By Dr Harbhajan Singh (excerpts from related talks)
Read more about the life of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh (at www.sant-kirpal-singh.org)
Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji is very much in our hearts, because of the reason that He was the Master of the great Master Sant Kirpal Singh. So we have to know lots of virtues from His life history.
Baba Sawan Singh Ji had great love, affection and compassion for His beloved son Master Kirpal Singh. And today we have to know about their cooperation in the mission and that is also the need of the time. You cannot separate the two because their mission was one and if you tell something about Baba Sawan Singh you have definitely to hear something about Sant Kirpal Singh: they were not two, they were one.
Baba Sawan Singh was so happy, even He was so receptive for His disciple that He never liked to live alone. He always wanted the presence of Sant Kirpal Singh. Baba Sawan Singh had given lots of duties (to Him) — as much as He could do. Master Sawan Singh never wanted to make any Satsang without His presence. These were His own words: “With whom should I make Satsang, who is the person that wants to listen to me?” There may be one in thousand who was attuned to Him and He had to direct Him. So He always used to wait upon Master Kirpal Singh and He always said, “Go on singing one more song, go on singing one more shabad.” And He used to delay the Satsang off and on. Whenever Sant Kirpal Singh had gone to (hold) Satsang or He was sent for some other work, He came a little bit late, but the Satsang was also a little late. Not a little late in that respect — there were shabads (sung) and all other people started reading this way or that way — but Master Sawan Singh always delayed it. He always wanted the presence of Sant Kirpal Singh. So when He came, certainly Master Sawan Singh used to start with the Satsang. And what was the inner experience of our Master? He said, He used to see His turban already from far away and then He was unable to come (nearer) and (He used to) sit behind them all. He said, then He had no courage, even felt no power in His body to go forward. He was so intoxicated and His whole body was full of vibration (that) He made no endeavour to say anything to anybody. He said, “Well, let’s sit down.” Some people tried to sit with Him because they knew that if you sit along with Sant Kirpal Singh you will get something. And lots of experiences happened with those who used to sit with Him.
When Sant Kirpal Singh used to meditate six to ten hours a day and even then Master Sawan Singh said, “Only this much!” He moved further. It was the time from His sleep. He never slept. He took this whole time directly from His sleep. During daytime He worked (in His profession) and at night time He worked for the God Power — He meditated on Him alone. So even at the time of Master Sawan Singh Sant Kirpal Singh had become so popular that those who meditated they started to see Sant Kirpal Singh along with Master Sawan Singh within.
So whenever Sant Kirpal Singh did not come and He was fully engaged in making Satsang in outside centres, then Baba Sawan Singh used to go to Lahore where He was working in the military department and sent the message inside, “One old man has come to see you.” Sant Kirpal Singh Ji rushed from His room and after paying all respects to Baba Sawan Singh Master asked His Master, “Why did you take the trouble to come over here? It was my duty to come to you!” Then Baba Sawan Singh used to say, “Kirpal Singh, there was no way out.”
One time Master wrote a letter to Baba Sawan Singh that He wants to have love for Him, but it must be with due respect, with all respects. Baba Sawan Singh was on some mail station when He got this letter and He put it on His breast and said, “Yes, I also need such a love.” It was the feeling of the Master for His Master. (1)
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Baba Sawan Singh had one real disciple — Sant Kirpal Singh, who did each and everything for His Master (Sawan), and Kirpal was sufficient for His Master, and Baba Sawan Singh was sufficient for Kirpal Singh. They knew each other, but lots of people could not know. There were some, however, and they were also receptive due to the very near link they had with Sant Kirpal Singh. I give you one example: Sant Kirpal Singh was given a duty for Satsang in Rawalpindi. It was the home town of Sant Kirpal Singh, but He was in the service. At that time He used to live in Lahore. From there He used to visit Rawalpindi for Satsang. He used to go by train and those disciples, living in Rawalpindi, they always came to receive Sant Kirpal Singh at the railway station. And when Satsang was there they used to feel a vibration of the Master and sometimes there was so much charging (of the atmosphere) that some people used to weep in the sweet remembrance of the Master, or they used to have the vibration of the Master. So later on, when He was to go back, lots of people used to go to see Him off at the railway station.
In this situation Rajaram (a disciple) went directly to Baba Sawan Singh and complained about the whole situation — that Sant Kirpal Singh was getting very popular in the eyes of the disciples and people loved Him very much. The respect which only Master deserved, now those disciples have started to provide to Sant Kirpal Singh as well. He said, that he did not think this to be a good thing. Baba Sawan Singh smiled and said, “It is no Satsang where people do not feel the vibration of the Master. Do you think then, when Satsang is held, I am not there?” He said, “I am always there! What He does — I know. I love this personality too much, much more than you do.”
Afterwards this Rajaram used to be very near to Sant Kirpal Singh. A time came during his life that out of love and devotion which he got through the nearness of Sant Kirpal Singh, he went directly to Baba Sawan Singh and said, “Babaji, I want to tell you something. I have love and devotion for you, you are very high to me, you are God for me. But I do not know, after you, I have receptivity and love and devotion for Sant Kirpal Singh.” He said, “This is right, you are on the true line. This is right.”
So a Master needs a real one who only acts in accordance with the teaching. The wish of the Master always remains in accordance with the teaching. What does He want from the disciple? He wants full obedience, He wants one to be the servant of all. In reality, Master is the servant of the whole creation. Master says, “Be the dust of the servant of the Lord, so that you are accepted everywhere.”
Kirpal Singh always used to praise His Master. And we know those virtues only through Sant Kirpal Singh. Some very blessed souls could also see those virtues and His highness, His holiness right within. Sant Kirpal Singh always used to say,
“My Master will bless you, Hazur will bless you.”
He always said,
“Sit in the sweet remembrance of my Master!”
Whatever He said, He said in the interest of the Master, with full devotion and receptivity. And those who followed, they had one more experience: When they went within Baba Sawan Singh told them (inside), “You ask this thing from Sant Kirpal Singh.” Sant Kirpal Singh used to divert the disciples towards Baba Sawan Singh, and Baba Sawan Singh from within used to divert the attention of the disciples towards Sant Kirpal Singh. And what did Sant Kirpal Singh say? “Do the mission of my Master!” Those who are the old initiates, they know it very well. He always said,
“I came near to the Master by serving Him.”
And you can also do the same thing! You can also be near to the Master, that is the only possibility.”(2)
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Sant Kirpal Singh became very popular because of His spiritual progress that He already attained. He wrote a beautiful book, the Gurmath Siddhant, and in spite of His own Master stressing upon it, He did not agree to put His name there. He said, “My pen is the sinner of writing it, but it was only written with your instruction, without your guidance it could have never been written. So it is your grace — it should be produced, it should be presented with your name.” Because the purpose of the disciple is to show his Master to the world and not himself. Baba Sawan Singh agreed.
I tell you about the humility of our Master. In the footnotes of the second volume of the Gurmath Siddhant it was written that a third volume will also be published.
Sant Kirpal Singh wrote the third volume, but He kept it under lock and key. He did not give it for printing. Only a month before (His physical departure) He gave us this book to print it. And this He did with all humility. As it appeared on the footnotes of that Gurmath Siddhant, Part 2: “That book (part 3) will be printed”, He was very afraid of the ego. Though He could say that the credit goes to His Master — but people took Him as Master. So the book was published after His physical departure. Now it has been duly printed, but we have to see how humble Master was.(3)
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You know how great Sant Kirpal Singh was direct from within and right from the beginning He had all possibilities, but He did the work of His Master. Even outside He remained fully dependent to His Master, (and did nothing out of Himself). So we learn a good lesson from His life and from His sojourn in this physical body we can learn lots of things. He wrote this Gurmath Siddhant and when He used to write something He took this subject to Baba Sawan Singh and read it before Him. Baba Sawan Singh, however, never objected anything. He (always) said, “It is all right.” Everything was all right, because whatever He was from within He was from outside as well. He was fully conscious and He was beyond ego and all problems of the mind. And those who sat with Him, those people who worked with Him and helped Him, He also made them like Him.(4)
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There is a vast difference between an ordinary disciple and a true disciple. A true disciple only follows the commandments of the Master and remains committed throughout his life. Whatever the circumstances may be, he does not change that view, whereas an ordinary person always remains half-hearted and gives priority (to things) according to his wish.
There used to be many, many problems which Sant Kirpal Singh had to bear upon His own shoulders. And as Sant Kirpal Singh was a Gurumukh, He was a conscious co-worker of the divine plan, a mouth-piece of God. While serving the Master He knew the inner condition of His brothers and sisters, and He felt them (to be) very, very down. So, out of sympathy He asked His Master Baba Sawan Singh, that those problems, out of which they are miserably misled from within, may come to Him and not to them. Baba Sawan Singh said, “Sant Kirpal Singh, I will be responsible for those who work in the mission of the Master; I will be responsible for them, and not for all others. Even if they are thrown into the fire, I will save them; I can sacrifice my life but nothing will happen to them.” And who were those? Those were the conscious ones, those who were helping the mission of the Master and they were receptive in doing (the work), and most of them, they were (together) with Sant Kirpal Singh.(5)
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Ultimately Master Sawan Singh wanted to show His due love for Master Kirpal Singh and one day He said, “Well, I want to go somewhere and those persons who want to come along with me, they should come.” Then again He said, “You come along with me — and you come along with me.” And they all went with Him.
And who were those people? Who wanted (to gain) the Mastership from Him, who wanted each and everything from Him. They wanted to overpower, to overrule all those things, which Master (Sawan Singh) never liked. So they had created their own sphere there. Master said, “OK, you all come along with me.” They were very happy. So, while on the way, Master Sawan Singh said, “There is so much fragrance (in the air), it is intoxicating me. It is coming from that side, do you also feel it?” They said, “No Master, we do not feel it at all.” Soon afterwards Master again asked, “I think it is so strong and you must feel it a little bit.” They answered, “No Master, there is no fragrance, and we are not feeling such an intoxication. We are only feeling your presence, that is a blessing for us.” Baba Sawan Singh went on, and ultimately they reached the Beas station. There some arrangements were already made for sitting.
For whom was Master waiting? For whom He loved. Sant Kirpal Singh was coming to Beas by train, and Master Baba Sawan Singh wanted to meet Him direct at the railway station. This is the love between the Master and the disciple — He was waiting for His disciple there at the railway station.
No one knew (the meaning of this), because it was the first chance to see this ‘miracle’ in their life; it was a miracle for them, that a Master is going to fetch His disciple from the railway station. Even as Baba Sawan Singh had no time, the whole ashram being full with disciples — lots of people coming from all over India and from abroad. It was such a beautiful thing that Master left all the work and went to the railway station just to show His love and affection for Him (Kirpal Singh). When they were sitting there, Master Sawan Singh again said, “Now this whole atmosphere is full of fragrance, there is so much vibration, so much intoxication, don’t you feel it? Might be you are feeling it now?” They all were very surprised to hear these words from the Master all the time, the same words He was telling on the way there. “What is this intoxication? What is going on and what is it that Baba Sawan Singh wants to tell us? What further lesson is it that Master wants to give us? He has brought us here with a special purpose.”
But no one knew who will be coming and who is wishing for Him so much. But when the train came nearer Master Sawan Singh stood up and said, “Well, when He will see me He will jump from the train.” So Master Sawan Singh stood up, took His hand above and shouted, “Kirpal Singh, wait, don’t jump!” But the train stopped exactly where Master Sawan Singh was standing, and He embraced Him.
Then Master Baba Sawan Singh remarked, that, when the disciple starts to come to the Master, the disciple becomes receptive and he smells that fragrance which is from the Master and that vibrates the whole atmosphere. This fragrance is already in the body and is working there and we can smell it (if we become receptive). He said, “When a true disciple starts to meet a Master, then the Master also experiences the same thing. He also gets the fragrance from His disciple. It works both ways. The Master smells that of the disciple and the disciple smells that of the Master. Both ways it is one and the same.”(6)
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Once a tailor-master, who used to stitch the clothes of Baba Sawan Singh, came to see the Master (Kirpal Singh). Seeing Master, he came inside and Master was overjoyed to see him. Master asked him, how he used to take the measure of Baba Sawan Singh, what He used to tell him, what He used to do, when he used to stitch His clothes. Kirpal Singh put him many, many questions and Master’s eyes were full of tears. Master embraced him, “You are fortunate! You are very dear to me, because you used to stitch the clothes of the Master.” And this tailor felt the very vibration which he used to get from Baba Sawan Singh. He said, “Before I used to stitch His clothes, now I want to stitch yours. Please, keep me in your service. I simply came to see you, but I never knew, that your vibration will attract me and won’t let me go.” He was overjoyed, he lost everything. He lost his intellect, he lost his mind. He wanted to sit at the holy feet of the Master (Kirpal Singh). Everything was due to His love (for His Master Sawan Singh).(7)
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A true disciple must appear to the Master like a shining star, a guide to all others. There are many, many incidences interconnected with the disciple and his Master. You have read of them. But reading is not sufficient. This is the mission of the Masters still going on. The mission has not changed and it won’t change. Even now people ask, “What is the difference between now and then?” I say, “No difference at all.” We have not to change anything. But we have to change ourselves. Those who could not change so far, they must do. This is the only change.
How to do it, that we can only learn from the lives of the great Masters. If they had to sacrifice their life, a receptive disciple can also do that thing. And those who did so, they prayed to God, that even each drop of their blood may be utilized in the interest of the well-being of the other people. When Baba Sawan Singh was sick, he said before leaving His body, “I will give each drop of my blood in the interest of humanity, in the development of their souls.”
Great is that disciple whose Master was so proud of him. Once Rajaram asked Baba Sawan Singh, “You go to see Sant Kirpal Singh in His office and sometimes you receive Him at the railway station and you also give Him very important secret duties. After all, what is that due to?” Master Sawan Singh answered, “I trust Him. And out of His sincerity I am proud of Him.” And really, that one is the real disciple whose Master is proud of him.(8)
References:
(1) from Tape 1986#22 (B31+32) 86
(2) from Tape 1988#40 (B68+69) 88
(3) from Tape 1988#41 (B70) 88
(4) from Tape 1986#22 (B31+32) 86
(5) from Tape 1988#40 (B68+69) 88
(6) from Tape 1986#22 (B31+32) 86
(7) from Tape 1988#31 (B52+53) 88
(8) from Tape 1988#40 (B68+69) 88