Kirpal Singh

The Master’s Talk: Never Dance to the World’s Tune

I

When Masters come to the World and see its condition, great pity swells in their hearts. They wonder, What is the world doing? for They can stand aside from the activities of worldliness, and They see that Truth is being ignored and untrue things are accepted as the truth. When a lie is repeated ten times or more, people begin to accept it as being true: men drift away into iniquity just through witnessing the bad actions of others.

There is a certain story which is illustrative of how easily a man can be influenced and blindly follow the lead of others.

A farmer was returning home from his fields with his head uncovered, perspiring, on account of the hot season. According to tradition in those days, going with one’s head uncovered showed that something tragic had happened, like a death, etc. So when the farmer’s family saw him approaching the house with a bare head, perspiring, and with dishevelled hair, they jumped to the conclusion that someone had died, and immediately commenced lamenting and beating their breasts in the usual customary manner. The farmer saw his relatives mourning, and without hesitation joined in the demonstration of woe. But after a short time, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked someone, Can you tell me who has died? The person was astounded and explained that, seeing his bare head, they had thought the farmer had brought news of death.

This story is very descriptive of the world’s condition. Man is easily influenced, and does not turn his head in the direction of the Truth.

Farid Sahib says,

The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it.

Without thinking for themselves, people agree or go along with anything. Do you know anyone who does not?

He does not become the echo, on whom the hand of Allah rests.

These are God’s children, who look to the Truth, and can see what is really happening. They do not drift, nor do they echo along with the worldly people, but they try to discover what the truth is behind everything. So who is wise in this world? He who searches for the why and the wherefore of things, thereby escaping the pitfalls. For those who play along with the world’s tune and follow that tune, only unhappiness can result. The Masters have no selfish motives, so They speak the Truth only – and that with Love.

In India, Divali Day – the Indian festival of lights – is celebrated by lighting candles. The people usually gamble, and if you ask them why, they will tell you that by gambling on that day our births and deaths will cease. There is a kind of gambling that finishes up the incarnations, but what kind of gambling it is, very few really know. The True Gambling lies in sacrificing all other things – body and its environments – for the purpose of enkindling the Light within. Being ignorant of the True Gambling, they started outer gambling instead; and the people blindly follow them, without going into the truth of it. He who will see the Light within withdraws his attention from the outgoing faculties and outer objects. Even in the field of Spiritual Matters, everyone is singing the name of God on top notes – no one stops to think exactly what those names stand for. Every religion contains the same basic teachings in the various languages: that is, in Naam, Word, etc., lies salvation, and not in any other teaching. But unfortunately people follow the outer practice of repetition of names of God and lighting candles, considering it to be the beginning and the end.

All religions encourage the reading of Holy Scriptures – that is to understand the subject, the theory; it is not necessary to make a lot of noise by singing and playing tunes to the words. The words are there to give thought to the subject. Very few will think on the words of the hymn, or what they denote. People imagine that merely reading out the words, parrot-like, is enough. Sometimes they shout the words at the tops of their voices, and even clap the hands and read – the more noise, the happier they are. But if the words were read like this for one hundred years without a pause, it would be of little avail. In the Shrimad Bhagavat it says that God cannot be realised just by reading the Vedas.

Guru Nanak has said,

To read year by year, month by month, with intense yearning while the breath lasts; oh Nanak, this avails nothing unless the written word is lived.

Reading alone is valueless; the teaching must be followed.

The greatest aspiration of human life is to realise God: the God which expressed Himself into Creation, the Maker of Khand and Brahmand – astral and causal planes –, the Sustainer of all things. In the language of the Saints, that God expressed is called Naam, through which they say the soul can gain salvation, irrespective of religion. The Ultimate or Absolute Lord is Nameless, but that which came into expression is called Naam, or Shabd, or Word – the God-into-Expression-Power, which is not separate from His creation.

World is the room of Truth, and Truth resides therein.

If the scriptures are read for long enough, it may be possible to gain some power of concentration and thereby perform small ‘miracles’; but there is no true awareness in this.

Read one hymn only and try to understand it thoroughly. Get the full meaning of the words, for those words have been spoken by One Who has realised the Truth. 

Listen to the Master’s true words; He speaks of what He sees.

And to have the true import of what is written, one should get the interpretation from someone who has taken at least one step towards the Truth. Otherwise, the learned people will present the subject from an intellectual level, each with a different explanation. This is why so many different schools of thought have been established in the world. Reading the scriptures is like the mother’s lap to a child; just the beginning of understanding that which they give out.

I was born in a Sikh family, and as a small boy I would read the Holy Granth Sahib. I would read one hymn only, and write it down as a day’s lesson. All day I would think on the words, and try to discover their meaning. No doubt the reservoir of the heart must be emptied, but reading only with the tongue, while the mind is still wrapped in the world, has no value. However, I would say that reading the Holy Words is good, though not doing anything; but to read, think, understand, and finally have contact with the God mentioned therein will bring salvation. Neither following customs nor the performance of rituals brings salvation – the Lord can only be realised by coming in contact with that for which these customs and rituals stand.

The Masters give accounts in the books of Their experiences: the bliss They enjoyed when They came in contact with God, the things that helped them on the Way, and what was detrimental. True understanding of the writings will naturally encourage one to discard those traits which are stopping progress, and to adopt those qualities which serve to increase it. Outer actions of devotion are not rewarding where the subject of Spirituality is concerned. There have always been Masters of Truth in the world, Who give some experience, a contact with the Truth, by withdrawing the attention and raising it above senses and outgoing faculties.

While the senses are not controlled, the mind and intellect not stilled, the soul cannot open the inner eye to see the Manifestation of God.

Now, what about prayer and rites? The purpose behind them is to develop faith and devotion. The rite must be performed with all respect in the heart. If one goes to a temple or church to wait upon the Lord, one should go all alone, and not think of others around: you should be alone with Him. God is One, and alone, and He desires that we should go to Him all alone, with intellect stilled.

Unfortunately, these prayers and rites are usually performed with the mind on other things. Something that is done daily becomes a habit, and habit turns into nature. Sur Das Ji, a Great Devotee of God, says,

The steps are going forward but the mind is dragging backward.

It is our habit to follow the mind, and if the mind is not on devotion, there will be no benefit derived therefrom. Have you ever seen the white stork, standing motionless, concentrating for fish, just as if in deep meditation? What a wonderful single-pointed attention! But upon what? To swallow a fish! Outwardly he shows the world he is a great mahatma, but his mind is on food.

I have nothing against customs and rites, for they prepare the ground for something higher: they beget good karmas, will bear good fruit. But by what means is salvation attained? By that process which all Holy Books give out to the world. The means to salvation is the very Soul of one’s soul; and It is called Naam. What indication is there that one has contacted Naam?

By repeating the Naam, the Light of millions of suns will manifest.

In the Naam is the Light, and Light is the form of God, and in that Light there is Sound – Udgit, Nad, the Music of the Spheres, and so on. There is no benefit in nodding one’s head in pretence of intoxication and saying emptily, ‘There is Light, there is Sound’ if one has never seen or heard them. Some people light a lamp and wave it around their heads. This outer ritual holds the meaning that there is God’s Light within, but they never see the Light. Do not lose sight of the True Purpose for which they stand.

Divali day is celebrated in sweet remembrance of important past events: Mahavira Swami got Nirvana on this day, and Swami Dayanand got illumination on this day. Lord Rama returned to his kingdom after fourteen years of banishment, and his people lit millions of lamps in celebration. Divali was the day that Guru Har Gobind returned to Amritsar after fourteen years of imprisonment in Gwalior. Swami Ram Tirath was born on Divali day and renounced the world on Divali day. This is all very auspicious, so brother should meet brother, and all differences in the heart should be ironed out. The true meaning behind the Festival of Lights should be practised, and that is to enkindle the Light, the True Light of the Lord, within. On this day the people clean the house, throw out all the worn-out unwanted things, whitewash the walls, and light the lamps and candles; but this is outer Divali. Truly speaking, Divali will be fruitful if the Inner Light is lighted. When the Light is lit inside, that is an indication of the manifestation of God. This is achieved only when all the dirt and filth in the heart is washed away.

The heart is soiled with the dirt of the ages, and to remove the dirt, one should first observe ahimsa – non-violence –, so as not to add any more to it. Ahimsa is the greatest virtue. It is the Highest Virtue never to think ill of anyone, actually in thought, speech, and action. Secondly, one should avoid the company of those who have low traits. If a person has low traits, you will be influenced by them; keeping his company will prevent the Light from shining within you. So one should imbibe first the virtues of Truth. Lies, cheating, deceit, hypocrisy, showing something different on the face than whatever is in the heart – these things increase the corruption inside. Keep these facts in mind, for he who has no ill will against anyone will say what is true. His tongue will be sweet because he has no intention to hurt anyone’s feelings, but rather speaks frankly for the sake of right understanding.

Who speaks the truth without fear? Either an established enemy or a True Friend, although the enemy may make a mountain out of a molehill, because his intentions are dishonourable and he exaggerates. A True Friend will never broadcast one’s shortcomings, but with Love will try to explain where you are going wrong, with your interests at heart. Imbibe the virtues of Truth, and with Love encourage better understanding in others. And what is more important, do not fail in your own good intentions and principles because of hearsay or rumours. Some tongues are led by selfish motives with little respect for Truth. There is purpose behind everything, which may be obvious or hidden. Do not therefore be a puppet to the tunes played by others; you will do harm to yourself.

His heart becomes clean who does not indulge in vice, bad habits, deceit, hypocrisy, etc., and leads a chaste life in thought, speech and actions. We aim to realise God, that God Which is in all beings, Whom all worship as One, though He may be given many different names. He is the Great Controlling Power which keeps all souls in the body; which, when He withdraws, we also must leave. When a person truly understands these facts, how can the question of hatred for others arise? Whom will one hate? Out of right understanding, True Thoughts and Actions develop and follow naturally. God is in everyone – if you know that someone is unhappy or in need, go and help them. If they are hungry or thirsty, share whatever you have. Because of God, do service to His children. This does not mean bondage, but rather it is a helping factor. Bondage lies in forgetting Him and tying oneself to the world and its environments. On the day of Divali you will find that the atmosphere in the home changes for the better, due to the increased devotion, the extra cleanliness, the added fragrance of incense and burning of lamps and candles – all done with devoted attitude of mind. There is some radiation in this, but the Real Remedy for cutting out all evil propensities from the mind is to enkindle the Light within you.

I have kept no sect here, in Sawan Ashram – nor will any be started at any time. You should stay in your own social bodies and religions, speak your own languages, keep your own customs, apparel, emblems and identifying labels. All religions demand an ethical and righteous way of life.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

It is also said,

Clean the core of your heart for the arrival; sweep all impressions away so that He may sit there.

That heart is truly clean in which no other thought remains save that of the Lord.

You may ask,

How can we do this while we are in the world?

It is written in the Gita,

He who sees everyone in Me and Me in everyone, is My most loved one.

If you have children, or father, mother, wife, husband, see the Light of God in them. He has united you in this relationship, not merely for an outer bond but to see and serve God in them. If you do so, there will be no bondage in your relationships. Bondage occurs only when the I-hood steps in and the Lord is forgotten. So you can do all the world’s work, but live like a compass whose needle always points in one direction. Keep your attention on the Lord, for if the direction changes, then?

The Giver is forgotten, the gifts become loved, and miserable man forgets the approaching death.

Man is fully enwrapped in the world – he is all ‘me and mine,’ and wherever ‘me and mine’ are, there rules illusion. ‘Me and mine’ have some bearing on one’s life, but the Lord Himself has arranged it, and when everything is seen in the correct perspective there will be no binding effects. If the children make mistakes, appeal to their finer instincts, with Love and careful understanding. Losing one’s temper, shouting, and taking violent action will only confuse them; they will not know what they have done wrong. Take time to explain, even three or four times, and it will eventually have effect.

This necessity of cleaning the heart has been advised in all religions. You will find it in the Sermon on the Mount, in Buddha’s Eight-fold Path, and in other teachings. But we deceive ourselves by sprinkling a little fragrance on our pile of dirt; how will the smell leave like this? We would like to dye our filthy clothes, but how will the colour take? Even with a little colour, a clean cloth will dye beautifully. If a room is perfectly clean, a single flower will fill its atmosphere with refreshing fragrance. Even if the disciple has been given the experience and continues the practice but does not make good progress, you will find that this very thing is at the root of the trouble.

Lighting the lamp and ringing the bell as an empty religious custom, though performed up to one million years, will remain an empty religious custom. All religious rites remain in this category, though good actions may be earned which will bear the fruit of reward, if they are performed with sincerity of thought. But there is no salvation in this.

Kabir Sahib says,

In the palace of silence, light the lamp.

The body itself is the True Temple of the Lord, in which the Light of God is shimmering, and in that Light the Sound is vibrating. Masters speak of this in various terms: Intrinsic Hearing – Buddha; Truth clothed in Light – Pythagoras; the Unstruck Fire – Zoroaster; the Music of the Spheres, etc. So even if one could remember every known scripture by heart and could fill the memory with the words, but yet without lighting the Light inside and hearing the Sound, all this knowledge is bearing no real fruit.

Light and Sound are the direct way back to Absolute God. They are like two electric lifts which will take us to that place from whence They emanate. Learn the basic teaching of your own religion properly and you will find it all starts from here. It was due purely to climatic variations that different customs and rites were adopted, but basically it is all very simple and clear, so do not remain under any misapprehension. Blessed is each religion, and blessed is each emblem or symbol, so remain wherever God has placed you; He cannot be realised just by changing one’s outer form of religion.

The garb was changed many times, resulting in misery to the body; you have to bear the brunt of all that!

It is man that must change, not the religion.

The Muslims do not commence their namaz, prayer, without doing vazu, which is washing the hands, feet and face with water or sand. There is a very definite meaning behind this, which is to wash oneself away from the world and its affairs; then one may stand in attendance at the court of the Lord. The Muslim prophets say that if you have not washed your hands of the world you have no right to sit in the remembrance of God. In such unwashed attitude there would be no True Namaz.

Mind was given elsewhere, body was in the Sadhu’s company; 

Kabir says,

how can an unbleached cloth be dyed?

The thoughts may not necessarily be bad, but do not forget your aim, which is to realise God. Relationships and property, etc., were given to man to help him achieve this end. If the Inner Light has not been lit and one has not seen that the Lord is the Doer and Operator of all this machinery of body and world, then one’s main task has not been accomplished.
While he thinks he is the doer, he will continue in the womb-cycle.

Lord Krishna has said,

Good and bad karmas both bind the soul, as chains of gold and iron.

Salvation consists solely of the soul being rejoined to the Lord. To achieve this, the mind must be stilled. If the mind is not stilled, the attention constantly wanders outward and becomes the image of the body and the world; day and night this impregnation of sanskaras – impressions in the mind – continues. The heart’s reservoir overflows with these impressions – even the nightly dreams are full of them. The meeting with the Lord is very far from those who stay in such a condition.

The same Light of God is in all creatures – animals, birds, fish, etc. so one should love God and love also all creation, for He is in all. This constitutes a True Way of celebrating Divali. You may do it today, or tomorrow, or next year, in ten years’ time, or later on in life, or you can take millions of births to do it, but this very work will have to be done sooner or later. The learned and illiterate alike must be able to control the attention – if the attention is not feeding the senses, the senses remain out of action. This has been proved in an ordinary way by a person keeping his attention fully concentrated upon a certain thing or task; he will not be aware of anyone speaking to him or calling him.

In truth, everything is within you, and you are the Light. He is the Greater Light, and you the smaller. After you have been cleaned free from all dirt, you will see the Light, and ultimately be absorbed into the Greater Light, for this is the law of nature: that everything is drawn to its own kind. In this way, you will become One – in Him. If on Divali day you enkindle the Light within you, then I congratulate you; otherwise your house is in darkness.

As Kabir Sahib says,

In the silent palace of the void, light the lamp.

When you close your eyes there is darkness, but when the Light is seen, then the Inner Journey starts; first to rise above the physical into the astral plane where the Light will become stronger. In the causal plane it will be yet stronger, and from then onward the Light is so strong as to be incomparable with millions of suns and moons.

A certain pandit, Vedic schola, came here recently and read to me a section from the Yajur Veda which mentioned these very things I am now telling you about. Brothers, there is Light within you, and there is also Sound within.

In the Gurbani, we have,

There is Light within, and the Everlasting Music reverberating therefrom.

The Chandogya Upanishad gives the same information. It is a real thing, and if you have received this gift – in any religion – know that you have received the means to salvation.

The Muslim Fakirs also say that within man the Kalam-i-Kadim is vibrating, but we are imprisoned in the body and alas do not hear It.

Shamas-i-Tabrez Sahib says,

Every minute One Voice is coming to my soul from the Lord’s direction.

What kind of Voice is this? It is said to be like an ordinary voice, but alas we cannot hear It. There is an Inner Eye, which if open can see the Light of God.

Lord Krishna has said,

You cannot see me with these eyes of flesh and blood, but only through that Divine Eye with which I have blessed you.

Guru Nanak Sahib similarly says,

Oh Nanak, that eye is different through which the Lord is seen.

Everyone has got this eye – it is called the Third Eye, the Single Eye, the Shiv Netra. 

If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light.

And where is this eye?

Fix your attention above the outgoing faculties, where even Mahesh is meditating.

Even Lord Shiva, Mahesh, is meditating upon that same invisible place, and that is why we sometimes call it the Shiv Netra – Shiva’s Eye.

Excuse me, but performing customs and rites and distributing parshad is not a True Way of celebrating a Divali festival. Our condition in this respect can be likened to the story of the camel which thrust its nose into its master’s tent on a cold night. It gradually edged farther until its head and neck were inside, and then farther until half its body was in the tent. Finally through steadily inching its way, the camel took over the tent and its master had to go outside in the cold. Likewise, these customs and rituals of ours will throw out the Truth completely if we are not careful enough to find the right understanding. Right understanding is a noble factor – it prepares the ground for the Truth itself. Perform all rites, customs and prayers with right understanding and they will all be acceptable at the Lord’s feet. Even if you do it as a gymnastic exercise, yet at least there is hope for you in the future.

We cry every day that communism is increasing (atheism), but what is the condition of our own homes? We rise in the morning, drink tea, do this and that, read the newspaper, and then we have to eat something. Someone goes to the office, someone else to the shop, etc. Is there a routine whereby all members of the family sit in the remembrance of the Lord every morning, for even one hour, or half an hour? There is nothing like this. In Punjabi there is a saying that if the child is spoiled while in his diapers he will never right himself. Well, people are crying about the communists outside, but communists are being created in our own homes. Our children have no knowledge of even the most basic teachings of Spirituality – many of the parents do not know them. We worry about possessing things and being happy – we are concerned that our children should be educated – these things are all right, but we are ignoring the most useful part of their upbringing.

I told the people in the West also, that every home should have a church – a temple, a gurdawara, or mosque – call it what you will; then morning and evening the whole family, big and small, should sit down in remembrance of God. The children’s lives will change, and yours also. Example is always better than precept, and seeing you doing what is right, the children will copy you. We are in fact responsible for the coming generation’s character, and if we will not change, how can we expect that character to be decent and upright? Stop for a while wherever you are, and review your own situation. Search for the true meanings hidden behind all things, and make sure you have got the right understanding. Up to now, most of our life has been lived in a very artificial manner, and if we have gained nothing real thereby, then what is the use?

Farid Sahib has warned us that

The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it.

Do not go on blindly following what others do without knowing the reasons. What can be achieved from such actions? I am not trying to belittle anything, but rather am trying to help you understand from the right perspective.

Seeing Him, all our durmath (misconception) is finished; He is our True Friend.

This is the True Way to banish all wrong thinking and establish right understanding. The company of such a True Friend is called Satsang. By searching the whole world you will find these True Friends, which are very rare. So be wise, take in the Truth and throw out untruth. It is written in the Upanishads,

Lead me from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light.

It is no new teaching, and whatever company you keep, you will take on the same colour. There are many formations in the world, but making formations is not the Masters’ purpose or mission. They were made after the advent of each Master, without Whom, as a matter of course, stagnation set in, from which bad smells arose. The result of all this was misery upon misery. There is no exaggeration in a Master’s words – He will tell you exactly what is what.

From this lowly level, we cannot see the Absolute God, but that same God came into expression in creation and is permeating throughout, in the form of Light, in which the Akhand Kirtan – Perpetual Song –, or Nad, or Udgit, is vibrating. All philosophy deals merely with theories, but mysticism deals with direct contact with Reality: the God-into-Expression-Power. But that can only be contacted when one rises above the senses, which can be done only in the human form. Where does our attention finally reach? To that place from where the Sound is coming – the Ultimate Source.

Some people practice the path of Light only, but on that path the soul finds itself surrounded and cannot discover the Way out. Here, the path of the Sound is most necessary. The various Holy Scriptures have been explained in detail countless times, but no one can explain the Sound; It is beyond description or explanation. Anything which is above the intellect cannot be explained – it can be contacted only. Furthermore, It will be one thing; It has eternally been one, and cannot be made into two or more. That is why those realised Souls who are in direct contact with the Sound all speak of It similarly.

So on this Divali Day I would like to impress upon you particularly to give up thinking ill of others.

While you do not make the enemy your friend, you will have no peace within.

Your sleep state will be full of restless dreams. If anyone thinks or speaks of you in an aggressive way, do not follow his example, otherwise his very thoughts will react upon you. If a wave of water hits a hard surface, it will bounce back, but if it strikes something resilient, it will be absorbed, like the action of a sponge, and there will be no violent reaction.

One curse is given, but on its return becomes many.

If it is not returned, then? It was one, and remained one. Again we remember Farid Sahib saying,

The whole world is sounding, and you are also dancing with it.

It is better, with a cool head, to try and read between the lines to discover why the person is acting so antagonistically, and then take action accordingly. You will save yourself from degradation this way. To think or speak of a person badly, to tell lies or cheat, to be hypocritical, indulging in backbiting and other ill-becoming traits – these are all degrading to the soul. Keep your hearts pure, and as God is in everyone, try to see only the best in all. Whatever duties have been given to you by God, perform them with Love, and if others are shirking their duties, appeal to them with Love, and pray for their better understanding. Then, leave them to the Lord. If we always remember that the God we worship is in all men, we would not even allow a single brother to go hungry.

There was once a devotee who worshipped the Lord very faithfully, and one day he prayed, Oh God, please give me your dracaena. God replied to him, All right, I will come to you. The devotee started preparing for the Lord’s arrival with great enthusiasm, cleaning his house spotlessly, making a specially comfortable seat decorated with flowers for Him to rest on, and preparing many different delicious delicacies for the Lord’s refreshment. When all was ready, he sat at the door awaiting God’s arrival. From morning until night he did not leave the door; but the Lord did not come. An old man in very ragged clothes passed by, and in passing, called out, Brother, I am very hungry, could you give me just one piece of bread? The devotee was so engrossed in expectantly awaiting the Lord’s arrival that he totally ignored the old man, who went away hungry. In the depth of night, the devotee spoke to the Lord in meditation, asking Him why He had not come, as promised. God said, Why, I came to you, and I asked you for food, but you gave me nothing.

So we never know in what form God will visit us. Whatever our attitude in approaching the Lord, so will be our reward. Whatever the desire, that will be fulfilled. If, for instance, you think of this as a place of Truth, Sating, then leave all worldly thoughts when entering. This more elevated attitude of mind will enable you to absorb the radiation therein, from which you will be greatly uplifted. When you fully understand what it is you are receiving and also make it a part of your everyday life, most decidedly you will have salvation. 

However,

If you see the Stagger as the world sees him, there is no salvation in this; if you do not love the Stagger’s Shad.

There are various attitudes of regard towards the Stagger, and accordingly does each man receive. If he is met with faith and respect in the heart, receptivity develops, and the radiation is absorbed.