Don’t you think satnavs (GPS systems) are one of the most wonderful, useful, and empowering pieces of technology given to us in recent years? If you had inherited the same lamentable sense of direction that my dear mother appears to have passed on to me, then I think you may well agree!

Many years before the satnav came on the scene, my mum used to regularly exclaim, I just wish someone would invent a tell me where to go machine! When the day did finally arrive and the gadget was produced, my mum (along with my tech-obsessed Dad) was at the very front of the queue to get one, despite the initial extortionate price label.

The very concept that you could just get in your car, with a destination in mind, with nothing more than a postcode at your disposal, the machine would tell you a range of possible routes – i.e. how long it would take you, and how it would redirect you in the event of you making a mistake – was absolutely amazing. The best part of all was that no matter how many bizarre mistakes you might make, no matter how far you strayed from any logical route, at any given point you so decided, it would take you right home, safe and sound. This was, and still is, for me, not just a necessity, but a machine of magnificence!

The question of inner stability really got me thinking. My mind ruminated on what exactly it is inside us that, when the weather gets a bit whipped up and stormy or we feel a bit lost, allows us to achieve a sense of inner stability. What is it that manages to bring us safely back to that place within ourselves that feels right and feels like home?

I could not get away from the idea that our inner satnav boils down to having a strong sense of personal values and essentially living a life that is true to ourselves and right with our conscience. In the same way that the satnav will, without fail, take you home, your inner satnav, if set right and regularly refreshed, will take you home to the place that is right for you.

If we try to live a lie or life or pursue a path that is not aligned with these, then we will never have true peace and happiness. Neither will we be able to live with a sense of continuity and direction because something will feel very off. Our motivation will wane, and we will find ourselves feeling desperate for re-direction, wishing that someone would tell us what to do or where to go!

Installing or re-booting your personal satnav

In my own experience, and from conversations I have had with others on this topic, there are various things which are critical to installing or rebooting our internal sat-nav.

Firstly, we need a good sense of who we are, what we believe, what it is that motivates us, and effectively what our values are. Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

It’s interesting though that questions around this are some of the hardest questions asked at interviews. For whilst people often prepare for the knowledge and skills questions, far less time is ever spent reflecting on our inner truths, i.e. not just what we know but who we are and what makes us so.

Another question that comes into play here is our complicated sense of self-esteem.

We can all too easily and potentially dangerously, wrap our personal sense of value, worth or identity up in what we do professionally or the material things that we have (or have not) acquired, or our personal image. If and when those things, for one reason or another, change in some way or even disappear, with this misplaced sense of values, we are in danger of feeling lost without a clue as to how to re-discover ourselves i.e. our way home to inner peace and stability.

So, the first critical point to installing or re-setting our personal satnav is taking time to think about who and what is important to us. Thinking about what makes us happiest in life, can help us identify our gifts and strengths. By considering how and where we can use these, either in our personal or professional lives, this can help fine-tune any changes, big or small we may need to make here.

Identifying what values are essential to us and creating a mental funnel through which we can filter our daily decisions and choice of words and actions, can help us live and act boldly and with clarity. When we find ourselves in danger of compromising on something that does not feel right, we can run the decision through our mental values funnel. If it doesn’t fit… we can say no!

Destination: Happiness.

Now, although I do have great faith in the satnav, we do have to decide some sort of destination for the machine to work effectively. The same can be said of our lives.

I believe very much in living purposefully. Part of that is taking a little space at the start of the day to plan for happiness and success. Trying to practise visualisation, just as a runner might before a great race, the way you might meet and interact with people in the day ahead and planning to feel happy and positive, is like fuel in the tank! Finding a few moments to reflect on the positive people and things in your life as part of this practice can help you find and embed your personal values. This allows us to clarify what brings us happiness, as a result of which we are more likely to notice opportunities throughout the day to do more of the happy stuff.

It is often said that how we spend the first hour of our day can dictate the rest of the day. Whilst this may not be entirely true or controllable in terms of things that may occur, it can influence how we act and react in even the most unexpected circumstance. I love the famous saying often attributed to the wonderful Oprah Winfrey;

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity!

I am neither this nor that…

Lastly, that question of self-esteem. The wonderful practice of Neti-Neti is a fabulous space to re-calibrate and realise we are not our things; we are not our jobs. We are spiritual beings, each with our flaws but also our unique and special gifts. If we do all things, from a place of truth and love, with an attitude of gratitude and a desire to give and share happiness with others, then we will live a life rich in happiness. We will have a sense of inner peace and stability, anchored in the knowledge that we are living a life, true to who we are and what we believe. Through regular time in prayer, meditation, or reflection, we can be confident that our very own machine of magnificence, our inner satnav, will always bring us safely home to true inner stability!

                                                                                          – Sarah Barnes, Leeds, UK

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God created man in his own image¹ aptly reminds us that we, as human beings, are the creation, and God – the Almighty Power -, the Creator. The Creator is pure, subtle energy; the creation is its issue we see all around, which is animated with its own essence that we call atman or the soul. While we are here on earth on a journey that we call life, finding the Creator² within its creation is our prime goal.

But confused and coloured by the temporal, material world, we not only forget our essential nature, we also work against it. We are the only creatures to do so. The sun, stars, solar systems and galaxies exist exactly as per their nature. The fauna lives by its senses, and flora, by its nutrition. But when it comes to people in the guise of human beings, they continue to act like beasts, a million miles away from their true nature. They get so used to their base, animal instincts, that they fail to decipher that they are spiritual beings on a quest to find themselves.  

Unlike animals, we are unique, in that we have the capacity to rise above ourselves to reach and embrace the Divine. Those who do so can be called human beings; those who do not, are human in appearance, but no more than animals in essence (in that animals also live, eat, procreate and build homes for themselves, without contemplating the purpose of their existence).

As human beings, we are here to find a Satguru (spiritual teacher) who can show us the Creator within its cosmic creation. For with such an introduction, we miraculously realise that the Almighty God that we thought was such a distance away, is actually closer than our jugular vein. Living within its omnipresence, guided by its omnipotence, and steered by its omniscience, then becomes possible.

We begin to live in the light as human beings, under the auspices of humanity, humility and fraternity. That, which has always been with us and within us – i.e. the All-pervading God (Nirankar) – becomes actualised. It then becomes possible for us to relate to God directly. We begin to make moral decisions, knowing full well the difference between right and wrong.  All this takes place through spiritual development.

We cannot purify ourselves without a Guru – as it has been written;

Whose feet should I touch before the Guru and God

I’d surely honour the Guru, who unites us with God!

                                                                           – GGS

The Guru that is spoken of is pure and has the power to make us realise our essential nature. Such a Guru offers us a framework by which we may stay on the straight and narrow, without straying from our goal. Let’s take an example.

Once, Chanakyaji met a young king called Chandra Gupta Maurya, who was shooting an arrow without hitting the target. Chanakyaji observed him for a moment and then guided him to stay still and concentrate totally on the bullseye. Following Chanakyaji’s teaching, the king was able to accomplish his task. Similarly, a True Master or Satguru helps us maintain our poise and focus, so that we reach our target and goal.

Satguru takes us from darkness to light, as Baba Avtar Singhji testifies:

For those at his door, the Guru can fill their coffers to the brim
In an instant, remove their blindfold and fill them with celestial vim

                                                                                           – Avtar Bani

Contemporarily, it is Mata Sudikshaji who is guiding and steering us towards our goal. With her messages of love for humanity at large, she is making sure we get back on track with Simran – our celestial remembrance of the Formless Creator. She reminds us to adhere to Simran, not only to remain focused, but also to safeguard against distractions.

For yearnings aplenty, there is but little time,
To amuse the heart, still there is enough time

                                                     – Roshan Dhelvi

Just as in the case of learning to drive, when our focus and concentration become automatic, life too becomes stable. When learning to drive, we make a conscious effort to concentrate on the road, the breaks, the gears, the accelerator, and indicators. With time and practice, the effort becomes less conscious and more and more subconscious. So much so that we can chat and sing with our co-passengers, while we drive with ease at the same time. Similarly, if we practice spirituality in our everyday life, we can not only enjoy our family, friends and work, we can slowly and steadily become stable.

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has touched the world at large, it has affected different people differently. On the one hand, there have been major social and economic upheavals, including domestic violence. On the other, the spiritually-inspired people have been as calm as they were prior to the Corona Virus

Nirankaris, members of the Mission around the globe, have been communicating through online meetings for their strength and stamina. They have remained connected however adverse the conditions.

Similarly, we have learnt that stability can be found even in the most hostile of situations. Through Seva, Simran and Satsang, we simply have to remember the source of our stability – Nirankar. And for our stability to endure, we have to go by the adage, a family that prays together stays together’.

      – Satish Chander, Melbourne, Australia.

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Faith is one of the most beautiful of words in any language. Just the sound of it brings a sense of calmness and peace to the mind. And for those who have been christened with the name, there is probably a story to be told – a story of hope over despair.

The word faith can also be very polarizing, depending on who you are talking to. I recall once discussing faith with someone close to me, for whom it was summed up as follows:  “it’s fine if that’s what you need, but it’s not something that I need”. The inference being that faith is something people rely on to get through life – quite simply just a crutch to lean on when life gets hard.

It is a common misconception that faith means weakness, a lack of self-belief or the inability to cope. Truth is quite the opposite. For true faith to prevail, we need to fully drop our ego, which requires a phenomenal amount of strength and courage.

Indeed in experiencing the Gyan – the cognition of Nirankar – we understand that God is within us, and we are within God. We realise that we are one and the same substance – You are me and I am You. In such a manner, in having faith in God, we also have faith in ourselves.

When we have faith, life becomes much more simple and less stressful. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally, no matter what; and knowing that we are supported through every aspect of life brings great relief. Yes, we still have to make decisions. Yes, we have free will to live our life as we choose, but should any of those decisions bring about less than favorable results, we are loved and supported. And if we truly have faith in Nirankar, then we can choose to make less decisions and let Nirankar show us the way. With faith, we do not have to be in control because we have no control; all is Nirankar’s will.

The saying God will provide is often met with derision from those who have no faith. Seeing a destitute hungry man on the street, they ask as to how God is providing for them. The truth is, God always provides, but probably not in the way we expect. If someone is going through a really tough time, whatever it may be, a kind word from a stranger may be all that is needed to give them strength and courage to continue, as opposed to give up. How often have we been at a really low point, felt hopeless and ungrounded, for something small to happen to change our perception of the situation? It may be a phone call about a job interview, a letter/email or text from a friend with encouraging news. I’m sure everyone has experienced that feeling of life being turned around on a sixpence, and then unexpectedly finding the strength to carry on to see things in a different light. A person with faith is incredibly strong and capable of withstanding the toughest of life’s challenges, knowing that Nirankar is with them always.

I read recently the life story of a young Jewish girl, who was sent to a concentration camp. She was very young, just 16; she was a ballet dancer. Like everyone else in a similar situation, she was subjected to terrible things. Her hair was shorn, her clothes were replaced with a ragged uniform, and she was deprived of food and sleep. But because she was identified as a ballet dancer, she was considered as someone of artistic merit, a talent that was revered by her captors. She was ordered to perform, refusal not being an option. Even with a shaved head, a scrawny body and dirty clothes, she had never felt less like a ballet dancer. She had strong faith and an unerring belief that whatever they did to her, whatever they made her do, her real self would remain intact. So she danced and performed, knowing that God was within her; she could not be touched by them. She survived the ordeal and went onto to lead a long and happy life, devout in her faith that God had supported her through it all. And I suspect wherever we hear of stories of great adversity, of prisoners, those held in captivity, some for many years, we also hear the story of their faith that helped them to survive.

Faith really can be the difference between life and death.

Recently I had cause to incur a taxi journey, just a short ride of 20 mins. In that short space of time we talked about current issues – coronavirus and others. Firstly the discussion was about how they affected our work and life, and then it deepened quickly into a discussion around faith. We pondered on the reasons why faith appears to be lacking in the West, as compared to the East. This may well be a sweeping generalization,  but I do think it is common knowledge that religious faith has very much declined in recent decades, both in the UK and generally across the northern hemisphere

The other simultaneous correlation is that those who have the least materially have the most faith, while those who have the most materially, have the least faith. Why is this?

Well, I feel that in the Western world we are so separated from our true selves – from Nirankar – that we are looking for a replacement to fill the void. Many find solace in things by surrounding themselves with goods and chattels; cars and clothes; big houses and even bigger wallets. Curiously, they have faith that the car will start, the clothes will make them look good, and that their friends will be impressed. They have faith that they will wake up every morning, and that they will continue to breathe.

The Truth is, we all have faith of some sort, but where you place it, determines how much peace and serenity it brings. If we place our faith in Nirankar, we shall be assured, that we are in good hands, come what may.

                                                                                    – Magaret Fletcher, West Midlands, UK

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Janet Johnson will always be remembered for her elegance, poise and spiritual wisdom. She became a regular attendee in gatherings of the Sant Nirankari Mission during the time of HH Baba Hardev Singhji, and became a regular contributor in Oneness Gatherings (Satsangs).  Although of Afro-Caribbean heritage, Janet took to Punjabi classes so that she could more fully access the teachings of the Avtar Bani in its original expression. Whilst Janet was laid to rest on 11 Nov 2020, following a period of ill-health, the writing below was her last communication with fellow saint-devotees, at the Centre for Oneness in West Midlands, UK. The Editorial Team at Universal Target Journal wished to share this beautiful declaration with all readers across the world, as a means to deepen their own faith and commitment to Satguru and her teachings.

Many a time I have asked myself, what is the purpose of life? The answer has changed a number of times over the years. I often say to myself, it can’t be just to live, work, eat, procreate and then die. For, if that were the case, we would be no better than animals. If indeed that is not the case, then what is the purpose?

I said to myself, there must be a reason why we are here on this earth. As I got older, that question began to burn into me. I questioned many people, who gave me a lot of worldly answers that I was not satisfied with.  So I sought answers from books. Although they were quite useful, the question of purpose remained unanswered.

That is when I began my quest – the quest to become a seeker of Truth. It was like a thirst that needed to be quenched. I tried various establishments, but all in vain. It was either because the question was not answered fully, or that I did not feel 100% comfortable for one reason or another.

I finally found sanctuary in the Centre for Oneness. Now there was no turning back! I felt as if I had come home. I met some like-minded people, who not only inspired me, but became my role models.

As I spent more and more time at the Centre, my yearning grew exponentially. I knew that I would be able to find some real answers. I was fortunate to have been introduced to the Satguru, the Perfect Teacher, through whose grace I was able to partake of the Brahm Gyan. Receiving the Gyan enabled me to be aware of the Creator, Formless God or the Almighty.

I always knew there was something over and above this visible world, but I only had wild or worldly ideas of what this something was. But when I processed the Gyan, I made a startling discovery. I realised that I am not this body or the physical shell; I am the soul that is immortal. I learned my true identity and of course my purpose: I am a spiritual being having a human experience.

Every question and doubt was shattered. All my judgements and insecurities slowly began to disappear. I knew that my human experience was work in progress. I would make mistakes, only to learn from them, and to grow in the process.

I learned that everything we see is transient – i.e. temporary and terminal. The shell will break down completely, and die one day. A film last year featured some people walking around with a number above their heads. This number was counting down; each day it was getting less, indicating how long each person had left to live on this earth. The Formless Nirankar alone knows what that number is. We do not know it. Some people attach themselves to the temporary realm, believing that they will never die. It is important to know that the Formless alone is everlasting, ceaseless and permanent. In the Mission, the Satguru makes this clear. Satguru tells us that the true self is the soul, and that the shell in which the soul is housed, is the vessel.

Unfortunately, in the absence of the Gyan, the worldly people attach themselves to the shell. They are constantly filled with doubt and insecurities; they indulge in all kinds of negative egoic behaviour, believing they are happy. This is usually quite the contrary, for they are in fact suffering because of their ignorance. Not knowing the Creator, they enter into the cycle of births and deaths, and deprive themselves of true happiness, contentment and bliss.

Through the guidance of the Satguru, we are reminded to stay connected to the Formless by attending Satsang (keeping the company of Saints), perform Simran (saying the holy prayer) and do Seva (the performance of selfless service in whatever form it may take). We learn many positive virtues and become less worldly. Our time on this earth in this “shell” becomes pleasant and blissful, no matter what our individual life experiences are. If, however, we remain attached to this worldly realm and cling to the ego, we run the risk of creating a hell on earth.

This is not to say that we are to give up on this temporary realm; no, we must try to be successful at whatever it is we have chosen to do in this life. But whilst in this shell, enjoying the fruits of our labour, we must remember that these fruits are gifts temporarily given by the Almighty. The Almighty has allowed us to be able to exist in this world.

We must remember that once the “shell” is broken beyond repair, the soul still remains. We want this pure soul to merge with the Super Soul (we want it to go home) and not be doomed by repeating this cycle again. This is our one opportunity to stay connected because we have been blessed with this powerful knowledge. The Avtar Bani explains it as follows:

Pride of body mind wealth

Do rid, to be at Guru’s feet

God you are -searching for

Get in a jiffy – to be replete

Giving the prized – holy gift

Master is the king of kings,

Treasure trove of  – mercy,

No dearth for kith and kin!

                           – Avtar Bani 280

I pray that we all continue to embrace the teachings of the Satguru, who introduced us to this Nirankar, the Almighty Formless. Let us see the Formless everywhere and see the divinity in everyone so that we can experience true contentment. We must keep our soul aligned with Nirankar at all times in order that we can achieve our true purpose in life.  Let us live in love and harmony, as per Satguru’s invocation;

Speak sweetly, be humble,

Master teaches us just this

Think of the welfare – of all

Master tutors us, just this!

The Lord’s will – ever obey

Master bids to understand

To ever reunite – each soul,

Divided from God at hand!

                            – Avtar Bani 314

                                                                                                                   – Janet Johnson

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I remember sitting in the Sangat and the saint presiding on the stage saying, let’s all think about nothing for 30 seconds. Before the start of the brief silence, I remember thinking to myself; this is going to be pretty easy! But as soon as that timer started, my mind was immediately distracted and my thoughts began to wander. This distraction is pretty common in my daily life. For, instead of listening to someone who may be talking to me, I find myself thinking about what I did yesterday and what I will be doing tomorrow. This distraction or even chaos is sometimes so prevalent that it begins to feel somewhat normal. If we take this chaos and put it on one end of the spectrum, then all the way on the other end, we have what we call silence and stability. Stability is not just the absence of motion or action; neither is it the absence of noise. Rather it is the act of remaining peaceful, calm and still inspite of the prevailing circumstances.

Focussing moreso on stability, it is a very, very powerful thing and present as a potentiality in every single one of us. In order to achieve it, however, we must make the conscious decision to reach inside ourselves and give it expression. And because this stability is powerful, this can be a difficult task to do.

There was once an esteemed archery master known all over the world for his skills. He had an institute where he would teach students to shoot just like him. Students would travel far and wide just for the opportunity to learn from him. One day, some new students reached his school. The first thing that the master said to them was, students, at this school, I will not teach you how to shoot; I will not teach you how to aim. On hearing this, the students were outraged! Having come from far afield, they were disappointed not to have the opportunity to learn even the basics. But then, the master said, I will not teach you how to shoot nor to aim because mastery of the bow can only come from the mastery of stability. By calming your mind, your arrow will automatically reach the bullseye.

I am no different. Sometimes I too get so caught up in the pressures of life to achieve the goals that I have set for myself. In my every day, normal life I get trapped in the part that forces me to DO, DO and DO without questioning why. In fact, it is at this point that I need to take a step back and understand that I am a human being, not a human doing. As per the archery master, by calming my mind and achieving total stability, the goals I have – the arrows of my life – will automatically reach the bullseye.

Although this stability may be achieved for short periods of time, when it comes to garnering it 24/7, it is a different kettle of fish. I remember going to the Satsang when I was small. The fact that I could not fully understand Hindi, not only did I find myself constantly distracted, but also distant from the proceedings. Nevertheless, I would always wait for the first Sunday of every month. It was the time when we watched Baba Hardev Singhji’s vichar (address) on the projector. These vichars were always interesting because they carried English subtitles – subtitles that helped me to understand all that was being said. For these 30 minutes, I was always fully focused in the Satsang.  

As human beings on this planet, we know that the Earth is constantly rotating around the Sun, and around its own axis. However, we never feel this motion because we are connected inseparably to the Earth; we are a part of it! Similarly, when I sit in a car and put on a seatbelt, which connects me to the car, I do not feel the motions that the car is going through. The subtitles, on Babaji’s vichars, alluded to my first seatbelt; it was my first connection to the Satsang. It was the first thing that taught me how to connect to Nirankar, the Formless All-Pervading. Unfortunately, these subtitles only provided me with 30 minutes of connection once a month. The next step was figuring out how to achieve stability throughout the day, and every day.

Nirankar, as our creator, is the only enduring stability in this universe. My materialistic possessions, including myself, and even the entire cosmos, are all creations of Nirankar. Every part of creation is inherently unstable, in that it is born, evolves constantly and must one day die. Hence, the only way that I, as an unstable creation, can achieve stability is by connecting to the only constant in this ever changing world i.e. Nirankar.

Nirankar ka le adhar, jeevan ho gurmat anusar

This line reads as follows: If I give everything to Nirankar, surrendering myself completely, my life will harmonise with the way of Nirankar. Furthermore, I will have a sense of peace and assurance that whatever is happening is happening for the best.

The Avtar Bani (verse 10), further explains it as follows:

These nine, are perishable,

They are known as Maya¹⁴,

The Tenth is – within them,

But is unique – and higher!

All this will end – my friend

None will linger near or far

Avtar, this is Everything

It is known as Nir-an-kar!

The 9 portals of Maya – 3 below: earth fire and water; 3 above: sun moon and the stars; and 3 in between: air jiva and akasha – all have one thing in common.   Nirankar has created them, and Nirankar is present within them. One day, they will all disappear. And when they do so, nothing will be left. But this nothing, is in fact, everything; this everything is the One Formless God.

In my journey towards achieving stability, I have reached step 1. I have indeed understood what stability means. But as for getting there, I have to prepare myself to fit into the mould of a Brahm Gyani (a true knower of God), who is constantly guided by God’s inner voice to do the right thing, to make the right choices, and to take the right decisions for both himself and the world at large.  

Arya Ajay, Monroe TWP, NJ, USA

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Most people have heard of the phrase inner strength. Quite often, we perceive this to mean a drive to complete a task, to keep going, and to work out a problem to a solution that keeps eluding us, maybe like a computer program. This inner strength sustains us to keep working at it until we find the solution. 

Two years ago, I was blessed by Nirankar to be led to Centre for Oneness in Wednesbury, England. Three weeks thereafter, I received the Gyan – i.e. God Knowledge. This is when the second half of my life began.

After having received the God-Knowledge, I began to change, although to my family, my friends and the people around me, I was still ‘Helen’. I was still a daughter, a sister, a partner with brown eyes and long hair. Nothing had changed for the outside world. For them, I was still the same person. The truth is, however, that I did begin to change with the gift of the Gyan. With the spiritual practices of Simran, Seva and Satsang, I realised that I do not have to spend my days being fearful and worried, trying to gain material wealth or competing with other people. I learned that I could blossom, and illuminate the world with the love of Nirankar. I realised that this Gyan is the True Self, the Omnipresent God, from which we draw our inner strength.

During the first wave of the coronavirus lockdown, the NHS (National Health Service) personnel were under enormous pressure. They dealt with a lot of desperately sick people, looking after them whilst wearing full P.P.E. In spite of the fact that the atmosphere was charged with fear and tension, they somehow found the inner strength to keep going. 

The Bible story, Samson and Delilah, exemplifies this.  Samson was an Israelite judge with remarkable physical strength. The Philistines, who wanted to know the source of his strength, sent Delilah to trap him. Having found out that his strength lay in his hair, Delilah informed the Philistines, who sent out an army to overpower him. They rendered him weak and vulnerable by cutting off his hair, and threw him into prison. However, when his hair grew again, he was able to push against the stone pillars of the prison walls and bring the whole edifice down.

Samson’s belief that his hair held the key to his strength and that he could defeat the Philistines on his own merit, was nothing but his ego.  But when he fully realised this, he surrendered himself to the will of God. He thus drew on the inner strength of Nirankar to defeat the enemy.

The lesson to learn is that we can never gain equilibrium in life with our own limited strength. But when we live with the inner strength of Nirankar, we realise that even when we are suffering, Nirankar knows what is best for us. God gives us the inner strength to keep going.

I was blessed to have a wonderful friend who passed away suddenly in December. When I met her, she had asthma, arthritis, low kidney function and an enlarged heart. As time went on, she was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. But throughout her ordeal, she never complained about any of it. She was never frustrated or worried about not being able to participate in daily events or household chores. So much so that every time a new challenge came along, she reached deep into the inner strength of God’s love and found the strength to keep going; to love even more. The more she suffered physically, the more loving and caring she became. 

Through the Grace of the True Master, Her Holiness Satguru Mata Sudikshaji, when we receive the Gyan, the God-Knowledge, and thereby meet Nirankar, the scales fall from our eyes. We begin to realise that the strength we have drawn on throughout our lives, is actually the inner strength or love that Nirankar blesses us with. That love surpasses any worldly love we may have hitherto experienced.  

The inner strength, therefore, is the love of Nirankar, which manifests after having realised Him through the Satguru.

Helen Richards, Lichfield, UK

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As human beings, we are the only creatures with an innate capacity to fully recognise and realise ourselves, both materially and spiritually. But it is ironic that throughout our lives, we concentrate on the body and the mind, the material, at the expense of the spiritual. Such a process is conducive to losing our Self, the constant Self, depriving ourselves of stability and equipoise. It is for this reason that the question of finding the Self crops up. I’ve attempted in this article to explore the Self and offer some elaboration as to who or what I am not. Sometimes discarding what is untrue, leads to the unfolding of what endures.

The Mind

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a growing trend in mental health provision, which tells us that the way we think influences the way we feel and behave. Recursively, our daily experiences reflect the internal working beliefs and assumptions we hold about ourselves, others, and the world, which then influences the choices we make consciously or subconsciously. From a very young age, we develop understandings through interaction with our environment, which leads to sensory and information processing – i.e. constructing and encoding the information or experience of the world around us. This information builds a context by which we understand the situation in front of us, which over time influences behaviour.  But it is also the case that our behaviour in turn, shapes the context of our lives. We begin to learn that the world is not just an objective constant that we observe, but it is also subject to change and influence (i.e. we are part of the observation, we are observing!). To illustrate, as babies we process the voice of our Mother as a precursor to receiving some comfort, but through experience we learn that crying, smiling or making playful noises elicits the parental comfort we are seeking. In other words, we use signals from the world around us, to change our experience, the environment and people in it.

In addition, our emotional states or mental concepts are shaped by how we voice or describe our experiences. For example, we may describe ourselves as a nice person, a horrible person and so forth. The stories we tell about ourselves (or the stories we are told by others about how they see us) builds up our behavioural habits and feelings. The mind intelligently shapes how we understand and see ourselves. Our memories, and things we see and hear as children, influence the people we become and the society or culture we build. A child who is always condemned as being lazy, will probably act in ways that confirm the description whereas someone encouraged more positively is likely to become a motivated and confident young person, who likes to achieve.

The great thing is that whatever stories we were told, or inherited as self-beliefs, are not fixed and immovable. The internal narratives that are created, especially but not exclusively in childhood, are constantly being updated.   With the right conditions, we can transform the beliefs we have inherited and accepted.  For example, while growing up we may have believed in Santa Claus, but as adults we appreciate that gifts come from those who love us, not a somewhat hearty man dressed in red! We may have hated the taste of ginger or fruit, but as adults we may have developed a taste for it. Such updates are happening every single day – every moment, in fact. Our nature is constantly changing, although there are sometimes elements of our personality structure that are more stubbornly fixed.

The Body

Our senses also play a role in influencing the sort of world we experience. Through sense modalities spread across the whole physical body, we are able to hear sounds, smell fragrances, taste foods, see colours, and experience the shape or texture of things. Our senses literally bring life to our world. However, these are still limited energies that draw on our physical world, allowing access only to that which is tangible.  The more subtle aspects of the universe are not readily accessible to us.  There are for example sounds at particular frequencies that dogs can hear but are inaudible to us.  Further, there is no blue canopy of sky in the objective sense, but the manner in which sunlight refracts though the gases and particles in the earth’s atmosphere causes us to see blue all around. What is more, one person’s description of any particular colour or taste may be contrary to that of another. Hence, limitations are always there. I know this because I cannot hear the conversations in the house next door; I can only hear as far as my living room – as far as my sense organs reach.

Dr Deepak Chopra’s¹ words ‘you are not in the world; the world is in you’ illustrate the limited sensual reality within the Infinite. Rocks seem to be solid only because the brain registers electrical signals as touch. When the sun shines, the brain registers another electrical signal as sight. Our settled beliefs, combined with strong sense perceptions, often allow no room for soul searching. Our mind and body’s construct of the material world convinces us enough to accept it as the ultimate reality, when really it is not.

Maya

As we grow in awareness, we realise that the world as we experience it is illusory.  This illusion is called Maya within scriptural testimonies of the east. It is deceptive, ephemeral and superficial. The mind is also a part of this Maya. Contrary to the Cartesian thought, ‘I think therefore I am’, our thinking does not represent infinite reality. Our thoughts are quite simply projections of internal functions, and echoes of the information we have previously gathered and stored.  Our sensory perceptions only extend as far as the limitations of the instruments we use to experience them – just because we can’t see, hear or feel something with the physical body, it does not mean it does not exist.

The way out of this limited reality is to access a dimension of unlimited connections, starting with the Source of all creations and connections. This is where the Brahm Gyan, the Knowledge of the All-Pervading, proves to be instrumental in discovering who we really are. In making this connection, we not only find our Self, but also the universal energy, Nirankar, that animates every single particle of existence.  Call it the Super-Self, God, Awareness, Supreme Consciousness or whatever you will.

Baba Hardev Singhji, the fourth in the lineage of Nirankari Mentors, used to tell us that we can only rise above our bodily identities of class, colour, creed, gender, religion, nation or language by knowing our real, infinite Source. In so doing, we change as human beings. We realise that ‘we are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience’. We become still, and resort to the Infinite Self.

Once we recognise and realise the sheer magnitude of our real identity, we begin to experience connections that were previously closed to us.  We begin to appreciate that the same reality animates those around us.  When we are in tune with this awareness, we are able to build a more harmonious world. Our diverse viewpoints or lifestyles no longer need to clash. We give life to our soul and transcend the finitude of our materialistic self. In so doing, we also rise above judgement. We begin to see the bigger picture, to experience our Self in an infinite way. We recognise that the Self, hidden below the manifold layers of the self is our real essence, which is no different to the essence of God.

The answer to who or what we are not is that we are not the mind, body or any other material identity. We are the Self, the Divine in all its glory, which was, is, and will always be.

                                                                                                             – Harishta Kaur, Huddersfield, UK

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You have to lose yourself to find yourself
-Willem Defoe

For me, a non-scholar, this quote simply means that something needs to be lost or forgotten for it to be found. What do you think? Do you believe you have to lose yourself in order to find self?

You may already have some beliefs and impressions about materialism and spirituality. My intention is not to challenge any of these beliefs, but simply to share my experiences, which you may find intriguing.

I do not think there is a separate time and space for the material and the spiritual worlds. They are part of the same coin; one is the Creator and the other, the Creation. In line with the thought – we are spiritual beings having a human experience – we need to find answers to the most important questions about our being.

Asking Lord Ram (God-incarnate) as to what and where the omnipresent, eternal Ram is, happens to be as important today as it was in the past. This is because everything we do and achieve, often employing Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, is all about focussing outwardly, an attempt to validate our self-worth and identity through external means. Mata Sudikshaji talks about the fear of missing out, in the social media context, which leads to anxiety and depression.

Having been brought up in Delhi, in an average middle-class loving family, my parents gave us – the two children – good moral values and decent education. We regularly visited places of worship and life was hale and hearty. Like many of us, I had no reasons, no reasons whatsoever to worry about who I really was, and whether or not I needed to find myself.

However, in the third year of my graduation in Bangalore, I learned about the demise of my Grandfather, which shook me as a person. I was away from my family, alone in a different state of India. I thought perhaps going to a temple would give me solace. Life went on, and visiting temples became a regular affair.

One Sunday, I asked one of my friends to come to the temple with me. Having engaged in worship, my friend explained she would need to leave the temple as she was getting late for her Sunday Satsang. As I was the reason for her delay, I offered to drive her to the Satsang, which I knew was the kind of worship and congregation with which she was involved. Arriving outside the Satsang Bhawan, she invited me inside. This was my first interaction with the Sant Nirankari Mission.

The truth is that I came across the same good things that I would hear in any other place of worship. However, what was to change my life, was to come after the Satsang had finished. During the communal meal, something stood out dramatically. The people who were serving the ‘langar’ behaved impeccably; they had so much affection in their eyes. The person I sat next to fed me before he took a morsel for himself, and displayed warmth that was truly heavenly.

I was reminded of the unconditional love that I experienced with my Grandfather. This captivated me. One person, whom I met for the first time invited me to his house for another Satsang that was to take place mid-week. I could not refuse.  Arriving there a few days later, I received the same affection from the members of that household. All of this seemed quite unreal. It got me questioning as to how these people have so much love, even for strangers. I wanted to know more about the source of this affection, which naturally led me to the affiliation these devoted souls had to their benevolent Satguru – their spiritual guide and mentor. Meeting Satguru, the foundation of unconditional love was revealed, and my journey of finding myself began.

I had grown up with the traditional thought that you have to be pure, divine, and even a recluse, prior to being favoured by God’s spiritual abode. However, the philosophy of the Nirankari Mission turned this notion on its head. As I read the slogan – God-realisation leads to self-realisation – on the walls of the Nirankari Bhawan it proved to be quite a revelation.

With the grace of Satguru, it became clear to me that you really must lose yourself for you to find yourself. The disillusionment I had felt on losing my beloved Grandfather had challenged my notion of life and existence – I was in many ways lost. I have come to understand that this disillusionment with the world is often a precursor to realising what is real, and lasting.  Satguru Mataji explained it in a recent discourse as follows: 0 comes before 1; you have to become zero prior to becoming one. Indeed one has to know one, believe in one, and become one.

My journey began in earnest, after those initial spiritual inspirations in Satsang. I am moving forwards on the path of Gyan now. Baba Hardev Singhji, a legendary Satguru of the Sant Nirankari Mission, once mentioned that the speed of travel is not as important as the direction of travel. Hence, I constantly remind myself to check that I am moving forwards on the path of Gyan. Of course, I am forever forgetful! Attracted by the lure of the fleeting material world, with all its glow and sparkle, I easily forget the most important chapter of my life – that Knowledge of God, in which the Real and Enduring was made manifest. And of course, if I forget the Gyan, then I lose touch again with who I truly am.  Adherence to this wonderful journey of devotion and worship of God, is the only way that I can stay in tune with the Infinite.  It is the only way I can find myself, and remain anchored in that realisation.

I read somewhere that there is no smaller or greater mastery than the mastery over one’s self. But the dichotomy is that the more you get to know about your real self the more you realise that your self has no existence of its own. What becomes apparent is that you have to lose your identify to really find your worth. Godfidence is the word that Satguru Mataji uses to define this way of being. She says that we are nothing without God. However, God will always be God without us.

One day I met a saint, who usually stood close to his Holiness, Baba Hardev Singhji, during the congregation. He was also frequently part of the convoy that accompanied Babaji on his salvation tours. I asked him what I could do to make Babaji happy. He said, please do nothing. I asked him many a time, but he repeated the same words, please do nothing. On insisting, he ended up saying something which I am still trying to understand and implement. He said – you have to die; you have to accept death while you are living.

They say you are truly liberated when you are no longer in fear of death. The only being who is fearless is one who cannot die, who doesn’t change, and who is ever constant. It is such a being we need to find, and become.

Make no mistake, it cannot be found through any act of bravery, kindness, knowledge or rituals. It is only found through the grace of the True Master. That is the first step towards being one. That is when you embark upon your journey to find your true self.

                                                                              – Dr Yaksh Sharma, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

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Seven and a half minutes, that’s how long it took to change my life.

My life, although good and fulfilling had always been a myriad of questions, a kaleidoscope of fractured meanings and thoughts, a never ending search for my reason for being.

My ego whispered to me that I was successful, a Director for an International Charity, I congratulated myself for achieving my career aspirations and was convinced that I was happy and fulfilled. I lived in a house that had been a dream for years, ostentatious material things that appeared to give me satisfaction and pride. I was married, a loving 20 year partnership that I arrogantly thought would never end.

In seven and a half minutes everything changed. It was a warm, sunny afternoon in July 2017 when I walked into my Consultants office, the grave look on his face an instant and stomach wrenching tell that it was bad news. I remember hearing his words clearly, “Debbie its cancer“.

In the following 24 hours I remember feeling nothing, devoid of any emotion, numb. Then I became angry, why me? It isn’t fair, words I uttered to myself everyday. I hurtled into a blackhole of frustration and anxiety and my world as I knew it, fell apart.

I won my battle with cancer and went into remission but I had to reduce my hours at work losing my status, my marriage of 20 years didn’t survive the strain and I lost my house. I mourned, mourned the past, mourned the success and the love that I had lost.

By the time I found the Oneness Gatherings and Neti Neti meditation, my ego was devouring me like a rabid wolf, eating away at my self confidence and I was lost. When I walked into the room in Cannock for the first time I felt an indescribable sense of peace. Welcoming smiles and loving energy and I suddenly felt deeply connected. Connected to something bigger than myself and more beautiful than any possession I had owned. I began to learn that my past is not me, the life I had, driven by my ego was gone, I felt born again into the realisation that nothing is permanent, everything can be lost, nothing or no-one is owned.

When I received the Gyan experience it felt as if I had found myself, it was as if I had put on a pair of glasses and suddenly for the first time in my life I could see. My ego fell away and the beauty around me, the formless, came into the sharpest of divine focus.

I realised how can I mourn for my partner? You cannot own another person, you cannot expect forever, you can love, yes, but everything can be lost, it is only arrogance that tells us otherwise. How can I mourn for my house, just bricks and mortar, a possession, it is not me, it was just a transient part of my existence. Why should I fear death? My body is not me, it is just a vessel that holds me to the earth, I cannot die. I am formless and I have found Nirankar, my true master. Through Satguru’s grace I am ready to serve without the constraints of regret, fear, envy, pride and ego. I am unburdened, a dutiful citizen, dedicated to help, able to distinguish between the eternal truth and transient existence, reality and non-reality. Seven and a half minutes that’s how long it took to change my life. Those tragic moments led to one that was sublime.  Now I know that I am formless, I am free, I am love.

Debbie Braid, Staffordshire, UK

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I began to pen down this article while I sat on the deck, shrouded by trees in perfect serenity. A small bird flew into the adjacent tree. Though singing melodiously, it was distractingly loud. Then a pack of neighborhood dogs began to bark in harmony like a symphony orchestra. Perhaps sitting on the deck was not the appropriate location to write, but that small bird made me think. I wondered if my feathery friend ever thought of finding itself.

Other than a human being, is there any other creature on the planet wondering as to who they are? Do animals have guilt? Do they love? We may never know, but we do observe animals exhibiting human qualities at times. Science points out that animals and humans are very different, even though we all take birth, eat, drink, procreate and die. It would appear that it is the conscience – the inner voice – that is guiding us; it has led humanity down a path that is contrary to that of the animal kingdom. Going down this path has not been easy, for mankind is yet to perfect itself. We are not perfect.

Many a person strives for this elusive perfection literally by pouring themselves into their craft and becoming the best – i.e. the best athlete, businessperson, doctor, carpenter or whatever one becomes through immense sacrifice and tens of thousands of hours of endeavour for success. Each failure is another lesson learned. There is no looking back; we have to look forward to the finite goal. The goal is finite because the achievement is just one thing, maybe a very complex thing, yet one and singular.

We are in amazement when a figure skater executes a precise triple axel; the neurosurgeon performs microscopic brain surgery; or the architect designs the next Taj Mahal. All are complex, and yet singular in focus. They are beneficial to the many from the greatest efforts of an individual. Thus, there is a broader spectrum of knowledge to acquire from the universe that is vast and intricate. Humanity, unlike the animals, reaches beyond the mundane to the stars.

But, how is it that we know this or that? Is it a feeling or quite simply a myth? Maybe we ascended above the animal, and that is all there is – i.e. a gift of higher thinking. This enquiry of who we are has perplexed thinkers and philosophers for many a millennium, and there still seems to be no clear answer. Do we just go on with our business right up until our last breath without ever knowing our raison d’être? Surely, that cannot be the answer.

If each and every human being did have the answer at their fingertips, what would this world be like? Would its evolution be for the better? Would it be heaven on earth? In my opinion, the answer is indeed yes; it would be heaven on earth!

After all, there is a Mentor or Satguru amidst us, who teaches us that the prerequisite for finding ourselves is to find God. This fundamental idea is refuted by most. In having read their respective Scriptures, people feel they have already found God. Is God the product of mere conjecture or is it an absolute reality?

Would it not be more fulfilling if we could face Lord Jesus Christ today and hear his words of wisdom, experience his love, and witness his miracles? Would it not be apt for Lord Rama to be with us in person to shine his light of truth?

Mata Sudikshaji, Mentor and Satguru, is most definitely here amongst us. She is telling us that the only way to find ourselves is to find God – the Formless Nirankar. This is exactly what I did at 6:00pm, on Monday 12, 2018. After many years of research, I actually met myself through the grace of Mataji. With Simran, the procribed meditative prayer, I experienced my true self for a good thirty minutes. All the energy of the body collected into my chest cavity; I was buoyant with life. I looked down upon my body, knowing full well who I was. I realized that the body is only a biological machine to get the soul from point A to point B, while on this earth. Just as you enter your vehicle and drive to another location, you are the intelligence in the car moving the machine. So likewise, your real self, the intelligent energy, is moving the body from location to location.

As we look into the mirror, we do not see our true self, but only the machine. We must look deeper still for the essence of our being. We are more than the package, and the body does not do us justice. We are truly an amazing creation of the most High God! No packaging can contain our greatness that God showered upon us.

Love is what God is, and that is exactly what we really are in the grandest scheme of things. To put it simply, we are the soul – the cosmic energy of God – embodied in the human form. Our lives must be directed towards this energy, the perfection of love. For, it is love that perfects all things. In knowing God, relating to God, and becoming God-like, is a process that opens up and reveals our true self, Love.

This true Self or the Sacred Silence is only made possible when the Satguru of the day smiles upon us. Just as God is always there, the Mentor or Satguru is always there too. Through His or Her grace, when we witness the revelation of God, we also find our Self in the process.

                                                                                                                   – Daniel Slebodnik, Washington D.C.