A Blanket of Love

A report of the Great Bandhara held in honor of Baba Sawan Singh Ji, 25^th – 28^th July 1973, by Astra and Loi

What a stirring sight to see all creeds, colours, races and religions come together in a wave of sweet Love to sit at the feet of the Beloved Living Master, His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. He is the towering Giant of Spirituality.

The 25^th of July, 1973, is a bright and sun-filled day after much rain. Beloved is giving darshan to about 250 or 300 Indian devotees. Inside in His quarters, sitting in quiet reposed meditation, are 32 foreign guests from America, Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Germany and South America.

Preparations for this auspicious occasion of the 116^th Birth Anniversary of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj were started a week ahead. The colourful tents were pushed up on long sturdy bamboo poles in a flooding rain. Thousands and thousands will come to pay homage to the two Great Masters.

The Meditation Hall has grown considerably and will house many families with their doe eyed children, and the old devotees who brave the highways and teeming sultry traffic just to get a glimpse of Love that flows like a mighty torrent from the high gorge off the mountain top.

At 10:33 a.m. Beloved comes into His quarters where He gives darshan to the foreign guests:

He asked one young man from Austria,

Have you been initiated?

– No.

Why did you come?

The boy did not reply. Master said,

How many Satsangs have you attended?

The boy replied,

Thirty or forty.

– Then why didn’t you have your application papers sent in?

Again there was no reply. Beloved asked,

How long are you going to stay?

The boy answered,

Six weeks if it is Your Grace.

– All right,

Master says.

As long as you are here, I will give it to you, but in the future no one should come unless they have permission.

Master turned to eight-year old Adam from New York.

And how are you today, little gentleman?

Adam said,

Fine.

Beloved asked,

Are you initiated? Are you initiated to Sound?

Adam answered,

Yes.

Master asked,

Do you see any Light inside?

Adam again answered,

Yes.

– Do you see any form or man inside?

Adam replied that he did.

Who does he look like?

Adam said,

Like You, Master.

Master chuckled.

25^th July, 4:45 p.m. Beloved entered His garden to give darshan to His Indian devotees. Like a heavy wave the children on the outside of the garden wall swelled to five and six feet deep just for an extra Love glance from their beautiful God Guru. They have come to do seva – service. 5 p.m. Beloved goes into His ante-room; some follow for private advice. He is our unpaid counsellor. The Master is extremely busy in His fatherly duties tending to His children and seeing them at all hours.

One of the Ashram staff spoke to me and said that from now on all initiates will have a file number for quick and easy reference, which they will find on their small envelopes from Beloved. Please ask all initiates to print very clearly their name and return address, as Master’s secretaries cannot decipher the poor handwriting. We should also print our file number on the bottom left-hand corner of the envelope when writing to His Holiness.

It is 6:45 p.m. on the 25^th. The rain of Sawan falls in huge puddles. The children splash and play; the elders sit serenely gazing up towards the roof garden where Beloved takes His rest. The women in the langar are starting preparation of the food which will be so kindly distributed by the sevadars. Thousands upon thousands of chapattis are being prepared. Dhal is being made in huge vats. Simran goes on and on in the hearts of the devotees who wish so much to please the Beloved.

8:35 p.m. On the rooftop of the Beloved’s garden, there are approximately 150 gathered. The Master gives clothing to eight sevadars. Tea on the rooftop of the Lord inspired some of us to talk freely on His attributes and the wonderful gifts He bestows on us daily.

Beloved said,

Now I will serve you.

And He poured the first cup of tea for Tai Ji. He gave us a very sweet talk afterwards saying,

Christ said that He had come with a sword to separate the husbands from the wives, the mothers from the children. These are not my words, but Christ said them.

In other words, He came to sever the attachment of one to the other. Master continued,

God comes in the form of man to take us back Home. This is a Golden Opportunity. Man-body is the Golden Opportunity to meet God; make the best use of it.

Christ said,

I shall never leave thee nor forsake thee.

The sevadars’ speeches were in praise of the Master. They said it was a blessing to be able to do seva – or service – and we should serve politely not only the guests but the regular ones in the Ashram. When we act in this manner we perform our duties well, set a good example, and please the Master.

Darshan Singh Duggal – the Master’s son – spoke lovingly relating a sweet story of Beloved Master Who once took on the duty of gatekeeper in the Ashram of His Beloved Guru Ji, Baba Sawan Singh. Darshan said how sweetly and kindly the Master greeted all who came to the gate, setting the acme of perfection in actions.

We asked what True Seva was. It was explained as service through mind, body and money. There are no donors in this world; God is the only donor. The one who does seva is blessed by God. One could feel the Spiritual Charging of both Great Masters crackling the air. The Indian devotees below spoke in hushed tones sounding like a swarm of bees humming happily on their return to their hives after gathering the sweet honey.

July 26, 1973. Today breakfast was served to all. After finishing their repast, they sat down under the canopies awaiting the presence of His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj to receive His morning darshan. At 9 a.m. His Holiness appeared to put everyone in meditation, explaining first how to sit in True Bhakti for best results.

The best Use of your Time

After meditation Master gave a beautiful talk, saying:

We have come specifically for meditation, not to make new friends nor to write letters back home. We are here to forget all attachments, including families and countries. Our main purpose is to advance spiritually. Put in as much time as possible. Make the best use of your time while you are here. You can all become Saints if you put in your time. Time is valuable; do not fritter it away on frivolous things. It is later than you think. If you are due to leave this physical body and have only five minutes left, how will you save yourself? Keep your thoughts in me.

God is Light. God is Naam. He comes to make people see who could not see. All is the manifestation of Guru-Power.

God cannot be had by observation. He is within you. That Power is controlling you in the body. As you think, so you become. You should be chaste in thought, word and deed. Mind your own business. God is in you. You’ve had some experience, go on with it. Simply listen to those people who have seen within – Saints. Listening to others will lead you nowhere. Do you understand what I am telling you? You must have a demonstration of that Power.

Beloved puts His hands up to demonstrate how to see within and He points to the space between the two eyebrows.

There is hope for everybody. Every Saint has His past and every sinner a future. This is very plain talk. I’m talking very openly now. I am not speaking Greek. A man may preach that he is in the Light but in reality he is in darkness. Only the man who sees Light can talk about Light. Don’t spend your time with worldly friends but with your Father Who can make you see.

Rai Saligram says,

How many sinners are there? I am the worst of all sinners.

This shows complete humility.

Those who will awaken, they shall take intoxication (Master’s darshan). Those who get up early in the morning, three or four hours before sunrise, and who sit in meditation, they will enjoy the intoxication. If you are perfect, the whole world can be perfect. You can say, ‘My parents are Emperors and Kings,’ but if you haven’t got Naam You are empty. If you meditate you will not see yourself but will reflect on me.

Beloved asked who wanted to put into practice what He had said today. Everyone raised his hand. Master said:

You should go inside and see for yourself. Holy men have always been telling you to tap inside. He lives inside. Not outside. God is inside you. You’re looking at the outside world instead of the inside world. Why do you people go to outer temples when you should worship inside your own temple.

The basic teaching of a1 Masters is that you should find God within your body. The outer temple is just to give you some idea. The wise took this as an example, and they went inside their own temples. There is a real temple inside your body.

The Lord said,

I am your real treasure, your hidden treasure. Tap inside and you will find it.

Make use of these worldly symbols, but tap inside to find the real Truth. All Masters or Saints Who have come, no matter what creed or class, have given the same teachings. If your friends are good, you will have holy or good thoughts. If your friends are bad, you will have bad thoughts. It is a question of attention. Right thoughts will bring you on the right Path. What have you to do with others? Mind your own business. Mind your own conscience. God is within you. Inside is the Nectar of Love or Naam. The drop of immortality, for which you have come into this world, is within you. When you have come to the feet of the Lord, give up all cleverness. Give up your duality.

Two priests were initiated in Rome. They asked what they should do. I told them,

You are paid by the church; tell them this is Spirituality.

You will go further when your intellect is stilled. Listen only to that Man Who has been inside. The Master will give you a demonstration so that you can see for yourself. There is a natural spring inside you. You can have that when you give up worldly things. Your eyes, ears and tongue will go on bringing bad ideas. It is all a question of attention. Try to control it. A duck gathers no water on its feathers. He is in the water, but he is not wet. We should be like this. Live in the world but be not of it.

This is my watch. (Master holds up His watch.) Some controlling power is holding that watch. That controlling power is me. When you sit at the feet of a Master, you sit at the feet of God.

How many Saints can you find that are perfect? I’m not talking to amuse anybody; I’m speaking the Truth. Manav Kendra, which I have started, is a great revolt against religious ceremonies. I have brought together all men who enter it on one platform.

You and your Guru ore sleeping in one bed but you don’t talk to each other.

Those who have not seen inside will give you different opinions. They will say this thing or that thing is correct. Only God is your friend and Master. Mind is a cunning friend; he will deceive you.

You have come to me; I have not asked you to be attached to me, I have asked you to be attached to the Lord. All Saints say that They Themselves are the worst sinners.

Guru Amar Das said,

Once I was a low living fellow. When I got initiated, I came to the feet of the Lord.

One who considers himself to be the lowest, he is the highest. If you sit near fire, you get warmth. If you sit near a Holy Man, you get some comfort.

Those whom Master has met, their karmas are being wound up, so consider yourself at that state. Consider yourself cut off from all attachment. If you don’t give up all worldly attachments, then, know that you have not met the Satguru.

If you don’t give up these worldly things you are not ready for this Path.

Masters are commissioned to take all to Sach Khand. He will not if you are not clean. Make my task easier. I must clean you. Keep your diary, do your meditation, and this will make my task easier. Your house is on fire and you are running around elsewhere. Try to look out for yourself. Change your angle of vision from the outside to the inside.

Those who change their angle of vision are successful. See that you progress every day on your way to Spirituality.

I have given a simple talk, not any philosophy. I have told you the Truth. Following the directions will make your task simpler and my task simpler. From today on devote pour time to your Spiritual Diaries. If you pity yourself, you will have pity on me. Are you ready to follow what I say? Hands up!

All hands went up!

4:50 p.m., 26^th July, 1973: We are under the huge canopies sheltering thousands of souls, gathered in the Name of the two Great Masters. A fine looking Indian man is singing love bhajans in honour of His Holiness Satguru Kirpal.

His voice is clear and strong and well controlled. Everyone listens with rapt attention. The music touches the heart and the strings within resound in harmony. We are patiently awaiting the Lord of Compassion. His appearance will bring tears of joy to all, making the eyes luminous with the reflected Love from the twin jewels that are His eyes.

The wind lifts the canopies and like huge butterfly wings, they sway in rhythm to His will. The turbans of the Sikh men and the coloured saris of the women are brilliantly hued. Some appear as though the rainbow itself dropped out of the sky to the earth’s bosom.

The Lord of Light arrives at 5:31 p.m. All eyes turn His way. He settles on the podium, a great figure of towering strength and Love. Sitting with the Great Master are many people of note who have come to pay homage and sing words of praise to the mighty Hazur and the Great Kirpal.

Beloved tells the Sangat:

A Flood of Compassion

Master-Souls are born in this world from time to time to liberate human souls. The Master-Soul Whose birthday we are celebrating today can be understood fully only by those who are spiritually on the same level. The man who has personal experience alone can take you and show you the wonderful world inside you. The first thing the Masters do is tell us that there is definitely God Who runs and controls this world. The worldly people today are turning away from God and becoming atheists. Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs, was in search of Truth up to the age of 70 or 72 years. He practised all sorts of rituals and went to the Ganges and other places of pilgrimage but got nothing.

When He met Guru Angad Sahib, He said that praising the Lord without seeing Him is how a (spiritually) blind man describes God according to his own fancy. He who has actually seen the Lord inside is the True Man and the True Interpreter of Truth. The only wish of mankind is that they should see the Lord in person. The pure souls cry and are always in search of the Lord. We have respect for all Masters, but the One Master Who sees the Lord and can show us Light and Sound – He is the True Master.

It is also difficult to be a Guru-Sikh. One should follow the teachings of the Master implicitly and faithfully. The Master will not give you contact unless your mind and thoughts are clean, and you are prepared to surrender to Him completely. The Master sees inside and will show you God inside. The test is, that you do not believe the Master unless He shows you the Light of God inside you.

My Master, through radiation, abundantly gives to us. He belonged to every community and to every person. The Master gives contact when you are ready to receive it. One who sees the Light of God becomes a Perfect Man. We are first human beings, and then Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Muslims. Wherever there is a True Desire to meet the Lord, it will be fulfilled. Demand and supply is the law of nature. There is food for the hungry and water for the thirsty. When Master-Souls come into this world there is a flood of compassion. Be receptive first; offer devotion implicitly.

I used to weep for nights in search of the Lord and True Master. I used to say,

When You have appeared to devotees in the past, why don’t You appear now to me?

In my meditation I saw the Radiant Form of the Master Baba Sawan Singh seven years before I actually met Him in Beas. When I went to Beas and I saw Baba Sawan Singh and met Him in person, I came to know it was the same Holy Man I had seen within and regarded as Guru Nanak.

I asked the Master,

Why have You been so long in meeting me?

At once He said that this was the proper time. Guru Nanak said to His followers at the time of His death, that He would come again and befriend them.

This science is very simple. Invert inside, close the outer eyes and penetrate within to see the Light of God. Learn to die – while yet living in the man-body – so that you may begin to live. You must have some experience at the time of initiation, maybe little or more, according to your background and karma.

God is Nameless. When He came into expression, He was known as Naam or Name. It has two phases – Light and Sound.

Master-Souls bless millions. They advise us to lead a clean life and to sit for meditation every day. When we go before the Guru, we should surrender to Him completely. He who surrenders mind, body, and everything will be successful. He will get the capital, experience, on the very first day. With the blessings of my Master, thousands are making progress on the Holy Path of Naam. If you hear the Sound and see the Light, you will go straight to the Source from which these things are emanating. You will go straight to God. With your Third Eye, you will see all this. Previously this was a hidden science, but today it is being preached openly. The Lord or God-Power is working through the Master. You have to lead a clean life, keep your diary and remove all sins and shortcomings steadfastly. Masters never conceal what They have attained. Master or God-Power is working to help every seeker after Truth. My Master was perfect in every way. He would ask us to close our eyes and He would show us the new world of Light and Sound inside. Do not go after miracles! They impede you on the way to Holy Naam. If you meditate daily and honestly, all nature will be at your beck and call. This science is nothing new but is an old thing. Truth is one not two. Who can give you contact with God? Only one in whom the God-Power is working. Master-Power never dies.

When one bulb is fused, it appears in another bulb. It goes on forever.

We’ve already been here for four hours. The Satsang is going stronger than ever. Master looked over the audience and said the hundred ladies who were to cook food should please go to the langar. The chuckles and laughter washed over the whole audience. Master again spoke and said,

All religions and all countries are mine. I love them all equally.

Tai Ji now steps up to the dais, looks at Master and starts to sing the beautiful Gurbani which was written by our Beloved to His Beloved Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. Her voice rings loud and clear, vibrating on the waves of True Love.

Beloved said,

Poets are half saints. They say what comes. They always speak for a holy purpose.

There are about 50,000 present. They cannot be counted, but look like an ocean of souls knit into a blanket of Love. It is the first time this auspicious occasion has been held in this park called Community Center, located just across the bridge from Sawan Ashram. From the back of the Satsang, looking toward the front, Beloved and the guest speakers appear to be in miniature. This conveys some idea of the size of the grounds and the vast multitude present. Beloved looks like the Bearded Astral Lion of Light. He speaks in His soft voice which soothes the souls of the devotees of God. They look to Him as their unpaid counsellor and guiding light.

Other notables speak after the Master and Satsang ends at 9 p.m. We were thankful to sit for five solid hours just receiving His sweet darshan. We have had ten wonderful hours of Satsang today!

A river of beings followed the Great Master back to the Ashram where they were seated in endless rows to await their food. The walls must be made of rubber as they have to stretch and stretch to accommodate the later arrivals. The grounds are jammed to capacity. We have never witnessed the like of such bee-hive activity. The bricklayers are still building rooms at 11 p.m. Remarkable is the Grace of the Great Satguru Dev.

27^th July, 1973, the High Day of Birth Celebration: Beloved put thousands into meditation at 8:30 a.m., returning at 9:40 to ask who has seen the Master’s Form within. Hands up, please. Beloved also counted those who had seen Light in various forms, and said, Masters come to make those see who do not see – to open their Third Eye. Christ also referred to this. Masters come to make those hear who do not hear – open the Inner Ear to hear the Word or Sound Current.

Christ said,

Behold the Lord.

Nanak said,

These are not the eyes of flesh and bones but the Inner Eye which shall make you see. Better to come into the world with one eye rather than two.

Better that the Spiritual Eye be opened rather than the two physical eyes which are spiritually blind.

Satguru Nanak said,

This is a rented house. We will have to leave this body.

This is a wonderful house we live in, controlled by the God-Power. It is a great blessing this human birth. In this physical body we can meet the Lord through the Light and Sound, due to the Living Master who activates this Spark of Truth and Life giving us a connection to God.

Other guests spoke in honour of the two Great Masters. It was 2 p.m. and Master so kindly sent His foreign guests ahead of the crowd to have their lunch.

Satsang commenced again in the evening at 6:30 p.m. It was a historical moment as we were honoured by the presence of the Defence Minister of India, Shri Jagjivan Ram. As he came onto the podium, he bowed sweetly to Master, and both pairs of hands clasped in loving gesture. Jagjivan Ram said that he had come as an ordinary man to a Satsang and was very impressed with the short talk of the Master. He said that when one light remains lit, you can light thousands from it. As Defence Minister, he wishes that defence be not aggressive, but a protection whereby we may all live together as brothers freely within the law.

Our Beloved speaks again saying,

It is a great man in whom love is an example. It is He Who first loves us. Look into His eyes. They are the windows of the soul. You should surrender everything to the Master. Do your job; the rest is up to the Master. Thank God He is in you, never to leave you. That is the God-Power, Guru-Power, Master-Power.

Tai Ji now sings ‘The Sun has come.’ Another beautiful day of Satsang ends.

Initiation Day, 28^th July, 1973: The Great Sun of Spirituality, His Holiness Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj, will make the Sun rise within many today. Those to receive this Crest Jewel number 398 women and 417 men. Some lips are still praying to the gods and goddesses which they had been following up to now – praying to be accepted by the living Godman. After His charging, they will put away the old habit and develop this habit of Naam. This is man-making. Today the Great Potter prepared the moulds of the future. It is the beginning of their life; the past is dead and buried. It is the beginning of their journey to their True Home.

Home at last is the wandering child. Home from the lost caverns, Home from the seas and outlying posts, Home to the Heart of Thee, Great Father.

Astra & Loi