EXAMPLE #1: EXTORTING MONEY AND LABOR FROM MEMBERS
Source: Official Beas Newsletter for the Western US (Note: Different
areas receive different newsletters which do not contain the same material.
Ordinary members are only allowed to receive the newsletter for their area
and have no idea what "news" is being sent to other areas).
This copy was obtained from http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/exsatsangisupportgroup
post number 3690 and 3691.
Newsletter Text:
APRIL 2000 WESTERN US NEWSLETTER
Dear Friends-Radha Soami;
IN A WORLD GRIPPED BY ILLUSION and dominated by materialistic self-centeredness, a powerful force of grace and light has descended from the Lord's abode to dispel the darkness and ignorance and illusion, to exemplify selfless service and spiritual living and to confer immortality. This powerful force of grace is the Living Master.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS AT OUR DOOR. Once in a lifetime opportunity knocks at our door. Let us pose a hypothetical question. Suppose you were a devout Christian, Jew, Muslim or follower of the Buddha; and Jesus, Moses Prophet Mohammed or Budda contacted you personally by letter, phone, fax or E-mail with a specific message and request. What would you do ?
THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLE: "I am inviting you to help build a sanctuary where deciples and truth seekers can come together to work and worship, to unburden themselves of worldly worries and cares. Won't you do this for yourselves and to please me? What would be your response? Wouldn't you be inclined to drop whatever you were doing and with a joyful, exuberant heart set out on the task of building such a sanctuary? This analogy may appear a bit dramatic, but it emphasizes the real and rare opportunity we have today to serve the Master of our time. We are able to do this seva while he is alive and walking in our midst. The specific seva being referred to at this time is the seva of completing our Petaluma project. Among the many things that Baba Ji said during his discourse of May '99 at Petaluma on the subject of seva was simple and profound statement, "Seva will never be over, it will never end".
But to take advantage of this seva which will never end, one has to begin and continue in seva. During the same discourse, the Master lovingly stated to the gathered Sangat "Everyone should come and participate. Even if they do their seva for half an hour, with the right attitude, that has more value than someone doing seva 30-40 hours a week as a matter of routine, like ordinary work." Baba Ji explained the reason for building this and other centers was not financial but rather to give an opportunity to do seva in an atmosphere of love and harmony which will help us in our personal lives and meditation. "The center does not belong to the Master, rather it belongs to all of us. It's a place where we can come to get away from the rush of the material world".
IN 'MY SUBMISSION', THE GREAT MASTER IMPLORES us to render service or seva to the dear ones of the Lord; i.e., the Masters, the Perfect Gurmuckhs: "one should render all types of service to the dear ones of the Lord, because no wealth, no sovereignty and no high state in life can equal the reward of this service. But service is really rewarding if it is done with mind and soul. Through service with body and mind, the heart of the devotee is attached to that of the Master. And the Master or the Guru is the Treasurer of God's wealth. Therefore, we shall certainly attain God Realization (Communion with God) if we serve the Master.
One should therefore serve such a noble soul who is a Master, and whose service will always be rewarding. When we meet such an exalted person, who is the manifestation of God on earth, we should hasten to worship him.
If one is so fortunate as to be near a Master, one should obey the words and instructions of the Master implicitly, without bringing into play his own mind. Whichever way the mind leans, the body will turn that way also. We should cease to be arrogant but should constantly think of God, and we should surrender our ego into the hands of our Master. Whatever we wish to think, we should think on behalf of the Master, discarding self and it's viewpoint then, we shall always be successful in our mission.
ONE OF THE GREATEST VALUES of outer seva is the chance to work through
our weaknesses. In seva, our flaws are exposed, as are other people's flaws.
Put more benignly,. we see our own challenges, which when met, become humbling
and enlightening. To work with others with who we don't see eye to eye,
can eventually lead us to liberating experiences if we are open to them.
How can we obtain this during our seva interactions. The way to attain
this is hinted at in the italicized sentences of the previous Great Master's
quotation. To restate, "If one is so fortunate as to be near a Master,
one should obey the words and instructions of the Master implicitly, without
bringing into play his own mind'. When the Master puts forward a question
such as, "Everyone should come and participate in seva", one's duty is
to obey without question If the Master says this is the time to build centers,
why should we put in our own ego saying, "Well none of our previous Masters
had us build centers." Whose seva are we performing...seva for our own
mind or seva for the Master? When we put forth objections to the Master's
commands, we are asserting our ego and expect the Master to conform to
our logic, our limited perception. What foolishness! When the Master advises
us to avoid cheese with animal rennet, we out to be able to take a hint
that this is for our good. The Masters are always trying to break down
our willfulness and deep-seated bad habits. Seva is a great workshop for
the destruction of our weaknesses. "Whichever way the mind leans, the body
will turn that way also." In the Bible we read, "For as he thinketh in
his heart, so is he.."(prov. 23) As the mind, so the person. "We should
cease to be arrogant but should constantly think of God, and we should
surrender our ego into the hands of our Master"
When we become contentious toward the Master or toward our fellow sevadars,
we are not truly performing seva, we are merely serving ourselves. The
Master reminds us that we should constantly be practicing the presence
of God, rather than thinking of our position in relation to a particular
situation or job. The Great Master reminds us of the same lesson which
was driven home to him by Baba Ji Maharaj throughout his own discipleship
days, that is, "I am nothing. All is the Satguru's; I do not exist." (Spiritual
Letters 89) "Whatever we wish to think, we should think on behalf of the
Master is an extremely exalted state, a state which cannot be described
by an ordinary disciple. Huzur Maharaj Ji, speaking of this consciousness,
said "Real surrender is to cease to think and to cease to be". Baba Ji
Maharaj explains this point beautifully: "So long as the disciple does
not take out the self by surrendering his all to the Satguru and removing
himself from everything, he will not be liberated. So surrender your self
and step aside, my son. Consider that each and every thing you do in the
world-body, mind, and wealth-belongs to the Satguru, that you are nothing.
Do all your work knowing it to be thus and stay within the Satguru's instructions.
He will then take you with him when he considers you fit." The Great Master
points out that all other services to family, community, country, ect,
while valuable, cannot lead to liberation; only service to the Master can
do this: "Service to our family, to our community and even to our country
is praiseworthy. But this kind of service attaches us to the world and
worldly objects. It is only service to the Master that is noble and pure
and frees us from all attachments. He is, in fact, the Fountain of the
love of God in human form. So by serving Him alone, we can be freed from
all attachment." Now is your golden opportunity.
RS Regards,
Vincent Savarese, (western rep)