A talk before Initiation by Dr Harbhajan Singh, in Sankt Gilgen on 28 July, 1992
Initiation is considered to be a holy occasion in man’s life, because as long as one has not been reborn in spirit one cannot enter the kingdom of God. Initiation means to have this second birth, which means to accept the will of God and merge again with the will of God.
All Masters regarded the day on which they had been initiated as this birthday and not the day when they were born. So the day of initiation is considered to be a turning point in man’s life.
Now you start with the real life. It is the true life. As I told you lots of times, even in Satsang: now you have been directly connected with the God Power Himself. It is a very rare opportunity because Master comes from the highest plane and so we have the chance to go there directly. If there is no such chance, then it takes a long time (to reach there), you cannot imagine how long it sometimes takes. The souls linger on in the various planes and cry to develop more yearning.
But Master says,
“The yearning which you can develop
(while you are in the) man-body,
you cannot develop in the other planes,
because there those possibilities are cut off.”
What takes hours here, will take years there. Whatever you can do in some hours here, you cannot even do in some years there. (After leaving the body) the process of development becomes very slow. Therefore it is a golden opportunity to be in this man-body and to serve your cause.
In this regard I want to tell you about Master’s competency. It is His grace that fortunately He blessed us with His competency, and we knew that He had come for a great task, a special purpose.
Sant Kirpal Singh came with His staff. It is said,
“Whenever a big change takes place in the world,
that Power comes with the highest competency
and serves the world.”
— Sant Kirpal Singh
Sant Kirpal Singh was sent into the world by the God Power to bring this big change in the world, because (the destruction) was expected. It is a subject about which much can be said, but this is not today’s subject. Our concern today is the initiation. But later on we will tell you more and more about the competency of the Master. During His lifetime we could realize many things (which showed us His competency) and then we had all these experiences confirmed by the Master. He said, “Yes, this is right”, He said, “Yes, it is the truth.”
When something is confirmed by the Master, then it becomes a law.
Whereas the experiences of various people are different (these were negative experiences, and Master did not confirm them), because after the physical departure of the Master many people were misguided, they were misled by the negative power within. They had differing ideas of their own (who should become the successor). They lost the fear and respect of Master and did whatever they liked. In this way many problems arise in man. Where Master really directs and His commandments are obeyed, there His Power goes on working. If He commissions someone to fulfill a certain task, He holds him firmly in His grip, because it is His grace, His greatness. If it had not been His order, He would not care for it. If He gives some work to someone and tells him, “Well, do that”, He holds him firmly in His hand. Then that person won’t speak anything except for what is to be said (according to Master’s wish) and nothing beyond that.
As I told you already Sant Kirpal Singh is the Supreme Power now. There are hundred thousand decisions that have to be taken, for example what has to happen in the world, what will be the destiny of humanity, who will go back, who has to work here.
All these decisions are taken in Agam Desh, on the seventh plane. Because Munindar, who came (as the highest Power) in the Silver Age, then asked Kabir,
“Master, if one wants to go back,
the things one has to face are so difficult, tricky
and miraculous, so that people are misguided.
Is it possible that this grace which you give from
the seventh plane will come directly to the world?”
Kabir replied,
“Well, Kirpalu, the Gracious One, will do it.”
And Master said that this grace, which is working now, was there hundred thousand years ago. It means that we can get this contact, which can take us directly to our true home and can give us the everlasting life. Our attention should be directed to the highest, according to Master’s grace, and according to the stage we are able to reach.
We have always told you, “Live and Do for Him!“
Master says,
“Those who have determined their life,
should pack their bags and baggage
and get ready to go back.”
— Sant Kirpal Singh
For we live in this world for a short time only, in fact, this life is just for a few days. In this short time our only task is to serve, to serve our soul. To serve our soul means we have to do what all the competent Masters of the world have done. That is our duty, and only in this way can we reach our destination. Here we do not select any person (for initiation), who does not acquire these qualifications. Right from the beginning he must know, what he has to do in his life, what his purpose is. I told you yesterday that my purpose is to reveal all that has been given to me by the Master Power, and the Master Power happily agreed and accepted it. He said, “Now (His Mission) will spread like a wild-fire.”
It was not told by some man – He Himself said,
“My children are scattered everywhere in the world
and by the grace of God they will all come together
and there will be a revolution of Spirituality.”
— Sant Kirpal Singh
So only those are selected for this path, who have been selected for this purpose, who have determined and accepted it.
Master said,
“Disciples are still to be developed.”
You are the ones who have to do this job, you have a lot to work for Him. Then a superstructure will be created, Master said. Those who will stand on this superstructure need not be afraid of whatever may happen in their life. They live in the world, but are always under the protection of the Master. With the help of this protection, the contact with the Master Power becomes closer, the more they do for the Master Power. They will remain in contact with the Master Power forever. The Master is one and the same for all of us.
He is the One (the Almighty Power) who was the Master of Kabir, of Guru Nanak and of Guru Gobind Singh. All those Masters want to take us back, because we are the children of that Power and we have to go back with them. All these forces are working with us. You do not see them, but when you become a conscious co-worker of the divine plan, you will feel and realize that your path is the very right way and there is no higher one than that. In this aspect your Master is the Saint who now holds the highest position, He is the Supreme Power, His command works everywhere, His word is the law all over. He is the Gracious One, and each one has a direct contact with Him. You may say, He is the Christ Power, the Master Power, He is the God Power. All Masters who have come in the world, and preached the positive way of life are still working on the various (inner) planes, and are helping the humanity. Now there is a beautiful phase of time in the whole world, and you will see that lots of possibilities will come up. Things that were impossible before, will become possible, all will be carried out by the Master Power. So many things I could tell about Kirpal, about the Master, but I think it is the best if you understand that you should put your attention to Him and remember Him. He is innate in our soul and will help us all together. Our cause is one and the same, we all are one, here we are together, and there (inside) we must be together. There is no high, there is now low. People are misled everywhere. When we know our subject, have learnt our lesson, we may go anywhere in the world, and nobody will be able to delude us. Who has been taught in this class is free and can go everywhere in the world, he will never be misguided. There are some more things, which are very important – from today on we have to lead a very holy and noble life. Sometimes one moves in the world, and Master sees that this one creates difficulties.
But Master blesses the child and says, “Don’t commit any mistake from now on.”
We have to live a very holy life. What is meant by “a holy life”? Those who have not decided (to live a chaste life) and cannot control their mind should marry. When they are married, they are not supposed to leave each other, because Master wants a close contact (between the partners). The meaning of the marriage is to walk on the path very easily, then it is very easy to get access to the path. The wife should have nobody in her heart except her husband, and the husband should love his wife as Christ loved the church. The wife can very easily transcend the three barriers (of the lower planes) as within herself she has the true temple of God where the child is developed and from where it is born. There the child is in (constant) contact with the light and sound principle, it hears the inner sound and sees the inner light. You know, when the child comes out of the womb of the mother, it cries. We show to the child some light and ring a bell and it becomes happy. The child has been disconnected from that inner light and sound, and when it sees that these things (light and sound) are also outside, then it is satisfied, and it remembers the sound of such a bell and such light inside.
I told you that your contact, your real journey starts above the three worlds, above the causal region. Whatever you find there is holy, but whatever you find in the astral and causal plane that is all mixed up (matter). (These planes are not of pure consciousness, but matter and consciousness are mixed in different shares.) The light appears there, bears lots of miraculous things, it is a very tricky way, all kinds of things do exist there. In this respect you will learn a lot and beside of that you will also have the practical experience in your life (when you see, how conscious one must be). But it is up to your way of living how far you are able to develop consciousness and right understanding. You have to live in the world like a Saint.
I told you, a wife can develop her husband and can help him up to the third stage. These (three) stages are very difficult for the man. In the stage above the three regions, where the wife’s possibilities finish, there the husband can help her. Without the husband’s help she cannot rise above. So it is a mutual effort and help.
On the higher planes the soul’s wedding with the Word takes place. This pious and holy relation has been given to husband and wife, and when they live a holy life, their way becomes very smooth. Those who have not yet decided, should decide (whether to marry or live alone). They must decide. Divorce is totally forbidden on the way of the Saints. Once you are married, it has become your test. Wife must not seek a divorce because it is her test, and also the husband must not divorce because it is his test.
Both, wife and husband, should develop each other. They should never think on the level of the mind. He who judges the other on the level of the mind, can never do justice to the other. Whenever one starts to judge the other on the level of the mind, illusions are created and doubts arise – this is the way how the negative power works. Master has given this wonderful way (of married life).
This is a big problem in the West, which lots of people are affected with. When this contact is broken and confusion is created, God does not help. The whole life is upset. Then one suffers with attachment and mind, and mind drags both in various ways. Where is the God Power then? This is the most important thing I wanted to tell you. Our relations should be as all the Saints have explained. This is the first and the foremost thing. Those who are able to live (a chaste life) without marrying may be called very fortunate. They should think they are wedded directly with the Master, then the way is also clear for them.
From today onward, you should live a very pious life. No thoughts (in a wrong direction), nothing like this. If you take one step forward, Master comes millions of steps towards you. To lead such a holy life is the first and foremost condition in Unity of Man. There may be a special case sometimes, but not if both know the truth. Then to divorce is not permitted in Unity of Man. It is not a special rule, but all Masters lived like this. It is the most fundamental thing in spirituality, all Masters preached it. We have to maintain this contact of marriage.
The purpose of marriage is that both, man and woman, realize God during this life.
This will generate love and affection between us and our children, and we and also our children will be developed. The success, the greatness, the consciousness of the wife lies in how far she has been able to develop her husband and her children. The higher she has been able to develop them, the higher she will go inside and reach a higher stage.
The consciousness and the development of the woman
depends on how far she could create all this
in the partner, in her home and home affairs.
The place where you live must become a true temple of God. This point is the main thing. It is extremely important because in this respect people live the life of animals. One day we are here with a partner, the other day we change to another one; this is no life (to do justice to a human being) – it is the life on the level of animals.
Christ said,
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
We have to follow the very old teaching and should not ignore it. If some new teaching, a new idea comes up, it is man-made, it is all fake and void. Nowadays so many new ideas are coming up in the world: “This is an easy way, a new view of things.” What a new point of view? Man is older than all the philosophies of the world and all these philosophies came out of man – what should new ideas help us? Who has generated them? They are all generated on the level of mind and intellect. All and everything is within you, and you have to go back there.
Christ said, “Take heed that the light within you may not become darkness.” What does this mean? That we must be very conscious. First we have to show this goodness in us to others. When we go back to our homes, we will meet again with those people who have already been in touch with us. If we follow their dictation, then we will again get lost in the world. So, every day we have to rise above – every day. Initiation means getting more virtues every day. Master says, “Your consciousness will lead you higher and higher.” Not only meditation but whatever you do consciously in the world will help you a lot.
How shall we handle all these things?
For example, one very dear relative for whom you have much respect and love comes to your house and says, “I want non-vegetarian food”. If you say, “Well, I myself don’t take such food, but we can serve it to you”, then it is not less than eating it yourself. You have to bear the effect, the reaction, because you have given it to him. Serving it to others or eating it oneself is one and the same.
Another example: You are in the city and meet your friends there, you take vegetarian food and they take non-vegetarian food – if you pay for all, also for the non-vegetarian food, it will affect you because you have spent your own money on it. In such things we have to be very, very conscious.
On the other hand, we also have to be very liberal.
For instance, you go to a party and there is some vegetarian and also some non-vegetarian food: if you have really decided not to take any non-vegetarian food, no one can force you to eat it. On one side you may find some vegetarian food, some vegetables or something like that, take that and you will not be affected. This means that you should not exert pressure on anybody because you are vegetarian and you should not demand vegetarian food to be cooked for you.
When Baba Jaimal Singh was in the military, there they cooked only non-vegetarian food. He used just to soak bread in water and eat it. He did not say, “I want vegetarian food.” Food is for the soul (it should be for the benefit of the soul). If we really stick to what Master says, we will benefit a lot.
The second thing is:
To live beyond necessity is a sin.
If we live beyond necessity (it is a wish), the reaction will be there, we will have problems in meditation, there will be a problem with our consciousness and there will be a problem with our discriminating power. We have not to create any reactions.
What is a reaction?
Reaction is karma. We are in this world only due to the reactions of the past. Now we have to do everything in a positive way so that we will not be affected (by reactions). For that purpose all of you must keep the self-introspection diary.
There are three aspects: mind, intellect and ego.
Now the mind is very powerful, but in fact it has no power of its own. Nevertheless it has become very powerful because it has acquired all powers from the soul, it has debarred the soul from its power. So now we do whatever the mind wishes.
Mind spreads like a parasitic plant on the tree.
Mind itself has no roots but it gets all the help from the soul. Mind is matter, it has no power in itself. If we do not pay attention to the mind, then it is nothing.
Once I asked Master, “Many saints have written lots of things about the mind. Some say, ‘Make friendship with the mind.’ Others say, one should do like this or that” It is a very simple way: Remember Master’s words and don’t pay attention to the mind.
(Take the example of) a child who is weeping without any cause. The mother knows the condition of its heart. It does not really weep, but its desire is to attract the mother’s attention.
In this way, let the mind burn in its own fire. If it creates fire, so let it burn in it, do not pay attention to it.
What is the mind?
If mind says, “I want these things”, I say, “Well, if you have the desire and the power, take it!”
Or if mind tells me, “See what is going on behind you!”
I reply, “Yes, if you have the power, then look back, I won’t do it.”
Mind has no power, it is we who give the power to the mind. The mind is a snake. If you follow the mind, you will see that it always behaves like a snake; on even ground it cannot easily move, it needs uneven places. It will always go a zigzag way. The mind creates all ups and downs in the life of man. Through this zigzag way it can move very fast. Where there are ups and downs there it is very fast, it cannot move on a straight and even way. Our way, however, is very even and straight, we have to make our way very even and have to be very careful with regard to the mind.
Master used to tell an example:
In a house there lived a monkey and a goat. When the housewife did not care for the milk, the monkey drank the milk every day and smeared a little bit of milk on the mouth of the goat. Whenever the housewife came back, she used to beat the goat because its mouth was smeared with milk, and she thought the goat had taken the milk.
Actually this body is the goat and the mind in us is the monkey. (The body must bear the reaction which the mind has created.)
So we have to be very conscious. How can we overcome the mind? If we do not live beyond necessity! The mind will constantly try to influence you to live more and more beyond necessity, this is the wish of the mind. The first and foremost principle in the life of all Masters was not to go beyond necessity. When you live beyond your necessity, it will create reactions.
How can we prevent a reaction?
How can we always move on the positive way?
Remember the Master Power with every breath. With each breath you must be conscious that your breath should not be wasted.
What do people do?
They close their eyes and think of what they did, how they enjoy their life, and this or that. That also creates a reaction. We should forget the past. We should forget what happened before today, we should not think of it any longer. If these remembrances automatically interfere in you, then make Simran. Don’t remember anything from the past.
When you find no remedy (for what had happened in the past), each thought of it will have the effect that something is stolen from you and it creates a reaction inside of it. So in our daily life we must be very conscious not to create any reactions. To get the initiation is not sufficient, but the point is to maintain this (standard which an initiate should have). This is what really matters to a true human being. In this direction we have to be very conscious.
It is said, live and do for the Master. This is the only way to go back. We have to do what all Masters did – to live and do for the Master. The time you spend by living and doing for the Master will directly credit you. There will be interference by the mind.
For example, if you did the selfless service for two or three hours, the full period will be calculated – it counts as meditation, as devotion. In the Guru Granth Sahib there is much written about the selfless service and the devotion to God, because devotion cuts down all the barriers. Then you are close to the Master Power and far away from the negative effects of life. The reactions of so many past lives are burnt away on the very day of initiation. First Master burns all the barriers over here (at the third eye). Only then are we able to have a positive inner experience because in such short time as within the twinkling of an eye Master takes us above the body-consciousness to the seat of the soul. This is the same experience as it happens at the time of death. But at the time of death one has to withdraw from the body (forever), but it is terrible to leave the body. In every pore of our body there is life, and at the time of death the courier of death (forcibly) takes the life out of the body. This is very difficult for the human being but Master takes you up right from the seat of the soul (at the third eye) and drags you inside. In the twinkling of an eye He gives you the same experience as it happens at the time of death. Those who have had this experience know how to leave the body at the time of death and when they have to die they have no fear of death. They simply have to withdraw from the body and the Master Power is there to help. It is the Master Power who comes to detach you from the body, and the negative power, the courier of death, cannot approach towards you. This is one thing the Master Power does.
Our way has been changed. Now we have not to allow the mind, the negative power, matter, or maya, and whatever there is in the astral plane to interfere and to disturb us. All these anti-forces in the three worlds are against us, they stand against us. To overcome all of them, there is a very compact solution: maintain the life (in constant contact) with your Master, then all these powers will be far away from you. They will not touch you at all, they cannot come near you. What matters is to live and to do for the Master.
At the time of Kabir one person came to Him and begged, “Master, I am very poor, I need Your help.” Kabir had only the thread, which He had made out of cotton that was hanging on the wall. He took the thread and gave it to this man, saying, “Well, sell it! Then you can afford the food.” This man, however, did not sell it but made a net out of the thread to catch fish. In a few months he had become very rich as he caught big fish with this net. Kabir saw the reactions as a consequence of this. So, straight away Kabir went to this man and said, “Well, brother, you did not come back.” He answered, “Old man, there was no need (to come back to you) because my wish had been fulfilled. Now I am awfully busy and have no time even to go anywhere. So I did not feel any necessity to come to you again.” Then Kabir thought, “If one wants to spend something, then one should spend it only for the Master because He will take the money back to the source” (He will use it in such a way that you will benefit inside and no reactions will be created). So Kabir told him, “O man, where you have to live there is a very strong house, a fort, there you have to live forever. Take everything and put it there, it is your heritage.” This means: all you have to do now is only to live and do for the Master. In this way you will have the eternal link with the Master in this very life.
We (Bhaji and Biji) have practised it in our life and it was only possible with Master’s grace, with His blessing, not out of ego – it was His grace, otherwise we could not say anything. Our way is very straight, we have to go back, and we are sure (that we will go back) as Master said (to me), “Yes, you will go back.” Holding my arm Master said, “Now I will not leave you, now I will take you.” We have to go back – this concerns everybody. On the spiritual way it is like this: if something has been said by Master, then this is valid. The world can change, everything in the world can change, but the word of the Master will never change.
I told you yesterday and also today, that those who live and do for Him will go back – take it for guaranteed. Today (with Initiation) your (real) life will start. This true life starts even at the moment when one determines one’s life, then surrenders to the Master and starts to live and do for Him. The (real) life starts at that very moment. Initiation can be a secondary thing (and may take place later on). Those who started to live and do for Him came very close to the Master Power. Master can give them everything. Master may or may not give them (inner experiences). But He has a very fast contact (with them).
There was one person who did not get any experience (in meditation). He said, “Master, I have not got any experience.” Master replied, “If I don’t give you any experience throughout your life – then?” Master gave him a little attention and now this man is in the forefront. He says, “I don’t need anything, one time to have got Master’s attention is sufficient for me.”
It means that the meditation and all other things are there for our development, to make us more conscious. I have seen that those who meditated without observing Master’s rules could meditate but were affected with ego, and they stand nowhere now. We have to meditate and have to be conscious that we will not be affected by the negative facts of life. This is the true teaching, this is the true way of going back to our eternal home. If you are not affected with the outward things, you do not live beyond necessity, and you start to live and do for the Master, then you will become a conscious co-worker of the divine plan while you are still in this body. In this age there is no other way.
There is something more to be told: Master said, “You may go anywhere but nowhere will you be able to get what you have received.” Just like water can flow down from a higher to a lower level (but not the opposite way), you can give something but you cannot get anything from anywhere. Where there is criticism and much discussion, where it is said, “This is like that, our way is like this” – please, leave that place. In criticism one loses something. Your purpose is to tell something to those who really want to listen to you, who really want to get something. It is good to tell such things to them, but not to those who are criticising and slandering others. It is useless explaining them the theory or arguing with such people or trying to convince them that here there is a good thing, whereas their experience is not right. Tell them something in a few minutes, if they digest it, so far so good, then you can continue. But if we get entangled in criticism, we will lose something.
There are very delicate things, which every day you will be faced with. If you are conscious, even these little things will “pinch” you. If you are conscious, you know whether to take this or that step, to go in this or that direction.
Master used to say, “How can you save yourselves? When you get up in the morning to go out for work, take the first step in sweet remembrance of the Master. Throughout the day keep His sweet remembrance in your heart and go back home with the sweet remembrance of the Master. Then sleep in the sweet remembrance of the Master. Whenever you wake up and then go to sleep again, only sleep in the sweet remembrance of the Master. Whatever you may dream then, will not be a dream, it will be a conscious experience.”
Master develops us every night, He brings food for the child. He will give you only what you will be able to digest. What does Master do? He develops His souls every night. He gives food to the soul and then puts a curtain between mind and soul. Thereafter we cannot remember what Master has given. Even if you do not sit in meditation, Master will give food to your soul, provided you are true to the path and conscious about His word. Then Master will come and definitely – sometimes without meditation – He will withdraw you from the body consciousness and give His grace.
Initiation is the beginning, the beginning of the subject. Just like when starting a business, you have the chance to become a great shop-keeper. Similarly it is a little thing (experience) you have started with but it will grow, I tell you. This is one beauty with the competent Master. A so-called Master will make you roam round in the astral plane, and sometimes you see something there, but all kinds of worries will gather inside you. One is puzzled and surprised, miraculous things appear and one loses the life.
The beauty in Master’s Mission, however, is that He will develop you. With each step He will develop you. From this point here (right from the seat of the soul) He will develop you step by step and slowly He will take you back. Ultimately you will be fully embedded in the Master Power; this is a way that is in accordance with the spiritual teaching. Once the contact has been established, He will not leave you again. Some people leave and do not come again, but they return after many years – one day they have to come back. Once we were with Master in Srinagar, when a man came and started weeping when he saw the Master. He said, “Master, I am a great sinner. I was initiated by Master Baba Sawan Singh but after the Initiation I did not come back to see Him. Thereafter Baba Sawan Singh left His body and now I remember this contact again. I cannot find anything good in me, I am full of sins now.” Master replied, “No, Masters come to wash away the sins.”
I tell you, thousands of sinners can be forgiven, but one egoist is a big burden for the Master Power. Master cannot forgive an egoist but He can forgive thousands of sinners with His single attention. Those who are receptive will always remain close to the Master. So, we should not do anything that will create ego in us. Ego is the worst. If you have done some work, pray to the Master at once: “O Master, this is not what I have done, it is You who did it, You helped me to do it. It was for Your cause, You have fulfilled the task. I am nothing, I am on the way, I need You. You are the one who lets me do Your work.”
You know, in Islam there is the habit that whenever people get up in the morning they pray to God: “O God, give us some good and noble work for which we can spend something.“ They always pray that they should be given some work for which they can spend something. This means, if God gives you some work, He will give you a task which is in your interest. And if He gives you the work, He will also give you the means to spend for it. If we act in this way, we cannot become an egoist.
We have to surrender everything onto our Master: “O Master, You did it.” We have to become the borrowed slave of the Master. All Masters said, “No, my Master is the Master, I am His borrowed servant.” He who is the borrowed servant need not worry. When the child is in the lap of the mother, the child will not be afraid even if a lion or tiger may come because it knows about the greatness of the mother. The mother may be frightened of the lion, but the child is not dreaded of it because it is in the lap of the mother. So we have not to be afraid of anything, I tell you. You should never feel afraid if you are rising above the body-consciousness. There is nothing to fear because inside there is beauty everywhere and life, there is eternal life, there is no end to the life. This life within is without space and time and this eternal life we have to live forever.
There are many more things to concern. We always say, “We are all one.” Yes, you are all one and must remain in touch. Your cause is one, and you should serve this cause with one opinion.