Kirpal Singh

The Master speaks: Think of Death

English translation of one of the Master’s – Kirpal Singh’s – Satsang talks in Hindi at Sawan Ashram, Delhi

I

None is thy True Companion among worldly relations, 
why sleep ye among these cheats?

Swami Ji¹

We have before us a psalm of Swami Ji Maharaj. You may go through the writings or devotional songs of any of the Great Souls. You will find that all have stressed the same point – know thyself.

It is said:

Recognise that thou art a sentient being.

At present we are unaware of our Real Self as we are completely identified with the body. We look at the world from the physical level only. As such, it does not appear to us in its true colours.

Matter is changing. The body and the world, which are composed of matter, are also changing. If two things are undergoing a relative change, that is not perceptible. Many a time I have tried to explain this phenomenon through an example. Suppose a boat is sailing in a river with the speed of the water current. The occupant of the boat would feel as if the boat is at rest. But, one who is standing outside can clearly apprehend that the boat, as well as the river, is flowing with the same speed. In other words, an Awakened Soul, out of sheer compassion, draws our attention towards our sad plight. But, caught up in the mighty maze of matter, we pay no heed to His clarion calls. We have taken the physical mould as something real and think that we have to live permanently in this world. All Great Souls, however, tell us that the world is unreal while the soul is real something eternal, unchangeable, and permanent.

There is an allusion in the epic Mahabharata that a question was once asked of King Yudishtra by Yaksha:

What is the most amazing thing in the world?

The King replied:

Every day we see the people dying around us. Near and dear ones carry the dead body to the cremation ground or burial places. They even light the funeral pyre with their own hands. And yet men think they will never die.

It is, indeed, quite strange and ironical. Learned or illiterate, rich or poor, high or low all suffer from the same delusion. What do the Saints teach us? Learn how to transcend the tabernacle of flesh, and you will be able to perceive everything in a proper perspective. Then you can clearly apprehend the ever-changing panorama of life and will realise the Truth of scriptural precepts – the world is impermanent and the soul is eternal. All Great Souls Who came to this world of ours from time to time endeavoured to draw our attention to these Truths. Whether They expressed Themselves through the Vedic mantras in Sanskrit or spoke in Persian or Arabic, the essence of Their teachings was the same the world is not a permanent dwelling place for us.

We dwell in the body and are not the body itself. In other words, we are an ensouled entity. Soul is essentially divine. We are all children of God. These have been the teachings of all Enlightened Souls. We should not take the language of the scriptures literally, but should try to follow the spirit of what is stated. One may spend one’s lifetime in the study of the Vedas or scriptures. Of course, it is not a child’s play. For one thing, it is really difficult to acquire mastery over Sanskrit the language of the Vedas. One will have to exert a lot to learn it. Secondly, even if you master all the scriptures, you would arrive at the same conclusion the physical world is unreal and the spirit is real.

We should search for Reality. The Vedas proclaim:

Oh Lord! lead us from untruth to Truth and from darkness to Light.

We may state this reality in any language. It would not make any difference. What is required is that we should proceed towards Truth. Discriminate right from wrong and adopt the former. This would help us in achieving our goal. Whatever is mentioned in the scriptures is primarily a revelation of the various aspects of the human body that we possess. This is the greatest Veda, Granth, Qur’an, or Bible in which we are dwelling. Unless we make an exhaustive study of this book – body –, all other knowledge is of no avail. All evolved souls exhort us to tap inside and focus our attention between and behind the two eyebrows. Further, they tell us to seek the association of a Master-Soul. Great Souls actually traverse in the cave of human body. It is not necessary that we should exclusively depend on scriptural knowledge for the practical Spiritual Experiences. This can be accomplished easily and quickly under the guidance of some Adept in the Science of Spirituality. Our main object is the practical achievement of what is recorded in religious books.

Swami Ji, therefore, emphasizes that, in reality, we are a spirit clothed by the body. This – body – is our first companion when we come into the world. All our earthly relations are because of this body developed after its advent. At the time of death, this clayey mould is left behind and all worldly possessions cease to have any significance. Now tell me as to who is your true friend among all these? Saints have given the following answer:

They are our real friends in whose company we may develop right understanding.

The very sight of Them should dispel the veil of ignorance cast upon us. We treat the unreal as real. This is called ignorance. But when we meet an Enlightened Soul, He removes the veil of darkness and thus enables us to distinguish between real and unreal. Such Persons alone are fit to be called True Companions. They are very, very rare; but the world is not without one. As the physical body does not accompany us, we require the association of One Who may abide by us at all times both here and in the hereafter. Who can be such a One? Obviously, God alone. He is the Soul of our soul. He is our Life-Principle. We live, move, and have our very being in Him. Other than God, such persons, in Whom He is manifest, are our Everlasting Friends. They are verily a Human Pole on which the Power of God works.

Wherever a disciple may be on the snow-capped mountains, in the depths of oceans, in trackless jungles, or on burning sands the Master ever remains with him to guide him at every step, for that is His Eternal Promise. And again, when one leaves the body at the time of death or withdraws his sensory currents to the seat of the soul, the Radiant Form of the Master appears to escort the soul into the beyond. One who possesses this competency is called a Guru. He is not the physical body. Kabir² goes to the extent of saying:

Those who take the Master on the human level will have to go in the lower forms of creation.

This is a great deception engulfing the entire world. Truly speaking, the term Guru is not an appellation of any person. It signifies and stands for the God-Power manifestly working on a chosen Human Pole.

In the Gurbani³, we have:

God speaks through a human frame; without such a frame, how can He speak?

Again says Nanak⁴:

Oh Lalo! I simply speak out what God makes me speak.

Such a one alone is called a Sadhu, Saint, or Mahatma. We are all embodied spirits. Man alone can be the teacher of man. As such, God-Power must adopt some Human Pole in order to contact us at our level. Only a manifested God-in-man can direct our attention Godwards. On the physical plane, He acts as a teacher or a Guru and gives Spiritual Instructions to the aspirants.

He says:

Neither you are a body nor am I. Let us leave the body and rise above it.

There you would find Him in His luminous form. He alone is a True Preceptor. He is a never-failing friend, both here and hereafter:

God Himself dwells in Godman, although the latter may look like a human being.

The words sher (tiger) and sheer (milk) may have identical appearance but possess a quite different meaning.

The words sher and sheer are written in the same way – in Urdu –, but vastly differ in sense. The former stands for a wild beast, while the latter connotes a thing that gives strength and stamina. Likewise, there is a world or difference between an ordinary person and a Godman. The Master-Soul is Word-made-flesh. He can transcend the physical body at will and can traverse into higher Spiritual Realms. In the garb of a man, He is, in reality, much more than what He seems to be. He is a Sadhu – a disciplined soul – or Satguru – Master of Truth. Unless one contacts such a Saint, Real Spiritual Advancement is impossible. The God-Power is manifested in the form remembered by an aspirant:

The Nameless has many names; He doth attend by whatever name He is addressed.

Thus, there is no distinction between a Realised Soul and God. When placed in fire, an iron ball assumes the very form of fire. Similarly, Master-Souls are verily One with God, but come down into the material world at His behest to fulfil His Divine Purpose. Enlightened Souls Who have experienced Reality within are rare indeed maybe one in millions. But the rest who claim this status and pose and act as real masters not only deceive themselves, but misguide people. It is because of such impostors that guruship is being looked down upon. But here the word Guru is not being used for false teachers who deceive simple-minded seekers after Truth. Their teachings are confined to Apara Vidya⁵. They neither have above-body experience themselves, nor can they help others. We are least concerned with such fake masters.

Nowadays, the words ‘Sadhu’ and ‘Sant’ have been defamed so much that people have lost all faith even in genuine Masters. Let us leave aside these words and replace them by more appropriate ones. But, the fact remains that the guidance of one well versed in the science and art of Spirituality is indispensable for those who want to make progress. There is no other way out. He should be able to give a first-hand Inner Experience to the aspiring souls, however little it may be. The Great Souls have stressed that worldly relations are of ephemeral nature; none is your real friend. We are a living soul but are identified with the body, which would not accompany us. Then what is the significance of bodily relations? A Real Friend is He Who stands by us through thick and thin. He can either be God or a Saint.

It is, therefore, said:

Oh Nanak! snap all ephemeral ties of worldly relations and find the company of a True Saint; the former shall break away in this very life, while the latter shall abide with thee even after death.

The Great Teacher emphasizes that we should sever all our earthly connections and search for the Eternal Friendship of some Enlightened Soul. The friends and relations do not stand by us in all the vicissitudes of life. Some of them desert us in poverty and indigence, some in prolonged illness and disease, and yet some in adversity and misfortune. At best a few of them may help you to the funeral pyre and that is all. Even the most sincere stand by as silent spectators when one struggles for life but ultimately loses the battle against death. As such, you should seek the Spiritual Guidance of One Who may reveal to you the mysteries of the beyond and give out-of-body experience which one normally gets at the time of death. Further, He should abide with us when we shake off this mortal coil. This is the definition of a True Saint. But alas! nowadays the term given is being used for those who believe in external posing and are able to deliver sermons or preach scriptural texts. My Master used to say that bookish knowledge is all wilderness – no way out. This is the condition of the world. Poor and innocent people are being exploited by the so-called gurus for their own ends. One who ravels at the plane of senses is sure to fall.

Spirituality is not a subject of verbal talk:

This is a practical subject beyond the grasp of intellect and thinking; leave off all lip service and be doer of the Word; then alone you would enjoy the quintessence of True Knowledge.

It is a question of leading a well disciplined and regulated life. When people suffer the worst experiences at the hands of false teachers, they say: ‘It is all gurudom.’ This does not mean that one should abandon his search for a Perfect Master. Without Him the goal can not be reached.

We bestow all our Love on the world and all that is of the world wife and children, friends and relations, riches and possessions. All these worldly objects are subject to death and decay. They betray us some time or the other. As such, we should not idle away our precious moments in their company. The expression of Enlightened Souls is always frank and fearless. Swami Ji, a Great Teacher, calls all relations as cheats because they rob us of our valuable human life. Cheats are soft spoken. You only come to know when they have played their trick and deprived you of your belongings. But then it is too late.

The worldly delusion starts from the body. Having been identified with the fleshy mould, we take it as something eternal. All our life we are engaged in the care and maintenance of the body. Is it not a deception? So are bodily relations. Suppose a man steals something from your house. No doubt you have suffered a loss, but at least in person you are safe. Again, suppose another individual comes and takes away your clothes. Although you are left without clothes, you remain safe. Likewise, let us assume that a third man comes, hits you and fractures a limb, but you survive. Your body may have been hurt, but at least your life has been saved. And yet another comes and captures your very attention – soul. Is not he your worst enemy? A child at play would naturally attract the attention of those around him. All material attractions are dangerous and prove a stumbling block on the Path Godwards. Appearances are deceptive because they keep our attention diverted in a wrong direction. Truly speaking, we were to unite our soul with God but, alas! are getting lost in the mundane things. These worldly charms may be compared to broad daylight dacoits that keep us far removed from Reality. You can imagine the plight of those who are sleeping among them.

Just as a father is moved by the pitiable condition of his son and advises him out of sheer compassion, similar is the case with our heavenly Father. He assumes the garb of a Saint and awakens the sleeping humanity out of the deep slumber. Then He tells us that every moment of our precious human birth is being wasted in the transitory charms of the world. We should safeguard ourselves from this grand delusion. None is our foremost companion in this world. Everyone shall forsake us in due course of time,

This swan (soul) will depart alone.

Here a question arises as to what preparation have we made for the last journey. This is a subject that is before all social orders and religions. Seek the association of an Evolved Soul Who is a human being like us but has attained Godhood. You may call Him what you like. Call Him a man of intuition, Who may open your Inner Eye. Then there would be no question of any deception. Even if the aspirant is illiterate, he would get Inner Perception.

In Peshawar – now in Pakistan –, there was one Baba Bhoj Singh. He was a truly devoted soul. He was once asked to explain the difference between ‘saying’ and ‘doing.’ He replied, saying is kehna, while doing is karna. In Punjabi, the word ‘kehna’ stands for a contagious disease. One who develops this always feels a scratching sensation on the body and feels relieved by scratching. As the sick person rubs himself, the disease goes on intensifying until it covers the whole body. Similarly, mere talking and professing without practising is of no avail and leads us nowhere. The word ‘karna’ means an orange flower that spreads its fragrance far and wide. Identical is the condition of those who engage themselves in regular Spiritual Practices. What a brief exposition in two words. But a learned man would explain the same in an elaborate way. We are only concerned with the kernel and not the shell.

Christ said:

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Again:

Let my words abide in you and you abide in me.

Expressions may differ, but the sense is the same. In the association of a Godman or a man of realisation, you would experience that the physical body is a mere casement. By constant practice when you transcend the fleshy mould as a matter of routine, you can see the cosmic order from the level of the spirit. This is our goal. Self-realisation precedes God-Realisation. Having experienced Godhood and after tasting the Divine Elixir, you will live in the world and yet out of it.

Swami Ji says:

In Satsang, sit with receptivity and loving devotion, then the Master would dye you in the fast colour of Naam.

Great Souls have always invited our attention towards vital things of life. They have endeavoured to explain the axiomatic truths through examples:

Know ye, oh friend, that the world creation is wholly unreal; oh Nanak! it is unstable like a sand wall.

By unreal is meant what is not eternal and hence impermanent. Whatever we see around is just like a sand wall, having a very short life. It crumbles as soon as the water dries up.

It is said:

World is a mere dream and a juggler’s play.

This magic show with no reality lasts only for a while:

Open thy eyes and see that nowhere is thy brother or friend; some are ready to depart while others would follow; everyone has to quit in his own turn.

Again it is said:

Kings, subjects, householders, divines, and incarnations come and go; likewise each of one of us has to depart one day or the other.

Great personalities appear on the world scene and then vanish forever. None could stay for an indefinite period. Enlightened Souls like Guru Nanak, Hazrat Mohammed, and Lord Krishna took up human garb and abandoned it. There is no exception to this rule. So we must know about the thing that disappears from the body. That is our own Self. Awakened Souls have always stressed this point. Knowing that the fleshy mould is not everlasting, what should we do?

Let us see what Guru Arjan⁶ says:

We are so much engrossed with perishable things that we have forgotten even the Creator; whom should we love when all are to part with?

Every one of us is attached to the ephemeral things of the world. God is immortal. We have ignored Him. The entire world is subject to death and decay. The physical body is a heap of dust. It is said:

Dust thou art and unto dust returnest.

One day we will be separated from the mortal frame. In such a predicament, what must we do? We are building houses on sandy foundations. We are sailing in paper boats – body. We have to understand this. He who has understood that life on the earth plane is short lived and has to pack up one day would not tell lies, cheat anyone, slander, or think ill of others. But alas! we never for a moment think about death. We do not see the world in its true colours. That is why we treat it as something real and eternal:

So long as we are trapped by worldly delusion and blind infatuation, this mirage cannot disappear.

‘Maya’ means delusion. Having been identified with the body, we forgot our real Self and also Overself. Body is the root cause of all delusions. When we see our fellow beings from the body level, attachment is natural. The moment the Inner Eye opens, self-awareness would dawn upon us. Then this tabernacle of flesh would appear to be a heap of dust. It is quite surprising that we see the changing panorama of life with our own eyes and yet do not believe. Like an oily surface where water does not stick, our hearts have become so much saturated with the glamour of the external world that no amount of Jnana or knowledge produces any effect. We read and never go deep into the meaning.

All Great Souls have given a clarion call:

Oh man, thou has to depart.

Does it appeal to us? We have been completely dyed in the colour of the world so much so that even the heart-rending appeals of Enlightened Souls prove futile. In such a condition, self-awakening is the only alternative.

The Vedas state:

Awake, arise, and stop not till the goal reached.

Guru Arjan in this context says:

Awake thou, oh traveller of the way.

All Saints have virtually said the same thing. We are not concerned with the expressions but should concentrate on the essence of the subject.

Hence the exhortation:

Attend ye the Satsang with loving devotion.

By the term ‘Satsang,’ we understand any lecture or discourse on the scriptures – generally a tall talk. This is a misnomer. Awakened Souls do not call such discourse or congregation a Satsang.

They have defined it as:

No congregation can be called a Satsang, unless it is presided over a Master-Saint.

Satsang denotes the company or discourse of a Truth-personified Saint alone. There is no question of Gurudom here. Huge gatherings without the presence of a man of realisation or enlightenment cannot be called a Satsang. It is a question of self-awakening and self-analysis first. Then only one can pass it on to others. He who is identified with the body at the plane of mind and senses, although well versed in the scriptures, has no Inner Experience or contact with Reality. Association with such a person is not Satsang. He has neither Inner Perception himself nor can impart it to others. What is the greatness of an Evolved Soul? He transcends the body limitations at will and can make others do likewise. He gives Inner Vision to the spiritually blind, and one experiences some glimpses of Divine Light within. Further, His ears are in tune with the Divine Melody. We are dead to the Music of the Spheres. One Who is competent to do this is called a Guru.

The Holy Qur’an also states likewise:

Our eyes and ears have been sealed. Catch hold of a Master Who may unseal them.

In the teachings of the Masters, physical senses are not of much avail.

Nanak says:

One sees without eyes, hears without ears, walks without feet, acts without hands, and talks without tongue, provided one learns to die while living. Oh Nanak! it is then alone that one can know the cosmic will and meet the Beloved.

Again, He says:

Different are the eyes, oh Nanak, that behold the Vision of God.

When one is able to understand the Lord’s will, one would establish contact with Naam or the Power of God. Elementary steps at the body level are not enough. Real help would come from a Spiritual Adept. A learned man can give you knowledge. An engineer can teach engineering. A doctor can teach anatomy. Likewise, an Enlightened Soul can give you a first-hand contact with Truth.

Lord Krishna has stated in the Gita:

If you are desirous of having Jnana or True Knowledge (practical Inner Experience), you should go to an Evolved Soul.

This is not the job of scholars.

Maulana Rumi⁷ says:

If you intend going for a pilgrimage, take with you one who has already been on a pilgrimage no matter whether he is a Hindu, a Turk, or an Arab.

Denomination, caste, or creed is no bar to Spirituality. Should you be anxious to become a doctor, you should go to an expert in a medical science. Similarly, for self-realisation one should seek the guidance of One in the science of soul. He may belong to any social order. What does it matter? Saint Ravi Das⁸ was a cobbler by profession. Kabir was a weaver. Namdev⁹ was a calico-printer. Saina¹⁰ was a barber. Those Who have realised God can dye one in the colour of Godhood. Life comes from life and light from light. Everyone transmits his own colour to others.

Maulana Rumi explains this phenomenon through an anecdote. One day He found in His bathroom some clay that was fragrant. Maulana asked the clay:

How is that you are so much perfumed?

Then He Himself answers on behalf of the clay:

I am the same humble dust but had spent sometime in the proximity of fragrant flowers. It is this vicinity which has filled me with fragrance.

Kabir says likewise. All Great Souls have expressed the same thing, but in Their own language. But we are only concerned with the spirit of what They have said. The company of a disciplined soul is just like going to the shop of a scent dealer. If he gives you a scent-bottle, it is well and good. If not, at least you would enjoy the sweet fragrance. A charged atmosphere has its effect. We should bestow our Love and reverence on an Awakened Soul and not on the so-called mahatmas with whom the world abounds. A really Enlightened Soul is a rarity.

The Gurbani says:

There is none in millions; there may be one in billions.

India had many sages and seers in ancient times. But Janaka¹¹, the royal sage, could find only Ashtavakra¹² to get a practical Inner Experience of Divine Light. If it was so in those days, how could the number – of Awakened Souls – run into thousands today? The more the better. But without the active guidance of a Living Master, one cannot proceed on the Spiritual Path. Always sit in the company of a Realised Soul. He would be able to trans-humanise the human in you. This task cannot be accomplished by those who believe in acting and posing. They cheat and exploit the innocent folk by issuing blank checks on Spirituality. Who will honour them?

One who has not enough for himself, what can he spare for those who depend on him?

Great teachers are always outspoken. If you have accepted a master who himself is wanting in Spiritual Riches, how could he give others Inner Perception?

It is, therefore, said:

By meeting the Perfect Master, one sees the Holy Light with his own eyes.

You would then see Reality yourself and affirm it. After initiating Janak, Ashtavakra asked him if he got Inner Experience. The latter confirmed it in a humble and respectful way. The charm lies in the receiver of Spiritual Wealth acknowledging it in unequivocal terms. False prophets always try to put off an aspirant with lame excuses because they are incompetent to demonstrate Reality within. They advise their followers in outer pursuits like developing blind faith, idol worship, drinking holy water, etc. Some of them tell their disciples that they have not matured enough for the Spiritual Gift, and that Inner Development takes place automatically in due course of time. But what is the guarantee that there would be Inner Awakening? It is, therefore, imperative that we should only rely on a first-hand Inner Experience of the Light of Life. With the revelation of the Power of God within, the illusion of mind disappears.

By infusing His own Life-Impulse, a Perfect Master puts us on the Spiritual Path and then unites us with the Power of God.

It is a question of giving the Bread of Life and Water of Life before we are engaged in Bhakti. It has been defined as:

A Gurumukh Bhakti is one in which the Sound Current is made manifest spontaneously; then alone one communes with the Word.

Further, it is said:

Some Godly Person may link us with God.

These are the utterings of Great Souls. They are true today as in the bygone days. A Spiritual Luminary capable of giving Inner Contact with the Saving Life-Lines is called a Sadhu, Sant, or Mahatma. The need for such Master-Souls was felt in the past and will always be felt in the future. They are the saviours of humanity. One dyed in the colour of Naam remains immune from the glamour of the outside world. From where do the worldly lusts attack us? From the body level and the plane of senses. Only by transcending body consciousness, one contacts the Light of Life. Naam is not subject to external vision. It cannot be experienced at the level of the senses. It is the knowledge of the beyond.

The elixir of the Divine Word is too sweet. If you partake of It, the mundane pleasures would become insipid and valueless.

In the association of an Awakened Soul, you would experience the Spiritual Ecstasy of Naam and lose all charm for sensual pleasures. This is the difference between an ordinary man and a man of realisation. Both of them discharge their mundane obligations in more or less the same way. While one is completely engrossed in the world, the other – Godman – leads a detached life. He Who remains neh karma or actionless in action in all his doings is a Liberated Soul. Actions, good or bad, keep us in bondage. Even the incarnations are not free from the cycle of transmigration. Only by becoming a Conscious Co-Worker of the Divine Plan, one is released from the karmic web. What is the criterion of such a Great Soul?

In this context Nanak says:

One attuned with His will, oh Nanak, is wholly freed from ego.

The knowledge of the Divine Will means the destruction of ego. He sees the invisible hand of God working around Him. A Perfected Being never claims any credit for Himself. He would always say:

It is the Grace of my revered Master.

This is because He witnesses within and around Him the play of the Supreme Power.

All thy riches and wealth avail thee naught; you will be separated from them in a fraction of a second.

All the earthly possessions become of no consequence the moment the soul leaves the body. Money mania has become the be-all and end-all of our life. People would like to know your bank balance or about your properties and possessions. We generally care least for the higher values of life. At the time of my retirement, I was at Lahore – now in West Pakistan. Some of my colleagues asked me how much I had saved during my working life. I told them that I had only some provident fund amount to my credit. At this some of them remarked that I was a fool not to have saved anything for the rainy day. One who shared his income with others would not be able to create a bank balance, I told them. Then they inquired whether I had built a house. When I replied in the negative, I was told that I had not acted wisely. From their point of view, they were correct. Some friends had purchased lands and were busy constructing their houses. Some of them had their pensions commuted for the purpose. In the meantime, the partition of India took place. All their properties and possessions were left in Pakistan. When they met me again, they admitted that it was I who had acted with foresight and wisdom. Likewise, we have to vacate this mortal frame one day. Then what is the significance of our riches and possessions? When one is about to breathe his last, one’s relations immediately take charge of the keys and other things. Many a time there are quarrels over the division of property. I had seen such incidents. Once a lady obstructed the funeral of her husband on the plea that her case should be decided first. What a deplorable condition of the world!

Money is the root cause of most domestic quarrels. Husbands and wives cannot live in harmony. Once I saw a husband rebuking his ailing wife. He wanted her to go to her parents until she recovered. What a pity! People are mostly after money and have lost all regard for the higher values of life. There are persons who lead a life of austerity, but their number is small. I definitely have regard for them. But the majority behaves otherwise. We have reached the climax of deterioration. There is hardly any regard for the old, sick, and destitute. They are given the worst possible treatment with all sorts of humiliations and indignations. This is the true picture of the world. One who remembers God and cultivates chastity while still young would ever remain happy. This work cannot be accomplished in old age. Who knows what will be our physical condition then. By excessive indulgence, one loses one’s balance of mind and life is shortened. Those who observe continence lead a cheerful and long life. But, on the whole, moral and ethical values are on the decline. In this world nothing is our own. Everything belongs to the Almighty. What is there to accompany us? Tulsi Sahib¹³ goes to the extent of saying that you may accumulate all the wealth of the world and own the entire land from the place of sunrise to sunset as your property. Though impossible, let us assume for a moment that it can be done. What is the outcome?

When death is thy ultimate destination, what is the value of earthly possessions?

All material things would be left behind on doomsday, but the evil of ill-gotten gains would accompany you. Therefore, earn your livelihood by the sweat of your brow and spend in a right way. This would help you on the Godwards Path. Help the poor, hungry, thirsty, and downtrodden to mitigate their sufferings. This is the correct way to utilise one’s earnings. Tulsi Sahib says that if water enters a boat, you should leave it immediately or else you would lose your life. Similarly, if there is excess of wealth, it should be utilised for a noble cause. Keeping this in view, the tenth Sikh Guru – Guru Gobind Singh – started the practice of Vand Shakna or sharing things with others. If we cultivate this virtue, our homes would become a heaven. Most of the domestic strife is because those who have are not ready to share with have-nots. If we only learn how to feed the hungry and help the needy, there would be peace and harmony everywhere.

Keep the company of Awakened Souls. Serve Them as best as you can. Provide whatever facilities you can to those who want to visit such Great Souls for higher knowledge. A heart longing for gold can never be clean. We should engage ourselves in the pursuits that may benefit our soul in the long run. We can solve the enigma of life only in the association of Enlightened Persons.

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Footnotes: 1) Swami Ji (1818–1878): Swami Shiv Dayal Singh, the Great Saint of Agra. He revived the teachings of the Masters like Kabir and Nanak. 2) Kabir (1440–1518): A well-known Indian Saint Who practised and preached Surat Shabd Yoga. 3) Gurbani: The Sacred Writings of the Sikh Masters. 4) Nanak (1469–1539): Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. 5) Lalo: A disciple of Guru Nanak and a carpenter by trade. 6) Guru Arjan: The fifth Sikh Guru Who compiled the Adi Granth, which has 2218 verses by Guru Arjan Dev. 7) Maulana Rumi: A Great Persian mystic, author of the famous Masnavi and disciple of Shamas-i-Tabrez. 8) Ravi Das: An Indian mystic poet. His 41 hymns are included in the Adi Granth. He was a cobbler by profession. 9) Namdev (1269–1344): Born in Maharashtra. Namdev was a tailor by profession. His 60 hymns are included in the Adi Granth. 10) Saina (1390–1440): He was a court barber to the Prince of Kewa (Central India). Subsequently he became the Court Guru. 11) Janaka: Raja Janaka, father-in-law of Lord Rama – of the Ramayana). 12) Ashtavakra: Sage with eight humps on His body. 13. Tulsi Sahib (1763–1843): The Saint of Hathras. Original name: Sham Rao Hulkar. Crown Prince of Gwalior. He spurned the throne to practise meditation.