From jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca Mon May 31 04:35:19 1999
Newsgroups: alt.meditation.shabda
Subject: "Godman" - Kirpal Singh (6/10)
From: jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca (James Shannon)
Date: 31 May 1999 11:35:19 GMT





                                 GODMAN

                                   by

                              KIRPAL SINGH

                                [Part 6]



                             CHAPTER NINETEEN


                              PERFECT MASTER

                             (Murshid-i-Kamil)

          IN ORDER to derive full benefit from Para Vidya (Science
        of Spirituality), it is absolutely necessary to have the
        guidance of a living Master, or an adept both in the
        science and art of spirituality. He must be a Murshid-i-Kamil
        or perfect Saint who can lead aspirants to perfection. If
        the blind leads the blind, both fall into a ditch is a common
        aphorism too well known to need any comment.

          There are various grades and stages on the spiritual
        path. A Saint of the highest order alone can safely take
        the jivas to the pinnacle of spirituality. One who is a
        novice or has climbed half-way cannot take a jiva to the
        top.

          In an educational institution we see that there are
        different types of teachers for different classes. In this
        science also there a number of grades and degrees, as
        for instance, Sadh, Sant, and Param Sant.

          For a proper understanding of the theory and practice
        of spirituality, we need the help of at least a Sant
        or Saint. A Sadh (one who has successfully transcended
        the physical, astral, and causal planes, and is above body
        and mind consciousness) can give us a lead, and befit us
        for further training from a Saint; but one who is not
        yet a Sadh cannot be of any help. For complete liberation
        from the cycle of birth and death, a Master Saint
        is necessary.

          A perfect Master has no hallmark on his person. It
        is by personal contacts that one gradually begins to
        know something of his greatness, just as a student when
        he advances in studies gets to know little by little
        something of the ability of his teacher.

          Again, the Master cannot disclose all his greatness
        at once, but only in proportion as an aspirant shows
        his keenness and makes progress on the path. The Master
        starts just like an ordinary teacher and imparts
        instructions as any friend or well-wisher would do. In
        course of time, he demonstrates the authority of a Murshid
        or Master on the path, and finally is seen embedded in Sat
        or Truth as Satguru or the Master of Truth; until there
        comes a stage when he and God appear merged in each other
        with no line of demarcation between them.





                             CHAPTER TWENTY

                      HOW TO FIND A PERFECT MASTER

                               AND KNOW HIM


          TO FIND A perfect Master is not so easy as it may
        seem. While living on the plane of the senses all the
        time, we have not the eyes with which to recognize
        the human pole from which the power of God works
        in the world. Yet where there is a will, there is a way.
        All that is required of an aspirant is the sincerity of
        purpose, intense longing and a burning passion for the Lord
        above everything else. Where there is fire, oxygen of
        itself comes to its aid. The principle of demand and supply
        works equally alike in all the spheres of life from the
        physical to the spiritual. There is always food for the
        hungry and water for the thirsty.

                Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and ye
                  shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
                  you.
                                                MATTHEW 7:7

                No man can serve two masters: for either he
                  will hate the one, and love the other; or else
                  he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
                  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
                                                MATTHEW 6:24

        For in the Bible we have:

                I the LORD thy God am a jealous God...

        And in the same way Godman, like God, demands from
        his lovers an exclusive and unstinted love unto himself
        and unless one is prepared to sacrifice his all-body,
        mind, possessions - the way unto Him is not opened; nor
        can we come near to the God man who makes manifest
        the way.

          When the chela is ready, the Guru appears is the Law
        of God. How can a blindfolded person reach the ringmaster's
        cell by himself?

                No man can come to me, except the Father
                  which hath sent me draw him.
                                                JOHN 6:44

	Those whom God wills are of themselves drawn to the
        Godman, or the Godman himself finds them out, no matter
        where they may be.

          Similarly, to know the Godman in his fullness is not
        given to man. We can have only such glimpses of his
        greatness as he may choose to grant. He alone is the judge
        of the time and measure of each advance and reveals to
        us gradually as much of his spiritual wealth as he wishes,
        and this he does by degrees as he qualifies us to grasp and
        understand and to hold it safely in trust. As one proceeds
        along in his company on the inner spiritual path, one gets
        to know him more and more as he sees his power working
        in all the inner planes from end to end until in the
        purely spiritual region (Muqam-i-Haq or Sach Khand),
        he appears in his Primal Manifestation (Ek-Ankar). On
        the physical plane, he is Word made flesh and dwells
        among us according to the laws of the earth-plane, and
        like any other worldly teacher, he teaches us; not, of
        course, of this world, but of a world totally different from
        this, a world that is self-luminous and is studded with
        stars, moons and suns in countless numbers. While
        apparently sharing with us our joys and sorrows of the
        world, he yet remains far above the pairs of opposites,
        endlessly imparts to us his spiritual instructions, both
        without and within, encouraging us at every step by his
        words of wisdom and in countless diverse ways inspires
        in us the Love of God and exhorts us to glorify Him.

                Though ever kind the Master is, yet none can
                  claim his grace; his grace flows alike to all,
                  yet each gets his fill as he ordains.
                Satguru is Sat Personified and knows one and
                  all; himself in all, yet he remains above the
                  praise and malice of all.





                             CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

                            HIS LIFE AND CONDUCT

          THE LIFE and conduct of a perfect Master single him
        out as a unique personality apart from the rest of
        mankind.

        1. He is always a bestower of gifts and never a recipient.
        He never wishes for the slightest service from his following.
        He earns his own living and is never a burden upon anyone.
        All his personal savings, if any, he spends on the relief of
        the needy.

                Touch ye not the feet of one who makes his
                  living out of the offerings of the people;
                O Nanak! he who earns his own bread and
                  helps the needy knows the path.

	2. He does not charge any fees for imparting spiritual
        instructions. On the contrary, he bestows spirituality as
        a free gift like any other gift of God, such as light, air,
        water and so forth.

	3. He is a living embodiment of humility. With all his
        powers and greatness co-equal with God, he never claims
        credit for anything, but attributes everything to God or
        to his own Master. Like a fruit-laden branch of a tree,
        he bows to the lowest, and moves about in simple dignity
        peculiar to him alone.

                He who regards himself as the lowest is in fact
                  the highest.

        4. He is at peace with all and is angry with none. He
        smilingly forgives all who talk ill of him, and does not
        pick flaws in others. His love embraces all humanity.
        Christ-like, he proclaims and practices the cardinal
        truth, "Love thine enemies."

        5. Purity, Godliness and Spirituality flow from him
        like shining springs of cool and refreshing waters,
        bringing life to the parched and and hearts of the
        aspirants who joyfully move along the Spiritual Path
        under his able guidance.

        6. He does not wear any conspicuous form of dress.
        He adopts just an easy middle path. His Grand Trunk
        Road bypasses austerities on the one hand, and forms
        and formalities on the other. His teaching consists of
        enunciating natural truths which sink into the soul, and
        everyone irrespective of sex and age can practice the
        spiritual discipline enjoined by him.

        7. He never believes in nor performs miracles for
        attracting people and gaining their credence, as a juggler
        would do. He keeps his treasures well concealed in the
        deepest recesses within him. He may, if necessity demands,
        make use of his powers on some special occasion.
        The disciples, of course, everyday feel the hidden hand
        of the Master working for their welfare and advancement.






                             CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

                       THE PHYSICAL FORM OF THE MASTER

          WE READ of peculiarities in the physical form of a
        perfect Master. Physically, too, he suffers from
        no deformity and has no weaknesses in him. His gait is
        full of grace and dignity. His eyes shine like those of a
        lion. He has a broad forehead, a mark of a lotus on his
        feet, and generally a black mole on his brilliantly
        luminous face.

        Hafiz, a great Sufi poet of Shiraz, tells us:

                If that beauty of Shiraz (the Master) were to
                  take charge of my wandering mind, I would
                  throw away both the worlds (earth and
                  heaven) at the altar of the wonderful mole
                  on His Face.





                             CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

                        THE INFLUENCE OF THE MASTER


          IN HIS PRESENCE, the mind grows docile and feels
         anchored.

                How can we get the company of such a One
                  by looking at whom the ever-restless mind
                  gets lost, and Life Impulses swarm upon the
                  soul? The Beloved Master makes a True
                  Friend, and bestows God Intoxication.

        He sheds around him rays of purity, saturated with dignified
        humility, which exert a powerful influence upon the jivas.
        His words are charged with Spirituality and drag the soul
        into the beyond and administer a kind of living intoxicating
        exhilaration.

                If he were to disclose his secrets, my very soul
                  would swiftly soar Godward.
                                                MAULANA RUMI

	2. A steady gaze at his forehead and eyes reveals a
        peculiar Light which gives a pull to the soul and
        momentarily gathers up the all-pervading sensory currents,
        and one feels his being in higher Consciousness.

        3. He is a Prince of Peace, and is above the pairs of
        opposites. His association releases in us currents of bliss
        and benediction. He dispels all thoughts of antagonisn
        and rivalry, and gives instead, equipoise to the soul,
        leading gradually to the Godhead.

                In whose company one feels blessed, is the
                  Master of Truth.
                He purifies the mind and grants salvation to
                  the soul.

	4. He is completely filled with the power of ojas (the
        fruit of chastity), and his forehead shines with Godly
        Light. One is irrestistibly drawn by the magnetism of his
        charged words. From his eyes a peculiar Light shines
        forth, which like an osprey paralyzes the mind. He works
        like a leaven and quickens life in the desert of the mind.

        5. With his lynx eyes, his gaze can penetrate deep
        into the feelings and emotions of a person; and he adjusts
        his instructions according to times and individual
        needs. The physical raiment of a jiva or soul is for him
        just like a transparent glass jar; though he can easily
        detect what is therein, he never exposes it to public view,
        and keeps his experience of each to himself. Whoever
        goes to him, whether a beetle or a wasp, gets sweet
        fragrance as from a flower. In the House of the Master,
        everything is in abundance, and each gets what he wishes
        for. Every person who contacts a Master Soul receives
        spiritual impressions which, in course of time, are bound
        to fructify. From the very moment an individual meets
        a Master, better times are assured to him.

	6. A Sant Satguru is verily the Son of God. He has
        genuine love alike for persons of all religions,
        nationalities and countries. He sees the Light of God
        in all. His appeal is therefore universal to all mankind.

                All are born of the same Light, and as such
                  there is no difference between man and man.
                O Nanak! people of all denominations flock
                  into the fold of the Satguru.
                Satguru is all-merciful and all-knowing. He
                  treats all alike, and does the work of all who
                  have faith in him.

        He neither destroys the old church nor sets up another
        church of his own. He is a Master of Truth and does not
        care to what sect or creed a person may belong. All
        that matters is spiritual aspiration, for that alone befits
        a jiva for the Master's Path.

                When one revels in Shabd or Word, he forgets
                  all about himself.
                For the intelligent there is but One Path, no
                  matter be he a Pundit or a Sheikh.

                                                        KABIR

        He fearlessly talks of the Spiritual Path that lies within
        each one of us, in spite of our religious differences. One
        who is able to establish contact with such a Master is
        in fact a veritable pilgrim on the Path, and gets the
        greatest benefit from him.

        Maulana Rumi, therefore, says:

                Should ye be anxious for a pilgrimage, ye must
                  take for a guide and companion any experienced
                  pilgrim, no matter whether he be a Hindu, a
                  Turk, or an Arab. Care not how he may look but
                  see only that he is competent and knows the Path.

        We have, after all, not to establish any worldly relationship
        with the Master. All that we need from him is spiritual
        instruction and guidance, and if he can give us that,
        it should be considered enough.

        7. Master Saints are the manifestation of Godhead.
        As heavenly truths dawn on them silently and subtly,
        so do their instructions work quietly, and sink into the
        very depths of the jivas without any word of mouth.

                A Sheikh (Master), like God, is embedded in
                  the formless Beyond, and he imparts his
                  teachings without uttering a single syllable.

        The instructions of the Master are in a language that
        is speechless and can neither be imparted by word of
        mouth nor by word recorded.

                Why do ye not understand my speech? Even
                  because ye cannot hear my Word.
                                                JOHN 8:43

        Tongue of thought is his only instrument. It is a matter
        of inner experience for the spirit.

        Maulana Rumi says:

                Soul is of the same essence as that of God;
                  it is God epitomized, and can express itself
                  without any outer aid (like organs of
                  speech).

        In the teaching of the Masters, physical senses are not
        of much avail. Everything is done automatically, despite
        the senses.

                One sees without eyes, hears without ears,
                  walks without feet, acts without hands, and
                  talks without tongue; for this is just like
                  Death-in-Life.
                O Nanak! it is then alone that one can know
                  the Cosmic Will and meet the Beloved.

        Maulana Rumi also says the same thing:

                I fly into those Regions without wings, travel
                  there without feet; enjoy manna and elixir
                  without lips and palate; and see the glories
                  thereof by closing my eyes.

	8. The aspirants seldom have to question the Master
        to resolve their doubts, for the latter of his own accord
        explains things that are uppermost in the minds of the
        audience.

	9. Time and again the teachings of the Master center
        around one theme: Naam or Surat Shabd Yoga. In clear
        terms they tell us that one cannot find God nor reach
        Him by engaging in outer pursuits, for He is the Lord
        of our very soul and must therefore be sought within,
        by the process of inversion.

        Saint Matthew in his Gospel tells us:

                Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted,
                  and become as little children, ye shall not
                  enter into the kingdom of heaven.
                                                MATTHEW 18:3

        Again, in the Gospel of St. Luke, we have:

                Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive
                  the Kingdom of God as a little child
                  shall in no wise enter therein.
                                                LUKE 18:17

        Great indeed is man, for his body is verily the Temple
        of God and the crest jewel of knowledge shines forth
        within.

        Once again, St. Luke tells us:

                The Kingdom of God cometh not by observation...
                  the Kingdom of God is within you.
                                                LUKE 17:20-21

        A Muslim Divine speaks in similar strain:

                The human heart is the Masjid (Mosque) and
                  the body is the place of worship.

        Again:

                It does not befit a spirit (soul), the denizen
                  of the God-made mosque (human body), to
                  wander in search of the Beloved in man-made
                  temples.
                                                TULSI SAHIB


        Magrabi Sahib also tells us:

                Thy Beloved is within thee, and thou art
                  ignorant of it. He is the very Soul of thy soul,
                  and thou art wandering without in quest
                  of Him.

        Maulana Rumi in this context says:

                Within the folds of thy brain there are wonderful
                  gardens and beauty spots. Should you like to
                  enjoy them, hie to a Murshid (Master)
                  for instruction.

                Those who search without for the inestimable
                  Treasure are in stark ignorance. They wander
                  in the bewildering mirage of the desert
                  sands of the world, like a deer who runs
                  about looking for musk in bushes.

        The Pind (human body) is the exact replica of Brahmand
        (universe). The same spirit is working on both the microcosm
        and the macrocosm. We cannot see, feel, and be one with the
        Cosmic Spirit unless we establish harmony and come in touch
        with the spirit within us.

          Until the embodied spirit becomes disembodied and
        rarified and rises above the sensual plane, it can hardly
        harmonize itself with Universal Spirit.

          Nevertheless, our quest for God or Universal Spirit
        is all the time on the physical plane. We try to discover
        God under the bowels of the earth, on the snow-capped
        mountains, in the waters of the sacred rivers, and on
        desert sands; in man-made temples and mosques, in
        churches and synagogues; hence we fail to find Him.

          If we know the inner Path in the body, we can hope
        to experience and feel the influence of the great power
        within. But this inversion or conversion is not possible
        without the aid of an adept in Para Vidya (Science of
        the Soul), for he alone holds the key to the Kingdom of
        God and his words act as an open sesame that fling open
        the secret door.

                Just peep within as instructed by the Master,
                  and thou shalt find within thyself a veritable
                  Temple of God.

        10. The teachings of Master Souls are perfect, and
        their findings are as verifiable as in any other exact
        science.

          This experience and realization is, however, quite
        different from book learning and intellectualism, nor is
        it a figment of an obsessed brain, as some think.

          The Saints always talk with conviction and authority,
        for their utterances come from the depths of their souls.
        Their knowledge is neither derived from books nor based
        on hearsay testimony. They directly give us first-hand
        experiences of their own, in pure, unalloyed and
        unadulterated form. Again, they never ask for blind faith
        and acceptance on authority. On the contrary, each aspirant
        is asked to personally verify the result for himself.

          Truth is that which must be experienced at once, and
        not after ages, no matter how slight that experience may
        be in the first instance. The Masters see things through
        to their very roots, and then talk.

                Nanak sees God right before him.

        Sri Ramakrishna, being questioned by Naren (later known
        as Swami Vivekananda) about seeing God, replied, "Yes,
        my child! I have seen God as I see you."

          In fact all Master Souls have actual experience of
        the Godhead and they revel in His Light and Life and
        in a way become conscious co-workers with Him.

        Shamas-i-Tabrez says:

                Better by far it is to see God with one's own
                  eyes and to hear the Voice of God with one's
                  own ears.
                His Glory is hidden behind the darkness at
                  the back of the eyes and His Greatness may
                  be apprehended within.

        In St. John we read:

                When the dead shall hear the voice of the Son
                  of God ... they that hear shall live.
                                                JOHN 5:25

        Such great souls never depend on scriptures or sacred
        lore, which after all are recorded experiences of souls
        like them. They are truth personified, Word made flesh
        and living among us. All the Vedas and Shastras originate
        from the fountainhead within them. They are much more
        than the scriptures, which constitute but an infinitesimal
        speck of their personalities. The teachings of the Masters
        are very liberal, and help the embodied souls in the task
        of liberation and salvation.

                I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
                  shall never hunger; and he that believeth
                  on me shall never thirst.
                                                JOHN 6:35

        In Melar-ki-war, Guru Nanak tells us how to know a
        Master Soul:

                He who can show us the Kingdom of God in
                  this body is a Master Soul.
                He can attune our ears to the Voice of God.
                Even the grand divisions and minor divisions
                  of the Universe are in Perpetual ecstasy, for
                  they live by the music emanating from the
                  Seat of God.
                The Master exhorts the jivas to listen to this
                  music in the Sukhman, the artery between
                  the two eyebrows;
                Then he established in Sunnya (the Region
                  of Silence), with the result that all
                  oscillations of the mind would cease.
                When the chalice of the mind thus turns into
                  the correct Position, it will get filled with the
                  Elixir of Life, making the mind steady and
                  self-poised.
                The ceaseless music of eternity becomes a constant
                  companion.
                All the aspirants attend to these five strains and
                  in course of time become Gurumukh (the
                  mouthpiece of the Guru), and attain the
                  eternal abode of Truth.
                He who can with the aid of this music gain
                  back the Garden of Eden (from which he
                  has been exiled) is the beloved of God, and
                  Nanak would wish to be his eternal slave.

        He never keeps his followers in delusion about the
        inefficacy of outer pursuits. His cardinal tenets center
        around one thing: contact with, and devotion to, Shabd
        alone. The manifestation of ceaseless music within is a
        gift of a Master Soul.

                O Nanak! whoever contacts the perfect Master
                  hears within himself the Divine Melody.

        Satguru is ever engrossed in Naam, and like a master
        pilot safely ferries bona fide aspirants across and leads
        them back to the Kingdom of God lost within them.

                One dyed in the color of Naam is Satguru and,
                  in Kal Yuga, he acts as Captain of a ship.
                He who confides and resides in him is carried
                  across and finds Truth manifested in him.

        11. A Master Soul at times does uncommon things,
        that may appear baneful to ordinary individuals. This he
        does to keep the worldly-minded away from him, as one
        would do in the case of flies, so that they will not obstruct
        the way of true aspirants.

                A darvesh (man of piety) needs no darwan
                  (gateman);
                Yes, he does need one, to keep the dogs of the
                  world away.

        An evil tongue or slanderer does work as a darwan for
        darveshes, so that the worldly-wise are kept out of the
        way.

        In the biography of Bhai Bala it is on record that once
        Guru Nanak said:

                In Kal Yuga many Saints or manifestations of
                  God will come down, for the good of suffering
                  humanity.

        Bhai Ajita questioned:

                Master, will you tell us how we would know a
                  perfect Saint; what would be his expression
                  and how shall we recognize him?

        The Master replied:

                Whenever a Saint appears, some leaders of society,
                religious bigots and caste-ridden individuals,
                talk ill of him. Rare indeed are those who go to him.
                The rank and file slander both the Master and his
                disciples. The people in general engage in outer
                pursuits, like reading scriptures, offering public
                prayers in churches, temples and mosques, and
                recitation of mantras, etc. They will not practice
                Surat Shabd Yoga by tuning with the primal Sound
                Current. When such conditions predominate, I will
                come time and again to revive the Path of the Masters
                and link people with Anhad Bani.

        12. With the advent of a Saint, the refreshing showers of
        Spirituality flood the dry and parched hearts encrusted with
        the dust of ages. Everyone who comes to him, whether a devotee
        or a sinner, derives benefit in his own way and gets solace
        from him. Many a robber, murderer and highwayman has had a
        complete transformation in his company. Like a master washerman,
        he cleans our souls through and through of all impurities,
        bodily, mental and causal; until they shine forth in primal
        glory and become luminous and living selves.

	We find in a Saint a living embodiment of selfless
        love and sacrifice. His appeal is universal and directed
        to the soul of man. The aspirants in thousands congregate
        around him and are benefited by his teachings.

        13. A Saint is truly a Son of God and shares with Him all His
        Powers. His long and strong arm embraces the universe, and
        his helping hands extend to all parts of the world. Distance
        has no limitations for him. His saving grace miraculously
        works wonders in strange and unpredictable ways, and people
        escape unscathed from many a tense and hopeless situation,
        even from the jaws of death.

        Master of earth and the heavens, he guides the spirits
        in their homeward journey through spiritual regions,
        and his Lustrous Form ever keeps company with the
        pilgrim soul as it transcends the body.

        Maulana Rumi says:

                The hand of a Master Soul is in no way shorter
                  than that of God. It is in fact the Hand of
                  God Himself.
                Yes, it stretches across seven skies and inspires
                  spirits with hope and confidence.

        These are just a few of the innumerable signs that indicate
        a Saint.

        Maulana Rumi says in this context:

                An aulia (superman) has in him wonderful
                  powers and possibilities, which a man of piety
                  alone can see and experience.

        The glory and greatness of a Godman becomes more
        and more manifest to a spirit as it crosses over bodily
        and mental limitations and proceeds onward in his company.
        The Lustrous Form of the Master is ever with him now wherever
        he may be, guiding his footsteps both within and without,
        answering all his questions, the sole arbiter of his destiny
        - his very Saviour. It is at this stage that a person gets
        firmly established in him and cries out, The Master is
        ever with me, for now he realizes the truth of the Master's
        sayings:

                Everyman, I will go with thee and be thy
                  guide;
                In thy greatest need to be by thy side.

        The world is full of people who profess to be Masters
        and teachers of mankind. But all those who hanker after
        pelf and power, name and fame, cannot possibly play
        the role and perform this arduous duty, and one must
        try to avoid such false prophets, who are no less than
        ravening wolves in the garb of lambs.

          It never pays to test and try a genuine Master. His
        very presence will of his own accord magnetize the mind.

        Maulana Rumi says:

                None can subdue and still the oscillation of
                  mind except through the overpowering influence
                  of a Pir (Godman). Take thou a firm hold
                  of such a Person. If you are able to do
                  this, it will be by his own grace and then
                  his power will work in you.

        He is an entity pure and desireless. Surrender your all
        at his feet; body, mind and attachments, and he will
        mold you to his fashion. How this can be done is the
        question.

        Kabir Sahib tells us of the way:

                Give thy body and mind to him who has no
                  desire of his own;
                With no thought of the self, be established in
                  him;
                After the mind, what then remains? Not even
                  the body;
                Nothing is left to be surrendered, says Kabir.
                Having given the body and the mind, no burden
                  remains to be carried;
                He who takes pride in this sacrifice will yet
                  have punishment;
                For who can part with the seed-mind within?
                O Kabir! How can that mind be subdued and
                  surrendered?
                Along with body and mind part thou with the
                  seed-mind;
                O Kabir! Only after hearing the Master, one
                  becomes fearless;
                Place the seed-mind at the altar of the Lotus
                  Feet of the Master.
                O Kabir! Now one sees nothing but the Luminous
                  Form of the Master!


                             [End of Part 6]

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