With the Master at Rajpur
by Rusel Jaque
17th March, 1959. Maharaj Ji – the Blessed One – has now resided at His bungalow in Rajpur since 3rd March. Several members of His Delhi staff have accompanied Him to this heavenly retreat in the foothills of the Himalayas. Bibi Ji – Bibi Hardevi Ji –, His constant and most saintly companion – dietitian hostess –, holds the key portfolio at His Court. The Princess, familiarly called ‘Khuku,’ Dr Moo1 Raj, Dr La1 Singh Ji, Gangaram Navani and his charming wife from Bombay, Gorkha, butler to His Holiness, the elderly but bright-eyed mother of Bibi Ji, Ram Sarup, the chauffeur, and the wife of Master’s deceased brother, make up His family at the retreat.
Early morning meditations are the rule. Tea at 7:30 to 8 a.m., lunch at 12:30 to 1 p.m., tea again at 4:30 p.m. and dinner about 7:30 to 8 p.m. Through experiment, I have found that a light evening repast of fruit and oat milk sets better with me. This permits me to get out my sleep by 2 to 3 a.m. so that I am ready for meditation practice.
The Master’s park and fruit grove provide endless enjoyment for ideal seclusion and healthful exercise. The forests on the nearby mountain, palisades and chasms offer pleasing variety for hikes, meditations and Satsangs …
Evening Darshan in Rajpur
In the evening from 8 to 9 p.m., we sit on the floor in the Master’s blessed bedroom for His darshan. This gives Him an opportunity to scrutinise us closely and to counsel us with any needed instructions or advice. Bibi Ji, Dr La1 Singh, Gangaram Navani and his wife, by turn, sing many exalted songs of praise to the heavenly Beloved. These songs, called bhajans in Hindi, contain the moving exhortations of the Saints for us to repent from our evil ways and to seek the Lord’s face, so that we may become One with Him. Most of the bhajans come from the pens of Nanak, Kabir, Hafiz, Tulsi Das, Surdas, Mira Bai, and some were written by the Master to His Master, Baba Ji Hazur!
Symphony of Laughter
On the evening of 12th March, the Master’s offering to His adoring family mounted on wings of Spiritual Mirthfulness as never before observed by this disciple. His softly musical words pealed forth to the accompaniment of His rippling laughter. Bibi Ji added her merry girlish voice, and one by one all present found themselves drawn up into the musically rhythmic cadence of the Master’s symphony of laughter. Never have I imagined anything in this life could sound so soul-satisfying with spontaneous, Spiritual Laughter. He gave us His goodnight blessing while still laughing. And we all retired to our respective cots with sweet smiling about our lips and eyes!
Story of Gorkha
Dr Mool Raj, who has accompanied the Master on many of His numerous tours, told me a most touching story about dear Gorkha, the prince from Nepal who serves as butler to the Blessed One.
It appears that Gorkha, at the tender age of six, received visitations from Baba Ji Hazur, Master Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. In the early morning hours, Hazur would appear with a stick before the boy’s Inner Vision and order him to get up and bathe and then sit in meditation. Gorkha’s mother remonstrated with him to stop his wee-hour practice. But the lad told his mother that he had to bathe at that hour or the old man with the stick would beat him. So Gorkha continued his mystic practice all through his youth, until he could sit in meditation regularly for nine hours at a stretch. As a natural result, he ascended into the Inner Planes of creation. During the partitioning of Palustan, Gorkha left the army and served as an independent Indian spy in the western Punjab, under Hazur’s insistent Inner Direction. Through his exceptional bravery, he saved many Indians in Pakistan whose lives were endangered by mob-violence in those terrible times. Six years ago in Bombay, Gorkha met our present living Master-Saint and learned the True Identity of the old man with the stick who had started him meditating at the tender age of six! He asked the Master for the gift of Naam. To test the youth’s stamina of character, His Holiness treated him sternly.
Why should I give you Naam?
Gorkha, utterly discouraged, lost all interest in life and decided to commit suicide. He went to the railway terminus and cast himself on the tracks to be killed by a speeding train. The Master, inwardly seeing Gorkha’s plight, rushed to the station and pulled him to safety, before he would have met an untimely death! Thus Gorkha received initiation into Surat Shabd Yoga by the present Living Master Whose beloved Master had inwardly conditioned Gorkha in his childhood for high Spiritual Advancement. He has faithfully served the Master now for six years. Some time back, Gorkha told Dr Mool Raj when they talked in the open field, how worried he was about having an increase in family of wife and five children and such an uncertain income for their providence. That evening the Master talked as in His sleep while lying on His bed.
Gorkha passing through the room overheard Him say:
I know how you are situated, Gorkha. One who serves the Master full time has a rare privilege. Tell me what you want most – and you can have it! Do you want to be a king? Do you want fabulous wealth? Or, do you wish to continue in service to the Master? Now, be careful how you decide. It is all up to you!
Gorkha promptly replied that he much preferred to remain in the Master’s service always.
Well, then,
replied the Master,
have no fears or qualms about your family from now on. I will provide for their requirements!
How needless the World
On Friday evening, 13th March, we found the Master in a most subdued and meditative mood. He referred to all the folly and attachments of this earth life.
Sometimes, I think how needless was the creation of this world. It appears all too hollow and meaningless, when we have seen the glories of the Inner Planes of creation!
He mentioned how so very few ascend during lifetime to their True Home. Nearly everyone throws their life away, needlessly, on mere trifles. Thus wasting the priceless opportunity offered by Shabad Adepts. The wise ones rise up above body consciousness and return, during lifetime, to their Heavenly Father and unspeakable Bliss!
How beautiful His Lotus Feet among the stars! How intoxicating the Grace of His sweet presence! Give us, oh Lord, naught save the Vintage of Your Love!
Bibi Ji walks and talks with the Lord
Guru Dev sat before His bungalow in Rajpur with the unconcerned majesty of a Mogul Emperor of India’s golden past. He was holding afternoon audience for His ashram family and the local Satsangis!
Bibi Ji’s aged and saintly mother sat in asan on a couch near the Great Master. Her eyes were half closed and she appeared most reverently subdued, as though belonging more to the world of spirit than to that of distracting physical concerns. The Blessed One looked at me with paternal compassion.
Bibi Ji has been walking and talking with the Master on the Inner Planes this morning. Now she has lost all interest in the outer world!
Even so, the blessed old lady continued to sit – inwardly contemplating the transcendent and ineffable Glory of the Lord’s Swaroop – Radiant Light Form! Recounting to herself, no doubt, the sweet remembrance of her conversations with the Exalted Master as she walked with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven while still living in the physical temple of her frail body!
Chastity versus Sexuality
On 23rd June, 1959, at evening darshan before the bungalow in Rajpur, we sat upon the ground about the Great Master’s bed as He examined us and gave each His wise counsel. He usually asks pertinent questions to encourage the disciples to reveal what is uppermost in their conscious mind. In response to one of His queries, I gave Him my deeply felt appreciation of this wonderful country.
All of my expectations about India have been more than realised. I have experienced immeasurable content because of the natural and simple mode of living in India. I am very happy about the harmonic, inwardly poised character of the Indian people!
Further, I have noticed the splendid, bright-eyed, handsome, steady-nerved, happy, virile and humane characters of the Sikhs with their untrimmed hair and beards. It has occurred to me lately that clean-shaven faces are sex-appeasing!
The Blessed One corrected me:
Sex-exciting, rather than appeasing!
So there, dear reader, to me ‘the cat appears to be out of the bag’ as regards the real purpose of shaving the face. Actually, while gratifying the passion of vanity, shaving contributes principally to the passion of lust because of its sex-allurement and excitation which are the preparatory stages for that of sex indulgence – referred to by some of the wise ones as ‘spirit murder!’
According to the crystal clear teachings of Guru Dev:
Chastity is life – sexuality is death!
It remains entirely up to each of us how we misuse the most precious gift of a loving Creator and the penalties we … will have to pay for our violations of the Law of Life!