                            "The Temple of God"
                          - Translated from Hindi
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People whose eyes have been opened by the realization of the Truth, view
the world differently from others. Realized men often form the question
"What is this world?" God said, "From One I will become many"; so it is all
His manifestation, from inert matter to consciousness. You may take water
from a stream, freeze it and it becomes ice, but both are the same
substance from the same stream. So from inert matter up to consciousness is
all His manifestation. The whole world is the temple of God, and there is
no place where He is not. This is how all realized souls regard the
creation. Why is it that we cannot look at the world as they do? Because
the curtain of ignorance divides us from this knowledge. Someone has
written that although the fish lives in the sea or river, and her
life-giving substance is water, yet she constantly asks, "Where is water?"
Living in water, yet dying of thirst--it is ironic.

It is said that with one ray of Light the whole world was created. When God
said, "I want to manifest myself," there was Light. It can be likened to a
potter who makes small and large pots, perhaps even an elephant or a horse,
or cup, or pitcher--but the same potter is making all the articles, and
with the same clay. So this is our condition in the world. Because people
are unaware of and have no contact with reality, the world is full of
unrest and trouble.

The Masters say that with the same Light the whole world was created, so
who is good and who is bad? The physical body is a miniature Brahmand
(consists of the three divisions of creation-- physical, astral and
causal), or you can say it is a tiny world in itself. It is said that he
who searches within this miniature Brahmand will find the Truth. Both the
body and the world, which is a bigger Brahmand, are made of matter. Each
individual is consciousness, or has his own personal consciousness. Outer
temples, mosques, churches, were made in the image of man--dome shaped like
the head, or forehead-shaped (mosques) or nose-shaped (churches) and in all
religious places the Holy Light is represented in one way or another. If
the same Light is lit in all holy places, then what is the difference
between the various forms of worship?

Ail outer images were made to help people to understand the Truth: that the
Light is shining within man. It is the life of the soul, this Light. The
body which we carry around is the temple of God. "In companionship, within
the same house, both brothers are dwelling; but they do not converse with
each other." These two brothers are living together: the soul and God. What
a great misfortune! They live together but do not talk to each other. The
reason? He, who has to realize the other, is tossing about outwardly from
place to place. He does not know that he has to withdraw and rise above the
senses to realize who he is. If he did that, he would see who is sitting
beside him. The men who became realized all have said that the body is a
living temple of God. The outer temples are made by the hand of man.

When I was in London during my world tour, I gave a talk pointing out that
all Masters have said that God does not reside in temples made with stone.
One Christian minister, a Reverend Stubbs, stood up and said, "You have
thrown an atom bomb on all our churchianity!" We have made the churches,
mosques and temples with our own hands, but the true temple of God--the
physical form--was made by God Himself. The indweller of this true temple
is frequenting the man-made temples--is it not a sorry state? We ourselves
made the copies and put the Light there. They are copies of our own temple,
within which the Light is burning day and night. Sometimes thousands of
true temples are sacrificed for the sake of one imitation. It is not so? If
one holy building is defamed or insulted by any other religion, thousands
die because of it.

Ail outer places of worship are for those whose eye is not open.
Nevertheless, from our heart we should have respect for them. Why? Because
we sit there in remembrance of God, for which purpose they were made. When
a child is in the womb of the mother, what machinery makes his eyes, nose,
ears, hands, and feet, etc. It is some unseen Power of which man knows
nothing. That Power is the One who abides in the temple which He Himself
has made. This human temple comes to man through great good fortune or
destiny, but is not valued enough. Forgive me if I use such words, but we
consider it to be merely a sackful of waste matter. But beautiful palaces
also have latrines. So the body has its own municipality which takes out
the filth every morning. But we are living in it, and our
life-giver--God--is also living there. We should even kiss this body with
reverence, in acknowledgment that it is truly the temple of God. That is
why Masters have indicated to "tap inside."

When we look at the human form it seems just five or six feet of physical
body, but inside is a very big world. The whole of Brahmand is residing
within; go inside and see. Maulana Rumi Sahib says, "Oh man, close the
doors of your shop. Open the inner shop, then will the work be done." All
Masters say similar things in their various languages. "I searched for the
hidden inner path, but only through the Master was the secret revealed."

What is a Gurumukh? He who has searched inside the human form. That is what
is written in the Gurubani (words of the Gurus). Even if outwardly the
wisdom of the whole world has been sifted mentally and intellectually with
the help of the senses, but yet the inner search has not been made, then
the real thing cannot be attained. The Masters, after withdrawing from
outside, traveled inside by leaving the body and transcending above
it--above the physical, astral and causal planes. Those who have
transcended all this have reached their true home. Whatever they saw and
heard has been recorded in the holy scriptures. Whatever they saw inside,
you should also go in and see; and then you will be able to describe your
experiences. Whosoever saw such wonders all said the same things. Now do
you understand this?

"He who sees, describes that very thing in the very same way." In India,
the realized souls expressed themselves in Sanskrit. They have given the
same description: that inside, there is a very big sun in Brahmand in which
the Sound is vibrating. The hidden teaching of this was given by Ingris
Rishi to the son of Devki, Lord Krishna. The Masters who came in Persia
gave the same information in Persian. In Punjab, the Gurus who came said
the same things in their language. "A contact with the ringing radiance of
God within will develop love of God in Thee." Paltu Sahib came and Said,
"There is an inverted well in the gagan (seat of the soul), where the Lamp
burns without wick or oil, and from the light of the Lamp a Sound is
reverberating. Only he who goes into Gian Samadhi (rises above body
consciousness) can hear it." That Lamp is alight for all the twenty-four
hours in each day, and from it a Sound vibrates. Who can hear that Sound?
Go into deep meditation and then hear it. He who sees, knows the same
thing. The truth is that this body is a temple of God--and the whole world
is a temple of God. It is a statement from those who searched into the
inner regions.

Do you know that no temple has been erected here in Sawan Ashram? Can you
see any temple, mosque, church or other sacred building here? There is
none--and why? Because this is a place called Ruhani Satsang (spiritual
gathering). Beneath us is the ground and above, the skies; this is our
temple of God. That is all. And then, this body we have got--there is no
"ism" attached to it. I congratulate all the "isms" or religions which have
helped man in discovering the real Truth lying hidden in the body--but what
is the world doing today? Instead of trying to search out the Truth within,
as we are told to do, we have started fighting amongst ourselves in the
very name of religion--killing each other!

So, self-realized people always advocate to go within and realize oneself.
To do this, one just has to have the curtain of darkness drawn away. How is
that done? He who has already withdrawn that curtain will do so for others
too. He who has not done so--how can he help others? If the doubt has not
been removed from the heart one will always own a difference between a
Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, Buddhist, Jain or Turk. These are all labels
which we have stuck on ourselves. It is an important thing to fully
understand. Here, in the Ashram, there are no "isms"--but the Life of all
"isms" is here! Whatever talks are given, the facts are presented in their
true colors.

So, remain in your own religions and become true Hindus, true Muslims, true
Sikhs, true Christians. How? By realizing it inside you. A house without a
lighted lamp has no charm. If there is no lamp burning in a church or
mosque, the place seems deserted. So this body's true beauty can be
apparent only when the Light is within it. "Beautiful is the man-body in
which the Lord is manifest." That soul's physical form is very beautiful in
which God has appeared. A married woman's face becomes radiant when she is
sitting beside her husband. This is a worldly example. The beauty of the
body lasts but a few days, for it is attractive only when we, the soul, are
in it. But this attractiveness is not apparent if the Light has not been
ignited within. A mansion can have no grandeur without a light shining out.
Would it not appear deserted?

We have got labels on us, but are we not just human beings? Withdraw from
outside, for the outer things attract us only so long as we attach
ourselves to them. This is because our soul is Sat, chit and anand mai:
ever-existent, all wisdom and eternal bliss. As long as it is attached to
something it goes on enjoying satisfaction, but when it voluntarily
withdraws, or that particular thing is taken away, it becomes unhappy. If
only it would concentrate itself! Waves of bliss would then start to come
out of it. But if it becomes one with God--then what?

Oceans of happiness are already resounding within us, but at present we are
tossing about, searching outwardly, in the holy books or in temples and
places of pilgrimage, and in various outer activities. We make outer
copies, ring bells, light lamps--but for what purpose? The purpose is that
He should manifest Himself to us.

"To visit artificial temples and mosques is but a tragedy that will bestow
untold misery upon the indweller of the true temple." We install some image
of God in a temple and start worshiping it. It is an attempt to fashion God
in stone. In Mecca there is the Hajurool Asved, in remembrance of Hazrat
Ibrahim. These are copies or images installed in remembrance, and we should
therefore have respect for them, but what is better? Realized souls say,
"Never say that mosque is better than temple; better is that wherein
shineth the Light of God." They tell us not to consider the Kaaba better
than the physical form, or the mosque better than the temple or vice versa.
Where the Lord's Light is burning is the best place of all, though that
form may have a black, white, blue or yellow label on it. He might be a
Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, for in all faiths Masters have come. The question
is, how and when to see it? When we withdraw from outer attractions. One
might spend one's whole life searching outwardly, but will not get it. Guru
Amar Das Ji spent seventy years in search of God, traveling to holy places
with full attention and devotion. In the end, what happened? In his own
words he tells us, "I got exhausted in my search, in performing outer
rituals, etc."

Forgive me, but these outer temples are like dolls or playthings. Little
girls learn about housekeeping, marriage and many other things by playing,
but when they grow up and marry, do they still play with dolls? So, the
Masters say in very clear words that we are tired of playing with toys--now
we wish to see the true countenance of our Beloved. That is all. Kabir
says, "All my doubts vanished when I saw the Truth myself." Nanak says,
"Nanak's Emperor is seen clearly." They all say that it can be seen. Christ
said, "Behold, the Lord." For example, in what way can one fully realize
what strength is? It can be demonstrated by a wrestler doing his exercises.
Similarly, if one sits near a realized soul with full, concentrated
attention, one will gain assurance that there is a Power. Otherwise, one is
uncertain, though one may have read thousand or even millions of holy
books.

There was a Swami named Ram Tirath, who visited America. Once, he was
sitting in samadhi (a state of controlled attention). He used to do his own
kind of yoga. An atheist lady was quietly sitting there, waiting to meet
him, but Ram Tirath did not getup for a long time. There is a radiation
which comes from enlightened souls, and when the Swami opened his eyes, the
lady joyfully told him, "I am an atheist no more." So to be near the
physical form of a Master does give some assurance that there is God. Or
one can have the same assurance by seeing within. But remember this, that a
wrestler is not made in one day. A strong man revels in his strength, and a
weaker man wonders how he got it.

When I was in Lahore, I used to go to the Ravi River at night. In those
days there was a certain man named Gunga who became famous all over India
as a wrestler. Gunga means dumb, and he was dumb, hence the name; but he
was a great wrestler. It was winter, so the days and nights were very cold.
His father used to strip him naked except for a brief loincloth, and would
turn him out of the house and lock the door. All night the boy would do his
exercises. No one had ever seen him exercising, but when he became famous
everyone knew him as a wrestler, and wherever he went the people would say,
"There goes Gunga, the wrestler." Just like this, my brothers, Mahatmas are
not made in one day. Rome was not built in a day. Man is in the make. If
anyone wants to be a wrestler, after two or three days of practice his body
will ache all over, but if he starts nursing his aches, how will he
succeed? For success perseverance is required.

In the Gurubani it is written that purity of thoughts and perseverance are
needed. Do you want to become something worthwhile or don't you? Hearing
such words, an interest is awakened, but the work cannot be accomplished in
one day. A child, learning to read, reads a few lines and promptly forgets
them. He must read them again and again, but after much struggling with
learning, he one day may be able to write a book. Every Saint has his past,
and every sinner a future. The people who are like us today can become
something tomorrow. For this, true guidance is required from one who has
seen, not anyone else. The second requirement is implicit obedience to
one's Guru. The Master's words are not just words alone, but are the Master
himself! Added to this, perseverance is necessary.

Just to hear some talk about God, one's mouth can start watering. A
Mahatma, seeing the world with its mountains, earth and sky, gets
intoxicated. Now how did he become what he is, and how can we become that?
There is hope for everyone. We should find some God-realized person who has
seen, and can make us see. Then every day we can increase the inner
experience. Today, if a man gets even a little intoxication he thinks he
has become a very big Mahatma (great soul). So remember--the destination is
very far--very, very far. Many big rishis and munis (renunciates who sit on
thorns, etc.) started on the path to God. They were always saying, "neti
neti" meaning, "this is not it, this is not it--there must be something
else." It is said that for generations philosophy has been tried and
probed, but God's Word remains where it always was. So does it remain
unspoken as it always was unspoken. Guru Nanak has written that the people
of the world have exhausted themselves explaining about God, but they have
never reached the end of it! It is something like knowing what one ray of
the sun is, and the intellect will not allow that there is anything beyond
that. First, we should know this small temple of ours, the physical form.
This in itself will give us some awakening as to what the greater form
is--the Brahmand.

I will now explain a hymn of Guru Amar Das, but before doing so I would
mention that when I take a hymn during Satsang and proceed to explain it,
people open their eyes wide and question in their minds, "What hymn is
this?" Even explaining a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib seems like a new
thing to them. Some years ago, I went to my home in Sayyad Kasran. There
were some Akalis there (one section of the Sikh religion) and they were
somewhat fanatical. I held a Satsang, taking a hymn from the Gurubani. "I
am attached to things that I see. How can I find thee, O' Lord?" All
through, they were looking at me and wondering where the hymn came from.
The hymns themselves are very clear but we never search for the true
meaning in them. These holy words contain valuable jewels. Have you ever
given any real thought to them? Parrot-like we go on reading them, without
understanding anything. One day a Christian gentleman met me, and he said,
"Christ is the Light of the world." I asked him, "Have you studied the
Bible thoroughly? For it is written therein, "I am the Light of the world,
as long as I am in the world."

A little knowledge is dangerous. First see what is in your own home, the
physical house. Go into the folds of the holy books and see what is given
there. The same knowledge that I am giving you is given therein, but for
the need of a self-realized man we do not understand what is written. Guru
Amar Das Ji says "With the Guru's blessing, just see that this body you
carry is the temple of God." He says that this body you are taking around
is the temple of God. And when will you be able to see it as such? When the
Guru blesses you with that sight. This temple was made by God's own hand.
He is residing in there as well as us. All through life, He never leaves
this body, but when at the end He leaves, we also have to leave the body.
Then the body is taken to the cremation ground.

This body is a temple of God, which has been given with a great blessing.
We worship the images of it outwardly. This is all right, and we should
show respect to those places where people sit in remembrance of God. But
He, God, resides in this body and not in the temples made by man. Those
were made in remembrance only. The true Light shines in the human form. Is
an image better than the true form? I would say that the true form is
infinitely better. With great love, Guru Amar Das Ji has written that with
the Guru's blessing you can see Him inside you. What is a Guru? Forgive me,
but these days you can pick up a stone and find a guru underneath it. One
finds so many gurus (teachers) that it is really hard to find a single
disciple anywhere! These days if a man studies any kind of outer
attainment, he starts thinking that the man who taught him is a Guru.
Brothers, a true Guru is one who takes away the curtain of ignorance and
reveals the Light within. The exact meaning of the word is: dispeller of
darkness.

What is a Guru's work? "The Guru has put the collyrium (an age-old
medication for the eyes) of knowledge in my eyes, dispelling the darkness
of ignorance and filling my whole being with Light." He says that the Guru
puts the collyrium of knowledge into our eyes. It is an example. Our inner
eye cannot be opened until we withdraw from outer things, leave the senses,
and concentrate behind the eyes, where the soul goes at the time of death.
The God-realized man takes our scattered attention from outside and brings
it to a point behind the eyes. Then that Light, that radiance, bursts
forth.

Then, he describes the Guru: "He who makes me hear the Sound, the Music of
the Spheres, he is my Guru Dev (True Master)." He is a Guru who makes one
hear the strains of the perpetual celestial music. So now go and find a
Guru like that. Again, he says, "Repeat that Word, by which the Light of
millions of suns appears and the Song of the Lord's Name is heard." It
means that by repetition of the Naam, the Light of millions of suns shines
forth within you. The Song of the Lord's Name comes through the Sound
Principle. It is a Path of Light, or Sruti Marg, Light and Sound Principle,
Noor and Kalam-i-Kadim. All mean one and the same thing. You can call it
Truth clothed in Light, Music of all Harmonies. These are but different
names of the one thing which is already existing.

God's expression has two aspects, Light and Sound. He who has the power to
withdraw you from the outer things and give you a little demonstration of
the Truth inside, he is the Guru. Search the world and see how many Gurus
like that you can find. Guru Amar Das Ji could not find such a Guru in his
seventy years of searching. All outer practices have their own value.. If
you do good you will be rewarded. This is a preparation of the ground, but
one's birth and rebirth will not finish this way. It is said, "The Saint
has given me capital." Capital is that which the Guru gives at the start,
and which must be increased daily, through meditation. After his long
search, how did Guru Amar Das meet his Guru? In his own words, he says, "I
met my Satguru without any effort of mine."

The child who has true yearning in him will gain the grace of God, who is
residing in each being. When God sees that the child is full of anguish and
is anxious to meet Him, He makes the arrangement so that the child reaches
the right source in one way or another. Guru Amar Das used to do the outer
practices before he met his Guru. Bare foot he went on many pilgrimages in
company with his friends. After meeting his Master, he knew what was more
beneficial, so he stopped traveling as if he had reached his destination.
When his friends once again set out for a pilgrimages, he pondered over a
way to make them understand the truth. So finally, when they were leaving,
he said to them, "Brothers, kindly do something for me. Take this tumbi (a
wild fruit, sweet on the outside, but very bitter in the center) and
wherever you take a holy bath, please give this tumbi a bath also." They
agreed and left, leaving him behind. After all, when a man gets what he has
been searching for, he wanders no more. When his friends returned, he asked
them if they had given the tumbi a holy bath, and they replied that they
had given it many baths. So Guru Amar Das cut open the fruit, filled the
halves with water, and told his friends to drink. They drank, remarking
that it was very bitter. He asked them, "How is it possible that after so
many holy dips, it is still bitter?" To further encourage their
understanding he went on to tell them that when the mind is full of filth,
it cannot be washed clean by merely bathing the physical form; that the
world is an illusion and only very few unravel its mystery.

You can stay in any religion, but if you are not living an ethical life, it
will not benefit you. Full congratulations can be given to that religion
through which one's third eye was opened to see the Truth. This can only
happen when one sits beside a God-realized man. It matters not what caste
he is, or what part of the world he comes from. Mira Bai was a princess,
and went to Ravi Das who was a poor cobbler. He was a cobbler, but a
completely God-realized soul. King Bhagail Singh went to Kabir Sahib, who
was a simple weaver. The Muslim Saint, Mirza Taki, and other Muslims, went
to Tulsi Sahib, a Hindu. We have made the caste systems, not God. You can
liken it to a school; but only that school deserves praise where a large
number of students graduate. A true Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian, etc.,
is one who rises above body-consciousness and sees the Light of God. The
degree of M.A. is one and the same in all colleges.

So brothers, this is the common ground, where you are sitting today (Sawan
Ashram). After a great length of time, sitting at the feet of my Master, I
at last understood the parallel study of religions. You should also study
these things and make the best use of them. Remain in your own religions
and keep the same rituals. You do not have to change anything. With a great
blessing you have got the human form in which God is also residing. Realize
Him. Sit beside a Master who goes inside. Tap inside. He will give you a
small way up. Otherwise your whole life will be spent doing outer
observances through the senses, and the cycle of birth and death will never
finish. As long as you do not know in truth that He is the doer and not
you, you will not achieve anything.

"When I saw Him, I sang; and through singing I got the fruit," When one's
condition becomes like this with the Guru's blessing the realization will
come. He will withdraw you from outer things and connect you with the Light
and Sound already existing within the human form. He will make it audible
and visible. Through daily practices you will be able to increase the
experience. Christ told the people that the Son knows the Father, and
others to whom the Son may reveal Him. "By the Guru's grace you can see
that this body you carry around is the temple of God. Many have searched
for this temple, but found it by contacting the Naam Power within." That
God is nameless and formless. When He said, "from one I will become many,"
He expressed Himself forth, and that Power is known an Naam (Name) or Word.
"Through the Naam, the whole world was created" and "By the Naam, the Khand
and Brahmand appeared." You may call it Naam, Shabd, or Word, but that
Power is the same. This expression of Naam is God's own Power. It is the
God into expression Power. It is looking after everything, controlling
everything. If it withdraws from the physical body, we have to leave. Guru
Nanak says, "Nanak's Naam is in control of all; only with God's grace can
it be realized." That Power has tied us to the body, and only by its
support are we going along in life. "What can a poor puppet do but the Will
of the Great Giver?" The wooden doll does not know what is holding her up.
That very Power, Shabd or Naam, is upholding billions and billions of
Khands and Brahmands. With what perfect symmetry and motion is it upholding
all this! When that Power withdraws, dissolution or grand dissolution
occurs.

We must know that Power. We are not separate from it, and it is not
separate from us, but the question remains--where is it? When one becomes
conscious of oneself, then one can know a little of this Truth. These days
the attention is constantly attracted by worldly objects. I am seeing you,
and you are seeing me, but we cannot see behind us. By turning our head and
eyes we can see what is happening behind. So, when we withdraw from outside
we will see what is happening inside. That is why all Masters have advised
to "know thyself."

"Everyone has searched for God's temple." All the words spoken outside are
based on inner sounds. Just take the word Guru, for example. This
Guru-Shabd is mentioned in the holy scriptures (Eastern). Any word given by
a God-realized man is highly charged. You may know of various words, like
Ram or Allah, etc. (names of God), but if they were given by a God-realized
man they would have strong charging. "Oh my mind, to become one with the
Shabd will drench me in its everlasting color." Here, color means Divine
intoxication. If our soul gets joined back to the Shabd, we will also start
getting intoxicated. Nanak says, "The intoxication of Naam upon Nanak is
such that he is inebriated day and night."

The outer intoxication is that which one experiences in the morning and by
evening one is sober. Its effect wears off. If one drinks in the evening
the effect has gone by morning. But inner intoxication is the food of the
soul. Though the soul itself is also intoxication, it is merely a drop of
the ocean of All-Intoxication; when it becomes one with the waves of that
ocean it becomes full of supreme bliss. "Oh man, oh soul, the pleasures you
enjoy last only while your attention is there, but once you withdraw, the
pleasures fade away." So if you want the true intoxication which will never
wear off, you have to become one with God.

"True devotion, the true temple of God, are only true if the Music of the
Spheres is heard." They say that this body is the real temple of God. The
temples made by man are just temples. What is true devotion? Where the
Sound Principle, God's music, is heard. To become one with that Sound is
true devotion. Devotion is also called love, but when the soul gets
intoxicated from the inner Sun, that is called devotion. Where can you find
this? Only in the temple of God--not outside. It is already there. One only
has to withdraw inside, by withdrawing the attention from outer things.

What is the criterion for knowing that this is It? "When you hear the
Sound, which is indescribable and unknowable, then you will have reached
true devotion." Where will it take you? To where it started from. Absolute
God thought, "From one I will become many." This is the way back to
Absolute God. For whom is this teaching? All mankind. A Muslim fakir says,
"Shame on ye that are so identified with the prison of the physical form,
that ye listen not to the holy Voice of God." It means that it is very sad
that you are so physically bound to your body that you do not listen to the
pure Voice of the Lord which is coming from within you. "I hear a voice
within me calling, 'Oh Shamas Tabrez, return thee to the Kingdom of God.'
Every moment a voice is coming to my soul inside this physical form and it
is saying, 'Oh, Shamas Tabrez, come back to my home.'" That Voice is
continuously vibrating. On this subject, Bhai Nandlal Ji has said in the
Persian language, "The Sound of the bell is ringing. Hurry up and pack your
things, and let us go home to that place from whence the Sound is coming."
This is the Voice of God calling us. It is also said that this body is the
temple of God in which the gem of knowledge appears. The gem of knowledge
is that Sound which reverberates, and whosoever enters inside will find it.
"Everything is in this house. Nothing is outside." Whosoever searches
outwardly will lose himself in illusion.

Kabir says, "The thing is in one place and the search is being made
somewhere else. You will find it when you take with you he who knows." If
you come across a person who has the knowledge of the Beyond, he will say,
"Come," and will join you back, through his attention. "If you take the
Knower with you, he will easily give you the Truth. That which takes
millions of births will happen in one second." For many lives, and the
present one also, man has been in search of God; wandering in the outer
environments. If he had gone inside, he would have had the realization. For
this process, a Mahatma (great soul) who goes inside himself, is needed to
put us on the way up. Then with daily practice one's condition should
become one of confidence. "When a True Master comes, all doubts vanish."
Whenever he wants, he can work in the body or he can go into the
sukhsham--into the Beyond. So the true temple of God is the physical form,
in which the jewel of knowledge shines. Knowledge is not gained just by
reading and writing. Knowledge comes through experience.

To see the inner Light and hear the inner Sound is real knowledge.
"Manmukhs (worldly people) ask, "How can the man-body be the temple of
God?'" Those people who are under the influence of the mind and are doing
outer practices say, "How can the man-body be the temple of God? This is a
sack of filth--who can say it is the house of God?" They are never
convinced about it. Once, I heard of a great mahatma, who had many
followers, so I went to see him.. Someone introduced me, and he started
giving a lecture. "Who says that in the beyond you can realize God? The
body is full of filth, urine, blood, etc. How can there be anything inside?
If you want to see the sun you must look outside." So you must understand
that there are also mahatmas of this type. In the Gurubani it is written
that this kind of mahatma is manmukh. What is a manmukh? "He who does not
understand the Holy Shabd can be termed a manmukh. The fear of the Guru is
not in his heart."

Firstly, it is very difficult to meet a True Master, and secondly if one
does not meet one, naturally one cannot obey him. Such people say, "How can
this body be a temple of God?" Eat, drink and be merry is their motto. Dear
people, this human form is a true temple, wherein God resides. Withdraw
yourselves from outer things and realize Him. You can only do this while
you have a human life. "Now you have got this man-body, it is the time to
meet God. All the outward actions will not help you. Keep the company of a
Sadhu, and repeat the Holy Naam." Keep the company of a Sadhu. What is a
Sadhu? One in whom God has manifested Himself, and who can make God appear
within others. "In the company of a Sadhu, you will receive that which is
Imperishable." What is that thing which is imperishable? He, God Himself,
who is already within you. In the Jap Ji Sahib, which is read daily by the
Sikhs, it is written, "There is a priceless jewel within you; you will
realize it if you obey the Guru's teachings." In the Koran of our Muslim
brothers it is written in Persian, "I am a hidden treasure, hidden deep
within you."

If you knew there was some treasure hidden somewhere, wouldn't you like to
dig it out? If a thief came across an unguarded house with no one to see
his actions, do you think he would sleep in the night? So many say that God
is within us, but even then sleep without caring. Why don't they dig out
the Truth? Even if one meets someone who can help to bring out this Truth,
and some understanding is given, even then one does not care to do the
digging. How unfortunate is he! What can we call such an unfortunate
person? If he were not conscious of the thing, it would be a different
matter, but if someone has shown a little of that treasure inside, and even
then one ignores it, then what is to be done? The usual excuse given is, "I
have no time," is it not? Do you want someone else to dig out the treasure
for you?

This is not restricted to any particular faith; anyone can do it. All the
outer rituals are good, and if one does something good one will be
rewarded, but the coming and going in the world will not stop. This thing
is an inner science, getting which you will also get salvation. Even if one
returns, it will not be as a prisoner but rather as a doctor sent back to
help the rest of humanity. "The true temple of the man-body was made by
God, and is maintained by His Will." All creation is in God's control, just
as a powerhouse controls all other machinery. He who is in charge of the
powerhouse will tell you that not a single piece of machinery can move
without his orders. Those working under him say, "Be careful not to disobey
his orders, otherwise a limb might get chopped off in the machinery." His
wishes are like standing orders and cannot be erased. So God is called by
the names Shabd or Naam or Word. That which we term the Controlling Power
is His wish or order, or you can call it the will of God. "Through the
Shabd all happiness is acquired, and through love the True Naam." Soul is a
part of God, just as it is a part of the Shabd. When the soul becomes one
with God, it becomes full of bliss. "If ye long for eternal happiness,
surrender thyself to God." Go under the protection of that Power which is
perpetually vibrating. The soul is a conscious entity, and God is
All-Consciousness. If you want everlasting happiness, be connected with the
ever-permeating rays of the All-Consciousness. Such happiness will never
end. These teachings are not for a selected few, but for all men.

This secret path cannot be trod without a Guru. When we leave the body at
death, the body's identifications which we considered to be so important
remain with the body. When you leave, who are you? Just a soul. You will go
to a place in accordance with the seeds you have sown, not by what religion
you are, but by just what you are. If one is fortunate to find a great man
who is a living temple of God, and who can reveal the Light within, what
will this great man do? "The Master will lift you above the realm of
duality, saving you from judgment in the court of the Lord of Death." An
enlightened soul with his attention takes you above the senses and connects
you with the Truth. Once you have risen above the poisons of the senses and
have become the one who sees, then what can Dharm Rai, the Lord of Death,
do?

This quotation was from the Gurubani--that book has a place in every Sikh
home--but the same thing has been said by all past Masters. In the Persian
language it is the same. If you open the Sanskrit books, you will find the
same teaching there. However, the common man does not understand Sanskrit,
which requires the study of a special grammar. When Masters come, they
speak the simple language of the common man, so that everyone may
understand. The latest holy book is the Guru Granth Sahib. Forgive me, but
for understanding that also, dictionaries are now being compiled. With each
age, everything changes. This Guru Granth Sahib was written in the simple
Punjabi language, very clearly and in such a way that by reading it one
gets some intoxication. "Those who commune with the Truth are freed from
all worldly sufferings." "True One is the Truth, Oh Nanak." The Truth is
also known as Shabd and Naam. It is both describable and indescribable. It
is said that he whose soul becomes one with the Truth, or Naam, transcends
matter, and the rest get drowned in it, going around the cycle of births
and deaths. In a certain section of the Hindu religion, when a person is
dying they quickly light a lamp and put it in his hand. They say, "Do it
quickly or he will die before he gets salvation."

When a Guru initiates a disciple on this path, he will not leave him until
he has taken him to the lap of Sat Purush, God in His True Form. After that
the Sat Purush will take him to Alakh, Agam and Anami, states of
imperceptible, inconceivable and nameless God. A Guru's duty is very
exacting. Even to hear the word Guru, the soul shivers but people nowadays
want to become Gurus very quickly and very easily like an enjoyment you
might say. In truth, a Guru is God Himself. In whichever pole God has
manifested Himself, that pole is known as Sadhu, Sant or Mahatma, or
Master. He never says,"I am the doer," but always refers to the will of
God.

The bani of the Guru, a Sound which gives perpetual bliss, can only be
heard by the grace of the Guru." The bani of the Guru and the Gurubani are
two different things. Gurubani--Guru's word-- is what we read. Bani is the
name of the Naam or Word, of which it is said that in the four yugas or
ages, the Sound is vibrating continuously, and with the blessing of the
Guru, Sound is made audible to the disciple. All the holy scriptures
started from some enlightened soul. Before each Master came, each book was
not in existence. So only a self-realized man can interpret them. The
correct meanings cannot be understood on an intellectual level, for men who
have not seen will give many different interpretations.

"Those who communed with the Naam became rid of all dross, to merge with
the Lord in a state of pristine purity." Those whose soul gets connection
with Naam become pure. Only then can they merge into the Godhead. Naam
liberates the soul from the lower self. Only he who is clean and pure can
reach the lap of God. Who else can go? "The true temple of the body is
God's shop where the priceless treasure of Naam is sold, which only a
Gurumukh can get." He says that in the shop of God you can buy the True
Naam, Naam Power, which is inside it. But only he who becomes a Gurumukh
can buy it. This is not a story for the manmukh. A Gurumukh is he who
becomes one with the Guru, through the eyes of the Guru. Otherwise, how can
he become a Gurumukh? We have a habit of saying that this or that person is
a very big Gurumukh, but it is not a matter of saying.

"In the temple of God, the mind drags us downward, away from the Truth." It
is because of the mind that we cannot partake of that which is inside us.
It drags us down like a weight of iron. In turn the senses are dragging the
mind, and the pleasures of the world are dragging the senses. If the
attention withdraws from outer environments, leaves the senses and calms
the mind, then only does it realize that it is soul. Have you understood
this? Our mind is the barrier between soul and God. This lesson is not for
any particular person our country.

"A contact with the philosopher's stone turns iron into gold." It is
necessary for the iron to come into contact with the magic stone, to turn
it into gold. The big difference between this touchstone and a Guru is that
the touchstone will turn iron into gold, but the contact with a true Guru
can make one a Guru. In the company of the Master your mind will come to a
standstill, because he himself has controlled his mind. From where does
this mind take its power? From the soul. You will become very valuable if
you can also control your mind and become one with your Guru.

"The lowly became high through God's grace, and through His grace the
sinking stone was made to swim across." Only God's grace made this sinking
stone swim across, so there is hope for everybody. There is a great wealth
to be gained through Gurubhakti--devotion to the Guru. You have to earn
your reward through using whatever he gives you to start with. So the first
step should be through Gurubhakti. "One whole lifetime of Gurubhakti is
required, and in the next life you will get Naam. The third birth brings
salvation, and the fourth reaches you to your True Home." If you do
Gurubhakti in one birth, in the next you will get Naam, the third will
bring salvation, and in the fourth you will arrive in Sach Khand, your true
home. All these stages can be had even in one span of man-body, with the
grace of the Guru. All Masters have sung the praises of Gurubhakti. Maulana
Rumi says, "Maulana Rumi would not have become Maulana Rumi if he hadn't
given himself as a slave to Shaman Tabrez." Guru Nanak says, "Nanak, become
a Gurumukh if you want to earn the Truth."

I have laid before you a hymn from the Gurubani. Many of you have read it
many times, but was it ever with full attention? If you will open up the
meaning you will see the truth in it. One hymn is enough; it is not
necessary to read more. If you have a true heart, God Himself will help you
by leading you to a True Master, in whom He has manifested Himself. He will
give you something to start with; to help you on your way in this birth and
even afterwards. If you meet such a personality but do not obey his
commands, then what can I say?

Stay in your religions. This wealth of Naam is already in you. God is
residing in this physical form, which can rightly be called the Temple of
God. Keep this temple carefully, with purity and cleanliness. That form is
beautiful in which God has manifested Himself. If you cover a heap of
garbage with silk, will any fragrance of perfume come out of it. Clean up
the mind through self-introspection and daily meditation. The more
frequently one enjoys the Divine contact with the holy Naam, the more
beautiful will one become inside. As the inner beauty develops, the
fragrant radiance from within will shine forth, making a temple truly fit
for God to dwell in.

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