The Purpose of Human Life

II

Another purpose of Simran is to identify the soul with its Real Form. Yet another aim of Simran is to enable the self to know itself. As it is, the soul is completely identified with the physical body. It has to be withdrawn from the body and concentrated at its seat in the centre of the eyebrows.

In the Gita, Lord Krishna says,

[…] that Great Ones traverse into the cave starting from a place above the nose.

There are various methods of doing Simran:

• with the help of a rosary or 
   
• with tongue, 
   
• or in throat 
   
• and heart.

However, Saints do not advise these methods as these are apt to become mechanical and allow the mind to wander away. Thus, concentration of attention through those methods may not be possible.

Saints have, therefore, advised the practice of Simran with the tongue of thought. All Saints, including Maulana Rumi, Guru Arjan, and Swami Ji, have indicated this Spiritual Path.

Guru Arjan prayed:

Oh Saints, take pity on us; we have yet to learn to serve our souls.

We are working on the mental and sensual planes. Until we learn to rise above body consciousness our plight remains unchanged.

Yogis tried to control breathing through kumbhak to achieve concentration of attention. It is a difficult process and everyone cannot practise it. Saints, therefore, do not interfere with the breathing function. They concentrate Their attention at the seat of the soul, behind and in the centre of the two eyes, by means of Simran with the tongue of thought. If it is done with rapt attention, the soul will cease to flow out through the body pores. The body will then become senseless. It is only then after that the concentrated soul gets the contact of God.

However, Simran with the tongue of thought is not as easy as it appears to be.

It can be accomplished successfully only through the blessings of a Competent Master. Now, there is a difference between practising Simran by repeating the Names given by a Competent Master and the name or names taken out of scriptures of one’s religious belief.

The Names given by a Competent Living Master at the time of initiation are charged with His thought transference and have tremendous force in them. This type of Simran, therefore, is above all other forms of Simran.

The Vedas and other scriptures have stated that in order to seek God, one must seek the guidance of a True Master. Besides giving the Charged Names, the Master also gives a practical contact with the Divine Power. Now the question is how to get that competent guidance?

Swami Ji tells us to serve the Master. One can serve the Master in many ways; physically, financially, intellectually and spiritually. One should lead a chaste and clean life. Keep the body ever engaged in selfless service. This is physical service. As for monetary service, spend a part of your income for charity. After fulfilling your family requirements, you must keep aside a part of your earnings in the name of God. This is a duty one must not neglect. Service by heart and mind means Love for all, hatred for none and observance of Truth. The service of the soul is of the highest order. To do this, one has to rise above body consciousness and to open the Inner Eye.

Hazur used to say that a Master may keep a servant or two to serve Him. He does not need our services in the normal sense. If we only obey His commandments, keep our lives chaste and pure, we do not only serve the Master, but also our own ‘self.’

The Master loves them most who serve their own souls and lead a pious life. So, Swami Ji exhorts us to imbibe the feeling of service and to refrain from sensual desires.

All desires are included in sensuality. The observance of celibacy is most important.

Just as light and darkness cannot stay together, the Word and sensual desires are not compatible. Therefore, we must observe celibacy. Married people need not despair. They ought to live a disciplined life in accordance with the scriptures where marital relations are permitted only for procreation. Grihastashram (family system) is a great institution.

Most Saints or Great Souls, Mahatmas, were householders and fulfilled Their family obligations. Hazur has said that those who wish to bring up their children pure and chaste should themselves become so. Children tend to emulate their parents.

Swami Ji thus asks us to take three steps if we want to rise above body consciousness and to get contact with Naam: to practise Simran; to serve Satguru and to lead a chaste life.

Swami Ji says that you can have a taste of the Divine Nectar with the help of a True Master, only after you have brought your mind and sensual desires under control.

At present the soul is flowing out through the senses. Discipline your senses and keep your mind steady. You will then know who you are. When you have realised yourself, only then the question of realising the Overself will arise. Those who have disciplined their senses, can free themselves from the influence of enemies like lust, anger, greed, attachment and vanity.

These five deadly enemies attack us through the five senses. You can escape their fatal attacks if you rise above body consciousness.

The Upanishads state:

The soul is riding a chariot of the body driven by horses of the senses with the mind as its reins and the intellect as its driver in the field of sensual pleasures.

Swami Ji therefore stresses the need to discipline the senses and the mind. When this is done and the soul rises above body consciousness, the Master is there inside to offer the Divine Elixir of Naam.

Now, are these teachings meant for any particular sect? The teachings of all Great Souls are meant for the entire humanity and not for the followers of any particular religion.

Hazur used to say:

Go to the door where Satguru, full of compassion and Mercy, is waiting to receive you.

Which is that door?

This door is in the centre and behind your two eyebrows. Once the soul gets an opportunity of tasting the elixir of Naam, it has a starting point for its Spiritual Journey to the Ultimate Destination. Moreover, this will bring about freedom from the dragnet of the mind.

Mind is a tremendous hurdle on the Spiritual Path. The world at large has always been its victim. Even mahatmas and rishis – great souls – in the past who tried various methods to control the mind often succumbed at some stage to its powerful impact. So, we have to control the mind.

How can it be done?

The mind cannot be controlled by outer pursuits like learning or studying the scriptures. Even if it is under check for a while, it again goes out of control, for it is always after sensual pleasures.

There are mainly two types of attractions for the mind – beautiful things to look at and sweet melodies to hear. Just now, if you happen to hear melodious music, your attention will be diverted to it.

The only way to keep it under control is to link it with Naam that has both these attractions. At various Spiritual Planes within, you have wonderful visions to see and also enchanting melodies to hear. When the mind has more fascinating experience within than it has outside, it is automatically subdued. Thus, only by establishing a contact with Naam one becomes desireless.

According to a parable, once Lord Krishna plunged into the river Yamuna where a thousand headed cobra used to live.

Lord Krishna performed a dance on the cobra’s head to the tune of His favourite flute and subdued the deadly snake. What does the parable signify? The thousand-headed cobra is the mind itself. The mind poisons us in innumerable ways. By attuning to the Celestial Sound Current within, mind can be subdued. There is no other remedy.

A Muslim mystic has said that if you have firmly resolved to reach God, put one step on your mind and your second step will be in God’s court.

Swami Ji now advises us to give up procrastination and to start meditation without delay. Sehaj Yoga, the Path shown by Saints, has three aspects:

Simran, meditation, and catching the Celestial Sound Current.

Simran lifts the soul above body consciousness. Once this is done, meditation or contemplation with rapt attention provides a resting place for its stay there until it catches and listens to the Celestial Sound Current.

Shamas-i-Tabrez¹¹ says:

Every moment a Divine Sound is calling my soul to come to the Lord.

Tulsi Sahib¹² also says:

Listen with rapt attention at the archway of the Real Kaaba (body) and you will hear a call from the beyond.

This body is the temple of God and the forehead is the archway of the temple as described by Tulsi Sahib. Procrastination is the thief of time. We tend to postpone meditation on one pretext or the other. Start meditation forthwith so that we may come out of the mortal body which is the domain of negative power.

After all, this body has to be left behind. If we learn to leave it while alive, death will not perturb us. You will then be carefree.

Swami Ji says that only the Satguru is capable of pulling the soul above body consciousness. Therefore, pray with every breath for the Grace of a True Master. I have already discussed the functions of Simran; i.e., it brings the soul above body consciousness. Another equally important point is that the soul is attached to the body and unless a Competent Master helps with His thought transference through personal attention, the soul cannot be separated and lifted above body consciousness. Here lies the greatness and importance of the Satguru. As a matter of fact, the real test of a Guru is that He is capable of pulling the soul to its own seat. We must, therefore, pray for His Grace and help. All great souls have prayed likewise.

Maulana Rumi testifies it by asking:

Who is capable of saving the humanity from this mysterious box (world)? Only either a prophet or a Master commissioned to do that.

We have thus to seek the help of a Realised Soul, but He must really be a Realised Soul.

When a so-called master cannot lift his own soul above body consciousness, how can he help others.

The responsibility of a Competent Master is great indeed. Not only He guides and helps us in this world, but He is also a torch bearer in our journey within.

Swami Ji, therefore, emphasises that the only way out is to pray to a Competent Master. Out of compassion, He will give you an experience of super-consciousness. Thereafter, follow His commandments, remember Him constantly with all your heart, and ever remain eager to serve Him.

Tulsi Sahib also asks us to look through the veil of darkness behind the pupil of the eyes. How to do it? He tells us to go to a God-realised Soul.

Such a Master will give you some Inner Experience, pull you above body consciousness and tell you how to see through the darkness within.

Your Inner Eye will thus be opened. All Saints agree on this point.

Swami Ji has advised us to seek the company of a True Master with Love. Go there with devotion, leaving behind all worldly ideas. You should then have only one thought – the thought of your Master. Sit there with solitude and listen with full attention to what the Master has to say.

Swami Ji now explains the importance of Satsang.

He says:

Attend Satsang in all seriousness.

We have to solve the mystery of life and death. Grasp and imbibe what is taught there.

We are fortunate if we get in touch with a True Master and get Inner experience through His Grace. If we do not act on His commandments, our Spiritual Progress will be retarded.

That is why so much emphasis is laid on doing away with unnecessary worldly things. This way one’s Spiritual Experience will continue to grow until a Luminous Form of the Master appears within. He will talk to you and guide you. On getting proper guidance from the Master, devote adequate time to meditation and mould your life according to the Master’s teachings.

We must have tenacity of purpose as we cannot afford to slacken our efforts in our present state, when we have yet to rise above body consciousness.

Finally, Swami Ji explains what is Naam, the Word; what is the destination, and what is our ideal? He says that our aim is to merge our soul with Sat Naam, True Word, the Eternal Nameless God-Power. We have first to rise above body consciousness and get the lowest link. After gradually traversing the various higher planes, the soul will finally reach where there is nothing but All-Truth.

The three regions – primal, subtle, and causal – are destructible. Beyond these three regions is Sat Lok or Sach Khand which is the abode of the Almighty. 

This is our goal and we must achieve it.

Jesus Christ at the time of leaving His immortal frame, instructed His disciples first to accomplish what He had taught them.

The human birth has given you a golden opportunity. Make the best use of it.

(English version and substance of one of the Master’s – Sant Kirpal Singh Ji’s – Satsang talks in Hindi at Sawan Ashram, Delhi.)

_______________

Explanation:

11) Shamas-i-Tabrez: A great Saint of Tabrez, Persia. He was the Master of the celebrated Maulana Rumi.

12) Tulsi Sahib: (1763 – 1843 A.D.): The Saint of Hathras. Original name: Sham Rao Hulkar, Crown Prince of Gwalior, Who spurned the throne to practise meditation. 

Note:

The texts hosted under the Button ‚Sat Sandesh‘ are transcripts of the texts published in the original, official Sat Sandesh booklets.

These texts – as they are, for example, Satsangs published also in books or otherwise – can diverge from the versions published elsewhere.