The esoteric Side of Religion

II

The first thing is to know how to enter. There are nine doors in the man-body, as I told you before. There is also a tenth door, you see, which is within the body, but very few people really know about it, that is at the back of the eyes, and Masters have referred to that.

If you sit at the feet of Somebody, He will tell you how to withdraw from outside, how to close the outward doors of the body, how to invert first, and how to rise above body consciousness, or senses. Then, what will happen? You will come in contact with the God-in-action-Power. I told you that unless the mind gets something superior, it won’t leave the outer pleasures.

So that God is Wordless – when It came into expression, or into action – that is called Word. That is called by other Masters as Naam, or Name, or Shabda.

Some told,

In It there are two aspects: one is Light, and the other is Sound.

You will find in the Bible that

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God and all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was in the world.

It is said,

Forever, oh Lord Thy Word is settled in Heaven.

By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made. And that is the upholding Power upholding all things by the Word of His Power. So that is eternal, as the grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of God shall stand forever. It is not the monosyllable ‘Word’ but It is that Power-in-action, which is controlling all creation that is expressed by the Word, Word, in the Bible. And others have expressed It by the Word, Naam, or Shabda, or the Mohammedans put It as Kalma.

Naam is the Power responsible for all creation. And the Mohammedan literature tells us that Kalma is the Cause of all creation. As Zoroaster puts It, that Sraosha is the Cause of all creation.

So I mean to say that all Masters Who came in the past, They gave out that unless we have contact with that God-Power or God-in-action-Power, or which is called the Christ-Power or Guru-Power, which is controlling all creation and controlling us in the body, by coming first within the body and then rising above the senses, you will have a glimpse of that God-in-action-Power, which is the Light and Sound principle.

The Light of the body is the eye; if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light. But when thine eye be evil, thy body is full of darkness.

To have that glimpse of God – a True Christian is one who sees the Light of God. This very definition has been given by Masters in other religions, too. A True Sikh is one who sees the Light of God. Of course, that is given in the different languages of the Masters when They came.

And Prophet Mohammed says,

Who rises above the body consciousness, he sees the Light of God, he is a True Mohammedan.

You find the same definition is given to be a True Christian, to be a True Sikh, to be a True Mohammedan, and the like. You will find in the Bible,

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a Light unto my path.

In the East, too, in all the religions of the Masters, I am giving you only the findings from the various Masters Who came in the past. All believed in the Word, Naam, Shabda, Sraosha, Udgit, Kalma, Qalam-i-Qadim – these are the different names given by Them to the same principle that is working. So when we come in contact with that by rising above body consciousness, that is the Power that leads us to the place from where that Power came into action – to the Absolute God, or the Wordless state of God. 

All agree that there are two ways back: one is of the Light, the other of the Sound Principle. So Jyoti Marg and Sruti Marg are the ways back to God. How can you have it? When you rise above body consciousness. So for that purpose, you will find we have to come to the back of the eyes.

You will find in Matthew,

Enter ye in at the strait Gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat: because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it.

Again, in St Luke, it is given,

Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, but shall not be able to find it.

The very Words you find,

Oh blind man, there is a tenth door within you through which you can rise above body consciousness and enter into the Kingdom of God. How ignorant you are!

Similarly, all other Masters say the same thing – all of these expressions,

Learn to die so that you may begin to live;

Just be reborn;

and Maulana Rumi says,

Except you rise above the senses, you cannot know anything of the beyond.

So, this is the fate awaiting each one of us; we have to leave the body someday – what is called at the time of death. The last enemy that we have to conquer is death. How to conquer death? Simply, how to leave the body at will, as we leave the body at the time of death.

For that purpose, you will find that for those who have this question of the mystery of life at heart, and that desire is very strong, that God – Who is the very Controlling Power within us – sees, My child is seeking for Me. He wants to solve this mystery of life. What does He do? Well, He brings him in contact with somewhere where he can learn the mystery of life: how to leave the body at will, transcend into the beyond, and traverse into the beyond.

So for that, first comes there is no salvation without linking the Naam or Word or God-in-action-Power, which is controlling us in the body, by rising above the senses.
The body is the temple of God, and the whole creation is the temple of God. When we just enter this laboratory of the man-body and rise above the senses, we have a glimpse of that – a first-hand experience of the Light and Sound Principle of God.

So for that, salvation is needed and linking with the Naam or Word or God-in-action-Power – which we can have. It is already within us, but we have to know how to invert – first, how to withdraw from outside within the laboratory of the man-body, and then how to rise above body consciousness – the mind, which is leading us through the outgoing faculties to the outward enjoyments, how to invert, how to control that thing.

The first thing comes the Grace of God. The second, such a person at Whose pole that God is manifest or One Who has solved the mystery of life: how to rise above body consciousness, Who, Himself, is competent to leave the body at will into the beyond, and sees the Light of God face to face, and is also competent to help others to rise above body consciousness – to open the Inner Eye to see the Light of God, and also to open the Inner Ears to hear the Voice of God.

You will find in the Revelations it is given, Thunder and harpers were harping – that is the reference given of the Sound Principle and all other Masters say the same thing. That is the Way back to Absolute God, from where this Word or God-in-action, God came into action, you see.

So salvation arises by coming in contact with that God-in-action-Power, which will lead us and which has two aspects – one of Light, the other of the Sound Principle.

So you will find all Masters or Great Men Who came in the past, They gave references to That. Socrates heard within Him a peculiar Sound, which pulled Him irresistibly into higher Spiritual Regions. And Plato refers to It as the Music of the Spheres. Pythagoras also talked of the Shabda or the Word, for He described God as Supreme Music of the nature of harmonies. God, to Him, was Absolute Truth clothed in Light. Now in reference to Zoroaster, He sang in loving faith of the greatness of the God of Light and taught the people to do so. They keep a fire burning all the time in Their temples. They worship the Unstruck Fire and the Sraosha.

I am quoting all these things – the Vedas and other things called the Usha, the Savitra, Udgit, and Inagram. Though they are different Words, the teachings are the same. They have solved the mystery of life, and They found these things which are controlling all creation and our man-body. If you know what to learn that way, you will find that’s the only Way back to God within each one of us.

Now the question remains one, that is what? There are ways and ways to withdraw from outside and rise above the senses. There are harder ways – man-made ways – and there is the God-made way. Man-made ways are time-consuming, hazardous, and we are hereditarily not fit for those these days which involve breathings and other things – that is the longer course, because in that, we just have to control breathing inside by doing kumbhak and then rise above the body to catch that Sound Principle and Light of God when they rise above the sixth chakra, or the ganglion at the back of the eyes. But the natural way does not involve all that arduous way – even a child can see the Light of God. 

Only one impetus – the One is a man like us, to all intents and purposes, but He has developed in that Way that He can rise above body consciousness – and when He comes in contact with God, He becomes the mouthpiece of God, you see. The God in Him – which is manifest – that has the Power to raise other souls from the bondage of mind and matter, and They can give a lift the very first day – to rise above, to open our Inner Eye to see the Light of God, and to hear the Voice of God.

In the scriptures we find that our eyes are sealed and our ears are sealed. I am not referring to, or giving particular references. This is the digest given by almost all the Masters. Unless those seals are broken, we cannot see the Light of God and we cannot hear the Voice of God.

You will find that Christ once said to His disciples,

Blessed thou art because you see things which the old prophets and the righteous men could not see; blessed you are, you are fortunate because you hear things which the old prophets and righteous men could not hear.

So, these are some references given in all scriptures of the Masters – which just pertain directly to our own self.

Well, this is the Inner Way up – or what is called Spirituality – or the Way back to God, or the Path of the Masters. It does not mean that you should ignore your physical side, or the intellectual side. Simply, you have to spare an hour or two – after you get some contact – some experience of how to rise above body consciousness. If you can do it yourself, blessed you are. If you cannot, naturally you will have to come to Somebody Who has the competency to give you a lift, and you will have the same experience and you testify your own self that you see It.

All scriptures say so: God is Light – God is Sound Principle, as I have given you references from various Masters. When Lao Tse came, He called It the Tao. So I mean to say that Those Who came gave the same Way back to God. And these Masters Who had solved this mystery of life became the mouthpiece of God. They always say, I am the Way; … I am the Light. Those who go to Them, have the Light.

So, first comes the Grace of God. Second that of the such like Person, man-body, at Whose pole that He has realised God, you see. He has the competency to help others also to rise above to that level that comes the next one, Who is competent to raise you to come in contact with the Word-Power or God-in-action-Power, which is Light and Sound Principle. And third, comes the giving of that experience – to have something to start with. 

To give lectures, after a little training, you can do. To say to others how to perform rites and rituals, say prayers, that also requires some training, after which you can do it. But to rise above body consciousness and how to open the Inner Eye to see the Light of God, that requires Someone Who has that competency through the Grace of God. 

So the third thing is when you come to such a Person, He raises your soul above the mind and matter, and you have the experience – something to start with. 

Suppose a man comes to you and gives a very wonderful talk on business principles – really appreciative and very informative. But to those people to whom he is giving the talk, they have no money to start with. What will your lecture do? If you can give them some capital to start with, then your lecture will carry some beneficial effect.

Similarly, when you have something to start with – some experience of Light, some experience of the Sound or the Voice of God – then you can develop it. That is the beginning, you see – where the world philosophies end, there religion starts. The ABC’s start from there that fills many mansions in the House of our Father.

The time-factor is necessary. If that is done then after that, the last but not the least, is the effort of the disciple. So, the effort of the disciple lies in what? 

As Christ said,

If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Then He said, if you want to know God, what should you do? 

Let my Words abide in you, and you abide in me.

The first part is, I think, quite understandable: Let my Words abide in you. But how can you abide in Him? That’s the point. 

If you remember somebody, the reaction will be there in whom you are having the sweet remembrance. So that way, when you remember somebody, there’s a natural reaction – he will remember you. So there will be receptivity – As you think, so you become – you will have the Bread of Life, you see.

Who are these Masters? The Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us. That Word of Shabda-Power just manifests in Somebody, and that Power is competent – the God in Him is competent to raise other souls to that level: to give a contact with Himself. No son of man can do it, only the God manifest in Somebody.

God resides in every heart, but in some It is manifest – in others, It is not yet manifest. Our souls are under the bondage of mind and matter. If it is analysed or liberated, to rise above it, then you come in contact with that. That becomes the mouthpiece of God, and that God-Power in Him is able to give you that aspect.

So, first of all, the Grace of God is required.

Ask, and It shall be given unto you.

If you have a real desire to know God, God will meet you, sure and certain. It is He Who makes some arrangement to bring you in contact with somewhere where you can have this experience – this rising above body consciousness – just to be reborn anew or die daily. Open the Inner Eye to see the Light of God and this is what is taught by all Masters Who came in the past.

The reading of the scriptures can create in us an interest to know God, but cannot lead us to that goal. That – about which the scriptures speak – is already within you. The man-body is the True Temple of God, and outwardly you will find that all places of holy worship are made after the image of the man-body. All of the Hindu temples you will find are dome-shaped like the head. The churches are like cross shape or nose-shape. Mohammedan mosques are like forehead shape. In all of them, you will find there the symbol of Light and the symbol of the Sound Principle, to show that suchlike Light and suchlike Sound is reverberating already within your body.

So far as there are practical Masters you meet, They give you an access into the laboratory of the man-body – open the Inner Eye to see the Light of God.

In Matthew you will find that if a candle is lit, the whole room is lighted, you see. Similarly, that Light which is within you – when It is seen, the whole body is full of Light. So these are some of the teachings of the Masters Who came in the past – all so far. Christ referred to that, Zoroaster also referred to that, Pythagoras referred to that, the Vedas and the Upanishads also refer to that. All other Masters Who came – They are all as One on this subject: the Way back to God. So, the teachings of the East are the same and most of them, you say, They came from the East. That has been the central place, and They have emanated from there.

So, we are not to change our religions for that purpose. You have taken the first step and to remain in some religion is a blessing. You must remain there, but you have taken the first step. If you leave it, there will be corruption, or you will have to raise other religions. So remain where you are, and learn this way as a matter of practical self-analysis – like the anatomy of the body for the medical line. This is the anatomy of the soul from the mind, matter, and the outgoing faculties – practical self-analysis.

Whenever Masters have come, They have been giving these same teachings, as ever. So, this has been the teachings of all Masters Who came in the past – the esoteric side – which directly concerns our own self.

When the Masters come, They do not tell us to leave the world and go to a wilderness. No, develop all around. As I told you before, we have developed physically enough. We have developed intellectually more than enough – and our own intellect has gone against us. We have invented hydrogen bombs and neutron bombs. We fear that at any moment – if a war starts – the world will end. Is there any hope for safety or for peace? We have our physical and intellectual advancements, but with all that we are not happy – we are in even more danger.

So, the other side – the third side, the Spiritual Side – is the only hope left. Whenever the Masters come, They look to all humanity as Their family. We are carrying the badges of the different religions. They don’t look from the badges we are carrying, but They look from the level of the man – all mankind is One – or from the level of the embodied souls. Souls are of the same essence as that of God. We are worshippers of the same God.

So for that purpose, there was one grand conference was held in India at Delhi in 1957, where over 250 delegates were invited. They came from different religions and from different countries, and there was a gathering of over 200,000 people.

The next conference was held at Calcutta in 1960. A similar gathering of the people was there and, also, the delegates of other religions. Now I, as the President of the World Fellowship of Religions, am going around in the West to have more delegates from all religions and from all countries, so that the next conference, which is to be held by the end of 1964, all will come together, sit together, understand each other. The purpose is not to blend all religions into one, but to remain in their own religions and just understand one another. Now, pity it is, for want of this True Knowledge of the others’ religions, we – in zealousness – consider that we alone have got the Truth, when the same things have been given by other Masters, of course, in Their own languages which were prevalent at the time. Well, we have respect for all of Them, because the Truth is One. Those who knew the Truth gave out the Truth – from time to time. To err is human, and then – again – another Somebody came up to just awaken the children of God towards God.

So, the first work, as I told you, is just to bring all children of God together – and not only bring them together, but also have them remain in their own religions and follow their teachings already existing in their own scriptures – to know God. As I have told you some parallel thoughts from various religions are the same. So we will find that we are all brothers and sisters in God.

For that purpose, Baron von Blomberg the Co-President of the World Fellowship of Religions, has been with me. We have travelled in Europe in almost all of the countries there. We met the religious heads, the social heads, and the political heads. These things were put before them. Well, that is the only hope left now – these heads are the driving force of the masses – so if their angle of vision is changed, you will see there can be hope for peace in the world.

We found a great response all through Europe. I met people from the Vatican, too, and had a long talk with them. I had the good fortune to meet Pope Paul, too. Now they are considering having a conference of the non-Christian religions – just to sit together and understand each other.

I even met the political heads – Prime Minister de Valera in Ireland, prime ministers, mayors, and other social heads. Here in the United States I had the opportunity also to meet Mr McCormick, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, for a talk of more than half an hour with him.

And I told them – the political heads –,

You see, so many children of God have been placed under your care by God, to be looked after. All the rulers of the countries, that is a privilege given by God to them. If one ruler cannot properly look after the children of God – who are given under their care – the others should help each other. Live, and let others live. If they need any help, that may be given. In that way, there can be no wars – no millions of people killed, as happened in the past two great World Wars.

And that has appealed to them, and there was a great response to that. That is the purpose of the World Fellowship of Religions – just to understand each other. When we understand each other, we are already One – as a man, we are One; as a soul, we are One; as a worshipper of the same God called by so many names, we are the same. 

One great thing that is before us is that, even those belonging to religions have a name or belief in God, but – as they have no experience of God – most of these people are going adrift into atheism. Each man, while belonging to his own religion, must be true to his own religion, and in the esoteric side – as I just put before you – we are all One. The Highest Aim of joining any religion is to know God. Those teachings exist there already, but, on account of ignorance, we have forgotten. So, this is what my tour is meant for, and I am going around, and with the Grace of God, we are having a great response everywhere.

This is what I have found by the parallel study of religions and as the President of the World Fellowship of Religions: we are already One – Unity is already there – we have forgotten.

The religions were made just to enable us to realise that Unity that already exists, but, unfortunately, over zealousness is just going to separate man from man – by considering that only one religion has the truth and no other. Well, Masters have come in all religions, and They gave out the same thing. We have respect for all Masters Who came in the past. 

With these Words, I thank you all for your patient hearing. If you calmly consider this, you can see how far these things can help us. Thank you so much.

(Audience Applause)

All Masters Who came in the past told us that we are all children of the same God – we are all brothers and sisters in God. Unless our self expands to cover all creation, there can be no real happiness and bliss. So the Highest Prayer of the Masters has been, as Guru Nanak and all others put it:

Peace be unto all the world over oh God, under Thy will.

Let this prayer go out from the very depths of our hearts, for God hears all that. If this prayer goes out from every heart, I think that is a very strong Power. What we now think – that peace is impossible – will become possible because prayer can do work wonderfully where all the human efforts fail – and we have failed badly so far, with all our advancements.

We pray:

Oh God, the whole world is aflame. All matters have passed out of our hands. It is only Thy Grace and help that can save us from all this grand conflagration which is awaiting us. 

In a one or two minute silence, pray to God – I hope God will help. 

(Complete silence)

May Thy Grace fall on all of us.