THE MASTER’S TALK
Joyfully I
surrender
All Great souls who have come to this world told mankind, “You have
great potential within you, and you are therefore exceedingly blessed to have
been given human birth.” But what is the purpose of this human life? Why is it
highly praised, and what is this great potential it holds?
The value of human life lies in the fact that only in the human form
can God be realized. But we must remember that it is the soul which can
experience knowledge of the Lord – not the mind, not the senses, not the
intellect nor vital airs. Through every age this subject has been explained by
sages: that to establish clear understanding the intellect is made to work; but
as those sages have proved, realization is different matter. Intellectual
understanding at the level of mind and senses is useful and in nearly all
cases, necessary but man must gain knowledge of what he is - what is the soul – then only does it
become possible for Him to realize what God is.
So, on the spiritual path to God –realization, one must first take
steps towards self-realization. And what does it mean to know oneself? It is
not enough to merely say, “I am a conscious entity, I am soul.” This is just a
verbal expression of feeling, or is the sum total of inference gained by
reaching a conclusion through the intellect. Realization is something separate
from all this.
In the Upanishads, it says, when the senses are controlled, the mind
is stilled, the intellect is also stilled, then the soul is united. So it can
be understood from this that as long as the soul does not gain freedom from
mind, senses, and intellect, it cannot experience or know itself, and therefore
cannot experience God also. If this highest knowledge is not gained in life,
then man has not derived the full benefit or potential that lies within the
grasp as the human being.
We must create conditions wherein we can see the Lord, if we want to
realize Him. As long as I do not see with my own eyes, I cannot believe even
Guru’s words. All Master say that there is a God, that he is everywhere, that
there is no place without him. They say also that He resides in this body that
we are carrying, in which we also reside, and so the body is truly the temple
of God.. but in what form is the Lord experienced by the soul? He is
experienced in the form of light. To praise Him without having seen Him is like
a description of the sun by a blind man.
One Master advises to see him and then sing His praises; such
praises will bear forth fruit. But to be able to see Him, He mast be revealed
by one who has this spiritual sight already – one who can make others see also.
Who can reveal such knowledge? God has no father, mother, brothers or other
relative, so we must accept that he himself will reveal such knowledge? God has
no father, mother brother or other relatives, so we must accept that He himself
will reveal Himself, when and as He so wills, by his own mercy and through His
own methods. Electricity is everywhere, but we control it at a definite point
called powerhouse, electricity can be made to do our work. Just like this, God
is everywhere – there is no place without him but the soul can only get a
direct connection to Him through that powerhouse or pole where he is
manifested. The true temple of God is the body wherein the light of truth is
aflame. When he gives His darshan, He gives it in the form of the Light.
So without the Guru – the powerhouse in the world – one cannot have
this light. The very meaning of the word Guru is “dispeller of the darkness.”
He who gives his life-impulse through the light is the word made flesh and is
also called a Guru. He manifested Himself in the Guru and distributed the
shabd. It is most necessary that the seeking soul find someone in whom God has
manifested Himself, for only such a complete personality is competent to rejoin
the soul back to Him. God is everywhere, but He is not manifested everywhere.
Why? Because our soul – that spark of the all-consciousness – is under control
of mind and senses, and through its sojourn in creation has become the image of
the world, thereby forgetting its true self. It must just know itself, then it
can have the experience of the overself; if it does not rise above body
consciousness – how can God be manifested? Do you understand this?
All Masters have advised man, know thyself in their various
languages. What is it in the Guru that does this delicate work? It is God
manifested in the guru who performs the operation – it is the type of work that
God alone can do. Maulana Rumi says that God pointed out that he cannot contain
himself in all the heavens, the earth, or the skies he created, for none of
these are sufficient to contain him: O my loved one, believe in me, all
these things are incapable of containing me – I am so big. And yet I can dwell
in the heart of a true devotee – if you want me, go to him. Such a true
devotee is called sadhu, sant, mahatma, Master, etc. different outer garbs
cannot make a Masadhu, sant, mahatma, Master, etc. different outer garbs cannot
make a Mahatma. Many are accepted as great men in this world who can give
very powerful lectures, but have they realized God? How can anyone truly say he
has experienced that which he has never seen? Furthermore, this holds no
meaning for others unless they can be made to see also. It is a delicate point;
but it is most necessary for the true seeker to meet a competent person who can
reveal the Lord within.
God is most merciful; he continues to send these competent persons
to the world to help suffering humanity. Even the company of such a person is
highly beneficial to a soul; and what is infinitely important, one may do the
whole world’s work through the intellect and senses, but one cannot realize the
lord without the company of such a saint. Even the very best actions will not
enable you to realize God. It is only through seeking him and knowing that he
is the doer and not I, that the rounds of births and deaths can be stopped. A
true guru or saint must have the
knowledge himself and be able to give same experience to others so that they
may increase it steadily. The sant gave the capital to me. A little capital to
start with is worth something. Even in business, if a man gives a very fine lecture on how to succeed in business,
and yet the poor people listening have not a penny of their own to start with,
what is the use of the lecture, there would be some ground foe success.
Competent masters have come in every age, and will continue in every
age, and will continue to come. But how many know them? When Christ asked his
disciples, “whom do men say that I am ?” they answered, “some say John the
Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.” But when
he asked them, “whom say ye that I am?” Simon answered, “thou art the Christ.”
All good actions bear the fruit of reward, but unless one sees for
one’s own self, the I hood remains, and so we remain chained to the wheel of
births and deaths. How can the ego be
killed? Shabd burns the ego and attachment when the Gurumukh sees the Jyoti
within. It is then that one begins to see that the Lord is doing
everything. What can the poor wooden puppet do? The Puppeteer knows. I
will now related to you a hymn by one such great soul who had this realization:
The true facts and stories of the Lord are told by the guru, who is
the true friend;
Unto him I joyfully
surrender myself in sacrifice.
This is a hymn of guru Ramdas, who saw his Guru as he truly was: one
who spoke to them of his experience with God. There are those who give
statements about God from the level of the intellect; but there are the rare
few also who speak from actual experience. Many are just lecturers – we should be grateful to anyone who has taught
us even little. Every saint has his past and every sinner a future. Guru Amar
Das says, from the lowest I became pure, ever since I sat at God’s feet, in
the guru. I was like a stone sinking in water; he lifted me up, praise be to
the lord. When one is pulled up above the level of the senses, one realizes
how low one was. Great is the guru, who not only pulls us up and gives an
experience of the Lord, but remains our true friend always.
What is a true friend? A true friend is one who is always with you,
and never leaves you; he appears even when one is called upon to account for
one’s actions. Worldly friendship is plentiful enough – children, relatives,
acquaintances – but last only as long as selfish desires are fulfilled. Without
this, who remains faithful? The very same person who may appear to be a
beneficent friend at one moment can turn into a thief at the next. A true
friend is one who will remain with you always – even when you have to pay up
your accounts. This is true Guru. What is more: he gives new life, and through devotion connects you with the
lord. He bestows a new life upon us; and what is that new life? It is
light, it is sound. Out of his mercy, he gives his own life-impulse; and
nothing could be a greater gift. You can find many who will give gifts of
money, clothing, articles, etc.; but how many can give their very life? With
this life impulse he enthuses new life into others, and if the account are to
be rendered, he will do that also. And for whom will he do all this? For a
gurusikh only – a true disciple of the guru.
He says that one would give oneself in complete surrender or
sacrifice unto such a guru. Brothers, would you not also joyfully surrender at
the feet of a complete guru, if you were fortunate enough to meet one? But make
sure you surrender only to him in whom the truth is awakened. Guru Ramdas is
telling us about his guru. Only a true Master can how he has found a true
Master, and how abounding and unlimited is his guru’s love. Only those with
full faith can ever come to know of it; but how many have the inner conviction
of their Guru being a Guru? He who really knows what the Guru is becomes a
Gurumukh.
Come, my gurusikh, come;
You are the beloved of my guru.
Who is actually beloved of the guru? He who becomes a true disciple
– who lives up to the teachings of the guru – who obeys the Guru’s every
command. Such a follower is a gurusikh. Otherwise he is a mansikh or disciple
of the mind. Who loves a true disciple? Whoever has true love for his guru.
Would anyone who truly loved his Guru stand and fight in the court, or tell
lies and cheat, as some people do? How could anyone do this type of thing if he
truly loved his Guru? Try to understand these things fully, for they are an
integral part of the Masters teachings. A person who declares love for his Guru
and sits at his feet should have love for each and every other person coming to
his feet – especially those who are on the same path. And he who has this true
love for everyone is a gurusikh. He says, O Gurusikh, let me embrace you. Why?
Out of love for his Guru.
In the story about the between Laila and Majnu, it is said that one
day Majnu was seen kissing the feet of a dog, and when he was asked why he was
doing this, he replied, “I have seen this dog on occasion going along the
street where my Laila lives.” This is an example of the extent of event the
worldly kind of love, so if people say they love their guru and do not love one
another, this is nothing but a lie. It is also a lie if anyone claims love for
God and yet does not love him in whom he is manifested. One’s whole life can be
changed with meditation and love for the guru. The guru will then appear
within. This is why Christ advised his disciples, if ye love me, keep my
commandments.
The dear ones often ask, “How can we develop love for you?” you have
all been given the proof of this path, so remain linked with it; for the more
you are joined to that, the more will the love flow out of that union. This is
the only thing lacking.
God likes God’s own attributes –
Which can be realized through the Guru.
Here he is telling us that God loves anyone who tries to adopt his
own attributes; so we should find out what they are, and also inculcate them
into our being. If there is a vacancy in a certain office, and the man in
charge has good talent in handwriting, he will naturally be more attracted to
those applications which have been written in a good hand. So if we desire the
Lord’s pleasure, we should adopt His attributes. But how can we know what they
are, when no one has seen Him? We can only observe his attributes as they are
demonstrated in the Guru, who is the Word made flesh – God manifested in human
form. Whatever God’s attributes are, the Guru will have them. By loving the
Guru, and placing all our attention on him, we can imbibe all virtues, and
those very virtues will then manifest in us. As a man thinks, so he becomes. If
one goes on thinking of some depraved person who has broken away from God and
all things God-like, one will become like that in a short space of time. The
Lord’s love is innate in whomsoever He has manifested Himself. God’s attributes
can be seen when you see the Guru.
When my Guru, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, was stationed in the Murree
Hills while in service, he returned to his residence one day, and as he entered
the courtyard a man passed him on his way out. when the Master inquired from a
servant what was the nature of the man’s visit, he was told that the man was a
tuberculosis patient who was looking for accommodation, but no one was giving
him a place. The Master then asked why he was told that not only was the man
suffering from tuberculosis, but worse than that, he was an atheist. Hazur
said, “Even if the poor fellow does not know there is a God, at least we know;
and what is more, God is in Him also.” The man was at once called back and
given a room in Hazur’s house. This is a simple example of God’s attributes
being expressed His own qualities? If you have not yet seen the Lord, then you
will find His qualities manifested in whosoever He has manifested, who sees him
and can give you an experience of Him. Even though you may try and leave Him,
such a friend will never leave you. As Christ said, Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. Our Hazur
also used to say, the Guru will never leave Him who has been given the
Naam.
In 1962 a certain man wrote to me for the first time since his initiation
nine years earlier. He complained of many things and at the end of the letter
said, “I am leaving you.” I replied to him, “No matter what you do, the Power
will never leave you.” The Guru does allow a long rope, in order to test the
disciplines depth in the water, but he never leaves Him.
When Pakistan was formed, many trainloads of Muslims left India to
take up residence in Pakistan. Hazur gathered a number of discipline together
and took baskets upon baskets of bread to distribute to the weary traveling
people. Whoever truly loves God, truly loves each and every being, regardless
of religion, caste, or nationality.
We are enraptured by those who obeyed the Guru.
He explains that he could even sacrifice himself for anyone who
lives completely according to the Guru’s wishes. The Guru may give happiness or
misery, for he has to make a beautiful form from a rough piece of stone and
therefore has to wind up all the karmas; but a true follower will never
complain, no matter what condition he has to face in life – no matter what
hardship the Guru allows.
The stages of discipleship are many. Using a worldly example to
explain a spiritual matter, we can take a married woman whose heart is not with
her husband. In the world’s eye, she is respectably married to one man; but in
fact she is not a faithful wife. On the other hand, there is the type of wife
who, although she remains faithful, yet is constantly demanding something from
the husband. Her demands never cease; though her neighbors may be starving she
will have concern only for her own selfish desires. There is yet a third kind
of wife, who does request her husband to supply various needs, but if he does
not comply she accepts the facts and drops the subject. The fourth and last
type of wife is one who loves her husband, what more is required? This is the
highest kind of love.
Guru Ramdas goes on to tell of the greatness of the gurusikh:
I will sacrifice for him who has seen the beloved Satguru.
There is so much love in the statement . One glance from such an
imbued person is enough to change one for life. It never wears off. Hazrat
Junaid Sahib once went to the house of the Prophet Mohammed, but the Prophet
was not at home at the time, so Junaid Sahib left. When the Prophet Mohammed
arrived, his servant told him if Junaid had spoken to him. The servant said
that he had not. “Then did you have his darshan at least?” asked the Prophet.
The servant explained that he had arrived on the scene just as Junaid Sahib was
leaving, and only caught glimpse of his back. The Prophet told him, “You are
indeed blessed with good fortune to see the back of such a great soul.”
Just consider this story carefully. You want parshad, but with what
kind of mouth will you eat it? Guru Ramdas is saying that he is willing to
sacrifice himself for that fortunate person who received even a brief glimpse
of his Guru. People usually have a very critical attitude toward each other:
one is not initiated, another has no Guru whatsoever, another belongs to a
different religion, and so on. But Guru Ramdas says he would sacrifice himself
for anyone who had seen his Guru. Only a realized person who sees the Truth can
sincerely make such a statement, for he sees the Lord in everyone, and has love
for each and every individual because of this – whether they call Him
Paramatma, Khuda, God, Shabd, Naam or any other name. God is in all men, even
in those who do not realize or believe it. In the first epistle of John, he
tells us, if a man says “I love God”
and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom
he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? John also says, and this
commandment have we from him [Christ], that he who loveth God loveth his
brother also.
I will not sacrifice myself for those who serve the Guru,
Hari, Hari, is Your Name;
In the depth of our misery
You appear;
By serving the Guru, the Gurumuk gains his freedom.
There are four kinds of people who journey towards God. One is a
gurusikh – the beloved of the Guru. Another is he who lives according to the
Guru’s wishes. Yet another is he who is fortunate enough to have seen the Guru.
Fourth is the still more fortunate one who has the opportunity to serve the
Guru. And who can truly love all these disciples? Only he who loves the Guru truly,
who, in the Guru’s company, has had the love of the Lord awakened in him.
How is this kind of love developed? It can only develop through
contact with Naam, whereby the love which is innate will break forth, manifest
and overflow. If you sit beside a fire, all your chills will leave. Similarly,
to sit beside something cool, such as ice, all heat in body fades away. Many,
many blessings can be yours when connected to the Naam, for it is the most
powerful force. Hari, Hari, is the pure Naam which created all creation. The
supreme Lord is nameless, but He came into expression; and that expression is
called Naam. Naam is controlling Kahnd and Brahmand. We can go as far as to
say, “Oh Lord, this Naam of yours is the dispeller of all unhappiness” – and
where can we get it? Through the grace of the Guru – and then by serving him.
Merely bowing down before him does not make a disciple; one must obey him, and
then bow before him in devotion. This is what is meant by serving him. In the
Gurbani it is written, Satguru’s words – words are the Satguru. Whoever bows
down to his words and obeys them is a true gurusikh. Otherwise, the whole world
sees the Satguru, but by just seeing there is no salvation; as long as love for
the satguru’s shabd is not developed.
What is the Naam? There is the word Naam – just as there is the word
“Water,” or pani, aqua, aab, etc. but by merely repeating the word “Water,” or
pani, aqua, aab etc. but by merely repeating the Word “Water” ones thirst is
not quenched, until the liquid which is denoted by the word “Water” is drunk.
When Christ met the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, she was surprised when he
asked her to give him water, knowing that the Jews did not mix up with
Samaritans. But Jesus explained that if she really knew who it was that was
asking her for water, she would have asked him for the Living Water, by
drinking which all thirst is quenched forever. So that water of life is also
know as Naam. It is the God - in - expression Power , which came into Being,
and which has two phases – Light and Sound. A connection with this awakens the
soul and makes it aware of the God within. It is no good saying, “dollar,
dollar,” if one wishes to have money;
it must be earned in some way. By uttering the name of the Lord, one may gain
some small interest in Him, or get some direction toward Him, which will
certainly earn good karma; but it does not give a connection with Him, which
will certainly earn good karma; but it does not give a connection with Him. It
is something quite different to see that Power working in reality, and to
thereby know that oneself is not the doer of anything.
Naam can be given through the Guru only, who is the Naam or the word
made flesh. Only the Lord himself can give His own gift, and He is working
through the form of the Guru. Though he resides in every form, it is only the
Guru who can give the way up by bringing the soul above the senses. So there
are two indications by which the seeker can know that he has got the
connection: the Naam’s two phases must be experienced within – the light and
the sound, or the music of the spheres. God comes in the form of light. And
that personality where He is manifested will give that new life of Light to the
true seeker. Many will give happiness or worldly achievement, but how often can
you find someone to give his own life-impulse? Through his life impulse you get
the bhakti and the connection with God. It is the Satguru’s work. And, with the
Gurumukh’s bhakti, the sound is easily heard. A Gurumukh is he who has become
the mouthpiece of his Guru, one who truly takes the Guru as the ever-present
Lord and keeps his head low before all his Guru’s commands. Thereby he has
become the mouthpiece of God. It is a constant law which never changes.
God –realized souls are always present in the world, but in the past
they were few, and even now they are very rare. Who then are the privileged
ones who get to meet them? Those whose hearts are true. Those without deceit in
the heart not only have the privilege of the Lord’s own arrangements for
meeting the Guru; with a clean heart they are able to absorb the full benefit
of that meeting. The best attitude of mind is to sincerely serve in humility,
and in more and more humility. Then the Guru will come by himself. God himself
makes the soul hungry – then he feeds it. There is really no need to worry
about anything: simply be sincere and true to your own self. He has sent you to
the right place; and He is the giver. It is a very subtle and exacting subject;
what can I say about it? If a person thinks of him as a Guru outwardly,
tremendous change will take place; and if that person gets the higher contact –
then?
Hafiz sahib once wrote a poem in Arabic saying that if once wrote a
poem in Arabic saying that if one should leave one’s home and go to the wild
places. Bhai Nandlal was great gurubhakta (of Guru Gobind Singh) and when he
read this, he said, “God? Who was nearby. He then added, “Where will you go?
What is here.” Who can say this sort of things with any accuracy? Only he whose
eyes is developed – he who has seen, and then speaks of what he has seen. Those
who boast of their Guru without truly seeing what he is speak without real
knowledge; their words are empty. For such people the Guru is the Guru when
conditions are favorable, but when the conditions become difficult they turn
their back on him.
Those who do the dhyan of the Naam are accepted at God’s court;
For them, O Nanak, will forever sacrifice myself.
Those who meditate on Naam not only succeed spiritually but in
worldly attainment also. They are the lighthouses which give Light to the whole
world – as long as they are in the world. Christ also said, as long as I am in
the world I am the light of the world [John 9:5]. When they leave, another
Light replaces them, in an unbroken chain. So there is always food for the
hungry and water for the thirsty. The Master gives the Light, and when he
leaves, whoever has become attuned to him continues the work, when the Master
hands over that precious gift to him. One bulb fuses, but another is put in its
place; and when that fuses another is placed, and so on. But the light remains
the same; the light is the Guru, not the body , although the physical form is
respected because of the Light working in it and shining forth from it.
We find throughout history
that whatever land has been touched by the holy feet of the Master is
worshipped and their names are praised, but while they are living in the world
very few value them or recognize them. Guru Nanak was termed an atheist, but
when he left the world many places he frequented became places of pilgrimage.
But if one gains faith and knowledge in what the Guru is while he is in the
world, what more is needed? For he is the one who will give. And whoever loves
the Guru, and loves all who go to him, is truly a gurusikh.
Whatever pleases Thee, O Lord,
That is the real worship;
The Gurumukh is one who truly serves the Guru – he sees and enjoys
God.
What can cause the Guru’s pleasure? There is no criterion for that.
Whatever may appeal to him may entice his pleasure; for instance, the way a
true Gurumukh lives by serving the Lord in humility, having love for everyone,
and whose meditation is fruitful. This kind of service is true, and is likely
to appeal to the Guru; so first become a Gurumukh, then only one can truly
serve the Lord. Satguru Paul said, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
There is also, father and son are drenched in the same color. It is a condition
which comes when the inner knowledge is really awakened. God’s attributes are
in the Guru, and Guru Ramdas is saying that if even the slightest reflection of
that is seen in the disciple, then he would sacrifice himself for such a
follower. Guru Nanak sahib had one such follower, who later became Guru Angad.
Guru Angad had one disciple who was a Gurumukh and he became Guru Amar Das, the
Master of Guru Ramdas who has written this hymn. So, first and the last lesson
on the path of spirituality. Those who do not obey, who show one thing on the
face and feel something different in the heart, will never gain the Guru’s
pleasure.
God never leaves those who have true love for Him.
God is with those who love Him each and every moment; they are aware
of Him. If only truly loves someone, does not that person reside in one’s
heart? In that case, no one can love any other? This constant loving
remembrance of a loved one comes after getting to know them, living together in
harmony; but what real love can one have for someone has never seen, known, or
lived with? We cannot develop love by just saying we love.
Whenever the beloved is remembered by such, new life surges within.
So the Gurumukh’s life is lived in constant remembrance. The new
life starts from initiation, and then he lives on remembrance, remembrance,
remembrance which increases that new life – it begins to surge within. As a
person thinks, so does he become. It starts as a remembrance, but eventually
the remembrance occurs by itself – that means he has become that very
remembrance. Only a person who has given his heart to another can know what it
means to give the heart. It is a practical matter, for in true love there is no
incessant remembrance of the loved one – perpetual. Gurumukh’s remembrance is
only one- continuous. It continues without pause of end, unlike us who remember
many times with breaks in between. What kind love is here today and gone
tomorrow – with this person one day and another the next? Love is only one.
That is not love which changes. And the truest love is that which the soul
receives through experience; that never changes.
I am a sacrifice to those who serve the Gurumukh with love;
He is free himself, he frees his family, and the whole world.
Here he is not speaking of the Guru but the Gurumukh; and those who
serve the Gurumukh sincerely with love not only will receive salvation for
themselves, but also for their relatives and friends, for the Gurumukh comes to
give salvation to the whole world. Gurumukh frees millions with a spark of
Naam. His resources are everlasting, but those people who have gained a little
and start distributing it everywhere only end up with regret. They are doomed
themselves and so are those who follow them.
Guru serves the Lord with love – hail to the Guru’s name;
Guru showed the way to God – O sacred endeavor!
Now he speaks of the Guru with praise, for he truly serves the Lord.
He shows the way to those seeking the Lord by connecting them to the Naam;
there can be no higher service, no more sacred service. Many take payment for
what they do in God’s name, but he gives freely – just as God is free. It is
the blessing of the Guru.
Gurusikh who serves the Guru are fortunate;
Again and again, O Nanak, do I sacrifice myself on them.
There can be no higher destiny than this; for human birth comes with
past good actions, and after receiving the human birth, those who become true
disciples of a true Master have great virtue awakened within them. people who
have the darshan of such a soul, or who serve them, also receive the Guru’s
blessing:
All Gurumukh are beloved sisters in God, who are accepted by Him.
To gain the Guru’s pleasure is to gain the Lord’s pleasure, for the
Lord is manifested in him. Though we have all respect for the physical form
wherein He resides, yet the Guru is not the physical form; he is the Shabd in
the physical form. Guru Gobind Singh explains it in this way: from beginning to
end, there is only One – and that is our Guru. That Power has ever been One,
and always will be. The true Master never says, “I am the Guru,” but
rather “God is the Guru.” Guru Gobind
Singh sys, think of me as the servant – but there is no difference between us.
He also says I have come to see the world’s play. He tells us that he was
ordered by the Lord to go into the world and work, and also that those who say
they are the Guru are not Gurus. How can the one who sees the God Power working
say that he is the Guru doing everything? The true God cannot say it.
They shine in the Lord’s court, and He embraces them.
Those who becomes gurusikh are the Lord’s soul, but he also has love
for the others who go to the Guru’s court; he has love for all mankind, for
those who love the Lord, love everyone. He suffers with the sufferer – and the
result? O Nanak, the Naam is ever-ascending; may peace be to all the world
over, under thy will, O Lord. A Muslim Prophet explains that if one part of the
body has pain, the rest feels it in sympathy. He is likening this to those who
have love for the Lord. Excuse me, but where are those with love? Today it is
like a business in the Lords name. One Master says, think of the lowly as
great, if in his heart the Lord dwells. There is no heart greater than that in
which the Lord resides. That physical form is beautiful in which the Lord
resides. The eyes become astounded to see this sight – that form in which the
beloved is manifested.
Give us darshan of those Gurumukhs absorbed in Naam;
We would wash their feet and drink that water.
There is a Sikh daily prayer which says, give us association with a
Gurumukh, company of a sadhu, color of the Naam; O beloved, through such true
connection, Naam awakens within one. The saint’s darshan is invaluable. Washing
the feet is an expression of love. Majnu wanted to kiss the dogs feet because
it had walked along the street where his beloved Laila lived. Surely lovers of
the Lord should respect that form in which He resides. We are lacking in love.
Our love is not true love; it is driven by selfish motives. The heart is the
rightful abode of the Lord – do not let anyone or anything else live there.
Chewing betel-nut and betel leaf, a cigarette in his mouth – God is
never remembered by such people, and the Lord of death will take them.
He has been speaking about the Gurumukh, and now he refers to the
typical manmukh who even by mistakes never thinks of the Lord at all, and lives
only for worldly enjoyments. This type of person ends up in the hands of Yama,
the Lord of Death. the continuous cycle of births and deaths that they revolve
on cannot be broken. If you appropriate anything from another, you will have to
return it in some way or other. If you hurt someone, you will have to bear the
reaction of that also. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
Enlightened are the hearts of those who remember the Lord;
Yama cannot approach these gurusikhs, the Guru’s beloved.
The Lord of death has no power over those who have received the Naam
and who have true love for the Lord. He rules only over that which is governed
by the law of debt and payment. He who oppresses no one and hurts no one, who
sees the Lord above, and in all things is filled with a serene tranquility –
how can such a person be under any law? If he in whom the Lord is manifested
places his hand upon someone’s head, the Lord of death will not be able to come
near that person either. What power has the Lord of Death in the face of such
light? He cannot enter the place where a true gurusikh is sitting, not to speak
of anything else. To become a gurusikh is a great thing.
God’s name is a priceless treasure, known only by the gurusikh;
O Nanak, those who see the Satguru, they dwell in bliss.
Naam can only be properly valued by those who now what it is, those
who then live in the Lord’s color instead of
the worlds color. Outside there is light and music, inside there is
Light and sound. Worldly people are in a state of intoxication through the worldly
atmosphere, and those who have met the True form and live their lives according
to the Guru’s behests hear the inner Sound twenty-four hours a day. This inner
Light is infinitely more attractive than any outer light or sight, and gives a
vastly different intoxication of Naam, O Nanak, inebriates day and night. Guru
Nanak met the famous King Babar and boldly told him, “The intoxication you
enjoy in the evening wears off in the morning, but the intoxications I enjoy
remains night and day.” it is the soul’s color – or you can call it the color
or Ram. He who meets the Satguru and follows his word, gets this color.
Satguru is the giver of this blessing, which he gives out of
compassion.
It is not an ordinary gift, and it can only be got from a Satguru.
He gives you the gift from the Lord, Who has manifested Himself in him. He sees
the child’s misery and in compassion saves him from wretchedness. The Father
has great love for His children, and the more unhappy they are, the greater is
his compassion – especially in this dense Kali yuga. Through his compassion, at
least those who have their faces turned to Him can be saved, if not all.
I sacrifice myself on the guru who gave me Naam; Praise be to him
who brought us this message of God.
He is full of praise for such a Guru – at least we should value this
gift, and take full advantage of it. Kabir says, we are the knower of the
secret of that faraway Home, bringing the Lord’s orders. It is give free, out
of the Lords orders. It is given free, out of the Lord’s compassion; but,
excuse me, there is hardly anyone to take it, and from those, very few
receivers value it. Most of them are like the women who marries for outer
appearance of respectability only, and then lives in an outrageous and immoral
manner.
Listen to the complete Guru’s advice, and see Par Brahm brought
nearer. The purpose of Naam is that one should be aware of the Lord always. But what is
the use of advice from those who are not exemplars of it? This is why people
cannot escape from the law of birth and death. man must be sincere to his own
self. I always advise, “Be true to yourself, God is within you and Guru is
within you.” Could a person go on sinning if he was constantly aware of the
Lord within him? We first deceive ourselves and then others. Many people forge wills, cheat, lie, give false
evidence – the courts are full of such liars – forgive me. But no one can
deceive God who is within each and every man.
When gazing upon the Guru, I blossom forth;
This is the condition of one of those who beloved has come: he
cannot take his eyes from his beloved, and the more he gazes, the more he
blooms. Guru Ramdas greatly loved his Master, Guru Amar Das Ji, who lived for
more than one hundred years. His love was so strong that he would attend all his
Master’s needs in constant service. If one has true love for someone, that love
extends to the body also. Maulana Rumi Sahib explains in this way: that this
love is the love of the soul, and yet, when one sees even the physical form of
the loved one, great happiness and joy sprouts forth within.
The Guru’s tongue speaks out the words drenched with ambrosial
beatitude of Naam;
For those who obey his words, the inner hunger will be satisfied.
The Guru’s tongue is drenched with the Lord’s Nectar, and when it
speaks a charged intoxication radiates forth; so wherever the Guru goes, he
intoxicates others. No matter how sweet may be the words of a lecture, if the
person delivering it is not imbued with the
love of God, there will be no spiritual effect. When the Guru’s words
are heard and put into practice, all hunger leaves, and that charging gives a
tranquil and perfect peace.
How can I travel the path of the Lord?
He asks this question, and then he himself answer it:
Naam is Thy Naam, O Lord, which helps here and hereafter.
To return to the spiritual home, Naam is the means; and it lies
within each being. When the connection to Naam is made, it then must be
increased. It is the treasure of the two worlds: physical and spiritual. When
you meet the Sant, brothers, value the true Naam; This treasure of life remains
here and hereafter. It is potent in both phases of life.
Those who love the Lord, love everyone; but this can only happen in
one who has seen the Lord within. Guru Arjan Sahib, the fifth Guru of the
Sikhs, had the foundation stone of the holy city of Amritsar laid by the Muslim,
Hazrat mian Mir, Chaju Bhagat, and Guru Arjan were great friends. When they get
that higher degree, all are one: there is no consideration of religion or
different outer society. When the illusion lifts, who is a Hindu, who is a
Turk? This is the Truth.
Gurumukh who have worshiped the Lord have the wealth of the Emperor.
Master are often called Emperors, for they have an abundance of the
true wealth, and the Gurumukh is the one who receive liberally from the Guru’s
treasure house.
I sacrifice myself on that Satguru, who is one with his Guru’s
words;
You are the Lord, the Master, the Saviour;
Your virtues are intrinsic, Your pleasure is the true bhakti,
You are one color, yet all colors;
O Nanak, Your pleasure is the best things.
This is a hymn of Guru Ramdas, but all Master come for all mankind.
They are the light of the world – as long as they remain in the world. One bulb
fuses and another is placed there to continue the supply. We are all the Lord’s
children, and He has concern and compassion for us all. There is, therefore
bread for the hungry and water for the thirsty.
The Case For
Chastity
Introduction
Perhaps the most difficult to keep of Master’s commandments,
especially for young, men is chastity. The society we live in is so permeated
with sexuality, and most of us have been surrounded since birth by so many
people and so much material inundated with unchaste preconceptions, that the
concept of self-restraint comes hard.
And yet, experience shows that the Master’s teachings on his subject
are grounded firmly both in spiritual necessity and in human nature. It does
not takes us long to discover, if we are serious about the Path and our
commitment to it, that sexuality and inner experience are incompatible; and
once we get past the fears and prejudices that have been implanted in us by all
segments of society (including, sadly the churches), and actually live for a
while free from the addiction to sex, we begin to discover for ourselves the
peace and contentment that real chastity brings.
We have learned that the first step toward an honestly chaste life
is intellectual acceptance of the value of chastity. Since most of us have been
assuming the opposite for years, anything that goes to reinforce the concept in
our mind is helpful. And if we realize that the Master’s teaching is thoroughly
and completely in harmony with all Masters who have come as well as an
astonishing number of great men in all walks of life, we may perhaps feel more
secure in our own practices.
The following article, made up of excerpts from the writing of
Masters and great men, is a step toward this understanding. It is only a
beginning; much remains to be said. God willing, a complete and thoroughly
documented inquiry into the physiological and psychological consequences of
chastity will shortly appear in these pages, in which many question left
unanswered in this article will be taken up. One point only might be mentioned:
all Master and others who understand the value of chastity have consistently
opposed the use of contraceptives (Mahatma Gandhi, for example, has written
explicitly and at great length on this point). This has led many critics to
feel that the Masters and others are out of touch with the modern world and its
tremendous problem of over-population, and have consistently advised their
disciples to have small families. But they also know that all attempts to
subvert the basic natural law (in any field) brings new problem in its wake
which are worse than the one that is supposedly being cured.
The commonly expressed opinion that chastity is an unworkable and
unnatural alternative to contraceptives is effectively refuted by observing the
condition of inhabitants of the Hanza Valley in northern Pakistan. These
people, known throughout the world for their excellent health and long life,
are by no means Saints; they have nevertheless successfully practiced
population control by means of chastity for centuries. In 1949 a remarkable
American woman, Jean Bowie Shor, visited the Huna valley as part of an epic journey
in the footsteps of Marco Polo. This is what she says:
“While marriage is important, so is
birth control. There are only a limited number of arable acres in Hunza, and if
the Hunzukuts had as many children as other Asiatic or Oriental people, there would
soon be serious overpopulation. Centuries ago they solved the problem. When a
wife becomes pregnant she leaves her husband’s bed, not to return again until
the baby is weaned, two years for a girls, three for a boy.
“Families, therefore, are small, usually three of four children, and
the population does not vary appreciably…..”
and how this “unnatural” practice affect the Hanzukuts? Are they
nervous, weak, frustrated, repressed?
“ ‘We are the happiest people in the world,’ the Mir said with a
quiet sureness which precluded any boastfulness, ‘and I will tell you why. We
have just enough of everything, but not enough to make anyone else want to take
it away. You might call this the a Happy Land of Just Enough.
“The longer we stayed in Hunza the more we were impressed with the
stamina of the people. It is not unheard of for a Hunzukut to hike sixty miles
over the mountain trail in a single day. they climb mountains higher than any
in the United states with greater nonchalance than I show walking up four
flight of stairs in an apartment building . . . . .
“Sir Robert McCarrison, once surgeon general of India, describes the
Hunzukuts as ‘ unsurpassed in perfection of physique. . . . capable of great
physical endurance, and enjoying a remarkable freedom from disease in
general.’”
“Once the Hunzukuts were mighty mountains warriors, feared by the
surroundings countries.. . . . But now they live in serene peace with each
other and their nervous neighbors. There is no poverty in Hunza, and yet money
is not considered a necessity. . . .Longevity is a national characteristic.
While the arbab of Misgar was in his sixties, some of his advisers were
pressing a hundred. Many of the disease of civilization, including cancer, are
unknown. . .
“ ‘Tell us about the Mir,’ France asked. . . . And by the way, where
are the soldiers and police?’
“Nabi khan laughed. ‘There is no police,’ he said, ‘because there is
no crime. Therefore there are no jails. Nor does Hunza have an army. . . A few years ago the Mir had a small bodyguard,
but he disbanded it. Why should he have a bodyguard? He has no enemies.’”
“There are no doctors in Hunza – except an occasional foreign
medical man who visits to marvel at their phenomenal freedom from disease.
McCarrison, who spent some time in Hunza, noted the complete absence of ulcers
and dyscpepsia, as well as the non-existence of cancer.”
Pity the poor Hunzukut! Strong, healthy, contented, serene, happy –
and chaste. Living examples of what the Master means when he says, “Even if you
don't take up the spiritual way, I tell you, if you live a life of restraint,
you will have peace.” The Hunzukuts are not Saints; but they are men.
The selections following are given to demonstrate the fact that the
Master does not stand alone in his advocacy of restraint; consequently, only a
tiny part of his own writings on the subject are included. Those readers who
have not already read morning Talk 11, “Chastity – How to become
Self-centered,” in the book Morning Talks should do so, as it probably the
single most valuable writing on this subject extant. Also helpful is the
section “Chastity” in the booklet Seven Paths to Perfection.
1.
GAUTAMA BUDDHA
In response to this appeal, the blessed One addressed the assembly:
- Ananda has just requested me teach how to arrange a True Altar of
Enlightenment to which sentient being of this last kalpa may come for
deliverance and protection. Listen carefully as I explain it to you.
Ananda and all in this assembly! In explaining to you the rules of
the Vinaya, I have frequently emphasized three good lessons, namely 1. The only
way to keep the Precepts is first to be able to concentrate the mind; 2. by keeping the Precepts you will be able
to attain Samadhi; 3. by means of Samadhi one develops intelligence and wisdom.
Having learned these three good lessons, one has gained freedom from the
intoxicatants and hindrances.
Ananda, why is concentration of mind necessary before one can keep
the precepts? And why is it necessary to keep the precepts before one can
rightly practice dhyana and attain samadhi? And why is the attainment of
Samadhi necessary before one may attain true intelligence and wisdom? Let me
explain this to you. All sentient beings in all the six realms of existence are
susceptible to temptations and allurements. As they yield to these temptations
and allurements, they fall into and become fast bound to the recurring cycles
of deaths and rebirths. Being prone to yield to these temptations and
allurements, one must, in order to free himself from their bondage and their
intoxication, concentrate his whole mind in a resolution to resist them to the
uttermost. The most important of these allurements are the temptations to yield
to sexual thoughts, desires and indulgence, with all their following waste and
bondage and suffering. Unless one can free himself from this bondage and these
contaminations and exterminate these sexual lusts, there will be no escape from
the following suffering, nor hope of advancement to enlightenment and
peacefulness. No matter how keen you may be mentally, no matter how much you
may be able to practice dhyana, no matter to how high a degree of apparent
samadhi you may attain, unless you have wholly annihilated all sexual lust, you
will ultimately fall into the lower realms of existence. In these lower Mara
realms of existence there are three ranks of evil ones: the Mara king, evil
demons, and female fiends, and all of them have each his and her own double who
disguise themselves as “angels of light” who have attained supreme Enlightenment.
After my Parinirvana, in the last kalpa of this world, there will be
plenty of all these kinds of evil spirits everywhere. Some of them will beset
you openly with avarice and concupiscence and others of them will pose as holy
and learned masters. No one will escape their machinations to lure them in the
swamps of defilement and thus to lose the Path to Enlightenment. Therefore,
Ananda, and all of you, should persistently teach the people of this world to
attain perfect concentration of mind, so that they may be able to practice
dhyana successfully and attain Samadhi. This is the clear teaching of all the
Blessed Buddhas of the past, and it is my instruction at the present, and it
will be the instruction of all Tatagatas of the future.
Therefore, Ananda, a man who tries to practice dhyana without first
attaining control of his mind is like a man trying to bake bread out of a dough
made of sand; bake it as long as he will, it will only be sand made a little
hot. It is the same with sentient beings, Ananda. They can not hope to attain
Buddhahood by means of an indecent body. How can they hope to attain the
wonderful experience of Samadhi out of bawdiness? If the source is indecent,
the outcome will be indecent; there will ever be a return to the never-ending
recurrence of deaths and rebirths. Sexual lust leads to multiplicity; control
of mind and Samadhi leads to enlightenment and the unitive life of Buddhahood.
Multiplicity leads to strife and suffering; control of mind and dhyana leads to
the blissful peace of Samadhi and Buddhahood.
Inhibition of sexual thoughts and annihilation of sexual lusts is
the path to Samadhi, and even the conception of inhibiting and annihilating
must be discarded and forgotten. When the mind is under perfect control and all
indecent thoughts excluded, then there may be a reasonable expectation for the
Enlightenment of the Buddhas. Any other teaching than this is but the teaching of the evil Maras. This is my first
admonition as to keeping the Precepts.
2.
JESUS CHRIST
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not
commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust
after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy
right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable
for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body
should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off and
cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should
perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
* * * *
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him,
Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, the he which
made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and the
twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twian, but one flesh. What
therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
They say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing of
divorcement, and to put her away?
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your heart
suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And
I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for
fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and who so marrieth
her which is put away doth commit adultery.
His disciples say unto him, if the case of the man be so with his
wife, it is not good to marry.
But he said unto them, all man cannot receive this saying, save they
to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their
mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of me: and
there be eunuchs for the kingdom of heave’s sake. He that is able to receive
it, let him receive it.
3.
RAMAKRISHNA
MAD! That’s the word. One must become mad with love in order to
realize God. But that love is not possible if the mind dwells on “woman and
gold.” Sex-life with woman! What happiness is there in that? The realization of
God gives ten million times more happiness. Gauri used to say that when a man
attains ecstatic love of God all the pores of the skin, even the root of the
hair, becomes like so many sexual organs, and in every pore the aspirant enjoys
the happiness of communion with the atman.
One must call on God with a longing hear. One must learn from the
Guru how God can be realized. Only if the Guru himself has attained Perfect
knowledge can he show the way.
A man gets rid of all desires when he has Perfect knowledge. He
becomes like a child five years old. Sages like Dattatreya and Jadabharata had
the nature of a child.
To be able to realize God, one must practice absolute continence.
Sages like Sukadeva are examples of an urdhareta [a man of unbroken and
complete continence]. Their chastity was absolutely unbroken. There is another
class, who previously have had discharges of semen but who later on have
controlled them. A man controlling the seminal fluid for twelve years develops
a special power. He grows a new inner nerve called the nerve of memory. Through
that nerve he remembers all, he understands all.
* * * *
RAMAKRISHNA (to Mahima): “What I said about aspirants
practicing continence is true. Without chastity one cannot assimilate these
teaching.
“Once a man said to Chaitanya: ‘You give the devotee so much
instruction. Why don’t they make much progress?’ Chaitanya said: ‘They
dissipate their powers in the company
of women. That is why they cannot assimilate spiritual instruction. If the one
keeps water in a leaky jar, the water escapes little by little through the
leak.’” Mahima and the other devotees remained silent. After a time Mahima
said, “Please pray to God for us that we may acquire the necessary strength.”
RAMAKRISHN: “Be on your guard even now. It is difficult, no doubt,
to check the torrent in the rainy season. But a great deal of water has gone
out. If you build the embankment now it will stand.”
4.
THOREAU
If it is
the result of a pure love, there can be nothing sensual in marriage. Chastity
is something positive, not negative. It is the virtue of the married
especially. All lusts or base pleasures must give place of loftier delights.
They who meet as superior beings cannot perform the deeds of inferior ones. The
deeds of love are less questionable than any action of an individual can be,
for, it being founded on the rarest mutual respect, the parties incessantly
stimulate each other to a loftier and purer life, and the act in which they are
associated must be pure and noble indeed, for innocence and purity can have no
equal. In this relation we deal with one whom we respect religiously even than
we respect our better selves, and we shall necessarily conduct as in the
presence of God. What presence can be more awful [i.e., awe-inspiring] to the
lover than the presence of his beloved? ….
Can love
be in ought allied to dissipation? Let us love by refusing, not accepting, one
another. Love and lust are far asunder. The one is good, the other bad. When
the affectionate sympathize by their higher natures, there is love; but there
is danger that they will sympathize by their lower natures; and then there is
lust. It is not necessary that this be deliberate, even conscious; but in the
close contact of affection, there is danger that we may stain and pollute one
another, for we cannot embrace but with an entire embrace.
We must
love our friend so much that she shall be associated with our purest and
holiest thoughts alone. When there is impurity we have “descended to meet,”
though we know it not . . .
There is
to be attributed to sensuality the loss to language of how many pregnant
symbols? Flowers which, by their infinite hues and fragrance, celebrate the
marriage of the plants, are intended for a symbol of the open and unsuspected
beauty of all true marriage, when man’s flowering season arrives.
Virginity
too is a budding flower, and by an impure marriage the virgin is deflowered.
Whoever loves flowers loves virgins and chastity. Love and lust are as far
asunder as a flower-garden is from a brothel….
A true
marriage will differ in no wise from illumination. In all perception of the
truth there is a divine ecstasy, an in expressible delirium of joy… The ultimate
delights of a true marriage are one with this.
No
wonder that out of such a union, not as end, but as accompaniment, comes the
undying race of man. The womb is a most fertile soil.
Some
have asked if the stock of man could not be improved, - if they could not be
bred as cattle. Let love be purified, and all the rest will follow. A pure love
is thus, indeed, the panacea for all the ills of the world.
The only
excuse for reproduction is improvement. Nature abhors repetition. Beasts merely
propagate their kind; but the offspring of noble men and women will be superior
to themselves, as their aspirations are. By their fruits ye shall know them.
5.
MAHATMA GANDHI
No, I must Declare with all the power I can command that sensual
attraction even between husband and wife is unnatural. Marriage is meant to
cleanse the hearts of sordid passions and take them nearer to God. Lustless
love between husband and wife is not impossible. Man is not a brute. He has
risen to a higher state after countless births in brute creation. He is born to
stand, not to walk on all fours or crawl. Bestiality is as far removed from
manhood as matter from spirit.
I submit that marriage is a fence that protects religion. If the
fence were to be destroyed, religion would go to pieces. The foundation of
religion is restraint, and marriage is nothing but restraint. The man who knows
no restraint has no hope of self-realization. If it is the latter, there is no
room there for libertinism. The spirit
needs must curb the flesh every moment.
Human society is a ceaseless growth, an unfoldment in terms of spirituality.
If so, it must be based on ever-increasing restraint upon the demands of the
flesh. Thus, marriage must be considered to be a sacrament imposing discipline
upon the partners, restricting them to the physical union only between
themselves and for the purpose only of procreation when both the partners
desire it and are prepared for it.
* * *
If the couple can think of each others as brother and sister, they
are freed for universal service. The very thought that all the women in the
world are one’s sisters, mothers or daughters will at once ennoble a man an
snap his chains. The husband and wife do not lose anything here, but only add
to their resources and even to the family. Their love becomes free from the
impurity of lust and so grows stronger. With the disappearance of this
impurity, they can serve each other better, and the occasion for quarrel become
fewer. There are more occasions for quarrel, where the love is selfish and
bounded.
If the foregoing argument is appreciated, a consideration of the
physical benefits of chastity becomes a matter of secondary importance. How
foolish it is intentionally to dissipate vital energy in sensual enjoyment! It is
a grave misuse to fritter away for physical gratification that which is given
to man and women for the full development of their bodily and mental powers. Such
misuse is the root cause of many a disease.
Brahmcharya, like all other observances,
must be observed in thought, word and deed. We are told in the Gita, and experience
will corroborate the statement, that the foolish man, who appear to control his
body, but is nursing evil thoughts in mind, makes a vain effort. It may be
harmful to suppress the body, if the mind is at the same time allowed to go
astray. Where the mind wanders, the body must follow sooner or later.
It is necessary to appreciate a distinction. It is one thing to
allow the mind to harbor impure thoughts; it is a different thing altogether if
it strays among them in spite of ourselves. Victory will be ours in the end, if
we non-cooperate with the mind in its evil wanderings.
We experience every moment of our lives that often while the body is
subject to our control, the mind is not. This physical control, the mind is
not. This physical control should never be relaxed, and in addition we must put
forth a constant endeavor to bring the mind under control. We can do nothing
more, nothing else. If we give way to the mind, the mind will pull different
ways, and we shall be false to ourselves. Body and mind may be said to go
together, so long as we continue to resist the approach of every evil thought.
The observances of Brahmcharya has been believed to very difficult,
almost impossible. In trying to find a reason for this belief, we see that the
term Brahmcharya has been taken in a narrow sense. Mere control of animal
passion has been thought to be tantamount to observing Brahmcharya. I feel that
this conception is incomplete and wrong. Brahmcharya means control of all the
organs of sense. He who attempts to control only one organ and allow all the
others free play is bound to find his effort futile. To hear suggestive stories
with the ears, to see suggestive sights with the eyes, to taste stimulating
food with tongue, to touch exciting things with the hands, and then at the same
time expect to control the only remaining organ, is like putting in one’s hand
in a fire and then expecting to escape being burnt. He, therefore, who is
resolved to control the one must be likewise determined to control the rest. I
have always felt that much harm is done by the narrow definition of
Brahmcharya. If we practice simultaneous self-control in all directions, the
attempt will be scientific and possible to success. Perhaps the palate is the chief
sinner. . . .
* * *
Brahmcharya here does not mean mere physical self-control. It means
much more. It means complete control over all the senses. Thus an impure
thought is a breach of brahmcharya; so is anger. All power comes from the
preservation and sublimation of the vitality that is responsible for creation
of life. If the vitality of husband instead of being dissipated, is transmuted
into creative energy of the highest order. This vitality is continuously and
even uncontinuously dissipated by evil, or even rambling, disorderly, unwanted
thoughts. And since thought is the root of all speech and action, the quality
of the latter corresponds to that of the former. Hence perfectly controlled
thought is itself power of the highest potency and can become self-acting. That
seems to me to be the meaning of the silent prayer of the heart. If man is
after the image of God, he has but to will a thing in the limited sphere
allotted to him and it becomes. Such power is impossible in one who dissipates
his energy in any way whatsoever, even as steam kept in a leaky pipe yields no
power. The sexual act divorced from the deliberate purpose of generation is a
typical and gross form of dissipation and has therefore been specially and
rightly chosen for condemnation. But in one who has to organize vast masses of
mankind for non-violent action, the full
control described by me has to be attempted and virtually achieved.
This control is unattainable save by the grace of God. There is a
verse in the second chapter of he Gita which freely rendered means: “Sense-effects
remain in abeyance whilst one is fasting or while the particular sense is starved; but the hankering does not cease except when one sees God
face to face.” This control is not mechanical or temporary. Once attained it is
never lost. In that state vital energy is stored up without any chance of
escaping by the innumerable outlets.
* * *
Today our entire environment – our reading, our thinking, our social
behavior – is generally calculated to subserve and cater for the sex-urge. To
break through its coils is no easy task. But it is a task worthy of our highest
endeavor….
* * *
Thus it is not proved to my satisfaction that sexual union in
marriage is in itself good and beneficial to the unionist. To the contrary
effect I can bear ample testimony from my own experience and that of my
friends. I am not aware of any of us having derived any benefit, mental, spiritual
or physical. Momentary excitement and satisfaction there certainly was. But it
was invariably followed by exhaustion. And the desire for union returned
immediately the effect of exhaustion had worn out. although I have been a conscientious
worker, I can clearly recall the fact that this indulgence interfered with my
work. It was the Consciousness of this limitation that put me on the tract of
self-restraint; and I have no manner of doubt that self-restraint is
responsible for the comparative freedom from illness and that I have enjoyed
for long periods and for my output of energy and work, both physical and
mental, which eye-witness have described as phenomenal.
6.
BABA SAWAN SINGH
Naam AND KAM are two of the terms used in our literature
(vernacular). Naam means “Word” or “Sound Current,” and Kam ordinarily means
lust or passion or indulgence in the sensual desires as opposed to
self-control; but in its wider sense, it means all outward tendencies of the
mind. Naam and Kam are, therefore, opposed to one another. The tendency of Naam
is toward the inlet pipe to a reservoir and Kam leads to the outlet pipe. The reservoir may be
filled if the inlet pipe is larger than the outlet pipe is small. But it cannot
remain filled if the outlet is wide open or even leaking. And the sooner the
outlet is stopped, the faster the reservoir will be filled.
Now, take Pinda, or the Physical body as the reservoir. So long as
the attention is at the eye focus, it is filling, but when the attention is
running below the eye focus, it is leaking. And the lower the attention below
the focus, the faster it is leaking. The sensual center is located very low;
therefore, playing of the attention on this center causes a enormous leakage,
and there is a considerable amount of dissipation of energy. Nobody feels
happier after the act of dissipation. That act is a happy act if it leaves you
happier. Kabir compares Naam and kam to day and night respectively. Day and
night do not go together. If there is a day, then there is no night; and if
there is night, then there is no day. If attention is given to Naam, there is
Kaam, and if it is given to Kaam, there is no Naam.. .. .
The world is the desigh of Kal and Maya, the negative forces. To
keep the soul down, they based the structure of the world on couples, man and
woman. If both man and woman were to catch the sound of Naam and rise up, both
would be free. Here, one holds down the other. And because we have not seen the
other side of the whole picture, we take our present existence and our
surrounding as the normal affair. Strictly speaking, we are living an abnormal
life. Soul combined with mind and matter is an abnormality.
The law admits of no exceptions. The longing of no exceptions. The
longing for Naam means turning your back on Kam. Turning your face to one means
turning your back to the other. Saints
find human nature weak. They make it strong, step by step. They attach the
individual to Naam and , slowly and slowly, as longing for Naam develops, the
karmic tendencies diminish.
Those who indulge in Kam for the sake of indulgence are doing no
good to themselves. To hide their ignorance or weakness, they call this
indulgence a physiological necessity and have gone to the extent of advocating
the user of contraceptives, etc. all this is due to the weakness of human nature.
Those who indulge for the sake of children should try to control themselves
when they have the required number of children. Now what fun is there in having
big families which they cannot support? The rest of life is spent as a family
donkey carrying its load. Again , to indulge after conception, and as the child
is dependent upon the mother, is something inhuman. Here again, to defend our
weakness is weakness, and no amount of defense will convert it into strength.
To rise up is a slow process, but to fall from a height is sudden.
Kam is sudden fall from a height is sudden fall of attention. Saints emphasize
the grandeur of Naam and bring it again and again to the attention of those who
come in their contact. They advocate looking up, while the world looks down.
Whenever Naam will become tasteful, Kam will disappear. There is no other way
of controlling kam. Raising the focus of attention automatically subdues Kam.
7. MAHARAJ KIRPAL SINGH
Marriage is a taking up of a
life’s companion on your earthly sojourn – through weal or woe – to help each
other in life and to help each other to know God. One duty may be of begetting
children; for which the scriptures lay down that this power should be used for
begetting children, and that we should rest from any such communion during the
conception period and also thereafter as long as the child is taking milk of
the mother. In this way, the child, the mother and the father will all be
healthy. Most of the diseases the people are suffering will be eliminated. The
saints say that if children are to be born, let them either become saints – or
donors to the poor and a servant of the needy – or else let them be valiant
ones who can protect the forlorn and the weak.
The saints do lead an ideal married life and when they take up such
a role, they stop such a course. So, married life is no bar to spirituality if
led in accordance with the scriptures. The partners in life are advised in
their best spiritual interest to observe chastity by leading a moderate life by
mutual cooperation. The check marks on the dairy forms are essential for the
people seeking improvement gradually. One learns by self-introspection and
careful living. The dear ones are not forbidden to marry or have homes. But
they should have an ideal family life flavored with the divine grace of the
Master Power. The young ones before marriage should be asked to lead chaste
lives, as chastity is life and sexuality is death. A lamp burns splendidly when
it has oil within, but if all the oil is leaked away, how can there be light? A
life of self-restraint goes to make body and brain strong.
Unfortunately, very few people have the right understanding as to
the importance of maintaining the chastity of life. It is because man is not
chaste that he is under the domination of other vices such as anger, greed and
attachment. If he were to control his sensual appetite, the other vices would
gradually drop away. So chastity is the key not only to the spiritual life but
also to the success in every field of endeavor. The pity it is that very people
who could help their fellow man, such as doctors and the clergy, are themselves
in the grip of sexuality and are hardly likely to recommend the practice of
that which they themselves are a prey to.