Chicago

The Master’s plane left Toronto on 26^th October 1972, arriving at Chicago at 4:30 p.m. Many hundreds of devotees were anxiously waiting to receive their Beloved. Many of them followed Him to the Belmont Hotel where His accommodations were booked for the seven-day stay.

While the Master was in Chicago, many of the various meetings were held in the hotel. Others were held at Palmer House, the University of Illinois, the Theosophical Society, and the Unitarian Church, where Master was the guest speaker at the Sunday morning service on 29^th October.

In a talk given on 27^th October, on ‘How to see God,’ Master explained that, since the question of whether there is a God or not is baffling to most people, God sends Someone Who can testify that They have seen:

The first step to take is to still your mind. If there are ripples on a lake, you cannot see your reflection. Until the waters of the mind are stilled, you cannot see the form where God is manifest within. […]

It is not outer cleanliness, it is Inner Cleanliness that will let you see God. When we do something wrong and are questioned about it, we tremble like anything. Anything done in darkness, in seclusion – these are bad actions; this is the criterion. Unless we weed out our bad actions we cannot see God.

In the morning of 28^th October, the Master gave initiation to 62 seekers.

At 6 p.m. on the 28^th the local representative, Mrs Olga Donenberg, arranged a dinner at the hotel in honour of the Master. All the group leaders from the Chicago area and others who were there from other places attended. Everyone was delighted to see their Beloved among them at the dinner table.

Later that evening, Master gave a beautiful exposition on Love at the hotel.

He said:

Do you know what Love is? It is a very delicate subject. Love is something that drags the heart. Masters come to give Love to the world because God is manifest there. Wherever They go, They radiate Love; They always advise that Love is within you. […] It is high time to love God. What have you been doing ever since you got the power of sight? Don’t look to anyone except God, or if you look to anyone else, see the God in them. […] The game of Love is God’s game. If you win, you can have Him. If you are defeated, He has you. […] As fish are in water, they cannot suffer separation even for a moment or they will die. The need for water is innate in the fish. God is the water and the need for this contact is innate in our soul. […] If you are in love with someone, you want to go to an inn somewhere private. You don’t want to go to a hotel where there are a lot of people. So mind your own business and love Cod privately. […]

The following afternoon at the Palmer House, Master was asked,

Can a woman become a Master? If so, why haven’t there been any women Masters?

Master said,

Look to history; there have been women Masters.¹ A soul is a soul; it makes no difference, man or woman. It is only according to Karma whether your body is male or female.

Before the meditation sitting the following morning – 30^th October – the Master went to Palmer House and blessed the children and their mothers, who were not able to participate in meditation. Then He gave instructions and a sitting, including practical experience of the Light within.

That evening the Master’s grandson, Rajinder Singh Duggal, who has been living in Chicago for three years, fervently requested the Master to visit and bless his apartment. The Master, who had already blessed the houses of two or three other dear ones, very kindly obliged and paid him a visit at 6 p.m.

About fifty disciples accompanied Him there, and dinner and fruit were served to all. It was a very sweet time with the Lord. From there the Master went directly to Palmer House where, at 7:30, He spoke on chastity of thought, word, and deed.

At the invitation of the University of Chicago, the Master spoke there at 2:30 p.m. on 31^st October. A faculty member welcomed Him and said that it was a privilege and pleasure to have a practical Saint among them. The Master talked about the importance of meeting a real Living Saint, the True Values of life, and the impact of various yogas, including Surat Shabd Yoga. After the talk He answered a few questions.

The Master gave initiation for the second time in Chicago on the morning of 1^st November, when 65 new seekers were linked with the God-into-Expression-Power.

That evening at 7:30, at the Belmont Hotel, Master gave His beautiful farewell talk. He said:

Keep the commandments literally, but mind defies everything. We find excuses not to do our meditation. There are impediments on the way. If we come to know what they are we can avoid them. […]

We should stand on our own legs. […] Watch what you eat. […] Forgive and forget. If you remember someone has done something wrong, then you have not forgotten. […]

Chastity of thought, word and deed. If you hear ill of others, then you begin to doubt them. Chastity of tongue. Chastity of all the outgoing faculties. If you find something wrong, you may tell the person privately, but don’t broadcast it […] As you think so you become. Do one thing at a time. If you are working, thank God for your work. […]

Saints want reformers – not of other – but of ourselves!

[…] Be true to your own self. […] Smile and the world will smile with you. Torment others and you will be tormented. […]

Think twice before you speak:

1. Is it necessary?

If not, then keep quiet. Mind your own business!

2. Is it kind?

Forget the past, forget the future; the past has gone; live in the living present. […] Live up to what has been said and you will have success.

The Master left Chicago on 2^nd November, 1972, at 10:20 a.m. by plane, reaching Cincinnati at 12:20 p.m.

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Footnote: 1) See ‘Sat Sandesh,’ August 1972, for the fascinating life story of Mira Bai, the most famous woman Master. Other well known lady Saints are Rabia and Sehjo Bai.