                                                             INN OF MADNESS
                          -------------------------------------------------

          Man spends his whole life exploring the so-called wonders of the
          world in outer things and places, but few ever dream of exploring
          the inner depths of this wonderful house in which we live--the
          physical form. Throughout history, few have solved the mystifying
          riddle of life.

          When regarding the body, what do we see? Do we see but a five to
          six foot statue of matter? Do we not realize that some Power
          sustains this human form, and is, in fact, imprisoned within it?
          Even though the body has nine outlets, yet the prisoner within
          cannot get out through any of them. Why? Because it is being
          controlled. Breathing goes on incessantly, and when the breath
          goes out, it does not stay out; some Power is drawing it back
          into the body. Sometimes a man is shot--perhaps ten or twenty
          times--yet he does not die. On the other hand, he might slip when
          walking and break his neck--what a grand enigma! We have no
          knowledge of this Power within; we never give a thought to it, or
          to that Source from which it draws life and sustenance.

          Masters have said that those people who do not believe in God,
          even though they may always be near the holy places, are
          atheists. However, those who do not know who they truly are,
          realistically speaking, are more atheistic. Excuse me, but where
          God is concerned, are we not all atheists? For no one has seen
          Him. A small child is more conscious of his true self than an
          adult, but as he grows he becomes more and more aware of the
          body. When you ask him who he is, he will open his eyes and mouth
          wide in an endeavor to express what he truly is; but when fully
          grown he will tell you, "I am Ram Das" or "I am Ram Singh," for
          he cannot differentiate between his body and his real self.

          When you say, "This is my body," have you ever taken it off as
          you remove your coat or shoes? We say, "This is my body," but, in
          fact, we have become the body. We do not know who 'I' is, or who
          it is that says, "This is mine." So, it is a more damaging
          ignorance not to know one's true self--that self which must
          eventually experience the Overself. The self or soul is the
          conscious entity which enlivens the body and which depends upon
          something even greater for its existence. As long as it is not
          conscious of its true nature, it cannot experience that Greater
          Nature; so in the true sense there are very few theists in the
          world, for a theist is one who has realized himself and has
          realized the Lord also. Intellectually, the whole world can say,
          "I am not the mind, I am not the senses, I am not the intellect,
          I am not the pranas," and so on; but has anyone ever separated
          himself from these things? We can take off our coat and hat, but
          can we step out of the body and see who the indweller is?

          Self-realized people say that the greatest book of knowledge is
          the physical form, through which all written scriptures have
          come. The explorers of the body, the Rishis, Munis, and Mahatmas,
          realized the truth of the mystery and found the power that
          controls the human being--and that is one's true self. That, in
          turn, is sustained by the Overself. Scriptures came through such
          Men Who were in tune from within, Who, by analyzing Themselves
          and rising above body consciousness, got into higher touch and
          became the mouthpiece of the Greater Power. Whatever They said
          came direct from that Power; They did not speak at the level of
          mind or senses, and this is the big difference between words that
          come from a Realized Person and words that come from the
          intellect, for the intellectual can speak only from that level,
          whereas the Realized Soul speaks as inspired from above.

          Emerson said, Those thoughts which come without thinking are
          always perfect. A Muslim fakir says, Actually you are the mother
          of all books; and he also says, When your outer self finds your
          real self, then you will see that something is within you and
          that God is speaking within you. Guru Nanak says, Whatever comes
          from the Beloved, I give out. He does not speak from His own
          thoughts. Christ said, I have not spoken of myself; but the
          Father which sent me, He gave me a commandment, what I should
          say, and what I should speak. When Philip asked to be shown the
          Father, Christ reminded him, Have I been so long with you and yet
          thou hast not known me, Philip ? He that hath seen me, hath seen
          the Father .... I am in the Father and the Father in me. The
          words I speak unto you I speak not of myself; but the Father that
          dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.

          For example, if one listens to a radio that is tuned in, one
          hears the sound. From what place does the radio catch the sound?
          From whatever station it is attuned to. A God-Realized Person is
          in tune with the Lord, and in Him the Lord speaks: Brahm speaks
          through the physical form: If there were no physical form, how
          would Brahm speak? That Divine Link is in each human being: not
          more in one and less in another, but the same in all. However,
          only Those Who have come into realization and are the mouthpiece
          of God can see that I and my Father are one. This is because They
          rose above the mind, senses, and the net of illusion and saw that
          the Sustainer of all life is the one Lord.

          During the life of the Rishi Bhardwaj, a householder by the name
          of Shonak went to him one day and said, "Maharaj, what is that
          thing, knowing which all else is known? The Rishi looked at him
          and saw that he was a householder. You should understand that
          householders are very different today. In those days a man would
          become a householder after twenty-five years of brahmcharya
          [chastity in thought, word, and deed], during which time he
          gained extensive knowledge of the Vedas and Shastras, the ancient
          Hindu scriptures. After twenty-five years of leading a
          householder's life according to the teachings of the Shastras, he
          would enter the Vanprastha ashram [secluded life, devoted solely
          to the realization of the Lord], cut off from worldly life and
          worldly people. You might say that in this day and age the latter
          phase has become more like a business. A man reads one or two
          books and then starts giving lectures, but pays little attention
          to the inner self. If a man's eye is not open, what can he say on
          the subject?

          Kabir Sahib once had a conversation with a learned pundit, and
          eventually remarked to him, Oh brother, your mind and my mind can
          never agree; I say what I see and you say what has been written.
          It is entirely different to speak from experience. One can never
          be fully convinced by reading someone else's statements, for
          seeing is believing. God gave equal privileges to all human
          beings, and the only difference between a Master-Soul and an
          ordinary man is that one is in tune and the other is not. The
          embodied soul has got consciousness, for while living in this
          physical form, yet it is of the same essence as God, Who is
          All-Consciousness. He is the Ocean and we are the drops, but
          unfortunately we are under the influence of the mind; the mind,
          in turn, is being dragged by the senses, and the senses are
          dragged by worldly enjoyments. In this way, the jiva [embodied
          soul; soul in creation] has become the image of the body and the
          world, identified so much so with these that it has forgotten its
          true identity. For he who has forgotten his own self, the matter
          of knowing the Lord is very far away. For this reason nearly all
          Masters have advised, Man, know thyself. Nanak says, Without
          knowing oneself, this illusion will not go. And, when does one
          see what the soul is? When the senses are stilled, the mind is
          stilled, and the intellect at rest, then only will one know the
          soul. It is for the soul to experience the Lord--He cannot be
          known by senses, mind, intellect, or pranas. It is very
          clear-cut.

          Knowledge is like a child of all books. Love is the mother of all
          books, for God is Love and the soul, being of the same essence as
          the Lord, is also Love. But, what do we do with this Love? At the
          sense-level we scatter it in hundreds and thousands of places.
          One heart and millions of desires; on top of that more desires;
          Then where is the place for Him to sit ? If one withdraws from
          everything else and concentrates in one place, great power with
          spring forth. If a pipe has ten holes and you close up nine of
          them, the water will simply gush out of the tenth. Up to now our
          soul has been under the mind's control; but by withdrawing from
          the outer influences and receiving strength, it can gain control
          of the whole being. Remember that God is All-Attention, and the
          soul, having the same nature, is also all-attention in miniature.
          When that All-Attention wished to become from one to many, the
          whole of creation came into being. The soul also has great power;
          but under the mind's influence it has scattered its attention
          hither and thither, thereby weakening itself. If only it would
          withdraw from the outer attractions, it could create a town, at
          least. It is with much sorrow that I say that the soul's strength
          has been divided into so many avenues.

          So, all True Masters say that realizing God is a simple
          matter--What is there to realizing the Lord? Just uproot the
          attention from here and plant it there. It is simply a matter of
          withdrawing and gathering together the scattered attention. As
          you know, the rays of the sun under normal conditions will not
          ignite anything; but if you pass them through a convex lens and
          thereby concentrate them, anything they settle upon will burst
          into flames. The whole of this life's purpose is to become
          still--to withdraw from outer environments, and to concentrate.
          You have great strength in you; you are the child of a Lion.

          So, when Bhardwaj Rishi answered the householder Shonak's
          question, he sought to reply in such a way as to be of help to
          Shonak in his household duties. Knowing he was a literate man,
          the Rishi said, "There are two kinds of teachings. One is called
          apra vidya and the other para vidya. Apra vidya comes from books,
          scriptures, etc., and creates some interest in the seeker, which
          leads to some devotion, too. For this, customs, rites,
          pilgrimages, saying prayers and singing hymns, giving alms,
          fasting, performing austerities, etc. will help to create the
          bhakti [devotion to God]. However, this is all preparation of the
          ground and there is no real satisfaction in it because it will
          not give salvation or realization. All these things come under
          the category of good actions, and one may gain a heavenly place
          through them; but again and again the soul will have to return to
          earth, for they are all at the level of the senses."

          These are the first steps to be taken toward the Lord, just as a
          child goes to school and first learns how to use a pencil; but
          you can see just how much value these actions hold. You all have
          taken these steps at some time or other, but now go ahead. Make
          the best use of the foundation you have built; the foundation
          alone cannot take you to the ultimate goal, without your knowing
          the self. Brothers, withdraw, become conscious of your self, and
          get the contact with the Overself. As Bhardwaj Rishi told Shonak
          the householder, when you know yourself, you will know
          everything. Now you can see that this teaching is for all true
          seekers of God.

          God made man, but He did not stick any label on him. The purpose
          of all religions is to realize God and to spend this life's
          journey in peace, contentment, and usefulness to each other.
          These were the true aims, but what was the outcome? He started to
          realize God, but in between the mind turned turtle. You may ask,
          "Have we lost ourselves?" Yes, most decidedly, yes.

          One Muslim fakir says that the atrocities man has committed
          against himself could not have been done by even the blindest of
          all. And, the biggest atrocity? Living in this house, we lost
          contact with the One Who runs it. The mystery of life must be
          solved, no matter to which religion a person belongs. The Masters
          Who solved this mystery were born into various religions, just as
          were Those Who contacted Them and Who, in turn, were taught the
          solution. Ravidas was a cobbler, Kabir Sahib was a weaver, Tulsi
          Sahib was a brahmin. Man made castes, but God made the soul and
          embodied it within the human form. First rise above the senses,
          and then tell what you are and what is your religion. No matter
          which Master's hymns you take, the subject will remain the same,
          even though language and expression may vary. Masters do not
          consider men from their religious labels, but rather They see
          everyone as soul in the body, and regard all from the level of
          soul. They are not Gurus or any particular religion, but are
          Gurus of mankind. Satguru is One Who brings all peoples together.
          For the Satguru there is no conflict of caste or creed--no
          thought of breaking old traditions or making new ones. In fact,
          They do say that there are already more than sufficient religions
          and sects in existence. Our Hazur would remark that there is no
          point in digging new wells when there are already more than
          enough to serve the people. Man must either live up to his
          religion, or make a new one. Is it not better, then, to remain in
          your present formation? But, while living according to its aims
          and precepts, seek for One Who has already solved the mystery of
          life and Who can help you to fulfill the same. You may find such
          a Personality in any religion, and you may call Him by any name
          you wish.

          To become proficient in any certain subject, one must go to an
          expert in that study. If a person has a sincere desire to learn
          about the soul, he or she should approach a competent teacher of
          Spirituality--One Who has realized Himself and the Overself. This
          is a matter of common sense and needs no philosophy. All great
          teachers of this subject say that we are all embodied souls,
          living in the house of the physical form from which we can derive
          the greatest benefit, if we but make the best use of the
          situation. The human form is the king of all the species and is
          the highest rung in the ladder of creation, for in this form God
          has placed the power of differentiation through which one can
          define truth from untruth and so achieve that which can be done
          in no other form. There is a prayer in the Ved Bhagwan which
          says, O Lord, take us from the untruth to the Truth. But, of
          course, if a man has no interest in either, what is the use?

          Swami Ji Maharaj says, Hansni [a mythical swan-like bird]
          separates the milk from the water. You are hansni, O soul. Hansni
          is said to have the ability in her beak to separate milk from
          water, and drinks only the milk. O soul, you are like that hansni
          and you can differentiate the Truth from the untruth. Drink only
          milk and leave the water. Think of this body as matter; God
          resides therein, and only He is the Truth. The body and all
          things connected are in constant flux, for it is the nature of
          matter to be ever changing. Only the soul is true, permanent and
          unchanging; try to recognize the soul. Atheist or
          devotee--manmukh or Gurumukh--what is the difference between
          them? To know the atheist--he is lost in the world; To know the
          devotee--the world is lost in him. The manmukh is lost--lost in
          the whirl of mind and senses. For the true devotee the world does
          not really exist, for he has the Lord's intoxication and is
          awakened to the truth within himself, and has thereby forgotten
          both the world and the after-world.

          Great is man. Do not think of him as merely a form--just a five
          or six foot puppet. If the gods and goddesses desire to gain
          salvation, they also must inherit this human form. The Upanishads
          says, Soul is riding in the chariot of the body; Intellect is the
          charioteer, mind is the reins, senses are the horses dragging it
          into the fields of enjoyments. So, it means that the sole barrier
          between us and the Lord is the mind. If we could only cast aside
          the mind and the senses, we would realize our true selves and the
          Lord. If this aim which has been founded in all religions is not
          achieved, a man's life is wasted. When Zoroaster was asked for
          advice, He said, "Join the Army of God." When He was asked what
          qualifications a person required to join this army, He replied,
          "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds." This means, live a
          righteous life in every way, and this has been advised by all
          Masters. Of all dharmas, which is supreme ? Take the Name of God
          and live righteously. In the Sikh religion it is said, Repeat the
          Naam and share your food with others. The teachings are all the
          same, and we want to enter the Army of God; but we enter only the
          army of religion. And, the result of this is that men are
          fighting among themselves. We put God aside and start saying, "I
          am a Sikh," or "I am a Muslim," and so on. Kabir Sahib says, No
          one is Hindu or Muslim; Think of us as One. God made the human
          being; and man is older than all philosophies and religions,
          which were formed long after man's advent for the noble purpose
          of realizing the soul. If this aim is not achieved, where then is
          the purpose?

          I can only say that if the leaders of the religions were to give
          the correct teaching, the world would be enjoying peace. Is it
          not the aim of all religions to pass one's sojourn of worldly
          life in peace, to be of helpful use to each other, to realize
          God? Surely this is the true aim of all, and if all are devotees
          of the one God, then why all the conflict and strife? Hundreds of
          lovers, but one Beloved for all. Customs and religions may be
          separate, but the aim is the same. But, as things stand, brother
          is fighting brother, and both declare that their own sect is
          better. Is it not clear that all are the same?

          Do not say that the books are all lies; Liar is he who does not
          absorb. The holy scriptures record the words of Realized People
          Who have walked the path of Spirituality. However many steps They
          took along this path, so accordingly They taught others. We have
          respect for all. Just consider how the Masters regard life. They
          are not bound by any special affiliation, and They are not
          dictated to by any politics. They are Cosmic Beings. Peace be
          unto all the world, under Thy will, 0 Lord. Guru Nanak also said,
          0 Nanak, the Naam is ever-ascending; Through Thy will the whole
          world benefits. The hearts of the Masters are so abounding,
          everyone can have a place therein. When They come, They come for
          the upliftment of all people: all sects are Theirs, all
          religions, all countries. When I was visiting the West, one place
          held a meeting for East and West, and I was invited to represent
          the East. To represent the West they invited a certain Frenchman,
          but at the last minute he could not attend the meeting; so the
          organizers said to me, "Well, we will leave both East and West to
          You." I replied, "There is no doubt that the saying is East is
          East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, but some
          man has said that -- not God. The whole creation is the house of
          the Lord, and there is no East or West in it. All these countries
          are but so many rooms in the one house of our Father."

          Airplanes have eliminated the vast distances between countries.
          Today one may be in India and tomorrow in England--and the day
          after in America. But, man is a man, no matter where he is and
          regardless of outer garb or custom; all are devotees of the one
          Lord. When I was asked in America if I had come to found some
          Ashram, I told them that I had come to uplift the very ashrams
          that people carry around with them (the physical form). "People
          have forgotten these things; I have come to awaken them. There is
          no need for introduction of anything new, for the thing already
          exists within; but I have come to revive what you have
          forgotten." Masters regard situations with a very open outlook,
          but those whose outlook is confined to their own closed sect do
          not give the true teachings.

          Just before the partition of India and Pakistan [in 1947]
          fighting between Hindus and Muslims was going on, and our Hazur
          went to many such disturbed areas. People repeatedly told Him,
          'If only You had come before, there would have been no fighting
          here." I am trying to explain very clear and straightforward
          facts. Because of earning food for the stomach through the name
          of religion, so much misunderstanding has been born. If four
          drunkards can sit together and enjoy each other's company, then
          why not four devotees from different religions, for the purpose
          of love and understanding? It might be said here that the former
          have some kind of intoxication, but the latter have none. Kabir
          Sahib explains it this way: that a hansni once sat in a field of
          kodrai (kodrai is a rather inferior grain). The farmer saw the
          hansni and started to chase him with his stick. So, Kabir Sahib
          observes: This poor ignorant farmer does not know that the hansni
          never eats grain, but lives on pearls. So, Masters never come to
          take from worldly people. Now listen carefully to Kabir Sahib's
          hymn:

               In the inn of the body, the jiva-traveler is staying;
               But why so enrapt in this madness ?

          The body is like an inn, and we are travelers in this world for
          but a few days. The senses or outgoing faculties through which
          the worldly impressions enter are firmly attached to this inn or
          house. The eyes alone absorb 83 percent of all impressions. The
          ears take in 14 percent, and the remaining 3 percent is
          distributed among the other senses. When we sleep, we dream of
          the impressions we have received in our everyday awakened state.
          As can be seen, our lives are very superficial; we have never
          taken a dip into our real self.

          What is the purpose then of this inn-like body? Its purpose is to
          enable us to know our true self and to realize God. If the soul
          does not do this, then? If the life fades away without gaining
          the benefit, the advent of birth is wasted. Lord Buddha said the
          same thing: that within human life the Truth can be realized. Who
          knows when one will again receive the blessing of human birth? It
          was given for a definite use--so why get intoxicated with
          sense-pleasures? What will be gained this way? You go on seeing
          the world's play, but the craving for more and more is never
          satisfied. The ears are always listening to the world's tune but
          are never contented with it. One thinks one is enjoying these
          sensual pleasures, but it is not so. The sense-pleasures are
          enjoying you.

          In the Puranas [ancient Hindu scriptures] it is related that the
          god of food complained to Lord Vishnu that he was tired of the
          people eating him mercilessly. Lord Vishnu advised him, "Those
          people who eat you more than they need, well, you eat them up."
          Over indulgence in food leads to degeneration of the physical
          organs. Indulge the senses only as much as necessity demands; do
          not create gluttony as a habit. If everything is used in a
          controlled manner, all things will be helping factors instead of
          doing harm. For instance, there is a certain poison which when
          taken in infinitesimal doses builds up the physical strength like
          a tonic; but when taken in large doses, it kills. All the
          pleasures of the senses were given for man to work through--but
          in perfect control. This house or inn was given for only a few
          days so that it should be put to the utmost advantage, but we are
          destroying it fast.

          There are five senses of knowledge and five senses of karmas; and
          if only one sense gains control, what happens? A moth, for
          example, is governed by the eyesight, to the extent of burning
          himself to death in the heat of a flame or bright light. Fish, on
          the other hand, are governed by the sense of taste; and although
          happily swimming about in the water, yet they will rise to the
          angler's bait--only to be caught on the hook and die in agonies
          of torment, flapping around on the earth. The large black
          bumblebee has a very strong sense of smell, and through this
          easily loses his life to a certain tropical flower that has the
          ability to close its petals over any insect entering within it.
          The sense of hearing is overpowering in the deer. I do not know
          if you have spent any time in the forests, but I have seen a deer
          jump forward as much as twenty yards. Even the fastest horse
          cannot catch this fleet-footed animal, and yet he is easily
          caught. Deer hunters play a certain tune on a special drum,
          hearing which the deer is drawn helplessly toward it in ecstasy
          of that sound, until he quietly lays his head down upon the drum
          and, of course, is captured. He spends the rest of his life
          imprisoned in captivity. In the male elephant the sense of touch
          is very strong, even though he has the strength to uproot huge
          trees with his trunk. I once lived in the jungle for four or five
          months and saw how they prepared to catch the elephant by digging
          a large pit and covering it with leaves, and then placing a
          female elephant nearby. When the male scents the female, he loses
          all caution and rushes toward her and falls into the pit which
          lies in his path. He is then starved for many days until it is
          possible for men to handle him and remove him. He then spends his
          life in captivity. So, you can see that when even a single sense
          out the five is ruling, it can bring death or slavery. What then
          is the condition of a being who is slave to all five senses?

          Your whole life is being wasted and finally you will be withdrawn
          from the world--you have to leave this body--even if you have no
          knowledge of when that time will come. The great emperors, the
          learned intellectuals, famous philosophers, and even God-Realized
          People--where are the bodies of all these persons now? They have
          all left the scene of action, and we must also leave sometime;
          there is no exception to the rule. If only the thought remained
          uppermost in mind: "Who am I? Where am I going?" This could
          change the very pattern of our life. Just think for a moment: if
          you received a notice to tell you that you had to leave town
          tomorrow, how would you spend today? Would you not prepare
          yourself to leave? The time for leaving the body may already be
          fixed, but it is not known to you. It may come at any time. Kabir
          Sahib says, Become virtuous; repeat the Naam; tomorrow may never
          come. What to speak of tomorrow; we have no guarantee of the very
          next minute! The breath continues to return to the body and the
          man remains there--but if it does not come back? Try to see what
          is sustaining it, for alone it is just a mound of matter that we
          carry everywhere. The friend [body] is enlivened as long as the
          companion [soul] is there; When the companion leaves, it is
          worthless matter.

          When the soul leaves the body, four brothers pick up the inert
          form in a hurry and rush it to the cremation ground. No one wants
          to keep it for long. But, those with right understanding see the
          facts in true perspective. It is no new philosophy. Those who
          made the best use of the human birth and freed the soul from the
          rule of mind and senses gained knowledge of the self and also
          experienced the Lord, and for them there is no return to this
          world of action. But, coming and going is not finished for those
          who live only and always at the sense level, whether their
          actions be good or bad.

          Lord Krishna says in the Gita that there are only two paths;
          pitriyan panth and deviyan panth. Pitriyan panth is the path of
          the karmic wheel, and the soul which travels it cannot get off
          this wheel. But, the soul which travels the deviyan panth--the
          Path of Light--never returns. It is the custom in the Sanatan
          sect of the Hindu religion to light a lamp and put it in the hand
          of a dying person, for it is believed that the soul will not
          otherwise gain salvation. But, in fact, this light should be lit
          while living--the Inner Light--for only then can the soul become
          free from births and deaths. Where is this Light? The Light is
          effulgent in He Who controls the ten senses. The Light is already
          within all men, but one must separate from the senses to see it.
          There is no need to create it, therefore; just invert. You can
          say to turn the face inwardly, or by self-analysis, rise above
          the senses.

          Kabir Sahib says, Why remain intoxicated in this inn of the body?
          It is common sense to see that for the soul who is at the level
          of mind and senses and has become the image of the body and
          therefore is doing all practices at the same level, how can it be
          possible to rise above the body, mind, and senses? If anyone
          thinks he can do it, he is welcome to try. After all, what does a
          blind man desire? Just two eyes. But, if you cannot do it, admit
          the fact and go to seek help from Someone Who knows the science
          of rising above body consciousness. Such a Master-Soul may give a
          sitting to ten people, or fifty, or one hundred or more; but by
          His single fraction of attention everyone will receive Light. The
          proof of Light will be seen with one's own vision. So, the path
          of the Saints is called the reverse path, for They teach the
          seeker how to invert the senses. When you meet the Satguru,
          inversion starts; Dying while living will unravel it.

          When the soul inverts, the body becomes lifeless; he who dies
          while living becomes the one who experiences the Lord. Learn to
          die so that you may begin to live. Maulana Rumi says that if you
          desire to have everlasting life, then learn to die while living.
          Dadu Sahib says, Dadu, die before; Everyone dies when the time
          comes. All Masters have made similar statements on the same
          subject. That person who has unraveled the mystery of life has no
          fear of death. Die you must, so why not now? Stand aloof from the
          world. Such a death one can die a hundred times a day. To be able
          to rise above at will erases all fear of death. You are a guest
          in this inn of the body for a few days only--do not lose yourself
          in the madness of the senses and the sense-enjoyments. Do not
          forget yourself entirely in this outer madness, but try to reach
          the aim for which the human birth was given. If this opportunity
          to do the real work is wasted, then who knows when you will be
          given another?

               Rest for the night, leave in the morning.

          It is a place where you can spend the night; but when daylight
          comes, you have to leave. Who stays permanently at an inn? Return
          to your own place, brother; why live in a strange country ? Do
          your own work and ignore alien affairs. This is not your country.
          You merely have connection with the physical form for a few days
          and will soon have to leave. It can never be your permanent
          place, but where will you go? Have you ever thought about that?
          The house you must leave is tied in your mind; There is never a
          thought for your permanent home. You have imprisoned yourself in
          its environments and you have given it the status of a god. The
          true home has been completely forgotten. Who can say you are
          intelligent? Perhaps you are learned through books, but the
          Masters say that one who does not realize his transient condition
          and has no knowledge of his real destination is either a fool or
          an ignorant child.

          When a spiritual person is also learned in outer knowledge, he
          wears this like a garland of flowers and uses it to explain the
          truth in a variety of ways. For instance, when Keshab Chander Sen
          went to Sri Ramakrishna, the latter said, "If you want to
          understand this teaching in one word, then listen to me; if you
          would prefer to learn it through many words, then go to
          Vivekananda." It is important that the mind should fully
          understand and be satisfied, for true spiritual experience can be
          had only when the senses, mind, and intellect are perfectly
          stilled. Nothing can be experienced while one is scattered at the
          sense level, whether it be in enjoyments or in intellectual
          expansion. We should make the best use of the intellect for our
          own or another's understanding, but remember that reasoning can
          be a help and it can also be a bar. Through reason we can come to
          the point of accepting that God does exist; but having done that,
          why not realize Him? And, for that, the intellect then must be
          stilled.

          Everyone must leave the physical form--and that includes you. One
          Master says, Where have the parents gone who gave you birth ? You
          have no knowledge of their whereabouts. The facts are clearly
          evident, but the world's grease has covered you like a greasy
          cloth which does not retain water on its surface. We read books
          and scriptures, listen to numerous lectures; but the Truth
          penetrates neither mind nor heart: that we must also leave the
          world.

               Those who know they must go, why worry and scheme?

          Why increase the worries and troubles more than necessary when we
          must all leave this place one day? If you knew you had to leave
          the world at the end of this day, how would you spend it? A
          certain Master advises, Spend each day thinking it is your last
          on earth. If this advice was rigidly followed, a person's life
          would be transformed. We go deeper into the forgetfulness because
          we do not remember death. Death is no bugbear, but is the name
          given to a change; or, you can call it a transfer. That person
          can truly be termed intelligent who prepares for this event. How
          wisely we start preparing ahead of time for some worldly event,
          like a marriage or an examination, etc. The change of death can
          also be called an examination which lies ahead of us, but we do
          not know the date. We do nothing to prepare for this. Wherever
          the attention is, so do we go and reside. If one comes up above
          the sense-enjoyments and rises above the body-consciousness, our
          coming and going in births and deaths will cease. Otherwise, Good
          and bad karmas are both binding, like gold and iron shackles.
          This is written in the Gita. On the path of pitriyan the coming
          and going continues, but the path of Light starts above the
          senses. Inside there are only two guides--Light and Sound--and
          They start when one rises above the senses. Where the world
          philosophies end, there religion starts. You can also say that
          the ABC of Spirituality starts from here. You will meet very few
          Masters Who have knowledge of this. If only those who teach
          customs and ritual would also teach the true meaning or basis
          behind them, there would be love and harmony among men. We must
          love God, and as God is in each being, we must love all. If all
          men sincerely took this up as a principle, where would be the
          conflict? If each one had first-hand knowledge of the soul, and
          that the soul is the same in all, would we not respect each
          other?

          Tulsi Sahib says, The Guru Who bows down to the disciple is
          called a Sadhu. The Guru Whose eye is open sees the Lord in each
          individual. However, he whose eye is not open cannot be blamed
          for not paying his respects to the Lord in others. But, what is
          happening today? Gurus stand proud and erect, and the disciples
          go on bowing down, bowing down, in all faith.

          The Master is trying to help us understand that the time is now.
          It is night and we are staying at the inn; in the morning we must
          leave, and what have we accomplished up to the present? Man has
          achieved so much intellectually and physically, but what has he
          done for himself spiritually? We know little or nothing about the
          Truth or about our true self. After all, material success is
          achieved and sustained through you, and you will have to leave it
          all one day. If you leave the body without solving the mystery of
          life, it will result only in paying the karmic debts of
          ignorance. The worldly people will help and respect you only out
          of their own selfish desires. Even if one person may have all
          sincere sympathies and fine qualities, what can he do to help you
          when you have to leave? He can only stand and pray, "O Lord, have
          mercy on this soul." At such a time only a God-Realized Soul can
          be of help to you. 0 Nanak, break from undeveloped company and
          seek the Realized Soul; They will leave you while living, but
          even after death He will never leave. Worldly companions cannot
          be with you always; so why not seek One Who will be a constant
          companion?

          And Who is that? He is what is known as a Master, Sant, etc. A
          Sant is not necessarily He Who is seen in a particular garb, but
          rather is He Who has realized the Truth and has become the
          mouthpiece of the Truth. Whoever goes to such a Soul will, on the
          first day, gain some experience in the science of rising above
          body consciousness, and will learn how to increase this daily so
          that the soul might leave the body at will--even one hundred
          times daily. All fear of death will be removed. And, remember
          this: the Truly Realized Person will never teach you outer
          practices, but will recommend that whatever you have been doing
          up to now should be made full use of by going ahead.

          Salvation can only be achieved by rising above. Put your
          attention on that Higher Place, where even Shiva is meditating.
          That Higher Place lies above the senses, where it is said that
          Lord Shiva is meditating. This is why the inner or third eye is
          sometimes called the Shiv Netra--Shiva's Eye. Its position in the
          body is behind and between the physical eyes, but is above the
          senses. If one's full attention can be concentrated there while
          living, then the soul becomes free from the wheel of life. With a
          little right understanding one can soon see that this life was
          not meant merely for eating, drinking, and gratifying all desires
          and passions. It has a far nobler purpose, and those who do
          nothing to accomplish this purpose in truth waste their lives.

               This pure, priceless, bodily gown you have dirtied, spot
          upon spot.

          It is a priceless gift, this human form--king of all the species.
          It is written in the Koran that when the human being was made,
          the angels were ordered to bow before that form. It is the temple
          of the Lord: keep it pure and clean. This body is the temple of
          God, wherein dwells the Light of Truth. We keep the outer temples
          in spotless condition, but what happens to the inner temple? We
          may spend thousands on toilet requisites and beauty treatments,
          but inwardly the human form is filled with filthy passions of the
          senses. Even a dog sweeps the ground with his tail before
          sitting, and even for an insignificant caller one will quickly
          tidy up the home; and yet we want the Emperor of all existence to
          manifest in our heart. Can He manifest in a dirty heart?

               Inside we are black with deeds, outwardly fair and
          attractive;
               Yet we wish to copy the pure and chaste One.

          The enjoyments and passions have blackened our hearts--we are
          filled with jealously, greed, anger, lust, backbiting, and more.
          To all outer appearances, however, we are pure and clean and make
          a grand show by copying the God-Realized Person. If you cover a
          dung hill with silk, will it then issue forth a sweet fragrance?
          Nature says no. If you cover a block of ice with a thick blanket,
          it will still give off its coolness. We have the human form in
          which we can realize God, but we are daily soiling our lives with
          more and more spots. Even the dirt alone will eat away the
          texture. An ethical life is the most important stepping stone
          toward Spirituality. Certain disciplines of the Hindus called
          yama and niyama were made for this, as was also the eightfold
          path of the Buddha, the four fasts of the Jains, and Christ's
          Sermon on the Mount. O Nanak, take the Name of the Lord when the
          heart is pure; You are trying to absorb the lies of the world.
          His Name should not be on your tongue if you have a dagger in
          your pocket with which to kill someone. You may deceive the whole
          world, but can you deceive the Lord? Even for the world, the cat
          will be out of the bag sooner or later, for one cannot hide a lie
          forever; and in the end it will come out into the open.

               Why light this worldly fire for only two days of life?

          Why waste the only two days of life in the fire of enjoyments?
          Soon you must leave it all behind. And, why were you given this
          life? Life is duty; Life is love; Life is the holy gift of God.

               Anger,envy arose in the heart of man like a serpent.

          These ugly things reside in the heart, but the soul is the image
          of love; for God is Love, and He can be realized only through
          Love. The purpose of all outer practices is to develop devotion,
          to incite interest, and to establish regularity. It is part of
          the soul's innate nature to attach itself to something, but
          unfortunately wherever it attaches itself results in misfit. The
          soul is consciousness; and if consciousness is to enjoy peace and
          happiness, it must attach itself to some higher consciousness. If
          it gains some brief enjoyment through attaching itself to matter,
          it does not mean that the matter is responsible for that; it is
          but a reflection of the soul's own happy nature, a reflection of
          consciousness. While the attention is focused on a certain thing,
          it will go on enjoying; but when the attention is withdrawn the
          enjoyment ceases. It this not true? If this conscious entity (the
          soul) would rejoin the Greater Consciousness (the Oversoul),
          become fully charged and come into expression, all happiness
          would manifest in the whole being. But, we do not enter that
          place where the happiness lies. Instead we spend all our lives
          searching in every other direction--North, South, East, West. Our
          Hazur used to say that we are like the weaver's shuttle which
          goes back and forth.

          We should have respect for all holy places, but why were they
          made? They are there for the health of the soul. If one's
          physical body is sick, people say, "Go to the hills and
          recuperate." A few months' carefree relaxation in the high
          altitude and fresh clean air is very beneficial and
          health-giving. So, the holy places had an ideal purpose: to
          strengthen the soul by allowing it to withdraw from all the
          worldly affairs, leaving all worries behind, and sitting at the
          feet of some Realized Soul. This was the true purpose of the holy
          place, but today we have made them into holiday resorts and have
          started our worldly enjoyments there also.

          I have been to Hardwar [a famous place of pilgrimage on the River
          Ganges] many times. Once a large number of Satsangis gathered and
          requested a Satsang be held. When the Satsang started, I said,
          "Brothers, this place is very precious because many great Rishis,
          Munis, and Mahatmas have visited here at one time or another.
          Guru Nanak came, also Guru Amar Das visited here off and on over
          a period of seventy years. It is, therefore, a most auspicious
          site--but what have we done to it? When one travels toward town
          from the railway station, one sees two cinema halls." A man stood
          up and corrected me: "No, Maharaj, there are now three!" Now tell
          me, is it the fault of the holy place? Consider why they were
          built: was it due to thousands of the country's population
          flocking there? No, the holy places became holy because a certain
          one or more Realized Souls placed Their holy feet there. Millions
          of people have been born in Jerusalem, but today it is held holy
          by the whole of Christendom due to one Man--Jesus Christ. The
          greatness of each place of pilgrimage can be accredited to at
          least some Realized Soul. Now, what has more value? The Realized
          Soul, or the place that became known because of Him?

          We do become devotees of the holy books, but we do not want that
          which the books recommend. We decorate our houses with
          photographs or pictures of certain Masters, and surround them
          with artificial flowers, etc.; but we have no respect for a
          living Master. When the Masters come to the world, we call Them
          atheists or madmen. Many Masters have been treated like this
          during Their lifetime, but after They leave the world we start
          worshipping the very ground They placed Their feet upon.

          So, very lovingly the Master is helping us to understand that the
          body is ours for a few days only, and eventually we must leave it
          behind. God is Love. The soul is of the same essence as He, and
          is, therefore, also Love. A true human being is one in whom love
          exists and is expressed. How can a man be truly human if he does
          not express love? He should have been the very epitome of love;
          he should have loved the Lord and the Lord in all beings; but
          instead he became like a black cobra. Do you know what happens
          when the cobra strikes. The place that he strikes upon starts
          burning; it is very poisonous. A wound from a sword, for
          instance, can heal within ten or fifteen days; but the wound from
          the human tongue never heals. When I visited the West, some
          people asked, "How can we stem the danger of atomic war?" I told
          them, "By living up to what your scriptures say." And, what do
          the scriptures tell us? They tell us to love the Lord, and as the
          Lord is in each being, to love everyone.

          -----------------------------------------------------------------

          Return to: Elixir  [Image]
