                                                  Celebrate A True Birthday
                                                    - Translated from Hindi

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          We think that the day we come into this world is our birth. In
          truth, it is a day of congratulations for those souls who have
          risen from the lower species to the human birth, but for those
          who come from a higher circle, birth into the world is like
          entering a prison. However, it is a good prison for the latter,
          as they rule over all the 8,400,000 species.

          In this human form, a man can realize God. When the people
          gathered around Christ on the occasion, he said, "...except man
          be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus, who
          was a learned lawyer and much respected for his knowledge, asked,
          "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second
          time into his mother's womb, and be reborn?" And Jesus answered,
          "...That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is
          born of the spirit, is spirit...Art thou a master of Israel, and
          knowest not these things?" The soul has to take birth after
          freeing itself from the outer prison to enter the home of God.
          With great emphasis, Christ repeated, "Ye must be born again."
          So, to be born in what is called a body, a physical form, is like
          entering a prison. But, it is God's will that we come, and He
          knows best.

          From the physical level, one can say that February 6 is my
          birthday, but I do not know about it. My parents told me this, so
          it might be possible. Does anyone remember when he was born? I
          think you will not find one man who remembers the event; all have
          just heard about it. A man is born every day. Sleep at night is
          the younger sister of death--this is what the Koran says. Every
          night man dies, and in the morning he is born. Ever since we
          entered this physical form, we daily go through birth and death.
          The only difference between this daily death and the final death
          is that, because of our prarabdh or destiny karmas, the silver
          cord cannot be broken until we have taken the allotted number of
          breaths.

          So what is a true birth? It is to be born in a Guru's (Master's)
          home, which frees us from this wheel of birth and death in the
          world. When Guru Nanak was asked, "When did you finish your
          births and deaths?" he replied, "The day I took birth in my
          Guru's home, I ended my coming and going in this world." For most
          people, this cycle never finishes.

          My true birth was in May 1917, the day that I left my body and
          traveled the heavens with Hazur (the Master's Master, Baba Sawan
          Singh Ji--the Master met his Master and was initiated by him in
          1924, but seven years before this he started leaving his body and
          traversing the higher regions with the radiant form of his
          Master). When I met my Master physically and sat at his feet, the
          month was February; the day was Basant Panchmi (a religious
          festival day which opens the season of the sown fields starting
          to burst into bloom). I think, therefore, that this day you are
          celebrating is not really a day for celebration. It was just a
          day when the soul entered the world to perform some allotted
          work. A true birth is when the soul leaves the body and travels
          to higher planes, and is able to return at will.

          Does celebrating a birthday mean merely to pay one's respects to
          a person? Or to show happiness? Or to light candles, or to eat
          and drink? No, brothers, it is not any of these. The true
          birthday is when you are born in your Guru's home. One kind of
          birth is to be born in the physical form, and the other, the true
          one, to be born above. We are confined in a prison with nine
          doors! Forgive me, but can you tell me if this is a birth or a
          prison? When we release ourselves from these nine doors, that is
          indeed a birth.

          If you want to celebrate a spiritual Master's birthday, there is
          only one way, and that is to take up whatever He has learned.
          That would be a true celebration. Whenever Masters come, people
          should learn whatever They have learned.

          When Masters come, what is Their work? They tell us to "Know
          God," "Create a love for God," "Reunite with God!", "Return to
          your true home from where you came." This is Their work. To
          celebrate a birthday in the true manner, one should revive the
          age-old teaching, which is still with us but has been forgotten.
          Masters come with as much knowledge as God has given Them, and
          They, in turn, give freely of whatever They have to lift the
          seekers to the same level as Themselves. They tell us, "There is
          a God, and you can have experience of Him." When? "You must be
          reborn. When you rise above the body and become a conscious
          co-worker of the Divine plan--then, there is something."

          There was once a teacher who became an atheist. He wrote on his
          door, "God is nowhere." One day, the teacher became very ill and
          was on the point of dying. A child approached his house, and
          seeing the notice on the door, read aloud, "God is now here." The
          teacher heard this and replied, "Child, you are right." Why the
          sudden change of heart? Because when one is dying, the soul
          withdraws to the place between and behind the eyebrows. There,
          the knowledge comes that there is some great power existing. It
          is either reasoned intellectually, through inference, or, at the
          time of death, we become conscious of the power that is
          controlling everything. Added to this, we might discover that we
          are going along in life helplessly under the control of some
          power. The other way is to die while living at will. These are
          the only ways of knowing the truth.

          What happens when one dies while living? At the actual time of
          this death, what happens? Plutarch says that those souls who are
          initiated into the mysteries of the Beyond have the same
          experience as at the time of death of the human body. So God can
          be experienced. At the time of death, a man goes helplessly
          without any choice. Unfortunately, those who go do not return to
          tell us what happened. Through inferences some conclusion can be
          reached, but it is better to have the actual experience. When?
          When one has learned how to leave the body at will. You must be
          reborn. Small, big, child or adult, learned or unlearned, rich or
          poor--all can realize this great Truth.

          The words of the Masters assure us that they have seen God. It is
          true that there is also another statement which says that no one
          has seen God at any time. Still, Guru Nanak said, "Nanak's
          Emperor can be seen in all clarity." Christ said, "Behold the
          Lord." Kabir Sahib said, "God cannot be seen with physical eyes,
          nor apprehended by the senses. Kabir has seen Him through the
          grace of His Master, and all His doubts are dispelled." Guru
          Arjan Sahib Said, "I see the all-pervading Lord residing in the
          hearts of all creatures." When Swami Vivekananda went to
          Ramakrishna Paramhansa, he asked, "Oh Mahatma, have you seen
          God?" Ramakrishna replied, "Yes, my child, I see Him as I see
          you." So God can be seen. I have told about three ways of knowing
          this. One way is by inference--for example, there is a small
          seed, which also has the same controlling power in it. You may
          sow that seed in the soil, water it, and it will grow into a huge
          tree. That one seed will give fruit by the thousands, so there is
          obviously some power working there--the same Life which is
          working in everything. But when can you actually know this?
          Either at the time of death when you will feel that something is
          pulling you out of the body, that some great power is taking you
          away; or you may die while living. Learn how to leave the body at
          will. Then you will see and you will become a conscious co-worker
          of the Divine plan, thereby qualified to say in all truth, "Yes,
          there is something."

          There is another aspect to the subject. You may have read about
          this power in books covering the study of energy. When we see a
          wrestler, who has controlled that energy in his body, we get a
          feeling of power just by watching him. He radiates strength. By
          the same principle, when we see a spiritual Master, we start to
          believe that there is a God just by watching him. "The yearning
          for the resplendent, overflowing love of God comes only in the
          company of a God-man."

          "Only in this human life can you see God." He who has learned
          something in this life will remain learned after death. My Master
          used to say, "He who is without spiritual knowledge during this
          life will be without it, even after death." Now, the question
          arises--who can see? Who are we? We are embodied souls. Each
          individual is a soul, a conscious entity, and that soul must
          experience God. God cannot be known through the senses, the mind,
          or the pranas (vital airs); only the soul can know Him.

          Ail Masters have said that we are, in true fact, the soul. Kabir
          Sahib says, "This is a particle of God--a drop of the ocean of
          All Consciousness." Tulsi Sahib says, "The Supreme Being resides
          in the fourth region." Man's form is made in the image of
          Brahmand (the three divisions of creation). "Whatever Brahmand
          is, so is this body; whosoever searches within will find it." In
          Brahmand there are three planes: physical, astral, and causal.
          This comprises Brahmand. It has been mentioned also that there is
          a Par Brahmand. So there is Brahm and a Par Brahm or fourth stage
          beyond Brahm. In all three regions below Par Brahm, action and
          reaction are working. One is sometimes rising, sometimes falling.
          We are indeed greatly blessed that we have this form in the image
          of the divisions of Brahmand, which Masters have described in
          Their own terms in various languages: in Persian, these divisions
          are called Kaseef, Lateef, and Lateef-ul-lateef; in Hindi,
          sthool, suksham, and karan; and in English, physical, astral, and
          causal. He who can take off these three coverings will realize
          the Truth, and, therefore, have true belief. Not only will he
          believe, but he will see that "I and my Father are one."

          Though we are a part of God, of Sat Purush (Primal Cause), there
          is a difficulty. We have forgotten ourselves and have identified
          with the body. Tulsi Das says, "Soul, the indweller of the human
          body, is of the same essence as God; ever-existent, all wisdom,
          eternal bliss." It is Truth, the figure of wisdom and bliss; just
          like God who is permanent, unchangeable, and all wisdom. When
          people asked Guru Nanak about the soul, he said, "The soul is in
          the oversoul, and the oversoul is in the soul." So, God is
          residing in our soul, and our soul is residing in God--all
          consciousness.

          How can we know Him? By sitting beside a true Master, and through
          practical self-analysis, learning how to rise above the body
          consciousness. Then we become the seer. We are meant to realize
          God in this human form. When spiritual or realized people come,
          they give the love of God to us. They make us enthusiastic for
          God-realization. They are drenched in God's color, and they
          distribute that color to the seeking souls. They see God and They
          teach others how to see Him. "In the company of Saints, I have
          seen God within." And They demonstrate the process by giving a
          practical experience. "A powerful Guru draws the soul up."

          However, there are problems due to attachment and entanglement
          with illusion. This illusion all started with the body, for since
          we came into the world, we have been looking outward and filling
          ourselves with the whole world's impressions. When the heart's
          reservoir was filled up with outer impressions, we became the
          world itself, forgetting ourselves completely and forgetting God.
          The true owner of the physical house had come to rule but
          imagined that it was the body. With the soul in such a vulnerable
          position, it was easy for the powerful influence of the mind to
          take over. Unchangeable and permanent though it truly was in such
          a complicated condition, the soul had become jiva (encased in all
          three coverings--physical, astral, and causal), from then on
          subject to the experience of birth and death.

          The senses are like windows from which the soul looks out to take
          the impressions from outside; and so wherever the senses drag its
          attention, it goes without any control. This is how, from birth
          through our whole life, we go on filling the heart's reservoir.
          We dream of the world by day, and when we sleep we even talk
          about the world in our dreams. So when can we realize God? When
          the soul forsakes the companionship of the mind. It is actually a
          servant of the mind. It goes wherever the senses drag it--the
          senses, in turn, being dragged by the various outer enjoyments.
          All this amounts to the reason why we have not returned to the
          lap of the Lord since we came here. If we had not succumbed to
          these influences, we would be something other than what we are.

          The Masters repeatedly impress upon us Their invaluable advice.
          There is a story of a shepherd who found a lion cub and brought
          him up with the sheep. He started eating grass and bleating "baa
          baa" like a sheep. One day a lion passed nearby and was amazed to
          see the young lion amidst the sheep behaving as one of them. He
          called him over and told him, "You are the son of a lion." The
          cub replied, "No, no, I am a sheep." With great concern, the lion
          took the cub to a pond of still water, and pointing to the
          reflection, asked, "Do we not resemble each other? Now roar like
          me." When the cub roared loudly, the shepherd and sheep ran away
          in fear, leaving the lions alone--lords of the countryside. The
          God-realized men say, "You are the children of God--you are
          soul--all consciousness, but are under the control of the mind
          (the shepherd) and outgoing faculties (the sheep). You are the
          giver of strength to the mind and outgoing faculties but are
          being controlled by them." We are all brothers and sisters in God
          but are in deep forgetfulness, as if we are trapped in a well and
          cannot get out, going wherever the attention goes, falling again
          and again.

          Why do the Masters continue to come to this world? To awaken the
          souls and take them back to their true home, because the soul
          belongs in God. When the soul, realizing its imprisonment in the
          body, becomes greatly afflicted and grieved with the separation
          from the Lord, then its anguished cry rings out, "Where is God?"
          Ironically it resides in that very form which is the temple of
          God.

          "The man body flourisheth as long as its companion is with it.
          When the companion leaves, unto dust it doth return." The body
          can retain its glory only as long as we, the soul, are in it. It
          was the very first companion we had when we came into the world,
          but forgetting the Truth, we followed the illusion, and so
          mistook it for our true identity. Now we have to suffer for our
          actions because we are attached to the mind. Only by getting
          untied from this association can we become free from the results
          of the karmas (reactions of the past actions). Rishis and munis
          (holy men), have called the human birth karm bhumi (the land of
          actions). In the Koran it is written that this is the field of
          tomorrow. "Oh Tulsi, one tastes the fruit of whatever one has
          sown."

          We are at the mercy of our actions and whatever we do sets up an
          action-reaction. Good actions bring good reactions; bad actions,
          bad reactions. In the Gurbani (sayings of the Sikh Gurus) it is
          written, "Do not blame others, but blame your own past actions."
          Brothers, do not blame anyone. You got this human form as a
          result of your prarabdh karmas (destiny, governing this life's
          pattern); it is the good fruit of your past. Whatever you have to
          give and take from the past lives must be accounted for now. You
          have to take from some people and give to others. Sometimes when
          giving something to a certain person, such warmth of love swells
          up from within the heart, and yet on another occasion, one gives
          with hatred and reluctance. This is reaction from the past.
          Someone is rich, another poor. Some are masters, others servants.
          In all, there are six things over which man has no control: life,
          death, poverty, riches, honor, and dishonor. These are all beyond
          or control.

          When I was working in my office, there was a typist who, during
          the 1914-18 war, went to Persia. They wanted to create a new
          accountant-general's post there, but because of the war, there
          was a shortage of qualified accountants. So the typist, who had
          just arrived there with little knowledge of accounts, was given
          the office of the new accountant-general. This clearly shows that
          there was some impetus from past actions behind the event. We
          have no control over this kind of thing--if one puts one's hand
          into clay, it can turn into gold, and put into gold, it can turn
          into clay. For another example, it sometimes happens that one
          very clever and experienced man and an illiterate inexperienced
          man both start businesses, and the inexperienced man succeeds
          where the experienced man goes bankrupt. This indicates that the
          reactions of the past are making people go helplessly along in
          life, with very little control over what happens. In Guru Nanak's
          Jap Ji, it is written, "You have no power to ask or to give. No
          power over wealth or state." Christ told us, "As ye sow, so shall
          ye reap." However, in this human form, we can do that through
          which we shall not return to the world again.

          There are three types of actions: first, those which we do every
          day; second, those through which we got a human form and present
          circumstances; third, those which are in store and have not yet
          borne fruit. During this human life we should make sure that we
          do not sow any new seeds. Whatever was done in the past will have
          to be harvested. There is no escape from that. Tulsi Sahib says,
          "Whatever has been made, is already made; you cannot change it
          into something different. When Tulsi thinks of this, his mind is
          at peace." Masters are never worried, for they can see the laws
          working.

          Now that our fate has brought us here, how can we make the best
          of the human life? We should not sow any more seeds. Whatever
          happens in life due to past actions should be borne with
          cheerfulness. Happiness and unhappiness will come, but one should
          never be disheartened. The great spiritual leaders also go
          through similar experiences, but without suffering the pinching
          effects. My Master used to say, "You cannot clear up all the
          thorns which you yourself have spread in your path, but you can
          wear heavy boots for protection." The task of saving ourselves
          from the reactions in store for us should be seriously
          considered, for only in the human form do we have any chance of
          rendering them inactive. The Saints who come--forgive me, but
          they also leave the body at death. They also get riches or
          poverty, but they always avoid those actions which will cause
          reactions.

          One great spiritual Master, Ravi Das, was a poor cobbler who
          lived on whatever he earned from his work. Mira Bai was a
          princess and also a queen by marriage, but she accepted him as
          her Guru. One day she was very sad thinking of her Master making
          shoes and living in such a simple manner. So she offered him a
          very valuable ruby saying, "Master, have a good house made with
          this, and live comfortably." The Master refused to accept it, but
          on her insistence agreed, and told her to put it somewhere.
          Finding no better place, she put it in a hole in the wall which
          served as a shelf. On returning to him after about one year for
          his holy darshan (the blessed glance from a Saint), she saw that
          he was still mending and making shoes in the same small hut. She
          said, "Master, I left a valuable ruby here for your use, what
          happened?" He replied, "It must be where you left it."

          God-realized people do not live on gifts from others, but from
          their own earnings. If donations are given, they are used for the
          benefit of the followers and the needy. Another great Saint,
          Kabir Sahib, was a poor weaver although he had kings among his
          disciples. King Abraham-Adham was one of his followers.
          Nevertheless, Kabir Sahib earned his living by his loom. Great
          Masters like Kabir Sahib, Ravi Das, and others, not only feed the
          soul with the Bread of Life, but will make the seeker a conscious
          co-worker of the Divine plan. They release the soul from the mind
          and senses and make it powerful.

          On the spiritual health depends the life of mind and body both.
          If the soul is fed with spiritual food, one becomes unaffected by
          the reactions of life. How do the Masters give food to the soul?
          By pulling it above its casing of mind and senses and connecting
          it with God. Where is this God? He is the very soul of our soul.
          At present the soul is completely identified with the body and
          the world and is scattered outwardly in many directions. It has
          to withdraw from outer things and rise above the senses. We have
          taken birth in this body which has two parts: one up to the eyes,
          the other above the eyes. Although we have wandered very far from
          our true home, if we leave the lower body and go to the upper
          part, we get nearer the Truth. So a true Master raises the soul
          up from the body and opens the inner eye to see the Light of God,
          which is the Bread and Water of Life. The soul then starts seeing
          in truth that he is not the doer, that the Lord within is doing
          everything; and he gains great strength.

          Guru Nanak says, "I can do nothing of my own; but only whatever
          are God's wishes. When Nanak starts obeying His orders, the
          I-hood does not remain." By coming across a true Master, the
          accounts are wound up in this way. Masters themselves ask, "Why
          do we have to go to a spiritual Master?" and then reply, "Because
          he will wind up the actions." The whole of creation is throbbing
          and resounding under the beat of action. How does the Guru free
          the soul? How can we be saved from the outer impressions when all
          the windows in the body are open to receive greedily from
          outside? Masters sometimes give small examples to help us to
          understand the facts. One Master said that if one is pushed into
          a room full of black mascara, no matter how careful one may be,
          one cannot escape from getting some black stains somewhere.
          Another Master says, "It is a very peculiar situation--you have
          thrown a plank of wood in the river and have made me sit on it,
          and now you tell me not to get my clothes wet!"

          Oh brothers, how is it possible to stay dry? The senses are
          permitting the outer impressions to flood through them every day
          to settle inside. How can one save oneself? The Masters say,
          "Make a hole in the top and escape from there." This is the only
          way. You must be reborn. One birth has been taken in this body,
          and now another must be taken above the body where the Bread and
          Water of Life are available. When one has become the conscious
          co-worker of the Divine plan, all past actions, sanchit karmas
          (those in store), are erased--finished. If the person who was
          tasting the actions is not there, then who is there to taste them
          and be responsible? When there is I-hood, one must receive the
          results of one's actions. A man may state, "I am not the doer,"
          but within the folds of his heart he cannot believe this, and
          continues to consider he is doing everything, thereby holding
          responsibility for his actions and the reactions to follow. If he
          becomes the conscious co-worker of the Divine plan and knows that
          he does only that which God wills, how can he be burdened by any
          action?

          Take some seeds and roast them, then sow them in the soil--will
          they bear any fruit? Similarly, all the kriyaman (present action)
          karmas are erased for the future. Masters do not touch the
          prarabdh karmas, for if they did, at the time of initiation the
          initiate would die. "He who is afraid of life and death should
          sit at the feet of a Godman."

          Tulsi Sahib says, "Some are unhappy through the mind and the
          body, and some are perpetually unhappy. One way or another,
          everyone has some kind of sorrow. Only a true disciple of a Sant
          is happy." Who is called a Sant? "My Lord is fully awakened, for
          He Himself manifests in a body and proclaims that He is a Sant."
          Our Lord is truly awakened because to whichever house (body) He
          goes, He appears in there (in radiant form). He who is the
          manifested God in man is called a Sadhu, Mahatma, or Sant. To be
          clever or intellectual is not the criterion of a Master, and even
          one who has mastered all the holy scriptures is not entitled to
          be called either Sant, Sadhu, or Mahatma. Those who teach outer
          subjects, likewise, are not necessarily true Masters. Then who is
          a Master? He who has freed Himself from the mind and the senses,
          has realized Himself and realized God, and has become one with
          God. He is the mouthpiece of God. He truly sees the Reality, and
          He makes whoever is truly seeking see it also.

          The soul, as I have said before, is eternal, all wisdom, and
          bliss. If it is all wisdom and full of bliss, then how is it
          possible for it to have any unhappiness in this world? For how
          long will it enjoy the outer tastes? We think that we are
          enjoying the enjoyments, but, in fact, the enjoyments are
          enjoying us. The God of Food once went to Lord Vishnu (part of
          the triune Lord of Creations Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva--the
          Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer, respectively) and complained.
          "The people are eating me up brutally without any sympathy for
          me!" Lord Vishnu said, "All right, if anyone eats you beyond his
          needs, then you eat him up." Just think; what is the cause of all
          disease? Indigestion. We enjoy, and enjoy, and enjoy until we are
          no longer capable of enjoying anything. Then the enjoyments start
          enjoying us.

          Because bliss is the quality of the soul, happiness lasts as long
          as our attention is attached with a particular thing of interest,
          but if we are taken away from that thing, then unhappiness
          results. So where should we put our attention? "He who has a
          strong desire for the heart's own never-ending happiness should
          get re-connected back to God, who has ever been in existence. God
          is not in either birth or death. How can sorrow come when He
          never dies?" One will get that everlasting life, for Masters do
          not just use empty words, but actually make the connection
          spiritually and scientifically.

          The power that is called God is known by different names for
          easier understanding by the different peoples. "No matter what
          words are used to describe Him, I rejoice in them all." It might
          be Ram, Ram; Allah; Waheguru; Khuda; one might read a whole hymn
          praising Him, or only use Onkar, Sat Naam; one might go on
          reading books upon books. To truly know God, however, we have to
          know Him for whom all these words were created. "Everyone says
          God, God, but by just saying it you will not become it. only by
          the Guru's grace can God manifest in you--only that will bear
          fruit." If the all-pervading God manifests Himself in you, then
          by just taking His name you will get intoxicated. That which we
          believe is giving us satisfaction is not true; it is merely that
          our attention is there and the enjoyment comes from that; so
          happiness is not in the thing, but in ourselves. How can pure
          consciousness (the soul), get any happiness out of matter? When a
          dog chews a bone, is there any sweetness in it? But he cuts his
          tongue or gums on the sharp bone and tastes his own blood.

          Only when a man has become free from the mind and senses can he
          truly understand all these things--when he starts realizing them
          practically. Now, in our condition, what should we do? For
          instance, a child leaves the shelter of the homestead to visit a
          fair for a day with his parents. There is such a huge crowd of
          people there, but as long as the child is holding his mother's
          hand he cannot be separated from her. Masters have said, "I do
          not ask you to renounce the world; I only ask you to remember the
          Lord in all you do." By quoting this, I am not saying that you
          should leave life in the world and take the road to the lonely
          forests. I mean that no matter where you are or what you are
          doing, you should not forget God. It is possible that the child
          might be inclined to leave his mother's hand if he could, but if
          the mother is holding him firmly, how is it possible? You should
          dedicate your hand--surrender it. If you have not seen God, then
          you can surrender yourself to one in whom God is manifested--a
          God-in-man. With such surrender to the God in him, His hand will
          always be holding you. You understand what I am saying?

          To meet a perfect Master is the greatest blessing a man could
          ever have He connects our soul (or attention) to God. He teaches
          us that we are all one--that we have got a soul and that we are a
          conscious entity--a drop of the ocean of all consciousness He
          who has freed himself can free others. Those who have not freed
          themselves have therefore not risen above their body
          consciousness by self-analysis, and cannot give a demonstration
          of the same practical science This type of person cannot give
          anyone salvation.

          "No one is hungry, oh Bheek: everyone has a valuable ruby locked
          inside him." There is not a single human being who has not got
          God in him. Being all brothers and sisters in God, the whole of
          mankind is one. We have stuck various labels of the different
          religions on us to show which school we are studying under, but
          which is the greatest religion? That which teaches us that we are
          all students of the same subject. From all those who are
          fortunate to have a human form, who is successful in realizing
          God? Only he who is able to control his mind. The mind wants some
          attraction, naturally, but if you give it a better attraction
          inside, why should it want to come out? The spiritual Masters
          give a taste of that nectar inside, by tasting which, the soul
          ceases to roam restlessly in the outer environments.

          "We are all the children of one Father, and all living creatures
          have one Provider" No matter what their race, creed, or country,
          the Masters have said that the Lord of Creation is not different
          to a Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain, or others.
          Furthermore, "Mankind is all one. Related to each other, we are
          like different organs of the body, and the same Divine link
          animates us all." Like one man with various limbs, we are the
          limbs of God--all infused in one another, and that controlling
          power which controls all creation is also one and the same.
          Saints come and teach humanity to worship the one God, and then
          to love God in the true way.

          How can love be created? First, a desire is created within by
          hearing about it--and then by seeing a perfect Master. Masters
          are overflowing cups of the intoxicated love of God; so by just
          seeing Them, the love starts awakening in us, too. However, if
          They also give the connection with the Lord within, then one can
          be assured that he is on the True Path back to God.

          The soul, having the true qualities of bliss and love, must
          attach itself to something. Through illusion and no knowledge of
          the Truth, it has at present connected itself to perishable
          things, resulting inevitably in continued revisits to the world
          of matter. In the Koran it is said that it is very necessary for
          a momin (devotee) to have a Beloved. The soul's Beloved was God,
          but the world became its beloved instead. Guru Nanak describes
          this very beautifully. "Perishable is the king; perishable are
          his subjects; perishable is the whole world. Perishable is the
          husband, perishable the wife; we are so much in contact with the
          perishable, we have forgotten the Imperishable (God). Who can we
          call our friend in this perishable world?"

          So we should create a love for the imperishable God alone. What
          caste is His brother, and what religion does He come from? When
          we came to the world we became a Hindu, Christian, Muslim, etc.
          What is God's caste? If He has no caste, then what is our caste?
          Is it not the same as God's? All the different castes and
          religions were formed for the benefit of the body. Some years ago
          in India, those who were learned in Brahm (having religious
          knowledge) became known as Brahmins. Those who were warriors and
          defended the country were known as Kshatriyas. The people
          responsible for the food were Vaishyas. The rest, who looked
          after other needs including various services, were called
          Shudras. A Brahmin's son was also known as a Brahmin. Forgive me,
          but what an illusion it was for the Brahmin's son to be called
          Brahmin, when his knowledge might be in some other field. How
          then could Brahmins be the highest caste if some of them had no
          specialized knowledge befitting the title? One can see why the
          Masters stress that to realize God does not require any special
          caste, for God has no caste, and ours is the same as His. It is
          very clear and simple: if you love God, you become what God is.

          Just note that Saint Saina was a barber, Kabir Sahib was a
          weaver, Ravi Das Ji was a cobbler, and Tulsi Sahib a Brahmin.
          What I mean is this: in the eyes of God there is no caste or
          creed, a man is a man and he has got a soul, and that soul is the
          same essence as of God. All castes and creeds are connected with
          the body only, which is made of matter, and which will end up
          under the earth or on the cremation fire.

          Because the soul does not remember the Truth, whatever
          impressions go into the astral, give cause for it to return to
          the world continuously. Everyone should understand this very
          important fact. If we do anything that brings the attention of
          the world upon us, each pore of our being gets filled with such
          great ego that we become full of pride and egoism. Without a
          Master we cannot get connected to the Truth, and without that, we
          are just leather tanners. A leather tanner's attention is always
          on the leather. If we do not rise above the body consciousness,
          we can be ranked as a tanner with our attention constantly at the
          level of the body.

          You must have heard of King Janak. He wanted self- and
          God-realization very much. He spread the news all over India that
          he wanted a spiritual Master who could give him true spiritual
          knowledge in as much time as it takes to mount a horse. Of
          course, everyone was astonished to hear this, for they thought it
          impossible. How could anyone teach Spirituality, such a vast
          subject, in that short space of time? After the announcement,
          Ashtavakra came to the King's palace and said that he could give
          the King the knowledge he required.

          Ashtavakra's body was twisted into eight different deformities.
          Asht means eight and avakra means twisted. He was a Brahmgyani,
          which means he had knowledge of the Beyond. He approached the
          King in all confidence, for whosoever holds mastership in any
          field has confidence in his own ability. Take for example a
          laundryman, who will take even the dirtiest clothes, knowing that
          if not the first time, then with two or three washes he will make
          them clean. A spiritual Master also knows with full confidence
          that by self-analysis he can clean up a person's sins of the
          ages.

          When Ashtavakra sat down on the dias in King Janak's court, the
          many courtiers who were present burst out laughing. There were
          two reasons for this--it seemed an impossible task for anyone to
          undertake, and on top of that, they could not imagine that this
          strange-looking man, with such peculiar deformities, could have
          any special powers. Undaunted, Ashtavakra asked the King, "Your
          Majesty, do you want the knowledge of the Beyond?" The King
          replied, "Yes, Master." "Then," said Ashtavakra, "why have you
          collected these tanners and cobblers around you, whose attention
          is only on my skin, and not on my soul?"

          Now, you understand what this means? We are all children of
          God--we are all micro-Gods, but unfortunately we have forgotten
          ourselves, being given up to outer symbols and appearances. Tulsi
          Sahib says, "The poor and oppressed got salvation by sitting at a
          Master's feet; the high born paid the penalty of their pride."
          Those who sit at a Master's feet with full attention, get his
          protection; but people of position, high caste or possessing
          riches, because of their pride, get death only. Other Masters,
          like Paltu Sahib, have said this in similar words. Even in the
          countless holy books one can read that only through love and
          devotion can one realize God. To describe the facts in a few
          words, one can say that the lowest caste of all is the one in
          which those souls are not connected to God. That man is an
          emperor, and the richest of all, who is connected with the Truth.

          All Masters regard humanity either at the level of man or the
          level of the soul, while humanity itself continues in
          forgetfulness of its nature. In every age the Masters come to
          bring us out of this illusion. In the beginning, there were only
          two castes in India--Hindu and Muslim. Today there are more than
          seven hundred different castes and branches; so there is a
          greater necessity for adhering to the basic true religion
          underlying all. The only real answer to the problem is actual
          practical experience of the Truth given by some true Master.

          The controlling power residing in each body, which sees our every
          action and condition, is the controller of the whole world.
          "Whatever there is, is in this very house (physical)--not
          outside. To search for it without will bring forgetfulness in the
          illusion." If you are in need of the Bread of Life, search
          within; He is the Life-Sustainer, and He is everywhere--not a
          single place is without Him. If an electrical connection is
          needed, it has to be taken from the powerhouse. Similarly, if you
          want a connection with God, go to where He has manifested Himself
          in fullness, in a human pole. He is Alakh (Formless), and is
          above the senses; so long as the attention is on the body, He
          will never be found. What a great blessing that we have been
          given this human form for the purpose of getting this Bread of
          Life, and further, to realize God.

          Kabir Sahib asks us if we can see the oil within a sesame seed.
          If you see flint stone, can you see the fire in it? By grinding
          the seeds one can take out the oil, and by striking the
          flintstone you will see the sparks of fire. "Thy Beloved is
          within; awaken yourself, if you can." Time and tide wait for no
          man, so make the best use of your time while you can. "As the
          pupil is in the eye, so God resides in the human form. Foolish
          people know this not, and search for Him outside." This all began
          from the field of karmas.

          It may be difficult to believe that God is within each
          individual. For example, if someone says that there is ghee
          (clarified butter) in milk, a person who knows nothing of this
          process will ask, "How can one fry anything in milk?" Whereas, he
          who has actually seen ghee being made will say with authority,
          "Potentially, there is definitely ghee in milk." God is in our
          soul and our soul is in God. By rising above the body by
          self-analysis, one will see for oneself that "I and my Father are
          one."

          The light we look for in temples, books, religions, and places of
          pilgrimage, is in the true temple of God--the human form. It may
          be observed that all outer temples have been made in the image of
          the human body. Dome or head-shaped are the Hindu temples;
          nose-shaped are the church steeples; forehead-shaped is the
          mehrab of the mosque where the priest stands at the appointed
          time to call the people to prayer--this corresponds to the same
          spot in the body where the holy Sound is vibrating. It is so sad
          that we are bound in this body, listening to outer sounds and not
          hearing at all the holy Sound within our own form. "Alas, bound
          in this house of flesh, thou hearest not the Divine clarion
          call!"

          Once one is connected to the Sound, to where will it lead? It
          will take you to your true home. This Sound is the Voice of God
          which is saying, "Come child, unto me." Shamas Tabrez says,
          "Every second my soul is hearing the Voice of God. What is it
          saying? Oh, Shamas Tabrez, come back home."

          The Sound is vibrating continuously in this human form, behind
          the eyes. As long as one goes on sitting below the level of the
          eyes, the coming and going in this world will never finish. If
          one rises above the eye-level, the holy Sound can be heard and
          the beauty within can be seen. This is food for the soul,
          obtainable by rising above the nine "doors" of the body to where
          the soul withdraws at the time of death. When the inner eye is
          opened, the human form is put to its most important use.

          We are talking of a true Master, whose daily work is to raise
          tile souls of the seekers above the body consciousness, with one
          glance. With one glance. It matters not if there are ten, twenty,
          one hundred, five hundred, one thousand, or any number of people
          sitting--each one's attention will be drawn up to this level.
          When a true Master accepts a seeker who then sits at the Master's
          feet, he winds up the past karmas of the initiate by drawing a
          line. He then advises that in the present life the future should
          be improved by: speaking the truth, observing chastity, having
          love for all beings as God is in all, practicing non-violence,
          and doing selfless service to benefit others. This advice is like
          drawing a second line which one should not overstep. They do not
          touch the prarabdh, otherwise death would come at the very
          moment, but they make the soul strong by feeding it the Bread and
          Water of Life, that this world's happiness and unhappiness may
          have little effect. If you want this, you can have it for the
          asking. Your whole angle of vision will change. The past karmas
          (sanchit or storehouse) will get burned up through daily contact
          with the Truth.

          So, we have all been born in this human body, but from today be
          born anew. Up to today, you have lived, but from now on live
          above the body consciousness. The day that you do this will be a
          day for congratulations, and that day I myself will congratulate
          you a thousand times. This is a true birthday, and only then may
          you truly rejoice and celebrate a day of birth. I congratulate
          those who are already on this Path and they can celebrate the
          Master's birthday only if they have well-learned what he has
          taught, and are living up to his teachings. If they are so doing,
          I will accept their congratulations not once but a thousand
          times. If this work is not done, then what is the use of
          celebrating by singing and playing music?

          What I am telling you today is no new thing, for these teachings
          have been given out by all Masters in the past, but again and
          again they are forgotten; so they continue to come to revive the
          old, old Truth. Whatever I have learned up to this age, I have
          learned through the grace of my Master or the God within Him, or
          through the parallel study of religions.

          You should take all these things deep into your heart and bring
          them into practical use every day. Then your coming to this world
          will be worthy of congratulations.

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