THE MASTER’S MESSAGE
For Christmas and the New Year
Dear once,
This blessed day of 25th
December 1971 is celebrated in the sweet remembrance of Christ when he
manifested at the human pole of Jesus for the guidance of the child humanity.
He was the light of the
world as long as he was in the world (John 9:5). He gave the light of life to
whosoever came in contact with him.
Each of the prophets and messiahs who is
sent into the world carries on his work of uniting souls to God. The law of
supply and demand is always his work of uniting souls to God. The law of supply
and demand is always working in nature: there is food for the hungry and water
for the thirsty; where there is fire, oxygen of its own comes to its aid. When
he full fills his mission, he is recalled, gathered up, and passes away from
the scene of his mission, he is recalled, gathered up, and passes away from the
scene of his activity on the earth plane.
Those in search of God are
ultimately led by the God Power of the feet of the Master saint –the “world
made flesh” – for the journey back to God.
“No man can come to me
except the father which has sent me, draws Him;last day of the earthly life, when the sensory currents
are withdrawn from the body.
You are taught to rise above
body consciousness by daily spiritual practices and meet the Master within. It
is only when the outward man perishes that the inward man (spirit) is renewed.
“For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same
shall save it” (Luke 9:24).
It is a pity that we have
made wonderful progress in all walks of life but woefully lack self –knowledge
and God –knowledge.
“what does it profit a man
to gain the possession of the world and lose his own soul?”
we are fortunate to have the
man body –which is the highest in all creation –in which we can know our selves
and develop God –consciousness.
The word “religious” is
derived from a Latin word, “ligare,” which, with its derivative, “ligament,”
means to bind. “Re” denotes “again,” so it means to bind back the soul to God,
which is a common heritage of all mankind.
Time and tide wait for no
man. We should do our utmost to achieve the object before us. –and my best
wishes are with each one of you.
KIRPAL SINGH
Life is a Game of Chaupar
During a meeting with madame
blavatsky, founder of the theophical society, the learned professors of Lahore
(then part of India) were most skeptical over many of her statements. A
particular professor remarked, “madame, what you are saying is a mere
rigmarole, what you are saying is a mere rigmarole and as impossible as flowers
raining down from the ceiling.” Madame Blavarsky calmly replied, “professor, do
you think that is impossible?” and at once, showers of flowers began to fall
from above, and the table became covered with fragrant blooms. Naturally, the
professors and others present were amazed, but Madame Blavatsky smiled and
explained, “ you see, it is all in accordance with the laws of nature, which
are hidden from most of us as yet.”
Many of natures laws are not
known to the common man. For instance, one’s length of sleep can be decreased
by natural law as much as you like, if one has the knowledge of that law. This
also applies to the intake of food, which can be decreased to a bare minimum
–one can decrease it to a single grain of rice, for instance. As for rest,
actual sleep is how. When prophet mohammed was asked if he slept, he replied,
“no, I do not sleep –my soul is ever awake –but my body sleeps.” In meditation,
when you rise above body consciousness, the body gets complete rest, and your
consciousness increases. When you resume the body, it is recharged and gets a
fresh lease on life.
In 1912, I saw an
interesting example of the use of Natures laws. There was a Muslim fakir, by
the name of Abdul Vahab, who allowed no one to remain in his room at his night,
yet he permitted me to come and go freely. In meditation, his body would rise
to an elevated position, several feet from the floor. You must have heard also
about the famous devotees, Dhruv and Prahalad who it is said used to elevate
their bodies. It is purely a matter of knowledge of these things and term them
miracles, but is a wrong term; they are according to the hidden laws of Nature.
Many such incidents occur in the lives of Saints, and if we also live as they
do, and according to their instructions, we will also become as knowledgeable
as they, for every Saint has his past and every sinner a future. One can say
that whoever is a master today, was like us yesterday. The man with an M.A.
degree was studying in the first class at one time. So those on the first rung
of the ladder will reach the top one day, if they go the right way about it.
The present conditions of
the world are not at all new – discord has ever been present in one degree or
another but it is the Masters and other sages who see the condition as it truly
is, in this critical stage. This land of rishis and munis has ever been
protected by the lord and always will be; but nevertheless, upheaval will come,
and for that the only answer is to love one another. Our religions are like
schools and colleges, and blessed are they, so remain in your own formations,
for when the masters come they all give the same advice: to sit together and
try to understand each other.
Guru Arjan Sahib was here at
a very difficult time in the religious history of India, and during those
drastic days he collected the words of the true masters into a comprehensive
omnibus – a work which can truly be called a banquet hall of spirituality. He
named it the Sri Adi Granth (i.e., “Supreme sacred scripture”) although it is
now called the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This monumental work serves as proof that
although they spoke in different languages, yet all masters have said the same
things, and have given the same teaching to mankind: that all human beings are
one, for God Himself made man, giving the same privileges to all; so none are
different. It is man who has made the religions and encompassed them in variety
of customs and rituals. Whenever masters came, they revised the ordinances to
meet the mode of the age, thereby affording continuance of their missions; and
as long as these realized souls were here, peace and happiness lasted. Unrest
and unhappiness returned some time after they left the scene. For want of them,
the formations which were made for a noble purpose dwindled down into
stagnation, which resulted in deterioration.
Truly, when we enter any religion
we join the Army of God, and thus all become God’s people, with no difference
one from another. While the master is here, there is right understanding that
first we are human beings, and also that each one is a soul in the human form.
Furthermore the soul’s caste is that of God, only he is the life sustainer, and
we are all his devotees. As long as this right understanding was prevalent man
had right thoughts, which followed through with right speech and right actions,
and peace reigned because of it. When man forgets this right understanding the
only solutions is for the master to come again to revive it; it is the saving
grace.
During the religious
troubles of the Muslims and Hindus in India, Kabir, Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan
singh and others came. The need is none the less great today, for in those days
there were principally two religions whereas today they are numerous: one on
top of another. But, he who sees becomes one in thought. Regardless of
language or mode of expression, whoever has seen the truth will say the same
thing, for the subject remains the same.
There is hymn of Guru Arjan
Sahib which deals with this subject, which I will now take:
Get together and become one,
my brothers;
Put aside your differences,
with love.
Masters think of all as brothers, being
the children of God, and therefore all are brothers and sisters in God. Guru
Arjan Sahib is explaining that our duality or diversity is the root cause of
all our misery, and while this remains, how can we expect to be happy? One
person’s rigid thought against another’s – this dogmatic attitude incites
conflict. All variance should be removed, but how? – for each one stubbornly
sticks in pride to his own views and insists that everyone else is wrong. True
understanding of ones religion is the only cure, for deep in each religion one
will find that every masters teaching was the same: for the purpose of helping
man to come nearer to God. All true masters awakened mankind to the realization
of oneness.
When I visited Rome, I met
the bishop in charge of the Roman Catholic Church’s relationship with other
religions. We had a heart to heart talk, and he said, “What we can all
understand by sitting together, cannot otherwise be understood at all.” It
stands to reason, if there are two charged bodies opposite to each other, there
will be sparks. If they become blended in one, there will be no sparks. Sitting
together in oneness avoids all that. What does it master how many different
religions, sects or dogmas there are – we are all men, and brothers and sisters
in God, are we not? This is a complete and natural relationship which can never
be broken but we have forgotten it because when formations are made, the same
good old customs corrupt themselves. The formations stagnate, and also the
devotees of the formations deteriorate them; when this happens, another master
comes to revive the pure Truth. It is then discovered that he says the same as
other masters have said. The very same message continues to be given to the
same children, age after age. The world is a room wherein the truth dwells. But
man forgets again and again. Guru Arjan Sahib’s wonderful collection of the
words of the masters is one of the world’s most valuable possessions for each
one gave out the understanding to all mankind; but on what grounds can all men
sit together?
Get together in God’s Name
And sit in the Gurumukh’s
company.
What does this mean? It
means that our attention should be connected to the Lord – each one of us. This
is the goal of all religion. Our attention should be constantly directed toward
him, no matter what customs or rites we daily perform, for it is he who has
given us birth, and we are all in the same human form. We are embodied souls
and God resides in each human form; the Sustainer of all life. When any man
prays, does not the thought go out to God? Put the attention on Him more and
more until even the body is forgotten completely. While the attention, even a
minute part of it, remains in the body, the mind’s directional attitude is
divided.
So the name of God is the
only suitable ground upon which all men can sit together; and what is this Hari
Naam or God’s Name? Hari is supreme Name through which all creation came about.
How does this help? In the company of the Gurumukh, whose face is turned to the
Lord, who has the right understanding, who has experience of Him, and has
become the very expression of that Name, the souls can be directed to God. We
are in fact all one in His Name, although not as far as customs and rituals are
concerned. And yet, if we look deeply into the customs and rituals, we find
that the meaning and purpose remains the same. For instance, in Arabia there is
usually a dearth of water, and they say that the namaz [Islamic prayer] may be
read by first washing only the hands and face with water. In places where mater
is more scarce, people perform their namaz by first cleaning the hands with
sand, which is called taumam. The meaning in this action is to be wide awake for the prayer. In India where there
is no shortage of water, they say that devotions cannot be truly performed
without first taking full bath. Again the meaning is to sit in His remembrance
fully awake and refreshed. In Sikh temples, it is the custom for men to enter
with their heads covered, whereas in churches gentlemen enter with bare head;
they are gestures of respect to the Lord, but are different in each religion.
Customs also changes with climatic variations, but all have the same purpose;
that is, to show respect, to sit in God’s remembrance quite wide awake in a respectful
attitude. Only in the Gurumukh’s company can this single – pointed attention on
the Lord, with all thoughts of the body and its surroundings abandoned, be
achieved and the duality removed.
They asked Guru Nanak, “Who
are you?” and he replied, “I am neither Hindu nor Muslim; Allah and Ram are the
very breath of my body.” But they persisted in their questioning, and he
enlarged on this: “If I say I am a Hindu, you will kill me, and Muslim I also
am not.” He meant that by outward appearances he looked like a Hindu, and
through narrow-mindedness they might kill him. It also indicated that their
idea of a true Muslim was one who paid attention to outer form only. We face
the world always, even though our mode of dress may indicate that we profess to
follow the lord in a certain way. We may hoodwink the world but no one can
deceive the Lord, who resides in every being and sees everything. So, Guru
Nanak explained that he was not their kind of Muslim. Then they asked, “But who
are you?” and he said, “I am a puppet made of five elements, called Nanak.”
Even the name Nanak is not specifically Hindu or Muslim. They pressed him
further, to think deeply and try to explain exactly what he was, and finally he
said, “A puppet of five elements in which the invisible is playing.”
Our real aim is to realize
the Lord – He who resides in every being. With this understanding we can have a
sympathetic attitude toward each other – then who will be an enemy? It is a
truly spiritual ground upon which we can all sit together in loving harmony.
There is an underlying unison, of which the Masters remind us when they come.
In this age, Baba Sawan Singh Ji also came and he said, “Make me a common
ground on which brothers of all religions can sit together.” It is the crying
need of the hour, when there have sprung up many different branches and sects
out of the few original religions. However, little opportunity is available to
do this, for in the temples you will find only Hindus, and in the mosques only
Muslims, and in the churches only Christians, and so on; what chance do the
people have for sitting together? There is so much narrow-mindedness. By god’s
grace, people have started mixing together a little in this age; whereas
before, one sect would dislike to see even the faces of another.
So to sit together in the
name of God is the only way and the only cure to eradicate all divisions. To be
born into this human form is really a great blessing, for only in this form can
the Truth be realized. If all sit together without any attention on outer
forms, the attention will rise and see the inner sky. How can this be seen when
we are all imprisoned within four walls? Man is a social being and must have
social bodies in which to live, which are called religions, and which are already
so many. In the word “religion”, re means “back”, and ligio means “to bind”; so
the full meaning of religion is to bind our soul back to God. To remain in
one’s own religions is necessary, otherwise corruption will spread; but while
in that religion one should seek out a Gurumukh – an awakened soul – one who
has come into full realization already. Without such right company, right
understanding cannot be gained. Meeting one through whom all durmat (wrong
understanding) goes; he is our true friend. If you search the whole world, such a friend you will rarely find.
Masters are also born into
some religions or sect, but they rise above all forms and formularies, and can
see everyone at the level of the soul. Whatever the master say is equally
for all. When all men live as one, diversity and divisions vanish. All
difficulties can be lessened by sharing them, one with another. Each would
share his food with one who is without, and we need not depend on foreign aid
for food supplement. A man would eat a little less to share with his needy
brother. Some time ago there was a shortage of wheat, and it was rationed by
the government who appealed to everyone to give up one days ration to help the
areas in need. Someone mentioned this to me, and I asked the people during
Satsang to give up one days ration each. At my single request that day,
thousands gave; which shows that when all are sitting together in sympathy,
need or misery as well as joy will be instantly shared. When woes and misery
are shared they become less. Wrong understanding or dogmatic attitude only
tends to increase the bad condition; all differences, whether social, political
or religious, can be moved if all sit together in the company of an awakened
person in whose radiant presence all blend in harmony and oneness.
When a persons spiritual
foundation has been established and his soul is fed daily with spiritual food,
anyone who comes into his contact feels uplifted and everything becomes
beautiful – because of his radiance. Without this upliftment the pressure of
life’s misery weighs upon a man in full measure. Two kinds of Gurumukh come to
this world – one is called an Avatar, and the other a Sant – but both do the
lord’s important work. When they meet, both highly respect each other; but
their work is different. The Avatar is like a Commander-in-chief, without whom
the world would be in a topsy-turvy state; so his work is very necessary. He
works at the outer level, when mans righteousness is at stake, punishing the
wrongdoers and rewarding the righteous; but the Sant’s mission is to unite man
with God at the level of the soul. Whosoever meets them, becomes at once
connected back to God.
When Guru Gobind Singh announced that he
required an offering of heads as a sacrifice, how many people came forward to
give their lives? Only those few whose spiritual background had been
established – actually five in number. He did not cut of their heads, but made
them his five generals in charge, and called them the Khalsas(true and pure
disciples, in whom God’s light is effulgent). When the spiritual background is
firm, no matter what happens in life, or what a man must do, the spiritual
strength remains. If the background is not developed then temporary upliftment
can be had, but it dies out. If Mahatma Gandhi achieved success, it was because
of this spiritual basis. So sit together and share each others joys and
sorrows. We usually think only of our own comfort and advantage, without even a
care for others, and the result of all this selfishness is all-round misery- in
the home and in religion too.
O braves, adopt this means
and repeat the name as given by the Godman day and night;
When the end comes, you will
not feel the sting of death.
Follow the way referred to above, by
which all unhappiness and pain of the sting of deaths will subside. Just try
this for a while, putting all your attention into you meditation: you will
forget your body and the soul will withdraw. Attraction to God can only be
developed by full concentration on Naam. The man who learns to control his
attention by turning it towards the Lord within, acquires great power. The
greater attention which is God, through whose single word all creation came
into being, is all powerful; and our soul is of the same essence and therefore
has great power also – but our scattered attention has rendered us very weak.
Single pointed attention can be gained by turning one’s face towards him; then
outer thoughts will go and even awareness of the body will not remain.
At the time of death, what
happens? The soul withdraws from all parts of the body, and gathers at a place
behind the eyes. Rising above like this, at will, drives away all fear of
death; but this can only be done through development of love for the lord. With
such spiritual advancement we see clearly a glimpse of him in each and every
being – whom then would we wish to hurt or hate? How could we then covet the
possessions of others? Or squeeze the blood of our brothers for our own greedy
gain? The masters speak with brevity, placing the clear Truth before us in a
few concise words.
Think of karma and dharma as
a game of Chaupar,
And you become the counters.
Life in this world is just
like a game of Chaupar – a game with four sides. The jiva (embodies soul) is
born in four kind of species; sethaj (born of moisture); uthbuj (growing from
the earth); andaj (born through eggs); and jeraj (born through the womb). We
are all counters in this game of life, and just as the game is played, we all
have to reach Home. The nearer one is to reaching Home, the less likelihood
there is of being knocked off the board, and having to begin again. If we have
a guiding principle at the back of us – the Gurumukh – we will be able to go
through our journey unharmed. In the game of life, lust, greed, anger,
attachment and ego are causing our downfall daily, but with the aid of a true
companion there is a chance of reaching Home. And if we can reach Home in this
life, we will have achieved our true purpose – otherwise we will have to go
round the board again. In the game, if two counters of a kind stand together,
the other players cannot knock them off the board; similarly, if we have the
company of an awakened soul we will be able to qualify for the higher
expression of life, instead of losing whatever we have gained. When we learn
how to rise above the body-consciousness and its environments at will, this
enables us to reach our True Home. The kingdom of God cometh not with
observation … behold the kingdom of God is within you. God’s kingdom cannot
be had by Man, because his attention is constantly scattered outwards. Conquer
lust, anger, greed, attachment – this play is loved by the lord. The fifth,
which is not mentioned here, is the ego.
What is lust? All the
mind’s desires are called lust. To protect one’s chastity is the first
task, and also to lessen all other desires. Be desireless. And how does anger
occur? When there is a blockage in the path of one’s desire and one does not
get the desired thing, then anger results. When desire is pursued, any blockage
in the way causes greed, which results in jealousy, hatred, backbiting, and
many other unwanted traits. They are all basically due to desire or lust. If
one does receive the object or subject of one’s desire, this in turn becomes an
attachment – you wont like to part with it. You will notice that if water is
flowing very fast in some stream and a large rock is placed in the middle, two
things occur – froth and noise. A man who is in the throes of anger cannot
speak softly, and in his mouth foam begins to form. All because he insists that
he must have his way. When he gets it, he asserts and enjoys – resulting in
ego. So we must conquer these expressions of iniquity, and the only successful
way is to place a higher desire in the path which will overcome the lower ones.
The ego remains strong while in the body, but when you can leave it at will,
you will be able to reach the True Home. But, unless we conquer the sinful side
of our character, we will go one being dragged into the outer expressions of
life.
A very broad view has been
given; that life in the world is like a game, with four kinds of births. We are
the counters, and we create our own karmas and dharma.
Rise and take a bath before
sunrise;
Have the sweet remembrance
all through sleep;
Small hours are best for
communion with Naam.
Rise early everyday, and do
your meditation. Rise before sunrise, and repeat the Naam; al negative
effects will be mitigated, O Nanak. Early morning is the most beneficial
time for meditation. Supreme oneness of thought upon the True Naam is had at
the ambrosial small hours before dawn. So rise early and shake off all
feeling of sloth. Go into the remembrance of him even if you are lying down –
even at night, or when resting. Go to sleep with the same thought, so that the
very remembrance of him will be the very beat of your pulse. When you arise in
the morning, be awakened – have a bath or wake yourself by any means, but be
really awake when you sit down for meditation. With these habits, even in sleep
your meditation will continue, and when awake, even then you will have that
meditative attitude all day. He is always awake – never seen sleeping.
Masters never sleep. Our Hazur would
retire to his bedroom at about midnight or 1 a.m. and at 3 a.m. would rise
again. So this can become a habit. When the soul gets a connection with the
greater consciousness, it gains strength and refreshment. If one removes the
attention from the body and goes up, the body gets perfect rest. The law is
that if one gets true sleep for just a few minutes, it is enough. For those who
travel on this path, reduction in sleep is a very frequent occurrence. But for
those who have not progressed very far, it is something like a miracle to see a
person awake all the time.
So when night comes along,
be in his remembrance. Go into the lord’s lap and rest. If the night is used
unwisely, the whole life is ruined, and those who use the nights to their
advantage secure their whole future. Free your mind of all things and have but
a single thought all night, and in the morning continue with that thought and
sit in an awakened state; you soul will partake of the spiritual food, the very
bread of life. With this, all gifts will be received.
My satguru takes me across
all the difficulties, here and hereafter;
Reaches me home, safe and
sound.
Outwardly, in the body and
all its environments, and inwardly when one rises. He who is the very form of
truth works here and there also. How can anyone be of any real help if he just
gives a lecture and leaves us here? So it is said, O Nanak, leave the
company of these who are not constant and search for the true friend, the sant;
the former will leave you while living, the latter will be with you even after
death. It is also said, save for the true satguru, who gives the true
protection? At the end, he comes to meet you. All the masters say the same
thing. A Muslim fakir says, O brave man, catch hold of someone’s shirt-tail
– one who is the knower of this world and beyond. The illusion of
negativeness is very far-reaching, but the positive power, which is God’s will
always protect.
The path to the true home
really starts when the soul is reborn for the first birth is in the body, and
the second above the body into the beyond. Learn to die so that you may begin
to live. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. The
meaning of meditation is to concentrate or meditate upon one thing, so much so
that all other things are forgotten. Remain in any religion – in any country –
it makes no difference, but sit in the company of a gurumukh and gain the
helpful upliftment that comes from his radiation.
The Lord himself plays, and
he himself observes;
The lord himself designed
all this.
The game of life is the play of the lord,
who has created it, and it is he who sees all this. The body is merely a shell,
through which the soul works and is directed. If the trend of a man’s mind is
inclined to the soul, he becomes spiritual, and if it is inclined to the body
through the senses and into the outer environment then he becomes worldly. If he
is worldly, he creates such conditions for himself that he must come again and
again into the worldly environment.
Those in the great
Powerhouse know and say that without his orders, nothing can move, but those on
lower levels think that all things are due to their own actions. If they would
only come up to that higher level, they would see that it is not themselves but
someone else in control, and their I-hood would depart. That is the stage when
one becomes the conscious co-worker of the Divine plan, and one sees that on
every level, according to the laws there, he is working throughout.
O Nanak, those who play in
the company of a Gurumukh,
Will win the game and return
home.
In the Gurumukh’s company this game of
life can be won; and the winner returns to his home. Those how unfortunately
never meet the Gurumukh, continue round and round the everlasting circle of
births and deaths. This hymn started with the words:
Get together and become one,
my brothers,
Put aside your difference,
with love;
Get together in God’s name,
And sit in the Gurumukh’s
company.
You will become the same as
whatever company you keep; so an awakened soul will awaken you. An experienced
person will give you an experience, and he who has right understanding will
teach you that also. Remain in whatever religion you are in present, for it is
good t be born in a temple, but this does not fully benefit us or give us the
full opportunity of the human birth if, while in that religion, one does not
learn to rise above and become one with all life. When masters come, they are
born into various religions, but they rise higher and see that With one
light the whole world came into being; who is high and who is low? They
have this profound realization, and no matter what their country of residence
is, they bring an awakening to the whole world.
This great light has ever
gone from the East to the West. One well-known Archbishop was heard to remark,
“Brothers, we await the light from the East.” And we of the East? Well, most of
us are without it yet. India has always been fortunate to have those great
souls with knowledge of the beyond – this is a play of nature – but the people
must turn their faces toward the truth to gain the benefit. So all truly
spiritual teaching goes out from the East to the whole world, and the West has
great respect for unity in all religions. Each really great spiritual voice has
risen from the East, and we in India are highly blessed therefore. The unity
already exists in all men, but Man has forgotten it; that is all. Under the
present circumstances it is most necessary that everyone should sit together in
love and share all weal and woe. If all are bound together in love, even in the
worst conditions there will be no fear. Strive to give happiness to others, and
you yourself will receive joy. When we selfishly want only our own happiness
and care little for others, naturally it ends in fighting for it in one way or
another, and the result is the very opposite of happiness.
Love knows service and
sacrifice. If you desire to love God, then start by loving all, for he is in
everyone, and in true love there is service and sacrifice. Learn to give
instead of taking always. If all, in love, were prepared to give their lives
for others, then who would be unhappy in such a world? You will be living for
me, and I will be living for you. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all
these things shall be added unto you. Whom should we love? Not everyone,
but the God in everyone – the overself. If from outside some trouble is
threatening, then let the government do whatever they must from their level –
but we should sit together in love and help each other.
Both Avatars and Sants are
necessary for the world’s balance, but the cementing power is Spirituality, and
there is a crying need for it at this time. Keep in the company of the awakened
soul, and stay away from those who are still asleep, who are deep in
narrow-mindedness, and therefore have no right understanding. This kind of
company will drag down.
IN THE GARDER OF LOVE
A REMINISCENCE OF MICHAEL
RAYSSON
We came before him hungry for his
glances. The air would become permeated with love at his approach till it
overflowed like wine. And then he sat before us explaining the mystery of life
and death, and the tale of love began to play in our hearts. His eyes were a
magic bridge where the timeless peered out on time. All sickness and cares were
soon forgotten (or else when they rose pitifully and poignantly before us, the
heart wished nothing but that pristine purity that shone in all glory before
us). In that enchantment the world would fall away and there was only the
Beloved there.
Sometimes people would be
leaving soon, and he would say, would they not like to stretch the hours out so
the time of leaving would be put off and those happy hours prolonged? And
indeed the hours would stretch out. Alas, that time did come!
Would that something could
be said of those eyes that danced before us or the beauty that ravished our
hearts.
Once he spoke on the value
of sitting before the master. The words were so overladen with intoxication and
love that though we caught only a drop our hearts were drowned with that
madness of love. And when he spoke of his love for his master we saw the tears
flow from his eyes. Mother Taiji sang a love-song of the masters and he asked
someone to translate but she did not dare to speak.
Once he told the story of
Gunga, the wrestler. He was the greatest wrestler. He was the greatest
wrestler. People thought that he had just grown that way naturally. He was a
simpleton and as a boy his father would turn him out into the cold night with
no clothes. He would send him to the river to bathe and in order to keep warm
he would exercise all night long. In this way he grew strong and became a great
wrestler. The master was also at the river where he would spend the whole night
in meditation. There he saw Gunga and so learned his story. “A strong man
revels in his strength and a weak man wonder how he got it.”
He told us that there were
two ways – one very difficult and time-consuming, one very simple, very easy.
The first is, “God helps those who help themselves,” the second is “God helps
those who do not help themselves” – the way of self-surrender to him.
He once said that the
greatness of his master was that he would meet with everyone on his own level.
And we saw the master with so many people – he was always like that.
The more closely we looked,
the more perfect he became, the more we saw everything was in his hands, the
less we became. These things are true of course, near or far, even across the
seas.
At initiations hundreds of
people would come to the master. He would sit before them and explain the
ancient science as Masters have done from time immemorial. Then time and place
would dim and he would attach each one to the holy Naam.
It happened while we were
there that one man from a rival faction came to an initiation in order to
defame the master. But when he was given a sitting he rose above body
consciousness so much that he had to be revived. Still he began to defame the
master. So he was given a second sitting and finally he had to admit he had
seen the inner light in abundance. The master said, “He is in the jaws of a
very strong Lion. He cannot get away.”
Day by day he came before us
in all his greatness. In spite of our lowness we were awe-struck and
love-smitten. And he would say he was only a student. And one of us exclaimed,
“Master! How can you be only a student?” He is the great mystery.
Among those who came from
afar there was at that time one baby. The Master would shower her with
love-parshad, all she could hold and more. And she would be happy, so happy. “A
king with all his kingdoms was never so happy,” said the Master. One time as he
came out to us for evening Darshan she ran out to him and grabbed his hand and
he let her lead him back toward his place. Then at last he turned her around
and they returned. With the loveliest of smiles he said, “sometimes the father
becomes the child and the child becomes the father.” The day she was leaving he
gave here a dress. And when they put that dress on her she danced in ecstasy
for hours just calling out his name.
One said, “He is like a hole
through which the whole universe is flowing.” Another said, “He is so much! He
is so much! How can we begin to take it in!” and another said, “ he is the
ocean and we stand on the shore and try to catch little droplets.” And he said
to us that when he was a disciple someone asked him how great his master was
and he simply said, “ I don’t now how great the Master is – but HE IS MORE THAN
ENOUGH FOR ME.”
So in the worldly sense that
time came to an end and we too had to leave. He stabbed our hearts with the
knife of love and we felt the pain.
CIRCULAR NO. 4
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOLDING
SATSANG
This circular, first issued by the
Master in December 1956, includes the basic guidelines laid down by him for
conducting Satsang meetings. Many of the specific injunctions have been
modified or clarified by the Master in later writings, particularly “How to
develop Receptivity”, which should be studied carefully in connection with this
circular.
Satsang, as the term implies, is
association with sat or truth. Satsang meetings should therefore be exclusively
devoted to the discourses on Sat, which in its broader connotation includes
talks on God, soul, word, the relation between soul and God on the one hand and
soul and the universe on the other, the God-Way or the path of God-realization,
and the Godman or spiritual Master, what he is, his need and importance, and his teachings. It also includes discourses
on allied topics like ethical life, love, faith, compassion, and all that which
makes way for the healthy and progressive development of Divine Life leading to
efflorescence of spirit in cosmic awareness.
THE PURPOSE OF SATSANG
It must always be borne in
mind that the actual awakening of the spirit is the work of them power
overhead. The talks and discourses are just like refresher courses which may
help in the proper understanding of Sant Mat, or the teachings of the Master,
on the intellectual level; for theory precedes practice. Both the initiates and
non-initiates derive immense benefit from such talks. In these congregations,
universal truths are brought home to all alike. A spirit of universal
brotherhood on the broad basis of human beings as the children of one supreme
father is inculcated, so as to link all with the silken bonds of love and
amity. For the initiates, these talks serve as cementing factors on the path,
clarify doubts and misapprehensions, if any; and for the non-initiates ground
is prepared for an inner search which may stimulate the inquisitive mind and
help the individuals in their innate craving for the way out.
The highway of the Masters
has been, is, and ever shall remain the same for one and all. It is secular in
character and everyone, whosoever, can tread it. There are no turnpike gates of
religion, faith, caster, color, creed, nationality or avocation. All are
welcome to it, even though retaining their distinctive religious organization,
social modes of life, and use of national language, etc., for the spirit or
soul in man is above them all and remains unaffected by outer pursuits.
SATSANG APART FORM RITUALS
The “Science of soul” is
just like any other science, but more exact, more natural, more lasting, and
the oldest of all the sciences. It is the science of realized truth directly
connected with the soul in man, and should therefore be kept in man, and should
therefore be kept distinct and apart from rites and rituals forms and ceremonials;
the performance or observance of which keeps one tied down to the plane of he
senses, and as such must be strictly eschewed. Our discourses and talks in
sastsang should be confined only to explaining the science itself in lucid
terms, without any outer embellishment like lighting of candles, burning of
incense, offering of flowers, tinkling of bells, exhibiting photographs an the
like. Even though these may appear innocent and harmless in themselves, yet the
seekers after Truth are likely to go astray by such symbolisms and forms, and
may get entangled and lost.
SUBJECT AND SCOPE OF SATSANG
For the subject of a talk,
we may take up the hymns from any scripture, preferably from the Masters of the
sound current. It may be supplemented by apt quotations from the parallel
writings of other Master saints. The holy Gospels themselves are full of such
material as may fit in with such a context. The illustrations from various
Masters are essential so as to bring out the essential unity in the teachings
of all saints. We should not, however, discuss the practical part of the
science.
Again, the subject itself
should be of a non-controversial type. It must strictly refer to the spiritual
science. Its exposition should be couched in terms that are loving and create a
fragrant atmosphere which may have a universal appeal to the audience, without
hurting the feelings of anyone. At the conclusion of the talk there should be
no questions and answers in the open congregations. It should not form a
debating club. If anyone has to inquire anything or wants elucidation on any
particular point, that can be done more happily in private. The thistles of
doubt and misapprehensions, if any, have to be weeded out with a tender hand,
and nobody should be allowed to remain in suspense, for clearing of the mental
ground is absolutely necessary before sowing the seed of Naam.
The satsang should end with
meditation for sometime, say half an hour, in which all should take part,
except for an urgent and unavoidable reason.
LOVE AND SERVICE THE BASIS
OF SATSANG
The work of satsang should
be conducted in a dignified spirit of love and service. Our thoughts, words and
heeds should radiate nothing but love and sweetness. As “Service” precedes the
“Science”, our motto should be “Service before self”. We cannot adequately
advance the interests of any science of realized truth, unless we are prepared
to devote our hearts and soul in its service, like a worshipful votary. The
science will make headway of itself if we are true to ourselves and truly offer
to serve it.
In case of disagreement on
any important issue among the workers themselves, it is better to immediately
refer the matter to the master for his decision, instead of indulging in
controversies that ruffle the feelings, cause unnecessary tensions, and lead to
unpleasant rifts. It is all the Master’s work and he knows best how to guide
and straighten out things. With friendly love, we can win over even the
dissidents to the great cause, and avoid defections. Love can surmount all
obstacles and is a veritable cure for all the ills of the world. The necessity
for love cannot therefore be over-emphasized in the service of the Masters
cause.
EXTRACTS FROM HAZUR’S
LETTERS
“It is very beneficial for the satsangis
to meet with each other; it promotes their love and faith towards each other
and the Holy Master; it also gives stimulus to the spiritual exercises. It
helps to clear doubts and difficulties of other satsangis. Combined satsang
serves a useful purpose. It gives an opportunity for exchange of ideas. The
satsang time is especially valuable in this: that it increases love for the
Master. In a large satsang there are some advanced satsangis also who speak
from their personal experiences, and this helps in developing faith in others
who may come into contact with them.
“Karmas may be physical as
well as mental. The gross karmas are washed out by means of external methods
such as satsang, reading of good books, as well as by the company of the
Master; while subtle karmas are removed by internal sound practice. Initiation
is sowing of the seed, which needs the water of satsang and concentration for
sprouting, while love and faith are necessary for its growth.
“Meetings with the members
will benefit them greatly. Meet them all with love and affection, such that
even a dry, withered heart takes courage and flourishes.”
INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION
A few words about individual
meditation will not be amiss here. A daily and regular practice of the three
sadhnas or disciplines – viz., Simran, dhyan, and bhajan – as enjoyed by the
Master, is of the utmost importance to achieve results. A disciple must do his
or her part of the job and the Master does his. It is for him or her to sit and
do the sadhnas in an atmosphere conductive to progress, with a sweet remembrance
of the Master. He or she is not to presuppose things or visualize results, for
those will follow of their own accord. We have but to sit in loving
remembrance, with steady gaze fixed in between and behind the two eyebrows and
do mental repetition of the Five Holy words, without any exertion or strain on
the eyes or on the forehead. Ours is to be an attitude of passivity, for the
doer is one and only one: the Master, who is to the best judge of the time and
measure and manner of each step on the path.
INITIATION – RECORDING OF
INNER EXPERIENCES
Last but not least, I may
add that the human memory is very short-lived and in moments of weakness one,
under the pressure of ever assertive ego, is prone to forget the invaluable
boon the Master confers, and perhaps begins to think that the spiritual results
achieved are of one’s own doing, or due to over-zealousness and over-active
imagination. At times one, for lack of practice, either does not make progress
or, in the mighty and irresistible whirl of the world, loses contact with the
word and begins to forget the great benefit conferred upon him or her at the
time of initiation. To guard against all such lapses it is considered necessary
that, in the future, each of the initiates should, at the time of initiation be
required to record in his or her own hands, the actual inner experience gained,
both as to light and sound principles. The manifestation from within of these
principles, by helping the individual spirit to rise above body consciousness
is the task of the Master; and it is the paramount duty of the disciples to
develop the same by day to day practice – the injunction in this behalf being,
“Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness!”
The disciples should
therefore be encouraged to wholeheartedly devote sometime to the practice of
spiritual disciplines; maintain regular diaries for introspection, showing
lapses in daily life and conduct, the endeavors made and the results gained
thereby; and they should be sent regularly, say after every three months, for
the inspection of the Master so that he may extend all feasible help and guide
us on the Path. If an initiate has any difficulty or doubts, he or she should
refer them directly to the Master, as and when needed, instead of discussing
with others who are as ignorant as he or she is, and making the confusion worse
confounded.
Standing at the crossroads
of time, we must make a firm resolve to do better from day to day; at least
from the New Year’s day that beckons us on with a promise of rosy dawn. As
there are landmarks on earth, so there are landmarks in time. The past and the
future are like sealed books to us: the one is in the limbo of oblivion, while
the other is in the womb of uncertainty. it is only the living present that in
ours, and we must make the best use of it, ere it slips away through the
fingers and is lost forever. Human birth is a great privilege and offers us a
golden opportunity. It is for us to make or mar the same, for it is given to
each individual to forge his or her own destiny as best he may.
With lots of love and hearty
best wishes to you all for a bright and happy new year.
KIRPAL SINGH
KIRPAL SINGH AND CHRISTIAN INCARNATION
Rev. R. Stephen Drane, Ph.D.
For too long, Christian teaching about
incarnation have been only backward-looking. But today there is an intense
search for values and loyalties. Some people develop a conservative reaction in
facing current doubts and changes. Others, the majority, seem to reject all interest
in older doctrines and dogmas as repressive. Christianity, along with all world
religions, is affected by this current cultural turmoil. But hopefully, youth
seem today to be searching for practical demonstrations of honesty and truth.
It was hopeful for the writer in his own search to become acquainted with the
person and teaching of Kirpal singh, who pointed out demonstrated practical
truths where only mental constructs were before in the Christian Western world.
This blessing can be helpful to the agnostic, questioning majority of people
who have no direction. Through Ruhani Satsang, the meeting of the seeker after
personal spiritual truths, it can be shown and known that “God is not dead.”
Many people within and
without organized religion have given up, i.e., are agnostic by default in
facing the frustrations of life. They become bitter when the theories and
teachings of the faith were not demonstrated. This is one reason the writer
sought work outside the institutional church. He needed to help himself and
others in finding integrated self-awareness, before God-awareness could come
about. The difficulty for many persons is a lack of a reference point, a guided
experience, by which they can patiently learn to know the reality of their own
inner spiritual life. Kirpal Singh’s booklet, Man, Know thy self, is very
important as a beginning, along with his book, prayer. Yet the experience
itself, through Master’s meditation practice, is the real knowledge.
Secondly, believing
Christians usually stop on the surface with social and cultural benefits.
Master Kirpal Singh would not criticize people to stay and serve. However,
emphases for deepening one’s spiritual life are often seen as “foreign”, even
with Western leaders. Glen Clark, Frank Laubach, E. Stanley Jones, Sam
Shoemaker, and other Protestant
spiritual leaders were often looked upon as “foreign”. Yet it seems
these and other Christians of great magnitude had an awareness of Jesus as an
“Easterner”, breaking cultural dogmas. E. Stanley Jones reflected this by
beautifully calling his retreats in the United States “ashrams”, from the
spirit he found serving many years in India.
Another barrier in this
search is the human problem of lethargy. The Western world, as all other
civilizations, has fallen into the cultural traditions of its immediate past.
Pitirim Sorokin, the Russian sociologist at Harvard a few years ago, said we
have substituted another religion in the last two hundred years in our “sensate
culture”: the religion of the “good neighbor.” While this serves some social
purpose, it does not endure in times of social turmoil as today.
Our institutions of
religion, as in Jesus time and all others, aren’t able to produce the ideals
set forth. Why? How might one renew one’s faith in oneself or Christianity?
Kirpal Singh has shown that the “Human Bridge” is the vital one: “Wanted –
reformers; not of others but of yourself!” These are powerful words, like Jesus
: “By your fruits you are known.”
Kirpal Singh, again like Jesus, avoided all special privileges to divine right
– the self imposed hierarchies of false prophets – when he said, “God made man
and man made religions.” At this point the theoretical and doctrinal traps of
religion are avoided, without discarding their eternal truths. No arguments ever
gave new life. With Kirpal Singh, non-violence would include non-argument. No
one can be convinced of a truth if he or she isn’t ready.
Confusions always come when
theories or doctrines are added as rational attempts to “make sense” out of
earlier positive experiences or events. We forget that beliefs are secondary to
the experience, the person who acted in such a totally loving, extraordinary
way. Jesus was called “The Christ” by Peter when he demonstrated such love.
Later political allegiance or salvation was granted by the church on this
second hand belief structure with the little feeling for no contact with the
living Christ. Now people confuse the man Jesus with the Universal Christ
power.
From many varied experiences
and understandings, the writers in the early church developed the isolated
doctrine of Christian Incarnation. The idea was not uniquely Christian, but
often misused under political pressures, with a desire for group loyalty.
Probably many in the new Testament times believed in reincarnation, as they
thought Jesus was Elijah or Elisha
returned. Yet, a narrow view has played havoc in the pressures for conversion
in the Western world, with some of the greatest persecutions and scapegoating
of all history. This persecution has run from Constantine to Hitler in our own
times, often in the name of religion, “keeping the faith pure.” Incarnation –
the exclusive Christian application only to Jesus – some what like segregation
in the southern United states, has had much negative attachment. The west is
just now awakening to its karma or guilt, its inability to get contact with its
origins in a truly loving, giving, saintly person. Jesus also had to push aside
the pious critics: “Why do you call me good (Master) – there is none good but
the Father.” His most frequently used term for himself was “son of man”, yet
most Christians overemphasize the later segregating doctrine of the Virgin
Birth (implied only “son of God”). Jesus, later in his ministry, told his
disciples “greater things than these you shall do,” but they did not take him
seriously. It seems that men, in their spiritual poverty, reject the inner
power possibly through the Master power. In man’s rejection of his inner light,
he persecutes others through his own blindness.
Some Christians writers have
continually sought to overcome the separation of man from God. Some catholic
mystics throughout the centuries have called us to be “little Christs”, to
“Practice the presence of God”, to be “imitations of Christ”. The recent
theologian Paul Tillich talked of the Christ in Jesus as “the new being”. He
emphasized, experientially, that the new being was not one person but an
awakening, a rebirth, touching personal life and transforming it wherever and
whenever it happened. Tillich sought with this view, to help Christians to see
the transforming experience as primary, the older focus on the historical Jesus
as secondary. This was not to discount Jesus, but to find an inner Christ-even
today, in order to have a living religion, instead of just historical
traditions.
Jesus once was asked by his
followers to criticize others for “casting out demons”. He refused to criticize
any doctors or workers for helping people. Kirpal Singh also refused to
Criticize other religious leaders in their work. His practical openness in
doing one’s own work shows the “spirit of Christ” today, a continuing
incarnation in the way of the Masters, a spiritual apostolic succession.”
God in his providence is not
cheap. He has given great teachers to sincere seekers through the ages. We are
fortunate today to have a living Master. Many Christians, in attempting to be
faithful, avoid exploring through other teachers the depths of the living
Christ today. This search within and without for the Christ the Master of life
and death, is not an easy one. It sometimes means criticism for those within
strict traditions. Yet this writer feels that the truths shown by Kirpal Singh
can do nothing but verify the original teachings of Jesus, within and beneath
the overlays of the centuries.
Many people today in the
West are seeking a new view of their religion and a vital faith for themselves.
Ruhani Satsang offers this experience to all, Christian and secular alike. A
Christian should find a special fulfillment, to find the true life through
daily struggles, through the death in life – the being born again that Jesus
spoke of. The ever living Christ spirit is the same.
Jesus would want us to
fulfill ourselves, his Kingdom in acknowledging the Christ, the New Being. We
can discover him in spiritual leader today. Kirpal Singh is a Godman in the
life of this writer. This is not giving up one Master for another. It is
finding the Christian gospel fulfilled today in a living person, acknowledging
the same God and father.
SORROW
The cup is deeper than we dream.
Each time we drink and think
We drain it, we find instead
An ocean in a golden bowl-
Love’s fingers tip it up and
up and up.
Tracy Leddy.
DHARMA
By
Vimla S. Bhagat
The term dharma (Pali
Dhamma) is one of those highly technical terms impossible to translate into
English. With its varying meanings, depending on the place, time and environs
of the people using it, it has acquired a significance as vast as the universe.
To the Hindus, it includes rituals of the Vedic age and the traditions in the
form of Dharma Shastras and Dharma Sutras of the later lawgivers like Manu and
Yajnavalkya. The Jains regard it as the universal law of non-violence,
essentially pure and eternally the same, based on the human principle of
“Respect for life” in all form. The Buddhists take it as self-discipline
founded on the “Doctrine of Rightness” for Buddha truly set in motion the wheel
of the cosmic law of rightness” for Buddha truly set in motion the wheel of the
cosmic law of rightness that led to Nirvana (a sublime state of conscious rest
in Omniscience). “Love” is the central theme in the teachings of Jesus: thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with
all thy mind…. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Islam, as the name
indicates, stands for “peace” born of faith in the unity of God – peace with
God through complete surrender and resignation to his will, and peace with men
as children of one God, making all mankind one. Nanak laid great stress on true
living: truth is higher than everything but higher still is true living,
that is, living truly by the will of God already wrought in the pattern of our
being.
Dharma is thus a compendium
of ritualistic activities and ethical obligations, as well as ideals and higher
values of life, as conceived from time to time for the well-being of mankind,
with the reference to the different walks and stages of life. It is a
socio-religious code of moral conduct which aims at securing for man peace,
power, plenty and prosperity here on earth and in the afterlife. In its all
embracing aspect, it is the law that enriches human life to fullness, making it
perfect as our “heavenly father is perfect”, and aiming at the entire
transmutation of man into God (sat-chit-anand, or all existence,
consciousness and bliss).
From this, it becomes
abundantly clear that real dharma is not something static, fixed and rigid,
settled down and rusting away under its own dead weight. On the contrary, it is
essentially a dynamic force and fiery energy that keeps moving from age to age,
from time to time and field to field, upholding both the individual and society
generally and in special circumstances, through all of life. It is the great
cementing factor and controlling power that holds together and energizes the
various jarring elements in man and society; not mention the beasts and birds
below and the stars and gods above. Nobody can live without it.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUTER
DHARMA
For the origin of the outer
dharma, we have to go back to the pre-historic past. With the first flicker of
awakening in man, there arose in him a
desire to evolve principles which would make human existence smooth and
worthwhile and finally profitable. It was part of the natural instinct for
self-preservation and survival of the human race.
In course of time, the
origin nebulous idea evolved into what came to be known as varn-ashram dharma,
which ordained specific duties and obligations for different classes of people
in the different social order (Which originally was divided according to varna
or color), and for the different ashramas or stages in life of an individual.
Thus it had a two-fold object: the amelioration and uplift of society and of
man at the same time.
To preserve the supremacy of
the their status and to keep the gains of conquest, the early Aryans conquerors
of India regarded themselves as superior beings, the favorite of the gods. Why
else would the gods give them new lands with rich soil, and fresh pastures, of
such inestimable value to them? This is why they came to attach great
importance to the blue blood in their veins and the fair complexion they
possessed, considering themselves, like their contemporaries the Israelites, as
the chosen people conducted to a land overflowing with milk and honey. Thus
varna dharma or a social order based on color came into being, with the
fair-colored Aryans exercising superiority over the dark-complected natives.
Intermarriage and intercourse between the two was forbidden, so as to keep the
purity of their blood intact and continue the grounds on which they based their
claim to supremacy.
With the passage of time,
the rigidity of the strict Aryan varna dharma softened and the color bar
gradually began to give way under the pressure of circumstances; with the
result that all the fair-colored northerners became dissolved into the
mainstream of the new society, adopting one uniform mode of life for both
classes. In order to meet the growing needs of the complex new social order
emerging from the fusion of races, it was felt necessary to draw up some sort
of division of work in the society, so that each of its natural division could
effectively and efficiently take up work within their area of competence. The
work was divided four ways: (1) the learning of the sacred lore (Brahm-vidya),
teaching and officiating as priests at secular as well as religious ceremonies;
(2) the government and defense of the country, with special knowledge in the
sciences of Rajniti (statecraft) and armament and ordanance (shaster-vidya);
(3) the economic development of the country, including trade and commerce,
agriculture, industry, etc., aimed at production and distribution of wealth
(arthashastra). In this way the bulk of the people were divided into (1) Brahmins,
(2) kshatriyas, and (3)Vaishyas (4) Those people who could not
reasonably be fitted into the above scheme were employed as laborers and
servants of the upper three classes and formed a separate class of servers or
sudras. Each of the classes then had their own code of conduct or class dharma
(svadharm).
Within this broad-based
division of varna dharma, there grew up the complex Jati-vayastha or caste
system on the pattern of trade-guilds: iron-smiths, carpenters, potters, etc.
These became hereditary, and the children served as apprentices with their
fathers and naturally became proficient. Each of these guilds formulated rules
for the conduct of its trade or profession and for regulating family
relationships.
Down in the scale of the
social order came the individual, the unit in society, who had his own svadharm
or personal duties at different periods ( called ashrams ) of his life. He was
supposed to pass through four such stages within the ultimate objective of becoming
one undivided whole, an integrated being, complete in himself, a fully
developed man. These stages or ashrams were: (1) Brahmcharya, the stage of a
chaste student living with a teacher); (2) Grehasth, the stage of a
householder, bring up children in holy wedlock, supporting his family, and
serving not only his family members but persons in other stages – students,
renunciates, etc. – for they too depended on him for their maintenances. This
Gheshasth ashram or the householder stage was the pivot round which the entire
economic well-being of the society as a whole revolved; (3) Vanprasth, a period
of retirement from the world, with the householder leaving his family and
friends and all worldly ties and possessions, and retiring to some forest
retreat or cave. Here he would spend his time in meditation on his self and
God, and put into practice what he had learned as brahmchari. (4) Last of all
came the stage of sanyas ashram, in which the individual, renouncing all,
wandered from place to place disseminating the wisdom he had gained in his
personal, experimental, quest for Truth. Now, a true sanyasin, he shared his
truth and knowledge with others. In this way each individual was supposed to
end his days on earth, happily and consciously doing his duty to himself and to
society. The life of such a one was lived in dharma from birth to death.
THE ESOTERIC OR INNER DHARMA
“Dharma,” says Nanak, “is
born of the grace of God and is the proverbial bull (in Hindu mythology) that
is harmoniously sustaining the creation.” Etymologically, the term dharma is
derived from the Sanskrit root dhr, meaning to hold, bear, support, maintain
and preserve. In the metaphysical sense, dharma is the cosmic Law that
sustains, controls, and upholds the universe; and in the physical sense, it
works for the general good of each individual soul, leading him on the path of
morality toward salvation or freedom from the endless cycle of births and
deaths. These are just two aspects of the same life-force or Spirit and power
of God that works both in individuals and in nature. Samuel taylor coleridge
has given expression to this grand truth: O! the one life within us and
abroad,/ which meets all motion and becomes its soul, / A light in sound, a
sound-like power in light,/ Rhythm in all thought, and joyance everywhere.
Looked at from the angle, dharma is quite
distinct from and far above the institutionalized religious and social beliefs
and faiths, which are based on feelings, emotions and inferences. The outer
dharma does serve a very useful purpose, which cannot be denied. It keeps the
various social orders from sliding into corruption, and shows us the elementary
but necessary steps on the God-way, providing us with a basis for the life of
the spirit.
The spirit and power of God
is the dharma of God. God in his own dharma created man in His own image and
endowed him with His own life-breath. The entire universe is but a
manifestation of the will of God which is ceaselessly working to fulfill His
purpose and plan. The different religious are the outcome of human endeavors to
find the secret of the life-principle in all that is. The founders of all the
religions did, in varying degrees, get an insight into his mysterious power and
recorded their experiences for our guidance. So long as they lived, they gave
individual souls practical contact with the saving lifelines within ( the
dharma of God or the holy word).
The religious dogmas and
doctrines contained in the scriptural texts are often elaborated commentaries
on the truths revealed by God to sages and seers; who in their turn gave a
practical demonstration of Evam Brahm ( this is Brahm) to their close
associates and disciples. God in spirit and can only be worshipped in spirit.
The self in man is also of the spirit of God: we live, move and have our very
being in God and His dharma within and without us.
Dharma born of the grace of
God is essentially divine, while the religious or outer dharma are but
offshoots spreading from the great wish-yielding tree (kalp-briksh) or real
dharma. They are built round one or another aspect of eternal dharma and are
but imperfect attempts to limit the Limitless in the language of the people.
The Word of the Wordless cannot be expressed in words. His law is unwritten and
His language unspoken. This is an transcendental dharma, though at the same
time it is all-pervasive and all-permeating. The divine ground provided by
dharma is the only firm ground provided by dharma is the only firm ground on
which our lives can be build and come to fruition, so that we may truly become
dharma-putra ( the son of dharma) and dharma-atma (a soul ingrained in dharma).
It is only on getting the second birth, the birth of the spirit (duai-janma)
that one becomes truly begotten of God.
The dharma of God is not
only inherent in life, it is life. Being and Becoming are but two different
states of one Reality. The spirit and power of God can no more be separated
from God and than the rays of the sun from the sun. The sun may be momentarily
darkened by the clouds, but it cannot be hid forever; and clouds cannot help
reflecting the silver lining around their periphery.
This transcendental dharma
is the primordial expression of God in the form of sound and light ( the
audible life stream). As it is the oldest of all, since time itself owes its
origin to it, it is known as puratan dharma. The yuga dharma or dharma of the
ages came into being in time and pertains only to the specific time cycle it
relates to. Again, as the transcendental dharma is essentially pure and
eternally the same with no variableness, it is called sanatan-dharma, meaning
the eternal and unchangeable in nature. And closely associated with this is manav-dharma,
of which we have had glimpses above, for the guidance of man as man, as taught
by the prophets of the various religions. Manav-dharma is built around one or
another attributes of Godhead, so that the common man may live in peace and
concord and lead a healthy-minded, harmonious life until such a time that
theocentric Saints or perfect Master rooted in Truth (sant satguru) comes on
the scene to impart practical training in the inner path.
Manav-dharma itself has two
phases corresponding to the dual nature of man; the sensuous self and the
rational self, each contending for mastery. Man in relation to society is just
a unit; but in relation to society is just a unit; but his relation to God is
through his divine center. The first imparts of Manav-dharma tries to humanize
the animal in man and the second part tries to divinize the human in man. The
first part of the process consists of the moral precepts as found in all
scriptures. These are sometimes given negatively, as Moses did in the Ten
commandments, with the emphasis on “Thou shat no” this is or that; sometimes
positively as done by Christ in his beatitudes. Patanjali, the reputed author
or the Yoga sutras paid equal attention, in his exposition of Ashtang Yoga, to
both methods by separately listing yamas (prohibitions) on one hand and niyamas
(observance on the other. It is after successfully passing through these strict
disciplines that one becomes qualified to undertake the higher path, the path
Godward – the transcendental dharma.
There is no religion higher
than truth, and if it is understood and practiced one can have the kingdom of
God right here on earth. All that one needs to practice is the presence of the
living God within. The kingdom of God cometh not by observation. . . . for
behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And once this is realized and
experienced in the holy mountain of God – the mount of transfiguration in the
body – the entire outlook is changed. The very world which now appears to be
bristling with imperfections and contradictions will put on a divine mantle and
appear as the veritable abode of God, with Him dwelling therein.
The inner perceptual
knowledge needs no other proof. Seeing is believing; and belief brings
conviction (awakened Consciousness ) and conviction brings faith (reliance and
trust founded on personal authority) which no sensuous storms can shake. “True
knowledge is an action of the soul independent of the senses.” The reality or
real life is seen to the fully only when one rises above the Consciousness of
the body and all the bodily adjuncts. The experience of truth, or true dharma,
comes only “when the senses are subdued, the mind is at rest and the intellect
wavers not,” say the sacred texts. In a poetic vein, Milton asserts: The divine
philosophy is musical as Apollo’s lute,/ and a perpetual feasts of nectared
sweet. This is learning real dharma at its roots. Another poet, wordsworth,
speaks of it: It is an ever active principle; however removed/ from senses and
observation. It is a direct experience of the knowledge of God, “ by knowing
which all else becomes known and nothing remains to be know,” affirm the Upanishads.
“Whosoever has found himself, can never again lose anything in the world. He
who has grasped the human in himself, understands all mankind” – stefang Zewig.
All this and much more comes easily within reach, when one, by transhumanizing
the human in him, truly becomes a living spirit, for in truth it is the spirit
which alone proceeds Godwards. “it is by the practice of God that one comes
closer to dharma ( the will of God),” says Nanak.
Before closing, it may be
worthwhile to consider dharma in relation to Karma, another extremely subtle
term. By the compulsive force of the
actions set in motion in the distant past, long since forgotten, we are being
influenced in the living present. The law of karma – “as you sow, so shall you
reap” – is inexorable in its operation and keeps every creature in its iron
grip. The wheel of life remains in perpetual motion because of the karmic
momentum; and under its influence some are born high, some low, some rich and
some poor, and everyone has to work out his destiny, whatever it may be. But it
is neither birth nor caste nor vocation that determines the man and his
intrinsic worth. It is given to man to be able to rise above the magnetic field
of karma and contact the dharma, the liberating Power of God. As Karma binds
the jiva or embodied soul, dharma liberates. “Ye shall know the truth and the
truth shall make you free,” is the cosmic law of the transcendental dharma. “To
know the true God truly” is the real and true dharma, the acme of perfection
and the goal of life. And, the highest religion is to rise to universal
brotherhood,/Aye, to consider all creatures your equals, affirms Nanak. Dharma
is truth and truth is dharma: dharma is inherent in truth and truth works
through dharma. When one rightly practices dharma while living on the earth
plane, one becomes a Jivan-mukta or self-fulfilled and self-illumined being,
eternally free.
MY Tabernacle
My mind is the temple of the
Divine
More surely than any
man-made edifice:
Here, I await alone, the
coming of the Lord,
Here I await the
all-surpassing Bliss.
First, I must empty the mind
of mundane clutter
And sweep it clean of
passion’s sordid stain,
And sternly banish
imagination’s trash,
Preparing the space which is
the Lord’s domain.
Then I must still the voices
of the world,
And hush my own loquacious
inner speech –
That I may hear the Master’s
quiet voice
And in the silence learn
what he may teach.
My tabernacle awaits, serene
and tranquil,
The infusion and the
plenitude of Grace:
Here must I consecrate
myself to Him
Who is the liberator of our
race.
The mental screen is erased
and free of faces,
Colors, images and places:
undeterred
By rituals – in the
formless, voiceless dark –
I await the light that marks
the coming of the word.
Out of the somber dark, intense
luminosity;
Out of the silence, an
esoteric call;
Out of the solitude, a
nameless wonder;
Out of the baren nothingness
– the all.
- Carem Blumen kron