Jain Muni Acharya Tulsi visits Sawan Ashram

The Master speaks

Addressing the gathering, comprising of inmates of the Ashram, both Indian and foreign, the Jain Munis and their followers, H.H. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji said that He had met Acharya Tulsi Ji long ago and though there was, somehow, no meeting after that, in the heart he was always with me.

Even as a child I used to ponder, where was any difference between man and man? They all are born the same way, have the same inner and outer construction and are endowed with the same privileges from God. Why then there are differences? A study of scriptures further strengthened the belief in Unity of Man. The Masters came to unite all mankind on one common ground of Spirituality. The most important thing that they taught and gave practical demonstration thereof was for man to rise up to the highest Principle, the Godhead in him. And for that ethical life was most essential.

The Masters all worked for the Unity of Man, for bringing all mankind together on a common ground. The various formations came after They had gone, to keep alive Their teachings. Social bodies or religious formations are like different schools and colleges with their distinctive uniforms and badges having the same teaching and curriculum. As long as there are practical man, Masters or Adepts in the Science of Soul, the teaching of the Masters continues in its true form. For lack of practical men the Unity which is already there in each one of us in lost and forgotten. We are One as men, having the same inner and outer contraction and are conscious entities – drops of the Ocean of All-Consciousness which is God. We are brother and sisters in God.

This was the basic teaching of all Masters Who came. The ideal for a perfect man is the same in all formations. Hindu is one who sees the Light of God. The same criterion applies to a Sikh, a Mohammedan or a Christian – one who sees the Light of God. So Unity is already there – we are One as man, as soul and as worshippers of the same God, one may call Him by any name. But we forget this. Masters come at a time when right understanding is replaced by narrow-mindedness and parochialism. They come to reconcile conflicting veins and unite mankind.

So when in 1957, World Fellowship of Religions was formed I joined it. The ideal before it was Unity of Religions. This was what I too wanted. Many conferences were held under its auspices in India and abroad. It resulted in a visible decline in narrow sectarianism and religious fanaticism. But another destructive trend reared its head in the form of different formations living up for the advancement of their particular sect or formation. The purpose was to become an ideal man, to know oneself and to know God – that is there as long as there is a Godman in the world. Masters come to make people see who do not see. They teach self-knowledge and God-Knowledge and give direct first-hand experience thereof. As regards the labels of different formations that we are carrying on our bodies that only indicates as to which school we have joined to attain the highest purpose of human existence viz. to know God.

I have great regard for all Masters Who came, for Lord Mahavira and others, for They all gave out the same message ‘Man, know thyself‘ and that included everything. Knowing oneself is at the level of feeling or inferences. Both these are subject to error. Seeing is above all. I have had heart to heart talks with many great men here in India and abroad and today, by the Grace of God, I have yet another happy opportunity.

Narrow-mindedness and parochialism came from too close adherence to particular isms or religious formations.

Quite recently when I was in America I was asked in a TV interview:

How can we have peace and happiness in the world?

and I said,

If individuals would rise above their isms and wake up to the reality that all mankind was One and kings and administrators would rise above countries, there would be peace and happiness all over the world.

This is what I learnt at the feet of the Masters: that we are all men and mankind is all One. One may belong to any formation but should live an ideal life and be an example to others. That school is best where a large number of students pass in the examination. That formation is best which turns out many perfect men. We are fortunate to have Acharya Ji in our midst today. Words cannot adequately express the Inner Feelings, but heart speaks to heart. We were One before, we are One now and shall remain One in future too.

This conference, the first of its kind, is being convened at the level of man and not at the level of religion. There have been many conferences on the level of religion, in India, in Persia, in France, in Germany. Much good came from these conferences. But now pillars are being put up to block the Path of Unity of Man. It is a blessing to remain in a formation. But one should not get walled up within the narrow confines of a particular formation. One should rise above parochialism and give out the True Teachings that we are One as man. This conference is being held at the level of man, the participants in the conference coming not as representatives of a religious formation, but as a man. If the individual is all right the whole society gains, for individuals make the society. I think you, Muni Ji are a pioneer of this.

We are One but we have forgotten this. We have to rediscover the lost link of Unity. We should all put our shoulders to the wheel to complete the task.

Once again, I welcome Acharya Ji in our midst and hope that he would be coming here again.

Sri Budhmal Shamsukha said that remembrance of the Lord and meeting a Master are rare opportunities that come in the way of few fortunate ones. But a meeting of two Saints had more merit for with that we gain both things, the sweet remembrance of the Lord and a meeting with Saints. Sri Shamsukha said that Spirituality, which was cut off from the mainstream of life, would not survive and for that Unity is essential and Anuvrat is a sheet-anchor for Unity. The simple rules of conduct of Anuvrat express the Spirituality in man, one may call them Anuvrat, the Ruhani Satsang or by any other name. The objectives of both Saints are the same viz., to bring peace to man, strengthen links of Unity and raise the moral standards. And from this view-point I feel this meeting to be a very important event.

Muni Nathmal said,

It is an auspicious occasion of the meeting of two Saints. Who is a Saint and who is not? One Who does not look to the skin or dress or speech of a person is a Saint. He who sees them and does not see the Reality within is not a Saint. If you do not look to the skin there would be no colour bar, no racial discrimination. If you leave the clothes there would be no sects. What remains in Spirituality, call it Ruhani Satsang, Anuvrat or any other name. This meeting of Acharya Tulsi and Sant Kirpal Singh Ji is a meeting of Saints which is always an Inner Meeting where there is no duality.

The Muni continued,

So long as we have already split it, so much so that man is afraid of his fellow man. Events however are taking a new turn. There is a new trend towards Unity, towards closing rifts. There is a new movement for ending artificial differences and boundaries. I feel that at this time, when the 25^th Centenary of Lord Mahavira is drawing near, this confluence of the two movements of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji and Acharya Tulsi will give more Light to the world.

Mahasati Kanak Prabha, the head of nuns said that one cannot separate meaning from words or words from meaning they form parts of one’s whole. Similarly is the case with Saints. They are all One. Today we witness the glorious spectacle of meeting of two Saints. With all the progress in science and technology, man cannot have peace and happiness unless his moral standard is raised, and for that one has to go to a Saint.