Questions answered

The Master receives from devotees queries on various aspects of Spirituality. These may be personal or academic, but the Master’s answers have universal appeal for Spiritual Aspirants. We reproduce here some of the questions and answers from the Master’s book ‘Spiritual Elixir’ for the benefit of our readers.

Question: Will you please explain: [St] Mark 7:14-16, “And when he had called all the people unto Him he said unto them, hearken unto me everyone of you and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him but the things which come out of him, these are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” He did not forbid the eating of meat.

Answer: I am afraid we do a great injustice to the World Teachers, by taking isolated sentences and things in fragments rather than taking an over-all and integrated view of their teachings. If we study the scriptures carefully we find that the word ‘meats’ as used in the Gospels stands for ‘foods’ or ‘meals.’ It is not ‘meats’ alone that purge out of the body, but the refuge of all the foods that we take. The beautiful teachings of Jesus were for all the mankind and not for meat-eating people alone.

Now refer to [St] Matthew 15:11-20, where in these very words are repeated. These words have no reference to meats etc. On the contrary, they refer to defilement by eating with unwashen hands before taking meals. In Hosea 6:6 as well it is stated: I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. In Essene Gospel of St John, Ch. XXII, we have the words of God Himself: Behold, I have given you every herb upon the face of all the earth and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree-yielding seed: to you it shall be for meat.

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Question: We have been taught in our Satsang that all thoughts that enter the mind during meditation register on the astral and take the form of karma for us. Would you please comment on this?

Answer: The thoughts continue feeding the mind and register impressions in the Chitta – the sub-conscious reservoir of the mind, and serve as seed karma to fructify at a later stage. However the thoughts entering the mind during meditations become more potent to bear fruit at the earliest opportunity, and as such are considered more violently harmful than those entering the mind in the normal waking hours. It should be attributed to the Inner Concentration during meditations when the mind becomes comparatively more sharp and one pointed. The listening to the Holy Sound Current as coming from the right side with rapturous attention and absorption herein burns away these seeds of karmas and render them infructious to bear fruit.

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Question: In the meditation I hear the sound of crickets and the noises one associates with outdoor. What is happening?

Answer: The sound of crickets is the lowest sound and outer noise heard by you shows that you fail to attune yourself completely to the Sound Current. You should not apprehend any untoward happening as these are the entanglements of your own mind which creates similar thoughts for diverting your attention from inside.

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Question: If one is working on a creative project like painting, can we ask for help and inspiration from the Master?

Answer: The child disciple is ever prayerful for the accomplishment of his or her projects. There is no harm in doing so provided it is undertaken in a sense of detachment and for the sake of discharging your legitimate duties. For more clarification a reference is invited to the book ‘Prayer – Its Nature and Technique.’

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Question: Can a sinner like myself attain to God-hood in this very lifetime?

Answer: Yes, you can attain God-hood during this lifetime provided you work for it strictly according to the behests of the Master. Let His words abide in you and you abide in Him. You have been granted the Sacred Boon of the Holy Initiation which is a valid visa on to the Sach Khand and it is your earnest effort and steadfastness which would bless you with fruition of your wish in due course.

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Question: Since a deep purple colour is identified with one of the divisions of the astral plane, when one sees this colour in meditation, can one assume that one has peached that plane in meditation?

Answer: The manifestation of the Holy Light within in varying shades does not necessarily mean that one has reached a particular plane as it is just a reflection of those regions which are made manifest at the initial stage. It may at best indicate the Inner Spiritual Background of the aspirant which follows one like trailing clouds of Glory from God which is our Home.

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Question: Is it alright if I experience visual Inner Glimpses while sitting in Bhajan?

Answer: One thing should be done at a time. You should try to absorb your attention completely either in the Divine Light by looking into its middle or listening to the Holy Sound current as coming from the right side with rapturous attention. If you do both the practices together, attention will be divided.

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Question: Once while sitting in Bhajan, I had a vision of Your Radiant Form which changed into countless other Masters’ forms and back again. Devotees were clustered around the Master. All these appeared near but far away. I could not get free from my bundage to join this Holy Company, I wanted too. I felt sad and Inner Bliss at the same time.

Answer: Such like rare visions denote His gracious Love and protection being extended to you. Moreover, it goes to show hat the Master-Power working at the Human Pole of the Living Master also worked at the poles of Others. He is One in all and all are One in Him. You are advised to resort to the repetition of the Charged Names during such revelations, when Inner Manifestations will become more stable with the Grace of the Master. The screne bliss derived from this Divine Manifestation is auspicious and should be assimilated gratefully.

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Question: What is Science of the Soul?

Answer: There is One God, and only one Way to Him, and for this we employ a complete and definite Science, oldest of the oldest, most ancient and natural, which is the practical side of all religions of the world as borne out by all the scriptures. The subtlest of all sciences is called Para Vidya, which has a practical aspect and is the Way back to God during life-time. Now-a-days this Science is called Sant Mat. It is true nobody can know God. Past Masters cannot help, as man needs a Living Godman to understand things which one cannot follow by mere theory. Therefore, a Living Master is necessary to gain the practical side of this Science. Unless the experience of past Masters becomes our own experience, we get nowhere. The fact of the matter is that God-Power works on a chosen Human Pole. A Living Master is therefore God plus man, Godman i.e. the Mouthpiece of God. Guru, little often used, is a corresponding word in Sanskrit language. A Guru is one who can remove the dark veil within and show us the real Light of God.

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Question: What part does intellect play on the Path?

Answer: Very little, where the practical side is concerned. But this does not mean that intellect is harmful to Spirituality. If an intellectual man comes on this Path and really gives himself up to the Master’s will, and does what he is told, then there is no better disciple for this path then he, for there he has an advantage over an ordinary practical man. And that advantage is he will be able to give out the Truth to others in many ways in a language made with well thought out words that will convince the intellectualists more easily than simple words uttered by a mere practical man.

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Question: Did Lord Buddha practise or prescribe the same Path of the Masters as is being revived by Sant Mat?

Answer: The Masters generally divide Their disciples into two categories:

1. the ordinary disciples or novices who are yet in the making stage and require a lot of discipline – to them are given disciplinary sadhans or practices – and

2. disciples with some groundings as a result of disciplines practised in the past – may be in the previous births. The latter constitute the Inner Corps of Their following. They are the chosen ones, or the elect, fit for a higher part of the Masters’ teachings. It was to the disciples of this calibre that Buddha gave the practice of Light and Sound principle as taught by the Masters. To this chosen class belonged Boddhisatvas, Mahasatvas and Arhats like Mahakashyapa, Sariputra, Sammantbhadra, Metaluniputra, Mandgalyayana, Akshobya, Vejuria, Maitraya, Avolokiteshvra, Ananda and the like, all of whom attained Diamond Samadhi of transcendental hearing, listening to the Sound of Intrinsic Dharma resembling the roar of a lion etc. Please refer to the book ‘Naam or Word’ for more details.

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Question: Can we penetrate into the beyond by intellect?

Answer: No. Intellect is just one of the faculties of mind, to wit, reasoning. The intellect is earth-bound and so is reasoning based on intellect.

How can the less the greater comprehend or finite reason reach infinity? For what would fathom God were more than He.

The scriptures tell us in no ambiguous terms that one cannot experience the self unless the senses are subdued, the mind is disciplined and the intellect is transcended.

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Question: Are all initiates related spiritually?

Answer: Yes, more than blood relatives, as they are destined to reach their True Home to meet there in due course, where all will become one with the Primordial Source. This is True Relationship which never breaks.