How I came to Kirpal
At the time when my conscious search after Truth began, I lived and worked in the German Yoga-Vidya centre Westerwald. A new co-worker of the centre called herself a disciple of Sant Mat and regarded a man called Thakar Singh as her master. One day she brought a video of Thakar Singh and invited me and other co-workers of the yogic centre to watch it with her. Thakar Singh was known to me then but his less profound but rather superficial character did not appeal to me. So I refused the co-worker’s invitation. Later however I joined the group to watch the video.
The video presented Thakar Singh and his followers performing various acts and sittings. As I had expected I did not feel any sympathy for what was shown in the video as it did not content any essential. Only personality cult was practised.
Suddenly however the video took a twist. The atmosphere in the room promptly changed as a film sequence was blended in that showed the landing of an aeroplane. A sublime elderly Gentleman stepped out of the plane. On His face I realised an expression that radiated such an honesty, compassion and sincerity that I was deeply touched in the deepest of my self. The video scene lasted only for a few seconds but now I knew that I had to know everything about this Personality.
Another yoga teacher and friend who called himself ‘Vishnu’ at that time had already called my attention to the book ‘The Crown of Life’ by Kirpal Singh. In this book there was a picture of the editor so that I knew that the Man in the video was Kirpal Singh. – This yoga teacher studied ‘The Crown of Life’ and the book ‘The Soul’s Journey’ intensely and for nights long he told me about what he had read and understood with much astonishment and many a dismay. We talked about it extensively and his dismay affected me as well. We both realised that what was talked about here was something higher, absolutely different from the usual yoga systems of which I believed to be a teacher after an education of many years. Much later however I got to know that these are the ways of Kal – the Negative Power – as it was described by Kabir Sahib in the ‘Anurag Sagar.’
I jumped over the limitations of the imperfect given teachings – out of frugality I had pledged my soul to structures – and I dived into the unlimited ocean of Truth. The yoga systems could not stand any verification anymore but the most difficult thing was to allow the insight to gain ground that all yoga teachers and yoga masters, all world teachers were essentially wrong in proclaiming the Highest Aim but being captured in the lower three worlds until Trikuti. They merchandise their limited insight as the last aim – not out of malignity against mankind but out of profound ignorance. However, they were not allowed to realise Truth at its core.
Later we came across the following statement of Kirpal Singh:
When my Master left the body, I had to go to the wilderness. I had some experience of the jungle and secluded places for five or six months. I went to [Rishikesh] the home of Hindu theology, so to say. Sivananda, who has since passed away, lived there, and many other yogis as well. In Rishikesh, I met everybody. All were intellectual wrestlers, debating clubs, all performing this elementary step: how to say prayers, how to perform certain rites and certain rituals. And most of them were doing Hatha Yoga practices. Of course, with due deference to it, it makes the body fit, that’s all right.
There was also one fellow, who is still alive, called Raghuvacharya. He’s an old man now, I think one hundred and six or seven years old, but he gets around like anything.
When I went to see him, people said,
Oh, he never cares for anybody.
When I was about more than one hundred or one hundred and fifty yards away, he appeared. He was sitting on his feet. He looked at me and he stood up.
People said,
That’s strange. He has never cared for any man, yet he stood up.
He came forward and met me, and we had a talk. And in the talk it came out that he went to the first plane: to Sahasrar.
I found only one man who had transcended the body and reached the first stage.
Satsang –
How I met my Master,
by Kirpal Singh, 1894–1974
As former yoga teacher and today’s disciple of Kirpal Singh I can but advise my fellow being of this world to delve into the book ‘The Crown of Life.’
The former yoga teacher ‘Vishnu’ told me about the main portal of Sant Mat on the internet – www.santmat-thetruth.de. Now I began myself to read several texts and books written by Kirpal Singh and other Saints of Sant Mat. Finally I contacted the operator of the website.
I broke down all thought buildings – that resulted from my own imaginations and conclusions – and, as Kabir Sahib explained, I was allowed to become a brave soul and received Naam.
My search was over now and filled with Kirpal’s Love and Bliss I wrote the following poetry:
So long was the way, so long was the time – but now I’m here, feel Your closeness and see Your brilliance1.
Can hear Your voice again2, finally. And even if the past covers me over and over again, You are still much closer to me seeing only the One Truth in me.
So I wish to see with Your eyes, to become gradually and finally completely, what You only see in me and that I truly always was and that I truly will be and that I truly am – Kirpal.
Thomas G.
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Explanation: 1) The Light within. 2) The Sound Current.