Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

The Great Spiritual Master of the 20th Century

Reveals Divine Knowledge to the World

Shri Hansa's Life and Work

Hans Ram Singh Rawat, known as Shri Hans Ji Maharaj (November 8, 1900 - July 19, 1966) was born in
Gadh-ki-Sedhia, north-east of Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. His parents were Ranjit Singh Rawat and
Kalindi Devi. He was considered a Satguru by his students who called him affectionally "Shri Maharaji" or
just "Guru Maharaji."He had a daughter from his first wife Sinduri Devi, and four sons from his second
wife Rajeshwari Devi, later known among followers as "Mata Ji" and "Shri Mataji". He is one of the
greatest and well known spiritual masters of the Himalayan area.

Shri Hans Ji
At the age of eight, not long after starting at the village school, Hans Ji's mother died. From that time he
was raised by his aunt. As a young adult he visited many holy men in the nearby mountains and
pilgrimage towns in the area now the Pakistani provinces of Sind, Baluchistan and Punjab. He was
reportedly disenchanted with these and turned to the Arya Samaj, a popular movement formed to
remove caste prejudices and idolatry from Hinduism. The search for work led Hans Ji to Lahore, the
capital of the former Sikh kingdom. During this time he made his first contact with Sri Swarupanand Ji. In
1923, Swarupanand taught Hans the techniques of Knowledge or kriyas, an experience of which Sri Hans
later said: "I was given no mantra, but experienced Knowledge. I experienced the music and light of my
heart. My mind was focused within". Three years later, in 1926, Swarupanand Ji asked him to start
teaching others the techniques of Knowledge, and for the subsequent 10 years Sri Hans traveled
through what is today Pakistan and northern India. A strong bond of teacher/disciple was formed
between them which Swarupanand reportedly referred to as follows: "I am in Hans' heart and Hans is in
my heart".

In 1936, Sri Swarupanand Ji died in Nangli Sahib, a village near the north town of Meerut. Reported
indications from Swarupanand about Hans' succession were later contested by a group of mahatmas
who noted that Hans Ji had married Sinduri Devi from a neighbouring village in the district of Garwal,
making him a "householder", a status that in their view as renunciates was not acceptable. After the rift,
Sri Hans was left with only a handful of people to help him continue his work. Sri Hans branched out on
his own with the understanding that he had his teacher's blessings, and continued teaching throughout
the Indian sub-continent. That same year, he started presenting his message and teaching in the small
town of Najibabad, near Haridwar. His talks at the time were strongly influenced by the egalitarian and
reformist philosophy of the Arya Samaj, and he reportedly accepted anyone as his student, irrespective
of caste, religion or status. This was an unusual stance for an Indian teacher, and it drew its share of
criticism from traditional Hindus. During this year he published a book Hans Yog Prakash as a first step to
broadening the dissemination of his message. During the next years, Hans Ji traveled by foot and by
train to towns and villages across north India, speaking at small, impromptu gatherings at train stations,
or under a tree in the village grounds. By the late 1930s, Sri Hans Ji had begun visiting Delhi, teaching
workers at the Delhi Cloth Mills. He travelled constantly between Hardwar and Delhi, often staying at
followers' houses at Paharganj and Connaught Place, behind the new Delhi center.

In 1944, as the number of students grew, Sri Hans Ji purchased a small, two story house on the bank of
the Ganges canal outside Hardwar, and named it "Prem Nagar" ("Town of Love"). The mahatmas who
were helping him in a full-time capacity lived there with him in the tradition of the gurukul. Four years
later, he reportedly purchased his first car, a green Austin Somerset, that assisted him in visiting nearby
towns and villages in his effort to reach more people. Sri Hans Ji had a daughter, Savithri, but his wife
was unable to have more children. As a consequence of that, and based on an understanding that
Swarupanand reportedly had told him that "one day he [Hans Ji] will have a son who would play an
important role", he remarried in 1946 to Rajeshwari Devi, a young woman from Malegaon from the
Garhwal district. In 1951, his first son was born (Satpal), followed by three more in 1953 (Bhole), 1955
(Raja), and 1957 (Prem Pal), named affectionately by Sri Hans "Sant Ji").
As Sri Hans Ji Maharaj's message was spreading throughout northern India, several initiatives were
taken to facilitate his work, including the publishing of a monthly magazine named Hansadesh in 1951,
and the formation of the Divine Light Mission (DLM). For nearly 30 years Sri Hans Ji Maharaj
disseminated his message without any formal organization. After resisting suggestions for such an
organization, he finally gave in to growing pressure, and the Divine Light Mission was registered in Patna
in 1960, to develop and structure the growing activities across India. The mission aims discussed are that
"in principle all religions are one" and that the understanding that "peace is indivisible" and achievable
by individuals and that "disgruntled individuals and dissatisfied nations can never promote lasting peace
in the world." It also discusses some humanitarian initiatives.

By the early 1960s there were students in most large cities, towns and villages in the states of Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajastan, as well as within the Indian communities in South Africa.
Meetings were still small, and Sri Hans' close relationship with his students continued. In 1963, the first
of many large public programs was held in the Ram Lila grounds in New Delhi, reportedly attended by
15,000. In 1964, an event took place on Gandhi Maidan in the heart of old Delhi that attracted even
larger crowds. Several ashrams were opened during that time, including a small one in Rajastan and
another larger one called Satlok ("Place of Truth") located between Delhi and Hardwar. In 1965, Sri Hans
attended a religious conference in New Delhi's Constitution Club that was chaired by the then Speaker
of the India Parliament, Mr. Ayengar. That year Sri Hans flew for the first time when he visited his
students in Jammu, Kashmir. On July 18, 1966, while visiting a small ashram in Alwar, Sri Hans fell ill, and
the same day returned to Delhi by car. It is reported that he died at 3 a.m. the following morning. Three
days later, in a procession led by his family and many grieving mahatmas, his ashes were taken to his
home in Hardwar.

Over the last years of XX century more and more people throughout the world have been inspired deep
within inside by the Great Spiritual Master, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, who left his physical body in 1966. He is
revealing his Knowledge, the combination of:

* Satsang - studying his teachings, the scriptures and sharing information about His Knowledge;

* Service - selfless service to your fellow men and women;

* Meditation - four meditation techniques that allow people to see the Divine Light, hear the Celestial
Harmonies, experience the Holy Name and drink the Immortal Nectar.

By His Grace we have this knowleadge that brothers and sisters every where can receive and begin to
practice this Supreme Knowledge.

Bhole Shri Satguru Dev Maharaj Ki Jai.

Bhole Shri Satguru Dev Maharaj Ki Jai.

As Maharaji has said: "You know not the value of this human frame. It is the greatest blessing of God to
you. You are wasting your breaths in the pursuits of worldly life. Let every breath be spent in meditation
on God. You know not the greatness of the Guru. Lord Rama was an incarnation of God, enjoying 14
types of divine powers. Lord Krishna was an incarnation of God, having 16 types of divine powers. But I
am all perfect, and am the master of all 64 divine powers. None can match the greatness of the Guru."

Shri Maharaj Ji Early Life

Uttarakhand, nestled in the Himalayas, is famous for its spectacular scenery, pleasant valleys, sparkling
streams and holy shrines. It is an ancient and sacred area where saints, sages and Divine Incarnations
lived and practised meditation. It was here on 8th November 1900, that Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj
was born. Even from early childhood he was inclined towards spirituality. He had mystical experiences
which could not be rationally explained. Once he himself recalled his childhood saying, "I was often
absorbed in samadhi and used to have divine visions. I would close my eyes and see divine light. I would
say to myself, 'Others have realized God so why can't I?' " He had an unquenchable thirst to see God
face to face.

As time passed, he came in contact with different sects and religious organizations. He was strongly
influenced by the Arya Samaj and so was very much against superstitions, rituals and idol worship. He
used to enjoy the debates between the Arya Samajis and orthodox Hindus and Muslims about the
nature of God and other theological matters. However he eventually got fed up with all the text-
twisting, as fundamentally he wanted a real experience of the Divine. It was by sheer coincidence that
Maharaj Ji met Swami Swarupanandji Maharaj, the saint who was to become his Guru. Due to the
influence of contemporary religious movements, he didn't really believe a Guru is necessary for spiritual
development. However, the first meeting with his Guru convinced him that true self-realization is
impossible without a teacher. He therefore asked to be given this Knowledge of the Self, whereupon
Swami Swarupanandji replied that he should come the next day to hear more satsang, after which he
would be given 'updesh', or initiation.

The next day Maharaj Ji left home to meet his Guru, but found that heavy rains had swollen a small
stream he had to cross into flood proportions. Maharaj Ji attempted to forge the stream but was caught
by its strong current and was swept away. There seemed to be little hope of rescue, and at this moment
Maharaj Ji had only one regret - that he would have to leave life without having received the Guru's
knowledge. Suddenly, it seemed as if a hand had appeared and was pulling him up out of the water. The
next thing he knew he was lying on the bank of the stream, safe and sound. He looked around for his
rescuer, but no one could be found. He then proceeded to the home of his Guru, who, seeing him
drenched and shivering, gave him some fresh clothes and told him to change before he could hear any
more satsang. Maharaj Ji was hesitant to accept the clothes from his Guru, since by tradition it is the
householder who must offer and not the Guru. However, after some persuasion he took them and
prepared himself. He listened to satsang and finally the four 'kriyas', or techniques were imparted to
him.

At first, Maharaj Ji was at a loss to understand the full meaning and import of what he had received. He
returned home bewildered and pondered deeply over what he had just been revealed. He picked up a
copy of the Bhagavad Gita and began reading it to see if this Knowledge was in accordance with the
scriptures. He discovered that suddenly the secrets and full meaning of the Gita became crystal clear to
him and what was before a mystery was now obvious. Naturally he was filled with reverence for this
Knowledge, which had the immediate effect of making quite plain what was once hidden. The next
morning he awoke early, bathed and sat for meditation with great resolve and devotion, intent upon
experiencing the fundamental Reality. That same morning, young Maharaj Ji entered 'samadhi' and in
that state beyond all body consciousness, he experienced the Infinite. Now, of course, his respect and
reverence for the Knowledge and the Guru knew no bounds. Full of firm faith and absolute trust that
what he had found was the true Knowledge, he decided to devote his life to his Guru and the
dissemination of the Knowledge.

Once he had found his Guru, he underwent a radical and fundamental transformation. He went into
deep meditation for many years and, by the grace of the master, achieved enlightenment. He was the
perfect example of total surrender and followed his master's guidelines in letter and spirit, meditating
himself on the Holy Name and showing others how to meditate. Shri Maharaj Ji first of all taught and
revealed the Knowledge of the Divine Light and Holy Name in Sindh and Lahore in what is now Pakistan.
From 1930 onwards he began visiting Delhi in order to reach out to more people. He stayed in a small
room in Bagh Raoji, situated in the suburb of Karol Bagh near the giant Delhi Cloth Mills. His following
gradually grew as he patiently kindled the lamp of Knowledge in others, one at a time. Soon a group of
workers from the Delhi Cloth Mills became interested in him and visited him regularly. Those were the
days of close association, when Shri Maharaj Ji could give personal attention to the aspirant's progress
on the path of truth. His magnanimity and cheerful disposition, along with his selfless dedication to the
cause, endeared him so much to his followers that he became their object of love and reverence.

He was a magnetic personality, tall with a glowing face and flowing hair, glorious eyes, broad forehead
and a wide smile. He had a very pleasing and impressive demeanor, which attracted everyone who
approached him. There was an awe-inspiring charisma about him. He always practised what he
preached and as such was the living embodiment of truth. He outshone everyone else and was
singularly conspicuous in a crowd. His faith in the Holy Name and his own Master was rock-solid. His
very presence inspired confidence, emanated a radiance and created an atmosphere of love and peace.
Shri Maharaj Ji's approach was not at all traditional. He was unique and so were his methods. Delhi Cloth
Mill employees expressed their desire to realize God but wondered how workers like themselves could
possibly do this when they didn't have time to sit in meditation or visit the temple, nor did they have the
option of renouncing the world. Maharaj Ji told them that meditation was something that could be done
at all times in all stations of life and that the Holy Name was above the petty vicissitudes of life. This
appealed to them and encouraged them to the point where they looked upon him as the Messiah of the
poor.

The 'premies' who had the opportunity to be with him in those early years were fascinated by his way of
life. He would play, swim and talk easily with them, sharing their joys and sorrows, yet always
encouraging them to steer themselves on the spiritual path . He taught them the mysteries of God in a
very practical and down-to-earth fashion. He did not burden them with high philosophy. Rather he took
philosophy and made it simple and understandable. He was known for his parables, anecdotes and
homespun truths which he used expertly in order to carry home a point. There was nothing scholastic
about him, for he believed that theory bereft of action was futile mental gymnastics. His realistic
approach was to harmonize worldly and spiritual life. Generally the disciples would assemble in a house
of a fellow premie, where they would listen to him with rapt attention. More and more people started
coming to him, requesting that satsang programs be held in dharmashalas (pilgrims' inns).
Consequently, Maharaj Ji changed his method of preaching from small private gatherings to
dharmasalas in Delhi and gave discourses to larger audiences. At this time he moved from Karol Bagh to
Pahar Ganj, to the residence of a premie named Lala Jyoti Prasad. The first Guru Puja festival was held at
Jyoti Prasad's home. After this it became an annual event.

His devotees were so attracted to him that as soon as they heard he had arrived in Delhi they would
leave work and flock to him. Master and devotees would sing and play together. The atmosphere was
intimate and full of heartfelt love. So close were the premies to their Guru that when he left them they
would weep, counting the days until his next visit. As his message spread, Maharaj Ji held public satsang
meetings, especially on the banks of the River Jamuna. He had his own natural and novel way of
speaking to people. He was against all outward show and shunned the pomp that many 'sadhus' and
'mandaleshwars' would indulge in. He never posed as a religious man. He simply lived religion. He
opposed all outer forms of worship such as counting of prayer beads, penances, fasting and the like.

Once, when he was coming back from the river, accompanied by some of his admirers, he saw a 'mauni
baba' sitting cross-legged on the riverbank, answering the questions put to him by writing on the sand.
Maharaj Ji went and sat down in front of the Baba. He folded his hands in prayer, raised his eyes to the
heavens and said, "O God, You are omniscient and all powerful, perfect and the creator of all, yet I see
that even You can make mistakes. For why have You given this Baba a tongue when it seems he has no
need of it?" At this, all were startled and the pretensions of the mauni baba collapsed in anger as he
shouted, "What are you saying?" At once all the spectators broke into laughter. Maharaj Ji told the Baba
that silence of the mind is more important, in fact indispensable, on the path to God, while silence of
the tongue is but an outward show. One who does not still the mind by meditation, but only outwardly
controls his senses by force, is a hypocrite.

In addition to Delhi, Maharaj Ji would also visit various areas in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh,
gathering many followers in both the cities and their surrounding villages. He would often go and stay in
one place for about a week at a time. Once, while visiting a village, a farmer who was his disciple saw
Maharaj Ji approaching. He left his ploughing and ran forward to greet him. He touched the feet of his
Guru and requested him for satsang. He placed a string bed in the shade of a tree and covered it with his
best cloth for Maharaj Ji to sit on. But Maharaj Ji refused to sit and told the man to return to his work in
the fields. The farmer obeyed and Maharaj Ji walked with his disciple and instructed him as he ploughed
the fields. After the farmer completed his work they both left for the village. It was a superb practical
lesson in Karma Yoga.

Once Maharaj Ji was invited to Simla by a brahmin disciple. Many people gathered in his house over
three days to hear Maharaj Ji teach. One of the brahmin's household staff was a low-caste sweeper, who
would sit apart from the crowd and listen to satsang. On the third day the sweeper approached Maharaj
Ji and asked that if this 'Nam' was so beneficial, and if the name of God was one for all, could he too be
permitted to receive initiation? Maharaj Ji accepted the sweeper and initiated him. When the brahmin
learned that his servant was now also a disciple, he was furious and told Maharaj Ji that he could not
accept the fact that a sweeper was allowed to receive 'updesh' and pollute the higher castes with his
company. It was unthinkable to him that a brahmin and a sweeper could be brother disciples. Maharaj Ji
simply said that it was not his fault that he gave the knowledge of the Holy Name to the sweeper The
blame must be placed on God, Who has placed divinity in the heart of every person, brahmin and
'shudra' alike, and there was nothing Maharaj Ji could do to alter this fact.

Shri Maharaj Ji in Later Life

By 1950, Maharaj Ji had acquired a large number of followers. Usually he would go on tour and stay in
the homes of devotees, giving satsang in the evening and personal interviews in the morning. Wherever
he went there was always a stream of people coming to have his 'darshan' and hear his discourses. After
1950, Maharaj Ji shifted from Pahar Ganj to a premie's home in Bara Khamba Road, in New Delhi. He
had a large group of disciples in Delhi by now and they started meeting together in his absence as well.
At this time the first disciples decided to become part of the group of missionaries who preferred a life
of meditation, service and teaching in order to spread his message. They were the first mahatmas,
following his guidelines in full and dedicated to his teachings.

Whereas satsang programs used to take place only when Maharaj Ji was in Delhi, now regular weekly
satsang meetings were held in premies' homes. The disciples would either share their own experiences
and insights or invite mahatmas to come and teach them. Gradually they organized themselves into a
small community of disciples and admirers faithfully revering him as their Satguru and seeking to spread
his message to others. Shri Maharaj Ji too inspired them to spread this knowledge of the Holy Name and
Divine Light, as the greatest service and charity that a person can do. He agreed with Guru Nanak, who
said, "One who meditates on the Holy Name and helps others also to meditate upon it will achieve
salvation."

To start with, his message was spread by the simple method of word of mouth, However, once the
premies were organized to some extent and eager to make known the greatness of their Guru to the
general public, they arranged outdoor satsang meetings in local parks whenever he visited Delhi.
Pamphlets were written, handbills distributed and other literature given out so that by the time Maharaj
Ji arrived, large audience had gathered. The general public came to know that Maharaj Ji was a man who
spoke the language of the saints. His popularity increased and there was widespread awareness of his
activities and teachings.

In this manner the Knowledge spread from Delhi to large areas in U.P., especially Lucknow, Aligarh and
Allahabad, as well as in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jammu-Kashmir. Maharaj Ji sent
mahatmas to various districts to continue and build upon his work, and they in turn arranged large, well-
publicized programs at which he was invited to speak. Another significant development in this period
was that 'Hansadesh', the Hindi monthly magazine, began publication from Delhi. Its purpose was to
present Maharaj Ji's ideas to the public at large, and to offer instruction in the path of True Knowledge.
The magazine was unique, not only because of the articles written by mahatmas and others on
spirituality, but also because it published Maharaj Ji's satsangs, By now, he was becoming more and
more popular and established as an outstanding figure in the field of religion.

Slowly and gradually, the number of followers increased until there were large premie communities in
Gujarat, Bombay, Maharastra, Bihar, Calcutta, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. During this period
Maharaj Ji organized big peace conferences and 'All Religions' conferences at venues such as Ramlila
Ground and the Constitution Club in Delhi. In the last two or three years of his life, Maharaj Ji was all
dance and bliss. With a tamboura in his hands, he would sing and dance onstage, delighting the
devotees with these lilas. Like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was in a state of divine ecstasy. He
proclaimed, "People of the world, I declare that only Guru can save mortal man from the clutches of
death and maya." His own devotion to his Guru was exemplary and this is what he taught to his own
disciples. He was selfless and others under his tutelage learned the great art of selflessness. He relied
utterly on the Holy Name, or rather, he was the Word made flesh. His Knowledge was great but greater
was He himself. And greatest of all was his service to others. On 19th July 1966, at 3 a.m. Shri Maharaj Ji
left his mortal body, leaving the devotees in a state of inconsolable grief and despair.

The Knowledge Session

You, who are about to receive Knowledge should take these vows to Shri Guru Maharaj Ji:
- To follow Maharaji's five commandments

* NEVER PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY

* ALWAYS MEDITATE AND REMEMBER THE HOLY NAME

* ALWAYS HAVE FAITH IN GOD

* NEVER LEAVE ROOM IN YOUR MIND FOR DOUBT

* NEVER DELAY IN ATTENDING SATSANG

- To practice satsang, service, and meditation say the following vows:

'Oh my Guru Maharaji, I dedicate myself to your lotus feet. I am weak and ignorant and am filled with
the impurities of this world.

Oh Guru Maharaji, please take my mind and purge me of the impurities I possess. Reveal to me the
knowledge of all knowledge.

Strengthen me, uplift me and reveal the kingdom of heaven within inside of me.

Bring me from hate to love, from darkness to light, death to immortality.

I will OBEY you implicitly and will never reveal this knowledge to anyone for any reason.

I will keep in contact with you through my DEVOTIONAL LOVE, satsang,meditation and service.

Thank you my LORD for everything.'

"This Knowledge is a sovereign science, a sovereign secret, supremely holy, most excellent, directly
enjoyable, attended with virtue, very easy to practise and imperishable". (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9,
slokas 1-2)

The Divine Light - Shabda Brahma

You first close your eyes. (They have to remain closed during the practice of all four techniques.) Your
focus has to stay inside. Starting on the external edges of your eyes and using your thumb and your
middle finger, following the rim of the eyelids, you gently and slowly bring your fingers to the median
corner of your eyes, in contact with your eyelids. Then you rest them on that spot, these two fingers in
touch with your eyelids and the bone of your nose. You gently rest your index where it is, on a spot in
the middle of your forehead, above the top of the nose. There's no need to press. Just keep your fingers
steady so that your eyeballs don't move. You can rest your arm (elbow) on the arm of your armchair, on
your chest or on a cushion. If you are right handed, use your right hand, if you are left handed, use your
left hand. Don't switch hands if you get tired. If you get tired, put down your hand, relax, and then start
again. The best thing is to find a good position where you can relax, and use a cushion to support your
arm so that you don't have to make any effort creating tensions. Relax and focus inside. Then practice
this first technique for 15 minutes. The realised souls, when approached, open the divine eye through
which the real form of God can be visualised."

The T-shaped arm support (known as a 'beragon') is typically made out of a few pieces of wood and a
single coffee-table leg! As well as supporting the arms, it helps keep a straight back.

You cannot see Me with these gross eyes. I therefore bestow upon you the divine eye.'

"Blessed are those who find the True Master, and abide with him, for through His Grace only are they
able to see and to hear God. By bathing in it's perfect harmonies, the static of our restless mind is
cleansed away."

The Inner Music of the Spheres

You are going to use your right thumb to close your right ear, and your left thumb to close your left ear.
Use the soft part (fleshy, where your fingerprints are) of the last phalanx of your thumbs (don't stick
them into the ears), just gently close the opening of your ears, without pushing. Keep the trigus (small
cartilage at the entrance of the ear duct) out. Rest the other four fingers on your forehead and your
head. Let your focus go inside. Keep your eyes closed. You can rest your arms on an armchair, or your
chest, or on a cushion. If you get tired, put your hands down, relax, and start again. Keep your eyes
closed. Rest your arms on a beragon (or relax against a wall and use your knees if you're feeling lazy),
put a thumb in each ear and let your other fingers rest on your forhead. Try and concentrate on the
sound you hear. Relax and go with what you feel.

The Holy Name or Word of God

Sit in a comfortable position (a couple of cushions will help keep the back straight), keep your eyes
closed, and concentrate on the breath as it comes in and goes out you. Focus on the "Sou-Ham" (Sau-
Ham, means So + Aham) sound produced by your breath. Relax and go with what you feel. Keep your
eyes closed. Be aware of your breath going in, and your breath going out. Breath normally. Follow what
you feel, and let your focus go inside.

The Nectar of the Gods (Devas)

Push the tongue back past the tonsils and let it slide up into the nasal passage(Kheari Mudram). You
might not be able to push it that far, just push it as far as you can against your palate, and let it then
rest. Relax and go with what you feel. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never
be thirsty; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him as a well of water springing up into
everlasting life." (John 4:10-4:14.)

Shri Hans Ji Lineage

Sri Totapuri Ji Maharaj (1780-1866)

Sri Anandpuri Ji Maharaj (1782-1872)

Param Hans Dayal Sri Adwetanand Ji (1840-1919)

Sri Swarupanand Ji Maharaj (1884-1936)

HRH Yogiraj Param Hans Sadgurudev Sri Hans Ji Maharaj (1900-1966)

Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

Shri Hans Ji Maharaj Teachings

Great teacher of moral and ethical values which he undoubtedly was, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj will be
primarily remembered for the practical technique of spiritual freedom which he made available to all,
irrespective of caste, colour or creed. He was a staunch opponent of the senseless rites and rituals and
the hypocrisy inflicted upon the people in the name of religion, which succeed only in dividing them into
warring groups causing much avoidable distress and destruction. The religions of the world as we know
them today are a miserable caricature of the original religion, the eternal religion based upon realization
of the Holy Word which is within every human being and which transcends the barriers of race and
religion, time and space.

Maharaj Ji always used to caution people about getting trapped in a jungle of words with the following
story:

Once a man trained a flock of birds how to avoid hunters and traps. He told them that if they saw corn
spread on the ground it was only a hunter's lure, left there to attract them so that they would get caught
in his net. Again and again he tutored them in the methods of the hunter, how they were to avoid his
corn, how they might escape falling into his trap. Eventually the birds had mastered their lessons, and
feeling that they were now able to live a life of freedom and safety, the man released them into the
world. The birds sang their lessons again and again: " We will avoid the corn! We will escape the
hunter's trap! We will stay free and out of harm's way." But while so singing, they happened to see
some corn on the ground, instinctively alighted upon it and were thus caught by the hunter's net.

These birds learned what happens when we do not practise what we preach. In the same way scholars
and priests may speak of the spiritual path, but if their minds and lives are still entrenched in worldliness
then all their theory is worthless as they are not free. Real spirituality is freedom and one who practices
it reaps the true reward.

Shri Hans Ji Maharaj worked tirelessly to make people realize the Holy Word, that primordial force
linking all humanity together into an indivisible brotherhood. He wanted them to adopt a lifestyle which
would be a reflection of the laws of this ultimate Truth. He encouraged them to turn the searchlight of
consciousness inward and seek the truth within their own selves.

He naturally extolled the Way of the Word as the birthright of every human being, but was nevertheless
keenly aware of the grim realities of life and the appalling poverty and ignorance of the majority of the
population. He spent his life campaigning against the iniquitous social and economic injustices of Indian
society and the inequalities based on tradition and religion, birth and privilege. That people should be
forced to live in a manner little better than animals was an affront to human dignity, and he demanded
that the minimum necessities of life should be accessible to all. He decried the extremes of ivory tower
seclusion on the one hand and the ruthless pursuit of material pleasures on the other. While some form
of steady income is necessary to sustain life, that life itself is truly enriched only when lived in
conformity with the spiritual law, or dharma.

Shri Maharaj Ji was very much against caste prejudice and would pounce on those who acted snobbishly
because of their caste. In the court of the Lord, he said, it is actions that make a man superior, not his
caste. Maharaj Ji would also criticize so-called religious teachers who opposed the opening of the
temples to those of the 'shudra' caste. He explained that if God; the Purest of the Pure, the Most Holy,
the Light of all lights, could be polluted by the touch of a 'shudra', then such a God is far less powerful
than the 'shudra' who worshipped him. A deity who practices discrimination and prejudice is not worthy
of our reverence. The name of God is supposed to purify us, but if God is susceptible to pollution by a
'shudra', how can he have the power to purify us? It is only the unpollutable who is able to purify. God
must be all-pure, and all-purifying, so it is complete nonsense to think such a Power could be
contaminated by the touch of a mere mortal, no matter what his caste may be.

Maharaj Ji would often refer to a particular story from the life of Lord Rama. The story depicts Rama's
love for a humble devotee who belonged to a low caste. There lived deep in the forest a 'shudra' woman
by the name of Bhilni. She served her Guru by sweeping, collecting firewood and doing other domestic
duties. So devoted was she, that her Guru upon his death bed called her and said, "Bhilni, have patience
and be devoted to Lord Rama and you will be graced with His Presence right in your own home."

Consequently Bhilni lived in constant anticipation of Lord Rama's arrival. She would get up in the
morning to collect fruit for him, tasting each one to see whether it was sweet enough. She daily swept
the route that Lord Rama would have to take in order to arrive at her humble hut. Now, in that forest
lived many 'rishis' (sages) who had renounced the world, built ashrams and lived a life of meditation and
asceticism. Bhilni did not live nearby, for even in the forest all shunned her. They considered her low
caste and did not wish to have any contact with her.

The day at last arrived when Lord Rama, on his way through this forest, bypassed all the ashrams and
went to Bhilni's hut. She was overjoyed! All her dreams and expectations had at last been realized and
eagerly she put before Lord Rama the bowl of fruits which she had been so long and laboriously
collecting. Lord Rama was pleased with her offerings and ate all the fruit. He gave a few to his brother
Lakshman, who was amazed that Lord Rama could eat fruit offered by a shudra woman, and
surreptitiously threw them away.

In the forest was a single pond, which no longer was a good source of drinking water because it was
polluted. The rishis approached Lord Rama and begged him to walk into the water, believing that the
pond would be purified upon contact with his feet. Rama replied that they, who were great rishis,
purified by years of asceticism in the forest, should be able to purify the water themselves. So they tried,
but the pond stayed dirty. Then Lord Rama walked into the water, but he too failed to clean it. At this
point Lord Rama called Bhilni, assuring the rishis that if she were to enter the pond the water would
become purified. Bhilni entered, and sure enough, the pond became crystal clear and drinking water
was restored to the forest inhabitants.
Maharaj Ji would emphasize this story in order to point out that those who considered the lower castes
to be polluting were in fact going against the ancient holy books of India and the ideals of Lord Rama
himself, and so were destroying the foundations of Indian spirituality.

He would often quote this verse: "Jat pat puchhe na koi, hari ko bhaje so hari ka hoi", which means: "No
one asks about caste in the court of the Lord. One who remembers God in his heart, attains God."

Just as the sun gives its light to all, and water quenches the thirst of all, so God is one and the same for
all. Whoever remembers and searches for Him will find Him. In the words of Jesus, "Knock and it shall be
opened, seek and ye shall find."

Maharaj Ji would always glorify the path of devotion and love. He would say that the devotee is very
dear to God, and in fact the intense love of a devotee causes God to incarnate Himself. Lord Krishna
refused the delicious feast offered by the prince Duryodhana but enjoyed plain vegetables in the house
of a poor devotee. Indian scriptures are full of such stories glorifying the greatness of the devotee. Even
Guru Nanak refused a sumptuous meal at the house of a rich merchant to dine in the home of a true
devotee who could only offer him a dry crust of bread.

The highest achievement on the spiritual path is the manifestation of Divine Love in the heart of the
devotee. Once manifested, God Himself runs after that devotee.

In short, Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was a dynamic personality. His sincerity was so transparent that those who
came to scoff would stay to pray. He had pleasant manners and was invincible in his arguments. He was
convinced that there is but one Dharma, there is only one God for all. He wanted to demonstrate the
basic unity of all religions by constructing a Kalyan Bhawan, a temple of all religions. Should such a
Kalyan Bhawan be constructed after his design it will serve as an appropriate monument to his greatness
and his contribution to the unity of religions.

Shri Maharaj Ji Early Life

Uttarakhand, nestled in the Himalayas, is famous for its spectacular scenery, pleasant
valleys, sparkling streams and holy shrines. It is an ancient and sacred area where
saints, sages and Divine Incarnations lived and practised meditation. It was here on
8th November 1900, that Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was born.

Even from early childhood he was inclined towards spirituality. He had mystical
experiences which could not be rationally explained. Once he himself recalled his
childhood saying, "I was often absorbed in samadhi and used to have divine visions. I
would close my eyes and see divine light. I would say to myself, 'Others have realized
God so why can't I?' " He had an unquenchable thirst to see God face to face.

As time passed, he came in contact with different sects and religious organizations. He
was strongly influenced by the Arya Samaj and so was very much against
superstitions, rituals and idol worship. He used to enjoy the debates between the Arya
Samajis and orthodox Hindus and Muslims about the nature of God and other
theological matters. However he eventually got fed up with all the text-twisting, as
fundamentally he wanted a real experience of the Divine.

It was by sheer coincidence that Maharaj Ji met Swami Swarupanandji Maharaj, the
saint who was to become his Guru. Due to the influence of contemporary religious
movements, he didn't really believe a Guru is necessary for spiritual development.
However, the first meeting with his Guru convinced him that true self-realization is
impossible without a teacher. He therefore asked to be given this Knowledge of the
Self, whereupon Swami Swarupanandji replied that he should come the next day to
hear more satsang, after which he would be given 'updesh', or initiation.

The next day Maharaj Ji left home to meet his Guru, but found that heavy rains had
swollen a small stream he had to cross into flood proportions. Maharaj Ji attempted to
forge the stream but was caught by its strong current and was swept away. There
seemed to be little hope of rescue, and at this moment Maharaj Ji had only one regret -
that he would have to leave life without having received the Guru's knowledge.
Suddenly, it seemed as if a hand had appeared and was pulling him up out of the
water. The next thing he knew he was lying on the bank of the stream, safe and sound.
He looked around for his rescuer, but no one could be found.

He then proceeded to the home of his Guru, who, seeing him drenched and shivering,
gave him some fresh clothes and told him to change before he could hear any more
satsang. Maharaj Ji was hesitant to accept the clothes from his Guru, since by tradition
it is the householder who must offer and not the Guru. However, after some
persuasion he took them and prepared himself. He listened to satsang and finally the
four 'kriyas', or techniques were imparted to him.

At first, Maharaj Ji was at a loss to understand the full meaning and import of what he
had received. He returned home bewildered and pondered deeply over what he had
just been revealed. He picked up a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and began reading it to
see if this Knowledge was in accordance with the scriptures. He discovered that
suddenly the secrets and full meaning of the Gita became crystal clear to him and
what was before a mystery was now obvious. Naturally he was filled with reverence
for this Knowledge, which had the immediate effect of making quite plain what was
once hidden.

The next morning he awoke early, bathed and sat for meditation with great resolve
and devotion, intent upon experiencing the fundamental Reality. That same morning,
young Maharaj Ji entered 'samadhi' and in that state beyond all body consciousness,
he experienced the Infinite. Now, of course, his respect and reverence for the
Knowledge and the Guru knew no bounds. Full of firm faith and absolute trust that
what he had found was the true Knowledge, he decided to devote his life to his Guru
and the dissemination of the Knowledge.

Once he had found his Guru, he underwent a radical and fundamental transformation.
He went into deep meditation for many years and, by the grace of the master, achieved
enlightenment. He was the perfect example of total surrender and followed his
master's guidelines in letter and spirit, meditating himself on the Holy Name and
showing others how to meditate.

Shri Maharaj Ji first of all taught and revealed the Knowledge of the Divine Light and
Holy Name in Sindh and Lahore in what is now Pakistan. From 1930 onwards he
began visiting Delhi in order to reach out to more people. He stayed in a small room in
Bagh Raoji, situated in the suburb of Karol Bagh near the giant Delhi Cloth Mills. His
following gradually grew as he patiently kindled the lamp of Knowledge in others,
one at a time. Soon a group of workers from the Delhi Cloth Mills became interested
in him and visited him regularly. Those were the days of close association, when Shri
Maharaj Ji could give personal attention to the aspirant's progress on the path of truth.
His magnanimity and cheerful disposition, along with his selfless dedication to the
cause, endeared him so much to his followers that he became their object of love and
reverence.

He was a magnetic personality, tall with a glowing face and flowing hair,
glorious eyes, broad forehead and a wide smile. He had a very pleasing and
impressive demeanor, which attracted everyone who approached him. There was an
awe-inspiring charisma about him. He always practised what he preached and as such
was the living embodiment of truth. He outshone everyone else and was singularly
conspicuous in a crowd. His faith in the Holy Name and his own Master was rock-
solid. His very presence inspired confidence, emanated a radiance and created an
atmosphere of love and peace.

Shri Maharaj Ji's approach was not at all traditional. He was unique and so were his
methods. Delhi Cloth Mill employees expressed their desire to realize God but
wondered how workers like themselves could possibly do this when they didn't have
time to sit in meditation or visit the temple, nor did they have the option of renouncing
the world. Maharaj Ji told them that meditation was something that could be done at
all times in all stations of life and that the Holy Name was above the petty vicissitudes
of life. This appealed to them and encouraged them to the point where they looked
upon him as the Messiah of the poor.

The 'premies' who had the opportunity to be with him in those early years were
fascinated by his way of life. He would play, swim and talk easily with them, sharing
their joys and sorrows, yet always encouraging them to steer themselves on the
spiritual path . He taught them the mysteries of God in a very practical and down-to-
earth fashion. He did not burden them with high philosophy. Rather he took
philosophy and made it simple and understandable.

He was known for his parables, anecdotes and homespun truths which he used
expertly in order to carry home a point. There was nothing scholastic about him, for
he believed that theory bereft of action was futile mental gymnastics. His realistic
approach was to harmonize worldly and spiritual life. Generally the disciples would
assemble in a house of a fellow premie, where they would listen to him with rapt
attention.

More and more people started coming to him, requesting that satsang programs be
held in dharmashalas (pilgrims' inns). Consequently, Maharaj Ji changed his method
of preaching from small private gatherings to dharmasalas in Delhi and gave
discourses to larger audiences. At this time he moved from Karol Bagh to Pahar Ganj,
to the residence of a premie named Lala Jyoti Prasad. The first Guru Puja festival was
held at Jyoti Prasad's home. After this it became an annual event.

His devotees were so attracted to him that as soon as they heard he had arrived in
Delhi they would leave work and flock to him. Master and devotees would sing and
play together. The atmosphere was intimate and full of heartfelt love. So close were
the premies to their Guru that when he left them they would weep, counting the days
until his next visit.

As his message spread, Maharaj Ji held public

satsang meetings, especially on the banks of the
River Jamuna. He had his own natural and novel
way of speaking to people. He was against all
outward show and shunned the pomp that many
'sadhus' and 'mandaleshwars' would indulge in. He
never posed as a religious man. He simply lived
religion. He opposed all outer forms of worship such
as counting of prayer beads, penances, fasting and
the like.

Once, when he was coming back from the river,

accompanied by some of his admirers, he saw a
'mauni baba' sitting cross-legged on the riverbank,
answering the questions put to him by writing on the
sand. Maharaj Ji went and sat down in front of the
Baba. He folded his hands in prayer, raised his eyes to the heavens and said, "O God,
You are omniscient and all powerful, perfect and the creator of all, yet I see that even
You can make mistakes. For why have You given this Baba a tongue when it seems he
has no need of it?" At this, all were startled and the pretensions of the mauni baba
collapsed in anger as he shouted, "What are you saying?" At once all the spectators
broke into laughter. Maharaj Ji told the Baba that silence of the mind is more
important, in fact indispensable, on the path to God, while silence of the tongue is but
an outward show. One who does not still the mind by meditation, but only outwardly
controls his senses by force, is a hypocrite.

In addition to Delhi, Maharaj Ji would also visit various areas in the northern state of
Uttar Pradesh, gathering many followers in both the cities and their surrounding
villages. He would often go and stay in one place for about a week at a time. Once,
while visiting a village, a farmer who was his disciple saw Maharaj Ji approaching. He
left his ploughing and ran forward to greet him. He touched the feet of his Guru and
requested him for satsang. He placed a string bed in the shade of a tree and covered it
with his best cloth for Maharaj Ji to sit on. But Maharaj Ji refused to sit and told the
man to return to his work in the fields. The farmer obeyed and Maharaj Ji walked with
his disciple and instructed him as he ploughed the fields. After the farmer completed
his work they both left for the village. It was a superb practical lesson in Karma Yoga.

Once Maharaj Ji was invited to Simla by a brahmin disciple. Many people gathered in
his house over three days to hear Maharaj Ji teach. One of the brahmin's household
staff was a low-caste sweeper, who would sit apart from the crowd and listen to
satsang. On the third day the sweeper approached Maharaj Ji and asked that if this
'Nam' was so beneficial, and if the name of God was one for all, could he too be
permitted to receive initiation? Maharaj Ji accepted the sweeper and initiated him.
When the brahmin learned that his servant was now also a disciple, he was furious and
told Maharaj Ji that he could not accept the fact that a sweeper was allowed to receive
'updesh' and pollute the higher castes with his company. It was unthinkable to him that
a brahmin and a sweeper could be brother disciples. Maharaj Ji simply said that it was
not his fault that he gave the knowledge of the Holy Name to the sweeper The blame
must be placed on God, Who has placed divinity in the heart of every person, brahmin
and 'shudra' alike, and there was nothing Maharaj Ji could do to alter this fact.

Shri Maharaj Ji in Later Life

By 1950, Maharaj Ji had acquired a large number of followers. Usually he
would go on tour and stay in the homes of devotees, giving satsang in the
evening and personal interviews in the morning. Wherever he went there was
always a stream of people coming to have his 'darshan' and hear his discourses.

After 1950, Maharaj Ji shifted from Pahar Ganj to a premie's home in Bara
Khamba Road, in New Delhi. He had a large group of disciples in Delhi by now
and they started meeting together in his absence as well. At this time the first
disciples decided to become part of the group of missionaries who preferred a life
of meditation, service and teaching in order to spread his message. They were the
first mahatmas, following his guidelines in full and dedicated to his teachings.

Whereas satsang programs used to take place only when Maharaj Ji was in Delhi,
now regular weekly satsang meetings were held in premies' homes. The disciples
would either share their own experiences and insights or invite mahatmas to come
and teach them. Gradually they organized themselves into a small community of
disciples and admirers faithfully revering him as their Satguru and seeking to
spread his message to others. Shri Maharaj Ji too inspired them to spread this
knowledge of the Holy Name and Divine Light, as the greatest service and charity
that a person can do. He agreed with Guru Nanak, who said, "One who meditates
on the Holy Name and helps others also to meditate upon it will achieve
salvation."

To start with, his message was spread by the simple method of word of mouth,
However, once the premies were organized to some extent and eager to make
known the greatness of their Guru to the general public, they arranged outdoor
satsang meetings in local parks whenever he visited Delhi. Pamphlets were
written, handbills distributed and other literature given out so that by the time
Maharaj Ji arrived, large audience had gathered. The general public came to know
that Maharaj Ji was a man who spoke the language of the saints. His popularity
increased and there was widespread awareness of his activities and teachings.

In this manner the Knowledge spread from Delhi to large areas in U.P., especially
Lucknow, Aligarh and Allahabad, as well as in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan,
Bihar and Jammu-Kashmir. Maharaj Ji sent mahatmas to various districts to
continue and build upon his work, and they in turn arranged large, well-publicized
programs at which he was invited to speak

Another significant development in this period was that 'Hansadesh', the Hindi
monthly magazine, began publication from Delhi. Its purpose was to present
Maharaj Ji's ideas to the public at large, and to offer instruction in the path of True
Knowledge. The magazine was unique, not only because of the articles written by
mahatmas and others on spirituality, but also because it published Maharaj Ji's
satsangs, By now, he was becoming more and more popular and established as an
outstanding figure in the field of religion.
Slowly and gradually, the number of followers increased until there were
large premie communities in Gujarat, Bombay, Maharastra, Bihar, Calcutta,
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. During this period Maharaj Ji organized big
peace conferences and 'All Religions' conferences at venues such as Ramlila
Ground and the Constitution Club in Delhi.

In the last two or three years of his life, Maharaj Ji was all dance and bliss. With a
tamboura in his hands, he would sing and dance onstage, delighting the devotees
with these lilas. Like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, he was in a state of divine ecstasy.
He proclaimed, "People of the world, I declare that only Guru can save mortal
man from the clutches of death and maya." His own devotion to his Guru was
exemplary and this is what he taught to his own disciples. He was selfless and
others under his tutelage learned the great art of selflessness. He relied utterly on
the Holy Name, or rather, he was the Word made flesh. His Knowledge was great
but greater was He himself. And greatest of all was his service to others.

On 19th July 1966, at 3 a.m. Shri Maharaj Ji left his mortal body, leaving the
devotees in a state of inconsolable grief and despair.

Shri Hans Lineage

Sri Totapuri Ji Maharaj (1780-

1866)
Sri Anandpuri Ji Maharaj (1782-
1872)

Param Hans Dayal Sri

Adwetanand Ji (1840-1919)
Sri Swarupanand Ji Maharaj
(1884-1936)

HRH Yogiraj Param Hans

Sadgurudev Sri Hans Ji Maharaj
(1900-1966)

Hans Yog Prakash

The Magnum Opus of Shri
Hans Ji Mahara
 (Published in the late 60s by DLM, Delhi India)

THE DEVOTEE OF HIS GURU

Just as a Grand Vizier pays complete attention to the wishes of his King,
so a true disciple is focused completely on the wishes of his Guru Maharaj
Ji. Kabir says, such a disciples glance never leaves his Guru for a
moment, he always concentrates on Him.

The Indian partridge falls in love with the moon, and stares at it all night
long.

Thats how a disciples eyes long for the sight of his Satguru.

Just as snakes always guard their precious stones, disciples of a Satguru

are inseparable from their Lord, says Kabir.

O Kabir, when a disciple doesnt mind being insulted left and right, the
people of the world call him a true devotee of his Guru.

There was a great devotee called Bulla who used to say, "my daily
schedule is to fill every moment of my life with love."

How can I ever look anywhere else, when my eyes are already brimming
over with the sight of my Beloved? When all the rooms in an inn are taken
already, a traveller has to find some place else to stay.

DEVOTION TO THE GURU

You will not get the privilege of having a human body again and again.
You had better give up worldly pleasures, Kabir, and love your Guru.

A piece of gold does not lose its value if you drop it in a puddle. In the
same way, whatever body a soul may take, any devotion which it has
acquired will not be lost.

Devotion is very hard to come by, it cannot be reached without Truth. The
path to devotion is very narrow, and sharp as a swords edge.

Devotion to the Guru is no easy job, it is a razors edge path. He who

wavers is lost. Only the resolute can survive.

O Kabir, you may have a keen desire for devotion to your Guru, but how
can one be a humble servant unless first one removes every other desire
from the mind completely?

Devotion is the raft that brings salvation. One who climbs aboard is a
saint. But lazy men keep on drowning one lifetime after another.

As long as you have any ties to this world, you cannot have devotion. As
soon as you cut all your ties to this world, and put yourself to remember
the Lord, you will be known as a devotee.

Without devotion you will never make it to safety, no matter how you try.
Only he who has love for the True Name can reach the Kingdom of
Heaven.

When Guru helps you, you will receive devotion. He who has both love
and devotion is the most fortunate of men.

There is no way you can copy devotion. Imitation devotion falls apart in
time of danger, as the leaves quit the trees in winter.

If you try to grab at devotion, your grasp will soon falter. Few are those
devotees, maddened by love, who can truly hold fast to the Satguru.

Without the complete and perfect Knowledge, the heart cannot know any
peace. Artificial devotion cannot hold the appearance of love for very
long.

The devotee who knows the truth dies daily, for he longs to give up his
sense of his own importance. An ignorant man cannot understand this
mystery.

An ignorant man cannot grasp the importance of opportunities when they

come his way. He spends his time satisfying his worldly cravings.

When the sun rises, the night flees. In the same way, all bad intentions
flee before Satgurus Knowledge.

Greed undermines ones understanding, and self-seeking and pride cause

one to lose devotion.

During the rainy season, there are floods everywhere. But a river is
something which continues to flow, even during the dry months of
summer.

Everyone who begins on the path of devotion looks like a devotee, but he
alone is worthy of the name, who continues even when hard times come
upon him.

People who are full of desires, bad temper and greed can never be
devotees. Maybe one in a million forgets caste, creed, colour and family,
and has true devotion.

O Kabir, life is worth nothing unless one has devotion for the Satguru. It
is like so much smoke which dissolves in an instant.

Whoever is truly impartial can have devotion. Whoever has no illusions

can have Knowledge. Whoever makes no distinctions in his mind can
attain salvation. Whoever is without greed can dissolve in his Lords
Lotus Feet.

True devotion keeps the mind perfectly in balance at all times. The true
devotee lives modestly, he does not make a distinction between "mine"
and "thine."

Fishes love water, ambitious men love money, mothers love their sons,
and devotees love the Holy Name.

O Kabir, all my doubts have dissolved as a result of devotion to my Guru.

To go for a day without devotion would be complete torture.

So long as ones devotion is mixed with desire, it cannot bear fruit. O

Kabir, why should the Lord, the Desireless One, come before one who is
full of desire?

The seed of devotion does not change. It is the same now and for ever.
One may be born in the families of beggars or king, it makes no
difference. A saint will always be a saint.

Forget caste, creed, colour, Kabir, and devote yourself body and soul.
Satguru will come to you, and free you from birth and death.

Devotion is like a toy. Anyone can experience it. Kabir says, in devotion
there is no difference between a king and a beggar.

Devotion is as dear to the Holy Name as lovemaking is to a lustful man.

Just as a lustful man thinks about making love all the time, so a devotee
never ceases to remember the Holy Name.

No one can reach God without devotion to Satguru. He alone can give
Knowledge of the Supreme.

Only by devotion to Satguru can you receive Knowledge of the Supreme.

All scriptures sing the praises of devotion to the Perfect Master.

He who has as much devotion for his Guru as he has for God is called a
great soul. His heart is illumined, afire.

TO LIVE WITHOUT GURU

There are some people who pass their entire lives without ever receiving
Knowledge from a Guru. You should know that their lives are
meaningless. Whatever they do, it is all in vain.

The great sage Narada is famous throughout India for the immense grasp
which he had of subjects ranging from astrology to zoology. He used to
visit Lord Vishnu personally in Baikunth. Yet each time he left Lord
Vishnus court, one of Vishnus attendants used to dig a hole in the
ground where Narada had been standing and take the earth away and
throw it in a nearby river. He asked why this was happening and the
servant replied, "Narada, you have no Guru, and you pollute the very
ground you are standing on." Then Narada asked Lord Vishnu, "Lord,
what need have I for a Guru, when I can visit You in person?" Vishnu
replied, "Narada, whether you see me in person or not, it remains true
that without a Guru, the life of man is ignorant and unholy."

Many stories are told about how Lord Vishnu directed Narada to visit a
certain fisherman and accept him as his Guru; how Narada displeased
Lord Vishnu by telling him "Now I have a Guru , but he is only a
fisherman.."; how Lord Vishnu pronounced that he should be made to
live again the whole cycle of evolution, because he spoke the word "but"
while referring to his Guru Maharaj Ji; and how Narada returned to his
Guru and threw himself on his Gurus mercy, and was saved by his
Gurus grace from Lord Vishnus judgement.

The great sage Sukhdeva was already Lord of Yogis while he was still in
his mothers womb. He remained for several years in his mothers womb,
not wishing to come out into the sway of this material world. At last
when he could avoid birth no longer, he came out of his mother, and ran
straight away into the forest to meditate. Yet even he could not experience
perfect peace of mind, and finally he approached his father, Sage Vyas,
and asked him why his austere life was not bringing him satisfaction.

Vyas told him it was because he did not have Knowledge of the Self that
he could not experience peace, and that all his lonely pilgrimages and
fasts were of no avail. Vyas could very well have taught Sukhdev that
most holy secret, but he considered that because Sukhdev was his son,
familiarity would prevent Sukhdev from showing a proper respect to him
as his Guru. So he sent him to a great soul known as King Janaka, to ask
humbly for the Knowledge. And many are the tales told of the tests King
Janaka put him through, before he would bestow that Knowledge on him.

All scriptures agree that charitable good works, the telling of rosaries and
all other pious acts are of no value, unless one is the disciple of Satguru.

Sukhdev was refused admission to heaven because he tried to serve God

without first taking a Guru, says Kabir. Even though he was Lord of
Yogis from his very birth, it was not until he accepted the great King
Janaka as his Guru that he was able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

People who talk about the practice of the presence of God, but who are
not the disciples of the Satguru, are like prostitutes who proclaim they
would gladly die for love of their clients, says Kabir.

Lustful women who pay no heed to the words of Satguru, but make a
show of modesty on the outside, says Kabir, become bitches who moan
wherever they go. A king who has no devotion for the Guru is no better
than a Bullock, says Kabir. He is good for transporting things from one
place to another, but that is all.

What use is a temple, unless Satguru is worshipped there? What use is

this human frame, unless we have Knowledge of the Self? Even if a
million moons were to rise tonight, you couldnt see clearly without the
grace of Satguru.

There is a lightening flash in the sky. Only those who have a Guru will get
you home in safety. There is a flash of divine light in the sky within you.
Only those who have a Guru are able to see it. They alone will reach their
final destination in safety.

You may try a thousand times, and try again, says Kabir, but without the
grace of the True Guru, you will never understand the mysteries of the
Kingdom of Heaven. It is only by the grace of the Guru that the mind can
be controlled.

Without Guru there cannot be Knowledge. Without Guru there can be no

salvation. Without Guru, Truth cannot be realised. Without Guru, you
cannot shake of your bad habits.

The saints divide devotees into two types. The first type is he who
approaches a Perfect Master because he understands that he has need of
his spiritual guidance. He is called one who believes in his Guru, because
he gives his life in service to his Guru.

The second type is known as one who follows his mind. He approaches
the Guru because he sees that other people are coming to him. Although
he has a Guru he continues to follow the dictates of his own mind, and
continues to do only those things which he himself wants to do. This is
why he is called a disciple of mind, while the other type of devotee is
known as a disciple of his Guru Maharaj Ji.

I have made countless mistakes , and have still not grown tired of making
them. Please Lord, either forgive Your servant, or let death take me. I
have been a wrongdoer ever since my birth, and I am full of vices from tip
to toe. You are the only merciful One who can remove my pain so please
look after me.

My mind is not steeped in the nectar of love, I do not behave in a proper

way, and I still have not understood why I am living with my Guru.
I am ashamed of myself. How can I pray to You? How can I please You
when I know I am making mistakes before You? How can I be Your
blessed one? Please Lord, grant me the gift of devotion.

O my Guru, Lord of all Lords, I ask for nothing more than to serve You
day and night. If only I might see my living Master, I would tell Him all
my sufferings, weeping, and rest my head on His Holy Feet. I would tell
him everything.

When he wishes for the means to experience the essence of Truth, the
devotee must accept a Guru. In the spirit of adoration, he should salute
his noble Guru who is God Himself, who is enthroned in the thousand
jewelled crown.

The aim which the yogic scriptures set us is the union of the individual
soul with the Supreme soul. When a devotee remains in the company of
his Satguru, in the spirit of devotion, his body of dust becomes filled with
bliss.

I bow before my Guru who reveals the Lotus Feet of the Supreme Lord
permeating the whole universe.

Lord, I bow before your Lotus Feet. I come to Your shelter, My Guru
Maharaj Ji, and bow before You. You remove the three forms of suffering
which we find in this world, disease, disaster and ignorance of the soul.

You remove the fear of this world. You are the very incarnation of good
fortune, and filled with blissfulness. You are Shiva, the one who lets
endless nectar flow.

You are Generator, Operator and Destroyer, You are the Lord of Lords,
King of Kings, the most High. I do not know how to remember You nor
how to meditate upon You. You are Lord Shiva incarnate.

You are hidden within the cave of the heart, and you expand to fill the
universe. You reveal Yourself to be consciousness itself. I bow before you.

You are the Lord of all the blessed, the rescuer of Your devotees. I bow
before You. You are beyond time, unique, incomparable. You are the one
that all prayers turn to. You can be seen yet remain quite invisible. You
are all power and glory, You are the noble Buddha. My Satgurudev,
salutations!

A FOLLOWER OF HIS MIND

The people who claim to be servants but have no stability in their service
are still bound to the cycles of birth and death, says Kabir.

Those who are motivated by desire while doing service, and who do not
remove desire from their hearts, these people are not really servants, says
Kabir, although they demand four times the wages that a servant would.

Whatever a disciple may try to accomplish while overlooking Satgurus

Word, he can only make mistakes, he can only bring himself face to face
with death, says Kabir. What can his poor Guru do about it?

"I call nothing in this world my own, everything I have is yours. It will
not cause me the slightest pain to make everything over into your name."

"Whatever is in you, it does not belong to you. All there is, is mine. When
the time comes for you to make over to me what is mine, you will find
yourself trembling."

A disciple who is shrewd and puffed up in his manner before his Guru is
lost. A disciple who criticises his Guru becomes a sorry sight. He who
criticises both God and Guru is liable to croak like a frog for thousands of
lifetimes together.

A disciple who concentrates on making many friends, instead of forging a

strong relationship with his Satguru gets stuck in mid way, and never
reaches the abode of Truth.

Such disciples want to restrain the flights of their mind, and go beyond
the ocean of worldly experience. Due to their disobedience to the Guru,
however, they get entangled in the world of sufferings.

A greedy guru and his envious disciple compete with each other for a
place in the circles of hell. A dumb guru and his deaf disciple accomplish
nothing, for one does not hear what the other does not speak.

He who has no faith in his Guru does not feel happy even in his dreams.
He claims he is the servant of my Guru, but still trusts to this world.

Where do I put my trust?

SERVANT OR SLAVE

A servant is someone who is always serving. Kabir says, service alone

entitles someone to be called a servant.

A servant is always doing his service, he doesnt wander off in the middle
of it. He puts up with both pain and pleasure, says Kabir.

The intellect of the servant and the intellect of his Master become one.
They merge with each other.

The Master is never pleased by cleverness. He is only pleased by the

feelings of the heart.

Stay near the rich mans door, and accept his blows. He may be pleased
one day and give you his favour.

Kabir says that the Guru wishes to own everything, but no-one is willing
to belong to the Guru. As long as you expect your body to be good to you,
you cannot become His slave.

He who is not tied to the Guru is tied to this world, and he who is tied to
the Guru is freed from the bonds of this world.

He who acts, but does not consider himself to be the actor, he it is who is
called the slave.

The Guru is capable of doing anything, and He is always with you, His
Feet rest upon your head. What more do you need?

The goddesses of wealth and fortune, and the genius to accomplish all
things, all are ready to serve the servant of the Lord. Salvation is never far
from him.

If the Lords servant is weeping, the Lord Himself weeps with him. He
appears before His servant in the twinkling of an eye, and grants him all
his desires.
Such a slave makes no demands on his Master, but serves Him day and
night. Kabir says, death will never call for him.

Guru is the provider of everything, and each receives according to his

circumstances. His servant loves Him from the heart, and clings to His
Feet day and night.

The servant is his Masters dog, his Master leads him on the string of love,
and whatever his Master tells him, he does it.

When the Guru says "Go," he goes, and when He says "Come," he comes.
He lives as his Guru sees fit to keep him, and eats whatever his Guru
gives.

People call themselves the slave of the Guru, but they do not feel that they
are slaves from the core of their hearts.

How can my thirst be quenched, if I refuse to drink water? How can I be

His true slave if I have no humility.

I do not ask for the pleasures of this world, nor do I pray for salvation. I
beg only Your devotion. I do not visit other people and make demands on
them. It is to You alone that I turn.

"When earth and sky vanish, and Mount Olympus itself is no more, when
all is one, where will Your slaves be found?"

"Let everything merge together, no matter. Let Olympus itself be brought

down, let earth and sky be no more. My slaves shall find refuge in Me."

You should surrender your mind to the true servant, who would far
rather die than betray his Lord.

This world is like an attic full of cobwebs. Happy are those servants of the
Lord who can enter it without getting covered in dust.

Those who are not in love can rest easy, but he who has fallen in love
knows no sleep at all. He is restless, he spends his night like a fish out of
water.

Why should he be sad, who has the Lord dwelling in his heart? You
should make more and more effort to see Him, and all will be light.
Kabir says that God alone is awake. He says that no-one is awake but
Him. He says, either worldly men are awake, or the true servants of the
Lord are awake.

My Lord is enthroned in every heart. No-one is without Him. But blessed

is that heart in which he reveals His presence.

PRAYER

I bow before Your Lotus Feet, for You have given me the Name.

My heart was dark, and I could see nothing, but You kindled the lamp of
Knowledge within me.

My mind was in an enchanted sleep for many long ages, but the caress of
Your Word awoke me.

Waves of poison arose in my heart, but You stilled them with one drop of
Your Nectar.

The river was deep, and the currents were beyond my comprehension,
but You have helped me across to safety.

O Lord, your servant Dharamdas humbly requests you, please keep me in

Your shelter and protection.

I bow before Your Lotus Feet, for You have given me the Name.

SATSANG : THE COMPANY OF THE SAINTS

Good company, drives sorrow away, and brings us joy.

The paper a candy is wrapped in fetches the same price per pound as the
candy, simply because it keeps the company of the candy.

Keep the company of those saints whose minds are perfect, and who give
away the riches of Holy Name without weighing its value.
Kabir says, keeping the company of saints is rather like visiting a
perfumer. Even if the perfumer doesnt give you anything, you still feel
the beautiful scent which hovers around him.

I wouldnt pray for riches, I wouldnt even pray for occult powers, says
Kabir, what I pray for is the day and night company of saints.

Keeping company of the saints is always worthwhile. You never fail to

get a benefit from it, says Kabir.

Let the Holy Name dwell in your heart, and make good use of each
breath, says Kabir. Any sacrifice is worthwhile, if you get one moment of
the darshan (personal presence) of a saint.

The Lord sent for Kabir to invite him to heaven. Kabir wept when he
heard he was invited, for he knew he would never find the same joy in
heaven that he felt in the company of the saints.

Days when you dont manage to spend time in the company of saints are
days wasted. Human life is like animal life except where love comes into
it, and no-one can attain God without experiencing devotion.

Kabir says, if you stand a mango tree near a sandalwood tree, the mango
tree will be immersed in the sandalwood scent.

You cannot blame a sandalwood tree because its scent doesnt take the
poison out of snakes. Their whole poison sacs are full of poison, so theres
no room left for nectar.

Kabir says, if your mind is somewhere else while your body is in the
company of saints, how can you benefit? How can a cloth be dyed unless
you dip it in the vat?

It is a terrible fate if ones blindness is not removed even after hearing

scriptures, and if one does not adopt the right path even after enjoying the
company of saints.

A snake may spend a long time near a sandalwood tree, but still his sac is
full of poison. How can the company of saints influence those who cling
to their natures, and resist any change?

If you were to weigh the bliss of heaven for eternity against the joy of one
moment spent in the company of saints, one moment in the company of
saints would win.

Theres no mistaking the company of truth. One quick dip in it is enough

to turn crows into swans. And its nothing to be surprised about, either.
The glory of the saints is no secret.

Without the company of truth, wisdom cannot arise, and one can only
enjoy the company of truth by the grace of the Lord.

The company of truth is the beginning of every blessing. All the practices
of religion are like blossoms on a tree, but the company of saints is the
actual fruit.

Even wicked people change their ways when they come into the company
of saints, just as lead can turn to gold when it is touched by the
philosophers stone.

Even such great Ones as Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh falter in their
speech when they try to describe the glory of the saints. Poets and men of
learning are mute.

It is as little use asking me to describe the wonders of the company of

saints, as it would be to ask a stall-keeper in a vegetable market to
describe the virtues of a particularly lovely diamond.

Rivers, trees, saints, and rains all take form for the sake of doing service to
others.

The company you keep determines your character. The company of saints
leads to salvation, and the company of men of the world leads to worldly
life.

All the scriptures, testaments, poets and saints are agreed about this. Only
by good fortune can one secure the company of saints.

By means of the company of saints, sufferings can be overcome, and the

chain of birth and death broken without any effort.

THE GLORY OF GURU

How can I describe the Perfect Master? How can one as ignorant as I
possibly understand Him who is beyond all illusion? How can my dull
wits explain that which is beyond understanding? about which even the
scriptures can only say "Its not this, its not that." This is beyond my
comprehension. Therefore I bow before it from before it from afar.

Oh my Guru Maharaj Ji, please give me at least the strength I need to

understand You. I had hoped to praise You; I wished to be able to
worship You by the power of illusion, but illusion was incapable of
serving you, so what could I do? I have lost my faith in illusion, so, my
Guru Maharaj Ji, You just be as You are.

People cannot even imagine the Supreme Soul, so they have to make do
with statues. Each person approaches God according to his personal taste.
In the same way, I will utilise this creation to sing the Glory of my
Satguru.

O my Satguru, all praise to You, all glory to You! O Lord of the Universe,
source of all creation, supreme personality bestower of salvation, friend of
the humble and the poor, only by Your blessing can this powerful illusion
be dispelled, as the sun's rays dispel darkness.

The sun removes darkness, but at night the darkness comes again. Our
Guru Maharaj Ji is not like that. He destroys for ever the cycle of births
and deaths, and uproots the darkness of ignorance for ever and ever.

A piece of gold can never be an iron piece. In the same way a true devotee
can never become a victim of doubt. When any river merges in the river
Ganges, it takes the name Ganges. It becomes the Ganges and it can never
be separated from it again. The same with a disciple. He becomes one
with his Master.

We cannot say the Satguru is like the sky, for He is infinitely more subtle.

In the same way, we cannot compare Him with the ocean, for the ocean is
salty.

We cannot compare Him with the mountains, for the mountain s are
made of rock, while Satguru is soft with mercy for His devotees.

Nor can we compare Him with the earth, for one day the earth will be
destroyed, but Satgurus patience lasts for ever.
The sun too has its limits, but Satguru is limitless. The Light of Satguru's
Knowledge is much more powerful than sunlight.

Nor can I compare Guru Maharaj Ji with Atlas, for Atlas carries the
burden of the world on his shoulders, while Guru Maharaj Ji is
burdenless.

What is there to compare to Him? Everything in this world is mortal.

Guru Maharaj Ji is beyond the limits of creation, and it is impossible to
describe Him.

The only way to describe the glory of Satguru is to say the glory o
Satguru can never be described.

Only a person with internal experience can understand this problem.

My Guru is the incarnate Lord of this time. I bow before my Guru, who is
greater than Christ or Buddha, for each of them was the servant of his
Satguru.

The Lords of earth, sea and sky also bow before Guru Maharaj Ji.

Guru Maharaj Ji, the Giver of Knowledge, is the greatest of all. Parents
give birth to the body, but when Satguru gives new birth into the
Spiritual kingdom, that birth is divine, deathless and eternal. Knowledge
is always new, and alive.

The Perfect Master is He who fills the ears of His eager disciples with
Truth and Knowledge. He allows him to enjoy the supreme eternal joy,
He gives him Knowledge of salvation. He alone is the real mother and
father.

We have two fathers. One gives us physical birth, and the other gives us
Knowledge of the Truth. That Father who `gives us Knowledge is far
superior, for only God lasts for ever.

All the wealth of this world is nothing compared to the gift of Satguru's
Word. How can we repay Him?

He who gives us the lamp of true Knowledge is Satguru, He is God

incarnate. If someone took Him to be an ordinary human being, his
ignorance would make his whole life fruitless.
If Lord Shiva (the Destroyer) becomes angry with you, Guru can save
you. But there is no one who can help you, if Guru be comes angry.

One should never go against his Guru, for Guru is both father and
mother.

The saints say one should always sit below one's Guru. One should wake
before one's Guru, and retire after Him. This is most important for a
devotee.

One should not address Guru Maharaj Ji while lying down, eating,
standing far away, or facing away from Him. One should never interrupt
His conversation.

When receiving the Guru's command, one should always stand humbly
before Him, to show Him respect. One should never call the Guru by His
name to His face. '

Scriptures are many, and doubts are many. The Knowledge of the Self is
very subtle, and without the help of Satguru, no one can realise it.

He who wishes to know his own Self should attain this Knowledge. He
should prostrate himself at the feet of the wise, render them all forms of
service, and question them with a guileless heart again and again. Those
wise Seers of Truth will unfold that Knowledge.

In the Scriptures of ancient times it is written that this Knowledge should

not be given to one of unsteady mind, but only to a son or a disciple. Only
one with a peaceful mind should receive this Knowledge.

He whose devotion for the Lord is only equalled by devotion to his

Satguru can understand the real meaning of Truth. When Knowledge is
given to someone like this, it bears fruit.

Bow before the Lotus Feet of Guru Maharaj Ji a million times, prostrate
before Him. Guru Maharaj Ji turns His devotees into His own image.

Guru Maharaj Ji by His mercy has shown us things our eyes could not
see. His glory is endless. He helps us endlessly, He opens our eyes to
infinity.

When Guru and disciples meet, they mix together like rainfall and river.
Hold Guru Maharaj Ji's Feet upon your head, obey Him at all times He
who is a true servant of his Guru has no fear in all the three worlds.

Suppose my Guru and God are both standing before me. Who should I
bow to first? I am overwhelmed by my Guru's Grace, for it was He who
showed me God, and allowed me to recognise Him.

We can call Guru Maharaj Ji even when He is very far away from us. The
Word will reach Him, it is always on the move.

Even if I change the whole world to paper, make pens from all the trees,
and use the seven oceans as my ink, I can still never write the whole glory
of Satguru.

First the disciple offers his head and heart to Satguru. And then The Guru
gives him the Holy Name as a reward.

Guru is a washer-man, and His disciple is like a soiled cloth. When the
cloth is washed on the stone of Holy Name, it radiates immense light.

Guru is a potter, and His disciple is the pot He is making. This is how He
makes the pot perfect. With one hand, He softly lifts the clay from inside
while He firmly slaps it into shape with the other.

Satguru has built His castle, and decorated it with love. He makes a
window of the Holy Word, so that we may also enjoy the presence of the
Lord.

Guru and Lord are one; all else is duality. When someone worships the
Guru, and dissolves himself in love and service, he can find the Lord.

When you have Knowledge, you have the joy of true love, kindness,
devotion and faith.

When you serve the Lotus Feet of Satguru, you find shelter at His Lotus
Feet.

He who thinks Guru Maharaj Ji is a human being is blind. He will remain

very unhappy in this world, and death will not relieve him of his
sufferings.

Guru is greater than God, it's common sense. People who think about
God stay in this world. But those who know Satguru pass beyond
suffering, and attain perfect freedom.

If you want to know the secret of what I am saying, offer your head to
Satguru. Many proud and arrogant people went down the drain on
account of pride.

There is no giver like Guru Maharaj Ji, and there is no beggar like His
disciple. Guru Maharaj Ji gives His disciple the wealth of heaven and
Earth.

We should meditate upon the form of Guru. We should worship His holy
Feet. His Word is the true name of God. The real Truth is to have a pure
and honest feeling for Guru Maharaj Ji.

If God is angry with you, you can go to the Guru, but if the Guru is
displeased with you, you have no place to go.

If you come and go as Guru Maharaj Ji chooses, you become a saint, and
are free from the round of sufferings.

When you look for reality in the wrong places, you can never find it. But
when you seek out the company of Satguru, you will find the Truth.

When you take Guru Maharaj Ji's shelter, He shows you the Truth. This
path was here before time began, but Guru Maharaj Ji showed it to you in
a moment.

This body is like poison ivy, but Guru Maharaj Ji restores the soul. You
should know that to exchange your head for Satguru is the best possible
bargain, and very cheap at the price.

When Satguru is pleased with me, and speaks even one word, a cloud of
love showers upon me, and I am soaked through and through.

Satguru is a perfect Knight. He cuts you from top to bottom with firm
blows. No one can see your wounds from the outside, but inside you,
your ego is smashed.

If I shoot someone he dies, but if Satguru hits him with the arrow of Holy
Word he becomes immortal.

The dumb suddenly become eloquent, the deaf receive ears, and the lame
find legs when Satguru shoots them with his arrow.

Guru tells us to go to a wise man, and the wise men tell us to worship
Guru. This play allows me to realise the secret of the Scriptures, which
otherwise was beyond me.

There may be millions of moons, there may even be thousands of millions

of suns, but only by the mercy of Satguru can one see the Light, and clear
away the darkness of ignorance.

The Word of the Satguru is a ship. Rare are those who understand this
mystery. The ocean and the drop become one. How can I tell the
difference between them?

You may perform many spiritual practices and make great sacrifices, you
may study many books, but without Satguru, whatever you do, you will
never arrive at the Truth.

Without the Knowledge of Satguru, even God, Saints and human beings
will not be saved. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (the Creator, Preserver and
Destroyer of Universes) also need the mercy of Satguru. Why speak of
ordinary beings?

Satguru is like sandalwood, and His perfume is love of the lord. He

distributes it day and night to those who come near Him.

The more time we spend in holy company, the deeper our devotion will
become. Every day our devotion grows in proportion. It cannot be
disturbed.

Guru gives us Self Knowledge. You should serve Him with love and
devotion, offer Him food and clothes, worship Him, and give Him all
respect, honour and attention.

Gurus who are greedy, proud, and have many monasteries are wicked
They are all looking towards the throne, and courting the respect of the
people There is neither truth nor reality in them.

By their fruits you shall know them. The signs of the Perfect Master are
self control, love, discrimination, detachment and lack of partiality. He is
without stubbornness. He is peaceful, far from anger, and treats all men
equally. At all times He is absorbed in the Holy Word. He is love and
affection personified.
Such a Guru as this is the Supreme place of pilgrimage. Once you take a
dip in His Knowledge, all your duties are fulfilled.

He is the philosopher's stone. He fulfils all our wishes and desires by

granting us the gift of devotion.

Oh my Guru Maharaj; Ji, You are all powerful, and the only guide on the
right path. You saved me from unreality and made me pure and high, by
taking me away from my lower nature.

I was walking a long path. My Satguru came and led me by the arm I was
tired and sweating. He cooled me, sheltering me under His own shadow.

When someone takes the shelter of Satguru, he finds satisfaction and

learns how to behave with propriety. When he enters the storehouse of
Knowledge, he finds penances and praises, confessions and chants,
prayer, meditation and devotion all lying there.

After I had wandered for a long time in ignorance, my luck changed, and
I suddenly found Satguru. That was the moment when all my fears and
ignorance flew away.

I was going to follow my mind's guidance into the ditch, but Guru
Maharaj; Ji caught my hand. He showed me the abode of the Lord, and
even better, He took me with Him.

Rare are those who can understand the glory of Satgurudev. He dispels
all ignorance and removes the results of our actions.

When someone is weary of the round of suffering, he can find rest at the
Lotus Feet of Guru Maharaj Ji. When he remembers the Holy Name, even
his unwanted wants are fulfilled.

Worship Guru Maharaj Ji and pray to Him again and again. He has taken
us across the ocean of this world in the boat of His Holy Name.

A Guru should be far from selfishness. He should be engrossed in

spiritual thoughts and deeds, busy helping others all the time.

He should live in a garden, but should not take one flower or leaf. He
should give away the love of the Lord to all, without thought of caste,
colour or creed.
From Satguru you get love, devotion and meditation. From Knowledge
you get purity, austerity, penance and discipline.

Guru brings those who have lost the path back to their true devotion. He
does not abandon them, but gives devotion for the Lord.

No one should become entangled with this world of ignorance. On the

other hand, no one can cross this ocean of ignorance without the help of
Satguru.

I bow before the Lotus Feet of my Guru Maharaj Ji who is the ocean of
mercy and the Lord personified in human form. His words are like the
shining rays of the sun that banish the clouds of dark ignorance.

I bow before the dust of the Lotus Feet of Guru Maharaj Ji. His Feet are so
beautiful, full of divine perfume and nectar. It is so easy to become
attached to them. The dust of His Feet is like a soothing balm which takes
away all the diseases of this world of illusion.

Guru Maharaj Ji is Lord Shiva personified, the pure and auspicious giver
of pure and auspicious Joy. He wipes the dirt and dust from the mirror of
the human mind.

The nails on the toes of the Lotus Feet of Guru Maharaj Ji seen in
meditation are like shining jewels. He who remembers them gets the most
pure spiritual insight.

Their light kills the darkness of worldly attachment. The luckiest man is
he in whose heart this light is shining.

This light will open the pure spiritual eye of the soul, and all impurities
and pain will vanish. Then one can see the shining jewel of Lord Rama's
divine character and play.

All the hidden mines of spiritual wealth will be discovered.

The dust of Shri Guru Maharaj Ji's Lotus Feet is a soft and beautiful balm
which dispels all the defects of our eyesight.

Without Guru no one will he able to cross the ocean of this world, even
those who are equal in power to Lord Shiva and Brahma.
Without Guru Maharaj Ji, no one can receive Knowledge. You cannot
have Knowledge without detachment. The scriptures all sing that without
devotion to Guru Maharaj Ji, no one can enjoy peace and bliss.

Will anyone ever rest without contentment and satisfaction? Without

water a boat cannot move, however many times you try to make it.

Without faith we cannot have devotion, and without devotion the Lord
will not melt. Without the grace and mercy of the Lord, even in a dream,
we cannot have peace.

The shining Self within us lies,

But we can never leave that night
Of ignorance, and see the Light
Until our True Lord gives us eyes.

Remember at all times to carry the Lotus Feet of the Lord in your heart.
Realise that God and Guru are one and the same! do not doubt this fact.
God is pleased if Guru is pleased, and if Guru is unhappy, God will be
also. I am simply telling you.

Listen with an open heart, for just by speaking the glory of the Lord and
hearing His praise, one can cross the ocean of this world.

Once upon a time Lord Indra, the God of the gods, was sitting on his
throne in his court. The whole house of heaven was there, together with
King Kubera, Lord of wealth. Then Brihaspati, the Guru of the gods, came
in, but Lord Indra did not rise to bow before Him as He entered.
Brihaspati, when He saw the pride of Lord Indra, returned to His home
with all the other guests. Then Indra repented, and asked himself, "Why
did I behave so stupidly?" And he went to the ashram of Guru Brihaspati.
But on account of this incident, Indra could not receive the darshan of the
Perfect Master.

Prahlad bowed his head before the Lotus Feet of the Lord and said,
"Glory, glory, glory to the Universal Guru. You have saved my life. You
are the original, complete One, beyond any comparison. You are the
shelter of all helpless people, O Lord; You are the Supreme Being, the
whole Complete One. You have taken this form for the sake of Your
devotee. Wherever a devotee of Yours gets into difficulty, You are there to
help him. My mind overflows with Your praises."

Then Lord Narsingha said, "Oh my devotee, listen to Me. Never will I
find a devotee like you, who has seen Me in My manifest and unmanifest
form. Wherever my devotees suffer, there I manifest Myself to help and
save them. Listen to my promise, Prahlad, I will never leave you. When I
remember my devotees, I feel the same feeling that a cow feels as she licks
her calf."

Whosoever goes to meet a Guru, a doctor, an astrologer, his friends, the

gods, or a King without any gift or offering will never be successful in his
endeavour.

You should understand that Guru is superior to God, for God places us in
this hell, but Guru makes fear of this hell vanish.

Guru is the Creator, Guru is the Preserver, and Guru is the destroyer of
this universe. Shri Guru Maharaj Ji is the Supreme God who removes the
suffering of the humble and the poor. He who comes to the shelter of
Guru Maharaj Ji is freed from the round of sufferings.

If even the most sinful of men comes to the Perfect Master, no pain nor
suffering will reach him. He who believes in the Word of the True Master
can never go to hell.

"Gu" means darkness. "Ru" means light. Thus "Guru" means He who
dispels the darkness of our ignorance and reveals the inner light of God.

Without the Guru, rites and rituals can never help us. Without the Guru
we can never understand Divine Knowledge.

He who has all the signs of a true Guru, His knowledge will bring fruit. If
the Guru is capable, that is, if He fulfils the obligation of his title, make
Him your Lord.

Those wise people who understand this secret will perform perfect
actions while remembering the name of God, knowing the end may come
at any moment.

He who does not know the meaning of serving the Guru, who does not
wash and worship His Holy Lotus Feet, will be unsuccessful in all his
spiritual endeavours.

Yoga, charity, chanting and bathing in the holy rivers are all useless
without service to the Perfect Master.
Without service to Guru Maharaj Ji, the mind is dark, and the light of
Knowledge can never shine there. He alone who is free from attraction
and repulsion can save the devotees.

My Satguru is a fearless warrior. He strikes with the Word of God, and by

throwing the bomb of love he destroys the castle of ignorance.

When the Word of the Perfect Master takes effect, the king loses his pomp
and power. He forgets wife, son, riches and all show of royalty, and
enters the life divine.

When the Word of the Perfect Master touches you, all worldly enjoyments
become tasteless. All identification with finite things vanishes, and you
become a true devotee, attached to the Lotus Feet of the Perfect Master.

If God is angry you have nothing to fear, for Guru will save you. So
respect your Satguru wholeheartedly, and He will help you in every way.

Gods mercy may come or go, it makes little difference, but without the
Grace of Satguru, we are completely lost. I can give` up the Lord, but
never can l forget my Guru.

I cannot see how God is equal to Guru, for the Lord gave us birth in this
world, but Guru released us from the bondage of life and death.

God gave us five senses. Like five thieves, they are always eager to rob us.
But it was Guru who saved us from being their helpless victims, by
controlling our senses.

God cast a net of relatives over us, but Guru quickly cut the shackles of
our attachments, and set us free.

God gave us disease and desire, but Guru purified us, and released us
from every kind of bondage.

God deluded us with the chains of cause and effect, but Guru showed us
the reality of the eternal Self, and we were freed.

God hid Himself from us, but Guru revealed His Light, and enabled us to
recognise God.

God gave us the very ideas of captivity and freedom, but Guru dispelled
all these delusions, and showed us the Truth.
I am ready to sacrifice my body, mind and soul to my Guru. I will never
leave my Guru, even if I have to leave God. How can I ever praise Him
enough? We can never give Him anything in return for what He has
given us.

I am ashamed, because I will never be able to give my Guru anything, but

He showed me the Lord, I saw Him for myself and was f reed from
countless bondages.

He gave me His shelter, by His holy glance alone He made me love Him.
His mercy is so great that my tongue cannot sing His Glory. I am silent.
How can I praise Him enough?

All I can do is to rest my head on His Lotus Feet again and again. The
glory of Guru is great. I will sacrifice anything for Him.

Guru is the only giver. He bestows the gift of salvation. He frees us from
wrong actions and gives us Knowledge of God.

He gives us strong devotion, and makes us realise who are our real
friends and foes. Then He takes us to His own abode.

Guru and God are not separate. He who understands this, surely receives
the real gift which makes all sufferings vanish.

The theory of cause and effect holds true. Yet it is essential for us to have
a Satguru. It is the law of God that all souls must return to God, that all
souls will one day reach completion.

The ways in which we spent our past lives, and whatever thoughts we
have had, result in our life at present. Whatever we are doing or thinking
now will result in our lives to come.

This is the law of cause and effect, and it is quite correct. However, it does
not imply that there is no use accepting help to uplift our soul.

There is a hidden power in the soul which awakens when kindled by the
power in another great soul. Most people are not able to help themselves
without some outside help.

This energy from outside acts upon the energy within us, and sparks the
soul's elevation. It is at this stage that man begins to lead a spiritual life,
and become pure and full.

It is impossible to receive spiritual energy from books. The energy we are

speaking of cannot be found in books. One soul can receive it only from
another soul. There is no other way.

We can spend our entire life in education, and become very intelligent,
but in the end this will not help our spiritual progress. On the contrary,
we may find that the more intellectual someone becomes, the less he
evolves spiritually.

Books may help us develop our brain, but they are unable to help our
spiritual growth. This is a fact.

We study the scriptures and other books, thinking that we are growing
spiritually. But although we may become more intelligent we have not
affected our spiritual development in the least.

We may give long lectures on religion, but ourselves remain quite unable
to be truly spiritual. This is because the energy we need cannot come from
books.

It is most important to receive this energy from a great soul, for it will
awaken and develop the dormant soul within us.

How can we recognise the Satguru? We do not need a lamp or a torch to

find the sun. Everybody knows when the sun rises in the East, and in the
same way the sincere soul will realise it has found the Perfect Master
when He comes.

Truth is self evident. It needs no other method to prove itself.

The Light of Truth touches the innermost part of our nature and of all
nature. The entire world comes to it and accepts its Truth.

We can realise the Truth by following the advice of the Perfect Master
with love and devotion, not by reading books.

A disciple may climb the Himalayas or the Alps, he may roam the Sahara
or the Gobi desert, he may dive into the deepest ocean. But without
finding his Satguru, he will never know the secret of Truth.

After he has found his Satguru, a disciple should serve Him as a son
serves his father, opening his heart, and regarding Him as God
personified.

The Lord God has said, "Know your Guru as Myself, the Lord." We
should understand that Guru is the most powerful manifestation of the
Lord. If we understand this, our minds will automatically turn to our
Guru before we start to do anything.

After we have reached this stage, God's form alone remains wherever we
look. God reveals many hidden miracles to those who seek for Truth with
reverence and devotion.

In the Bible we read, '"Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy
ground." Wherever the Holy Name is remembered or the praises of the
Perfect Master are sung, that place is holy.

Imagine the purity of those who remember the Name of the Lord at all
times, and of Him through whom we can realise spiritual Truth! How
much devotion we should have before Him! This is how we should feel
when we approach the Satguru to receive his knowledge.

This world cannot survive without Him. The day this world is left
without the Perfect Master, it will fall into Hell and be destroyed.

The Perfect Master is the flower on the tree of life. This world is only
functioning because He is with us. It is only the power and energy which
is emanating from Him which keeps society from disintegrating
completely.

We cannot see God except in human form. No one has ever seen the Lord
in any form except that of His Incarnation. We haven't seen God, and
even if we try, we will not see Him. Why should we even speak about
seeing Him, when we cannot even paint His picture without distortion.

So long as we are in human form, we will be unable to see anything

higher than the human form. The day will come when we will be able to
rise above nature and see the real form of God, but as long as we remain
human, we will have to worship Him in human form.

Whatever you may say, no matter how much you may try, you will not
see god except in human form.

You may deliver long lectures, you may be a great debater, you may
prove that all the stories in the scriptures are myths, but my brothers,
please try and understand, all your learning is still quite useless.

From now on, whenever you see someone who is speaking against the
worship of God, stop and ask him "How much do you know about God,
beyond the fact the He is all powerful, that He is everywhere, and that
His love is unlimited? You've heard people say these things, but do you
understand them?" I find that people like this don't know anything, they
don't know whether these words have any meaning or not.

A fool who has never read a book in his life is better off than these people,
for at least he isn't disturbing the peace of this world. But these people
irritate and disturb others with their arguments.

Direct experience is the true religion. We must differentiate between

words and experience. Whatever your soul experiences is true. You
should ask those who give lip-service to God who or what they think He
is. Have they seen Him? Do they understand why He is called
omnipresent?

People have no idea about the soul. They can only imagine the
unmanifest One in terms of whatever they see around them. So they
imagine Him in terms of blue sky, open spaces, the ocean, or something
like that.

If we don't allow ourselves to think in these terms, how can we form any
picture of God? We speak about a God who is everywhere, yet we think
of the ocean! Is God the ocean, then?

So throw away useless arguments. What we want is Knowledge of God,

pure and simple. And that is the most difficult thing in this world to find.
If a buffalo wants to worship God, it will see God as a larger and more
powerful buffalo. In our present limited condition, we are bound to think
of God in human form.

We are all different forms of God. If many buckets are taken to the sea
and filled with water, the water will still be the same in each of them. The
same is true with God, for man sees God in his own form. We can only
have a physical vision of God when we worship Him in this bodily form.
There is no other way.

There are two things in this life: the eternal soul and the temporal world.
Guru is He who takes us from the temporal to the eternal, who introduces
us to Truth, who shows us the Light of Truth, the perfect pure Light, and
who thereby removes the darkness of our ignorance.

Just as darkness disappears before the sun, so the presence of the Satguru
dispels the darkness of ignorance. Then the sun of Knowledge rises. The
Knowledge which Satguru gives is not like the sun which sets in the
evening, bringing back the darkness. That Knowledge is never darkened.
The soul is never lost again.

Guru Vairaswat said that the soul is not born, nor does it die. It is self-
manifested and everlasting. Being a free entity, it knows neither birth nor
death. Having no creator, no cause, it is birth-less, eternal, indestructible
and beginning-less. Even when the body perishes, the soul does not.

By remembering the Holy Name, we receive all that we need in this

world, and can become fully realised. The conditions are as follows: first,
the Guru must be super powerful, and second, the disciple must be the
same.

The Holy Name should be received from one who himself received it
from his Perfect Master, and who is presently Perfect Master in a correct
spiritual succession. From ancient times the Perfect Master has
channelised His spiritual power to His disciples. Since the Name comes
from the same spiritual tradition, it has become very powerful. He who
teaches this Name is called the Guru, and he who receives it is called the
disciple.

If anyone receives this Name properly and practices it regularly, he will

have nothing more to do by way of devotion. Just by meditating on that
Name, he will reach the highest stages of devotion. All spiritual
disciplines are included in the remembrance of the Name.

Kabir says the devotees know that nothing is more powerful than
remembering the Name.

The Guru is like a farmer, and His disciple is the farm. The farmer
prepares his land to perfection, manuring it and making it fertile. Then he
sows his best seeds, hoping for a good harvest.

When the Guru sows the seed of Holy Name in His disciple, He also
hopes that His disciple will enjoy perfect peace and be saved. The Satguru
never gives the seed in the hope that His disciple will not enjoy perfect
peace.
Just as a seed can only sprout after it has been buried, so the flower of
Knowledge will not appear until the disciple erases his selfishness
completely. You should erase yourself until there is no "you" left. There
should be no duality left at all.

If the disciple is good, he will lose his ego in the same way that a sensitive
plant draws back from the touch of man, and quickly realise the
Knowledge.

Just as a clean white cloth easily and quickly absorbs the colour in a dye,
so the disciple with a pure and guileless heart can easily and quickly
absorb his Guru's Knowledge.

The Master and His servant should both have the same thoughts and
feelings. They should be one, for thus the disciple can please his Master.
He should keep his mind attached to the Master and wish only to please
Him.

A boatman ferries people across the water by means of his boat. In the
same way the Guru carries His disciple to a shore of knowledge in the
boat of Holy Name. Using the sail of his Guru's advice, the disciple
crosses the river of this world, cutting across the waters of ignorance.

Satguru is a jeweller who knows well the value of the Holy Name. In the
same way that someone who is a jeweller for some time begins to
recognise the value of jewels, so those who have been with Satguru for
some time begin to recognise the value of the Holy Name.

Once there was a disciple who was on his way to see his Satguru. He was
carrying a garland of flowers, fruits and other offerings. On his way he
passed a shop with a parrot in a cage in it, and he stopped and asked the
parrot where the shopkeeper was. The parrot told him the shopkeeper
was at home. As the man was leaving the shop, the parrot asked him
where he was going, and the disciple told him he was going to see his
Satguru. The parrot asked what trade Satgurus followed, and the disciple
replied that the Master frees His disciples from the cycle of births and
deaths. Then the parrot requested him to ask his Master how a parrot
could be set free, and the disciple agreed to do this.

When he arrived at his Guru's ashram, the disciple offered his gifts, and
after taking permission, sat in the corner of the room. The Guru inquired
after his well-being, and offered him some food. Then the devotee told the
Master of the parrot's request. The Guru immediately stretched Himself
out on His bed as though He was dying. The devotee was extremely
worried, and began to weep. When the Guru at last revived, the disciple
did not again mention the parrot's request.

On his way home, the disciple again passed the shop where the parrot
was kept, and the parrot asked him if he had received any answer. The
disciple told him, "My brother, the moment He heard your request, my
Guru died." The parrot understood the inner meaning of this answer, and
immediately fell to the bottom of his cage as if dead. When the
shopkeeper found him lying there, he took him and threw him away. At
this point, the parrot came to, and flew away.

This is how the Guru helps His disciple free himself from the cage of his
own ignorance by giving him good advice.

Satguru's net extends everywhere in the three worlds, and all over the
face of the globe. If, even so, a soul does not catch it, what can Satguru
do?

There are many stars in the sky, but they do not manage to dispel the
darkness of the night. In the same way we cannot remove the darkness of
our ignorance without the help of Satguru, even though we try a million
times.

After a great deal of study, we feel as though we have made some

progress on the spiritual path, and even come to believe we have received
spiritual Knowledge. We argue and debate and think ourselves wise.

But if we are discriminating, we will realise that although we have made

intellectual progress, we have not advanced on the path of self-realisation
at all. On the contrary, it seems that the more intellectual progress we
make, the more we are retarded spiritually.

Those who think themselves to be wise and learned, but who are actually
ignorant of the truth, are fools who will lose their way and end up turning
round and round in circles.

Many people never hear about the soul, and many do not understand
even when they do hear about it. Without a doubt, whoever explains the
subject of the soul is outstanding. He who receives his explanation is
clever, and he who is trained by a wise Guru is also outstanding.
The soul cannot be understood or explained properly except by a
perfectly realised soul. The soul cannot be understood by meditation, but
when a wise man begins to teach us, we are immediately freed from this
world, and become steady and strong. This is a very subtle subject, and
cannot be proved.

One can only have Knowledge of the soul by means of experience. This
experience comes from Knowledge of the Satguru. Thus one should not
dismiss this Truth by means of arguments. For by the grace of the Guru,
the self can easily be realised. The Satguru is outstanding, He is the
Knower of the self, for only He who knows the Truth can reveal it.

Arjuna, the man of self control is without pride or arrogance. He does no

harm to anyone, but filled with forgiveness, simplicity of mind and word,
he serves the Satguru with respect and devotion in every way.

Clean both inside and out, his mind is steady and controlled and as a
result his body and senses are steady and controlled also.

Therefore Arjuna, leave the support and shelter of all other duties and
actions, and come to Me, the embodiment of Truth, pure Consciousness
and Bliss, the Supreme Soul. I will free you from your sins, don't worry.

Complete surrender means to relinquish shame, fear, respect, fame and

one's attachments to body and family, and to realise the Guru is one's
only shelter, the only way, and everything in the three worlds.

Remember the power, form and qualities of the Name of the Lord
according to Satguru's teachings and with the utmost respect, devotion
and love. Concentrate your mind and heart, and meditate upon God. You
should do this so that you fulfil your duty as commanded you by
Satguru, for His sake alone, as King Janaka did in his own time.

Take refuge in the Lotus Feet of Satguru. Just as a clean piece of cloth is
quickly dyed, one who takes complete shelter of his Satguru is merged in
His grace.

(Here two pages are missing from the original text)

They cannot understand the meaning of a Guru-mantra. They don't even
know what a Guru gives.

If they hear a wonderful and uplifting spiritual discourse, they may be

overwhelmed for a short time. They may even change their ideas or their
religion for some time, on the pretext that they are broad minded. But this
brings them no benefit except that they satisfy their curiosity.

For them, the need to hear new things everyday has become a disease. A
new idea will give them a little excitement, like a glass of wine, but after
some time they will look for something else. Religion becomes an
intoxicant for them, like opium.

There is a type of oyster, which floats on the sea with its mouth open.
When one drop of dew enters its mouth, it closes and drops to the bottom
of the sea. When a diver at last retrieves it he finds the dew drop has
turned into a pearl.

In the same way, the sincere seeker of Truth keeps an open mind in this
world and waits for the Word of the Satguru. The moment he receives it
he dives deep into meditation and practices. After this, every word he
speaks is a precious pearl.

The tiny Banyan seed grows into a huge tree, but if the land is infertile it
will never grow. In the same way, if a disciple's mind is full of hypocrisy
and doubt, the Knowledge cannot flourish.

When someone is sick, he approaches a doctor, tells him his trouble and
receives a prescription for some medicine. But he must take the medicine
faithfully and regularly as prescribed until his disease is cured.

In the same way, a seeker of Truth who is suffering from the bondage of
birth and death will approach the Satguru, who will give him the
medicine of Knowledge. If the disciple practices the Knowledge regularly,
he will be cured.

If a patient fails to take his medicine as prescribed, it cannot do him any

good, and if a disciple does not follow his Guru's instructions, he will
never achieve the result he is aiming for.

Just repeating "sugar, sugar" does not bring a sweet taste to the mouth. If
talking about something was enough to bring it to pass, we would have
ended poverty long ago. People are always talking about money and
wealth. But talking about wealth does not make one wealthy.

In the same way we cannot get any benefit from simply repeating "Guru's
Word, Guru's Word."

There are many gurus in this world who relieve others of their wealth,
but not their pain.

The Satguru is one who has no greed, no attachment, no pride, no

jealousy. He always speaks of spiritual matters, and removes the jealousy,
pain, doubt and attachment of others. He takes His stand on perpetual
truth at all times, His expression is pleasing and he is nicely dressed.

His power is unlimited, and in His love and mercy for His devotees, He
teaches them the proper and righteous path.

Satguru is He who never even dreams of anger or fear, but who speaks
soft words full of love and wise council for all.

He removes our worries, and gives us good advice. He shows us in truth

what actions are right and what actions are wrong, what is virtue and
what is vice, and thus He dispels all the suffering in our life.

Take the shelter of such a Satguru. Offer Him your mind, your body, and
all that you own, even your son, wife, family, and servants. Give Him
everything with love and devotion. To support yourself, take only what
He gives you.

Understanding yourself to be a beggar, bow before His Lotus Feet.

Congratulate yourself on your good fortune, and bow your head at His
feet.

Know that no one is superior to the Guru. If someone thinks the Guru is a
human being, that is his misfortune. He is of dull intelligence like a bull
without a tail. The entire world knows that Guru is greater than God.

People are born into the suffering of this world, into the cycle of birth and
death, and trapped in the web of illusion. But when the Guru showers His
Grace upon you, all the pain of this world vanishes. Then you may enjoy
eternal happiness, and live in the realm of Truth forever.
The Creator, Preserver and Destroyer are all to be found in this world, but
no one is greater than Guru. Can your friend, your brother, son, father or
mother help you as the Grace of Guru can?

No harm can come to one who has Satguru for his saviour. If God is
angry, Guru is always there to save you, but if Guru is angry you have no
place to go for shelter.

All the scriptures agree that without the Guru, all is lost. Without the
Guru, the heart can never become pure, even if we try a hundred
thousand different methods.

Without the Guru we cannot receive Knowledge nor achieve true

discrimination. Without the Guru there is no salvation, for without His
Grace we are as good as dead. Without the Guru we are in the hands of
death, suffering and remorse.

Who can remove our doubts without the Grace of Guru? How will we
ever gain discrimination? Without Guru we will remain in ignorance
forever, and never receive the Knowledge of God.

It is easy to sing songs about the Knowledge of the Supreme, but without
the help of Guru you will never receive it. So you should take full
advantage of this human body while you have it, and find your Satguru.

You can study all the scriptures to your heart's content, you may even live
a peaceful life in the worlds of mind, body and spirit, but without the
Guru you will never receive perfect Knowledge.

All the great saints have bowed at the Lotus Feet of Guru. He who
criticises his Guru is the most unfortunate of men. One should not even
listen to criticism of one's Guru.

Resolve to receive the darshan of Satguru. No one should come before

Guru Maharaj Ji without bringing a fruit, flower, leaf or some other
offering.

One should be very humble and full of love, bowing at the Lotus Feet of
Guru Maharaj Ji. Whatever he commands should be taken as a gift and
accepted with bowed head.

When one is in Guru Maharaj Ji's presence, one's hands should be folded
and one's speech should be humble and soft. One should never stretch
one's legs before Him, but should keep them folded under the body. One
should not cross the room in front of Him, and should never even step on
His shadow.

Never keep anything hidden from Guru Maharaj Ji. And never tell him
anything that is untrue. The words of Guru Maharaj Ji are like scripture.

Know that Guru is the Supreme Lord. We should accept all that He says
without judgement, and should offer Him whatever nice thing comes our
way. The power of Guru is so fantastic that whatever we offer comes back
to us a thousand fold.

Worshipping Guru properly and completely is the only thing to do. It

removes all our sins, and fulfils every desire of the mind.

He who invites Guru Maharaj Ji to dine with him, thereby feeds the
people of the three worlds. The Grace and mercy of Satguru are
unlimited. Even the scriptures, even the angels cannot praise Him
enough. One kind glance from Satguru turns a beggar into a king.

This is the power of Satguru, that whatever there is in this world, it is all
by the glory of Satguru. He is the source of all strength and power. He is
the giver of great bliss, He is our only help in times of danger and
suffering.

Guru even removes the fear of death. He who takes the shelter of the
Satguru will have all the happiness in the world, poverty will never touch
him, and his life will be full of unexpected boons. If you find anyone who
is worthy, give him this Knowledge. This is the Supreme Secret. Great
indeed is that village, great are those parents, great is that family and
great are those friends where a devotee is born.

BENEVOLENCE

To work hard to remove the misfortune of others is the mark of eminence

and benevolence is the sign of good men and saints. The more serious a
crisis is, the more important the help bestowed will be. If we help remove
someone's agony for one second, we have done a good work. To remove a
thorn from someone's body, to offer water to the thirsty, to feed the
hungry, these are good acts; but if we help somebody for a year then
proportionately this help is greater.

Spiritual Knowledge alone has the power to kill the death-pain at the end
of our life. For this reason the bestowing of this Knowledge is the highest
form of benevolence.

There is no other learning whose power goes beyond a certain limited

time. Spiritual Knowledge alone has the power to install one in the
Kingdom of heavenly bliss. It completely destroys desire and its
offspring, dissatisfaction, Which always reside within human bodies.
Under such circumstances, what act can be more virtuous than the
spreading of spiritual Knowledge?

The great soul who shows the way to perfection is the only true well
wisher of humanity. Unparalleled power resides in such great souls.
Whatever we do in this world we do on the strength of our reasoning
power. Without this power we would treat our body as a lump of clay.
Therefore, a person who experiences this power in its proper perspective,
as do these great souls, will be able to perform all his actions correctly,
and a person who does not experience the power within himself will be
unable to pursue even his own interests, let alone the interest of the
Supreme.

If any Knowledge is useful after spiritual Knowledge it is intellectual

knowledge. The imparting of intellectual knowledge is much superior to
the giving of clothes and food, because the main objective of a man, which
is to fulfil his creativity, cannot be accomplished without such knowledge.
For one who has never experienced any creativity, to live or to die would
be the same. What use is a life spent In ignorance and suffering?

The next most important help we can offer people after giving them these
two types of knowledge is physical. To help others by means of one's
physical strength is truly a kind of charity. But we should not think that
physical service is the only way to lessen the sufferings of others. As a
matter of fact physical service is one of the lower forms of service, because
it brings only immediate relief. Physical help leaves no permanent change
in the situation Feeding a hungry man certainly removes his immediate
pain, but he will soon become hungry again. We should understand that
wherever there is necessity, suffering is also to be found. If we really want
to be happy, there should be no feeling of necessity in our lives. The day
our sense of need is completely removed, we will be instantly and truly
happy. In that state, hunger will not be an obstacle for us, and no worldly
incident will have lessen our joy.

We should understand that the help we need to attain such a state is the
most of all. Next in order comes intellectual help and then comes physical
help. The unhappiness that we see in this world cannot be eradicated by
physical help alone. Unless the way people behave is also totally changed,
people will still feel bound by a variety of needs. If these needs are not
fulfilled, unhappiness is sure to result. Thus physical help alone is
insufficient to remove unhappiness from the earth. The most potent
medicine for all suffering is to purify the mind by receiving true
Knowledge. One saint has said that if a man's mind is pure, even his
enemy becomes his friend and even the snake and the tiger look upon
him with love.

All sins and sufferings spring from ignorance. Humanity will be

completely happy when man has been introduced to his own power of
consciousness and when full self confidence in it has grown, following the
realisation of the Knowledge of Truth. We should not even hope for that
state of world happiness before this. Even if each household distributes
alms daily to the poor, the present predicament of humanity can never be
erased. Unless the nature of man as we see it today undergoes a complete
change the world will continue in its present distressing state.

Lord Krishna tells us in various places in the Bhagavad-Gita that man

must work every day. And it was his considered opinion that work "is the
father of all success." Yet each action that we take leads to a mixture of joy
and sorrow. Despite all this we must go on working. It is a complete
misunderstanding to think that because actions result in joy and sorrow,
we can be free from joy and sorrow by avoiding action.

Actions produce joy and sorrow in the same proportions, as the actions
themselves are good or bad. Joy springs from virtuous action, sorrow
from bad action. Even so joy binds a soul in the same way as sorrow.
Even though we can experience it as a fact that joy comes from virtuous
action, that is not the whole story. In fact the joy is already within us, but
we can only realise it through virtuous action. As long as we remain
under the misconception that joy is produced by virtuous action, our soul
cannot escape the double-edged sword of joy and sorrow. So Lord
Krishna tells us we should completely abandon the idea that we will do
such and such a type of work in order to enjoy such and such a type of
joy. When we have a duty to perform we must perform it, but we must
give up the idea that it will bring us joy.

"Man has the right to work but not to the results of his work. Work
should be done, but there should not be no attachments to its results."
Now we have to understand what non-attachment is. The main point of
the Bhagavad-Gita is that every action should be performed with
detachment. Everyone must work, but he should do so without desiring
the fruits of his labour.

If we compare the mind to a tank of water, we may say that just as small
waves arise in the water, so waves are also produced in the mind. Even
though the waves of the mind cannot be perceived at any time, they
cannot be completely destroyed either, but remain hidden in the mind
and reappear when a suitable opportunity arises. These waves are known
as mental impressions or "sanskaras" in the terminology of the Indian
scriptures. Some such inborn impressions are to be found in every living
creature.

Whatever actions we take and whatever thoughts we nurture in our mind

have an effect on our mind. This influence remains hidden in our mind,
but even while it remains hidden, its effect on our mind is still taking
place. Whatever behaviour we are exhibiting at present is a result of the
impressions that we gathered in the past. In daily life we refer to the sum
of these impressions as our "nature."

This nature which each man has is called his character. If his impressions
are good, he becomes someone of good character, and if his previous
Impressions are bad, he becomes someone of bad character. If someone
continues to listen to evil suggestions, invite bad thoughts and perform
evil deeds, then the impressions in his mind will also be evil, and the
character that is built on these will be evil too. If somehow the habits
which these impressions lead to, get a strangle hold on the mind, then he
will be unable to see the disadvantages of evil acts, they will become
invisible to him and it will become a part of his nature to do evil
unthinkingly. In the course of time these impressions will gather so much
momentum that he will become inclined to perform evil deeds
deliberately. Even if he has also received some good impressions, they
will not have any chance of withstanding the influences of the negative
impressions.

In the same way, someone whose thoughts are good and who performs
good deeds, will be induced by the good impressions which they bring to
perform even greater deeds in the future. Such a man's character becomes
so solid by virtue of these good impressions that even if the thought of
doing something negative crosses his mind, his body will absolutely
refuse to budge an inch to perform such an action. When such a state of
affairs comes about, we may understand that that man's character has
become stable.

Consider the tortoise. If someone starts to tease him he will hold his head
and limbs in under his shell, and no matter how much his tormentor may
drum on his back, he will keep his limbs withdrawn until he is sure the
danger is passed.

Similarly, he who gains control of his senses, even when he is tormented

by the outside world, keeps his concentration firmly on the inner Word.
Lord Krishna said "He who has maintained a flow of good thoughts does
not find it difficult to restrain the senses. His character, which is built of
the good impressions he has received as a result of positive actions, helps
him." We should note that the word "senses" does not merely refer here to
the visual and other physical senses but also to the mind. Even without
performing physical actions, the character can easily be soiled simply by
concentrating on bad thoughts. When the senses are restrained, a man
may be said to be well satisfied. The well satisfied man finds Truth.

It is in this way that one can transcend duality and arrive in place that is
perfectly protected. One who has. achieved this state is incapable of
performing any evil dead. Even if he is surrounded by the most wicked of
beasts in human form, he will not deviate at all from his good character.
This state is called "being established In divinity."

As soon as this state is reached by someone, he immediately attains

liberation without being snared by any kind of delusion. This is the aim of
every yogi, the condition which he strives. to attain. On the surface it may
seem as though the paths taken by various saints are different from one
another, but they all lead to this same place. The same state of
consciousness which Buddha attained by following the path of devotion,
and which Christ reached by following the path of devotion can also be
reached by the active path, karma yoga. Although the enlightened one,
Buddha, was a karma yogin, and Jesus was a pious devotee, both of them
reached the same state.

Now we must explain something of what the liberated condition actually

is. One who becomes free of the polarities of joy and sorrow and of good
and bad actions becomes liberated. Just as sadness and bad actions are
impediments to liberation, so also good actions and joyfulness are
obstacles on the path. One binds with chain of lead and the other with a
chain of gold, maybe, but the bondage remains the same. A person who
enjoys the pleasure that he experiences upon performing charitable
actions is in fact as tied up to his actions as the man who experiences
remorse or pain as a result of his bad actions.

When we get a splinter in our foot, we may use another splinter or a pin
to got it out, but once. it Is out, we throw both away. In the same way, we
have to perform good actions in order to rid our mind of evil habits. But
once the mind turns away from evil deeds, we have no further use for the
good deeds either. At this point we have to check our mind from dwelling
on our good deeds, just as earlier we had to check it from concentrating
on our bad deeds. We should cultivate non-attachment, which means not
feeling obliged to perform any particular actions. We should work. But
we should not let it disturb the calmness of our mind. Just as waves arise
on the surface of a pool, and slowly fade away, but the peacefulness of the
pool is not disturbed by them, in the same way says Lord Krishna "Even
while we are performing our duties, we should not lot the mind be
disturbed."

All the same it is our everyday experience that whatever actions we may
perform, the mind invariably receives a measure of pleasure and pain
from them. So how can we achieve the seemingly impossible? How can
we keep our minds detached while performing actions in this twentieth
century? Lord Krishna tells us to do whatever we do with detached mind.
He tells us not to let the impressions of our actions arise in the mind again
and again. We should continue to use the senses and organs at our
disposal to perform our duties but we should not allow our efforts to
have any impact on the mind. We must see every object in this world in
the same way that we see the furniture in the house where we are a guest.
We should always be industrious but never attached. There is no
disadvantage in hard work, but to be attached to worldliness is
detrimental on the path to salvation.

One day I visited a house where a number of people had gathered. I saw
them all, but I particularly noticed one of them, a disciple of mine. My eye
fell on each of their faces equally, yet on]y one of them "caught my eye."
And this was because I never had seen the others before, and so had no
previous impressions in my mind regarding them. But I felt affection for
my disciple.
I had seen him several times before, and so I already had some
impressions about him in my mind. I had heard many people talking
about him in other occasions, too, and I had often thought about him
myself. So on that particular day, as soon as his image reached my mind,
it came in contact with old impressions that were already there, and these
impressions refreshed my memory of him. Up to that point, the
impressions had been lying dormant in my mind, but as soon as his face
appeared in my mind, the memories returned. And that devotee
welcomed me with love, too.

We can understand from this, that whatever is brought repeatedly to the

attention of the mind, establishes firm root there, and can then be
activated by the slightest reference at any time.

In the course of my daily work, I come in contact with many many

people. But suppose there is one of them I love more than all the rest.
Before I go to sleep at night, I try to remember everyone whom I have
seen in the course of the day. Yet of all those people, the only one whose
face I can recall at will is the one for whom I see affection. His face has
been imprinted in my heart, his image has been imprinted on my mind so
clearly that it cannot easily be forgotten.

The reason my mind is not attached to the other faces that I saw is that
they are not imprinted in my heart. For this reason, I am his whom I love,
and he is mine who loves me. This attachment is a hindrance to the love
of God.

Saint Tulsi Das says,

"Whatever love you have had for this world,

now concentrate it all on God."

We have not come to this planet to live here forever. This world is like an
inn by the side of our path. We have stopped a while in many such places
before, and we have no idea how many more we shall pass through on
our way. There is no telling how long this cycle of coming, staying and
going has been in progress.

Indeed, the whole creation is created for the spirit, and we should realise
that the spirit is not created by the creation. This entire creation has
manifested itself in order to help teach the individual soul. There is no
other reason for creation apart from this. The purpose of creation is to
permit the individual soul to realise Truth. When the soul receives
Knowledge of the Truth, it attains salvation.

The creation is inert, untrue and changeable, like a dream. In contrast,

God is manifest Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. When we have looked
into the book creation and also acquired the Knowledge of God, our soul
should become realised, and should then put the book of creation aside.

If we fail to do this, we are turning our life upside down. As long as we

do not realise our freedom, we will take ourselves to be like the rest of
creation, and we will think the universe is planned for the sake of the
body, and that it is the duty of spirit to protect the body and ensure its
happiness. In this day and age we take over thing which brings happiness
to the body to be an act of goodness, and imagine it can lead us towards
salvation.

We say of someone who overeats, "he doesnt eat to live, he lives to eat."
When we look into our own lives, we will find that our state is little
different from that of the man who compulsively overeats. Since we have
decided that we too are creatures in this creation, we feel attached to all
the other objects of creation as (brothers ?). Once this attachment has
caught a hold on the individual soul, it begins to work like a slave. The
Bhagavad-Gita tells us to work unceasingly and indeed we do. But
instead of acting as the master we become the slave of what was made to
serve us. This is why we have drifted so far from our aim, so far from
what is natural to us, so far from salvation.

The main instruction for the practice of Karma Yoga is that you must
perform actions, but perform them freely. Never forget that the final aim
of your actions is salvation. If you look, you will see that ninety per cent
of the people around you who are engaged in doing actions, are
performing them as slaves to the desire of bodily rewards and comforts.
This is why there is so much complaining in this world. Therefore you
should forget your body in the search for salvation, and setting aside the
craving for physical comfort, you should perform actions having first
been filled with love for the soul. This is known as the yoga of non-
attachment.

The word "love" denotes something which is not directly perceptible.

True love is not possible without total independence. You can buy a man
as though he were a slave, bind him hand and foot, and force him to work
for you. Certainly he will do the work, but can there be any love for you
in his heart? It is the same with the soul. It has become a slave to the
senses. While it is working day and night to satisfy their demands, it finds
it impossible to develop love in its heart. In some cases it even becomes
ready to slit peoples throats in the search for sensual pleasures. However
much a man who is in this state may try, he can never accomplish
anything worth while. It matters little whether his efforts are made for the
sake of himself or of his family and friends. His actions are worth
nothing. So long as what we do is inspired by a desire for pleasure, we are
behaving like slaves. But when true love is our inspiration, our actions
will naturally bring us complete joy. There is not one action inspired by
true love which does not bring peace to the mind and joy to the heart.

Knowledge, ever-present consciousness, and love, these three are always

found together. We must understand that these three are our life, and that
if we have one of them, automatically the other two will he present also.
We must come to realise that consciousness, knowledge and love are
three branches of the same tree, three waves in the same pond. The name
of the primordial form is Truth- Consciousness-Bliss. Truth appears to us
decorated in the form of the manifest creation. Consciousness appears as
knowledge of the various parts of creation. And the element of love is
expressed in the hearts of all living beings originates from bliss. 'Thus,
misery can never be the result of true love. Now we have to answer the
question, if love is always full of bliss, then why do people in love so
often appear to be grieving?

Let us take an example, one that crops up all over the world. A man loves
a woman so much that he can see nothing else. His dreams and his
thoughts are full of her. O, what divine love!

But wait, let us dissect this love according to the scriptures, and then we
can understand its real nature. The man in question wants his woman to
remain always by his side, to eat and drink by his side. The idea is that
she should remain a virtual slave of his, as if she had nothing else to do,
no independent existence. Every word he utters bears out this fact. But
having made her his slave, he also turns himself into her slave. Now tell
me, can the love of these two slaves be everlasting? If she leaves him for a
moment, she leaves him miserable. Real love is never like this. This is just
a whim. These people are caught up in their desires, which spring from
sensual attraction.

Since this man has become crazy, he mistakes this feeling for love. He gets
caught up in it and begins to dance, imagining his momentary and false
love to be the divine love. Indeed he manages to catch other people up in
his craziness too. If the woman refuses, to obey his instructions, it doesn't
take long for his mind to become disturbed. Misery can never he found in
the path of pure love. Where there is disturbance, there is no pure love.
People become involved in this other thing believing it to be love by
mistake. But it is not pure love. The day you experience pure love for
anyone, whether it be your wife, your son, or anyone else, you will know
the secrets of universal love, and the same day it will be absolutely. clear
to you what non-attachment really is.

"O Arjuna," says Krishna, "I perform actions not because I look for
anything in return but because I love this world, and I keep its welfare in
mind. If I perform no actions, others will also cease to perform actions,
and as a result this world will be defiled and destroyed."

These words or Lord Krishna give us a good insight into the meaning of
non-attachment and true love. Although the Lord has no desire on His
own account, He performs His actions out of love. This is the meaning of
non-attachment. If the slightest desire for pleasure arises, non-attachment
and love vanish at once. The love of the man who enjoys sensual
pleasures does not go beyond physical objects. We say that so-and-so has
fallen in love with so-and-so, but in fact he has fallen in love with her
body. He thinks about the different parts of her body, and the attraction
he feel is what we call love. But in fact this type of love can be interrupted
very easily, and agony can result. Real love is quite different. It is never
attached to physical objects, but only to the consciousness within them.
This consciousness is beyond physical objects, it dwells in every soul
uniformly. People who are in true love experience no ups and downs.
Their love is constant, it call never be destroyed. And it can never lead to
grief.

It is not an easy matter to obtain this type of non-attachment. We must

practice it every moment. It is seldom that this love grows by sheer
coincidence. When we attain non-attachment true or salvation is also
ours. At this point, the bondage of this world begins to crumble, and
creation gives up trying to manufacture fetters and chains to bind us. By
walking on this path, we avoid having to suffer for the consequences of
our actions, whether they be good or bad, and we also find no need to
investigate whether our work is sweet or sour.

Let us be frank now. Is the love we feel for those we call "our own" true
love or not? We have to admit that the love we feel for our families and
friends is not true love. It does not deserve the name, for it is partly born
of self seeking. If we analyse our natures carefully, we can begin to see
that we seldom go beyond selfishness. Although we may say that
something we are doing is completely for the sake of others, for the sake
of our family or country, when we get down to it, we find that deep in
our heart we are craving for fame and honour. We have seen that
wherever there is the slightest desire to see some fruits of our actions, true
love cannot enter in. And where there is no true love, how can we have
non-attachment?

It follows that whatever we are doing, we should do as a duty, and no

more. It is not beneficial for us to harbour any hope for returns on our
labour. The more steadfastly we work in this way, the more that true non-
attachment will begin to grow in us.

We have already noticed that we are slaves to our sensual desires. If we

perform the actions of slave, we will find the fruits of our actions become
obstacles along our path. But if we keep control of our senses and act like
a master, that is to say without desire, we attain salvation. Lord Krishna
expresses it thus:

"He who has control of his senses

is established in wisdom."

We are always hearing people talking about rights and justice. in my

opinion, talking a great deal about these subjects is a complete waste of
breath. There are two virtues that we can easily recognise in the day to
day dealings of human beings. The first is compassion and the second is
ability. Normally, any given person will manifest one or other of these
characteristics more than the other. When one forgets compassion, and
begins to show off his ability, his selfishness remains on the increase. This
state of affairs has now become so common that it is very hard to find
compassion anywhere. A heart in which compassion dwells is an
expression of heaven itself. He who has a compassionate heart is the most
fortunate of men. it is almost impossible to find someone with a true
sense of justice in this world. Thus the composing of laws and judgements
should be left in the hands of men of compassion.

If there is anything which comes in the way of spiritual intellect, it is the

desire to reap the fruits of one's own action. A desire such as this will not
help us to develop our spiritual intellect. Rather, it may bring many other
crises down on our heads. To perform our actions without desire, is the
best way to worship Him. When we have given something to God, we do
not ask for it back. In the same way we should surrender to Him all our
good and bad actions. If we always bear this in mind while we are
performing action, then this habit will gradually grow in us. If we
consecrate each of our actions to God, then we cannot desire to receive the
fruit of our actions from anyone.

"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever sacrifices you offer,
whatever gifts you give,
whatever austerities you undergo, O Kauntey,
do it as an offering to Me."

The Incarnate Lord, who has always worked in this way, and who has
never had any desire for the fruits of His actions, remains eternally free.
And so it is with anyone who lives in this way, no matter if he lives in a
great city where vice and corruption abound, viciousness cannot touch
him. A lotus leaf floats on the surface of the water, but still it does not
become damp. In the same way, a man such as we speak of can remain
free of sin even if he is dipped in the sink of iniquity.

He who performs his duties with his intellect surrendered to God, having
given up attachment and the fruits of his actions, lives in this world but is
not of this world. He is never entangled by the effects of his actions. He
remains pure and undefiled, like a lotus leaf in water.

At the end of the great war, which is described in the Indian epic, the
Mahabharata, the victorious Pandavas held a great festival to celebrate
their triumph. During the course of this festival, they spent money like
water, giving alms to all the poor and destitute of their kingdom. People
were amazed at the generosity they showed. Everyone said they had
never heard of such sacrifice.

As the festival was drawing to its end, a mongoose appeared, whose body
was half gold and half like any other mongoose. He came to the place
where the great sacrifice had been held, and rolled over and over in the
dust. When he had finished this, he exclaimed "How stupid can people
be? Everybody here is talking about a sacrifice, but I see no signs of
anyone having sacrificed anything." People began telling the mongoose
how foolish he was, and that the greatest sacrifice the world had ever
seen had just taken place there.

They pointed out that everyone in the kingdom had received gifts of
wealth, and asked whether this did not add up to a great sacrifice. But the
mongoose replied, "This sacrifice which you are all praising so highly
isnt worth one grain of barley given as alms by someone genuinely poor.
Please listen to me carefully, and dont get excited. Ill tell you what I
mean.

"The place that I come from is a small village. A poor Brahmin family
used to live there. There were only four members in that family, the
Brahmin himself, his wife, a son, and his wife. The Brahmin used to
support the entire family on the small amounts which he used to earn by
teaching scripture. Now it happened that there was a great famine in that
district, as the result of a drought which lasted for three years in a row.
That poor Brahmin family often had to go for several days at a stretch
without eating any food. They used to suffer a lot. Then one day the
Brahmin managed to get hold of a small quantity of barley. He divided it
up into four portions, and prepared it for eating. Just as they were about
to eat it, a guest arrived at their door.

"Now the scriptures tell us that guests must be fed at all times. Therefore
that Brahmin told his guest, "Come in sir, the food is prepared for you,"
and offered him his own plate. The guest ate the Brahmins portion in one
mouthful, and said, "Sir, I have been ten days without food, and all you
do is tease my appetite." When she heard the guest say this, the Brahmins
wife came forward and offered her share of the food. The Brahmin knew
that his wife was weak due to starvation, and tried to persuade her to eat
it herself. But she replied that it was her duty to make sure their guest
was satisfied, and she would not dream of leaving her duty.

"When the guest had eaten the wifes food he was still not satisfied. Then
the Brahmins son came forward with his plate and said, "sir, please do
me the favour of eating my share of the food, for it is a sons duty and
pleasure to assist his father in acts of piety." So the guest ate his share too,
but still he was not satisfied. Then the Brahmins daughter in law placed
her share before the guest. After eating her portion, the guest blessed that
family and went on his way. That very night, the entire family died of
lack of food."

The mongoose continued, "now it so happened that I came to that house

the next day, and I found some crumbs that had fallen from the table
where that guest had eaten his meal. The sacrifice of that family was so
great, and the crumbs from their table so sacred, that when I rolled over
among the crumbs, half my body turned to gold, as you can see. Since
that day I have made it my business to roam the world over, to try and
find somewhere where a comparable sacrifice has taken place. I came here
because I had heard great praise of the selfless sacrifice which was held
here. But although I have rubbed myself in the dust of this festival, the
second half of my body has not turned to gold. Thus I am forced to realise
that here, as elsewhere, the like of that Brahmin familys sacrifice has not
been found."

Sisters and brothers, that noble era is now lost in the mists of time. Few
such sons are now born in the cradle of this earth.

When I started learning English, I read a story in my English book which

went like this. Once there was a boy whose mother lived in small village.
She was a widow and her son went out to work, so as to provide for her.
He used to work in the big city, in the factory of a wealthy man. And
whatever salary he received he would always send her some of it, even if
it cost him considerable hardship. One summers day he was reading a
letter from his mother, and working the fan outside his employers office,
when he fell asleep. His employer came into the room and found him
sleeping like a log, with the letter on his chest. He picked the letter up
carefully and began to read it. It said, "Dear son, may God make you
immortal. May you remain happy, and may He give you success in your
work. I am managing to make ends meet as a result of the savings you
send me. May God bless you for your honest and hard work, and for your
love and consideration for your mother."

As the rich man read this letter, his eyes filled with tears. He crept out of
the room. Later, when the boy woke up, the wealthy man called him into
his office and said, "son, you are the devoted son of a great mother. I am
very pleased to see that you have a sense of service and devotion towards
your mother. I am doubling your salary, so that you may continue to
serve her."

I tell you truly that people nowadays find it hard to understand such
stories. They talk about "each man for himself." People are indeed selfish
and self-centred. At the time I read this story, its importance was not very
clear to me. But now I can see it clearly. Parents may starve to death, wife
and child may go a-begging, and still there would be plenty of people on
this earth who would carry on eating until they had indigestion. I despair
of such people. What kind of humanity is that?

No one has the right to live so selfishly. Whatever a man has at his
disposal, he should see to it that others too have a share in it.

I hope that this discussion has by now clarified the mystery of Karma
Yoga, the path to union with God while performing actions.

The idea is to step forward to serve all men, without fuss, in agreement
with the spirit of religious propriety. Even if you have been the dupe of a
thousand tricksters, it is still your duty and privilege to give something to
anyone who comes to your door and asks. You should never speak of the
charities you perform. You should not even expect any thanks for them.
"Do good and cast it in the river," do good and forget. Do not examine
yourself for virtues, but look out for your faults. Someone asked Sheikh
Saadi , "How did you learn to do good?" and he replied, "I learnt from
my own mistakes. I went on giving up anything that I saw in others that I
did not like, because I realised that what I feel to be the faults of others,
others may feel to be faults in me."

It must by now be obvious to you how hard it is to live a householders

life. It is much harder than to live the life of a renunciate. It is difficult
enough to renounce the world without taking any part in it, but to live in
the world as a householder is even harder. Yet both paths lead to the
same end. Both renunciation and the desireless performance of action are
extremely beneficial. But of the two, the desireless yoga of action is
superior, because it is the harder to accomplish.

"He who knows neither hate nor desire,

Know him to be a perpetual renunciate.
Far from the pairs of opposites,
O Mighty Armed, he is
easily set free from bondage.
Children, the Wise do not speak of Knowledge
and the Yoga of Action as though they were separate.
He who is firmly rooted in one of them
obtains the fruits of them both."
"Renunciation, O Mighty Armed,
is hard to obtain without performing actions.
He who has achieved balance
by performing his actions in steady recollection
goes quickly to the Supreme.
He who devotes himself to the Path of Action,
whose mind is pure,
who has conquered the Self,
who has subdued his senses,
who realises his self to be the self in all beings,
even though he lives and works in this world,
he is not tainted by it."

Bhagavad-Gita

The Knowledge Session

You, who are about to receive Knowledge should take these vows to Shri Guru
Maharaj Ji:

- To follow Maharaji's five commandments

NEVER PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU CAN DO

TODAY
ALWAYS MEDITATE AND REMEMBER THE HOLY NAME
ALWAYS HAVE FAITH IN GOD
NEVER LEAVE ROOM IN YOUR MIND FOR DOUBT
NEVER DELAY IN ATTENDING SATSANG

- To practice satsang, service, and meditation

say the following vows:

'Oh my Guru Maharaji, I dedicate myself to your lotus feet. I am weak and
ignorant and am filled with the impurities of this world.
Oh Guru Maharaji, please take my mind and purge me of the impurities I
possess. Reveal to me the knowledge of all knowledge.
Strengthen me, uplift me and reveal the kingdom of heaven within inside of me.
Bring me from hate to love, from darkness to light, death to immortality.
I will OBEY you implicitly and will never reveal this knowledge to anyone for any
reason.
I will keep in contact with you through my DEVOTIONAL LOVE,
satsang,meditation and service.
Thank you my LORD for everything.'

"This Knowledge is a sovereign science, a sovereign secret, supremely holy, most

excellent, directly enjoyable, attended with virtue, very easy to practise and
imperishable".
(Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, slokas 1-2)
The Divine Light - Shabd Brahm

You first close your eyes. (They have to

remain closed during the practice of all four
techniques.) Your focus has to stay inside.
Starting on the external edges of your eyes
and using your thumb and your middle
finger, following the rim of the eyelids, you
gently and slowly bring your fingers to the
median corner of your eyes, in contact with
your eyelids. Then you rest them on that
spot, these two fingers in touch with your
eyelids and the bone of your nose.

You gently rest your index where it is, on a

spot in the middle of your forehead, above
the top of the nose. There's no need to
press. Just keep your fingers steady so that
your eyeballs don't move. You can rest your
arm (elbow) on the arm of your armchair,
on your chest or on a cushion. If you are
right handed, use your right hand, if you are
left handed, use your left hand. Don't switch
hands if you get tired. If you get tired, put
down your hand, relax, and then start again.
The best thing is to find a good position
where you can relax, and use a cushion to
support your arm so that you don't have to You cannot see Me with these
make any effort creating tensions. Relax gross eyes. I therefore bestow
and focus inside. Then practice this first upon you the divine eye.'
technique for 15 minutes.

The realised souls, when approached, open

the divine eye through which the real form
of God can be visualised."

The T-shaped arm support (known as a

'beragon') is typically made out of a few
pieces of wood and a single coffee-table
leg! As well as supporting the arms, it helps
keep a straight back.
 The Inner Music (Music of the Spheres)

You are going to use your right thumb to close

"Blessed are those who find
the True Master, and abide
with him, for through His
Grace only are they able to
see and to hear God. By
bathing in it's perfect
harmonies, the static of our
restless mind is cleansed
away."
your right ear, and your left thumb to close
your left ear. Use the soft part (fleshy, where
your fingerprints are) of the last phalanx of
your thumbs (don't stick them into the ears),
just gently close the opening of your ears,
without pushing. Keep the trigus (small
cartilage at the entrance of the ear duct) out.
Rest the other four fingers on your forehead
and your head. Let your focus go inside. Keep
your eyes closed. You can rest your arms on an
armchair, or your chest, or on a cushion. If you
get tired, put your hands down, relax, and start
again.
Keep your eyes closed. Rest your arms on a
beragon (or relax against a wall and use your
knees if you're feeling lazy), put a thumb in
each ear and let your other fingers rest on your
forhead. Try and concentrate on the sound you
hear. Relax and go with what you feel.

The Holy Name or Word of God

Sit in a comfortable position (a couple of cushions will help keep the back
straight), keep your eyes closed, and concentrate on the breath as it comes in
and goes out you. Focus on the "So-Ham" sound produced by your breath.
Relax and go with what you feel.

Keep your eyes closed. Be aware of your breath going in, and your breath
going out. Breath normally. Follow what you feel, and let your focus go
inside.
The Nectar of the Gods

Push the tongue back past

the tonsils and let it slide up
into the nasal passage. You
might not be able to push it
that far, just push it as far as
you can against your palate,
and let it then rest.
"Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
Relax and go with what you give him shall never be thirsty; but the water
feel. that I shall give him shall be in him as a well
of water springing up into everlasting
life." (John 4:10-4:14.)