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

.

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

.

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

.

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.

As an individual who cruised through life unconsciously, I floated through the movements with autopilot on. I was a traveller simply traversing, ill-equipped to see through the dimness of prevailing torment. It gave me a prescriptive character that sketched out how I was to see the world and myself. But quick forward several years, amidst a mental emergency, I chose to embark on an excursion towards individual disclosure. I set out to build up a reason, to be succinct, and to come clean. This journey included the search for life’s most key question of human existence: who am I? 

I thought the pieces of information were to be found in the individual that I used to be. So, I started assembling the leftovers of a profoundly divided past. I unearthed parts of an actual existence once lived and inspected each piece cautiously for a string to weave together the past to the present. I urgently wished to experience some mind-blowing discovery, which would embolden my sense of solidarity and reason. The more profoundly I looked, the more lost I felt. I did not, at this point, perceive the individual I once knew, for she was chillingly hidden beneath overwhelming layers of aggregate injury.

Although I did not perceive the individual I used to be, this did not, as I had first thought, mean I was lost. I had shed the layers of a character that filled its need at some point in history. However, it was not helpful to my current purpose. All through the process of self-revelation, I discovered that I could never genuinely lose myself. Only that we encounter many selves in our journey of life, where each version of self is not consistent and static for any period over time. Ending up includes an interminable phoenix-like condition of re-capitulation. I came to an understanding that I was never lost but had also not yet been found! So where did I begin?

1. Catalyse an identity

Start with yourself. Deal with yourself.
Characterize what your identity is. Refine your character.
Pick your goal and eloquent your Being.

                                                                                  — Dr Jordan B Peterson, 12 Rules forever: An Antidote to Chaos 

A proposed work-out: I started by asking myself as to what characteristics I appreciate in an individual. This laid out a perfect set of aspirations that I may pursue, and insight as to what may be pushed aside, as it better not to emulate. As per Dr Peterson’s proposed thought, I organized my thinking around something of real significance – a worthy goal. I chose who I needed to be, and who I wished to be, and pointed resolutely at that with all dedication. This was done on my own terms. I thought of setting things up as I needed them to be, being the individual I should have been, and envisioned, at that point, what that would resemble now. In reflecting on responses to these inquiries, I developed further hopes and aspirations, to move towards. What is more, when these aspirations gradually began to be realised, the deadwood in my life could be burned.

2. Burn off the deadwood:

The truth is something that burns. It burns off dead wood. And people don’t like having the dead wood burnt off often because they’re 95 percent dead wood. Burning dead wood means shedding all the elements of you that are no longer worthy of the pursuits that you value. As you do that, you shape yourself evermore precisely into something that can withstand the tragedy of life and act as a beacon to the world. So let the death of what is insufficient about you, occur and then wait for your rebirth.

                                                                                                                                          — Dr Jordan B Peterson

Once more, this progression is distinctively settled inside an extra-arrangement of inquiries. Consuming dead wood required asking myself – what would be a good idea for me to take forward with me in time, and what is it that I should relinquish? Moreover, at this point, I began to consider what is not in keeping with my newfound aspirations and interests. I remained perceptive of the notion that the more deadwood I consumed wilfully, the less it accumulated around me, and the simpler it became to push ahead in time.   

3. Improve the quality of your actions

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

                                                                                                  — Will Durant

This is not unimportant. My point was to create extraordinary propensities through little small activities (smaller scale schedules). In so doing, I planned to amplify an amazing nature that would be helpful for myself, my companions, family and wider network around me. 

What would be my recommended work? It would be to enquire whether I could set my life up in a way that would fulfil the purpose of my existence. I had to consider what this would this pattern of life would actually look like. At this point, I planned seven days’ worth of activity, which resembled the kind of life I truly wanted to lead. This included managing each part of my life – mental prosperity, healthy diet, work-rest cycles, larger connections, career-building, working-out and above all, spiritual practice. I began to exclude any activity, if I discovered it did not bring profitability, joy or sense of importance to my life. I reconnected with the spirituality of my forefathers, and looked deeply into the Brahm Gyan (The Knowledge of the All-Peravding) that had been shared with me by Mentors in the Sant Nirankari Mission.

Having done so, I was able to return to the question, who am I? This time, with answers.  I have learned that I am basically, and largely, deadwood.  By this, I mean the small insignificant self –, which like our habits, keeps on growing to the point of decimating the real ‘I’, or Self. As my deadwood grows, the Self gets more and more buried under its weight.To come out of it, I have to muster enough courage and strength to lose, and rise above all that is insignificant and ephemeral. What the Mission advocates is sincere association with Brahm Gyan, an age-old formula that the Greeks called the Gnosis. Through its revelation, I found I could connect with the omnipotent power and strength that animates everything and everyone in the entire universe.  I felt a deep association with all life, all beings.

I have discovered that when my ephemeral, temporary nature is removed, my real ‘Me’ – the essence – comes to the fore. It is such an essential Self – the underlying thread, connecting the whole of creation – that is Me.  That is what I am.

Vibhor Bhatia,
Gauteng, South Africa

Faith was peacefully sleeping…

Doubt entered and shook him awake,

Whatever is the problem Doubt?

How can you sleep for goodness sake?

Doubt began frantically explaining,

How he’d been worried all night…

Faith tried to calm the matter down,

He said, ‘Everything will be alright.’

I’m worried that life will slip me by,

I’m doubtful I’ll ever find peace…

Faith, my whole life I’ve been concerned

These thoughts – they never cease.

What if this and what if that?

Oh Faith, I’m weak and afraid…

How is it that you stay calm?

Faith said, ‘Doubt, have you prayed?’

Prayer lets you connect, commune-

It reminds you of the play writer…

When you accept He knows best,

The burden seems much lighter!

What if it doesn’t feel lighter though?

And what if God doesn’t hear?

The problem doesn’t go away, does it?

I’m sorry but my doubts are not clear!

Faith smiled and said, ‘look I don’t know,

What I know is He always comes through,

Nothing can happen out of His will-

He will always be there for you!’

How can you be so certain my friend?

How can you say so for sure?

Faith said, ‘because no one is greater

No one is more loving or pure.’

But look faith, look; my challenge is huge,

How can I not be worried, afraid?

Faith said, ‘Doubt see, my God is bigger-

Believe in the plans that He’s laid.’

Come rest my friend, leave it to God,

The problem is that you just don’t let go-

Doubt smiled, saying, ‘I need what you have,’

Faith said, “God is here for you bro!”

                       –  Sudhir Kundi, Iver, UK

Every single minute of every day, there are good deeds being done by thousands, if not millions, of people around the world. This is really good, and we must be grateful for that, but how much of this is done with selfless intention?

What indeed is selfless intention? Or perhaps on the flipside, what is it not? Let us look into it. This is because we have to understand first of all what we are not, before we can establish as to what we are.

By using the criterion – selfless intention is to act or do something without the thought or expectation of reward/recognition -, it would be interesting to see how charitable deeds, big or small, benevolence, altruism and generosity square up. 

Big profile events – Sports Relief, Live Aid – are popular ways to raise money for people in need, and for raising awareness of such charitable causes. Many celebrities take part. They are keen to help as there is usually a significant impact on their public profile. If this, indeed, impacts on their decision to get involved, can this be selfless intention?

For those of us who donate money or take up charitable challenges to raise money, we are likely to be doing this to ‘help’ those less fortunate than ourselves. If we get a sense of feeling ‘good’ about donating to a worthy cause, then this too is not done selflessly. It cannot truly be selfless intention.

Evidence of good work and valuable support in the community, we can see all around us. This may be in the form of traffic islands sponsored by local companies, who provide plants and flowers to make them look beautiful. My own employer is currently offering support to ex-service people by providing free re-training to help them find employment. As a result of this, we have to sign a covenant to pledge our support for veterans, which allows us to use a special logo on our paperwork, website, and social media. This highlights the fact that we are helping ex-service personnel. This whole exercise is expected to have a positive impact on the business. Although it is a good thing to do, it is not done totally with selfless intention.

Doing charitable work, performing a good deed, or supporting someone is fine. But, if we then post it on social media for personal recognition, it cannot be selfless intention.  

Given these scenarios, we could be forgiven for wondering if it is actually possible to act with selfless intention.

The answer is ‘yes’. It is all possible with the grace of the Satguru. It is the Satguru, who blesses us with the Divine Knowledge, and the asset of ‘selfless intention’. When we see Nirankar and realise that God is within and around us, we become more like God – God who is always selfless. This is why, following the Gyan experience, we really want to serve (do Seva). Doing Seva becomes the most natural thing to do, for someone filled with awe of Nirankar. We see Seva as a joy in itself, without seeking reward or recognition.

Without God knowledge (Gyan), there is always a subtle selfish motive. But with Gyan, selfishness disappears. Everything we say, think, and do, becomes an act of selfless intention. One of the Mission’s verses expresses this beautifully:

A tree never consumes its fruit; it is meant for the world

A river drinks not its water; it flows for the whole world

Avtar says, saints also come solely to redeem the world!

We see selflessness at work in its purest form when we see someone coming to the rescue of another by putting their own life at risk. This could be jumping into a river to save someone who is drowning; running into a burning building to rescue a child or animal; lifting a heavy weight off someone who is being crushed by a car or tree. Subsequent to the event, when we hear of the rescuers describing their act as instinctive, it is always heartening. The giving of no thought to their actions, and even feeling embarrassed by the recognition that follows, is a sure sign of selflessness. This is evidence of the divine spirit that is in all of us. It helps us to understand that we are one, and that we are here for the benefit of all. At this point, there is no ego in their actions.

But, as we know even after the Gyan, the ego comes back in subtle ways. We may find ourselves acting without selfless intent, while our mind turns to ‘helping’ others. This process may make us feel superior, as we are in a position to help. There may also be a subtle desire to be recognised, or approved of, through the act of seva.  This is something we must always be on guard against, for such intentions change the act itself – it can no longer be called seva. Social media may have a strong hold on us, compelling us to post our seva activity.  We should always be aware of our motivations, in this regard. 

We must always live with Nirankar at the forefront of our lives. Nirankar must always be the reason we do everything. The reason we speak, think and act should all be with God and God-Consciousness in our mind. Our life must become a meditation on Nirankar, every moment of every day. If we find ourselves acting with ego, then we must acknowledge it and adjust our thinking accordingly.

But we should also be grateful for the good deeds that are done every minute of every day throughout the world. We should not make a judgement against those who may not be acting with selfless intent. This is because we know full well how subtle ego is, and lure of becoming famous. We should always have compassion and understanding for those who have not been blessed with the sight of God. To judge another in such a way, is also ego!  When a celebrity uses their influence to draw attention to a good cause, perhaps they can achieve what less well-known individuals ever could, such that their involvement is to be appreciated.  We just can’t call it a selfless act or seva, in its purest form.

The one selfless act we can all do is to share the message of Gyan. In so doing, we lead others to the opportunity of experiencing God. There is no benefit for us, but there is every benefit for humanity as a whole. This is God’s work, which is selfless.

May Satguru continue to bless us all. Indeed, may we all strive to act with selfless intent every day, and bring people to the Gyan.  May Satguru bless us every day with humility and selfless intention. May we also seek forgiveness through Simran (our communication with Nirankar through prayer), when we fail.

                                                                                                    – Maggie Fletcher, UK

The greater the storm, greater the rainbow

Symbol of diversity, free to choose

All the colours, not lost in the shadow.

Bridge of connection, a rainbow bestows

Inclusivity beyond reds and blues:

The greater the storm, greater the rainbow.

Spanning the horizon, sunshine not woe,

Storms must be faced before we have the views

All the colours, not lost in the shadow.

The spectrum colours set the sky aglow:

Universal truth, magic in it`s hues

The greater the storm, greater the rainbow.

Under the rainbow-bridge there`s calm below

Bathed by the spectrum, happiness ensues

All the colours, not lost in the shadow.

At the end of the tempest rainbows grow,

And sunbeams dance upon the spectrum`s cues.

The greater the storm, greater the rainbow

All the colours, not lost in the shadow.

Ian Henery, Walsall,UK

Born into the human world, we have always existed. This is because God, who is present within us, has always existed. We are born without fear, without prejudice, without duality, without anger, without discrimination, and without judgement. We are born divine. However, as we begin to grow we are faced with a barrage of images, stimuli, sensory overload that drowns us, encouraging a dual-thinking mind.

More than any other time in history, our senses are overwhelmed with images – TV screens, tablets, mobile phones. The list goes on. What do we see?

They say, ‘seeing is believing’. Is that so? This is a well-known proverb which dates back to ancient Greek times, indicating that we have to see something for us to believe that it exists. Perhaps this is why some people struggle with the concept of God. They maintain that they would need some tangible proof that God exists. In the absence of such proof, they simply do not believe in the existence of the omnipresent God.

Is there really no tangible proof of the existence of God – this beautiful, omnipotent Nirankar? God is, in fact, present in every aspect, every particle of this wonderful creation. That includes each and every human being. Wisdom of Solomon (2:23) reminds us:

For God created man to be immortal,
and made him to be an image of his own eternity.

At the Centre for Oneness, that is why we greet one another with humility, by touching each other’s feet. We acknowledge the presence of divinity in one another. This stops us from feeling superior, dualistic and judgmental.

In the Gospel of Luke, it is written:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. Luke 4:18

The poor are those who are offered the ‘free gift’, God’s love. God demands nothing in return. Liberty to the captives refers to those who have been bound by the shackles of duality and are freed from the bondage by the power of the Gyan, through the Grace of Her Holiness Satguru Mata Sudiksha ji.

We are no longer poor but rich. We have the freedom to be ourselves; it is exactly as Nirankar made us. The scales from our eyes have fallen away and we are blessed with great spiritual insight. We have met our Soul; we have met with God.

It gets better. Our new sight reveals the divine dance in all of creation. Everything is being born then passes away, and then reborn. What a divine existence. The Gyan reveals the eternal beauty in everything. We seek this beauty and find it in all living creatures, including ourselves.

Everything passes away. But with the grace of Satguru, it is revealed that the essence of us, our God Nirankar, is eternal.

Look around you, look at the fields; already they are ready for harvest! Already the reaper is being paid his wages, already he is bringing in the grain for eternal life, and thus sower and reaper rejoice together”
(John 4:35-36, Jerusalem Bible).

Non-dual knowing is learning how to live satisfied in the naked now, which some called “the sacrament of the present moment.” This consciousness will teach us how to actually experience our experiences, whether good, bad, or ugly, and how to let them transform us. Words by themselves divide and judge the moment; pure presence lets it be what it is, as it is.

At the centre of our being is a point of nothingness, which is untouched by sin and by illusion. It is a point of pure truth, a point or spark which belongs entirely to God, which is never at our disposal, from which God disposes of our lives, which is inaccessible to the fantasies of our own mind or the brutalities of our own will. This little point of nothingness and of absolute poverty is the pure Glory of God within us.
(Thomas Merton, CGB 142).

When we touch this domain, through the grace of Mataji, we begin to live a divine existence, which frees all our dross and helps us to see God clearly in everything and in everyone.

                                                                                                          – Helen Richards, UK