Only when both the wings of God-knowledge as well as action are in operation, can the bird of devotion fly in the sky.

Patience, thankfulness and tolerance are the ornaments of a disciple.

Lofty is the one who adopts the teachings of lofty saints, Gurus and prophets in his life.

A saint is distinguished by his noble deeds, sense of detachment, magnanimous heart, equivalence of vision and the feelings of surrender.

Along with lofty God-knowledge, lofty action is also imperative.  Renunciation is the name of detachment which has to be adopted by mind.

The realization of destination has been described by saints and sages as the realization of God only.  There is no ambiguity in what the saints say but man does not pay any attention to them. Rather he acts as per his own will.  As a result, he leads his life like a blind-folded bullock yoked to the oil-seeds crusher, who keeps going round and round at the same place and thinks that he has reached the other end of the earth.  But the moment the bandage is removed, he finds that he is standing where he was.  In the same manner, so long as the darkness of ignorance is not removed and one does not align with the Ultimate Reality, one continues to be deluded. He keeps thinking that he has reached the destination by performing rites and rituals, while that is not true.  Nobody can reach the destination until he or she attains God-knowledge.

If one takes the shelter of Truth today, he can indeed be redeemed.  But if he takes the shelter of falsehood, of delusion and claims that he is glorifying those who took shelter of the Truth, will they be ever redeemed?  This is the delusion man suffers from.  Only the one who takes the shelter of Truth has ever been redeemed. 

The one who attains the company of saints, chooses right actions and leads his life accordingly.  Because of such lofty actions and behaviour, he becomes a human being in real sense.  When he becomes truly human, he becomes a boon for this earth due to his actions and contributes towards converting this earth into paradise.

God-remembrance (Simran) and devotion performed in selfless manner is true devotion.  If one was given the command to construct a concrete platform, one obeyed and constructed it and if one was commanded to demolish the same, he obeyed and demolished it.  If the Master (Guru) described morning as night, one accepted it and if the night was declared as day, the same was also accepted.  Such sincere followers were the ones who reached the lofty heights of Gurmat and attained the real bliss of devotion.  Their devotion was always selfless.  They did not remember God for the gratification of any desires.

Saints want to obliterate all kinds of fear.  They advise man to live in a fearless manner.   He should neither fear, nor frighten.

Only by knowing the Almighty One can we bring back the lost peace and unity.  Saints are like a river who carry in their hearts the feelings for the welfare of all.  Today, what we need is peace, unity and tranquility.  Only by adopting such noble feelings can we convert this earth into paradise, otherwise man today has left no stone unturned for its ruin.  Only by uniting with this Formless One and wishing well for all can the man find happiness.

It is said that to attain human birth is a sign of being extremely fortunate.  Even though the animals too have many distinct qualities, yet their birth has never been considered fortunate.  Only the attainment of human birth has been declared as a sign of good fortune.  All the holy scriptures including Vedas and Shastras proclaim the same.  It means that this human body has certain significance.  We have to realise this significance.  This is the only opportunity when we can realise the Ultimate Truth.

Two and two make four - it is a true fact.  This holds true in the morning, this holds true in the evening.  In the same manner the Eternal Entity of this Formless Omnipresent is also the Truth, which is ever-existent.  It is beyond any change.  It does not get influenced by time or place.  This Supreme power is all-pervading.  The same is being called Truth.  Saints inspire man to attain this very Truth.

During this lifetime, after your birth and before death, O� man, you have to perform this loftiest task, attain the loftiest knowledge and reach your destination.  God is not far from you.  Once you realize this, all your delusions and speculations come to an end.   You attain firmness.

So long as God does not appear in our life, in our hearts, these conflicts will remain there, these conflicts of caste and the walls of sects will continue to exist.  Those who adopt in their life the teachings of the True Master, do not ever do any such deed that may cause flames.

What we call universal brotherhood, is possible only with the thread of God-knowledge.  Then, there will be no discriminations left and all will be united by this chord.

If we follow the teachings of saints, we will find no conflicts, no distance between man and man, no riots. If we follow the teachings of saints, we will find love all around.  Nirankari Mission too is giving the same message which has always been given by all the saints, Gurus and prophets.

Devotees do not stay away from the congregation simply because they are entangled in material pleasures.  They do not forget service to others (Sewa) and God remembrance (Simran).  Rather they rise above happiness as well as unhappiness.  What is meant is that saints have an equi-poised state of mind.  Those who rise above the feelings of slandering, fame-infame, happiness-unhappiness, are considered devotees.

Whosoever sought the company of saints became gods from common men.  In the company of saints, man comes to imbibe divine virtues like love, compassion, sympathy, tolerance and humility.  Just like any river when it merges with the Ganges becomes Ganges, copper becomes gold when it comes in contact with the touch-stone and the trees growing around a sandalwood tree imbibe its fragrance, in the same manner a man becomes a saint in the company of saints.

All those who got emancipated in this world or for that matter anywhere in this world, have redeemed themselves only because of this company of saints.  Whether they were the ones who meditated or sat in penance, or they were dacoits, they could not find salvation without the company of saints.

We have to live like saints.  We have to adopt those words which are beneficent.  We have to tread the path which may lead to our own welfare and the welfare of others.

Devoid of Divine Name, the life of a man has been compared to that of a donkey carrying sandalwood.  As we know, the donkey does not know the value of sandalwood. Even when besmeared with its paste, it rolls on the ground again and again and soils its body with dust, removes the fragrance.  Saints always remain conscious so that they stay linked with sandalwood and not with the dust.  A devotee adopts serenity and renders selfless devotion by constantly remembering God in his heart and living his life according to the divine will.  We have to seek  the friendship of such saints who are true in their friendship or devotion (to God).

To cut a cloth, we need hardly two seconds, but to sew the same with a needle and thread, we need a lot of time and effort.  Truly speaking, it is easier to divide while it is very difficult to unite.  The onus to unite lies with the saints.

Company of saints (Satsang) is a tonic for the mind and its absence makes the mind weak.  Therefore, to attend a congregation is essential for spiritual health.

Those who believe in hailing the Formless One - Nirankar, definitely become lofty themselves.  They are great.  We may have dealings with such saints (only).

Those who are narrow-minded can never be saints.  Therefore, always seek the company of perfect and large-hearted Mahapurushas only.

The company of saintly persons redeems us and the company of the unsaintly persons can become a cause of harm only.  The company of saints provides strength.  Such a company takes one towards the heights of life.  Instead of giving uncertainty, it provides consistency and perseverance. It proves helpful in making our vision a noble vision.

As against the company of an unsaintly person, the company of a saint, a perfect devotee, is beneficial to us as it proves to be helpful in making us tread the path of devotion.

To redeem the world, to fill our lives with devotion, only saints inspire and teach us to lead our lives while remaining in the shelter of this Formless One.  At every step, the saints have advised us to seek the company of saints only.

Saints!  The time is passing.  We must value it and not let it go waste.  We must proceed on the journey of life in complete submission to this Formless One, giving due respect to others and treating the whole world as our own.  Such is the state of mind and feelings that the saints have always cherished.  That is why their lives found glory.  May God bestow such lofty feelings and strength upon everyone so that all become blissful and happy.

A saint conquers his mind.  He firmly believes that God does everything and all that He does is perfect.  As you have heard the story of a man who realized the perfection in what God does only when a gooseberry fell from the tree and hit his nose.  Otherwise, he was saying that people were considering God as wise without any reason because He has put only small gooseberries on such a big tree and a big watermelon on a small creeper.  As the gooseberry fell from the tree and hit his nose, he realized that what he thought was wrong.  Had a water-melon and not a gooseberry, hit him, his nose would have been crushed completely.  In this way he realised that his own way of thinking was wrong.  Everything in the universe created by God is, therefore, perfect.  We have only to appreciate  the circumstances. 

Every moment is running.  Nobody can stop it.  If a person says that he can stop the time from flying because he has money, physical strength or political power, it is simply not possible.  The time must fly by every moment. 

The service of God is not possible without the service of man.  The service of man is the service of God.  Service is always rendered according to one�s capability.

Just like the clouds take water from earth with the help of the sun and return it back in the from of rain on earth, the saints too surrender to the Source whatever they receive from it.

Only by serving and showing respect to the human beings, shall we be able to serve this Almighty Nirankar.  This has been the message of all the saints and sages.

The one who wants to illuminate his home by burning the homes of others, can never be successful.  He does not know what is he doing.  Man should live a true spiritual life by uniting oneself with God.  We have to do some introspection today.  We should look within ourselves to find if we are leading our life by adopting the principles of humanity or not.   Large heartedness can be established only by adopting noble and lofty feelings.  Man is moving towards downfall, the abyss of life because human values are disapproving.

O� man, you are giving importance to what is insignificant.  It is futile.

Without the company of saints (Satsang), one cannot attain wisdom, because it is the saints who make us discern truth as compared to untruth.  Therefore, their company always bestows the sense of discretion upon us.

Saints are those who constantly teach us to tread the path of truth, to endure all kinds of sufferings silently.

We often measure things on the basis of their outer appearance as well as the way of working.  This is wrong.

O� man, you insist that you have been born to a high caste family, but devoid of lofty deeds, you cannot be considered superior to others.  For example, if someone�s parents live as good people in the society without cheating, oppressing or coming into conflict with others and thus enjoy good name and fame and command respect for themselves, their children who are just their opposite in every respect would be mistaken if they think that people should give them the same respect simply because they are their children, notwithstanding the fact that they quarrel with others, abuse them, look at them with indecent intentions and violate discipline.  Mere taking birth in a superior caste family does not make one superior.  One becomes superior by his deeds only.

The maximum propagation of the Mission has been carried out by Mahapurushas through their practical lives.  In fact, action is the best way to spread the message.  It attracts everyone. Words can be heard and read from a distance.  But people must come near after listening to or reading those words and observe the practical life.  Till the time our practical life does not speak, nobody would take any inspiration from us.

Saints might use different words, expressions and examples, the feelings they want to convey are the same.  They want man to realize what he is not realizing, to be conscious of what he is unconscious about.  They remind man to salvage his soul for which this is the time, this is the opportunity.

What we read and recite is right if it brings man closer to man and promotes the feelings of love, co-operation and humility in the heart.

The words that the Mahapurushas speak are extremely significant and precious.  It is because their words glorify Guru or the Master only.

When we realize the presence of this Formless One, it certainly makes our words pure and sweet automatically.

The words of saints and sages are beneficent but mere words cannot redeem.  One must listen to them and take steps to attain that for which they provide inspiration.  Only then is redemption possible.

Man today is busy snatching whatever he can.  Quite often we hear stories like this that one brother goes abroad, earns money and sends it to the other.  The latter invests the money in his own business.  And when the brother returns from abroad and asks for his money, the other fellow claims that it belongs to him only.  He does not realize that despite all this, he must leave this world one day leaving the money behind.  He must go empty handed as he came.  This snatching is futile.  Real happiness or bliss lies in loving God and His men. 

After attaining the wealth of God-knowledge, if we lead our life with a constant focus on it, if we remain conscious of it, then we definitely reach an equable state of mind which makes us consistent from within and without - our words of respect for someone are accompanied by our genuine feelings of respect for the person.

We must march on the path of our life while performing our duties.  At the same time, however, we must remember and adopt the virtues called love, humility and sweetness.

O� Man, you are welcome to possess worldly powers - the beauty, the riches and a beautiful house, etc.  But if you give preference to these objects as compared to the Almighty to whom they belong ultimately, neither would your status become lofty nor would your life be blissful.   

God-knowledge is not a miraculous phenomenon, rather it is the name given to a state of understanding.  Whosoever attains this understanding in his life, gets imbibed with the feelings that none is an enemy, none is alien.  This is the state when man comes to know God and then perceives His image in every human being.

Those who surrender themselves and mould their lives according to the teachings of the Master, those who live in the constant realization of this Truth, make this Truth the basis of their life and lead their lives by not imposing any �ifs� and �buts� upon the Master�s word, are definitely worshipped in the world.  They are indeed unique, they are important. 

If the head has never bowed at the holy feet of the saints, it is as good as not being there; it has no significance at all.

The importance of this forehead is there only if it values the holy feet of the saints, bows there again and again and keeps itself surrendered.

Man today has become a slave to materialism.  Houses were meant for man to live in but today it appears that man is meant for houses.  Shoes are meant for the feet and not vice-versa.

Man�s body is a part of Matter (Maya) and it has to stay in Matter.  There is no harm if the body lives in the Matter but if the Matter over powers the Mind, it is difficult to survive or escape the ruin.

Man claims the mountain of credit for the molehill of his effort or contribution.  Devotees, on the other hand, make as big a contribution as a mountain but do not make a molehill of mention.  

O� man, try and test it.  You have love on the one hand and hatred on the other, you may adopt the same and see the difference.  If you hate, you will get nothing but anguish.

Man does not adopt what gives him happiness or bliss.  On the other hand, he goes after what leads to anxiety and worry only.  He wants to live in this very state.  He wants to live in this filth.  He does not want to live in a garden but he wants to live where there is a heap of filth.

If the mind realizes the presence of this Supreme Power (God) all the time, it will get rid of selfishness and then work for the welfare of others.   It will use all its means as well as capabilities to render service unto others.

May all become spiritually awakened so that they live like human beings, bound by the chord of unity, following true religion - the religion of humanity and thus making their own as well as others� life happy, turning this earth into a heaven by their good behaviour.

Rising above greed and avarice, we have to serve each other, help each other and contribute towards sharing each other�s weal and woe.

A father brings a toy for his child.  The child gets so engrossed with the toy that he ignores even his father.  In the same manner, man has become engrossed in the gifts that the Almighty has showered upon him.  As a result man has been coming and going in the cycle of birth and death and is extremely unhappy.   Mahapurushas are always thankful to God and consider Him to be more significant than His gifts.  Just like a painter can make thousands of paintings but all those paintings even if put together, cannot create one painter.  All these gifts are the creations of the Almighty. Let me value the same, but I may never consider them to be more important than God.  This is what a saint always prays for.

Man was supposed to place this Formless One in his mind, but he placed this material world, the greed instead, which  made him vain and proud. 

Those who possess the wealth of Divine Name are indeed happy: because it bestows fulfillment; whereas the worldly wealth makes one greedy, jealous and takes one towards worldly passions.

O� man, once the end comes and you exhaust your breathing process, it will not be possible for you to get redeemed.   You will not get this merchandise once the market stands closed.

This delusion of Matter (Maya) dupes the whole world but the one who dupes this delusion itself deserves our reverence.  O� man, if you look upon material wealth as mere objects of use or means of living, then you are within your boundary, but if you succumb to greed, then the same wealth would become a source of anxiety and harm to you.

Instead of giving importance to the attainment of what leads to emancipation, what makes us happy here and hereafter, what we go on preferring are the objects which disfigure us, degrade us and make us bankrupt.

Man�s importance increases only when he gives importance to God.  If he forgets to give importance to God, he himself loses importance even though he might be possessing immense wealth, physical strength and educational qualifications.  By giving importance to all these worldly attainments as against God, nobody could ever become important.

The way the saints and sages lived, the kind of feelings they had, if we follow the same we would indeed become precious, we would indeed have value.

Ask the man today �who is your father, brother or sister�, the answer would be �the material wealth or the property.�  This is the reality about the man today. 

Had the man adopted in his life the teachings of the saints, he would not have been seen behaving like animals today.  No doubt he has been reading and reciting what they wrote, but he has not imbibed the same in his life.  Had he not ignored their teachings, there would have been a view of heaven on the earth.  Love, tolerance as well as large heartedness would only be visible in this world if we are loving and humble towards every human being.

Morning is the natural outcome of sunrise.  Getting wet is the natural outcome of pouring water on the body.  Burning is the natural outcome of putting one�s hand into fire.  In the same manner, the beauty and purity of mind and the sublimity of the feelings is the natural outcome of linking oneself with God and one�s life gets saved from moral degradation.

The one who lives in the present based on Truth is certainly going to attain salvation.  How can one find salvation if his life is based on falsehood even though he might be repeating the name of those whose life was based on Truth?  This is a misunderstanding on the part of man.  Salvation was found only by those who relied on Truth.

We glorify the saints and sages.  This is a good thing.  One gets inspiration from this.  But how can we find salvation, if we do not pay attention to the same, if we do not become earnest towards them and if we do not adopt those feelings in practical life?

It is essential that we remove our ignorance during this lifetime.  The soul cannot be salvaged if the knot of ignorance is not opened.  The bondage of transmigration will continue to exist.  So, man must get united with God, who can be a support in this world and hereafter.

It is essential to see through the inner vision.  We can use this vision only if we obtain it first.  Once we obtain it, we will own everyone, which in return would strengthen the feelings of love.  Once the feelings of love are strengthened, there will be more peace, more calm.  And only peace and calm can take us forward on the path of progress: The gain would be twofold - one, our soul will be redeemed while living and our mind too will become beautiful.

Without humanity, how can a man be called a man?  And humanity is possible only by linking oneself with God.

<<Page 12