                        THE JEWEL OF INFINITE VALUE
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If you wanted to acquire academic knowledge, where would you go? You would
go to schools or colleges which have the complement of staff to teach the
various subjects. To learn about the physical form--what it comprises and
how it decays--you would go to a medical college. To become an engineer you
would need to attend an engineering college, and so on. Where would you go
to realize God? You would go to a Satsang, where the Teacher, Sant or
Master has Himself realized the Truth and is competent to impart this
wisdom to those present. Actually, Satsang is the medicine for that disease
and pain which comes from ignorance of the Truth, from searching for the
answer to: Is there a God and how does one realize Him?

In anatomy, physiology, pathology, etc., the subject is demonstrated to the
students by means of dissection, performed and taught by those with
specialized knowledge. In the company of those who have realized the Truth,
we can learn how to realize it, also by means of demonstration. It is this
competency which determines who is selected as a Guru, Sadhu, Sant or
Master--not the mere acting of a part, or a particular mode of outer
appearance. He Who has the knowledge of the Beyond teaches that within us
is a mind of everlasting life, and that we should realize this fact in
truth. All the great Masters have said that this life everlasting is
attainable only in the human form, and in no other species. Listen to the
Master's true words, for He speaks of what He has seen. However, those who
are intoxicated with the influence of their own mind and thoughts, who have
never seen God and merely imagine that God is omnipresent, are like a woman
who acts as married, but has never met her husband. They just talk of the
everlasting marriage but cannot perform the ceremony. Even if you travel
the four corners of the earth, you cannot have this marriage without a
Satguru. He is the Truth in physical form, and only He can unite you with
the Lord. Mira Bai got a permanent marriage through the Imperishable
Bridegroom. I want you to understand the true meaning of Satsang--for the
question these days is: Where and how can we experience the Truth?

The common man derives some kind of intoxication by singing hymns and
playing instruments, or through belief in God by reading the scriptures.
The Masters have given two statements: that there is a God, for They
Themselves have seen Him, and also that God cannot be seen. Both statements
are correct from their own level. God Absolute, which has not come into
expression, is nameless, formless, and soundless, and therefore cannot be
seen. This is the stage where one must become absorbed into Him. But, when
He wished to become from One to Many, that Power came into expression, and
that true Lord we can see--we can experience. When the expression came
forth from God Absolute, there was vibration, and two things were
created--Light and Sound. Both denote the same Truth, and we can experience
both, through the company of a True Master: One Who has seen and heard for
Himself, and can demonstrate it by giving the experience to others.

Guru Nanak Sahib said, "Nanak's Lord can be seen clearly." Jesus said,
"Behold, the Lord." Kabir Sahib said, "O Kabir, my doubts were allayed when
I saw the Truth in the True Form." Sri Ramakrishna told Vivekananda, "My
child, I see Him as I am seeing you--even more clearly than that." Dadu
Sahib said, "What I say is from seeing, not like others who talk from
hearsay." So, if you want to know God, go to He Who has seen Him. What can
a man know of the Truth who wags his head in a trance of feelings, or
theorizes from books? If a person meditates upon the Absolute God, the very
finest image will appear. I am saying in very clear and simple words, that
who has not seen cannot show. It is a matter of revelation; as Christ said,
"No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal
Him". This means that the child actually sees his Father. The Son is He Who
sees God, Who has acquired the knowledge of the Beyond and can reveal it to
others. To reveal is to uncover something which is already there--there is
no question of inserting something from outside. That which is to be
revealed is within each being; the only difference is that in some it is
hidden and in some, manifest.

The soul is of the same essence as God, and the glory of the body remains
only as long as we are in it; but we are imprisoned within it. There are
openings at the eyes, ears, etc., but the indweller (the soul) cannot run
out. The breath goes out, but does not stay out; some Power is pulling it
back into the body. Within this human form lies the Amrit (a never-ending
spring which is the Water of Life), but we are searching for it among outer
things. Here in our country (India), people do not understand the
difference between spiritism, which is belief in the existence of
disembodied spirits; spiritualism, which is contacting those spirits who
are on a little higher level; and Spirituality, which is knowing oneself by
self-analysis and knowing the Overself. The spiritualists, who contact
spirits, can only reach the wandering spirits from the astral region, very
near the earthly atmosphere. This is not hypnotism or mesmerism, through
which a man's mind can be controlled, but it is also not Spirituality.
Spirituality is a science by which the soul can be freed from the mind and
senses, and realize itself and the Controller of the physical form. So, to
know yourself and to know God is Spirituality.

Kabir Sahib says, "He can be called a Satguru Who can reveal the
Ever-permanent Being." Go and search for a Master Who can teach you to rise
above the body consciousness--above the physical and astral bodies. See how
many such Masters you can find. There are many who will teach you through
the senses, by reading, writing, thinking, devotional rituals, customary
rites, pilgrimages, fasting, giving alms to the poor, fire worship, and
intellectual wrangling to arrive at a conclusion; but all these methods
come under the heading of apra vidya, or outer knowledge. They can all be
taught by anyone who has had a little training. But One Who will free the
soul from mind and senses, giving an inner experience by separating
consciousness from matter to bring the soul above the astral form, and Who
will open the Eye through which the Inner Light or God's own Form in
Radiance can be seen, is called a True Master or Satguru--and the company
of such a Master is called Satsang.

As such, Satsang is very rare. Self-realized people have always been and
even now are rare, but because of the law of demand and supply, the world
is not without Them. Therefore, there is food for the hungry and water for
the thirsty. Some people waste the whole of their precious life in
searching for the Truth outwardly, through outward observances or drawing
intellectual inferences. They don't see anything, and, therefore, do not
get anything. The outer practices do set up a yearning and give birth to
some desire for God, but this is only preparing the ground, just as clouds
come before the rain. They are good actions and bring the fruit of reward,
but do not end one's coming and going in the world. Until man can see that
He is the Doer and not "I," the I-hood will remain and so, therefore, will
the birth and rebirth, for all actions whether good or bad will effect
reaction. But when one becomes the seer of the Truth--the conscious
co-worker of the Divine Plan--the situation as it truly stands becomes
apparent. I can do nothing,' whatever God wills, happens.

From the day that one realizes God is the Doer, one will cease to come and
go in the realm of action, and will no longer be tied up by the sanchit
karmas. So, in the company of He Who sees, you will receive a particle of
that which is called Truth. In the company of the Saint, the Lord is seen
within. Only then will one realize how sweet is the Name of God. The Naam
is something to be enjoyed, like nectar; to derive happiness from its
association. Only then will true love develop.

How many people can you find who can see? It is very well to say, "this
book says this, that books says that," but what have you seen? Dadu Sahib
tells us with authority, I have seen It--others speak from hearsay. It is
not a subject of words alone. Kabir Sahib says, "Through words alone you
cannot become a devotee--leave this hypocrisy." So, do you understand what
Satsang is? What can the poor wooden puppet do ? The Puppeteer knows what
He is doing. As long as this level is not reached, your coming and going
will not cease. Satsang is the school where the experiences of the great
Masters are retold, and where some experience is given to the student, that
he may see a little of the Truth himself and develop further.

Forgive me, Dadu Sahib was an illiterate person--He had not acquired a
degree of any kind. In which college did Guru Nanak study? What school did
Kabir Sahib attend? Hazrat Mohammed Sahib (the Prophet) used to be called
Umi, which means "illiterate." Did Christ learn His wisdom in any school?
The knowledge that these great people had was the free knowledge of the
Beyond.

At the time of Kabir Sahib, there was a certain pundit or religious
teacher. His story is written in the scriptures, and it tells of how he
studied the holy and other books extensively and became the most learned
man for many miles around; so he called himself Sarbajeet, meaning one who
has won above all others. On completion of his studies, he returned to his
mother's house. She was a follower of Kabir Sahib, and when he said to her,
"Mother, I have become Sarbajeet; you should call me that from now on," she
replied, "I will, if you can beat Kabir Sahib in knowledge." Worldly
knowledge often encourages pride, and carelessly picking up his books he
said, "Oh, that is nothing," and went off to Kabir Sahib's humble dwelling.

Kabir Sahib said to the young man, "Well, Punditji, what has brought you
here?" The proud pundit replied, "I am Sarbajeet, and I have come to beat
you in knowledge." Kabir Sahib smiled at him and said, "I do not want to
argue over this; so you just write down that Sarbajeet has won and Kabir
has lost, and I will sign it." The pundit was very pleased that Kabir had
given in so easily; he quickly wrote the words and got Kabir to sign it. He
went home, and flourishing the paper at his mother, he said, "Now you will
have to call me Sarbajeet, for Kabir Sahib has acknowledged it." She took
the paper and read aloud, "Sarbajeet has lost and Kabir has won."
Unbelieving, he read it for himself, and said, "How is this possible? There
must be some mistake--I will go back to Kabir Sahib." On arriving at the
Saint's house, he blurted out, "Maharaj, I made a slight mistake; so I want
to rewrite the paper." Kabir Sahib amiably agreed and signed the new
declaration. When the pundit reached home, his mother read the paper and
said, "But it is still written, 'Sarbajeet has lost and Kabir has won.'" In
frustration he shouted, "I will go again to Kabir!" and hurried off. It is
a rule with all great Masters that They never belittle a person, but with
love They make the people understand. If one does not listen even then,
They will go to the extent of operating, like a doctor who will do his very
best to cure a tumor, even it if means resorting to surgery. So, with great
kindness, Kabir Sahib pointed out to the pundit, "How can your mind and
mine become one? I say what I have seen, and you say what you have read
from printed matter."

Even then, there are very few who understand the scriptures. For example,
if four men went to Kashmir and visited the same places there, when asked
to write a description of what they had seen, each would write about
whatever impressed him the most--so all the accounts would be different,
though they would all be accurate. A person who had never been to Kashmir
would think that the writings referred to different places, but one who had
been there would say, "Yes, all four are correct, for I have seen these
places." Through seeing for himself, the latter would be the one qualified
to explain the descriptions to others. You can only get Spirituality and
pure perception from Those Who have seen the Truth.

A group of learned priests once went to Maulana Rumi Sahib, similarly to
test His knowledge. He also explained that the subject could not be
discussed between them, for their learning was from prose and writings,
whereas His was simply knowledge from the Beyond -- something full of
sweetness.

Kabir Sahib continues the subject by saying, "I speak to untangle, but you
are entangled." He is making it very clear that there is a wide gap of
difference between bookish learning and actual experience. In other words,
when I speak to people the mysteries are solved and the knots untangle
themselves, but your words only serve to keep them in bondage. For another
example, one lights a candle and rings a bell in the holy places, but I say
that the Light and Sound is within you; hear that Sound through which you
will get salvation. Everything has its own value--outer knowledge
included--but it is only the preparation of the ground. When you meet a
Satguru, the darkness is dispelled.

If after hearing these sayings of the great Masters, there are still some
who are not convinced, then what can be done for these poor people? Within
you is the Nectar of Life--go inside. You and God are both residing in the
same temple. Search it out from where it lies, not outwardly wasting your
whole life through. Kabir Sahib says, "I tell them to awake, but you
yourself are sleeping." The words of the Master are clear and at the same
time free; there is no compulsion there. He is telling us to awake, but we
are going into further forgetfulness. The whole world is sleeping in the
illusionary attachment. We are sleeping, having completely forgotten who we
are. We have got a body, but have become the body and though it is
changing, just like the whole world is changing, yet we think it is all
stationary. The Masters tell us to awake, know thyself, and become the seer
of God. In the Vedas, we are told to Awake, arise, and stop not until the
goal is reached. Kabir Sahib says, "Awake, beloved, why are you sleeping?
The night has passed, do you want to lose the day also?" All great Masters
have exhorted man to awake, but the so-called masters are putting two extra
quilts on him saying, "Sleep, child, sleep; what you do at the level of
physical body, outgoing faculties or intellect is all sufficient." If we do
not awake while we have got the human form, when will we do so?

Some worship spirits, some worship tombs--going adrift in whichever
direction they are led by the selfish-minded people. Kabir Sahib says, "I
say, be detached; you are going along in attachment." Whatever life's give
and take may be comes through the prarabdh (fate) karmas; so accept the ups
and downs cheerfully. God's pen writes according to our own karmic
reactions. I was once in a court when the judge was passing sentence on a
murderer, and his words were, "In view of the facts before me, I decide
that he should be hanged by the neck until dead." According to your own
karmas, some people are your brothers, sisters, wife, husband, etc., and
the joys and burdens of life should be accepted cheerfully. Wife and
husband should have the joint aim in life to help each other to realize
God. Otherwise, wherever your attention is, you will go to that.

Kabir Sahib says, "For age after age I have tried to make people
understand; but no one listens." Very few people accept the truth. When the
Masters come and see the condition of the world, They awaken them to the
truth and warn them as to what they are doing. The lessons They give always
have deeply profound meanings, but they are always corrupted. Prayers were
started that God should be remembered, but after a while people began to
keep symbols of God and started worshiping them, saying this is God. The
soul, which is a conscious entity, should only worship the
All-consciousness. Otherwise, if the conscious being starts worshiping
matter, it will retrogress to lower species of life. A certain Master said,
"It was through very high destiny that you got this physical form. If you
do not get connection with the Naam, you are a murderer of your soul."
Christ called it the death of the soul. Ironically, we have become so much
entangled in lower things, that to give even a single thought to something
higher seems like a sin--we feel guilty.

Kabir Sahib continues: "You are like an early widow, who never got to know
her husband, and who is losing all her wealth." You are not only wasting
your own life, but others' also. If you had even a little connection with
God--your husband--it would be all right, but you have never even seen Him.
These people who pose and say, "Yes, we have seen and will show you" waste
the seekers' precious years in outer practices. If by chance a seeker
requests to be given some experience, he is usually told, "Should it be
given haphazardly? First do this, and then do that, etc." Wherein lies the
True Master's greatness? In that He gives you the inner experience of the
Light and Sound Principle; this is true Spirituality. If you do not get
this, then how can you advance? How can one who is under the control of the
senses rise above those very senses by his own efforts? If a True Master
takes pity, He will give you the way up. As long as I do not see with my
own eyes, I cannot believe even the words of my Guru.

There is a profusion of black marketing in the world, but none to compare
with that which is done in the name of God. But, The gentle stream of Peace
which flows from the Satguru, washes mind and matter. God is
everywhere--there is no place without Him--but He flows through a certain
human pole in His fullness. Wash your sins away in that cleansing stream.
Remember always that the Satguru is not a physical form; He is the Word
made flesh. He is manifested God in man, and we should honor that human
form because God expresses Himself through it, Kabir Sahib also tells us
that if we do what the Satguru wants, we will become His image.

Guru Nanak says, "When you meet a perfect Master, you get the highest
jeweled thoughts." On meeting a Satguru, He gives the seeker an invaluable
jewel which is of the highest and purest quality. Are not the outer rituals
performed in order that one may come to realize God? There are various
roads, but only one destination. The perfect Master will not only tell you
the true way, but will give an experience of it, which, if you practice
daily, will steadily increase. Guru Nanak continues, "Oh, bewildered and
forgetful mind, surrender at the Guru's feet." O lost man, you are roaming
on this earth like a madman; go and sit at the feet of One Who has the
knowledge of the Beyond, a Guru of the highest order, Who will dispel the
darkness. The Guru did not tell us to go to a person who is intellectually
qualified. Every being has the everlasting Nectar of Life within him, but
only He Who is in constant contact can give you a contact. Many say that to
reach the Goal, a Guru is not necessary. Forgive me, but such people desire
to be Gurus themselves, and expect others to listen to their words. The
practical meaning of Guru is "One Who has the inner knowledge and can
reveal the Light to others." Christ told us, "As long as I am in the world,
I am the Light of the world." He said, "As long as I am in the world," but
the Christ lives even now. How can he who has met a True Master continue to
walk in darkness?

The holy books cannot be accurately explained by those who have not seen
what is mentioned therein. There are learned people who can expertly
expound their own theories, but a wise seeker will not follow a mere
philosophy, but will seek to have the darkness within dispelled. Who can
give Light? He who hasn't got, cannot give; but remember that a True Master
actually gives a portion of His life, just as a mother gives her blood to
the child and nourishes it on her milk. The Master does the same thing,
spiritually, and asks for nothing in return. He never asks for money in
pretense of devotional practice. Spirituality is a gift of nature given
freely to everyone. Some people in the West once wrote to my Master saying,
"We have got wealth, so please give us Spirituality in exchange for it." My
Master replied, "l do not want your wealth, and what I have got will be
given free, being a gift of nature." Even today, through His grace the
world is receiving this gift.

The Lord of Death runs in fear from he who meditates upon the Holy Naam. It
is also said, "Through the Naam comes the Light of millions of suns." There
is the Light and there is the Sound, the Music of the Spheres--the wealth
attained by a true Gurumukh. There are two kinds of bhakti: one through the
mind and senses, and the other is that which you get through the Guru.

Death is no bugbear; it is the name given to a change which comes when one
leaves the coarse atmosphere of the earth and enters a finer one of Light.
Something like the sun setting in one place and rising in another. We have
to leave the body one day, and at the very first sitting, the Master raises
the consciousness above the body and gives an experience of the Light and
Sound Principle. Then, through daily practice this is increased. The fear
of death will leave. He who is afraid of birth and death should sit at the
feet of a Perfect Master. The whole world is afraid of death, but true
seekers go to the Master and request Him to teach them how to die. Why?
Because one must learn to die before one can truly begin to live. How does
the Master release one from the fear of death? When the soul leaves the
body, there is a finer body inside called the astral body. Further ahead,
there is the causal body, and when one rises from the physical body, one
begins to get some indication of the Oversoul. This is the order of the
soul's experience within, having which, all fears will leave. This is why
the Masters stress again and again that one should truly know oneself.

Trying to achieve self-knowledge through feelings, emotions, or through
inference is accompanied by doubt of error, for nothing is seen.
Realization does not come until the soul has risen above the physical and
astral forms, and this one can only do through the help of a Guru. With the
Guru's blessing, you come to know yourself. By going into the astral plane
you get some self-awareness then beyond that, in cosmic awareness, you see
that, I and my Father are one. Go then, to the Person Who will lighten your
darkness and give you real life insurance.

Just after I was initiated, an insurance agent approached me in the hope of
selling some life insurance. I told him that my life had already been
insured in Hazur Maharaj Ji's hands. "You have, in fact, come to insure my
death, for only if I die before ten years will someone receive full amount
of the policy insured; is that not so?" After all, each one must give up
his life one day. Instead of handing yourself over to the Lord of Death,
why not repose in the care of a God-realized Man Who will show you the way
up by teaching how to rise above the body while living? When you get such
an opportunity and you reject it, naturally we delay our going to our True
Home.

The last words of the Guru Granth Sahib are: "O God, give me Your Darshan."
What is the value of a fruit tree which never bears fruit, no matter how
much it is tended and watered? The Guru's work is to connect the soul with
God, and the company of such a Guru is called Satsang, which one gets with
great good fortune. He who has good karmas from very far back will get
connection with Naam. Nanak says, "Only then will you have perpetual
happiness; when in this abode the Sound is struck."

Oh brother, I have no other place to go. It means that there is no other
place than the Guru to get what I want. And in gratitude: The Guru has
given me such wealth, I am overcome with gratitude. It is also written, All
glory to the teachings of the Master; I wish to never be separated from
Him. Guru Nanak has expressed many profound thoughts on separation. "I
cannot live for one second without the Naam, for that is death to me."
Also: "I am blind without the Naam, through which is the only means of
reaching my true home." It will take us back to the Source, from whence the
Light and Sound started; it is the true road to God.

Philosophical paths are built upon hypotheses, though they do have some
connection with the teachings of the True Masters. But to be connected to
the Truth, to experience the Controller or God, and to further realize
Him--this is the true teaching in practice. What a great blessing it is!
Outer practices and theories are well enough in their own sphere, for all
have the same aim in view, but If the guru is blind, what is the disciple's
destination ? Who is a blind man? A blind man is he whose inner eye is not
open, 0 Nanak, how can he see God? So we have, When the blind leads the
way, only the blind will follow. If he had eyes, he would not be in this
predicament. Those who follow the one who does not see, are obviously blind
themselves. They get nothing and waste their whole lives obeying blindly.
How many masters can you find who will give something practical? If the
master is hungry and naked, how can the servant be well fed? When the blind
leads the blind, both will fall in the ditch.

Just like today, there were many so-called gurus in the days of Guru Nanak.
Without being invited, He would visit the sadhus, sants, and rishis, and
sitting down quietly with them, with great love and patience, He would
explain what they were doing. Transport and travel was difficult in those
days, but He went to the Himalayas to see the yogis there--He went to
Burma, China, Arabia, and many other far-distant countries for the sole
purpose of awakening the souls to the Truth. Without the human pole in
which God has expressed Himself, it is impossible to achieve the Truth. In
past history, many have tried to reach God through many and varied types of
practices, some even who withered away into dust in the attempt, but all in
vain of having a glimpse of the Lord.

Those who come into the world and do not get a true Guru can be likened to
a crow who flew into an empty house calling, "caw, caw, caw" but had to fly
away without being fed. The people who have not experienced God inside them
will always be unhappy. True happiness will always remain just out of
reach. There is great bliss in the soul, which will only be realized when
it is connected back to the Oversoul which is Sat, Chit, and Anand--ever
existent, all wisdom, and eternal bliss. If one has got the Nectar of Naam,
then each pore of his body will be intoxicated. Even the blood circulation
in the physical systems will become rhythmical, and many diseases will go.
If the soul is strong, the body and mind will derive strength, coolness,
and peaceful serenity.

Many years ago in Peshawar, I was sitting one day in the office of a doctor
whom I knew very well. I observed that a certain prescription he gave the
compounder to be made up was very lengthy, comprising many ingredients, but
he prepared the prescription by putting only one or two in the bottle. When
I remarked on this, the doctor replied, "Oh, actually I just give something
to clean the stomach. Only the soul has the power of curing physical ills."
Many diseases today are worsened, simply because at the advent of a slight
indisposition, people run to the doctors for medicine, which means that too
many drugs get absorbed into the body and cause trouble. Simple sicknesses
can be helped by eating less or taking only water for two or three days.

The thing is in one place, and you search elsewhere clutching at anything;
Kabir says, "You will only find it when you take the Knower with you. Only
One Who knows can show you where your desire lies; it was the work of many
lives to come, but He took you there at once." Masters are similarly
described in the Ved Shastras (ancient Hindu scriptures). But this does not
apply to the common gurudom which is becoming notorious these days, where
followers are fighting amongst themselves and even killing each other in
the name of religion. All religions belong to God; so join back to Him.

A Satguru is He Who makes all children of God to sit on one platform. Some
time back, I gave a talk on Gandhiji, and described that he was successful
in his mission because he had no particular preference for any religion.
When the people sat before him, prayers were sung in different languages:
Arabic, Sanskrit, and others. The language or religion made no difference
to him. To learn to sit with one another is the first lesson; then search
for a Master to give you an experience of the Truth. The single means back
to the Source is the path of Nad, the Sound Principle, which is vibrating
in each being.

Creation, then dissolution, comes through the Shabd; then through the
Shabd, creation again. The Lord is Soundless, but when He expressed
Himself, the expression resulted in vibration and came into being. That
Power is sustaining the world, and through that Power the world falls into
dissolution. Then again, through the same Power, it is created. It has many
names: Shabd, Kalma, Naam, Word, etc. A Persian prophet said, "O Khuda
(Lord), show me that place wherein, without words, the Kalma is
proceeding." Fourteen planes were made through this Kalma. It is not the
name which is important; but the Power itself, which the name portends, is
the very Lord. He who becomes saturated with the Shabd or Naam will
experience such intoxication that through it he will go into the Soundless
(Ashabd) or Wordless state.

This is the only way you can go back. You will then realize that which is
beyond illusion, with its three stages: prakriti, maya, and pradhan. I only
obey my Guru's words and nothing else. How clear are these words! Always we
should do as He commands, but we prefer to obey our own minds. Dwell in the
Shabd, through which the devastating I-hood will burn itself out.

When your I-hood is finished, you will be the seer of the Lord. A gurumukh
who sits at the feet of the Guru will get the Pure Light. Within you is the
Sound of the Naam and the radiance of Light. If you experience this and
know that God is doing everything and not yourself, then where will be the
place for I-hood? Then, as the Guru says: "With ease, the meeting with
Truth will take place." It will be like entering a lift, pressing the
button for the desired floor, and reaching there without any effort on your
part. You will meet the True God with ease.

The work ahead of us is to earn the Naam. It should dwell in our hearts so
much in evidence that it becomes apparent in us. We should be moulded in
it. It should be manifested inside and outside. The outcome of this will
be: When you become as the Shabd, humility will banish all lust, anger, and
ego. Having the Nectar of Life, all taste for small things will fade away.
Renounce this poisonous forest, O friend; drink the Nectar of Life. Without
tasting this, there will be no peace and happiness. This boat we are
in--the image of our life--is meaningless without the Naam. By pride or
force it is impossible. Only by giving yourself to a Perfect Master will
you get it. This Nectar which outshines all others is beyond the dominions
of wealth, intellect, or worldly power. Go where it is being distributed.
How can it be abandoned--that which is the Preserver of all life? When He
is the very life of our life and of the whole creation, how can we forget
Him? We are living on this very Nectar. He Who dies absorbed in the Shabd
will never die again. If the soul is connected to God, how can it return to
the world? The coming and going is finished. With the Guru's blessing, you
die whilst living and fully understand His commands. Nanak says, "He who
dies thus, lives the true life."

Outer religious music and song has a great attraction, but it takes you to
the verge of matter and does not transcend you; so the soul remains in the
matter. The Shabd (the Sound Principle or Nad) begins when you rise above
the five elements of body, and is vibrating inside and outside, and is food
for the soul. This illustrates again the difference between outer and inner
practice. Only through the Shabd will you learn to truly love God. If you
want to reach the sun, follow its rays. Through the company of the Saint,
God can be seen within; then the Name of God will become sweet. How can one
develop love for something one has never seen? When praises are sung
through seeing, such singing will gain benefit. If you sing the praises of
that which another has seen, then, forgive me, but you can liken it to
attempting to find some scraps of food from someone else's empty plate.
Earn something for yourself. Do not keep the picture of another's beloved
over your heart. Would you hurt him? Have a Beloved of your own and rejoin
God yourself. When you drink deeply from the Nectar of Life, even those
around you become intoxicated.

Without the Shabd the world is in forgetfulness. Death and birth come again
and again. This labyrinthine loss of memory continues until we taste the
Water of Life. In actual fact we go wherever our attention is. You all live
for self-greatness. Whosoever comes into the world thinks there is no one
like himself. Some say, "I am the greatest mahatma" and others say, "I am
this, I am that," etc. A Mahatma is not made by his own efforts but by the
blessing and grace of a Higher Power. It is not the work of man, but of the
True Lord, Who manifests Himself in some human form or pole. No true
Mahatma has ever said, "I am doing all this," but always acknowledges the
Lord or His Guru as the Doer. Bheeka says that the Beyond is far from all
description and understanding. He who knows, speaks not; he who speaks,
knows not. It is impossible for one who sees the Truth to say that he is
doing anything.

No experience comes without the Guru. Of what benefit are mere words? You
can say a million times, "I am not the body, I am not the mind, the
intellect, the pranas; I am the soul, the atma," but this is just talk. I
say, "This is my watch," and I put it aside. I say, "This is my coat," and
I can take it off when I wish. This is my body, but can I take it off when
I choose? This is my intellect, but can I rise above it? I have got senses,
but am I competent to work through them or stop doing so, just whenever I
like? When the Guru takes you above into the higher planes and shows you
the inner path to the regions of radiance, you will see for yourself that
the body, intellect, and mind gain strength from you--the soul. As this
awareness becomes stronger, your condition will be such that you will be in
control of your senses and able to work through any one of them you choose.
You will see the world through the inner eye of knowledge. At present we
are under a false impression and our conclusions come through intellect and
thought; we have not seen the Truth. For example, when we rise in an
airplane, at first the mountains, etc., look huge, but as the altitude is
increased the mountains begin to look like small mounds, and the large
rivers and lakes appear like thin threads and puddles. So, all the seeming
greatness of the world will not leave your heart until you have risen above
the body and senses.

Those who have risen above and have realized the Truth admonish us with the
words, "Oh brothers, you are sacrificing a valuable jewel for a worthless
sea shell. You are building castles out of sand." You can only meet a True
Master with very good karmic background, and His blessing. Unfortunately,
when we do get a Master we do not value what we have received and,
therefore, derive very little benefit, by comparison. Obey the commands of
the Guru one hundred per cent, then you will know what God is. The company
of a True Master is called Satsang, and if you are fortunate to have such
company, then obey Him. When He gives you something, increase it through
daily meditations. We do not like to do it and say we haven't got the time,
but remember you have to die for yourself; no one else will do it for you.

The Masters do not come here to fight, though it is true that They openly
give out the facts of life. Their purpose is not to belittle, but to
explain the true value of things. If you have understood what I have told
you today, then try and achieve it. If you have been given even the
smallest knowledge of the Beyond, then increase it. When you meet a True
Master, you will get His jeweled thoughts. All the essence of thought,
which is like an invaluable jewel, is being given to you, in addition to an
experience of the Beyond. Derive from this the utmost benefit.

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