The Disadvantage of being without a Master

This is the Iron Age in its full prime. The mind and senses are in their full power and ordinary men are avid for sense pleasures. They have adopted the principle of 'eat, drink and be merry'. 

They see no reality beyond the body. They think of the body alone, and do not know the soul that gives it life. Is not the soul that gives life to the body, superior to it? Actually, the body is to be respected and honoured only because of the soul. After the soul leaves, no one keeps the body even for a moment. It is consigned to the fire or the grave at the earliest opportunity. If one confines his attention only to the body and becomes entangled in the world, losing sight of his soul that gives it life, then what good would it be to him even if he should gain the whole world? We should try to understand the true purpose of, and the profit we intend to make in, this life. Is not life more than meat, and the body more than raiment ?

Man, even if he knows all the sciences and reaps their fruits, still remains a sufferer. What is the cause of this? It is a fact that he has gained control over the forces of nature before gaining control over his own self. It is fashionable nowadays for people to say that they have nothing to do with the Lord and have no need for a Master. It is surprising that we need a teacher to learn ordinary things, but have no need for one to teach us spirituality. Is the learning of spirituality, then, so very-simple and easy a matter?

Human life is the highest of all, and one can meet the Lord only when he is in the human form. Man, however, constantly wanders about outside. He does not enter the temple of the body and as a consequence, he does not know either himself or the Lord. The key of this temple is with the Master. After getting it from him, the devotee ascends to the astral and causal regions and is united with the Lord.

Without meeting a Master this human life is wasted and one does not accomplish the task expected of him. The Gurus say that the life of a person who is not initiated is ill-spent. He dies the death of a dog, barking all the while. He feeds on dirt like pigs. He carries the burden of the world like a donkey and dies while carrying it. He spreads poison like a snake.

Cursed is he and his life is ill-spent, who has not obtained the Guru Mantra (Simran); he is like a dog, a crow or a pig; like a donkey or a snake is he.

 Sahaskriti M5, 1356-19

Cursed is the life of one who has not served a Master. He is devoid of devotion and wastes his life. What then was the use of his coming into the world?

Cursed is he and he has wasted his life, who did not serve the Master, and attune his soul to the Lord's Name.

 Bhairon M3, 1131-2

Oh brother, why was a person devoid of devotion born? He did not serve the Master, and wasted his life.

 Sri Rag M3, 64-17

We are full of the accumulated sins of ages.

This mind is full of the sins of many ages. It is utterly black with them.

 Sorath Var M3, 651-1

These sins can only be removed by the practice of the Shabd and the aid of a Master. He who is without a Master cannot obtain the Shabd and rid himself of sins.

Without the Master dirt cannot be removed. Except the Lord there is no other home. Be attuned to the Shabd alone; expect nothing from others.

 Sri Rag M1, 18-1

One cannot be truly happy in the enjoyment of the worldly, sensual pleasures. The real happiness lies in spiritual bliss, which comes from union with the Lord; and this cannot be had without a Master.

Even if you enjoy the company of millions of women; even if you rule over the nine regions; you cannot get bliss without a Master; you are born again and again.

Sri Rag M3, 26-17

Without a Master all die weeping. They are burned by the hidden fire of Maya and get no peace.

Without the Guru all die weeping in agony; they do not get peace at any time.

Dhanasri M3, 664-7

Be he a leader, a prophet or a seer, be he a judge, a preacher or a ruler; No one ever got peace of mind except through the blessing of a Master.

Janam Sakhi

The inner eye of an egotistic or proud person does not open. He remains blind, acts in the dark and suffers from being entangled with attachment and Maya.

Suhi M3, 753-9

All who are without a Master are misled and do not find the way to the door of the Lord. They go through repeated births and deaths.

Without the Master, people are blank and bewildered, and they suffer greatly, lost in error;  they are born again and again; they suffer ever and know not the door of the Lord.

Bhairon M3, 1132-11

There are a number of disadvantages of being without a true Master. One remains drowned in Maya and has many worldly desires. He suffers from lust, attachment and pride and does not make progress towards his destination. His egotism is not destroyed and the mind is not stilled. Without the Master all is dark; one sees nothing inside and can make no spiritual progress. Without a Master spirituality cannot be properly understood, for one cannot know the method and can obtain no success.

There is utter darkness without a Master; one cannot understand without a Master; without a Master release is not attained.

 Sawayye M4, 1399-16

The mind is like an elephant. The Master is the driver who keeps it on the right path by using the goad of knowledge. One can obtain the key to spiritual progress from the Master, and can then ascend to the astral and causal regions. Without a Master the portals of the mind do not open, and one does not find the way home. One may read many books and scriptures and talk and argue about the Reality, but will not realize the Reality.

Oh Nanak, one should meditate on the Eternal Lord. But one does not find the way without the Master.

 Asa Var M1, 470-18

One may read the Smrities and the Shastras and Puranas, and may reason, but he will not know the essence of the Truth.

One cannot know the Reality without a Master; the Lord is the True One, and True is His Path.

 Maru M1, 1032-12

Without a Master the fear of death and the cycle of eighty-four remain hanging over one's head, and he cannot cross the ocean of the universe.

Those who have not met the Master, remain in the power of death. They are born again and again; death stings them with its poison.

 Sri Rag M4, 40-8

Oh Nanak, one cannot cross without a Master; this is the real Truth.

Sorath M5, 611-5

Without the Master, one does not develop devotion and does not acquire knowledge of or love for the Name.

Without the Master there is no devotion, and one does not love the Name.

Shalok M3, 1417-11

Without the Master there can be no devotion or love.

 Basant M1, 1170-5

Oh brother, no one but a Master can tell the secret of knowledge. You may ask from Brahma, Narad or Vedvyas.

Sri Rag M1, 59-7

All the scriptures and Vedas say that there can be no release without a Master. All are of one view in this respect.

The Shastras, Vedas and Smrities all proclaim the same truth; hold fast to the conviction that there is no release without a Master.

 Gujri M5, 495-12

There is no salvation without a perfect Master, and one does not find the door of the Lord's abode without him.

You will not find the door of the Lord, except with the aid of a Master.

 Dev Gandhari M5, 335-9

It should be further pointed out that a Master is not found without good fortune and the Grace of the Lord.

If the Lord is kind we find a Master, and he will firmly establish your faith in the Name. No one can get this without a Master, and one's life is spent in vain.

Sri Rag M3, 33-15

The Master may be ever so near to you, but without good fortune He is not found. There will be ignorance and doubt within you, and a curtain between you and Him.

Sri Rag M1, 40-16

It is a bad omen to see a man who has no Master. He is in an unfortunate condition. It is impossible to describe the wretchedness of the man who turns away from a Master or criticizes Him.

In conclusion it may be said that the teachings of the Perfect Masters of the highest order have always insisted upon two basic points or principles.

The first is the absolute necessity for a living perfect Master who can take the souls of his disciples back to their Original Home in the highest heavenly region. These Masters point out that a doctor who died two thousand years ago cannot heal people who are today suffering from disease. No more can a Master who lived some hundreds or thousands of years ago give people of today the true initiation or baptism, or connect the souls of the seekers with their Creator and thus set their feet on the path of true and final liberation or salvation.

The second is the importance of Shabd-Dhun or Naam, commonly called in English the Sound Current or the Audible Life Stream. It is the Nad, Sound of the Vedas; Bang-i-Asmani or Kalam-i-Ilahi, Divine Sound, from above or the Word of God of the Mohammedan Saints; the Tao and the Way or Celestial Sound of Lao Tze, the great Chinese spiritual Master; and the Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit and Word or Logos of the Bible. 

The Shabd-Dhun is the Supreme Creator Himself vibrating and resounding throughout the whole creation and inside every human body. It is upon its wave that we have to return to our Original Home. 

Only a living Perfect Master is able to put souls in direct contact with this Shabd-Dhun or Naam which ultimately leads to their release from the cycle of birth and death.

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