From jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca Sun Jul 12 00:00:06 1998
Newsgroups: alt.meditation.shabda
Subject: Thief of Your Life's Breath
From: jamesjs@unixg.ubc.ca (James Shannon)
Date: 12 Jul 1998 07:00:06 GMT




                          
                        THIEF OF YOUR LIFE'S BREATH

                                    by 

                           Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
      
                       
                   This Satsang was given at Sawan Ashram
                   in Delhi, India, and was published in 
                   the June 1971 issue of Sat Sandesh and
                   in the book, "The Night is a Jungle."
                   ---------------------------------------


   BHAJAN is imperative to right living, for the true meaning of bhajan is 
to go within and rejoin the Lord - nothing more nor less. It has ever been 
the aim of all true Masters to teach people this kind of bhajan: the inner 
bhajan through which, by contact with God within, the mind becomes 
intoxicated with His presence. The Music of the Spheres or "Akhand Kirtan"  
(perpetual melody) should be constantly audible to the devoted soul, thereby 
intoxicating it; for the soul is itself a part of that same Sound.
  
   The Audible Life Stream has power to render this world's odious taints 
totally ineffective, and so we are urged to regularly attend Satsang - the 
only place where we can be in company with Truth. Our soul is not free from 
mind and senses; it is not fortunate enough to have as yet achieved oneness 
with the Truth; so it desperately needs the company of one who is at one 
with Truth. "Get dyed in the colorless Naam." When the Masters dye the souls 
in the Sound of Naam, no other color can take effect, but for the 
unfortunate undyed, the world's influence continues to apply stain upon 
stain. The cause of all our distress can be traced to the fact that we have
not been drenched in the true color of Naam.
  
   From where does this color come? "He is the overflowing intoxicating color 
of Love; the company of the Saint infuses a real desire." In the company of 
him in whom the Love of God, God's intoxicating color, is overflowing, one 
can absorb the radiation of this very nature. If then, through his mercy,
we also get a contact or connection with the God in him, we will have that 
intoxication with us twenty-four hours a day. "The intoxication of Naam, 
O Nanak, inebriates night and day." And if we study the matter, we find that 
all the grumbles of the world arise from lack of this contact.
  
   When anyone would complain to Hazur about inability to still the mind, 
he would reply, "Your simran is not constant enough." And for the complaint 
of not being able to sit for long in meditation, the same reply was given. 
Our real difficulty is that the world's color has drowned us! If it could 
be bleached out then we would become clean and ready for a new fresh color 
to enliven us. A dirty cloth must first be washed clean before attempting 
to dye it. Our heart and intellect are stained with that color coming from 
the level of mind and senses. We are stained with the actions of life, and 
added to this are the stains of the past - birth upon birth. Even if you put 
aside past lives and consider this life alone ... how many years have passed 
already? It might be, that through the mercy of some Master you were 
fortunate to be in his company and enjoy the benefit of a little of that 
Naam color, but even so it is said that we must, "Do simran and serve the
Satguru." We are dyed in the worldly color through doing the world's simran, 
and it can only be washed out by doing the simran (remembrance) and dhyan  
(contemplation) of the Lord.
  
   So you can say that the first step is simran - controlled thought - and 
it should be constant, without a break. This is the washing process, before 
the soul is ready to be drenched in the color of God. "One jap (repetition), 
one thought. Think of One, sigh for One, sing the praise of One. Through 
mind and body, with love repeat the Lord's Name." With true service
of mind and body, in love and devotion, one should increase one's
remembrance of the Lord until there is nothing but constant sighing for
Him. Then there is indication of awakening. We sigh for worldly things,
but it is rare to find someone who sighs in remembrance of the Lord.

   Simran is the first step. Logically, one will be drenched in the color of
the one in whose name the simran is done. "If you keep someone in your heart,
you will reside in theirs." If the disciple remembers the Guru, the Guru will
remember the disciple. And if there is remembrance on both sides, that
creates receptivity, and the Guru and disciple become one. "Satguru protects
the disciple with His life." In such condition, the disciple becomes suffused
in the Guru's color. In the clear heart, the true knowledge becomes apparent.
Naturally, those who do Simran will be dyed in that color. When Masters feel
so inclined, they reveal themselves somewhat and great wisdom comes forth -
for our benefit, in whom the color of the Lord is not yet fast.

   Realize that the soul is a conscious entity; it is ever-existent, all
wisdom and perfect bliss. When the mind and senses are washed clean from
their dirty color, and the soul which is attention gets connected to the
greater attention, then without effort it will radiate bliss. It is said that
those who do not do bhajan will never be free from misery: "Lethargy will
constantly torment them." They are always lazy. When does this
procrastination come and when does it go? "For the negative work he is all
attentiveness; while waiting on the Naam, he slumbers and slumbers." To
gratify the senses, he is wide awake and ready, even at midnight. But for
bhajan ... "not now, we will see tomorrow." This is mainly due to his
regular association with outer enjoyments; he has inclination toward them.
He has done little or no bhajan to speak of, has not drunk deep enough to
enjoy its sweet nectar, and therefore feels disinclined. With lethargy,
procrastination becomes the thief of time ... "not just now, wait awhile
... we will do it tonight, no, tomorrow morning ... let us just finish this
work, and then ..." The tragic result? If you put off the moment, the other
moment which one imagines will be more opportune, will never come.

  If one becomes lazy, then laziness will induce sleep. If your meditation
is not fruitful, how will you know what is inside? Even when at initiation,
through the mercy of the Master, something is seen within, yet a man will
start thinking it is all imagination. This is how the mind hoodwinks us,
with the result that the soul recedes into the enjoyments and scatters its
attention. Though imperishable and unchangeable, it is under the mind's
influence; through connection with the mind it came into creation, and has
suffered the cycle of birth and death ever since. Imprisoned in the
illusion, its attention dispersed in the world, it falls prey to passions,
anger, etc., becoming more and more diffused. Through passion, the soul
can fall very low. The seat of the soul is high, between the eyebrows. And
the seat of passion? Well, everyone knows where that is.

  "Where there is passion, Naam is not there; where there is Naam there is
true desire. Both cannot stay together; the sun and the night are each in
its own place." Naam is the same as the ever-existent God, which is in each
being and controls every soul in every form, but the link with Naam is made
above the senses, behind and between the eyes, to where the soul withdraws
at the time of death when it leaves the scene of life. This is termed the
seat of the soul. If a soul is drenched in the Naam's color, how can desires
affect him? But when the attention is in the body, he becomes tormented by
passions. Without the stabilizing force of Naam, the soul remains diffused
in the world, subject to the constant agitation of the mind. Passion and
anger have the same results. If an obstacle comes between us and our desire,
whether apparent or concealed, then anger arises, followed by envy,
criticism, backbiting, enmity, petty squabbling and other things - we drift
from one bad habit to another. And all this is due to lack of substantial
meditation.

  Even if a little was done with deep sincerity, some intoxication would be
enjoyed. "When this Nectar comes, other wine seems tasteless." Having tasted
the real Nectar of Life, one will leave a thousand tasks to sit and enjoy
it. Every free minute will be put to use; one will readjust one's life to
make more and more time for meditation. When people are asked why they do
not meditate, their excuse is that there is never any time for this precious
work, although the "true disciple" is always ready and willing to attend to
the worldly pursuits. We are not faithful to our bhajan because we have not
had enough inner experience of Naam.

  "Those in passion and anger's torment are drowned to death in a river of
greed." Daily this greed increases: he who has a hundred dollars desires a
thousand, and when he gets that he wants more. Added to this, people want
praise without doing any good - they spend their lives in lies, cheating
and cunningness - the life-span drifts away without an ounce of self-control.

  Seeing this condition, the Master says, "Stop where you are! Look at your
condition!" It is all through the lack of meditation, and the only cure is
to join the soul back to the Lord. Even a little intoxication derived from
steady daily practice will start to erase the taste for outer pleasures.
These outer attractions are making it extremely difficult for the mind to
withdraw and go inward. If we start to enjoy inner sweetness ... "When that
sweetness comes, this other flavor is not to the liking." Naturally the
sweeter taste will render others insipid.

  The Master's work is to connect the soul with the perpetual Sound. He
gives a connection with the Lord's very reflection - free, without charge.
Having received this priceless gift of Nature, one should devote enough time
to increase it, by daily practice. Then when one starts to really enjoy the
Nectar, outer things will recede automatically without any effort. To gain
control of one's being, to bring one's whole life under that perfect control,
to help oneself to cut away from outer attractions, requires self-
introspection. Start by consciously controlling a small fraction of your
life. You will be able to succeed if you are also enjoying a little inner
intoxication of Naam. All Masters say there is no success without meditation.

  "Now that Kal (negativeness) has come, quickly sow the seeds of Naam;
forget not yourself in illusion, now is the sowing season." They tell us
that the direct way out is not through karma (action, past or present) or
dharma (religion or ritual correctness) for these are related at the level
of senses only. While the soul is without connection with God and is not
drenched in the color of Naam, it has to return to this world. In the
Gurbani it is written, "To meet a Gurumukh, to have the company of a Sadhu,
and the color of Naam; this is the true meeting, beloved, and whoever got
these truly spoke Thy Name from his heart." The treasure can only be
received from one who has it. When a drunkard meets another drunkard, how
they dance to the same tune! Similarly, when those who drink the Naam's
Nectar meet, how high their souls fly together! Whatever company you choose
to keep, you will become the same.

  Those who see the Truth describe the same thing in different languages.
Maulana Rumi has said that to be fortunate enough to have the company of a
God-in-man for twenty minutes will give more benefit than dedicating one
hundred years of full devotion to the Lord, sincerely and without show.
This unique color cannot be made or manufactured, it can be received only
from the direct source of supply. It is already within man, but covered
with the filth of ages, and can only be ignited through the company of him
who is in complete control of his attention - who is overflowing with
intoxication. You may call it the alms of Naam.

  Meditation is most necessary, for only by meditation will all things come
of their own accord. There are those who steal the time away from their
meditation - "The thieves of bhajan will be daily afflicted with misery."
And we have, "O Nanak, the whole world is unhappy." What is the cure for
this dreadful plight? "Only those are happy who are sustained by Naam."


                Man in physical form flitters,
                How can he sing the Lord's praise?
                Great are the senses' torments
                Passion and anger torture him daily.


These are the words of Guru Amardas. A hundred men if wise will say the same
thing. Pitiful is the condition of those whose mind restlessly roams among
nine doors (nine orifices of the human form), who are dragged around amid
the vices of worldly life. The poor soul sometimes falls in passion or
diffuses itself in anger. To learn the accurate and most definite way to
reach God, one must keep the company of an enlightened person, and in his
company one will be able to have true remembrance of the Lord. He can teach
one how to hold this remembrance throughout every phase of life: working,
walking, eating, sitting, etc.


                This sphere of vices is insipid,
                   discard it, friend;
                Drink the Nectar of Naam.


Because of the senses, the whole world is drifting into vice of one form or
another. If even a single sense is prominent, how damaging that can be! For
instance, in moths the sense of sight is so strong that they burn themselves
to death through the attraction of light to the eye. In fish, freely
swimming in oceans and rivers, the sense of taste is so great that they
allow themselves to be baited by various tidbits, are caught, and lose their
lives. The poor fish, with the hook stuck in its throat, gives up its
freedom after much torment of thrashing about in an effort to escape its
captor. Consider the black bee, whose sense of smell drags it from flower
to flower, until it is swallowed up by that certain blossom which closes
tight at the minutest touch.

  We have talked of sight, taste and smell. What of the remaining two senses,
hearing and touch? The deer is an animal so fleet of foot that it is most
difficult to catch. Even when jumping backwards, its stride can measure
thirty or forty feet. How do they catch this will-o-the-wisp? Its weakness
lies in its strong sense of hearing, and when a certain beat is sounded on
the drum, the deer forgets everything, and comes close enough to place his
head on the drum, and so the rest of his life is spent in captivity -
imprisoned by man. Now take the elephant, whose strength is so obviously
impressive that a man may feel terrified just to look at him. But during the
mating season, the elephant's desire for the touch of the female is so
dominant that he loses all control and runs amuck, even uprooting huge
trees in his path. While he is in this state of passion, having lost all
his better instincts, man can devise his capture. A huge pit is dug out and
covered over with branches and grass. A female elephant is tied nearby as
an attraction, and as he rushes toward her, he falls into the intervening
pit. After starving him for many days, he is weak enough to be bound and
taken away into slavery for the rest of his life, which may amount to one
hundred years.

  These are sample conditions of creatures who are slave to only one sense.
What about him in whom all five senses are dominating? It may be a simple
matter to discuss these things, but think of this difficult task! It would
appear impossible to gain control of these five senses. So it is only by
the grace of a true Master that one can be guided away from the dark edge
of these powerful senses -- for a while. "With indescribable strength the
mighty Guru pulls the attention." And inside is the ever-existent Lord,
described as Naam.

  "By repetition of Naam, the Light of millions of suns is apparent." There
is Light within, and the Song of the Lord, that everlasting Song, is playing.
The Guru gives a connection with this - that is his greatness, the God in
him. And when his precious gift is given, it must be increased. When the
taste for it grows, the lesser tastes will fade away.

  In the Bhagved (a Vedic scripture), it says, "Not with repetition or
austerity, nor by rites nor prayer nor scripture; not by giving alms nor by
pilgrimage ..." There are countless other things mentioned, and finally it
says, "Not even by control of the senses can the jiva realize Me as quickly
as in the company of a realized person." The company of the Master is gained
through great good fortune, and only in his company will the mind cease its
perpetuation and be perfectly still for a while.

  Who is the Master? He is born in the same way as other men, taking on the
human form, and we can daily see him eating, drinking, working in the world,
and yet ... "Sadh and the Lord, there is no fraction of difference, oh
brother." These are the words of Guru Arjan. So where does Mastership begin?
He who transcends the nine doors and goes into the Beyond, in full control
of his whole being - he can know what a Master is. The nine doors? The two
physical eyes, two nostrils, mouth, two ears, and the genital and excretory
orifices. He who can withdraw his attention and go out through the tenth
door at the back of the eyes, is well on the way to becoming a realized
soul. But where are we? Whoever has lived all his life at sense level and
whose religious practices are on the same level, can hardly be expected to
have knowledge of rising above all these things. He will definitely get
rewarded for all his good actions, but he will come again and again into
creation, as he considers he is the doer. These are the gold and iron
chains described by Lord Krishna when speaking of good and bad actions.

  Salvation comes only through the holy Naam itself. In the Ramayana it is
likened to lighting a lamp in a hallway, whereupon the light will fall both
inside and outside. This illustrates the effect of the repetition of Naam
on one's inner and outer life. To repeat simran is the first step. The
appearance to the devotee of the one whom the repetition is for, is another
matter. "If you haven't loved the Guru completely, you are not really near
the Naam." The Lord within each one sees whichever of His children are
yearning to meet Him, and makes the appropriate condition for them to come
to the feet of one in whom He is manifested. It is a very rare privilege to
meet a true Guru, and yet those who meet him do not love him completely.
With outer show they touch his feet and sing his praises, but rarely do
they obey his wishes.

  All Masters tell the devotees to do their simran and bhajan. Hazur used
to say, "You people give one tenth of your earnings, so you should also give
one tenth of your time." One tenth of a day is two and a half hours. Some
sit for merely five minutes, some for half an hour, and many not at all.
Others sit when the occasion fits their mood. If the connection which is
given at initiation is not increased, what happens? The attention remains
outward and does not withdraw and invert. A person may sit hours on end and
others may think he is a devoted meditator, but inside he sees nothing! The
face he shows to the world is white, but in the court of the Lord it is
black.

  Oh brothers, awake! This is the time to understand what is what! The
Masters come, lift up their hands, and shout to the world, "Oh brothers, do
your meditation, for without it you cannot be free." It is said, "Take the
Guru's teaching, for without devotion many clever ones have drowned."
Learning and high degrees are of no use in this sphere.

  There was once a very learned man, who upon approaching a river one day,
asked a boatman to row him across. The boatman agreed and while they were
crossing the river, the learned man asked him, "Have you had any education?"
The boatman replied that he had received no education at all. The learned
man remarked, "Oh dear, you have wasted half of your life!" Halfway across
the river, the boat sprang a leak and began to sink. The boatman asked his
companion, "Did you ever learn to swim?" The man replied that he had never
learned swimming, and the boatman remarked, "All your reading and writing
is wasted here," and swam to the shore.

  Now I am not suggesting that no one should study at all. Education is good
in its place. But if the soul does not learn to leave the body at will, and
has not derived intoxication from being drenched in the color of Naam, no
amount of speech or action will achieve success on the spiritual path.
Remember this fact, for it is clear and simple. The Masters all explain the
Truth in very simple terms:

                The Masters in truth say, make your meditation.

Listen! Open your ears and listen! He who has made his meditation has made
everything. He whose meditation is not made will enjoy no meaning in his
life's achievements. There is great purpose behind this emphasis on the
importance of meditation. If your daily life is not under control, try to
bring it in control, or, give more time to meditation and you will be able
to gain control quicker. He who becomes the conscious co-worker of the
Divine plan will find that his righteous life is made. Whatever he does will
be performed righteously; he will not be able to act otherwise. The reason
behind your failure is that you have not truly loved your Master, but have
merely made a show in various ways, physically or financially, or by lip-
service. There is no one who has sacrificed his mind to the Guru. Without
giving up the mind, there is no success.


                The mind was sold to the Satguru;
                This server's work was correct.


Give the mind into his keeping. "This physical form is the Master's, this
wealth is the Master's, this mind has been given too." Those who can do
this will receive the greatest gift. The receiver may be a Hindu, Muslim,
Christian, etc., for all outer religions are merely labels; we are all
simply human beings. A human being is a soul with a body, and the soul's
caste is the same as God's. We are all the Lord's children, but
unfortunately are going along in forgetfulness. And when we come to the
Master, what does he teach us?


                This possessiveness has gone,
                Since I got the Master's company;
                There is no enemy, no stranger,
                All now are very dear to me.


The change comes from within. We are human beings, but before that we are
soul - the indweller of the physical body. Why is there so much dissention?
When the people have right understanding, then peace will reign on earth.
This is the only panacea for all ills; it always was and always will be.
Whenever man forgets the truth - the unity already existent in all - then
sorrow and misery descend. The most effective cure for all distressing
conditions is to join the soul back to the Lord and realize in truth the
unity that exists. "Naam is the panacea for all ills." Naam is no mere outer
expression or show; it is a term given to the all-knowing and ever-existent
Lord. "Naam is the Sustainer of Khand and Brahmand." It is the God-in-action
Power which is controlling the whole of Creation (Khand and Brahmand) and
to be connected to that Power means to meditate on the Naam.


                Those who have meditated on the Naam,
                   their toils shall end,
                And their faces shall flame with glory;
                Not only shall they have salvation, O Nanak,
                But many more shall find freedom with them.


The most urgent work before us is being spoiled by slothfulness - all
because the love for the Guru is not developed. Christ told his followers,
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." We are also told, "He who obeys the
Guru's wishes knows what God is." But do we obey? If we would obey
implicitly for six months, we would see the magical change in our condition.
You can get salvation in this very life! If the Giver is there, where is the
pain in receiving? - but unfortunately, the one who was supposed to receive
the priceless gift is deep in slothfulness, sleeping or drifting away in the
clutches of the senses. Those who receive something decide to put it away
and ignore it. How can you expect the worldly conditions to change if you
are not changing?

  I will give you an example from the life of Guru Nanak. A disciple named
Bhai Ajitha once questioned the Guru, "Maharaj, you say that some have had
but a fragrance of sikhi (true devotion to the Guru), and some live under
the protective roof of a true disciple, but there are some who taste the
Nectar from a true disciple. Please give me the darshan of these three
types of followers."

  Now listen carefully to this story: Guru Nanak took Ajitha to a certain
house at night (houses in those days were made with inner courtyards). The
owner said to his family, "There are some holy men outside, we must feed
them." But they were very poor people, with very meager fare, and they
collected a piece of bread from each one's share and with devotion offered
it to Guru Nanak and returned to their places. Guru Nanak and Ajitha passed
the night in singing praises of God, and in the morning the Guru sent Ajitha
to tell the owner, "We are leaving now." The owner replied, "Brothers, you
are going? Then go. Who asked you to come?"

  As they walked on their way, Guru Nanak told Ajitha, "This man has had a
little fragrance of discipleship. This type of person will listen, they will
serve both financially and physically, etc., but they will remain where they
are." You see, when someone gets a slight fragrance they are ready and
willing to do anything, and yet when they leave that fragrance all their
aspirations are forgotten. Ajitha then said, "Maharaj, I see this type of man
every day; now please show me one who lives under the Master's protection."
They went to a village and entered the house of a large family, who
entertained and fed them with great love and devotion. When night came,
they said, "Maharaj, have mercy on us. How can we control our mind? We are
pitifully imprisoned in this world - show us the way to salvation." So the
whole night was spent listening to the advice of Guru Nanak, until the sun
rose at daybreak. When the Guru showed his intentions to depart, the family
quickly cooked more food and packed it for their journey. As the Guru left,
they pleaded for his grace and begged him to look after them and return
soon to their home. So Guru Nanak explained to Ajitha that this was the type
of people who live under a true Master's protection. How many people can you
find who will spend the whole night talking about the Lord? Have you met
anyone like that? Such people have hope of salvation. They may not go
anywhere just now, but there is hope later.

  Ajitha then said, "But what about those who have gained the Essence of
Truth from a Master?" and Guru Nanak promised to show him such an example.
Some days later they went to another house where lived a man, his wife, two
sons and a daughter, who were imbued with the love of the Guru. They all
received and entertained Guru Nanak with respect and devotion. To show true
devotion to a Master is like showing it to God Himself. The wife immediately
retired to the kitchen to prepare food. Her son came running to help her,
but slipped on the floor, fell down and died. Of course she was distressed;
but,thinking of the karmic laws, attributed it to give and take, and then
thought of the Saint that had just come to her home. Resolving that the
incident should not mar the occasion, she hid her son's body in a room under
the covers of a bed, meaning to tell her husband only after the departure
of the Saint.

  Meanwhile, the husband had gone into the courtyard for something,
accompanied by his younger son, who suddenly slipped, fell down and died.
The father then had exactly the same thought as his wife, and hid his son's
body in another room, after which he continued devotedly to help prepare
the meal.

  When the food was placed in front of him, Guru Nanak picked up the small
daughter and placing her on his lap, asked her, "Where are your brothers?"
She replied, "They are in the lap of the Guru. In life or death, we are all
in his lap." Guru Nanak then picked up a morsel of food and put it in his
mouth but could not swallow it. He said, "It will not go down my throat;
they have bound me by their love and complete surrender to the Guru," and
turning to the father said, "I want to meet your sons, so kindly call them."
The husband and wife both became alarmed, for both were concealing the facts
and did not know what to do. But the Guru insisted, so the husband called
the names of his two sons. At once both boys came from the respective rooms
where they had been lying. They told of their interesting sleep during which
both were held in the lap of the Guru. Who can imagine the joy in the hearts
of the parents! Guru Nanak turned to Ajitha and remarked, "Now this is the
type of person who enjoys the very Essence from the Guru's presence."

  This last example was one of true living, the kind of life that we must
learn to live. You can see for yourselves where you stand at present, and
the only reason for that position is the fact that you do not know how to
truly love the Master. Why would he who rises above the mind and senses try
to keep you imprisoned here in them? It is the fervent wish of whoever has
tasted the real Nectar that everyone should enjoy the bliss.


                Meet the Master, my brothers,
                  and take the True Naam into thy keeping;
                Tie this life's treasure to thee,
                   here and hereafter.


The treasure of the Masters has value in both worlds, so where does the
Negative Power stand in this? The Negative Power comes in when we do not
truly love, we do not obey, or we obey only as far as our mind agrees. This
is what is called the power of negativeness. We even go so far as to give
advice to the Master, at times. Hafiz of Shiraz made the startling statement
that if your Guru tells you to drench your prayer-mat in wine, then do so!
Why? Would the one who has the intoxication of Naam wish to trap you in the
worldly intoxicants? We should try to carefully understand the Master's
teachings and what lies behind them - not waste time in intellectual
wrangling and reasoning. When an officer gives the orders to fire, the
soldier must fire, and the responsibility of the decision rests upon the
officer. So our duty is to obey, and die if necessary! As long as the
condition of our mind does not develop to this kind of obedience, we will
not get the full benefit that the Naam has to offer us. The Guru is not
ignorant of the pathways to Spirituality.

  You have got the connection, then daily increase it. And if you learn
to obey without question, the color of this world will fade and you will
be dyed deep in the color of Naam. Disobedience results in being consumed
perpetually in the fire of senses, not only in this life, but hereafter
also.

  When someone remarked to Lord Vishnu that he must be very busy always
preparing the hells, etc., for so many erring souls, he replied, "No, I do
nothing - the souls bring their own fires and are consumed in them." We go
through life strictly according to the inner condition of mind. The Masters
show a straight road out, but the worldly people object to it, being
convinced that he is doing nothing but obstructing the fulfillment of their
desires. The Master comes to give the true understanding of life, but the
people chase him away, protesting that he has come to rot their roots by
flooding them with water. They do not or will not understand the deep
meaning of Satsang, although in all religions it is stated that there is
no salvation without Naam or Word.

  It is already within you; you have but to be made aware of it. That person
who is already all-awareness can awaken you. He who has no Light radiating
within cannot show it to others. It is a work impossible to be accomplished
by intellectuals or those learned in sacred scriptures, etc. Get the full
benefit of meditation, and increase it day by day. The more you increase it,
the nearer will you advance toward your goal. If you refuse, the day will
come when you will be filled with regret for the lost opportunity. It is all
a very simple matter of fact, and outer show of respect will achieve nothing.
Learn to obey implicitly - this is the secret in a nutshell.

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