Dawn of Ruhani Satsang

In 1928, at Amritsar, India, while studying in the eighth grade, I received my most precious gift – the gift of Initiation by the Supreme Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji. The first-hand experience of seeing the tremendous Light and hearing the Sound of bells as my soul was lifted above body consciousness on the Eternal Current of Holy Naam made me aware of my Spiritual Birth into Life Everlasting.

To have been born anew gave me also the good fortune to continue my Spiritual Pursuit of joy, under the guidance of the present Great Master Kirpal Singh, successor to my Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji. His initiates experience the same powerful results of their new age. Knowingly or unknowingly, this new age is upon them and life as witnessed and experienced before acceptance by a Master-Saint into His fold is never again the same.

Forty years have gone by since my initiation. A long period! But I have kept on attending Satsangs where the Grace of the Master works abundantly. It is a wish-yielding tree. Satsang is like watering the field, without which it dries up. As long as a stone remains in water it gets drenched. My visits to Beas were frequent. To be face to face with the Master, His enchanting and most beautiful figure, His enlightened discourses penetrating the hearts of the devotees, was equal to process of perfumery.

I served as a Secretary of Radha Soami Satsang in Montgomery – now in Pakistan – for several years. The blessed Master visited Montgomery two or three times and attracted large crowds.

The present Master Kirpal Singh held regular Satsangs on behalf of Hazur at Dera Beas as well as throughout the country. Spiritual Matters were directed by the Master to Sant Kirpal Sing Ji. There are several historical pictures of beautiful scenes showing Sant Kirpal Singh holding Satsangs with Hazur Maharaj on the same stage. He was authorised to give initiation which is a rare thing. Many persons who got initiation through Sant Kirpal Singh as authorised by Hazur, are still living.

The Master also attended foreign correspondence and advised Dr Julian P. Johnson in many matters. When the book, ‘Path of the Masters’ was written by Dr Johnson, three manuscripts were prepared and given to Master Kirpal Singh, S.B. Jagat Singh, and Professor Jag Molian Lall for editing. It was too critical and written in a missionary attitude. It also showed lack of knowledge regarding other religions. Master Kirpal Singh lovingly pointed out discrepancies to which Dr Johnson and Great Master Sawan Singh agreed, thereby causing the author to want to know more about the Great Wisdom of Master Kirpal Singh. However, the advice to rewrite the chapter on some parts of religion, especially Christianity was not heeded. Master Kirpal Singh Ji never was shown the final galley proof. The book was published in Paris. France.

In the life-time of Hazur, Master Kirpal Singh wrote two volumes of Gurumat Sidhant – Teachings of the Master-Saints – in Gurumukhi language. It was written under the internal guidance of Hazur and, by miraculous power, Master’s pen kept on writing. It was approved word for word by Hazur Who granted Master Kirpal Singh’s request to issue the volumes under the name of Sawan Singh. It is a marvellous book describing various subjects, clearly giving first-hand knowledge.

Now, Ruhani Satsang republished Gurumat Sidhant in Hindi and Urdu. The English version was done at Beas. Further surprise came when it was made known that Master Kirpal Singh had written a third volume, thus removing even a shadow of doubt as to its author. Only a True Master can write such scriptures. Intellectual men are wonder struck to see this masterpiece of Sacred Literature in modern times.

A must for all initiates and new comers is the access to the Master’s other wonderful books that are electrified by the Grace of Almighty God. Spirituality is not tied down to any particular person, place, document or family. It goes to a competent being regardless of the situation. It is also ordained according to the Divine Plan and is not subject to any physical and mental law.

There were quite a few dear and near to the Master-Saint Baba Sawan Singh Ji; Holy Jewel among the Great Masters.

Below are mentioned a few names :

  1. Mr Radha Krishna Khanna, Advocate

  2. S.B. Jagat Singh (deceased)

  3. S. Bagga Singh (“)

  4. S. Bhagat Singh (“)

  5. Mr Raja Ram, Jeweller (“)

  6. Dr Julian Johnson, M.D. (“)

  7. Deputy Harnarain (“)

  8. S. Jodh Singh (“)

  9. L. Aror Chand (“)

  10. Baba Nizam-ud-din (“)

  11. S. Gulab Singh (“)

  12. Mr Bishen Das Puri (“)

  13. Bhai Mohan Singh and

  14. Bhagat Kundan Lall

Among the ladies were:

1. Bibi Lajo

2. Bibi Rakhi (deceased)

3. Bibi Ralli

4. Bibi Hardevi

5. Bibi Dharam Devi (deceased)

Yet the mantle of Spirituality fell on Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, the most devoted, competent and living example of Hazur Maharaj Ji. Please read the latest publication, ‘The Saint and His Master,’ by B.M. Sahai and Malik Radha Krishna. M.A., LL.B.

After the partitioning of India in 1947, I remained for three months at Dera, during the illness of Hazur, working as a volunteer in the Post Office and helping to distribute grain and sugar for the rationing period. Great Master Kirpal Singh was also there to attend to Hazur in His terminal illness.

When the nation was partitioned into Pakistan and India, at least a million people fell victim to the religious fanatics and thousands of persons became refugees. While Master Kirpal Singh was present with Hazur at Dera Beas. Hazur uttered many Inner Revelations but the relatives could not comprehend them. Only Sant Kirpal Singh fathomed their true meaning. Hazur was very pleased to see that His successor knew. So, Great Hazur told of a tremendous storm – massacre – and that he would protect His disciples by concealing them with a sheet – a vapour – around them which he did.

When I left Dera and my beloved Master I was handed by Dr Schmidt a bottle containing Hazur’s blood to be passed on to Master Kirpal Singh in Delhi to be tested in a laboratory. I had to travel by a ‘goods’ train as the railroad system was upset due to political disturbances and the influx of thousands of refugees. Along with members of my family, I reached Delhi safely in October, 1947 – by Hazur’s Grace for certain.

We stayed with Mr and Mrs Jagjit Singh Sodhi, sister and brother-in-law of my wife. They provided us with shelter and food, later helping me to get a job with the Government of India. Master Kirpal Singh went back to Dera to serve Hazur in His last days. In the absence of Master Kirpal Singh, an initiate, S. Gurbuxsh Singh – now deceased – conducted the Satsangs in Delhi.

From Dera, Master Kirpal Singh wrote to His devoted son Darshan Singh to come and receive Hazur’s darshan before the Great Master left the physical plane. Very few believed that the Master would leave. This was made known to the Sangat.

The Great Master Sawan Singh Ji passed away physically on the morning of 2nd April, 1948 at 8 o’clock. A lady rushed to the relatives and begged them not to touch the body as Master Sawan Singh would come back and give His last message, as was done by Swami Shiv Dayal Singh Ji of Agra. But the plans were completed so her fervent appeal was denied. The body was cremated the same afternoon and many were down-hearted from grief and disappointment in not viewing the most Beloved Master’s physical form once more. The scene is too woeful to reconstruct. Grief stricken Kirpal Singh left Dera for the Himalayas on the same night with no intention to return. But He carried with Him the Spiritual Torch of Master Sawan Singh Ji far away into the wilderness to meditate for 18 hours daily in association with His Master within at all times.

Accompanying the Living Master to the Himalayas were three of Master Sawan Singh’s heart-broken disciples. One was Madam Hardevi who was instructed by Hazur to follow Master Kirpal Singh to be the caretaker in as much as He Himself, was leaving for Sach Khand. She is the widow of Raja Rani, manufacturing jeweller who built a million dollar Temple for Hazur.

Bibi Hardevi worked incessantly to help the Great Master establish His ministry under Ruhani Satsang. She still manages the affairs of Sawan Ashram and is a valuable aid in Satsang. She is indispensable to the Holy Cause of the Masters.

The Spiritual Law is that the Master Who gives initiation is the One to be meditated upon. One’s own initiator is always retained provided it is a True Initiation and a Perfect Master. Master never dies. He is not even the body, he is the Power controlling the body. He sees that the initiates reach the Home of the Father and if He leaves the earth, His successor follows the same Path.

Master Sawan Singh directed Kirpal Singh to return to Delhi to begin a new Satsang and a new Ashram on the pattern of the one He had sanctioned long before His departure. He had foreseen the confusion and error, the difficulty and despair of many tender saplings – so in the latter part of 1948 Master Kirpal Singh returned to Delhi. I remember well His first Satsang. We were a small crowd in attendance at Darya Ganj Delhi. Although there was no fanfare and embellishment, the precious Living Master of this era was much adorned with celestial Light Music and odour of sanctity emanating from time and permeating the entire atmosphere. We were drenched with nectar of immortality. Even so, the Master was in tears when He related the Greatness of Hazur. Of how we could meet Him within now that we had lost the most charming Personality without. Of how through hard work at meditation with purity of thought, word and deed we could be blessed with the Radiant Form within and how glad He would be to help all who would come to His door.

When news spread that His Holiness was again among us, many started flocking around Him to derive spiritual, mental and physical benefit. He, for quite some time, had been sought after in this way. Hazur was cognizant of His Spiritual Gifts and often watched, with delight, the clamouring, almost begging, for a place near His chief disciple. He was adored by all. The crowd began to grow so large, the Master had to rent a place at Kingsway Camp – a refugee colony in New Delhi – where Satsangs and meditations were held regularly.

It was the practice of the family to sit daily in meditation, preferably in the early morning. Raghubir was the youngest but he saw a vision one day in meditation revealing that I would be transferred to America. My child was taken to the Master to describe what he saw and we were told the vision would come true. It goes without saying that it did.

One day thereafter, some of my friends applied for a job in foreign service. I went along to see what fortune would bring to me. I was selected and ordered to proceed to Kabul, Afghanistan and then to Czechoslovakia. By the Grace of the Master, I was assigned instead to Toronto, Canada in November, 1949.

Before leaving India, Mrs Khanna and I paid homage to Master Kirpal Singh. He graciously received us and gave His blessings with brief instructions about how to live in a foreign country and to be punctual in Bhajan and Simran. Pushpa Ji, daughter of Bibi Hardevi, was with us at the time of this audience with the Master. As we took our leave, the Master walked out of His bungalow to the street with us where a horse-carriage was waiting. He put His hands on our heads and told us to go forward that the Master-Power was working overhead extending all feasible help and protection.

At the time I did not comprehend that the Great Master had assigned a tremendous job to me in His vineyard – to start His mission in the West – the beginning of Ruhani Satsang. Every Master brings into the world his own working staff.

Some of our relatives doubted that my wife would be allowed to travel by air because she was expecting a baby but she went through without being noticed, let alone being stopped.

On arrival in Toronto we were met by an officer of Indian High Commission and lodged in a hotel until we were able to get a house three months latter in Willowdale, Ontario. It was then February, 1950 and time for the arrival of the baby. We did not know anyone in the neighbourhood. I knocked anyway at a door and asked if the gentleman could telephone for a cab to rush my wife to the hospital.

Mrs Khanna was nervous and could not speak English or French. She was afraid she would be served non-vegetarian food and may collapse. We all prayed to the Master for help.

The minute Mrs. Khanna entered the hospital of Womens’ College in Toronto, she found a Canadian nurse. Miss Buchannan, born in India, who began to speak the same language. What a relief. The nurse was requested to serve milk and butter boiled together. On 2nd February, a son was born and given the name of Gurcharan Singh by the Master.

I started discourses about the importance of the Living Master and Sant Mat. This created some interest. I wrote to the Great Master Who encouraged me. He assured me that Master-Power would take care of the rest. The Master’s first letter in His own handwriting, is reproduced below:

No. 1 Kingsway Road
Kingsway P.O.
Old Delhi, India
26 January, 1950

Dear Trilochan Singh Ji

Your two letters were received from London and Toronto. I am glad that you have reached your destination all safe and sound with Hazur’s Grace. He is overhead ever protecting His followers – just as a hen protects her chickens underneath her wings. I hope you may have since been fixed up and your food arrangements are now satisfactory.

You are now breathing a free air and you will find this trip to America for your betterment.

The child’s vision of my trip to America may come out to be true. It is not strange. Hazur Maharaj Ji is working all over the world.

I hope you are regular in your Bhajan and Simran and so is dear Mohan Kaur and other children. I will enquire about the addresses of certain Satsangis there and will let you know in due course. Today is the first day of India becoming a Republic and celebrations are going on all round.

With Love to you, dear Mohan Kaur and children.

Yours
Kirpal Singh

I may mention here that Hazur had sent His disciple Kehr Singh Sasmus to the USA in 1911 when I was not even born. He instructed Dr and Mrs H.M. Brock for initiation. They lived in Port Angeles, Washington, and Dr Brock was a dentist.

In America at that time there was no group functioning in Sant Mat, but there were a few initiates of Great Master Sawan Singh scattered in different parts of the country, mainly in California. Dr. Dona Kelley of California was contacted and accepted our invitation to join us as a guest speaker at Hazur’s Birth Anniversary Celebrations in Toronto held on 27th July, 1960. The Theosophical Society of Toronto agreed to lend us their auditorium for the occasion. The India Government Trade Commissioner, S. Gurpal Singh, knew Master Sawan Singh, so he appeared on the platform to speak. There was good audience and all were served Indian vegetarian dinner. We know the celebration was a success because we felt the presence of the Master.

The Toronto office was closed and I was ordered to go back to India. It was a like a thounderbolt. Where was the fulfillment of the prophecy? Master Kirpal Singh was informed and the whole situation was changed. Our booked passage was cancelled. I was posted in Washington, D.C. on 15th May, 1951, with India Supply Mission.

Here we are in the United States of America since the day we crossed the border between the two nations, a second and third temporal life not too unlike our India. At this time of change there are four good and obedient children – one daughter and three sons – to try in every honourable way to assist in the new endeavour. We have learned a lot about the change and I think anyone of us could write an interesting story about it. In a few days we were holding Satsang in our living area. It was nice to be with these few Seekers of Truth and before long we moved the groups to the Friends Meeting House, 21 11 Florida Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. a beautiful setting in the heart of the ‘down town’ city. Every first and third Sunday through the years plus the semi-annual anniversary celebrations we conduct a lively Satsang there. It is really the Rock upon which the Truth of the living Masters is in the Western world. I shall be ever grateful for the privilege.

The very first advertised public Satsang was held at the local YWCA to commemorate the birth anniversary of Master Sawan Singh on 27th July, 1953. The first initiates in America of Master Kirpal Singh, Rev. and Mrs. Emil Christesen laboured generously to make it a success. Dr Dona Kelley and her blessed husband Charles were brought from California to be the guest speakers. They delivered the discourse that was a biography of Master Sawan Singh, written by Master Kirpal Singh. The charged atmosphere inspired many who attended to seek further information and request initiation. Those beginning days were truly joyful. The sacrifice of time, money and labour was hardly felt owing to the Grace of the Master-Power over our heads.

In no time at all, so it seemed, several centres of Ruhani Satsang were opened on the West and East Coast. These expanded activities warranted my travelling to and from various places to translate the original scriptures and explain the similarity of past recorded scriptures, not withstanding, the differences.

The most important message of Love is the necessity of the Living Master – my letterhead had the coined phrase ‘Living Master is a Great Blessing.’ All humanity is enveloped by the way of the Saints regardless of nationality, race, creed or philosophy and all are touched in some way, many times, unknown to the recipient or unbelieved for that matter. The wisdom and Grace of the Master-Saints in effect is esoteric Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism and their offshoots.

Truth is One, men call it variously.

Great Masters Sawan Singh and Kirpal Singh were born into the Sikh Religion, the definition of which means disciple (seeker). What one is born into does not mean one should stop there. They did not stop. They became pioneers and explorers of absolute Truth. They realised God and passed the secrets of life, death and immortality on to all who would listen and follow in order that these seekers who believe could make the experiment in the laboratory of their own being. The water is naturally for the thirsty, so it is with the soul experience. Sometimes, however, if one’s development is advanced or one’s karma is ripe enough, a Master-Soul destined to be responsible for that ‘sleeper’ can and does figuratively kiss the ‘sleeping beauty’ and catapults her (soul) into the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace – Master-Soul – where the Inner Eye sees the Light and the Inner Ear hears the Sound – the glorious phenomena of Great Master Kirpal Singh – some just walking or sitting with Him are able to see and hear the splendour of celestial Light and Music. This Power is God-in-action descending and ascending as Naam, Word, Holy Ghost or Life Current.

No rituals, ceremonies or dogmas to struggle over. Only a simple and ancient way of meditation with no exercises or breathing involved. It is an effortless effort. But without the guiding hand of the Living Master there is no fruitful result. Therefore, to substantiate the claims and give first-hand experience, Master Kirpal Singh, first of His line, came to the western world in person accompanied by Madam Hardevi and Princess Narindera.

Mrs Khanna and I travelled with the Great Master and His party while in America and Canada in 1955 to take care of His itinerary, engagements – interviews with newspapers, radio. television and dignitaries – food and shelter in addition to Master’s personal appearances and discourses on platforms during the tour. The Master directed His activities while stopping with us in Washington. A few more centres were established across the country on this trip with the Master’s personal touch.

The second coming of the Master in 1963 naturally had more impact. He was here for Thanksgiving, Christmas. New Year 1964 and the celebration of His own birthday (71st) in advance of His departure date, January. Again Mrs Khanna and I travelled with the Master making it necessary to resign my job with the U.S. Government, but I was fortunate to be re-employed by the Government in a better position. Concourses were larger, stops in travel were more frequent and distances to be covered were longer. Sometime I wept because of the hardships and privation suffered by the Noble Master Who never once complained about discomfort or inconvenience.

By the Grace of Almighty God, the magnificence of the Living Master is evident everywhere now. There are 110 centres through the USA, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Africa and South America with many more in the offing. Thousands of letters are received and answered with enclosures of free literature. Many of the great books of the Master Kirpal Singh are sold at cost to defray expenses of the publishing. Visitors from all countries come to our residence which serves as home and a type of Ashram. It is a ‘Bee Hive’ of coming and going.

His Holiness is the working President of the World Fellowship of Religions with international headquarters in New Delhi, India. It is sponsored by a Jain Saint, Muni Sushil Kumar. Three successful conventions have been held and honoured by the participation of late Prime Ministers of India, Mr Nehru and Mr Shastri.

Our project at present is the prayerful third world tour of the Living Master Kirpal Singh. May He be with us here for a long time to come. We need Him so.

In conclusion, I should like to reflect on the grand return to India after a lapse of 18 years. This was a special favour granted by the Master. He aided the selection of a bright and shining daughter-in-law. The marriage ceremony was personally supervised by His Holiness and such Love and welcome to us all could never be excelled. His magnetic eyes attracted so many souls. It was such a blessing to travel with Him and meet thousands of people who turned out at every stop to greet Him and be blessed by Him. The least I can say in remembrance at this is:

Thanks dear Master for all Your Love and protection.

Amen.