Think of Death

II

By transcending the tabernacle of flesh, we can establish contact with Naam or God-in-action-Power and know the Divine Will. By experiencing higher bliss within, we would be rid of all worldly attachments and thus attain Life Eternal. Thus, Swami Ji exhorts us that wealth and possessions would not be of any avail for a higher purpose.

Guru Arjan also says likewise:

By a great good fortune thou has got a human birth; this is the only opportunity for thee to contact the Lord; all else in the world will avail thee naught; seek ye the company of the Saints and learn to commune with the Word.

Human birth is a rare privilege. It is our turn to meet God. Man is a rational being and can discriminate right from wrong. By self-analysis and inversion, he can seek reunion with the Lord. This task cannot be accomplished by the lower species in the creation. All outer pursuits in which we are presently engaged would not help us in achieving the goal. A Sadh, disciplined soul, is Trigunatit – beyond the three Gunas: Satva, Rajas, and Tamas, in which all human beings work according to their natural instincts.

It is said:

The greatness of a Sadh lies beyond the three Gunas. There is no distinction between a Sadh and God. God verily appears in the form of a Sadh.

You may call Him a polarised God. He has liberated His Self or Spirit from the shackles of mind and body and can make others likewise. We cannot tread the Path of Reality without the active guidance of such a One. He never claims any perfection for Himself. He always talks in the third person and exhorts the Spiritual Aspirants to unite with the God-Power within. In all humility He says that He is the servant of all.

Speaking of His own descent on the earth plane, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, says:

Having merged in the Lord, I did not like to come down again into this mundane world, but was made to do so for the regeneration of mankind.

What does it mean? Saviours are God sent. Strictly speaking, God does not have any relationship in the earthly sense. We will have to say that He Himself manifests in the garb of a man. In other words, the God-Power works on a chosen Human Pole for the Spiritual Welfare of humanity. He would invariably suggest the association of an Awakened Soul and communion with the Holy Word. These two would help us in attaining the goal. Hence the exhortation:

Those who have communed with the Word, Their toils shall end, and Their faces shall flame with Glory; not only shall They have salvation, oh Nanak! but many more shall find freedom with Them.

Again:

Naam alone has been the Saving Life-Line in all ages.

Naam has been the basis of Spiritual Emancipation of jivas ever since the world began. What is Naam? It is not just a syllable, but the Great Power that It signifies. It has two aspects: One is the Name and the other the Named. But Truth or Reality is One.

An Indian Saint, therefore, says:

Each one in his own way talks to us of his own beloved; oh Rajab! the target is one but the archers are countless.

Further, it is said:

There are myriads of lovers, but the Beloved is one; religious orders or sects may be different, but all have the same purpose to fulfil.

One may belong to any social order. One chief object is God-Realisation. Drunkards, irrespective of their religious allegiance, caste, or creed, sit together in a tavern and enjoy themselves. Similarly, Spiritual Aspirants of different religions, too, should go to the tavern of Divine Bliss. When a drunkard can revel in the company of drunkards, then why cannot lovers of God of various denominational hallmarks sit together and embrace each other? If they are truly devoted, they must.

The highest and the holiest in all religions in the past had Great Love and fraternal feeling among themselves. Guru Arjan, while compiling the Sacred Scripture of the Sikhs, the Granth Sahib, collected therein the sayings or writings of all the Enlightened Souls He could lay His hand upon, irrespective of Their religious labels. It is verily a banquet hall of Spirituality. This shows the catholicity of mind of the Great Author as Guru Arjan was. In contrast, what do we find today – small, water-tight compartments, each trying to run down the other. The narration of the sayings of a Great Soul of one religion are forbidden in others. Why so? When the Same Reality has been glorified there, it must be read without any hesitation. It would inspire you with the Love of God. Simultaneously, it would bring enhanced Glory to your Master.

Our aim is to get to Reality. We are all afflicted with the same ailment. Our soul is under the influence of mind that is influenced by the senses. One who has risen above these two can liberate your spirit from the flesh and unite with the Naam-Power within. He – Godman – is the connecting link between the individual soul and the Oversoul. However, from the point of Apara Vidya, you may follow the rites and rituals as enjoined by your social religion. This is just a preparation of the ground or means towards an end. It would help you in stilling the mind to some extent. But the end can only be achieved by contacting the Naam-Power within.

Dark and dreadful night lies ahead; do something worthwhile during the day.

Night follows day. Human life is the only opportunity at our disposal for higher awakening. We are totally ignorant about the life after death. Therefore, make hay while the sun shines. Know thyself and Overself. One who is enlightened while alive would be so after death. A learned man would remain learned after he shakes off his mortal frame. An illiterate person would not become a pundit after death. Salvation during one’s lifetime has been the supreme ideal of all Saints. Promise of salvation after death is of no value.

It is said:

Oh Lord, if Thou art to give us salvation after death, what is value thereof? Oh, none.

It is a matter of common sense. But if someone can demonstrate Reality within, right here and now, He is great beyond any shadow of doubt. That credit goes to the God-Power working on that Human Pole. Evolved Souls always glorify the Power-of-God and call Themselves as His slaves.

The humble Nanak speaks as inspired by the Lord.

They do not have even the slightest tint of egoism in them. Light would only come from an Illuminated Pole. He who has not solved the mystery of life for himself would not be able to impart a practical touch with the Saving Life-Lines within, irrespective of his learnings and academic qualifications. He can only give you theoretical knowledge. Knowledge does adorn a Spiritual Person. But Spirituality is a practical subject of Inner Awakening. It has nothing to do with book learning. It is quite possible that a great scholar may be blank from the Inner Experience of soul.

Knowledge springs when your attention gets attuned to the brain-centre. When the same attention or conscious power communes with the All-Pervading Spirit – Naam or Shabd – within, it is called Spirituality. What a great difference between the two. One draws us away from Truth, while the other helps us in regaining the lost paradise. The ‘Upanishads’ state that self-knowledge dawns only when the senses are subdued, the mind is stilled, and the intellect, too, is equipoised. At present, we are trapped by the intellectual wranglings. Intellect is required to comprehend something. Having done that try to get to Reality. That alone would give you ecstasy and soothing effect. Otherwise, you would draw inferences and revel at the level of the intellect. You must rise above this.

Great Souls, therefore, emphasise:

For once we lose this opportunity and let it slip away, we are lost in the cycle of transmigration.

Again:

Once we slip from the top rung of the ladder of life, the life goes in vain.

Human life is given to us for a specific purpose self-realisation and God-Realisation. If we do not do this here and now, we will have to repent in the long run. Weeping we come and weeping we go. But if we are able to solve the riddle of life while in the flesh, we would depart happily.

Serve the Master and please Him; adopt your life on these lines.

What should be the pattern of one’s life? Swami Ji says that we should sit at the feet of an Awakened Person and serve Him with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength. We should live up to His satisfaction. Thus we would get to the crest-jewel of life. Guru is the name of a Realised Soul. Cast yourself in His mould. Keep His commandments:

Unless the Master is perfectly convinced, one cannot witness the Glory of the Lord within.

Take the life sketch of any Great Soul. Implicit obedience to the Master has been an essential attribute of His character. In Gurubhakti – loving devotion to the Master – lies the secret of greatness of all sages and seers:

Such is the will of the Lord: He cannot be known except through a Living Satguru.

Without the enlivening touch from a Truth-personified Saint, the soul cannot awaken from its slumber and contact the God-Power within. There is no exception to the rule. Since Supreme Souls and incarnations in the past had to observe this decorum, we are in no way greater to be an exception. If we want to learn something worldly, we need the guidance of an adept in that art or science. Then we must act according to his instructions. He would devote maximum attention on us. Similarly, we cannot tread the Path of Divinity which lies beyond the range of senses without guidance and active assistance of a Spiritual Preceptor. The resurrection of soul cannot come without such a Guide.

A teacher is pleased most with the disciple who follows his instructions and abides by his words. All Great Souls are worthy of respect and adoration. Swami Daya Nand, in His early life, went to Swami Virja Nanad to learn Sanskrit. The latter was well versed in the Vedas. Daya Nand had some books with Him. I did not have the opportunity to see Him in person. I am only telling you what is recorded in books. Swami Virja Nand ordered Daya Nand to throw these books in the river Yamuna. Do you know what the latter did? He carried out the instructions of His teacher without any hesitation or argument. Then it is stated that at times Swami Virja Nand used to cane His disciple for his acts of omission or commission. This is not a surprise in the Master-disciple relationship. Whosoever has risen to the pinnacle of Spiritual Eminence had to surrender himself at the feet of the Master. You may address Him as Guru or teacher. One cannot win the favour of such a One even by spending millions. The Master may be pleased over an ordinary thing.

If it pleaseth Him, the Lord may manifest on His own; He cannot be lured by wealth, clamour, and power.

Who knows His will and pleasure? Kabir went to the residence of Dharam Das, who was a man of millions and a great devout. He was taking meals at that time. Kabir called for Dharam Das. His wife told Him to wait. After sometime, Kabir again gave a call. Dharam Das’s wife lashed at the Saint by calling Him a sinner.

But Kabir retorted:

I am not a sinner. It is you, because in your oven live ants are being burnt.

He said so and went off. When they saw their oven, ants were really being burnt in the fuel. Dharam Das felt sorry for the act of his wife and told her:

To our good fortune, a Perfect Soul had come at our door. But you have committed a great sin by insulting the Divine.

But she took it very lightly and said to her husband:

A wealthy man like you can attract anybody just like flies gather round a sweet thing.

After this Dharam Das performed a number of yajnas at all places of pilgrimages in search of the Saint Who had visited them. Large numbers of sages and seers came from far and wide, except Kabir, to participate in the Yajna. Thus he spent all his wealth on the charitable deeds but could not attract the Saint in Whom he saw the Light of God. At last he thought of committing suicide by jumping into the river. He did not consider his life worth living. He neither had any money left nor could achieve the desired aim. He no longer enjoyed the old prestige and felt degraded in the eyes of others. It is customary for the people to look down upon the penniless. When he was about to finish his life, Kabir appeared and caught him by the arm. Dharam Das was overjoyed and inquired the reason for so much delay.

Kabir replied:

I did not come earlier because I had no lust for your wealth.

You cannot purchase an Awakened Person by money. He can only be won over by selfless service and loving devotion. Lead a chaste and ethical life. Cultivate simplicity. Be regular in your meditation. Withdraw your spirit from the body as directed by the preceptor. Make Him the supreme ideal of your life. All these things would satisfy Him most.

A teacher develops a great liking for a brilliant student and devotes maximum time and energy on him. During my school career, I was very good at studies. All the teachers, including the headmaster, were much pleased with me. They used to call me for extra coaching at their homes. I always served them as best as I could.

I remember an incident which took place in later years while I was at Lahore. Once I fell seriously ill. One of my teachers came to know about it. He straight away came to my residence to see me. Although bedridden, I paid him obeisance by touching his feet. He placed my head on his lap and said that he was proud of me.

You have taken a step in the right direction by choosing the Path of Reality. I feel I have been rewarded for my labours,

he observed.

What I mean to say is that it is highly imperative for a disciple to be dutiful. Without receptivity, one would not be able to gain the desired end. Hence the exhortation.

We must remember God in the closet of our heart; God by Whose Grace we are happily living in the temple of our body.

If you constantly think of someone, his life-impulse would automatically be infused into you. Then you shall have everything that you ask for. Gurubhakti alone is the secret of success on the Path of Truth. This is the Eternal Law.

Bhai Nand Lal says:

A glance of His Grace is sufficient to emancipate us.

One can enjoy the Divine Bliss in the Holy Presence of the Master.

Oh ye, take it for certain without the least shadow of doubt, none is thy True Friend save the Master.

Swami Ji says that Guru alone is your Real Benefactor and Everlasting Companion. Who else can be? Worldly people, howsoever sympathetic and sincere, may help us, at the most, to the funeral pyre. At the time of death, when all earthly relationship is terminated, Guru manifests in His Radiant Form to take charge of the departing soul.

The Master receives on death those who have done their best to follow Him.

You can well imagine how happy one would be to contact the Master within. My Master, Hazur Sawan Singh Ji, used to say that a chosen vessel of the Guru feels more exhilarating in one’s last moments than at the time of marriage. An ordinary man and a devout both meet the same end. But the former dies a painful and agonizing death, while the latter quits his body in perfect peace and ecstasy, as if sleeping in his Beloved’s lap. If someone intends to verify the truth of this, let him go and sit by the side of a departing initiate having Inner Access. He would actually witness his Master’s shining form and declare to that effect. He sees the Divine Light and hears the intrinsic music of the Holy Word. All Holy Men declare that those who are without the protecting hand of the Perfect Master would suffer the misery and pangs of death. But he who learns to tap inside according to Master’s instructions and has tasted the elixir of Naam is overjoyed at the time of death. So there is a great difference between one kind of death and the other.

Kabir in this context says:

Death from which the whole world shrinks is welcome unto me; I rejoice it as a harbinger of perfect peace and joy.

Learned and illiterate, rich and poor, governor and governed, all are struck with terror as soon as they hear the name of death. But for Enlightened Persons, it is a matter of overwhelming joy. With the breaking of the silver chord, one merges oneself in the Lord once and for all. There is a world of difference between a man of intuition and man in the street. One who revels at the plane of senses and has not contacted a Living Master does not see anything beyond the mire of sense-pleasures. He considers the Epicurean way of life eat, drink, and be merry as the summum bonum of life. But mind that none can escape the iron hand of death. Ignorance of law is no excuse. Therefore, act with foresight. Death is not a bugbear nor a monster. It is just a change from physical to the astral plane. It is also a necessary end. If one can practice death in life with the help of a Guru, he has nothing to fear.

The beloved of the Master comes and goes fearlessly. Oh ye, seeker after Truth, do not get entangled in the mighty maze of the world. Be ye engaged in meditation day in and day out.

On crossing the sensual level, we contact the Holy Word. This is the essence of Gurumat – philosophy of the Masters. Where the world philosophies end, there the religion starts. The Master always exhorts us to withdraw our scattered attention from outside. During the 24 hours, we should do something of abiding interest to our soul. He does not forbid us from discharging our essential obligations like preservation and maintenance of the body, looking after children, and earning livelihood. It is necessary to look after the body, but for what purpose?

Oh Nanak, attend ye to the affairs of thy body so that ye may make God-Power manifest in Thee and ye be engaged in singing the praises of the Lord.

The body is the temple of God. Protect it from heat and cold. Keep it neat and tidy. When we can maintain so much cleanliness in outside temples, why ignore this (body) where the Lord actually dwells? External temples are made on the model of the human body. We may also square up our accounts with those around us. God-Power is present in all of us. All are embodied souls. As such, we should love everyone. You are endowed with intellect. As such, you should develop intellectually.

Then you are a living soul. Therefore, you should develop spiritually. In a nutshell, man must make an all-around progress. What is the quintessence of all knowledge? That one should know the real worth of one’s soul or self. A Muslim Divine in this context pronounces:

Thou knowest the value of everything else, but what a pity! thou knowest not thine own value and worth.

We have taken long strides in all walks of life, but woefully lack self-knowledge in the light and life of which we actually live, move, and have our being.

Christ also spoke of the same thing:

What does it profit a man to gain the possession of the whole world and to lose one’s own soul?

A conference of leading scientists was held in Europe. The president of the conference in his inaugural speech said:

We have conquered the forces of nature.

But the fact remains that, in the absence of self-knowledge, scientific inventions are becoming a source of constant misery and destruction for the entire universe. Had we made these inventions after self-realisation, the same would have brought peace and happiness unto all. As such, self-knowledge is the first step. It precedes God-knowledge. All Great Souls have stressed this point.

The Upanishads state:

Know thyself.

Nanak says:

Without self-analysis and inversion, delusion of the world does not disappear.

Swami Ji also says so. After attaining self-awareness, one sees everything in its true perspective. Simultaneously, there is realisation of God, for soul alone can experience the Oversoul.

Knower of the Braham remains unattached in all His undertakings; he can direct his attention at will.

Enlightened Souls always advise us to remain detached and perform all our actions in a spirit of selflessness. In His worldly duties, a man of intuition works many times more than an ordinary person. But the difference is that the former remains unattached, while the latter desires fruit, which keeps him in bondage. Control your mind so that you can channelise your spirit in the desired direction. Otherwise, it (mind) would drag your attention in the evanescent charms of the world.

Religiously abide by the words of the Sadh-Guru, and live a detached life on earth.

A Real Sadhu is the mouthpiece of God. Keep His commandments in letter and spirit. While living in the world, be out of it. Remember death at all times. Such a person remains actionless in action. This world is not a permanent dwelling place for us. These nations are not our nations and countries not our countries. They are only connected with our body which itself is mortal.

Oh mind! be not totally unaware, that thou has to quit the world eventually.

If we treat the question of death seriously, our selves would be transformed. All objects of luxury would cease to have their hold upon us. Of course, their appropriate use is not forbidden. You would be saved from the poison of animal passions and other vices. Make your routine of life strictly according to the scriptural injunctions as prescribed by Rishis, Munis, and Mahatmas. You would be happy and prosperous both here and in the hereafter. Communion with Naam alone would burn away all attachments. Consequently, one would achieve success in all his undertakings through His Grace. You will have to sacrifice the world for the sake of the Word. Through controlled attention, in the company of Spiritually Great, you can develop all aspects of your life physical, mental, and spiritual.

Bulleh Shah, a seeker after Truth, went to Shah Inayat, a Muslim Divine, and questioned Him as to how one could find God.

The latter replied:

What is there in the quest of God? Transplant the mind and see it all.

We have simply to change the direction of our attention from one side to the other – from the world to God. Stay wherever you may be. Husbands and wives should love each other as Christ loved the Church. Both should strive to realise God. Married life is no bar to Spirituality. We must lead a life with continence in thought, word, and deed and endeavour to seek Eternal Happiness with the Eternal Lord. That can be attained when our soul merges with the Oversoul. Thus, we would derive full benefit of our earthly sojourn and achieve the goal. Theocentric Saints never advise us to leave our hearths and homes and go into the wilderness. Contrarily, They want that we should lead an ideal family life.

In this context Nanak says: ‘Follow strictly the injunctions of a Perfect Master to put you on the right Path. You shall then gain salvation while living the life of a householder in the midst of your family and friends.’

Leave off all fraud and cunningness. Why adopteth thou this way of life?

See how forceful are Swami Ji’s words in His appeal to the erring humanity. What is the attitude of a common man? He would employ cunning ways to conceal and justify his wrong actions. These two evils – fraud and hypocrisy – are not acceptable to Him. One should keep away from them. False prophets deceive the people through tall talks and empty promises. What would be their fate? The great teacher, therefore, guards us against all such traps. A brother should be sincere to his brother and a friend to his friend. We may throw dust into peoples’ eyes, but does not God watch all our actions? A cunning fellow remains far removed from Reality. His Inner Vision is covered by a thick veil of darkness. It is only by renouncing these evils that one can glimpse the Truth.

Hazur Sawan Singh Ji used to narrate the story of a Mahatma, who was an Awakened Soul, who used to get up early for meditation.

He had a mare that he used to chain in an open stable. One night a thief entered the stable with the intention of taking away the mare. When he untied her from the front, he found her tied from the rear. Again, when he untied the animal from the rear, she was found tied from the front and vice versa. Throughout the night he was busy but was not successful in his evil design. As usual, the Mahatma got up at about 4 a.m. and saw a man standing by the side of the mare. Who are you? asked the Divine. I am a thief, was the straight answer. What are you doing here? was the next question. The thief replied: I want to steal your mare, but find a curious phenomenon. When I loosen her from one side, I find her tied from the other. This is quite perplexing. The Mahatma was pleased at his frankness and open confession. He told the thief that he can have the mare in the morning.

The next day, some villagers came to the Saint as they had lost their priest. They requested him to suggest a suitable person to act a priest who could inspire people Godwards. Finding that none among the village folk was fit for the Sacred Mission, the Divine selected the thief for the purpose. He asked him to ride the mare and accompany those people as priest.

Enlightened Persons have always a great regard for the clear-minded persons. If you commit a sin, go and confess before Him. There is a remedy for it. But if you conceal things from Him, you will have to suffer the consequences. They alone can tread the Path of Spirituality who have a crystal clear heart and a candid vision. They appeal to the Saints most and are honoured at His Court.

Hafiz in this context says:

Reality is meant for those who are dyed in one and the same colour externally as well as internally.

Self-realisation and God-Realisation cannot come through cunningness and hypocrisy. Such people have to wait until they sweep clean the closet of their heart. Who is not a sinner? All those who are playing at the pale of senses are, in the terminology of Saints, sinners. Even to rise above body consciousness, one requires a clean heart.

Hazur used to say:

We hesitate to commit an impious act before a child of five. How dare we ever do so if we realise that God-Power within is All-Seeing.

One should always feel Him omnipresent. This is what is required for the attainment of a goal.

Repeat the charged words and worship the perfect Master; by doing this you would rise into cosmic awareness.

Swami Ji advises us to engage in Simran and resign at the will of the Master. What will happen? You would transcend into the gaggan behind the eyebrows, which is the seat of the soul. Have you ever seen a dying person? The death process begins when the lower chakras – ganglions – give way because of withdrawal of the soul-currents therefrom. Beginning from below, this process continues until the throat centre is involved. It is then that the eyeballs turn upwards. This happens when the spirit currents get collected at the eye focus. If you call a blind man, he would press his forehead as he feels his presence there. Practice death in life.

Saint Paul says:

Those who are initiated into the mysteries of the beyond, their souls have the same experiences as they have at the time of death.

There are many ways of withdrawing and collecting the sensory-currents at the eye focus. One involves the control of vital airs and spirit-currents through kumbhak – a yogic exercise. Then one contacts the Divine Harmony. Finding that the present day people are not physically fit to undertake arduous yogic practices, and in view of the short life span, Saints have eliminated the lengthy process of pranas – the vital airs. They now stress upon the concentration of attention and leave the vital airs untouched on the basis that blood circulation is going on, food is digesting, breathing is going on, and nails and hair are growing. All this is going on automatically without our knowledge. By self-analysis and inversion, one should withdraw one’s soul to the eye focus and see the Light of God.

Unless one transcends the tabernacle of flesh, one cannot have the glimpses of the invisible Lord.

So long as we are functioning at the body-level, we are away from Reality. Suppose a house has 100 stairs to reach its roof. Can one see the roof by climbing twenty, thirty, or fifty stairs? Not the least. Until you ascend to the highest step of the stairs, you cannot get to the roof. Similarly, it is only by rising above the body limitations that one can see the Divine Light and hear the Inner Music. This can be accomplished through Simran or constant remembrance of God.

Nanak says:

Let one tongue grow into a hundred thousand, maybe even twenty times more, and each of them endlessly chant His Holy Name; this way lay the steps that lead Godwards, by ascending which one becomes One with Him.

Through Simran the sensory-currents are collected at the center of our being without any attention on the physical body. You will then be awakened into higher consciousness. Practise this today, right here and now. Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

Except ye be born anew, ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

All Saints and sages have said the same thing. Maulana Rumi says:

Die, oh friend, before you are dead, if you want Everlasting Life.

Learn to die so that you may begin to live. Make use of the golden opportunity at your disposal. This task can only be accomplished in human life. All outer pursuits are only a means to an end – the end being God-Realisation. The guidance of a Spiritual Mentor is a must for the attainment of the crest-jewel of life. If you undertake regular Spiritual Practices, you can leave the body at will even a hundred times a day.

Without solving the riddle of life, one will have to face the judgement of Kal after death; and then you would be consumed in the fire of hell.

Without self-realisation, our future lies in the hands of the Negative Power. Then we will have to shed tears of repentance and suffer miseries. True Renunciation comes through communion with the Holy Word within. After partaking the elixir of Naam, you would be liberated from the cycle of transmigration. Procrastination is the thief of time. In this, we have wasted most of our life. Even those who are initiated into the mysteries of the beyond are not free from this malady. Time and tide wait for no man.

Hazur used to narrate the story of a Bengali clerk who worked in His office. He was regular in his Spiritual Practices. He would never take his food unless he had his quota of meditation. What is the purpose of such anecdotes? It is to tell us that we should emulate them. It is good to make it a principle not to give food to the body until the soul gets the Bread of Life and Water of Life. But, alas! we only hear such things and never try to understand their True Import.

When Jesus Christ was about to depart from the physical plane, some of His followers came to request a sage counsel.

He said:

Leave aside all other things and complete the task which I have allotted you.

This is a practical subject that is most important and mostly ignored. We simply do not pay any heed to it. We are either ignorant or foolish. Human birth is a rare privilege. If we do not awaken even now, then when will there be another opportunity for us? Only the Self can realise the Overself. No pundit, mullah, or priest can do this for us. It is not simply a question of offering prayers for others and giving blessings for a pecuniary gain.

Unless we experience a physical death, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It is in opportunity for thee to awaken without any loss of time. Who knows what would happen the next moment?

Swami Ji says that if you want to adopt the Path of Reality, do not waste even a single moment of your precious human life. Make full use of it. Do not wait for tomorrow, nay not even for today. It is a subject that is most important and indispensable. What a strong appeal! We think that chanting of Ram Ram – Holy Names symbolic of the All-Pervading Spirit – for half an hour is enough to serve the purpose. But this is a misconception. We will have to transform our lives. It is not merely a question of white-washing which removes only external blots. A sinful mind cannot be cleansed by external washings. Inner purity is essential. Work while you work and meditate at the time of meditation. Never keep the mind vacant. Always remember the Master and keep His ideal before you. It would give you inspiration. Alternatively, repeat the Charged Words – Simran – given by the Guru or listen to the Divine Music within. In a nutshell, we should keep the mind engaged in one of the three pursuits whenever idle. We can be free from the glamour of the outside world only by reforming the mind. This is the way-out.

Such is the Will of the Lord says a Godman, that we should follow the Master.

The God-Power working on a chosen Human Pole stresses that we should abide by the injunctions of the Master through and through. What do the Awakened Souls enjoin upon the sincere seekers after Truth? Simran and worship of the Master that would help our soul to rise into cosmic awareness. Then we would lose all fright of death. The radiant form of the Master would escort us from plane to plane until we merge with the Absolute. This was the psalm of Swami Ji Maharaj. His teachings are meant for all those who are desirous of and are genuinely concerned with the attainment of Godhood.

What is the sine qua non on the Path of Divinity? The company of Awakened Souls and implicit obedience to Their commands. Then comes the ethical life and receptivity towards Satguru. That would infuse His Divine Power into us. The Master transcends the body at will and traverses into the higher planes. Your soul, too, will begin to leave the body of itself. He is Word-made-flesh and would manifest the same within you. He being the abode of all virtues would transform you into His likeness. As you think, so you become. Jesus has beautifully described the need of developing Love of the Master so as to receive His Grace in abundance:

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine. No more can ye, except ye abide in me.

This is like a grafting process.

Christ has said:

I am the vine; thou art the branches. So long thou will remain embedded in me, you will bear ample fruit. So you cannot do without me.

Hafiz, a Muslim Saint, spoke in the same terms:

Since I am embedded in the Beloved, I have lost all sense of fear; one who has sunk deep into the Water of Life can have no fear of death.

He who is united with the Lord is not affected by the vicissitudes of life. He can fearlessly walk through the shadow of the valley of death. Once Swami Vivekananda came to His Master Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Pointing to a plate of honey, Ramakrishna told Vivekananda:

Suppose this is a pool of nectar. If you are a bee, how will you eat it?

The latter replied:

I shall start from one side so that I do sink into it and get lost.

But Ramakrishna said:

It is the sea of immortality. Plunge head-long into it.

This is how we can realise Him. Unless we experience the Light and Life of God within, we will have to proceed according to the directions of those who are a Living Embodiment of the creative life-principle. All Awakened Souls stressed upon this in the past and will do so in the future.