December 2, 1970 — Heart-to-heart talk in Rajpur
(Light of Kirpal, chapter 23)
Master: How much time did you put in yesterday and today?
Disciple: Yesterday, I guess about six hours.
Master: That’s all right. What do you See?
Disciple: I see a little ball of Light. It’s as if it’s veiled. It’s a little ball of Light. It’s not in the center. It’s to the side. I can’t seem to get it in the center to focus.
Master: Don’t worry about it. That veiled Light — put your attention into the middle of it, that will grow bright and burst. The Sound is all right?
Disciple: I hear a very loud and constant ringing.
Master: That’s all right.
Disciple: But once in a while I hear tinkling of tiny bells, very far away.
Master: No, whatever is out at a distance, don’t follow it. Put whole attention into what is clear only. Sometimes the Sound is at a distance. If you follow it, it grows faint and dies out. Listen only to what comes from the right side. That will draw nearer and then ultimately come from above to drag you up. You’re keeping your diary? That’s all right. Do you have any questions? Yes, come on …
Disciple: Master, is it possible to hear the Master’s voice and not see the Master’s Form?
Master: Look here. When you hear a voice, tell him to come forward to manifest to you. Sometimes the Negative Power imitates the voice of the Master, and a man is misguided. If you hear any sound, tell him to come forward, appear to you. If he appears to you, then repeat the Five Names (Simran — charged by the Master Power). If he is a man of the highest he will stay — others will go away. If it is the Negative Power, he won’t stay, mind that. Many are misguided by the negative way. He can imitate the Master’s voice and the man is under the delusion, “Oh, it is the Master speaking to you, follow him” — you may go amiss. That’s it.
Yes, anything else? Are you putting in time all right? And you? It is getting better? No. Then what’s the use of it? There’s something wrong somewhere. Sometimes you say you are getting better. Sometimes you simply just nod your head. How much time do you put in daily?
Disciple: About six hours.
Master: That’s all right. Then why is it not better? There is some reason for it. What are you doing the other eighteen hours of the day and night? [no answer] Do you keep a diary?
Disciple: No, not fully. Sometimes …
Master: This is wrong, you see. Sometimes won’t do. When you have self-introspection, you are going within all right. When you are led away by sense attractions and other things, naturally that affects your meditations. Obey. When you are told to do something, why don’t you obey? If you really love me, then: live up to what I say.
Let not your mind remain vacant. A vacant mind is the home of the devil. Forget the past, as I told you; forget the future. Live in the present moment as I told you. If each moment is looked after — a vigilant watch is kept — then? Everything will be all right.
Do you understand me? Then why can’t you live up to it? Try to live up to it. As I told you, even if you live like that for a few days, you’ll change.
Yes? [to another disciple]
Disciple: It’s not getting better, Master.
Master: It is not getting better. What do you have? That’s the point.
Disciple: Well, I have Light …
Master: Ever since you have come — are you improving? That’s the point. If it is getting better, then it’s all right. The word better means more than before. You see?
What do you See now?
Disciple: Well, I see Light at each sitting, but it’s dimmer now than it was before. I have difficulty with my mind, controlling my mind. I — try to keep remembrance …
Master: No, no, no. It is not you who are to control the mind. It is that Power within you, the contact of which has been given to you. The more you come in contact with That, mind will be controlled. It is only God Power that can control it, and you have been given a contact with that God Power (Word, Naam, Shabd) in the form of Light and Sound. The more you come in contact with That, the more the mind will be stilled. When that sound begins to be heard, without closing your ears, all the time, then your mind will be controlled.
Do you hear the sound at any time without closing your ears? Yes? It means that will develop, and you will hear all the time, you will have a sort of intoxication, that will just keep your mind controlled …
Disciple: Sometimes my meditations don’t seem to get better during the day, and at night they get better again, then in the morning they …
Master: You are living every moment of life, if any thought crosses your mind, that affects it. Keep a vigilant watch over your mind. Keep your mind engaged. When at work, be fully at work. Work is worship. When you eat, be fully at eating. God has blessed you with that food; thank God. When you’re in good health, thank God you’re healthy. All the time, remember in some form or the other. Forgetfulness results in drawbacks.
Disciple: Master, what is the effect when you do Simran while walking through busy streets — you can’t close your eyes?
Master: Look here, don’t close your eyes on the way — you’ll dash against something. (Everybody chuckles.) See impediments, see and hear what is going on, but have Sweet Remembrance.
Disciple: But does it have an effect?
Master: You’ll keep your mind engaged, that’s the effect. The vacant hours always bring trouble. Look at what is ahead of you. The regular way up is by sitting in meditation. Have sweet remembrance of Him, of the Master or the God-in-Him all the time. You can be doing so many works and all the same be remembering somebody with whom you have love, can you not? You are not to speak with words. Words are only the expression of the love within you, that’s all.
Disciple: The thing I don’t understand is … I feel the Master Power sometimes on the subway and places like that, and then in my meditations I don’t.
Master: In meditation, you sit, cut off from all outside. Power is working, that’s right. Sometimes you see that Power is working, but if you sit in meditation, you’ll go up.
Disciple: But why is it that I feel It in the most unlikely places, the presence of the Master Power.
Master: That’s all right … That saves you if your attention is directed to That; you won’t be affected by outward environments. Just as in an air-conditioned room, you won’t have the effect of the outer influences. Any news from New York? You have been the latest.
Disciple: It’s growing. Everybody’s anxious for you to come.
Master: I’m also over anxious. They are anxious and I am more anxious. God willing, I’ll be there. Man is a mere puppet in the hands of God, you see. Man proposes and God disposes. (Master speaks in Hindi or some other language about the Satsang and the Circular Message being prepared — the Christmas message.)
The real Christmas message, has been given here. The messages convey the same things that I tell you now, the same thing in one form or the other, you see. Every time you have the same thing in different ways. You have your food; sometimes you prepare it in one way, sometimes in another way, but it is the same thing, our present food for thought.
Disciple: Master, how can we comprehend your love?
Master: Have you got love for anybody? A brother or anybody?
Disciple: You.
Master: No, no, that comes next. I’m talking about in the world. How do you develop that? By constant remembrance, being constantly in touch. So to be in constant sweet remembrance sprouts forth into love. Again, where there is love there is constant remembrance. You have to develop love in this way. The same rule applies here too, you see. This is one way.
The most effective way is to come in contact with or enjoy His presence. Once you have enjoyed somebody, then naturally his sweet remembrance will go on. Once you have eaten a very delicious sweet fruit, whenever you think of that fruit, you’ll have sweet remembrance. When you come in contact with the physical presence of the Master, by radiation what you get carries constant remembrance. To keep sweet remembrance, you have to develop love — have the sweet remembrance of Him all the time. When that develops then naturally you’ll have Sweet Remembrance. This is one way. And when you have seen Him, His physical body at your own level, talking to you, have enjoyed His presence, then that effect carries sweet remembrance all the time. Naturally you see, there’s no difficulty.
So this love is not grown in any fields or sold at any shop. It is within you. You are love. The main thing about love is to be attached to somebody. Our soul is a conscious entity — it has to come in contact with All-Consciousness. It has to come in contact with the physical too, but that is perverted love, that’s all. The love of the soul should be with the Over-Soul. Love is within you. By inversion, you come in contact with Him. When the Master gives you contact with Him, you have to develop from day to day. The more you put in, the better. When the seed is planted, water it daily — regularly, regularity pays. Also sweet remembrance.
You — do you have to say anything? Nothing? If you go away, you’ll say, “Oh, I had to ask this thing and I had to ask that thing.” Then … when you go away, you’ll just say, “Oh, I should have talked to Him and asked Him this and asked Him that.” Now you have nothing to say. How are you getting on? Quite fine? You? Does the carpet help? You must be cold on the ground. No? Love knows no inconvenience. That’s all right. Yes, anything come up?
Disciple: Master, I was wondering would it be because of work, work-a-day life, that my meditations before seemed to be better. I would progress more in a two hour sitting than as I would in about four hours here now, would that be because I was working there and I’m not here?
Master: You see, man cannot put in longer hours in one thing unless he does it by regular practice. There you only had one or two hours but you put your whole attention into that time. Now you are going at ease, “Oh, all right, I’ll do this and that…” You are simply loitering away time. How do we live it? There you were occupied with something. You kept your mind occupied, you see. Work is worship. Your whole attention was there. Vacant mind is the home of the devil. Now, you’ve got more vacant time. You must be more vigilant.
Disciple: Master, but most of the time is pretty well put in, for meditation or one of the other things are occupying my mind, but I don’t think it has the same effect.
Master: No, no, no. Follow what I say. When a donkey (mind) is burdened it will go on all right. But when you take off the burden, he will play frolics. So keep your mind occupied, that’s all. Work is worship. Keep your mind engaged with some pure pursuits. When you’re not engaged, remain in sweet remembrance — you are here only for that purpose, and no other. Keep your mind engaged in, I might use the word, “pure pursuits.” Pure pursuits, not sensuous. That will help in your occupation and you’ll have better results. Everybody should go on progressing. If you do not go on progressing, there is something wrong somewhere, and what electricity you get is earthed (grounded). If you live only a month or two like that, you’ll change. Have you got any other job here?
Disciple: No.
Master: Let it (mind) be occupied fully on that. You have to change the course of your mind. Keep it occupied, in a righteous living, that’s all. And it cannot be controlled, as I already told you. It is the God Power within you, by coming in contact with Him, that mind is controlled; no other way. Outwardly, even your chantings control the mind for awhile, then it runs away again. Just as a fire which is under ashes appears dead, but when the wind blows, the fire is set ablaze there. But if you put water on the fire, then even a cyclone may come but it won’t have any effect.
Try to understand — live up to it, that’s all. To know a thing is good, to understand the theory is all right, but unless you live up to it … There’s a story in India about Lord Rama and Ravana that you might have heard. Ravana was a very learned pundit — he knew all the four Vedas, all six Shastras, and more. Knowing all that he still abducted the wife of Lord Rama. So with all that knowledge he fell down.
Knowing is not sufficient unless you live up to it. You may be doing so many things, you may have all kinds of foods, but if you don’t digest them, that will cause disease. The more the food is digested, that will give you strength. The more you know of what you say, then the more you will live up to it.
There is a story of five Pandavas; they went to their teacher. He gave them a lesson: “Speak the truth! Always be truthful!” Then he dismissed the class: “All go and memorize it.” The next day, four of them came up, but one did not come. Yudhistra by name. He asked them, “Where is Yudhistra?” “He says that he is still memorizing the lesson.” One day passed, two days, three days, four days, a week passed. And then they said, “Look here, teacher, you told us that we must live up to the truth; we learned that but that very blockhead has not learned these few words so far even in seven days.” Finally Yudhistra came up, and said, “Master, I have learned it…” And he lived all through life being truthful.
This is really learning. He never spoke a lie all through his life.
When you see a thing, live up to it. Simple learning by rote or only by memorizing, won’t help you. I am afraid that will make you worse. If a man having a lamp in his hand, falls into a ditch, what is the good of the lamp? You have light before you: Be careful.
With all your learning, you are nowhere. Learning only means understanding. When you have understood, that is also not sufficient, unless you live up to it.
This is the only secret — this is the secret. We know so much, I think if anyone of you is made to give a talk here, you would give a wonderful talk. But the question is of how you live. We ask so many questions — we ask a hundred times.
We read books, scriptures, that’s all right. But again the same questions come up? Why? Digest it, live up to it. Or if you live up to, do only one thing, say for instance, “Be truthful,” all the other things follow.
Deeds of darkness are committed in the dark, not in open day light. The difference between one who is advanced on the way, and one who is not advanced, is that he lives up to what he memorizes, the others don’t. The learned know so many things, of course.
I think each one of you could write a book. You would write wonderfully in your own language. But there is radiation going on, how you are, how you live. Even the consciousness of a learned man appears in how he lives. You need not speak, the radiation will go out. And this is what we have to learn.
Do you know that telling the truth is all right?
Disciple: Pardon me?
Master: Do you know that telling the truth is all right?
Disciple: Yes.
Master: Do you know that to be chaste is all right?
Disciple: Yes.
Master: Do you know not to harm anybody’s feelings?
Disciple: Yes.
Master: Do you know that you must help the others who are in distress, having some difficulties? I think you know intellectually. Then, do you live up to it?
Disciple: Sometimes.
Master: Sometimes? and the other times? That makes the difference, you see. Take one virtue, all other virtues will follow. Or if you come in contact with the God Power within you, you will become the abode of all virtues. You have not to think for this or that; everything will follow.
Outer self-introspection, as I have told you so many times before, is only like when you are going to cut a tree; you have first shorn off the branches; then the stem is cut. When the stem is cut, all the remaining branches naturally fall away.
That stem is ego within you, and that can only be set aside by coming in contact with the God-into-Expression Power, the contact of which has been given to you. No more lectures are required, like Yudhistra, go on doing and come up to me only after you have set it. You need not ask any questions.
When I came to my Master I did not ask any questions. I simply sat by Him and got by radiation. So only one-third, as I have told you before, is given by word of mouth, two-thirds by receptivity, by radiation.
Soul speaks through the eyes. Eyes are the windows of the soul. Through eyes you’ll learn so many things. The eyes speak such a language that cannot be expressed in words. Very wonderful are eyes; are they not? You speak through eyes such-like language which even the words cannot express. Is it not so?
Perhaps that is why it is said that is is better to enter the world with one (inner) eye rather than two (outer eyes) which will take you to hell. These things are given out in our scriptures, We simply ruminate over them, that’s all; we don’t digest them. An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of theories.
You know all these things. Why should I repeat them? I am not telling you anything new; only you are not living up to them. For that I have to prescribe keeping the diaries, this and that thing. Have the physical presence. But even from thousands of miles, you can have the same affect through receptivity, that you have got through the physical presence. Of course, physical presence cannot be underrated. You get the radiation. When you enjoy that, then naturally you always carry the sweet remembrance when you think of Him. No more lectures are required. That’s all, it’s a very simple thing. There are no very strenuous penances that you have to undergo. Simply, sweet remembrance. What does it cost?
Disciple: Nothing, Master.
Master: Kind words don’t cost anything.
You may make your brain a storehouse of all scriptures, of the East and West, but if you don’t live up to them, then what is the use? That makes you more haughty — your ego is strengthened. “I know so much …I…” But you know little or nothing. So the question remains of whether we live up to it or not. Try to live up to what you know. If you’ve got one virtue completely, then all others will follow of themselves. When you come in contact with Light and Sound Power within, you have not to adopt any virtue but everything, all virtues, will come within you of themselves. You will become the abode of all virtues; you’ll learn all virtues given in scriptures, the more you come in contact with that Power within you.