5 - Kirpal Sangat

Transcription

5 - Kirpal Sangat

© Bhadra Sena
First Published:
6th February, 1976
3,000 Copies
Published by A.R. Manocha, Secretary, Ruhani Sat sang, India.
Printed at Kirpal Printing Press, 29/1, Shakti Nagar, Delhi-110007.
Beloved Master:
You were often pleased to tell us that a
Godman cannot be known by us mortals except
to the extent He chooses to reveal Himself.
The fragmentary glimpses of Tour Love, Your
Grace, Your Compassion, Your Omnipotence
that are gathered here, are but part of Your
gift to Your little ones. Pray accept from our
hands this Wreath of Blossoms gathered from
Your own Garden—for what can we offer that
is not already Yours?
Preface
It w a s on 21st August, 1974, that Sant Kirpal Singh Ji entered Mahasamadhi, bringing to an end a life that has already become a legend in our
times. About a year later, a general invitation went out to all brothers and
sisters to send in contributions for a memorial volume in His honor. The
response has been so overwhelming that my chief problem as editor has
been that of accommodating them within the covers of a single volume. I
do hope that the contributors will bear with me if at times I have been
compelled to edit and to c o n d e n s e . In trying to have this volume ready for
the Beloved Master's 83rd birth anniversary, one has had to work against
time. In a few instances, where contributions arrived inordinately late, it
has not been possible to include them in the order which would have
seemed ideal.
The inspiration for this memorial volume came to us from Beloved
Darshan Singh Ji. Such a venture, of necessity, is the fruit of collective
labor. Besides my general indedtedness to those who have responded to
the invitation to send in material, there are some particular acknowledgements I would like to make. I am deeply grateful to sister Kate and brother
Malcolm Tillis for editorial assistance and for seeing the book through
the press. My son, Vinod, has helped translate into English contributions
received in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, while daughter Gloria Smith has been
meticulous and indefatigable in preparing the manuscript for the printer.
I would also like to thank those who allowed their unique photographs of
the Beloved Master to be reproduced for the first time. Last, not least, the
zeal of the proprietors and staff of the Kirpal Printing Press has made the
production of this book in such record time a practical possibility.
15th January 1976
Sawan Kutir
K-91 Kalkaji
New Delhi
Bhadra S e n a
Contents
Preface
Illustrations
Dan Rendsland: Never Any Separation
Bibi Lajwanti: T h e Perfect Disciple
Iqbal Kaur: The Master's Early Days in Lahore
Gyani Bhagwan Singh: Forty-six Years of Grace from the Master
Malik Radha Krishna Glimpses of a Perfect Being
Khanna:
Mata Sheila Dhir: How the Master Revealed Himself
Olga Donenberg: The Master's Blessings
O.P. Malhotra: Master's First Visit to Germany
Brigitte Boehm: My Alpha and Omega
Manohar Singh
T h e Unbounded Grace of the Godman
Duggal:
Brij Mohan Sharma: At the Lotus Feet of the Beloved
Dona G. Kelley: As I Saw the Beloved Master
Bruno Zaffina: Stories of Master's Protection and Blessings
Betty Shifflett: My Lord Waits
W.S. Mongia: Master's Three Visits to Pakistan
T.S. Khanna: T h e Beloved Master's Gift
Sharon Shively: T h e Sweet Home of the Father
Mary M. Garlich: Blessings Given by the Beloved
Ram Sevak Sharma: How Lord Shiva Directed Me to the Master
Harbhajan Kaur: With the Master in Rishikesh
vii
xiii
1
3
7
14
24
31
37
40
45
51
57
67
69
73
74
79
82
88
90
92
The Ocean of Grace Divine
X
Rameshwar Dass:
Mata Savitri Devi
Singha:
Vimla Bhagat:
Allan Hudson:
G. L. Kohli:
Fay March:
Ram Prakash Bahl:
Sunnie Cowen:
Chandra Batra:
Hiro K:
Carmen Uribe:
Raj Kumar Jain:
S. P. Chopra:
Michael Grayson:
Baba Ji (Mehku Lal):
Sushila Devi Sharma:
S. Ramalingam
Naidoo:
Dharam Vir Sharma:
S. R. Bhalla:
Shirley Tassencourt:
Sushila Mehta:
Hildegard Loth:
B. S. Teji:
Naseeb Kaur:
Kuldip Kaur Mehta:
Jiwan Singh:
Ric Finnie:
B. N. Mehta:
Rudolf Cascone:
Michael Ravens:
Richard Handel:
Sean Sieglen:
Ben Ringel:
David Helion:
S. K. Kapur:
Katie Mc Cluney:
Captain Singh:
Elana Montiero:
Tracy Fogg:
Y. S. Rajput:
Jay and Ricki
Linksman:
The Supreme Being
97
The Earnings Carried Forward After Death
100
My Year With the Master
The Master's Power
His W a y s A r e Miraculous
The Naming of Jonathan
Perfection in All Its A s p e c t s
The Grace of the Master
Hazur's True S u c c e s s o r
T h e Power of a Sat Guru
He Knew Everything
The Great Experience
Fifteen Months at Manav Kendra
Sweet Stories About the Master
The Story of Master's Gardener
How Master Saved my Son
T h e Master's Drawing Power
104
109
111
113
115
118
122
125
129
131
135
140
145
150
155
The Story of the Kirpal Printing P r e s s
The Master's Saving Grace
The Power of Our Simplicity
The Merciful Lord
Day of Departure and Prayer
Mysterious A r e His W a y s
He Came to Save the Sinners
His Word W a s G o d ' s Word
In His Service
How we Met the Master
The Abundance of Love
Coming to His Feet
Memories of Meetings with the Master
In Wonder and A w e of His Perfect P r e s e n c e
The Forming of Manav Kendra of Maine
God Takes Care of His Children
It Is the Master Who Finds the Disciple
Parshad from the Master
Extracts from a Diary kept in 1973
A New Life, A New Name
An Echo from Sawan Ashram
What You S e e Is You
Photographing the Beloved Master
In Honor of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
156
160
163
166
167
168
172
174
178
181
185
189
194
198
202
205
206
210
213
221
230
232
235
249
Contents
Andrew Vidich:
G. van den Heever:
R. Krige:
Malcolm Tillis:
Ajit Singh Mehta:
Mufti Atiquer Rehman
Usmani:
Robert Smith:
J.M. Sethi:
Ann Grubich:
Joseph E. Newman:
Dhani Ram Sharma:
In the Garden of Non-existence
He Revealed Himself in So Many W a y s
My Experiences with the Great Master
Master's S e n s e of Humor
Providential Help
Sant Ji
Notes on a Pilgrimage to the Master
The Embodiment of the Lord
Sweet Remembrance of my Master
The Lord of Life
Blessed Are T h o s e Who Die at the Feet of
the Sat Guru
Eddie Boon: Precious Moments
Vidyawanti Sethi: The Lion of Mercy
Harcharan Singh: It Is He Who Draws Us
Pir Zamin Nizami: A Tribute to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Kate Tillis: The Master's Last Months
M.M. Chopra: The Light of the World
Hayat Singh: A Servant in His Household
A. R. Manocha: In Sweet Memory
Gurdial Singh: How I was Taken up in His Fold
Bibi Hardevi: A Favorite Poem of the Master
Gloria Smith: His Selfless Love
Bhadra Sena: The S a g a of Love
Rajinder Singh Bedi: Mere Sahib (My Lord)
Virginia Vidich: The Last Darshan
Leora Herold: Let His Words Be Part of Ourselves
Trudy Ravens: God Came to Me
Sandra English: Three Flowers for Kirpal
Jamna Das Akhtar: The Greatest Miracle
Robert Gildener: The Beloved Master Never Left Us
James Forte: In Remembrance of Our Master
B. R. Misra: Overflowing Grace
Prem Chand Gupta: T h e Compassionate One
Darshan Singh: The Mission of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Susanne Horatschek: Flowers of A s h e s at Rishikesh
Important Dates in the Life of Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji Maharaj
Publications by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
xi
241
242
244
246
253
255
256
269
273
275
277
282
283
284
289
290
302
303
307
310
313
314
317
325
330
334
337
338
340
342
344
346
347
348
362
363
367
Illustrations
29th May, 1955. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
at a farewell family gathering in the
home of Sardar Sant Singh, His nephew,
two days before the Master left for His
1st World Tour.
Darshan Singh: Earliest available photograph; when about
(collection)
thirty-five years old.
Darshan Singh: Studio portrait; when about forty-five years
(collection)
old, taken in Peshawar.
Y . S . Rajput: Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, Sant
(collection)
Kirpal Singh's Guru.
Manohar Singh Duggal: Hazur giving Satsang in Satsang Hall,
(collection)
Rawalpindi, early 1940's; Sant Kirpal Singh
standing left of dais.
Gurmeet Singh Randhir: Historic group photograph of Hazur at
B e a s , about 1940, back row left to right:
(collection)
S. Harbans Singh (Hazur's youngest son);
S. Bachant Singh (Hazur's eldest son);
S. Jodh Singh (Sant Kirpal Singh's elder
brother); Hira Nand; Malik Radha Krishna
Khanna, (advocate); S. Bhagat Singh,
(advocate); S a n t Kirpal Singh; Kulwant
Manohar Singh Duggal:
(collection)
iv
v
xii
xiii
6
7
xiv
the Ocean of Grace Divine
Dhani Ram Sharma:
(collection)
Dhani Ram Sharma:
(collection)
Dhani Ram Sharma:
(collection)
O.P. Malhotra:
(collection)
Raj Monga:
Darshan Singh:
Harbhajan Kaur:
Malcolm Tillis:
Vinod Sena:
(collection)
Bhadra Sena;
(collection):
Rai (Judge); S. Niranjan Singh.
Front row left to right: Shri Prithviraj;
Rai Sahib Harnarain (secretary to Hazur);
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji; Sardar
Bahadur Jagat Singh; Pandit Lal Chand.
Upper Photo: Surveying
site of Sawan
Ashram 1951 (Gyani Bhagwan Singh to
30
left of Master).
Lower photo: Attending to His papers at
30
Sawan Ashram, 1951.
At the beginning of His Ministry, Delhi,
31
1949.
Bonn, Germany, 1955, during 1st World
56
Tour.
Ramayana Presentation Ceremony, Gandhi
57
Grounds, Delhi, 6th October 1962.
On the rock on which He meditated in the
96
River G a n g e s , Rishikesh, 1948.
Making chapatis, Rishikesh, 1948.
97
Giving Initiation, 3rd November, 1969, 110Sawan Ashram. In this and the following
11
photograph, the Master is giving a s e c o n d
sitting to those who did not receive an
experience of Light at the first sitting.
Upper photo: Receiving Order of St. John
134
of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, 2nd S e p tember, 1962 (with Bhadra Sena).
Lower photo: The Master with the late Prime
Minister Pandit Nehru, Mrs. Indira Gandhi
and Baron Von Blomberg, Delhi, September, 1962.
Upper photo; Serving food to sevadars,
135
Manav Kendra construction site, 1971.
Lower
photo: Inspecting the work, 1971.
(S.P. Chopra to left of Master).
Sawan Ashram, August, 1973.
162
Sawan Ashram, 1962.
163
Passport photograph taken for 3rd World 184
Tour, 1972.
Dharam Vir Sharma:
(collection)
Dharam Vir Sharma:
(collection)
Jay and Ricky Linksman;
Raj Monga:
Y . S . Rajput:
(Studio A s i a 72, Delhi);
Victor Ternes: Europe, during 3rd World Tour, 1972.
Y.S. Rajput: Initiating children, Sawan A s h r a m .
(collection)
Gurmeet Singh Randhir: Master cutting His seventy-seventh birth-
185
220
221
Illustrations
day cake so as to distribute it as parshad:
Sawan Ashram, 6th February, 1970. Left to
right: Harbhajan Kaur, Bibi Lajwanti, Bibi
Hardevi, Sant Kirpal Singh, Darshan Singh.
Manohar Singh Duggal: Rajpur, 1970. Master is saying, "How do
I look in your focusing g l a s s ? "
C
h i c a g o , October, 1972, during 3rd World
Donald & Betty Wiechec:
Tour.
XV
(collection)
252
253
Amritsar, 1962. The Master is seen writing
down details of the inner experiences as
testified by about a hundred people He had
just initiated. The photographer was one
of those initiated.
Sawan Ashram, during Unity of Man
Conference, 1974 (with the Master is Mr.
T. S. Khanna).
St. Petersburg, Florida, December 1972,
during 3rd World Tour. Darshan talk preceding open-air banquet in Sunny C o w e n ' s
garden.
282
Robert Leverant:
Y . S . Rajput:
Sawan Ashram, February, 1974.
During Unity of Man Conference, 1974. On
dais with the Master are some of the
religious leaders.
303
312
Y . S . Rajput:
Near Sawan Ashram, 29th July, 1974. The
last initiation.
Delhi, 22nd August, 1974.
Rajpur, 1967.
313
Raj Monga:
David Edmonston:
St. Petersburg Times:
Raj Monga:
Manohar Singh Duggal:
283
302
336
337
Never Any Separation
Dan Rendsland
what You have given
cannot be taken
by distance
by time
or
by death
in this remembrance
i am closer
to You
The
Perfect
Disciple
Bibi Lajwanti
It is life's greatest blessing to be at the feet of a Sant Satguru. I was privileged to serve Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji
Maharaj for about forty years. I first came to Him when I was
very young, and I was blessed to serve Him to the last. I not
only looked after the housekeeping for the Great Master and
attended personally to getting and cooking His food and serving
it to Him, but also to His clothes, their tailoring, washing,
ironing, and mending, and to other household needs of the Great
Master.
I got to know Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, who we then addressed
as Bhapa Ji (respected brother), fairly early—that is about the
time He came to the feet of Hazur. He was a disciple of very
exceptional devotion to our Satguru. Even if He got just a day's
leave, He would travel from Lahore to Beas. Once at the Dera,
He would be so lost, so taken up with His Master, that He would
lose all sense of whether His clothes were clean or not, neat or
torn, or whether His hair was tidy. He would often put His shoes
at one place and later be looking for them at another. I once
remarked, "Bhapa Ji, if women get lost like this, it is pardonable;
but You—You should not be in this condition! What is wrong
4
with You?" He looked to me, and said, "Bibi Ji, I do not know;
when I reach the railway station here, it is as though I have lost
half my senses, and when I arrive at the Dera I lose the remaining half. When I look into His eyes, there is magic: I am simply
lost." Once in Beas, He would stay on as long as was possible.
He would be working often up to midnight and return to Lahore
by the 1:00 a.m. train. He would reach His destination around
3:00 a.m., and then after getting home He would be off to the
office next morning. If when leaving, Hazur would offer to have
Him dropped at the station in His car, Bhapa Ji would find some
excuse. He would say, "I am not going just yet. Maybe I will
be going somewhat later." He would sometimes say to me when
I protested, "Why add to the wear and tear of Hazur's car?"
Such was His reverence for His Satguru that when departing
from the Dera He would almost walk backwards so as not to
turn His back upon the Master's home. It was only after He was
almost out of sight that He would turn around and walk straight
towards the railway station.
In Hazur's presence, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was a man of
very few words. Whatever Hazur said, it was always "Yes Sir,"
for Him there no "ifs" and "buts." If He took a fancy to anything, His first thought was to get it for His Master. Hazur was
fond of books, and when Sant Kirpal Singh Ji came across any
book which He liked and thought it might please Hazur, He
would get a copy and have it very beautifully bound and present
it to Him. On one occasion He was very keen to have a silk coat
for Hazur. Hazur would never accept gifts, but seeing the earnestness of Bhapa Ji's wish I could not refuse to help Him. The silk
piece which He brought was sent to the tailor for making the coat,
and when it was ready, Hazur asked about it and wanted to
know how much it had cost. I did not know and when He crossexamined me I told Him by whom it had been brought. "So the
two of you have been conspiring against me," Hazur responded.
When Kirpal Singh Ji came, He asked about the price of the silklength. Somewhat at a loss He replied that He did not quite
remember, and Hazur took out a hundred rupee bank note and
handed it to Him.
Sometimes when Sant Kirpal Singh Ji came to see Hazur, I
The Perfect Disciple
5
would laugh and tell Him, "Bhapa Ji, if I let You go up, You
would be there for such a length of time. Sorry, today we won't
let you go in!" He would quietly turn away and I would have
to call Him back and say, "I was only joking. Please go right up.
You are always welcome." He had so much humility, and He
never endeavored to assert Himself as many others did. Hazur
used to rest in His room upstairs and would retire there for the
night. Once on a beautiful moonlit night Bhapa Ji was with Him
till well past midnight. I was there, too. When we came down,
He suddenly wanted to go up again. "Bibi Ji, it was so wonderful! Did you see? His face was so radiant, more radiant than the
moon itself. He was so beautiful tonight. I would like to have
His darshan again. Just this once—only for a minute." I remonstrated, "We have just been with Him. And if He has stretched
Himself to sleep, He would be upset. We should not disturb
Him." "Just this once, only a minute. Just a glimpse." Seeing
Him insist, I quietly went up to ask Hazur if He could let Bhapa
Ji come up again. On hearing me out He said, "Oh, Kirpal is a
sieve, just a sieve—and so are you!" I thought He was reprimanding us, and asked, "Hazur are we so bad? Do you mean
that we are unable to contain Your grace and whatever love You
pour simply drains through?" "No, no, that is not what I mean,"
Hazur laughed. "When a disciple is truly devoted, He is like a
sieve. There is no limit to the love and grace He can receive.
Whatever you give, He still thirsts and yearns for more. You
cannot fill Him up just as you cannot fill up a sieve." And so I
went down and brought up Bhapa Ji.
Once having cleaned and washed some wheat, I had laid
it out to dry. Seeing it, Bhapa Ji asked me if it was for my
own use. Hazur ate very little and I explained that I would be
hand-grinding flour for His chapatis for the month. I was particular about attending to such things myself, but Bhapa Ji asked
me to let Him grind the flour, saying, "Bibi Ji why can't you
allow me to have the blessings by permitting me to do seva such
as this?"
There were no limits which Sant Kirpal Singh Ji set to His
love and service of Hazur. Every month He would bring His
earnings and place them at the feet of His Satguru. Hazur
6
would keep back whatever He pleased for seva at the Dera
and give the rest for running Bhapa Ji's household. Bhapa Ji
never questioned; He never mentioned if there was any special
expense He had in mind back home. Whatever His Satguru
gave Him from the wages He had earned, He was glad to accept
for His family needs. Nothing could deter Him from fulfilling
His Satguru's commands and nothing could prevent Him from
coming to Beas to see Him. Once when His son was seriously ill
and the doctors had almost given up hope, He took the train and
came to Beas. "How is the child?" Hazur asked Him, and He
replied, "You know what is best." "We can't let Him go . . ." said
Hazur, and turning to me asked me to fetch some water and a
bag of patasas (sugar-puffs). He dipped two of His fingers into
the water and held them there for a considerable length of time.
Then giving a bottle of this water and the bag of patasas to
Bhapa Ji, He said, "Throw away all the medicines and in their
place, from time to time, give the child a sugar-puff and some of
this water."
There are so many memories that come back that I could
go on with such anecdotes without end. But the important thing
to realize is the kind of surrender that the Satguru asks of us.
He wants us to renounce everything and surrender it unto Him.
If we can surrender ourselves to Him, He remakes us in His own
image.
Baba Jaimal Singh surrendered Himself to Swami Ji and
became an image of His Satguru. Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
similarly surrendered Himself to Baba Ji and in due course
became one with Him. In His turn, Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji
showed the same quality of devotion and of surrender and became indistinguishable from Hazur in the course of time. When we
come to a Satguru, we must surrender everything we have to Him,
body, mind and soul. If we do this, there is no reason why we
cannot reach His Radiant Form within us, and having reached
that Form, He takes us further and does not stop until He has
made us in His own image.
The
Master's Early
Days in Lahore
Iqbal Kaur
I was initiated by Hazur Baba Sawan Singh in 1928. My
husband Sardar Hukam Singh was one of His very early initiates.
We were living in Lahore and shortly after I came on the Path I
had a chance meeting with Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji. My husband
knew Him already and one day as we were walking home,
Maharaj Ji was returning on His bicycle from the office. He
stopped to greet my husband and we were introduced to each
other.
Our home was not far from the place where Satsang was
held in those days. Maharaj Ji would drop in every now and then
to look us up. He would inquire how we were and sit and chat
with us. As our home was on the way to Satsang, He would stop
over. We would all go together, and when Satsang was over, He
would walk us back home. If a satsangi did not turn up for the
discourse, Maharaj Ji was so concerned that He would visit him to
find out if anything was wrong. Those who were sick, He would
help with medicine; those who were indigent He would help with
food and clothing. He was always willing to serve the satsangis,
especially the ones who were ill. He did not want people to
know of the sacrifices He made and much of this help was
8
rendered privately and only a very few of us knew the extent of
His generosity and selflessness. Once in Lahore there was an
outbreak of plague. When it was at its peak, corpses would reach
the cremation ground by the hundreds. Kirpal Singh Ji was not
only fearless in attending on those who were ill; He would also
visit the cremation ground and help out there.
I should mention here that disciples in Lahore had set up
two or three separate Satsangs in different parts of the city.
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh was not happy with this and around
1929 He had asked Kirpal Singh Ji to hold a central Satsang
and bring everyone together. We had no Satsang Ghar (Satsang
Hall) in Lahore at the time and a large bungalow with a lawn
was acquired for holding Satsang.
Subsequently in 1935 land was acquired for the Lahore
Satsang Ghar on Ravi Road and the following year Hazur
came from Beas to lay the foundation stone. Maharaj Kirpal
Singh Ji was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising
the construction and He would visit the site every morning
before going to His office and every evening on returning from it.
He attended to every detail and would encourage the local
satsangis to give their free time for seva. Ravi Road was a
deserted place then and there were scarcely any buildings in the
neighborhood. Hazur would personally visit the site every week
and see how things were going. He would quietly arrive and
after spending a couple of hours watching the work and giving
instructions, He would leave back for Beas.
It is difficult to describe His love for Maharaj Kirpal Singh.
He was exceptionally fond of Him and would entrust Him with
responsibilities which He would not give to others. Kirpal Singh
Ji in turn was exemplary in His devotion. Whatever was entrusted to Him He would take up. Any work He had to do for
Hazur was sure to be finished in time: no excuses and no delays.
In 1932 when work began on the Satsang Ghar at Beas,
Maharaj Ji demonstrated to us all the true spirit of seva.
Once during this period, while Maharaj Ji sat pounding the
bricks into rori, someone asked Him, "Why do You have to
bother about seva like this? You do so much intellectual seva for
Hazur—do You really need to do all this physical seva as well?"
The Master's Early Days in Lahore
9
Maharaj Ji continued with His work and said, "This body must
give seva too. It is only right that having it I should make it do
seva as well for my Satguru."
If anyone expressed respect and admiration for what He
was, He was sure to say with great humility, "I am nothing, a
mere nobody; it is all Hazur's grace. Whatever I have and whatever you see in me is from Him. He is everything." Once in
1940 when Hazur finished His Satsang discourse at Lahore, some
satsangis lovingly complained that He gave them Satsang only
very seldom. He visited Amritsar much more often and Lahore
was neglected. On hearing this Hazur replied, "Have I not given
you Kirpal Singh Ji for the Satsang here? There is no difference
between Him and myself." The Sangat was extremely happy to
hear this and turning to Kirpal Singh Ji greeted Him with great
love.
Hazur delivered His monthly Satsang at Beas on the last
Sunday of each month and the Monday that followed was
initiation day. Maharaj Kirpal Singh would invariably come to
Beas for the monthly Satsang and if Monday happened to be a
holiday He would stay on at the Dera. On such occasions Hazur
would have Him by His side during initiation. Having given the
initiation instructions, He would tell Maharaj Ji to clear up any
difficulties any new initiate might have. If someone had no
experience, or had not grasped some point fully, Kirpal Singh Ji
would explain things to him and make him sit again.
On one occasion He was at the Dera for a whole week.
It was June and it was extremely hot, and He was on leave and
spending His holiday as usual at Beas. A group of seekers from
Bulandshehr happened to be at the Dera at the time, and one of
them prayed to Hazur for their initiation. Hazur had had a
very sore throat and for a time had even lost His voice. He asked
them to wait for a day and next morning at 10:00 He summoned
Kirpal Singh Ji saying, "This man has come here with ten seekers.
Please give them Naam."
The ten persons in question were initiated by Maharaj Ji
as commanded by Hazur the same day. The instructions were
imparted at the bungalow of Maharaj Ji's brother and commenced
at 11:00 a.m. I was at the Dera myself and speak as an eye
10
witness. I cannot give the exact year, but it was around 1936
or so.
I come now to the time when the country was about to get
independence. When Maharaj Ji was on the point of retiring,
Hazur asked Him during His visit at Beas, "Where do You now
propose to live?" He answered quietly, "Wherever You wish
me to be, it is only there that I want to live." There was a good
deal of unrest at the time and alluding to that, Hazur went on:
"If You leave Lahore, it may distress the Sangat. It is best,
therefore, that You go back." And so Maharaj Ji returned to
Lahore. This was around the beginning of the summer of 1947
and the country was partitioned a couple of months or so thereafter. Even though He had retired He stayed on there, continued
to look after the Satsang, and from time to time would travel to
Beas to see Hazur. When social disturbances had reached their
peak and the family was preparing to leave for Beas, Maharaj
Ji's wife began locking the doors. Maharaj Ji ordered her, "Don't
lock the doors and add to the problems of those who have to
break in. Let all the doors stay open." And so He proceeded to
Beas leaving His home unlocked never to return again. It was
the end of July and He was at the Dera for Hazur's birthday
Bhandara. In August it was virtually a massacre and all nonMuslims had to flee from Lahore and from the whole of West
Pakistan.
Hazur was ill at the time but He was still at Beas when
Maharaj Ji arrived from Lahore. A few days later He proceeded
to Amritsar for treatment leaving Kirpal Singh Ji behind to look
after the Dera. Beas was on the main route from West Pakistan
to India and refugees began reaching from both directions—those
fleeing into India and those leaving for Pakistan. Maharaj Ji
worked ceaselessly to look after them. One never knew how
many or at what time they would arrive. Many would not have
had a proper meal for days. He would see them fed and clothed
and those who wished to stay at the Dera would be accommodated there. Hazur was very concerned about this and it was on
account of the refugees that He left Kirpal Singh Ji behind. Once
every week, however, Maharaj Ji would proceed in the morning
to Amritsar to see Hazur and return to the Dera in the evening.
The Masters Early Days in Lahore
As the weeks slipped by the Sangat at Beas got more and
more restive. Hazur's illness, especially during those disturbed
times, began to worry everyone. When He got somewhat better
and Baba Jaimal Singh's Bhandara on 29th December, drew
near, Maharaj Ji shared the Sangat's concern and asked Hazur
if He would return to the Dera. He answered that He would
return a little before the Bhandara and on 24th December He
arrived at Beas along with Kirpal Singh Ji. The Sangat was
extremely happy and relieved to see the Great Master. They
thanked the Lord for His safe return and blessed Maharaj Ji for
having been the instrument for bringing Him back. "You have
done us a great service," they said.
There are many incidents that come to my mind. I will
only pick up one here to illustrate the extent of His powers even
before Hazur left the body and assumed the form of Maharaj
Kirpal Singh Ji. We were still living in Lahore and it was the
year 1946. One of my brothers was suddenly struck by pneumonia, took a turn for the worse and died. He was married and
only twenty-eight. It was a great shock for all of us. Around
4:00 in the afternoon we took the body to the cremation ground
which was quite a distance away. After leaving His office,
Maharaj Ji stopped by on His way home, and on learning what
had happened, followed us and caught up with us half way. He
was on His bicycle and, getting off, joined the funeral procession.
After the cremation was over, He accompanied us back and
seeing our desperate condition, made us all sit down and gave a
sort of Satsang. He told us that whatever had happend was
under the Will of Providence. However hard it might seem to
us, it was our duty to accept it. Especially if we loved the departed, it was imperative that we stay calm so that his soul might
be in peace. His words brought comfort and solace at the time
when we were all in great anguish.
I had a second brother who was almost ten years younger.
He was deeply attached to the one who was gone and so great
was the shock of the death that he was beside himself with grief.
One day he disappeared and did not return home. We tried to find
him but there was no trace of him at all. We all wondered what
had happened and thinking of his grief we were doubly distressed.
12
God had taken back one brother, and now the other had gone off,
only the Lord knew where! That night Kirpal Singh Ji came by.
It was rather late for a visit—around 11:00 or even after—but
then He would call on satsangis in distress without regard to the
hour. When He saw us He queried why we looked so distressed,
and I explained what had happened. He reassured me and said,
"Don't worry about Omi. Have faith in Hazur. He will be back
home safe at 5:00 in the morning."
Sure enough next morning my younger brother returned at
the stipulated time. He had a strange tale to tell. Lost in his
sorrow and full of the sense of the meaninglessness of life, he had
wandered a long distance. Seeing a railway station, he had
boarded a train and in it met a group of sadhus. They asked him
where he was going and when he explained that he did not know,
they invited him to join them. They got off three or four stations
before Hardwar and he accompanied them. They lived in a
jungle and when they got there, he realized that they were thugs
in disguise. When it was time to sleep, to make sure that he
could not get away, they placed him in the middle and spread
themselves around him.
Realizing his danger and feeling completely helpless, Omi
could not sleep. It was pitch dark and there was no means of
getting away. As he lay restless, he prayed to God for deliverance.
In answer to his prayer he saw Light and within it the figure of
Maharaj Kirpal Singh. Maharaj Ji commanded him to get
up and follow. Full of fear, he said, "But how can I ? They are
all around me and will catch me." Maharaj Ji assured him that
no one could stop him and he got up and followed Him barefoot.
They were in a jungle and it was very dark. But Maharaj Ji was
radiating Light, and, following that Light, my brother sped along
through the jungle. After about two miles, Maharaj Ji informed
him that the railway station was a few yards ahead and asked
him to catch the first train from there, and left him. He proceeded as commanded and got off three stations ahead to change for
Lahore. At this railway station he once again met Maharaj Ji
and Maharaj Ji asked him how he had managed to join those
sadhus. The boy explained his state of grief and how he had fallen
into their company. "They were dangerous thugs—and what if
The Masters Early Days in Lahore
13
they had done you to death?" said Maharaj Ji. "Your brother is
gone and you are the only son left," He told the boy. "You must
think of your family first and not lose yourself in your grief in
this fashion. Now catch the train for Lahore and get back to
your home as soon as you can." And so the boy caught the train
and returned back to us.
I repeat, this happened almost two years before Hazur gave
up the body. Even at that time Maharaj Ji could appear in His
Shabd Form and help out those whom He loved regardless of
where they were. He was already one with Hazur, and Hazur
Himself had told the Lahore Sangat that between Him and Kirpal
Singh there was no difference.
Forty-six
Years of Grace
from the Master
Gyani Bhagwan Singh
Remembrance of the dear Master and the pangs of separation fill me with sadness. How a poor man, a sinner like myself
who was floating in the world of the senses and struggling along,
was picked up by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji is a marvellous thing in
itself.
From 1921 to about 1928 I was living in Amritsar, the place
of the Golden Temple, the place of the Gurus. I was not a
religious man by temperament, nor perhaps am I one now; but
spontaneously and with devotion I used to pray: "Oh God,
please take me to Your Feet, but suffer me not to have want of
worldly things." In 1927 I married into a family of standing and
religious background. They were living in Lahore, and at that
time Bhapa [Elder Brother] Kirpal Singh Ji was also in Lahore.
My marriage, and later on my appointment to a good job in the
Government, took me to Lahore. I was residing with my in-laws,
and there I met Kirpal Singh Ji who used to come to see us as
often as three or four times a week. The satsangis there used to
gather at the home of my in-laws and we used to listen to the
beautiful and wise words of Kirpal Singh. He was about thirtyfour and I was in my early twenties at the time.
Forty-Six Years of Grace from the Master
15
As I have said, religion to me was nothing but going to the
gurdwara, reciting the Gurbani and honouring one's day-to-day
responsibilities. Kirpal Singh Ji would just talk. His words were
very sweet yet penetrating. He was kind yet firm, and we all
listened to Him. This went on for some time; and then at last I
said, "Bhapa Ji, if You say that this Naam is so very good—give
me some, I'll have it!" "Oh," He said, "yes, you'll have It, but
not from me; Baba Sawan Singh will give It to you." I said, "Sir,
all right." You see, even in those early days I had developed such
devotion, awe and reverence for Him that I can't begin to explain. I was a naughty fellow, yet He had captured my heart.
So I started to go to Beas with Him to see Hazur Baba
Sawan Singh Ji. I had the desire to be with Bhapa Ji on all four
Sundays of the month. One Sunday He would give Satsang at
Amritsar, one Sunday He would give Satsang at another station,
and the last Sunday of the month was for going to Beas so that we
could hear Hazur's Satsang and have His darshan. Master Sawan
Singh had a big following, but I don't know why I couldn't get
attracted to anybody else in His Sangat. I was attracted to Bhapa
Kirpal Singh Ji as a girl is attracted to her lord. Wherever He
slept I would slowly sneak in there, maybe in the room or maybe
outside just to be near Him.
Around 1931 I was transferred to Quetta. One day I said
to Bhapa Ji after a Satsang, "I have heard that the Master whom
You take to be Your Guru is always present in the hills, in the
mountains, on the high seas and beyond, and that He is Your
protector and benefactor. As I am being transferred to a place
full of these Pathans who may harm me, I now wish to take
Naam." At this time I was a young man of about twenty-eight
years old; quite a mischievious person. So I joined the line of
those waiting to be given initiation. I do not remember what
experiences I had at this initiation. Later on in the ministry of
Master Kirpal Singh I saw so many things that I could never see
during the ministry of Baba Sawan Singh. I was one of the thousands of ordinary people who could never have an opportunity to
go near Him Perhaps I should say that during the period of twenty
years that I had been going to Beas, from 1928 to 1948, I may
have had the chance of touching the feet of Baba Sawan Singh,
16
my Master, not more than four or five times. And that too was
through the grace of Bhapa Kirpal Singh because I would sneak
in along with Him, otherwise nobody would allow me to go in
and see Him privately.
Anyway, when I came back to Lahore we would always
come down to Beas with Bhapa Ji. One time I remember very
vividly. It was summer time and we were sleeping upstairs on
the roof; Bhapa Kirpal Singh, myself and one or two others.
Early in the morning, about 5:00 or so, we got up and I said,
"Bhapa Ji, let us go and do our ablutions and have a bath." He
said, "Oh, I have already taken my bath." And then suddenly.
just as if He had not wanted to say this, He said, "Yes, yes. I
will accompany you outside to have a bath." The first bath that
He was referring to was the inner bath He had taken—He of
course had meditated during the night.
So during all those years from 1928 to 1948 Bhapa Kirpal
Singh had already instilled in me some understanding of what
He really was. I sensed that he would be the successor to Baba
Sawan Singh right from the beginning, and saw that there was
no one in the big Sangat at Beas who could match Him. It was a
very easy thing for me to accept Him as the new Master; I was
like a dwarf against a towering personality, and this awareness
had bred in me a sort of fear lest I should displease Him in any
way. The reverence was there, the devotion was there, and the
fear also was there. I couldn't say "No" to Him at any time whatever He asked of me. I always tried to be near Him. He allowed
me to come to His house; He allowed me to do small things for
Him, which I was happy to do to please Him.
There are one or two incidents before 1948—before He became the Master—that I would now like to relate. My brother-inlaw, a young boy of twelve or thirteen years, fell ill. Bhapa Kirpal
Singh Ji would come to our house almost daily, tend him, look
after him. One day in the morning He said to my mother-in-law,
"Look here, look here. Now you must leave off all clutching for
the child—he has to go." He then told my wife that the child
would leave at 8:00 at night, and that He would return at that
time. It so happened that at about 7:00 He came back and He
remained with the child; then when the clock struck 8:00, He
Forty-six Years of Grace from the Master
17
placed His hand on the boy's forehead, and he went smiling.
Bhapa Ji then said, "All right. I will come again tomorrow when
the boy is to be taken to the cremation ground." And to the cremation ground He did go. There were a large number of people.
Somebody said, "Bhapa Ji, would You say a few words on
this occasion?" He said, "Look here, this is a lesson before you
all. You must know that this thing has to happen to you also.
Be prepared for it. And if you have not prepared for it, think of
how you are going to prepare for it." This was said in a very
polite way, in a very loving way, yet in such a forceful way that
everybody could not but weep over it. As far as I remember, this
was as early as 1933.
You see, He used to love us like anything, and that is why
our respect for Him grew every day. He was always a very noble
person, a compassionate one, a man who was given to service. All
these qualities had developed in the entire family of ours a sort of
devotion to Him; we knew we had a person in Him who was
always with us, ready to help us, and to take compassion on us.
After all, what was I? I was just a sinner floating about and I
cannot imagine any quality or any good thing that I had that
could have possibly been an asset to Him, let alone for Him to
eventually choose me to work so closely with Him.
Every day there was one incident or another which revealed
that here was a man on earth whom you could really call God.
All the attributes which can ever be given to God were in Him:
He was compassionate, He was loving, He was kind, He was
helpful. He had the heart of a householder; yet the love of the
Master was a thousand times more than that of a mother. We
say that the mother's love for her children is immense, but I can
tell you, really, that His love for His children was more than the
love of a thousand mothers for their children. Such was He who
trod the earth and is helping us even now with everything that
we want to do.
One day at the end of the monthly Satsang at Beas—
probably it was on the 31st of March 1948 when Hazur was very
ill. Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji announced to the Sangat that certain
arrangements had been made at Beas for the administration, etc.
and other such vague information. After Satsang was over, He
18
went to His brother's house and I also went with Him. I asked
point blank, "Bhapa Ji, what You said in the Satsang was quite
vague, and I want to have the correct meaning. I want to know
exactly who is the person whom Baba Sawan Singh Ji has nominated as His successor, to whom He has given the Power to
initiate." This was my straight question; and His straight reply
was in these few words, "That work has already been entrusted
to me." So from that moment everything was clear to me. On
2nd April Master Sawan Singh left His mortal coil.
After the funeral rites and a brief stay with His son in
Delhi, Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji went up to the Himalayas at
Rishikesh. He remained there, as everybody knows, for about six
months. He came back to Delhi some time around December of
1948 and started His work. When Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji was at
Lahore, I was in Service there. Now He had come to Delhi, and
I was also working at Delhi. My daily practice was to walk
every morning to His place from my quarters which were
about three miles away, attend for about an hour or so to the
work, and then go to my office. In the evening about 4:30 or
5:00 I would leave my office, go straight over to the Master's,
remain there for two or three hours, and then return to my home.
The Master had started the work; but there was some confusion
and people were not sure as to who was true Master. In this
respect Baba Sawan Singh had shown many people where He
was working by appearing to them in visions, in meditation, or
by manifesting Himself during the Satsangs of Bhapa Kirpal
Singh Ji.
There was a bit of stiff opposition against the new Master
doing the work, and the result was that we couldn't find a
permanent place where we could hold Satsang. So the hunt was
on to find a permanent place suitable for the purpose.
It so happened that the place we found, where Sawan
Ashram was built, belonged to a member of Parliament. He came
in contact with the Master, or the Master arranged things so that
he should come in contact with Him, and this place was surveyed
and accepted. While viewing this place, the Form of Sawan
Singh was seen along with the Master looking over the site. In
June 1951 we started construction, and the first Bhandara of Baba
19
Sawan Singh was celebrated at Sawan Ashram on 27th July—
only about six weeks later.
The construction of Sawan Ashram was a scene to behold.
Young ladies, old women, rich and poor, all offered their services
and would go on working sweetly; and Master Himself supervised everything. In the lunch break, He would give everybody
food and chapatis under the shade of a tree, rest for a while,
and then again go on working. The work would go on till nightfall. You can imagine, the first buildings at Sawan Ashram were
built in about a month and a half! My house was built next to
the Master's bungalow.
One thing is very important. Master Kirpal Singh had left
everything in Beas, and had to start everything from scratch.
There was not much money about; and in 1949 we had a meeting
where the people were happy to pledge money for the Satsang
work, and as everybody knows the entire work for the Satsang was
based on love; loving devotion, loving service and loving offerings.
There was need for the work, and the money just came in.
During the construction of the Ashram which had been a
barren site, there was a big pippal tree which had to be uprooted.
During the felling of that tree, a boy by the name of Ramesh got
almost buried under a big bough or the trunk of the tree and he
was struck almost lifeless. He was unconscious, and was brought
to Master's veranda. His mother came up crying and crying and
crying. She said, "Master, if my boy dies, I will never, never
forgive You." He said, "Don't worry, let us hope for the Master's
grace." And you will be amazed that the boy shortly after,
slowly regained consciousness; he is well and kicking, married
now and is doing the Master's work in Panama where he met the
Master on His 1972 tour.
From the beginning of the Master's Mission, I had the
privilege to be with Him, or rather He allowed this poor fellow
to be with Him, and do all the work of accounting and to attend
to His local and foreign correspondence. This was such a pleasing job that although I worked about eighteen hours a day I was
always feeling buoyant and happy. This work continued in the
Ashram up to 1955, until Sardar Dalip Singh came here on
retirement and took over part of my work, namely, cash and
20
accounts. My work for the Master continued; some part was
given away, other work was increased. I remember having been
with Master up to 1:00 at night and when I left Him and came
to my house I felt so buoyant and happy that I can't explain it.
It was His compassion and love that He could not see anybody suffering. Once I fell ill and was in my house. Master got
news of it and came to see me, sat by my side, and said, "Well,
Gyani what has happened to you?" I said, "Sir, I don't know,
but I can't get up." "Oh no, no, no. You've got nothing to
worry about. Let me see what has happened to your back. Let
me see." And He just put His hands over my back and talked
about this and that. A little later He said, "Well, look here. I've
got a lot of work lying over there, and you have to do it." And
He went away. And you can imagine that within about two
hours I was quite well and healthy with no pain, nothing of the
sort; I went there to do the work and stayed there right up to
midnight. Such was His compassion and love that we can't begin
to understand it !
Every day there was one incident or another which
revealed that here was a man on earth whom you could really
call God. All the attributes which can ever be given to God were
in Him : He was compassionate, He was loving, He was kind, He
was helpful. He had a human heart; yet the love of the Master
was a thousand times more than that of a mother. We say that
the mother's love for her children is immense, but I can tell you
really that His love for His children was more than the love of
a thousand mothers for their children. Such was He who trod
the earth and is helping us even now with everything that we
want to do.
The Master had very kindly allowed me the opportunity,
even during my service, to take leave and accompany Him on
most of His Indian tours. In .1956 we went on a tour to the
eastern side and were staying at that particular time at Varanasi
(Benares), the holy city on the Ganges. It was raining heavily
at that time. All of a sudden Master said, "Gyani, what about
the Ashram? And what about your house?" I said, "Sir, it's
o.k., it's o.k." Later I was to learn that at about 12:00 noon my
son had been knocked down by a truck and was lying senseless.
2l
The police had come and wanted to register a case but my wife
refused to do anything, and said, "He will be all right; by the
Master's grace. You can't help us much." Then the doctors came
and were doing all they could. The people in the Ashram advised
my wife to telegraph the Master to say that there had been an
accident and that He should send me back to Delhi. My wife
didn't agree. She said, "No, he has gone there and is with the
Master. The Master knows all about this. His coming back here
will not help the boy any more than the grace of the Master
which can be had from there." On the other hand, after one or
two hours, Dalip Singh got a telegram from the Master saying,
"What about the affairs of the Ashram and of Gyani's house?"
This was a thing which told everybody present that the Master
was not unaware of what had happened. On that very night,
Brij Mohan Sharma was leaving Delhi to join the Master, and he
said, "What message should I give the Master?" My wife said,
"Don't say anything about this incident, say everything is all
right." He arrived, met the Master, but didn't tell Him
anything. But later there was some murmuring between the
satsangis about what had happened, and as one of the Master's
workers overheard them he told the Master. He called for me.
"Oh," He said, "Why didn't you tell me? All right, don't worry,
he'll be o.k." He knew. And you can imagine that in a few hours
the boy began to recover; in a few days he was quite all right.
When I came back he was perfectly well again. The kindness of
the Master cannot be expressed by any words of mine.
When the Master Was arranging His first world tour in
1955, He asked me to accompany Him, which unfortunately I
did not. For the 1963 tour He also asked me to accompany Him,
which also I am sorry I declined. In 1971 the tour was almost
fixed up and the Master was ready to go, but unluckily as you all
know He fell ill, went to hospital, and had to be operated upon.
The 1971 tour was therefore postponed. The dear ones from
abroad were pressing for the Master to come and meet them
personally because, you know, it was not possible for every initiate
from the West to come all the way to India as it involved a lot
of expense and time. The pull and prayers of the dear ones were
really very strong, but the Master was not keeping good health.
22
Eventually a program was fixed for 1972. One day while sitting
with the Master, He said, "Look here Gyani, my body is
revolting, it is not co-operating. If I listen to my body, I can't
make this journey; but the pressure of the dear ones from inside
and from their letters is so much that I can't resist them. I can't
resist them any longer. So we have to go." A program was
fixed up. So four of us, the Master, Bhalla and Harcharan Singh
and myself formed the party and we left on the 26th August,
1972.
Our first stop was in Bonn where we were met by Master's
representative, Bianca Fitting. We remained in Germany, Italy
and France for some time, and then went to London where Sant
Singh and others were waiting for us. Then we flew straight to
Washington. "This tour," the Master said, "is for my children.
The first tour was for some dignitaries, and to start the Mission
in the West. The second was for the benefit of governments, and
to consolidate the work. But this tour is going to be for my
children. I want to meet them, I want to be with them, I want
to listen to their difficulties, I want to listen to them and talk to
them, and meet them; my love for them is so much that I cannot
resist going."
You may have read the account of the tour given in Sat
Sandesh. Suffice it for me to say here that although the Master
was ill, He would work from 8:00 in the morning till 1:00 at
night, and after retiring, His body would ache like anything; He
could hardly get an hour's rest. And then in the morning He
would start His work again, seeing people, giving His talks and
mediation sittings, answering so many questions, always giving,
giving, giving. The effect of this tour was tremendous. The
Master's children had the opportunity to be very close with Him,
speak with Him, live with Him in as near and dear a way as any
child coming to see his father.
During the tour the Master was not unaware of the desires
and the love of the initiates, the dear ones in India, just as the
Master, when He was in India, was not unaware of the aspirations of the dear ones in other countries. Every week or ten
days He used to be in contact with Delhi by telephone, sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes, listening to their difficulties; the
23
Master was giving His love and His grace to all of them. When
we were in California at Lucille Gunn's house, we received a
tape recorded in Delhi and sent over there for the Master. That
tape was from a dear one and told the pathetic story of how the
people over in India were feeling His absence. The Master was
touched to the quick; He was ill and we had a big program
ahead of us. When we left for Mexico and after Mexico went to
Panama, the Master decided to cancel the last part of His tour.
The program for Africa and further East was cut short by several
weeks, and we arrived back in Delhi at the beginning of January
1973.
Such is the story of a Perfect Man, a complete Man I
should say, who came on this earth to remind us of and to help
us go back to our Home; who gave us a solemn promise that the
Master is always waiting for the initiates to come to Him.
Unfortunate we are at this hour that we did not listen to Him,
and did not do what He wanted us to do, and take that which
He wanted to give us. We kept our bowl covered; the Nectar
which He wanted to put into it did not find its way into our
hearts. We are now repenting because He is not here physically
and we can not now do anything.
Glimpses of
a Perfect Being
Malik Radha Krishna Khanna
When I first met Sardar Kirpal Singh, His humility was
such that it never allowed me to think that He would ever rise to
such spiritual heights. He was regarded as a holy man and the
man to whom our Great Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji had entrusted the Satsang work at Lahore (which was then the capital of
Punjab) and as we had a very spacious Satsang hall there, He
used to give discourses on Sundays. After I came to know Him,
which was in the late thirties, He was also commissioned by the
Master to hold Satsangs at Amritsar where a beautiful new
Satsang hall had been built. I also remember that He went about
like an ordinary man with no show or pretentions of any kind. It
was widely known that He was always by the side of ailing
satsangis at Lahore whenever He came to know about their ill
health. He would always go and try to comfort them when they
were in trouble. That was all that was known about Him.
Once or twice when I was coming from Multan, and
having changed trains at Lahore so as to proceed to Beas to be
with Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, I saw Sardar Kirpal Singh
traveling by train, Third Glass. I knew He was a Government
Officer and that He was entitled to travel First Glass and that
Glimpses
of
a
Perfect
Being
25
He must have been given a First Class pass. But He always made
it a point to travel Third Class.
When He went to Beas, He made it a point to sit in the last
row at Satsang, while I, as an unregenerate soul, or whatever
you might say, used to think, "Well, I've come from more than
two hundred miles to see Hazur, and attend the Satsang, why
shouldn't I avail myself of the best place so that I can hear every
word?" And I used to sit in the first or second row. Actually,
whenever I sat behind the front row, the Master used to beckon
me to come and sit in front. Well, once I met Maharaj Kirpal
Singh; we had been talking to each other for some time and
when we went to the place where the Great Master was holding
Satsang, I thought that I might also sit with Him. And there I
found that I had a better darshan of the Master in the last row
where Kirpal Singh was sitting, and I also heard more of the
Satsang! Now I was astonished. I said, "This is where the true
devotee can benefit by knowing things." After that we came
much closer together.
Some time later we were together at Sikandarpur where
Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji's son had extensive agricultural land,
and his daughter was getting married. But Hazur fell ill and
everybody felt a great deal of anxiety. At midnight I found
Maharaj Kirpal Singh, who was staying in the room next to
mine, going in to see Hazur almost every half hour. As He was
feeling so restless and anxious, I asked Him if the Master's
condition was indeed serious? He said it looked like that, and He
had prescribed some homeopathic medicine which the Master
had taken, and He was just waiting for the result. After some
time the Master improved, but He didn't altogether get over it.
Later, when the Master fell ill at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh
at Beas it was a sort of continuation of the same illness which He
had developed at Sikandarpur. Maharaj Kirpal Singh took leave
from office and was there to attend on Him. Some people who
were close to Hazur, not exactly close spiritually but His relatives,
old associates, or members of His family, didn't very much like
these repeated visits of Maharaj Kirpal Singh.
Although He was in the grip of illness just a few days
before His physical departure, I could always see a faint smile on
26
Hazur's face whenever Maharaj Kirpal Singh came into the
room. Kirpal Singh didn't disturb Him; He was able to comfort Him. At that time Dr. Schmidt from Switzerland, who was
the President of the World Federation of Homeopathic Doctors
and an initiate of Hazur, was staying in the Dera and was treating Him with homeopathic medicines. Now Maharaj Kirpal
Singh used to have consultations with him because He also
knew something about homeopathy. However, it was decided
that Hazur had to go to the hospital at Amritsar for treatment.
Maharaj Kirpal Singh went with Him and so did I. There
also, Maharaj Kirpal Singh looked after the Master.
It so happened that one of the satsangis, who was a medical
student, was anxious that if there was any transfusion of blood
to be given to the Master as the doctors there suggested, it should
be his blood. When his blood was tested, it did not quite match
with the Master's and, medically, it was not the proper blood to
be given. But somehow he got round one of the female sevadars
and persuaded her into agreeing that his blood be given. Being
a medical student, he told her, "Well, there is not much of a
difference." So a bottle of his blood was kept ready, and the
doctor was told that it was according to prescription. I came to
know of this later along with Maharaj Kirpal Singh. So the
blood was given and it had a very serious effect on the Master.
He almost looked like losing His life, but He recovered the next
day. I was very angry over all this; I was thinking that we
should complain to the Master that it was due to this sevadar
that the wrong blood was given. But Maharaj Kirpal Singh said,
"Well, forgive her. What's the use? Now He has recovered. Whatever had to happen, has happened." Such indeed was His
greatness and magnanimity.
Some years earlier, when Hazur was giving Naam, He told
Sardar Kirpal Singh, "Well, you must do this work today. I
don't feel inclined; it is a strain on me, I have been doing a lot
of work and you must take over today." He declined with folded
hands, saying, "In Your presence I am nobody." The Master
smiled and initiated the seekers Himself. Later on another
occasion Maharaj Kirpal Singh did give initiation in Hazur's
presence.
Glimpses of a Perfect Being
27
In 1948 when I lost my Master I felt miserable. But then
after some time I had the comfort of Maharaj Kirpal Singh
which made up to some extent for that great bereavement. We
are to pass the remaining span of life which is allotted to us as
best we can. Maharaj Kirpal Singh was a source of great Light
and comfort to His initiates, His friends, to all persons who
came in contact with Him.
After He became the Master He spread Hazur's Mission
over several continents. Master Sawan Singh never went out of
India; and like Vivekananda with Ramakrishna, it is Maharaj
Kirpal Singh who has spread Hazur's Mission and made the
name of His Master famous in many parts of the world. Throughout His Service He was completely honest, wouldn't accept any
gift or even meals from anybody, wouldn't dine out; from the
beginning He had a very clean and very high character.
I became Maharaj Kirpal Singh's literary advisor about
sixteen or seventeen years ago when He wrote The Crown of Life
and The Life of Baba Jaimal Singh. He sent the manuscripts to
me, and I went through them—somewhat as a literary man as I
have my M.A. in English, but more as a lawyer—so that I could
check that there was nothing objectionable. My close association
began then. I might mention that I took Crown of Life with me
when I went to London in 1961 and presented copies to the
British Museum, the Library of the Guildhall, the London
University Library, and to Cambridge and Oxford Universities,
and they were gladly accepted. I even tried to get it published
in London.
Many other books passed through my hands. I came to
Delhi and set up practice there in 1960. Thereafter, when any
legal question arose about Sawan Ashram or the Satsang's affairs,
Maharaj Kirpal Singh always sought my advice and acted on it.
Now in regard to Sawan Ashram there were land acquisition
cases—the Government wanted to acquire some portion of it. I
also acted as Maharaj Ji's legal advisor.
I think He didn't require my legal consultation so much as
I required His grace by doing some seva. So He had set up a
show of my service for my own benefit, to give me grace, as our
Master had done years before in a case at Dalhousie which was
28
conducted by me. Maharaj Kirpal Singh and I became very fond
of each other, and whenever He used to come to my house every
month—and He did not come on every occasion to consult me
about legal matters —we talked of many things: about His
satsangis in America, about the satsangis here, about the situation in the country, about what was happening in Manav
Kendra, about what He intended to do, and all that. On several
occasions He told me, "Now look here, I have satsangis in this
country, and they don't take to their meditations seriously,
while satsangis in America and other foreign countries, some of
them take to it very seriously. They consider it as serious as any
other task in life, and they are making much greater progress
than the satsangis here." These are His words, and He added,
"Some of them have crossed one or two regions." Now, He was
very friendly with me, and I happened to remark, "Maharaj Ji,
Your regions must be nearer than the regions of Your Master,
because in His day it took much longer to cross these regions."
He laughed and said, "Well, they are the same regions, but
people in the West take to it assiduously, much more seriously,
and I am much pleased with their progress."
Maharaj Kirpal Singh sometimes used to say in a jocular
vein that I had a greater number of occasions to have the physical darshan of Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji than He had, that I had
passed more time with Hazur at Dalhousie and Beas than He
because He was in Service those days and could only go when
He could get leave. I told Him, "Well, externally I may have
seen more of Him than You, but You see more of Him internally.
When I went away to Multan I couldn't see Him, but You could
see Him all the time, all the days wherever You were. So don't
say that—You are in a much higher place in the Master's grace
than I am." And He laughed at that.
I would now like to tell about an incident that made a
deep impression on me. One day I met a satsangi who told me
his mother had fallen ill, very seriously, and she said that the
doctors told her that she would be dying within a few hours. She
expressed a wish to see her younger son, and she also added that
she would not die in peace unless she met him, as that desire
would linger. This lady was an initiate of Maharaj Kirpal Singh,
so the elder son went to see Maharaj Ji who said, "Well, the
doctors are right. She has to go this evening, but now that you
have come and conveyed her wishes to me, and you have also
been serving the Mission for a long time, I think I'll have to
intercede. How long will it take for your brother to come and
see your mother?" "It will take two days." The Master said,
"All right. Tell her that she will not go before she meets her
son." And then He added something which struck me then as
significant, "All right, I'll send her by the next train to the other
world. Let today's train go with other people." Now this is what
Master Kirpal Singh said. These things are there forever to
remind us of what He was.
I would like to end by telling how the Master showered
His grace on me. I met with a serious accident about two years
ago and it was extremely cold during those days—it was cold
all over the country. It was the 4th of January, 1974, and the
accident took place in the evening just before sunset. I could not
go to the hospital on account of this extreme cold, and no
surgeon would come to my house. They all said; "These operations are carried out in the hospital, we don't go to people's
homes." My right shoulder had been dislocated, and there were
fractures on my right arm and right leg. I passed that night in
in extreme pain. The next day my son again went to the
surgeons, and they all refused to come. Then they said, "It must
be x-rayed before anything can be done." I couldn't move so I
could not go for an x-ray. It was extremely cold those days and
I am very susceptible to cold. Then with great persuasion an
x-ray operator was induced to come here, and he took the x-ray.
The same evening Master Kirpal Singh came to see me.
At that time my pain was even more excruciating than on the
previous day. I could hardly survive, and in order to do fomentation on those parts, bricks were heated, and applied wrapped
up in a cloth. Only extreme heat could give me any relief. But
it burnt some of my skin and a part of my bedding also. A few
minutes after all this happened, Maharaj Kirpal Singh came and
said, "How are you?" I said, "I've met with an accident." 'Yes,
yes, I know that," He said and told me the exact time and place.
I said, "Yes. But I didn't send You information." He laughed,
30
But then I said, "As You know everything, You could have come
yesterday or on the first evening." He replied, "You had to
undergo this trouble for some time because the karma was very
serious and it was in consultation with Hazur that it was delayed,
but We took care that you would not expire during that time."
Those were His words. Then I said, "What will happen now?"
He replied, "You will see." He stood on the left side of my bed
leaning, or rather pressing against the wall; there was hardly
space for Him. He didn't want to shift my bed; He said, "No,
no, no! I will stand here." He stood with eyes closed for half
an hour. Then He asked, "How about your pain?" I said, "It
has become tolerable." "All right, you will pass the night more
comfortably now. Tomorrow some eminent surgeon will come.
Everything will be set, don't worry." I owe my survival to Him.
After the plaster had been removed my right arm couldn't
move. The plexus of nerves near the arm-pit was injured and
the blood didn't flow as it ought. The neurologist who examined
me—and he is the most eminent one in Delhi—said, "Your arm
will not move for the rest of your life, but try to move it with
your left hand otherwise it will get stuck to your body and it
could be such a painful thing that your arm may have to be
amputated." I was feeling rather distressed when Maharaj
Kirpal Singh came again to see me. I said, "I can't move my
right arm. I can't write, I can't even withdraw any money from
the bank as I can't write out a check." He said, "No, no, no.
You can't move?" He took hold of my arm and began to move
it up and down. And from that moment my arm seemed to be all
right. I have full use of it now, and it is a constant source of
wonder to me. Not only that, I may add that I owe my survival
to His grace. I know Maharaj Ji told me that all that was done
was in accordance with Hazur's wishes, but I know deep in my
heart that I owe much to His loving care and consideration.
How
the Master
Revealed Himself
Mata Sheila Dhir
When I met Sant Kirpal Singh Ji in 1950, I asked Him,
"Where is Hazur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh Ji? I want to see
Him." He said, "Well, Hazur Maharaj Ji is here; you will find
Him." I went away and two years passed by—I was in bitter
pangs of separation since Hazur left the physical body, eating
little, living in a sad state.
One day an old friend of mine arrived who asked me to
give a Satsang; there had been a death in the family. I reluctantly
went and started Satsang. Then one of our old friends went to
the Ashram, and told Maharaj Ji, "We should have a lady to
give Satsang from place to place in Delhi." He said, "Who do
you think could do it?" She replied, "Sheila." Master said, "Well,
that would be all right, but she doesn't come to me."
One night, some six months after having given that Satsang,
I beheld a beautiful scene; there was a lovely place where Hazur
came in a motor car in a beautiful radiant Light; there was no
turban on His head, but He had wooden shoes on His feet which
He used to wear in the old days. Gently, lovingly, He got down
from the car. With Him was Kirpal Singh Ji. I clung to Hazur,
cried and said, "Where were You all this long time?"Hazur then
32
took His seat on a stage and a Satsang was held. Kirpal Singh
came and caught hold of me by the arm, and took me towards
Hazur. Hazur had told me as soon as He alighted from the car,
"Never mind, you will see just now." In His Satsang, Hazur took
for His text a hymn: "Satguru is ever present, never think that
He is far away." Then I saw that both the Saints merged into
each other. Satsang was over and Sant Kirpal Singh Ji again
held me by the arm, and told me, "Look, no more crying. Now
you have got your Guru, you have got Satsang. Stop crying, there
will be no more crying." And at the same time Hazur told Sant
Kirpal Singh, "You love Sheila Ji as I did and take good care of
her."
Even after this I was not fully convinced. Two months went
by before I went to the Ashram. There I saw Tai Ji sitting in
the kitchen while Master was in His room. I peeped in and saw
that the room was full of Light, and Master was attending to
His mail with His glasses on, sitting in the very same pose as
Hazur used to sit. He then welcomed me with the same words as
Hazur used when welcoming me. After this, when I saw such
brilliant Light in the room, I absolutely forgot my body; I didn't
know where I was. Master kept saying to me, "Look, you have
no faith. If you still have doubts, keep on doing Simran, and if
it stands before the Simran, then only believe." Then I saw that
near the beard of Master Kirpal Singh there was the same black
mole which Hazur had. Then I thought, "Oh, this is definitely
the same Power!" And then Master put His hand under my chin,
and said, "Look up, look up, look up!" When I did, Maharaj Ji's
eyes became those of Baba Sawan Singh. He told me, "Now, you
must carry on the Satsang." I told Him, "Master, I am sorry; I
have no strength left for Satsang. I am sorry, I cannot do it."
Master took me to Dr. Mul Raj, and told him to give me a very
good medicine. I said, "Master, my medicine is Your eyes. Whatever You say—It's all right."
Then one day the Master came for Satsang at a friend's
named Satya. It happened to be Divali Day. I was there thinking, "How fortunate is this family—the Master gives Satsang to
them. If He comes to my home and gives Satsang I'd give anything for it. I'd be so blessed." Then I heard Master announce,
How the Master Revealed Himself
33
"Sheila will be giving Satsang here from now on." I thought,
"What is this? Master announced this Himself!" All this
happened in 1952 in Delhi. Then Master turned to me and said,
"Next now. Should I go to your home?" It was my very wish;
and I had thought if He came to my place I would be willing to
give away everything. Then Master repeated, "Should I go to
your home?" He was answering my innermost prayer.
When the Master came, I noticed the room was full of
radiant Light. He said, "You want me to give Satsang? Come
on, give me some text." And He took up the very same hymn
which Hazur had used in the Satsang of which I dreamt: "Satguru is ever present, never think that He is far away." Maharaj
Ji then said, "Now, is there anything more? Do you want to give
parshad? Come on, take out something, if there is parshad to be
given." I said, "I'm sorry Master, there is nothing in the house."
I wasn't prepared for all this. Then Master laughed, "Oh, so it
was only talk, was it? Just talk." He was referring to what I had
been saying to myself in my thoughts. Then He asked for water
and had it. I ran to a small shop nearby and returned with
burfi, and parshad was distributed. Then, having fulfilled my
dearest wish, Master asked, "Is that all? Are you happy now? No
complaints?" And He went back to the Ashram.
All this was in the early days of Maharaj Ji's Mission. From
then on I became actively associated with Maharaj Ji's work and
went to the Ashram regularly.
Maharaj Ji did a great deal of traveling, and occasionally
He would ask me to join Him on tour. Once Maharaj Ji told
me that He was going to Amritsar and asked me if I could go
ahead, take the keys with me and get the place where He was
to stay ready for Him and His party. Before leaving I told my
husband that as Maharaj Ji would be away for over a week, he
would do well to have His darshan next morning. When he went
to the Ashram and met Him, Maharaj Ji said something about
an oncoming illness in the family. My husband did not comprehend Maharaj Ji's meaning; he came back wondering what calamity lay ahead. Meanwhile I got to Amritsar, got everything
ready, and Maharaj Ji arrived. After the program there He had
to proceed on tour. I was not scheduled to go with Him but when
34
it was time to depart Tai Ji told me there was room for me in the
car. What greater blessing could one pray for!
To be with Maharaj Ji is to be in eternity and time slips by
so imperceptibly. The days flew past and we were already on our
way back to Amritsar and from there back to Delhi. I was in
the car, sitting in front with Des Raj and Master Pratap Singh;
Kuku, Tai Ji, and Maharaj Ji were sitting behind. Suddenly
Maharaj Ji asked me, "Can you tell what hymn will be taken at
Satsang at your place today? Why don't you close your eyes and
try to see if you can tell?" Tai Ji interrupted at this point,
"Maharaj Ji, if You go about getting people to turn within while
we are on the road, how will we get them out? Please don't get
started on things like this." Maharaj Ji changed the subject, but
as we drove on I fell asleep and I found myself at home with a
body laid out and people surrounding it in deep mourning. When
I woke up, the scene was still vivid, but I decided to stay silent,
Maharaj Ji asked if I had seen anything; I did not answer.
The car suddenly stalled. We all got out. Des Raj fiddled
around and then got back behind the wheel and the engine
started up again. We scrambled in, Kuku and Tai Ji in the back
and Maharaj Ji getting in last by the left hand door; Des Raj,
Master Pratap Singh and myself in front. I was the last to get in,
and as I banged my door shut, I did not realize that Maharaj
Ji had placed His hand in the way and four of His fingers got
jammed inside the bolted door. Imagine our shock and confusion!
I was too paralyzed to even think of opening the door. Tai Ji
was beside herself at my carelessness, and Kuku was in tears.
Des Raj jumped out of his seat, ran around, and opened the
door. Maharaj Ji, as His left hand got released, sank back into
His seat holding it in His right hand. He went pale, almost ashen
white, and it was as though He had given up the body. He lay
in that posture for what seemed an eternity to us then, but it
could well have been in actuality five minutes or more. He then
came back, and was all energy and cheer. Like a lion He bounded up, face glowing: "Why are you all crying?" He asked.
"Look, my hand is quite all right, just look, not a scratch, not a
drop of blood! Why all this confusion? You see I'm perfectly
fine. Stop crying and be done with it. I assure you, just look at
How the Master Revelated Himself
35
me, I am absolutely all right!" And indeed there was not a
scratch, not a sign of what He had gone through. His fingers
should have been crushed by the door, but they were in perfect
shape as though nothing had happened. We started off again,
but I was absolutely shaken. The dream I had just had, and now
seeing what Maharaj Ji had suffered at my hands, I wondered
what it was all about, what calamity it was that He was taking
upon Himself.
It was fairly late in the evening when we got back to the
Ashram and Hans Raj, who had gone to our place to conduct
Satsang with Maharaj Ji's tape, quietly whispered to Him that
my husband was seriously ill. Maharaj Ji called me in and asked
me if it wasn't best I return home. He did not tell me a thing,
but as I was departing with Hans Raj, who was to drop me at
home, Maharaj Ji casually pulled out a small bottle of homeopathic pills and said, "Why not take this? It might come in
handy, headaches and things like that, you know."
When I reached home, it was an agonizing scene. My husband, who had been wondering all these days about Maharaj Ji's
mysterious words about a family illness, had suddenly been taken
ill that very day when he had gone to office. He had a very
acute pain in the abdomen and, taking a taxi, returned home. On
the way he stopped at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital but they had no
spare bed for him. He stopped to consult some doctors, but all
said he needed to be hospitalized, and they could not help him.
Very possibly he needed an operation. There he was in great
pain, and with no doctor willing to help. I got one of our neighboring medical practitioners to come out and do his best. He sat
by my husband's side all through the night. He was neither
passing stools nor urine. We decided to move him to one of the
larger hospitals in the morning. As the night wore on, I thought
I would go and ring Maharaj Ji to let Him know. Just as I was
leaving, I remembered the homeopathic pills and put some of
them in my husband's mouth. I dashed off to phone. When I
dialed the Ashram number it was Maharaj Ji who answered. I
hurriedly told Him what had happened and that we were
taking my husband to hospital. "But surely you could delay it a
little. I will be there in no time and you must wait till then,"
36
He told me.
I hurried back, and to my astonishment my husband was
feeling better. The pills worked like magic and he passed his stool
and urine. He was sitting up when Maharaj Ji arrived, and on
entering, He walked straight up to my husband and placing His
right hand on his chest, and cheered him with the words, "Now,
what is wrong with you? What is all this talk about going to
hospital? You seem quite all right. Now look into my eyes, you're
perfectly all right. This will soon pass and you will be well
again." He instructed Dr. Mul Raj to carry on with homeopathic
treatment, and cheering us all up, patted me and told me to be
brave like the young one of a lion, and as He left, I thought of
the scene I saw while half asleep in the car, Maharaj Ji's hand
caught in the door of the car and His ashen face, the homeopathic pills that He had given me on arrival at Delhi and my
husband's dire condition when I returned home.
Oh how can one sing of the marvelous grace of a Satguru!
The
Master's
Blessings
Olga Donenberg
This incident happened to me in July 1954 when I was
living in Wilmette, Illinois. It was before I was initiated. I used
to meditate, and one day I had a vision. I saw a man all in white
with beautiful Light all around Him, and He said, "I'm coming
for you. I need you." I though it was my time to go—to leave
the body. But I was so filled with the peace and Light that He
had been radiating, I wasn't worried. That Light was so bright
that it was dazzling, and it stayed with me for a long time.
Exactly one year later, in July 1955, I received a phone
call telling me that there was going to be some Master appearing
in Chicago. I thanked the person, and I knew I was going. I
didn't know anything about the Master, but I went. I remember
it had been extremely hot, but before the meeting there was a
refreshing downpour of rain. Now, of course, I know it was the
special blessings of Hazur.
As I was waiting for the elevator to take me up to the
meeting hall, the door opened and out came Master. I looked in
surprise, and I thought here was the vision I had last year. And
I rushed up to Him and said, "Master, I saw You." And He
replied, "Yes, I know." I was dumbfounded, and we went up to
38
the meeting place. What He said after I can't recall because I
had become so enamored of Him, I just felt as though I was in
the presence of God. It was a beautiful feeling.
At the end of the meeting, Master thanked us for coming.
That overwhelmed me; He just reached the bottom of my soul,
every bit of me vibrated. This meeting had not been advertised
and I didn't know anybody who was there, but when I was
leaving I heard someone say something about initiation. I
thought, what would they be getting initiated into? So I asked
when it would take place and I was told it would be held the
next day. Then I asked if I would be allowed to attend, and, on
being told I could, I went. I did't know what it was, but I guess
I knew I had to have it.
When I arrived I remember looking around; I didn't know
a soul there; there were eighty to a hundred people. I had been
given a card and just sat on the floor in the hotel room and
waited. Well, that's how I took my initiation, but I can tell you
what the Master promised, I received. Then I heard that He
was going to give a meditation sitting the following day, and as
I was greedy, I asked if I could attend, and they said yes.
The next day I sat in a corner, and things became very
clear to me: a man with a white beard, wearing a turban came
and took me up—such an exhilarating ride I will never forget.
This was Baba Sawan Singh, but at the time I did not know. He
told me, "Kirpal is my Son, He is the one I have appointed to
carry on my work." I thought to myself, 'Yes, but He must
know this." But Hazur went on, "I want you to tell Him this."
After the meditation was over I saw Mr. Khanna who
showed me a photograph of the Great Master Baba Sawan
Singh so I could then identify who He was. But then I thought
to myself, "Kirpal Singh must know He is the Master, He
doesn't need me to tell Him," and I was preparing to go home.
Then I heard Baba Sawan Singh's voice telling me, "Oh no, you
go up and give Him my message!" I felt ridiculous. My mind
kept telling me, "But He must know He is the Master." Anyway
although I felt foolish I did go to His room, knocked on the door,
and said, "I have a message." He was so gracious, He let me
come in and I told Him that His Master had taken me on an
The Master's Blessings
39
exhilarating ride and had told me, "He is my Beloved Son,"
and that Hazur appointed Him to carry on the work. And you
know what He did? He thanked me. I almost fainted. Later on
I realized why I had been given this experience and the full
story.
So that is the story of my first physical meeting with
Master Kirpal Singh, and the meeting with Sawan Singh. And
since then I could not differentiate between them; They had
become one, inside and outside.
So many wonderful things happened over the years to show
Master's guiding hand and grace. Here is just one incident
which happened to a woman initiate in Chicago. One day she
told me that as she had several children and was expecting another it was very difficult for her to keep going to the laundromat.
She only had $25 so she couldn't afford to buy a washing machine and asked me, "Would it be wrong to request Master to
help me?" I replied, "Master always said there was nothing too
little or nothing too big." So she said, "I'm going to ask." Then
she called me and told me that she was going to get a washing
machine. She didn't know how, but she knew that Master was
going to direct her. Well, He told her to get into the car and
directed her to turn here, turn there until she stopped in front of
what appeared to be a second-hand store. There she could see a
washing machine, and it was priced at $25. She said, "That's
my washing machine!" But the assistant said, "I'm sorry. I'm
holding that for another woman." She immediately pulled the
$25 out of her purse, and said, "Here! You've been holding it
for me." The assistant was rather surprised, but perhaps in
a order to get rid of her, said: "Okay—it's yours!" That machine
worked for a number of years and goes to show that there
really isn't anything too big or too small.
The
Master's First
Visit to Germany
O. P. Malhotra
I have been at the feet of the Master right from my
childhood. One of the first memories I have is of my
father who would not begin a new month without having the
darshan of his Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji. I came to Delhi
with my sister where I was initiated by Baba Sawan Singh Ji at
the age of about fourteen. After partition in 1948, Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji also Came to Delhi, and my whole family, both maternal and paternal, was always at His feet attending His Satsangs
from the very beginning.
It was in 1955 on the way back from His first tour of
America that Master planned to visit Germany for the first time.
At that time I was the private secretary to the Indian Ambassador
in Bonn. The Master had written to me saying that He would
stay in Bonn for a few days. At that moment the atmosphere in
Germany was such that it was difficult to get many people interested in the subject of the Path of the Masters. I must say that
although I was very nervous that I would not be able to arrange
a good audience, it was with His grace we were able to start the
first meeting with the hall completely full. It was held at the
University. It gave me great satisfaction that there were univer-
The Master's First Visit to Germany
41
sity students, professors, outsiders, businessmen, and all types of
people present to hear the Master. They listened with rapt
attention.
We had arranged for the Master and His party to stay at
my home in Bonn so we could look after Him. Of course I told
my Ambassador about the Master, and he came and called on
Sant Ji. The Ambassador was so impressed, that he along with
his colleagues from other embassies wanted to meet the Master
and take His guidance and advice. This was such an important
event for me, and for everybody, that I cannot explain it in
words.
After the Master had spoken two or three times in the
University some two hundred people asked Him to give initiation.
The Master told them that the first requirements for initiation
were that they had to be vegetarians, teetotallers, non-smokers,
and live a life of self restraint. I was so surprised to see that all
of them at once agreed; and from that time onward they pledged
to be complete vegetarians and to follow the Path of the Masters
with all devotion. And I must say here, that the German people
have kept their word.
After the first talk in the University Hall, two ladies came
to my home and knocked at the door, saying, "We have heard
the afternoon talk given by an Indian Saint. Can we meet Him?
We have been told that He is staying with you. Would you kindly
allow us to meet Him?" I said, "Certainly, you are most
welcome." This was Frau Fitting and her companion. Right
from that moment onward the Master spent much time talking to
Frau Fitting every day, morning and evening. Whenever we had
Satsang she was present, and it was because of the Master's great
admiration for her devotion that He chose Frau Fitting as His
representative in West Germany and Central Europe.
At the time of initiation some of the candidates had good
experiences of the Divine Light and Sound Principles. They
testified to this in the presence of the Master. He also asked them
whether they had Hazur's inner darshan. When He showed them
the photograph of Baba Sawan Singh Ji, some of them immediately said, "Oh, this is the Saint we have seen." Frau Fitting
once explained to me that two years before the Master had come
42
to Germany she had been having very vivid darshan of the
Master without having seen Him. As soon as she saw the Master
she told Him, "Oh Master, You have been coming to me for the
last two years. Today I see You in person."
I would also like to mention that one of the German satsangis had come to the Master after listening to the Satsangs,
and after receiving initiation he told the Master that he was unable to concentrate in his meditations as he was not able to get
rid of the old habits of food, drink, etc. Then the Master told
him, "You have given me your word, you have promised, and
you have signed on your application that you would lead a vegetarian life, and you must therefore follow those things and there
will be no difficulty. You had better sit with me." Master gave
him a second sitting. At the end, we were all surprised to find
that this particular gentleman, with folded hands came to the
feet of the Master saying, "Oh Master, please forgive me. Now I
have seen clearly that whatever You have instructed me is correct. In future I will abide by Your instructions." He is now one
of the best satsangis that we know in West Germany.
I would now like to mention one small interesting incident
which happened during the Master's stay which I can never forget.
Everybody had gone out to do some shopping. The Master stayed
at home in His room attending to His mail. In the other room
was my small child, about four months old, who had been left
behind sound asleep. It seems that the women were away longer
than they intended, and my baby boy began crying. When they
returned they found that the Master was writing letters with one
hand and with the other He was rocking the cradle so that the
child would be quiet and not cry. (This was a great benevolence
for the child. I think the child will ever be grateful to the Master
for His kindness to him.)
With regards to the Master's food, He was always very
particular about what He ate. Tai Ji used to cook for Him everywhere He went. My wife asked the Master what His" instructions
were about His food. The Master replied, "Of course, it is Tai
Ji who usually prepares all the food, but in your house I will
leave it to you. You will be in charge of my kitchen. And you
will see that I get my proper food." It was a great life-long
The Master's First Visit to Germany
43
honor for my wife that she was given this privilege.
I cannot help mentioning one small point here which my
Ambassador told me after visiting the Master. He said, "Malhotra, you have such a great spiritual Master. What are you doing
here? Why don't you join Him? His is the most perfect Mission.
I have heard Him, I have talked with Him. I am so much impressed, I think the work of an Ambassador of India is nothing as
compared to the Master's Mission. He is bringing souls together,
and is preaching the gospel of truth and good living, and people
have joined together whether they are Christians, Muslims,
Hindus, whatever they are. I am very happy to see that your
Master, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, has such a positive power in Him
that people are attracted to Him, and not attracted to the ordinary Ambassador of India. As a matter of fact, in the presence
of your Master I found that the real representative, or the real
Ambassador of India, was Sant Kirpal Singh Ji and not me."
When Master had reached Bonn we were not sure how long
He would stay; He had only stayed two days in Berlin and not
given an initiation sitting. People began inquiring how long the
Master would stay. As the days passed they began pressing the
Master, "Please stay another day, please stay another day." In
all, He stayed ten days in Bonn; He left because so many of His
children in India were pressing that He should return to them.
On the day Master departed for India, He was to leave
from Dusseldorf; it was about half an hour or forty-five minutes
drive from our house to the airport. The time of departure of
the flight was nearing and we had duly informed the Master
how much time it would take. Everything was ready, but till the
last moment satsangis wanted to speak with the Master; everybody wanted one minute with the Master before He would leave
for India. Therefore it was getting late. I was getting jittery.
The driver said, "Please tell the Master the distance is long. The
plane will not wait for Him and He must hurry up." I went to
Master and told Him, "Maharaj Ji, please, it is time for us to
leave." He said, "Don't worry. We will leave. My first task is
to attend to these satsangis. The flight can wait. You don't
worry." Then I told Him, "Please, these are international flights,
and they want us to be there a little earlier as some formalities
44
have to be attended to. Some of the satsangis can meet You at
the airport." He said, "Many of them may not be able to go,
but let me talk to anybody who comes." And He was talking to
them right up to the last moment with the result that we had
only about half an hour at our disposal. He said, "You need not
worry about it. We will reach there in time." And to our great
surprise, when we reached Dusseldorf Airport we found that the
plane was about an hour and a half late. Many of the satsangis
in their cars followed the Master's car; we all reached the airport
fearing that the Master might miss the plane. Master smiled, and
asked me, "What time is the plane starting? Has it already left?"
Everybody was laughing and so happy. We all sat down on the
lawn chairs, and for one hour the Master was able to talk to all
the satsangis at the Airport.
After the Master had returned to India, my house became a
place where we would sit for meditation on Friday evenings for
the entire night, and for the entire day and night on Saturday
and Sunday. Early on Monday morning, everyone would go to
their homes or to their duties. For two and a half days Satsang
was held continuously, with meditations; Master's instructions
were read, and this was the best time we could ever have spent
in our lives. Every week, two and a half days were spent completely for the Master's work wherein large numbers of satsangis
used to join together.
When I eventually returned to India, Master used to always tell me that I should remain in contact with my West
German friends; whoever used to have any difficulty would
write to the Master, and the Master used to ask me to make
translations. He used to reply to everyone. You can well imagine
what a great impact the Master's visit made on that country; in
West Germany so many Satsang centers have sprung up which
have spread the great message of the Master.
My
Alpha
and Omega
Brigitte Boehm
Oh my Master—I miss You so—
even although You are closer to me than myself.
Oh my Master—I miss You so—
Whenever I sit in sweet remembrance of my Beloved Master
Kirpal Singh Ji, my eyes cannot but well up and my heart is
aching. Within His sweet Holy Naam and at His Holy Feet
I found consolation, rest and peace.
My Beloved Master Kirpal gave me so much of all those
wonderful divine valuables I hardly dared to dream of, and He
does it still now in more and more abundance. Who can ever
comprehend such Love, such Grace and such Mercy.
Meeting my Beloved Master Kirpal was the fulfilment of
my life. When I was a child I felt very much attracted by the
Teachings and Life of Jesus Christ. My adoring him was growing
from year to year. At fourteen years, I was glad to get confirmtion in the Christian Church and during the celebration when
the priest was blessing me I could experience for the first time
that GOD IS LIGHT. It was so overwhelming for me that I got
rather afraid of the greatness of the Lord.
There was only one point I was very sad about, that God
46
had given me human birth just in these times and not at the
living time of Jesus Christ to question him personally about life
and death and the true reality what to do further.
Besides searching after truth I had always the inner urge
to learn English as much as possible. At twenty-three I left my
parents' home and moved to the towns Fuerth-Nuremberg. There
I found good friends in helping me in my search and I attended
many talks and lessons about religious subjects and studied
several spiritual ways. In my search I met a very good companion and we married in 1961. In May 1962, my husband
came home one day telling me that one of our friends had found
a real Living Master of the Highest Order. I could hardly believe
that, but within a short time we found out that it was true. This
friend was and is still the group leader of the Satsang group of
our Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj at Nuremberg.
While studying Sant Ji's circulars and books a joyous
remembrance came up, as if all that would be known to us. In
September 1962, we wrote our first letter to Sant Kirpal Singh
Ji and He answered us very quickly to contact the representative
in Germany, Mrs. Fitting. My husband and I were overjoyed to
get His precious gift of Holy Naam on March 9th, 1963 at Bonn,
Germany. That was the crown of our life and we came now to
know what to do to reach the object of our longing: Self-knowlegde and God-knowledge.
In the same year, 1963, our so Beloved Master Kirpal Singh
Ji came to the West. We could hardly comprehend this great
fortune, but He really came in June 1963 to Germany. My first
meeting with Him physically was at the railway station at
Nuremberg. Until the last minute I could not believe that we
would really get this rare, rare privilege. The train arrived and I
remember it as if it would be just now how our Beloved came out
of the train, tall, powerful, radiant and most beautiful, like the
King of all Kings, like the Heavenly Father visiting His earth.
My husband had the great luck to be the driver of Master's car
for the next fourteen days. No one could express our grateful
and happy feelings to have this Great Sant amongst us. The same
day in the afternoon, the Great Master called us to sit with Him
together in the garden of that house, where He stayed. It
My Alpha and Omega
47
happened that I was sitting just in front of Him. While sitting
there a deep gratitude to God came up out of my heart. The
gracious God had given me human birth at the living time of the
Christ now sitting so close to me, in front of me. After questioning us about our spiritual experiences the Great Master looked
suddenly at me quite straight into my eyes and I could not but
also look into His luminous eyes.
Although He was looking at me very powerfully, I thought
within me, I would never take away my eyes from His, even if
I would die just now. The Great Master kept on looking at me,
pulled me up in no time and showed me in abundance that He
was nothing but strong Divine Light, God-Power manifested on
this Blessed Human Pole. I was overwhelmed. People around the
Master started to ask questions. Later I said to them, don't ask
so many questions just look at Master's wonderful eyes and forehead and you will have wonderful experience. I was of the
opinion that everyone would see that, but learnt later on that
such kind of experience was a very rare blessing of the Master
Himself. The following fourteen days in the physical Presence
of our Great Master were filled to the utmost with His gracious
Blessings. One of our friends reminded me at that time: "Do
you know now, why you always felt forced from within to learn
English?"
When the Beloved Master went back to India in January
1964, I felt very very sad. Always when I sent Him my diaries,
I wrote Him that I would be longing so much for His Darshan.
In September 1964, I received a letter from Him in which He
mentioned: "You will meet with your wish in due course." I
was more than happy about this answer, but I had no idea how
this would be possible. At that time there were hardly any
favourable charter flights to India, and we were also rather
short of money. But by His grace it became true in February
1965. The gracious Master Power arranged everything. I was
allowed to stay with my so Beloved Master in India for three
months. This was my most blessed time, during which He educated me lovingly and strictly and taught me in practice to
realize many important facts for spiritual growth, for example:
(1) God Power, Master Power is working overhead every-
48
where, no matter where a disciple might be, and
that receptivity to Holy Naam—the Master within
— would be the foremost necessity for an aspirant.
(2) The Love of a Master-Saint for His disciple is very
much greater compared with the love of thousands
of worldly mothers and fathers put together. This
my Beloved Master showed me practically—through
the following incident:
After about six weeks stay with my Master I got a
letter from my mother, in which she asked me very
urgently to come back to Germany to my husband and
my child who was just three years old. I became confused, because I had gone to my Master with the firm
intention to go back to Germany only when my Master
would tell me to go. But now a thought struck my
mind: "I am sitting here in the lap of my Beloved
Master as in Abraham's lap, enjoying His Divine Bliss
and my mother would have to work for my family." I
felt very selfish and guilty and did not know what to
do. At evening Darshan, Master came immediately to
me asking me what had happened to me. I reported
the contents of my mother's letter. Master looked at
me very strong, asking at first, "Anybody sick at
home?" "No Master," I replied. Then He said to the
others sitting around Him, "Oh yes, the mothers..."
turning to me again He spoke very strongly, "Go, go, I
do not want to stand between the love of your mother
and you." I got terrified and said quickly, "But Master,
I do not want to go, I would like to stay with You "
With an indescribable look of Divine Love He spoke
to me, "Do you want it from me in writing (and
He wrote with his fingers on His hand) that you can
stay here? Don't you know how happy the father is
when his daughter has finally come to him? The love
of the Master for His disciples is much greater than the
love of thousands of worldly mothers and fathers together." I am unable to describe my feelings when the
Beloved Master was revealing this to me in this most
My Alpha and Omega
49
clear and wonderful way. What a Love—how can one
even dream of the reality of such a love! After two days
or so the Master came to me asking softly, "Are you
stronger now?"
(3) Glad acceptance of sickness however painful, as the
Master knows best how to pay the karmic bills.
At the end of March I became rather sick with an abscess
in my throat. When the Great Master heard about it, He said to
me," Don't worry, you have to go through that." During the
worst hours of this aching sickness He came very often to me,
Himself giving me homeopathic medicine on my tongue. He
also called for two doctors and both looked at me very seriously.
One of them gave me penicillin injections. Well I must admit,
I was not very fond of this awful pain, I had lost my speech and
could not swallow, the throat got closed more and more
and then I prayed to Him, "Oh Master, I cannot stand it any
longer." At once I heard His footsteps approaching my room,
The moment He entered the room, the pains flew away like a
bird from a tree. Although I had lost my voice I could whisper
this incident to the Master and He smiled graciously. At
about midnight of this day, the abscess had not yet opened, I
came to accept the sickness and I prayed to the Master
within, "Oh Master, if You want me to have this still longer, I
would not complain any more." The next moment I had to
cough and the abscess burst and matter flowed out of my mouth
for about forty minutes. One hour later I felt quite clearly my
Master had given me my life anew. In the early morning He
came to my room sweetly and lovingly asked, "Are you feeling
better now?"
(4) The Great Master taught me very strictly always
to think positively. A few days after, Master
asked me, "How are you?" My answer was, "Well,
Master, the throat is not yet quite all right." The
Beloved quickly instructed me, "Never say that, always
answer you are all right. How are you?" I said, "All
right, Master." Master smiled, "So it's good." Several
times He turned to me asking, "How are you?" And
I always answered, "All right Master." He nodded
50
satisfied.
When I got another abscess in the throat several years
later in Germany, I became a bit afraid, because I was not in
the physical presence of my Beloved Master. In the night I got
more pain so that I could not sleep, so I sat for meditation.
Suddenly I fet my Master standing at my beside, speaking so
softy, "Now it is enough." Again I had to cough immediately
and the abscess burst and the throat healed very quickly.
Really countless are the blessings of our Beloved Master no
matter where the disciple would be.
(5) And then there was another point the Great Master
taught me to consider: — to live independent of everybody, no matter how advanced another initiate may be
and no matter what position another initiate may have
in the cause of the Master. Nothing should stand between the Master and the disciple. Everyone has to go
his own way to the heart of the Master. Otherwise one
cannot be true to one's own-self to reach the ultimate
goal, for which our Beloved Master drew us to His Holy
Feet, to guide us to our Eternal Home.
One can find no end to praise the limitless Grace and Love
of the Great Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji. He has made me
His own for ever and all eternity—never-ending praise to the
LORD, Holy Naam.
The
Unbounded
Grace of the Godman
Manohar Singh Duggal
When Master Kirpal Singh was at Rawalpindi in about
1930, one of His nearest relatives, a boy of fourteen years, was
critically ill in hospital. One evening Master went to see him.
The mother of this boy respected the Master so much—the family
had always regarded Him as a saint—that she begged Him that
if the child had to die He should make it easy for him because
the suffering he was undergoing was too much. Master of course
knew immediately why the boy was suffering and why he could
not leave the body. Master said to the mother, "You'd better call
his aunt." The aunt was called. When she arrived, Master took
her aside and said to her, "You took fifteen rupees from under
the boy's pillow; until you return that money the boy cannot die."
She replied, "Yes, I did take fifteen rupees from under his pillow.
Because..."—here she became rather embarrassed—"because I
was afraid someone else would steal it." Master then insisted,
"Until that money is returned he cannot leave." She put the
money back under the pillow, the boy's agony subsided, then
he closed his eyes and was gone.
My father, the elder brother of Kirpal Singh, was very
seriously ill at Peshawar in 1939. One night he was on the verge
52
of expiring. I was sitting by his side; I knew the worst was coming, the doctor had given up hope. When the end was near I was
just repeating Simran, helpless, just watching what would happen. After a time I suddenly realized that he had started to
move—my father's soul had come back into the body. He opened
his eyes and I could see they were filled with tears. He called
my name, and told me to get pen and paper as he wanted to
write a letter to his younger brother, Kirpal Singh. The letter
said, "You know and I know what has happened. Unless you
come, I cannot get up from this bed. I request you to come as
early as possible." He then closed his eyes as if in meditation,
but after another fifteen minutes he opened his eyes and said,
"Send somebody to the railway station at nine o'clock as my
other brother will also come." He had seen this in meditation.
So actually both brothers arrived; they embraced each other and
came straight to see my father. Then my father explained what
had happened in the morning: Baba Sawan Singh Ji had come
to take him but Kirpal Singh Ji had requested that he be spared.
Because of this request Hazur had sent him back. My father's
face was shining; he told us, "I cannot describe what it was like
—I cannot describe that place. I was with Baba Sawan Singh Ji
and Kirpal Singh Ji. We went and crossed that golden mountain and went to the other side which was full of Light."
Due to the long illness of my father the expenditure was
very great. My father, although he was so seriously ill, worried
very much about the cost. One night during sleep, Kirpal Singh
appeared to him and said, "Brother, why are you nervous? You
just look at your coat hanging on the bed and that will look
after your needs." Next morning at five-thirty when I came to
my father's room, he said, "Look, Kirpal Singh has just appeared to me—just check the pockets of the coat lying over there."
When I went through the pockets I was surprised to find they
were full of currency notes. This was all His grace and this
happened long before He became a Master.
I was in Rajpur during 1955 visiting my mother. One
evening the Master told me to come to His house in the morning.
So early in the morning I went to the Master's house, and sat
outside to wait for Him. The Master opened the door and said,
The Unbounded Grace of The Godman
53
"Why are you sitting out here? Why did you not come in?" I
said, "Sir, I was just waiting for you." He said, "No, no, I need
somebody's company; now let us go and walk." He led me to
the garden at the back of the house. As we were walking, I
happened to see a beautiful mango lying under a tree. I felt
like taking it, but I hesitated, and we passed by. We continued
to walk, and the Master was talking about one thing and another; it was just beautiful to be with Him. At the end of the
walk was a cement platform; when we reached it we stopped,
and the Master laughed. I said. "Sir, what's the matter?" He
told me, "One of the disciples from Jullunder was here, and we
were walking like you and I, and when we reached this place
there was a cobra sitting here. The moment that man saw the
cobra he jumped behind me, as if to say that if the cobra was
going to strike, let it not bite him. On one side they claim to be
devotees and on the other side they're so disrespectful. I asked
him if he was nervous, and he said, 'Look, that is nothing less
than death!' He was very nervous. I told him, 'All right, don't
worry.' And I told the snake, 'Well, you may go now.' And
the snake crept slowly away towards the other side, and left. But
that man was still very nervous; when we turned to go back he
was walking in front of me. And when he reached his room, he
rolled up his bedding, and returned to Jullunder."
Presently we went back towards the house, and as I didn't
want to pass that mango, I gently directed the Master away from
it. But the Master could read my thoughts, and He went straight
ahead towards that tree, Then He stopped, looked at me and
smiled. He said, "You see that mango?" And I said, "Yes Sir."
He said, "You felt like taking it?" I replied, "Very much so."
He asked, "Why did you not take it?" I said, "I didn't think it
proper in Your company." He said, "Now you take it." And He
laughed.
In 1957 when my daughter was twelve years old, she became seriously ill. She had a high temperature and she was
delirious. I went to see the Master at the Ashram and He said,
"I will come to see her tomorrow." She had been crying all night
and all day, but five minutes before the Master arrived she fell
into a deep sleep. On seeing this the Master said, "Look here,
54
you say she has been crying all the time and not able to sleep,
and here she is fast asleep!" Someone said, "This is all Your
miracle; You put her to sleep before You came." Then the
Master put His hand on her head. She looked into His eyes,
and He asked her, "What do you want?" And she, being a
child, said, "Five rupees." He gave her five rupees and promised
her, "When you recover I will give you another five rupees."
Then He left. But the following day her condition worsened—
we had to take her to the hospital. She was almost in the lap of
death. The doctors complained, "What can we do if you bring
patients to us in this condition? What can we do when she is
dying?" I immediately ran to see Master and I told Him, "She
is expected to die in half an hour." But He said, "Don't worry,
nothing will go wrong. I'm going away to Rohtak but I'll be
back the day after tomorrow."
I began to wonder as the doctor said she was dying but the
Master said nothing will go wrong. Meanwhile, the doctors gave
the child some treatment and she got a little better. The next day
when I went to the hospital I noticed from a distance than the
Master was moving in one of the wards—I couldn't understand
it as He had told me He would be away at Rohtak. So I immediately ran up to Him; there were other disciples there calling out, "Maharaj Ji's here! Maharaj Ji's here!" I asked Him,
"How is it You're here? I thought You were away." He said,
"No, no. I've come to see her." I took Him over to the girl; she
looked again into His eyes, and He again asked her, "What do
you want?" She replied, "You told me You'd give me another
five rupees if I got better." "So you want to get better?" And
she said, "Yes." Then He gave her another five rupees, and He
took a phial out of His pocket, and gave her some homeopathic
medicine. Then she slept for ten hours and she was perfectly well
the next day.
Once in 1964 I was at Rajpur visiting Beloved Master. In
the evening He was sitting in the open outside His bungalow.
One of His disciples came looking very much worried. He told
the Master that his son was in hospital and the doctors had declared there was no hope of his survival as he was in a state of
coma. On hearing this, Beloved Master told him that there was
The Unbounded Grace of The Godman
55
nothing to worry about because he would be all right. After
this Master accompanied him to the hospital to see his son.
On reaching the ward he went straight to the child's bed.
Beloved Master asked them to turn him over. Maharaj Ji then
started rubbing his spinal cord from neck to hips. After about
five minutes, the boy who had been in coma, opened his eyes.
After another ten minutes the boy changed his position and sat
up and bowed before the Beloved Master. Those present were
astonished to see this miracle, and the news spread like wild-fire
throughout the hospital; the Senior Physician in charge of the
hospital came running, and told Maharaj Ji, "You have performed a miracle." Maharaj Ji told him that He had done nothing
special. He had massaged the vein which had direct connection
with the brain. On this the doctor replied that no treatment
could save the child and coma had already set in, and he was not
responding to any treatment. The boy was discharged from the
hospital the following day.
In 1971, when Beloved Master was not well, I was attending Him at night. One night I received a telephone call from
Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi, intimating that one of the
devotees of Maharaj Ji, Mr. Mahan Singh, was seriously ill and
had been put under an oxygen tent. They further said that Mr.
Mahan Singh had forgotten the Simran and there was pitch dark
inside, and he wanted them to inform Maharaj Ji about his sad
plight.
On hearing this I was perplexed as to what to do as
Beloved Master had been restless; at that particular time He was
resting and I did not want to disturb Him. I was thinking over
the matter when Maharaj Ji called me and enquired as to
who was calling. I told Him. On hearing this He said it was
1.00 a.m. and Mr. Mahan Singh would be leaving at 3:30 a.m.,
so there was nothing to worry about. He directed me to tell
them that they should put a thumb on his forehead between
the two eyebrows and repeat the five Names in his right ear—
Hazur would take care of the rest so he need not worry on that
account. After that Master was in meditation and I was sitting
by the side of His bed. Exactly at 3:32 a.m. Beloved Master
opened His eyes and said, "He has gone, he was a good man.
56
Anyway, it is His Will." At 1:00 a.m. He knew that his time of
departure was 3:30. At about 3:45 a phone call came. The man
on the other end said that Mr. Mahan Singh had expired. Before
I went to attend the call, Beloved Master said that he passed
away exactly at 3:30 a.m., but the doctors must have taken some
time to announce the death.
In the morning some relatives of Mr. Mahan Singh came
to see Maharaj Ji. They said that they had repeated the five
Names in his right ear after putting a thumb on his forehead
between the two eyebrows. Immediately after this Mahan Singh,
who had been so dejected, smiled and said, "If one has a Master,
he should be like Him!" Apparently there was Light inside and
the Master appeared within to take care of him. According to
them, he never opened his eyes after that and he expired in
meditation. This shows that though Maharaj Ji was physically
unwell, spiritually He was as strong as ever.
At the
Lotus Feet
of the Beloved
Brij Mohan Sharma
Since the age of six I was very fond of spirituality, and I
used to get members of my family to tell me stories about Lord
Krishna and Lord Rama. When I grew up I became a businessman. In 1952 when I was thirty-three years old there was a
great crisis in my life; I knew I had to find God—I could not rest
until I found Him. My wife became worried that I would leave
home. In October of that year, one day at five in the afternoon
I told my wife that I was going to see a Saint.
I may mention here that since my childhood I used to hear
an inner voice guiding me and telling me what at do—for instance
it would give warnings of accidents or of a snake in my path.
Somebody would catch my hand and lead me out of danger. So
on this day I heard the same voice which said, "Today let us go
to see a Saint." I reassured my wife that I would be back soon,
but that I didn't know where I had to go. The voice directed me
until I found myself standing in front of a gate. There I could
read a notice saying that the place was called Sawan Ashram. I
remember thinking, "This is a very nice name." So I walked in.
In those days Master's house was very small and there were only
a few buildings in the Ashram. I asked someone if there was a
58
Saint living there. He said, "Yes, go upstairs."
When I went upstairs, I saw twenty to thirty people sitting
in meditation, and also saw an impressive figure sitting in front
of them whom I took to be the Master. I also sat down in meditation, but after a few minutes I opened my eyes and saw that
the Master was still sitting there, but He was not speaking. I
thought that as soon as He spoke I would talk to Him. After ten
minutes someone came and put his hand on my shoulder and
asked, "Will you do some service?" I was very happy to be
asked — here I was, a new person and they were asking me to give
service!
After it was finished, I returned to the roof, but I found
that the Saint had gone. I asked the people there, "Where is the
Saint who was sitting here?" But they told me He had not
been there at all. At that moment I saw green, red and white
Light circling the people sitting in meditation. Then I thought
there must be something here, so I asked, "Where is the Master?"
They told me He was standing in the compound. There I found
Sant Kirpal Singh talking to a lady about her meditations. When
He finished He came straight over to me and said, "Well, you
have come." As soon as He uttered these words, my whole body
was charged with Light and filled with happiness. I knew at
once He was a great man. Then we sat down face to face, and
He asked me why I had come. I replied that I had come to have
bhakti — the loving devotion which leads to union with God. "I've
got father, mother, wife, children, shop, house but I am not yet
satisfied — today I've come for bhakti." He said that I should first
grasp the theory, then I could have it. But I replied, "No, no. I
want it right now." He again insisted that I should grasp the
theory and attend Satsang. But I again refused. I then told Him
that I wanted to talk to the Master who had been sitting on the
roof. He sent for a photograph and asked me if this was the person I'd seen? When I replied that it was, He told me. "This is
my Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. He left the physical
body four years ago but He is still working — I am an empty pipe
and whatever water He sends I give out." The people around
the Master then said, "Why don't You give him something?" I
also asked again with folded hands for inner experience. He re-
At the Lotus Feet of the Beloved
59
plied, "All right, come tomorrow morning."
The next day the Master was holding initiation. I remember when I arrived Tai Ji was standing in the doorway and she
told me to go inside. Master was lying on a bed. He looked towards
me and His eyes were full of red Light. He said, "Have you got
faith?" I said, "Yes." He then told me to go outside and sit in
the veranda. There were about forty people there, so I took my
place in the men's row. When the Master came out He gave us
the theory; afterwards He put us into meditation. I had a very
good inner experience of Light and Sound.
For many years I had been giving two and a half hours
each day to the worship of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. As
the Master had told us to do two and a half hours meditation this meant that I began giving five hours each day to my
spiritual practices As I had not attended a Satsang I was not
aware that there was no need to carry on with my former practices. After nine days I suddenly heard the bell ringing so strong
that I thought the whole of Delhi had gone mad—ding-dong, dingdong! But then I remembered that the Master had said that the
bell Sound was one of the highest—so I started jumping about
and dancing. When I went to bed I completely left the body—
Master was taking me by the hand just like a father taking a
five year old child. He showed me the higher planes and the
deities whom I was worshipping. The next morning I collected
all my idols of brass, went to the Ashram and cast them into the
well.
From then on I started attending Satsang—in fact I went
twice a day as the Master gave meditation sittings morning and
evening. This went on for three months. Then one day I asked
the Master if He could give me more inner experience. He laughed and said, "Gome tomorrow." I may mention here that from
the very first day I was never prevented from entering the
Master's house, even when He was sleeping or eating—I was being brought up just like a baby. So the next day when I arrived
the Master took me to the meditation room, and put me into
meditation which lasted five hours. After that I told the Master
I wished to give up my worldly life and leave my business, but
He was very insistent that I should carry on with my obligations
60
in the world. After another three months I again begged the
Master to give me more. He put His hand on my shoulder, and
He said, "You are like a sheep bleating 'Baa-baa'." The result
was that whereas up to then I had enjoyed up to five hours continuously in oceans of Light, then I became like other people and
the Light only lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes—the pot was
not ready.
People used to complain that I was always telling my
inner experiences. Well, it all started one day when Master told
me to take two men with me in the car to see Him at Rajpur, and
He whispered in my ear that I should make them happy. So all
the way I told them my inner experiences. I used to see showers,
heavy showers and flowers of Light and Master sitting on the
moon. There were rows of suns, thousands of suns. Once on this
plane I saw Baba Sawan Singh showering His love on many satsangis, and I thought, 'Oh, He's not coming to me." But as soon
as I had this thought, He came towards me, embraced me, but
as He was doing this He changed into Baba Jaimal Singh. Two
months after I was initiated I saw Swami Ji, but when Master
asked me what I had seen, I said I had seen Lord Krishna.
Master laughed and laughed but it wasn't until I went back to
my house that I saw a picture of Swami Ji and I knew then
whom I had seen.
All this time the Master was drawing me nearer and nearer
to Himself, allowing me to serve Him closely and showing me
great love. Whenever I passed a fruit shop and saw any excellent
fruit I would buy it for Him. He always accepted it. We eventually got a house within a few minutes walk of the Ashram and
also a house almost next to His in Rajpur. My wife often cooked
special dishes for the Master which He always ate and enjoyed.
I attended all the World Fellowship of Religions Conferences with the Master. The Prime Minister at the time of the first
Conference in 1958 was Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru. He was not
a spiritual man, that is not until he met the Master. He was not
prepared to attend the Conference, but he came and he spoke;
He was dragged by the Master. In his speech he criticised some
of the holy men attending the Conference, but he praised our
Master. When this Conference was over the Master invited all
61
the foreign delegates—there were about thirty—to the Ashram
for lunch. Master was overjoyed to see them. There was one
priest from Russia who was also overjoyed to be there. Master
told them they could ask for anything they wanted. Only the
Russian priest spoke up. He said, "We have seen so much of war
we beg you please save us from more. We want peace." Master
was very moved. He went into His house and came out carrying
a photo of Hazur which He gave to the priest. The priest said,
"I will honor Him, my family will honor Him, my country will
honor Him."
The Third Conference was held in Calcutta and Master
was extremely ill. I remember we were staying up on the third
floor and Master could not even move one step. On the fourth
day Muni Sushil Kumar came up to see the Master and said,
"The Conference is a failure, all is lost. The Buddhists refuse to
agree to the final resolutions because they will not agree to
'God' being mentioned in it. What can be done?" Master said,
"Don't worry, I will come tomorrow." But the next day the
doctor said that if the Master left the room He would
collapse. Master insisted, so He was carried all the way down in
a chair. Before He went on to the stage the doctor said, "You
are extremely sick, please speak slowly." But the Master asked
the doctor to examine Him again. The doctor did so and said,
"Oh, you are perfectly all right, totally all right." Master walked
on to the platform and spoke for one hour. At the end all the
problems were solved and everyone signed the resolutions. But
when He got back to His room, Master became so ill again that
the poor doctor said, "I don't know who you are—one minute
you are seriously ill, the next perfectly well, and then seriously
ill again. Please excuse me, but I see that I am unable to help
you."
According to my experience this much I can say, the Master
used to take over the illnesses of others. Once I was with Him at
Rahon. He was to give initiation to about one hundred people. He
had refused three people, but someone in the Sangat there begged
that they should also be included. Master allowed them in again
and all were given Naam. Master was already unwell, but the
next day Master told me He would now have to be ill for ano-
62
ther three days. From this I realized we should never press the
Master to give initiation to people He rejects.
One day when Master was out, two ladies came to the
Ashram. I spoke with them and they told me they wished to see
the Master and to have initiation. I told them that if they came
back next day the Master would surely see them and give them
initiation. After Master got back that evening, I was with Him;
there were several people in the room, and I was massaging Him.
Suddenly He sat up and said, "I cannot give initiation to those
two people!" No one in the room except me knew what He
meant. When those two ladies came again next day I had to tell
them the Master could not see them. The Master alone knows
who is acceptable for initiation.
In the early days Master hardly ever refused anyone initiation. But later on when He saw so many take it and not do the
practices He became more strict. He would just tell them to
continue coming to Satsang. If anyone, however, told the Master
he had seen Hazur inside, He was so overjoyed, He would say,
"How can I refuse you Naam? All right, please sit down."
Sometimes the Master was very kind; I once said, "I would
like to see the place at Rishikesh where You stayed after Hazur
left the physical body." He kept silent. The next day at six in
the morning Ram Saroop, Master's driver, arrived at my house,
and told me the car was ready and Master was waiting. We all
went to Rishikesh and Master was so jolly, and showed me every
place—where He used to sit, where He used to wash, where He
used to eat. Then He said, "Let's stay and have some lunch."
He ordered me to get drinking water from a special well from
where He used to drink. I brought the water, but when He tasted
it, He laughed and said, "This is not the right water." There
were several wells and I had gone to the wrong one. Master
knew at once.
One day a young sadhu came into my shop and we began to
talk. I asked him if he saw Light; he said "Yes." I asked him if he
heard the Sound; he said "Yes". Then he questioned me. So I said,
"By the grace of my Master I See and hear the Light and Sound."
I could see his face turning color, so I asked, "Did you tell a
lie?" He said, "Yes. Can you help me?" I closed the shop and
63
took him to the Ashram. The sadhu was very thirsty at the time
but I did not know this. As soon as we saw the Master, He said,
"Oh, you are just in time, tea is ready." We went inside with
Him; there were three cups of tea on a table, one for the Master,
one for the sadhu, and one for me. Then the Master began to
question the sadhu: why had he left his home and come to Delhi?
He said he had left Bihar because he had a fight with his elder
brother, that he was married and had two children, and that he
had been the manager of a factory. Master said at once, "Look
here, I can give you Light and Sound, but you must go back to
your family, ask forgiveness, and fulfill your obligations. If you
promise to do this, I can give you Naam." He promised, and he
was initiated the following day.
Once a group of us were at Master's house in Rajpur doing
seva (service). Master had just bought the house and the garden
was in need of clearing. We were a group of about twenty-five;
we were clearing stones. It was a very hot day. Every few minutes
I kept stopping and saying, "Oh, it's too hot to do this work!"
But I was doing my duty. Suddenly Master came out—we were
all resting under the shade of a tree—and He said, "What is
wrong?" Someone said, "Oh, it's Brij Mohan, he's saying it's too
hot to work." The Master then sat down with me; He picked up a
stone, looked at it, and said, "Oh cloud, my Brij Mohan is feeling
very hot." In a moment the sky was full of clouds and we were
able to work under these clouds until late in the evening. The
next day as we went on working the Master came over to me
and pointed to some tenacious roots of a big tree clinging to the
earth by many hair-like minor roots. He said, "Brij Mohan cut
them!" He gave me an axe. I cut them, and He said, "Look, Brij
Mohan, people in the world are like these roots; if we cut away
our desires we can be free."
Master would teach me things at every turn. Once He asked
me, "Who are you?" I replied, "I'm Your servant." He said,
"No, you are the servant of your mind."
One day when I was setting out from Delhi to see the
Master at Rajpur, my son wanted to go with me but he was very
weak with typhoid fever. My wife asked me not to take him, but
I said I would ask the child and see what he wanted to do. He
64
said he wanted to go. But as we were about to leave, his condition became worse. The child insisted on going so we all left
together. But once we started the journey the fever was gone.
When we reached Rajpur, Master was eagerly awaiting us at the
gate. He came and embraced my son and kissed him and took
him in His lap. He told me, "This also used to happen to me.
My son Darshan used to have a high fever like this when we
were going to see Hazur, but as soon as we got into the train
everything was all right."
Once when I was in my shop a dog came in and by intuition knew he was saying to me, "I am dying, can you save me?"
So I called out, "Is there anybody who can save this dog?" Then
a porter who was passing said that the dog had probably been
given some poison, and that if he was given curd he could be
saved. So I got some curd and gave it to him. He vomited everything—he was all right; he wagged his tail and went away. I
was afraid, so I went straight to the Ashram. The Master was
waiting for me. He said, "What's the matter with you?" I
explained what had happened, so He replied, "You can bring
dogs to life—I can bring men to life. All right, don't worry."
When the construction work at Manav Kendra started in
the autumn of 1970, Master was in a very happy mood. He ordered Tai Ji to make some sweet-meats, and fruit was bought to
give as parshad. I did not know about this so I came very late.
Tai Ji said, "Why are you late? Master has been waiting for
you." I found Master was sitting with a big basket of fruit which
He had arranged in a very beautiful way. He was all smiles, and
He said "Here is a shop—come on buyers, take any fruit you
like!" He was talking like this. Then He distributed the fruit;
parshad was give to everybody. He was so happy He even gave
parshad to the birds also.
Once when the Master was away He asked me by letter to
give money to someone who was in difficulties. I gave him some
money, and then when Master came back He returned the money
to me, but the way He returned it was very strange; as He was
counting out the money He would open one eye and close the
other eye, then close both eyes, then take the money back and
re-count it all over again. This went on for about ten minutes.
65
I wondered what He was doing. Then He gave me that money,
and I put it in my cash box in my house. Every day I would
take money from it, but every time I noticed instead of getting
less that money increased. I thought Master must have given me
too much, so after ten days of this I took it back to Him.
When Manav Kendra was still under construction an Army
engineer came to see the Master, and wished to help install the
pumping machinery which would fill the water tower. Master asked
him to wait, assuring him He would go with him later on. But
the engineer was impatient and insisted on going off to inspect
the pump in spite of Master's repeated requests that he should
wait for Him. As he was inspecting the diesel engine, he fell forward and was in danger of losing his life. Some great force jerked him back, but his hand was cut off. A satsangi who was there
immediately clamped his hand round the stub of the arm to prevent the engineer from bleeding to death. Master came, and he
was rushed to the military hospital. The man who was holding
the stump held it in such a fierce grip that he was unable to let
go, and it took four soldiers to get his hand off before the doctors
could operate. Master's comment was that on that day, the engineer was to have lost his life, but he had been given pardon
and had only lost his hand.
I was always fond of meeting sadhus. I used to know an
old sadhu who helped me before I met the Master. Of course,
once I found the Master I was so happy that when I met this old
sadhu again I told him all about Master. He was overjoyed, and
asked me take him to meet the Master. When I took him to the
Master He didn't say a word. He just went over and put His
hand on the old sadhu's head — he went into samadhi for three
hours! When he came back he started weeping, "Why have You
brought me back? I was sitting with Baba Sawan Singh and He
was talking to me." Then Master told him. "You belong to Tulsi
Sahib's family." He replied, "I came from Hathras, but I didn't
know that." A year later the sadhu came to see me and he touched my feet. I jumped up and said, "No, you are more than my
father!" "No, no, my dear son, I got everything through you, and
I've come to tell you a story. I was living in the jungle at Vrindavan; there was also a man who had gone there for worship,
66
but his son got cholera and died. He brought the body to me. I
was in meditation at the time; the Master appeared to me inside
and told me to sprinkle the body with water, otherwise people
would say sadhus have no power. I did this and the boy came
back to life." The next day we both went to see the Master. But
the Master appeared to be very much annoyed; He warned the
old sadhu never to do this again. After the old man had left,
the Master said to me, 'Look, Brij Mohan, I had to reprimand
him to make sure that he didn't do that again. It was all right
the first time, but this must not be repeated again."
Very shortly after I had been initiated I went to ask
Master to give me more experiences. Tai Ji asked me to wait
outside. Suddenly Master came out but I could only see a golden
Light standing in front of me for about twenty seconds. Then He
spoke, "What do you want?" I said, "Master, I want to see
You," but as I was saying this I realised He had just shown me
who He was—He was not a physical body but Light.
\
As I Saw
The Beloved Master
Dona G. Kelley
Just as a diamond's many facets are needed to produce its
brilliance, so was Master Kirpal a Spiritual Gem, whose many
"facets" delighted all who knew Him. One outstanding facet was
His sense of humor.
When He stayed at my home for several days during His
1955 tour, He would question all of us, after the morning meditation, as to what we saw inside. One elderly lady said, "I saw
Your bare foot, Master."
"Did you see my foot, inside?" Master asked.
"Oh no, Master, I saw it outside."
Master rocked with laughter. "Any child could have seen
that," He said.
On another occasion, He was giving instructions regarding
meditation. "When you prepare for meditation, see that you have
nothing in the belly," He said.
One of the ladies said, "Master, the right word is abdomen."
"All right," said Master, "See that you have nothing in the
abdomen-belly, when going into meditation."
When He was at Anaheim during His 1972 tour, morning
68
meditation was held upstairs in the Disneyland Hotel. Ordinarily, all of the elderly satsangis would ride the elevator up to the
big hall. On this particular morning, the elevator broke down,
so we had to walk up two long flights of stairway. As I was
struggling upward, hugging the rail, Master came along. "All
right Dona, hop on my back and I will carry you up."
During His 1963 tour, Master was returning from Baldwin,
Michigan, to Chicago, Illinois. En route, our motorcade stopped
for lunch along Lake Michigan. It was a hot day, and most of us
took off our shoes and went wading along the shoreline.
Suddenly, we saw Master, His white pajamas rolled up to the
knees, wading in the chilly water. He was enjoying Himself with
the abandon of a child—not one iota of false "dignity" in His
make-up.
At Rajpur, He would hold Darshan on the grass. One
morning as He was speaking, an infant came crawling up to His
chair and smiled happily, saying "Gah-gah-gah." Master leaned
forward, smiled joyously and said, "Yes?"
Of course, His outstanding characteristic was Love. Like
Jesus, He loved all children—He showered Love upon all children who came near Him. It is not too much to say that He was
Love personified. Who among His satsangis can ever forget His
admonition, "Love, and everything shall be added unto you?"
I count it as the greatest blessing of my life to have had the
privilege of serving Him for almost twenty-six years. I regard
Him as my Brother, the Holy Son of my Master, Sawan Singh Ji.
I could have said much more about His radiant personality
but the Chinese say, "In many words, there is much confusion."
I could, for instance, have spoken of His joyousness, His rippling
laughter, His erect, graceful carriage—He walked like the King
that He was. However, words have their limitations—it is enough
to know that He will live forever in our hearts.
Stories
of Master's
Protection and Blessings
Bruno Zaffina
Hazur used to say if you want to see how a Master works,
you should watch an initiate die. I know of a case in Mexico
where a young lady of about twenty-one years old was initiated.
Although her father came to Satsang several times, he did not
take initiation. About six months after she'd taken initiation,
her father died of cancer. Someone in Mexico said that when
this man was dying, Master Kirpal Singh met him on the inside
and took him up, even though the man was not initiated. When
I heard this story I wrote to Master to ask Him if it was correct,
and for permission to tell this to the others. He wrote back,
"Yes, it's due to the grace of the Master that this blessing was
extended to the girl's father."
Here is another outstanding case of the Master's mercy
and protection. A lady in Kentucky who was a devoted initiate
of the Master had a husband who was an alcoholic. She took
care of him—I guess he was basically a good man. Once in
meditation she saw that Master was in a boat with her husband.
The boat was on a golden sea, and Master was taking this man
across the sea. So she wrote to Master to ask if this vision was
correct, that he would be taken to the other side and never have
70
to reincarnate again? Master said, (I saw His letter at the time)
"Yes, you have interpreted your vision, the inner experience,
correctly; because of your devotion, Master's grace has been
extended to your husband—and he will soon pass over." And a
short time later he did die; she saw a kind of blackness leave his
body, and he was met by the Master.
The man who was to be the instrument for me to find the
Path lived in Chicago, and was called Earl Fishman. He had a
friend called Dr. Schval. I never met this doctor but he seemed
to be an advanced person. After I'd gone to live in Mexico I
received a letter from Earl saying that Dr. Schval had died. His
wife had told Earl the circumstances of his death. Dr. Schval had
seen the Master inside two or three days before he left the body,
and the Master told him to prepare his papers because he'd be
leaving permanently. So he just told his wife that he'd be leaving
and that his Will was in order. And he told her, "I want you to
sit at the bedside after I leave the body and don't call the
mortician until two or three hours have passed." She later came
to Earl Fishman and told him that she had done this after her
husband died, and after half an hour she was filled with joy.
So when the Master came to take the doctor, the radiations were
so strong that even the wife was engulfed in peace and bliss.
The group leader in Kingston, Jamaica, told me that when
her husband was dying of cancer, just before he left the b o d y he also was not an initiate—he said, "Your Master and His
Master are both in the room here with me." And then he died a
short while later.
There was a man living in Arkansas who was a hermit; he
was an initiate. When he died, two initiates in separate parts of
Arkansas were meditating and they both saw him going up in a
blaze of Light, and he was in ecstasy; Master Kirpal Singh was
on one side and Baba Sawan Singh was on the other side. He
said, "Please tell my daughter she should not feel sad. You see
how happy I am. Extend my love to her and also to the dear
initiates." Neither of those two realized they'd both seen the
same thing until they got together much later.
Mrs. Gordon Hughes was dying round about 1928; she was
very thin and weak, and her family had even made preparations
Stories of Master's Protection and Blessings
71
for the funeral. But as she hadn't found what she wanted in life,
she wanted to continue living. She saw this blazing Light in the
corner of her room and Hazur appeared and walked through
her; she became well again. So she got up an d walked down
stairs to the amazement of all the family. But when she saw this
Light and this Form she was really afraid. She said she didn't
know what it was. After this she started meditating, and she
began seeing two Forms—one was Sant Kirpal Singh and the
other was Hazur. And she made a painting of Sant Kirpal Singh
before she knew He was walking this earth in physical form.
When she was initiated in 1954 she asked Mr. Khanna if he'd
show her a picture of the Master, and she was amazed to find it
was the same Master she'd been seeing inside.
This is how I heard about the Path. I had to watch my
wife dying in childbirth in 1956. I was married to a Mexican
lady, and we lived around the Chicago area. When we were to
have our second child, I drove her to the hospital early in the
morning. I already had a little boy of two named Mario; we
hoped to have a family of four, but before 11:00 in the morning
we were back to a family of two. But the amazing thing was that
I found that she had knowledge of her death one year before it
happened—she had told a lot of people, but she never told me.
And when I mentioned it to this friend of mine whose name was
Earl Fishman, he said casually, "Some people are told beforehand when they are to leave the body." I asked him how he
knew—I realized that this man had great peace. Then he began
telling me how he had searched all his life, how he was born
Jewish and how he loved Judaism. However, Judaism didn't
give him any of the inward things which it referred to. He tried
Christianity, but it also failed to give him inner experience. So
he went from one school of thought to another. One day he met
a woman in an elevator going up to his office in Chicago. They
began talking of these things, and she said, "Incidentally, are
you going to hear the Great Living Saint? He is here now."
This was in 1955. He said, "I don't know of any living Saint,
but I'll be very happy to hear Him." So he went to the lecture,
and Master Kirpal Singh was talking. This was during the
Master's first world tour. He was answering every question
72
Earl had in his mind. Earl was amazed that here was a man up
on the stage giving him these answers he'd never been able to
find for himself. Master talked of Light and being reborn in
Light. So Earl took initiation. After Master left Chicago, Earl
was so intoxicated that every morning precisely at 3:00 a.m. he
would be awakened and he had to meditate for four hours. He
said he was making marvellous progress. And then he became so
busy in his work that he started putting off his meditation—he
thought that after the work got done he'd have more time to
meditate—and first thing he knew he lost years of progress.
Maria Estella was living in Mexico with a dear friend.
When her friend died Maria was grief stricken. She had been as
deeply attach to this man as if he'd been her husband. A friend
of mine, called Carmen, who was working for Master in Mexico,
told Maria, "You should not be too attached because this causes
misery." Carmen began to tell her about the Path. Maria got
interested and eventually she became a vegetarian and requested
initiation. I was given permission to convey the instructions to
her, so I asked her about the theory and the diet. We decided
to hold initiation the day before Christmas. I asked her if she'd
like it in the morning at about 8:00. But she said she wanted it
at 5.00. I said, "But Maria that's so early!" But she had a little
shop selling buttons and Coca-Cola and so on, and she wanted to
open it at 8:00. I said, "Maria, what you're getting kings and
queens and scientists have been after—it's the greatest gift of all."
She said, "Nevertheless, I'd like to open up my store at 8:00,
and I'd like to have initiation at 5:00." Well, I thought if
Master's a servant of all mankind I must be a servant too. So I
decided when I went to bed that night that I must not oversleep
as this was to be the most important moment of her life. So four
of us had agreed to meet. I was to pick up Leora Herold, the
group leader, and Maria a little before 5:00 in the morning,
At 3:00 in the morning I was awakened—I didn't wake up
softly, it was like I'd been shaken. So I thought I'd get some
more sleep, but no, Master had wakened me and I had to meditate; it was very very beautiful. So I then drove over to Carmen
and she told me: "Something very strange happened to me. I
was awakened at 3:00 and I had to meditate." I told her the
73
same thing happened to me. Next we went and picked up Leora
Herold and she told the same story! Then we picked up Maria,
who was not yet initiated, and she had also been woken at 3:00
a.m. So the question I put to anybody who reads these words is:
What is that Power that is so all-pervading which wakens
four people in the sleepy town of Cuernavaca in Mexico to prepare for initiation? That Power is the Christ Power, the God
Power, the Guru Power, the Master Power. People wonder how
It works? It's incomprehensible how It works. We who are on the
Path, we know It works—what more do we want? Except to turn
to It as best we can.
My Lord Waits
Betty Shifflett
Unto the Mount I lift my gaze
Looking for my Lord.
In radiance He is waiting there
Waiting for me alone.
Daily I seek in the quiet hours
To see His Dear Face,
Through the open door of earth's domain
By the light of his Grace.
He's waiting, my Lord is waiting
To receive His child.
He's waiting, My Lord is waiting
And His voice is calling me Home.
Master's
Three Visits
to Pakistan
W.S. Mongia
First Tour
In early 1956 it was decided by the Master that He would
undertake a visit to Lahore, Pakistan, where our fellow satsangi
brothers could make arrangements for His stay, Satsang, and
where all satsangis initiated by Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
before partition would gather. Arrangements were accordingly
made to secure passports and visas for the Master, Madam
Hardevi (Tai Ji), Gyani Bhagwan Singh, myself and my wife.
As soon as we crossed the Indian border (customs, police,
and military at the border), we reached three similar check-posts
on the other side at Wagha in District Lahore. When we reached
the Custom at Wagha, the Superintendent, Mr. Hafeez, a fine
young man with a band of his subordinate officers, received the
Master very respectfully stepping a few paces outside his office.
As Hafeez was an old friend, I asked him to show due respect
and courtesy to the Master. His reply was that since the Master
was now in their country it was their duty to treat Him well and
in a befitting manner. He requested the Master very politely to
grace his office on the border. When the Master reached there
Master's Three Visits to Pakistan
75
Hafeez and party requested Him to kindly accept their invitation
to a cup of tea which they said would be prepared by a nonMuslim, meaning thereby a Hindu. Master laughed at this
suggestion and He said that all human beings were His brothers
and He would prefer to have tea from a Muslim.
Across this check-point hundreds of Muslim satsangis were
waiting for the Master's darshan. They were permitted by the
Customs officer to come through the barrier and enter the Customs
enclosure. They were very pleased to touch the Feet of the
Master and shower blessings on the Customs people who gave
them an opportunity to see the Master earlier than it would
otherwise have been possible. From there we drove to Bungalow
No. 31 in Shalimar Garden-Town, the residence of Mr. Mahmud
Shaukat who was Master's chief representative in Pakistan. All
those satsangis who couldn't come up to the border, paid their
homage to the Master at the house of Mr. Mahmud Shaukat
which was very commodious, having a large number of rooms.
He had also arranged for their stay in houses adjoining his own.
Among the satsangis was an old lady named Bibi Amina
who had been initiated by Master Sawan Singh Ji many years
earlier. When the partition of the country between India and
Pakistan took place in 1947 and the Muslim satsangis residing at
and near Dera Baba Jaimal Singh felt obliged to leave for
Pakistan, Bibi Amina was very adamant and wouldn't leave.
The Master, then at the Dera, entrusted as He was to see to the
safe escort of immigrants, persuaded her to go to Pakistan as
she could no longer stay in the changed circumstances. After a
good deal of persuasion she agreed to go to Pakistan on the
explicit condition that Hazur would visit her in Pakistan in
physical form before her death. She was in tears and said that she
firmly believed that the Master was God on earth and had to
keep this promise. It was to redeem this pledge that Master
Kirpal Singh made this first trip to Pakistan to see Bibi Amina
and tell her that according to the promise made by His Master
He had come to see her in His physical form.
There were many rejoicings and a large number of Muslim
non-satsangis also came to see the Master and hear His discourses. The local C.I.D. police officers who posted reports on the
76
activities of the Master heard the Satsang which was, of course,
not held in the open. They were very much impressed by the
teachings of the Master and said that He alone told them of God
as recorded in the Holy, Quran. The Pakistan Police reported
very favorably in their confidential reports about the Mission of
the Master, with the result that many religious and political
leaders, including the Pakistan Ambassador in U.S.A. then in
Lahore, came to pay their homage to the Master. As a matter
of fact he had met Him on one of His tours in the States and
actually offered a handsome donation which the Master, as was
usual with Him, had very politely declined to accept.
Second Tour
It was in the year 1959 that the Master undertook His second tour to Lahore. This time Mrs. Narendra (Kuku), myself,
my wife, and Tai Ji, proceeded to Lahore from Amritsar by train
because there were certain restrictions on road traveling by
private cars. The Master and His party got into the train at
Amritsar Railway Station at about 12:00 noon. As chance would
have it, Mr. Hafeez who was previously Superintendent of
Customs at the Wagha land border, was now in charge of the
Customs office at the railway station, Lahore. The moment he
saw the Master and His party coming from the railway station
he ordered that the Master be accorded V.I.P. treatment and
nobody in the Master's party should be checked or searched.
Shorty after, we reached Mr. Shaukat's house where hundreds
of satsangis from various parts of Pakistan had collected for
Master's Darshan. There were tears of joy in their eyes and they
were dancing with delight.
Third Tour
The third tour to Pakistan came in April 1963. This time
the party was limited to the Master, Tai Ji, myself and my wife.
Once again we had to travel by train from Amritsar to Lahore,
and stayed at the house of Mr. Shaukat. As usual, he made very
good arrangements for the stay of satsangis in and around his.
Master's Three Visits to Pakistan
77
house.
There is an old friend of mine, Mr. Sufi Mohammed Aslam
Gondal. When he came to know that I was in Lahore he
came to see me and we went to buy some articles for use of the
guests. Sufi said that he saw a very bewitching man meaning
thereby Master Kirpal Singh at Shaukat's house whose beautiful
face fascinated him greatly. He then turned back and brought
a basket of maltas (special oranges) to be presented to the
Master. It was spontaneous love between the two, and when he
presented the basket of maltas to the Master and touched His
Holy Feet, the Master distributed all the maltas (about one
hundred and thirty-two) to all satsangis. Out of compassion the
Master took him to one small room in the house which was
empty and gave him initiation from the Holy Quran; Sufi was
in meditation a couple of hours, having crossed various stages of
Light and Sound. When he came out of the room he told me
that this holy man was a wonderful person and in spite of Sufi's
previous worldly life the Master had taken him up many stages.
Throughout all His tours in Pakistan, the whole day Master
would make half a dozen people sit in each room of the house
and initiate them, and the old satsangis, who now had sons and
grandsons with them, brought them to the Master for initiation.
On this last occasion, Bibi Amina's husband, who was an
old railway retired employee, came along with his wife, and
Master initiated him with the result that he lay flat on the earth
having lost all sense of the body. He was in this exalted state
of intoxication for about four or five hours. Then the Master
brought down his soul into the body, and the man said, "What
have you done? I don't want to come back to this earth. I was
very happy above." At this Bibi Amina said to the Master,
"What a strange justice. This man who has been beating me for
going to Dera Beas has been taken to the higher stages in one
sitting, and I who have spent the whole of my life as a devotee
have never had such an experience." And the Master said,
"This is my sweet Will."
Then there was another young man, son of Master
Mohammed Shafi. Rufi is his name. He said, "Master, why don't
You take us to this stage?" Master replied, "If I take you to this
78
stage, who is going to look after your wife and children? I have
to see that your family doesn't starve."
I need hardly add that the labor in the vineyard of the
Lord never goes unrewarded, but in diverse ways He more than
compensates the laborer beyond his wildest dreams.
The
Beloved
Master's Gift
T.S. Khanna
I relate a few instances showing the greatness, compassion,
extraordinary personality and love of Great Master Kirpal Singh
for the initiates of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji. He was the
living example of His teachings and brought home the Science of
the Soul of the Great Master.
Mrs. Khanna and I had the privilege to bring His Message
to the West in the close of 1949. The Master came to the United
State in 1955, along with Kuku (Princess Narendra) and Tai Ji
(Mme. Hardevi). The Master, myself, Mrs. Khanna and Bibi
Hardevi were traveling in an automobile from San Francisco to
Redwood City. Great Master Kirpal Singh was kind enough to
say, "It is due to the presence of Khanna Ji that I am here in
the U.S.A., otherwise no one knew me." I told the Master that it
was due to the grace of the Master that the work of Ruhani
Satsang started and that the Master brought His own working
staff. The Master said, "Khanna is my younger brother." I thanked Him for such blessings.
Master graced me to be the first one to have the authority
to conduct initiation on His behalf in the West. Mrs. Willoughby
was accepted by the Master for initiation. She was in Las Cruses,
80
New Mexico. She could not afford to come down to Washington,
D.G. and I could not travel there. She was desperate to get
initiation as she feared that she might pass away due to heart
failure. She was alarmed because her mother died of a heart
attack and felt she might meet with the same fate. I encouraged
her on the phone to have full faith in the Master Power. It was
not necessary that she should die due to a heart attack because
her mother had. She begged that she would like to have initiation
before anything happened. The same evening I meditated on the
Master and thought that Mrs. Willoughby could be initiated on
the telephone as the Master Power can work, regardless of time
and distance. I called her and advised that she should take a bath
and sit down comfortably in a chair, and relax completely. Next
morning she called and was given the five holy Names. She
memorized and repeated them easily. She was requested to sit
in silent meditation for an hour and then listen to the Sound
Current coming from the right side. I asked her to call me on
the phone about her spiritual experience and confirm the same
in writing. She told that as soon as she went into meditation,
her nerves were calmed down. She felt great peace and kept on
repeating the charged Names. By the grace of the Master she
was healed completely and had no fear of death. She saw the
Radiant Form of both the Great Masters, Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh and Param Sant Kirpal Singh. Her initiation was perfect,
even transmitted through the telephone. She was very grateful
for the quick action and marvelous result.
I submitted her report to the Master and apologized for
giving initiation on the phone. The Master wrote back that He
approved my conducting initiation on the telephone as a special
case, but I should not do such a thing again. He added that I
reposed all hope in the Master, therefore Master Power worked
and took care. I thanked the Master for His grace.
In 1963, the Master stayed with us at Delafield Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. Mrs. Khanna used to cook for the Master.
The Master would eat at the table, and also bless the food.
Before leaving Washington at the end of the tour, the Master
was having His meal and I was in the next room with the door
closed. After having His meal the Master knocked on the door
the Beloved Master's Gift
81
of my room. I was surprised. Upon opening the door, the Master
immediately embraced me and gave me the sum of $350.00
stating that it was for the food He took from the kitchen. I
requested the Master that it was not necessary to pay as all
belonged to Him. Furthermore, the Master barely used food
worth $50.00 and I was being paid $350.00. The Master gave a
smile and asked me to to keep it. It was a blessing to have the
money from the Living Master as Parshad.
The
Sweet Home
of the Father
Sharon Shively
I was an unhappy child. I was always afraid. I slept on the
edge of my bed so I could get out fast if the house caught on fire.
I never had many friends. I believed in God until I grew old
enough to ask impossible questions which those around me could
not answer.
As a teen-ager, the question of God never entered my mind.
I only wanted to be happy. I sought happiness through art,
school achievement, and friends, but nothing worked.
In college I didn't care about learning anything, I just
wanted to be happy. I was moody, depressed, confused and
"strange." As a result, I was very lonely. I got almost all "A"
grades, but it didn't matter to me very much.
I dropped out of college, and worked full-time. At this time
I first tried drugs. I had enough money to buy everything I wanted, and my clothes and apartment seemed perfect to me, but I
was still miserable.
My search led me to civil disobedience and deeper into
drugs and sensuality.
I sometimes had flashes of a world of love, where people
walked fearlessly as if in bright sunshine. And I knew I was living
The Sweet Home of the Father
all wrong, but I didn't know what to do.
On one drug trip I realized in despair the totality of my
ignorance and debased condition. I saw the same things in the
world around me. Nothing seemed to be in order; we were polluting ourselves, our air, our water and I felt helpless. I wanted
desperately to be "right," to live the "right" way, but I didn't
even know what that meant, I just knew I was at the very bottom.
I hallucinated that I was talking to God. I said, "You are
God, so You can do anything. Please help me. PLEASE HELP
Me!" And since I was talking in thought, not words, my "me"
meant us, our whole world, as well as myself. God promised He would help me. I felt relieved, but as I was on drugs
at the time, it became very negative and confused quickly.
I returned to college. I thought perhaps I would be happier if I could earn my living in a more fulfilling way and I felt
I needed a degree for this. I was given complete tuition and expenses through a scholarship loan program—a highly unusual
circumstance.
In one of my first classes I met the person who was to tell
me of the Master. I was not drawn to this person at all, but circumstances threw us together.
One afternoon during a break in an assignment we had to
carry out for our class we decided to get some coffee. As we sat
over our coffee, talking, the subject of yoga came up. I had been
interested in yoga on and off but I had never felt that it was
possible for me, because all of the yogas I had heard of demanded self-discipline and the rigid avoidance of sensual pleasure, two
things I felt I was not capable of. So, when people talked of yoga
I envied them, I sensed something beautiful, but far beyond my
reach.
As the person I was with continued talking I found myself
listening just to be polite. I had tried Transcendental Meditation
which had never satisfied me and I mentioned this to him. "Well,
I practice a yoga," he said. That's nice, I thought. "Yes, it's
Surat Shabad Yoga, the Yoga of attention to the Light and Sound
of God. And I have a Master. A Perfect Living Master. His name
is Kirpal Singh and He will take me back to the Sweet Home of
the Father from which we have been gone so long."
84
It was amazing. It was as if he had spoken in some code
that part of me recognized instantly. And the part of me that
recognized the code burst out and overwhelmed the rest. I was
not the same person I had been seconds before, I was more like
the person I had been on rare occasions as a child playing with
sunlight and dreaming of fairy lands.
I didn't even realize that I was different at the time because
all I was aware of was that I had to hear more about the Master
and more about the Path. I had always loved the words "sweet"
and "home;" here they were where they belonged, as if they
had been present in my former life just to be welcoming signs
into this life, because it was a whole new life that I entered joyously from the very second that I was told about it.
All of a sudden this person I was sitting with was the
dearest person I had ever seen. Everything he told me was like
clear, cool water to someone really thirsty.
He told me about the Master, the God in Man, who was
here on earth now as He had been in the past. I had always
believed in rainbows as a child, they were signs of wonder; this
was the most rainbow thing that had ever happened.
He told me about meditation and that the Master's Way
was made so easy, by His Grace, that anyone could do it. He
told me about the vegetarian diet and the need to avoid drugs
or excessive sensual indulgence. Somehow, I knew that now
things were possible because of the Master. Here was a way—a
Perfect way—out of the misery in which I had been for so long
and it would be made possible because I would not be doing it
alone, or on my own strength of will or discipline; the Master
would be with me and He would pick me up if needed, and carry
me like a mother does her child.
I was so happy. It was like a fantastic dream, a dream that
had always been just beyond my awareness. I felt like I had been
waiting all my life for this moment even though I had never
known I was waiting at all. I felt like a great king had sent an
older brother to rescue a child of His Kingdom who had been
lost since birth, and now I was found and listening to stories
of the places I had forgotten, and the customs and ways I had
forgotten consciously but evidently never completely.
85
It was like discovering a new world, and yet a tantalizingly
familiar world in feeling. I felt like I belonged here. I felt like
at last I found my place and understood why everywhere else I
had been out of place. It was a new world of incredible sweetness and beauty. The Master's Words were so gloriously beautiful
and His wisdom was so simple and complete.
I was allowed to apply for initiation three or four days
after I first heard about the Master, even though I hadn't followed the diet for three months. I promised sincerely that I would
never eat the non-vegetarian foods or take drugs again.
It was as if just hearing about the Master was enough to
lift me out of the darkness I had been in. I can remember one
time I had been "smoking" with my friends and I had felt time
seemed to stop, and I had thought that I would never know the
true sweetness of timelessness while doing dope but at the same
time there was nothing else to do instead, so I just went on with
it. In the beginning it had all been exciting and an escape from
the meaninglessness of the rest of life, but by the time I heard
about the Master, it had become nothing but a dreary habit I
felt powerless to break.
I really felt as if I was leaving one country and entering a
a new one—a hidden one of sunshine and happiness somehow
within the one I had always lived in. I still lived in the same
apartment, went to the same classes, and walked the same
streets; but now I knew the same secret the flowers knew. Now I
knew the Truth. Hadn't it been told that the Truth would set
us free? And I felt free. I heard the birds singing, and they were
singing about the wonder of the Master. The sun was s a y i n g Son, Son of God—Kirpal.
One night I heard a tape of the Master speaking. It sounded to me as if His Voice was ringing through space and time, as
if the voice I heard was only a part of the total sound His Voice
was making.
It was the Master who taught me to love the word God,
because for so long that word had had no meaning. But as I
waited to hear about my application, I read as many of the
Master's books as I could, and I learned that God was Love,
Light and Truth, and that His laws were for the good of each
86
and all. Only as I read them in the Master's words did the
common morals of all religious make sense. Here was the mystery of life, death and fate revealed as simply as a story for
children. And there was no flaw anywhere. They held true
throughout.
For the first time in my life I began to trust someone. It
was someone I had never seen Or met but I felt closer to Him all
the time. For the first time in my life I knew beyond a doubt the
way to be "good," I had somehow always yearned to be good,
to be "right" but I had never known in the slightest what this
might mean in terms of behavior, and so I had never even allowed the yearning to become very conscious.
As I read the Master's books and circulars and attended
Satsangs I began to understand what goodness was. The Master
made it so clear.
The joy of waking up to a clean life was overwhelming. All
of the beauty in nature was His beauty. All of the love that I
had not appreciated in family and friends I could now begin to
appreciate because His Love was melting the ice of fear which
had formed around my heart.
All of the happiness I felt was His gift. I learned that I
could "talk" to Him and He would answer, not directly usually
but somehow, and I learned to recognize His answers and they
made me glad.
One day my initiation acceptance arrived in the mail box.
I was happy and excited but also nervous about initiation itself.
I didn't know what to expect and I felt very anxious about it. I
was so used to concealing much of my inner feelings from myself and others that the anxiety of the situation prevented me
from realizing with full conviction what I was actually seeing and
hearing within. I could not relax enough to let myself fully
experience what was actually happening within.
Nevertheless, I was sure that I had seen and heard something, and I had the five charged Names and my new life had
officially begun, although really, my life had truly begun that
day I had first heard of Him whom my soul would love.
Since then my life has become progressively happier. Although there are downs as well as ups, the constant misery and
87
despair of my past is gone.
I know that I don't realize or appreciate the blessing of
Naam Initiation, but the little of it I do realize makes me see
how incredibly merciful a Perfect Master is. He takes care of
every sparrow with His Great Love.
Blessings
Given By
The Beloved
Mary M. Garlich
It was 1963, and I was in Chicago to be initiated. When I
wrote out my application for initiation I had said that I was
interested in both spiritual and physical healing. It may have
happened during my initiation or in the Satsang later, but when
I came back to my room at the hotel to take off my clothes and
rest, an egg-sized lump had disappeared from my side. This was
a very painful lump; but, after having gone through several
surgeries, I had decided to do nothing further about it. I had
already told God that I was willing to go unless He had work
for me to do—if there was something for me to do then He
might keep me alive. After arriving home I was in the habit of
getting up at two a.m., bathing, and going down to the living
room to meditate. I had so much pain in my lower abdomen
that I could scarcely concentrate on meditation. This time I
didn't ask God to give me a healing, but while I was in meditation I felt a strong tingling sensation in the finger tips of my left
hand and arm traveling down my chest to my torso. There was
a flash of light in my lower abdomen—a hard painful lump in
the groin area disappeared.
Since that night I have never had pain in that area, and
Blessing Given by the Beloved
89
there have been no more lumps. That was twelve years ago, and
I have been able to work for Master in the capacity he has given
to me.
In 1972, Master was to arrive in Washington, D.G. I had dreamt of His coming, and of going on His tour for a long, long time.
My ninety-two year old mother was in a convalescent home.
I talked to the head nurse and told her of my hope to go on a
tour. Her answer to me was that my mother's lungs were filling
with fluid, but that perhaps if I kept in touch by phone I could
be informed if she took a turn for the worse.
Every time I contacted this particular head nurse I found
that my mother's condition had improved.
As it turned out I went on quite a large portion of the
tour, and came home to find my mother in better health than
she had been for some time. She never again had any problem
with her lungs, and she lived to be nearly ninety-four years old.
Master's tour had taken Him to Chicago. A dear friend
and I left by plane and arrived in Chicago about noon. On
coming into the Belmont Hotel, I found Master sitting on a
davenport. He looked at me and said, "Yes, what is it?" I said,
"Master, here is this dear lady" (pointing to my companion).
"She loves you very much, plays your tapes, and yet she isn't
initiated." Master was looking right at me when He said,
"Master does not accept everyone."
When we left the room, Malka was elated. She said,
"Mary, did you hear what Master said to me? He looked right
at me (Malka) and said, "You have God too."
Master apparently was looking at two different people at
the same time, and gave two different messages. Then Malka
went on to say, "Mary, you always thought I needed initiation,
didn't you? Well, you see I do not."
The climax of my story is that in the summer of 1975,
Malka called me and said, "Mary, I have seen the Master within, and He told me to be initiated as soon as possible." Malka
has been coming to Satsang for at least twelve years—since I
have known her. It seems that Beloved Master Kirpal was not
to pick her up, but that the One who would come after Him
was to be her Master,
How Lord
Shiva Directed
Me to the Master
Ram Sewak Sharma
To begin with I was a devotee of Lord Shiva and for five
or six years I continued to be a great devotee of his. I then went
into the jungle, and for three days I was without food or water,
lost in inner practices. This was in the Badiargarh district. During
my meditations there Lord Shiva manifested himself, and said I
needed a guru and directed me to Sant Kirpal Singh. This was
in the year 1955, and I was twenty four years old at the time.
After this I proceeded to Sawan Ashram. When I got there and
sat for meditation I saw the form of Maharaj Ji, and behind Him
stood Lord Shiva; he told me that Maharaj Ji was to be my
Guru. I then requested Maharaj Ji for initiation, and He asked
me to come two days later at the start of the month when it was
initiation day.
At the initiation after Maharaj Ji had given me the five
charged Names, when I sat for meditation Baba Sawan Singh
appeared within and told me that Kirpal Singh was of His very
essence and that He was working through Him. Lord Shiva too
appeared and took my hand and entrusted me to the care of
Maharaj Ji. I was also blessed with a rich experience of the inner
planes. When I related my experiences to the Master He patted
How Lord Shiva Directed Me to the Master
91
me and congratulated me for being thus blessed. "You have got
all that you could have wished for," He said. In those days. I
could see the Master bathed in light before me wherever I was.
In 1960 Swami Ji Shiv Dayal Singh began to appear within
and I now had His Darshan along with Baba Sawan Singh
and Maharaj Kirpal Singh. On the Master's instructions I was
allotted some seva for the Sangat and continued to serve the
Satsang to the best of my ability for the next ten years. In 1970
Maharaj Ji once remarked to me in Dehra Dun, "You have served
the Sangat with great devotion; may you continue to do so to the
end of your life in the same fashion.
On 21st August 1974 at about 9:10 p.m., on closing my
eyes I saw my Guru going away. An hour later the telephone
rang and Mr. Kohli informed me that Maharaj Ji had indeed
left the body. At that very moment Maharaj Ji manifested Himself before me and told me of the one through whom He would be
carrying on His work.
Earlier I had gone to see the Master on the 18th August. I
saw the Radiant Forms of Swami Ji, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh
and Maharaj Ji's successor, and They reassured me that all
would be well. When I went in Maharaj Ji met me with great
love and took my hand in His. As He lay so ill during those last
days, Baba Sawan Singh in His Radiant Form would be beside
Him and touch Him and bless Him and pat Him for the great
and wonderful work He had accomplished.
The three Great Masters, Swami Ji, Baba Sawan Singh,
and Maharaj Ji, are still active, and They are now carrying on
Their work.
With
the Master
in Rishikesh
Harbhajan Kaur
When the Beloved Master, my respected Father-in-law,
retired from Service in March 1947, after some time He went to
live at Beas to be in the service of the Great Master. One year
later Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji left the physical body, so
Maharaj Ji came to stay with us in Delhi. After He had been
with us for about two and a half months He started for the
Himalayas, telling us that when He found a suitable place He
would write to us and we could join Him there.
After fifteen days of anxious waiting, the letter arrived
telling us that Maharaj Ji was staying at Rani's Kothi in Rishikesh, and that we could join Him there. So Darshan Singh Ji,
my husband, took leave from the office for one month, and
together with my respected mother-in-law and our one and a half
year old son, Raji, we went to stay with Him.
There we found a simple house with a very calm atmosphere
overlooking the river Ganges. Each day Maharaj Ji not only did
a lot of meditation Himself but put us all into meditation also
for long hours at a stretch, generally totalling six to eight or even
ten hours a day; He would put His hand on our foreheads, and
lovingly make us sit. In the breaks between meditations He
With the Master in Rishikesh
93
would be with us, and we would all enjoy the natural beauty of
the place glorified by His Divine Radiance. Sometimes He would
humor us by doing a little household work. One day He told us
that we should make the most of this time with Him because
there would come a time when we would not be able to be with
Him like this. Occasionally He would cook the vegetable for us.
One day He said, "Now, let me make some chapatis for you,"
and we laughed as if He couldn't do it; but He said, "No, let me
just try." And to our great surprise He made beautiful chapatis,
and we all enjoyed them. He would ask us to bring large leaves
from the trees for plates. It was a period of pure enjoyment.
It was at this time that my husband took the photograph
of Maharaj Ji sitting on one of the rocks in the river where He
went to meditate. To get this photograph my husband had to
wade into the river up to his waist. Photography was also my
hobby, and Maharaj Ji very graciously allowed me to take a
photograph of Him making chapatis, a photograph which has
only turned up again after having been mislaid for twenty years.
Sometimes Maharaj Ji would take us around to show us the
beauties of nature, and on one occasion He took us to see Haridwar, the other nearby holy place on the Ganges. He also took
us to see Dehra Dun which was later to become the place where
Manav Kendra was to be built.
At twilight Maharaj Ji would take us to sit outside the
house and ask us to sing shabdas in praise of the Great Lord. I
would sing, and Respected Tai Ji, who was also there at this
time, would also sing. Afterwards, He would explain to us the
inner meaning of the shabdas which was very illuminating.
While we were staying in Rishikesh, the Beloved Master
took us to visit many Ashrams; He was always looking for holy
men and saints who could go to the higher planes inside. Although
He met many holy men and sages there, He didn't come across
anyone who could go very high inside except one; this was Yogi
Raghuvacharya Ji who Maharaj Ji told us was a very high soul.
Maharaj Ji was fond of walking, and sometimes in the
mornings He would go for long walks alone, and sometimes He
would take us along with Him. Whenever we got tired He would
make us sit down and tell us some humorous stories about the
94
people of Rishikesh and its history. When He would (come
across) Sadhus who had been living in the jungle for many years,
He would tell us in His own way that if these Sadhus were still
performing rituals—even in the jungle, and had not risen above
in meditation—it was better to lead a normal family life. He
would explain that wearing saffron robes and doing other superficial things would not help a person spiritually.
The main part of Master's daily routine was taken up by
meditation. As He was fond of very simple food no time was
wasted in preparing the meals; there were only two meals a day;
one in the morning and one in the evening. We always ate
together with the Master.
He used to play with Raji and amuse him by giving him
different colored flowers which the child very much enjoyed. He
would shower the child with love, and look into his eyes, and
make the child look into His.
My Respected Mother-in-law who was with us, was a very
noble and loving soul greatly devoted to the Master. She used
to relate to me the different aspects of His early saintly life, how
He used to go out of the house at night to still His mind in lonely
places, and sometimes would immerse Himself in tanks of water.
She had great love and respect for the Master and she had great
faith in Him.
When the Master took charge of the spiritual work, He told
my husband that the responsibility for looking after the family
would now fall on him; this he accepted gladly. At that time
my respected Mother-in-law came to live with us. She told
Maharaj Ji that she would stay with us from now on if it was
His wish, but she would very much like to die at His holy Feet.
Her request was accepted; in fact she told me that Maharaj Ji
had assured her that she should spend the last two years of her
life with Him. This indeed came true; she lived with us for about
twenty years—until her last two years—which she then spent at
Sawan Ashram where she left the physical body in 1970.
At the end of that month spent with Maharaj Ji in Rishikesh in 1948, we had to return to Delhi as my husband's leave
was up. After some time the Master also left and rejoined us in
Delhi, staying in our apartment. People then started visiting
With the Master in Reshikesh
95
H i m early in the morning and they would stay until late at
night, and He would pour out to them His spiritual treasures;
His Mission had started. After a while He decided to build an
Ashram. The number of people coming to the house had increased so rapidly that one day He told us in his own sweet words
that His stay in our house had been very nice, and He appreciated our service to Him, but He told us that it was not possible
to run an Ashram in the house, it was necessary that He should
go and start an Ashram and work for the uplift of mankind.
One day the Master was returning to our home where He
was staying after coming back from Rishikesh. Our small son
Raji was standing on the dining table. He loved Maharaj Ji so
much that when the Beloved Master came in he rushed to meet
Him, forgetting he was on a high table. He would have crashed
to the floor had the Master not caught him in His arms. Maharaj
Ji caressed the child and then He told us, "This is how you should
throw yourself into the arms of your Guru; then the Guru must
take care of you."
As Maharaj Ji's Mission grew, it turned out as He had
predicted at Rishikesh—we could never spend so much time again
with Him in private; however, He would have His own way of
showing His love for us whenever we went to see Him. Even
when He was extremely busy He would shower us with His love
in His own sweet way.
Something I can never forget happened several times over
the years. Maharaj Ji would call me into His room in the Ashram
I would wait as He would go to the bookshelves and pick out a
certain book, open the book, and show me a photograph which
He kept in there; the photograph was of my husband and myself
side by side when we were married. He would say, "Who is he?
Who is she?" Such were His ways of showing His great love for
us.
Although the Master became extremely busy with His work,
He would sometimes find time to come and visit us. We always
ate simple food, and as He did not like spiced food we always
knew what to serve Him. Even when He called unexpectedly I
would hurriedly prepare a meal, and He would ask us to eat it
with Him. We would like to have served Him on His own but
96
The
Ocean of Grace Divine
He always insisted that we sat by His side, and sometimes He
Himself, with great love and affection, put the vegetables and
chapatis on our plates. After taking His meal He would just sit
calmly in His own way appreciating the atmosphere of the house
and the simplicity of the food. And then He would tell us the
benefits of leading a simple life and eating simple food.
Sometimes Maharaj Ji would even come to visit us without
informing us; He would immediately make Himself at home as
if He was still living with us. The first thing He would do would
be to sit in the drawing room on the sofa, and read the headlines
of the newspapers that might be lying on the table. On one occasion he brought with Him a Jain Muni who picked up one of
my husband's books; it was a rare book not easily available. The
Muni became so fascinated with it that Maharaj Ji said, "Do you
like this book?" The Muni answered that as it was such a rare
book it had given him much pleasure to glance at. Maharaj Ji
replied, "If you like it so much, and as it's not easily available,
please take the book home with you." The Muni remarked that
it was not only rare, but also a costly book, so before taking it he
requested that the owner of the house be consulted. The Master
asked, "Who is the owner of the house? I am the owner of the
house, and I tell you to take it!" So that man took the book with
pleasure, and our joy knew no bounds when we heard that the
Master considered our house His own.
The
Supreme Being
Rameshwar Dass
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj was no common saint. He
was the Supreme Being in human form. Accordingly, He was
possessed of all the attributes that we associate with the Creator.
No one can describe His ineffable love for His disciples. I narrate
here a few anecdotes which bring out some of the depth of His
love and His Divinity.
I received my initiation from the Master as early as 1949
at His residence in Radio Colony, Delhi. I had come from
Rohtak with one Surat Singh on the assurance that Maharaj Ji
would give me a glimpse of our Eternal Home. There were some
twenty or more persons who were initiated with me, and after
Naam, Maharaj Ji served us lunch.
At initiation I failed to have any inner experience, and
when everyone was gone, I told Surat Singh. Surat Singh encouraged me to bring up the problem with Maharaj Ji. I told
Maharaj Ji, "My friend here assured me that You would give
me a glimpse of my Divine Home. But that has not been my
experience." "As for taking you up there," He said, "it could be
done, but in your present condition you will not be able to stay
there; nor when you come back would you be able to carry on
with your normal life on earth." I then asked, "But would you
indeed take me there at the time of my death?" Maharaj Ji said
that assurance He had already given at the initiation. However,
I need not have to wait till then, and He advised me to carry on
regularly with my meditations as instructed.
I returned home and sat down for meditation that evening.
I soon entered into a state of samadhi and the Sound Current
was so strong and so sweet that the three hours within seemed
as three minutes. This went on from day to day, and a month
later I visited Maharaj Ji. He asked me what I heard inside, and
one by one He Himself mentioned the names of various musical
instruments for me to confirm. That evening when I returned
home, I could not here the Sound Current at all; it was the same
from thence onwards: It was clear that whatever I had received,
came from the Master by His grace, and He knew all that I was
going through.
Maharaj Ji once visited us at Rohtak. My wife and I felt
privileged to serve Him. When serving Maharaj Ji with some
rice pudding, I added salt in place of sugar. He ate it and said
not a word. I realized my blunder when I had some myself and
I felt terribly guilty. But our Sat Guru was very happy. Turning
to my wife He said, "You can ask whatever you wish for." My
wife replied that it was new moon that day and since it was
dedicated to one's ancestors could Maharaj Ji secure their
salvation? "Done!" said Maharaj Ji, and I was soon to have
testimony of what He said. In vision one night my father's astral
form came and embraced me. I began repeating the five charged
Names; no sooner had I done this than his soul gave up its
ghostly body and he was free to be reborn in the human form.
On the same day, when He granted that boon, Maharaj Ji
gave my wife a ten rupee bank note at parting. She said,
"Maharaj Ji, if You must give it, then give it in in a way that it
never runs out." He said, "All right." She went and placed it
in a box, and whenever she was in need of money she would
help herself from there and it would never run out. This went
on for quite some time. One day she took the box for repair, and
when she went to collect it later, the repairman giving it to her
handed her four ten rupee bank notes which he had found inside.
The Supreme Being
On getting them she told him the story; thereafter there were no
more bank notes!
Some fifteen years ago Maharaj Ji visited Rohtak. He gave
Satsang at our place, and was to grant initiation next morning.
A local lawyer also came who was given not only to cheating
his clients but also shopkeepers and trade-men. On seeing him
arrive, I thought to myself: "A guru is said to take upon himself
the karma of his disciples. With someone having such heavy
karma, which guru would be ready to carry his load?" Maharaj
Ji then turned to me and remarked that there was a lawyer in
the group; I proceeded to warn Him against his misdeeds and
enlarged upon all his ways. When I finished, Maharaj Ji said,
"It is God Himself who grants Naam, and can any karma
attach to God?" When the new initiates sat for meditation, this
man was blessed with the Sound of the drum.
Some ten years ago at the peak of summer, my daughter
Sushila and her husband came to stay with me. Their son Sudhit,
who was two and half years old, was out all day, playing in the
sun. It was very hot and he probably got sun stroke. My sonin-law kept the fact from me and took the child in a room at the
back. The boy showed no signs of life: the pulse had gone, the
eyes were motionless, the head hung limp from the neck and the
hands and feet had gone cold.
I took the child and laid him out on a sofa in front
of Maharaj Ji's photograph in our living room. I prayed
intently and silently to Maharaj Ji: "If the boy does not
survive, we would be shamed forever. Maharaj Ji You are our
only hope. Please Maharaj Ji, save us." I then took the hand of
the child in mine and began repeating the charged Names. A
minute later, I could feel his pulse coming back, and a little
later his eyeballs began to move. The child was then given a
drink of water which he took.
My son-in-law was extremely attached to his son. At the
anguish of losing him he was knocking his forehead against the
wall, and it seemed as though he would not stop till he had
collapsed. His wife ran to him and announced that the child had
revived. The child is still alive and well—and is a living testimony of Maharaj Ji's power and love.
The
Earnings Carried
Forward After Death
Mata Savitri Devi Singha
After the Partition in 1949, my husband was transferred to
Jamalpur in Bihar. He had a colleague, Mulkraj, who was a
very dear soul. After we had been in Jamalpur six months I
went to visit his home as he invited me to come for Satsang on
Sunday morning. I was very interested in spirituality so I went.
Mata Shiva conducted the Satsang, and there flowed such love
from her that it filled me with sweetness. I now began going
every Sunday, and took my children with me.
One day on returning home I was filled with deep anguish.
On sitting for meditation, something seemed to flow from my feet
upwards. I began repeating the mantra I had from my previous
guru and after some time I felt better. Next morning I visited
Mulkraj Ji and related what had happened. He reassured me
and asked me not to worry as such experiences were not unusual
on the Path of Spirituality. "You will meet a great Master
shortly," he told me. "And He will grant you initiation."
My husband was then transferred to Bengal. Before we left
I took Maharaj Kirpal Singh's address. But my husband fell ill
and kept ailing for the next year; he was then transferred to
Lucknow. It took some two months for my husband to recover.
101
His illness had prevented me from attending Satsang; but now
that he was better, I found there was no local Satsang I could
attend. I decided to write to Maharaj Ji. In six days I received
a reply in His own hand. He asked me to carry on with whatever practice I had been doing. At the appointed time there
would be an opportunity to meet, He assured me, and it would
give Him much joy.
I kept on writing to the Master and He always assured me
that He would be glad to meet me when the time came. And so
in 1952 the appointed moment arrived; the Master visited Lucknow. I went to meet Him and told Him of my problem—
"Maharaj Ji, is it a sin to change from one guru to another? I
have already been initiated, and I do not know what to do." He
answered me saying, "An elementary school teacher cannot teach
students in high school, can he? Whatever your first guru could
give has already been given; it is no sin to seek initiation into
something higher." When I came home and told my husband of
my intention to get Naam, he told me that he would not permit
it unless he was satisfied himself. And so that evening he went to
meet Maharaj Kirpal Singh.
When my husband got there, Maharaj Ji made him sit by
His side and for the next two hours they were discussing spirituality. Meanwhile, I was anxiously awaiting my husband's return,
and you may imagine my surprise when on coming home he
announced that he too would take initiation. My son who was
nineteen, also decided to join us; and so the three of us, along
with six others from Lucknow, were all initiated by Maharaj Ji
on that visit.
The day we received Naam, an initiate of Baba Sawan
Singh Ji came to see the Master. She wept and said that she
would eat nothing unless, through His grace, He could enable
her. to meet Hazur within. She sat down with us when the
Master began giving His initiation instructions and went into
meditation. When our initiation was over, she sat on for almost
five hours. Finally, Maharaj Ji pressed her spine just below the
neck and she came back to body consciousness and began weeping. "Why have You brought me down?" she sobbed, "I was
with Hazur and was talking to Him." "It's all right," Maharaj
102
Ji reassured her, and turning to my husband remarked, "This is
an inner science and not mere make-believe!"
The Master visited Lucknow again in 1955. When His
program was being discussed, every satsangi wanted to have the
Master come and visit his home. The secretary of the Satsang
brushed aside all the requests and declared that the Master
would only visit the one who would meet all the Satsang expenses covering the Master's visit as well as being able to accommodate Him. I nudged my husband, and he offered to host the
Master, and arrangements were made accordingly. We had a
large bungalow and we prepared it for the Master's visit. On
His arrival He looked at me, smiled and said, "You are happy
now that I have come!"
The next three days went by like a dream. Satsangis had
come from far and near and we would have Satsang every day.
In the evening Satsang on the last day, the Master remarked that
wealth honestly earned and spent in the service of the Satguru
was indeed an earning that one carried forward even after death.
After dinner that night, with all the satsangis gathered there, the
Master asked about the arrangements and the cost. The secretary explained how they had worked out things. "But you should
all share the expenses," said the Master, "the burden should not
fall on one man alone." Thereupon the satsangis present offered
to share half the expenses, but my husband declined, and
turning to the Master said, "But Maharaj Ji, You Yourself
told us in the Satsang today that whatever we spent on our Guru
was our sole earning after death. Whatever I have is by Your
grace, so do not press me to part with the little that I have earned through this service." My husband had great love for the
Master, and the Master was pleased to bless us with His grace.
In the summer of 1956, Master was staying in Rajpur at
His bungalow. It was Guru Puja Day on which devotees honor
their gurus. Remembering my own Master, I walked over in the
early morning to have His darshan, and sat down quietly on the
front veranda. It was 7:00 in the morning, and Tai Ji soon emerged in a huff. "You disciples don't let the saints be in peace,"
she scolded me. "You hold them in perpetual bondage!" I was
touched to the quick and quietly got up, returned home and wept
103
copiously. I said to myself that after this reprimand I would not
even go for Maharaj Ji's evening darshan.
To my surprise the young girl living with me at that time
came running to announce at about 4:00 in the afternoon that
the Master was approaching with three others. I rushed to welcome Him. On seeing Maharaj Ji all my anguish and heartbreak was forgotten. He was all grace, and looking at me said,
"You are always welcome at my place. You come whenever you
like. Don't take what Tai Ji said to heart. Her words were not
really meant for you." He spent a whole hour with us that day.
At the end He said, "You are happy now, are you not?"
Once in 1962 when the Master was returning from Rajpur
to Delhi, I had gone to have His last darshan, and stood in the
veranda while His car waited ready in the porch. When the
Master came out He turned to me and said, "You are unable to
come to Delhi, and I am unable to stay here in Rajpur." With
these words He went in, and a little later, was out again, got into
the car and was off. I kept wondering to myself over the Master's
words. It was true that I wanted to be with Him but I was also
tied to worldly obligations. I wished to go and yet felt obliged
to stay on. But there He was drawing me to Himself, and such
was the urge I felt to be near Him that within three days I found
myself at Delhi too. When the Master saw me He exclaimed, "So
you have come!" I stayed at the Ashram for several days and partook of His boundless love and grace.
On another similar occasion, when I reached the Ashram
the Master welcomed me with great warmth. Turning to Mohan,
His driver, the Master said, "Please see that Mata Singha has
her food." I had a packed meal with me. "Oh," said the Master,
"I will have your food instead. I want you to have a freshly
cooked meal." I laughed and went off. It was only when Mohan
reminded me that I should obey my Master that I returned and
had my meal at the Master's house.
My
Year with
The Master
Vimla Bhagat
I was among one of the first batches of initiates of the
Master. In the first half of 1949, when I was seventeen years old,
I decided to go in for Naam. I told myself that if there was no
Supreme Being I would lose nothing; and if there was one I
would be the beneficiary. The Master, one was told, takes care
of all our burdens and does not leave us till the end of the world
and beyond. But why Maharaj Kirpal Singh for a Guru? My
father who had searched far and wide, assured me this was the
highest path. He himself was an initiate of Baba Sawan Singh
and was now helping with the Master's Mission at Delhi.
As for myself, I saw nothing special in the Master. To me
He seemed to be a human being just like anyone of us who had
received parshad or some gift from his Master and had started
distributing it to others. After initiation I hardly ever sat down
for meditation with the full confidence that whatever we may
do the Master never deserts His disciples. And so the years rolled by. I completed my education, got a good job, settled in
marriage, and had children. Though I was in Delhi, it was only
occasionally that I would visit Sawan Ashram for His blessings
and parshad. Every time I would meet Him, He would inquire
My Year with the Master
105
about the time I gave for meditation and would sweetly exhort
me to give some time to it. I would just nod my head but do
nothing about it back home.
The Master lets you have the world to your fill. When the
cup breaks with the burden of the world, then you start seeing
around you—seeing something more than the mere space enclosed
by the cup. It was in the beginning of 1973 that I finally turned my face towards Him, and behold, I found in Him the Master
who is more than a human being, the Father of all mankind,
nay God Himself come down on earth in the garb of man to lead
us back Home. In fact, I now realized that He had made His
mortal frame a perfect instrument for His Will, responding to
the call of each one of His disciples, be it in Satsang, at a personal meeting or even while you are working away at your own
hearth. Any amount of praise that I may shower on Him would
fall short of His glory and grace. He would not only talk, but
also convey His mind to us at a distance through His glances
and loving looks, as if He had established a deep rapport with
each one of us and had the welfare of each one at heart.
Seeing His glory, my only regret was that I had come to
Him, in the real sense of the term, rather late. He had entered
the evening of His life and would keep ailing. Something in me
told me that He would not be with us for long. Still it was a
great blessing to have begun to perceive first hand His Godliness.
When I got the news of His passing away on the evening of 21st
August, 1974, it did not shake me; it was as if the foreseen event
had come about in due course of time. It is only now that I miss
His presence. But whenever I am miserable, He sends feelers and
reassures me that He is always with me.
And so my experiences of Him as the Master range over a
period of no more than a year. During this time I started calling
on Him once a fortnight. Every time I would go there I would
get something unique from Him. What it was cannot be described
in words. At best one can only point to a few incidents.
Whenever I had any doubts or any questions He would
answer me from within. It quite intrigued me. On a few occasions, I found that something in me other than myself was giving
directions and guidance in my day-to-day life. Whenever I was
106
on the point of making a mistake or a slip, He would come to
my rescue. This sense of outside guidance began to bother me.
I wondered If I was becoming possessed. Was I being reduced to
a puppet through such outside manipulation? I was no longer
my own master but someone else had taken over control of me.
I was very much perturbed by these happenings. As usual, I
went to see the Master after a few days. While He was going
through some papers and talking to someone else, He looked
towards me suddenly and s a i d :
Oh tuhada naukar hai. Dhela paisa vi nahin lehnda, te
tuhada kam piya karda hai. Oh naukar changa hai na,
jehra bagair akhe de tuhada kam karda hai.
He is your servant. He takes no wages and is working for
you. Isn't He a good servant, who works for you without
even being asked?
He repeated it a second time, then a third time till it sank home
and set at rest all doubts about the nature of my relationship
with the Master.
Soon afterwards preparations began for the World Conference on the Unity of Man, which was to coincide with the
Master's birthday. Having witnessed His greatness, it made me
wonder why the Master was celebrating His birthday on such a
scale, when He should be above such things. This idea kept
rankling in my mind. When I went to the Ashram next, the
Master was busy with the preparations and was giving instructions. In between He turned to me and said, as though directly
answering my question: "The Sangat wants to celebrate my
birthday on a grand scale. After all, what is there in a birthday
celebration? It isn't becoming. So I thought of calling a World
Conference on the Unity of Man. This way the sentiments of the
Sangat get respected, and it does not sound odd."
On another occasion, when I went to the Ashram, my
father had asked me specifically to inquire after the Master's
health on his behalf. There was a small gathering of around
fifteen people, most of whom were foreigners. I joined them in a
semicircle in the veranda where the Master was sitting. He inquired about me, my health and my father's health. As I was about
to open my mouth to convey my father's solicitations, He started
My Year with the Master
107
talking to someone else. After a while He again inquired about
me and my father's health. Just as I was about to speak He
started talking to another satsangi. It went on for some time like
this and I thought He was too busy to listen to what I had to
say. After all, I could see how well or ill He was. In the end,
when I looked around, I found that I had moved towards the
centre of the semicircle while making attempts to convey the
solicitations; everyone else was at a distance in the semicircle.
During my next visit when He saw me, He gave a chuckle
with a twinkle in His eyes as if He said, "See how I played
with you last time." Now when I look back at my association
with Him over the last year, He seems to be the Krishna who
would tease the gopis and play little pranks with them. He was
the Flute Player who had thousands of gopis dancing around
Him whom He enchanted with the music of His eyes.
On another occasion, when I had gone to see Him, I had
to wait outside in the veranda. He was calling the visitors in
one by one who wanted to talk to Him. I seldom had anything
specific to say to Him. In my mind I was cross with the Master—
"He is sitting inside," I said to myself, "calling in one by one
only those who want to talk to Him. I have nothing to say. Why
doesn't He come outside and talk to them here? Then people
like me can have His darshan and listen to what He has to say
to others." Just then Mata Sheila came with two ladies who
brought a box of sweets to be blessed by the Master. All those
ladies went straight in. I felt even more frustrated and cross and
said to myself, "So there goes my chance of parshad today for
they have gone in with the box of sweets and I am sitting outside." Just then the Master got up from His seat, brought those
ladies outside where we were sitting, gave them His blessings
and two sweets each from the box. Then He asked them if there
was any other member of their family to whom He should give
parshad. As He was talking He picked up one ladoo and stealthily threw it across to me right in my hands in an underhand
manner and returned the box to the owner. Mind you, there
were half a dozen others who were sitting around me and I was
the only one who got a ladoo as parshad that day.
I occasionally prepare Sohan Halwa, a rather special
108
North Indian sweet, and it comes out very well. One day as I
started cooking it I remembered the Master and began talking to
myself, "I will carry it and offer it to Him as parshad...But He
doesn't eat anything of others. It is so tasty and I make it so well.
He should eat it and pay me in cash for it if He must. No, He
won't pay me in cash, He will have to pay in kind. When He
eats one piece of it, He will get burdened by so many of my
karmas and He will have to pay for it through His own goodness.
So that is why He does not eat our food. . .Anyway, I will give
it to Him and tell Him to take at least one piece."
When I called on Him the following day I carried the box
of Sohan Halwa with me. He was sitting in the livingroom.
After He had talked to those present, they left one by one. The
next batch was being called in. When I saw that no one was
around, I quickly took out the box from my bag, opened it out
before Him. Without my saying a word, He picked up a small
piece and started eating it. On coming out of the room, my
father who too was with me, remarked, "I have never seen Him
eating the sweets that the disciples bring, but today He took
your Sohan Halwa." May father, of course, knew nothing of my
heart-to-heart talk with the Master while I was preparing the
Halwa the day before.
The
Master's Power
Allan Hudson
The best tribute I can offer is to describe the Power of the
Master. I had searched diligently for thirty-five years to find the
Truth. I had been to many churches and had been a member of
the Theosophical Society for many years and had read all the
literature I could find on the subject, when early in 1963 I was
given a copy of "Divine Life Magazine" in which there was an
article about Master Kirpal Singh. I tore the page out and kept
it. Since there had been so much talk in the Theosophical Society
about clairvoyance, I decided to go to Rishikesh to see Swami
Sivananda who was head of an Ashram there, and with this intention I took a ship from Australia on September 2, 1963, calling
enroute at Ceylon,
Several days later I was informed that Swami Sivananda
had departed this world. I was rather bewildered, but cabled to
Bombay to have a seat reserved for me on the train to Rishikesh.
On arrival in Bombay I was informed by the agent that he had
only booked me as far as Delhi. Arriving at Delhi on the evening of September 14th, 1963 I felt very strongly urged to go to
Master Kirpal Singh's Ashram; it seemed the logical and intelligent thing to do. Arriving there I was perplexed again; the
110
Master was away on tour and would not be back for three
months! I soon discovered the reason for this. I had not been
eating meat, but had been eating eggs, and there these months
were my cleansing period so that when Master returned I was
ready for initiation, which Master gave me in a special sitting
two days before His birthday. I had some excellent experiences.
Two days later I sat in on initiation of some three hundred
people. It was my very Special privilege to sit at His Holy Feet
for a further eight months. I then returned to be His representative in Australia, and by His grace, I passed on the holy teachings to fifteen others. When I left Australia I had no intention
whatever of going to Delhi, but the marvelous Power and Will of
the Master drew me to Him against my own puny will.
Now, instead of lamenting His passing, let us thank the
Almighty God that He led us to His Holy Feet. It is for all
disciples to help others to break their "bondage in Egypt" so that
"Moses" the Master, may call them to freedom also; He would
rend the "Temple veil" and their two selves would meet each
other face to face.
His
Ways Are
Miraculous
G. L. Kohli
Maharaj Ji used to say that if we knew how much He loved
us, we would dance with joy. How can a child comprehend the
love and protection of the Father!
In 1966 I developed kidney trouble and suffered constant
pain in the left kidney. On x-ray examination it was found that
there was a stone there. I went to Maharaj Ji, showed Him the
x-ray, and begged for His mercy. He advised me to take up
homeopathic treatment, which I immediately started, but there
was no relief. A satsangi sister who knew my trouble, brought a
prescription and gave it to me in the presence of the Master. The
Master bade me to try it—it was a mixture of some herbs to be
boiled and then taken a glassful at a time. I took it for three to
four days, and on inquiry from the Master about its efficacy I
said that the medicine was of a very bitter taste. The Master
said, "If by my drinking this bitter medicine you get cured, give
it to me—I will drink it for you!" Every time He went outside
Delhi He would, on return, tell me that He had brought some
new medicine for me. In short, in this way, a full year passed by.
Then one day I urinated blood, and seeing this, I resolved that
I must go in for an operation. So I went to the Master and beg-
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ged Him to permit me to undergo the operation. He lovingly
consoled me and gave the required permission saying that there
was nothing to fear—it was just a minor operation.
The day I had to enter the hospital, I went to the Master;
He was sitting in His room. I told Him that I was entering the
hospital. He gave me such a loving glance that I was over
whelmed. He stretched His arm, and pointing with His finger,
told me that they will cut like this and take away the stone.
The next day I was operated upon. In the evening the surgeon who had performed the operation came to the ward, and
standing beside my bed told me, "Mr. Kohli, in normal cases
this operation takes about three hours, but in your case it took
us just thirty-five minutes!" And then stretching his arm and
pointing with a finger exactly as the Master had done, he said,
"We cut like this and took out the stone." Like lightning it
occurred to me that it was THE MASTER SPEAKING. I was so
overwhelmed I could not speak a word, and my whole body was
charged with His loving divine radiation. With great difficulty I
could only thank the doctor.
After a week I was discharged from the hospital. On reaching home I told my wife that I would go for Master's darshan.
So in spite of the surgeon's instructions not to walk, I went all
the way on foot to the Ashram. When I reached the Ashram and
was about to enter the Master's gate, He came out and inquired
why I had come in that condition—He was Himself coming to
see me! He took out a piece of paper from His pocket and showed me. My name was written on top of some other names. He
was going to visit that day. He then brought me back in His car
to my place. On the way, I told Him what the surgeon had said.
Master smiled and replied, "Why should they take long? They
did not have to look for the stone."
The
Naming
Of Jonathan
Fay March
When the Great Master Kirpal Singh Ji sent a telegram
with all His blessings and the name for our son Paul, Olga
wisely counselled not to say anything in order to avoid the possibility of troublesome outsiders. As it turned out, the trouble
came from my own husband whose initial love and wonder
quickly turned to hatred for this unusually beautiful boy. He
began by being jealous of the visitors and satsangis who came to
the hospital to see me and the baby. Despite the fact that our
family has been blessed in hundreds of ways, the seeming antagonism by his earthly father toward the innocent child Paul
increased, even as he grew into a most precious toddler. And so
it happened that little Paul begged our Father God to send down
his most beloved friend. The request was granted and a younger
brother was soon to be born.
As the day for delivery drew near, I longed for more
meditation time in order to figure out how to avoid repeating
the unpleasantness, yet wanting Master's blessing, and again the
proper name for the babe. However, managing a large active
family, and preparing for my absence made each day seem fuller than the last. As it turned out, false labor gave me an undis-
114
turbed ten hours in the hospital, where my husband dozed peacefully and I gratefully meditated. Bathed in Master's Light, we
were at last sent home. My mind was at rest for I knew all would
go well.
A Holy Presence stood beside me that night when we returned to the hospital for delivery. The miracle of birth itself is
always accompanied by religious revelations. And this was no
exception. When a clear familiar voice announced, "His name
is Jonathan," my heart was filled with joy. But having been a
skeptical scientific person, I thought—what if He is referring to
some attendant in the room—so I asked, "Whose name?" Those
who know Master can hear this answer, "Tisk! The baby's!"
We had no long list of preferred names ready this time, but
I left it all up to the Master, while my husband wrote down
combination after combination, which he rejected. After three
days, he came up with the finalists, which included Jonathan.
When he showed me the piece of paper with everything crossed
out but Jonathan, I silently gave thanks once more that the
Grace of the Master is always overhead guiding all things, large
and small. And due to being admitted to the hospital twice in
one day, no record was made of my presence, so I had no visitors
—no cause for jealousy—and plenty of time alone for meditation.
Thank you again Beloved Master.
Perfection in
all its Aspects
Ram Prakash Bahl
I was initiated by the Master at Sawan Ashram in May
1964. At the time of initiation, He put me a direct question,
"Have you understood the teachings and are you convinced that
this is the right Path?" With all humility I replied, "Yes," and
I was accepted and the dream of a lifetime was fulfilled.
From the day of initiation, I began working hard on the
Path by putting in regular time for meditation, maintaining the
self-introspection diary and attending Satsang. All this resulted
in abundant and bountiful grace of the Master in all spheres of
my life. My meditations were fruitful and I was blessed with
wonderful visions, especially of the past Masters. That was all
in the beginning of my spiritual career, but now the effort has
somewhat slackened with the passage of time—though not the
grace.
In my family, I was the first to be initiated. Subsequently,
Master's grace was extended to other members as well, thus
creating a congenial environment for me to pursue the path.
After initiation I had a great longing for selfless service in
the vineyard of the Master, preferably for some literary work or
help with the Master's correspondence. I did not get an oppor-
116
tunity for a long, long time. But when the opportune moment
came, there was a call from the Master Himself at Satsang:
"Some educated person is wanted who can give an English
rendering of my Satsang talks." This was in 1968 when the
English Sat Sandesh was being started in India, and with His
grace, I could begin to fulfill my dream of seva. Two years later
when the magazine began being published in America, I was
asked to help with the correspondence work. Master reads our
hearts and graciously accepts what we have to offer. My work
for the Master brought me nearer to Him, and I got the unique
opportunity to understand something of His towering spiritual
personality from different angles—of course, only to the extent
to which He chose to reveal Himself. Otherwise, who can understand a Perfect Master?
Maharaj Ji would always encourage those who helped with
the Satsang work. I vividly remember the day when I showed Him
my first set of correspondence drafts for approval. He patted me
warmly on the back and said, "The trend is o.k. Go ahead with
the work." That was boost enough for me to carry on with the
office work in the Ashram in the years that lay ahead. Whenever
I carried the typed correspondence to Him for His perusal and
signature, I would take a corner seat in the room and listen to
Him with full attention. Left alone, the Saints utter very important Truths. I still remember how on one occasion, the Master
in response to a question, said: "Women and Gold are the
greatest hindrances on the Spiritual Path. Even if you find them
in a jungle, never lay your hand upon them."
He could be amazingly frank and direct when answering
satsangis about their problems. Once a person complained about
his own ill health, and the Master straight away replied, "Observe brahmacharya (continence) and everything will be all right!"
He would not mince His words and would repeatedly warn those
around Him against the materialism of the world. "Wherever
you go you will only find business," He would say. "No
truth, no reality, and no spirituality. There is only vested
interest."
The Master Power affords constant protection to the disciple. Once I had gone to the Ashram for Satsang and during
Perfection in all its Aspects
117
my absence a burglar tried to break into my home. He attempted
to force the lock, but thanks to the Master, he was unsuccessful
in spite of his best efforts. Twice in my life I was saved from what
could have been a fatal accident—and this only by His boundless
grace.
If anyone was in the grip of suffering or had suffered some
misfortune, the Master was there to give His ineffable sympathy.
Once a satsangi came to the Ashram with four sons suffering from
polio. His eyes were overflowing with tears, and the Master in
His graciousness gave him great consolation and massaged the
legs of his children as if to tone down the severity of their past
karmas. I remember a lady suffering from terrible body pains
praying to the Master for relief The Master smiled and said,
"The elephant was gone through and now only the tail remains"
—and it was not long after that the lady died.
But for all His gentleness and compassion, the Master could
be stern and firm when the situation demanded. He would reprimand initiates who would give various excuses for not getting
on with their holy meditations. Once a lady, giving such excuses,
said to the Master, "It is perhaps the Higher Will that we are
not in a position to do Simran and Bhajan." The Master immediately retorted: "Please do not deceive yourself. It is the will
of your treacherous mind, and not the Master's. He always wishes
the satsangis to progress on the Way by putting in all their
efforts."
Long before the Master left the earth-plane, I was granted a vision of His physical departure. I, however, did not take
it to heart because I never thought that I would live to see the
day. But in different ways, especially during the final phase, He
was preparing us for what was to come. One evening, while addressing a group of foreign satsangis, He warned them, "Time
is very short. Develop inwardly as far as you can. This is the
true achievement. Intellectual understanding and bookish knowledge, however great, will not help. They are all wilderness!"
Just as we cannot do justice to the glory of God, we cannot
likewise do justice to that of a Godman like our Great Master.
He was Perfection in all its aspects and His life is an example for
each one of us to illumine our way.
The
Grace of
the Master
Sunnie Cowen
At the end of November 1963 when the Master was on His
second tour and visiting Chicago, He was asked to stay at my
home at St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. Truly I was happy to be
having Him and His entourage. He called me into His room one
evening—I believe it was the day before I left for St. Petersburg.
He said in His sweet beautiful way, "Sunnie, do you have any
help there?" I replied with ego, "Oh, yes Master, don't worry
about it!" And He merely smiled and said, "That's all right."
When I came down to St. Petersburg, I telephoned the
woman who helped me two or three times a week and asked her
on the phone, "I have just returned to St. Petersburg, and I need
your help as the Great Master will be coming." She answered
me saying, "I am sorry, Mrs. Cowen, but I have my regular
families and I cannot come now for this is Christmas time and
they will be giving me gifts." I answered her, "What will these
gifts mean to you when it is the Great Master who is coming
with such blessings to bestow on you?" But she said, "No, I must
work for them." Then she said, "Wait a minute. My sister-in-law
from Georgia came in last night and I'll ask her if she'll help
you." I could hear much discussion going on while she talked to
119
her sister-in-law. Finally, she came back to the phone and told
me, "My sister-in-law can give you only one day a week as she
has come to Florida to help some other family."
I thanked the Lord and Master Power; one day a week
was better than nothing. Time was short and I wanted to get
ready for the Beloved Master and His entourage.
She came about 9:00 the next morning, and with her arms
folded, said, "I can only give you one day a week as I'm to take
care of some other family daily!" I replied, "Good. Here is everything." I told her to go to the first bedroom, and that I would
help her immediately. Before I had a chance to get to the bedroom, I heard all the things drop on the tile floor. Running in,
I exclaimed, "What happened?" She was sitting on a chair, and
pointing to the Beloved Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj's picture
on the dresser, she asked, "Who is He?" I explained, "Why,
that's the Master! It is because of Him that I want this place
perfect!" Controlling herself, she said, "If you promise never to
tell my sister-in-law, I will tell you why I am here." I promised
her I would not reveal her name or her sister-in-law's name, and
so, now, I will call her Mary. This is her story.
Mary told me she dreamed of the Master for three nights
in a row. He said, "Go to St. Petersburg—there is a woman that
needs you. Help her!" She told me she had either five or six
children (I can't remember how many) and a husband. She had
never left the State of Georgia and she was working at Christmas
time for her families there; but, after the third night, she left her
husband, children and the families she served to come to St.
Petersburg, for she felt that she must. When I think of this my
heart overflows with love of how the Great Master knew and
knows when we poor mortals think that we are aware of everything. Our egos—how they must be killed!
Mary came about 7:30 a.m. every morning, and that dear soul
never left until 10:30 or 11:00 at night. We not only turned mattresses over, washed windows, and aired the place; we worked
outside on the lawn in seeding the earth, watering it, and doing
many other things. With the time passing so quickly, before we
knew it, Master telephoned me and asked if He could come the
next day as He wanted to stay at our house on the beach.
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The day that Master arrived dear Mary looked so beautiful
in her spanking white apron, while I, as usual, had on slacks and
my hair was in curlers. When the Master came in the door, the
first words I heard Him say were, "Well, Mary, I see that you
got here." Later Master spoke to her for a half hour. While He
was talking to her, one of the satsangis interrupted and said,
"Master, Master, the Mayor is waiting for You in St. Petersburg."
And Master replied in such a beautiful way with His wonderful
smile, saying, "All children are important." I will never forget
that. When they went on to the Mayor's office, Mary's face was
radiant. Mary wanted to tell me what Master had said, but I
told her no; I felt His words were just for her alone.
We left for Miami on New Year's Day in 1964, but this
blessed soul worked with me and some other friend of hers until
about 11:30 on New Year's Eve with such joy and happiness that
my soul still thrills as to what the Master Power does in such a
loving and kind way. Those were such beautiful blessed moments.
I'd also like to relate another incident which illustrates the
grace of the Master.
A few years ago in New York I was in meditation when
Master spoke to me inside. He wanted me to call Ruth Carr,
who is a disciple of His in St. Petersburg. I telephoned Ruth,
and she was crying. She explained that her son, Dr. Carr, was
dying from cancer of the throat, and they were taking him to
the hospital to give him severe treatment. She was extremely upset
but I said, "Ruth, have you forgotten what our Master says? He
takes care of seven generations past and seven generations to come.
Now you have faith, and telephone any news later."
The following morning she telephoned, and I'll never forget what she told me. She said that they had taken her son into
the hospital and strapped him down on a bed. A nurse was
standing by him who was about to pull the lever to start this
intensive cobalt therapy which would burn through his throat.
As she was about to pull the lever, a voice came from the microphone which was placed above the bed. It said, "Rescind that
order!" Now Dr. Carr heard it, and the nurse heard it. She still
tried to pull the lever, but could not press it down. She tried
again, but at the same time the voice came again, "Rescind that
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order!" When Dr. Carr heard that, he said, "I'm signing out of
this hospital, and left. The doctors attending him pleaded with
him to come back, explaining that this was a serious matter and
that this intensive treatment had to be given. But he had heard
the voice, and he had seen that the nurse couldn't pull the lever.
The doctors persisted in their requests to readmit him to the
hospital, assuring him that they would give him any treatment he
wished. When he later signed himself in again, and when they
were taking more tests, the doctors found that the cancer had
been cured. Dr. Carr is alive and well and an example of the
mercy extended by the gracious Master to an initiate's family.
Hazur's
True Successor
Chandra Batra
It was a long time after my Guru Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh Ji Maharaj had left the physical body before I started
going to Sawan Ashram to see Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj.
During the intervening years there were all sorts of difficulties.
It was not until about 1953 that I went to see Sant Kirpal Singh,
although He had sent me several messages. But I was stubborn
and ignorant of the fact that the Master Power was working on
earth at that time through His Holiness. So I refused to go and
see Him. The inner desire of being close to the Master and
attending true Satsang was very strong, but outwardly I just
wouldn't go. I thought Sant Kirpal Singh was a great soul, but
not my Guru.
One day I was in a bus passing some houses when I saw an
old brother satsangi from Beas sitting in one of those houses — I
immediately jumped off the bus and went to talk to him. I was
so happy to see again my brother in faith; I asked him where in
Delhi I could get good Satsang. He whispered to me, "Dear
Sister, If you want real Satsang then go to Sawan Ashram—Sant
Kirpal Singh is the only one who has the Guru Power." This old
man was an initiate of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj, and I
Hazur's True Successor
123
used to see him very close to our Satguru Baba Sawan Singh Ji
Maharaj. I believed his words.
I went twice to Sawan Ashram without being able to see
the Master—I felt this to be a kind of punishment for me because
I had been refusing to go for so long. But the third time I went
He was there, and He gave me such a warm welcome—I can
never describe it. I apologized to Him for not coming to have
His darshan for so many years. He replied so sweetly, "If a
child leaves home in the morning, and returns late having been
delayed on the way, won't the father wait patiently and greet
him lovingly when he returns?" I explained that some of the
satsangis had told me that he was not the true Guru but Kal—the
negative power. The Master gave a big smile of love, and told
me, "Then you should be repeating the five charged Names!" I
replied, "There is no need for that. Now I am satisfied and
I will never make such a mistake again." The Master assured
me that there was always a place for me and that I was welcome
to come for His darshan any time I wished. So I began going
regularly to the Ashram.
Shortly after this I felt very sad to think there was no one
left in this world to call me by my first name—only Baba Sawan
Singh and my husband used to call me Chandra, and both of
them had left this world. Next day when I went to see the
Master, I found Him busy with His mail. But He immediately
took off His reading glasses, and started talking to me. The first
thing He asked me was what I wished to be called: "What did
Hazur call you?" Tai Ji then said, "Don't you remember, Hazur
always called her by her first name?" The Beloved Master said,
"All right, I will call you Chandra." I felt so deeply moved to
think that my longing would be fulfilled.
During an initiation at the July Bhandara in memory of my
Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji, I was quietly standing at one side
and I was praying intently that I might have the darshan of my
own Master Baba Sawan Singh, although I knew I was quite unworthy to receive such a great gift. Suddenly the Master Kirpal
Singh passed close to me and told me that I could sit in with
those being initiated if I wished. So I went in and sat through
the initiation, and there I was blessed with the Radiant Form of
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Baba Sawan Singh within. Master asked what each person had
seen within, but He did not ask me. But in the evening when the
Master visited the langar (kitchen) where I was serving He very
sweetly came up to me and asked me what I had seen that
morning.
When my son was a college student there were some disturbances in which he became involved against his will. The
Principal penalized him and other students by not recognizing
their examination papers and withholding the certificates. This
was done even though my son sent in a written apology. It was
of course a terrible blow, and I went to the Master for help. The
Master told me I should go and see the Principal who was a
missionary, and point out to him that he had come to India to
help people, and to reconsider what he had done and not ruin
my son's career. But the Principal would not listen to my plea.
On the Master's advice I made a second appeal, but it was as
fruitless as the first. The Master then told me, "All right, don't
worry, God is over your head." A few days later the newspapers carried the news that the authorities had decreed that all
missionary teachers should leave the country within thirty-six
hours. When my son and I showed this news to the Master He
calmly and smilingly said that there was still time for this man
to change his mind, and we should make a last appeal to him.
This we did, and he gave my son his certificate.
When we went to thank the gracious Master He told us a
story about Baba Sawan Singh. A widow whose son had been
falsely accused of murder came to Hazur weeping bitterly to beg
for His help. The Judge in the case was a satsangi, and Hazur
asked him to review the case. The Judge said that when he was
at Beas he was a satsangi, but that when in Court he was the
Judge, and that he could not remit the death sentence. Hazur
told the widow to lodge an appeal; the case was reopened and
her son found innocent. When the mother and son went to Beas
to thank the Master, that Judge was also there. Hazur lovingly
said, "Bibi, it is all due to the grace of my Master, Baba Jaimal
Singh. You know, we never depend on worldly Judges, we have
our own Lord, the Supreme One overhead."
The
Power of
a Sat Guru
Hiro K
I think it was in 1957 that I took to liquor. I was a little
over twenty at the time, and word reached my father. When I
returned one night I found the door bolted and my father told
me, "I dislike a drunkard son in the house." Next morning I
promised my father that from that day I would neither drink nor
have meat, and asked for his blessings in this. Two ladies in our
neighborhood had given me two photographs, one of Baba Sawan
Singh and the other of Maharaj Charan Singh of Beas. When after
work I went to bed, I would look at the picture of Baba Sawan
Singh. From then on I would pray to Him; and after the way
my father reprimanded me and the rest of the family made fun
of me over liquor, I prayed to Him to save me and to bless me.
During the same year, Maharaj Charan Singh visited the
Bombay area. A satsangi told me of this and knowing my
keenness, informed me that though no group initiation was
planned, he had arranged for me to have Naam by myself. "There
is going to be special Naam for brother Hiro," he said. I was
happy and we agreed to depart by the morning train from our
town, Ulhasnagar, for Bombay. I got up early next morning and
had my bath, and seeing me bathe this early my father asked me
126
what I was about. I told him of my intentions, and he said very
firmly, "Now stop it. You aren't going, my good fellow. You are
still young and not even married. If you want Naam you may
have it when you get old." So I went to my friend and told him
that my father would not grant his permission and that I would
not go. He looked rather sad and said, "All right. You must be
an unlucky person—it was being granted specially for you."
A few days later it so happened that Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
also toured the region and came not only to Bombay but to
Kalyan. I found myself helping with the langar, cutting vegetables, cleaning rice, washing, etc. The others thought I must be
an initiate, working in that manner, but were surprised when on
the third day they found me among the candidates for initiation.
With the blessing of the Great Master, I saw Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh Ji along with Him at initiation and was overjoyed.
When taking Naam I was rather worried about returning
home. I pictured my father losing his temper and abusing me.
My problem was postponed because, on the suggestion of one of
my satsangi brothers, I went off to Bombay with the satsangis
who had come with the Master. This way I was able to spend a
night with the Master. When I came back five days later, to my
great surprise, my father said not a word about my absence.
Such was the grace of my Sat Guru.
As I was apprehensive about having taken Naam without
my father's permission, I made it a point to sleep by myself so
that no one would see me meditating early in the morning. If
my parents were sleeping in the open outdoors in the summer, I
slept inside; and when they moved in during winter, I moved
out. I would often pick up a photograph of my Master and pray,
"Sat Guru, please draw my father to Your Feet. Please see that
he, too, comes on the Path." Though my father never spoke of it
to me, within three months he was asking a neighbor to take
him to Maharaj Ji's Satsang. He got so absorbed that I would
borrow tapes of the Master so that my father could hear them.
Another three months and he decided to take Naam and proceeded to Delhi for initiation.
We had a small manufacturing unit for making medicines
at the time. Such was the Master's grace that our business ex-
The Power of a Sat Guru
127
panded and each year saw it grow. My father made it a practice to
attend the 27th July Bhandara at Delhi while I would go for the
one marking Maharaj Ji's birth in February. We could not travel
together because one of us had to be there to attend to the business.
Thus it was that my father came to Delhi in July 1971.
Maharaj Ji was in the nursing home having had an operation.
He managed to go in to see the Master and was so touched by
His state of health that as the Master lay fast asleep he sat down
and spontaneously prayed to Baba Sawan Singh: "Please take
my life and restore life and health to the Master for suffering
humanity." That was on 11th July, and Hazur heard his prayer.
On the 13th at 3 a.m. my father died suddenly. The next day,
Maharaj Ji getting better, was discharged and unexpectedly returned to the Ashram.
My father had been the Satsang President in our area.
After he left us, the satsangis chose me to carry on in his place,
but I managed to get involved in some petty quarrels and was
no longer regular in attending Satsang and Satsang duties. In
1972 when Master visited Baroda to lay the foundation stone for
Manav Kendra, I was also there. In the presence of some twenty
five satsangis, the Master turned to me and said, "You see, I am
looking to each and every step of yours, minute by minute; but
you are not looking to me. You can't see me, but I am always
seeing you." It was as though He was reprimanding me, and
when I found Him alone, I begged Him, "Bless me despite whatever I may have done, good or ill." He answered, "No, what
you are doing is not right. Go to each and every satsangi who is
not attending the Satsang or who is sick. You must love all of
them and I will see how far you can do this when I visit the
center next time." I told Him that I did not have the strength
and that He would Himself have to accomplish this. Master
laughed and blessed me. From that day, though I don't know
how to account for it, Satsang work at our center has gone from
strength to strength. There is so much love and goodwill among
the brothers and sisters there.
The following year I went with a group of some forty satsangis to Sawan Ashram. The Master was happy to meet us and
said, "Now at last you are working." Laughing He would ad-
128
dress me as, "Our Kalyan director." One day, turning to me,
He suddenly asked, "What is your name?" I was taken by surprise. "Had the Master forgotten me?" I asked myself, and replied in a matter of fact way, "Hiro." He said, "You know the
meaning of hira?" I did not follow what He was driving at, and
He went on, "You have to be a hira or diamond not merely in
name: you must prove it through your work." I was so abashed
and so taken by what the Master said that I just ran away and
did not stop until I got to the bridge outside the Ashram. How
was I to live up to what the Master wanted of me!
While with the Master I reminded Him that He had not
been to our part of the country for some three years. He graciously agreed to come and drew up a program. Four days were
marked off for Bombay and one for Ulhasnagar. I requested Him,
"Master, could we possibly have two days instead of one?" He
agreed and said, "Gome to Baroda." And so I found myself with
some brothers and sisters in Baroda when the Master visited
Manav Kendra there. He was to come on to Bombay thereafter,
and on the day we were to depart, the Baroda group leader handed
us the train tickets rather late. Those with me were keen to meet
the Master before departing but He was not at Manav Kendra
at the time and was in Baroda some distance away; I told them
that there wasn't time and the Master was coming to Bombay
anyway. When we got to the station, the train was three and a
half hours late, so we went over to the Master's in Baroda.
"Without meeting me how could you go?" He asked. "How
could your train come?" My companions explained what had
happened, and the Master laughed and blessed us. When we returned to the station the train was there ready to take us back.
You see, such is the grace and the power of a Sat Guru.
He
Knew
Everything
Carmen Uribe
Our Beloved Master Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj visited
Chicago on His second World Tour in 1963. He stayed at the
Hamilton Hotel which was completely crowded. Master was inside His suite; the crowd was outside waiting to see Him. All of
a sudden, a young lady arrived sobbing and asking who could
speak Spanish (this lady was from Monterrey City, Mexico).
When I met her to find out what she wanted, she asked me,
"Where is the Saint, where is the Saint?" I pointed to Master's
room. Then in great desperation, she asked me to tell Master
about her grandmother who was dying in Monterrey, saying
that she had nobody else in this world and did not want her to
die. Approximately thirty minutes passed before Master came
out. That place got more and more crowded every second which
made it most difficult to approach our Beloved. When at last He
came out, I tried to get close to Him, but before I could, He
came to me and touched my shoulder saying, "TELL HER
NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO HER G R A N D M A . " I was
astonished, for I thought that Master did not know anything
about that crying lady and her grandmother. I thought He didn't
know, but He knew everything.
130
In 1967 my hand broke in many places in a traffic accident.
When I went to see the doctor, he took an x-ray of my hand and
told me that I had to wear a cast for four or five months. There
was also a big possibility of an operation. Once he placed the
cast, I did not feel any pain and even doubted if it was broken.
About one week had passed after my accident when I had
our Beloved in a vision. I saw Him in an almost empty room
sitting on a chair behind a small wooden table. I rushed to meet
Him and He looked at my broken hand inquiring with His loving
eyes what had happened. Then I answered, "It has been broken."
He glanced at my hand with a compassionate look and touched
the cast with His Holy fingers. . .the cast fell down into many
pieces. I then shook my hand out of the cast, and said to Him,
"Look, Master, look! My hand is healed and doesn't hurt at all!
I'm going to tell them You are here." He just looked at me very
lovingly again, and I left the place. When I woke up, the cast
was still on my hand, but I had not even the minimum pain.
That same month I went to see the doctor several times to tell
him that my hand was all right, that I had no pain at all, and to
take the cast off. The doctor took another x-ray and said, "What
is this? I can't believe it. I was sure you were going to lose your
hand! Only a month, and your hand doesn't need any more
treatment. This is a miracle!" The doctor didn't know anything
about the Master, but Master knew everything about that doctor
and everyone else.
The
Great
Experience
Raj Kumar Jain
I was devoted to spirituality from the very first. By birth,
by education and by inclination, my sanskaras—my tendencies
due to impressions from past lives—were such that they drew me
in this direction. A man who seeks the spiritual goal overcomes
worldly attachments and lives for the welfare and good of others,
and not for his own. Existing thus, he moves progressively towards his chosen goal.
Bearing this idea in mind, I studied over the years the lives
of some three or four hundred sages, seers, and men of achievement. On the philosophical side as well, I had made an extensive
study of all the major religions. But while I could understand
what I was studying, I could not quite grasp the level at which
each sage spoke. In my heart of hearts I wished that I too could
attain to their level.
I first met Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji on 20th February 1967,
when He visited Indore. As we sat there, the Master asked me if
I had made any study of spirituality. I answered that I had read
the Gita, the Ramayana, the Jain Scriptures, and Vedanta—anything, in fact, I could lay hold of in the field of religion. At this
point my wife asked the Master about the secret of stilling the
132
mind. The Master questioned her if she had had Naam. We had
not even heard of the word and did not know what it meant. The
Master then asked us to attend some of His Satsangs and two
days later, offered to initiate us.
When the morning for the initiation day arrived, my wife
got up and began preparing to go to the Master. As for myself,
a doubt crept into my mind: I asked myself if one really needed
to go to a Guru? Whatever is there is within us and what can
another person give us from without? I had no desire for initiation, but my wife insisted that I accompany her because she
was going early in the morning to an unknown North Indian
Mahatma and she did not want people in our neighborhood
gossiping. And so I went, and having gone, sat for initiation. I
had some experience, both of Sound and of Light but argued to
myself that the Sound could well be that of my blood circulating, and as for Light—having lived a clean and honest
existence, why should there be any darkness within me?
The initiation proceedings carried on till after midday.
Langar (free food) was ready when things were over and we were
asked to stay: "The Master has blessed the food and you must
partake of it," we were repeatedly told. But we did not understand such things then and we left as we avoided eating out. We
did not even take the parshad that the Master was giving. On
returning home we had our food and at night-fall I turned in.
Next morning, according to the Master's instructions, I sat
for awhile in meditation and had some experience of Light.
Thereafter, as was customary with me each morning, I went to
my temple. I did not have to go outdoors as I had a small shrine
in my own place. There I would worship the idols of our deities
and recite traditional mantras. On that morning however, as I
stepped in, the idols were no longer there; in their place I could
only see the Master. As for the mantras, they blanked out from
my mind; and the only mantra I could recite was the five charged
Names that the Master had given me at initiation.
When I came back to my room, to my astonishment, when
I closed my eyes the Master stood at the center between them.
When I opened my eyes He was still there at the seat of the soul.
Whatever I did He was there; my eyes filled with tears and I
The Great Experience
133
wept copiously. In fact for the next seven days it was always the
same. Whether I closed my eyes or opened them, I could only
see the Master and I could only weep.
After the first of these days my wife remarked that I had
missed going to Court the previous day and she urged me to get
ready for going to work that day. I answered that I was in a
state in which I Could not go—"You dragged me to the Sardar
Sahib, and now I only see Him and nothing else. I cannot help
my tears. So what am I to do?" We decided to visit an old satsangi of Maharaj Ji, and when he learnt of my condition he turned to my wife and told her that I was blessed. "Only a vessel of
gold can hold the milk of a lioness," he remarked using an
Indian idiom, "and the Master has dyed you in His color on the
very first occasion!" He advised me to keep repeating the five
charged Names. They had great potency in stilling the mind. I
followed his advice and I had a strange experience of happiness
and bliss. All these years I had been reading about spirituality,
and now at last I was getting some taste of it.
My wife however, thought that the Master from the north
had cast a spell upon me. Why was it that I saw Him and nothing else? I was preparing for my Master of Laws examination,
but could no longer pursue my studies. It was a difficult examination, and all my preparations stood in abeyance. I finally
wrote to the Master telling Him of my problem, but got no reply.
Some satsangis advised us to go to see Him. "He who has given
the malady is best equipped to grant the cure," they said. And
so we came to Delhi and stayed there for almost a month. At our
first meeting we were with the Master for half an hour and He
poured out so much love—love for which my soul had been thirsting for so many lives, that my bliss was ineffable. I told my wife,
"Whoever this white-clad Mahatma may be, He is surely a living embodiment of love!" During the month we were there, we
got the overwhelming impression that the Master carried with
Him all the treasures of spirituality and was moving about
among us to distribute them in abundance—but alas, we were
unwilling to receive of His bounty.
While we were with the Master, He advised us to give the
maximum amount of time to Bhajan. I did not even understand
134
what Bhajan was. He explained that whatever you saw in this
world was mere dust and that we must turn our attention away
from it and focus between the eyes. Concentrating our attention
thus we should intermittently engage in Simran, and this would
help us move from the finite to the infinite. This is a lesson I
have been endeavoring to follow ever since—and this not merely
when I sit for meditation, but at all hours of the day.
There were two other lessons that the Master imparted to
us. "Don't get too involved with people," He said. "Maintain
your relationship with others at a minimal level, but do not get
caught up in friendships and enmities." The other great lesson
He imparted was that we should treat work as worship. Whatever we did, we should do it with heart and soul, to the best of
our ability.
In 1969 when the Master's Diamond Jubilee was being
celebrated, I came from Indore for seva. I helped edit a souvenir
volume that was brought out to mark the occasion. One day,
after the souvenir came out, the Master remarked to me, "You
have come here for seva, but do remember that in your life there
is no such situation." "What situation, Master?" I asked. He
continued, "Once a rich man engaged a servant to look after
his horses. When he was given the job, his terms of service and
his duties were spelled out in the contract: he had to feed the
horses, to massage them, wash them, and train and drive them.
One day when the owner was mounting one of his horses, the
animal took off. He called the servant to help hold the horse lest
he have an accident. The servant answered that this task had not
been written into his contract." The Master's meaning was clear
enough. When we come to Him we must give of our best. If a
problem arises, we must do what we can to resolve it and not
keep waiting for instructions or keep telling ourselves that we
were never entrusted with this particular responsibility.
Fifteen
Months at
Manav Kendra
S. P. Chopra
On December 18th 1954, my neighbor in Bombay came to
inquire if I could accommodate a few devotees traveling with a
great Saint. For a holy cause like this I readily agreed.
This Saint gave his first talk in a church, interspersed with
quotations from the Bible. The next, in a Krishna temple, was
full of references from the Gita. I felt that this Saint had a
thorough grasp of all scriptures. Immediately after the talk I went
to see Him. We met on the veranda of the house where He was
staying, and with very sweet and loving words He said, "Thank
you for sparing the accommodation." I replied, "The accommodation is Yours." To my surprise He answered, "Yes, it is
my own house."
As I came to understand something of His teachings, I
decided to go in for initiation. The Master had by then left
Bombay for Kalyan so I followed Him there. The initiation had
already begun when I arrived. Gyani Ji, who had spent four days
at my home, told the Master that I had come, but Maharaj Ji
said I should have come on time. I was just thinking to go back,
when the Master looked at me and said, "Are you Chopra?" I
said, "Yes." He then asked me to step in for initiation. I must say
136
that with His grace I got a very good experience on that eventful
day—25th December 1954.
Before Master returned to Delhi, He ordered me to hold
weekly Satsangs in my home. It was then I realised the significance of Master's words: "Your house is mine." Thereafter
Satsangs continued at my home till I retired in 1966.
In 1970, when the construction of Manav Kendra started,
the Master assigned some important work to me requiring my
presence there for fifteen months. During the planning stage,
many people thought that it would take five to ten years to
complete. One day the Master inquired from the architect how
long it would take. He replied, "As long as the Master desires
because this work is to be done with His grace alone." The
main work was finished in about two years.
The site for Manav Kendra was almost a jungle, and in
those early days we had no accommodation at all. The Beloved
Master used to come and sit in His car when it rained and do His
work there. Whenever it was sunny He would sit under a tree along
with us. As we worked, He went on dealing with the correspondence. Now and then He would inquire about the work and
visit the construction sites.
In those early days we would come across a lot of cobras.
We brought this to the notice of the Beloved Master. Out of
compassion for all, He mentioned that as we were destroying
their natural habitat, why should we kill them? We should give
them other accommodation. Since that day we never molested
any cobra, and instead would cover them with mud and lift them
out of our way; they would then find another place to live.
One other thing that I noticed was that Master never liked
the idea of cutting down a tree unless it was absolutely necessary
and construction work could not possibly proceed without this
vandalism. One day I mentioned to the Master that the cutting of certain trees was unavoidable for carrying on the work.
My gracious Lord replied, "Trees and water are the greatest
blessings of God. Before cutting any tree, think it over thoroughly." The result of this policy is that a tree still grows through
the roof of the Master's residence at Sawan Ashram. Thus
at Manav Kendra too we were able to build His house incor-
Fifteen Months at Manav Kendra
137
porating a large tree in the main room.
During these busy months Master used to stay at Manav
Kendra for a week or so and then return to Delhi. I used to be
in charge of the work, and in His absence carried on according to
His instructions. Once, Master was leaving for Delhi and instructed us to finish a particular job before He returned. However, the
work could not be completed in time. I told the Master when He
returned that due to heavy rains we could not proceed and complete the work on schedule. The Master smiled and said, "The
rain god is doing his work—he does not stop—why should you
stop your work? You carry on your work, and let him carry on
his!" Thereafter I noticed several times that there used to be
very thick, black clouds and it would be raining heavily all
around Manav Kendra, but there would not be a drop of rain
on our work site.
The Master would serve the sevadars food with His own
hands. While distributing chapatis He would generally give
four or more. Once I asked for only one but He said, "What is
this disease of eating scantily? Why don't you eat more and
work more?" This was the type of humor that the gracious
Master would let us enjoy.
The first important item of work to be completed was
a high service water reservoir. At one point in the construction, the architect decided that the cement work had to continue
till midnight and even later if necessary so that it could be finished. We all assured the Beloved Master that we would not leave
till the work finished. The Master, on leaving for His Rajpur
residence, asked if there was sufficient milk to serve tea to the
satsangis working on the construction. I replied in the affirmative. Then He said, "Make sure that the people are served tea
not once but twice." These were the tiny details which He
would personally look into. He cared so much for His children,
that knowing they would work all night in the cold, they would
naturally require a warming cup of tea to help them carry on.
We often had to work for more than twelve hours but we
never felt any fatigue. Once I entered the room where the Master
was resting and I saw that He was very tired. I requested Him
not to work so much Himself and to take adequate rest. The
138
Master replied it was not He who was tired, but we who were
working so hard. I could therefore see that He was taking on
Himself all our fatigue and that was why we never felt any, even
if we had to work fifteen hours a day.
Once some young girls from Delhi came and they were
working with lime; their fingers became blistered. When I told
them not to do this work, they replied that they did not mind
as long as Master gave them darshan. In the evening, Master
asked all of them how they were. They showed their hands, and
Master said, "Chopra has been told to give you special ointment."
After the Master had left for His Rajpur home, the girls came
to me, but I did not know what should be given. I just gave
them some ointment and said they should apply it. The next
morning there were no injuries on their hands and they continued
their work. These young girls, from good families and unaccustomed to hard labor, worked at Manav Kendra like coolies for
the love of the Great Master. It was on this occasion that Master
quoted Guru Gobind Singh, "I will turn sparrows into hawks."
The entire Manav Kendra was built in the Master's love.
During this time Master always set a target of work and
saw that it was finished in time. Initiates used to come from all
over the country in groups and mostly work for a fortnight and
then return home. The greatest attraction for everyone was the
serving of food from the hands of the Beloved Master Himself.
One evening when we all returned from work and sat at His Feet,
the Master told us that we were very lucky, and we should thank
the Lord who had blessed us with such Sewa.
Once the ladies working in the langar (free kitchen) complained that as they were not at the work sites they did not get
the Master's darshan when He toured them; they suggested that
their duties should be changed. The next day at about 11:30
the Master took me to all the points of work, and as we were
passing the Langhar the Master wanted to know what that place
was. I told Him. The Master went inside. The ladies were very
busy, some making chapatis, some cutting vegetables, but the
Master went to each group, talked to them, and told them to do
Simran instead of talking among themselves. The ladies were
very happy that the Master had given them darshan at their own
Fifteen Months in Manav Kendra
139
place of work.
During this whole period of intense work I noticed that the
Master was very exact about correct planning and correct
expenditure. He would see to everything Himself; whenever
someone made a mistake, He would point it out in such a loving
way that no one would ever feel any distress.
When the plans for the Mansarovar were drawn up and
approved by the architect, the Master, after having examined the
site, called me and said, "If you are going to implement this
plan how will you do it on this rocky ground?" I could see immediately the Master was right. I took the plans back to the
architect and told him what the Master had said. The architect
reviewed the situation and changed the plan making the pool
oval shape. When the Master saw the new plans, He was so
happy that He congratulated us as if we had been responsible for
coming up with this new idea.
Whenever the Master was at Manav Kendra, He would
inquire as to the number of people working, the distribution of
labor at various points, and whether all the satsangis had their
tea and their fill of food. Then after spending the whole day,
He would leave for Rajpur to attend to His files and meet
His children from the West where He gave His informal question
and answer sessions which have since been published as Heart to
Heart
Talks,
In the early days of the work, I was standing beneath a huge
clustered tree formed out of the intermingling of five trees. I
humbly pointed out that it was a symbol of the unity that the
Master loved so much. He said, "Great Saints have already
stayed under this tree. When Guru Gobind Singh returned from
the hills, He, too, had stayed under this very tree. This is a sacred
place."
Sweet Stories
About The Master
Michael Grayson
I would like to share some wonderous anecdotes of the
Beloved Master's Love, Light and Life this unworthy one has
experienced in His Presence.
Beloved Master was so great, so magnificent; little by little
He graciously revealed to us more and more of His divine
personality.
One time we were walking along in the foothills of the
Himalayas, Master was so very gracious—radiating the Divine
Love like anything. The dear ones there were so intoxicated they
could be seen kissing the ground and hugging trees due to
seeing that Divine Love permeating
everywhere. Someone
came running up to the Master, "Oh Master, it's such a
wonderful job you are doing—there is so much love in the
air." Master replied, "I know my own true worth—I'm just
a mere pipe. What good is an empty pipe unless something is
flowing through it? Unless my Master sends His grace, then?"
Just imagine the humility!
The Beloved Master could read our every thought. Sometimes He would let on, sometimes He wouldn't. One time we
were standing near the excavation for the pool of Manav Kendra,
Sweet Stories about the Master
141
It seemed to be at least six to seven feet deep and there was no
water in it. Master was telling two dear ones who came to visit
all about the work going on at the project. While talking He
moved so close to the edge of the Mansarovar that a single inch
or so more and He would fall in. Master was still busily talking
to the visitors. I thought to myself, "If the Master takes a single
step backwards He'll fall in!" I just thought this. But immediately Master stopped talking to those people and turned
around and said to me out loud—"Don't worry—I can take care
of myself." Then He went right back to talking to those visitors.
Even from hundreds and thousands of miles away the
Master knows our every thought, word and deed. And why not!
He is right with us, the very life of our life.
One time we were sitting with the Beloved Master. He
looked at us and said, "You know, you people don't know how
lucky you are to have a real Master, a true Master, a perfect
Master—one who will never leave you nor forsake you till the
end of the world." He told us, "Rest assured, I will take you
back Home. Don't you have any doubt in my words."
Often times Master would be shedding tears of love. "These
are the tears of love for you all," He would say.
And the Master was completely unpredictable. He had an
indescribable sense of humor. One time He graciously gave me a
cup of tea. I took only a few sips then He asked for the tea back.
Master then took some corn flakes and crushed them in His
hands put them in my tea and said, "Now you have it!"
He was always giving us tea, sweets, and food. Usually we
were so intoxicated in His love we couldn't eat. We only wanted
to look at Him. On suchlike occasions Master would lovingly
look at us and say, "First eat your food—then eat me and drink
me!"
When Master would smile or laugh the whole Universe
would be bathed in His effulgent joy.
There are so many stories that could be told about how the
Master worked for the benefit of His dear children, but it should
be pointed out that what appears to be a miracle is in fact a
higher law of nature at present unknown to us. Slowly and surely
He revealed more and more of Himself.
142
Here is a story that shows how the Master drew His disciples to Himself, even in the most adverse situations. I was in
basic training in the Army and I used to hold regular Satsangs
with His grace. Some sergeant or officer would try and get them
stopped, but a higher officer would say, "No, let it go on." One
day we were holding Satsang on the third floor of an abandoned
building where hardly anyone ever went. And there were about
fifteen people present. In the middle of the meeting somebody
walked in who we'd never seen before. We were surprised
because I hadn't put up any posters. He walked in and said,
"What in the world is going on in here?" I said, "We are telling
of the teachings of the Great Living Master Kirpal Singh, how
to solve the mystery of life and death, how to know oneself and
to know God." He said, "I have been looking for a Master all
my life." After the meeting was over he came up to me and said,
"You'll never believe how I came to this meeting." He was
walking outside that building during the Satsang and he said
all of a sudden he couldn't take a step further, an uncontrollable power came over him. He had to go up to the third floor of
that building and see what was going no. Later he became a
strict vegetarian and received initiation.
Meanwhile in his Company there was one of his friends
who was very desperate; he hated the Army, and was having
marital problems, and he wanted to commit suicide. So my
friend thought the best thing would be to take him to Satsang.
Sure enough he came, and we told him there's hope for everyone
and nothing to be disheartened about, and the Master is full of
so much love for you and everyone else, no need to worry, relax,
and then solve this mystery of life which is the purpose of having
the manbody. He began studying the teachings, and left off the
idea of suicide. He became a strict vegetarian right in the Army,
which isn't easy. Then he sent in his application for initiation,
and while he was waiting to hear if he'd been accepted or not by
the Master he became very skeptical for some reason. Maybe he
thought, "Well, perhaps the Master is just a big fraud." He came
to me one day and said, "This is it, I'm going to commit
suicide!" So I said, "Well, before you do anything hasty, there's
just one thing—why don't you go and sit down in some quiet
Sweet Stories About the Master
143
place and pray with all your heart and soul that the Truth might
be revealed to you." He said, "All right." And he did it. He had
that one-pointed attention—he was a desperate man, and Master
says where all human effort fails prayer succeeds. So he prayed;
when he opened his eyes he saw the Radiant Form of the Master
standing before him blazing in Light right there in the barracks,
smiling at him. So of course he didn't kill himself, and he got
initiated in due course.
Here is another story which tells how the Master draws
His own children. Once I met a young couple at the Ashram,
and I asked them how they had come and why. They told me
they had traveled to India not knowing why, they just had a
desire to see what they would see. When they arrived at Bombay,
someone handed them a pamphlet about seeing the Divine Light,
it didn't have anything to do with our Master or anyone else
in particular. They read it and wondered, "Is there really such
a thing as Divine Light?" They sat down and they prayed that
if there is Divine Light please show us the way to it. When they
opened their eyes there was the Radiant Form of our Master
standing in front of them. He led them all the way from Bombay
to Sawan Ashram—a considerable journey! They arrived there
and were attending Satsang every day but still hadn't been initiated. So I said, "Why don't you ask the Master for initiation?"
They replied, "We didn't know we were supposed to ask—we
thought He'd just give it to us." So that night they asked, and
Master said smiling, "Oh, so that's why you've come!"
Here is another example of how the Master drew people to
Himself. Master had told us that we should take advantage of
any way of letting people know the Truth so that all sincere
seekers might avail themselves of the wonderful opportunity of
coming to the Master. So we went to extremes on one occasion:
we had fliers printed and put them on the windshield of cars in
the parking lot—just as an experiment. It was to announce a
birthday celebration Satsang. Then we stepped back to watch
people's reactions. Unfortunately most people threw them right
down in the gutter, and because the Master's picture was on them
we went round picking each one up. We decided never to do that
again. Anyway, at the birthday celebration a couple of fellows
144
showed up; they were newcomers so we asked them how they had
come. They told us they'd seen the picture of the Master lying
in a mud puddle—it was one of the ones we had missed! They
picked it up out of the mud puddle and read it, they came; and
later on they got initiated. So we can see the different ways in
which the Master Power works to draw people onto the Path.
At one time I remember we were all sitting with the Master
in India, and someone told the Master when He was speaking
they could see roses coming out of His mouth; another person
described the beautiful brilliant aura they could see round the
Master's head; another person told how the Master was just
streaming with Light; but still another person said, "Well, all I
see is a man with a turban and beard." Master just smiled
through it all. Then He explained that it was all a matter of
developing receptivity, and the grace of the Master.
Here is a story about the beautiful Guru-Gurumukh relationship which our Master had with His Master, and to which
we should all aspire. Once Hazur was distributing parshad to
all the dear ones (parshad is food blessed by the Master). The
Indians wear long loose shirts, so they can hold out the bottom
like an apron, and Hazur would fill it up. So each disciple was
coming up to get his share of the parshad. When it was the turn
of our Master He was more after looking into His Master's eyes
than having the blessed food, because our Master Himself often
said all the parshad is already within you, you may eat to your
heart's content. So when He came up to His Master He began
steadily looking into Baba Sawan Singh's eyes. Of course Hazur
was looking steadily into His—He was His beloved Gurumukh
disciple. So at the same time that they were both steadily looking
into each others eyes Hazur kept putting more and more parshad
into our Master's outstretched shirt. Pretty soon the parshad was
just flowing over onto the ground; so all the other disciples, when
they saw what was happening, came running up and started gathering up what was spilling over, and Hazur was going right on
pouring it into our Master's lap handful after handful while
they were absorbed into each others eyes. Hazur all of a sudden
stepped back and surveyed the scene, and He said, "This is how
it will be in the future."
The
Story of
Master's Gardener
Baba Ji (Mehku Lal)
I come from Allahabad District in Uttar Pradesh. As a
child I had experience of the inner Light; it was as Maharaj Ji
said, a Light brighter than a thousand suns. At times my father
or my uncle would have to shake me by the shoulders repeatedly
in order to bring me back. But at the time I did not realize the
significance of the gift I had got. As I grew I got attached to my
uncle more and more. He was a non-vegetarian, and I began
following his ways. I took up a job in Amritsar in the Punjab,
and worked there for about twenty-five years.
Then one day it suddenly came to me that I had fallen into
evil ways and was not making the best use of my human birth.
Only a saint could help me, I said to myself, and it was imperative that I seek one out. Not knowing to whom to turn, I
proceeded to Haridwar and to Rishikesh. I went to the Kali
Kambli Ashram of the Mahatma (the Mahatma who always
covered himself with a black blanket) and presented myself. I
was told I could stay there and could serve and live there. I was
only there for three days; on the third day I heard enough to
realize that I could not find salvation there. It was winter time,
but without a second thought I departed.
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Knowing some people in Dehra Dun, I took a bus there. I
had only one rupee in my pocket, but it was just enough to get
me there. Next morning, remembering my quest, I left my friends
and went to Shri Banta Singh who owned a workshop and many
trucks. I cannot say how I got hold of the name, but I asked his
assistance to get to the Radha Swami Satsang. He told me I
could stay with him as he did not know where it was, but later
he could arrange for me to travel free to Delhi.
I was at Banta Singh's for three days, and then traveled by
one of his trucks to Delhi. I had visited many a temple in my
time and decided to go now to the Sis-gunj Gurdwara. While I
sat and listened to the Gurbani, I experienced great peace—such
is the power of the words of the Great Masters. But when I left,
my restlessness returned. I wandered to Sabzi Mandi, and seeing
a venerable old Sikh, stopped him and asked him if he could
direct me to the Radha Swami Satsang. He told me that there
was a Satsang nearby at Sawan Ashram, and he gave me directions.
There was a wedding in progress at the Ashram when I got
there; the daughter of Master Pratap Singh (Master Ji) was
getting married. I was given a lot of parshad and realized that
I was very hungry. Shortly after it was getting time for Satsang.
It was the eve of the Master's birthday; He came out to hold the
first Satsang for this special occasion. Not knowing who He was,
not knowing what I was doing, I grabbed Him by His left sleeve,
crying, "Look here Sardar Saheb, You must listen to me!" He
turned and looked into my eyes, and we both stood motionless
for what seemed a long time. Meanwhile, the Sangat must have
watched us with surprise, wondering who this madman was who
held the Master by His sleeve. After what may have been some
twenty minutes, the Master said that He would talk things over
with me on a later occasion, and I let Him go.
As the Master withdrew from me, I felt lost—even here, it
seemed to me I could not find the answer I was seeking. The
Master had turned away without answering my question. Little
did I realize then that He had already reached deep into me
through His prolonged glance and had bestowed upon me the
treasure I was after. That night I stayed at the Ashram and I
147
shared my problem with a satsangi named Rajinder Singh. He
asked me if I would like to take Naam and I answered that I
was a follower of Kabir and was not interested in getting Naam.
"But won't you stay on for the Satsang tomorrow?" he asked.
Rajinder Singh arranged for me to spend the night at the Ashram
in a very small kitchen. As I lay down I did not realize that I
had my feet towards the Master's home and my head the other
way. Imagine my surprise on waking in the early hours in the
morning and finding that I was lying the other way round.
How had I circled around, I asked myself? The space was too
narrow and how could I do so without hitting a wall? There's
something miraculous here, I thought—I have found a Saint at
last who can help me redeem my life.
And on that day I told Rajinder Singh that I wanted
Naam. Looking at me he laughed and said, "Oh, but Naam is
bitter. Why are you in such a hurry—you didn't seem to want it
yesterday, why now?" When I joined the rest of the candidates
for initiation, I realized that I was perhaps the only one who
had hardly attended any of the Master's Satsangs. Some had
attended four, some five and some many more. The Master came
in and questioned each of them in turn; I said to myself that He
would surely ask me to wait. When it was my turn I just looked
down and hid my face in my hands; but the Master quietly
turned to the next man. When we sat down for meditation, I
got mixed up over Simran and I could not learn the five Names.
Even so, I had inner Light and was blessed with His inner
darshan.
After this I left with Rajinder Singh for Pilibhit to live at
a farm there. On reaching it I caught a cold and developed
double pneumonia, The fever grew, and as it became very
excruciating I thought my end had come. I called Rajinder
Singh and told him to sit down and pray to the Master. Within five
minutes or so I saw Hazur appear before me, immaculately
dressed and with a stick in His hand. He was accompanied by
Maharaj Ji and both were bathed in Light. They came and
blessed me, and as it were, drew a thorn from my flesh, and
departed. My anguish and my pain disappeared and I lay quiet
and peaceful. Rajinder Singh noticing that my groans had
148
stopped, thought that all was over and I was gone. Anyway,
to make sure he shook me, and I told him I was all right.
"The Civil Surgeon and the Doctor have both come to see me,"
I told him, alluding to the two Masters, "and now I am all
right."
That was some eighteen years ago or so. It was not long
after that I moved to Delhi. Rajinder Singh found work for me
not far from the Ashram, and I was glad to be
near the
Master. One day on account of a mistake, I was reprimanded,
and, touched to the quick, refused to have anything from my employer. One of the satsangis at the langar would privately give
me food, and when the Master returned reported the problem to
Him. "Why do you have to feed him in private?" He asked. I was
summoned, and Maharaj Ji told me that I could live at the
Ashram, eat there at the langar, and help look after the land on
the other side of the railway tracks. "Maharaj Ji I would be glad
to be here and live on whatever I am given at the Ashram. But
I cannot give up smoking so how can I stay with you?" I asked.
Maharaj Ji was very gracious and He said that I could live there
without giving up smoking.
And so this is how I began living at the Ashram and working for the Master as His gardener. Later when it pleased Him,
I moved to His bungalow at Rajpur. He would come there frequently on very short visits and then return to Delhi. Many a
time He would say, "Baba, you are the master here. You have
the keys. I am only a guest who comes for a day or two and
then goes away."
While living at Rajpur it came to me that it was not right
for me to smoke. Those who came on the Path had to give up so
much, and I who had received so much grace could do no less.
And so I gave up smoking. And then one day the Master suddenly remarked, "I never see you smoking now! What is the
matter?" I explained that I had given up smoking. "Why have
you done that?" He asked, "Whoever asked you to give up
smoking?" From then on I not only resumed smoking but did
so with full assurance of Maharaj Ji's grace. Earlier I would
sneak away to have a smoke—now I smoked openly and without
inhibition.
149
Maharaj Ji has been so bounteous to me—He is the Lord
of everything. When I began working, I was given my monthly
wages. Working for Him, did I need them? I was living at the
Ashram and He was always looking after me. All I needed was
three rupees a month for my bidis (Indian cigarettes). What was
to be done with the rest of my wages, I was asked. "They could
go back to the Ashram," I said.
Once while at Rajpur, the Master was away for a long time.
The money He had left for my living expenses finally ran out.
From where would I get my next meal, I asked, but then reminded myself that the Master knew my needs better than I did. To
my surprise Mata Janaki arrived at the bungalow and gave me
a five rupee note. I would not take it, but she told me, "It is not
I who am giving you the money; it has been sent to you by
Maharaj Ji." My need had been answered and I gladly accepted
what He sent to me.
Even now He never fails me and knows my needs better
than I do myself. You may think He is gone but He is always
there. In December it gets cold up here at Rajpur, but when
Mata Ji (Mrs. Brij Mohan Sharma) came back from Delhi
recently, she had a thick heavy coat for me. It is the coat I am
wearing now. So warm, so comfortable; it keeps out all the cold.
It is Master's coat and it has come from Him. How you would
ask? He left it with His Beloved son, Darshan Ji, and knowing
my need he has sent it on to me.
Not long after I came to the Path, Maharaj Ji asked me
how much time I gave to Simran and Bhajan, and exhorted me
to give as much time as possible if I was to make progress. When
I was with the Master I would keep nothing back and I told Him,
"Maharaj Ji, You are God, You are the Lord of the universe. When
You can appear to me and bless me with Your visions with my
eyes open, why do I need to shut my eyes and search for You
within? I live every moment in Your sweet remembrance. Grant
that it may be so forever and do not press me for Bhajan and
Simran." Thereafter the Master never raised that point again,
though He would question other disciples on the subject. It is a
joy to live in His remembrance; whenever He wills, He grants
me His darshan.
How
Master
Saved My Son
Sushila Devi Sharma
My son Jag Mohan was laid up with typhoid, and we were
treating him with homeopathic medicines. One day at Satsang
my father-in-law told the Master that the boy was seriously ill
and that we were not having him properly treated. "Is that so?"
said Maharaj Ji, "I will come round to see him myself." That
very day after Satsang He came to see the boy, and asked Brij
Mohan, my husband:
"Have you consulted a good specialist?"
"No Master."
"Must you always place your burden on my shoulders?"
"Maharaj Ji, everything is in Your hands and within Your
grace."
But the Master ordered that we call in a specialist, and
over the next few weeks we consulted several; the boy was reduced
to a skeleton, and for fifteen days he was hardly in his senses—
his tongue had gone black, and even his teeth had lost their
color. Finally, as the other doctors had given up the boy as lost,
we consulted Dr. K.L.Jain, one of the best child specialists in
Delhi.
The doctor was frank and refused to give us false hopes.
How Master Saved My Son
151
"It is a very difficult case," he said. "The boy is three-fourths
gone!" "Life and death lies in the hands of our Guru," said my
husband, "Ours is only to do our duty, and so, doctor, proceed
with whichever treatment you consider best."
I may mention here that the Master had, during this time,
inquired repeatedly about the boy. After Dr. Jain had prescribed
his treatment, we proceeded with it. However, Jag Mohan's
condition took a turn for the worse the following day. As a last
resort my husband left to call the doctor again. The boy's legs
and hands had gone stiff and were quite numb. The only sign
of life that remained was the faint heaving of his chest. I suddenly
got up and set off for the Ashram.
When I reached the Ashram, the Master was in His room
at the back. I stood listless and lost at the door outside. Kaptan
Saheb seeing me asked what the matter was; I had nothing by
way of a reply. He went in and told the Master I was outside,
and that something seemed wrong. Maharaj Ji in a loud voice
asked for me to be called in. There He sat in His chair, and I
collapsed at His Feet, sobbing, "If he has to live then let him
live well Maharaj Ji. Why must You test and torture me in this
way? For three months I have not even been able to have a wink
of sleep!" I wept bitterly and I cannot remember what I may
have said in those moments of anguish. He let me be at His Feet,
and running His hand over my head and back comforted me,
"Kako, you have a Satguru, and you have full faith in Him. He
looks to all your problems and your needs. Then why do you cry
like this?"
Seeing my condition, Tai Ji begged Maharaj Ji to do something. Straightening up, He summoned Kaptan Saheb, and asked
him to fetch an old homeopathic doctor He knew and bring him
over to see the boy. Turning to me He said, "Now go home and I
will come to see your son myself."
It was raining hard, and I had hardly got home when the
Master arrived. Soon after, Kaptan Saheb arrived with the doctor.
After examining the child the old doctor said, "I can give the
medicine, but there is little hope for the child." The Master on
hearing this took out His fountain pen and ran it over both palms
and both feet of the child sketching some lines. Having done this,
152
He turned to the doctor and said, "Dr. Saheb you give the child
the medicine. Hazur's grace will help and do the rest." Then
He turned to me and said, "Do not lose heart. Be brave—you are
a lion's child. Rest assured Hazur will help!" And indeed throughout my son's illness I took things in my stride. Two occasions
apart, I met this prolonged ordeal with a strange reserve of
patience and courage.
The Master then warned me, "Look after the boy well, but
when he comes back to his senses it will seem as though he had
died. Do not let this perturb you but do as I suggest." He gave
me directions, and from that day on I had a large vessel full of
water always on the boil. Some five or six days after this,
Maharaj Ji left for Rajpur, and Brij Mohan departed with Him
also. I was left by myself to look after the boy, and my aging
parents-in-law were with me. Sometime around 3:00 at night
my son suddenly came round. He had been lying unconscious
for over twenty days and on coming back to himself cried out,
"Mata Ji, where are you?" I at once took him in my lap and
the moment I did so he went completely cold. There was just no
sign of life in him at all and even his breathing stopped.
Those around me said the child was gone and thought of waking
up his grandfather. I stopped them saying, "Don't disturb him;
let me do what the Master has instructed me." Without losing
my nerve I got up, prepared four or five hot water bottles and
laid them on the chest, the legs and along the arms of the child.
It was summer time and rather hot, and my sister said, "Why
are you doing all this?" I replied, "Let me do as Maharaj Ji
has told me—and please don't disturb me at this moment!" As
I watched over the child, a few minutes later, his eye-lids fluttered. I was reassured, and I asked my sister to prepare a cup of
tea. A little later the boy opened his eyes a little and I gave
him a few spoons of tea He lay with closed eyes for some time
more; when he opened them again, he quietly announced, "I
have been inside with Maharaj Ji. He gave me so much love." I
told him that Maharaj Ji had been coming to see him during
his illness so often. "Oh no," he said, "He was with me inside
all the time. And the amount of love He gave me, it cannot compare with what I can get outside." Later he had so much to
How Master Saved My Son
share
outer
while
body
153
about all his experiences inside while he lay bereft of his
senses. He even knew of events which had taken place
he lay unconscious. One thing was very clear—while the
lay lifeless, the soul inside was not.
When the Master came back from Rajpur I told Him what
had transpired. He patted me and said, "You are a brave
daughter of mine. Did I not say Hazur's protecting hand is
always over you?"
While the boy was still convalescing, he began to pester me
for things which he was not supposed to eat. He grew so difficult
at times that it became a more trying problem than the illness
itself. One day I was at my wits end with the boy. When the
fever left him he had gone so weak that he had to learn to crawl,
to stand, to walk all over again at ten years old. Having gone
through all that and seeing him so stubborn, I cried out,
"Maharaj Ji, how long must you go on testing me in this
fashion?"
No sooner had I said this than there was a tap on the door
and Maharaj Ji was standing there. I was overcome with guilt,
"How foolish you are to drag out the Master like this!" I said to
myself. I was too lost to even offer Him a seat. He walked up
and patted me on the back saying, "What is the matter now?"
"Maharaj Ji," I said, pointing to Jag Mohan, "This boy is
driving me crazy. Now that he is better he will not rest until he
has what he is not supposed to eat." Maharaj Ji then said to the
boy, "Look towards me, into my eyes." And when the boy did
so, He lovingly told him what he was to eat and what he was
not to eat.
From then on there was no problem. Maharaj Ji's grace
had worked a miracle. Even if the boy saw others around him
eating what he was not supposed to, he showed no signs of being
tempted. When he was well enough to go out, we took him to see
the Master. His illness and recovery had taken six months. It
was around 10:00 in the morning when we reached the Ashram,
and the Master was sitting with a large group including a number of foreign disciples. He took up the child and embraced him
with great love and setting him on the floor, told those present,
"This boy is a rare example of Hazur's grace—His time was up
154
and he had to go. But through the grace of Hazur he has been
given a second life and is well again."
The Master's grace has been our anchor ever since we
came to His Feet. In fact, looking back, His protection was there
even before that, though we were not aware of it at the time.
Where does one begin? Where does one end? Maharaj Ji showered His love with such abundance, and Brij Mohan, my husband, has already shared some of his extraordinary experiences.
I will now relate an incident which has nothing to do with any
member of my family—one I had the privilege to witness which
brings out so amazingly Maharaj Ji's extraordinary humility
and His fathomless reverence for His own Satguru, Baba Sawan
Singh Ji Maharaj.
Some eleven years ago a marriage had taken place in Delhi.
The sister of Joginder Singh who runs the Khushdil Hotel, was
getting married. There were many satsangis there and Maharaj Ji
came. With the groom came one of the grandsons of Hazur
Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. On seeing him, Maharaj Ji went
up to welcome him, and taking off His turban from His head
bent to place it at his feet. The young man with great alacrity
bent and tried to stop Him. "This is not right," he said.
Maharaj Ji replied, "You are of Hazur's blood, and nothing is
too much by way of honoring you. You are of my Guru's family
and I owe everything to Him."
The great love and regard with which Maharaj Ji greeted
His Master's descendant and the warmth with which they met
each other was a great wonder to us. It was an object lesson in
humility. It was such a vivid example of the way in which we
should hold our Satguru in deepest reverence.
There were occasions when I would go and help in Maharaj
Ji's kitchen and do the cooking. If something was made with love
He would be happy to have it and was sure to appreciate it.
As He would sit eating and my husband and I would be standing
by serving, He would at times take a piece and share it out among
us. He would do it with so much love. If Tai Ji asked what He
was doing, He would say with great simplicity, "They look after
me and feed me. I must do the same and look after them,
mustn't I?"
The
Master's
Drawing Power
S. Ramalingam Naidoo
In December 1967 I received a cablegram in South Africa
from our Beloved Master, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, asking
me to come to Him by January 8th, 1968, and also to accompany
Him on a tour. Things happened so suddenly that in three days
I completed my affairs and set sail for India on 27th December
and arrived at Sawan Ashram on 6th January at 7:40 p.m. With
tears in my eyes at the darshan of the Beloved Master, I fell at
His Feet. He said, "I have been waiting for you." Master gave
me the gift of Naam two days later, on Monday, 8th January,
and as promised, took me on tour the same evening.
On one occasion at night staying at the Agra Hostel, I was
not able to meditate properly, and cried for His Beautiful Form.
The next morning when I went for His darshan, He smiled and
said, "Have you now seen that Beautiful Form?"
Master lovingly called me Naidoo Ji or Naidoo Saheb.
Before returning to South Africa, He said, "Why so soon?" Then
He added, "I want you to give Naam Initiation over there and
carry on this work on my behalf." I was very humbled. I could
not speak. He handed me the instructions of authority. He blessed
me time and time again, and hugged me several times. He has
now left us physically, but spiritually He is with us always.
The
Story of the
Kirpal Printing Press
Daram Vir Sharma
I was initiated by Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj in
1946. I was about fourteen years old and I was initiated along
with my mother. Although my family was religiously minded,
the other members refused to acknowledge the Great Master at
Beas—they couldn't even bear to hear the sound of His name.
Such was the opposition within the family that my mother was
unable to leave our village to receive Hazur's initiation; He
graciously initiated her through a letter which was sent to her.
After the passing of Hazur from this earth-plane, my
mother heard from Bibi Lajwanti, one of His most devoted
workers, that Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji had been appointed to
carry on the work of Hazur and was living in Delhi. But it was
not until 1953 that we were able to come to Delhi to have the
darshan of the new Master. Two years later I came to live in Delhi
and went to Sawan Ashram regularly to listen to His Satsangs.
Sant Kirpal Singh was always very kind to me and would ask
me to wait till after the Satsang so that He could speak to me.
In 1964 He suggested that I should buy a house near the Ashram.
After this He allowed me to serve Him in a personal way; He
was drawing me closer to His Lotus Feet. I was able to travel
The Story of the Kirpal Printing Press
157
with Him to several parts of India where I saw many sadhus
and saints, but of them all I could see that the Beloved Master
had the greatest gift of Spirituality. In discussions they could not
stand against Him even for five minutes.
In the early 1960's I became very ill, so ill that the doctors
warned me that if I didn't give up the vegetarian diet I would
be in danger of losing my life. They pressed me to take eggs and
advised me to drink brandy. Such was my weakness that I foolishly gave in believing that this would save my life. And such was
the greatness of the Master that He took me in His arms, protected me, and helped me to give up these things. I know that it
was only the great mercy of the Master that saved me.
It was in the end of 1965 that a meeting was called in
Sawan Ashram when the Master was away, and it was decided
by the six satsangis who were present that the Ashram should
establish a printing press so that it could publish its own material. I had been invited to attend that meeting, but could not.
When the Master returned, having been on a short tour, He asked to see me and said that I should take part in setting up this
printing press. The fact was that the other members had fallen
out of the scheme, and here was the Master asking me to take
part. When I told the Master that I didn't even know the A-B-C
of the printing business, the dear Master laughed and said,
"That's of no importance! This work has to be done, and you
will see Hazur will bless you."
On 8th February 1966, the Master inaugurated the Kirpal
Printing Press. The Master Himself started the machine, He fed
in the paper, and took it out. The first thing that we printed was
the Master's Birthday Message of 1966. He Himself actually
printed the first copies.
Shortly after that I was able to buy another four machines
and we started printing most of the Beloved Master's books. In
fact we printed about 90% of the Ashram work which included
the calendars, the Hindi and Urdu editions of Sat Sandesh, and in
1968 and 1969 the first English editions of Sat Sandesh. Of course,
there were many difficulties to be overcome, but the grace of the
Master was always there. On one occasion we were very late in
bringing out a calendar. The blocks for the colored photographs
158
of the Master not only arrived late, but to my great dismay, the
quality did not do the Master justice. However, Mr. Chadda
came up with the brilliant idea that I should take the problem
to the Master, explaining that if the Master passed the photographs, the whole Sangat would not only approve them but they
would be very much appreciated. This I did that very evening,
and to my surprise, Master was quite delighted with the photographs, and to my even greater surprise, this calendar indeed
proved to be a great success with the Sangat.
My personal experience is that the dear Master showered
us with so much love that those who were fortunate enough to
serve Him thought that He loved them more than anyone else.
When the work was started for Manav Kendra I was nominated
by the Great Master to be the cashier on the Management Committee. He took me up there with Him; and although my health
had never permitted me to work longer than two hours at a
stretch, by the grace of the Master He was taking work out of
me from eighteen to twenty hours every day, winter as well as
summer! For years I had learned to live with my bad health, and
accepted the fact that after every two hours of work I had to lie
down and rest. It was the blessings of the Master that enabled
me to keep working, sometimes till 2:00 in the night.
The Master would continuously instruct me from day to
day and the work of building up Manav Kendra progressed very
rapidly. Once I was working in the full heat of the sun; the
Master came up to me and said, "The natural heat from the sun
protects us from tuberculosis."
The scheme for planting all the young trees at Manav
Kendra was completed in one day, but during the night very
heavy rains fell. In the morning I could see that these young
trees were water-logged, so I rushed to get a bucket and started
scooping out all the excess water. When the Master saw what I
was doing, He came over to me and said, "Yes, plants have to
be protected just as we protect young children."
I remember that the First Unity of Man Conference was
scheduled to start on 2nd February 1974. Only five days before,
Master ordered me to produce a souvenir program, explaining
that it must be ready by the second day of the Conference as the
The Story of the Kirpal Printing Press
159
Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi, was to attend. You can imagine
that was a very difficult order to execute; there were no articles
ready and no photographs available—let alone the blocks—and
Master wanted it ready in five days! I know it was only His
special blessing that enabled us to get two hundred and fifty copies
ready in time. When I took these copies to the Master He was
very much pleased to see Hazur's Photo on the cover.
When He was preparing to leave the physical body, in August
of that year, the dear Master sent messages through other satsangis for me to come and see Him every day. Whenever I went
to have His darshan He would open His eyes, look at me, and
silently bless me with great love. My memory of Him is that although I had met so many great leaders and holy men, there was
nobody who could come up to Him. Without the Master's grace
I have found that no one in this world can do anything—not
even meditation. Without His grace we are nowhere.
Master's
Saving Grace
S.R. Bhalla
It is difficult to speak about the Master. To speak about
Him is only to limit the Limitless.
In 1953 Master wanted me to do some work at Dehra Dun
for three days. On the way back I was involved in a scooter accident which could easily have meant my death, but I escaped
with only some bruised fingers. Later the Master asked my wife
if I had arrived home safely; she thanked Him for protecting me
from serious harm. He replied, "You had sent your husband to
me. If something serious would have happened, you would have
held me responsible—so he had to be saved."
On one winter night in 1957 my wife and I stayed on at
Sawan Ashram until very late. At 1:00 a.m. we went to the
Master and asked permission to return home. The Master was
busy with his foreign correspondence. We took leave and started
home. We were hardly out when the Master came barefoot to
the outer gate of His bungalow and called us back. When we returned, He said, "I know you always go home by the shortest
way, through the park, but tonight you should go by the other
way." We obeyed Him without question although this meant
another three miles to our long ride home.
Master's Saving Grace
161
The next morning I went for the Master's darshan before
going to the office. When I reached the park I found the police
were escorting the body of someone who had been murdered in
the park the night before. I realized that had we gone through
the park we either would have been murdered or involved in a
murder case.
I was working on one of Master's manuscripts and could
not go to Him for His darshan for several days. My wife went
during the day to deliver the pages to the Master. When she
reached the bus stop near the Ashram she fell down, and was
unconscious for a few moments. She got up, but had temporarily
lost her memory—she could not make out where she was nor
where the Ashram was. She wandered about in a dazed condition
for about two hours. Then she saw someone standing about a
hundred yards away and decided to go ask where Sawan Ashram
was. When she came close she was astonished to see it was the
Master, and that He was standing in front of the Ashram. He
said, "Daughter, I have been waiting here for the last ten minutes
just to tell you that I knew you had lost your way. Don't worry.
I hope you have not been injured by the fall." He then went on to
explain, "The circle of births and rebirths for a number of lives has
been wiped off through this fall. I am glad you had such a firm
determination to reach the Ashram, and that you were successful."
Master cared for everyone in even the smallest matters.
Once when, during the winter, I was working late at the Ashram,
my wife decided to meditate in the shed. She was feeling rather
cold. The Master came out of His bungalow and went to the
shed; He tapped on my wife's head as she was in meditation and
asked her, "Do you want to die? Well, please don't die here as I
shall be held responsible. I'm concerned about your health. My
room is for you people. Why do you sit here in the cold? He took
my wife into His room and made her sit in front of a heater,
adding, "I know you are not keeping well. I know you do not
want to disturb me, but I do not want you to suffer."
On August 15th, 1974 my wife, child and myself spent about
half an hour with the Master around 4:00 in the afternoon. He
had a thermometer in His hand and told us He was feverish. We
162
were very much upset. My wife touched the Master's Feet and
found them to be burning hot; she implored Him, "Master let
me take Your fire." The Master looked at us with great love and
compassion and said to her, "If you fall sick who will look after
your child? Who will cook for your husband? And, moreover,
you have got to do a lot of work." My wife replied, "Master, if
I lie on the bed, only two people will suffer, but if anything goes
wrong with you, hundreds of thousands will suffer. Please give
me Your fever!" The Master replied, "I understand your feelings, but no mother would like to give poison to her child. This
fever has been given to me as a gift from Sawan Singh. I would
not like to part with a gift from my Beloved." Later on He
cryptically said, "Say whatever you like now because afterwards
you will not have another opportunity." We did not understand
what He meant. We said, "Master, You are unwell, and You are
getting so busy. We, will only come to see You once a month
or once in every two months—we don't want to bother You
oftener; we want You to be well."
We then told Him of some minor difficulties, but He said,
"No, this is not a real problem—ask me something of greater
importance for you will not have this opportunity again." We
again could not reach to the depth of His words. He was just
trying to tell us that we would not see Him again in the flesh.
The
Power of
our Simplicity
Shirley Tassencourt
JUST
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
look
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
listen
Master was always trying to bring us into the power of
our simplicity. Of course, consciously or unconsciously we were
always resisting it. We were trying so hard to keep everything
fancy, trying to stay in the dance of the world or the bias of the
mind, and He would say with that great energy of His that c u t
164
right into the infection like surgery, "All right, simple things are
simple." There was nothing left to do but drop all your lovely
complications and DO IT. If you dared to say, coating your
pride with humbleness, "I'll try"—you remember how many
seconds you could remain there! "No, don't say you'll try."
Your full intention is not behind it, He implied. "Say you'll do it!"
He really was such a thief. Morning darshan He would
come in and sit on the couch, His knees apart, elbows on each
knee, hands clasped together, eyes sparkling with jollity. "Any
questions? (pause) Do not be afraid, I am no bugbear. Do you
think I have long claws or big teeth?"
That's where we should have run like crazy (if we wanted
to continue our dance with Kal). Such a bugbear, our Beloved
Master. He just reached out with those incredible hands of His
and adroitly removed all excess baggage (mind).
One gal, who was totally dependant on her glasses, had
them stepped on during meditation as they lay at her side. She
was absolutely paniky at the loss of her heavy lenses, a fear she
had carried since childhood. Much to her surprise she had no
real problem even with her sharp reduction of vision. Everything
was really okay. She was so grateful for this release from the baggage of this old fear.
If you carried 'the baggage' that you were incompatible
with certain people, that's for sure who you were cast with, right
off. If you were carrying the baggage 'Here I am half way round
the world, I must see India or at least an elephant,' you most
likely got that chance, to your distress, for what was it? in comparison to being with Master!
To those who were laden with the burden of distraction—
right off, the first morning He would say, "You are here for no
purpose but meditation." If you were crippled by the opposite
weight—"One hour of good meditation is worth a whole night of
incorrect practice." Or if you were really overburdened that way,
simply "Stop meditating!" I couldn't bear it when He said that
to me, taking away my dearest possession, but I understood it. We
always understood. We know! But it takes a master thief to lift it
from us.
Master was always working to bring us down to the simpli-
The Power of our Simplicity
165
city, the no-mind, the clean polished self that could reflect the
God in Him back to Him. While you were at His Feet (at the
Ashram or with Him) He would give you whatever you needed
in a living situation to experience your excess possessions, then
very deftly—He'd take it, you'd let Him, and thank God from
the bottom of your heart for such a thief.
Master's
Amazing Grace
Shirley Tassencourt
Hanging here (whose intention is heaven)
Between the thousand petalled lotus
And the thousand fingered clutching of old Kal
This eon-old epidemic of desire
Whose stinking karma
Burns with such a high smell,
Help me.
My God,
The miracle
The grace and miracle
That you should send
HIM
This Lord
This Perfection
Who holds the seed of our perfection
Why have we
Forsaken Thee?
HE asked a friend
"What do you want?"
"I want You!"
"You may have me."
The
Merciful Lord
Sushila Mehta
Merciful Master Kirpal Singh was all compassion, so much
so that He would Willingly take upon Himself even the sins of
others.
I had been married for quite some time. We had five children. It was a horrifying thought to have any more when in 1943
I felt that I was in the family way again. I was extremely miserable. With the consent of my husband I took some special medicine. It had its effect, and I miscarried. But for one full year I
suffered terribly from the consequences of this miscarriage. I think
I had to pay very dearly for this misdeed.
Two years later I had the good fortune to get initiated by
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. A couple of years after,
the country was partitioned and my husband was transferred to
Delhi.
It was in 1960 that I went to attend Satsang at Sawan
Ashram. A devotee was giving the Satsang, and Master Kirpal
Singh Ji was sitting on the dias beside him. In the course of the
Satsang the gentleman explained that if any woman had an
abortion by operation or otherwise, the Master would not at the
time of her death come to receive her soul for taking to higher
The Merciful Lord
167
regions. Hearing this I was dumb-founded and greatly upset;
along with my husband, I called on the Master. With tears in
my eyes I asked what would happen to me for this foolish act
committed seventeen years before. The merciful Master looked at
me and consoled me saying, "I take that sin on myself; you
should not have any such thought while meditating." I felt relieved at once, and expressed my sincere gratitude to the Merciful
Lord.
Day of Departure and Prayer
Hildegard Loth
Autumn—
and harshness breathes to me:
Loose leaves from far off days—
Yellowed are the words
from the pen of my king.
I neglected his commands—
So even now, from all sides,
the antagonists buffet the house
with fierce winds
and blow the rays from the holy repository.
Autumn—
and harshness drips upon me from above,
dampens the tree, the leafless twigs and branches.
Withered and dead are blossoms
from the brightest days.
The king will come and ask:
Where is the fruit?
Autumn—
and harshness is the voice of the wind to me:
It is late,
winter stands at the threshold.
In sackcloth should you go
twelve miles through the snow
up to the castle of your lord.
Seek from him a New Year
and armour of faith and patience.
Humbly should you implore the king's heartwarning light,
so that some day
the fruit of your life
shall spring from the blossom on your tree.
Mysterious
Are His Ways
B.S. Teji
Before coming to the Lotus Feet of the Holy Master, I, like
many others, used to say that there was no need of a Living
Master. The scriptures were enough; they provided the necessary
food. So I lovingly studied them. But with all that I felt that I
was lacking something—and that was inner peace.
I had the good fortune to be posted to Sultanpur Lodhi, the
sacred soil where Guru Nanak had lived for fourteen years. It
was here that I got my first copy of the Guru Granth Sahib, and
made it a point to read from it before going to the Court for my
work. One day I forgot; but although I had left my house to go
to work, on passing a Gurdwara, I remembered and cycled all
the way back so as to say my prayers. During this period of
about three years (1968-1971) my constant prayer was—Naam
daan ki daat bakhsho—Grant me the gift of Naam.
At this time I had a dream in which I was shown glimpses
of the site where Manav Kendra was to be built. I saw on this
site a one-room dwelling which existed at that time and where
now stands Master's bungalow. I came to know that this was a
place where Guru Gobind Singh Ji had spent some time.
I had not heard the name of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji until I
Mysterious Are His Ways
169
was fortunate enough to hear Him give a discourse near Ludhi¬
ana. I began to understand the Truth—this Truth was that I
could only receive Naam from a Perfect Master, and that it was
a tangible experience. I still had no desire to go to Sawan
Ashram—but my time had come! One day my father-in-law
decided to go to Delhi to have the darshan of the Holy Master.
I had arranged for my wife to accompany him, but at the last
minute they insisted that I should go also. This meant that I had
to apply for two days leave. It was granted. In fact as this short
visit was to coincide with the monthly Satsang held at Sawan
Ashram at the beginning of June, 1971, within a few minutes of
my decision to go, our number grew to eleven.
As we arrived at the Ashram, the Holy Master was ready
to give the evening meditation sitting. I was stunned to see such
a large gathering. When the Master went inside His bungalow
we were asked to follow. All that He told us I do not remember
but this phrase from the Gurbani stands out:
The words of the Guru are the Guru, and Guru is but His
words—words being a pool of nectar.
If the disciple follows what the Guru says, the Guru would
ferry him safely across.
I had become completely absorbed in His radiation and
love. On that day for the first time I understood the difference
between "Gurbani" and "Guru ki Bani"—the words of the Master,
oral or written (Gurbani), and the Word of the Master made
manifest within (Guru ki Bani). The Holy Master, turning to
me said, "So you are only staying for two days!" This went
straight to my heart because that was the period of my leave.
On the Monday morning I received initiation (Guru ki
Bani) from the Holy Master.
In September of that year I went with my wife and youngest
son aged three years old to Manav Kendra. One evening Master
was giving a Satsang and the child began to cry without any
apparent reason. Finally, he said he wanted some sweet water,
and I immediately conveyed his demand to the Master, who
graciously asked for some sugar to be put in the water and
brought to the child. This the Master offered Himself with a
piece of burfi (Indian candy), but the child refused to take them.
170
At this the Master closed His eyes for a while, and then after a
few seconds, opened them and addressed the child saying, "You
will certainly have it one day!" At this the child stopped crying
and became more cheerful.
During the stay at Manav Kendra I was happy to do seva
of uprooting thorny bushes. As this site was at the far end of
Manav Kendra and Master had only recently come out of the hospital after His operation, it was hard for Him to walk there. The
other satsangis working near the road had the benefit of the
Master's darshan every day so I began to feel somewhat deprived.
I became restless the next day as I had missed darshan again. But
the next evening, after Satsang, the Master managed to say a few
words to me, "Do not be so disheartened. I knew you were working at the other end of the site but because of my weak health I
could not go there." I became very ashamed of my vain desire.
During 1972, two colleagues and I completed reading
Master's book on Nanak's Jap Ji and His Naam or Word, during
our lunch breaks. One of my colleagues inquired if what we had
read could be had as a practical experience. I invited him to accompany me to see the Holy Master Himself; so together with
three lawyers, we went to Delhi, and the gracious Master initiated them all in a separate room. We came back to our work the
next day, but my colleague, was unable to start his Court duties;
he sent a message for me to meet him in his retiring room. There
I found him so intoxicated that he could not carry on with his
work—he was afraid of falling from his chair!
When the Holy Master came on tour to the Punjab the
local satsangis asked me to beg Him to deliver a Satsang in our
place at Dasuya. I personally went to Ludhiana to request the
Master to come for that purpose. The Master was so kind He
changed His program so that one Satsang could be given at our
place. I hurriedly went back to tell them the good news and to
make arrangements for the Master's stay. I foolishly thought,
however, that one eighty-pound bag of flour would be sufficient
for the langar, and this was ordered. When the Master arrived,
Satsang was arranged in the Court compound.
There was such a huge gathering that I very soon became
aware that I had made inadequate food arrangements; it appear-
Mysterious Are His Ways
171
ed to me that Master's visit had been turned into a disaster by
my foolishness. I became very ashamed of myself, and when the
Holy Master left my house, I lay on the ground in despair fully
convinced that I had lost everything. I was still weeping when a
car arrived at my house and I was told that the dear Master had
asked for my wife and me to join Him at the next stop on His
Punjab tour.
The Master was so merciful that He then took us on
to His next stop and even then would not let us go—we were
requested to accompany Him for the rest of the day which meant
we not only were with Him for His visits to three separate towns,
but all the time He was showing me quite silently how arrangements should be made. Thus I learnt in one day what my
thirty-five years of living had not taught me. The Holy Master
did not utter a single word about my shortcomings: He simply
showed me how things should work.
Mysterious are the ways and teachings of the Holy Master!
He
Came to
Save the Sinners
Naseeb Kaur
Long before I actually met Maharaj Ji I used to see Him
in my dreams. I, however, felt that I was being haunted by
some evil spirit, for during the day as well this figure would overshadow me even when I was engaged in domestic chores.
In June 1971 I had an opportunity to visit Delhi and to
meet Maharaj Ji. When alone with Him I said, "I recognize You
all right. But Your radiance within is far greater than it is without." He was going to explain, when I queried, "When did we
meet before?" "I know you from many lives ago," was His reply.
"When you will go within, you will see that radiance." Now I
was quite satisfied and felt convinced of His competency. Yet
there was one thing that kept rankling in my mind; I was fasting
when I had come, and it occurred to me that if Maharaj Ji was
a perfect Saint, He would help me break my fast. I had hardly
gone out of the room when a sevadar called me back. Maharaj
Ji sweetly said, "Excuse me. I am sorry. I forgot I had to help
you break your fast—come in—have a cup of tea before you go."
As commanded, I broke my fast. There was now not the least
doubt in my mind about His being God-incarnate.
One afternoon, seva was being done near the Father's
He Came to Save The Sinners
173
Home in Manav Kendra. A satsangi sister was resting on one of
the stairs leading to it. I, however, sat down to rest far below.
She called me to come up where she was sitting. I replied, "No
sister, I am the lowest of the low—a great sinner. It is His grace
that He has accepted me and granted me the gift of Naam which
I hardly deserved. I ought to have valued it more." I had just said
this when Maharaj Ji sauntered up with a walking stick in His
hand, and said, "I have come to save the sinners—the righteous
are already saved!" I told the sister that Maharaj Ji had just
come. She said, "No, it cannot be—He never stirs out at this
hour, particularly when it is hot outside." To ascertain the position, I ran to His residence. I found Tai Ji and Mohan (the
driver) resting. "Where is Maharaj Ji?" I inquired. "He is resting inside," was the reply, As I was keen to meet Him, Mohan
said, "Why now? He is resting at the moment." In the meanwhile
Maharaj Ji from inside asked him to let me enter. I went in
and inquired if He had just been outside. He said, "No, ask these
people here and make sure." Then He lovingly blessed me as if
I were His own child —but He never revealed the secret of His
bilocation.
Once we went from Dasuya to Srinagar to pay our
homage to Maharaj Ji who was staying in the house of S. Jaswant
Singh; He called me to His room and said, "Even if you are
overtaken by a serious mishap, you have not to worry at all." "
"When Your protecting hand is over my head, why should I
bother?" I replied. But inwardly I felt as if I had been stung.
On our way back, when in Jammu, Maharaj Ji put us into
meditation. While within, I saw two satsangis taking a truck
loaded with wood for my village; a satsangi was to leave his
mortal coil—and this fuel was for his cremation. That very day
when we reached home, we learned that our father had been
walking up and down outside the house, and some satsangis subsequently told us that when people inquired from him as to what
he was doing, he replied, "I am preparing to meet my Lord." He
came out of the house, was on his way to the bus stand to catch
a bus, when suddenly he collapsed and breathed his last. I kept
steady without shedding a tear; it was all His blessings; Maharaj
Ji's protecting hand was indeed over my head.
His
Word was
God's Word
Kuldip Kaur Mehta
Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji was my youngest uncle, and ever
since I can remember, His word was God's word for all of us in
the family. Whatever He said even casually turned out to be
true. My father, Sardar Prem Singh, the eldest of the three brothers, was not keeping good health. One morning, before going
to work, Maharaj Ji remarked to him that on that day there
would be one family member less. He went away, and all day
long, seeing himself the most likely subject of this prophecy, my
father kept waiting for the end. When Maharaj Ji returned and
the evening advanced, he brought up the subject. Maharaj Ji
looked surprised and said, "But did I say it was going to be you?
I never did." A little later Maharaj Ji's own son was suddenly
taken ill and in a couple of hours he was gone.
Maharaj Ji's love for everyone is proverbial. But He held
my mother in special esteem, for what reason I do not know—
maybe because she was His eldest sister-in-law. He loved us all
very much, and after my father died He gave us the love which a
father gives his children. When I was to be married, He attended
to everything and it was He who gave me away as the bride.
After the ceremony was over and I was preparing to leave with
His Word was God's Word
175
my husband, He embraced me and His parting words of advice
were: "Deepo (as He always called me) you are now going to
your husband's home and from this day that will be your home.
There are two things I want you to remember: first, never give
yourself airs on account of your parents among your in-laws and
their family; second, whenever you come to meet anyone from
your parental family, respect the privacy of your in-laws and do
not carry back any tales. If you can remember this you will be
able to avoid a good deal of trouble."
I settled down to a new way of life, and the years passed
with their ups and downs. My husband was an initiate of Hazur
Baba Sawan Singh, and he too, from his childhood, knew
Maharaj Ji very closely as he and his parents lived in Lahore.
Being on the Path and sharing this love for Maharaj Ji from our
early years has been a bond of great strength between us; but
there was one sorrow, one emptiness in my life: I had no children.
Each time I was in the family way, something would go wrong
and it would all end in disappointment. After the third such
failure, I wept bitterly, exclaiming: "Mother, my neighbors and
friends tell me this or that. Someone tells me I must be under
the shadow of some evil spirit, another tells me to go to this
shrine or to that temple, still another advises I get some charmed
thread or talisman. They want me to go to this holy man or to
that, but Mother for me Maharaj Ji is everything and I do not see
why I should go to anyone else. I cannot bring myself to it." On
my mentioning Maharaj Ji my mother (Mata Janaki) took out
a letter she had received from Him. He had remembered me and
had asked her to bring me along with her when she went to
Rajpur. "If I came," I said, "I am going to have it out with
Him! He Himself is the greatest—He can do anything. Why
doesn't He do something for me?"
I accompanied my mother to Rajpur, and we would visit
Maharaj Ji every morning. The first two days I could not muster
my courage to say anything. On the third morning, Maharaj Ji
was indoors. My mother went in but I continued to sit outside.
Seeing her, Maharaj Ji said, "Hasn't Deepo come today?" On
learning I was sitting outside, He exclaimed, "Have I put an
'out of bounds' sign outside? Then why is she outside?" And He
176
called for me to come in. My mother then said that I had come
prepared to have a row with Him. Maharaj Ji sat up on His bed
and said, "Gome right in. I am ready for the fight. Start!" He
no sooner gave the signal than I let myself go, unlocking the tale
of my woe. "You are my Guru, you are my God, You are my
everything. Then why should others have to tell me to go here of
there, to get this talisman or that?" I asked. As I let myself go,
Maharaj Ji had got up from His bed and had come to sit by me.
He comforted me and laughed at me, "So you want a talisman?
So you want a magic thread? Give me a piece of paper and we
will make a talisman for her." Tai Ji handed Him a pen and a
bit of paper and He began drawing all kinds of things on it and
handed it to me. Then after I had my say and my sobbing had
subsided, He pointed to a fruit tree outside, "Have you seen how
it grows, how it comes to flower, how from the flower the raw
fruit emerges, and how in course of time you get the ripe mango
from the raw fruit? The human body is like a tree which comes
to flower and later to fruit. Such is the nature of life." He patted me and reassured me, "Hazur's hand is always over you. You
don't have to worry. All will be well!"
Such was the magic in His words that I left completely
assured. When I was in the family way again, things began to go
wrong as in the past. My mother wrote to the Master, and He
replied suggesting that I place myself under a doctor's treatment.
He further suggested that she bring me to Rajpur. I went with
my mother, and when Maharaj Ji would come up we would have
His darshan. One day when He was visiting, He picked up my
bottle of medicine and seeing the label, began reading out with
evident amusement, " 'Male child guaranteed.' Ah ha, sure guarantee! Son for sure!" Noting the irony in His tone I told my
mother that it would be a girl for sure, not a boy.
When the time came, Maharaj Ji was in Delhi, The last
three days were extremely difficult—a nightmare. Finally on 6th
October a little past midnight I was delivered of a daughter by
Caesarean section.
Maharaj Ji came to visit me in hospital two days later
When I spoke of my acute weakness on account of the operation,
He comforted me, "What is an operation? When the plaster
His Word was God's Word
177
begins falling off the wall, the mason comes and clears it all
away, takes out all the loose bits, and replasters it. He then puts
a coat of whitewash over it and it is all the same once again, no
difference—it is perfectly the same again. An operation is like
that too. These doctors, they cut you up, fix everything in place,
stitch you up again and you are as well as you ever were. So
don't worry, you will be on your feet soon." He had only to say
these words, and it became so.
In
His
Service
Jiwan Singh
It was in 1930 that the God Power guided me to the Feet
of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. When I stood with
folded hands before that Exalted Being, He looked at me for
about five minute and then permitted me to enter the Initiation
Hall. At that time Maharaj Kirpal Singh was delivering Satsang
at Lahore, to water saplings like me. One day my youngest
brother came from his village to see me so I did not go to Satsang. That night Hazur appeared to me in a dream and rebuked
me: "An instruction was given to you, but you have overlooked
it." From that day I did not miss a single Satsang of His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh.
In addition to delivering Satsang at Lahore and Amritsar,
His Holiness was asked by Hazur to deliver Satsang in Sheikapura, a town about thirty miles away. His Holiness used to go
there by bus. He did not accept even a glass of water from
Sardar Sanghara Singh at whose residence Satsang was held; He
returned to Lahore without drinking or eating anything. The
same was the case when He went to Amritsar for Satsang.
My personal acquaintance with His Holiness Sant Kirpal
Singh started in 1938 when I was permitted to help Him collect
in His Service
179
material for Gurmat Sidhant; this afforded me the opportunity to
meet Him almost daily. His description in Gurmat Sidhant of the
relationship between Master and disciple, and the love and
respect linking them, made a great impact on all of us. I would
collect from His house whatever part of the manuscript of Gurmat
Sidhant that was ready; I would make a fair copy of it by hand,
and return it next morning.
Once when I went to collect the work, He explained some
points in the manuscript and blessed me as usual; but when I
looked back after leaving Him, I found He was still looking at
me. I looked back two or three times more—He was still standing there looking at me. I could not understand this at the time.
The next day I had a very bad fall; I had to remain in bed for
a month. It was then that I realized the grace of the Godman
had saved me from permanent injury.
One morning I entered His room, He was sleeping on a
cot. I saw His naked feet and the Padam—lotus sign. Exactly at
9:30 He got up; He praised the Guru Power for His prompt
awakening. In five minutes He was dressed, we both went downstairs, and He gave me the necessary instructions. So simple and
innocent were His ways that no one could realize He was an
officer of the Miliary Accounts Department let alone a God-inman.
After retirement in 1968, I came to Sawan Ashram and
started helping S. Bishan Singh Ji with the library work. Later
the accountancy work was also entrusted to me. I would show
His Holiness the day-to-day transactions listed in a ledger so
that He could check all the Ashram activities. This was a special
blessing to be able to have His darshan every evening before I
left the Ashram for my home. I have had my shortcomings, but
He continued showering His love on me.
I did not press any of my relatives, except my wife, to
become disciples of Hazur or of His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh.
As a duty I brought them all to Satsang so that even if they
could not accept the Path now, it may be of benefit should it be
their destiny to meet a competent Master in their next lives.
However, the Great Master was so gracious; one night my
brother-in-law could not get relief from a cough and heavy cold;
he was suddenly awakened and saw Light with the Form of
Hazur changing into that of His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh. He
was ordered by His Holiness to give up alcohol and meat, and told
there would then be no more disease. He obeyed, his health
improved, and later on the whole family willingly became disciples. Twice when their car was overturned all of them were saved.
His Holiness used to tell us, "The Savior is more powerful than
the negative power," Such blessings one can never forget.
How
We Met
The Master
Ric Finnie
The Master physically appeared before us in early September 1970. This happened in a forest in the Himalayas not far
from the source of the river Beas. My wife was present and my
son was awaiting birth.
To fully describe the experience requires a brief explanation to show how I found out who actually appeared before me
and what we were doing there at the time; all Master's wonderfull work to be sure.
Before going to India, I and a friend (who is also an initate
of Master Kirpal) heard of a boy who had the reputation of
having some inner knowledge and inner light. We decided to go
and see him. He was living five hundred miles away from our
residence and when we walked in he was sitting on the floor in
a half lotus position—he had a shining face. He talked to us, and
he showed us some pictures and gave us information on Master
Kirpal Singh. We left the residence of that boy with a boost.
About six months later when my wife and I went to India
overland from Europe we decided to spend the monsoon months
in the Himalayas. We were directed by some friend to Manali
in the Kulu Valley, a hill station well known for natural beauty,
182
snowy peaks, green forests, fast rivers, apple orchards and a number of thousand-year-old temples. It all had a very peaceful
radiation. As soon as we arrived we looked for a house to live in.
We often took walks in the forest; it was not a big forest but the
pine trees stood very tall. The forest floor was clear and light,
full of good mushrooms to gather. There was the site of the Old
Adimba Temple. This was a sacred forest in the gods' valley.
Our house was on the edge.
One day we noticed two new cars had come to the neighborhood, to the rest-house which was surrounded by an apple
orchard at the edge of the forest. The occupants attracted our
attention; we saw these people several times during the next few
days as they came and went. As we were going home through the
forest in the evening around sunset we came upon two men
seemingly out for a walk. Both were elderly Indians, one dressed in Western style, and one in the Sikh form. The one who
was a Sikh engaged me in polite conversation, asking where I
was from, and how we enjoyed India and so on. The moment He
addressed me my consciousness was immediately, irresistibly,
drawn up to the level of the third eye, and while I answered His
questions my voice was trembling. I did not know the reason for
this helplessness of mine; I noticed only His head with much
Light in the face. I was looking at Him like a child, and after a
few moments like this I realized Who He was; I exclaimed quite
loudly in a child-like way, "Oh!" He then said, "Thank you
very much," and stepped back. After that I didn't see Him anymore. No sooner had I realized who it was than He had confirmed it—I was completely intoxicated with some sort of Divine
Nectar. I must have stayed like that for three or four hours. I
didn't want to talk to anyone or be with them. Just after the
moment of meeting I started to walk home quickly as there was
no point in losing what I had just received. I had never experienced anything like that and wanted to safeguard it. Anyway, the
other man came after me and he seemed quite surprised to have
witnessed this happening. He asked in a serious way if I was a
vegetarian and was I interested in spirituality, was I meditating,
and things like that.
Anyway, before taking initiation in 1972 in Montreal,
How We Met the Master
183
Canada, we wrote to the Master and He confirmed His presence
in the forest at that time.
Our second personal meeting occurred at Hardwar during
the Kumbha Mela of 1974. I would say it is a personal souvenir
in exceptional circumstances.
My wife, my son and I attended the Conference on Unity
of Man at Sawan Ashram; when it was over we went to south
India to the place where our son had been born. After one month
we returned to Delhi, and desiring to see the Master once more,
we proceeded to Dehra Dun (Manav Kendra). Arriving there
we were told Master had left that day and there was no room so
we could not stay there at night. We heard the Master was in
Hardwar and no foreigners were to go there. As we had the
intention to see the Kumbha Mela we left for Hardwar the next
morning after a poor night in a Dehra Dun hotel. We took a
group taxi to Hardwar. We didn't know what was going on with
the Master over there and we weren't sure it would be possible
to see Him. Anyway, we started by taking a refreshing bath in
the Ganges, then we crossed the bridges over the fast flowing
river; the place was full of pilgrims. From a distance we noticed
a banner with the names of Ruhani Satsang and Kirpal Singh
on it, so we walked over the dry bed part of the Ganges where
there was a nest of camps on the opposite bank. We were happy
to find the way home but not too sure of the kind of reception
we were to expect. We arrived in the middle part of the day, the
camp was practically empty, there were a few Indian disciples,
and the Langhar staff. Master was in His tent resting. There was
another Western boy and he was also not too sure of his reception
at the Camp. In the afternoon we went into Master's tent and
Master asked where we were putting up, and if we had any
bedding, and finally agreed to let us stay in the security tent. He
told us to make the best use of our time while we were there.
Every morning and evening there was a Darshan, and the
Master would put the devotees into meditation; there was peace,
beauty, and bliss of the simplest, unforgetable quality. We had an
opportunity there to see Master doing the work of God among His
humble faithful brothers. The Master, after having put these
people into meditation, would move on to a bench on the right
184
side of the gathering, put His turban near Him on the bench,
and look lovingly all over mother earth so specially sacred and
dear to Him—He must have known that this was His last
Kumbha Mela in the old tired body He had asked to work so
much. Anyone who would have looked into His eyes at that time
would have felt deeply related and very close to Him as one
could see He was enjoying the gift of life and love in a very
sweet and penetrating fashion.
The next day was the highlight of our stay at Hardwar
with the Master, this was the opening procession of the Mela at
the end of which thousands of pilgrims go bathing together into
the sacred river.
We all went to the side of the procession route; Master
came and sat down in a chair with all His children around Him
under a freshly painted banner of Ruhani Satsang. Then we all
watched the procession. Master had a basket of garlands of
orange fragrant flowers. We could see many bands and military
men on beautiful big horses who would keep the crowd in order
and then thousands of Sadhus, Rishis, Mahatmas, and Swamis
wearing different robes in sacred colors. Thousands of naked
sadhus coming down from the mountains were bearing garlands
of orange flowers and had their long hair tied in chignons bigger
than their heads. Some naked sadhus, both male and female,
had long hair, but some had shaved heads. Others were in orange
robes, and some wearing brillant dresses were carried on flowercovered litters. Statues of gods were carried, some sadhus were
dancing, and others playing music. Many Swamis stopped at
Master's feet, and they were garlanded and embraced by Him.
The procession lasted more than two hours and it was the most
fantastic thing we ever watched. It is considered by Indians as a
great blessing to be there, and we felt there the powerful sacred
charging of mystic India in the pure tradition of all time at the
feet of our most sacred Master.
After three days and two nights, the Master left to go to
Manav Kendra, and like everybody else, we just followed.
The
Abundance of Love
B.N. Mehta
I was initiated at the age of sixteen by Baba Bagga Singh
of Tarn Taran who was an initiate of Baba Jaimal Singh. I did
not fully grasp the theory which he taught, I only remembered
the mantra which he gave me. I was God-fearing from a very
early age and I had great regard for all saints.
I heard about Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj through my
mother who used to attend His Satsangs; she pressed me to go
also, but I avoided it. I can never forget my first meeting with
the Master—it was in 1952. I was standing near our house, and
the Master came walking by with some other people. When we
passed each other I immediately knew that He was Sant Kirpal
Singh although I had never seen Him before. We stood and
stared at each other; that look I can never forget. It was that
look which brought me to His Holy Feet—although I did not go
to Him until three years later. I used to go to the office on a
bicycle, and I used to pass close to Sawan Ashram. One day my
bicycle somehow turned into the Ashram; I don't know how it
happened. There was a gathering of people, and Master was on
the dais; at that time I was not much impressed, and I soon left.
After a week my bicycle took me there again, I was drawn into
186
the Ashram. On that day the Master was not feeling well and
the Sangat was listening to a tape recording of one of His discourses—the Master was inside His house. I felt critical that the
Sangat was outside and the Master was inside His house, so again
I went away. But on the next visit I stayed for a longer time; I
received something, some pleasure, something which I can't describe—indeed nobody can describe what that pleasure is. Immediately after that Satsang it was announced that the Master
was leaving for His first foreign tour and would be away for six
or seven months. It was also announced that He would give initiation on the following day.
I felt the next six months would be a very difficult time
for me unless I had been initiated, so I felt the greatest need for
initiation. I asked my wife if she was ready for it, and although
she said she was not, both of us went next morning to the
Ashram.
We didn't know the rules of the Ashram, we just sat under
a tree about fifty feet from the Master's house; we were alone, all
the other people were standing by the gate of the Master's house
waiting for Him to come out. When the Master came out He
immediately came to us without talking to anyone else. We were
so astonished, we had never met Him before, and here He was
coming directly to us! We folded our hands in respect, Master
asked us, "You have come?" I said, "Yes." I was so very pleased
— so astonished. He then asked, "Why have you come? For initiation? All right, come along." So we sat for initiation, and with
His blessing both of us had a good experience; our spiritual life
started from that day.
I began going to the Ashram every day; I enjoyed it because at that time the Sangat was so full of love, everyone would
talk about the Master during His absence. I felt the Master was
showering love towards me and that "He is my own and I am
His."
When the Master returned He would order everyone to
keep the diary; I used to show Him my diary every day, and He
was very pleased; He guided me and helped me to reform my
life. Once at Satsang I was sitting just in front of Him—He just
looked into my eyes and what I got that day I can never forget;
The Abundance of Love
187
golden rays came from His eyes. He raised me above bodyconsciousness and I saw beams of golden Light.
Before my wife died in 1963, Master very clearly told me,
"She is leaving. You are not to worry about her soul, I'll take
care of it." He saved me from any sorrow and grief. The morning we took her mortal remains to the cremation place the Master
was holding initiation at the Ashram. I sent Him a message and
He just kept silent for a few moments. In the evening He came
to my house. My children were so very sad, they were crying.
The Master told us, "Although I was in the initiation hall this
morning I was also with you at the cremation place." These are
words which I can never forget—"I was with you there." How
much love He gave me at that time!
Then He brought me closer to His Holy Feet; He gave me
some seva, construction work, and afterwards the general
management of the Ashram. Master told me that before I started
any work I should always consult Him; He would sometimes
scold me if I did anything without getting His permission first.
On one occasion a certain satsangi had repeatedly imposed
himself on the Master; the Master had already devoted time to
him. Later, when the Master walked out of His house, he tried
to stop Him once again. This time the Master decided to ignore
him, and He walked on. The satsangi was in great distress and
called out, "For the sake of Hazur You must talk to me!" The
moment he mentioned the name of Baba Sawan Singh the Master
stopped at once and returned to talk to him. I was standing
nearby and afterwards the Master remarked to me that since He
had been called in the name of His Guru He had no choice but
to stop; such was His reverence for the name of His Master.
Once a young woman came to see the Master. After the
usual greetings the Master asked her, "Anything new?" She had
nothing to report, so He said again, "Are you sure you have
nothing new to tell me?" She then remembered that the day before a centipede had got onto her hand. Master asked her what
she had done about it. "I just panicked and cried, 'Oh Maharaj
Ji!' and tried to shake it off." "And did it come off?" the Master
asked, "Oh Maharaj Ji, it came right off through Your grace."
On hearing this Master looked at her and then at all the sat-
188
sangis present and said, "Even the insects and animals listen to
me—it is only you humans who do not."
I was once on tour with the Master, and we visited Ludh¬
iana. At Satsang there I happened to see a holy man who
looked rather like Baba Bagga Singh, my first Guru. Seeing this
resemblance I began to remember my former teacher, and I had
an intense desire to have his darshan again, especially as he
lived in those very parts. Later in the evening the Master invited
me to go for a walk with Him. As we walked about the streets
I suddenly found myself outside a house where Baba Bagga Singh
was sitting on the veranda. Leaving me there the Master turned
and walked rapidly away. He had answered my wish, but for
my part I was frightened—was it possible that He was angry
with me and that was why He had left me so suddenly and
quickly? I hurried after Him but no matter how fast I walked
the Master walked much faster and I could not catch up with
Him.
During His last days on earth the Master gave us many
hints of His coming departure. On about August 14th Master
was lying on the roof terrace in the evening. Dr. Harbhajan
Singh suggested that His bed be moved away from under the
tree, adding that it was not healthy to be there. The Master remarked, "There aren't many days left. But if you must," and
motioned for the bed to be moved. When I remarked to Him,
"You give us such an abundance of Your love in such excess, and
we don't deserve it," He replied, "It will not go on like this."
He said this only a few days before the end, and I did not realize
His meaning.
Coming
to His Feet
Rudolf Cascone
If this article causes any reader the least displeasure I most
humbly beg for forgiveness from the loving heart of His Holiness
Sant Kirpal Singh.
I was born in New York and lived in Brooklyn and Long
Island for many years—everyone knows how city life can tincture
one's personality. Resentment is an easy thing to acquire as an
accepted mode of social behaviour. It is only when one meets a
Living Example of True Love and Holiness that all these social
modes begin to depart and one begins to move in, and be motivated by love for God's creation, all humanity and all nature.
Sometimes at moments of despair my heart would cry out
for truth and love from God, and would wish there was a true
Path to follow with others of the same mind searching for true
love and fellowship.
My prayer was answered in the God-form of my cousin. She
would be my direct link to this Path. She was involved in yogas,
spiritual and mystical circles with which I had had only brief
encounters. But the message was so clear that now was to be the
time for me to make myself ready, and my cousin would lead me
to the truth.
190
I had already left my job some four years ago and had
moved to Florida as I knew that whatever would happen would
happen there.
After a few weeks of being associated with my cousin, her
family and friends, my whole life was being drastically changed
and overhauled. Truth was being stressed in my work and relationship between individuals. After attending a few meditation
meetings at a Unity Church, strange and wonderful things were
taking place. I would hear trumpets all around and at different
times, telling me to wake up, wake up, the time has come. At
first I would suppose it to be outside on the radio or a passing
car, but later I found it to be within myself. Then my cousin introduced me to a young couple who lived next door to her who
were initiates of Master Kirpal Singh; I was advised to read
Morning Talks and other books of the Master.
From the experiences and dreams I was having, my cousin
deduced that something of a great nature was about to happen
to me and perhaps it was linked up with this great Saint from
India who was coming to the West. The eventful day arrived in
December 1972 when the Master would appear at the Galt Ocean
Mile Hotel in Florida. We were driving along the route towards
the Hotel and all along the trumpets were still in my ear, but
once we were within a mile or so of the Hotel it stopped; all
was silence.
There were hundreds of people there as we awaited the
Master. Later my cousin said that around me was a pink aura.
The Master had a star in His right eye as He gave darshan to
everyone. My cousin said He looked just like a big babe sitting
there. We went the next night to see Him, and we all took initiation papers not knowing if it was the right thing to do. I wrote
my cousin a letter the day after expressing my doubts as to the
Master's authenticity and expressed these doubts verbally to her,
to which she replied that He was, in her estimation genuine—a
true Saint. She told me to sit on the beach with her husband
who was in the same boat as I was in. It now came to me at this
point to sacrifice all doubt. I knew she was right and I knew I
would have to take the first step forward towards the Master.
This I did that very day. There was a meeting in a local high
Coming to His Feet
191
school which I attended where the Master was speaking. The
Master was to have two meetings here, one in the afternoon and
one in the evening. As I was early, I browsed around and looked
at some books. Two books struck my eye: Mystery of Death and
Spirituality. I watched two young men struggle over which book
to buy, when one finally chose Mystery of Death this decision made
me choose the other book, which was more of a beginner's introduction to the Path. I sat down on the right side of the auditorium awaiting the Master. I felt that a decision made on my
own without any prompting was the right and only way to make
any sense. I was all alone now and it was just myself and a Saint;
I needed help.
My mind was revolting from the position in which the self
had placed it. It now realized it would have to sacrifice everything at the Feet of this Master and was so outlandish in its
requests I fain repeat them here for fear of shocking some dear
ones. I truly needed help, and at an appropriate time while
looking at the book on my lap-a light flashed from its cover and
struck the eye of someone sitting in the row behind me. He
waited for a moment and then got up and sat next to me introducing himself. He told me how he had a difficult time deciding
to be initiated. He pointed out a passage where the Master said
He would accept anyone on an experimental or trial basis to see
for himself the worth and value and competency of the Master
and the Path.
I had already decided to be initiated and needed no
prompting in this, but I was grateful for the company and
friendliness sent by the God Power overhead. The struggle continued however, as the Master came down the aisle towards
me I was in a turbulent strife and not wanting to even be
near Him. As the crowd surged forward I too was pushed to
within a few feet from where the Master would pass. I was now
the first on the aisle. I repeated my wish not to be so close but
my new friend insisted it would be my pleasure. Here I waited
for the Master to pass by. With hands folded I greeted Him. He
walked on His toes and as He walked He was aware of everything and everyone being very careful and gentle. He was dressed
in white. As He came to me His whole body took hold and He
192
rose within Himself to a tight strain as if He were walking on
the edge of a wire. I knew He had felt all my turbulent emotions
and hostility.
The Master spoke for a while, and after answering many
questions, the meeting ended. But now the turbulence was multiplied and I left the building to ride about in my car, and reevaluate what had taken place. My mind was now so against
Him that it was only through sheer obstinate will, and the righteousness which was saying this is the last chance I had in life
and I should not lose it at any cost, which drew me back.
Back again at the high school I was found by my new
friend. He now told me I should be seated in a more appropriate
seat. He took a pillow he had and placed it right at the Feet of
the Master, and made me sit there. Thanks to the Master I have
never had any more trouble of this nature. The mind had accepted Him by His Grace. The next day was initiation day and we
were told not to eat anything, but a little tea was acceptable. I
arrived early at the Women's Club in Ft. Lauderdale, and the
previous evening I had made sure of its location. My cousin had
mentioned to me to be aware of every detail of moments of
importance like this. So each step was noted, what number was
given to me as I signed the register and where I should sit: on
the Master's right and in the front row.
The Master came with a few other disciples. It was a
beautiful morning. As the instructions were being given we all
settled down and meditation began. I had not been aware of
hardly anyone else except the Master and my eyes were from the
last days enlarged and slightly extended from the sockets. So in
meditation I could not keep them closed for any length of time,
and naturally they opened; to my surprise I found the Master
was seated on a chair directly in front of me looking straight at
me. As I looked at Him, He was not angry, rather He was smiling.
We seemed to be talking to each other. He said, "Oh, you caught
me." But I said, "Oh no, it is You who have caught me." Then
as I looked deeper I asked, "Who are You?" And it was then
that He separated Himself into layers right in front of my eyes.
Each layer or each part separate from each other; and He would
change color also, from light to dark and vice versa. I then
Coming to His Feet
193
closed my eyes in respect, and the Master came down with such
agility it sounded as if He were bouncing down to where I was
and came around in back of me where He bent my head forward
and pressed my eyes back into my sockets.
I had good experience from then on and kept my head bent
forward in a humble manner and received His grace of Naam,
burning the seed of karmic impressions so as to make them not
take root, all by His grace. The Master then blessed our food and
left for His hotel and a little later, the airport.
So He came, this wondrous Godman from the East to give
His priceless jewel of love and grace of which my heart and soul
were to know its worth only later.
Memories
of Meetings
With the Master
Michael Ravens
It was not a planned trip but the urge became too great to
resist. I arrived in Washington, D.G. September 20, 1972. The
excitement intensified by the second. The first thing I noticed
was that the people were all intoxicated floating on a cloud,
radiating peace and love. I thought to myself, yes, I've come to
the right place. I entered the American Legion Hall in Fairfax,
Virginia and waited for the arrival of the Master. The moment
I had been waiting for arrived. Master walked in, or should I
say floated in on the waves of a blissful river. Master turned
around to greet and hug an old disciple. This shocked me because
as I mentioned, it appeared as if He was floating in on a river
and a river only goes in one direction. Well, this river just turned
around mid-stream. I realized a little of the power of this great
being. I enjoyed five days of spiritual growth and then had to
part. It was two weeks after our parting that the impact of our
meeting manifested in tears. I, to some extent, realized what an
ocean of love I was in and I was feeling the pangs of separation.
I now awaited anxiously for the Master's arrival in Florida
on December 2nd. During this interval, with the grace of the
Master, I grew a great deal in man-making and was putting in
Memories of Meetings With the Master
195
more time to my spiritual practices. Master swept Florida like
monsoon rains, watering everyone's field to capacity. Of course
the most inspiring moment of eyes into eyes cannot be recorded,
but there are two events that stand out prominently in my mind.
The first was an out-door banquet at Sunnie Cowen's home.
Master related the story of the banquet that Lord Vishnu arranged where he invited the gods and goddesses and the others. He
said, "Eat to your heart's content, but my condition is—don't
bend your elbows." The demons thought, "Well, how can we eat if
we don't bend our elbows? Lord Vishnu is making a mockery of
us." And they left in a huff. Now the gods and goddesses thought,
"Lord Vishnu has said this, it must have some meaning." They
soon figured out, "If we feed each other, we won't bend our elbows. And all can enjoy the beautiful feast." Master said, "Well,
you have this feast before you. My condition is: don't bend your
elbows." Master chuckled and went into the house. At this point,
I had my plate filled and commenced going about trying to feed
others. Most declined, and a few accepted saying, "Isn't that
cute. Master was only joking." After about fifteen or twenty
minutes, having no one willing to be fed, and not having a morsel
in my mouth, I bent my elbows. When the meal was over,
Master came out and His first question was, "How many did not
bend their elbows?" My hand started to go up, and came down
fast. Oh, the pain of not having His pleasure!
The second event that impressed me strongly was Master's
departure from Florida. This was His last stop in North America.
About one or two hundred people went to have the last sight of
the Master at the airport. A chair was brought for Master and
we all sat at His Feet. No words were spoken for twenty minutes
Master was just filling our souls with His Darshan. A thought,
a prayer, or call it what you may, welled up in me: "Full of sins
am I. Will You wash me clean?"Master looked at me directly in
the eyes and shook His head, "Yes."
A few moments later a jet-set looking woman saw the crowd
crying (everyone was crying) and she ventured forward to Master
and asked, "Why are these people crying?" Master looked her
straight in the eyes and said, "Love." And the next thing she was
crying with us.
196
I again had the good fortune to be with our Master from
July 23rd to August 21st, 1973. One of the first things He said to
me was. "Forget America, forget your home, forget your family,
forget your friends. The purpose you've come here for is to improve in your meditations." Well and fine, but, my mother said
to send her love, to thank the Master for His blessings, and to
request His grace. I was stuck! After about three days of carrying
the burden I wrote a note stating the above and put it on the
Master's chair before the Darshan talk. Master came in and picked up the letter, gave it His undivided attention for about ten
minutes. He asked, "Who put this here?" I raised my hand. He
asked, "How long have you been here?" I said, "Three days."
He then chuckled and said, "Oh, you must have forgotten to
give it to me."
One night Master had a tea party for the sevadars (those
doing service during the July Bhandara). Master was serving
them and we were invited. We were each served a plate of confections and a cup of tea. I had put a confection into my mouth
but was so captivated by the Master's radiant beauty and charm
that my mouth remained half open with confection in it. Master
bent over and looked me straight in the eyes, and with a humorous glance said, "Chew, chew!" Master chuckled and His humor
infected everybody.
One day in August 1973, Master was sick so the Darshans
were cancelled. On the following day Master was still sick, but
He had us called to His room saying He wanted our darshan.
Prior to going to Master, I had been reading The Crown of Life.
After we left Master's room I realized I had left the book there.
I was a little bit afraid to go back up and intrude on the Master.
I approached Master's door as silent as a mouse and looked
to the back of the room where I was sitting: no book!
Master had taken His turban off and was lying down. (There
were only a few seconds between our leaving and my return).
Master looked up and said, "Did you lose something?" I said,
"I thought I left a book here." Master struck a pun, "Oh, you
lost your crown." He laughed, produced the book which was
hidden behind Him, and presented it to me.
The day came only too soon when I had to leave. It was
Memories of Meetings With the Master
197
August 21st, 1973. At the evening Darshan Master told me to
come see Him before I left. The Westerners had been invited to
dinner this evening by Tai Ji's daughter, Pushpa. But I thought
it would be better to spend my last evening in meditation. The
time of my departure neared. I went to Master's house, but
could not get in. The doors were locked. I was able to wake a
man who was sleeping on Master's porch, but the inner door was
locked and he didn't have the key. I was very upset. I went to
the kitchen and made a cup of tea. I wondered, "Will I go without seeing the Master?" Suddenly all the Westerners pulled up.
Harcharan Singh, who was with them, had the key and he opened
the door. Master was sitting up waiting for me. Master said
some beautiful words and patted me on the back. Harcharan
took two Polaroid photos of me at the Master's Feet. Master took
the photos and handed me one, saying, "This one is better." He
took it back, and dated and autographed it. I left that house in
such high spirits that I had a smile on my face which I was unable to remove. I tried to pull it down forcibly with my hands,
but was unable to succeed. The love was radiating so strong that
I didn't feel the pain of parting.
Master's overflowing grace permitted me to visit Him
again from June 23rd to August 16th, 1974. Whoever dreamed
He would leave? That beautiful Form that we loved so dear is
no longer with us, but His unbounded Love will Work for
eternity.
In
Wonder
and Awe of
His Perfect Presence
Richard Handel
I was initiated in 1970, but was not able to be in the
physical presence of our Beloved Master until He came to the
United States in 1972 on His third world tour. My first
memory of our Master was in Washington. I still vividly recall
that just before He came through customs at the Washington
airport everything was quiet. Then all the babies started to cry.
Then the Master came out and many of His bigger children
started to cry. By any standard of judgement that I know, and
by all known historical accounts, the most spiritually advanced
person ever to visit the Western Hemisphere was embarking on
His visit to the United States. My mind stopped at the thought;
we could have but a small idea of the Being we were to encounter.
The Master was giving a talk a few nights later. I was
sitting at His Feet. He seemed to be constantly looking at me
through His talk. My body was wracked with sobs as our eyes
were locked in mystic embrace. At last, at last, I was in communion with the Lord. God had come down from the Beyond
and put on a body of flesh to take us back to His Home. I could
only cry my thanks to Him for allowing me to witness such
perfection. Nothing else was wanted, nothing else could be added;
In Wonder and Awe of His Perfect Presence
199
all was perfect. It was real, the most real thing that ever happened to me. Here was total happiness.
I remember being strongly attracted to the pictures of Baba
Sawan Singh; He seemed to be the most beautiful being that
could ever grace the human form. About a week after the Master
had arrived in Washington, I was having His darshan when His
form changed into that of Baba Sawan Singh for what seemed
like the rest of His talk. My heart was pierced to be able to see
the physical form of Hazur. Through His grace, Kirpal was
granting me my wish to see the Great Master, showing me that
the same Power was working at a different human pole. Though
Hazur would often again manifest through Kirpal, my desire to
see Hazur lessened as my desire to see our Beloved Master grew.
During another talk in Washington, my mind was unduly
disturbed by unloving thoughts towards a satsangi brother. I
was to aid in bringing the taping equipment to another site for
a talk that our Master was going to give. Master put us in
meditation and then had to leave to be in time for His next talk.
I also left to help transport the tape equipment. I was disturbed
with my brother because he had borrowed my car to go on an
errand without asking me and I did not know where it was. I
angrily asked him where the car was and reprimanded him for
his behavior. As it turned out, the car was parked outside the
hall instead of at the motel where we were staying. I walked
down to have our Master's darshan as He was leaving. However
the driver of His car had misplaced the keys. Another car was
looked for but the owner was not found.
It then occurred to me that I could offer my services. So
Mr. and Mrs. Khanna got in the back. Our Master got in front
and we started driving to the Khanna's house. The ride was
like the most beautiful fairy tale. It was in the morning and there
seemed to be no other cars on the road. The sun was streaming
down. Mr. Khanna remarked, "You know, you're very lucky to
have the Lord in your car." I agreed. After a timeless time we
arrived at the Khanna's where I thanked the Master for allowing
me to drive Him. In His inimitable way He replied, "That's all
right." I learned that if the Master wants to shower His grace
on you, He'll do it no matter how impossible the circumstances
200
I also learned that I should not get angry with anyone as there
is something divine behind everything.
The three month tour of the United States and Canada
seemed like one long period of intoxication. He put us in meditation in the morning, answered questions in the afternoon, gave
talks at night and invariably gave us His darshan in small groups
in the afternoon and late evening. To hear about the Path of the
Masters and to gain the understanding of the theory is a blessing
I did not even hope for years ago—to be aware of the fact that
there was a Living Master, was astounding. But to actually come
in contact with Him—surely the greatest Master of all time—
receive His life impulse through initiation, makes the mind stop,
in disbelief. We certainly must be puppets of a Higher Power,
because none of this could have happened through our own
efforts.
I was fortunate enough to be able to come to India for six
weeks in November and December 1973. As incredible as my
time with the Master seemed on His world tour, it was even
more so in India. It is humbling to see how much the Master
gives. It's impossible to know how much He can give. I had
thought that we had been blessed with His frequent darshan in
the States, but here in India it seemed almost non-stop. We
would go over to His house in the morning at about 8:30 and
He would talk with us. Later He would attend to His Indian
devotees. From 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. would be the lunch break, then
back to the Master's house until 9:00 or 10:00 at night. I became
like an addict and wanted only to look at Him. I was at times
perhaps over-zealous, but I could not help myself.
During the time I was there, our Master went on His tour
to Bombay and we were also allowed to go. On some of the stops
we saw the encouraging scene of some dear ones lying prostrate.
People tried bringing them back to this plane of consciousness,
but sometimes met with little success. During one initiation,
Master gave some children a sitting for the Sound. After a while
the Master came back to take them out of meditation. He went
up to one boy and knocked him on the head rather forcefully.
Nothing happened. Someone offered to help. The Master laughingly said, "Leave him—he's in samadhi."
In Wonder and Awe of His Perfect Presence
201
Back at the Ashram Master continued to pour out His grace
making each one think that he received something extra from
Him. Occasionally He allowed me to come upstairs to His bedroom to look at Him as He was doing His correspondence or
meeting with individuals. The room was saturated with His
Radiant Presence and everything took on a wondrous unearthly
hue.
My last memory of our Beloved Most Perfect Master
was December 31, 1973. My plane arrangements had been
changed once, and I had said good-bye to the Master for what I
thought was the last time on three separate occasions. It was late
at night and the Master was up in His room with Gyani Ji. I
went into that charged atmosphere and thanked the Master for
giving so much to me. I told Him that I hoped I could keep
His commandments. His eyes were speaking to me in a language
only He can fully understand. He was smiling and I was smiling
that gigantic smile which our Master alone can make appear. I
bowed my head onto His Lotus Feet in gratitude for giving that
which no one but God can give. He patted me on the back with
His silken touch of love and laughingly said, "Go jolly." Our
eyes met and all was perfection.
The sweet memories of our True Beloved are forever embedded in our hearts. We can only be grateful that He chose to walk
among us for a time. May His passing from the earth bring us
closer to Him in the Beyond.
The
Forming of
Manav Kendra of Maine
Sean Sieglen
Master shocked and overjoyed us members of the then named "Kirpal Goat Farm" in April, 1972, by replying to our descriptive letter of the farm, "During my tour we will be able to discuss as to whether your place should be an Ashram or Manav
Kendra."
When Master came the following September, I got up the
courage to go see Him at Sharma's farm. As I broached the subject of our place in Maine, Master said, "Oh, we will talk about
that at Sant Bani," and that was that.
I should perhaps mention here that in 1969 my wife,
Pamela, and I were informed by dreams and meditations to
come to Maine and build a "house of God," quite before the
following year when we were actually brought to the Path. We
did in fact find the 240 acres that became Manav Kendra and
immediately built the 30 ft. x 24 ft. Meditation Hall according to
the inner guidance, but we had no idea why we should be doing so.
So
Mainers
nervous,
faltering
in mid-October of the tour our little group of a dozen
showed at Master's cottage at Sant Bani. I was extremely
but like a loving grandfather He nurtured along my
thoughts. He drew out of me what we did for work, our
The Forming of Manav Kendra of Maine
203
meditation schedule, and our plans for the future. He talked
about our goats and alluded to a future school. Then He looked
around the room and chuckled, "Well, should I go up there?"
Khanna Ji, Reno, and Ben Ringel all assured Master that it was
too far and that they would take care of visiting; and although I
didn't want to tire Him out, I was disappointed because He had
written to me, "We will see about visiting your farm on the tour,
God willing." But it was not meant to be.
Sudden activities prevented Ben and Khanna from going,
so only Reno, expert realtor, rancher, and appraiser, went; his
evening report to Master was glowing—and so was Master.
He called for photographs and patted me on the back
several times. "Do your best, and leave the rest to God," He
said.
On the next night (our third meeting) I still didn't know
what Master was creating in Maine. At Reno's behest I wrote
down on a piece of paper; 1. Kirpal Manav Kendra, 2. Sadachar
Manav Kendra, 3. Sadachar Ashram, 4. Your choice. He read
the possibilities.
"We have enough isms," He said, so deleted the name
'Kirpal.' "And Sadachar just means morality, but this place is
more than that. It is for spiritual purposes. Why not just Manav
Kendra?" Some in the room thought that He went on to say
that we should even Americanize it and say Man Center; others
heard the opposite; but I was ecstatic in any case, for the Master
had given us affirmation. Manav Kendra of Maine had officially
become the Master's spiritual residence.
Later during the tour Master spoke with us two or three
more times about how to run the Center, laying stress on manmaking, standing on one's own legs, and common sense. For me
all that Master had led us to, intimated in letters, and caused to
become paramount in our lives, had been wrought, and in Florida
He gave His blessing before leaving the States.
On the back of one of Reno's business cards, Master had
carefully written to me—"Start in darkness, and let your light
illumine all the area around you." And with His grace we are
now able to do so.
*
*
*
204
In the fall of 1972 I suddenly found myself bereft of the
first two fingers of my left hand, owing to the whirling tooth of
a firewood-saw at Manav Kendra, Maine. As I lay on the
ground before going to the hospital, I prayed silently to the
Master, "Please let this set my accounts straight for my recent
misdeeds."
The next day in a hospital bed I lay once more—left arm
bandaged and right arm taped to an I.V. I was told that I had
been four hours in the operating room, and that the wounds had
been quite filled with debris. Yet all had gone well, I was informed, though I should have realized that such amount of dirt
forebode much danger. In actuality the doctor decided that I
should be kept in the dark that he expected me to lose my whole
hand from infection.
Meanwhile, my wife had notified our friend, Judith Perkins, who in turn wrote to Russell, sitting at Master's feet in
Delhi. On my behalf, dear Russell said, "Master, Sean Sieglen
has had some fingers cut off."
Master Kirpal replied, "Yes, I know. But at least he didn't
lose the whole hand."
"Oh, but Master," said Russell, "they expect him to!"
Russell later told me that Master responded in a very firm
tone. "No, no! How can you think such a thing? No, I tell you.
The fingers are lost, but he is saved. The fingers are lost, but he
is saved."
To the doctor's pleasant surprise, absolutely no infection
occurred, and I soon dismissed myself to go home and do the
haying.
People often mention that the loss must be severe for me,
but I find I never think of it, except as an intimate reminder of
the closeness of the Master, in both reprimand and protection.
God
Takes Care
of His Children
Ben Ringel
When the Master was on His third world tour in 1972, I
had the pleasure to be with Him throughout His visit to the
United States. As we were leaving Boston, Massachusetts, for
Sant Bani Ashram, the following incident occurred.
Mr. Nicholson, in whose car we were driving the Master,
was very concerned about the weather forecast for the next three
or four days. The forecasts were for cold weather and heavy
snows. This was of great concern because most of the satsangis
were to be accommodated outdoors in tents.
During our stay at Sant Bani Ashram, we had bitter cold
weather but no snow. Upon leaving, a remark was made that it
snowed all around the vicinity of the Ashram, although at Sant
Bani there was no snow. Master replied, "The Love that was
generated at Sant Bani Ashram melted the snow that was to fall
there." I said, "Really?" Master replied, "Don't you think God
takes care of His children?"
It
is the
Master Who
finds the Disciple
David Helion
It is all due to the boundless mercy of the Almighty that I
was initiated by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj into the Path of
the Masters which takes the human soul from the gross plane of
matter into the pure spiritual regions and Beyond where it
becomes one with Him.
I was born in France and from a tender age I had been
looking for Truth and often I was asking my father about God,
fate, and destiny.
Throughout my adolescence, Christianity helped me to
understand that life had to be lived in a pure way, by pure means
and with high ideals according to the words of Christ, but it
failed to give me the profound experience of the divinity which I
was searching for.
In 1968, when I was nineteen, I felt so tired of the Western
way of life that I decided to go to South America in search of a
better way. There I was fortunate enough to spend two years in
almost complete retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life, in the
tropical jungle working on a farming project. In that surrounding my faith in God strengthened. The beautiful contact with
Mother Nature opened my heart and mind to the invisible will
It is the Master Who finds the Disciple
207
of the Creator.
Life had revealed its sacred character to me, but in which
direction had I to proceed? Although these years in the jungle
had been a positive experience I could not find in the solitude
of the mountains a satisfactory answer to the mystery of life.
Different experiences followed, going from one extreme to the
other: intense traveling, life in communes, use of drugs, a bit of
yoga and esoterism, studies of ancient civilization— a little of
all the things of the Aquarian Age, but no definitive solution was
to be found there.
At twenty-three, I was depressed by trying to face a life
which I could not understand; I had reached a stage where there
was nothing else to do but to pray to God that He should show
me the way back to my True Home. I knew by intuition that
only a True Master could help me to reach the goal. Finally,
one day I had an extraordinary vision with open eyes as I was
wandering alone, lost in prayer and reflection. I suddenly saw
in the clouds a gigantic head with a long white beard and
beautiful radiant blue eyes. I thought it was a deity who had
appeared in response to my search; my faith in God was subsequently confirmed. Later the same year I was walking alone
along a huge sandy beach by the Pacific Ocean. I had been
praying to God that He should manifest to me, and indicate to
me the way. I was very lost and my mind was confused and my
heart was in pain and the emptiness of the sky seemed to reflect
the deep inertia in which I was; it looked like there was no chance
to get out of this state. The sun was setting, night was approaching and it seemed that Nature was not going to speak to me that
day. Suddenly lots of clouds silently arrived and in no time
formed an amazing sunset with the most unusual colors and
shapes—in the middle was a triangle of shining clouds and the
silhouette of an old sage appeared to me, remaining for a few
moments. He was sitting cross legged and was quietly looking at
me, as though contemplating the whole universe from his high
abode. After some time the form slowly turned into an Om sign
and then faded away. From that day I knew that some great
event was to take place in my life.
Only a few weeks after this vision I came across a poster in
208
Mexico City showing a man from India, wearing a white turban,
with blue radiant eyes shining in His noble face. He had a long
white flowing beard. To me He looked like a true sage. Just by
looking at the picture the feeling of quietness filled me; and by
the grace of God, this Divine Guide came to me in the physical
form in Mexico, December 1972. I had never heard of Sant
Kirpal Singh before that glorious day but when He arrived in
Mexico I was drawn to Him like iron to a magnet.
The meetings were to take place in a central hotel downtown. The Conference Hall was filled with people waiting for the
Master's arrival. The atmosphere was very charged and quiet.
When the Master came everybody stood up. I could not distinguish anything because of the crowd. He was walking very slowly
with folded hands looking carefully into everybody's eyes. The
silence was intense. He had an air of majesty and grandeur although His manners were humble and simple. Words of peace
and wisdom gently flowed from Him with a magic power which
brought quietness to my intricate mind.
That evening He came back to find a larger audience; there
were people from every age, background, and race. The hall was
completely filled. This time the Master showed me another aspect of His personality. Before breaking the silence, He contemplated the dense gathering for a few minutes with His eyes shining like stars and suns. From His whole body, radiation of a
supreme nature was abundantly shed upon us. Although I was
not familiar with His teachings, I knew that we were sitting in
the presence of a great man. The Master spoke about the Science
of the Soul as the only way to connect man with God and He
stressed the necessity of self-reform and a pure life.
When the meeting was over I was in such a state of obliviousness that I remained there. A disciple of the Master came
to me talking about the greatness of this Guru and told me to
come the next day to the initiation. Although I didn't know how
important it was, I felt I had to come. I was not doing anything
by myself, but was following an energy current which was directing me. The next morning after the usual formalities, we were
taken to a large room where we waited for the Master. When
He finally arrived the whole room became silent. From His eyes
It is the Master Who finds the Disciple
209
a source of harmony was springing, a stream of peace was surging, a river of compassion was flowing, an ocean of Light was
glimmering, and the Master in a most courteous and gentle way
started to give us the instructions for correct and accurate meditations focussed on the God Who lives within us in the depths of
our souls. And in a very simple manner a hundred of us were
given the most precious gift that human beings may ever receive
—the sacred boon of Naam, a contact with the Light and Sound
within.
By the grace of God we were born into a new life. The
Path which I had been looking for a number of years had been
revealed; the voice for which I had called in my prayers had
answered, and the door for which I had searched had opened.
The next morning we all gathered at His Feet and the
Master put us into meditation. Afterwards He asked us about
our inner experience of Light and Sound. When my turn came I
raised my hand and stood up trembling, shy like a baby. The
Master had appeared within and had talked to me. And then in
front of everybody Sant Kirpal Singh asked me what the Master
had said. I answered, "Silence." Then the Master said, "Mental
silence." These are the only words which the Master has ever
spoken to me directly, but they are still living in me.
Joy to the world, peace to all creation, hail to the Satguru
who sows the sacred Light deep into our being forever, forever
lasting, and tears were flowing from my eyes.
The Master comes to unite His children with the Supreme
One.
Parshad
from The Lord
S. K. Kapur
I came to the Feet of His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj in 1959, and I was blessed with the Holy Naam in 1962
From this time until His Holiness left His physical body there
have been so many memorable occasions and instances never
to be forgotten but to be buried along with my body.
It so happened that once in 1973 the Beloved Master was
to visit the residence of some satsangis in connection with a
marriage ceremony. I and my wife had previously put in a request for the Beloved Master to grace our place also with His
Holy Feet, to which the Lord agreed. The visit was fixed for
6:00 p.m. So at about 5:50 p.m. we reached the marriage place;
the first thing we did was to inquire about the Beloved Master's
arrival. To our great surprise we were told that He had come
at 5:30 and had left at 5:45—just five minutes before we got
there! We were both in a condition of turmoil—what to do,
what not to do—our question and the reply to our question, all
this drama was played out just at the doorway of the marriage
tent. Instead of going inside the tent we turned towards our
home, but on the way we thought of going instead to Sawan
Ashram, as we were told that the Beloved Master had gone back
Parshad from the Lord
there.
When we reached the Ashram we entered the Kothi (the
glace where the Lord was residing), and we saw Him sitting on
the bed in the last room. In the veranda we met with S. Avtar
Singh Ji Oberoi to whom we narrated that whole incident, of
course cursing ourselves that we had missed that golden chance
of taking the Lord to our place. He replied that I should have
told him about this, so that he could have reminded the Lord
when returning from the marriage place. In the first room Pandit
Brij Mohan met us, and on hearing our story also consoled us—
but for us these words were not enough, the wound was so much
deeper than the soothing effect of their words. On seeing this,
and sensing our bad position, Pandit Brij Mohan pushed us inside the last room where the Lord was eating an apple by peeling
it Himself with a knife.
On seeing us at the entrance, the Lord, in His own remarkable manner, with the indication of His Holy finger, called us
inside, and we went and sat at His Holy Feet near the bed on
which He was sitting. The Lord inquired the reason of our
coming and also about our being in the bad shape we were in.
My wife narrated everything very carefully, seeing that nothing
remained untold. On hearing this, first the Lord laughed
whole-heartedly and then said, "What is my fault in this?" My
wife told Him, "My Beloved Master, You visited the marriage
place before the scheduled time and came back to the Ashram
without visiting our place!" The Lord replied, "The marriage
people came and took me before the time. Now let us make a
deal—do you want me to visit your place now or at some other
time?" On this my wife replied, "Now!" The Lord said, "You
are very clever, you do not want to leave anything on credit.
You want to cash the promise right now." My wife, who was
weeping in spite of all sorts of consolation by the Beloved
Master, did not move an inch, but while weeping kept saying
one word between her sobs—"Now!"
Then the Lord said, "All right, you take this piece of apple
(which the Beloved Master had peeled with a knife for Himself)
and let us compromise. You see, if I go now, your foreign brother
satsangis whom I have already put in meditation, will be late
212
for their dinner if they are not told to leave off meditation."
This gracious parshad my wife at first refused. Then when
the Lord started wiping her tears with His handkerchief, pressing
her shoulders, urging her to take the apple, she finally agreed.
In between these happenings (the quarrel between the Father
and His daughter, the Master and His disciple, which was enjoyable), the Lord said, pointing towards me, "Look, he has agreed
with me. He is not angry with me." And then while offering me
the second quarter of the apple He said, "You also take this and
eat before me," which I did. From there we came out of the
house with the Master and went towards the Satsang Hall, where
the foreign brothers were still sitting in meditation.
Extracts
from a diary
kept in 1973
Katie McCluney
5th May 1973: Master asked us about our meditations and if
we had any questions. We had none, and Master settled back on
the little couch, and with the twinkliest expression began: In
India, if you are on pension, you must sign a paper that says
you were alive all the twelve months you received the pension.
You must do that for the Government each year. (We all
laughed.) Yes—prove you were living all the twelve months! So
once I said to Hazur, 'I'm going to have Your pension stopped!'
'What! why?' said Master, looking very surprised in imitation
of Hazur. 'Because You are not alive all the twelve months—
You die daily!' and then He laughed so sweetly.
11th May: Someone said to Master, "I am very impatient
with myself and with others." He asked, so sweetly, so sympathetically, "Impatient with yourself? It is one thing that you might
be impatient with others, but you are impatient with yourself?
Why?" The disciple replied, "Because I don't try hard enough,
Master." "Oh," He said, "don't be impatient. Rome was not built
in a day, and all that hurry spoils things. You are anxious, you
are clutching—you stand in your own way. Just sit at my door
and wait. Don't be impatient...I will come for you."
214
Another told Master she was having difficulty in meditation, always thinking, "Don't watch the breathing." Master
said, "No, no. That is the negative way. If she is my enemy and I
say 'I won't think of her—I won't think of her!' then I am always
thinking of her. So you must simply forget the breathing and
absorb yourself."
One man said, "My diary looks like America's national
debt." Master said laughing "No, no—all other countries are in
America's debt. America has no debt." (Everyone laughed.) The
man said, "Well, every step I take I must mark down a mistake.
I try to be humble, to put myself out of the way, but I just keep
failing." And Master advised, "Your intellect is working too
much. You are always scaling. If you try to be humble you are
still only thinking of yourself. Think of Him, and absorb yourself in Him, in His remembrance, and you will become humble.
The mind is always trying to pull you away from God. The only
way to control it is through contact with Light and Sound and
through sweet remembrance of God. So don't always be scaling
like the weights of a clock. Remember that God helps those who
help themselves; keep remembrance! And God helps those who
do not help themselves."
15th May: Master told us, "I want to see you jolly. We
should be smiling and happy to have the man-body and this
chance to know God. A smile is the oil of the machinery—it
keeps it running smoothly. Without oil there is friction, corrosion.
So I want to see you beaming." The other day He had said,
"Love your neighbor even more than yourself. Make him happy
and you will be happy. There are three things we can do to make
life good: be selfless, be happy, be grateful."
16th May: We were in Rajpur, staying in the guest house
behind Master's bungalow. He sent for us around 7:20 this morning: "I wanted to have your darshan. You wanted to have my
darshan—I wanted to have yours. It is reciprocal, you see. I
asked you to come early because I am going to Manav Kendra—
I have correspondence to attend to—Five bundles (He showed us
how huge they were with His hands) came from Delhi. Master
counts us: One—two—three—four—five—six—seven—eight—nine
—-ten- McKay makes eleven...who's missing? You see, I'm count-
Extracts from a diary kept in 1973
215
ing my children." The German lady said her tooth hurt, "The
body is nothing, Master!" He replied, "It is just a house. If a wall
is crumbling, we have it fixed. What is a little pain? But you
must attend to it, or you'll be buried in the debris!"
18th May: Master said, "When you assert you feel drained,
you lose something. If you have a small pond and are always
dishing out, then?" He also said to sleep relaxed and free from
brooding—to dispose of all concerns, and that sleep will refresh
us.
28th May: Someone said that she had been a little sick
and found it hard to concentrate. Master said, "There is no high
road to concentration. Practice and more practice." The sister
said she felt her concentration was lessened because she was sick.
Master asked, "You've got fever? It is a blessing to be sick...then
you can put in more time. About forty years ago, I was laid up
with high fever. I put in whole time to Bhajan. No one bothers
you when you are sick—you don't have to attend to your business, and I think they even bring you your food. These are lame
excuses, I tell you. We have no love for God. If you are feeling
sick and one you love comes, how do you feel? "Good," she replied. "You see? We must keep our attention on the one we love.
When you go back you can do the other things, but if you want
to benefit from being here, put your whole attention on God."
Another time He told us that He was very ill and could hardly
move at all. Hazur came to Lahore, and noting that His beloved
gurumukh was not at the railway station to meet Him, went
directly to Kirpal Singh's house. Master said that He was so
overjoyed at seeing Hazur that He completely forgot His illness,
and when Hazur left, Master accompanied Him down three
flights of stairs to see Him to the door.
2nd June: Master said, "You should always come to the
Master for guidance. Don't look to others. People used to always
bring their difficulties to me. Now they ask this person and that
person. The person who asks another loses and the one who comes
between loses. No one should come between you and the Master.
You should not be concerned with anyone else. While you are
here make the best use of your time. You are not here to make
friends. Don't think of the past and the future. You are not saints
216
yet. You are all sick. So you should not seek the help of the other
patients. Gome to me if you have any life or death problem, or
any spiritual difficulty. Are you afraid to come?"
10th June: Someone asked Master how to begin to surrender,
and He said, "First you must have love. When you love someone,
then you are surrendered—in a worldly way, is it not? You must
have love." He paused for a long time, and then He continued.
"If you love someone you do what He says. If you love me, keep
my commandments. You are always thinking to please the one you
love. The Master has love for all, but He has more love for those
who keep His commandments—inside and outside. When you
come up to here (the eye focus) then you will have true Love-Love
will burst forth. Love is real that is for God—the God in you, the
God in the Master. That is real Love. If you are dancing with love
and do not keep the commandments—that is no love. If you love
me, you will do what I say. In the outward way if you have love,
you keep it hidden, is it not? So why should you show your Love
for God and fritter it away? Keep it hidden within you. Then it
will grow. You follow what I say?
Lord Rama was sent into exile for fourteen long years. And
all the yogis in the forest thought, 'He will come to me first—my
Ashram is the biggest', but he did not go to them. He went instead to Shivri, a pauper woman, because of her love. Then the
yogis asked him, 'We have one pond which is spoiled with insects.
Would you put your feet washings in it so that it can be cleared?'
So Lord Rama put the wash water in the pond, but the insects
remained. Then he said, 'You are great yogis, put your wash
water into the pond.' But still it was not cleared. So he made
them wash Shivri's feet—they did not want to do it, they were
puffed up—and the pond was cleared. So humility is the end
result. First love, then humility. Lord Rama said to his general
Hanuman, 'Who are you?' and Hanuman replied, 'When I
am in the body I am your servant. When I rise above, I am
one with You.' So this is what is meant by surrender—humility
inside and outside. Have I answered your question?
You must be receptive. If radio carries voices thousands of
miles, receptivity is even faster. Like Morse sent by wireless: you
are tapping this side, they are reading that side. My Master
217
lived in Beas, I lived in Lahore...so far away. When I would
feel a cooling breeze during the day I would note down the
time. When I asked what my Master was doing then, they said,
'thinking of you.' So by receptivity you have everything. But
you should not show it. Master said of me, 'He has drunk the
seven oceans, but his lips remain dry.' "
11th June: One of the women in our party had found a
bedbug in her bed covers and had become very upset, persuading another sister to go with her to find new accommodation.
(We were in the little village of Pahalgam in Kashmir.) Master
was very strong with them, saying: "You should have come to
me, or told someone who could take care of it. If you are out
wandering at night some harm may come to you. And that
reflects on me. I am responsible for you while you are here—
your life, your honor. This is not a city—it is a hill station. The
people are drinking, reveling... you might be hurt, you might be
molested. Then my honor is lost—so you must set a good example,
for my sake. People see you out late at night, they think you are
drinking, reveling. So don't go out at night. Behave sensibly so
when the people see you it will not reflect on me. They will look
to the bad things that happen, you know, and forget the good. If
anything goes amiss in the future—tell us. This is my commandment. Obey it!"
Speaking of our meditations, Master told one man, "It is
more dangerous inside than outside. Enchanting scenery, all is
very enchanting. So we should be after only three things:
The Master's Form, the Light, or the Sound." To another
He said, "Did you see your Friend? He was hiding behind the
Light. He is a tricky thief—He holds the lantern in front and you
cannot see Him behind." One said he could only concentrate
for a minute or two at a time, and Master replied: "You must
fix your gaze, Look constantly—without break. That is the
secret."
14th June: Someone said, "Effort and grace go hand in
hand?" Master repeated it, then smiled and said, "I will give
you an example. I give you food. You gulp it down—is that
making best use of it? If you masticate it fully, make it liquid...
then it will digest better. Another example is of the mustard
218
seed. If you grind it properly, you will get the full hotness from
it, is it not? But still you won't get more than what was in it
already. If you go sick and are given some medicine, you must
take it. It won't help you left in the medicine chest. So grace
and effort go hand in hand . . . but it must be effortless effort."
27th June: Someone asked, "If we know what we need to
do, what we must do, why is it so hard to do?" "Because you
don't want to. You do what your heart really wants—you can't
help it. You may say 'I want this, I want that' . . . but you do
what you really want." "But Master," she said, "I think I really
want—" "Thinking won't do. If you think you are a king, does
that make you king? You should decide what you want and then
go after it. Full strength." Another lady said, "Here it is so
easy, but at home there is no time." Master said, "These are
lame excuses, you see. We make time for the things we want."
One man said he was so wishy-washy; if he kept trying, would he
get help? Master replied, "Help comes of itself. Help comes
without asking. Even if you don't try He sends help."
28th June: Master was working upstairs on the yearly
accounts and we were afraid we wouldn't get to see Him. Then
the electricity went off, making paper work impossible, and He
came in. After asking us all how we were, and sitting quietly for
a few minutes, someone said that it was good the lights were out
— "You sit with us longer this way." Master smiled and said,
"There was a lady who was told her husband would die in the
morning when the sun rose. So she sat all night in prayer that
the sun would not rise. When morning came round all the people
said, "Why has the sun not come?' Then they had to find the
man who had put the curse on her husband, to make him retract.
Only then could the sun rise. So you be like that lady—don't let
the power come back." A young man who had many questions
asked Master if he could ask something. Master said, "There
was once a wise man. People asked him where he got his wisdom.
He said, 'From the fools!' You understand? F-O-O-L-S! Their
asking brought these things out. Now I'm not calling you a fool,
mind you. What is your question?" (All the while Master was
laughing so sweetly.) So the boy asked Master to tell a story—
any story. Master said, "Well, my younger brother, once when
219
the lights went out—he was three or four years old I think
—said Shhh! Don't talk. . . the talk will be darkened.' But we can
talk, we have this light." (There was a battery powered lamp.)
And Master repeated what His little brother had said a few
times, chuckling.
Another evening we were sitting with Master when the
lights went out. He kept talking, and when one of the sevadars
brought in the battery lamp, Master said, "Oh, are the lights
out?"
Someone asked Master about daylight coming in through
the eyelids. Master leaned back and went "Tsk!"—that sound of
displeasure that we dreaded having directed at us. But the boy
said, "Listen, Master, please" very urgently, and Master completely understood and accepted the boy's plea. He said, "All
right, what is it?" And leaning forward gave His full attention. It
was very moving to see. Master said that the problem was that
of the intellectual; that if you were absorbed within you wouldn't
notice whether it was day or night outside. He again emphasized
that it was the steadfastness of looking that was the secret—"fix
the gaze and look constantly"—we need not concern ourselves
with anything else.
29th June: Master told someone to do one thing at a time,
then asked for questions. I asked how to learn to do one thing at
a time. He looked at me for a few seconds, then turned to the
others and said, "Will somebody tell her? Somebody please tell
h e r . . . " He paused and looked at me with a sweetness I could
never describe and said, "Well, first decide, then do it. Where
there's a will, there's a way. We want so many things; for a few
days we want this, for a few days we want that. We vacillate.
Decide what you want, then let nothing stop you. Every step
will be in that direction." "But Master," I said, "even in the
worldly way, I am always doing two or three things at once."
"That won't do. You don't attend to anything properly—everything suffers. We have too many irons in the fire. When I had
to decide for the world or for God, I considered for five days.
So you decide...it won't take long I think."
4th July: Master was ill; we had darshan up on the roof. He
asked us if we wanted to go on to Dehra Dun ahead of Him,
220
and we said we wanted to be where He was. So Master said,
"You want to enjoy the heat? All right. You are all physically
fit now? Anyone sick? No?...Thank God. Oh, y o u . . . what is the
trouble?" She said she had trouble in breathing, like asthma.
"Asthma? (so softly, so concerned) You have had this trouble only
since you came?" "Yes," she replied. 'It is the heat," Master said,
"You have all suffered from the heat. But love knows no burden,
no heat or cold. Some saint said if you are in the burning fires
of Hell and remember the Master, it is like being in Heaven. So
you are here in Heaven—better than being there, is it not? So
you have decided to stay here? Good—it will hurry me up!" (We
had been waiting for Master to be well enough to travel.) A man
asked, "Would it be better for You if we went on?" "No. . .
Doesn't the Father want to be with His children? Won't the
Father be happy with His children around Him?"
5th July: Someone said he felt restless and could hardly sit
still. Master asked "Are you troubled with thoughts of the past,
future or the present?" "All three," he replied. "Well that is
bad," Master said laughing. "There are two sprites, you know, the
past and the future, that eat into the very brains of man. They
won't let him enjoy the present. So we must silence them, you
see; live in the living present. Another thing will help you: do
one thing at a time. God is all attention, our souls are a
drop of Him. Naturally we would like to go back to our
Source. He is all wisdom, all joy—if we want to be wise, to be
happy. . .it is a reflection of Him. Happiness is what? To live in
the present and to adapt to the environment. Even if you leave off
the past and future, you cannot be happy unless you adopt to
your environment. So while you're here, be only with me. Forget the body and mind. Let nothing come between you and God."
Another man said, "Well, Master, it sounds simple, but it is
hard to do." And Master replied, "Practice makes a man. It
will come. Saints don't drop down from heaven—they are made.
Of course much of the work might have been done in previous
births. So every saint has His past and every sinner his future. It
is all the play of the attention. So remember these two mottoes—
'forget the past and future, live in the present' and 'do one thing
at a time.' Then live up to them."
A
New
Life, a
New Name
Captain Singh
It may need a disaster to get you started with a new life.
You may curse your fate at the time, but as the Divine Plan
unfolds Itself, a day may come when you at last recognize that
what had seemed your undoing was in fact the basis of your
remaking.
March 26th, 1961, dawned like any other day. By the time
it ended it was as though life itself had blacked out. A moment's
misunderstanding, some heated words under the influence of
liquor, my brother-in-law reaching for a pistol—and all was over.
Never had I realized a day would come when I would curse my
being a good marksman. A wife torn between grief for a brother
and anxiety for her husband's future, children writhing at being
parted from their father, lawyers and litigation expenses, months
of suspense and appeals in the High Court and Supreme Court:
it was a nightmare, and at the end of two years I was still in
prison, doomed to capital punishment.
When all hope seemed gone I lay in the condemned prisoner's cell in the District Jail on the night of November 4th,
1963. It was only in the early hours of the morning after prayers
that I dozed off. In sleep—it was more a vision than a dream—I
222
was sitting in a locked cell in my underwear and with my hair
untidy. Someone who seemed like a king visited my cell. I was
confused, apologized for my state of disarray, and wanted to get
dressed. My royal visitor smiled gently, and asked, "Do you
meditate?" I replied in the affirmative, and he continued, "That
is not enough. Meditate more!" "Very well Sir," I answered
humbly. The king then stepped forward and told me that my
work was done and reassuringly added, "Don't worry! Remember
Him."
Saying these words, the royal figure left me. I woke up, and
the vision was so vivid and so consoling, that I pondered much
over it. Was there anything to it? What did it portend? Having
washed myself, I sat down for meditation, and thereafter there
was the usual jail routine. After breakfast, I was summoned by
the jailer. When I entered his office, he walked towards me to
congratulate me: my mercy petition, he informed me, had finally
been accepted and my death sentence had been commuted to life
imprisonment! My vision, still so vivid in my mind, had come
true in barely four hours. My immediate problem seemed over,
and as I was moved from the condemned prisoner's cell to a
new ward, I wondered who it was who had appeared to reassure
me and to give the happy tidings. I had twice had the loveglances of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh in my home town, Kotkapura, during 1944-45 when I was still a school-boy, and had
even attended a Satsang. But the figure I saw was a different one,
and I wondered if it could be Guru Gobind Singh or one of the
other Sikh Gurus.
The months passed by and I began to give more time to
meditation; the sense of search had sharpened. In March 1954, I
read that a Saint from Delhi had visited Lucknow and a summary
of His talk was included in the newspaper report. I found myself
so deeply moved reading of Sant Kirpal Singh, and though the
name was unknown to me, on March 15th I wrote Him a letter.
It was my birthday—and it was to become for me the start of a
new way of life.
I had shared my life's story and had spoken of my hardships and my desire to be put on the way to Truth. Three weeks
later I received a loving letter from Maharaj Ji dated April 6th,
A New Life, a New Name
223
1964. Referring to my situation He said:
It is in accordance with the reaction of some past Karma
that sometimes one is placed in such trials, which are only
passing phases. I am glad for your deep interest in the
Gurbani which you recite daily. Indeed, the sacred scriptures
serve as a loving lap of the mother where a child disciple is
fondled in the divine intoxication and fosters a yearning
for union with Him. Your longing for learning the technique of Naam Simran is genuine.
The Master then gave me meditation instructions.
The letter arrived in the afternoon, and that evening, as
instructed by Maharaj Ji, I sat down for meditation. I had had
experiences of inner Light during childhood, and they had returned to me in prison. When I sat down and engaged in Simran
and Dhyan, what was new was not the Light—the Sound Current
suddenly opened and I was carried away by its sweetness. There
was a new joy, a new purpose which entered into my life; as I
carried on with my meditations I progressed further, and whereever I was, whatever I did, the Master Power was with me
through Shabd. If I had difficulties, I would write to Maharaj Ji,
and He would always write back lovingly and give me guidance.
I was to learn later that He had given special instructions for
any letters sent by me to be delivered to Him unopened. I also rereceived copies of Sat Sandesh, Man know Thyself and other satsang
literature.
Baha Ullah has said, "You cannot have spiritual exaltation
without having intense mental depression." And so along with
this new joy, I had new problems. The Deputy Jailer did not
take kindly to me, and all my frustrations and irritations would
focus on him until it even began to get in the way of my meditations. When I raised the problem with Maharaj Ji, He wrote back
in His letter of October 8th, 1964:
The present physical life is a passing phase in the long
journey of the soul from the lower categories of creation on
to the True Home of the Father, Such Khand. It is chiefly
based on the reaction of past Karma which determine pain
and pleasure. However, the gracious protection of the
Satguru Power cuts short the duration and severity of pains
224
considerably and affords chances for the dear ones to pass
out unscathed. Your feelings towards the man who has apparently done you harm should be those of kindness and
forgiveness as it does happen sometimes that the initiates
into the Mysteries of the Beyond are obliged to undergo
suffering in accordance with their past Karma. Such an
attitude will absolve you of the after-effects and bless you
with peace and serenity. Just resign to His divine Will and
accept It cheerfully. Herein lies your spiritual welfare.
The letter was charged with Maharaj Ji's bliss, and His advice
made me change my attitude. I was to be tested soon after in
this. The Deputy Jailer insulted a fellow prisoner, and as
protest, some of us went on a fast. But when a Minister visited
the prison the same day, I dissuaded my fellows from making
a formal complaint. The Deputy Jailer was so touched by
this unexpected gesture, that he not only thanked me profusely
but from then on became more friendly.
But problems followed one after another. My father had
a nervous breakdown on account of my fate. My mother died
suddenly, and my wife developed consumption. She recovered, but
not long after developed Psoas abscess. My children and some
relatives wrote alarming letters, for there seemed little hope of
her surviving. She was operated on, was in plaster, developed
an infection and took a turn for the worse. None-the-less, there
was a strange and new sense of detachment that began to grow
in me. Through prevision Maharaj Ji would prepare me for the
calamities to come and strengthen me to meet them. During my
wife's illness, in spite of everyone's alarm, He wrote to reassure
me that all would be well. (Years later, when she first met Him
at the Ashram, she remembered having seem Him reassuring her
as she lay in a coma.)
Maharaj Ji in His letters encouraged this new detachment.
He would bless me with His darshan and I would keep busy
with meditation at night and make myself useful in working
during the day in jail. I helped organize a workshop for repairing typewriters; all Government machines were sent to us for
repairs. I would talk about the Master and about spirituality
with my fellow prisoners and with the officers. I moved from
225
one prison to another and, with the grace of the Master and His
message of Love, I made many friends. One medical officer was
an atheist, but he became deeply interested. We had many long
discussions, and long before receiving initiation from Maharaj
Ji, he gave up meat and drink.
But while Maharaj ji granted me patience to meet my
worldly problems, as I grew closer to Him and progressed further,
I had a deep yearning to meet Him in the flesh. Time and time
again my requests for parole were turned down in spite of my
good jail record and the recommendation of my jail superiors.
By the end of 1967 my patience ran out, and I addressed a desperate letter to Maharaj Ji stating my sad plight—my inability
to get away on parole to have His darshan. On January 11th,
1968, I received a note informing me that Maharaj Ji planned to
visit Aligarh and I could look forward to His darshan then. I
carried the news to the medical officer, and he was as intoxicated
as I was and literally burst into a dance. Together we went and
called on the Superintendent. He answered that the Master
would be welcome and would be permitted to meet me. I replied that that was not enough; my visitor was no ordinary person
but God Himself in human form—it was a rare privilege, and it
was only right that all the prisoners and all the staff should have
His darshan! As a matter of policy, jail authorities seldom allow
opportunities when all the inmates can be together. But such was
the Will of the Satguru, and such my persuasions and those of the
medical officer that the Superintendent finally agreed, and issued
the necessary instructions.
Unable to get away, and chained to the earth as a
mountain, Mohammed was coming to see me! Such was my
Satguru's love that He was traveling all the way to a prison to
see me. The day at last arrived. It was March 7th, 1968. At 4:00
in the afternoon Maharaj Ji's car drew up outside the jail gates.
The Superintendent, the medical officer, the jailer and other jail
officials received Him and His party. They came to the jail park
where I welcomed Kindest Master and we led Him to the dais.
All prisoners were seated on the ground eagerly awaiting Him.
Many of us, staff and prisoners, carried garlands and bouquets
we had prepared for this moment. But as each of us approached
226
Kindest Master He would smile and graciously give the flowers
and the garlands back to whoever brought them. The Superintendent spoke a few words of welcome and said it was a rare
privilege to have so great a personality among us. I had composed a poem in Urdu which I wrote to welcome Kindest Master.
It began with the words:
When this Ocean of Grace visits us, our destiny undergoes
transformation. We are all lost in intoxication as this Cupbearer arrives to dispense the Wine of Naam.
I went up to the microphone and began reciting; my heart
got so full that my eyes flowed with tears, my voice choked; and,
presenting the poem to Maharaj Ji, I sat down. He then commenced His discourse—"Man Know Thyself." Everyone listened
with rapt attention: the beautiful park blooming with winter
flowers, the warmth of the late afternoon, and above all Kindest
Master speaking to us in His own unique fashion giving us His
love-glances—it was so peaceful, so charged, so intoxicating,
perfect.
When the discourse ended, we carried a basket of parshad
for Kindest Master to bless. But He insisted on distributing it to
all present Himself. It was a sight to see; He was giving the
sweets in such large hand-fulls that many thought the sweets
would not suffice for all present. He reassured them. Not only
did He continue to give each one abundantly, but such was His
grace that there was enough for everyone present. Kindest Master
then inquired who had paid for the parshad. He looked at the
Superintendent, but the Superintendent nodded in the negative.
He looked at the medical officer with the same result. When He
questioned again who it was, one of the officers pointed towards
me. "How much did it cost?" He asked. And when I kept protesting that it was all through His grace, He grew stern and the
medical officer finally gave the figure. Maharaj Ji at once took
out the sum from His purse and handed it to the Superintendent
for me. (The All-Knowing Master knew that under jail regulations prisoners are not allowed to keep any money.) Seeing me
distressed, He turned towards me and said with a loving smile
and a pat on my back, "If I distribute the parshad I should pay
for it. This money is my parshad to you."
227
Kindest Master had to go for another engagement but such
had been His magnanimity that He gave us all so much time
and so much love I whispered to ask Him if He could grant me
initiation proper; He answered, "Whatever was given you in my
letter is quite enough. You have already been initiated." As we
reached the main gate I took out a new kerchief I had specially
kept for the purpose, and began to wipe the Master's shoes. He
stepped back and exclaimed, "When you have been given so
much within why do you get involved in such outer things?" I
answered that being human I could not but be involved in the
outer, and proceeded to clean the shoes; Kindest Master let me
do so. That kerchief remains a treasured remembrance of that
first meeting with my Satguru in the flesh, for which I had almost
despaired.
When we returned to our cells, many of us talked till
midnight about the visit and the Satsang—there was a strange
sense of peace which one hardly associates with prison life. Next
morning some inmates reported that they had had darshan of
Kindest Master in dreams, and the days that followed passed by
in His sweet remembrance and in talking about Him. In meditation too the personal visit of Maharaj Ji had its charging, and
things went better.
A year after this jail Satsang,I was transferred to another
prison. Two guards were entrusted with the responsibility of
taking me by train to my destination. There was a change at
Delhi; I couldn't help begging my companions to let me make
a quick visit to my Guru at the Ashram. It was against the official
code, but their hearts were moved with kindness and we were
soon there. Maharaj Ji met me with great affection in His
veranda, and then took me indoors. Some Western satsangis
were sitting there, and pointing to me He said, "He is one Kirpal
Singh (my given name) who is in prison, and I am another
Kirpal Singh who is imprisoned amongst you all. In fact here we
are all prisoners of worldly affairs and of our bodies." Tai Ji
then explained to those present that Kindest Master had gone all
the way to a district jail to bless me; Maharaj Ji remarked
casually, "On his account who knows how many will have to be
saved?"
228
As time was running out, Maharaj Ji gave me and the
guards parshad and some literature. He called Mohan to drive
us to the station lest we miss the train. Getting the guards into
the back seat, He came round and opened the door for me to
sit in front and quietly slipped some money into my hands.
When I protested He whispered, "You will need it. Take it with
you." It was done so quietly and so unobtrusively that the guards
didn't see.
We just managed to catch the train. The guards were
exceptionally kind. They said they felt a strange intoxication,
and next morning they still spoke of it. When we reached the
jail, after official formalities, we bid each other good-bye.
The atmosphere in my new surroundings was very tense
and there was much discipline. I could tell that trouble lay
ahead, and within fifteen days we had a riot; police fired, and
several people were killed. With His grace I was able to keep
myself detached from all the violence and tension. I was hoping
to get parole in the summer, but after a long wait it was discovered that my papers had gone astray. I was bitterly disappointed at the thought that I could not see Maharaj Ji in Delhi. A
strange thing happened to me at this point. After two agonizing
days, though I carried on in prison in body I found myself in the
Ashram in spirit. When I wrote of the new disappointment,
Kindest Master answered on August 18th, 1969:
A keen sense of sweet humility and self-surrender is the
panacea for all the ills of life. You may please repose your
hopes in Him and be rest assured that everything whatsoever comes to your count in divine dispensation is for your
spiritual benefit.
In a letter dated September 10th, 1969, Kindest Master wrote
He would be coming to see me between September 13th and 15th.
I met the Deputy Superintendent, but in view of the prevailing
tension he was unable to permit any large gathering of inmates
to meet the Master. However, I was assured that He would be
permitted to meet me. The 13th passed by and the first half of the
14th. There was no message, and each minute seemed an hour. I
was wondering if the Master would come to see me at all, when
I received word that my visitor had arrived. Master was waiting
229
for me in the Deputy Superintendent's office; there I fell at His
Feet. I had composed a Punjabi poem which I had inscribed on
a greeting card I myself had painted. I presented it to the Master
and read out the poem. The first stanza ran:
May God grant that such days repeat themselves over and
over again.
I am so blessed that the Lord has come to visit an ant . . . .
When I finished reading the opening stanza, the Master
interrupted and said, "Do you want to spend your entire life in
jail? I spontaneously answered, "If You can be by my side like
this, I am not only willing to spend this life in jail, but all lives
to come. And I don't think this is a bad bargain." Kindest
Master laughed heartily.
I had some cardamom which Maharaj Ji then distributed as
parshad, and after giving me more encouragement, He left, no
doubt to attend to some other mission of love and mercy.
Later that year I was allowed my first release on parole,
and I spent the time at the Ashram. My wife and another dear
one in the family were granted initiation during that stay. My
worst trials were over, and not only did I get parole each year,
but on January 29th, 1972, my life imprisonment sentence was
remitted and I was free at last to find sanctuary at His Feet.
So gracious was Kindest Master that He then allowed me
to live and serve Him at the Ashram; and furthermore, to cut
me from my old life He gave me a new name—Captain Singh.
Whoever has even thought lovingly of Kindest Master has
been blessed by Him. Each disciple has his own story to tell.
When I look back at my own life I feel particularly blessed.
Had I not gone to prison, as I often told some of my fellow
inmates, I may never have got on the Path. Once I was so overcome with this feeling that I even wrote to the Judge who
sentenced me to death; I thanked him for helping to put me on
the Road to Him. I had read in our Sikh scriptures of the incomparable love of the Guru for His disciples, time and time again.
But had I not gone to prison, could I have received more vivid
testimony of the intensity of that love, of its power, of its force,
as it reached out to me through high walls, iron gates, and heavy
locks and penetrated every recess of my being?
An
Echo from
Sawan Ashram
Elana Monteiro
Night settled over the Ashram; it was the early part of
November in 1973, and all sat before Him, spellbound in silence
as the Master Power overhead began to spin the magic that is
Satsang.
Master spoke lovingly addressing an elderly couple, "You
will be going to see the Taj Mahal?"
Couple: "Yes, Master. It's supposed to be very beautiful."
Master laughed, "Yes, yes."
All were laughing, the room filled with mirth, His mirth.
A disciple called out in the midst of the joy, "Master, You should
come with us."
Master smiled, "No, no, I must go to this village, you see.
It is only that you can't go with me, and so a tour has been
arranged."
An Indian brother began telling tales of the scenes on the
tour as Master listened and laughed along. All was jolly and
wonderful, except for my sister and I. Earlier that day we had
separately and then together concluded that it would be best if
we stayed at the Ashram during His trip and try to meditate as
much as our minds and His Grace would permit. He had given
An Echo from Sawan Ashram
231
all the choice to stay or go. The two of us stared at each other
in shock. Had we been wrong? Would it please Him more if
we went on this tour? We transferred the doubts and unhappiness
of not pleasing Him to one another and then my attention settled
back into His Eyes—lost and confused. He was chuckling, "Yes,
yes, the ladies can go shopping and the men can ride the camels
and see the elephants." Another of His children spoke through
the joy, "Master, have You ever seen an elephant?"
Master looked in and far away—softly the words flowed
out,
"Yes, I have seen an elephant,
I have seen the world;
I have seen enough of the world."
For a split moment an immense weariness filled all that I knew
to be me, when He quickly lifted His Head, Eyes brilliant with
Light and Laughter and with a slight turn, He showered my sister
and I with an Eternity of Love in a second-long glance. I knew
then, that for us, the decision to remain behind and (hopefully)
within, was the right one.
What you
see is you
Tracy Fogg
The first time I came to India in April 1973, I was pretty
young—twenty. I had been initiated almost a year. I had seen
the Master in America, but I had an awful long way to go. So
I came to India really kind of innocent, not knowing what to expect. I got there and Master was in Rajpur, so I came up to
Manav Kendra and stayed there.
I was having a hard time with my mind. The Master was
not taking so much notice of me. I was sitting one day at His
house in Rajpur; we were all sitting in His living room. There
were about ten of us and the Master. He was sitting and giving
us darshan. My mind was really going crazy—it was being a real
terror. So I was sitting right there in front of Him thinking—
how do I know You are the Master, how do I know You have anything to do with God? You talk about all these other phoney
Masters—I hate to say this, it's terrible—and how do I know that
You are the real One? Even though I had seen Him inside, I
thought well, what does that mean? I used to see inside before I
was initiated. So I was sitting there thinking all these terrible
things, and my mind must have looked like a big black monster.
So Master was being very sweet to everybody. He would sit and
What you see is You
233
look at each person for quite a while. I was sitting directly in
front of Him, and I thought—well, when He gets to me, maybe
He'll say something, but He didn't—He didn't even look at me.
He got to the person next to me, then He looked up at the ceiling,
then He looked at the person on the other side of me, but He
wouldn't look at me. I thought—oh boy, this is really it; I'm
really upset now, I don't know what I'll do. It must be true; He
just doesn't know or doesn't care and I'd better just go away.
Afterwards He said, "Why don't you go have your lunch?" I went
and was feeling really lost and doubtful.
Everybody has his own perspective on everything. I thought
— my perspective is so faulty, I can only see from my own vision
and I know it's not right but I just don't know what's real in the
world and what's not real and how can I make any judgement?
God had better help me out.
So I was walking around, and I went out in the garden at
the back; I didn't know where it was—I just ended up back there
and nobody else was there and the birds were singing; there
were flowers and the fruit trees had all kinds of nice fruit. It was
really kind of nice—it was a little dry, but it was nice. I was sitting out there and I was praying to God: "Please do something.
I'm completely helpless. I'm completely lost. You'd better do
something because if You don't I'll just die out, and I don't know
what will become of me. Maybe I'll just cease to exist." So I was
sitting and I was going to shut my eyes for meditation. I figured
whatever happened, it would happen outside. So I turned around,
my back was to the path that I had come from and I was facing
the mountains and a little creek. I was shutting my eyes and I
thought to open my eyes; I turned around and there was the
Master. I could see Him way down at the other end of the path;
He was just walking, so sweet just like a little child, looking at
the trees and saying hello to all the birds and looking at all the
flowers, and seeing which trees had grown how much and, looking at the sky. He was really enjoying just like a little child.
So He came down and looked at me and said, "Yes, what
do you want?" I thought—oh, my God, I don't know what I
want. So He sat down and gave me a little hug. He was sweet,
just like a father or a brother; He must have known, I know He
234
knew, He's God you know, He knows everything. But He was
just acting like a person, not like God, not like the Master. He
started talking about the trees and the flowers and everything;
about the earthly things, how pretty it was there and quiet and
how nice it was for writing or thinking. And then He said, "Well,
why don't you go play in the woods?" So I went off to play in
the woods. And I really didn't want to be in the woods because
my heart was so sad. I was just wanting to be either off the
earth completely or to know what was going on; I was just
so completely lost. So I went down and looked at a few flowers
and thought—well, the lions will probably eat me up if I go any
further so I'd better turn back. And I went back and went up to
the Master. I was kind of timid—I was pretty young; Master
was pretty big, and I was always afraid to say too much. But I
went up to Him and asked if I could ask a question. He said,
"Certainly, you can ask me anything you like, you're my daughter." I sat down and said, "Well Master, I just don't know
what's real and what's not real. I see everything through my
mind and I just can't tell anything. I'm completely lost." So He
just looked at me a long time, and He looked and He looked, He
kind of twinkled a little bit and He said, "What you see is you."
I thought, huh! Then He said it again, "What you see is you."
So we sat there looking at each other. Then He said, "All right,
God bless you." And I thought—well, I'd better go now and give
Him some privacy. So I went off very intoxicated but still feeling
pretty lost.
Instead of doing Simran for the next three days I kept saying, "What you see is you." Simran didn't come; usually Simran
came all the time, but instead it was just: "What you see is you."
I would look at someone and think: "You're not doing that
right!" And all of a sudden I'd hear, "What you see is you."
Then I'd go, oh boy, I guess that must be me! If I saw that they
weren't doing it right, it would mean I would not be doing it
right myself. Those five words, I guess they can take you through
everything, all life, just to the very end. Then you get to the
end and you see that everything is you and you're everything
and you're just a little drop in the ocean of everything and He's
everything.
Photographing
the Beloved Master
Y.S. Rajput
Even before I was initiated in 1970 I was living near Sawan
Ashram. One day I met Mr. Mehta who was serving there as a
homeopathic doctor. He asked me if I would take some photographs at his daughter's wedding. He said, "My Guru will also
be coming." So I went with my brother, and we took photographs
of all the guests. Then I saw this very imposing figure, so I prepared to take his photograph. But he raised his hand and said,
"No! please don't do that," He was so striking and had such
fascination for me that later on I couldn't resist trying once
again. But every time I would click the button it refused to work.
So I handed the camera to my brother who also tried but with
the same negative results. He said to me, "The flash attachment is
broken." We both went out, but after examining the equipment
we found everything was in working order. I went back again
ready to try to take some more photographs of the Master; but
although He looked at me with a twinkle in His eye, when I
came to press the button, again nothing happened. This was a
source of great wonder to me until I found out from someone
present that the Master didn't always like to be photographed.
The way He achieved this end, and through somebody who had
not the slightest conception of who He was, was proof to me that
He had the power to perform a miracle.
Shortly after this, I was waiting for a bus to go to Mahattas,
[the photographers in Connaught Circus in New Delhi where I
worked] and someone started speaking to me. I found out that his
name was Gurcharan Das, and he was living in Sawan Ashram;
he said, "Why don't you come and take some photographs of the
Master? You appear to be a good photographer, and we need
some good photographs of the Master." I replied, "I don't know
who your Master is, but one day I will come." I had been living
so close to the Ashram for ten years but had never been there!
So one Sunday I decided to go. Master was sitting on the platform giving Satsang. I could see a crowd there the size of which
I had never seen anywhere. I took some photographs and wished
to show them to the Master. Tai Ji looked and took me in to
see Him. Master went through them and said, "Oh, these are
very good! He is a good man." I began to think, "What is this?
I am nothing. How can this Master know that I am a good
man?"
This whole thing touched my heart so much that I decided
to go back just to see the Master. I was the sort of person who
was always skeptical of these Mahatmas with very large followings which I thought they collected by clever propaganda. I had
no faith in them. So I began to come and just listen to what the
Master had to say, and within a very short time I asked Him
to give me this Naam that He was always taking about. He said,
"No, no, you will have to wait for two years!" Yes, He really
made me wait for two years! I was twenty-eight when I first met
Him.
Although I had to wait such a long time before the Master
gave me His Naam, I can't begin to tell you how much He helped me. One day He asked me where I was working, and then
Tai Ji explained. Master then said to me, "Why don't you
open your own studio?" I replied, "Master, I just don't
have the money—I earn Rs. 300 a month only." Master then
said, "Don't worry. We will help you. You have to do some
important work for us." Round about this time I saw a
suitable place near the Ashram but they were asking Rs. 3,000
237
for it. I told the Master this and He said, "Yes, that's all
right, take it. We will advance you Rs. 2,000. As you take
the Ashram photographs, their cost can be adjusted against the
amount." I not only received that Rs. 2,000 but I was helped so
many times in setting up the studio. The greatness of the Master
was always with me. He just said to me, "You do this work with
honesty and I will be there!" Those were His words. I came
regularly to the Ashram. I didn't care about anybody else
there, I just took the photographs of the Master, and then left.
My whole idea was to make as complete a record of the Master's
activities as possible. I could see that nobody else had been
doing this.
Actually, I was being used in a way that I couldn't even
begin to imagine. For instance, one day I arrived at the Ashram
carrying my cameras although I knew that there was no fixed
program. Mata Sheila was inside the Master's house with some
members of her family. When she was about to leave she said to
the Master, "Oh, I wish there could be a photographer here so
that I could always have a remembrance of this day." Master
smiled. At that moment I was just arriving. As I said, I had no
fixed engagement with the Master and there was no program at
all, but there I was and I had brought my cameras. Master was
so happy to see me, and He said, "Sheila, there we are, the
photographer has come for you." Everybody gathered round the
Master and I went to work. I felt that power was always there.
After going on like this for some time, one day the Master
said to me, "That's enough. Now you sit down in front of me
and listen to what is said at Satsang. Just be quiet and forget
about everything—just look into my eyes." And you know, from
that moment I realized what I had been missing by jumping
about all the time instead of sitting in front of Him quietly and
absorbing His Divine Grace like the others.
Nevertheless, I still carried on with my work of photographing the Master. At the beginning of April 1972, He asked me
to come to Manav Kendra at Dehra Dun to photograph the
Bhandara for Baba Sawan Singh Ji. There was a special bus that
left the Ashram, but when I arrived it was full. I had no ticket
and was very worried how I was going to get there in time, when
238
suddenly Mr. Mehta came rushing up to me, and seeing my
plight said, "No, no, you don't need any reservation. You are
working for the Master and you have to go." Within a minute
he managed to arrange something. I was given a seat, and the
bus left. This five-hour journey was done in the heaviest rain,
but I can tell you that the bus was full of the Master's love. The
whole way we were all singing Bhajans (songs of praise in honor
of the Masters).
When we arrived at Manav Kendra at 4:00 a.m. the sun
was already shining, and there was Master waiting to greet us.
Master made us all have tea, and then told us to go to our
cottages. The scene was so wonderful for me, I can never forget
it. Hundreds of people were doing seva, putting up the tents,
preparing the kitchen, building the platform, all with such love.
Nobody cared about their clothes; even the Westerners were
carrying bricks and helping with the work. I was able to take
photographs of the Master supervising the work and giving parshad. Some of the portraits were later to appear in the two
volumes
of Heart-to-Heart
Talks.
Actually, the first portrait I took of the Master in the
Ashram was for His passport and was taken just before He left
on His last world tour in 1972. Gyani Ji had called me and told
me to go up to the Master's bedroom. But Master was unwilling
to be photographed at that moment. I didn't know what to do,
I just said, "Maharaj Ji, excuse me, but this is rather important
as they will not let You out of the country if you don't have
a picture in Your passport." Well, Master just smiled, He put
His turban on, walked into the light, and let me take the photo.
I had always wanted to take photographs of the Master
when He gave initiation, but somehow or other it was never possible. On July 29th, 1974, Master gave Naam to over a thousand
souls. He was extremely ill at the time, in fact there was a bed
brought in and placed behind the platform so that He could lie
down after He had put the people into meditation. Although He
walked off the platform He would not lie down; He would only
sit in a chair. He looked extremely grave, almost white, but extremely beautiful. I had my cameras with me and took a photograph of His back view with all the people sitting in Bhajan in
239
the background. As He did not object, I waited until He got
back onto the platform and to my surprise He turned round and
allowed me to take the photograph of Him giving what proved
to be His very last initiation, which I consider to not only be most
historically important, but also one of the most beautiful photographs of Him that I have taken.
You know, before I met the Master I was a non-vegetarian
and I didn't know anything about spirituality, but I just wanted
to find the Truth. How He changed my life is a source of constant wonder to me. If we are true to ourselves, and if we begin
to understand a little of what the Master really is, we will know
He is with us all the time. Only a little while ago my small son
was playing on the table and fell down, hitting his head on the
stone floor. My wife lifted him up and he was unconscious; we
immediately sent for a doctor. I held the child in my arms, and
prayed to the Master to help us. Before the doctor had even arrived, the child opened his eyes as if nothing had happened, as
if waking from sleep, and everything was perfectly all right.
So this is my conviction, if we are true to ourselves and
working honestly with full faith at the Master, He must look
after us; He will help us in every stage. He cannot leave us.
Even if we forget Him, He does not forget us.
In
Honor of
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Jay and Ricki Linksman
How can we ever pay homage to the greatness of the Beloved Master Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj? For millions, He
was "Sant Ji," a Saint who accomplished so many great things in
the course of His Mastership that it is awe inspiring. Perhaps
He will best be remembered by Humanity for His colossal
achievements: the establishing of Ruhani Satsang, His three World
Tours, the construction of Sawan Ashram, the numerous International Honors He received, the many books He wrote, the
building of Manav Kendra, and finally, the Unity of Man Conference.
But to His initiates, His memory Mill burn eternally, fueled by the remembrance of the "little, little things"—a kind
word, a loving glance, a gentle touch. These things made
us dance in ecstasy and swoon in love. Nothing in the world can
compare with being in the Presence of the Living Master.
On the last day we spent in the Physical Presence of our
Beloved Master in August, 1973, He recited the following poem
that He had written to His Master Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji
Maharaj:
Your photo is dearer to me than You,
In humor of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
241
If I want to hug You or Kiss You or touch Your Feet,
You say, "Stand aside,"
But a photo I can hug and Kiss.
Then, He said, "The Physical Form of the Master is the
greatest blessing. If you have Him within, that's all right. But if
you have Him without, that's a double blessing. Only a few get
the Radiant Form of the Master, but the Physical Master, even
the greatest sinner can enjoy."
The glory and the greatness of the Master was that He came
to each of us at our own level. He revealed Himself to each of us
in a unique way. He made each and every one of us feel so very
special, like we were princes and princesses—sons and daughters
of the Great King that He was.
In the Garden of Non-existence
Andrew Vidich
There is only the Friendship with the Friend that grants rest to the
yearning heart.
There is only the sight of The Beloved that soothes the burning eyes.
Therefore, Seek the tender caress from the hidden One
In the garden of non-existence
Where His rain is a gentle shower of Mercy,
And the court-yard of The Beloved is decked with dancing lights of
joy.
Here in His rose-garden all are lost to self,
Drunk on the elixir of His glances of Grace.
Listen, and Sing the Song Eternal which you really are.
Bathe and Bask in the heavenly Light that transcends all sorrow.
Feel the pulse of life itself from His Heart which embraces all hearts
and is in tune with every mind.
With every step, with every breath, with every passing moment,
Let the flame of Love Divine shine forth from every pore of Thy
Being,
And with an Ocean of Tears flood the world with the remembrance
of Him.
He
Revealed Himself
In So Many Ways
G. Van den Heever
It was indeed through Master's grace that a small handful
of disciples from South Africa were privileged to sit at His Holy
Feet in December 1973. I knew that the likelihood of my personally getting to India was very remote if not non-existent. Nevertheless, there was that little inner nudging which prompted me to
enquire the ways and means and costs from a travel agent. This
information lay unused for at least one year when suddenly a
small group wished to know the details. It still did not seem
possible that we would really go; I mentally handed it all to
Master to be resolved as He wished. The response startled me,
as I was immediately enveloped by some strong electrical charge
I then knew that Master was indeed in charge and that even if
I personally did not go, the arrangements were to be made for
those fortunate enough to be called.
The gratitude in my heart, that in spite of insurmountable
obstacles, I too formed part of the group to reach the Ashram,
remains very deep and strong.
There was, in South Africa, so far from India, still a certain amount of confusion as to whether this Master who had so
graciously accepted us, had indeed been elected by the Great
He Revealed Himself In So Many Ways
243
Master Hazur Sawan Singh to be His successor. As a result, I
inwardly, earnestly entreated the Master to reveal to me the true
situation. Shortly after our arrival at the Ashram there was a
large public Satsang under canopies in front of Master's house,
and there Master came and put us all into mediation. All was so
strange and new, and my attention could not become focused
until it was again all handed to Master. In a short while I was
looking at—what I now know to be Guru Nanak—seated on a
throne with incandescent rays of light and colors encircling Him.
While gently watching He would change His face to what I
realized later were others in the line of Masters. The next one I
recognized was Master Sawan Singh looking so incredibly gentle
and beautiful and then it was our Master. A few times it changed from Baba Sawan to Master Kirpal and then Master's face
formed a golden tunnel which drew me in until attention failed.
Oh! Master! who so clearly answered this one's foolish question.
The wonderful vibrations that flowed overawed us, and we
sat mute at the daily darshan sittings in Master's house.
One day while watching Master addressing some disciple,
I was stunned to see Master's eyes change—shape and color—
until I could only see those strangely luminous up-tilted blue eyes
which were familiar to me from meditations back home. What a
feeling of intense wordless wonderment to have confirmation that
the promise that Master makes to reside within the disciples from
the time of initiation was true! Master had been there watching
me all the time—Beloved Master, nearer to me than my breath!
One evening, feeling weary from long sittings on the ground
and listening to Master speak in a foreign tongue, I decided to
meditate—but my attention would not focus—when suddenly,
loudly and clearly Master's voice spoke, I knew to me, in English,
"Please lift the attention a little higher." I shifted my gaze upward
and it was right. When I listened with my outer ears it was
obvious that Master had never stopped His discourse in Hindi.
The words to me had all somehow fitted into His talk.
He revealed Himself so lovingly in so many ways; His love
and compassion was so great. He showed one so gently, inside,
many weaknesses and failings, one's lack of love; but always His
love and understanding was constant.
My
experiences with
the Great Master
R. Krige
It was a great privilege to be able to visit our great and
Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji for about five weeks from
December 1973.
During my stay I experienced several unexplained occurences which one might call miracles. While sitting at Master's
Feet at morning and evening darshan it was not unusual for me
to have most of my questions answered by Master without asking
Him any. It happened so naturally that I later on took it for
granted and was not surprised by it any more. Sometimes when
Master looked at me His Love emanated so strongly that I
could actually feel it with my skin—like a cloud it enveloped and
embraced me. These experiences were so potent that I felt
literally purified and washed as if I had had a bath of soul and
body. Then came a knowing that Master sees one fully as one
is deep within oneself, with such compassion as can only come
from a True Master.
One day I noticed the A U M sign, as it is written in Sanskrit, on Master's forehead. I blinked my eyes to make sure,
although I had not at all thought of anything like that, but it
still remained till the end of the morning darshan. I saw this on
My experiences with the Great Master
more than one occasion and after a friend and I had discussed
it, I learned that she had also noticed it.
During our stay, Master planned a tour to Bombay and
gave His consent that we could go along. It was a tiresome trip—
750 miles by bus—but we were fortunate to see Master every day.
At Baroda we stayed over for a couple of days because Master
initiated around two hundred people there. During our stay I was
surprised to see in what a short time many, many people were
served food. I did not count them, but it could have been several
hundreds, but the incredible thing was that it seemed as if there
were only a few hands preparing the food, and yet everybody
could get as much as he wanted and yet there was surplus.
Master's grace undoubtedly.
Master really proved Himself to me as a Master, and a
Perfect Master.
Master's
Sense of Humor
Malcolm Tillis
The Great Masters of spirituality who live with us and teach
us on this earth, possess, among their many divine attributes, the
very human quality of a sense of humor. As each Master has His
own distinct personality and style, so their sense of humor can
vary in expression. In Hazur Baba Sawan Singh it took the form
of amusing stories told in Satsang to illustrate deep spiritual
truths—the Great Master would so enjoy telling these stories that
the whole Sangat would be bursting with laughter. He also made
puns with words which, together with the stories, could be understood by the simplest person.
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji's humor was of a different kind; it was
most subtle, it found expression in conversation or intimate heartto-heart talks. He would often slip in the most pointed and
amusing remarks, slip them in so quietly indeed that they could
easily be missed by the slow-witted. They gleamed like the sudden flash of a diamond catching the light; they were never stressed nor did they ever claim any appaluse or even any recognition
—sometimes He would seem to be just talking to Himself. Nothing a Master does, however, is without its own purpose. Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji was constantly teaching us such profound, such
Master's Sense of Humor
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disturbing truths about our pitiable condition that in His great
mercy He lightened the weight to make it easier for us to grasp.
Sometimes the most telling lessons would come out in an amusing aside.
In spite of the Master's repeatedly assuring a rather orthodox
Sikh that if he accepted initiation and followed the Path of
Sant Mat it would in no way compromise his Faith, this seeker
kept reiterating his doubts, and finally said, "Do let me make it
very clear: if I get initiated I shall continue to carry my kirpan
(dagger) as enjoined by the Faith." The Master replied, "As far
as I am concerned, why carry only one? You may carry two. It
is you who have to bear the weight."
In the following account of what happend when some visiting Westerners were being given photos, the Master is shown
impressing upon them that they are not their bodies. A departing
satsangi wanted Master to give each of the group, photos he'd
taken of them with the Master; in this way the photos would receive His charging and become parshad. Each photo had the
name of the recipient on it, and Master began to hand them out,
calling out each name. When He came to one man, He stopped.
"John, who is John?" Everyone hastened to point this man out.
The Master then appeared not to know this man who had in fact
been at the Ashram for several weeks. "John, is that John?"
Then He asked the man, "Are you John?" "Well, Master, they
call me John." Then Master in a quiet aside remarked, "He's
in John's body," and went on giving out the photos.
Once when someone on the Master's staff went to Him and
asked if he could have some help with the typing of the work
he had been given, the Master began tapping His knee with His
fingers and remarked, "You know, I can type—five words a
minute!"
Often the Master's humor would mitigate His strictures
when He had to tell us not to take our small selves too seriously,
as the following three stories demonstrate. (But it should be
understood that these remarks of the Master were all given with
a lightness of touch or with a benign smile which cannot, alas, be
conveyed by the printed word.)
When a Western satsangi was describing how he'd seen a
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golden cup in meditation, the Master remarked, "Well, did you
have a drink?" And to a lady in London on His last foreign tour
who complained she was only getting flashes of Light inside, He
said, "But did you pay for any more?" Once one of His staff was
sitting close to the dias at Satsang in Delhi on a Sunday morning; the Beloved Master addressed every word to her—He poured
out the whole discourse to her. She was much elated. Meeting
the Master shortly afterwards in the porch of His house, He asked
her, "Were you at Satsang this morning?"
The Master always knew of course what was in everyone's
mind—and this sometimes caused much amusement as well as
astonishment.
An American girl staying at Manav Kendra had just finished her meditation beside the Mansarovar when a small flight of
ducks alighted on the water—she was in ecstasy over those ducks!
"Oh the blessed ducks!" They were swimming in the sacred
pool. She then went to the porch of the Master's house for His
usual evening Darshan, but all the time she was thinking of the
ducks. Also on the porch was a new arrival, a foreign lady who
had never before been to India—she was much fascinated by the
Indians who were also sitting waiting for the Master to come out
and give His blessed Darshan. He came out and sat down. Then
He said, "You should please keep your minds solely on the
Master. Don't be thinking of the ducks, or of the people sitting
with you."
One evening one of the Master's staff was sitting beside
Him as He attended to His correspondence, but through her mind
was running the question of who should be asked to take home a
certain lady who had come to visit the Master. She wondered if
so-and-so could be asked, or perhaps another person, or maybe
a third who occurred to her. At this the Master looked up and
said, naming yet a fourth person, "How about so-and-so?"
Two people were once in the Master's room, but they were
very far away from Him; He was occupied with other people.
They spoke together in whispers and no one else could possibly
hear what they said, far less the Master who was on the other
side of the room. They were whispering together how like a lion
the Master looked! What majesty! At that moment the Master
240
looked across at them—and let out a roar!
When the Master was on His world tours, hundreds of satsangis and seekers asked Him questions; very often the answers
they received surprised them very much. Master would sometimes
give completely different answers to the same question asked by
different people, adapting the words to the spiritual condition of
each enquirer. Two people on two different occasions both told
Him that during meditation they felt as if they were dying.
Allaying their fears with kind smiles and amusing and unexpected replies, the Master said to one of them, "You won't die. Do
you want it in writing?" And to the other He replied, "Well,
have you made your will?"
Sometimes the Master made jokes against Himself. Manav
Kendra was under construction; a newspaper reporter came to
ask Him questions for a report on what was going on. Among
other questions, he asked the Master, "What is Your budget?"
The Master replied, "God is my budget —and I'm spending like
wildfire." On another occasion when people were complimenting
Him on the writing of Gurmat Sidhant, He turned these compliments aside by saying, "I've done nothing. It's my pen that is
guilty."
Master's time was so precious that members of His staff
tried to limit private interviews with Him to the minimum, just
enough to cover the points that had to be brought to His notice.
Someone once came running in to see the Master carrying a lot
of papers, and said, "Oh Master, please forgive me. Gould I
see You just for two minutes?" The Master looked at Him very
sweetly without saying anything—He then replied, "One minute
has already gone!"
Jerry Astra Turk has recorded the following incident which
shows Him in a more carefree mood:
We were on tour with Master in Nainital. Master sent
for us to meet a Major from the Forestry Commission.
Naturally I sat at Master's Feet on the right hand side.
So this Major said, "I would like to be introduced to you,
what shall I call you?" So I said, "Call me what Master
calls me, call me Jyoti." "I know, but what should I call
you?" I said. "Then call me Astra." "No, no, what should I
250
call you?" "Then call me Miss Turk." "No, no! I don't
mean that. What should I call you?" I said, "Look ye here,
I want you to know one thing. I came thousands of miles to
look upon the Radiant Face of God-Guru sitting in the manbody. You see Who is sitting here? He is my Lord, my God,
my Master, my Husband. He is my Father, my Mother,
my Husband. He is my Father, and Mother, and Family,
my Friend. He is the Universe, He is Everything—ALL
CREATION!" Then he said, "Yes, I know, but what
should I CALL you?" Master looked at Him, and said quietly,
"Call her Mrs. God!"
Sant Kirpal Singh often spoke of incidents in His life which
would help to illustrate a point He was making. During a heartto-heart talk given at Sawan Ashram on an extremely cold day
in January 1974, having noticed that all His visiting Western
disciples were wearing thick coats and heavy woolen blankets,
He told the following story which illustrates so well how the
Masters are air-conditioned, how Their attention is controlled:
I see that you all have very warm clothing. Look, I've
only got a waist-coat on. (He lifted His white shirt to show
nothing underneath—everyone present gasped). Once it
happened when I was in service at Lahore the trains didn't
run on account of thick ice. After some time one train left,
but no passengers would go on it. I had to travel somewhere from Lahore, and I think there were only two men
on the whole train—myself and one other man. It was
winter, a biting cold day. I only had on a small muslin
cotton sheet, an ordinary cotton sheet. The other man had
a very warm quilt. I was doing all right, but the other
man took pity on me—he offered me his quilt! I told him I
didn't need it, but he pressed me. You see, cold starts
when? When your attention is outside. If your attention is
within, you do not feel cold or heat. I was air-conditioned
—the cold did not affect me. But when I put that quilt on,
over me, then I felt the cold. I really began to feel cold.
I had to beg that man to take his quilt back.
Often things which seemed funny to us would be treated by
the Master with seriousness. This happened when one of His staff
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brought Him some letters; he read one out. "I read Sat Sandesh,
but up till now I have not been initiated. I am in the habit of
drinking. When I drink heavily and begin to lose my consciousness You come and take charge of me!" The secretary laughed
out loud, but the Master said, "Please don't take it so lightly—
When the patient is in a serious condition the doctor has to
attend Him."
The Beloved Master often used humor to soften a rebuke
—or even to drive it home more forcefully! On learning that
one of His older initiates had taken to mastering lower powers
with the help of mantras, the Master wrote to congratulate him
for having regressed from college to the primary school. Upon
receiving this ironic reprimand, the initiate was so filled with
remorse and penitence that he gave up dabbling with such practices right away, praying for the Master's forgiveness and grace.
Mr. Chadda, the editor of the Urdu and Hindi Sat Sandesh,
tells this story: "I had once again been late with the Master's
work; I went to Him like a truant before the class teacher. But
to my great surprise the Master was not forthcoming with the
usual reprimand. Instead He started off by talking of the special
purpose God has in fashioning each individual object in creation.
Then, planting His eyes on me, He ended, 'I believe God made
you to serve as a touchstone for testing the patience of a saint.' "
A satsangi lady complained to the Master that she could
not get her husband to ask for initiation. He replied with a
smile, "What great conquests on the Path have you made since
your initiation that you are so worried about your husband?"
Sometimes the Beloved Master consoled His children not
only with words of comfort, but also with humor. To someone
who complained to Him of increasing deafness, He said, "Why
do you worry about it? Deafness is a blessing! You are saved
from thirteen percent of the sense impressions, but more than that,
you don't have to listen to other peoples' complaints." And to a
mother who was so worried about her son that she broke down
and started crying, the Merciful Master watched her, chuckled
softly and said, "Don't you know that the Master Power is always
looking after you and yours? You are on the train, and the train
is carrying you and also your baggage. Then why do you carry
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your baggage on your
with the l o a d ? "
head? W h y break
your
neck
needlessly
T h e Beloved M a s t e r h a d a very special relationship with
children a n d babies. O n c e at S a w a n Ashram the Master came
o u t o f H i s house t o give d a r s h a n t o p e o p l e w a i t i n g for H i m o u t side; a s m a l l c h i l d c a u g h t h o l d o f H i s h a n d a n d p u l l e d H i m b a c k
t o w a r d s H i s house. F o r s o m e t i m e H e a l l o w e d H i m s e l f t o b e
taken back; then He turned round and returned to His waiting
devotees. " Y o u s e e , " H e l a u g h e d , " s o m e t i m e s t h e F a t h e r l e a d s t h e
child—and sometimes the child leads the Father."
T o w a r d s t h e e n d o f t h e B e l o v e d M a s t e r ' s e a r t h life w h e n
H e w a s suffering g r e a t p h y s i c a l p a i n , H e mercifully l i g h t e n e d t h e
a n x i e t y felt b y H i s d e a r c h i l d r e n s i t t i n g a t H i s L o t u s F e e t b y
m a k i n g t h e m s m i l e — H e n e v e r w a n t e d t o see l o n g faces o r b r o o d i n g looks. O n t h e e v e n i n g o f A u g u s t 6 t h 1974 a t S a w a n A s h r a m ,
t h e M a s t e r c a m e o u t o n t o t h e p o r c h t o give H i s Blessed D a r s h a n
t o t h e v i s i t i n g W e s t e r n disciples. H e i m m e d i a t e l y a s k e d t h e m
a b o u t t h e i r m e d i t a t i o n s . " A r e you all g o i n g s t r o n g ? W h a t sort o f
strong? E l e p h a n t s t r o n g , horse s t r o n g , w h i s k y strong? I f y o u a r e
i n t o x i c a t e d , it is whisky s t r o n g ! "
Providential Help
Ajit Singh Mehta
In 1947 India was torn with Hindu-Muslim riots; my wife
and I were at Lahore station waiting for a train to the Dera. My
little girl wanted to urinate, so my wife took her a short distance
outside the platform. Two young Muslims holding daggers
suddenly came rushing at them. My wife was terrified, thought
of Hazur, and called out, "Maharaj Ji—Maharaj Ji!" At once
the two men drew back alarmed, saying, "Who are these Sikh
gentlemen—where have they come from?" And they ran off.
Hazur and Sant Kirpal Singh Ji had manifested that moment.
My wife came back just as the train was arriving and did not
say a word about what happened. But later when we met Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji at Beas, He asked, "Any news?" My wife deliberately avoided mentioning the incident. But He said, "What
happened at the station?" My wife then said, "What You have
done has happened." He then replied, "It was Hazur who saved
you from the clutches of those people!" He said this, but we
knew He to had manifested to help us also—and this was before
He became the Master.
In 1958 I was cycling down a steep descent in New Delhi.
Suddenly the fork of the front wheel broke. Although I was going
254
at a terrific speed and was flung to the ground, I felt like a child
who was falling asleep in his mother's lap and she was laying
him gently on a bed so as not to disturb him. But when I looked
up I found the cycle was broken in two, and I had a miraculous
escape without even being scratched. A few days later I had the
chance to tell all this to Maharaj Kirpal Singh at Sawan Ashram.
He said, "This is why I tell you people to do your spiritual practices regularly. If you had been regular, you would have seen
with your own eyes how Hazur helps His initiates."
Sant Ji
Mufti Atiquer Rehman Usmani
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj was a great intellectual, a man
of great power with a thought-provoking personality. I had the
privilege and pleasure of working under His benign love and
affection, and profited much from His company. I can say, with
all the emphasis at my command, that Sant Ji was an exceptional personality of our age. Because of His practical way of
life and spiritual attainments, He had created a wide circle of
admirers and devotees not only in India but also in Europe and
America. I had seen in His famous Ashram many European men
and women who came to seek spiritual guidance and solace. It
is difficult to put in words the pure and quiet atmosphere of
Sawan Ashram. I often had the privilege to participate in the
annual gatherings there. I always felt that this ocean of thousands of human beings was listening with keen interest to the
teachings of Islam and sincerely desiring to ponder over them.
Due to the august status of Sant Ji and His spirit of dedicated
service, I always was happy to participate in such holy gatherings. I visualize before my eyes the practical and dedicated way
He used to work. Like all Saints and mystics, His philosophy
was that the image of God is embodied in all human beings, and
it shines in everything. Sant Ji believed in the Fatherhood of
God; He considered all human beings as family members of one
Almighty God. He often used to quote couplets of Khwaja Faridu-din, Maulana Rumi, Araf Jami and Hafiz to stress the need of
understanding the esoteric meaning of the Science of Godrealzation. We all profited from this Great Soul. His achievements are everlasting.
Notes on
a Pilgrimage
to the Master
Robert Smith
When I was in Sawan Ashram in the winter of 1973, the
Master expressed great interest in those of us who were writing
down accounts of His wonderful darshans and the day-to-day
pace of Ashram life. Whenever possible, He wanted to see our
notes before we would return with them to show to others. "You
see," He once commented, "it is not that I am distrustful of anyone's judgment, but it is just that sometimes people will misquote
me and then lead others and themselves astray." I had a chance
to show Him about the first third of my account, in which
He made a few changes. I regret that He did not see any of the
rest, and therefore I alone take the responsibility for any distortions or misinterpretations which may appear.
It is also important to realize that when Sant Kirpal Singh
spoke to individuals, so often He spoke to each one at his or her
own level of understanding or need. He did not always intend
to have His specific advice to a certain one to be generalized
into a maxim or a principle to be followed by all. It is not for us
to try to fathom the spiritual perspective from which He viewed
each one of us. It is only for us to bear in mind what He offered
to each one of us, and to live up to that.
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Monday, December 17, 1973: This day finds me sitting in
the international pavilion of New York's Airport. It is somehow
unreal to feel that I am on my way to see my Master in India,
and that I will be there, sitting before him, in another twentyfour hours or so!
The rigors of this journey are frightening. The flight takes
about twenty-two hours and goes through ports in four countries,
including France, Greece, the Middle-East, and Persia. I see
here all kinds of people: Africans and Asians, Arabs and Jews,
Indians and Pakistanis. Many of them are going on holy pilgrimages to Jerusalem and other suchlike places. In a sense, this
trip of mine is also a holy pilgrimage, although I didn't think
of it as such until I saw these other pilgrims. My Master made
this journey, less than one year ago, and he did it in spite of being
nearly eighty years old and in bad health. I am twenty-four years
old and in excellent health. So why am I afraid, then?
When Master was in America, one afternoon, he chastized
me for slovenly habits in keeping the diaries. I do not believe I
have improved much in that regard since he returned to India.
I think about this now that I am going to see him, but I haven't
been so concerned about it in recent months. Why should it be
any different now? I suppose I am worried that he will be displeased with me.
Wednesday, December 19, 1978: Twenty-One hours out, and
now we're cruising toward Delhi and should be there in another
hour or two. I have had all of about six hours of sleep these last
forty-eight hours.
9:00 a.m. Sawan Ashram: Good God! Now, total confusion. I
don't know who I am, what I am, or where I am. The shock of
this culture is immense. At the airport, at least, were dear
Gyani Ji and Edna, who were there to meet me.
Further jolt upon arrival: Master is in Bombay and won't
be back here until Friday, December 21st or later.
Thursday, December 20: A very long sleep of about sixteen
hours. The shock of being here has subsided a little, but I still
can't believe I am here. Temperatures are very cold. Builders
are furiously adding to the existing structures. There is a railroad
line which runs past the Ashram on the outside wall. Because of
258
the travel, I am troubled by tiredness and a weird sense of otherness.
Friday, December 21 (winter solstice): A very bleak, cold day.
I am filled with enormous sadness, psychic pain, and guilt, and
I don't know why. Spiritual crisis.
Saturday, December 22, 8:30 a.m.: Further bitter disappointment. Master will not return today. Maybe not even tomorrow.
I eat and sleep a great deal —curious reaction to strange
environments, and also to my own fears and self-doubts.
Sunday, December 23: Today is by far the coldest day. Temperatures under 45°F (10°C) and no sun. Meditation is the medicine to cure my sickness!
(4:30 p.m.) T H E MASTER ARRIVED. WHAT M O R E IS
T H E R E TO SAY?
Monday, December 24: Two darshans each day. One at 10:00
a.m., one at 6:00 p.m.
How can one forget what HE is? Yet, somehow one forgets.
He is gentle, kindly, laughing, and radiant. At the same time He
is magnificent and powerful and can be very stern.
Tuesday, December 25:
Question: "Master, in meditation, I have difficulty stilling
myself, my hands, I am so very nervous."
Master: "When you are going to meet a friend, do you
get nervous? Your nervousness is from lack of wholehearted attention to Master. When sitting in meditation, T H I N K OF
N O T H I N G ELSE and only look into the center of whatever you
see. Stillness comes from LOVE. Run your race swiftly, and do
not took to either side to see who is running there alongside you.
Look neither to left nor right. Let the desire to win this race become your RULING PASSION."
Question: "Master, as it is our Christmas Day today in the
West, I wish You a Merry Christmas."
Master: "That is so kind. I, too, wish all of you a 'Happy
Christmas!' But what means Christmas Day? You, young man,
what means Christmas?"
Our Master directed this question to Stewart. Stewart replied:
"Christmas means celebrating the birthday of Christ."
Notes on a Pilgrimage to The Master
Master asked:
"But what means Christ? W h a t is t h e significance of b e a r i n g
cross? Show us what it is, to bear the cross!" Stewart stood up
and spread out his arms, as though in a cross.
Master: "Okay! That is very good! Now, go up!" All
laughed. "You see, this is the REAL SIGNIFICANCE OF
CHRISTMAS DAY: 'Take cross daily. Die daily.' That is true
meaning of Christ. One says 'I die daily.' But it is not
death as we usually conceive of it. To us, now, death is a bugbear, is it not? But what means death? It means, merely, a
TRANSFERENCE from one place to another. I tell you, death
is really a blessing. But how do we know? Only by dying while
still alive. By taking cross daily. It is a kind of death which does
not sever the silver cord, so we can return to man-body."
Arran Stephens got this on a tape-recording. I do not know
what Kirpal Singh is. I can detect no sense of egotism in Him,
whatsoever.
When He looks at me, the feeling is that a sparkling radiation emits from His right eye. Other experiences come from this,
too, but it would seem improper to try to describe them. The
impact upon the soul is enormous. So enormous that I do not
know what it is.
Wednesday, December 26: Master dispelled many of my selfdoubts yesterday. Further doubts can be resolved only through
the discipline of the meditative experience.
Master's people yesterday held a planning meeting for the
forthcoming World Conference on the Unity of Man. The meetings were partially in Hindi partially in English. Master sat calmly and impassively, patiently throughout, and He said very little.
He let the others do the planning. Many distinguished political
and religious leaders were here, including also some M.P.'s,
royalty, and academics. Master often chimed in with some puns
or jovial comments. After the meetings, we had a "picnic" prepared for us by Master's cooks, followed by tea and biscuits in
His own house. Someone said that the President and the Prime
Minister of India will attend the Conference.
Question: "Dear Master, there is clutching in my meditation, and tensions."
260
Master told him to relax his physical eyes, as they are not
the eyes which see inward light, Master then gave him a doctorlike inquiry, to try to diagnose the problem:
Master: "Are you aware of breathing while in meditation?"
"Where in the body is tension?"
"Are you aware of observing process of withdrawal as it
occurs?"
"Are you accurately keeping diary?"
"Are you looking to CENTER of whatever you see, or to
whole of it?"
Question: "Is it possible that I am too attached to the
Master's physical form?"
Master: "Now, look here, when an electric light-bulb provides you with light, do you love the bulb for its own sake, or
for the sake of the light that it provides!" (And the Master
laughed!)
Thursday, December 27: By now I am so inundated by this
experience that it is beyond the realm of possibility to record all of
it, even if I have unlimited ink and paper and the ability to
write volumes in a matter of hours. Master's Darshans are incomparable. Truly, in gazing at his eyes, one feels that it is not
"Kirpal Singh" looking out at the world, but rather, that it is
some kind of higher Divinity looking DOWN from on high. Yet
at the same time there is such a fundamental humility to Him
that there is no selfhood there at all. It is no longer "Kirpal
Singh" who looks at us.
Question: "What are the purposes of attending separately
to Light and to Sound?"
Master: "Both are really the same life-force, the same
Naam, expressing itself in different vibrations. The Light shows
us where we are; the Sound brings us there."
In the evening, Master gave a long talk on the subject of
marriage, which was quite curious to me, in that His talk came
in response to a question which (ostensibly) had nothing to do
with marriage. Someone must have been thinking of this question.
Later in another context, Master elaborated by speaking further
on the benefits of chastity.
Ram Ji is the servant in our Guest House in the Ashram.
261
In his great intoxication, he goes about all day and all night long,
in a mirthful glee, singing, "Sat-a-Naam-a-Ji! Sat-a-Naam-a-Ji!"
And in addition to this, Ram Ji is an incurable prankster. Often
he will ambush someone from behind when they are not looking.
Yesterday, we ran short of spoons in our kitchen, and I asked
Ram if he could go to the langar to get some more.
"Pardon me, brother," he asked, "what means 'spoon'?"
I tried explaining it to him but he didn't get it. Finally I
took a piece of paper and drew him a picture of a spoon.
"Aha!" he exclaimed, in his limited English, "I know what
this thing is! I go and get some!"
Promptly, he ran off to the langar chanting, "Spoon-a-Ji!
Spoon-a-Ji!"
There is a sort of natural quality of devotion and submission which the Indian people seem to manifest here. I believe
it is part of their culture, and yet it seems so alien to me, a
Westerner. And yet, our souls are of neither East nor West.
Friday, December 28: These last two days, I've slid backward
a bit, both physically and mentally. My senses seem dulled, and
I feel cut off from Master's radiant warmth.
I profited greatly from this morning's darshan. Quite unexpectedly, a very interesting lad from Canada stopped in to pay
his respects to our Master. He was not an initiate, but was rather
a devotee of Baha'ullah, the Persian saint who founded the
Baha'i Faith. Yet, this young man (no more than twenty-one
years old, probably) had heard of Kirpal Singh and had heard
that Kirpal Singh is a Perfect Master, and so he wished to come
to see for himself. The fascinating dialogue which unfolded went
like this:
Question: Sir, I heard you're a Perfect Master, and I wanted to verify this for myself. Are you, or are you not, perfect?
Master: See here, my friend, I wish to speak to you manto-man. Now, tell me what it is that you want FOR YOURSELF.
Question: I'm perturbed, sir, by one thing that my Master
Baha'ullah wrote in one of his books. He said, "After I pass,
there will not be another incarnation of God or of Master for at
least another 1,000 years."
Master: That is all right. I have great love for Baha'ullah,
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and since you love him also, I have great love for you. Have
you read his books?
Question: Sir?
Master: Have you read his books for yourself? How many
did he write?
Question :About one hundred volumes, sir.
Master: Okay, that is all right. Now, have you met
Baha'ullah for yourself?
Question :He died long before I was born, sir.
Master: I mean, in meditation. Let me ask: Do you practise any meditation?
Question: I do, sir.
Master: Okay, very good, all right. Now, have you ever
seen Baha'ullah in your meditation? What is it that you see,
what is it in the way of inward experience, that you have when
you meditate?
Question: I believe, sir, that Baha'ullah was a perfect—
Master: (interrupting) No, you are not answering the
question that I ask! I am ASKING you, what do you see when
you meditate?
Question: I...when I meditate, I have a great feeling of
love for God.
Master: Very good, God bless you. Now, what have you
SEEN?
Question: (Long pause) I feel that—I have had an experience of light, and some sensation of passing above and beyond
the body.
Master: Very well, I accept completely what you tell me.
I also tell you, again, that I love your teacher Baha'ullah, and
because you have great love for him, I have the same love for you
that I have for him. Now, I tell you, this is what you must do:
go further in, into your meditation, and do not assume that this
light that you have seen is the final stage. It is just the beginning. If you go in further into it, you may ask him what it is
that you should do further in the way of spiritual development.
And you may come here further, if you desire, for you are completely welcome here.
The young man thanked the Master and then left.
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The question of whether Kirpal Singh is "the Perfect
Master" is thus besides the point. If we love him, we will do as
he requests, to see whether he is or not telling us the truth. What
good would it do for us if he himself, or if someone else, were to
say," "Yes, Kirpal Singh is indeed the Perfect Master"? We must
see for our own selves!
Saturday, December 29: I got very bold today. I asked a
question.
Question: "Master, sitting before your physical presence,
I feel bewildered and a little bit afraid, and I don't know why."
M a s t e r : "Well, what is it that you are afraid of?"
Question: "Well, I'm not exactly sure. I can't think of
what it is that I fear in you, but I am afraid."
Master: "Well, I do not have two long arms which will
come to haunt you in the middle of the night, now, do I? Your
fear is because of the color of the spectacles that you are wearing.
But then there is something more there, too, I think. That something more is very good. It shows that you are developing love
for the Master, and that you are going up in love. When you
love someone, you are always thinking, 'I hope I have pleased
him, I hope I have done nothing to offend him.' This is a very
good sign, and it is good when you feel like that."
Three traveling German scholars came today and asked
very pointed questions. Before leaving, one of them gave Him a
painting of a radiant and multi-colored sun, and said, "This is
the radiant sun."
After they had left, Master sighed and said to us, "Do you
see? Sometimes people come here to test me."
Later, Gyani Ji brought in the telephone and interrupted
our Darshan, saying that it was an important Swami calling long
distance from Bombay. Master seemed upset by the contents of
the telephone message. To share it with us, he spoke to the
Swami in English, thus giving us half of the conversation:
"Speak more slowly, please! No, I have not received word
of this, what you have done. No! I have received neither letter nor
telegram from you!...I TELL YOU, please be quiet and LISTEN
TO W H A T I AM SAYING....NO, I WILL N O T GO TO
BOMBAY N E X T W E E K - N O , I TELL YOU, I HAVE N O T
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received word of this...That's right!...What do you mean to tell
me? This is the FIRST W O R D I have received of this.... All right,
then....All right....But no promises, I tell you. All right, if my
health permits it, but no promises."
Then He hung up rather emphatically, and looked at us
wistfully. "You see what they do? They use my name on a programme without telling me ahead of time. Then they call me up
and say, 'You M U S T come, because we have already printed
the programme with your name on it, and people are expecting
you here.' They use my name to draw a crowd, and then they
ask me to come! Do you see what has become of my name?"
Sunday, December 30: Master conducted large Satsang in the
Ashram courtyard. The Westerners sat near the front. The
Master was incomparably radiant today, even seeming to glow
at times. I became aware of the meagerness of my own receptivity.
He started by giving us a sitting, after which time he asked to
see how many of us had had this or that inward experience. As
always, He wrote down the numbers of people who had seen one
experience or another. I do not know why He does this, but the
impression that it gives is that He is a Holy Accountant!
The discourse which followed was mainly in Hindi. Then
the "music Master" Pratap Singh Ji sang a bhajan, which seemed to give Master immense pleasure. Master closed His eyes,
nodded along with the rhythm, and seemed to be in ecstasy!
Then it all ended abruptly and He told us, "Okay, go and take
your food!"
Later in the day, Master spoke about the diary and suggested that we might take one column at a time and work on it
concertedly in order to weed out that particular failing. "Always
do one thing at a time," He said.
Monday, December 31: A disappointing day for me. I posed a
question. Master did not even bother to answer it, but said,
"This has been answered already," and was very curt and blunt.
I should have been more considerate than to ask such a question.
He seemed to be in much physical pain today.
Tuesday, January 1, 1974: New Year's Day to the Western
world. Master said that we should sit for at least two hours at a
time, and that the hours of 3:00 to 6:00 a.m. were best Sawan
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Singh once said, "I am going out in the early morning hours to
spread grace, but nobody is awake to receive it!" Master added,
"I quote His saying that, only to help you develop more incentive."
There are others around the Ashram and visiting here who
regularly see the Master's radiant form within. What an awesome
blessing that must be! For the rest of us who do not have that
experience, there is some blockage. As Master drives home to us
regularly, we must not fault the technique of Surat Shabd Yoga
because of this deficiency. It is not the technique which is blocked,
but it is we who are blocked!
Tuesday, January 2: The workers have done remarkable
work in building new structures here since I arrived. The same
ones seem to be working through twelve or fifteen hours straight,
every day. When I rise in the morning at 7:30 a.m., they have
already been on the job for about an hour. When I go to sleep
at night, some of them are still on the job.
The Master's message is so very repetitive and invariant, and
yet he pounds it home tirelessly. He has said that none who
came before Him, nor any who will come after Him, will plead
and beg with us as much as He does.
What is most astounding is the incredible work pace that
He keeps up. He will soon pass His 80th birth anniversary. Yet His
work pace would ravage a man of twenty-five or thirty-five in the
peak of physical health.
Several days ago, a typist in Master's correspondence office
was away for the day, and I was asked if I would like to fill in
for him. I was placed before a somewhat battered typewriter. An
enormous stack of envelopes was placed before me. "Please do
type, upon these envelopes, the names and addresses of the people
who are to receive these letters from the Master." And an enormous stack of letters was placed before me. I typed approximately
thirty of these envelopes. I was then given thirty more! The
letters went to people in every conceivable part of the world.
Each and every one was proof-read and signed by the Master.
Question: "Dear Master, when misfortune befalls me, I am
sometimes perplexed as to why it is happening. Is it the fructification of some past karma? Or is it an immediate reaction to some
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error which I am making right now without knowing that I am
doing it? Let me add that when all goes well, I have no such
dilemma; I take no credit at all for the good in my life but attribute it to the Master."
M a s t e r : "This, I would say, is an excellent question. Yes,
some misfortunes come from past reactions, past karmas sown in
earlier lives. Some surely come from error we are now making.
We have no way of distinguishing until we have risen up above
astral plane, into causal plane, where our past karmas and present destinies can be revealed to us. Until you rise up that far,
simply do your best in all things, think nothing of results of your
work, and trust in the Master Power. This is true selfless service."
Question: "Please speak to us about child-rearing."
Master: "It is far easier, I tell you, to beget a child than
to raise one. Everyone wants to beget a child, but how many
want to raise one? Children will copy whatever example is set
before them. The teaching of the child begins in the mother's
womb. She must think kind thoughts and be placing her whole
attention upon God at that time."
Friday, January 4: Where has the time gone? I leave here
tomorrow! My feelings, now so mixed, are difficult to describe.
Yesterday, He told us: "Develop love for God. God, you see, is
very sensitive. If you think unkindly of Him, then He is hurt. He
knows exactly what you feel toward Him at every moment. I
tell you, He is pleased if you have got greater love for Him."
I'm ecstatic today because of His love and how He expressed it to me last night. As He was leaving, I said to Master, "Sir,
I depart tomorrow, may I see You to say good-bye?"
"Yes, of course!" He laughed, and he gestured me to follow
Him into the inner part of the house, which I had never seen before. I was dazed and quite frightened. He led me into a little
sitting room and gestured me into a chair. I was so astounded
that I tactlessly sat in the chair—and He in another chair. I
should have sat on the floor.
"Well!" He said, flashing huge, beacon-like eyes at me, "so
when are you leaving?" His smile dwarfed all other human smiles
I had ever seen, and the dawnlight pouring from His eyes overwhelmed me. I replied, in shaky voice, "Nine o'clock tomorrow,
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Sir."
He gestured to a servant: "Some Parshad, please!" Then,
"Nine o'clock in the morning, is it?"
"No, Sir, nine o'clock in the evening."
"OH! Why, that leaves us LOTS OF TIME! Come back
and see me tomorrow before you go. And come to the morning
session with any questions you wish to pose! Now, go!" And He
stared at me, and added, "And God bless you!"
This was so devastating an experience that I literally could
not sleep the night through.
My departure was marred by my forcing a donation on
Master.
"Do not impose this thing upon me!" He said, vehemently.
"I am sorry, Sir. I already signed the traveler's cheque and
cannot take it back."
"Do you offer money to your parents when you visit
THEM?"
"No, Sir."
"Well, how is this different from that?"
OH! HE SAID THAT!
"You will have enough money of your own in America?
"Yes, Sir."
"You will have good paying job?"
"I have a scholarship at my university, Sir, and it is ample."
"And what is it you are studying?"
"Psychology, Sir."
"Psychology! Indeed, that is a very good kind of work, for
you!"
HE T O L D ME THAT!! T H A T WAS T H E ONE THING
I HAD WANTED TO ASK HIM T H R O U G H O U T THIS
ENTIRE VISIT, B U T I H A D FORGOTTEN. N O W HE WAS
TELLING ME.
"Mind, one thing," he added, "Psychology, that is on the
level of MIND. What we have here, Surat Shabd Yoga, is something different. It is on the level of SOUL. Do not confuse the
two."
9:00 p.m.: Taxi ride to New Delhi airport. The cab driver
is an initiate. Going through Customs. Air France flight 707 to
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Paris, with stops in Teheran, Beirut, and Athens. Oh, dear God,
here I go again into limbo, the netherworld of being en route in
strange and foreign places.
Taxing down the runway, we've touched off again. Thirtytwo hours hence I'll be in Philadelphia, and shortly thereafter,
home. I've been gone only three weeks, but it seems like a year.
Isolated memory-images of Sawan Ashram and of Master
now come flooding back into my mind in a strange, intoxicating
swirl. This together with thoughts of my future, my destiny in
this life, yet remaining to be unfolded. Heaven only knows if I
will see H I M again physically. I must strive to glean everything
from this visit.
Touching down, at last my long journey ended—Sawan
Ashram, less than twenty-four hours behind me, one phrase sticks
in my mind, now, above all else:
"TAKE HEED, T H A T T H E LIGHT WHICH IS W I T H I N
Y O U BECOMES N O T DARKNESS."
The
Embodiment
of the Lord
J.M. Sethi
A Saint is the embodiment of the Lord,
He who desires to see God, let him go to a Saint.
The physical body of my Beloved Satguru Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj was the very abode of Sat Purush. He was a rare
specimen of manhood and radiated compassion. He had the
deepest love for all mankind, and worked incessantly for the
spiritual uplift and regeneration of suffering humanity. He practiced and preached the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood
of God. He was an embodiment of peace and harmony; He was
Love personified. He was all divine glory, beauty and humility;
His radiant divinity attracted all towards Him. The weak found
solace in Him; the oppressed received inspiration. He had a
unique gift of treating humans at various levels of understanding; His kind heart was moved to uplift all who came to Him.
During the later days of His earthly sojourn He worked round
the clock despite His failing health. He was ever serene and
sublime in His serenity. Godliness played on His broad forehead,
and His deep set large blue eyes radiated kindliness and compassion. True to His name He was a veritable lion of mercy; He
rendered protection to all who turned to Him.
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One day an old man named Mehr Chand came to see the
Master; he requested financial help. The Master told him that
since He had recently retired from Service and was now living on
His pension it would be unfair for him to continue demanding
the stipend the Master had been allowing him up to then. The
old man was adamant and would not budge without getting his
share. The Master then gave him Rs. 100, and told him to start
some small business so that he could stand on his own feet. After
this man had left I was told the following story.
Mehr Chand was at one time an affluent person living at
Lahore. In the early forties he attended a Satsang of Maharaj
Kirpal Singh Ji which prompted him to ask for initiation from
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh. After initiation, the process of winding up his past karmas ensued, and within a few years he lost all
his wealth and became a pauper. He was very much perturbed
over his fate, and started drifting away from the Path, so much
so, that he not only stopped attending Satsang and practicing
meditation, but chose to seek help from a Muslim mystic who
was known to bestow worldly bounties. Mehr Chand narrated
his tale of woe to this Muslim Darvesh and pleaded for his help.
The Darvesh asked him to come on the following day as he
would ask his ascended Master for a boon during the night in
meditation. This Darvesh met his Master in meditation and put
forward Mehr Chand's plea. But he was told it was not possible
for them to help Mehr Chand as he had been initiated by Hazur
Baba Sawan Singh who was the Emperor of all Darveshes. This
was a stunning blow for Mehr Chand. He was then struck by
the spiritual magnitude of Hazur and his own infidelity to
Him. He wept bitterly and came back dejected. His abject
poverty had become unbearable and he decided to take his
own life and that of his wife and children also; he bought some
poison, planning to finish off the whole family at midnight.
On this day Maharaj Kirpal Singh reached home very late,
having delivered Satsang in the evening. The first thing He did
was to ask for any money which was available at home. His wife
immediately handed over about Rs. 200. The Master hurried to
the house of Mehr Chand. The poor man was all in tears. The
compassionate Master consoled him and handed over the money
The Embodiment of the Lord
271
to tide him over the situation, and told him never to think of
suicide again. From this day onwards the Beloved Master had
rendered him financial help every month, and sustained this
family until Partition in 1947.
The rare distinction of Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji as compared to the ascended Masters was that He stressed the importance of personal inner experience of divine Light and Sound
Principles at the time of initiation. As a matter of fact most of
His initiates are still not fully aware of the significance of this
boon. The human body is given to us through the grace of God,
and it is due to the evolution of some noble karma of our past
lives that a yearning has sprouted in our hearts for taking up the
Holy Path. It is the rare grace of the Master that He accepts us
for initiation into the Mysteries of the Beyond. Holy initiation
granted by a Perfect Master is the first step towards spiritual
grandeur and beatitude. It is an injection of cosmic consciousness
in the spirit of the seeker. This is the visa for the soul to travel
ultimately in the astral, causal and higher planes under the protective guidance of the Master. This is in reality the imparting
of His personal life impulse for burning the past karma stored
since ages untold and unaccounted for. It liberates us from bondage in the cycle of birth and death, enabling us finally to merge
with the Father in our True Home.
When Maharaj Ji was at Meerut giving a mass initiation
in the early fifties, there was a man present who had come purposely to test the competency of the Master. After the initiation
sitting, the Master inquired, as He usually did, about the inner
experiences had by everyone there. When this man's turn came,
he said that he had not received Light or Sound. The Master of
course knew that he was lying. He told him that he should give a
fair trial to his meditations which would enable him to have
inner contact within a few days. It was explained to him that if
he insisted on being taken up it would be very hard for him to
undergo the strain of forcible withdrawal. But he did not agree.
Maharaj Ji then told him to look into His eyes and sit for meditation as explained earlier, and the man was immediately withdrawn out of his physical body and fell senseless to the ground.
He remained in this state for about two hours. The Master
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called a doctor to test his physical condition, and it was found
that his heartbeat had slowed considerably but that the prana
currents were all right. Later, when the Master brought him
back, he fell at His Holy Feet and begged forgiveness for his
obstinacy. He said that when the sensory currents were withdrawn from body consciousness he felt as if a million flashes of
lightning had struck him—it was a horrible experience of death
in life. This man lived for a few months and then left this world.
While the Master was on tour in Western India, at Ulhasnagar several persons came for holy initiation and sat in a big
hall. It was usual that before their names were taken down the
Beloved Master would come to see them to make sure they were
ready for initiation. When He came, He stopped in front of an
outwardly quite impressive person belonging to a middle-class
family; He told him that he should wait for some time, and that
he would be considered for initiation later on. This was a great
surprise for us all, and of course that man was very sad to hear
the decision of the Master. Afterwards, the Master told us that
this man was not ready for initiation as he had not earned
enough good karma to qualify him for holy initiation. This
judgement is reserved for the Master Who alone can see the seal
or Moharchhap on the forehead of humans, which entitles them to
initiation.
Sweet
Remembrance
of My Master
Ann Grubich
I went to India for the Unity of Man Conference in 1974.
I stayed at Sawan Ashram from January 27th to March 3rd.
Those five weeks were unforgettable! I had said in November
1973 that I would like to go to India and spend some time with
Master at the Ashram before He left His physical body. When the
open invitation came, I was not sure about going because of my
work and finances. A sister initiate talked me into going. I realized Master was granting my wish. I am grateful that I decided
to go, especially since my Master left the earth-plane almost six
months later.
When we were at the Ashram two bus loads of about a
hundred disciples went to Manav Kendra. When we arrived
there, Master came out of His home to greet us and wanted to
know when we would be leaving India, each one individually.
Then He told us to go to our rooms and have something to eat.
While eating, all the lights went out. I started back to my room
in the dark. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard someone say, "Master is here!" He had been driven in His car
to where we had been eating. We all hurried back. Master
was sitting in His chair facing us, and had started talking. Then
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He turned on the flashlight, and beamed it on everyone's face, one
by one. He said, "You came here to find the light, and this is
where the light is coming from." Then He turned the light on
His own face. The most beautiful smile, and He shook with
laughter. All of us sighed audibly; I know I never saw anything
so beautiful—in the pitch darkness; only one Light, one Face!
That is one remembrance of Master.
Another sweet memory was when we were leaving Manav
Kendra. Our bus was to leave around 8:00 a.m. Master was
scheduled to leave at 6:00 a.m. As I was walking to our bus, I
thought it would be parked at the roadway in back of Master's
home, but it was parked across from Master's home, in front of
the meeting house. But I was heading the other way, going past
Master's house. As I passed the gate I looked at the house, and
saw Master's car was surrounded by disciples. I had a glimpse
of Master getting into His car. I stayed outside the gate with
two or three people, and the car started coming out. I will always
remember what I saw. I stood in front facing the car in full view
of Master. I will always remember Him that way. I remember
thinking—I wish I had my camera! But looking at Master I could
not think, I was awed at what I saw, because later I found my
camera in my purse, hanging on my arm. There was my Master,
sitting so regal in the car, the two people in the front seat were
so small, hardly noticeable, I only saw Master's white beard,
white turban, white coat. He seemed to be sitting so high, as on
a throne with His hands folded, blessing us. He was the King of
kings riding in His golden chariot (His car was a gold color). I
will never forget. I did not snap His picture, but the picture is
in my mind forever.
The
Lord of Life
Joseph E. Newman
I came to Master not by accident nor by chance but by a
magnet of love that I felt from His glance. Meeting Master Kirpal
Singh Ji could be described as meeting the purest form of Light
and Love. To look into His eyes was like looking at a thousand
blazing suns that let me know that I was undone, that I was in
the presence of the Holy One.
He taught us that we have the ability to raise our consciousness so that we can become channels for that Light to be
impressed on our mind-structure in a flowing, direct, and purposeful manner. As I gazed into His blazing, loving eyes, I could
hear John 8:12, "I am the Light of the world: He that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Teachers such as Christ, Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji and
Master Kirpal Singh Ji were God in fullest form and could well
say, "I am the Light of the world."
His teachings are not confusing nor disturbing but enlightening and can be approached in a beautifully simple manner.
In our meditations, and by embracing a pure life, we are
preparing to make ourselves receptives to the Light, and to raise
our consciousness to a level on which it does not normally operate.
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Light is one of the keys, Sound is the other.
Let me offer this humble prayer:
O! Great Master, we know Thy Name is our healing,
And sweet remembrance of Thee is our remedy.
Nearness to Thee is our hope,
And Love for Thee our companion.
Thy people have turned in the direction of Thy manifold
blessings,
And have set their faces toward the tabernacle of Thy
wisdom.
Thy love for us heals the sicknesses that have assailed the
souls on every side.
In sweet remembrance we are clinging to the hem of Thy
riches.
And by faith we are holding fast to the cord of Thy
healing.
O! Great Master, as we meditate on Thy goodness,
Fix Thou our eyes upon Thee because Thou art truly the
Lord of Life.
Blessed Are
Those Who Die
at the Feet of a Satguru
Dhani Ram Sharma
I was living in Lahore around 1926. I often had the opportunity to go to Satsang along with Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji.
Once Hazur also came to hold a large Satsang and on this
occasion Dr. Johnson, Hazur's disciple from America, was also
present. This may well have been around 1929 or 1930. It was
about this time that Maharaj Kirpal Singh entrusted me with
the responsibility of maintaining the accounts for the Lahore
Satsang.
Some time after Partition my second son became a tuberculosis patient. During his sojourn at the hospital, my son was
in touch with Maharaj Ji and would write to Him at Sawan
Ashram. Once when I was visiting the Ashram, Maharaj Ji and
I talked about my son and He suggested that I bring the boy to
Delhi. Thinking of all the problems of having a T.B. patient
at home and giving him proper care, I somehow did not carry
out Maharaj Ji's instructions, and put the matter off. Not long
after, we received a letter from the hospital informing us that our
son's condition had got worse. My wife and I went to see him.
The boy had been operated on and the operation had not been
successful. The end was obviously near, and the day we reached
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him, he gave away all his clothes and things to the poor, and
seemed preparing to depart. It was rather late in the evening
when my wife and I left our son's bedside and came back to our
room. We had hardly been back and rested for half an hour
or so when my wife wanted me to accompany her back to our
son. I tried to remonstrate. But she said she had seen, as though
in a vision, Maharaj Ji walking with the boy to our cottage and
then walking away with him. We went back to find our son
had already left for his heavenly home; it was a comfort to know
that he had been looked after by the Master. Whatever our
travail, his agonies at least were over. But as we were strangers,
a new problem presented itself: how were we to arrange for the
cremation and final rites? I could have left the disposal of all
this to the janitors and menial staff at the hospital but I was
determined to do my very best. My prayers were answered. As
the next day dawned the son of another patient in the hospital
arrived to see his father and he offered to help me out. We bore
the body to the cremation ground. In spite of all the difficulties
I was able to carry out things as best I could. When I returned
to Delhi I related everything to Maharaj Ji. He looked at me
and said, "Attending to all this in a strange place must have
been so very difficult for you. It was anticipating this that I had
suggested to you some time back that you bring your son to
Delhi. Anyway it is all over now."
Not long after this my third son, who was then studying in
high school, also developed tuberculosis. We had him admitted
to a hospital in Delhi, and after examining him very thoroughly
the doctors decided that he needed an operation. When I met
Maharaj Ji I told Him about the boy and He said He would like
to see him and took his full address. Some time after, Maharaj
Ji visited the hospital to see the child. He inquired about his illness, and when the boy touched the part of the chest which was
affected, Maharaj Ji placed His hand on it and ran it over, reassuring him that he would not need an operation and that he
would get perfectly well. I was at the hospital when the scheduled
day for the operation arrived. Before operating, doctors give
patients a final check-up. The senior doctor present on that occasion examined my son and was surprised to find that there was
Blessed Are Those Who Die at the Feet of a Satguru
279
no spot on his chest; although he had been marked down for an
operation there were no symptoms to justify it. At this they were
told of Maharaj Ji's visit. The boy progressed so speedily that
within a few days he was discharged from hospital and returned
home. Such indeed was the grace of Maharaj Ji.
I come now to my wife's last illness. Maharaj Ji was departing for Dehra Dun and on the way He stopped to see her. At the
time we were living in the Ashram. After seeing her He turned
to me and said, "Have her properly examined and treated. Hazur
will help." After He left she was admitted for a thorough checkup to the hospital; it was found that she was suffering from cancer. Maharaj Ji visited her at the hospital and discussed her condition and treatment with one of the doctors. The doctor explained there was very little they could do: their primary concern was
to help reduce the pain and make it more bearable.
I was advised to bring my wife home as there was nothing
that the doctors could do. When we brought her back to the
Ashram, Maharaj Ji sat by her side, placed His hand on her forehead and encouraged her to focus within. But such was her pain
that she found this rather difficult. When leaving, He turned to
me and remarked, "Dhani Ram, patients suffering from cancer
find it very difficult, so intense is their pain, to collect their faculties within." This was on Saturday, and the following day
Maharaj Ji was very busy. On Monday, after meeting the brothers and sisters from the West and giving darshan to the Indian
Sangat, Maharaj Ji came over to see my wife in the morning. He
once again placed His hand on her forehead and asked her to
gaze within. "Do you see anything now?" He asked. "I see Light,"
came the reply. "Gaze more intently and deeper still." "Yes, I
can see Maharaj Ji within the Light," she said. "Well, focus
your gaze on Him from now on and engage in Simran," Maharaj
Ji instructed.
From then on my wife was much more peaceful. It was as
though her spirit was withdrawn inwards and for two or three
hours at a stretch she would lie quietly. When she would come
back again, she would be in great agony and would ask for water.
Monday passed in this fashion and so did most of Tuesday. At
8:00 in the evening she asked me to spread her bed on the floor
280
and to lay her down there*. My daughter-in-law was there so I
asked her to help me, and quickly we spread the bed on the floor
and laid my wife on it. I noticed that her eyes were changing and
that her hands and feet were cold. Leaving her in the care of my
daughter-in-law I quickly went to Maharaj Ji. He was having
His meal so I waited outside. When He finished and got up to
wash His hands, I slipped in and told Him that my wife was
preparing to leave the body. Maharaj Ji picked up His flashlight
and walked back to my place. On entering, He looked at my
wife, and then at His watch, and said, "She's not gone yet, she
still has five more minutes." He placed His hand once again on
her forehead, and the end was extremely peaceful. While He sat
there my daughter-in-law broke down and began sobbing. I
said, "My child, what is there to cry about? The Satguru who is
to look after her within is not only there but is also sitting beside
her outside. What greater blessing could one ask for than to
have the Satguru within and without?"
Knowing that He Himself was not too well, I begged Him
not to join us at the cremation ground. "Dhani Ram, do you
think I can stay back?" He answered with deep emotion. There
were a large number of satsangis who accompanied us for the
final rites. When all the preliminary ceremonies were over and it
was time to light the pyre, Maharaj Ji arrived in His car and
He was there when my wife's body was consigned to the flames.
On the third day, as customary, we collected the flowers (bones
left over from cremation). That evening Maharaj Ji called me in
and asked where I intended to consign them. I explained that I
hoped to have them immerged in the Ganges at Haridwar. Two
days later, He called me again, and told me that He was leaving
for Dehra Dun the next morning and that if I so wished the
flowers could go in His car with some member of our family so
that the last rites could be performed.
Blessed indeed are those who can die at the Feet of a Satguru. I mention all of these facts in order to bring home
Maharaj Ji's great concern for those around Him, His care for
every detail.
*In India it is customary among the Hindus to lay down a dying person
on the floor. This is supposed to help the soul.
Blessed Are Those Who Die at the Feet of a Satguru
281
When Maharaj Ji went on tour, it used to be my great
privilege to accompany Him. I would help look after the sale of
books and photographs. If He was giving initiation, I would
assist in screening candidates, finding out whether they had attended any Satsangs or read the literature and had followed the
theory. Once after imparting the instructions, when Maharaj Ji
stepped out He looked at me and said, "I have to carry out the
orders of Hazur and have to go from place to place. But why on
earth have you got to drag yourself like this? Why not sit at
peace at your own home?" Tearfully I answered, "Maharaj Ji,
I have come to Your door and cannot find a better one. If there
is one better, direct me." On hearing this, He was much pleased
and moved.
Three weeks before Maharaj Ji left the physical body, He
once again asked me to help during the initiations in Delhi as I
did while He went on tour. And so I was there to assist in screening the various candidates at His last initiation after the July
Bhandara. It was the 29th of the month and there were well
over a thousand people who sat for initiation. After having
checked with each candidate, I walked over to Maharaj Ji's residence to tell Him everything was ready. He came down, and
being very weak, sat in His car and drove across to the large tent.
He sat down; His face was so grave. He asked me if we had
carefully checked each seeker. I said we had; His eyes swept the
congregation from one end to the other. He then turned to me
and pointed out a blind man, and asked how he came to be there.
I explained that he must have been allowed in while I had gone
to fetch Him.
They may seem like us and we may regard Them as limited
individuals, but Sants, and great souls like Them, have an eagle
eye and They can perceive the Truth at a single glance.
Precious Moments
Eddie Boon
Our memories of the Beloved were sweet; they were precious
moments that we now prize—they filled our lives with bliss.
Help me and teach me the more, Master—I am abashed.
The chimney smoke curls upwards and upwards, the beard of
time becomes greyer as it grows longer, but I am still ignorant
despite my years.
The waterfalls' music my ears cannot understand; the larks'
graceful flight is too swift for my aged eyes; the flower in my
earthen vase withers, and I know not how to save it. Oh, I am
truly ashamed of my ignorance, my Master. Teach me within and
let me meet You face to face again in the temple of my heart.
The wonder of wonders and the most happy and worthwhile experience of my life was the time when I was beside the
Master for six months in India. This happened in 1968. Busy as
Master was, He asked me to have lessons with Him every day at
4 p.m. in His room upstairs. Now when I think it over, how precious and selfless was He. He would not spare Himself—even
when He was thirsty. Once, during such a session, due to my
carelessness, I asked Him a question when He was drinking water
but He answered me nonetheless; the water spilt from His lips
and wet His beard...O Master, where am I able to find such a
Man like You in this world? I am crying now because of acute
pining, an eternal wound, and this will always be so.
The
Lion of Mercy
Vidyawanti Sethi
I was very young when I was initiated by Hazur. When He
left the physical body we were sad and unsettled. Because of the
Partition of the country we were also thrust into domestic problems. We were anxious to find Hazur's true successor. Some
ladies in our neighborhood said that He had appeared to them
inside, and that His Power was now working with them. So for
five or six months I served them with devotion.
Later on I was drawn to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj.
He was gracious enough to make me sit in meditation, and He
took my soul up to higher planes. I gave up my devotion to those
ladies. But my husband still believed in them, and was very
angry with me; he threw a metal utensil at my head. But Maharaj
Ji was holding me tight; He was showering His grace upon us.
My children also started going to Him, and He helped us in
every way.
Then my husband left us and went off to Beas, intending
never to return. The day he reached Beas and sat in meditation,
Maharaj Kirpal Singh appeared to him within and told him
that kind of meditation was not acceptable; his family was suffering in Delhi and here he was trying to pray—he should go back.
He returned home next morning.
Since he had left the house, no food had been cooked; we
were hard up. When he returned, my husband told us all that
had happened. I went to Maharaj Ji and told Him all this; He
said, 'I did nothing—it was all your love." He was so very compassionate; His doors were always wide open.
It Is He
Who Draws Us
Harcharan Singh
It is not for us to speak or write about a Being such as
Maharaj Ji. There is such a gulf that separates us from Him: we
are blind—He knows everything. It is not we who find Him,
but He who finds us and draws us to Himself, either by direct
revelation or by some other means.
I started with some family background. My father was
fond of reading the Gurbani. My sister encouraged me to hear it
being chanted. So sweet did the Gurbani sound and so full of
meaning, that I began to lose interest in the material world
around me and hungered for the gift of Naam.
It was in 1955 that I had my first darshan of Maharaj Ji,
but it was not until 1960 that I started going regularly to Sawan
Ashram. In the first week of November of that year I saw
Maharaj Ji in a vision, and begged Him for Naam; He agreed to
give it to me. A few days later I was given initiation.
As time passed I wished to help with seva; I was overjoyed when one day Sardar Dalip Singh, who was in charge of
the Ashram office, called me in for typing. From then on I would
help him with the office work. I was rather shy about going to
see Maharaj Ji; but to my great surprise, He would often, in
It Is He Who Draws Us
285
His grace, come and visit the office giving us His darshan.
During a World Religions Conference, I took leave to do
some seva. One day Maharaj Ji, taking me by the hand, turned
to Muni Sushil Kumar the Sponsor of the Conference, and said,
"From tomorrow he will be there to help you out with the work."
My prayer had been heard and from now on I was directly involved with day to day seva.
While serving at His Holy Feet, I witnessed a number of
interesting incidents. At the time of this Conference, a group
arrived one morning in strength and wanted Maharaj Ji to do
things their way. He met them with courtesy and asked them to
bring their proposal for organizing the Conference in writing and
He would be glad to accept it. They made a draft and brought
it to Him. Maharaj Ji looked at them and said, "Make doubly
sure that this is what you want." They looked at the draft, took
it with them and after some time brought a fresh draft. Maharaj
Ji quietly signed it and gave it back to them. Later, to their
great chagrin, they realized that the proposal they had brought
Maharaj Ji to sign really meant not the slightest alteration in
the way He was already organizing things.
On another occasion, a group of satsangis from outside
Delhi pressed Maharaj Ji to give a Satsang program for their
town. They said that the Sangat carried more weight than the
Guru, and if the Guru was twenty bisvas (Indian land measure)
then the Sangat was twenty-one, and He must therefore accede
to their request. Maharaj Ji very sweetly agreed to visit their
town as and when He had a tour program nearby. As for the
relative weight of the Guru and the Sangat, He remarked, "If we
take away the Guru from the Sangat, twenty out of twenty-one,
what are we left with? Just one. Now you can see for yourself
that the Sangat is what it is because of the Guru and without
Him it is nothing."
Sometimes I helped Maharaj Ji with the Indian correspondence. Once a brother had a rather loaded question. "Those who
follow the path of lies seem to prosper, while those who follow
truth only get stoned. This being the case, what path should one
pursue?" He was obviously hard put to it, being honest, and he
wanted Maharaj Ji to be indulgent. But He wrote back to explain
that untruth was like sugarcoated poison and truth like a medicine, which though it did not taste sweet, acted slowly but surely.
It was interesting to see how He dealt with every satsangi
in an individual way. Besides their spiritual problems, they
brought their worldly problems as well: someone did not have
a child, another had lost his job. At times Maharaj Ji would be
extremely sweet and loving and reassured them that Hazur
would help. At others, however, He would say, "Do I have a
factory here for making babies, or for creating jobs?" It was not
that His love differed from satsangi to satsangi. It was simply
that the needs of each satsangi were different. Those trying their
best needed encouragment. And those who would leave everything to the Guru needed to be scolded and pushed on. Maharaj
Ji expected us to work hard and do our very best—and leave the
rest to God. If we did so, the Master Power was always there to
help us.
I accompanied Maharaj Ji on His last world tour, and
there are some incidents from that time which come to my mind.
We were in California and I was with Maharaj Ji in a room
when a visitor arrived—a lady dressed in black, coming directly
from London for her first meeting with Him. She explained that
while she was walking down a street in London He had appeared to her there, had told her that He was in California, and had
asked her to come and meet Him there. She had never heard
about Him nor had any plans about meeting Him. However, He
had called her in person and so she had come. Her account was
a vivid testimony that the Shepherd knows His flock and can
reach out to His sheep no matter where they are.
While in Florida, I suddenly had an idea to take a movie
of Maharaj Ji along the sea shore. When we were in Miami I
gained courage and asked the Master if He could let me take
pictures of Him along the sea's edge as a record for our brothers
and sisters in India. He graciously agreed. No one knew of it,
and yet as Maharaj Ji came from the hotel a large number of
brothers and sisters turned up and followed Him. The water was
lapping some distance away and we all walked along with
Maharaj Ji as little children with their father. Suddenly a great
wave rose up in the distance and came straight towards us; it
It Is He Who Draws Us
287
was tumbling across all the dry sand between us and the sea, and
washed right up to where we were. It drenched those nearer the
water, but surprisingly, the moment it reached the Master's Feet,
it touched Him and quietly receded. A single wave rising up like
this, rushing across, and then quietly retiring after just touching
His Feet—it was too extraordinary to be merely an accident.
Maharaj Ji had come to bless the seashore with His presence and
the sea was reaching out to pay its homage. One had heard of
such things in legends, but now the legend was being enacted
before our very eyes. To be at Maharaj Ji's Feet was, indeed, to
realize afresh each day that all the traditions and legends about
holy men one had heard were not mere tales for children but
literal truths.
On one occasion, I had gone to the Ashram from work.
Maharaj Ji sent me to the office to locate some papers, study
them, and bring them to Him. When He got the file He began
turning over the pages. Suddenly He asked, "How is your daughter?" I had not breathed a word about her to Him, but she was
ill and I answered, "Maharaj Ji, she is ill." "But why don't you
have her treated? If you don't do someting she will die," He
told me. "Life and death, Maharaj Ji, are Your slaves and the
girl is in Your hands," I answered. "But you must have her
treated," He said very firmly, and then with great emphasis
repeated, "take her to a doctor —this is my command!" He then
explained to me the nature of my daughter's special respiratory
problem, and a little later asked me to return home. It was
rather late when I got back; I did not tell my wife what Maharaj
Ji had said until next morning to save her the worry. We took
the child to a homeopath who only had to go through the motions
of giving her the medicine. He gave her a dose right there, and
the child was soon back to normal.
During His final months, Maharaj Ji gave many an indication of what was coming. On at least two occasions He cryptically remarked, "This body is getting useless now. Wouldn't it
be a good idea to have a new one?" I would answer that since
everything lay within His power why not mend the existing one?
To this He gave no reply. Once while He was traveling from
Rajpur, referring to His spells of illness, He remarked that they
288
were heralds of death. I asked Him what was the real cause of
His malady, why His normal spells of work alternated with such
anguished pain? He explained that the blood circulation in His
limbs was insufficient. When He had to work, He concentrated
so entirely on it that He had no awareness of the pain; but when
He lay down to relax He had to live with the agony.
Some three weeks or so before the end, I had failed to visit
the Ashram for a whole week. When I came, on seeing me
Maharaj Ji asked, "Are you going to come here only after I'm
gone?" If I could, I would have buried myself alive.
During His last days He once asked me to go downstairs to
fetch a book on Guru Nanak. I did so but I could not find it.
When I came up and told Him of this, He was talking about the
Conference that had been proposed to be held on Guru Nanak's
birthday. "I, myself, may not even be there then," He quietly
said. On 11th August, after the last Sunday Satsang He was to
deliver, as He struggled back indoors, visibly suffering and broken in health, He stopped and said, "However ill I may have
been, however much my body may be giving way, who can say I
have neglected my duty? Whether it has been Satsang or the
satsangis, I have worked to my uttermost and have not failed in
my calling."
There is no grief like unto the grief of losing one's Satguru
—even though in spirit He is always with us. There is no blessing
greater than that of dying during the lifespan of one's Master, and
since He passed into Mahasamadhi, plunged in grief we have,
each in his own place, been measuring the extent of that blessedness which has been denied to us.
A
Tribute to
Pir Zamin Nizami
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj was one of those great souls
who enriched this land with the sweet melodies of the oneness
of God. He spent His life in the service of humanity and dedicated Himself to the spiritual uplift of man. He supported integration at all levels and strived hard to demolish the barriers of
caste and creed. His piety, devotion, spiritual greatness and
magnetic personality attracted seekers after truth from distant
parts of India and lands beyond. He met everyone with great
humility. His was a saintly way of life.
Thousands used to partake of the free kitchen at His
Ashram. His Naam-Daan initiation ceremony was a sight to
behold. Each initiate was given some experience of inner Light
and Sound.
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was a strict vegetarian. In His, Ashram
even foreigners were served with vegetarian food. He was so much
against injuring a living soul that He decided against cutting
down a tree though it obstructed the construction of His house.
It was left untouched and its branches were allowed to go up
through the roof and spread above it.
Sant Ji Maharaj used to have great respect for DargahHazarat Nizam-U-Din Aulia and always participated in our Urs
celebrations. On a couple of occasions He even participated
in the spiritual discussions on the Five Names. He was a man of
such varied qualities that it is difficult to enumerate them. Sant
Ji had great respect for all religions and such was the depth of
His study that it would be no exaggeration to say that He was a
living encyclopedia of religions. His Mission is a living force and
will continue to be so.
The
Master's
Last Months
Kate Tillis
The Presence on earth of the Luminous Godman Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj was a miracle of such magnitude that it
passes comprehension. His acceptance of us as His spiritual children was a personal miracle for each one of us; ever afterwards we
lived and breathed miraculously in Him. To try to pull out any
aspect of His Divine Grace is just to catch one drop from that
limitless Ocean of Love; we can only tell of the little we can comprehend with our limited vision, just that tiny drop, while all the
time He loves us and lifts us in ways too marvelous for us to
grasp.
He changes us. Even those of us who only saw Him once,
even those who received His Initiation but afterwards did not
follow the Path; none of us can ever be the same again: we have
each been touched by the Finger of God.
That He allowed Malcolm and me to stay close to Him in
India and work for Him on His manuscripts for the last ten
months of His earth life was all His merciful Grace—it is surely
those most in need of help (and a good scrubbing!) whom He
draws close to Himself. During those months we watched Him
pass from one phase to another, from outpourings of intense
the Master's Last Months
291
spiritual radiation and love to periods of withdrawal, from benevolence to sternness and back to benevolence, from delicious
bursts of humor to admonition, from periods of radiant vitality
to sickness, and finally, to that fatal illness culminating in His
departure for higher planes.
When we came to His Holy Feet in October 1973, it was
realized that His precious talks given daily to visiting Westerners
were only being recorded in the most haphazard way by anyone
who chanced to have a tape recorder at that time, and that these
dear ones who made the recordings then returned with them to
whatever corner of the world in which they happened to live.
Master gave permission that these heart-to-heart talks should be
officially recorded and documented for future publication, and
this was begun in January 1974 when the necessary equipment
arrived. In the meantime, notes were taken by hand of the rare
gems as they fell from His lips, some of which are given below.
Master frequently told us that we had not come to the
Ashram to make friends or indulge in idle talk and idle pursuits. So on the last night of her stay, an English satsangi said to
Him, "We don't come here with the intention of making friends,
but when we arrive we can't help it—we grow to love people here
because we have so much in common. Is this wrong?" The Master
replied, "No, because you love the Master and they are all the
Master's children, and you are closer to each other than members
of your own family. This relationship remains even after death.
You love these people because of your love for the Master."
On another occasion someone asked the Master, "What should
we do on our return ho me to convey to others what we have
learned here." The Master said, "You must be changed, not the
same old person in any way—in your behavior, in your dealings
with others. Of course spiritually you are a little better. But let
other people say you are changed! You need not act or pose. The
more you progress the more it is a joy to me."
Master often told us to "Go jolly!" So someone once asked
Him how could we go jolly? And He replied, "Only when you
come in tune with nature. Your soul is to be happy, not your
physical senses. If your whole attention is absorbed, then you
will go jolly—there will be joy!"
An Italian lady came to the Ashram and there was no one
who could adequately translate to her what the Master was
saying. After a lot of false starts and struggles the Master stopped
all that, and remarked, "I think she can absorb more without
words!"
To someone who admitted to Him, "I feel the Master
knows all my faults and weaknesses," He replied, "Well, try to
weed them out. Fear of the Master arises through love—it is
good to have fear. A man sees through the spectacles he is
wearing—so have loving regard for all. When a man begins to
fear displeasing Him it is a sign of going up; from fear will arise
true love."
In November the Master took Westerners with Him up to
Manav Kendra, and while they were there invited them to spend
a whole golden day with Him at His house at Rajpur. For some
dear ones, however, the day was being spoilt by their inner
criticism of the behavior in front of the Master of other dear
ones—this the Beloved washed away in His Divine Love by
remarking, "You are all beautiful to me." He once told us, "The
whole atmosphere is full of thoughts; if you think evil you will
drain it from the atmosphere."
On selfless service He said at another time, "It can only
be selfless if there's no personal gain in it. It is only selfless if it
is done by your own wish and pleasure. If it is done by force or
through fear it is not selfless service. It must come from natural
impulse—it all depends on the intention."
In December the Master left on His last tour—a fifteen
day trip to open the new Manav Kendra at Baroda and on to
Bombay, with many stops on the way. He took a bus full of
Indian and Western satsangis with Him. On tour with the Master
one learns gratitude for the basic things of life which are usually
taken for granted: a place to sleep (even if it's the floor), water
to drink and to wash in, meals, and a hot cup of strong reviving
Indian tea! On tour these things might be forthcoming or they
might not; in this the Indian satsangis were a great example—
they just trusted to Him to give what He would when it pleased
Him. The Master told those traveling with Him, "All this is a
lot of inconvenience to you. I am always tossing about, that's
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293
my fate, but you don't have to do it." One young American
remarked, "On the last tour I was always worrying and asking
questions: What time shall we arrive? Where shall we stay
tonight? Where will the Master's darshan be? But now I simply
get into the bus and it takes me where I have to go when I have
to go." Another Westerner said, "If we only come to understand
that everything around the Master is given to us as a test, then
we'll say to ourselves, 'In order to progress I must get through
this next one.' When we come to that understanding then nothing will pull us down."
As the time for the World Conference on Unity of Man
drew nearer, the tests increased as the whole Ashram became a
building site; whole new storeys were rapidly seen to top the
existing buildings. The work went on night and day, sometimes
exactly over one's head. One day in late January the Westerners
were moved into the main meditation hall for their meditation
session—at this time one end of the hall was a carpenter's shop;
the hammering and banging and sawing and conversations of the
workmen never stopped! When the Master entered to take everyone out of meditation He was beaming. He said, "When a
student attends some class, after some training he is tested
whether he has learned the lesson given to him. You have been
putting in time for meditation for the last few days, now today
was the test day. It was to be seen how far you have succeeded
concentrating—a sort of test, you see? So how many of you have
seen Master's form? Hands up please." And Master continued
to ask for everyone's inner experience.
Tests also took a much more personal form. All sorts of
tensions build up round a Master causing clashes of personality,
clashes which at times appeared to be fostered by the Master
Himself. This was an essential part of His man-making for the
disciples. One visiting satsangi became exasperated by another
very nervous and talkative satsangi; Master's way was to throw
these two together—until they came to love each other! He also
taught His children to be as flexible and fluid as possible, not to
clutch at preconceived ideas. At the time of the Conference, for
instance, Malcolm was told he should give a speech during one
of the Panel Sessions, and it was to be on comparative religions.
294
So we wrote a speech mainly quoting our Master's words and
teachings from His books. The convener, Mr. Srivastava, told us
next day that the speech had been accepted, just one or two
small changes would have to be made as it was to be given at a
different Panel and would now be on the subject of "The Drug
Problem Facing Youth Today."
To be in the blessed physical presence of the Living Master
is not of course all one long test—it is indeed to drink the pure
Nectar of Spirituality at its very source. No one who was present
during that early January can ever forget those extraordinary
silent darshans when the Master seemed, for a time, to let us
have a glimpse of Himself— a rare gift of pure Grace. The room
became immensely charged; no one spoke, and the Master simply
sat and looked at His children. At such times the soul is lifted
out of the body and given illumination and bliss beyond compare,
beyond expression. Someone who tried to give expression to one
such experience wrote the following lines:
His Face is a thin veil
between us and God;
the veil shimmers and Light shines through,
the veil melts and Another Face appears.
Round Him moons, manifest
and overhead a Radiant Form is seen.
His Eyes are Pools of Light,
His Eyes are Fountains of Mercy,
His Eyes are the Ocean of Love.
Awestruck, we gaze not at flesh and bone,
but at the Living Substance of God.
During this darshan the Master did, at long intervals,
speak to us. The words carried tremendous charging and seemed
to come from a great distance. He said:
Silence is more eloquent than words.
We have to go down into the very silence of the heart.
That silence becomes vocal.
That silence sprouts forth into Light.
Those who went deep down into that silence gave us the
scriptures.
The scriptures are the result of such people.
The Master's Last Months
295
At the moment we are physically still and mentally still
we learn more by radiation.
These words were written down by Malcolm as they were
spoken. Next day he took them to the Master for His correction
(nothing could be released in any form which had not first been
passed by Him). Malcolm said, "Master, apparently nobody
recorded what You said yesterday" and the Master, as He took
the paper, remarked, "You took it down. So you were one of
the nobodies." Master then corrected what He had said and put
a large tick in the margin.
Once when He was talking to His children He told them,
"I am not the Master—God is the Master; He is working through
me." And at another time He said, "Masters are never born—
historically we have Their birthdays."
During that winter the Master gave this advice about group
leaders: "They have to be extra careful to be a good example to
others and do things correctly. They are put on a pedestal, and if
they do anything wrong they are pointed out—there is a great
fall." He advised those on the Path, "Instead of thinking of others,
think of your own Self. Did you ever think of your own Self?
Once a man was looking for the center of the world, but the center
of the world is within you, right inside. If you know your own Self
you can move the world."
Someone asked Him if we commit sins in dreams how
should we mark it down in the diary, and He said it should go
down as failure in thought.
When asked to give parshad to a late-comer, He replied,
"No one can have parshad if he was not here when it was given
out."
On another occasion He said, "The Kingdom of God is for
children—not for the childish."
And again, "Chastity is the foundation on which the house
is built—the house of spirituality."
Of someone who was always changing clothes and obviously
thought a lot of outer appearance, the Master asked repeatedly,
"When did you come?" as if to a new-comer. Everyone laughed
and said, "But Master, this person has been here for weeks!" The
Master, however, was playing the game of non-recognition. "Oh,"
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He said, "You keep changing your form," by which He meantdress. "You are looking after the horse and forgetting the rider.
You are taking care of the house and have forgotten the indweller."
At this time when the Master gave darshan in what appeared to be a noisy passage with members of His household and
staff continually passing, talking among themselves and telephoning, some dear ones from the West complained they could
not hear Him. But His reply was that everyone could hear perfectly well if he concentrated.
After one of His terrible coughing spells someone asked,
"Master, are we tiring You?" The Master replied, "No, you are
my solace."
He told us we should have right understanding and that
right thoughts and right speech would give us right meditation.
He said, "Safeguard the principle of right understanding and
you will guard yourself."
On New Year's morning He gave a talk from which the
following is an extract.
Progress depends on your devotion and ruling passion. So
work in a way that you may be able to fly with the Master
within to higher planes. Always have the highest ideal before you. If you want to jump ten feet, don't jump four or
five. If you don't have lofty ideals you will remain where
you are. A man is really a man if he catches God. That is
the highest ideal. Start this year by having the highest
ideal. When God sees you are running to Him He will give
you a boost. If you are always lying on the floor who will
help you? I am only telling you all this to give you a new
incentive. That's my New Year message. Once you reach
the destination, then lie down.
An open invitation was given to all satsangis to take part
in the Unity of Man Conference in February, and to celebrate
the Master's Birthday; nearly five hundred Westerners accepted
the Master's invitation to come and stay at the Ashram. One or
two of the more perceptive of them said quietly that they could
not help thinking this huge gathering of the Master's children
from all over the world must have some deeper significance than
the obvious one of the Conference. Indeed now we can see it as His
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generous gesture to all His spiritual family to come, without the
usual special permission, for the last time on earth to His Holy
Feet. During this time, in spite of the tremendous extra burden
of work the Conference entailed for Him, He gave the Westerners
two long meditation sessions every day followed by talks of profound spiritual depth. He poured out His love, concern and
guidance in such a way that each person felt him or herself to be
supremely blessed, and to be the center of the Master's care and
attention. Here was the Divine Sun of spirituality radiating in all
His splend—and here was the loving, tender Father, the solace
of all hearts. How could we understand what was happening—
far less describe it? We used to think if we could really absorb one
millionth part of what was being poured out we'd all become
instant saints!
Living at the Ashram one could not but be aware that there
was hardly a single moment of the day or night when the Master
was not giving Himself. People came to see Him without ceasing:
His secretaries with the huge load of daily correspondence, His
household staff, Indian families or individuals with every kind
of earthly and spiritual problem to lay before Him, and Westerners who wanted to concentrate as much of His counsel and blessed darshan as possible into a short visit. The work for the Conference, of course, tremendously increased His burden. A Master
is the only authority on all points and on all occasions, thus every
person and every detail is under His direct supervision. No man
could begin to undertake what a Master willingly and lovingly
does day in and day out—the human frame which held this
Gigantic Soul was taxed to the utmost.
We would often be appalled by the sight of His physical
suffering—the cough which wracked His whole frame so that it
seemed He would never get the breath back in His body, His
muscular contractions or cramps, those agonizing pains which
wrung involuntary groans from Him— all the more appalling
that these sufferings must have been caused by His acceptance of
our karmic load. And yet He had the most extraordinary resilience; one moment He would be seen to be deathly ill, and in almost the next moment He would be glowing with vitality and
sparkling with loving smiles. No spectator, and indeed no doctor
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can ever understand the interaction of body and soul in a Master
Saint. Since a Master is perfectly in tune with God at all
times and in all situations, His sufferings, and of course His physical death, must all be perfectly accepted and undergone by Him
according to the Divine Plan. Yet the sight of such suffering
starts painful self-questioning in the satsangi. As each one is indissolubly linked to Him, impulses pass back and forth between
them in ways of which the satsangi is but dimly aware. In a
sense everything the satsangi says and does must be registered
within Him. Then so intolerable becomes the thought of personal
imperfections that a profound restlessness and a bitter anguish is
endured until, through His Grace, each one becomes as He is;
until there is no intervening friction nor flaw, until the double
image is the perfect reflection. This culmination, this consummation is His supreme Gift and Grace, never earned, never
deserved.
In February, the Master took us all up to Manav Kendra,
where He blessed us all by a period immensely rich in the outpouring of His teachings and His love, and He gave daily meditation sessions. The clear mountain air soon cleared away the
coughs and colds so many people had suffered from in Delhi.
Manav Kendra, especially the Mansarovar, is so highly charged
that even when the Master left us for days or weeks at a time we
still felt the glow of His pervading Presence.
That year the April Bhandara to commemorate the passing
of Hazur was held at Manav Kendra. Almost overnight those
beautiful tents and canopies in glowing colors of red, purple,
saffron and sea-green in geometric designs went up everywhere
looking like the setting for some medieval tournament of knights.
Thousands of people were housed and fed and sheltered from the
sun as they gathered to sit before the Master. The devotees who
came were so quiet, so gentle and orderly and sweet-tempered
that they came and went leaving no mess nor any disturbance;
everywhere you went people smiled at you. It was a poignantly
moving event as the Master showed His deep sorrow at the loss of
His Master on the physical plane; one time, while speaking to
us, His voice broke, and tears fell from His eyes. The bhajans
then sung were of a heart-rending beauty and sorrow. The whole
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atmosphere was immensely charged with this divine grief;
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh could be seen manifesting time and
again, appearing through His great Spiritual Son and Successor.
On April 6th the Beloved Master blessed with His Presence
the marriage of David Kippen and Tina MacKnight at the
Gurdwara in Dehra Dun; it was such a warm-hearted and
delightful occasion—He was the true Father of us all, and this
was an intimate family affair—the air was filled with showers of
rose petals and good wishes!
The following day the Master left for His camp at the
Kumbha Mela at Hardwar, the great twelve-yearly gathering
of saints and holy men from all over India where thousands of
people come to sit at the feet of saints, hear spiritual discourses
and take the ritual bath of purification in the sacred river
Ganges.
As the heat of summer increased, the visiting Westerners
were advised to leave, but their place was taken by those dear
ones who were schoolteachers and students and whose only free
time was during these months. We all moved up to Rajpur; some
stayed in the Master's bungalow there, others stayed in Kirpal
Ashram nearby. The Master was ill and withdrawn. He only
saw us for a very short time each evening, and sometimes He
scarcely spoke.
When the Master left for Delhi on July 4th, we understood
He would soon be back, and many of us were advised to stay on
at Rajpur and wait for His return. However, as the time for the
Bhandara in Delhi on July 27th to commemorate Hazur's
birthday drew near, we were all asked to go back to Delhi. We
imagined we'd be back in Rajpur with the Master after a few
days.
At the Bhandara it was obvious that the Master was very
ill; nevertheless, He carried on through all the ceremony and
speeches, and on the last morning He initiated over one thousand
souls into the Holy Naam.
The Master was the first spiritual leader to address members
of the Indian Parliament; this meeting was arranged for August
1st. Although the Master was then so ill that He could scarcely
speak, He kept that appointment. He began by apologizing to
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the audience for the weakness of His voice. He was always deeply
concerned that those with national responsibilities understood
that they hold the welfare of millions in their hands. That evening, as He was too ill to come downstairs, still the Master gave
us His blessed darshan in His bedroom.
A few days later the Master indicated that the taping of
His talks should be stopped; the last officially recorded talk,
given on August 7th, He devoted to the reiterated theme, "Burn
all scriptures! They are useless without the Living Master."
Once the taping of His talks stopped, Malcolm, who was at
first rather bewildered, found he was able to sit in front of the
Master with no tape recorder or notebook to attend to, and could
absorb the divine radiation of bliss with undivided attention for
the first time in eight months. Some of the last words the Master
spoke to him were in acknowledgement of this blessed state, for
He said, "You must be happy now!"
It was always impossible to tell how long we would stay in
any one place. We thought we'd be in Delhi for a short time
during the Bhandara, so we'd left most of our work and equipment up at Rajpur. We knew that the Master was desperately ill
—but He had been apparently just as ill many times before, and
had recovered. So we were waiting and waiting for Him to take
us all back to Rajpur—so that we could rescue the equipment,
Master's precious tapes and manuscripts, many books and papers
which we feared would be mouldering away in the monsoon.
When it became obvious that the Master could not travel because
He was too ill, we asked His permission to go up to Rajpur for a
quick visit to collect our things there, and He said that we could
go. Before we went we were present at His last Darshan Talk,
the last time He spoke to His children from His bed on the roof
terrace outside His bedroom. This was Saturday August 17th.
During that night one was shaken by wild uncontrollable sobbing
—why? Because the soul knew what the mind did not. Next day
was Sunday, but the Master did not give Satsang; instead a tape
was played. Afterwards, from the roof terrace, He appeared for
a few minutes to give the Sangat His last silent darshan and
blessing. On Monday we traveled up to Rajpur, and indeed
found everything there much in need of drying out and attention.
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On Tuesday Malcolm—like many other satsangis—became inexplicably very ill and had to stay in bed. On Wednesday morning, while walking down the lane from Kirpal Ashram to the
main road, a dazzlingly brilliant white sun began to manifest
exactly before open eyes. With closed eyes it was even more
brilliant. We sat for half an hour, while it persisted, in meditation on the roadside. What did it mean? Did it mean that our
Beloved Master was leaving the body? This thought was so
unthinkable that a hundred reasons why He could not leave us
rushed into the mind: there was the pending Asian Conference,
there was the new Manav Kendra at Baroda under construction,
there were the houses for the Westerners being built at Rajpur,
and so on. (Other satsangis also reported seeing this sun at this
time—was it perhaps the sun Baba Sawan Singh referred to when
He was passing from the earth-plane?)
That evening a message was sent to us to tell us that the
Master had left the physical body, but this message never reached us. At three o'clock in the morning we were woken by people with torches (the electricity was off) saying, "The taxi is
here, why aren't you ready?" Bewildered, we lit a candle and
asked, "What taxi?" They replied, "To go to Delhi." Then they
told us, "The Master left the body at seven o'clock last evening."
His Mission of Mercy on earth completed, the Resplendent
Sun of Spirituality had ascended to the highest Heaven.
And yet, miraculously, He remains with and within each
of His children. At the end of a visit to Him in Sawan Ashram
five years previously He said, "I am your Father, I have you by
the hand and I shall never let you go."
The
Light
of the World
M.M. Chopra
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, the true spiritual Son of Hazur Baba
Sawan Singh Ji, gave motivation in spheres of religious truth,
world peace, moral regeneration and spiritual consciousness.
Sant Ji is adored by millions in India and abroad as the Divine
Harbinger of Fundamental Truth and Ultimate Reality. Those of
us who were fortunate to be blessed by Him know and believe that
a Godman came to awaken mankind, to rekindle the dying fires
of divinity by providing the luminous spark from the abundance
of infinite knowledge and bliss.
His Holiness's message, which instead of limiting the frontiers of religion to a fixed doctrine, stresses the fundamental
Principles common to all religions, which have advanced society
and lit a bright flame which cannot be smothered. It is in this
sense that our Master's Light is still with us. It will remain with
us to illuminate mankind for years to come, and one thousand
years hence that Light will still be seen in India and abroad.
The world will see It, and It will give solace to innumerable
hearts.
Throughout His life, Sant Ji carried on the Mission of
bringing harmony among people with utmost devotion and
enthusiasm. He pursued the Cause unmindful of the physical and
mortal limitations of the human body, and He virtually died in
harness.
The Light has gone from our physical sight, the Light
which always showed the right direction to wandering minds, the
Light which disseminated the idea of the unity of mankind and
the love of one for another. Yet in more than one way this Light
has not gone out: the Master sends His benediction from Heaven
and urges us to remember that even the lowliest of creatures possesses in him the Divine Spark.
A
Servant in
His Household
Hayat Singh-
I was just a boy of thirteen or fourteen when I left my
village in Almora up in the hills. It was in 1968, and I had left
home to look for work in Delhi. I became interested in finding
out about God, and asked someone what I should do. He told
me that God was about in the very early hours of the morning,
and one should seek Him then. I got hold of pictures of Rama,
of Krishna, and of Durga, and began getting up very early doing
aarti (burning incense and lighting candles) and praying to
them, especially to Goddess Durga. The family with whom I was
working at the time happened to be satsangis. I began reading
Sant Mat Prakash published from Beas, and Sat Sandesh from Delhi.
The satsangi with whom I worked, told me about Naam and
about the need for a guru. But I would always say, "I am a
Hindu—how can I become a disciple of a Sikh guru?" To my
great surprise however, Maharaj Ji began appearing in dreams,
and on one occasion He took me in His lap and gave me much
love. I told Him I wanted to be at His Feet and He said He
would grant me Naam.
I told my employer I wanted to go in for initiation. "You
are too young for that," I was told, and when I insisted, he said.
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"Maharaj Ji does not give Naam to boys of your age. But if you
will not listen to me you can go and demand it yourself." After
my dream I was determined; I took a rickshaw and got to the
Ashram. The sevadar would not let me go in; dejected and desperate I came back. I went again, and on meeting Maharaj Ji
complained that He had told me He would give me Naam and
yet I had to return disappointed. "If the sevadars would not let
you in, did you tell them I had called you from within, and did
you send in a note?" I was asked to come next time and I did
so with Mata Sheila who lived near me. And so on 7th July 1969
I was initiated at the age of fifteen.
Wanting to serve the Master, in March 1971 I went to
Manav Kendra, and a month later became a member of the
Master's household and helped with the cooking. I was a little
fellow then and at first no one would let me get near the Master.
But seeing the Master's love for me, people soon let me go in and
out as I pleased. I do not have the words to describe what it was
like, being with Maharaj Ji. He would joke with me and pull me
up. At times He would playfully call me "Yahya Khan," and at
others He would call me "Para Singh." Yahya Khan was very
much in the news at the time and Para Singh was a popular
wrestler. He would call me Para Singh because, He said, I was
like mercury (para in Hindi) and could not stay still.
In the last year He suddenly told me to begin learning
driving at Dehra Dun, adding I could become a driver that way.
By then I had lost all reserve and would tell Maharaj Ji everything. I said, "But Maharaj Ji, if I do that I would be stuck at
Dehra Dun and be away from You." He went on, "But once
you learn driving you will get a good job. You will be a rich man
and then I can come and stay with you." Putting on a mock
sternness, He added, "Don't back out. You must give me a place.
No excuses—mind that!"
If I prepared food for Him out of a spontaneous impulse,
He would be sure to have it. Once in Rajpur a kulfi (Indian ice
cream) vendor came by and I had a kulfi. It tasted good, and I
took one for the Master. Not sure if He would have it, I told the
vendor not to take it out of its container; you might say I carried
it in on approval. I told the Master I had tried one, it seemed
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305
good, and had brought one in case He would have it. He
not only took the kulfi but gave me two rupees to pay for them and
to keep the change for myself.
We would always keep crystal sugar, cardamom, and cloves
handy. Maharaj Ji was given to coughing, and when He coughed
He liked to have these. Instead of running for them each time, I
would often carry them for Him in my pockets.
As for sleeping, I doubt if Maharaj Ji ever slept. He was
always up and working, and when He would be tired and there
was time, He would just stretch Himself out for a little. He was
extremely fond of the Jap Ji and read it every morning before
starting work.
In 1973, my father was taken seriously ill and had vomited
blood. On getting the news I had to go home to be by his side.
When I talked to the Master about it, He asked me, "If your
father goes, what will you do?" I told Him that I would come
to Him; I had no worries. He was preparing me for what lay
ahead, and when I departed, filled a whole bag of puffed rice
parshad for me to take home. Generally He would give a handful to each devotee, but for me He took a large paper bag and
filled it up. When I got back home, I would give some parshad
every day to my father. On pooran-massi day (full moon) in
October, I gave the last parshad left to my father around 10:00
at night. At 4:00 in the morning He was gone. That night as I
lay fast asleep, Maharaj Ji appeared in a dream, and with His
stick marked out a particular spot in the open. Next day when
we took my father's body for cremation, the pyre was laid out at
the very spot He had indicated. After various ceremonies, I returned to the Ashram; Maharaj Ji was upstairs. It was November
and I ran up the stairs. He was with His elder son, His daughterin-law and a couple of others. As I looked at Him, His head was
one mass of bright Light. I could not distinguish His face. Two
or three days later I asked Him about my father: not being an
initiate, I was worried what would become of him. "But you are
his son, and you are an initiate. He will be looked after. Why do
you worry?" Maharaj Ji inquired. "Will he again get human
birth?" I asked. "And what if he does not need to come back at
all?" He said.
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Maharaj Ji gave us many hints about His departure during
the final months. Unfortunately we did not understand them.
Once He told me in the morning, "If you want me, get up early
and have your bath, and after praying to God in whatever form
pleases you, then only come to me." There was a certain solemnity and sternness in His command, and from then on I was particular to bathe early, and after a little Simran, then only would
I show myself for work.
In early August, when the Master lay in His room upstairs,
I told Him, "People get well through simply remembering You.
Then why are You ill Yourself? Why don't You make Yourself
all right?" Maharaj Ji answered, "What is the point of getting
well now—I shall be going soon!" I thought He was just joking,
and responded, "And where will You be going?" He answered,
"Oh, where we all go." "But You must take me there first before
You go Yourself," I said. But Maharaj Ji lay silent and made
no reply. A few days later He was indeed gone from us as He had
warned.
In
Sweet
Memory
A. R. Manocha
I came into contact with the Beloved Master in 1955. I was
passing through Shakti Nagar when I saw some people going into
Sawan Ashram; on enquiry I came to know that Satsang discourses
were held at this place. Just for curiosity sake, one Sunday,
I went there and heard the Master's Satsang. On that first
occasion I felt a great charging and radiation and was attracted
as iron is attracted by a strong fully charged magnet. Such was
the effect on me that the next week I requested His Holiness for
initiation, and by His grace, this was given.
During the many years that followed, I found that whosoever met Him, was attracted similarly and conquered by His great
Love. He Himself was the Personified Soul, the mouthpiece of
God, and strived so that every disciple of His should reach the
same state. How far we could understand Him and follow Him
in practice depended upon our receptivity. He never looked or
cared for our shortcomings as human beings or our outer appearance, but having overpowered the base instincts and being one
with God, treated everyone from the angle of Soul, as a part of
Himself. He expanded Himself beyond the body, relatives, caste,
creed, nations and thus became the Master of the Universe. His
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qualities were unlimited, indescribable in any tongue or language
or by any pen as is Almighty God. He was one with the GodPower working through His body.
I would like to recall a few instances which will remain
always fresh in our minds and which will give inspiration to all
humankind for thousands of years. One of His general teachings
was that the moral and ethical life is a stepping stone to Spirituality and secondly to rise above body consciousness, of which
He used to give practical experience which is called Surat Shabad
Yoga—The Science of the Soul.
He would attribute everything to His Beloved Master
Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj and thus overcame the ego of
self-praise. On 28 th July 1974 in the morning when He was sitting on the dais, and the Sangat was in meditation, I was fortunate to be standing beside the stairs at the back of the dais.
His Holiness started a conversation which remains always fresh
and inspiring in my mind. He just leaned on the pillow towards
me and said, "Manocha, it appears that the Science is affecting
the masses and mankind is being benefitted by it." With profound joy, I said, "It is all by Your Holiness's grace." He nodded His Head and said, "No, it is the grace of Hazur Baba
Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj." I again humbly said, "Master, let me
know if there is any difference between Hazur Sawan Singh Ji
and Yourself? I, at least, do not feel so." On this He smiled and
said, "No, no, Kia pidi aur kia pidi ka shorba" (meaning that
while comparing Himself to His Master, He was telling us, that
He is nothing). This shows His deep humility and how much He
had regard and love for His Master.
On 18th August 1974, just three days before He left His
physical body and disappeared from human sight, He was physically not feeling well and at the time the whole Sangat was waiting outside for His Sunday morning Satsang. He was lying
on His bed on the first floor. We, who were present there,
requested Him to rest and not to move from the bed. A tape
recording of His voice was played. But after a time He put on
His turban, sat in the wheelchair and started going towards the
balcony to see His Sangat, saying, "Sipai voh hai, jo maidan-ejang main kam aae" (meaning: A solider is one who gives his
In Sweet Memory
309
life in the battlefield). Looking very grave, He came to the edge
of the terrace; the tape was stopped, and He gave His Beloved
Sangat His last silent blessings. One minute later He returned to
His room; the Satsang was over. This was the type of love He
had for His Sangat. Whenever He was bodily sick and someone
would come to Him, He would immediately get up and it would
appear as if He had no sickness at all. Such was His charging,
His radiation that He imparted happiness and peace of mind to
all who came to His Lotus Feet.
In the middle of February 1974 after the Unity of Man
Conference, a thanks giving function was held in Sawan Ashram
for those who had worked for the Conference. He specially pointed out that whether His body lives or not, the Spiritual Current
working through Him will not stop, and the spiritual revolution
will go on.
Let us all jointly strive hard to advance and further His
Mission for the benefit of mankind.
How
I was Taken
Up in His Fold
Gurdial Singh
It is always the long and strong arm of the Master that
finds the lost sheep from wherever it may be. I was told about
His being a Living God on earth by my friend, Gurmail Singh,
a noble and dedicated soul. He would always talk to me about
the Beloved Master and His Mission. I, of course, used to speak
in a layman's way—why should one try see the sun, moon, and
stars by closing one's eyes when all of them were visible to the
open eyes? He would then ask if I could see the sun at night and
the moon and stars during the day. All this fantastic talk ultimately brought me to the Lotus Feet of the Master at Amritsar
where I was, at the time, studying in dental college.
I was by nature emotional and sentimental. It was because
of my disturbed mind that I gave up the Path for one year. During this period I had a chance to meet many spiritual teachers;
I also read books on spirituality. This was His way to make me
realize what religion was. After one year, I found myself once
again at His Lotus Feet; I then realized I could not get out of
His strong hand.
The first time I went to see Him at the Ashram, I met the
age-old problem of "no permission to go in," as one generally
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311
meets at private residences of officials. I started thinking that
there was no difference between the place where a Living God
lives and the place of ministers and officials. The moment I
thought this, the gatekeeper came running, opened the gate and
asked us to come in. It was midnight. The Master greeted us and
asked me to explain the purpose of my visit. I started putting
questions one after the other, but the Master politely asked others
to wait outside, and with a wave of His hand He detained me.
When all the others were out and I was alone with the Master,
He began consoling me and prepared me for asking for His grace
rather than useless questions
It was in March 1971 when I got a chance to do some
physical seva at Manav Kendra. His instructions to the sevadars
were to stay in their places and go on working when He went on
a round to the different work sites. By His grace, I kept doing
the work allotted to me when so many of my brothers and sisters
ran after the Master as He came out of His residence. I alone
remained at my post with my work. The Master came directly
to where I was working. He asked for a chair and sat before me
for about half an hour. I inwardly rebuked myself for not going
to the Master but troubling H i m to come to me. I was feeling
fatigued; the Master laughed at me saying, "Be a lion!"
At Manav Kendra we had a unique opportunity to have
His darshan daily. It was there that I learned the Master could
read our minds without our asking any questions. Again He
would never allow us to speak anything not to the point. This is
how He would guide us. I had so many things to discuss with the
Master, He would say, "Do not tell me anything; tell these
people present." I was in the habit of narrating the Master's
miracles. This is how I learned that the Master did not like
listening to His praises.
The Master advised me to open my dental clinic at Jagraon.
So many of my friends wanted me to open my clinic at their
places, but Master always ruled it out by saying, "Ask me a
hundred times again and again, I shall say what I have said
already." So with His blessings I settled at Jagraon. The Sangat
there pressed me to request the Master to give a Satsang there.
The Master blessed us with a one day program on 28th October
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1973. This was His first and last visit to Jagraon.
It was one day in the month of July 1974 that I saw Master
physically for the last time, on the occasion of the July Bhandara.
I don't know how it happened, but suddenly I started weeping
before the Master. The Master consoled me and in a subdued
tone said, "A day will soon come when there will be none to stop
you from weeping." I could not understand what He meant until
on the morning of August 22nd, 1974, I learnt to my great despair
that the Master had left His physical body. The moment I
learned this I experienced all His grace flowing towards me, so
much so that He appeared to me once again in His physical form.
A
Favorite
Poem of the Master's
Bibi Hardevi
It is a blessing to have this Punjabi poem which the Beloved
Master would often recite in the sweet remembrance of Hazur.
It has been translated into English, and in expressing Maharaj
Ji's grief at the passing of His Master, it helps to articulate ours.
In those early days, there were no tape recorders, else it
would have been such a treasure to have the words in Maharaj
Ji's own voice. He would murmur the verses softly and tunefully
— such beautiful verses, such pain, such anguish!
The one gift which I ask
Is that of Your wondrous Love.
May I never forget the anguish of separation,
And may I die in the sweet remembrance of Your Love.
When the soul leaves the body,
May no other thoughts arise,
And may I go singing of You alone.
The one gift which I ask
Is that of Your wonderous Love.
May I never forget the anguish of separation,
And may I die in the sweet remembrance of Your love,
And in full realization of Your Ineffable Grace.
His
Selfless Love
Gloria Smith
It is the greatest blessing on earth to be in the physical presence of a Perfect Living Master. Those fortunate souls who came
within the Divine radiation of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
know the depth of this truth. To come within the personal aura
of the Beloved Master was to come in contact with a Power which
could transform human lives. It was His Love which drew us to
Him—a Love unknown to man. His Love was universal, encompassing all of God's creation, not just man alone.
The Master was a Living Bible, and by His example one
slowly began to understand the previously hidden and simple
truths concealed in the sacred scriptures of the world. He frequently told us: "Spirituality is simple—it is you who have made
it difficult." He taught us to have love for all, to serve all. He
often repeated: "Animals live for themselves; man is one who
lives for others." He transformed the meaning of Love into a
practical day-to-day experience capable of being performed by
all—then He requested that we live up to the knowledge He had
given us. He impressed on us, "Don't harm anybody, God resides
in every heart." Thus He began to lift the veil that separated
God's creation from itself. As the awareness, the consciousness
His Selfless Love
315
begins to dawn that all creation is just Him disguised in different
forms, then how can man bear to see Him suffer in any form
which He may take, be it the form of man, animal, bird, or even
the plant kingdom? The Master's reverence for all life opened
our hearts and expanded our capacity to love. He showed us by
His daily example what Love is, and how we could live Love.
He would give out truths, and then give us unlimited opportunities to live up to and realize these truths in our daily lives.
These lessons, when given in His physical presence always were
very intense and frequently painful—for the Beloved was before
us daily reminding us that "Truth is highest, but higher still is
true living." He demanded that we strive to live up to what He
had taught us. It was a training ground, a School of Spirituality
at His Holy Feet, and the Great Teacher would not allow His
students to waste their precious time with Him. We had come
for one thing and one thing only—the Master—all else was to be
left behind. Those who were able to do this, by His Grace, experienced profound transformations in their lives.
Once at Manav Kendra an initiate was trying to work out
a means to live in India so as to be near the Master. The Master
lovingly listened to the entire plan, nodding His head back and
forth saying, "That's all right, that's all right," in seeming agreement. Then He uttered profound words which changed the life
of the initiate: "Look here, we must leave these things up to the
Master Power, for only He knows what is best to wind up our
karma." The charging of His words went deeply into the heart
and the initiate realized that one should not be attached to anything—not even to places. The Master, in His complete selflessness was showing that the desire should be to go to our True
Home rather than any place on earth. If it is our karma to live
in the physical presence of the Master, then that Power will make
all arrangements and it is nothing that we can do ourselves.
All life is just a series of give and take—we have come here to
wind up these debts and the Master Power, if we will surrender
to It, will guide us, taking us where we need to be in order to
finish off, so that we might once again be free and merge into
Him—ending all separation.
Our Beloved Master was the personification of Truth, Love,
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Simplicity, Humility. He was the abode of all virtues. And by
His great example, His life of total selfless service, He showed us
that we too could regain our forgotten Godhood, but it would require the same complete dedication, the absolute and total surrender of ourselves to the Guru, so that He might clean and prepare the vessel to be filled. This surrendering He had done with
His Master, thereby showing us what one man has done, another can do.
O Beloved Master! We knew You but a brief moment—yet
You have stolen our hearts. You came to earth in Your beautiful garment of flesh, disguised as man. With the delicateness of
Your pure Love, Your Simplicity, Your Humility, You awakened
our slumbering souls and put us on the way back Home. But the
deep pain; Your total selflessness, Your life was given to
humanity, yet You took nothing for Yourself. In your Humility,
Your Love, You did not unite us with Your physical body, but
with that Eternal Master Power which never dies.
O Beloved! Your selfless Love breaks the human heart.
Accept the offering of this prayer: have mercy on our souls; we
are blinded by so many veils—forgive us, for we know not what
we do.
The
Saga of Love
Bhadra Sena
The spirit of inquiry: where have I come from and where
am I going? and the "Why" and "wherefore" of the world—all
these questions haunted me from my very early age. In my quest
I frequented temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches, but never
found satisfaction. It was in the fall of 1936 that I was picked
up at last by Maharaj Kirpal Singh. From then on there grew
up a personal bond which gradually developed into an indissoluble link.
Now began the period of intensive training as He took me
into his hands; I started attending Maharaj Ji's Sunday discourses
in Lahore given under Hazur's instructions. After several months
I decided to go to Beas. At the Dera, Maharaj Ji took me to His
brother's bungalow where His family was staying. At night we
went to see Hazur who was relaxing on His roof, it being summer
season. Introducing me to Him, He requested that I should be
given initiation the next day. Hazur kindly remarked, "Very
well, it will be done."
From then on the Dera became a place of pilgrimage for
me. In one Satsang, Hazur remarked that by initiating a person
the Master took over the responsibility not only for the initiate
318
but for everyone in his family, including even the rats in his
house! After Satsang I had my kerchief full of sugared puffed
rice as parshad from Hazur before leaving for Lahore. At home
after dinner we all partook of it, and tied the rest in the kerchief
and suspended it from a wall tack. The next morning as we came
down we were surprised to see the sugared rice scattered on the
floor. Looking up we found that the kerchief had been bitten by
the rats who had indeed come to partake of the parshad!
Once I persuaded my wife to visit the Dera for hearing
the Great Master and having His darshan. It was in the hottest
months of June and July. My wife had fear of heat. Anyhow, she
agreed and we reached Beas. Maharaj Ji was there to greet us
first. He placed us in a room next His. By evening my wife developed a high temperature with cramps in her legs and a severe
headache. She was shivering in spite of the quilts which were
placed over her. In the evening Maharaj Ji came and took some
homeopathic pills out of His pocket, and turning to my wife said,
"Take these pills. You will be all right. Don't worry. These will
one day bring you to the Path as well." (She received her initiation some years later in early 1949). By morning she was all
right and dressed for Satsang. After hearing the Great Master
we returned to Lahore. On reaching home she explained why she
had that bitter experience of cold and fever. She was quite
reluctant to travel in the summer heat, and had inwardly prayed,
if the Great Master was really a Godman she should not feel
the impact of the summer sun. Hazur however, would not
change the course of nature for her, but gave her a cold fever,
and she not only escaped the heat, but had to be wrapped in
quilts. Later when I told Maharaj Ji what had happened, He
gave a hearty laugh and remarked, "We try to test Godmen,
and we do not even know what to ask. This is why our prayers
at times go amiss, and we have to repent afterwards."
After Hazur had passed away, I heard that Maharaj Ji was
in Delhi and staying at Lodhi Colony. One day I went to see
Him and sat at His Feet. With His characteristic warmth He
pulled me up, made me sit alongside Him, remarking, "I am not
an untouchable; even if I am, when you get home you can take
a bath and clean yourself."
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319
Countless are the benefits I derived from the company of
the Beloved Master, as I began to address Him in my personal
letters and in submitting draft replies to some of His foreign
correspondence which He would so graciously entrust to me. The
love between a Satguru and a devotee is an uncommon bond. He
would teach me how to approach this work not only by His
words, but through His eyes as well. He could make me fill in
any weakness in my understanding of His wishes; and to my
great delight they were always appropriate. He would graciously
remark that the power within works with great precision and
therefore it is this Power that brings forth the very word the
Master wished to use.
During one of those early days, I happened to be alone
with the Master. Such like occasions He often provided to my
ecstatic joy. He was, on this particular occasion, in a highly
benevolent mood, and Tai Ji sitting close by, looked towards me,
and said, "Maharaj Ji is in a mood to give whatever you wish.
Ask for it!" I hesitated and kept quiet for a moment. Again she
pressed me to speak out, adding, "Do you want earthly riches?"
"No!" was the reply. "Then name and fame in the world?" she
asked. Once again the reply was in the negative. "What else
then?" she inquired. Thereupon I blurted forth, "I want just one
thing, and that is Master's love, and that He should see that the
flame of love He lit in me should never grow dim." The Master
gave an enigmatic smile, and kept quiet.
The saga of love is one of smiles and of tears; it has no
beginning and no end. I always felt that His Love was oceanic
and came in tidal waves. As I think this over I feel it runs
through ages past and will continue till eternity. Once, while on
an evening walk with the Master, I remarked: "Master, You are
so exalted, so pure and so godly that at times I wonder how You
allow a sinful person like me to come near You. Is there any link
between us from the past?" He simply replied, "Without any
such close relationship from the past, it would not be possible to
be together now all of a sudden."
One day when the lawn was being laid in the Ashram, the
Master and I were strolling in the dark. All of a sudden the
Master stopped, turned on the flashlight in His hand and focused
320
it where I was standing. "What is it Master?" I asked. "I wanted
to make sure you had your shoes on, lest there be a snake," was
His loving reply. I was really taken back by His deep concern
for my safety.
As for the correspondence work, the Master took great pains
to train me in His own inimitable way: "You are just an instrument. You have not to exert yourself. Read each letter carefully
noting down the points on the margin. Then take the pen in your
hand, and without any premeditated thought, start writing. The
Power within will do the rest," Following this advice, I would
read the correspondence before going to bed. Early in the morning I would sit at my desk and start the work with a brief prayer:
"Master You have to do it—I don't know how." Any references,
Biblical or otherwise, would come handy by just opening the
books at random, and to my surprise in the right place as if
directly marked out for the purpose. It was all His love that did
the work. I was just like a pen in His hand.
The Master was very particular about the use of words in
His correspondence. He always moved in accordance with the
spirit of the time and the temper of the individual correspondent.
He believed in gentle persuasion with a personal touch, to take
each one from the line of least resistance and then leave him off
to decide for himself. "In a scientific age like the present," He
would remark, "categorical assertions would not do. Everyone
wants a rational explanation for everything and more so in
expounding abstruse truths. Precision and concision is all that is
wanted. There is no need to thrust anything down one's throat.
It is God's work and God alone knows how to fulfill His purposes."
In the matter of drafting replies, He was once pleased to
remark, "Be very, very careful, for once I put my signature to
anything, it is as if God had put His signature to it." This is
how He would at times give an inkling of the God Power that
was working through Him.
The Master had in His library a wonderful collection of
books on varied subjects, particularly on health: health of body,
mind and soul. He was gracious to allow me free access to them
which benefitted me so much. As soon as new books would
The Saga of Love
321
arrive, He generally passed them on with instructions to make
notes for comparative study of the various systems proposed and
advocated therein. And then, in between the strenuous work on
hand, He would still find time to point out the subtle distinctions between the various system—Theosophy, Anthroposophy,
Rosicrucianism, Seventh-Day Adventists, the "I A m " Movement,
The White Brotherhood, Subud, Transcendental Meditation,
Ultimate Enlightenment, Kundalini Yoga, Kriya Yoga, and lastly
Nirankaris, and Brahmkumaris. At times He would provide me
with His own copious notes on one or the other subject in hand.
He was an indefatigable worker and I remember occasions when
past midnight, He would not hesitate to call us in to solve our
difficulties so as to enable us to proceed unhampered with the
work.
The Master was master of all situations. Near the end of
my office career (1960) I had serious differences with the
management, with the result that I developed low fever which
persisted for months on end. I felt such a strain that I resolved
to resign two years ahead of my retirement. But before doing so
I went to seek the Master's permission. He emphatically said,
"No!" and then added, "For thirty years you have worked for
yourself. For the remaining two, I order you to carry on. Henceforth you will be serving me, and not anyone else!" It was
enough. In a few days I was transferred and taken out of this
impasse.
At about this time when our home was completed in Kalkaji,
the Master graced it, to give His blessings, and He gave it the
name of "Sawan Kutir." (Kutir is the Hindi for humblest
abode.) Before leaving, He said, "Today I give you a piece of
advice—never, for a moment, consider this house as your own."
I humbly replied, "Master I have never thought of it as such.
It is Hazur's, as You have named it so graciously."
He had His own inimitable way of reaching out to those
who were unreceptive by an over-plus of love. After the birth
of my granddaughter, I accompanied my son and daughter-inlaw with the child to the Ashram. That evening the Beloved
Master was exceptionally gracious to my daughter-in-law who
was not an initiate. After blessing the baby He turned to the
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mother and said, "Why don't you come more often? It gives me
so much pleasure to see you. Gome again soon. No excuses.
Whenever you have time, just give me a ring and I will send the
car to pick you up." My daughter-in-law was rather overhelmed
and felt embarrassed. Seeing this, He continued: "Yes, I really
mean it; whenever you remember me, just phone—the car will
pick you up and drop you back." My daughter-in-law stammered
that that would be too much trouble. "Trouble!" laughed the
Master. Then getting serious, He looked at her, then at the baby,
and then at her again: "You yourself have a child. You know
what a joy it is for parents to have their children with them. If
you had to send your car to pick up your child, would it seem
any trouble? That is the way I feel towards you and it would be
my joy to have you over." Later, when it was time for us to
depart, He made a point of having us dropped home.
Once, while I was in a nursing home, He graciously came
to cheer me up and said, "What is this operation—just repairing
a part of the dilapidated wall. There is nothing to worry about.
You will soon be all right." Before leaving the room, He quietly
placed a few hundred rupee bank notes under my pillow. My
wife noticed it and told me of this. I pulled them out and humbly
inquired what these were for? He simply said, "It is possible you
may need them." With folded hands, I returned them with the
words, "Master, I am yet having enough funds of Yours. Kindly
keep these and I shall gladly ask for them if and when needed."
Master often used to say that the so-called gurus were always
getting things from their disciples. A Satguru, on the other hand,
was always giving.
When in 1971 Bangladesh was passing through a holocaust
of fire and sword I felt so worked up by this event that I went to
the Master and said, "Master, what is all this butchering and
gunning? Can't it be stopped?" With His characteristic tranquility He said, "You have come to plead for them? I think you hold
no brief. It is all a question of action and reaction. If it is God's
Will that the world should go up in smoke, who can stop it? Be
at peace, and everything will be all right!"
In July 1974, the Beloved Master wrote to say that He was
in Delhi and that I could come to visit Him. I met Him twice
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323
during that month; after that I did not have the blessedness to be
with Him again.
On the first occasion, I found Him on His bed in the livingroom downstairs. He appeared so weak that I could not forbear
pleading: "All this illness is vicarious. It is not Your own,
Master, but on account of us all. I pray that there be no further
initiations for the next six months at least." "I have already
missed a couple," He answered and dropped the subject.
On the second and last such occasion, He was very ill and
in His room on the first floor. As I was going upstairs I found
Him coming down. When I sat at His Feet, He inquired after my
health. With eyes full of tears, I unburdened myself with an
Urdu couplet I had composed to the effect:
You know me too well for me to reveal the anguish,
the anguish of my heart.
Too feeble to meet you, I gaze upon your image and weep
the weary hours away.
When it was time for me to depart, He got up to see me down.
That He should even think of such a thing in His condition was
quite incredible and with much difficulty I prevailed on Him to
stay. Little did I realize then that knowing it was to be our final
meeting, it was a parting gesture of that Ineffable Love which He
bore for each one of us.
During the 70's I had badgered the Beloved Master more
than once to take me up within or to relieve me of life itself. As
with age I grew less and less able to go to see Him, existence had
come to be a burden. I was to repeat my plaint at one of my
meetings during the last year. The Master looked at me and asked, "Have you finished your give and take that you want to go?"
I submitted that I had nothing to take from anyone and was happily giving whatever I might be owing to others. Thereupon He
said, "You still have something to take from Malik (God), and
something that you still have to render to me."
Every word of Yours, Beloved Master, was pregnant with
meaning and I still ponder over the possible significance of your
remark. I wish I had had the temerity to ask You to amplify
Your meaning that day itself. Whenever I had a question You
always helped me find the answer and I know that one day this
324
enigma too will be resolved. Meanwhile, I live with it, not forgetting to water with ceaseless remembrance the garden of our
Love. I know that You are ever with me, looking after me and
mine. If a Satguru forgets not even the rats in a devotee's home,
why need I have any worry for myself! Only the other day, when
my housekeeper was ill and wondered if she should not give up
work, You appeared to her in the early hours of the morning to
exhort her to carry on. But to be cared for, O Heart's Beloved, is
not enough. I yearn to have Your darshan, and since the eye of
the flesh can no longer see You, open the eye of the Spirit that I
may behold You once again and have my fill. It is with this
last hope that I linger here a suppliant at Your door, and while
I thus wait it is my solace to continue to render up to You what
is Yours.
Mere
Sahib
(My Lord)
Rajinder Singh Bedi
Writing about Sant Kirpal Singh is like an ant trying to
figure out an elephant.
There was a suggestion during the lifetime of Sant Kirpal
Singh that I write about Him in a biographical way. I did not
do it—for dates, places and later events in the life of a man,
howsoever evolved, were never more than a catalogue for me.
One had to be realized inside before venturing to write about
Him. Perceiving the Radiant Form of the Master required a
discipline and deep meditation of which I was not capable, on
account of my mental condition. Again, if one realized His inner
and Radiant Form, could that experience be narrowed into
utterance? Was language adequate to describe His glory?
Sant Kirpal Singh was actually my gurbhai, for we, with a
difference of many years, were initiated into spirituality by the
same Master, Param Sant Baba Sawan Singh. This relationship
continued even as I took Sant Kirpal Singh Ji as the Master's
torch-bearer and my Guru. In His boundless love and compassion, He, too, treated me as a brother disciple. But, the strangest
of things happened. Sant Kirpal Singh's face resembled that of
my later father. As I looked at Him I always melted as a child
326
does in the lap of his father. And, Sant Kirpal Singh accepted
this part of our relationship, too, and became my father, brother,
and Guru, all rolled in one, and took me under the mantle of
His care and affection. He would also, for reasons known to
Him, single me out from among His countless adherents for
special attention. Or was that my feeling? For all who came to
Him felt the same way—such was His embrace which spread
from one corner of the earth to the other. His relationship with
everyone was personal, special, known only to Him and His
devotee.
Sant Kirpal Singh never let me feel the myriads of miles
that lay between Him and myself, the two disciples of the same
Master—one following the hukum, the Divine Will, without any
reservation, the other remaining a Doubting Thomas on account
of his being a man with left leanings, tending to the rational,
knowing little that the Master always laid stress on the word
"science" in describing spirituality as "science of the soul." I
found later that there was nothing really mystic in Sant Mat. And,
after the fission of atom, it was clearly established that the finer
the thing the more powerful it was. The supremacy of mind over
matter, therefore, was not such a cliche. After that, the spiritual
side of my life was ever at variance with my left leanings and
progressivism. Friends wondered at the strange bedfellowship,
but I remained calm and resolved, through the blessings of the
Master.
When I went to the USSR a decade or so earlier, as a delegate to the Afro-Asian Writer's Conference at Tashkent, I took
messages of fraternal greetings from the Master to Baba Khanov,
Head of the Muslims in Tadjikistan, and the Patriarch of the
Russian Orthodox Church at Zgorsk. Accompanying me were
leading communist friends from India and Pakistan, Sajjad
Zaheer and poet Faiz Ahmed 'Faiz'.
A piquant situation arose when Master Kirpal Singh would
chide me that it was from us Bedis that He had taken it all,
alluding to Baba Nanak who was a Bedi and My progenitor. And
then He would laugh as a flower opening its petals in the morning breeze. He was not chiding me, for that was His affectionate
way of hearkening me back to my great heritage.
Mere Sahib (My Lord)
327
The heritage of all men and women in the poets and prophets preceding them was superbly brought out in Gurmat Sidhant,
which He wrote under the inspiration of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh
Ji. He did the same in scores of books and treatises which flowed
from His lucid pen. His writing was simple, so simple that it
was liable to be ignored at times. Apart from being simple, He
was direct and reached the heart of the matter in no time. His
writings were as natural as a duck taking to water. There were
no trappings which are a rule with the exponents of our religious
philosophies today. He would laugh at the "scholarliness" of the
exponents who marvelled at the many meanings to which the
scriptural texts lent themselves. Sant Kirpal Singh stood for
only one meaning, for there could not be more than one in the
utterance of a great Mahatma. In His discourses, the teachings,
synthesized from all knowledge ("What is that knowledge after
which no knowledge is required?"), flowed freely and effortlessly
from Him. It was always a mighty river flowing out to sea, overflowing its banks occasionally. The banks were His compassionate
eyes set in a leonine, fatherly face.
Sant Kirpal Singh knew our failings. But, a gaze, a pat
from Him made us rise phoenix-like from our ashes and we became guiltless, sinless. Only an ocean could take it all by simply
saying, "Don't do it again..." The Master would say, with
laughter as simple as Himself, that it was not the job of the dhobi
(washerman) to question the filth. His job was to wash!
So enormous was His compassion that once I fell at His
Feet confessing that what He told us to do was beyond me. I
even quoted scriptures, after Hafiz:
Thou hast tied me to a plank and cast me into swirling
waters of the sea
And Thou sayest: beware of getting drenched.
And I wept. This time the Master's compassion was frightening.
He lifted me up, embraced me and said, "Don't...some people
get it just like that...!"
I had known Sant Kirpal Singh since my childhood. He used
to hold weekly Satsangs in Lahore, at the behest of His Master.
I went there holding the hand of my father. I understood Him
partly and then got restive, itching to stretch my limbs which
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could not remain folded in a squat for two hours. But going to
the Satsang had its own benefits: it built my later samskaras
(trends and tendencies). Howsoever I strayed from the righteous
path, I had to come back to it. "You may leave your Guru
but the Guru will not leave you." That was more true when He
gave you initiation. It was a solemn assurance, an insurance, a
release, and also a bondage; for the Guru would follow you to
your next birth or still the next until you had worked out your
salvation and had become one with the Infinite. So, shirking it
would be no use; why not do it now and here and finish with it!
I went to Lahore where Sant Kirpal Singh Ji lived: a cot,
a chair, a table and an asana (prayer carpet) to sit upon and
meditate for hours on end with no sleep. He was an important
officer in the Military Accounts Department, yet He lived so
so simply!
Sant Kirpal Singh was already walking in God, with God,
I used to meet Him in Dera Baba Jaimal Singh where the Great
Master Baba Sawan Singh would entrust Him to hold Satsang
occasionally. To my mind Baba Sawan Singh Ji had already
elevated Sant Kirpal Singh to be the coming Messiah. One
could hear whisperings from the satsangis, "There is none comparable to Kirpal Singh and His kamai (tapas)." So, Kirpal was
already our mentor.
People have a way of testing Godmen by the miracles they
perform. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was averse to those, for the use of
ridhis and sidhis (occult powers) frittered away the energies and,
therefore, were not enjoined by the Masters. They would much
rather submit to His Will and say, "Not mine, but Thy Will be
done." But occasionally, they would become catalytic agents in
alleviating human suffering and draw from their deep reservoir
to alter the course, paying themselves a high price in illness. If
only the disciples knew about it, they would never bargain their
health and happiness for the Master's, the kalpavriksha (a wishyielding tree); I have ample proof of this, but I would not go into it for a test of my reader's credibility. This, again, is something between me and my God, my Guru. For me, His miracles
were small, almost monosyllabic, but to be meditated upon and
put into practice. I give only two examples:
Mere Sahib (My Lord)
329
Clear your desk.
Do one thing at a time.
The more you thought of such utterences, the more you
realized that in thinking and acting upon them, one could attain
moksha (freedom from transmigration). A man whose desk was
clear could die at a moment's notice. He neither whined nor
whimpered when the final call came. He did not look back, and
merged with eternity, a smile adorning his face. The world today
is full of tensions simply because we think and do too many
things at the same time, so that nothing is really accomplished.
We take our office to the home and home to the office. At work
we are with play and vice versa. When you are eating, eat; when
working, work...
Let me come back to my personal relationship with my
Father, my Mentor. The day He was to attain His parinirvan (His
conscious rest in the Great Consciousness), He appeared in a
vision and gave me the date. A miracle! A call comes and booking a seat in the plane is no problem; going from the terminal
was no trouble for the coach is waiting. I reach Pambari Road
on my way to the Ashram and the Master's earthly remains are
already on the way atop a carriage. I rush and get mixed with
the milling crowds that had gathered to mourn the loss bigger
than their gain. Darshan Singh, Master's son, spots me; he singles me out from amongst thousands. Another miracle. He
stretches his hand. I jostle to the carriage and he pulls me up. We
embrace and break down in common anguish. I touch Master's
Feet. He is as serene in death as in life. But...Oh no, how can a
promise wither? How can God die?!
The
Last Darshan
Virginia Vidich
In July 1974, Master graciously granted me permission to
visit Sawan Ashram where I was able to imbibe His Blessings
during the last five weeks of His earthly life. Being in His presence was a rare gift but one that unfortunately, I did not appreciate at that time. My mind rebelled and I had desires to
escape the Ashram and the oppressive heat of Delhi and go to the
mountains. I even asked Master for permission to leave for a few
days. He replied sweetly, "Yes, if that is your desire." Then, fortunately for me, the two people who were going to accompany
me changed their plans and the trip was cancelled. From that
day on Master showered His Love on me, stilling my mind and
filling my heart with joy. At one evening Darshan, I asked
Master about the power of grace. He gave a beautiful discourse
on the subject for nearly twenty minutes, never taking His eyes off
me. This demonstration of grace for one who was so unworthy of
His Blessings was a lesson I have never forgotten. I was bathed
in His glances of love and as I gazed into His deep blue eyes,
His whole form began to glow with a beautiful white radiance,
all Light and Love.
On August 17th, in the evening, Master gave two of us our
The Last Darshan
331
last Darshan for we were leaving in the morning. Master was on
His bed, resting with Hs son, Darshan, at His side. Although
Master was in pain, He was so sweet to us, asking us about our
departure plans and blessing gifts for friends. I told Him I was
going to Kashmir for a few days before leaving Delhi on the 21st.
Master smiled and said, "Go jolly." He was so cheerful that it
eased the pain of our good-bye. Little did I know that was to be
my last glimpse of His physical form.
The next two days were incredible; Master not only granted me my desire to go to the mountains but filled me with such
intoxication for God that I felt His constant presence. Although
I had left the Ashram, Master had not left me. The locket of
Kirpal which I had always worn seemed to be specially charged
—like a magnet it drew people, who inquired about His picture.
One peddler in particular became charmed as he was trying to
sell me some jewelry. Slowly his eyes began to focus on the image
of Master. His voice slowed to a halt and then he stopped and
asked in a wistful tone, "Please tell me who He is." I spoke about
Master and the Path and he was eager to hear more. In the
evening he returned with three friends and a ring and locket
made from two small snapshots of Master I had given him. They
had many questions about Master and I was overjoyed to share
His teachings.
I took a bus to the foothills of the Himalayas. It was a
beautiful drive. On the bus some passengers engaged me in conversation about Master—the charm of the locket again! I rented
a horse from one of the many herdsmen and we started up the
trail, the herdsmen walking and I on horseback. Two crows accompanied us for a short distance, flying in front of me, cawing
very persistently. I felt they had a message for me but I was too
ecstatic to allow myself to worry.
Though I am not musical and seldom sing, during that ride
up the mountain, songs about God and Master flowed out of the
depths of my soul. Both the tunes and the words were spontaneous creations and expressions of the sense of beauty, harmony and
unity of the Universe, which Master conveyed to me. Unselfconsciously I sang the entire trip up the mountain. At the top
we stopped and had some tea. We were joined by several herds-
men, all Moslems. Again the conversation focused on Master
and they listened attentively, nodding their heads and praising
Allah.
That day it was effortless to see God in everyone, for all
faces were shining with Light. Not only the children, but everyone smiled at me as I walked in the village streets. It was a
golden day. I didn't walk but floated on Master's vibrations.
All were bathed in glory—children scampering on the streets,
women gracefully bearing bundles of sticks on their heads, old
men crouching in doorways, soldiers prancing in their uniforms.
I felt no separation. We were all one—young, old, male, female,
Moslem, Sikh, Christian, Hindu, American, Indian, Kashmiri.
God's Love radiated intensely from each and everyone. Tears
were flowing down my cheeks, an expression of the intensity of
my experience. Oh Kirpal, what was the meaning of this God
intoxication—this holy ecstasy?
On August 21, still high on God, I flew back to Delhi late
in the afternoon. As I was collecting my luggage, a young Indian
steward, no more than 19, walked up to me and said, "My
Master is Kirpal Singh too. Let's go to the Ashram." I thought, of
course, why not? He tried to phone first but the line was busy, so
we decided to go anyway as Phul had to return to his job in an
hour or two. We arrived at Sawan Ashram at quarter to six.
It was deathly still—even the birds seemed strangely quiet. An
American student ran over to our taxi and told me that Master
had been taken to the hospital. Although He was very ill, He
said we should not worry. I was stunned by the news.
There was no point in staying so we got back into the taxi.
As we were leaving, an Indian lady ran out and asked if we were
going to the hospital. I told her we had to return to the airport.
It was then 6:15.
Phul wanted me to meet his family who lived in a hamlet
near the airport. I agreed, and that cheered him up considerably.
We had to walk a short distance across some fields to his family
compound. They were all there to greet me—his blind father
and his uncle who were both initiates of Sawan Singh together
with all his sisters, brothers and cousins. Such a happy scene!
They offered me a coke and gave me their one chair which I tried
The Last Darshan
333
to refuse. They insisted, and I sat awkwardly while they stood
around me. We all communicated through that universal language
of smiles and embraces since only Phul and I spoke English.
During these moments of joy I noticed that the Western sky was
aflame with golden-red clouds. The blind father stood with his
back to the sun, his white hair wreathing his head like a halo,
his arms embracing his sons.
Phul ran into the house bringing out the only picture of
Master his family had in their home. He presented this mounted
picture of Master as a gift to me. We all looked at the picture,
murmuring, "Sat Guru." I refused to accept this generous gift,
so he offered me a picture of himself instead. The children by
this time were crowding around me, giggling and happy. The
adults, more bashful, were smiling. We were one family united
by God. I shall never forget how everyone was bathed in a
special golden haze as the sun slowly set behind the clouds and
the Great Sun of Spirituality, Master Kirpal, left the earth plane.
Only when I arrived at Kennedy Airport did I learn that Master
had indeed left the earth at the time we were having His Darshan
in a simple hamlet in India.
Let
His Words Be
Part of Ourselves
Leora Herold
Through His grace, I am His representative for Mexico. I
have tried to give out His sacred teachings as He wished. He
blessed Mexico, the country where I was born to work for Him,
and also gave us strength through His third world tour. How true
this is! For me, His Words are Truth. I have not experienced all
of this, but I feel nearer to Him now than before He left the
physical plane.
His last words to me in Mexico were, "Remain in contact with
me." This I try to do to the best of my ability. But the words He
gave us concerning the instructions for Holy Initiation are the most
sacred ones to me. I think it would be good for all satsangis to
hear them again and again. There is a partial copy of the instructions at the end of this article.
I would also like to relate that months before His passing I
twice had a vision of Him lying covered in white. I then knew He
would leave us physically. And so it was. But when I heard this
on August 21st during a trip I made to the different Satsangs in
California, I could not help but feel a deep inner release that I
cannot explain in words. He no longer had to suffer our karmas. Yes,
this grateful feeling overcame my heart, and this was why I had
Let His Words Be Part of Ourselves
335
to shed tears. Later I remembered the words of a past Master; we
should not wish that the Master should not leave, but rather let
Him be free of the pains of the physical body, which the Master
takes on Himself to enable us to start on the Path of Liberation.
How grateful I was, even with the grief knowing I would never
see Him again in the physical body. And then, I really felt the tremendous blessing of His presence, more than
ever
before! No
words can
express this, nor can words express the love He lets us have and
give to Him, as well as the love we give to others. How can we be
grateful? I think by trying to let His very words be a part of ourselves. Live with and through them. Then, we can really experience His presence within ourselves. Then, we will start to experience that He is the Doer, and that He moves our fingers and
body. It is the Master Power that is keeping us going and living
in the body.
How can we then, start to criticize or see the failures in
others if we would see Him within them? He smiles at you when
you try to see Him within others, no matter who it is. He is purifying us, one by one. He is bringing the Diamond out of the
dirty, stone-hard filth we allowed to be put on ourselves. Only
He can do this work, so allow Him to do it. This is what we
should think and work toward. Not to show to the world the
failures of others. We have enough ourselves! But know He is
within us. He loves us, more than we can imagine.
I cannot put on paper what I have experienced through
His grace. His grace is beyond expression. I do not deserve it,
but He gives, gives and gives. I would like to learn to give, give
and give as He gave and gives at every moment.
In the vineyard of the Lord, the crop is almost ready; so
many hands are needed to bring it to hungry or starving people,
our sisters and brothers everywhere.
So, please let us remember His sacred words which were
conveyed at the end of the Holy Initiation.
Master said: There are three retarding factors:
1. Do not convey the method of practice to anyone unless
with the permission of the Master. By doing so, you
will lose the Master's thought transference, and your
inner progress will stop. Moreover, you will not be
336
2.
3.
able to give inner experiences to them, nor guide them.
Do not tell your inner experiences to any other except
by permission of the Master. You may convey your experiences to the Master!
If a form appears within while in practice, repeat the
five Names. If it is the Master it remains—if it is not
it disappears! If anything is offered to you, do not accept it. Do not pay homage to anyone but the Master.
Do the Simran test. By doing Simran all apparitions
of the negative power and maya will disappear, and
will not harm you. Last of all—my relation to the initiates: Respect my words more than my body. That
will give you real lasting good. Be true to your own
self. God is in you and the Master is also in you, and
you will receive help.
God
Came To Me
Trudy Ravens
Where does one seek to find the answer to all life's riddles?
Who does one look to for release from the give and take on this
earth plane? How does one escape from the fears, frustrations
and anxieties heaped on us from all sides?
Since the age of ten years, on the death of my beloved
mother, determination to seek the truth became of paramount
importance to me. I embarked on many paths. Each helped a little
to disengage me from meaningless values, but somehow the
import of life seemed always to be elusive.
Through the medium of my son, Michael, I came to the feet
of my Beloved Master. God came to me in the form of Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, who was a Personification of love,
and through His love He accepted me as His own. He poured
out His love to other members of my family also.
One night my son, Bobby, was stranded outside in the
bitter cold of winter. Not a soul in sight. The door through
which he could reach a phone to call for help was locked. Freezing, he didn't know what to do. Suddenly he remembered the
picture of Master in his wallet. He took it out and prayed, please
help me. He then put his hand on the door and it opened as if
by itself!
338
He blessed me by the privilege of seeing His Form and that
of Baba Sawan within. No longer is there anything more for me
to seek. With Beloved Sant Kirpal Singh Ji came all the answers.
Now it only remains to follow His Path and pray that He holds
me tightly in His grasp. Straying as I do, He still bestows His
Grace.
Three Flowers
For Kirpal
Sandra English
Dare I to die
In Joyous Fusion
to fathom Thy Heart!
Let me understand Thy depths.
Thy Deaths,
O Love Divine,
With Thee
Into the depths descend
and heights ascend.
To know Thee is to become Thee.
To drink in Thy Love.
Let me taste the depths of Thee,
My Lord, My Love.
If I were close to Thee
I'd hug all the trees,
and kiss all the flowers.
I'd touch my forehead to the
dust under Thy Holy Feet
and weep at the sight of Thy Face.
Three Flowers for Kirpal
From the depths
I cry out, to commune with Thee
but cannot weep.
You ask me to, but dare I?
Your eyes speak Holiness.
Holiness thunders from Thy Voice,
and Thy Heart Heaves
like sea-waves.
May my soul enter
the doors of Thy Great Heart
to drink the sweetness of Thy Song,
Subtle Sound,
from afar
muffled by Thy cries,
seeking me,
Prodigal Daughter
deaf through centuries,
deaf to Love and dumb to Light
that undulates
behind the darkness,
pleading, "Child,
end this sojourn in the dung
hills of the mind."
"Bow down O Soul,
and leave Thy fears behind,
bow down
and worship Him,
the King of Kings."
"Be shattered by
His Gaze
as the Sun
on the windows
blinds Thy Eye,
and only the Sun Remains."
The
Greatest Miracle
Jamna Das Akhtar
You may call me a conservative, but despite the atomic age
in which we are living, I believe in miracles. I used not to believe
in God—I used to laugh at the idea of spirituality—but the
moment I had the privilege of seeing Hazur Baba Sawan Singh,
my way of thinking changed. It was a miracle. His beaming face
and His sparkling eyes attracted me, and His very first sermon
impressed me so much that I had to surrender myself to Him. He
even changed dacoits and murderers into God-fearing humans.
Is it not a miracle?
I do not agree to the idea that a devotee does not stand in
need of guidance from the new Master after the demise of one's
own Master. The Master does not die; He leaves one garb and
enters into a new one. I remember that Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh's elder son, Sardar Bachint Singh, refused to recognize his
Father as the new Master. He was of the view that as he and
his Father had their initiation from Baba Jaimal Singh, therefore, he did not need spiritual guidance from Baba Sawan Singh.
However, after about twenty years, he realized his mistake, and
touched the Holy Feet of Baba Sawan Singh, saying that he had
now seen Baba Jaimal Singh in Him.
The Greatest Miracle
341
Incidentally, there was a time when I did not believe in Sant
Kirpal Singh Ji. I knew He was a saint, but not my Master. It
so happened that I became seriously ill. Doctors failed to restore
my health. I was helpless. I prayed to Hazur Baba Sawan Singh.
He appeared before me and said, "Go to Kirpal. You will see
me in Him. He will make you all right." This was another
miracle. I wrote a letter to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji praying for
mercy. That night He appeared before me and gave His blessings. The next day I felt that I needed no doctor; His blessings
had cured me.
Several times I saw Hazur Baba Sawan Singh's picture
changing into Sant Kirpal Singh's picture. To me both were one.
The Light had not disappeared after Baba Sawan Singh Ji's
worldly demise—It reappeared in Sant Kirpal Singh's person. It
was because of this that a large number of Hazur's devotees
gathered together under the spiritual canopy of Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji and received His blessings and grace. Is it not a miracle
that the new Master was able to change the lives of millions of
men in different parts of the world? Like Hazur, He preached the
eternal Truth. He tried to break all those barriers that stood in
the way of reorganizing human beings into one single and compact spiritual society. It was one of the greatest achievements
that the world has witnessed. A true devotee of the Master does
not believe in barriers that divide mankind into warring communities; he forsakes bigotry; he loves everyone because he has
been taught to see God's Light everywhere. That is the greatest
miracle the Master performs.
The Beloved
Master Never Left Us
Robert Gildener
I am twenty-eight years old and have been an initiate of
Great Master Kirpal Singh Ji since 1970. After our Beloved
Master's departure for His Home Eternal in August 1974, I, like
all of Master's children round the world, experienced deep pain
and grief. Although I kept up my worldly duties and job, my
heart was not in it. Life for me had become a hollow nothing.
On August 27, 1974, I started for lunch from my job at
about noon. It was my custom to drive a car to a grocery store,
buy some food there and then return to work. However, I do not
remember going through this usual routine on this day. It seems
on this day Master took me above my normal body consciousness
while I acted out my usual luncheon routine. During my ride to
the store, my car was struck by another car going about sixty miles
per hour. In the impact of the collision, my head struck the dashboard of the car full force, resulting in a severe open cut on the
head and a concussion. Now, although I have no conscious recollection of the accident and was not in control of my outer
faculties, by Master's grace I managed to get myself out of the
car and lay myself on the nearby sidewalk. I am told that I told
some ladies attending me, "God bless you, thank you." I now
The Beloved Master Never Left Us
343
wonder in amazement at the power of the Master which controls
one's outer personality in situations like these.
Later in the hospital I received twenty-four stitches on the
head wound I suffered. One sister and two brothers came to the
hospital. They told me that during the operation I seemed to be
in quite an ecstatic state, singing bhajans, quoting Master's
sayings to the doctor, and alternately sadly asking if it was indeed
true that our Beloved Master had left us. Again, during this
period of time I was functioning in another state of consciousness
which only Master would understand, for I have only vague
recollections of saying anything or of the operation itself. My
first strong memories and resumption of normal consciousness
came, after the operation in a room at the hospital. There my
smiling sister and brothers helped me "go jolly".
Night fell and I found myself alone in the room. I did
Simran and the Sound Current was clear to me. Master's grace
was all around. Yet somehow I kept thinking that if Master was
gone, I too should die. Then as I gazed at the open doorway of
my room a beautiful white Light began forming there. The Light
sped up; and lo! in its center appeared the physical form of our
Beloved Master, in His usual black topcoat and vest and white
pajama pants. He smiled a most wondrous and mysterious smile.
Yet I must confess I became restless with joy at His appearance
and within five seconds He disappeared. I bowed my head in
thanks, and was now truly happy and peaceful. I had seen with
my own eyes that our Beloved Master had never left us. He was
still with us in the Form we knew if He so chose, and His protecting hands still guarded us from the sting of our own sufferings.
In
Remembrance
of Our Master
James Forte
How can one speak of one's Master? Tears are words
enough. His total humility let the total Divinity shine through
and pour down upon us, drenching us with love through every
pore. If the longing to see Him was of supreme intensity, the
agony at His departure from the physical world was still greater,
and His inner grace and consolation since has made all before it
seem as nothing. So intensely is He loving us that we are vibrated
through and through. We, worthless as we are, have a supreme
lover who does not go away. He would often say, "Words cannot
describe that experience." Only sobs of the heart transformed.
How to speak of Him? How can we who have nothing
praiseworthy in us praise Him? But it is all a tale of love. He came
for love, He gave love, He is loving.
He was always concerned with the real, the living, the alive,
and was not at all concerned with monuments, and yet His total
humility was monumental.
He told the tale of one disciple who was writing the life
story of his Master, and after years of no written pages being
produced, he explained that he was writing all the time. The
true story of a Master is to live up to what He says. As initiates
Remember of Our Master
345
we are all meant to be the living story of our Master's life, for
His life was not a story or a tale of events. His life was living
love—alive and vibrant, not just a description of it. Then we
would be true disciples constantly demonstrating the story of our
Master's life, just as He was the constant living story of His
Master's life.
If ever beauty of Nature was a promise of something higher,
He was that promise come walking among us. He loved us—He
loves us. We were more lost than we could realize, and He came
to save us. So immediate yet so infinite. It seems impossible that
any picture frame could even get around any picture of Him. In
His presence infinity shone out—and we were happy, we were
joyful, overjoyed.
He said that when we are on the same earth-plane as our
Master, that is beatitude. Then He said, "You are having that
beatitude but I am not." Even He, the Master Himself, could
not have that beatitude on earth, for His Master had left the
physical form. It would seem that by His leaving us on the
physical plane we have suffered an irreparable loss. Indeed we
have. Where can we go? Yet His sacrifice—and sacrifice it was—
so purified us. Even His departure from the physical was a gift.
The longing is greater and we are dragged in, for nothing else
can satisfy us. We must see Him and be with Him.
His essence and life force was love itself. Every word He
uttered was to bring us away from all other lives to the life of
love; that is, life with Him, for life with Him is a life of love.
Like the proverbial salt dolls, we are dissolving slowly into the
ocean of Love as we follow His instructions and do our spiritual
practices. We may sometimes think that we are more like some
insoluble tar doll, but though we may not know it, the process
is going on. To the degree that our attention resides in Him we
are at peace.
Who was this man—none less than the very presence of
God Himself. He is writing the true story of His life in the salvation of each one of us.
Overflowing Grace
B.R. Misra
I am very grateful to my Beloved Master Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji Maharaj for accepting this soul at His Lotus Feet and
initiating me into the mysteries of the Beyond. Since I came into
the fold of the Master I have received immeasurable inner and
outer guidance which cannot be put into words, as the Grace of
the Master is beyond human description.
I was at Sawan Ashram for the April Bhandara in 1967. I
had attended every Satsang for two days and listened to discourses given by the Master, religious heads and holy men. I knew
I was blessed to be there, but I was just one among many thousands, at the back of this great gathering. I had an intense longing to come closer to the Master and have His darshan. I became
miserable in body and soul because I was so far away from Him.
On the evening of April 2nd, knowing He would visit the
langar to bless the food, I placed myself in His path. I stood
there dejected and hopeless. After some time, the Master came
out of His house; He walked through the crowd with folded
hands, looking at the people on either side. He passed the very
place where I was standing, but did not look at me; my courage
all ebbed away. Suddenly, after He had gone a little distance
Over flowing Grace
347
beyond me, I cried out in desperation; "Maharaji! I am so sad
and miserable." The Master immediately turned back. He came
to me and embraced me and looked into my eyes for a couple of
seconds. He said, "Tell me what is the matter." In those brief
seconds He lifted me out of myself—I was lifted so high and experienced such bliss that I cannot describe it in words. It was not
because the Master touched me or talked to me for a few seconds,
it was because He filled my inner being with so much Divine Grace
that it overflowed from my body and my soul. I became as happy
as if a dying tree had burst forth into blossoms. The love of the
Master overflowed my body and soul for a very long time afterwards. I am too small to know and to contain the Grace of the
Master.
The Compassionate One
Prem Chand Gupta
It was His Compassion that drew us to Him,
It was His love that raised us to His arms.
Like refreshing spring rains He showered His grace on all.
"Mankind is all one" He said,
"No high no low.
We are all brothers and sisters in God."
He backed these words with the Light of His Life,
He gave the demonstration thereof in the time of His Life.
Oh! those glorious days,
When we sat in His radiant circle,
His love-laden glances a soothing balm on our lacerated hearts,
Without Thee we are lost souls in a Land of Shadows.
The
Mission of
Darshan Singh
How does one encompass with words the attributes of a
personality so cosmic as Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj? A Light
broke out in the East and spread to the West. A Fragrance
sweetened our hearts and minds and penetrated to the inmost
depths of our souls. A Master of the Tavern, with a heart as
large as the ocean, poured out with abandon the Wine of Life,
whose intoxication is eternal. A Beauty was born on whom
Nature expended its grace and splendour, whose every glance
was a transport of bliss, and whose every word was a song of
spiritual awakening.
Ours is the age of materialism in which man has lost himself in the world of the senses. Having forgotten his true identity,
his True Home, man wanders in a labyrinth of darkness. It is
to get us out of this wilderness that Maharaj Ji came among us.
He pointed out the Path of Light so that we may once again live
in God. Those who were seekers, He blessed with the seed of
Naam or Word and enabled them to develop further. At a time
when the atom bomb and the hydrogen bomb seemed to destroy
man's humanity, He helped to revive it by the gospel of love.
The Mission of the Masters is to lead us from darkness to
The Mission of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
349
Light, from untruth to Truth and from death to Immortality.
The Saints are above the dualities of this world: life and death,
success and failure, mine and thine, good and evil. They are
liberated Souls; and They are born, not in consequence of
reactions from past lives, but to free us from the prison-house of
this world by bestowing the gift of Naam. They are Love personified and it is on account of the lack of this Love that the
soul, caught in the duality of good and evil, loses itself in the
wheel of life and death. Given the seed of Love from the Master,
the soul nurtures it as Guru-bhakti—devotion to the Master—and
develops it until he himself becomes permeated with Love, unites
with God and reaches his Eternal Home.
Ours is an age of science and it has furnished us with all
kinds of opportunities. It has provided us with marvellous means of
communication and transportation which have brought us nearer
to each other, narrowing the world into a compact mansion of
the Lord. Even language is becoming less of a barrier. But in
spite of all this, if we look to his heart, man stands divided from
man. Maharaj Ji, making full use of the facilities of modern
technology, undertook three global tours and travelled the length
and breadth of India. He endeavoured to bring us together, to
remind us of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
In undertaking all this, His purpose was to sow the seed of
Naam. We begin by loving our immediate kin, and as we
develop, this love in due course becomes universal love and love
of God. It is through such love that the Kingdom of God can be
realised.
We need to bear in mind that in spreading this Mission
and in sharing this supreme wisdom, Maharaj Ji used the simplest words to reach everyone, the learned and the unlearned
alike. We have also to remember that the Masters are the embodiment of Truth. Our soul too is of the same essence, but entangled
in the material world it has forgotten its divinity. And Maharaj
Ji would charge those around Him with this Truth through His
love-glances. This capacity for charging others with His glance
is the prerogative of a true Master. That is not all: a Master,
from thousands of miles away, using the principle behind
telepathy, links His devotees to Truth and moves their hearts
350
to righteousness. If needed, He can manifest Himself at several
places simultaneously, here and on the inner planes, in order
to carry on His work. The Master Saints alone are able to give
us this inner link by means of Their attention.
Kabir has said that through His powerful attention He can
launch us forth. In this connection one may recall an incident
from Maharaj Ji's life. During His first world tour, He was
giving a Satsang discourse to an audience in Germany. An interpreter was translating what He said into German, but the translation seemed to be an interruption to the listeners. Some members of the audience requested that the translation be dropped
for they could understand Maharaj Ji's meaning much better by
simply gazing into His eyes.
Para Vidya, the Knowledge of the Beyond, is the mother of
all sciences, for it is from its roots that all other forms of knowledge originate. Maharaj Ji was Para Vidya personified; and in
this age of science, He embodied the Source of all other sciences.
On the behest of His Master, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji,
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji commenced His Mission in 1948. During
the twenty-six years that followed, He worked ceaselessly around
the clock, imparting spiritual understanding through countless
discourses, through His books, through letters, through personal
interviews with all who came to Him—educated or uneducated,
men or women, young or old, rich or poor, believers or sceptics.
He not only gave out the theory, what is more, He imparted to
vast numbers a firsthand experience of the God-Power latent
within. He established over eighty Satsang centres within India
and two hundred and nineteen abroad.
Insanyat, or man-making, was Maharaj Ji's religion. In His
discourses He would focus on what constituted being a man in
the fullest sense and on what was true Dharma. Dharma, or true
living, He would explain, centred on linking oneself to that
Power which is all-pervading, all-sustaining and all-controlling.
The English word "religion," He would go on to explain,
pointed to the same principle—re meaning "back" and ligio "to
bind," that is, to bind us back to our Source. Thus Dharma is as
old as man himself because the questions—Who am I? From
351
where have I come? Where do I go?—have been with us from the
outset. The true religion lies in the soul knowing its true identity
and returning to its original home.
The founders of the great religions spoke from their own
personal inner experience, and the different creeds were started to
help preserve their message. Men of realisation have all shared
in the same experience, and teach that Seeing is believing. Men of
realisation, from time to time come to impart the True Knowledge,
but later on those who follow them, in spite of their sincerity,
move away from this universal core because of lack of firsthand
spiritual experience. In the absence of inner knowledge, men begin
interpreting the words of the Saints in terms of their own limited
reasoning, and so Dharma or religion becomes increasingly a
subject of intellectual wrangling, and no longer serves to unite
men in the common quest for peace and salvation. This process
of decay reaches its climax when those who have little awareness
of spirituality become the official propagators and ministers of
religion, reducing it in course of time to mere rites and conventions. With time, these rites and conventions grow increasingly
rigid, and religion becomes the sphere of those given to blind
orthodoxy.
Through the grace of His Satguru, Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh Ji, Maharaj Ji was blessed with first-hand inner knowledge,
that knowledge which is at the root of everything. He founded
Ruhani Satsang and Sawan Ashram as a common ground for all
religions. He taught only what He Himself had tested in His
own inner laboratory, and He imparted to those who came to
Him a direct contact with the reality within.
In the West when one gives a talk, one is usually paid for it.
At many places those who came to hear Maharaj Ji during His
world tours, wanted to recompense Him with money. He would
answer that He gave His discourses not for Himself but in obedience to his own Guru, and that spirituality like all the gifts of
God, such as air, water, and sunshine, was given free.
Maharaj Ji had the gift of stealing men's hearts, and whomsoever He met He drew to Himself. Such was His humility, His
love, that people were drawn towards Him, and through gentle
persuasion He would rescue them from their rituals and narrow
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outlook and direct them towards a true conception of the purpose
of life. Whoever came to Him as a seeker, He bestowed on him
the priceless treasures of spirituality.
Speaking on the basis of inner experience—experience which
He could grant to those who came to Him—Maharaj Ji emphasised that the human body itself was the true temple. "God does not
reside in the temples made by human hands," He would say,
and, pointing to the body, would add, "He resides in this temple
which He has made Himself."
In our times everything seems to have reduced itself to politics. We have no lack of political persons even in religion,
and they profess one thing in public and practise quite another
in private. Such people have done great harm to the cause of
religion and to the public at large because they tend to divert us
from our inner goal and from our desire to know ourselves. Seeing this, even those who are religiously inclined become sceptics.
As a result, the majority in our times, in the absence of a true
understanding of religion, feel alienated from it. Consequently
religion has been reduced to mere rituals, an expendable superfluity in our lives.
It was at such a dark time that Maharaj Ji came to
spread His Light among us. He helped us to understand the
basic principles of religion and emphasised that religious fraternity held the key to world peace. He therefore helped organise
the first World Religions Conference in 1957 in Delhi. The
second Conference followed in 1960 in Calcutta, and the third
and fourth at Delhi in 1963 and 1970 respectively. These Conferences were attended by religious leaders of all denominations
and representatives of various sects and faiths. He was the
Founder President of the World Fellowship of Religions and presided on all the four Conferences. He helped to disseminate the
spirit and the message of these Conferences during His three
global tours. Maharaj Ji, at the Ardh Kumbhi in 1968 and the
Kumbha Mela in 1974, helped bring together on a common platform the heads of various Hindu sects and orders. The result of
all this was that representatives of various faiths who had once
eyed each other with suspicion, learned to live in harmony with
one another and to see that the real threat to any religion comes
353
not from other religions but from the growing scepticism in the
general public.
In the Christian world, those who have rendered meritorious service to the Faith and humanity are honoured with
the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta. In 1962
Maharaj Ji became the first non-Christian to be thus honoured. At the time of the Kumbha Mela, Swami Ganesh-waranand,
an authority on the Vedas, remarked that men like himself
had only studied the Vedas and could only comment on them.
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji on the other hand had lived them, and
was a living embodiment of Vedic teachings. He had given
their quintessence into a single phrase—Manur bhavah—Become
a man—and made it available to humanity at large. On March
14th, 1972, Mr. V.V. Giri, the then President of India, while on
a visit to Manav Kanav, remarked that Maharaj Ji was carrying
on God's work. On August 1st, 1974, Maharaj Ji was invited to
address the members of the Indian Parliament and became the
first Saint to be thus honoured by the supreme body of the land.
When writing Gurmat Sidhant, Maharaj Ji had envisaged
man's at-one-ment with God as a universal religion—a religion
that in course of time would come to be accepted by all mankind.
While continuing to live within their different social orders, men
would be able to experience God, and honour the memory of all
the sages, saints and mystics of all ages. This religion has been
an ideal from the earliest times. It was in pursuance of this
ideal that the World Religions Conferences were organised. But
there was a limit to what such gatherings could accomplish,
and in course of time He sought to tackle the problem at its
very root. Man-making was a prerequisite for at-one-ment with
God. As Maharaj Ji would put it, "Finding God is not difficult—
what is difficult is learning to become a man in the true sense."
With this subject in view, Maharaj Ji founded Manav
Kendra at Dehra Dun in 1970. It was based on the three principles of Man Making, Man Service and Land Service which
includes Animal Service. By developing these, one could realise
more fully one's human potential by seeing one's relationship
not only to other human beings but to all life. He laid great
emphasis on education, and besides establishing a school, there
354
was a hospital, a dairy and provision for farming. Man-making,
He would say, involved perfecting oneself in every possible way.
To be a man in the fullest sense one had to exercise great selfdiscipline. Man is a conscious spiritual entity, and it is the spirit
which is sustaining the body, the mind and the intellect. If one
can be spirit in the true sense one can function simultaneously
on the spiritual planes and the physical plane, using the body
at will as a mere instrument. According to Him, that form of
education which taught us how to free the spirit from matter was
the only true education. "Knowledge without action is insanity,"
He said, and stressed that that knowledge which was purely
theoretical was a hindrance, not a help. He wanted children to
be taught the first principles of right understanding from their
early years, for which purpose He set up the school at Manav
Kendra. In establishing the hospital, He proposed that all systems
of medicine be made use of for the relief of human suffering.
Keeping before Him the object of man-making, the first
lesson He taught us was the lesson of Unity. The whole human
race is God's family, and in February 1974 on Maharaj Ji's
sponsorship, the first Unity of Man Conference was organised in
Delhi. About five hundred delegates from eighteen foreign
countries and some sixty thousand Indians took part and experienced what it was to live together and work as one family of
God in spite of differences of race and religion.
In this manner, Maharaj Ji endeavoured to help us raise
ourselves at every level. He always told us we are spiritual
entities and should be linked with the G6d-Power and become
conscious co-workers of the Divine Plan. We have minds and
bodies and should learn to stay healthy and cultivate clear thinking. We should learn to be useful to others, and this not merely
to other members of the human community, but to birds and
beasts alike, for all life is of God's creation and we should live
in harmony with it. Race, colour, creed, community—all these
factors which seem to divide us from one another are, in fact, no
barrier. They only bring out the infinite variety of God's family,
and as for different religions and social divisions, they were
created to help man and not to be a stumbling block.
Maharaj Ji was the great scientist who made us sit within
355
the laboratory of the human body and experience the spiritual
reality for ourselves. During His first world tour a distinguished
American scientist met Maharaj Ji and had a discussion with
Him. After the questions and answers were over, Maharaj Ji
turned to him and asked, "In spite of all the scientific development, can you produce an ounce of consciousness?" The answer
was in the negative. Science and philosophy have to do with
mind and intellect, whereas the spirit goes beyond both intellect
and mind. When we can learn to withdraw our spiritual currents
and focus them at the centre between the two eyes, then from
that point religion, in the true sense, begins. This point is the
seat of the soul in the laboratory of the body. In developing
spirituality as a science, Gurmat Sidhant is a unique gift which
Maharaj Ji has left for mankind. This treatise comprising two
volumes of about two thousand pages holds the quintessence of
all the scriptures of the world and provides quotations and references from them to bring out their true mystic import.
In most prevalent schools of thought purity of mind is
emphasised as the highest virtue. Such purity is ultimately a
means, not the end. Ethical living is the prime religion. Maharaj
Ji emphasised that we must overcome our limitations and shortcomings, and become the abode of all virtues. It is only after one
becomes a man in the true sense, that one can become a Godman.
He who loves the Creator, loves all His creatures and is a stranger
to fear or hate. He would practise Ahimsa or non-violence in
thought, in word and in deed. He would not engage in hypocrisy,
fraud, falsehood and deceit, nor would he in any way seek to
exploit others or deny them their due. In keeping with this
attitude he would refrain from meat and drink. In all things he
would seek to cultivate purity in thought, word and deed, and
seek to serve God's creatures in a spirit of humility.
To help seekers transform their lives by rooting out their
failures and cultivating in their place the cardinal virtues of
Ahimsa, chastity, love and humility, Maharaj Ji devised a daily
diary. At the end of each day if we could look back and remind
ourselves of our failures and shortcomings and maintain a
systematic record, there was no reason why our lives could not
begin to undergo transformation.
356
The headings He devised for the diary speak for themselves:
I. Failures
a.
b.
c.
d.
Truthfulness: falsehood, deceit, hypocrisy, fraud and
illegal gain.
Non-violence: thought, word and deed.
Chastity: thought, word and deed.
Humility: vanity of knowledge, pride of wealth and
intoxication of power.
II.
Meditation
a.
b.
Meditation (Simran-Dhyan): how much time devoted.
Contacting the Holy Sound (Bhajan): how much time
devoted.
III.
a.
b.
Selfless Service
Physically and intellectually.
Financially.
Maharaj Ji enjoined His disciples to maintain such a diary regularly and to send Him the same periodically. The diary also included a section on spiritual progress, and He would make concrete suggestions to help each individual overcome his difficulties
so as to progress further.
This spiritual diary is a unique method. It is a systematic
instrument of introspection and is typical of the scientific and
practical manner in which He reinterpreted the timeless teachings
of the Masters for modern man. In fact, He used to say that such
a diary could help anyone. Even a non-initiate if he experimented with it, would see his life taking a turn for the better as he
plotted it out day by day.
Maharaj Ji was omniscient from the very first, and above the
deceptions of duality. In Gurmat Sidhant He explained the various
aspects of spirituality and illumined the nature of God. God is
not only All-Knowing, but the Creator, Sustainer, and the Ultimate Refuge. He is eternal and it is through His Will that all
the worlds were created and are being sustained.
357
The world is still ignorant of the true nature of a Godman.
Maharaj Ji brought home to us that such Beings are indistinguishable from God, and it is God Himself Who works through Them.
Their eyes are the eye of God, Their words the word of God.
"The heavens may fall, but not the word of a Master." Maharaj
Ji would often cite a parable from Maulana Rumi to bring out
the nature and Mission of a Godman. Once a mouse was scampering along, and a bird flying by asked him where he was off to
in such a hurry. "I am going to Mecca," replied the little creature. Hearing this and taking pity on him, the bird picked up
the mouse and flew him to Mecca. The Masters ferry us across
the ocean of this world to our ultimate goal. They are the bridge
between the soul and the Lord. They look after us in the world
without and the world within, and at the time of initiation take
Their abode within the soul, protecting and guiding us at every
step; for once we come to Their Feet They are with us evermore.
Maharaj Ji defined evil as, "Every thought, word or deed
that keeps a man away from God is a veritable sin," and good
as, "That which brings us nearer to Him." The Science of the
Soul is a matter of self-knowledge which precedes God-Knowledge. To practise this science we have to withdraw ourselves
from the world outside and concentrate our attention at the eye
focus; to do this is to learn to die while still living. Once we
master this technique, we overcome the fear of death, and
Maharaj Ji has left with us this secret of dying while still alive.
The words of a Master have great power, and on reading
or listening to them the veil of ignorance in a receptive heart is
suddenly lifted. Maharaj Ji has written about a score of books
and pamphlets on all aspects of spirituality which have been
translated into various languages, and His teachings have had a
far-reaching impact on seekers all over the world.* They bear
upon the most fundamental problems of life, and embrace the
widest conceivable scope. Like Guru Nanak, Maharaj Kirpal
Singh crystallised the message of the Masters and presented it to
the people at large in a simple and lucid way. Such was the force
and charging of His words that those who came to Him gave up
* Details of His works are given at the end of the book.
358
The
Ocean of Grace Divine
meat and drink and accepted a whole new way of life. Even as a
child He had told His family when pressed to partake of meat,
"I do not want to make a graveyard of my stomach." He could
compress a whole world of meaning into a single phrase and
through it change the lives of those who came in touch with Him.
To take some examples:
Love, Light and Life. His teachings centred on these virtues,
and He explained that love was an innate attribute of the soul
and it could not find fulfillment except in God Who is the Ocean
of Love. Without love we were no better than beasts, and the
more we developed this quality the more our minds would be
illuminated.
Be Good, Do Good, Be One. In these words He brought home
the basis of an ethical life and the need for living in harmony
with the world around us.
So long as you
are in the
body, give,
give, give. This saying of
Kabir's was very dear to Maharaj Ji and summed up His philosophy of life. He would frequently say love knows service and
sacrifice. If we could begin to live by this principle we could
soon attain universal love and brotherhood in this world. We
have tensions and conflicts only where we seek our own advantage at the expense of others. If we only seek to give, there is no
room for tension, only for peace and love.
People should
rise above
isms, and kings
above kingdoms. During
His last world tour Maharaj Ji was repeatedly confronted with
the question, "How can we have peace in this world?" His answer was as penetrating as it was simple—there could be peace
only if we as individuals rose above narrow loyalties, and those
in authority rose above territorial loyalties. It was only when we
looked to our own narrow good and not to the good of all that
there was unrest and conflict.
Modern science has revealed how even the smallest atom
in our material world is constituted of Light and Sound. When
you break an atom it resolves itself into these two elements.
This Light and Sound are at the heart of all that is, and in the
human incarnation it is possible for the soul to traverse back
through the inner planes to its Source with the help of the Light
359
and Sound Current. As it moves higher and higher, the Divine
Light and Sound become subtler and more absorbing. The inner
planes are progressively more enchanting than the world we
know and the more we get absorbed in the beauties within, the
more we are able to detach ourselves from the love of the material world. Progressing thus from plane to plane, with the power
of Naam cleansing us further, we can arrive at our final destination, that is, Supreme Truth, Supreme Consciousness and Supreme Bliss.
Maharaj Ji taught us that the Path of Spirituality demands
that we earn our livelihood by the sweat of our brow. He who
seeks to be spiritually free can hardly hope to attain his goal
when he depends for his very sustenance on others. In our times
Maharaj Ji imparted to us a method, a technique which anyone
could follow without having to give up hearth and home. He
shared with us the highest form of mysticism and taught us to
complete cheerfully the give and take of our karmas. Living our
normal lives and accepting whatever Providence brought our
way, if we pursued our daily meditation in obedience to our
Master, we could eventually attain to the highest goal. By initiating thousands and by helping them develop spiritually while
continuing to live their normal lives, Maharaj Ji demonstrated
to the rest of the world that the Spiritual Path did not demand
that we escape from life or that we opt out from our social or
family responsibilities. In fact, He stressed that by developing
spiritually we could function more efficiently in other spheres as
well, for the spirit is the basis of everything and if we neglect
it we deprive ourselves of much of our real potential. What was
needed was the guidance of a Satguru and our willingness to
reshape our lives in obedience to Him. "If you love me, keep my
commandments," He would say, and brought home to us how in
every religious tradition there was the same insistence on surrendering oneself to the Will of the Divine Guide. Whether it
was the Hindus, the Buddhists, the Jains, the Christians, or the
Muslims, they all stressed the need for surrender, and the Sufis
spoke of Fana-fil-Sheikh— merging into the Master.
In spite of phenomenal scientific progress in modern times,
we are further away from happiness than we ever were. This is
360
because material knowledge by itself is not enough. What is
needed is the strength to put spirituality into practice. Maharaj
Ji had this capacity in an absolute measure, and the secret of His
power lay in the fact that He taught only what He Himself had
experienced and practised.
How does one express in words the anguish at the physical
passing from among us of such a One who was All-Wisdom, AllGrace, and All-Love! He was an image of Truth, and to have
His glimpse was at once to engage in worship and devotion. He
was the Perfect One who came to free us from the wheel of birth
and death, and through His boundless grace bestowed upon us
Life Eternal. He was all mercy and compassion, and His was the
hand of God, His the eye of the Almighty. He was Love personified and our hearts are now smarting with the pain of separation.
The more we can sit in His remembrance and develop one-pointed concentration, the more this anguish will be sharpened and
will help carry us back towards Him. The pain of our separation
from Him is not a pain that will go away in a day or a week or
a year—it is a pain that will be with us forever. As we sit in loving remembrance of Maharaj Ji, tears well up and flow down in
spite of ourselves, tears which wash away the attachments of
many an incarnation, and cleanse and purify the soul. These
tears have brought us to the condition of which Guru Amar Das
spoke when he said, "When I forget Him even for a moment, it is
like a burden of fifty years."
Thus even in passing physically from among us Maharaj Ji
is continuing the revolution He began in each of us. The Mission
He undertook was nothing less than transfiguring us from within,
and the anguish of physical separation from Him is as much an
instrument in furthering it as the joy of His physical darshan had
been in the past.
The conqueror leaves behind testimony of his greatness
through the extent of his empire, the builder through the bridges
and towers that he builds, the sculptor through the monuments
executed in wood, bronze or marble. But a Master Saint works
with the subtlest of all materials—the human soul—and the testament He leaves behind is the transformation He effects in those
who come to His Feet. His Power is boundless, but we can know
361
Him only to the extent He chooses to reveal Himself. This is His
precious gift of Love. Let us pray to Maharaj Ji that He may
purify us further and extend our inner receptivity so that
we may realise His teachings to the full, and thus become torches
that carry the Light of His Mission of Love to the darkest corner
of the world.
Flowers of Ashes at Rishikesh
Susanne Horatschek
Just a glimpse could be had by mortals—
but blessed by vibrations
of clear, pure light, not to be imagined
is the devotee, seeing—
When sacred waters
carry along holy flowers of ashes, strewn into
a tenderly golden dust followed by thousands of eyes
withering up...blowing away...
When light gathers over the waves
and holy Masters quickly approach,
those left times ago...who knows their names—
who knows the number of all the bright figures...
now Kirpal returns home, received...
Oh mind, wise soul—
the Master Kirpal—giver of the Naam
takes His seat thousandfold in ready hearts
which are the dwelling-place of the Lord...
how should one describe it!
There is lack in words
and thoughts do not rise—how to put it?—
which soul can imagine the grace
witnessing the return of a perfect One;
Kirpal returns home!
Kirpal returns home
to the fountainhead of His Being
to the Masters who receive Him...
and at once His seat is within me—
this unworthy soul!
A feel of eternity—in sacred intoxication—
this soul receives the light
rising from the holy ashes...
and rises as well, to accompany Him
she loved—Him she loves...
Important Dates
in the Life of
1894
February 6th. Born at Sayyad Kasran, district Rawalpindi—now part
of Pakistan.
1905 Read of Ramanuja and, like him, became determined to give out the
Wealth of Spirituality if He received it.
1908 Joined the inner circle of Dev Samaj in Peshawar. Met Baba
Kahan there.
1910 Matriculated from Edwardes Church Mission High S c h o o l , Peshawar.
1912 January 4th. Joined Government service in the Military A c c o u n t s
Department.
1917 Began seeing His future Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji, in His
meditations, but thought it was Guru Nanak.
1919 Formed a social service corps during influenza epidemic.
1921 September 14th. Son Darshan Singh was born at Kountrila, district
Rawalpindi.
1924 February. Met Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, and received Naam
initiation.
1929 Had an inner vision of the death s c e n e of Hazur Baba Sawan
Singh.
1929 Birth of son, Jaswant Singh.
1935 Began writing Gurmat Sidhant.
1939 Initiated over two hundred persons at Dera, B e a s , on the orders of,
and in the presence of, His Master.
364
1944
1946
1947
September 5th. Death of His elder brother, S. Jodh Singh.
July 22nd. Death of His eldest brother, S. Prem Singh.
March. After thirty-six years of meritorious Government service,
retired as Deputy Assistant Controller of Military A c c o u n t s .
October 11th. Went to Amritsar on an urgent call from His Master.
October 12th. A s s i g n e d the task of Naam initiation by His Master.
Planned Ruhani Satsang—spirituality stripped of all outer encrustations and presented as a science.
1948 March. One day in the early morning hours, called by Hazur to sit
in meditation so as to attend a meeting of the ascended Masters to
decide about the future stay of Hazur on the earth plane.
March 28th. Last Satsang held by Sant Kirpal Singh in the Dera
during the lifetime of Hazur.
April 1st. Last meeting with His Master at which Hazur transferred
to Him His Spiritual Wealth through the eyes.
April 2nd. Hazur passed from the earth plane.
April 6th. Left B e a s , and came to Delhi. Then went to Rishikesh;
stayed there for five months devoting His time to meditation.
Gave His first initiation to Shri Gopal Das, at the behest of Hazur,
in Rishikesh.
December 2nd. Started His Mission, and began giving regular
Initiations at Delhi.
December 31st. He fell into the Dasna Canal, on the Delhi-Hapur
Road, while looking for a suitable site for Sawan Ashram. In deep
waters He saw in very bright red light Hazur and Baba Jaimal
Singh, who rescued Him. In the Horoscope of His son Darshan,
it had been written that his father would leave the earth plane in
1948. A new lease on life enabled Him to do the work entrusted to
Him.
1950 Ruhani Satsang established.
1951 June. Sawan Ashram founded at Shakti Nagar, Delhi.
1955 May 3lst. Went on His First World Tour.
1955 November 5th. Returned from World Tour.
1957 First Conference of World Religions. Elected President by unanimous vote.
1958 First tour to Pakistan.
1960 Second Conference of World Religions in Calcutta.
1962 First non-Christian to be honored with the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem, Knights of Malta.
1963 June 8th. Went on Second World Tour.
1964 January 30th. Returned from World Tour.
1965 Third Conference of World Religions.
1968 April. Ardh Kumbhi Mela (Hardwar).
1969 February 6th. Diamond Jubilee celebrated in Delhi.
Important Dates
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
365
Fourth World Conference of Religions in Delhi.
Manav Kendra established at Dehra Dun.
April 3rd. His wife passed away.
June 29th. Operated upon in the Mahajan Nursing Home, Delhi.
March 14th. President V. V. Giri visited Manav Kendra.
A u g u s t 26th. Left on the Third World Tour.
January 3rd. Returned from His last World Tour.
February 6th. Eightieth Birthday celebrated.
February 7th. Abhinandan Patra presented by Raja Mohinder Partap
at Vigyan Bhawan.
April 2nd. National Integration Day celebrated at Manav Kendra,
Dehra Dun.
April 13th. All India Freedom Fighters Convention at Vigyan
Bhawan.
April 14th. His Excellency Akbar AM Khan paid an official visit to
Manav Kendra.
January. Inauguration of second Manav Kendra, at Kandari, Baroda.
February 3rd to 6th. Sponsored and Presided over Unity of Man
Conference in Delhi.
April. Kumbha Mela, Hardwar.
July 26th and 27th. Rashtraya Sant Samagam, Delhi.
July 29th. He gave His last initiation sitting in which over 1,000
souls received the gift of Holy Naam.
A u g u s t 1st. A d d r e s s e d the Indian Parliament.
A u g u s t 15th, Indian Independance Day. Last Satsang Talk in Hindi,
Sawan Ashram, Delhi, on the importance of human independence.
A u g u s t 17th. Gave last English Darshan Talk at Sawan Ashram.
A u g u s t 21st. Entered Mahasamadhi.
Publications by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj,
Books
Vol. I 1935 Gurmat Sidhant is a compendium of all aspects of spirituality.
Vol. II 1936 Originally written in Punjabi, it was published under the name
of Baba Sawan Singh Ji at B e a s .
1959 Jap Ji: The Message of Guru Nanak. This is an English
translation of Guru Nanak's beautiful work with a comprehensive commentary by the Master.
1959 Prayer: Its Mature and Technique. To whom should we pray,
and for what should we pray, and what is the true prayer? All
these questions are answered by the Master.
1959 Spirituality: What it is. This is a lucid and comprehensive
analysis of spirituality which is so simply explained that it
reaches the hearts of all true seekers.
1960 Naam or Word. In this book the Master takes quotations from
all world religions which refer to the Sound Principle or Audible Life Stream: this is the Manifestation of God vibrating
through all creation in the form of Light and Sound, contact
with which, as given by the Godman, leads the soul back to
God. This is the basic teaching of Sant Mat and indeed of all
world religions although it has often been overlaid or lost.
"In the beginning was the W o r d . "
Publications
367
1960 A Great Saint: Baba Jaimal Singh. The Master describes the
life and teachings of the "Soldier Saint," the Great Master
Who initiated Baba Sawan Singh Ji.
1961 The Crown of Life. In this all-embracing study the Master
explains and compares all the forms of yoga which man has
developed from time to time in order to help him reach his
spiritual goal, and it emphasizes the special relevance of the
Surat Shabd Y o g a — t h e Path of the Masters—to our times.
1965 The Wheel of Life. T h e law of karma—cause and effect—is
inexorable and only a Satguru can take us off the wheel of
recurring life and death. Both good and bad actions keep us
in bondage from life to life. It is only by being linked with
Naam by the Godman that we can e s c a p e .
1967 Godman deals with God-in-man or man-in-God. Who is a
Master? What is the nature of this Being Whom we s e e at
the outer level as our teacher, but Who on the inner planes is
revealed as God Himself? He sustains and protects His
initiates at every turn and is there to take them into His lap at
the time of death.
1967 Spiritual Elixir. This is a collection of selected excerpts from
the Master's letters to His disciples in which He answers
questions on spirituality. Included also are some of His mess a g e s sent out from time to time.
1968 Mystery of Death. T h e Great Masters of spirituality tell us
what they actually s e e and know of the higher planes to which
they daily ascend. This unique work on the nature of death
and life in the Beyond could only have come from a Supreme
Soul Who had Himself conquered death during His lifetime.
He teaches us how we may, with His Grace, ultimately merge
in God.
1970 Morning Talks. In these recorded talks, the Master spoke
informally to a group of disciples on many a s p e c t s of spirituality and daily living, explaining that "ethical life is a steppingstone to spirituality."
1975 The Night is a Jungle is a collection of fourteen discourses
given by the Master which are a continuous source of inspiration to His disciples and an invaluable introduction to the
Path for new seekers.
Vol. I 1975 Heart-to-Heart Talks is a compilation of a series of question
Vol. II 1976 and answer s e s s i o n s between the Master and His Western
disciples held in Delhi and Rajpur. In these informal and
intimate talks which date from 1970, many aspects of the Path
are covered, difficulties solved and guidance given.
Pamphlets
1949
A Brief Life Sketch of Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj describes
the main events in the life of the Master's own Guru, and
illuminates His teachings.
1954
Man Know Thyself is a summary of the basic teachings of the
Masters of Sant Mat. It describes how, by following the Path,
the seeker c o m e s to know his true Self and to know God. It
has been translated into many languages.
1954
Simran:
The Sweet Remembrance of God. Simran is the
technique by which the five charged Names given at initiation,
may be repeated by the tongue of thought, thereby stilling the
mind and holding the attention at the seat of the soul.
1962
Seven Paths to Perfection. This is a pamphlet which emphasizes the virtues to be practiced for spiritual advancement.
They are: non-violence, truthfulness, chastity, humility, selfless
service, a vegetarian diet and abstinence from alcohol and
drugs.
1963
God Power, Christ Power, Master Power explains how the
Power of God manifests through different human poles at
different times and under different names, but in e s s e n c e is
always the same.
1969
Manav Kendra. This is about the Master's great project for
Man-making, Man Service and Land Service. It has been put
into practice at Dehra Dun where the Master established a
free school, a free hospital, an old people's home and a farm.
There are two other Manav Kendras, one at Baroda and
another in the State of Maine in U.S.A.
1970
Ruhani Satsang: Science of Spirituality. Spirtuality is a s c i e n c e
which is exact in theory and practice. This pamphlet describes
the purpose of Ruhani S a t s a n g .
1972
How to Develop Receptivity. This is a collection of three
circular letters the Master wrote to His foreign disciples. He
explains how the Grace of the Master can be had not only at
His Feet but also from thousands of miles away, if receptivity
is developed and the commandments of the Master adhered
to. T h e Master emphasizes the importance of keeping the
spiritual diaries for self-introspection so that faults may be
recognized and weeded out.
Magazines
1956
1968
Commenced publication of Hindi and Urdu Sat S a n d e s h .
Commenced monthly publication of English Sat Sandesh.
S a n t Kirpal S i n g h :
T h e Ocean of Grace Divine.
It is not possible to describe the greatness of a Being Who outsoared all human
limitations into the highest spiritual realms. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj lived among
us from 1894 to 1974. He compressed into His brief Ministry of twenty-six years,
work which would have taken an ordinary man a century to accomplish. Among His
many achievements were the founding of Ruhani Satsang and Manav Kendra, His
three world tours, the many international honors which were given to Him, the
Conferences of World Religions over which He Presided, and the great Unity of
Man Conference which He inspired in the last year of His earth life.
His supreme Mission, however, was the linking of the soul with the Oversoul
by means of the primal Light and Sound Principles vibrating within each one of us.
No mere theorist, He gave a practical demonstration of the God-into-ExpressionPower to those who had the good fortune to come to His Feet.
For this scientific age, He presented spirituality in lucid terms as a s c i e n c e
shorn of all rites and rituals, a science to be proved within the human body itself.
We are fortunate that we can read and re-read the wonderful legacy of His many
books which carry His Divine Message and His spiritual charging, and which will be
read as holy scriptures by future generations.
This book is a collection of tributes to Him from s o m e of His devotees all
over the world. Each writer has tried to express some a s p e c t of His Divine love,
compassion and protection. T h e s e accounts of spiritual awakening, of Grace Divine,
will undoubtedly give hope and inspiration to all seekers after Truth.

5 - Kirpal Sangat

Transcription

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