From jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca Sat Mar 28 05:04:22 1998
Newsgroups: alt.meditation.shabda
Subject: A Matter of Death and Life
From: jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca (James Shannon)
Date: 28 Mar 1998 13:04:22 GMT

 
 
 
                       
                         
                         A MATTER OF DEATH AND LIFE

                                    by 

                           Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
      
                              (1894 - 1974)                           
   
                 
                   This talk was given on April 12, 1970 
                   at Sawan Ashram in Delhi, India, and 
                   was published in the Oct. 1976 issue 
			 of Sat Sandesh magazine.
                   ------------------------------------


   When Great Masters come into this world, They praise the human birth, 
but ask, "What are the values of life? Which things are more important and 
which are secondary?" For example, the oyster shell and the pearl have their 
own values; and if there were no pearl, the shell would be of little value.   
Similarly, the importance and value of the human being depends upon the soul,
which drives the physical form. When the driver gets out of the physical 
body, it is then nothing but clay; and though the machinery is quite intact, 
it lies useless and lifeless because the driving force is no longer there.  
This is the mystery of life which has to be unraveled; we must come to know 
the life impulse which is already in the human form and which leaves at the 
time of death.

   Those Who have solved this mystery have opened up the subject in detail, 
and have described it in words. However, the people who came in contact with  
Them got a practical demonstration of the Truth. To talk about a thing is 
all right, and to have feelings or draw inference is something else; but to
experience a practical demonstration is entirely different from either. It 
is understandable that They say, "O listen to the true Saints - They speak 
of what They have seen." It is a warning not to listen to mere 
intellectuals, but only to the words of the Saints. They speak the truth, 
for They talk of what They have seen with Their own eyes. One who has seen 
gives accurate evidence.

   Whatever Masters have said up to now is really in answer to the lamenting 
of the human being - the crown of creation - for next to God the human being 
is the highest. In all holy scriptures you will find the question arising, 
"How can man get experience of the driving force?" There is a reference in 
the Bible - and the answers, too. You will see it mentioned in the Guru 
Granth Sahib. Through the holy records one can have a true understanding; 
but to remain on the intellectual level brings nothing but confusion, for 
one person will say this and another will say that.

   Just now the Suniya was read from the Jap Ji Sahib. Prayers are normally 
read beside the bed of a dying person, but is the meaning ever understood?  
There are four stanzas of the Suniya, in which it is very clearly written, 
"Listen to the Naam!" (1) This does not mean to listen with physical ears. 
What does Naam mean? It has been explained by spiritual Masters. God is 
Nameless. It is the God-into-Expression Power which is the cause of all 
creation and controls all the creation. In the Guru Granth Sahib is given, 
"Nanak says that the Naam is the Controlling Power, with which - through 
great good fortune - one gets a contact." Everything is under the control 
of Naam which is the Controlling Power. Through this same Controlling Power 
our soul is controlled in the body. There are millions of stars and planets
existing in such serene rhythm and order and do not clash with each other; 
they are all controlled by the Naam.

   When God wished, "From One I should become many," there was vibration, 
and this vibration had two aspects - Light and Sound. Both mean the same 
thing, and both resulted from vibration. You can call it the Sound 
Principle, or Nad, or Music of the Spheres. So by listening to the Sound we 
get tied to God, tied to the source of the Sound. In the Guru Granth Sahib, 
on the subject of this Sound, it is written, "The proud Lord of Death 
cannot be killed, but he cannot come near to the Guru's Shabd." Shabd and 
Naam mean the same thing. "Through the Shabd, the cycle of creation, 
dissolution, and again creation, came into being." It means that through 
the force of the Shabd, creation began, ended, and began again, through 
cycle after cycle. One gets contact with the Shabd through the Guru; and 
the Lord of Death when hearing the vibration of the Holy Sound within the 
disciple, is unable to come near. It is said that Death has no effect on 
those who listen to the Music of the Spheres, for the soul is a conscious 
entity, the same substance as God; and when the soul gets connected to the 
Oversoul, the Negative Power subjectively can have no effect. The soul is 
unaffected by the physical body or the body's relationships. So, if you 
wish to understand any religious book, do so by reading and re-reading it. 
If you want to know what the "Word" is, consult the Holy Bible itself. In 
that, it is written "Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet." This means that the 
"Word" which is given to true seekers, is the Light to guide their feet on 
the path to Truth.

   On my tour in the West, I advised people to look to their scriptures to 
find the answers to their problems. However, most of these answers are only 
thoroughly understood by those who know the Spiritual Science. For others, 
it is something like a covered treasure being handed down from posterity to 
posterity. To know the outer religious teachings is the first step, for 
they have been given by some Master and will awaken some interest in God 
within the seeker; but without an actual experience of what is written, we
have done nothing toward achieving the same. This experience can only be 
had in the human life, and for a demonstration we must go to that Person 
Who has achieved it. By continuing this Science and keeping His company,  
everything will become clarified.

   Throughout the human life we see the daily advent of birth and death.  
Some people die young, some in youth, and some in old age. At death, some 
writhe in agony and torment, and others leave in joy and peace. So what is 
it all about?  They say that at the event of any birth the world rejoices, 
and the newcomer cries - but brothers, you should live such a life that at 
departure you yourself rejoice, and the whole world cries. This would mean 
that you had won the gamble of life. So having received the human birth, 
you should now get the contact with Naam, the God-into-Expression Power, 
for that will lead you back to your True Home.

   In the human existence there are two phases: one is the karmic evolution.  
Whatever the prarabdh karmas (2) are should be accepted with cheerfulness, 
and one should be careful not to sow any more seeds. Then there is the way 
back to one's True Home - the way of the Sound and the Light. The basic 
teaching is the same in all religions, and all Masters have given reference 
to the same facts; but because people do not come in contact with a 
practical Master of the Spiritual Science, the knowledge of the Truth does 
not go to the very core of one's being. The Masters did not bring any new 
thing, for Truth is One; but They have tried to explain It in different ways 
according to the understanding of the people at the time. But without inner 
contact a complete understanding will not be achieved. So the Masters enjoin 
the criterion: "As long as I do not see with my own eyes, I cannot believe 
even the Guru's words."

   Now, if one could consult the Masters about the state of the world, 
Their advice would be one and the same: rise above all isms and become a 
true man. They regard all mankind as Man, within whom lies the Truth, though 
not consciously connected. "Soul and Truth or God are in the same company 
and live in the same house, but never talk to each other." Like two 
brothers, the soul and the Oversoul live in the same house, but tragically 
they never talk to each other. The reason is that the one who should start 
the conversation is restlessly tossing about. If he would withdraw and get 
to know himself, he would also see that God is residing with him. This body 
is the temple of God, in which the true Light is shining. He Whom you want 
to know is inside, and you are searching for Him from door to door.

   What is the criterion of a True Master? 0 brother, He Who is termed a
Satguru or Sant will reveal it through the inner eye. He Who calls Himself 
a Satguru should develop that eye in the seeker which is above the senses. 
This is the ABC or beginning of the Spiritual Science. To know oneself, 
one has to analyze oneself by rising above the senses and lower centers - 
perhaps through pranayam or kumbk (3) - but one must know oneself. Where 
the world philosophies end, there the true religion starts. In the past, 
yogis spent hundreds of years to separate the consciousness from inert 
matter by reading books on the subject, but what is the natural course? 
There is Hatha Yoga to make the physical body strong, and there is Prana 
Yoga to increase the length of life. To know God by making an hypothesis 
comes under Bhakti Yoga, and in Gian Yoga, inferences are drawn - but only 
an intellectual giant can do the latter system. Now what can the average 
human being do? - be he a child, aged, or young. To fill the need, the 
Sants brought out the Surat Shabd Yoga, not merely introducing it, but
giving a practical demonstration as well.

   The Masters say that the yogis come to the Agya chakra (4) after 
progressing through the six centers, and then through Anhad Shabd (5) they 
became one with Sahasrar.(6) After rising above the six centers, then one 
gets the Anhad Shabd - which might take man many years. Now, the Sant 
Satgurus give some contact with this on the very first day of initiation. 
What a great concession is this! Under the benevolence and mercy of Kabir 
Sahib and Guru Nanak, this simple science was started to meet the need of 
the age, for hereditarily we are not fit for lengthy processes. The Master 
gives some practical experience on the very first day and encourages 
continued development. His help is available throughout the journey, not 
only in life, but at the time of death and after death the soul is 
constantly guided. Go to search for such a Master.

   In praise of the Master, it is written in the Gurubani, "0 Nanak, leave 
the company of the imperfect and search out a perfect Master. The imperfect 
will forsake you in life; but the Master will never leave you, even after 
death." What is the meaning of this? The true Saints are rare, but when 
found, Their company is invaluable, for the fortunate disciple is with his 
Master outwardly, and on closing his eyes finds his Master within also.  
Such faithful companionship will bring true contentment. One Muslim Saint 
has said, "0 brave man, grasp the protection of He Who is the knower of this 
world and the hereafter." The true Guru is He in Whom God has manifested 
Himself a human Positive Pole, or the "Word made flesh." For one who 
wishes to unravel the mystery of life, the company of such a Saint is 
essential. They give cash in hand. Those who want to live on loan have my 
best wishes, but a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. He who 
is awakened while living will remain awakened after death.

                
                Listen, 0 madman! Why do you forget what
                you know? You are clinging to illusory matter,
                which will wash away like the kusumbha color. (7)


Just see how man is being addressed - he is called madman! This is because 
his intellect has been twisted and his consciousness is not in control, so 
he sees the right in the wrong light and the wrong in the right. What is 
right understanding? We should first remember that the physical form remains 
here in this world for only a few days. "Dust thou art, and unto dust 
returneth." Whatever labels have been put on the body will also go with it.  
The body's true glory depends purely upon the soul. Everyone has to leave 
it at some time. "Prince or pauper, rich or poor, even the yogi - none 
remained here. Without exception, all left in their turn." Whosoever came 
had to leave eventually, even the avatars and spiritual Masters; so we 
should pack up and be ready to go. "The night has passed and with the dawn 
the traveler leaves his place of rest." For how long can we stay in this 
world? That for which we have such pride (the body) will turn to dust one 
day.

   That which we see, hear or feel in this world - what can one call it? - 
all is changing. The physical form is changing, and so is the whole world's 
situation, like a panorama of life - nobody is at rest. We have fallen into 
a great forgetfulness, have become the body's form itself; and although we 
are the operators, we know not the controller of the machinery. The tiny 
atoms in the body are constantly changing, and the world is changing at the 
same rate; so when two things change at the same speed and we are identified 
with them, it appears that everything is stationary. This can be called 
illusion or forgetfulness, and where did it all start?

   "This body is the root cause of all illusion." We are the indweller of 
the physical form; and mistaking our identity for the body itself, we see 
everything from its level. Do we feel this mutation of the world and its 
species? Does anyone ever consider that death will come? Most assuredly it 
will, but why are we not more aware of the fact? Because the soul is 
permanent, imperishable, and never dies. It is all-wisdom, ever-existent, 
and eternal bliss. Daily we see death around us, sometimes cremate the 
bodies with our own hands, but it rarely occurs to us that we also have to 
die. Why? Because the reflection of the soul is with us. Even a fool will 
declare that he is all-wise - he cannot imagine that he has less 
intelligence than others. Though living in illusion, man yet instinctively 
feels he is all-wise and will never die; and this confusion can only be  
surmounted by rising above the consciousness to see the true condition of 
life.

   Through the reactions under the prarabdh karmas, happiness and 
unhappiness follow each other. "Unhappiness and happiness are like two 
modes of apparel worn by man." These words are very clear, for due to the 
changing panorama of life, action and reaction continue perpetually. Even 
now, in the very present, some reaction is being formed. If we have to 
leave the body some day, why not learn to do so while living? The science 
of leaving the body at will has been made very easy by the great Masters, 
when in the past it was so difficult that yogis spent hundreds of years 
trying to achieve it.

   Why did the Master address mankind as "O madman"? Because only the 
Masters can express true love and compassion for man who is caught up in 
the whirl of the senses, for They Themselves have stepped out of the 
illusion and see all things in crystal clearness. God Himself feels for 
His children - the lost sheep - and the Guru, Who is God in man, has the  
same compassion. God is Love, and the soul is of the same essence as God; 
it is also love. By its own nature, it must attach itself to something, so 
it is very necessary for a devotee to have a Beloved. The soul was actually 
meant to be the lover of God, but became the lover of the world instead.  
Loving the world brings no permanent happiness; for due to the constant 
change, the soul is happy only when attached, and when not attached it 
becomes unhappy. Those who wish to realize permanent happiness should get a
Beloved Who never changes and never dies. That is why it is said, "He who 
desires permanent happiness should surrender himself to God." The rest of 
life is just give and take - wife, husband, son, daughter, all other 
worldly relationships are just karmic give and take. Give freely and 
cheerfully - stop planting new seeds and take the road to your True Home.

                
                The world's scene is insipid.  
                Leave it, my friend,
                  and drink the nectar of Naam.


We believe there is satisfaction in outer things, but it is not so. True 
intoxication lies within us, for we are all-bliss. Satisfaction remains 
only while the attention is focused upon a certain thing; otherwise, it 
fades. For example, a man may be engrossed in a theater play - quite happy 
in the enjoyment. Suddenly he is informed that his house is on fire, and he 
immediately withdraws his attention from the play and rushes out filled with 
fear and anguish. The rest of the people are still sitting quietly engrossed 
in the show - there is no difference in the scene - but for one individual 
the play has no more reality. This goes to prove that enjoyment is derived 
through focusing the attention on something.

           
                You have embraced imperfection 
                  close to your bosom, 
                  at the cost of rejecting the True Creator.  
                How can you form a friendship with anything 
                  when all is impermanent in this world?


The illusion of trying to make a permanent home here, when deep down we know 
that we have to leave, is the cause of all our misery. Remember this, there 
is no point in starting to dig a well when you have reached the stage of 
dying of thirst. However, if the angle of vision is changed in good time and 
there is some awakening, then the pinching effects of life in the world will 
be reduced. The world is full of thorns, so put on some heavy boots. Even 
the tough shells of the walnut and almond were so tender once that one could 
pass a needle through, but when they ripened into full strength - then?

   Those who have risen above body-consciousness and know themselves do not 
live by inference or feelings. They know that they are the driving force 
themselves, and go through life's ups and downs quite contentedly. If anyone 
near to them takes their leave in death, they wish them farewell, happy in 
God's will. Do we ever truly have this attitude of serenity? Let us not 
deceive ourselves. "You have forgotten yourself in the falseness of the 
world, when you should be drenched in the permanent color of the Naam." 
You have given yourself to this world - which is not worth a seashell. 
Only God's color is permanent, but we are dyed in the color of the world. 
When the true intoxication comes, it will never wear off. How many people 
are truly intoxicated?

   There was once a very proud king, who loved to reflect on how powerful 
he was, and how many subjects he had, etc. One day his Guru said to him, 
"You should realize that you have no value - if you like I will prove it 
to you."  The king was amazed and replied, "What are You saying, Master?  
If I lift my little finger, the whole country shivers; and You say I have 
no value!" The Guru said, "All right, do what I say; and I will show you 
your true value." He made the king lie inert on the floor and then took his 
legs around his shoulders one on each side; and He took him into the town, 
shouting, "The king is dead; who wants to buy him? How much will you offer 
for him?" When the people heard this, they ran away, thinking He had 
murdered the king. He continued shouting, "I am selling the body for one 
rupee, fifty cents, one cent..." and came down to half a seashell; but the 
people fled from Him. The Guru brought the king back to the palace and asked 
him, "Now do you understand what your value is? No one would pay even a 
seashell for your body; so you must realize that as the value of a shell 
lies in the pearl within, so the body's value depends upon the soul."  

Outwardly we go on dressing the body and making it look attractive, but it 
has little value. "This body is only beautiful as long as the soul and God 
reside therein." The Lord of the soul is God, and he who gets that God-
intoxication will radiate with beauty and happiness. In a worldly way, if 
a wife dresses in silken robes, but her husband is not there, what kind of 
situation is that? The Masters say that this type of finery should be 
consumed in flames. There is a Punjabi saying which states, "If I have to 
spend years in the desert, but my beloved is with me, I am happy in that." 
Just as a woman shines if her husband is with her, so the soul's husband is 
God and it becomes radiant when it is connected with its Lord. Awake to your 
value, for the minute you leave no one cares to keep the body in the house 
for even half an hour. They say, "Quickly, take it and prepare it." The 
Saints are excellent observers; They see what state the world is in.

     
                When the soul became absorbed in the sweet
                Shabd given by the Guru, it shone red with
                  radiance.


It is said that when one's soul tastes the Grand Elixir which comes from the 
Shabd, it becomes red with radiance. When a man is happy, his face shows the 
happiness; it shines through him. When the soul becomes radiant, then the 
brightness shines through the eyes. That body is the most beautiful in 
which God has manifested; otherwise, forgive me, but for how long can one
beautify the body outwardly? If you do it in the night, it vanishes by 
morning. That color in which the soul gets drenched never wears off. The 
Naam's intoxication will continue night and day, and its dye will never 
fade nor run. Furthermore, no other impression can be implanted on that.

     The words of the Masters are meant for all the world over. They do not 
state anything which They have read alone - They tell of what They have 
seen. If the Master has academic learning, well and good, for He can explain 
the teachings in a hundred different ways. If He is not learned, then His 
description will be direct, simple, clear. Shah Inayat said to Bulleh Shah, 
"What is the difficulty in realizing God? Just take your attention from this 
side and put it on the other side." When Keshab Chanda Sen went to
Ramakrishna Paramhans, he was told, "If you want to understand this in a 
few words, then come to me; but if you want to hear it explained elaborately, 
then go to Vivekananda." Both types of Masters will give the same thing -
whether learned or unlearned. It is also true that a learned man will never 
take a step without thinking deeply over it and understanding the why and 
wherefore of things; and at times he is left standing, busy with his own
thoughts. Bookish knowledge is all wilderness; there is no way out!

   There was a Muslim fakir, and he said, "0 seekers of God, you have lost 
your God in the waves of your mind and intellect." What a clear-cut 
statement! God is already within you, and you have only to turn your face 
toward Him to realize Him. Now that I am looking at you, I cannot see what 
is going on behind my back. And who am I who is looking? I am a conscious 
entity; but the difficulty is how to withdraw, for we are at the mercy of 
the mind and the senses. When all actions are connected with the mind, 
senses, and intellect, just think, how can one withdraw oneself? All 
intellectual knowledge comes under the heading of apra vidya. (8) As long 
as you do not leave the body, you can never know yourself or know God.

   There are two kinds of devotion. One is through the mind, senses, and 
intellect. The other is through the Guru. In the Gurubani it is said that 
Guru Amar Das Ji spent seventy long, devoted years in endeavoring to realize 
God through the mind, senses, and intellect. He met many yogis and tried 
many practices. In the end, what was the result? He found that no matter 
what practices He performed, and no matter what knowledge He gained through  
the intellect, He could not rise above the body-consciousness. One should 
give great thought to this. Through the intellect one can get glimpses into 
the subject, but it is not a living knowledge. Guru Amar Das Ji then said, 
"Without any effort on my part, I came to the Satguru."

   "Give all full devotion to a Gurumukh." What is a Gurumukh? He who 
follows the teachings of the Guru and becomes one with the Guru. He is the 
manifested God in man, and can give a demonstration of the Beyond. To talk 
about Spirituality is one thing, but to give It is far different. The true
criterion of a Guru is that He will give you the Light. "I like that Satguru 
Who takes the veil from my eyes and gives me an inner glimpse of the Truth."  
The word Guru literally means "dispeller of darkness," and the eye through 
which one sees the Light within is different from those of flesh and blood.  
When does that eye open? When one withdraws the attention from the senses; 
only then can one get a way up. How can a man who is involved in outer
attachments and carries out his devotional practices at the level of the 
senses expect to see that which is above the senses?

     Action and reaction never cease - if you do good you are rewarded, and 
if you do wrong you are punished. Duality is always present. As long as one 
thinks "I am the doer," one cannot leave the womb - the cycle of births and 
deaths. Lord Krishna said that happiness and misery are like two heavy 
chains binding us - be they of gold or iron. "Heaven and hell; again and 
again, birth." The coming and going will never finish. The difference 
between Gurumukh devotion and other devotions is that, in the former case, 
the devotee is never told that after a month, a year, or even after death, 
he will have some enlightenment; but something is given to start with. The 
Masters deal in cash on the spot! Even if a little is given at the start, 
there are full hopes for much more to come in the future through increasing 
the practice, day by day.
                
                
                That death which frightens the
                world means all bliss to me.


Everlasting bliss is only possible through death; and if this first step is 
taken in the right way, then the fear of death will go, even while living in 
the world. "The man who remains happy in adverse circumstances takes gold 
and mud as one." Only a man who has become like a ripened walnut, whose 
kernel is separate from the shell, can live life in such a detached manner.

                
                Through intoxication of artificial love,
                untruth is embraced and clung to.


What is this kind of love? It is a misfit love which has attached itself to 
falseness. The soul should have loved God, but loved the world instead, and 
such love will always change; it is not permanent. Attached to the world, 
the soul sometimes laughs, sometimes cries through all the joys and miseries
- is that not a false attachment? It is all a lie. All that perishes is 
untruth and everything that we see, hear, and feel is changing; so just 
think for a moment of the level that the Master wants to take you.

                  
                Listen, 0 madman! 
                Worship the true Lord, which is your very life.  
                He who has come has to go.


What painful words! Listen, madman, go and worship that God Who is the Lord 
of even the poorest of the poor. He is the Life-giver, and only in this 
human life can He be realized - and you can do it! 0 madman, he who comes 
has to go; no one ever stayed here; no one ever will. "Go to your true home 
- why settle down in a foreign land? Do your work, brother, but do not 
ensnare yourself." Why do you want to entrap yourself? Finish your give 
and take, but do not sow any new seeds.

                
                My Beloved is the knower of all things, 
                and when manifested in the man-body, 
                is called a Saint.


My Beloved, the Lord, the Knower of all - He is the God in man. "Any Saint, 
giver of happiness, can show me the way up." It does not matter Who He is 
as long as He has realized God, has become One with Him, and can show the 
way up to Him. Go to search for such a Master. Today, through misjudgment 
of what a Master should be, there are more so-called Masters in the world 
than disciples!

   If this human life which you are now enjoying slips from your hands, who 
knows when you will get another in which this great work can be done? The 
heart was given by God into your safekeeping, and only He should reside 
therein. "Give your mind, without hesitation - become a Gurumukh by leaving 
your pride and ego." If you wish to realize the Lord, then surrender your 
mind,give it without any fear into His keeping. Become a true disciple - a 
Gurumukh-by leaving all pride and self praise. This worldly play lasts for 
a few days only, and by giving the mind, everything follows: the heart, 
moral character, body, wealth, name and fame, etc. Givers of wealth can be 
found by the score, and many give the physical form in service, but it is 
rare to find one who will give his mind. Once, during a Satsang in Beas, 
Baba Sawan Singh Ji said, "If anyone can give his mind, today he will get 
God-realization." One man stood up and declared, "Master, I am prepared to 
give my mind." Baba Sawan Singh Ji replied, "How can you give a thing over 
which you have no control? First, make it yours, then give." "Nanak says 
that the mind can only be controlled with the overflowing Grace of God."

   With the Holy Naam, the mind can be controlled. There is an instance in 
Lord Krishna's life when He jumped into the River Jumna. There He saw a 
huge snake with a thousand heads. How did He control and overcome that 
snake? By playing the flute. (9) The mind can only be controlled with the 
inner Sound; there is no other way. Outer things may still it for a while, 
but they can never control it. Many holy men in the past have lost 
everything through the mind. By contact with the Word and the company of 
the "Word made flesh," the power of the mind can gradually be overcome. If 
you sit at the feet of a perfect Master, you will enjoy the benefit of the 
radiation, for His attention is under His own control. There you will 
become absorbed in the stillness and forget the world for a while.

           
                The wisdom of the Beyond lies behind the
                pupil of the inner eye. Gaze through the
                drape of darkness.


One might sit for hundreds of years unless one learns to penetrate through 
the darkness with the help of a Master of Spirituality. Only then will one 
begin to see how the senses invert to find the Truth. Guru Amar Das Ji 
said, "When you meet a Master, the senses are inverted; but how cannot be 
described in words." For this, you sit at the feet of a Master and see for 
yourself to have the experience of rising above body-consciousness. That is 
why Masters say, "Learn to die, so that you may begin to live." Go deep
down into it.

        
                0 Deliverer of the devotees, how can poor Nanak
                praise what He sees?


He says, 0 Lord, how can I praise Thy innumerable virtues? We are lowly and 
weak; only through Thy Grace can we achieve anything. "Through the good 
karmas,  the Satguru meets us; through dedicating the attention, the Shabd 
enters the heart." Between God and manifested God in man, there is a 
difference, though in essence they are the same. Through a manifested God 
in man alone, can one find the path to God. How can one compare the sun and 
its rays? Overcome with gratitude to his Guru, one disciple said, "God and 
my Guru are standing together - to Whom shall I bow? I am grateful to my 
Guru Who showed me the Satguru." It means that without meeting the 
manifested God in man, it would not have been possible to reach God, and, 
therefore, all gratitude should go to the Guru. After all, the Master 
cannot be greater than God. No true Master has ever said, "I am the doer,"
but rather They say, "It is God's will."
      
   I have already given an example of a proud king who was shown his true
value, but through a Master s Grace one can become so high that the earth 
upon which one treads will become a place of pilgrimage. Unfortunately, man 
rarely has value for the Living Pilgrimage; but after completing his life's 
mission, the places he was wont to frequent are considered to be holy.  
During Their stay on earth, They are called heretics and are not allowed to
enter town - many were crucified, hung, and tortured - but regardless of 
all this, the Masters are full of compassion and mercy. At His crucifixion, 
Jesus Christ said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 
When Hazrat Ibrahim was once crossing the river in a boat, an atheist and 
his companion began insulting and making fun of Him; but the Saint remained
serene and silent. It is written that God appeared to Him and said, "I 
cannot bear these insults toward you, and if you wish I will overturn the 
boat and drown them all." Ibrahim said, "O Lord, it is not their fault, for 
their eye is not open; so why not open their eyes?" When they received 
that realization, they fell upon His feet and begged forgiveness. Such a 
Master is very rare; but for the benefit of those who have sincere yearning 
for the Truth, He Himself will arrange a meeting. It is logical that a 
blind man cannot seek one who can see without some aid.

     "It is through a rare good fortune that one learns to die while living,
thereby getting salvation." With special Grace from God, one can get a 
demonstration of how to die while living. At the time of death, a person 
normally fails to recognize the people around him. Then the life force 
withdraws from the lower extremities, leaving them numb and lifeless, and 
continues upward. There is a "death rattle" or noise in the throat, and the 
eyes turn upward. Without exception, every human being must undergo this
process; and if one can master it while living, the inner eye will be
developed and the fear of death will vanish. It is a strange fact that
though the whole world is frightened of death, the disciples on the Holy 
Path want to die. He who has mastered the science of dying with the Grace 
of the Master, will depart finally with laughter on his or her lips, as 
in the case of my earthly companion. (10)

   With what an abundance of love have these teachings been given and with 
what authority the words spoken. If we do not try to understand and follow, 
the loss is ours. Guru Arjan Sahib, Who spoke these words, was forced alive 
onto a hot plate, and burning sand was poured upon Him. My Master used to 
say that he who wishes to understand the subject of Spirituality should sit 
beside the death-bed of some true disciple - not the type of disciple who
takes initiation and does not practice it, mind you, although he is also 
taken care of - then he will see how joyfully that disciple accepts death  
and leaves his body with rejoicing. Swami Dayanand's disciple, Pundit Guru 
Dutt, was never fully convinced of his Master's teaching; but fortunately 
he was with the Swami at the time of His death, and conviction of the power 
came when he saw his Guru leave the body in joy.

   With God's blessing, very easily a person can withdraw his attention 
inside; he then lives in the world and yet is out of it. His boat is in the 
water, and the water is not in the boat! This valuable gift is given without 
payment; it is free, as all gifts of nature are free. However, it is not 
enough to accept a Master alone, one must give all one's devotion to Him.   
Live according to His instructions. Christ said, "If you love me, keep my 
commandments." From those who follow a true Master, few will truly keep His
commandments; but those who do will receive the Elixir of Life. The people 
who are attached to the world do not realize that their consciousness 
slowly diminishes day by day by coming in contact with the material world, 
and when reborn often retrogress into lower species of life.
            
            
                0 Nanak, through His feet, I reached the
                gate of the Lord; I am overwhelmed with
                gratitude to Him. Listen, madman, do not
                think I have realized Him through my efforts.


Whatever you have, came through the Master's blessing - do you think, 0 
madman, that you got it through your own efforts? If He wants to give, He 
will give; and if He does not want to give, He will not; but He will never 
say that He is the giver or the doer, because He sees the Truth. To 
realize God, humility essentially follows. The cup that is lower than the 
jug will be filled. A tree when laden with fruit bows down to the earth 
with the weight.

   The Masters - Who see - never forget that God is the doer. They come to 
the earth as sons of man, and humility is Their most becoming adornment.  
They live in the world as ordinary persons. When Guru Arjan Sahib - Who 
wrote this hymn - was made to sit on the hot plate, a great Muslim leader 
named Hazrat Mian Mir approached Him and said, "Please give me the orders, 
and I will take Delhi and Lahore, brick by brick, and break them together."
Guru Arjan Sahib replied, "The Lord's orders are the sweetest to me."  
Even if you take a knife to Their necks, such self realized souls will not 
think evil of others.


                Listen, 0 madman! Become like dust if you
                want to realize God.


He says that you should remember one great thing: if you want to realize 
God, then become like dust at the feet of the Guru. A connection with the 
Naam means that the attention is withdrawn from outer things and the soul 
merges in the Oversoul. Become dust unto the feet of He Who is capable of 
making this connection. "Only with great destiny can one have a glimpse of 
He Who has absorbed Himself into God and has realized true happiness. 
Arise, Farid, go around the world in search of such a One; if you find a 
released Soul, you will also get released." Where are the true men? If 
only man would become a true man, he would find himself in that enviable 
position that Kabir disclosed to us: "God is running after me, calling 
Kabir, Kabir." We are more like animals though our form is human, for we 
have the animal spirit.  If we do not rise above the lower impulses, we 
are not entitled to be called human beings.

   There should be no ego - always consider, "O God, it is Thy mercy." To 
surrender the mind is the greatest and most difficult thing to do. To give 
everything else is comparatively easy. Guru Amar Das Ji once gathered His 
disciples and expressed a wish to make mounds of earth. They all became 
engaged in digging the soil and making huge mounds. The Guru viewed the
work after a while, and said that it was not good enough and must be 
remade. This happened a number of times, when He then decided that the 
site was not good, and directed them to another place. After attempting to 
remake the mounds many more times, Guru Amar Das Ji again shifted them to 
another site, because the mud was not suitable. It is said that the 
mounds were made and broken seventy times. Throughout all this, the 
disciples one by one gradually left the scene, until finally only one, 
named Jetha Ji, (11) remained. He unceasingly continued the work; but the 
others said to him, "What is the purpose of all this making and remaking? 
We feel that through old age, Guru Amar Das Ji has lost His reason." With 
tears in his eyes, Jetha Ji replied, "Our Guru is the only awakened soul 
among us; and if He gave me orders to make and break mounds my whole life 
through, I would be happy in the work." During the performance, the Guru 
had given careful observation to see which man had that heart in him in 
which no mind remained, that He might give the treasure of full 
enlightenment to such a worthy soul.

   The Masters are very careful and test Their disciples in many ways 
before extending the priceless gift. It is not given to anyone, and They 
have Their own methods of testing, known to Them alone. As long as there 
is I-hood in the disciple, there can be no real awareness of God. That I-
hood must be removed - for instance if you take the single letter "l" from 
the word "World" it becomes "Word," which has a very different meaning.  
We bow down to the great destiny of He Who has realized God, and to Him we 
completely surrender ourselves. We surrender ourselves to He Who, after 
getting the human birth, realizes God - without His buying us, we are His.  
Strong extremes of gratitude have been expressed for the Godman: In 
gratitude I will cut myself in pieces, with which to shower Him. Every 
time a Master comes He drenches thousands upon thousands in the spiritual 
color, like the clouds which announce the rain. When the rain comes, the 
water and the earth become all drenched with water.

            
                0 Nanak, keep this lowly being at Thy
                feet, where the everlasting happiness
                flows like an ocean, and Thy constant
                protection lies.


You are the great Ocean of mercy, and we are lying at Your feet. We are 
Your children - have mercy on us - extend Your Grace and protection. This 
was Guru Arjan Sahib's hymn, showing us the sorrow of the world, our 
condition in it, what our aim should be and how it can be achieved. Every 
father wishes his son to be even better than himself. Every king wants his 
son to become a king - not a minister, mind you.  Every  Master wants His
followers to become Masters. With what beautiful words has He explained 
our woes! If you have understood them, bring them into practice, for it is 
your own work which can be done only in this human life - a great part of 
which has already been wasted away. Try to get out of the illusion, and 
remember always that only He Who is already free can take you out of it; 
so implicitly obey His wishes.

     With the Grace of God and my Master, I bade farewell to my two young 
sons, my mother and father early in my life, my two elder brothers, and my 
earthly companion, joyfully in all gratefulness without a speck of grief 
or sorrow - and I wish you all to live up to the words of the Master so 
that you may meet suchlike events smilingly.



                                NOTES


 1.  Suniya means literally "to listen."

 2.  Reactions of the past which form the basis of the present life;
     fate karmas.

 3.  Ashtang Yoga practices.

 4.  Sixth or commanding center in the body, behind the eyes.

 5.  Unstruck Sound.

 6.  Sahans-dal-Kanwal, the stage of the thousand-petaled lotus.

 7.  Unfast dye from the Kusumb flower.

 8.  Exoteric religion or teaching.

 9.  The form of the snake represents the mind; the flute the inner
     Sound Current.

10.  For a full account of the extraordinary circumstanmces of Mataji's
     final departure, see "Farewell to Mataji" in May 1970 Sat Sandesh.

11.  Later Guru Ram Das.

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


