The Master’s Birthday 1973
Karen Proctor shares with us her vivid description of the recent celebrations
Changes were going on at Sawan Ashram as the days of celebration drew near. Fifty to sixty women sat cleaning wheat to be ground for the thousands of chapatis that would be needed in the coming days. Carpenters were busy building extra bed frames and men could be seen carrying loads of bricks on their heads for the construction of enclosures for the rows of water faucets that had just been installed. Everywhere work was going on to make ready the accommodation and feeding of so many thousands of devoted souls.
The grand occasion of our Master’s eightieth birthday1 and the twenty-fifth anniversary of His mission here on earth as Sant Satguru, or True Master, was rapidly approaching.
By the third of February, people started filtering in. They came from all over India, Europe and the States. Many Western devotees were already staying at the Ashram, having come sooner in order to bathe in Master’s wondrous Darshan a little longer.
All the following day and night people poured in. Large tents had been set up in the courtyard, and the incompleted building that will someday be a Satsang hall with a capacity of 3,000 had been enclosed with colourful drops and straw was spread over the entire floor. This building now has a roof thanks to Master’s Grace and the selfless efforts of local Satsangis who worked day and night so that the dear ones would have a sheltered place to sleep during their short visit with Maharaj Ji. As it turned out, the weather was beautiful, the days sparkling and warm, and the nights milder than usual. But the Master takes no chances with His dear ones. He takes such good care of us all.
By the fifth close to 50,000 people had gathered. It was simply incredible! A huge canteen had been set up just outside the Ashram; there was a free medical dispensary, and there were stands with pictures of Master and Baba Sawan Singh available. Meals were served in the Ashram itself, and were truly a sight to behold. Imagine shifts of 10,000 people, lined up on long mats which were spread on the ground, being served delicious meals of vegetables, lentils and chapatis on plates made of leaves. The food just kept coming. No one went hungry and everyone had seconds and more if they chose. I helped to serve chapatis to these beautiful people and really enjoyed this little bit of personal contact. Of course, we couldn’t speak to each other, except regarding how many chapatis they wanted – ek or do (one or two) – as that is about the extent of my Hindi. But Love was everywhere and shined on everyone’s faces.
Occasionally someone who spoke a little English would come up and say,
Hello sister, we’re glad to see you her;
and the full meaning of Master’s words,
We’re all brothers and sisters under God,
came to me.
The first big Satsang began at about 9 a.m. An old friend of Master’s who is now in charge of education at Manav Kendra, Pundit Parmanand, spoke for a long time of the need of missionaries to save this world from self destruction.
He said that partial commitment would not do. It seems he spent 32 years in prison as a result of his freedom fighting activities before India had won her freedom from the British. He said the need is even greater now, as we must launch a Spiritual Revolution. At the end of his speech, Master asked how many of us were ready to be missionaries. Most of the audience raised their hands in silent acceptance of the serious task that lies ahead.
In the evening there was another Satsang, this time at a park just a few minutes’ walk from the Ashram. There were dozens of speakers, all of them ardent followers of the Master. Unfortunately, we who spoke only English were unable to understand them, but we could not help but be impressed by their poise and the ease with which they spoke, by Master’s Grace. Some sang beautiful verses from the Sikh and Hindu scriptures. The Love and devotion that each one of them felt for their Master was communicated in spite of the barrier of language.
The occasion which most touched me was on the day of our Beloved’s birthday at four in the morning. The dear ones gathered in the court yard in front of Master’s house to sing loving songs of worship. Everything had been decorated with long garlands of beautifully arranged flowers. The singing went on for about one hour. It was so enchanting I shall never forget it. Finally, Master came out in answer to our pleas. He was accompanied by Darshan Singh, His son, who spoke briefly. Then Master graced us with His words. There was an air of gravity about Him and His message carried a note of urgency.
He said that our real birthday is when we rise above body consciousness, and at that time, He will truly celebrate.
He said also quoting Christ,
I am the Light of the world as long as I am in the world,
and emphasised that we must work while it is day, – that no one can work when night time comes.
Tearfully, we went back to our rooms to reflect on Master’s message and to get a little rest before the day’s activities continued.
Satsang once again was held in the park as there were too many people for the Ashram. Canopies had been set up and a large stage to accommodate all the illustrious speakers. Spiritual Leaders from all over India, representing many different religions and sects, were present to pay tribute to One Who has done so much to unite humanity and bring True Spirituality to so many.
Speaker after speaker had his turn at the microphone, each one singing Master’s praises. The evening Satsang was more of the same, with heads of different religions participating; the awareness of the Master’s greatness is widespread and all wished to acknowledge Him as the living symbol of Light and Love.
I must say that for me, as impressive as the speakers were, the most enjoyable and beneficial part was having Master’s Darshan for so long a time. We Western devotees had the privilege of sitting very close to the stage. What a blessing, to receive His gracious glances for so long!
The next day, the 7th, was the anniversary of Manav Kendra Foundation Day, and another meeting was held in Master’s honour, this time at a large hall called the Vigyan Bhavan or ‘place for speeches.’ Here Master was presented with the Abhinandan Patra,2 an address of acknowledgement, devotion, and respect, by Raja Mahendra Pratap Ji on behalf of the heads of different faiths, government and social organisations, and thousands of devoted followers.
There were about twenty speakers paying tribute to Master for having created such marvellous institutions as Ruhani Satsang and Manav Kendra for the benefit and service of mankind – for man-making as Master puts it. Several groups and individuals sang in beautiful ethereal voices – including Tai Ji (Bibi Har Devi), whose loving and devoted songs are exceptionally beautiful. Everyone on stage presented Him with a lei of flowers and tried to place them around His beloved neck, but each time, in His usual humble way, Master would stop them and place them around the neck of the giver. This meeting lasted a long time – about four hours. We from the West felt privileged to have been invited as the ceremony was such an important and moving one.
Initiation was held the following day, with over 1,000 persons being initiated!
Almost everyone saw Light, and the few who did not were given a special sitting by the Master. It was amazing, with so many there, how He was able to give attention to each one.
Our Beloved Master by this time was quite weary. The schedule had been hectic and His health not up to par, but the dear ones seeking Darshan and personal interviews were never turned away, day or night. Master could be seen giving His loving advice and blessings well after midnight. His total selflessness was apparent to many, now more than ever, and one could fully understand the meaning of the word Saint.
With each soul He initiates, Master takes on more karma and suffers more and more for us. And yet He never says no, but beckons with open arms to even the most sinful of us to enter the Path. If we have Love for our Master, we must try to purify ourselves, for His sake: to lessen His suffering, as well as for our own salvation. In almost every talk He gave at the celebration ceremonies, the crux of His message was,
If you love me, keep my commandments;
and,
You must rise above body consciousness – your days are numbered.
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Footnotes: 1) The reader will note that the Master’s recent birthday is referred to as his ‘eightieth’ throughout this account; this is by the Oriental reckoning, which counts the actual day of birth as the first birthday. The Master was born in 1894, consequently was 79 years old on 6th February, 1973. 2) See the text of the ‘Abhinandan Patra’ in this issue of Sat Sandesh.