hans never
eats grain, but lives on pearls. So Masters never come to take from worldly
people. Now listen carefully to Kabir Sahib’s hymn: In the inn of the body, the jiva-traveler is
staying; But why so enrapt in this madness? The body is like an inn; and we are travelers in this
world for but a few days. The senses or outgoing faculties through which the
worldly impressions enter are firmly attached in this inn or house. The eyes
alone absorb 83 percent of all impressions. The ears take in 14 percent, and
the remaining three percent is distributed among the other senses. When we
sleep, we dream of the impression we have received in our everyday awakened
state. As can be seen, our lives are very superficial; we have never taken a
dip into our real self. What is the purpose then of this inn-like body?
Its purpose is to enable us to know our true self, and to realize God. If the
soul does not do this, then? – if the life fades away without gaining the
benefit, the advent of birth is wasted. Lord Buddha said the same thing:
that within human life the Truth can be realized. Who knows when one will again
receive the blessing of human birth? It was given for a definite use – so why
get intoxicated with sense-pleasures? What will be gained this way? You go on
seeing the worlds play, but the craving for more and more is never satisfied. The
ears are always listening to the world’s tune, but are never contented with it.
One thinks one is enjoying these sensual pleasures but it is not so. The
sense-pleasures are enjoying you. In the puranas (ancient Hindu scriptures) it is
related that the God of food complained to Lord Vishnu that he was tired of the
people eating him mercilessly. Lord Vishnu advised him, “Those people who eat
you more than they need, well, you eat them up.” Over indulgence in food leads
to degeneration of the physical organs. Indulge the senses only as much as
necessity demands; do not create gluttony as a habit. If everything is used in
a controlled manner, all things will be helping factors instead of doing harm. For
instance, there is a certain poison which when taken in infinitesimal doses
builds up the physical strength like a tonic, but when taken in large doses, it
kills. All the pleasures of the senses were given for man to work through – but
in perfect control. This house or inn was given for only a few days so that it
should be put to the utmost advantage, but we are destroying it fast. There are five senses of knowledge and five
senses of karmas, and if only one sense gains control, what happens? A moth,
for example, is governed by the eyesight, to the extent of burning himself to
death in the heat of a flame or bright light. Fish on the other hand are
governed by the sense of taste and although happily swimming about in the
water, yet they will rise to the anglers bait – only to be caught on the hook
and die in agonies of torment, flapping around on the earth. The large black
bumblebee has a very strong sense of smell and through this easily loses his
life to a certain tropical flower that has the ability to close its petals over
any insect entering within it. The sense of hearing is overpowering in the
deer. I do not know if you have spent any time in the forests, but I have seen
a deer jump forward as much as twenty yards. Even the fastest horse cannot
catch this fleet-footed animal; and yet he is easily caught. Deer hunters play
a certain tune on a special drum, hearing which the deer is drawn helplessly
toward it in ecstasy of that sound, until he quietly lays his course is
captured. He spends the rest of his life imprisoned in captivity. In the male
elephant, the sense of touch is very strong, even though he has the strength to
uproot huge trees with his trunk. I once lived in the jungle for four or five
months, and saw how they prepared to catch the elephant by digging a large pit
and covering it with leaves, and then placing a female elephant nearby. When
the male scents the female he loses all caution and rushes toward her, and falls
into the pit which lies in his path. He is then starved for many days until it
is possible for men to handle him and remove him. He then spends his life in
captivity. So you can see that when even a single sense is ruling out of the
five it can bring death or slavery. What then is the condition of a being who
is slave to all five senses? Your whole life is being wasted and finally you
will be withdrawn from the world – you have to leave this body – even if you
have no knowledge of when that time will come. The great emperors, the learned
intellectuals, famous philosophers, and even God-realized people – where are
the bodies of all these persons now? They have all left the scene of action,
and we must also leave sometime; there is no exception to the rule. If only the
thought remained uppermost in mind: “Who I am? Where am I going?” This could
change the very pattern of our life. Just think for a moment: if you received a
notice to tell you that you had to leave town tomorrow, how would you spend
today? Would you not prepare yourself to leave? The time for leaving the body
may already be fixed, but it is not known to you. It may come at any time. Kabir
Sahib says, Become virtuous, repeat the Naam; tomorrow may never come. What
to speak of tomorrow, we have no guarantee of the very next minute! The breath
continues to return to the body and the man remains there – but if it does not
come back? Try to see what is sustaining it, for alone it is just a mound of
matter that we carry everywhere. The friend is enlivened as long as the
companion is there; when the companion leaves, it is worthless matter. When the soul leaves the body, four brothers pick up
the inert form in a hurry, and rush it to the cremation ground. No one wants to
keep it for long. But those with right understanding see the facts in true
prospective. It is no new philosophy. Those who made the best use of the human
birth and freed the soul from the rule of mind and senses gained knowledge of
the self and also experienced the Lord, and for them there is no return to this
world of action. But coming and going is not finished for those who live only
and always at the sense-level, whether their actions be good or bad. Lord Krishna says in Gita that there are only
two paths: pritiyan path and deviyan panth. Pritiyan panth is the path of the karmic wheel, and the soul which
travels it cannot get off this wheel. But the soul which travels the deviyan
panth – the path of light – never returns. It is the custom in the Sanatan sect
of the Hindu religion to light a lamp and put it in the hand of a dying person,
for it is believed that the soul will not otherwise gain salvation. But in fact
this light should be lit while living – the inner light – for it is believed
that the soul will not otherwise gain salvation. But in fact this light should
be lit while living – the inner light – for only then can the soul become free
from births and deaths. Where is this light? The light is effulgent in him
who controls the ten senses. The light is already within all men, but one
must separate from the senses to see it. There is no need to create it,
therefore; just invert. You can say to turn the face inwardly or by
self-analysis rise above the senses. Kabir Sahib says, why remain intoxicated in
this inn of the body? It is common
sense to see that for the soul who is at the level of mind and senses and has
become the image of the body and therefore is doing all practices at the same
level, how can it be possible to rise above the body, mind and senses? If
anyone thinks he can do it, he is
welcome to try. After all, what does a blind man desire? Just two eyes. But if
you cannot do it, admit the fact and go to seek help from someone who knows the
science of rising above the body consciousness. Such a Master soul may give a
sitting to ten people, or fifty or one hundred or more, but by his single
fraction of attention everyone will receive light. The proof of light will be
seen with one’s own vision. So the path of the saints is called the reverse
path, for they teach the seeker how to invert the senses. When you meet the
Satguru, inversion starts; dying while living will unravel it. When the soul inverts, the body becomes
lifeless; he who dies while living becomes the one who experiences the Lord. Learn
to die, so that you may begin to live. Maulana Rumi says that if you desire to
have everlasting life, then learn to die while living. Dadu Sahib says, Dadu,
die before; everyone dies when the time comes. All Masters have made
similar statements on the same subject. That person who has unraveled the
mystery of life has no fear of death. Die you must, so why not now? Stand
aloof from the world. Such a death one can die a hundred times a day. To be
able to rise above at will erases all fear of death. You are a guest in this
inn of the body for a few days only – do not lose yourself in the madness of
the senses and the sense-enjoyments. Do not forget yourself entirely in this
outer madness, but try to reach the aim for which the human birth was given. If
this opportunity to do the real work is wasted then who knows when you will be
given another? Rest for the night, leave in the morning. It is a place where you can spend the night,
but when daylight comes, you have to leave. Who stays permanently at an inn? Return
to your own place, brother, why live in strange country? Do your own work and
ignore alien affairs. This is not your country. You merely have connections
with the physical form for a few days, and will soon have to leave. It can
never be your permanent place; but where will you go? Have you ever thought
about that? The house you must leave is tied in your mind; there is never a
thought for your permanent home. You have imprisoned yourself in its
environments, and you have given it the status of God. The true home has been
completely forgotten. Who can say you are intelligent? Perhaps you are learned
through books, but the Masters say that one who does not realize his transient
condition and has no knowledge of his real destination is either a fool or an
ignorant child. When a spiritual person is also learned in
outer knowledge, he wears this like a garland of flowers and uses it to explain
the truth in a variety of ways. For instance, when Keshab Chander Sen went to
Sri Ramakrishna, the latter said, “if you want to understand this teaching in
one word then listen tome; if you would prefer to learn it through many words,
then go to Vivekananda.” It is important that he mind should fully understand
and be satisfied, for true spiritual experience can only be had when the senses
mind and intellect are perfectly stilled. Nothing can be experienced while one
is scattered at the sense-level, whether it be in enjoyments or in intellectual
expansion. We should make the best use of the intellect for our own or
another’s understanding, but remember that reasoning can be a help and it can
also be a bar. Through reason we can come to the point of accepting that God
does exist, but having done that, why not realize Him? And for that, the
intellect must then be stilled. Everyone must leave the physical form – and
that includes you. One Master says, Where have the parents gone who gave you
birth? You have no knowledge of their whereabouts. The facts are clearly
evident, but the world’s grease has covered you like a greasy cloth which does
not retain water on its surface. We read books and scriptures, listen to
numerous lectures, but the truth penetrates neither mind nor heart: that we
must also leave the world. Those who know they must go, why worry and
scheme? Why increase the worries and troubles more than
necessary when we must all leave this place one day? if you knew you had to
leave the world at the end of this day, how would you spend it? A certain
Master advises, spend each day thinking it is your last on earth. If
this advice was rigidly followed, a person’s life would be transformed. We go
deeper into the forgetfulness because we do not remember death. death is no
bugbear, but is the name given to a change; or you can call it a transfer. That
person can truly be termed intelligent who prepares for this event. How wisely
we start preparing ahead of time for some worldly event, like a marriage or an
examination, etc. The change of death can also be called an examination which
lies ahead of us, but we do not know the date. We do nothing to prepare for
this. Wherever the attention is, so do we go and reside. If one comes up
above the body-consciousness our coming and going in births and deaths will
cease. Otherwise, good and bad karmas are both binding, like gold and iron
shackles. This is written in the Gita. On the path of pitriyan the coming and
going continues, but the path of light
starts above the senses. Inside there are only two guides – light and sound –
and they start when one rises above the senses. Where the world philosophies
end, there religions start. You can also say that the ABC of spirituality
starts from here. You will meet very few Masters who have knowledge of this. If
only those who teach customs and rituals would also teach the true meaning or
basis behind them, there would be love and harmony among men. We must love God,
and as God is in each being, we must love all. If all men sincerely took this
up as a principle, where would be the conflict? If each one had first hand
knowledge of the soul, and that he soul is the same in all, would we not
respect each other? Tulsi Sahib says, the Guru who bows down to
the disciple is called a Sadhu. The Guru whose eye is open sees the Lord in
each individual. However, he whose eye is not open cannot be blamed for not
paying his respects to the Lord in others. But what is happening today? Gurus
stand proud and erect, and the disciples go on bowing down, bowing down, in all
faith. The Master is trying to help us understand that
the time is now. It is night and we are staying at the inn; in the morning we
must leave, and what have we accomplished up to the present? Man has achieved
so much intellectually and physically? We know little or nothing about the
Truth or about our true self. After all, material success is achieved and sustained
through you, and you will have to leave it all one day. if you leave the body
without solving the mystery of life, it will result only in paying the karmic
debts of ignorance. The worldly people will only help and respect you out of
their own selfish desires. Even if one person may have all sincere sympathies
and fine qualities, what can he do to help you when you have to leave? He can
only stand and pray, “O lord, have mercy on this soul.” At such a time only a
God-realized soul can be of help to you. O Nanak, break from undeveloped
company and seek the realized soul; they will leave you while living, but even
after death he will never leave. Worldly companions cannot be with you
always, so why not seek one who will be a constant companion? And who is that? He
is what is known as a Master, Sant, etc. A Sant is not necessarily he who is
seen in a particular garb, but rather is he who has realized the truth and has
become the mouthpiece of truth. Whoever goes to such a soul will on the first
day gain some experience in the science of rising above body consciousness, and
will learn how to increase this daily so that the soul might leave the body at
will – even one hundred times daily. All fears of death will be removed. And
remember this: the truly realized person will never teach you outer practices,
but recommends that whatever you have been doing up to now should be made full
use of by going ahead. Salvation can only be achieved by rising above.
Put you attention on that Higher place, where even Shiva is meditating. That
higher place lies above the senses, where it is said that lord Shiva is
meditating. This is why the inner or third eye is sometimes called the Shiv
Netra – Shiva’s Eye. Its position in the body is behind and between the
physical eyes, but is above the senses. If one’s full attention can be
concentrated there while living then the soul becomes free from the wheel of
life. With a little right understanding one can soon see that this life was not
meant merely for eating, drinking and gratifying all desires and passions. It
has a far nobler purpose, and those who do nothing to accomplish this purpose
in truth waste their lives. This pure, priceless, bodily gown you have
dirtied, spot upon spot. It is a priceless gift, this human form – king
of all the species. It is written in the Koran that when the human being was
made, the angels were ordered to bow before that form. It is the temple of the
Lord: keep it pure and clean. This body is the temple of God, wherein dwells
the Light of Truth. We keep the outer temples in spotless condition, but
what happens to the inner temple? We may spend thousands on toilet requisites
and beauty treatments, but inwardly the human form is filled with filthy
passions of the senses. Even a dog sweeps the ground with his tail before
sitting, and even for an insignificant called one will quickly tidy up the
home; and yet we want the Emperor of all existence to manifest in our heart. Can
he manifest in a dirty heart? Inside we are black with deeds, outwardly fair
and attractive; Yet we wish to copy the pure and chaste one. The enjoyments and passions have blackened our
hearts – we are filled with jealously, greed, anger, lust, backbiting and more.
To all outer appearances however we are pure and clean and make a grand show by
copying the God-realized person. If you cover a dunghill with silk, will it
then issue a forth fragrance? Nature says no. if you cover a block of ice with
a thick blanket, it will still give off its coolness. We have the human form,
in which we can realize God , but we are daily soiling our lives with more and
more spots. Even the dirt alone will eat away the texture. An ethical life is
the most important stepping stone toward spirituality. Certain disciplines of
the Hindus called yama and niyama were made for this, as was also the eightfold
path of the Buddha, the four fasts of the Jains, and Christs Sermon on the
Mount. O Nanak, take the Name of the Lord when the heart is pure; you are
trying to absorb the lies of the world. His Name should not be on your
tongue if you have a dagger in your pocket with which to kill someone. You may
deceive the whole world, but can you deceive the Lord? Even for the world, the
cat will be out of the bag sooner or later, for one cannot hide a lie forever,
and in the end it will come out in the open. Why light this worldly fire for only two days
of life? Why waste the only two days of life in the fire of
enjoyments? Soon you must leave it all behind. And why were you given this
life? Life is duty; life is Love; Life is the holy gift of God. Anger, envy, arose in the heart of man, like a
serpent. These ugly things reside in the heart. But the soul is
the image of love. For God is love, and he can only be realized through love.
The purpose of all outer practice is to develop devotion, to incite interest,
and to establish regularity. It is part of the soul’s innate nature to attach
itself to something, but unfortunately wherever it attaches itself results it
misfit. The soul is consciousness, and if consciousness is to enjoy peace and
happiness is must attach itself to some higher consciousness. If it gains some
brief enjoyments through attaching itself to matter, it does not means that the
matter is responsible for that; it is but a reflection of the souls own happy nature,
a reflection of consciousness. While the attention is focused on a certain
thing, it will go on enjoying, but when the attention is withdrawn the
enjoyment ceases. Is this not true? If this conscious entity, the soul, would
rejoin the greater consciousness, the over soul, become fully charged and come
into expression, all happiness would manifest in the whole being. But we do not
enter that place where the happiness lies. Instead we spend all our lives
searching in every other direction – North, South, East, West. Our Hazur used
to say that we are like the weaver’s shuttle which goes back and forth. We should have respect for all holy places; but why
were they made? They are there for the health of the soul. If one’s physical
body is sick, people say “Go to the hills and recuperate.” A few months
carefree relaxation in the high altitude and fresh clean air is very beneficial
and health giving. So the holy places had an ideal purpose; to strengthen the
soul by allowing it to withdraw from all the worldly affairs, leaving all
worries behind, and sitting at the feet of some realized soul. This was the
true purpose of the holy place, but today we have made them into holiday
resorts and have started our worldly enjoyments there also. I have been to Hardwar (a famous place of pilgrimage)
many times. Once a large number of Satsnagis gathered and requested a Satsang
be held. When the Satsang started, I said, “Brothers, this place is very
precious because many great rishis, Munis and Mahatmas have visited here at one
time or another. Guru Nanak came, also Guru Amar Das visited here off and on
over a period of seventy years. It is therefore a most auspicious site – but
what have we done to it? When one travels toward town from the railway station
one sees two cinema halls.” A man stood up and corrected me: “No, Maharaj,
there are now three!” Now tell me, is it the fault of the holy place? Consider
why they were built: was it due to thousands of the countries population
flocking there? No, the holy places become holy because a certain one or more
realized souls placed their holy feet there. Millions of people have been born
in Jerusalem, but today it is held holy by the whole of Christendom due to one
man – Jesus Christ. The greatness of each place of pilgrimage can be accredited
to at least some realized soul. Now what has more value? The realized soul, or
the place that became known because of him? We do become devotees of the holy books, but we do not
want that which the books recommend. We decorate our houses with photographs or
pictures of certain Masters and surround them with artificial flowers, etc.,
but we have no respect for a living Master. When the Masters come to the world,
we call them atheists or madmen. Many Masters have been treated like this
during their lifetime, but after they leave the world we start worshipping the
very ground they placed their feet upon. So, very lovingly the Master is helping us to
understand that the body is ours for a few days only, and eventually we must
leave it behind. God is love. The soul is of the same essence as he, and is
therefore also love. A true human being is one in whom love exists and is
expressed. How can a man be truly human if he does not express love? He should
have been the very epitome of love, he should have loved the Lord, and the Lord
in all beings, but instead he became like black cobra. Do you know what happens
when the cobra strikes? The place that he strikes upon starts burning; it is
very poisonous. A wound from a sword for instance can heal within ten or
fifteen days, but the wound from the human tongue never heals. When I visited
the West, some people asked, “How can we stem the danger of atomic war?” I told
them, “By living up to what your scriptures say.” And what do the scriptures
tell us? They tell us to love the Lord, and as the Lord is in each being, to
love everyone. |