He came to Make Us Satsangis
We have today
assembled in the remembrance of Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. It has been
noticed that whenever we sit in his sweet remembrance, we invariably get a cool
breeze. And today we are having a pleasant breeze.
O dear one, seek thy Beloved
for
Sawan has come.
If thy attention is
elsewhere, thou
Shalt ever shed tears of
repentance.
Hazur came and gave us a glimpse of
divine light. Great souls come with a definite mission and leave after
fulfilling it. Once on a winter night, between nine and ten O’ clock, Dr. Julisn Johnson, an American
disciple, and myself, were with Hazur. Dr. Johnson asked Hazur if it was
advisable for a disciple to pray to his Master. Hazur replied that the very
life of a disciple depended on prayer. Being weak and helpless, prayer is the
only weapon left in his armory. One who is helpless always seeks the protection
of a powerful and competent person.
What should a disciple pray
for? Man is a three-fold entity, comprising body, mind or intellect, and soul.
We are all micro gods. Soul is the essence of God. Only the soul can realize
God.
Hazur came on his earthly
sojourn and showed us divine light before leaving us physically. It looks as if
he has gone, but he is always with us. Master Power (or God power or Christ
power) never dies; it is not subject to birth and death. manifesting on
different on different human poles, it leads humanity to the right path. It is
through the self-revelation of such great souls that people develop faith in
God.
Hazur was truth personified.
He came to make us satsangis –those who are linked with truth. Soul is truth
and is the essence of God. God is immortal; constant association with the mind
and senses that we have become weak, for one is influenced to a great extent by
the company one keeps.
The Lord if present in all of us,
No, human heart is without
Him.
Blessed is the human pole
Where he is manifest.
God is our
controlling Power. The physical body is useful as long as the soul is with it.
The soul cannot escape despite the nine outlet in the human body eyes, ears,
nostrils, mouth, rectum, and genital organ. When we exhale, the breath does not
remain outside. Some controlling Power pushing it back into the body. When that
controlling Power withdraws, the body becomes lifeless. That is an infinite
Power and the soul is its essence. He who has realized himself by liberating
his soul from the clutches of the mind and matter becomes the mouthpiece of
God. Who are we? We have God is us. We are all micro gods. It is only because
of our outflow at the plane of the mind and senses that we have become
degenerated. If we withdrawn from sensual pleasure and divert our attention
toward our controlling power, we would surely become its mouthpiece.
So Hazur came to make us
satsangis. You may think, if the ultimate truth is in all of us, why does it
not pull the soul up? It is no doubt a logical question. If a piece of iron is
covered with rust or dist, a magnet will not attract it. The moment that piece
of iron is cleaned, the magnet will attract it at once. Similarly, we have been
defiled by the bad association of the sensual pleasures that our soul keeps all
the time. If we are able to liberate the soul from sensual pleasures, we can
become the mouthpiece of God.
Hazur was truth personified
and he came to make us realize the truth. God is supreme and he is the Lord of
every thing- dharma (religion), artha(riches), kama (desire), and moksha
(liberation ). Whatever you earnestly ask of him is given to you, in the Koran
it is said, God has said that whatever a man asks for will granted. Other great
soul have also said, the Lord, the benefactor. He gives us the capital of inner
spiritual contact, which no one else can give. For Hazur was a sat guru, an
embodiment of truth and that Master Power is still guiding us.
In the United States I gave
a talk on Christmas Day and said that “Christ lived before Jesus.” Christ is
the God Power; when it became manifested on a certain human pole it was known
as Jesus. The same Power manifests itself on different human poles at different
tines, like a Guru Nanak, Baba jaimal Singh, Hazur sawan Singh Ji. The great
souls are beyond the cycle of transmigration.
All of us have a divine
spark. Hazur used to say that the Master does not add anything from outside. He
shows us the way to our ultimate foal. Not only that, he demonstrates how we
can get the inert contact by withdrawing us from the intellectual and sensual
planes. This greatest gift only a saint can give. Only such a soul in fit to be
called a saint. Hazur had the competency to mind and matter and to lift our
soul above body consciousness even by a mere glance of his grace. Swami Ji
says, only the all Powerful Master can pull the soul up.
Anyone with a little
training can give a religious discourage or explain esoteric methods. But to
impart a practical spiritual experience is the work of a competent Master.
Hazur revealed the truth within us. Who was he really? A God man alone can truly understand a God man. Whether
he was the embodiment of God or God himself; whether he was one of the both in
one – this is beyond our comprehension. We could know him only to the extent he
chose to reveal himself to us. At times he did reveal himself to the people in
various ways. Some of the incidents are well-known. There is nothing strange
about them. the same God power is still working. It is very much within us and
is protecting us….
When I was a student, I saw
a man showing feats of hypnotism. He hypnotized a small boy and invited
questions from the audience in any language and the boy answered them in the
same language. Guru har Krishna Ji, the eight Guru of the Sikhs, was about nine
years old when a priest asked him, “how is it that your name includes both Hari
(God) and Krishan (i.e., Lord Krishna)? If you really are as great as Hari and
Krishan, I challenge you to compete with me in interpreting the Shastras in
Sanskrit.” Guru Har Krishan Ji, called an illiterate waterman who happened to
pass that way. Touching his shoulder with his stick, the Guru asked him to have
a debate with the learned priest. The waterman interpreted the Sanskrit
Shastras with such profound knowledge that the priest was amazed and begged the
Guru forgiveness. These incidents seem strange, but these are no miracles. They
are according to the laws of nature not known to us. Such incidents are not
uncommon in the lives of great souls.
Shamas-I-Tabrez wished a
dead body to come alive in the name of God. It had no effect. But when he asked
the dead person to get up in his own name, there was immediate response and the
dead body started plustating with life once again. Maulana Rumi says, a God man
has the Power to retrieve from midway an arrow shot even from heave. Speaking
for the great souls, the Maulana asked, “Do they claim to be on an equal
footing with God?” he himself answered, “No, they are the beloved children of
God. All the commitments of a loving child are honored by the father.” Great
souls are capable of doing anything, for it is indeed the God Power that works
on the human pole in the garb of a Master.
Hazur came here to unite
humanity with truth. To accomplish this mission, he granted us some capital of
inner contact. That initial capital is to be developed and enlarged gradually.
One does not reach the goal the very first day of initiation. The time factor
is necessary. Where the world’s philosophies end, there true religion starts.
After initiation, a
spiritual aspirant should mold his life according to the Masters instructions.
The principles explained to you in Satsang should be adopted in practice. One
who observed non violence in thought, word and deed is truly a great man.
Remember that actions speak louder than words. If you cultivate the habit of
speaking truth, people around you will act likewise. Thoughts are more potent
than words and even stronger than action. We are a conscious entity and God is
super conscious. We are self and God is over self, a veritable ocean of all
consciousness, and we are a drop of it. God is the supreme Power and is capable
of creating millions of brahmands or universes. Being of the essence of that
mighty Power, cant we create even a city? Certainly we can. Great souls always
tell us that we are micro gods; it is our utter ignorance about our own self
that stands in the way.
One whose practical life is
exemplary is my true disciple;
He is like my Master and I
am prepared to be his devotee.
The conduct of
a disciplined initiate should reflect the greatness of his master. During the
Muslim period in India, whenever a Sikh would give evidence in a court of law,
it was taken for granted that he would not tell a lie. Similarly, if any of
Hazur disciples happened to appear before the court, he was never doubted
because he was a disciple of Hazur. Your actions should demonstrate that you
are a true disciple of a great soul. An unworthy disciple brings a bad name to
his Master.
To go to a great soul and not follow his reaching is
to demean him. Christ said, this is my commandment, that ye love one another,
as I have loved you. We are no doubt proud of the great soul who initiated us.
But is he proud of us? One who lives up to his Masters expectations is a true
disciple. Mahatmas always say that an ounce of practice is more than tons of
theory. Mere theoretical knowledge without practice is of no avail. Sheikh
saa’di has said that a learned but impractical man is like an ass loaded with a
heap of bloods. Guru Amar Das was once asked about the fate of impractical
people. He said they were like a spoon immersed in pudding but never tasting
it. Such is the fate of those who are always busy in intellectual wrangling. We
know how to preach to others bur not to ourselves. We do listened to the
mahatmas, mostly to forgets whatever they tell us, or to obtain knowledge which
may help us in posing like a saint. What is real listening? It is to abide by
the words of the perfect Master.
You must have
heard about the five Pandavas princes of the Mahabharata epic. They were sent
to their teacher Dronacharya for their early education. The first lesson was to
speak the truth. Next day, the teacher asked them if they had learned their
lesson. All except Yushistra said they had. Yudhistra had not turned up at all!
The Guru was told that Yudhishtra had yet to learn his lesson. For several days
Yudhishtra did not go to the Guru. Only after he had learned the lesson in the
real sense did he go to Dronacharya, and respectfully told him that he had learned
the lesson. He solemnly declared that he would speak the truth all his life.
And he did. If you act on what you are told, one Satsang is sufficient for your
salvation.
We intend
to reach the goal, but we do not know how to tread the right path;
We only
know how to preach and not to practice.
Hazur was a
strict disciplinarian. We have complete faith in his competency. A single glace
of his grace was sufficient to emancipate anyone. All that is here now is
undoubtedly Hazur immeasurable grace. He used to say: “he who is learned while
alive will be learned after death. and he who is illiterate how, how can he
become a scholar when he is dead?”
Bharat (India)
is named after king Bharata. He was an ascetic himself. He renounced everything
and lived in seclusion for meditation. There he reared a little deer after the
mother deer had died. By constant companionship, Bharata developed affectionate
love for his pet, so much so that he used to think of himself the time. One day
the young deer disappeared. Bharata could not bear the pangs of separation and
died soon thereafter. Consequently he had to be reincarnated as a deer and is
known as jar Bharata. As you think, so you become.
The idea of
self introspection or keeping a diary is to judge your own actions. I have
prescribed it after very careful consideration. I too kept a diary in my early
life. If a dacoit like valmik can become a Mahatma, so can you. A bandit named
udham Singh came under Hazur influence and was completely transformed. Some
bandits are being initiated even now. Naam is a great blessing. Mere
intellectual accomplishments are futile as far as attaining salvation is
concerned. Kabir says very definitely: do not be carried away by chanting of
the scriptures, singing of holy verses or listening to sermons. The way of the
saints is something different. It can be found only through self analysis.
King Ravana
was a scholar of all the Vedas and Shastras. But despite that, he is known for
his wickedness. And what are we doing? Acting, posing, and false propaganda
will not take us anywhere near our real goal. We can dupe all, but not God. He
is omnipresent. From the time of initiation on, the Master remains a constant
invisible companion of the initiate, and watches all his actions. The Master
knows everything about his disciples.
So it is
futile to conceal anything from the Master. Hazur used to give us simple
examples to make us understand the various aspect of spirituality. Once Yusuf
went to Queen Zalakhan, who wanted to fulfill her sensual desire. She first
covered the idol she worshiped. When Yusuf asked her why she did that, she
said, she didn’t want her dirty to see their unholy act. Yusuf exclaimed, “My
Lord is omnipresent and no actions of ours are hidden from Him.” Hazur used to
say, “We hesitate to do a wrong used to say, “We hesitate to do a wrong used to
say, “We hesitate to do a wrong thing in the presence of a child. Do we not
realize that God within us is watching
all our actions?” once initiated by a competent Master, a spiritual aspirant is
never forsaken by the Master till he is taken to the kingdom of God.
So we are here
in obeisance to Hazur and to realize the Truth. He is ever with us and is
showering his abundant grace. However, to realize Him it is essential to have a
pure heart. Can you ever expect the Lord to manifest Himself till our hearts
are spotlessly clean? The Lord cannot be realized as long as our hearts remain
littered with lust, anger, jealously, recrimination, etc. Our soul lies dormant
and defiled by these vices. Just as a magnet will not attract iron that is all
covered with dirt. God within us will not attract iron that is all covered with
dirt. God within us will not pull the soul up until it is free from all
blemishes. In such a hopeless state only a competent Master can become our
rescue. This in fact is the greatness of a Master-soul. If a loaded donkey is
stuck in the mud., it cannot come out with its own effort. Someone out of sheer
compassion will have to remove the load and then pull the donkey out of the mud.
We are also loaded with heaps of impressions of thousands of lifetimes and in
addition are trapped in the net of sensual pleasures. There is hardly any
difference between us and we are loaded donkey. We too need a compassionate
soul, who himself is absolutely free, to unburden us and to pull us out of our
misery. Only then will we be able to see the reality. The greatness of such a
Master-soul is beyond description. Such a competent Master enables us to see
the truth after freeing us from the effect of past impression and bringing our
attention above body consciousness.
Hazur used to
say that the Master will definitely take his initiate to the ultimate goal, but
only after properly cleaning him from all blemishes. For nobody wants to keep
dirty clothes unless they are washed and pressed! Hazur often gave the examples
of a washer man who never refuse to wash even the dirtiest clothes, because he
knows his own competency; some times he may have to put in a little extra
effort. Soul in its present state Is like pure gold mixed with dust. Remove the
dust from it and it will be pure gold again. It is only a matter of removing
the dust.
Hazur came to
transform us into satsangis in the real sense. He often emphasized that the
human body is the temple of God and the eternal light is illuminating it. But
we are polluting this temple with all kind of rubbish: bad diet, unfair and
dishonest earnings, falsehood, deceit, recrimination, egotism and hypocrisy. To
partake of flesh and eggs and intoxication is to defile this temple, such food
habits are not conductive to one’s spiritual growth. Therefore our diet should
be pure and vegetarian. Even more: it should be prepared in a clean place and
with a clean heart. In India there is still a practice in orthodox families that
no one other than the lady preparing food is allowed in the kitchen. That helps
in maintaining cleanliness. Nowadays, food is prepared generally by people who
indulge in all sorts of loose talk while preparing the meals. Mind id affected
by the food you take.
I may tell you
my own personal experience. In 1921 I was posted in the Accounts Branch of an
Indian Army Regiment. An army orderly used to cook my food. I had given him
strict instructions not to allow anyone to enter the kitchen, and also told him
to recite holy verses while preparing the food. It was my practice to sit for
meditation daily in the dead of night. One night I noticed negative thoughts
disturbing my meditation. I woke the orderly up and asked him if there was
anyone with him in the kitchen that night. He said no; but he was telling a
lie. Later he admitted it. Where the dirt is already there in tons, a little
more doesn’t make much difference. But even a grain of dirt will v\be visible
on an otherwise clean surface.
Ethical
conduct and pure diet are thus stepping stones to God realization. The main
reason I attach so much importance to keeping a diary is to make us conscious
of our shortcomings. We only talk of non violence as the true religion; we
never observe it in spirit. The result is that we try to deceive Him who is all
seeing! How can we expect his grace? Blessed are the pure in heart for they
shall see God.
A pure heart
is a necessity if we are to realize God. All scriptures and Masters have said
there are only two ways to reach the ultimate goal: the way of living and the
way of religion. What is religion? It is the same as ultimate truth to realize
the Power of God manifesting and sustaining the entire creation.
The way of
living if the first step. It means inculcating the habit of truthfulness in all
its aspects. One of these aspects is the observance of chastity. Chastity is
life, and should be observed in thought, word and deed. The real significance
of marriage lies in having life partner who will stand by you under all circumstances
–pleasure and pain, riches and poverty. Both partners should cooperate with
each other in striving to realize God.
We should have
love for all and hatred for none, for the entire creation is his for none, for
the entire creation is his manifestation. And then we should render selfless
service. Ahimsa (non injury) is thus the highest dharma.
Sheikh Farid
says, if you wish to meet your beloved, do not injure anyone’s feelings.
Maulana Rumi says, you may indulge in intoxication, or burn the holy Koran, or
set fire to the Kaaba [holiest place of the Muslims] but so not hurt the
feelings of anyone.
Let us take
the outer life of Hazur. He was married at an early age, but his wife died
before the marriage was consummated. He married again after reaching the age of
25, and thus completed 25 years or complete celibacy. He himself used to say
that his stay with his family during his whole life would total not more than
six months. You can see what a disciplined life he led. Hazur’s practical life
should be an eye-opener for us. He used to hand over his full salary to his
Guru, Baba jaimal Singh Ji maharaj. Out of that, babaji would send money to
Hazur family. He used to go to his home town to see his family only if babaji
desired him to. He was often asked how it could be that he was a householder
and saint both. He always said that form the time the spiritual week was
assigned to him, he stopped being a householder. Observance of celibacy is a
great blessing, and Hazur always attached the highest importance to chastity. Even at the age of 90 he used
to roar like a lion! During those days there were no loudspeakers, and he could
be heard giving a Satsang from a long distance. He had divine grace on his
loving face. This was mainly die to his strict observance of a highly ethical
and chaste life. We are losing this essential virtue. God only knows what the
future will be if the present trend of utter callousness toward moral standards
continues.
Hazur had many
virtues which we need, especially in our present state of delusion and
despondency. He always had a cheerful and pleasant personality. He had all
smiles on his ever glistening face. Those who have seen him know that he had
immeasurable love in him for his children as we are. He would cast such a loving
and soothing glance on us, as parents might after meeting their child after a
long separation. His love towards his children was much more than the love that
hundreds of fathers and mothers have for their children. A single life
inspiring glance of his was capable of raising us to great heights. Eyes are
the windows of the soul. Swami Ji says, these eyes are the widows that open to
the abode of God. Whenever someone bowed to Hazur in reverence he would say,
“There is nothing down at my feet. You can see me through my eye.”
Hazur used to
tell us that when his son died, he felt no trace of grief; for he knew he had
been a sacred trust from God, and he could take it back at his will. These
things are common in the lives of saints. Cheerfulness was one of Hazur’s many
virtues. This is one thing we should learn from his life.
Have you ever
consider as to where the senses derive their Power from? It is from the soul
itself. Newton was solving certain mathematical problems on the roadside when a
blaring band passed by. Someone asked him if a band had gone that way. He said
that he did not know. His attention was absorbed at that time in solving the
problems. Many times it happens that we do not hear even a loud sound because
our attention is focused at some other point. Our attention or soul in thus the
driving force of our outgoing faculties.
One whose
inner self is overflowing with bliss will be cheerful and have a sweet tongue.
Our of the abundance of his heart a man speaks. Whenever Hazur laughed, it was
real and hearty laughter. Those who saw him laughing were fortunate indeed.
That life giving laughter of Hazur can never be forgotten. The great souls fill
the entire atmosphere with their radiation. By just a thought of such a one, we
feel uplifted. After the partition of India in 1947, a large number of people
had to emigrate from Pakistan. Some of them could not bear the shock of leaving
everything in Pakistan and died soon after. It was very difficult to console
them. but those who came to Hazur had an instant soothing effect from his
charged words. His simple words, “Now do not worry,” were enough to bring
solace to them. whoever went to him was touched by his sweet and soothing
words. Kind words don’t cost anything.
Kind words
spoken with humility are the quintessence of all virtue. He was a really
competent Master and yet he possessed humility. It is rightly said that
humility is the true adornment of saints. This should be a great lesson for us.
Hafiz says, kindness and consideration for both friends and enemies bring
comforts in both the worlds. Do not think ill of anyone, even your enemies.
Hazur once wrote to me, “My dear, discomfort in life is the property of
saints.” He quoted an Urdu couplet: the moment I was destined to lone, sighs
were given as cash grant and desert as property. He continued: “in Satsang all
sort of people come. There are some whose hearts are overflowing with love and
devotion and who are ready to sacrifice their all –body, mind, wealth. There
are some who only indulge in lip service and calumny. They are always ready to
criticize and slander.” And then he added: “But our duty is to love all. If
they do not give up their hateful habit, why should we give up our loving
habit?” this letter has been the sheet anchor of my life so far, and it will
always remain my guiding principle.
The purpose of
our life is to become a satsangi –to get a link with the truth. If we attain
that , we shall remain contented and happy with the entire creation. Semen is
the essence of our body. It is the driving force a vital fluid. The more of it
we have in out body. It is the driving force a vital fluid. The more of it we
have in our body, the healthier we will be. One who practices celibacy is great
an brave enough to face hundreds of people single handed. If such a man has
spiritual understanding he is a great soul indeed. Those who are deficient in
this essential virtue are incapable of any worthwhile progress. In the shastras
it is said that to waste even a drop of any worthwhile progress. In the shastras
it is said that to waste even a drop of semen is death, and to conserve it is
life. Guru Nanak has also said, whoever loses semen loses everything.
We should mold
our lives according to the scriptures. As already explained, the purpose of
marriage is to have a companion through the thick and thin of one’s life. Both
should strive to reach the ultimate goal. Procreation is only one insignificant
aspect of married life. From the time of conception until a child is weaned
from the mothers milk, there should be absolutely no self indulgence. In this
way, once conception occurs, there will be a break of two years or more in
sexual relations. This is what the scriptures prescribe. If one has two or
three children on this pattern, he is regard as a chaste person.
The Bible
says, husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church. Further:
when you sir for prater, lo the Lord as if you never had any wife. This should
be our highest ideal. Tulsi sahib goes even further and says, if you are
truthful, humble, and consider all women as your own mother, and still you do
not realize God, I as his servant will be your surety. Prophet Mohammed has
also said, if you can control the two organs one between the two lips and the
other between the two thighs –I will be responsible for your liberation at the
court of God.
To commemorate
a great soul is to imbibe his teachings in our practical life. Mere lip service
is no use. When we are practical, blessing is invoked, we should learn a lesson
from Hazur’s life. We are here in his remembrance and from this day we should
resolve to lead a pious and disciplined life. We should have regular self
introspection by keeping a diary. You have just to become chaste and you will
find that you have develop supernatural powers of perceptions and foreknowledge
of world events. And if such a chaste life is dyes in the color of
spirituality, then the great capabilities of that person can be imagined, so
purity of heart and chaste life are the main prerequisites for spiritual
progress. Tulsi sahib says, clean the closet of your heart and remove all
worldly thoughts, to make room for the Lord within.
We have to
realize God through purity (in both diet and conduct) and by developing
receptivity through constant remembrance of Him. You need not renounce the
world and go to the jungles to realize God. A Persian mystic says, I do not ask
you to remain aloof from the world. But whatever you do, be with God. You
should not forget the Lord at anytime, and always remain thankful to Him. If
you develop such receptivity, you are free from bondage.
So purity of
thought, purity of diet, and purity of conduct are most essential. If our inner
self is free from all blemishes, the divine light and celestial sound will
emerge in the silence of our heart. The very silence will become vocal. Our
meditation is not successful because we have yet to come up to the necessary
standard. Kabir says, if our heart if polluted, we shall be pushed out of the
kingdom of God.
Tulsi sahib
says that he wouldn’t believe anyone who claimed to know the Master. So people
knew about Hazur only to the extent he chose to reveal himself. He was the
glistening gem of humility and chastity. He had divine attraction in him. Those
who had a chance to see him for the
first time even from a distance would notice in him the piety and greatness of
saint. We should learn at least four virtues from his life today –sweet speech,
cheerfulness, chastity, and humility. If we imbibe these virtues we shall have
a complete metamorphosis in our lives. Maintain your diary from today and see
the result. This is Hazur grace: that you get practical experience at the time
of initiation. If has to be developed further by devoting sufficient and
regular time to meditation. The common excuse for neglecting meditation is the
paucity of time. Don’t forget that you have to die some day. and only you can
accomplish your meditation; no one else! It is not like offering ritual prayers
that a priest can do for you. Successful meditation brings abundant blessing, perfect,
perfect satisfaction and concentration. After all, we have to commune with the
truth which is already within us. In order to become a satsangi, you have to
stop being a man sangi ( one who is linked with the senses). So we have to do
away with our association with sensual pleasures in order to obtain the
ultimate truth. We are fortunate indeed that at the very first sitting, at the
time of initiation, we get practical experience of spiritual bliss. This is the
Hazur ‘s grace and blessing. He has never forsaken us. We must make ourselves
worthy of his grace. The Master Power never dies. Only the pole at which it
manifests changes. When I was in America, they asked me, “when is Christ
returning?” I said, “has he ever left you? Did he not say, I am with you always
even unto the end of the world”? that Power works through different human
;poles. It is within you.
Those who have
been initiated have to withdraw their attention from outside and rise above
body consciousness. To accomplish this task, you may take help from the human
pole at which that Power is working. So, mold your life if you wish to become a
satsangi, his abundant grace is already there to lift us up spirituality. We
need a competent guide who can put us on the right path and who can be a torch
bearer in our spiritual journey within. Kabir says, he who calls himself a Satguru
or sant, let him show us the invisible Lord. Only such a Master, who is capable
of opening our inner eye –the third eye –is competent to become our spiritual
guide. He gives us the initial capital of Naam, to start with. We then have to
do our part, by regular practice and self introspection. By Hazur grace we got
the initial capital of Naam to start with. We then have to do our part, by
regular practice and self introspection. By Hazur grace we got the initial
capital; and left it at that. If we intend to reach the ultimate goal, we shall
have to mend our way. To remember Hazur to mend our ways. To remember Hazur
once a year is not enough. We should sit in our Masters sweet remembrance every
day.
To forger the
Master is to lose his protection, thereby giving an opportunity to the negative
Power to pin you down. Nevertheless, the Master Power is not going to forsake
you in midstream. He has mighty protecting hands. The seed of spirituality sown
by him at the time of initiation must germinate sooner or late. No one can
destroy this seed. But if you do not prepare the soil conductive to its
germination how, you will have to be reborn –no doubt as a human being –to
accomplish the task, for the seed sown
by a competent Master must germinate and sprout fully. But why delay and
prolong your fortune? You have gathered in the remembrance of Hazur, who was a
living embodiment of truth. So make a firm resolve today.
Finally, I would
again emphasize that you must strengthen the foundation. If you take one step
in the fight direction, the Master will come a million steps to guide you and
help you. This is a guarantee which I give you on behalf of Hazur. People enter
the world crying and after leading a life of suffering and misery, depart still
crying. Lead such a disciplined life that you depart from this world with a
contented smile on your face, and people remember you.
The diary I
have prescribed after thoughtful consideration will go long way in helping you
in your progress. Continue living in your respective social structures and
religions. All are noble in their purpose. We are all one as man, and from the
soul level we are also one. We are all children of God. The same controlling us
all. This is the teaching of all the saints.
BABA SAWAN SINGH
on
THE
SCIENCE OF THE MASTERS
Books that mater, as
distinguished from trash, are accounts of the experience of persons reduced to
writing for the benefit of others. If anyone wishes to learn, say chemistry, he
studies books on chemistry, he studies books on chemistry. Thus he learns
something about chemistry. But if he gets instructions directly from a
chemistry, he obtains a better grasp of the subject. If he sets up a laboratory
and begins to experiment, he will gain still better knowledge of the subject.
And last of all, if he caries on his experiments under the personal directions
of an expert chemist, he will avoid many a pitfall and will, in due time,
become a chemist.
Again, one book on chemistry may appeal
to one student and may not appeal to another; for the mental make up of the two
may not be the same. One may have his analytical faculty developed, while in
the other the synthetically faculty may predominate. A book, therefore, is not
all comprehensive. The author has written it from the angle characteristic of
himself and it will appeal only to persons having a touch of the same
qualities. Also the same book may appeal to a person at one time and may not
appeal to him at another time; for man is a variable creature, and his
intellect is a variable factor.
Again there is the
difficulty of exact expression and of correct understanding. You cannot convey
a correct idea of a railway train or a modern motor car to a person familiar
with only bullock carts as means of conveyance. A radio agent without receiving
apparatus, will carry but little conviction as to the marvel of radio among
persons who never before heard of the radio. Even with a radio ser at hand, he
is likely to be taken as a juggler.
So, when ideas about
material things cannot be conveyed correctly in words, either written or spoken, ideas about non
material things, such as mental and spiritual experience, cannot possibly be
expressed, with any degree of clearness and exactitude, to persons who never
have had any such experiences. Yet mental and spiritual experience on the
mental and spiritual planes are as real as are the experience of anyone on the
physical plane.
A boy who leaves school
after learning the three R’s says, “Knowledge is unlimited.” A student who
completes the common school course but who has not yet entered the university
also says, “Knowledge is unlimited.”
The graduate of the university also says, “Knowledge is unlimited.” A University professor who has encompassed
the limits of learning afforded by all universities also says, “Knowledge is
unlimited.” How the boy, the student, the Graduate, and the professor all use
the same expression; but evidently they do not mean the same thing at all. The
boy, the student, the graduate, and the professor all use the same expression;
but evidently they do not mean the same thing at all. The boy’s idea of
knowledge is very shallow, while the idea of knowledge as held by the professor
is deep –a sea compared to a pond.
Books therefore convey but
little at best, and are often misunderstood. The more critically a beginner
examines books, the more discrepancies
he finds, and the result is usually confusion of thought. Hence the need for
association with living teacher; also the need for actual experience of
converting theory into fact, or individual realization. So, books, by their
very nature, are imperfect and serve but a limited purpose.
Man himself is the perfect
books; for all books have come out of him. Inside of him is the creator with
all his creation. Study of books gives
second handed information; while study of man gives first hand information;
that is, the study of what lies within ourselves. So why not enter within
ourselves and see what is there?
From the books we are to
grasp the central or basic idea upon which the book is based. If you examine
books in that spirit (I am not defending all books, and I am sorry to say that
the English language is poor in teal literature on spiritual subjects) you will
find that the central idea of sant mat, and of other religions also, is the
practice of the sound current. Many different names are used to express the
idea. Christ, Mohammed, and the Vedic Rishis practiced and preached the same.
It may be said that they had studied or risen on this current to different
heights; but the fundamental idea of all of their teachings is this sound
current.
The type of language, or the
setting which this basic idea is given, depends upon the place and the people
the Master work among, their customs,
the manner of their presentation and their own intellectual development. And as
these customs, manner of their presentation and their own intellectual
development. And as these customs, manners, etc, change with time, their books
to go out of the date. Hence the necessity of giving the same principle of the
sound current afresh. The message must be kept modern , and so adapted to the
times and people to whom it is offered.
This current is present is
man all men. It is natural in man, nor artificial. It can neither be altered
nor artificial, it can neither be altered nor modified, nor added to nor
subtracted from. All else in this world is changeable, and changes continually, but nor this current.
It is an emanation from or wave of, the great source of all the supreme
creator, by whatever name you wish to speak of him. Each individual is a spark
of him. Each individual is a spark or drop of that same infinite source.
The creator is at the top of
this current and the individual soul is at the other end, other end, the
current thus acting as the connecting link between them. by that current the
life even the very existence of the individual is sustained. The individual
feels no touch with it on the account of the thick veils of mind and matter
which covers it at this end. But it is there, in man and in all forms of
creation, in the eye focus, whence it permeates the whole body below the eye,
and then goes out from the body through the various senses organs. To catch it,
the scattered and scattering attention
must be controlled and held in the focus where connection is established with
the astral, mental and the spiritual planes, and the same finally merges into
its source at the other end.
The first essential thing,
therefore, if to enter this laboratory within ourselves, by bringing our
scattered attention inside of the eye focus. This is a slow process. But we are
not justified in saying that we cannot do it, or that it, is impossible, or
that it is useless. Here is a worthy pursuit for the application of our
critical and other faculties. If we cannot control and subdue our thoughts,
arising within us, who else will? It is our job and we must do it, and we must
do it now, in this very lifetime, while we are men; for man is the highest from
of creation.
There are many ways of doing
this; but from experience, saint find that “repetition”, called Simran, done in
the manner explained at the time of initiation, is the best and most effective
way, as well as the simply way. If thoughts, of the material world take us out
of the focus, thoughts, of the inner worlds will take us in that direction.
When we are inside of the focus, we have disconnected ourselves form the
material world and are on the threshold of the astral world. We too have cast
off our material frame, and we are of the same stuff as the astral world, and
are now in a position to function there, the same attention that was working in
the material world is now capable of working in the astral world. And just as
we now call this lower world real, we will find the astral world as real, or
more real, than we now find this one.
After reaching the astral
plane, the same attention, now purified from the material dross, hangs onto the
sound current, becomes further purified and rises on it to reach the spiritual
planes. With every inch of ascent inwards and upwards, the soul is casting off
the covering of mind and matte and is awakening from the deep slumber of ages.
Needless to say that in this process the soul is not helpless, but it goes in
and stays in and comes out at will.
We may look at this matter in another way: the creator is
Existence, knowledge and Bliss, or Power, Wisdom, and love. And atom or a spark
of this essence of existence is the soul which, encased in its covering of mind
and matter, forms the individual will know itself attain “Self Realization” and
will in turn be able to know its creator. Wrapped in its coverings, the soul
merely hears of its source from others or reads about the creator in books,
makes guesses and draws imaginary pictures to satisfy its intellectual
curiosity. It also manufactures creeds.
If a lantern were wrapped in
a thin Muslim cloth its light would be dimmed. If there is another enveloped of
thick, coarse cloth over the muslin, the light will be cut off entirely and the
lantern will cease to serve the purpose of a lantern. Man is much like a
covered lantern. There is light in him. There is the spark of pure existence,
knowledge and bliss in him; but the envelops of mind and matter dim his light
and he gropes in darkness. Real existence has degenerated and appears in him as
reason, intellect and instinct. Bliss has degenerated into fleeting experience
of pleasure and pain.
Clothed in our dark
coverings, we are incapable of understanding our source. And the extent to
which we succeed in removing our
covering marks the degree of our capacity to understand our source. These
remarks about the books, the creator, the individual and the sound current,
will help us in answering your three fold question:
1 –The Original Home so often referred to,
whence we came,
2
–Why we left that Home;
3
–Will we ever leave it again?
The individual, as he is
constituted now, is incapable of understanding what has happened or is
happening at the source. The saints, who come from that end and have access to
that end at will, know what is going on at that end at will, know what is going
on at that end; but by the very nature of things they are handicapped in trying
to convey information to the individual at this end. They attempt, in various
ways, to satisfy their audiences. Some are convinced, and some are not. No
matter what answer is given to these questions, we can always find fault with
it, and even if reason and intellect are satisfied for the time being, the
necessity for converting theory into facts of experience and personal
realization still remains.
But the point is that saints do not wish to satisfy their
audiences by empty words. They offer to take the inquirer to the other end, and
thus give him first hand knowledge. One beauty of it is that, at that end,
these questions do not arise. So if the curious questioner would exercise a
little patience and faith, most of his questions would be answered automatically
as his experiences increase.
Suppose a man finds himself
at the bottom of a deep well where he is very lonely and uncomfortable. Another
man happens to pass that well. He carries a long rope. Finding this man in the
well, he lets, down his rope. Finding this man in the well, he lets down his
rope and offers to pull the man up, if only he will catch into the end of the
rope. But our man in the well enters into argument with the man above, and
demands to know just how he came to fall into that well, and what is the
guarantee that he may not fall into the well again, if he is pulled up. The
utmost that the man with the rope can say is that he will take him out of the
well and then he can study the situation for himself. But if the man in the
well does not take advantage of his time has not yet come to escape form his
imprisonment.
Predestination versus free
will: a will is free only so long as it has not acted. Once it acts, then that
very act becomes binding on it. The second time it acts, it does not act as a
free will, but as a “calculating will” for it carries the experience of the
first act with it. And calculating will is not a free will, but a limited will.
The very creations or acts of a free will work as limiting factors upon it and
guide in its future, activity. So, the more world one has, the more his will is
guided it in its future activity. So, the more experiences one has, the more
his will is guided and thus limited. And this is real predestination.
There is thus no antagonism
between predestination, fate, karma, and free will. We were free at one time.
We acted, and then our acts became binding upon us. They curtailed initial
freedom. They now act upon us as unavoidable fate. Since our experience have
become complex and varied, these experience now appear in us as joys and fears,
hopes and desires, each of which in its turn moulds or fashions our reason and
intellect.
Intellect, reason and
feeling, being what they have been fashioned to be, now determine our actions
and make us choose the predestined course. Thus the acts of one life determine
the frame work of the next life, like farmers, we are now living on the crop we
gathered last, while we are preparing the soil and putting in the seed of the
now crop. Although we must undergo our fate there being no escape from it, yet
all is not lost if we use the little freedom we have in such a manner as to
lead to our ultimate rescue.
We wish this age long
wandering from life to life to come to an end. And so it will, it we choose the
means of escape. The easiest, the safest, and in fact the only way out is
association with the free. Saints are free by virtue of their practices of the
sound current. And they come among us with one single mission that of
connecting us with the sound current and so making us free. And this is the
only path of spiritual freedom.
Facts versus theories: That
which may be a fact to one man, may not necessarily be a fact to another. And
it will not become a fact to him until he has had a similar experience. Facts
of sant mat are reproducible, like facts of any science, and can be
demonstrated in the laboratory of sant mat. The laboratory of sant mat, as said
before is inside man. Anybody who enters this laboratory (brings his scattered
attention within himself at the eye focus) can see, feel, and realize what the
saints say and he can repeat the experiment as often as he likes.
Sant mat deals with facts
only, not with theories or beliefs. It lays down a practical course for its
devotees. It is practical through and through, and it can be executed by young
or old, male and female, wise or simple minded while at the same time they are
enjoying the fullness of home life.
Life duties: sant mat is
natural, and hence rational. It expects its devotees to live a normal life and
to do their duties better than others. Sluggards do not make any headway here
or elsewhere. Sant mat creates detachment in attachment, living in the world
and yet not of the world. With mind under control, stimulated by a personal
knowledge of other and better world, the disciple viewpoint of life and of its
duties and responsibilities changes.
The life here actually
becomes unreal and its values are assessed accordingly. Things which others lay
much stress upon become of little value to the disciple.
And often that which others
may consider valueless, and even foolish, may become more value to the looks
down upon life below the eye focus (our present condition) is not better than a
dream.
If people would go inside
the focus and enter the upper worlds, they would become eternally happy. Empty
talk would cease. They would contemplate the grand reality. So, first you are
to control your mind and rise within yourself to the eye focus, and the other
man is to do the same within himself. When inside the eye focus, and the other
man is to do the same within himself. When inside the eye focus, you and he
have both
Cast off the material
coverings, and matter is now no longer a hindrance in your study and upward
march. Neither is it a hindrance in your communications with each other, while
you are both above the eye focus.
To do this, it is not
necessary to leave home or country. Anybody who goes inside of his focus is
independent of time and space, and he can, from his own experience, given
guidance to another who has not reached so far. He who rises still higher, and
has access to other who has not reached do far. He who rises still higher, and
has access to other and higher worlds, is capable of guiding others to those higher worlds.
As in all branches of study,
a student who occasionally meets his teacher and covers freely with him has a
distinct advantage over one who takes only a correspondence course. The same is
the case here in sant mat and the development on this path. But the beauty of
it is that when you gain access to the inner light and the worlds of the light
within, the elements of time and distance so completely disappear that you
stand face to face with your teacher and Master, and he will always remain
right there to instruct and to lead you as well as to strengthen you.
You need not accept anything
which does not appeal to you in books, or even in my letters. You may leave
aside for the time being the ultimate object of life and its how and why. You
may start your inquiry from this end, and then take as your objective the
attack upon the eye focus. Reach that point as best you can, by this or any
other method. Draw up your own planes, if you wish. Only make and execute some
plane to reach that objective. Bring your plan into action. That is the main
thing. And then if you find it does not work so well, come back to this plane.
The main point is to reach the eye focus somehow. You will be dealing with your
own attention. If you succeed in holding it inside of the focus, you have won
the battle of life.
You say in eight weeks since
your initiation you have made no progress. Sant mat does not fix any time
limit. Let us appreciate the situation. Ever since our birth, at which time we
left the eye focus and came out of it and established our connections with this
world, we have not gone inside of it. Sometimes, when we have a deep intricate
problem to solve, we close our eyes and try to think by holding all our
attention in the eye center. We do it for a short time, but soon run our again
because we have acquired the bad habit of always remaining away from the focus.
Poets, painters and
musicians receive inspiration from this point. All great thinkers get their
ideas clarified here. Whatever scientific progress the world has made has all
been derived from this source. This focus, back of the eyes, is the fountain of
all inspiration which has produced the world masterpieces. And whatever further
progress is to be made in the future, the source of information and inspiration
and inspiration will still be this point. Here is where divinity comes down to
meet the struggle man.
And what holds us outside
this focus? Why does not everybody in the world rush, with his utmost ability,
to enter this magic fountain of inspiration and wisdom? Because our attention
has always been, and is yet, attached to our bodies, to our near relations, to
our homes, to our countries, and to our pleasures; sometimes to our pains and
sorrows. We have so much identified ourselves with these things that we have
lost our identify. Unless now we start ditching ourselves from these outside
connections, begin to develop the capacity to switch our attention on and off
at will, we can make but little progress on the path.
We are to re-establish our
identity, to assert our supremacy over our minds and bodies. Mind must be made
to work when we wish it to, and to remain motionless when we wish it to do so.
We must become able to enter this body when we wish, to function in this world
when necessary, and them to go out of it at will when we wish to function in
another world. It is the attention which is to go inside and see, and so long
as it is running outside, who is to see inside, his complaint is not justified.
This detaching the attention
from the external connections is a slow affair. Habits become second nature. It
takes time to from new habits. But slow and steady wins the race, and practice
makes perfect. Follow your mind for a minute and see what keeps it away from
its headquarters. Avoid whatever interferes and accept what helps in reaching
your objective, I have already given you the saints method, based on long, long
experience.
If anyone is sure that he is on the right path, then he
is on the right path, then if he takes bur one step a day he is still
approaching his destination, and is sure to get there some day, no matter how
distant his destination may be. You will perhaps say, “How an I to know that I
am on the right path?” I give you the means of proving it for yourself. Until
you have proved it for yourself, you must, per necessity, accept something on
faith. You would have to do the same if you were building a bridge. . . . . .
Lucky indeed is he who
spends his short life in the Masters company. “If a man is a true seeker, he
should give himself up to the sat guru and drop all else.” It has been said
already how the attention of man is attached to all sorts of worldly
relationships and things. There is hardly any attention left for the study of
self and for seeking God. Look about you. Who has time for all the needs of his
own soul? He should take time, but he thinks he cannot. His attention is so
monopolized by trifles that he has no time for most vital concerns.
A true seekers who gives
undivided attention to the things of the spirit is a rare bird. Bur men follow
after that which they love best. A lover cannot be kept separated from his
beloved, for he has given himself over to his beloved. His beloved is his life.
The quoted passages only point to the ideal. A saint is lucky if he gets one or
two genuine seekers during his whole lifetime.
The Spiritual Implication of The Koran
Bhadra sena explores the
esoteric side of the teaching of Mohammed.
IN THE NAME OF THE GOD THE
COMPASSIONATE THE MERCIFUL
Of a truth the Koran is no
other than a warning to all.-
I am but a warner; there is
no God but God the one, and the Almighty;
I ask no wage of you for
this, nor am I one who intermeddles.
SURA 38
THE KORAN occupies a unique
place among the scriptures of the world. It made a tremendous warring tribes of
the desert of Arabia and helped to weld them into one people to be reckoned
with. In course of time the new faith came to occupy its rightful place among
the religions of the world.
The word Koran or Quran is
derived from the root quaraa, which means to read aloud, to recite or to
proclaim. To cry was the first command that the prophet received from the voice
coming down from heaven –cry in the name of the Lord, Lord who is wondrous and
kind.
It was on the fight of Power
and excellence that Mohammed (the praised one) was chosen as the man among men
to act at first as a prophet(nabi) for his kindred tribesmen, the quarish, and
later to play the role of an apostle or public preacher (Rasul) for propagating
his doctrine.
His mission was to proclaim
(1) that there was no God but he, the most excellent, / and truly that God was
but one, Gracious and eternal, /omnipresent and omnipotent, all seeing but
unseen, the first and the last; (2) that it was blasphemous to set up against
Him or associate with Him gods and idols, or representations born of human
imagination and wrought by human hands; (3) that there were definite laws and commandments
of God on all the affairs of man, and they were just and beneficial and for his
ultimate good; and (4) that no one could ignore, disobey or transgress these
laws and commandments except at great risk and peril to one’s self.
The ayats or verses of the
Koran descended piecemeal upon the prophet in manageable sections and segments
so that they could be given our in slow degrees. This process went on for more
than 23 years, whenever Mohammed went into seclusion among the solitary hills.
They came to him “through voices that seemed at first to very and sometimes
sounded like “the reverberating of bells,’ but gradually focused in a single
voice that became identified as Gabriel’s.”
Gabriel (or more accurately
Jabriel) means the strong, one, or one armed with the Power of God; signifying
the spirit and Power of God himself. He is variously described in the books as
an illustrious messenger, / endowed with Power and having influence with the
Lord of the throne, /obeyed by angels and faithful to his trust; “the faithful
spirit” that verily came down from the Lord of the worlds with the book, the
holy spirit that had proceeded at the Lord ‘s command, the spirit that he sends
forth at his own behest on whomsoever of his servants he pleaseth that he may
warn people. Finally comes the confirmation that the spirit was sent with the
revelation to the prophet who knew not the book nor the faith.
Sura 14 tells us of the
express purpose for which the holy spirit (Gabriel) revealed the Koran: this
book has been sent down to thee by the Lord’s permission so that thou may bring
men our of darkness into light, into the path of the mighty and glorious. It is
a manifesto to man of the will and testimony of God no God but he the living
and eternal. It is he who sent to the pagans the apostle from among them to
rehearse in their own language his signs, to purify them and to impart to them
the knowledge of the book and wisdom. This is Gods goodness for he is immense
goodness. In short, it is a missive from God to the God fearing.
The Koran then essential
contains, among other things, warnings, admonitions and precepts for the
guidance of all, believers and unbelievers. Through out the book, emphasis is
laid on works and deeds of individuals: for it is own works lieth every soul in
pledge; and every soul shall receive as it
shall have wrought; he who doth right it is for himself; and he who doth
evil it is for himself; and thy Lord will not deal unfairly with his servants.
Whatever good words ye send on before for your own benefit, ye shall find with
God. And every soul shall be paid what it hath earned for each action, both
small and great, is written down.
Even the godly persons (the
prophets or apostles) are immune from the operation of this law. They too are
supposed to remain well within the authority entrusted to them by God, and are
answerable for their dereliction or over zeal, as the case may be in the
discharge of their prophetic or apostolic functions. God may question the men
of truth as to their truth. Of Moses, a man of piety and chosen by God as a
human pole, to act both as a prophet and apostle, we learn that he had to part
company with khizr (or khaddar), the servant of God who was carrying our his
will, because he could not keep his patience with khizr, whose action appeared
to him is as absurd or vicious.” Likewise, the praised one (Mohammed), when
hemmed in by treacherous enemies, prayed for the wrath of God upon them and
received a sharp censure from God: surely they are unjust. But you have no
concern whether he treats them with mercy or chastisement.
The book opens with an
invocatory sura in praise of God, the Lord of the world (rab-ul-almeen), the compassionate
and the merciful, / king on the day of reckoning (malik I yaum I deem). He
alone is fit to be worshipped and sought for help: Guide thou us on the
straight path, / the path of those to whom thou hast been gracious –with whom
thou art not angry, and who go not astral.
It is to this God that the
prophet owed his allegiance and to on one beside Him: he is God alone: he
begetteth not, and he is not begotten; and there is none like into Him. Again,
the prophet is advised by Gabriel’s, say: I betake me for refuge to the Lord of
the day break, against all sorts of mischief and evil influence of the world.
As to the nature of the Lord
God, we find: he is the living one. He is the subtle. The eyes see not him but
he seeth the eyes. God is the clear truth itself . . . . God is the light of
the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche is a lamp encased, as it
were, in glass, like a glistening star. From a blessed tree is it lie, the
olive neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil, would well nigh shine,
out even though fire touched it not! It is light upon light.
God guideth whom he will to
his light. And the brightness of his lightning all but taketh away the sight!
He to whom God shall not give light, no light at all hath he, but a thick cloud
of darkness upon darkness, as on a deep
sea, with billows, riding upon billows.
As to his immensity, it is
said: the east and the west is Gods therefore whichever way ye turn, there is
the face, of God. Truly God is immense.
Islamic tradition tells us
that the path god ward lies through seven heavens, one above the other, each
aglow with brilliant lights. The lowest one is adorned with stars and the way
thereto is star tracked.
Those who are desirous of
reaching God do so only when, at his bidding, the heaven is rent asunder,
providing an ingress to aspiring souls. This splitting takes place when the
earth (the ground of the individual) is stretched out as a plain (becomes even
and straight), after casting out what is in it (of all that is evil), and
becomes totally empty (neat and clean, free from all the thorns and thistles of
life). So had God commanded Abraham of old who was neither a Jew nor a
Christian but sound in faith, unite not aught with me in worship and keep my
house clean. With these prerequisites duly filled, the soul is surely carried
onward from stage to stage.
As the believers, men and
women, proceed on the God way they are guided with their light running before
them and on their right hand.
It is with the splitting
asunder of heaven that the spirit and Power of God (the kalma of Gabriel, the
holy word) descends on whomsoever God wishes and make his presence felt
forcefully and indelibly. It in fact is the imperceptible link between God and
man. Once a conscious contact is established between the individual spirit and
the powerful sound current emanating from God and identified with Gabriel or
Jabries, the latter speaks and guides the spirit in the ways of God and leads
her in his own unique light (light which is neither on a sea nor land) on the
God way. This is why the book enjoins: take a firm holds on what we have given
you and hearken. Hear Him and obey . . . . . . hold ye fast to the cord or God
and break not loose from that. And, verily, his word is the truth. Then comes
an admonition to those who attend not to the voice of God within: and those who
respond not to his call (Bang experience llahi), evil is their reckoning! Hell
their home! And wretched their bed! And finally we have an assurance: God will
one day wake up to life those who are in the tomb (dead to the life of the
spirit). The day on which men shall, in truth, hear the shout (nida), the day
on which they will come forth from the grave. And those with whom God speaks
are raised to the highest grade. Hearken thou unto me and proceed aright is the
sage counsel from the sage counsel from the spirit, and the only way to return.
From the very first when God caused adam to descend to the earth plane, he
commanded: hereafter shall guidance come unto you from me. St. John too gave
expression to the same truth when he quoted Christ as saying: verily, verily, I
say unto you, the hour cometh, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of
the son of God; and they that hear shall live. This is the way to life eternal;
and after having tasted death but once, they shall have no second death.
For treading the path, God
has given a rule and a beaten track to every one, and he tests by what he has
given to each. It is God who guideth aright and it is for man to fear God and
hearken to Him. Whosoever willeth, taketh the way to his Lord; but no one can
will on his own, unless God willeth it so, and God is all knowing and wise (to
so decide) . he causeth whom he will to enter into his mercy, the pious ones,
with their first death passed, shall taste death no more. But those who are
blind here, so remain blind in the hereafter, and wander yet more from the way.
Verily, the wicked are sent in bewilderment and folly.
Every soul, it is said,
comes with a star of piercing radiance, set as a guidance in the night (of
ignorance). It comes like a thief in the night and no one knows the hour of its
coming. As it suddenly bursts into view in the darkness of the soul, it is
termed as the night comer. But few there are, now as then who realize this and gladly submit themselves to the
holier and healthier influence of the radiant star. It is as St. John said: the
true light lighteth every man that cometh into the world. And the light shineth
in the darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
So it is said in the book:
blessed is he who keepeth it (soul) pure, and accursed is he who corrupteth it!
But man hath not yet fulfilled the bidding of his Lord and even of a truth is
all ungrateful, and in following his conceit, and his own impulses, he is self
injuring in excess.
A sharp distinction is drawn
between unbelievers (kafirs) and the believers (Momins). Whoso will not judge
by what God hath sent down, such are the infidels, transgressors and the
perverse. God is the protector and his apostles and those who believe, and
whose takes God and his apostles and those who believe for friends, they truly
are the people of God. O ye who believe! Fear God. Desire union with Him.
Contend earnestly on his path, that you may attain happiness.
Then comes an exhortation to
the prophet against the use of force in religion. No soul can believe without
the permission of God. . . . . what! Wilt thou compel men to become believers?
. . . . . . . every man hath his own time . . . verily, thy work is preaching only and ours to take account. We
have not sent thee to be their guardian. It is thine but to preach.
For offering prayers, the
book enjoins that one need not step into a mosque raised for mischief, malice
and infidelity; or for discord and disruption; or out of sheer fear of God and
desire to appease Him. Better by far, a
mosque founded from its first day in piety.
And piety is defined as
consisting of the belief in God and in remembering Him in frequent remembrance;
and in, for the lo of God, distributing wealth among the kindred, the orphans,
the wayfarers and the needy.
Before addressing God in
prayer, one is required to wash his face, hands up to the elbows, and feet up
to the ankles. And if there is no water, then to rub the face and hands with
clean sand.
As diet plays an important
part in life, one is advised to partake of what comes from the table of the
Lord: grapes and herbs, dates and olives, as these are good both for men and
their cattle. One must work for his living and take the fruit of the labor of
his own hands. Eat what is lawful and be grateful to God.
Last but not least, there
comes a stern warning so that men may beware of the false prophets and half
prophets who claim to possess the whole truth. They are ravenous wolves in
sheep’s clothing and try to lead the people astray by signs and wonders. O
believers of a truth, many of the teachers and monks do devour mans substance
in vanity and turn them away from the way of God. But strange are the way of
the world. No prophet cometh to them but the people laugh him to scorn. Even
St. John complained because a prophet is rarely honored in his own country and
in his own time.
Islamic tradition gives a
graphic description of the two wonderful mystical experience of the prophet,
mentioned briefly in the Koran. The first is shaq-ul-qamar or the splitting of
the moon in two, and the other is the night journey through space (Almiraj). In
the first journey the prophet, at the approach of the appointed hour, cleft the
moon so as to travel further on the inner path. In the second, the prophet, was
carried by night from the sacred temple of mecca to the temple of Jerusalem,
where he was greeted by Jesus and
Abraham. Remounting the silver gray steed he is carried through space and
arrives at the first heaven, where he meets adam. Then, traveling through the
seven heavens, he comes across Moses and Jesus, until he reaches vast temple of
hyacinths. Eventually, after crossing through an ocean of light, he comes face
to face with God before his throne, this is called “ascension,” or rising with
the celestial body into heaven. The journey was performed by rising on a winged
charger called albaq which literally
means “lightning.”
Now we come to the “Day of
severance.” It is the sure day, but not one knows when it is coming. On that
day whose shall take the path of return to God will, for himself, see al the
deeds sent by him in advance. On that day shall man be told of all that he has
done from first to last and he shall be an eyewitness against himself a self
accusing soul –for then none of the hidden deeds shall remain hidden, and each
soul shall recognize its earliest and latest actions. Hence it is said:
The present life is but a
play and a pastime,
Be ye not deceived by this
life,
See that life deceiveth thee
not.
Do not make ye a God of your
possessions,
And sin no more against your
soul.
Every soul shall receive as
it hath wrought,
No soul shall labor but for
itself;
No burdened shall bear
another’s burden,
Nor shall any intercession
avail with Him.
Each of the saints, sages,
prophets and apostles, when he comes, comes with a divine mandate from God: to
preach in his name the age old truth which we forget in the mighty maze of the
world. That is but human nature:
Truly, man is to his Lord
ungrateful,
And of this he himself is a
witness,
And truly, he is vehement in his love of the world.
Ah! Knowth he not that when
that which is in the grave shall be laid bare,
That which is in men’s
breasts shall be brought forth.
Man truly is by creation
hasty;
When evil befalleth him,
impatient;
But when good falleth him,
tenacious;
Not so the prayerful,
engaged in prayers.
It is in accordance with the needs of
the time and the temper of the people that God chooses a human pole from among
the people themselves to serve them as a torch bearer in the enshrouding
darkness. He vest knoweth where to place his mission and defines the role of
his protégé. He entrusted the prophet with the task of warner: warn then thou, for thou art a warner only. Thou
hast no authority over the people. We have not sent thee as a guardian over
them, nor as a prophet with miracles to strike terror in their hearts. Every
man comes before us singly by himself as a witness against himself, with a face
dismal or beaming with light as the case may be.
These were the instructions
from God as conveyed to the prophet by the spirit Gabriel. And the prophet
on his part always stood faithfully by
them into the last. He always glorified God and never for a moment tired by any
word or deed to glamorize his own person. At the top of his voice he proclaimed
that his work was preaching God and his message:
In sooth I am only a man
like you. I am just a plain spoken warner. My office is only plain spoken
preaching. I only proclaim to you the message with which I am sent. I follow
the utterances of my Lord to me. It has been revealed to me that your God is
one God, go straight unto Him and implore his forgiveness. Why worship what ye
carve our with your own hands and set up other gods against God? Fly to God alone
God with Power over life and death.
I posses not the treasures
of God, nor do I know his secrets, nor am I am angel. I am no apostle of new
doctrines. Neither know I what will be done with me nor with you. I have no
Power over my own weal or woe, but as God pleaseth. I am only a sent one
charged to warn openly and whosoever shall believe and amend, shall have no
fear.
Islam, as the name implies,
is a religion of peace: (1) peace with God, t total resignation and utter
surrender to his will; and (2) peace with all under the sun, as the children of
one God.
The God of Islam was from
the outset at once tab un nas, malik un nas and allah un nas, or Lord of man,
king of man, and God of man. He was rubul almeen or the Lord of all the world
in his creation. Hence there could be no compulsion in the matter of religion
or the way in which one worshipped Him. “As God directed me to you,” said the
prophet, “I call you to Him. I have no quarrel with any of you. I only preach
that the worship of gods other than God the God of all cannot do you any good,
for God alone is the true Baptizer and he alone confers a true new birth.”
The sum and substance of the
prophet’s teachings may be summed up in his own words:
“FEAR GOD AND BELIEVE IN HIS
APOSTLES. Two portions of his mercy he will give you. He will bestow on you
light to walk in, and he will grant you forgiveness. These gifts of grace are
in the hands of God and he vouchsafes them to whom he will.
One can qualify himself for
the free gifts of God by(1) worshipped Him in full faith and in all sincerity;
(2) by offering the five obligatory prayers:
upon rising at noon, in mid afternoon, after sunset and before retiring;
and (3) by paying the stated alms. “It is one of the
glories of Islam,” says hinter, that its temples are not made with hands and
that its ceremonies can be performed anywhere (by spreading the prayer carpet)
upon God ‘s earth or under his heaven.”
The prophet was essentially
a man of peace and good will towards all. He firmly believed in the wholesome principle
of “Live and let live.” He not only preached peace and tolerance but practiced
these virtues to the utmost limits. He was tolerant to the utmost limits. He
was tolerant to the extreme not only with those who differed from him in
religious faith and belief, but even with those who jeered at him and scoffed
at him. In Sura 109 addressed to the unbelievers, he gives expression to this
tolerance, exhibiting the spirit of the gospel of peace he proclaimed:
O ye UNVELIEVERS!
I worship not that which ye
worship,
And ye do not worship that
which I worship;
I shall never worship that
which ye worship,
Neither will ye worship that which I worship;
To you be your religion; to
me my religion.
PRAISE
BE TO GOD.