Berlin

The following morning – 28^th August – the Master flew from Cologne to Berlin. Many dear ones followed Him to the airport and wept at the time of parting. About thirty devotees flew with Him on the same plane and obtained rooms at the same hotel in Berlin, just to be near Him as long as possible.

One of the Conference Halls in the hotel was booked for Master’s talks, and Master met the initiates there twice that day – from 4 to 6 p.m., and from 8 to 10 p.m. The Master told them He was glad to be amongst them once again, and stressed that the True Purpose of life on earth could only be achieved if the dear ones live the life enjoined by Him.

Meditation was scheduled for the following morning – 29^th August – at 9 a.m. The Master asked them whether they wanted to put questions first, or sit in meditation. They wanted to meditate. The Master was pleased, and explained that this was the Bread of Life and the Water of Life. We are fortunate to have both the man-body and the Inner Contact from a practical Living Master. This is the golden opportunity, and we must make the best use of it. Then He gave detailed instructions for meditating correctly. After the sitting, 102 persons – the vast majority – were found to have had experience of Light in various degrees. The Master told them they must develop these experiences, and He urged them to maintain the self-introspection diary in the larger interest of their Spiritual Welfare.

A lady initiate came from East Germany and told the Master that Government restrictions there prevented them from sending even letters on Spiritual Subjects and diaries to the Master. She said, how lucky are those who have the privilege to be with Him and correspond with Him freely! The Master consoled her and her husband so sweetly, and assured them the Master-Power would be extending help wherever they were.

That afternoon the Master answered questions in the Conference Hall. Someone asked about the difference between self-surrender and self-discipline. The Master said that self-surrender is very difficult, and that it is reached by leading an ethical and pure life of self-discipline. He gave an example of Hazrat Ibrahim, who purchased a slave.

When he asked the slave,

Where will you sit?

he replied,

Where would you like me to sit?

When he asked him,

What will you eat?

he said,

What would you like me to eat?

He said,

What will you wear?

– What would you like me to wear?

Finally the slave added,

You see, I am your slave: I have no choice of my own.

Hearing this, Hazrat Ibrahim wept and said,

Oh God, he is greater than me; I have not become Your slave as yet.

This is an example of self-surrender, which is very difficult. But one can achieve proficiency in self-discipline by taking care in our living from day to day, and this will eventually result in self-surrender.

One of the initiates said that since they were deprived of the Master’s physical presence, they liked to keep His pictures. The Master explained that the pictures are for remembrance only, not for worship or visualisation. If you see a photograph of your parents, you do not think of the paper but of your parents. In the same way, a photograph of the Master will bring you His sweet memory.

Someone asked about Jesus Christ dying for the sins of others, and Master said that was according to the Law of Sympathy. Those who had had the good fortune to meet Him and seek His Grace while He was on earth had been benefited, and He quoted Christ’s own words,

As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.

St John 9:5

Then the question was asked, how can people benefit now?, and Master explained that the Christ-Power or God-Power is always working on some chosen Human Pole; the world is never without it. Those people who lived before Jesus Christ and came to the Human Pole through which the Christ-Power was working at that time got benefit, and so are the loving seeking souls of the present day.

One lady said that she couldn’t stand it when people thought bad thoughts about her. The Master said that she should radiate loving thoughts for all. If abuses are returned, they multiply and become even more harmful. He told a wonderful story about Lord Buddha and a man who came to abuse him. All day long the man abused him, until the sun set. As he got up to leave, Lord Buddha asked him,

Well, dear friend, if someone brings you a present, and you do not accept it, to whom does that present belong?

And the man said,

Why, to the one who brought it.

And Lord Buddha said.

Well, dear friend, I do not accept this present you have brought.

And then he gave him a lantern so he could find his way home.

A mother said that sometimes she had to be unkind to her children, and wondered if this was a failure in non-violence. The Master made it very clear: it is the duty of parents to make their children understand properly by loving and firm persuasion, not by beating, which will not have positive results. To another question, the Master said that sleep during meditation should be avoided. You should meditate when you are fresh after rest, or take a bath or light exercise to avoid sleep. It is very important to remain wide awake during Spiritual Exercises.

Closing the meeting, the Master said that there had been a lot of questions answered during the past two days. It is now up to you to act on what you have learned.

At 8 p.m. the Master spoke to another packed hall at Urania House, Berlin. He said that the main purpose of our life is to know ourselves and then to know God, Who is controlling the universe. We have been given this golden opportunity and we must make the best use of it. We find two statements in the Holy Books: one, that no man has seen God at any time, and two, various references to the fact that He can be seen.

The first statement refers to the Absolute God, and the second to the God-into-Expression-Power. In order to dip inside and have experience of this Power, we have to seek the guidance of some Competent Master of our own time, Who opens our Third Eye or Single Eye. Christ, Kabir, Guru Nanak, and others have said that one cannot see God with outer eyes.

Those eyes are different with which we can bear testimony.

When the Living Master gives a demonstration, we see the Light of God and hear the Divine Melody, both of which are already within us; but we have not been able to experience them as yet. He emphasised the necessity and importance of Spiritual Discipline under the guidance of a Competent Living Master. The audience listened very attentively.