TENERIFE (SPAIN)
31 August 1994
We should always think of good things. This is the only way to get rid of evil thoughts. When we are devoted to the truth, falsehood does not find room in our minds and thus we are saved from the feelings of hatred and ill will.
Once we decide to enrich ourselves with virtues, we must look for the source. And that is the Almighty. Noble men have always advised man to align himself with God. This is the only way to avoid bad company and be saved from its consequences. We may wish for such company as may remind us of this Formless, God. Automatically we may be relieved of worldly worries. Saints do not, however, advise us to run away from the word. We must have our boat in the water. The only care that we have to take is that water does not come into the boat. It means we may stay in to world but keep aloof from its false attractions so that the boat does not sink.
God is not away from us. Being omnipresent, it is there, it is everywhere. We have a story about Guru Nanak visiting Mecca. He was advised no to sleep with his feet towards the holy shrine. Guru Nanak said that those who had the objection were welcome to turn his feet to the direction where God is not present. This is how the saint’s endevour to remove superstition based on ignorance.
It is not that we fail to perceive God because it is hidden behind a curtain. The divine light is there everywhere. If there is any curtain, it is from our own side. We have covered our eyes with the veil of ignorance. Once we remove it, we find ourselves face to face with the ultimate reality i.e. God.
LOS PALMAS (SPAIN)
1st September 1994
The greatest ambition of a saint is to remain aligned with God. He is convinced that this is the only source of lasting happiness. While it dwells in the heart, there is no room for bad feelings like hatred, tension and violence.
Ego is the biggest source of bad feelings. Once may be proud of one’s caste. He will automatically start hating others, declaring himself superior to them all. He ignores the fact the all human beings belong to the same caste, that is, humanity. We can understand the animals being divided into different categories, as they really happen to be different from each other. For example, a horse is different from an elephant and an elephant from the goat. But man does not give any impression like this.
The trouble with man is that divisions are being created in the name of religion by those who claim to be the worshippers of God. As a matter of fact, their hearts are not the dwelling place of the Almighty. Has it been so, they would not have treated any human being as not their own. Even if we take it that some people appear to be different culturally, it does not mean that the Father ceases to be one. A tree has branches, leaves, flowers and the fruit, but the seed in the roots remains the same.
Man is seen reciting holy scriptures, having faith in them and worshipping them. But there is hardly any evidence to show that he acts on what he reads. We hear that God is Almighty and we believe it because others have said it. But the reality can be known only when one beholds the Almighty. Unfortunately, man does not take the trouble of acting upon what has been rightly pronounced by the divine masters.
However, the saints who know God, realize its omnipresence and the supreme power, enjoy the communion to such an extent that they find no difference between God and themselves:
ABTO JAYE CHADHE SINGHASAN,
MILE HAI SARANG PANI;
RAM KABIRA EK BHAYO HAI,
KOI NA SAKE PAHCHANI.
Similar are the feelings of Meera. There was stage when she was wandering in search of Lord Krishna. She was carrying a small image of the Lord in her hands. But she was not being able to reach at the reality. Her condition is described in these words:
LAKDI JAL KOYLA BHAI,
KOYLA JAL BHAI RAKH;
MAIN ABHAGAN YON JALI,
KOYLA BHAI NA RAKH.
The wood becomes coal and the coal reduced itself to ash. Look at me, the fire is very much there, yet I fail to become coal or ash. In other words, she envies the wood for having found its destiny, whereas she is still in bewilderment. Fortunately, she met Guru Ravidas who revealed the ultimate truth. Now she says:
PAYO MAINE RAM RATAN DHAN PAYO,
VASTU AMOLAK DI MERE SATGURU,
KAR KIRPA APNAYO.
Then we have the example of Arjuna. He realized the Truth only when Lord Krishna was kind to reveal it. Lord Krishna told Arjuna that one does not require to go to forests for the realization of Truth. This can be done while performing one’s normal duties of daily life.
So, when we are accepting God to be Almighty or omnipresent simply because somebody says it, we are only making a guess which is nothing but ignorance. Kabir Ji says:
VAST KAHIN DHUNDAT KAHIN,
KABHU NA AVE HAATH;
KAH KABITR TAB PAYIE,
JAB BHEDI LIJAY SAATH.
The object is somewhere else while it is being searched for somewhere else. The misunderstanding can go only when one is blessed with the vision to recognize it. God is very much with him, but man is searching for it here and there.
The Mission also seeks to take the same message to humanity. We want to bring home to man that he must not miss this golden opportunity of human life to get associated with God. He must put aside all the worldly consideration and know the ultimate truth. Let him not be satisfied with the worldly possessions alone. He must seek the wealth of divine knowledge, this is the only way to uproot hatred and promote love, understanding and peace.
BARCELONA (SPAIN)
3rd September 1994
Man today wants to have all kinds of material wealth. He does not wish to have the noble feelings, which can produce lasting happiness and lead to salvation. He is running after the worldly materials that are not the source of real happiness and which only produce ego or pride.
Men, suffering from pride have never attained greatness. Today, Ravana is not remembered with respect or glorified. Our reverence goes to those saintly people who possessed noble traits.
The message of Truth that is being highlighted here is the same as pronounced by the great spiritual masters from time to time. Whether we refer to Lord Rama or Guru Nanak or for that matter any holy scripture, man has always been advised to go in for divine qualities based on eternal truth. We do recall their teachings and recite them. Unfortunately, this too makes us proud and all or effort goes waste. We do not realize a thing by just mention its name. A poor man living in a cottage may go on naming all the articles of luxury, but he is not going to become rich merely by doing so. He must acquire them practically. Similarly, the teachings of divine masters are not going to help us only by their recitation from religious books. We must act upon them, adopt them in our day-to-day life. They say:
SHEIKH SABURI BAHRA,
KYA HAJ KABE JAYE;
KABIR JA KI DIL SABUT NAHIN,
TA KO KAHA KHUDAYE.
O man! You call yourself a religious person and go to Mecca on holy pilgrim age. How can you realize God, if your heart is not adorned with noble qualities like contentment?
Today, if man desires to be happy, he must mould his practical life as per teachings of the great masters contained in the holy scriptures. Mere mention of the same is not going to be adequate and helpful. Even hearing the words of spiritual masters is not sufficient. In many cases, our mind is somewhere else and we hear the mention of Truth only by ears, in fact, we must listen to the message and act upon the same. ‘Avtar Bani’ says that we should seek the company of saints and show respect to others by touching their feet. Such words are not there only to be recited or heard; they are meant to be translated into real action.
We must know God we worship. Worshipping of God should not remain confined only to the rites and rituals. It will be just like a fish bathing all the time in water but not able to get rid of the bad smell:
MEEN SADA JAL MEIN RAHE,
DHOYE BAAS NA JAYE.
Man cannot purify his heart just by a holy dip. He must have noble qualities preached by the great masters. Today, all kinds of activities are going on in the name of religion. Religion is being glorified and religious places worshipped. But what is the result? We find hatred, tension and violence. Communal riots take place even as we repeat all the time:
DAYA DHARM KA MOOL HAI,
That is mercy is the foundation of religion. However, the quality is missing from our practical life. Today, the very definition of religion is being confused with rites and rituals. In fact, such meanings are given by the vested interests. Look at what the spiritual masters have to say about religion:
PAR HIT SARAS DHARM NAHIN BHAI,
PAR PEERA SAM NAH ADHMAI.
It means that there is no religion equal to service of others and there is no sin worse than causing distress to others.
If we realize the Truth and align ourselves with the One God Almighty, all misunderstandings will disappear automatically. We shall start appreciating:
KASHI KABA EK HAI, EK HAI RAM RAHIM;
MAIDA EK PAKWAN BAHU, BAITH KABIRA JEEM;
There is no difference between Kashi and Mecca, Ram and Rahim. It is like different kinds of meals prepared from the same wheat. Once we realize God, the sense of discrimination between man and man, high and low disappears.
Unfortunately, today, we have many people who are ready to go in for falsehood; very few of them are wise enough to be interested in Truth.