From jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca Fri Feb 26 00:41:25 1999
Newsgroups: alt.meditation.shabda
Subject: Excerpts from Letters of Kirpal Singh - Part 13
From: jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca (James Shannon)
Date: 26 Feb 1999 08:41:25 GMT





                     EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS OF MASTER

                     KIRPAL SINGH JI TO HIS INITIATES

                        IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA


                             [Part Thirteen]
         
                                 *  *  *

                                 DIARY

        Please make every effort to overcome the many failures as
        stated by you under all the failure columns on the diaries.
        Man making precedes spirituality. Unless and until you became
        the master of all the five senses, appreciable inner progress
        cannot be made.

                                *  *  *

        The recurring failures in various columns of the diary shows
        that you remain too much engrossed in worldly affairs, which
        should be reduced by keeping yourself immersed in the divine
        grace. Silence, solitude and serenity should be cultivated
        by living a life full of spiritual discipline as enjoined by
        the Master. You can cut short unnecessary engagements and wild
        pursuits by keeping your spiritual goal in the forefront. A
        well regulated life earns rich dividends.

                                *  *  *

        As to the points raised by you about the diary; vanity and
        lack of gratitude breeds contempt and can be classed under
        heading Non-Violence. Indulgence go under chastity of thought
        word and deed.

                                *  *  *

        Unfortunately, few, if any, have any idea of what keeping
        the diary really means. As time passes, their entries become
        a mere matter of form, and the whole purpose behind keeping
        the diary is lost. We are asked to maintain the diary in
        thought, word and deed. How many of us really do so? The
        majority just react in thought, word, and deed to the
        stimulus of the moment, in other words, instinctively. The
        truth of the matter is that we must become consciously aware
        of every thought that passes through the mind; we must weigh
        our words before we speak and not speak idle words as a mere
        reaction to the situation that confronts us. If we are able
        to make some progress in this regard, then we will be far
        on the way to controlling our self. This is essence, is the
        practice of Raja Yoga. Only when we have advanced far in the
        practice of living the life demanded of us (as implied in
        the keeping of the diary), will we become fit enough to reap
        the fruits of the practices of the Surat Shabd Yoga.

                                *  *  *

                                 DIET

        I have noted about your difficulties for not abiding to
        the dietary regulations for health reasons. You may please
        refer to the Cook Book available from local Satsang
        wherein you will find some very useful food combinations
        in the vegetarian menu. The observance of dietary regulations
        is very much essential for taking up the holy Path. You may
        please be rest assured my love and blessings are always with
        you.

                                *  *  *

        You should avoid excessive or unnecessary eating. Always
        leave the table feeling as though you could eat more rather
        than feeling overfull. It is also best to meditate on a
        light stomach, which will help you to stay more awake and
        alert to keep your attention focused within at the eye level.

                                *  *  *

        I am glad for your following fruitarian diet which is all
        the wore beneficial spiritually. The more rarified is diet,
        the more of inner receptivity will grow. The disciplined Yogis
        have preferred to grow gradually from vegetarian, to fruitarian.
        You may follow it as best as you possibly can, keeping in view
        the maintenance of physical strength of your body. Such a
        schedule may be useful for the recluse doing no worldly work,
        but the dear ones who work hard on their daily routines of
        hard labours manually or physically, should not undergo such
        austerities. However, the rare benefit of having better
        meditations and improving chastity and inner purity is
        appreciated. You may refer to the books on nutrition food
        written by Mrs. Dona Kelley, 1305 Palm Ave., Beaumont,
        California, which will give very useful information on the
        subject.

                                *  *  *

        You should be careful for your health as it is equally
        important to be fit and healthy for meeting with your mundane
        and spiritual obligations. Physical body must not be denied
        adequate nourishment.

                                *  *  *

        The observance of strict dietary regulations of eliminating
        all meat, fish, fowl, eggs both fertile or unfertile and all
        alcoholic intoxicants is one of the essential pre-requisites.
        You should request your dear husband to cooperate with you
        for feeding your son with vegetarian diet in the larger
        interests of his spiritual progress. There are same very
        useful food combinations in vegetarian menu which provide
        enough nutrition.

                                *  *  *

        Eating habits can be corrected by careful living. You can
        improve by gradual adaptation and moderation. Physical body
        must not be denied rational nourishment.

                                *  *  *


        A slender and smart physique is an asset. You can have light
        physical exercises for improving your physique. Howsoever,
        the snag of self appreciation by others should be discarded
        carefully.

                                *  *  *

        The use of tea or coffee is not good if you consider harmful
        to your health. It should be dispensed with. You can maintain
        your physical body in a perfectly healthy and sober condition
        on the simplest food combinations chosen out of fruit and
        vegetarian menu. Providence has manufactured this physical body
        in such a noble pattern that it can be adapted to any sort of
        conditions by careful planning. You are not the body itself
        but the indweller of the house - the temple of God. Keep it
        safe, strong, and in sound condition to serve the gracious
        Master Power within by meditations on Naam. Besides, too much
        discussion with others is not helpful. Mind your own business
        and let other dear ones seek their own redemption. Self
        reformation pays great dividends.

                                *  *  *

        Your sacred aspirations to follow simple dietary regulations
        in the vegetarian menu and remaining in constant loving
        remembrance of the Master are appreciated. Such like impulses
        fall to the, share of fortunate few who should benefit by
        more of diligent and honest effort to accelerate their
        progress.

                                *  *  *

        The viewpoints offered by you about salt, milk and raw food
        versus cooked food; should better be reconciled through some
        dietetic, preferably Mrs. Dona Kelley, 1305 Palm Avenue,
        Beaumont, California. She is a representative of the Master
        and can advise you better on food combinations. She has
        written a book called: Cook Book, which might be available
        from Mr. Russell Perkins at the Sant Bani Ashram. However,
        please note that milk is not forbidden but if it is
        flavoured with rennet or anything prohibited, it should be
        avoided.

                                *  *  *

        I have not discouraged those initiates who have written to
        me saying that they find the macrobiotic diet congenial to
        them. However, I never advocate extremes, the use of the
        macrobiotic diet appears to be extreme in its nature.
        Nectar of one man way be a poison to the other. It depends
        on various temperaments. One should not impose his ideas
        on other people.

                                *  *  *

                                 MIND

        The wanderings of mind shall subside when you develop the
        habit of doing one thing at a time. This is the key note
        to arrest the wandering mind to enchain it with one thing
        at a time. The sooner you attain it better it would be.
        However, inner absorption in divine light and sound current
        shall accelerate your efforts for early release from its
        tactics.

                                *  *  *

        Mind, like fire, is a very good servant but a bad master.
        It has got one of the best attributes which can be
        harnessed for spiritual benefit. It relishes to run into
        its grooves of habit, and if you will do some acts regularly
        at the fixed hour every day for some days continuously, you
        will find that a habit is formed and it finds pleasure in
        doing the same thing automatically. So when the mind is
        diverted towards spiritual practices, by undertaking
        meditations at the appointed hours for some time regularly,
        you will find that the same mind which resents inversion
        will relish it, with the grace of the Master. The divine
        manifestations granted by the Master are superbly charming
        to entrap it, when it will leave aside its viscious
        attributes.

                                *  *  *

        Mind usually resents inner stillness and silence, yet it is
        to be enchained by loving persuasion and listening to the
        holy sound current. When the inner divine bliss is tasted,
        it relishes to stay within without any difficulty.

                                *  *  *

        Holy Naam is the tried panacea for overcoming the troubles
        caused by mind.

                                *  *  *

                                 WORK

        All dedicated work is worship. You should accept any sort
        of work which suits your talents and tastes. It will bless
        you with wore of peace and harmony.

                                *  *  *

        I have noted about your mundane affairs for which you should
        please act carefully. You should try to stick to your job and
        work diligently over it. "Work is worship" and as such all
        honest work should be accepted and undertaken in all
        earnestness. You may continue to remain over there especially
        when the Satsang centre is established and you can help the
        sincere seekers struggling for spiritual progress. Just do
        everything as a selfless dedication to the gracious Master
        Power. My love and blessings are always with you.

                                *  *  *

        All dedicated work is worship. Great is man and Providence
        has blessed everyone with untold energy and strength which
        if properly harnessed can bring in desired results. Just learn
        to do one thing at a time and that is too with singleminded
        attention and devotion. Ordinarily the sun rays do not burn
        but when the same are passed through a convex lens, these
        become so powerful that they burn anything placed in their
        range. Similarly is the case with concentrated concentration
        which will enable you to progress in every sphere of your
        life including meditation. Please be rest assured my love
        and blessings are always with you in all noble undertakings
        and enterprises.

                                *  *  *

        You must work earnestly for your livelihood. Work is the
        grand cure for all the maladies and miseries that ever beset
        mankind. Work is worship and as such, all honest work should
        be honored and undertaken in a spirit of dedication.

                                *  *  *

        You should accept any job which comes your way and work on
        it diligently. "Work is Worship" and it is equally important
        to earn your livelihood by the sweat of your brow which shall
        accelerate your spiritual progress. My love and blessings are
        with you.

                                *  *  *

                                 DRUGS

        Re. hippies: I appreciate your compassionate attitude
        for those dear ones who are struggling hard under some
        mysterious delusion with the hope that they shall be
        blessed with divine illumination. Strange are the divine
        ways of dispensation, when after much of toil and turmoil
        one happens to be guided to the Living Master. You can well
        imagine the lot of those poor souls who cannot fathom the
        gracious protection of the Master Power. Surely, the
        fortunate few out of them shall have their way to the Master
        in due course.

                                *  *  *

        Drugs, opiates and intoxicants should not be partaken as
        these will not only affect your health adversely but shall
        be detrimental for your spiritual progress. You should please
        leave off all such drugs and learn to live without their use.
        Smoking is equally harmful and you should consult same
        homeopath in this behalf to prescribe some useful medicine
        for overcoming this filthy habit. You need not undergo
        migraine headaches, which may be cured by living a normal
        life full of relaxation without the aid of any stimulants.
        It is the result of _______ which has resulted in this set
        back when you are to suffer from serious pains. Be natural,
        sober, serene and cheerfully receptive to the ever present
        Master Power working overhead.

                                *  *  *

        It appears to be the offset of LSD when you happened to
        notice shining blue light on your friends profile changing
        into different faces when you see differently being under
        the spell of narcotics. You should avoid all such things
        to have a refined state of mind, so very much necessary
        for spiritual progress within.

                                *  *  *

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