3 May 1902

Warm greetings from Jaimal Singh to my obedient son, Babu Sawan Singh. 

This is to let you know that so far no answer has been received from Agra. We received one message, but there was no mention of the books. If you received a letter from there, please let me know. I now think that only 250 or 200 copies of Ghat Ramayan should be printed. However, the money thus saved, by reducing the number of copies of Ghat Ramayan to below 250, should be spent in printing up to 500 more copies of the prose edition of Hazur Swami Ji’s Sar Bachan. The total amount spent would then remain the same, and 500 copies of Hazur’s Sar Bachan in prose would be printed at the same time – otherwise they will have to be printed later. The cost of Ghat Ramayan will come at the most to 200 rupees, not more, and both jobs will get done – Swami Ji’s prose Sar Bachan should cost about a third or half of Ghat Ramayan. Please ask the printer. It is in his interest, and also in our interest, as everything will be done simultaneously. But do ask him, because the cost of Ghat Ramayan won’t be much, and there will be lots of people who will want to buy Hazur Swami Ji’s book. If this can be arranged, well and good, but let me know even if the printers do not agree. Thus both the verse and prose editions of Hazur Swami Ji’s books in Gurumukhi will be printed, write your letter in Gurumukhi, and also let me know whether you have moved into the bungalow in the cantonment. 

Chanan Singh has done good work here, and I am very pleased with him. Best wishes to all, and to Basant Singh, Chanan Singh, Narain Singh, Diwan Singh, the Bibi Jis, Ma Ji, the younger Bibi Jis, and the boy, Narinder Singh. May Grace and Mercy be upon them all. Please convey warmest greetings to these men from the army platoon: Sunder Singh, Surain Singh, Subedar¹-Major’s son Kharak Singh, and the treasurer. They are all urged to do their Bhajan and Simran every day. May Grace and Mercy be upon them all.

Do not be afraid of anything. And do not worry about the work at the kilns. It is government work, and government work will take care of itself. You remain ready to do your task; the compassionate Hazur will do all the work Himself. Continue working with an honest heart – the Lord Himself will help and bestow His Grace and Mercy upon you. If the previous officer was able to profit the government to the tune of thousands, that will happen during your tenure as well. Remove all apprehensions from your heart and work fearlessly. 

Know that you should be nervous only about doing your meditation. Do not waste time uselessly. Be concerned about time spent in vain, and regret why so many breaths were wasted, since they were utilised neither in worldly affairs nor in Spiritual Pursuit.

Do not mourn over the passing away of family members. Our material wealth and the three bodies – physical, astral, and causal – are all like leaves on a tree. Shabd is the tree on which all – from the transcendent, enlightened souls down to the householders – grow like leaves. The leaves do not last more than a year. Every year they all drop from the tree, but the tree does not feel the loss nor does it accompany any leaf that falls. Just see! How much understanding the tree displays! Our knowledge, however, is not even that of a tree; and yet the tree has no sense, and we humans are conscious beings. The tree cannot attain liberation like we can. You see, our pride of worldly things – of honour, praise, possessions, rank, wealth, money and dignity, sons, daughters, shops, mansions, wife – in fact of all material things, including that of kingship, is false. We do not have the understanding of even a senseless tree that does not mourn for its leaves. So regard the world as false; believe firmly that the world and its relationships are like a dream. Carry on with your worldly business knowing within your heart that it is unreal. 

Always keep Simran in your mind, knowing that the True Wealth is Shabd, and that all the rest is false. Only the Satguru’s words are true, they are never false. Always keep them in your heart and continue to do your Simran. With Love and devotion attach your higher mind and soul to the Shabd Dhun and merge yourself into It. When attending to meditation and listening to the Shabd Dhun, put all your worries aside, because there is nothing higher than meditation. Increase the duration of your practice from day to day, never decrease it; always keep this in your mind. Whether awake or asleep, or moving about, keep the thought of Sach Khand, the Alakh, Agam, Anami Lord’s abode, in your heart. Remember that you are to go there – that is your Home. Your Love will thus remain detached from the world. The Sound of that Shabd and the image of the abode of Anami Lord should always remain imprinted on the mind. That is our Real Work. There is no higher work than this. Keep doing it every day; then all your endeavour will bear fruit.

Keep the Satguru and the Satguru’s words in your mind, and take the self out. When the body, mind, wealth, everything belongs to the Satguru, then all things of the world and all relationships also belong to him – we are nothing. The Shabd Dhun also is the Satguru’s, we are nothing – always remember these words. The Lord is always your protector. He will never let you feel the pain of the world. I am pleased with you. Drive out forever the love of the world from your heart and replace it with Love for the Satguru. Eliminating the world from your mind, always study and deliberate over the Sacred Texts so that the mind and soul may enjoy the rapture of the stream of Shabd Dhun, which has already been bestowed upon you. Eliminate desire for the world, then all will be Shabd and nothing but Shabd. I am exceedingly, immensely pleased with you. Hazur is always showering Mercy upon you, but make your mind worthy of that Mercy. When the Lord, through His Grace, sends pain or gives death, do not question why He has done so. Instead, give Him thanks, and submit to His command – then you will become a Gurumukh.

Have you received a letter from Mehmansinghwala? Please let me know this when you write to me. Warmest greetings on behalf of Bibi Ji and from everyone else at the Dera, and also from all the Satsangis of Wadala. Your grandfather brought your letter on 2 May at 1 p.m., and I was happy to read it.

I have understood the whole situation. I did not mean that you should not live in the cantonment. I thought that there were restrictions in the cantonment, while life in the city would be more free. In the cantonment, live by yourself, like the officers. The lifestyle in the cantonments generally prohibits too many people lodging together, so now you should not allow too many people to visit you, as they used to do in the town. That’s why I said it, but I am very pleased with the situation now. It is good to live in the forest, but in solitude. You shouldn’t have unnecessary visitors; live like the Englishmen whose visitors come only by invitation. The atmosphere is good but one should not get attached to anyone. You should not let anyone but a Satsangi stay there, nor should you encourage people to come for a visit. However, for a Satsangi, there is no bar. Do not encourage anyone to know about your bungalow. I am very happy with you. Baba Ji will be at the Dera tomorrow, 4 May 1902, and will give the Sunday Satsang. The army servicemen are near you but please do not enter into intellectual discussions with any of them. Remain meek and humble – I am pleased with that. Chanan Singh also likes outdoor living. So all this is good.

(In Gurumukhi script, Baba Jis writing:) My son, I had this letter written in Urdu by someone else. The Dhun that comes from the right side comes from Sach Khand. Keep your mind, the higher mind, and surat and nirat attached to the Shabd Dhun so that they all may become the Shabd form. Then the mind will become pure. 

3 May 1902

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Explanation: 1) A historical service grade in the Indian Army.