The Master’s Birthday 1971

This account of the recent celebrations was originally written in German by Hilde Dressel, and translated into English by the Sat Sandesh staff.

6^th February, 1971, was the Master’s 77^th birthday. In Sawan Ashram and in a nearby open space, huge awnings were erected to provide extra shelter and accommodate the thousands of people, some of whom had travelled two days to reach there. The two most beautiful multi-coloured awnings, one in the centre of the Ashram and the other some hundred meters distant, were artistically decorated with flowers and laid out with simple carpets for scatting.

The program began on the morning of the 5^th with Satsang, including hymns of praise to God in the Hindi language, religious music, and talks by various speakers extolling the greatness of God and the Living Master, all of which captured the hearts of the thirty thousand people gathered under the awnings.

The Master’s followers from the West – initiates from Canada, Germany, the United States, England – could not fully understand either the talks or the hymns, but sat deeply moved, with full concentrated attention, hour after hour. They were permitted to sit near the front, very close to the Master, along with other Indian initiates. Thus, for two days they enjoyed the benefit of darshan lasting many hours, receiving the love-charged glance of the Master from the closest proximity.

Despite the many speakers, the highlights of the program were of course the Master’s own talks, delivered simply and serenely in Hindi. The faces of the people reflected the penetration of His words to the depth of the soul, confirmed by occasional tears, murmurs of wonder, gestures of approval. It was the God-in-man speaking – competent to reach to the roots of human existence.

On the birthday itself, the celebration started just before dawn at 4 a.m. The scene consisted of thousands of tiny red lights, flickering in network and forming outlines of the Master’s house and garden. Within the covered porch, the flower decoration had been executed tastefully and carefully – an expression of Love and devotion from the Master’s followers. Those who approached Him with personal tokens of garlands or bouquets were met with gracious refusal and found themselves the recipients of the flowery offerings, blessed by His own hands; while He Himself remained unadorned, in His usual simple clothes. His adornment is the Divine Radiation.

On the following day, the western followers were allowed to witness the initiation of more than six hundred souls – an unforgettable experience. When, under the Master’s guidance, the people repeated the Holy Charged Words, the atmosphere became – and it was so strong that it was felt physically – increasingly more uplifting, sweeping everyone present into a sea of charged power and carrying the dear awaiting souls to the Inner Light.

Within this atmosphere we all sat for a long period of meditation; to many western disciples it seemed like a second initiation, so strongly did the Master-Power take hold of them.

When it was asked who had seen the Radiant Form of the Master within, more than two hundred people indicated assent. One lady’s experience went deeper; she lay there, outwardly appearing as if quietly sleeping, but it was not sleep: she had risen above the body consciousness and had left the body completely. Many hours after the initiation was over, she was still in this state of samadhi; when the Master was asked if she should be brought back to normal consciousness, He replied,

Leave her, she is well blessed.

Many had seen golden sunlight during their meditation, and a number of others saw the big star inside. Among the large number present, fifteen or so had not seen anything and were placed in a separate room for another sitting to insure contact with the Divine Light, while the initiation continued.

The Master was delighted with these results, and for the observing group of Westerners, such a demonstration of power was hardly comprehensible. The following evening, while giving darshan, the Master remarked on the large number of fortunate souls that had been rejoined to the God-into-Expression-Power. In spite of the packed celebration program, He graciously continued the daily blessing of darshan, so that His glance of Love might bless each soul and that anyone might ask any pressing question and hear His wise and sweet comments filled with Life.

Initiation is held regularly each month at Sawan Ashram, and now another six hundred and more new souls have joined the Master’s family through having their consciousness raised to experience the Holy Naam. Through daily practice, they will be carried further and further into the mysteries of the beyond. How greatly blessed are we all to be included in the mission of the Master Kirpal Singh Ji!