Spiritual

Gems
Excerpts from Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji’s
Letters

By
HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH
RADHA SOAMI SATSANG BEAS

RADHA SOAMI SATSANG BEAS

(PUNJAB) INDIA
HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH
 Contents

SUBJECT Page No.

FOREWORD ii-vi
PREFACE vii-ix
Excerpts from Huzur Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji’s
Letters 1 to 351
 Foreword

These letters, written by Huzur Maharaj Baba Sawan

Singh Ji, originally formed part of a bigger book of the same
name “Spiritual Gems,” whose first part consisted of letters
written to him by His venerable Master, Baba Jaimal Singh
Ji Maharaj. That portion has now been printed separately
under the name of “Spiritual Letters.” This arrangement,
besides sepa- rating the letter of each Master into different
volumes, has rendered the books handy and of a conve-
nient size.
The Great Master wrote these letters in response to the
questions and queries of his American and European dis-
ciples and seekers, so nearly all the questions and doubts
that crop up in the minds of seekers after Truth and Reality
have been amply dealt with in this volume, which makes
it extremely valuable. As these answers are mainly based
on Sant Mat Principles, so incidently the teachings of the
Saints have also been elaborately discussed in them.
Sant Mat—Teachings of the Saints—is not a religion, cult
or creed. It does not consist of any rites, rituals, ceremo-
nies, dogmas, priesthood, or church or temple worship. It
is a scientific method of entering and realizing the king-
dom of heaven within us, while still living here and now.
Or it may be called a School of practical spiritual training
for God-Realization. Living in the world and discharging
all our obligations towards wife, children, relatives, friends
ii
and humanity, we have simply to turn our heart God-ward.
Saints’ teachings are very simple. They say that all the woe,
misery and anguish that is the lot of the human race, are
due to our sad separation from God. This world, which we
love so much, is not our true home.
Our soul is a drop from the Ocean of Bliss, Life and En-
ergy, from which it separated milliards of ages ago. It is
a stranger in this foreign land of agony and grief. There
is nothing homogeneous to it here below in this world of
earth, water, fire and air. Unless it returns to its Ancient
Original Home, its sorrows and sufferings cannot and will
not end. For this purpose, it is not to seek anywhere out-
side of itself. Our body is the temple within which the Lord
resides. No one has ever found nor will ever find Him out-
side.
All the saints, sages and prophets of the world affirm that
“the Kingdom of God is within us” and one is not to wander
outside to achieve Salvation. In this Temple of Nine Gates
(our body) the Lord dwelleth. One only needs a Teacher or
Guide, who knows the Secret of the Path to enter this Palace
and who can lead us to the Presence of the Lord—our Lov-
ing Father. This is possible only in the human life. No sub
human specie has this capacity or privilege. A teacher of
the science of spirituality is as much needed as is a teacher
of any other science or art. This unknown Path is so curved,
complex and labyrinthine that one cannot tread it without
the help of a Guide—an Enlightened Soul. This Guide must
be a Living Master, who can take us to the Highest Region,
beyond death and dissolution, whence there is no coming
back. Such Masters are always present in the world. The
Masters who died long ago, or their writings, can be of little
help to us.
The method of God-Realization taught by all the Saints,
to whichever country or religion they belonged, has always
iii
been the same and will ever be the same. It is not designed
by man, that it may need alteration, addition or modifica-
tion. It is the Lord’s own design and is as old as the creation
itself. It consists of three parts:
First is the “Simran” or the Repetition of Lord’s Holy
Names. It brings back our scattered attention to the Tisra
Til—Third Eye, (behind our eyes) which is the headquar-
ters of our mind and soul, in the waking state, whence it
has scattered.
Second is the “Dhyan” or Contemplation on the immor-
tal form of the Master. This helps in keeping the attention
fixed at that center.
Third is the “Bhajan” or listening to the Anhad Shabd or
Celestial Music that is constantly reverberating within us.
With the help of this Divine Melody, the soul ascends to
higher regions and ultimately reaches the Feet of the Lord.
This is, in a nutshell, the gist of the spiritual practices
-which the Saints of all ages and countries have been teach-
ing to their disciples for the purpose of God- Realization.
Blessed are those who come across a Perfect Master, who
takes them back to their Original Home.
The Great Master, Huzur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh ji,
has been one of the greatest exponents of these teachings,
that the world ever produced. Born in 1858 in a highly
respectable Jat family of Punjab, He showed signs of great
Spiritual Understanding from early childhood. As a boy
he could repeat by heart the Japji Sahib of Guru Nanak and
Jap Sahib of Guru Gobind Singh. His great spiritual hunger
and thirst for Knowledge of Truth and Reality brought him
in contact with Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, in 1894, who at the
time of initiating Him remarked that He had been holding
something for Him in trust from the Lord, which he had
discharged that day.
iv
 In 1911, He retired prematurely on pension from the
Military Engineering Service, to attend to his real task for
which He was commissioned by the Lord. He preached
and taught the practice of Surat Shabd Yoga at the Rad-
ha Soami Colony, Beas (Punjab), which He named Dera
Baba Jaimal Singh after the name of His Master. Millions
flocked to hear his spiritual discourses. He initiated more
than 125,000 Souls into this Mystic Path, the largest number
in the history of the world to be ever initiated by any Saint,
Sage or Prophet. He spread the Light of Sant Mat, not only
in every nook and corner of India, but carried its torch to
distant lands of Europe, America, Canada and South Africa
also.
The Spiritual practices taught by Him for God- Realiza-
tion are the same as taught by Christ, Kabir,. Nanak, Pal-
tu, Dadu, Jagjiwan, Tulsi, Maulana Rum, Shamas Tabriz,
Hafiz, Mujadid Alf Sani, and other Saints of the world.
These practices are mentioned in the Vedasas”AnhadMar-
g,”by the Mohammedan Mystics as”Sultan-ul-Azkar,”and
in the Bible as the”Word”or the “Logos”. The followers of
the Great Master included people of all religions, countries
and nationalities. When He started His work, the Light of
Sant Mat was slowly fading out. People under the influ-
ence of priestly classes had taken to rites and rituals and
had forgotten the teachings of the Saints. Nobody knew
what the Surat Shabd Yoga was. Now, by His grace, there
are established big Sat Sang Centers, not only in the length
and breadth of India, but throughout Europe, America,
Canada, South Africa and other countries.
His famous book, “Gurmat Sidhant” — “Philosophy of
the Masters” — consisting of two big volumes of 1000 pag-
es each, and His “Discourses” in two volumes, have been
translated into English and many other languages.
He left the mortal coil in 1948, after duly appointing
v
Sardar Bahadar Jagat Singh Ji, Retired Vice Principal of Ly-
allpur Agricultural College, as his successor to carry on his
mission of pointing out the way to the Abode of Bliss.

Dera Baba Jaimal Singh Beas,

Punjab, India
January 1965.

Charan Singh

vi
 Preface

The contents of the present book first appeared as Part II

of a large volume bearing the same title, published in 1958
and again in 1960, which included as Part I, letters written
by Baba Jaimal Singh Ji Maharaj to his dearly beloved dis-
ciple Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji, during the early days of his
discipleship. Part I, the letters from Baba Jaimal Singh Ji to
Baba Sawan Singh Ji, are now being published as a sepa-
rate book entitled “Spiritual Letters”. They give a revealing
insight into the substance of true discipleship and the lov-
ing quality of Master-Disciple relationship. The other let-
ters, formerly Part II, which form the contents of this book
carry a more analytical presentation of Sant Mat Principles
that are useful alike to seekers and disciples. They were
addressed to seekers and disciples mainly in America and
Europe, with modern, intellectual backgrounds, and bring
out the rationale of Sant Mat in a remarkably lucid manner.
By presenting Part I and Part II separately, one as “Spir-
itual Letters” and the other as “Spiritual Gems” it is hoped
to achieve the twin objectives of securing a more conve-
nient size and of conveying the immutable principles of
spiritual life in forms more suitable for seekers and disci-
ples with varying back- grounds and degrees of apprecia-
tion of a way of life which has been extolled by Saints of all
ages and climes.
The letters from which the excerpts in this book were
taken were written during the period between 1919 and
1948. Not only did the Colony expand during this time into
vii
a flourishing Community but the Sant Mat teachings were
spread far and wide to all corners of India and into Amer-
ica, Canada and Europe. Since then increasing numbers in
these countries as well as others and in our own have tested
these principles on the touchstone of their own lives. They
have invariably found their troubled and uncertain lives
transmuted into a consciousness of beauty, joy and serene
mastery.
Full as they are of esoteric knowledge and profound
wisdom, these excerpts, if carefully studied and faith- fully
acted upon, cannot fail to bring peace and happiness to the
weary and distracted spirit and to hasten the pilgrim on
his path of self-realization and communion with the Lord
of all.
The Society is deeply beholden to Maharaj Charan
Singh Ji, for spending a lot of His precious time in select-
ing excerpts from the very large collection of letters and for
permitting us to publish them for the benefit of seekers and
followers of the Path. We are also thankful to Miss Louise
Hilger of Chicago, U.S.A., for her loving service to the Mas-
ter in arranging and typing the book, preparing its Glossa-
ry and Index, and seeing it through the Press.

K.L. Khanna,
Secretary.
Radhasoami Satsang Beas,
P.O. Dera Baba Jaimal Singh,
BEAS, PUNJAB, INDIA.
January, 1965.

viii
ix
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH

JI’ S LETTERS TO SEEKERS AND DISCIPLES 1919—1948

1. Sant Mat was spread in the Punjab by Guru Nanak

Sahib and subsequently by Maharaj Baba Jaimal Singh Ji.
Every single line of the Granth Sahib insists upon going in
and contacting Nam, but you will find very few mahatmas
even, who really go in.
Although I was born in a Sikh family and at the age of
ten read Guru Granth Sahib and afterwards was intimate-
ly associated with Sikh religious preachers, yet whenever I
read Gur Bani (Granth Sahib) it struck a strange note in my
heart. When I put searching questions to preachers, none
could give me a satisfactory explanation.
Gur Mat (Sant Mat) is above all religions. For a long
time I associated with Baba Kahan. He usually remained
in an ecstatic condition, which he developed after fourteen
years of persistent and vigorous practice. I associated with
him for several months and during that time he showed
supernatural powers on several occasions. When I asked
him if he would shower grace upon me by initiating me, he
answered:
No, he is somebody else; I do not have your share
I then asked him to tell me who that person was so that I
could contact him. He replied:

1
SPIRITUAL GEMS

When the time comes, he will himself find you.

When I was S. D. O. at Murrie Hills and in charge of
water supply works, my house was near a Dharam-sala, a
free rest house where sadhus, mahatmas, and others going
on their way to the pilgrimage of Amarnath in Kashmir,
would often stay, and I had the opportunity of talking to
them and discussing religious and spiritual problems with
them.
In those days Baba Ji came to Murrie and put up in the
Gurdwara (a Sikh temple). He held Satsang from Granth Sa-
hib and created quite a stir by his novel (or what seemed to
be novel) interpretation of Granth Sahib. This was brought
to my notice too. One man said that he offers as prashad
what is left in the plate after eating; another told me that he
puts musical instruments in the heads of people. I prompt-
ly pulled him up and said:
I am an engineer and I know it is not possible to put any
musical instrument in the head of a person.
On the fourth day I went to attend Satsang. Baba Ji was
at that time explaining the meaning of ‘Jap Ji’ Sahib. Well, I
started my volley of questions— so much so that the audi-
ence got tired and began to feel restless. The sacred book,
‘Sar Bachan’, was lying there and I objected to the name of
‘Radha Swami’, and Baba Ji explained from the book itself
what ‘Radha Swami’ meant:
Radha ad Surat ka Nam. Swami ad Shabd Nij Dham.
Translated:
Radha is the name for the first or primal soul.
Swami means the original Shabd of the Real Home.
Now he wanted to point out the way, but I had read

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

Vedanta. When I read Gur Bani, my opinion was different;

when I read Gita, my opinion was again different, etc. and I
was unable to come to a decision. At last I applied for eight
days’ leave to enable me to study the teachings of Baba Ji.
He advised me to read Kabir Sahib’s ‘Anurag Sagar’. I im-
mediately ordered eight copies of this book from Bombay
so that I could also give some to my friends: Babu Hari
Ram, Gulab Singh and others, to read and comment on it.
After several conferences with Baba Ji I was thorough-
ly convinced and received Initiation from Him on the 15th
day of October, 1894.
2. The ritualistic part of all religions is blind and mis-
leading; no matter what the religion might be — whether
our own or of other people.
As to the good and bad things or the sin and the virtue
both becoming meaningless, that may be. When you leave
the British Territory (during the days of British occupation
in India) and pass into the land of the Pathans, who can
ask you to account for your deeds? While you are here in
the region of Kal, you have to account for all that you do.
Once you cross over to the region of Dayal (Merciful), who
can touch you ? This applies only when you have actually
crossed the boundary of Kal. Until then it is only a saying.
But the scroll is torn when you devote yourself to Nam;
that is, by practice of Surat Shabd Yoga. To tell the truth, we
ignorant people cannot even form an idea of the immense
power which the Masters possess. But they do not let super-
natural or miraculous powers even approach them, much
less accept and use them. If filth has to be removed, we do
not do it ourselves but utilize the services of sweepers. If
the Saints were to exercise these powers, the whole world
would run after them.
Kal has obtained three boons from Akal Purush:

3
SPIRITUAL GEMS

1. Saints should not persuade people of this world by

the use of miraculous or super-natural powers.
2. Nobody here should know anything about his pre-
vious life. If we knew what sins we committed in the previ-
ous life, for which we are being punished in this life, then
we would naturally never repeat them again.
3. Wherever a soul might be placed, it should feel con-
tented in that condition. For instance, look at the pigs. Do
they want to die? They also cling to this life.
If the Saints were to convert people by performing mir-
acles, the entire population would be after them because it
would not be difficult at all for them to raise a dead man
to life in one place, restore the sight of another in another
place, etc. But no, that is not the way of the Saints; although
it is true that wherever a perfumer stores or displays his
goods, the atmosphere is full of scent. (Wherever Saints
live, even if they do not show miracles, people know there
is something extraordinary about them.)
You know how I broke my leg. It is a long story and I
have narrated it several times in Satsang. I used to go every
Sunday to my Master for Satsang. One day He asked me
not to come, and said: “You go straight”; that is, from visit-
ing my mother at home I should return straight to the hill
station where I was in service, without stopping at Beas as
I usually did. When the train reached the station at Beas, I
found Maharaj Ji (Baba Jaimal Singh Ji) standing there on
the platform. It seemed as if He wanted to say something
but kept quiet. I proceeded to the hill station and resumed
my duty.
It was my habit to catch hold of the mane of my horse
and jump on it while it was going by. But my servant, in
my absence and without my knowledge, had clipped the
horse’s mane. I did not notice that and as I grabbed for the

4
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

mane, my hand slipped and I fell down and broke my leg.

The fracture was painful, no doubt, but much more painful
was the fact that I could neither defecate nor urinate. The
doctors even thought that it would be difficult for me to
survive.
On hearing of this accident, a Mohammedan overseer,
who belonged to my district, came to me and said:
I am your own man, a sort of family member. I belong to
your place. Tell me please, how can I help you?
I said,
My children are studying as boarders in a school about
eight miles from this place. I do not want them to know of
this accident. But I would like you to send a telegram to
Maharaj Ji (Baba Ji).
He sent the telegram. And when Baba Ji received the
telegram He said:
Well, if the Master wants to take him away, He may, for
at least he has got Nam.
But my sister in faith, Bibi Rukko, pleaded for me with
Baba Ji.
It was Baba Ji’s practice to go into meditation when any-
thing important was expected to happen, and then to give
out whatever information He received from within. He sat
in meditation at 8 P.M. or earlier (whenever the informa-
tion was received by telegram). At about 3 A.M. He called
Bibi Rukko, and she asked, “Shall I bring your food now?”
(He had not taken his evening meal.) Baba Ji replied:
No, but you asked something about Bhai Sawan Singh.
Now you can inform Sawan Singh that he is not going, but
the karmas were very heavy. It was ordained that he had to

5
SPIRITUAL GEMS

suffer for five years but now we will settle the karmas in five
months. Is it not something? We shall not go to him just
now, but after he has been discharged from the hospital. In
the meantime, you may acknowledge receipt of his telegram.
And the moment Baba Ji’s telegram was received I was
able to defecate and urinate.
Saints show their mercy but they never talk about it.
Now, while I was reduced to this condition, I had to suffer
from the monetary point of view also. I lost my sub-divi-
sional allowance, my horse allowance and half of my pay
too. The Chief Engineer was very kind to me. He said:
If only you could come to the office every day in a dandi
(a sedan chair), I would consider you on duty.
But I was very doubt-full and feared that as my leg was
still weak, I might slip and have another accident. The
Chief Engineer thereupon allowed me one month’s leave.
I wondered if I would be fit to work after one month. The
next morning, I saw the Commanding Engineer and he
said: “Now you are going for only one month.” Prior to
this, Baba Ji came to see me and told me that I would be
absent from duty for only one more month, but it was hard
for me to believe it.
At last the month passed and a letter was received from
Baba Ji stating:
We people have not come into this world to do our own
work, we have come here by the orders of Maharaj Ji (Swa-
miji). If He likes, He will get the work out of us.
It is impossible to describe the reach or the power of the
Saints. I am sure, if the Guru wants, He can make even the
stones carry out His work.
3. It is only by great good luck that you meet Saints.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

I will tell you my own story. If now and then we have the
good fortune to come across such people, then we do not
believe what they say. Before Baba Ji came here (to Beas),
I am told that there used to be an apparently half-witted
fellow, but really a very spiritual person (a mastana), who
would often pick up bricks from far and near and make
them into small heaps at the place where the Dera is now
situated. He was called Kanhom, the half-witted. If people
asked him what he was busying himself with, he would
stop and say: “This will be a very flourishing place. Splen-
did houses will be built here. It will be populated just like a
city.” In those days there was absolutely nothing here—no
buildings of any kind. It was all waste land and desert.
When Maharaj Ji (Baba Jaimal Singh) took His abode
here, there was only one very small mud hut — 8’x8’. When
I stood in it, I could touch the roof with my hand. The story
of our Baba Ji is also wonderful:
Sometimes I used to ask him very childish questions, but
He was never annoyed and always answered most kindly.
When Baba Ji’s regiment was ordered to the Frontier
District, while there, He would at night go out into the
open and dig a small pit in the sandy soil. With his rifle
tucked behind His knees, He would sit there in meditation
the whole night. In the morning the enemy (the Pathans)
would be found sitting around Him. As He would get up
to leave for His regiment, they would pay Him respect and
obeisance. Nobody would disturb Him, and they would
say among themselves:
He is a Faqeer. We should not touch Him.
If there were three or four holidays, He would devote all
of them to Bhajan.
He also taught Gurmukhi to the Colonel of His regi-

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

ment. He retired on pension after thirty-four years of ser-

vice. He remained at the Dera (Beas) for fourteen years and
passed away on December 29, 1903.
4. I was fond of Satsang and Parmarth (spiritual topics)
from my childhood. I often associated with sadhus and re-
ligious people, partly because my father was fond of Sadhu
Seva. Then, while in service, I read Vedant and discussed
Vedant with people, especially with the sadhus who, on
their way to Kashmir, stopped at the Dharamsala near my
house.
Later I was transferred to Murrie Hills. One day as I
was supervising my work, I saw an old Sikh going up a
hill along with a middle-aged lady. When I noticed him,
I thought he had probably come in connection with some
case in the Commissioner’s Court. Little did I think that he
was to be my Master. He was no other than Baba Ji Himself
and the lady was Bibi Rukko. This I did not know at the
time, but found out later that Baba Ji said to Bibi Rukko,
referring to me,
It is for his sake that we have come here.
To which Bibi Rukko replied:
But he has not even greeted you.
Baba Ji said to her,
What does the poor fellow know yet? On the fourth day
he will come to us.
Baba Ji went to the Dharamsala and started Satsang from
the Granth Sahib. Babu Sukh Dayal, my friend, came to me
and told me of the novel explanations of the teachings of
Granth Sahib, which were given out by a Sadhu who re-
cently arrived at the Dharamsala. I was ready to accept the
Truth from anyone, and so we went together to listen to

8
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

the Satsang. In three or four days my doubts were resolved

and I got satisfactory explanations to the various questions
which I used to take with me.
At last I asked for Initiation, but requested that I might
not be told to accept the name of “Radha Swami” as I had
never heard of it prior to this. Baba Ji said to me,
Radha Swami implies the highest Spiritual Power. What
objection have you to the name of ‘Radha Swami’?
I said,
It does not appeal to me.
Then he asked,
How many new names of the one God are mentioned in
‘Jap Sahib’?
I replied,
Some twelve or fourteen hundred.
Then Baba Ji said,
If you do not object to those names, why do you object to
the name of ‘Radha Swami’?
Thus, my doubts being resolved, I got Initiation.
At Murrie Hills my house faced Maksh Puri(a place of
Hindu Pilgrimage). One day when Baba Ji was visiting me,
I pointed in that direction and said,
Look, Sir, what beautiful scenery!
Babaji laughed and said,
I have seen it.
(Implying that he had seen it long ago.) I asked,

9
SPIRITUAL GEMS

Was your regiment ever posted there?

He replied:
My child, you do not understand these things. We saw
this place at a time when these hills and valleys had not yet
been formed.
Baba Ji used to be very kind to me and whenever I came
to visit Him, He would give me a place in His own room.
Once I got down from the Beas station at twelve o’clock
at noon. It was very hot and I sat down under a tree for a
while. Then I felt that I had come for Baba Ji’s Darshan, yet
here I was seeking comfort and delaying that meeting with
the Beloved. Even worldly lovers have done much better.
The thought troubled me, so I started on foot from the Rail-
way station to the Dera.
Meanwhile at the Dera, Baba Ji Maharaj, who was very
sensitive to heat, came out and began to pace the open
courtyard before His room. Bibi Rukko remonstrated and
requested Him to go inside His room, out of the hot sun,
but He would not. A few minutes before I reached the
Dera, He went in and then Bibi Rukko, seeing me coming,
exclaimed;
Oh, now I see why Baba Ji was walking in the hot sun.
(He had himself absorbed some of that extreme heat so
that I would not be overcome by it on the way.) There are
so many wonderful things about Baba Ji that if I go on re-
lating them for one hundred years, it would not be possible
to finish them all.
5. It is only when you go up, see what happens inside
and how things are managed that you really understand
these things.
But there are some karmas which cannot be wiped off

10
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

because if there is too much interference, the deed still

stands.
Outward love also is not bad, but the real love and devo-
tion can be manifested only when you rise above the nine
doors of the body. Eating sweet things is different from just
talking about them. But even talk of sweet things is also
interesting. As long as there is any worldly attachment, it
is no use. If you want Love and Grace, then use all your
energy in going up. Such people are not non-existent, but
they are few.
The soul goes in and when the flame of love bursts forth
within, it goes up immediately, and there is only one way.
The inner design is not the result of any human effort. It is
the design of God. But the formal religions do not even sus-
pect its existence. Even if they conquered the whole world,
would it go with them? Of course not.
That True Nam resounds in the sweetest strains in the
hearts of all of us. It cannot be written or spoken or read. It
is neither Gurmukhi not Arabic nor Persian nor any other
language. It cannot be seen with these eyes nor heard with
these ears; for these eyes are mortal and, in order to func-
tion properly, they depend upon some sort of light such as
sun, moon or electricity. Guru Nanak Sahib says:
Those eyes are different with which you can see the Lord,
your Mother and Father. You speak without the tongue and
thus you die in life. And there is no language. If there is no
language then there is no room for any Vedas, Shastras or
any other scriptures.
That is to say, when one dies in life, then he contacts the
True Nam. This means, when one consciously leaves this
house of nine doors and contacts Gurbani or Shabd, that is
the True Nam and it is not the monopoly of any religion.

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

The Real Form of the Guru or the essence of Guru is

Shabd. Only those people who are extremely fortunate get
the opportunity to follow the practice of Shabd. When they
enjoy it thoroughly, then lust, anger, greed, attachment
and pride are destroyed. When you control your mind and
senses, you enjoy Shabd all the more. Then you have at-
tained salvation in this very life.
Not until you love the Shabd, will there be an end to
your coming and going.
Now this is a universal law and is for everyone without
exception. The trouble is that people do not know what Sat-
gur Seva is. They think spending wealth cr spending mon-
ey in some good cause is Seva. Those who have been able to
go in and enjoy the Shabd are true Satsangis and they have
made full use of their lives. That is real Satgur Seva. And
this is not the exclusive teaching of Guru Nanak Sahib, but
the Mohammedan Saints also say the same thing. Dadu,
Paltu and, in fact, all those Mahatmas who have reached
Sach Khand, say the same thing.
6. Every Jiva, according to his karmas, is given another
birth in some other place. The body into which he has to be
put is ready. The body into which he has to be born and the
interval between death and re-birth, both depend upon his
karmas.
7. The Master showered His Grace when He initiated
you. Now your duty is to practise concentration and go up.
Then love will come automatically.
A loving disciple will not be left in the lurch. For exam-
ple: If a child gets dirty, the mother washes and bathes it
and then again takes it into her lap. In the same way a Sat
Guru, after cleansing the disciple of the effects of his bad
karmas and making him pure,takes him up.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

Whatever we do in this world, we do according to the

dictates of the mind, whether it is eating, drinking, seeing
friends, entering into new relationships—all these things
are of the mind. In fact, the world does not worship God
but worships the mind because it obeys the dictates of the
mind only.
8. Many people practise Simran, but all credit and all
glory to him who practises Simran without any desire. If
one has not gone up and opened ‘the door’, then he is no
better than an animal.
When we are attending to our daily duties, our mind is
usually not occupied with them but is wandering. Saints
say,
Hold the reins of the mind tight in your hand through-
out the day then, when you sit in Bhajan, concentration
will be quick and easy.
It is easier to concentrate the mind by Simran than by
any other practice. Saints do not waste even a single minute
but keep their attention fixed either in Simran or in Dhyan
or in Dhun.
Simran collects and concentrates the mind and the soul.
Dhyan helps to keep it at one place, and Dhun or Shabd
pulls it up.
Do not let the mind remain idle. When we go up into
higher regions, the mind stays back; but when we return, it
joins us again on the way back to the body.
When you begin to enjoy Simran the mind will not go
out again?
That can he answered by the following illustration: Mo-
ses, thinking that he was a great devotee and lover of God,
requested God to bring him in contact with or point out to

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

him a greater and a better lover of God than himself, and

God pointed to a bird upon a tree not far from the place.
When Moses approached the bird and asked if there was
anything that it wanted or that he could do for it, the bird
replied that it was perfectly satisfied and happy except for
one thing. Moses asked what that was? The bird said that
it wished it did not have to leave its perch to go for water.
Moses was astonished at this and pointed out that the bird
was perched on a tree immediately above the water and all
it had to do was to fly down a few feet to take a drink. The
bird replied
That is true, but I am always thinking of God and the
time spent in flying down and taking a drink takes me away
from the contemplation of my Love (God) for a few minutes.
That is my only regret.
Upon hearing this, Moses felt ashamed and realized that
this bird loved God more than he did.
9. By Simran alone the soul leaves the body and goes
up. When concentration is complete, one does not feel the
need to change positions or to attend to the calls of nature
for hours (eight or ten). Mahatmas who employ various
other techniques reach only up to the first stage. Simran is
the best. I speak from my own experience.
I did not give Dhyan or Dhun to quite a number of Mo-
hammedan disciples, but only taught them the technique
of Simran, and they concentrated their mind and soul, and
went up. When the Simran is complete, one hears the Sound
within. If you can vacate (withdraw the current from) even
half the body, you will see light inside. I received hundreds
of letters to this effect. My work is practical. In order to see
how they behaved and how they felt, I initiated them into
Simran only, but they went up and saw things for them-
selves. This meets the objection made by several people;

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

namely, that they see only what they have been told.
Even after going in, you are not allowed to meditate on
the sun, the moon and the stars. These are material inside
as well as outside. Till one reaches the Ashtdal Kamal, he is
not fit for true Dhyan; that is, contemplation of the Master’s
Form. In the primary stages chitta (mind stuff) serves as
nirat (sight). Real Nirat is developed higher up. The Anahat
Shabd (unstruck music) goes as far as the region of matter
and mind. After crossing Par Brahm the Sar (True) Shabd
is heard.
10. Of the three phases of spiritual practice, the first is
Simran. With the help of Simran we have to vacate the nine
doors of the body. After crossing the sun and the moon, we
need something on which to fix our attention. You can stay
there only with the help of Dhyan. After that, you require
Sound or Shabd for going up. The True Shabd begins from
‘Turiya Pad’. The power that has created the entire universe
is Shabd. Jyoti is one thing and Shabd is another thing.
The Jyoti will automatically come, whether you practise
Pranayam or Shabd Yog. In the waking state the headquar-
ters of the soul is behind the two eyes. If you happen to be
in the middle of a hill and you want to go up, why need
you go down at all? You can go up from where the concen-
tration of the soul begins. When you cross the ‘nil chakra’
(blue center) you will see Jyoti. It has one thousand lights.
At the stage where the Jyoti is, there are ten sounds.
The soul has two faculties: the faculty to see and the
faculty to hear.. In fact, the body is divided into four parts:
Pind, And, Brahmand and Sach Khand. Sach Khand is im-
mortal. The six chakras of Brahmand are reflected in the
six chakras of And, and these are again reflected in the six
chakras of Pind. To try to develop the Pind chakras is a
waste of time.

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

Vedant goes only up to Brahm. That is, the goal or the

end of the Vedas is Brahm. It is the second stage according
to Sant Mat. Sant Mat takes you to the Fifth Stage.
Shabd is of two kinds: Varnatmak and Dhunyat-mak.
Whatever can be written, read or uttered or pronounced is
Varnatmak. First of all, there is the sound which is made by
the tongue and then that which is muttered in the throat.
The third is that which is spoken in the heart. The fourth
is made in the ‘nabhi‘ (navel) center by the yogis, with the
help of pranas. These sounds can help you only in concen-
tration, but no further. We have to withdraw the soul out of
the nine doors, cross the sun and the moon, and go beyond
that.
The humming sounds in the ear you can hear even now.
The True Shabd you will hear when you reach the region of
Jyoti. The body outside is the material body, and the next
covering or body is in the region of Jyoti and is the Suksh-
am Sharir. There Patanjali ends. Patanjali takes you only to
the region of Purusha and Prakriti (the first Spiritual Re-
gion). It is only in the region of Par Brahm that you are able
to shed the five tattwas and all the body covers. Then the
soul’s own light will be equal to the light of twelve suns.
Then you will realize that you are satma’. When you have
realized that you are ‘atma’, you will have a longing to
know Parmatma.
The Jyoti or the light exists on account of Shabd. Where
there is no Shabd, there is no Jyoti or light. This light is
mixed with ‘ahankar’ (egotism). Rather, the mind accom-
panies the soul up to the top of Brahm. You would realize
or meet your guru after you have crossed the sun and the
moon. But he can take you up only as far as he goes him-
self. We do not need the pranas. We only take the mind and
soul up. Atma becomes Parmatma only in Sat Lok.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

So far you go with the help of light. Beyond that you

go with the help of Shabd. And in Maha Sunn there is no
Shabd even. It is all dark. It is the region of darkness.
You know that there is a Jyoti of tattwas. This Jyoti
then of which you speak springs from tattwas. Well, I am
glad that a man living a house-holder’s life has achieved
so much. When the dissolution comes, this creation up to
Brahm is destroyed. In the case of the grand dissolution, it
reaches up to Sohang; but not to Sat Lok... At the most, the
Jvoti will take you up to the top of Brahm, thence onward
you travel up by means of Shabd.
The lights which you see when you go up are the lights
of the tattwas. The Jyoti (Light) which springs from Shabd
will be further up. Tattwas have their own light, but the
real Jyoti you will meet further on.
The trouble is that you are now in the big jail of eighty-
four lakh cells. You cannot be happy even in human life.
The pleasures of the senses are only nominal and short-
lived. Besides, everyone has his problems and sorrows:
One’s daughter is a widow, another’s son has left a widow,
yet another is groaning under a load of debt, and all types
of adversity.
The point is that we are a drop of that great Ocean and
we have to go back and merge in It. For innumerable aeons
we have been rotting in this jail. Now, just as we attend to
other affairs of the world, let us devote a couple of hours
every day to this practice also. What is the harm then? Be-
sides, this is a wealth which you take with you and not
leave behind.
When you pierce the veil and go up, the pleasures of
this world appear very low and coarse compared to the
bliss you enjoy there; in fact, it is like a public latrine when
compared to the inner bliss. This is a thing which cannot be

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

bought nor can it be had for the asking. Work hard, vacate
the body (withdraw the consciousness) and go up, and you
will get It. It is your inheritance and has been kept for you.
This joy is greater than all worldly pleasures. Now please
think, have you ever attended to your own work?
Yes, one does hear voices inside. These voices come from
two sources: One from the ‘Rehman’ (Merciful) or God and
the other from the Negative Power. You should not accept
them at once but first say, “Please come before me. Who are
you?”.
11. Sikhi or the path of discipleship is like a sword’s
edge. There are two paths in this world, Manmukh and
Gurmukh. Gurbani (what has been written in the Granth
Sahib) is wonderful if we give careful thought to it. But, of
course, if you read carelessly it is a different matter. Bani
has a medicinal effect on the minds when read thoughtful-
ly.
There is only one remedy to control the mind and that
is within us. When the mind and soul go beyond the six
chakras, cross the sun, moon, etc., reach the Turiya Pad
and enjoy the Shabd which is resounding there, then is the
mind brought under control.
If you think that we should remove all the thorns from
the path first, then walk comfortably, barefooted, that
is impossible. Even if you succeed in doing so, next year
there will be more thorns. If on the other hand, you put
on heavy boots, then you can go about as and when you
please. Whatever is to happen has already been ordained,
and that will happen. Tulsi Das says:
First the Pralabdh was made and then this body. The
wonder of it is that we still feel so discontented.
Before a person is born, his entire life or destiny is set-

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

tled.
A rider wanted to take his horse to drink water. Close
by a Jat was working at his Persian wheel, so he took his
horse there. The creaking sound of the Persian wheel made
the horse shy and it drew back. The rider thereupon asked
the Jat to stop working the Persian Wheel, and the fellow
obeyed. When the wheel stopped, he again took the horse
to the gully into which the water had been flowing from the
well, but by the time the horse reached there, all the water
had run out. The rider then requested the Jat to work the
wheel again for a few minutes. The moment he did so, the
horse again shied and drew back. This greatly annoyed the
rider. The Jat thereupon observed:
Well, sir, it is only during this creaking noise that you
can get water for your horse.
The rider then whipped his horse and again brought it
to the same place. The horse obeyed and drank his fill. And
the same is true of our mind. These worldly cares and anx-
ieties will remain. Whatever you have to achieve, you will
have to accomplish in the midst of these circumstances.
The three worlds are ruled by Kal. Very few people
know this mystery of Kal (the Negative Power) and Akal
(the True Lord, beyond Kal).
Yes, Kal also acknowledges Akal as his Master. But are
you aware that Kal performed great austerities by standing
on one leg for seventy yugas, and thus, worshiped Akal for
seventy yugas? It was in return for this that he was given
this kingdom of Triloki (three worlds) to rule. Swami Ji said
about Kal that when he asked for the boon, he said:
This kingdom of Sat Purush does not appeal to me. Per-
mit me, Sir, to create another world over which I may rule.

19
SPIRITUAL GEMS

Kal also obtained three boons from Sat Purush. The first
one is that the Saints should not induce souls to leave Kal’s
kingdom and go back to Sach Khand by means of showing
miracles or other supernatural performances; but they are
free to appeal to them, reason with them and thus induce
them to go back. Otherwise it would have been so easy, for
all that the Saints would have to do would be to give sight
to a blind person or to bring the dead back to life, and hun-
dreds and thousands would follow Them. But They are not
permitted to do so by Akal Purush.
When you say, “What can we slaves do?” You are talking
of the worldly or political slavery; but all of us are slaves
of the mind and senses — and the richer and the higher a
person is socially, the greater are the bonds of slavery. The
Saints try to free us from this slavery of the mind and the
senses by giving us Satsang. But how do we behave? If a
sheep pen catches fire, the onlookers — taking pity on the
sheep — take them out to safety; but the sheep insist on
going back again and again to the same danger zone and
there meet their death. The same is the case with us. The
wordly wealth, wordly kingdoms are all subject to decay
and, of course, nothing can accompany us after our death.
We cannot take any of these things with us. Let alone other
things, even our dear relatives have to be left behind. The
real wealth which we can call our own is the Treasure of
Nam, and that is within us.
Yet man does not go within. Indeed, how can he go in
till he comes across a Sant Sat Guru who will show him the
way? Then he can work his way up by vacating the body of
nine doors and then come in contact with Nam. Everything
is within him and everything is inside. Whole continents
— even universes— are inside. Nay, the Wahiguru (God)
Himself is inside. The pity is that people read Gurbani but
they do not reflect on its meaning. I have had occasion to

20
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

meet prominent people, big national leaders, but whenever

we discussed Gurbani, they would always say:
How is it possible to conceive that all these things are
inside?
Several doctors have humorously told me:
We have performed numerous dissections but never saw
any suns, moons, continents, universes, and so on. All that
we have found within was bones, flesh, fat and blood.
But we cannot really find fault with them. If they had
come across a Satguru, and learned the Way from Him
to go in, they would have found that these things are not
within the physical body but are located behind the mental
veil? Make the mind motionless and then you will see ev-
erything.
12. The Mind is the Satwa Guna essence of the five tat-
twas, activated by the current of the spirit. Do you follow?
It is superior to the tattwas but inferior to the conscious
current. It represents the intermediate state (between the
tattwas and the soul).
The whole world worships the mind. Very few — some
rare Mahatmas who can go in — know their True God.
In eating, drinking, contacting friends, entering into rela-
tionships, in fact in whatever they do, they are ruled by the
mind. Rishis, munis, yogis, yogishwars, mahatmas, proph-
ets — all owe allegiance to the mind. When one contacts a
Master and by going in gets rid of the three covers (mate-
rial, astral and causal), the twenty five prakritis, mind and
maya, and reaches Par Brahm, then he realizes that he is
pure soul. There its effulgence is equal to the light of twe-
lye suns; but here, in this world, man cannot face even one
sun. There he is neither fat nor lean, white nor black, and
he has no body. All the prevailing religions and cults are

21
SPIRITUAL GEMS

within the boundary of the mind. As the soul has forgotten

its Original Home, so the mind also has forgotten its origi-
nal home. As our soul comes from Sach Khand, so the mind
is derived from Brahm and has come from Trikuti. Great
yogis and yogish-wars have been tossed hither and thither,
and have been ruled by the mind. You may read the Hindu
Puranas and satisfy yourself on this point.
When you say that may be the Negative Power assumes
the form of Christ and thus misleads them, that is not cor-
rect. It is not the Negative Power. It is the impression of
one’s own mind.
13. Now what do we find here? Just scold somebody a
little and he gets up and leaves. Even if one is turned out
a hundred times, still he should not leave the door of the
Guru. Even if he is insulted a hundred times, he should not
leave. The cowardly mind is like a goat: When faced with
pleasures and enjoyments it is happy and cooperative; but
when the Guru remonstrates with it, then it becomes stub-
born and revolts. See the contrast between the actions or
the attitude of a cowardly person and a brave person when
faced with pleasures and enjoyments. It is only a really
brave person who can refuse sensual pleasures when they
are easily available. The poison to the soul is in his hand,
yet he foregoes it.
If there is any form worth contemplating, it is the form
of a Saint or of a Mahatma who has realized God. But when
are you able to get this Dhyan? When you cross the sun,
moon, and so forth. If the Nirat is not developed, no real
progress can be made, even if you go on hearing the Sound
all your life.
Surat and Nirat are the two great qualities. If the Nirat
is not developed, the veil will not be rent, even if you go
on listening to the Sound all your life. I say, even if you

22
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

are not able to put in much labor, try to develop love for a
Mahatma or for a realized soul. If you really love a Saint or
Mahatma, then — asleep or awake—you always think of
Him. Where would you go after death? You go to the place
of the person on whom your thoughts have been dwelling
all along. This is the verdict of our Shastras as well.
14. If faith in the Master or faith in Nam is lacking, there
can be no progress. From the time the Satsangi is initiat-
ed, the Master looks after him from within. Do not ask the
Master for something which is improper. Ask only that
He should keep you in touch with Nam and God. Saints
do not interfere with Pralabdh. The ideal of the Saints is
to accept the Will of the Lord. The Master will give those
things to the disciple which He thinks proper. Sometimes
the disciple craves wealth, honor, sons, daughters; but the
Master does not grant his prayer. It is here that the people
err. One’s son was ill and did not live, so he gives up the
Master, another has lost a case and he says, “give up the
Master.” As the mother tries to look after the child in every
way, the child also has some duty towards the mother. The
disciple should try to develop love and devotion towards
the Master, and not sit idle. When he gets a Master and
receives Initiation, it is his duty to do Bhajan zealously and
reach Sach Khand.
15. When I was in the hospital on account of the fracture
of my leg, one day when I was meditating, Baba Ji’s form
appeared before me. Baba Ji, or rather what seemed to be
His form, said:
If, in a case of emergency, meat and drink are used, there
is no harm.
But when I repeated the five Names, he disappeared.
Now, because I had seen Baba Ji in real life and could vi-
sualize Him, I found out this trick. But those people who

23
SPIRITUAL GEMS

concentrate on the old Masters who passed away thou-

sands of years ago are likely to be misled. His (the Saint’s)
eyes cannot be imitated. Hence, you always require a living
teacher for the pupil, a living physician for the sick, a living
husband for the wife, and a living ruler for the people. I
maintain that no one else can help a disciple so much as a
living Master. You may have heard the couplet:
Who could be greater than Rama or Krishna; but even
they had to accept a Guru. Lords of the three worlds, they
stood respectfully with their heads bowed before the Guru.
16. The Lord is within us and when He sees that one of
His servants is sitting in meditation, (literally in expecta-
tion of His Darshan), will He be unmindful? Certainly not.
But if the veil is not removed, be sure that the mind is not
quite pure. First of all, our own mind judges impartially
and delivers the verdict: Today you did such and such bad
thing. You were subject to ‘kam, krodh’ (lust, anger) and so
forth.
17. It is not permitted to talk of things which one sees
within. But there are so many things, it is a pity I cannot
say everything; however, everything is possible through
the help of the Guru. The most impossible achievements
can be made possible through the help of the Guru. One
day Baba Ji presented me to Guru Nanak Sahib, Kabir Sa-
hib, Tulsi Sahib and Swami Ji, and said:
He is your child.
18. The bungalow of the Commanding Engineer hap-
pened to be just above my bungalow. One day the Colonel
was coming out with his daughter to go for a walk. Just then
a cart driver passed near them on the road and a wounded
ox was pulling the cart. The Colonel and his daughter were
very much touched at the pitiable condition of the ox and
said,

24
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

Why have they over-loaded this poor, wounded creature?

I replied,
That is true. You cannot bear to see the suffering of this
poor creature, but what about the beef which you eat ?
The point is that, intellectually, man thinks and argues
only up to a certain stage; but it is only when he goes in,
that he has perfect knowledge. Similarly, we attend the
Satsang and read the books, but we yield to the pleasures
of the senses when we are faced with temptation. I have
seen learned people, lecturers, leaders of thought—unable
to resist the sensual pleasures.
19. To overcome kam and krodh is real bravery. It is
not a small achievement. So many rishis and munis of old
lost the battle. What is the use if you go on scouring and
cleaning a vessel, and put nothing in it? That is, the way to
salvation or liberation lies in not only avoiding ‘kam and
krodh’ but also in devoting yourself to Nam Bhakti. Man
has within himself whole continents, universes, and God
Himself, but only when he practices Nam devotedly, can
he realize this.
20. KARMA: The Supreme Creator and the individual
spirit in the creation are connected together through the
Sound Current. But Kal, also a creation of the Supreme Be-
ing, separates the individual from the Current by coming
in between as mind and forms. Hence, the individual feels
disconnected, but not so the Creator.
There are three minds, and corresponding to these three
minds are three kinds of forms:
1. In Trikuti the ‘Nijman’ (innermost or causal mind)
or Brahm, and the universal mind cover the spirit. The
forms here are made of very pure maya, so much so that

25
SPIRITUAL GEMS

a majority of the seekers have failed to see here the spirit

apart from maya or mind, and therefore considered Brahm
as all-pervading, etc.
2. Lower down, in Sahansdal Kanwal, the forms of Tri-
kuti get another covering of mind and form, both coarser
than the above; the astral form here being governed by the
‘Andi Man’ (astral mind). In this zone there are the hells
and heavens and numerous other lokas (regions). Here the
tendencies of the mind are directed inward and are elevat-
ing. This mind behaves like a wise enemy (seeking to keep
us here).
3. Further down, in Pind (the region below the eyes),
the astral form gets another covering of coarse material,
with which we are familiar. The mind that governs this
form is called the ‘Pindi Man’ (physical or lower mind). Its
tendencies are outward and diffusive, and it is most diffi-
cult to control.
Now, a body actuated by mind and spirit cannot help
performing karma, and the karmic law “As you sow, so
shall you reap”, continues to work, and the account is com-
plicated with time. The more one works, the greater the en-
tanglement, like a bird struggling in the meshes of a net.
So cunningly has Kal arranged the snare of forms and
minds that it is well nigh impossible for man to escape from
their influence. No matter how good and Godly we may be,
that alone will not take us out of these regions. Says Lord
Krishna:
Good actions are as much binding as bad actions; good
actions may be likened to fetters of gold and bad actions to
those of iron; and both are equally efficient in keeping us
tied.
The escape is through the Sound Current.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

Only when the attention catches and follows the Cur-

rent, does the mind become dormant and out of action. At
all other times, when the attention is off the Current, the
mind gets the upper hand. Through long and indefinite
time, ever since the spirit separated from its Ocean and
associated itself with the minds and bodies, not only has
the upward passage been blocked, but the spirit has been
so bewildered, entangled and enfeebled that it has lost all
memory of its Home and is contented to live a wretched life
in this wretched material world.
There are two ways of looking at this creation:
1. From the top, looking down—the Creator’s point of
view.
2. From the bottom, looking up—man’s point of view.
From the top it looks as though the Creator is all in all.
He is the only Doer, and the individual seems like a puppet
tossed right and left by the wire puller. There seems to be
no free will in the individual, and therefore no responsibili-
ty on his shoulder. It is His play. There is no why or where-
fore. All the Saints, when They look from the top, describe
the creation as His manifestation. They see Him working
everywhere.
Looking from below, or the individual viewpoint, we
come across Variety’ as opposed to ‘Oneness’. Everybody
appears to be working with a will and is influenced by and
is influencing others with whom he comes in contact. The
individual thinks he is the doer and thereby becomes re-
sponsible for his actions and their consequences. All the
actions are recorded in his mind and memory, and cause
likes and dislikes which keep him pinned down to the ma-
terial, astral or mental spheres, according to his actions in
an earlier life in the cycle of transmigration. The individu-
al in these regions cannot help doing actions and, having

27
SPIRITUAL GEMS

done them, cannot escape their influences. The individual

acts as the doer and therefore bears the consequences of his
actions.
As stated above, the observations differ on account of
the difference in the angle of vision. Both are right.
1. The individual, clothed in coarse material form,
sees only the external material forms. His sight does not go
deeper than that.
2. If he were to rise up to Sahansdal Kanwal, the same
individual would see the mind actuating all forms. The
form would be only secondary; mind would be the prime
mover in all.
3. The same individual, from Daswandwar, will see
the Spirit Current working everywhere, and will see how
the mind gets power from the Spirit.
4. From Sach Khand, the whole creation looks like
bubbles forming and disappearing in the Spiritual Ocean.
An individual is endowed with intelligence and does
every action knowingly. It is, therefore, incumbent on him
to find a way of escape from this entanglement. To raise
his spirit, he must struggle against the mind, for he lives
by struggle. And where there is a will, there is a way. He
cannot say that this is no part of his Duty.
The karmas are also divided into three groups:
1. Kriyaman or new actions
2. Pralabdh or fate (the portion of karmas allotted to
this life, as a result of our previous actions)
3. Sinchit or reserve.
As an example, we take the case of a farmer: He pre-

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pares his land for sowing seed. He has the option to sow
whatever he likes. Suppose he decides on wheat and sows
it. The crop matures and he gathers it. Some of it he keeps
for his consumption during the coming year, and the sur-
plus is put in store. Year after year he is living on the previ-
ous year’s gathering and increasing his reserve in store, to
be utilized in time of scarcity or need.
You will see that he is living and hopes to live on what
he himself sows and gathers. Similarly, whatever we do in
this life becomes fate for our next life; and some of this is
kept in reserve by Kal to be given to us if by any chance
(of course these chances are practically nil) we run short of
karma. Without karma, Kal cannot keep a spirit down in a
body; and without a body, no karma can be performed.
It is open to Kal to add from reserve to fate, or deduct
from kriyaman for reserve. Like the farmer who is prepar-
ing his land for the coming season, and is living on the
gatherings from the last season, with a confidence based on
his reserve, we are undergoing our fate, in which we have
no choice. But we do have the choice to work anew as we
please, for our future. And we have a surplus which is our
reserve from past lives, of which we have now no knowl-
edge.
We are, therefore, at present doing a dual function:
A — In regard to fate, we are helpless but
B — In new actions we have a free hand to sow for the
future.
To distinguish between these two types by intelligence
alone is not easy for the individual, but a rough rule may
be laid down: That which comes in spite of our efforts, and
spontaneously, is due to fate. But those whose attention is
concentrated and who have access within can read their

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fate easily. It is an open book to them.

Now, in the physical body, actions are done by the mind
from the heart center. As long as the mind is centered here
(in ordinary individuals the heart is the center of mind ac-
tion) it will be influenced by emotions. The sensations of
joy and sorrow will be felt, as the body is worked by mind
from this center.
When the mind has been elevated to the eye focus by
concentration; in other words, when the mind has changed
its seat or center from the heart to the eye center, then the
feelings caused by outward influences working on the
physical body, will be felt imperceptibly. Joys of the world
will not elate such a one, and its sorrows will not depress
him.
The fate-actions are stored in the eight-petalled lotus in
Anda, above the eyes. Their influence is felt forcibly as long
as that center has not been crossed. When that center is
crossed, and the Master’s astral form is seen (for that form
resides there), the influence of the fate actions will be per-
ceived nominally. The mind has then become strong, and it
has the power to bear them without effort.
But fate cannot be effaced or altered; it will have to be
undergone. An arrow, after leaving the bow, must find its
mark.
The reserve actions are stored at the top of Trikuti, and
only when a spirit has crossed the third mind or Trikuti, it
is said to be free from all karma. Below this, the spirit suf-
fers from the ills of karma.
All actions are performed with a motive, and it is the
motive that is binding. It is not easy to conceive of an ac-
tion which is performed without a motive. The mind is con-
sciously or subconsciously active, and it is ridiculous to talk

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of karma without a counter karma. There is no escape from

counter karma. By doing actions, however good, there is no
escape. Charity, offerings or pilgrimages must bring their
reward, and the soul doing these things must receive the
reward in one body or another.
The escape from karma lies in the protection afforded
by Saints. They are themselves karmaless. Their actions are
not binding on them, for their spirits work from Daswand-
war, a center above the three spheres of mind and forms, as
stated above. The Saints show us the way out.
They say, let new actions be performed in the Name of
the Master, the individual working in the capacity of an
agent only. The new actions, done in this spirit, will not
be binding. The fate actions will have been undergone by
the time the life comes to an end; the reserve actions Saints
partly take upon themselves and partly are undergone by
the devotee, as the Saints think proper.
Saints put the individual spirit in touch with the Sound
Current, and as the spirit catches It and rises up, it throws
off the influences of mind and matter, and gets stronger
and stronger. The more the individual works on these lines,
the easier the Path for him. Otherwise the course becomes
lengthy; but the Saints are pledged to see him through, af-
ter they have initiated a soul. The practice of Sound Cur-
rent cuts the rest of karma.
The Current acts like a magnet on the spirit. It attracts
the spirit to Itself, and if the spirit were not covered by the
rust of mind and matter, it would go up like a shot. The rust
of attachments and impressions is removed by Repetition
(Simran). The repetition of thoughts of the journey within
replaces our everyday thoughts. Then the mind, instead of
wandering outside, begins to take rest and peace within;
and when it goes in, the spirit also goes with it; and when

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the spirit is in, the Current in its turn pulls it up. Once Tri-
kuti has been crossed (this will only be when all karmic
accounts are settled), the soul never goes back into transmi-
gration. It will go up to merge in its origin.
21. I should like to point out that I have the same de-
gree of love and affection for each and every member of the
Brotherhood, like a father towards his children; secondly,
according to R. S. teachings the sins and short-comings of a
soul are viewed by the Master in the same light as a washer
man regards the dirt on a cloth. He cares for the cloth and
not the least for the dirt. His aim is to cleanse the cloth by
some means or other; whether by the gentle method of ap-
plying soap or by the rough and ready method of beating
the cloth against a slab of stone. It depends upon His Will.
In the same way the Master aims at reforming His disci-
ples and curing them of their bad habits and wicked deeds
so that the spirit may shine in its purity. He determines as
to life’s procedure. At first, He points out our mistakes in
gentleness and with love. If this fails, then He adopts a less
gentle course and if even that does not serve its purpose,
then He applies drastic remedies. In short, he is bent on
reforming.
To explain the matter more fully, the Master at first
tries to purify us by His discourses. If this fails, then He
applies the soap of poverty, adversity and disease. If these
do not answer the purpose, then He gives another birth to
the disciple. He does not rest until He has taken the spirit
of His disciple to its Source. Even if the pupil deserts Him,
becomes hostile toward Him or wishes to injure Him, He
does not slacken His efforts.
I have gone through the report of—. They are not of-
fended with you. They wished that you and others, like
themselves, should give up animal food and eggs entirely.

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They did not take your words in any ill light nor should
you, for if we are in error and another explains it to us we
have no right to be angry. In that case our only course is to
admit our mistake and say that habit compels us to repeat
it. It is not proper to be in the wrong and to be impatient.
They should have been gentler and more affectionate. But
they are not to blame for that. They give more time to ex-
ercises than you do and avoid animal food and stand on
a higher mental plane. Under these circumstances a devo-
tee naturally becomes bold and forward. This is not pride
though it is looked upon as such by others.
Such a devotee wishes that everyone should do as he
does. But this is not the stage of perfection. As the soul
progresses it becomes gentler and calmer. Consequently,
when they go higher, they will become calmer and more
patient. What they did was right in a sense, and moreover,
I do not think you are much to blame in the matter as you
are far from our congregation, are ignorant of the rules of
the Brotherhood, have read no more than the “Discourses”
and are unaware of the purity of the Society. When you
gain knowledge and develop spiritual practice you will not
mind even twenty—denouncing you. A heart filled with
love cannot contain anger. Your heart has not yet been filled
with love. So try to devote a little more time each day to the
spiritual exercises; gradually the Master will grant you all.
You write that — is of the same opinion. Her complaint
is the same as yours. She also uses an egg occasionally, as
you do. It was as disagreeable to her as to you. This error
is in all of you. It is proper that you should correct your
errors. I think — is to blame in this matter. He fell from his
principles. You only followed his example. If he had acted
up to his principles, you could have gained by his example.
Let bygones be bygones.
But I must point out that animal food, even if a single

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particle is eaten, is detrimental to spiritual progress. What

of eating, those who help in killing are also guilty. You say
that eating an egg is not so bad as breaking a heart. Both are
bad. But a broken heart can be set right by love; however,
an animal that is killed cannot be revived.
— told you that repetition of Holy Names should not be
undertaken for accomplishing worldly objects. This does
not mean what you understood. It means that spiritual
progress is the highest object and all our efforts should be
directed to that end. If we sacrifice all the world for it, it
is not too much. Therefore, to divert our energy from this
highest object and apply it to worldly objects is not proper.
When we ask for worldly things from the Lord we would
get them but then our spiritual advancement would be hin-
dered. Had we applied our energy to spiritual progress, we
would have reaped greater benefit. The Saints of the high-
est degree never ask for anything that is perishable. They
ask for the Lord from the Lord, as Guru Nanak says:
What should I ask of Thee? Nothing is permanent. Ev-
erything is passing away Even as I behold.
This means that everything is perishable except the
Lord, and that he (Nanak) was not going to ask for perish-
able things. He needed the Lord and nothing else. He said;
If the wealth of all the worlds were put on one side and
the love of the Lord on the other, then those who love the
Lord would only ask for the Lord and would not care for the
wealth. He who is filled with the love of the Lord is followed
by all the world.
The other reason is that gain and loss in this world de-
pend upon our karma. Many of our efforts are bound to fail
on account of our karma, as they are not destined to accom-
plish their purposes. If we apply repetition of the Names
and spiritual exercise to gain these purposes, and fail, then

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

our faith in the Lord will decrease because He did not grant
us our wishes. That would lead to hindrance in our spiri-
tual progress and love. Our duty lies in doing our best in
worldly business and being content with the result as the
Will of the Master.
There are many on the Path who have not penetrated
into their interior and who have not beheld the Master in
their internal vision, nor have they crossed the stages of
anger and lust. They do everything as dictated by the lower
mind and excuse their misdeeds by saying that the Master
activates them or that the Creator causes them. Now this is
the trick played upon them by the lower self.
The bad deed is due to our low desires, and we hold the
Master or the Lord responsible for it. Until our soul goes
up and beholds the Master inside, and can talk to Him
there, we should ascribe every blame to the dictates of the
lower mind and not to the Master.
When we have had the vision of the Master inside and
we have reached a very high spiritual plane, only then we
can say that whatever is done is done by Him. In that state
there is no sin as sin lies in us and not in the Master. There-
fore, a spiritual devotee should be careful against being de-
ceived by the lower self. He should be gentle and forgiving.
If you had the real spirit of practice in you, you would
have laughed over what — said to you and would not have
given way to anger. Not even twenty — would have been
able to ruffle your spirit which would have been powerful
and patient. Then I would have said that the Sound Cur-
rent has produced effect in you. But instead of that you not
only lost self-control but also your companions became
perturbed, which was not proper.
I would advise that all of you should clean your minds
of mutual accusation and remonstrance and increase love

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and affection for each other. Each one should admit his or
her mistake, ask pardon of the other, and grow in love and
faith.
But I do not mean that Repetition should be given up.
Repetition must be done in the mind so that none should
hear it. It is intended to still the mind and not to show off.
The important point is that the mind should be brought
under control. It plays subtle tricks and has tricked many
before you —even the prophets and incarnations. I have
seen many whom the mind has made dance to any tune or
act upon its dictates; while the people think that they are
visited by holy Spirit or that they have taken their soul to
a high plane. The evil tendencies lie in the mind while it
ascribes them to others.
R.S. is the True Path, therefore it is a great sin to mis-
lead people by external show. The company of such people
should be avoided.
It is probable that my words may be unpleasant to you.
But it is my duty. Just think, human life is very precious
and is due to past good karma. It was not granted to us for
rearing children, or for enjoying ourselves. All these func-
tions are performed even by the lowest animals. The only
difference between man and lower creation is that man’s
life here was meant for seeing the Lord and reaching the
highest Spiritual Plane, in this life. Every minute of it is
worth millions of dollars.
We have to give up this physical body, the astral frame
and also the causal body. When this is the case, then what is
the worth of the world, its relationships and its pleasures?
The world should be looked upon as an inn, and our rela-
tives as fellow travelers. Our chief aim should be to unite
with our Creator and avoid lust, anger, avarice, attachment
and pride so far as we can, as they are our enemies. At all

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

times our hearts should be full of love for the Master and
our own mind should be so fearless that it should not be
ruffled if it were given the kingdom of the world nor if the
kingdom of the world were taken from it. When the mind
has become like that, the Master penetrates it with His Real
Light.
Whatever I have written is with a view to your benefit
and purification, and not with a view to dominate or show
off. It is the outcome of my love for you. I do not know
whether or not the etiquette and manners of your country
would accept it in such a light.
22. The best way of preparing the ground for spiritual
instructions is to cleanse one’s mind, to give up meat and
liquors, to avoid lust and anger, to love the Almighty and
to inculcate a desire to reach the True Home of the Spirit,
from which it came in the beginning.
The reach of Theosophy is very much limited as com-
pared with R. S. The former has for its final goal the first
stage of R. S. and has subdivided that into many degrees.
The result is that traveling along Theosophical lines, one
cannot go beyond the first stage of R. S. The method of the
latter is very simple, and in modern times, none other can
compare with it. Theosophy has for its final aim the top of
Brahm, while R. S. aims at crossing Brahm and gaining Par
Brahm (beyond Brahm), thence reaching Sat Lok (the True
Region, the Pure Spiritual Region).
The region of Pind does not extend above the eye focus,
while the region of Brahmand corresponds with the frontal
part of the brain. But full details will be given to you by the
person who will Initiate you.
According to R. S., mind is not the creator of the world.
It is the Word which is the Creator. There is no doubt that
all the. world, so far as the mind and the intellect go, is

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governed by the mind; but the latter is itself inanimate.

It is dependent on the Spirit and the Word (Holy Sound).
There are three minds:
1 — The physical or Pindi mind, which governs the
physical frame and the senses
2— The Universal mind (Brahmandi man), which rules
the subtle worlds such as heaven, hell and so forth.
3 — The causal mind (Karan man), which rules the Caus-
al region and extends to the top of Brahm.
So long as the soul is within the range of any of these
three minds, it is neither pure not unfettered. The soul can-
not know itself until it has crossed Brahm and reached Par
Brahm. And until the soul has known itself, it cannot know
the Creator of all.
23. I am glad to read that you are so earnest about your
spiritual progress and devote time to achieve it. You say
“Spiritual progress seems at a snail’s pace”. The withdraw-
al of the attention from the body to the eye center is a slow
affair. Mind has made deep attachment with matter and
now finds it difficult to detach itself from it.
Repetition of the five Holy Names at the eye center is
the safest and easiest way, and with faith and perseverance
one succeeds. No attention should be paid to the pain in the
heart region and the tightness in the throat. They are felt
because the attention does not stick to the eye center when
repeating the Names. It leaves the eye center and comes
down to the throat and heart centers. The attention should
be kept up in the eye center. That is a necessary part of the
“Repetition”.
Again, breathing should go on normally and no strain or
pressure put on it. As a matter of fact, when doing Repeti-

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

tion one should be unconscious of his breathing, just as one

is unconscious of breathing when he does his daily routine
work. When you will keep your attention in the eye center
and increase the time in Repetition, your concentration will
improve and the pain will disappear automatically. T h e
whole body is to be vacated, including the heart and throat
centers.
In discussing Sant Mat with non-members, one is free to
discuss it as any other science or philosophy but one should
not give out his own personal, inner experiences nor what
he learns at the time of Initiation — Names, positions and
the distinguishing sounds and lights of different regions,
and so on. One may discuss the principle of Repetition, the
need for a living Master, the Sound Current, or the basic
principle of the human body as the laboratory, the head as
the repository of all secrets, and man as the highest form of
creation because he is endowed with capacity to make con-
tact with his Creator, thereby solving the eternal mystery
while living and the like.
To distinguish a true seeker from a curiousity seeker,
one should apply one’s own judgment. Quite often a curi-
osity seeker in the beginning, changes to a true seeker after
hearing about the subject. Much depends on the way one
leads his life and presents his views on the subject. If one
is himself shaky and unconvinced, not much impression
would be made on the listeners. A true seeker does not en-
ter into discussion; “a word to the wise” rule applies in this
case“.
Loving service to my Master is the goal of my life.” The
best service that one can render to the Master is to with-
draw one’s attention from the body to the eye center, cross
the stars, the sun and the moon, and meet the Radiant Form
of the Master within. This service replaces “I-ness” with
“Thouness” and completes the duty of the disciple. The

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disciple has placed himself in the hands of the Master and

it is now for the Master to lead him to the Spiritual Home.
One should take good care of the body, like a rational
being, follow the laws of health, take doctor’s advice when
necessary, and try to keep the body in a fit and healthy con-
dition. There is no need to endure that which can be cured.
Tonsils and adenoids are not necessary for spiritual prog-
ress, and if these are in a diseased condition and the doctor
advises their removal, they may be removed.
Incidentally, on this path one learns the use of the best
herbal medicines, exercises, the proper use of foods, breath-
ing and all means of curing for the body (quotation from
Mat Prakash).
This may be ignored. Observance of ordinary rules of
health and doctor’s advice, whenever necessary, are good
enough. Emphasis, however, should be laid on contacting
the Master within and catching the Bell Sound.
The soul leaves the physical, astral and causal bodies in
succession as it progresses towards Daswan Dwar. During
devotional practice, as the concentration improves, mind
and soul vacate the body and pass through the eye center,
then cross the starry sky, the sun and the moon, and meet
the Radiant Form of the Master. From there onwards the
Master’s Form acts as guide, and the journey is made in the
company of the Master.
24. Every item of old karmic debt has to be paid. Kal
demands his pound of flesh. I give you an instance of my
Master, Baba Jaimal Singh Ji:
At the request of a Satsangi, He went to Ambala to hold
Satsang for a few days. When two days had passed, the
Satsangi recommended an intelligent, influential person of
the place for Initiation. Baba Ji asked the Satsangi not to rec-

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

ommend him, but to recommend another dozen instead, if

he liked. The Satsangi insisted and the Master yielded on
one condition, that after the Initiation He would leave the
place at once, and no one should insist on His staying there.
The conveyance to leave the place was arranged for, and
the man recommended was called in and Initiated. Mas-
ter returned to the Dera at Beas and for ten days suffered
so much from dysentery and fever that nobody had any
hope that He would survive. I happened to see Him then. I
had come on short leave. On enquiry, I was informed that
He could not refuse the request of the devoted Satsangi.
(Saints are very tender hearted and merciful).
The man Initiated had an enormous amount of ugly
karmic debt to pay off. The karmic debt was paid through
suffering by Himself. All cases are not so bad. But no Ini-
tiation is possible without payment of karmic debt. People
may be thinking that Saints lead a life of ease. They have
crowds of followers, and so forth and so on. But the Saint’s
duty is most difficult. He carries a heavier responsibility
than a captain of a ship in a storm. This sea has a bottom
and shores but compare it with the sea of existence through
which Saints guide the soul and make it one with the ONE.
The more your soul is elevated, the better your service.
There is no doubt that pretenders, in the garb of Saints,
have done enormous harm, but such is the case in other
walks of life as well. This cannot be helped.
Nam and Kam are two of the vernacular terms used in
our literature. Nam means ‘Word’ or ‘Sound Current’, and
Kam ordinarily means lust or passion or indulgence in the
sensual desires as opposed to self-control; but in its wide
sense, it means all outward tendencies of the mind. Nam
and Kam are, therefore, opposed to one another. The ten-
dency of Nam is towards the inlet pipe to a reservoir and
Kam leads to the outlet pipe. The reservoir may be filled

41
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if the inlet pipe is large and the outlet pipe is small. But
it cannot remain filled if the outlet is wide open or even
leaking. And the sooner the outlet is stopped, the faster the
reservoir will be filled.
Now, take Pinda or the physical body as the reservoir.
So long as the attention is at the eye focus, it is filling, but
when the attention is running below the eye focus, it is
leaking. And the lower the attention below the focus, the
faster it is leaking. The sensual center is located very low;
therefore, playing of the attention on this center causes an
enormous leakage, and there is a considerable amount of
dissipation of energy. Nobody feels happier after the act of
dissipation. That act is a happy act if it leaves you happier.
Kabir compares Nam and Kam to day and night, respec-
tively. Day and night do not go together. If there is day,
then there is no night; and if there is night, then there is no
day. If attention is given to Nam, there is no Kam, and if it
is given to Kam, there is no Nam.
The same idea of reservoir and inlet and outlet pipes
may be extended to Ainda and Brahmanda.
The world is the design of Kal and Maya, the negative
forces. To keep the soul down, they based the structure of
the world on couples, man and woman. If both, man and
woman, were to catch the Sound of Nam and rise up, both
would be free. Here, one holds down the other. And be-
cause we have not seen the other side of the whole picture,
we take our present existence and our surroundings as the
normal affair. Strictly speaking, we are living an abnormal
life. Soul combined with mind and matter is an abnormali-
ty. Soul, the queen of royal blood, enjoying the company of
servants and sweepers is an abnormality.
By holding the attention at the eye focus, we are to fill
the Pinda reservoir. By holding it at Trikuti, we are to fill

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the Anda reservoir. And by holding it at Sach Khand, we

are to fill the Brahmanda reservoir. If leakage, wide or nar-
row, is permitted then the filling is delayed or perhaps may
never even be up to the Pinda level.
The law admits of no exceptions. The longing for Nam
means turning your back on Kam. Turning your face to one
means turning your back to the other. Saints find human
nature weak. They make it strong, step by step. They attach
the individual to Nam and, slowly and slowly, as longing
for Nam develops, the tendencies toward kam diminish.
Those who indulge in Kam for the sake of indulgence
are doing no good to themselves. To hide their ignorance
or weakness, they call this indulgence a physiological ne-
cessity and have gone to the extent of advocating the use of
contraceptives, etc. All that is due to the weakness of hu-
man nature. Those who indulge for the sake of children,
should try to control themselves when they have the re-
quired number of children. Now what fun is there in hav-
ing big families which they cannot support ? The rest of
life is spent as a family donkey, carrying its load. Again, to
indulge after conception, and so long as the child is depen-
dent upon the mother, is something inhuman. Here, again,
to defend our weakness, we may propound any code; but
weakness is weakness, and no amount of defence will con-
vert it into strength.
To rise up is a slow process, but to fall from a height is
sudden. Kam is a sudden fall of attention. Saints emphasize
the grandeur of Nam and bring it again and again to the
attention of those who come in their contact. They advocate
looking up, while the world looks down. Whenever Nam
will become tasteful, Kam will disappear. There is no other
way of controlling Kam. Raising the focus of attention, au-
tomatically subdues Kam.

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Saints have to deal with human nature. If they ask a per-

son to leave Kam all at once, before Initiation, we know he
cannot do so. They attach him to Nam. There is something
for him to look up to now. He has heard of the magnifi-
cence of Nam from the Saints. A tiny spark is kindled in
him. He gives it some attention. The days are passing. Part-
ly through receiving knocks (sickness, death in the family,
demands on purse, shocks to pride, etc.); partly through
age; partly through Satsang; partly because he has passed
through some of his pralabdh karma (fate); and partly
through devotion to Nam, his attention is slowly contract-
ing. So, by the time he reaches the end of his days, he is
almost ready to go up and grasp Nam.
Now, if during his lifetime he had made Nam the main
object of his study, and had treated the world and worldly
affairs as secondary, there is no reason why he should not
have gone inside the eye focus and risen up. Saints come
across all sorts of cases. Souls that go inside the focus and
rise up during their lifetime are naturally few. The majority
are of the type described above. But those who are of the
world, through and through, have no faith in Saints and
do not come near them. Please understand this carefully.
The law and its use by the Saints is the practical uplift of the
soul.
Dr. Johnson said, after his Initiation, that he considered
the day, March 21st, the greatest day of his life. When a
soul (child) comes in the world we say he is born.
In reality the soul has been entombed in the grave of the
physical frame. So it is more appropriate to say that it has
died. When it comes in contact with the Saints and gets Ini-
tiation, it is attached to Nam and is getting out of the grave
of the physical frame. So it is appropriate to say that it
is born, or reborn. The day of Initiation is the birthday.
Socrates was familiar with the Sound Current but gives

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hints only in his writings. The ancient philosophers gave

only hints. The same is the case of the Persian Saints and
Indian Saints (of old). It is only in modern times that Saints
have spoken out about the Current in some detail.
Our shortcomings and lack of love keep us out.
25. Your “Elder Brother” is within you, occupying the
right bright half of the eight-petalled lotus in Anda. (The
left dark half is occupied by Kal.) He is there to receive you
and awaits your arrival there to lead you onward. So long
as the devotee has not reached that far and has not seen
Him, his faith in the Elder Brother, Friend, Guide, Mas-
ter, or Guru — no matter by which name He is called — is
shaky. The faith matures only after seeing this Form of the
Master. By the time the devotee reaches this stage, he too
has shaken off the growth of material bonds and sensual,
low desires from his mind.
The same mind, which worked through the physical
organs of senses with worldly objects, now finds itself in
a different world (Anda), far more attractive and stable;
looking at which, the mind begins to discard what it had
held dear before. When it grasps the inner Form of the
Master and finds that He is the Master of the inner realms
and sees face to face what He does for the disciple, his faith
becomes firm. Whatever hymns and songs of praise and
devotion that the disciple may compose to express his love
and yearning for that Form, he fails to express himself as
he would like to. There is nothing in this world to which
that Form could be compared or likened. Like the bride re-
turning from her husband, when questioned by her sister
companion as to the pleasure of meeting the beloved, the
disciple expresses himself in silence and a smile. That is his
greatest eloquence.
This inner Form of the Master has a magnetic influence

45
SPIRITUAL GEMS

which holds the mind and soul of the disciple there. Before
that, the process of concentration is a struggle. You bring in
the attention and the mind is running out again. Sometimes
you may succeed and sometimes — oftener—the mind suc-
ceeds. Therefore, patiently and determinedly enter the are-
na daily and stick to the focus. As the scattered attention
collects in the focus, the mind narrows down its sphere
of run, calms down and begins to be withdrawn from the
extremities of the body. As the practice advances one be-
comes unconscious of the extremities — feet, calves, thighs
and upwards. On discontinuing the practice, one feels the
attention slowly returning to the extremities. It is a slow
process. The whole attention is to be taken within the focal
center. When the attention is in the focus, we are uncon-
scious of the body, but we are conscious of the focus and
what there is inside of the focus.
When the struggle has been carried on for some time
and you feel the change from repetition necessary, then sit
in the position for hearing the Sound Current, but still stick
to the focus and do not go after the Sound. We catch it from
the ear because we have the habit of hearing through the
ear. (But the Sound that we are after does not come from
the ear, nor is our ear the organ to hear it). It comes from
above the focus. The attention (surat) hears it.
There are ten different sounds here. We are to catch the
bell sound. If the bell is not heard, catch the shrill whistle,
and, failing that, catch the sort of noise like that of a rail-
way train passing on a bridge. As the attention goes inside
the focus, the different sounds become distinct and the Bell
will be audible. Do not go after the Sound. If one goes after
the Sound, the attention scatters in trying to catch it. Here
again, you will find that there is a struggle. Part of the at-
tention is catching the Sound while that which is still in the
physical body is sometimes narrowing towards the focus,

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

causing strain or pain in the calves or some point in the

spinal cord where it is held, and sometimes causes distur-
bances by communicating outward sensations.
The strain or pain that has been mentioned above should
be borne. This is the equilibrium of outward and inward
tendencies of the mind. It is not the type of strain or pain
that will leave any ill-effects on the body. The best way to
succeed in this state of equilibrium is to look into the focus
and not to let the attention slip down. It is the attention that
feels the strain or pain and if, instead of giving attention to
this part of the body, one ignores it and engages the atten-
tion in the focus, the strain or pain will disappear and the
residual attention will have been pulled up a step. If you
do not stick to the focus but let the attention slip down, the
strain or pain will disappear also, but the attention is now
outward and the game is lost.
However, by daily practice, we are to elevate this point
of equilibrium. This point determines how far we have
succeeded in withdrawing our attention from the body. So
long as the whole attention does not go within, it will not
stay within. When it has established connection with the
Master within, it is completely within. Below this state it
hears the sounds, but these sounds do not pull it up—or,
in other words, the scattering tendencies of the attention do
not allow it to catch the Sound fully.
The Bell Sound that pulls or attracts like a magnet com-
mences from the eight-petailed lotus. The tables are turned
now. The attention that had found it so difficult to go with-
in, now finds it difficult to stay out. To talk of the joys of
staying within is the privilege of a different set of people.
Only he can appreciate this state who has gone within—in
the eye focus. This Form of the Master is unique. There is
nothing in this world with which to compare It.

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SPIRITUAL GEMS

In my last letter I described the connection between Pin-

da, Anda, Brahmanda and the pure Spiritual Region, Sach
Khand, and stated that the six centers of Brahmand are re-
flected in the six centers of Pinda. The five stages revealed
at the time of Initiation are the most important stages or
stations of the journey.
The light from the Spiritual Region, Sach Khand, down-
ward, steadily decreases toward Sahansdal Kanwal. If you
examine a flame with a slight tendency to give soot or
smoke, you will notice that just below the point of smoke,
there is some redness, and down below this redness is the
luminously bright zone, and lower down the light increases
in brightness. Now, imagine that from Sach Khand down
to Sahansdal is an inverted flame. Sahansdal is the smoke,
Trikuti is the redness from which smoke has been elimi-
nated, Daswan Dwar is the brightness from which redness
has been removed, Bhanwar Gupha is glowing bright-ness,
and the light of Sach Khand is beyond com-prehension. Al-
though, by analogy, Sahansdal has been called smoke, yet
its thousand-petalled lotus with a thousand little candles
and a big central candle flame is the final stage of many
a prevalent faith. I hope you will understand why Trikuti
with its red sun is located below the bright, full moon of
Daswan Dwar. The light increases and the Sound becomes
continuous, finer and sweeter toward Sach Khand.
The sounds of the Current at the various regions have
been mentioned as resembling the sounds of material in-
struments like the bell, guitar, and so forth, but in reality,
there is no comparison. To give you an idea in the best way
that it can be given, one has to resort to that with which you
are already familiar. The unknown is explained in terms of
the known. Guitar, and so forth, are the nearest approach-
es of sounds known to us here in this world to give some
idea of the Sounds of the Current heard at the different re-

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

gions within. These lights and sounds are the characteris-

tics of those regions, and any soul that goes within must
see and hear the lights and sounds characteristic of the re-
gions through which it is passing. The Current is continu-
ous from Sach Khand downward, but it produces different
sounds in different regions, just as if you strike your stick
against a wall, wood, stone or metal, it produces different
kinds of sounds.
The Current is within us always. We could not live with-
out the Current. The Current is “life”. The Sound is going
on within, without any interruptions and so is the light
within. Why do we not see the light and hear the Sound?
The reason is that our mind is shaking. Our attention wan-
ders. One does not see the reflection of his face in agitated
water. The moment the water is still, the face becomes visi-
ble. If the water is muddy, the mud brings in an additional
disturbing factor. So, purity of mind and calmness are the
prerequisites to see what lies inside the focus.
When sitting for the exercise, throw out all other ideas
from the mind. Just as Pinda, Anda and Brahmanda are
not the abode of soul (Sach Khand is its abode), Pinda and
Anda are not the abodes of mind as well. Mind is derived
from Trikuti. Soul and mind are both misfits here on the
physical plane. They are never at rest. How could anybody
be at peace in someone else’s home? Both are in search of
their home and have carried on this search, nobody can say
since when — ever since they left their respective homes.
Soul is misguided by mind, and mind by senses, and
senses by objects of sense. Objects control the senses,
senses control the mind, and mind controls the soul. The
whole order is thus reversed. With proper guid-ance, mind
should control the senses and the soul should control the
mind. What a shame that soul, the child of Sat Nam in Sach
Khand, is subservient to senses, and senses are hopelessly

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attached to material objects.

Let us now reverse the order. With Master’s help and
guidance let us commence the journey back. Make the mind
and soul or attention occupy the focus at the eye center and
leave the senses helplessly behind, dissolve the individual
mind in the universal mind in Trikuti, and take the soul,
freed from mind and matter, to regions of Peace and Bliss
— its Original Home.
You have read my letter to — where I discussed Kam
and Nam. That should give you the basis to understand the
sex question in all its phases. If there be any phase of this
question which you wish to discuss more fully, I shall be
glad to do so.
How far may I use my own judgment in telling inquirers
about the R. S. philosophy, about you and my connection
with you, and the work generally?
One real seeker for Truth is better than hundreds of those
who inquire from sheer curiosity, or the mere theorists and
intellectual gymnasts. You need not waste your time with
the latter class. With this type, the less said, the better. With
a real inquirer, you may discuss the subject as best you can
without bringing your own personality in and without re-
vealing what you got from — at the time of Initiation.
If there is any point arising out of your discussion of the
subject which you think is not very clear to you, you may
please refer it to me. Your comprehension of the subject will
increase as your practical knowledge increases. There is no
need to establish a new sect, for there are plenty of them
already. Nor is this work to be judged by the large num-
bers initiated who do not attempt to go within. As I have
said already, one real seeker is better than a crowd that has
no deeper insight than an idle curiosity. Sant Mat is pure,
unalloyed spiritual work, holds no promise to cure the sick

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

and the blind, nor to improve one’s worldly position. Initi-

ates are to follow their normal vocations in life, earn their
livelihood as honorably and as best they can, and utilize
the means that are within their reach to keep themselves fit.
Sant Mat aims at pure spiritual uplift.
Just as a cow, even if let loose, will not go very far away
from her calf, similarly our minds do not go very far away
from the worldly objects to which they are attached. Our
first business is to detach the mind and bring it inside the
focus. The whole attention is to be brought in. Although
the Current is audible even before this happens, It does not
attract nor pull up very much, just as a magnet will not at-
tract with any force a dirty, rusty piece of iron.
With attention in the focus, listen to the Sound, but do
not go after It. The Sound will come to you of itself. Out of
all the sounds — there are ten of them at the eye focus —
catch the Bell Sound, and when the Bell is caught, leave the
others. When all of the attention will be inside the focus,
light will come automatically. Light is there even now, but
your attention is shaky and out of the focus. Both the pow-
ers — the power of hearing and the power of seeing —
should be used. The power of hearing, to hear the Current,
and the power of seeing, to see even the darkness in the
absence of light. I will write to you some other time on the
different powers of Yoga.
Regarding the time limit to reach the first stage, no
time limit can be fixed for an individual, nor is there an
average. It is entirely a Path of Love. I have known cases
where, at the very time of Initiation, people have conversed
with the Master within. And there are cases as well, where,
even after thirty years, the attention is still wandering out.
This much is certain, that after Initiation, there is no going
down the scale of evolution below human life. The rise up
is bound with the past record of karmas.

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You may please write to me as often as you like. My re-

ply may be late, but the reply will be given. I am glad that
you are working with zeal and faith.
26. Spiritual progress primarily depends on the training
of the mind. In ordinary man the soul is under the control
of the mind, and the mind is controlled by the senses, and
the senses are led away by the objects of senses. The atten-
tion thus remains wandering from object to object.
The right way should be that the senses do not run after
the objects, the mind is not led away by senses, and the soul
has the grip on the mind and uses it as its tool to serve its
purposes. The soul is to reestablish its supremacy over the
mind instead of remaining its slave.
Why did the soul lose its supremacy? Because it lost
touch with the Word and associated with the mind. There-
fore, there is only one effective method of regaining its
supremacy and that is to bring the soul in touch with the
Word again. The Word is audible within us, in the eye cen-
ter. So we are to bring back our scattered attention, into the
eye center, to catch the Word.
For bringing the attention back into the eye center, the
simplest method is the repetition of the five Names, there-
by keeping the attention engaged in repetition at the eye
center. It is a slow affair. And slow and steady wins the
race. So with faith and perseverance, continue this work.
27. I am glad to learn that you are taking seriously to the
practice of the lesson imparted to you. The more time you
devote to it, the better shall be the result. It is a good idea of
yours to hold the questions in abeyance till you have been
on the Path for some time. After some time, you will feel
that most of them need not be put at all. But if there are
some which demand^ replies, I shall be only too glad to
answer them.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

As regards the Shabd being stronger in the left ear, you

should take your finger off the left ear whenever it is stron-
ger in the left ear, while keeping the finger in the right ear.
This will prove quite helpful in keeping the Shabd in the
right ear, which is the proper way of hearing the Shabd.
After some time the sound shall appear as coming from
the middle and not from any side. That would be the right
way of hearing the Shabd. In case the strength of the Shabd
in the left ear persists, you should relax your concentra-
tion and bring your mind out in order to subdue the left
ear Shabd, which is to be eschewed as being the sound of
the Negative Power, while we have to follow that of the
Positive Power which is either from the right side or in the
middle.
28. You have expressed your inner feelings so clearly.
You ask, “why did you ever accept such an individual?”
Dear soul, the Master makes no mistakes in selecting per-
sons for Initiation. Only they the Initiation whom their
Maker wishes to bring back to Him. He reveals the secret
of the Sound Current to His chosen few.
The number one sign ofHis being merciful to anyone
is that He creates in him dissatisfaction with the worldly
routine and a longing to seek the Truth. The second sign is
that He brings him in touch with a Master. The third sign
is that the Master imparts to him the secret of the Sound
Current. The fourth sign is that the Initiate works diligently
and faithfully on the Sound Current and starts his spiritual
journey. In the presence of these signs, where is the room
for feeling self-disgusted?
The world is a thick forest, thickly populated, where
all have lost their way and are ceaselessly and aimlessly
running about, life after life, harassed by the great dacoits:
Lust, Greed, Anger, Attachment and Pride. The remarkable
thing about these dacoits is that people associate with them

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joyfully and, knowing that the result of their association

is suffering, have not the courage to dissociate themselves
from them. The / eat the poison, cry and eat the poison
again. Lucky is he who begins to understand the game of
these dacoits, luckier is he who tries to dissociate himself
from them, and luckiest is he who meets a Master guide
and is put by Him on the Path of the Sound Current that
leads him out of this wilderness to his Eternal Home of
Peace and Bliss in Sachkhand.
By and by, with the increase of time in Simran and the
hearing of the Sound Current, the scattered attention will
vacate the body and come in concentration in the eye cen-
ter. There will come a time when these dacoits will be met
with inwardly in the form of young, handsome boys. No at-
tention is to be paid to them. Their presence is to be ignored
and the attention is to be kept in Repetition or the Sound
Current. The boys will go out from the body one by one
and, when leaving, will give notice that the owner of the
house is now awake and alert and the Sound Current fills
the house, so there is no room for them now. Describing
this state of development, Guru Nanak says:
I am lucky to escape from these dacoits and they are
lucky to escape from me.
Meaning thereby:
In the beginning they were strong and had the upper
hand, and when they left me I considered myself lucky.
Now that I am stronger and more powerful, they consider
themselves lucky to have escaped from me in time.
So with love and faith, continue your practices and
watch that, when in practice, the mind stays inside and
does not run out, and if it runs out, put it back in Simran
or the Sound Current as the case may be. Everything will
turn out all right. When you notice the coming of anger,

54
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

begin the repetition of the Names. As your meditation will

improve, the anger and ego will also disappear.
You are right when you say that the intellectual side of
the science is far less important than the meditation. The
whole secret — the knowledge, the substance and the cher-
ished Treasure — lies inside, and without going inside It
cannot be had, and the eye that is to see It is also inside.
Reading of scriptures, discussion of philosophies and
recitation of prayers is like churning of water from which
nothing but foam comes out. Going within and rising on
the Sound Current is the churning of milk from which but-
ter comes out. The primary effort of man, therefore, should
be to vacate the body below the eyes and sit inside, in the
eye center, and dig up the hidden Treasure.
The Master, from the time of Initiation, is within you
and watches you and gives necessary guidance, all of which
you do not see. When you will go with Him and cross the
stars, the sun and the moon, and meet the Radiant Form of
the Master, He will talk to you as we talk to each other out-
side, and He will be with you always and answer all your
enquiries.
Should we attempt to meditate when ill? Poor health in-
terferes in meditation but it does not mean that we are to
give up effort. The Sound Current does not stop during ill-
ness. It is the soul that has to meditate and hear the Sound
Current, and the soul never gets ill. It is the body that suf-
fers. In fact, during illness the blessing of the Supreme Fa-
ther is extraordinary. The Sound Current becomes clearer.
During illness, if sitting in posture is not possible, meditate
while lying down. In no case is meditation to be neglected.
If Kal interferes, you ignore him. Let him do what he likes,
you do your duty.
I am glad that you meditate for about an hour in the

55
SPIRITUAL GEMS

posture. When adopting the posture to hear the Sound

Current, you can put some cushion under your buttocks in
the beginning. After a month or so this necessity will dis-
appear. The meditation will improve gradually. Have pa-
tience. I am very pleased with you. The light will gradually
become stationary. The light does not disappear. It is the
mind that shakes. With the increase in concentration, the
sound will leave the right ear and appear at the forehead,
where you listen to it eventually.
While taking a bath there is slight concentration and so
immediately after it the Sound becomes clearer.
The repetition of the five Names by the mind in the eye
center brings in concentration, the contemplation on the
Radiant Form of the Master inside gives the power to stay
there, and the Sound Current lifts upward. Therefore, give
more time to repetition so long as the Radiant Form of the
Master has not been contacted. When the Form appears,
then give up repetition and concentrate on the Form, and
then the Sound Current will lead you upward, the Radiant
Form acting as the guide.
Must concentration become complete before we can
reach the first region? Yes. The attention should vacate the
body and go inside. Then it will look as if the body is not
yours. It is a corpse of someone else and you are separate
from it. The same attention which was previously working
within the physical body, below the eyes, now works in-
side on the astral plane. Without going into the astral plane,
one cannot see what lies therein.
The duty of the parents towards their children ceases
when they become self-supporting. The parents should
help them to become independent.
Hindu society does not countenance divorce or separa-
tion. Sant Mat does not interfere with social customs. The

56
 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

relation of a Master with His disciples is spiritual.

The fate karma undoubtedly is strong. It has to be borne,
and there is no escape from it. But, through meditation, the
will power becomes so strong that a person does not feel or
mind either its favourable or adverse effects. If meditation
has taken us above the point from where the fate karma
works on us, we become indifferent to its effect. Therefore,
meditation is the antidote to karma.
Illness, consultation of doctors and getting their treat-
ment is also a part of karma. It is the way the debt of the
doctor and of the druggist is cleared. Again, when a patient
is getting treatment his relations and friends cease making
remarks and criticizing or bothering the patient, and the
patient also has the satisfaction of having taken medicine.
The disciple’s material welfare and his success or fail-
ure in business ventures is a matter of karma. Before he
was born his life course was all chalked out. The number
of breaths he is to take, the steps he is to move, the mor-
sels of food he is to eat, his pain and pleasures, his poverty
and riches, his success and failure were determined before-
hand. He himself was the maker of his fate. What he had
sown he is reaping now, and what he will sow now he will
reap hereafter. If he remains worldly now, he will come
back to this world, but if he changes over to the Master and
the Word, he will go where the Master goes and where the
Word comes from.
Only these two — the Master and the Word — are our
real companions who go with us here as well as hereafter.
All others associate with us with selfish motives, and their
association brings us back in this world. How could such
a benefactor as the Master, therefore, be a silent observer
of what is happening with His disciple in life? He is giv-
ing necessary guidance and help as He thinks proper. If a

57
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child suffers from a boil, the mother herself takes the child
to a doctor to have the boil opened. The child cries, but the
mother sees to the benefit of the child and not to its cries,
and has the boil opened and dressed. Hence, what ordi-
narily is called a misfortune is a blessing in disguise. It is a
way of clearing an old account. It lightens the karmic load,
and the Master is not unaware of it. The Master is playing
His part and, if the disciple plays his part well, the work of
both is smoothened.
Please do not think of coming to India in the near future.
We are having a lot of unrest at present. You may come
over when times are better.
29. Yes, you have at last come on the right Path, leading
to your Home from where you came in the beginning, ages
ago. The first object is to make the mind motionless, so that
mind and soul are collected in their center behind the eyes.
Till that happens, they do not begin to work inside.
Any posture that you can stay in for long, comfortably,
would do. You can get such chairs made on which, on each
side, you can rest your arm, and while sitting or squatting
in the chair can close your ears and eyes with your hands.
The object of shutting the ears and eyes is to shut out exter-
nal noises and external sights. This is only for some time
in the beginning. When the mind and soul have become
accustomed to sit motionless in their center, then the hands
need not be used, as the whole body becomes senseless. It
is not a question of time. It depends on love, faith and ea-
gerness as well.
I could wish that before coming to India you might have
made some little progress on the Path. Progress must be
slow as the mind has been accustomed to wander out for
ages and it is not easy to make it sit still and give up its old
habit.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

30. I am glad that you are anxious for spiritual prog-

ress. You should go on gradually increasing the meditation
time. The longer your meditation the greater will be your
control of the mind. Then you will begin to derive pleasure
from meditation, and the inner path will be opened out to
you.
If you find that meditation before retiring to bed gives
you disturbed sleep, you can discontinue it.
If you work hard on the path, you need not come to In-
dia. The Radiant Form of the Master will appear before you
inwardly, talk to you and answer all your questions.
It is true that personal contact is beneficial, but the Mas-
ter is within everyone of the disciples, and those far off
should try to work hard on the Path while remaining at
home. Their going in depends upon the intensity of their
love and faith and the amount of work they put in. The
Master is near you and in you, and not far off.
Regarding your question, whether to quit when you be-
gin to feel jittery, it is really the mind which is the source
of all disturbance. You should try to continue to hold on a
little longer every time, so that you may feel stronger and
able to fight these obstacles. In the beginning one has to
fight the mind and overcome the uneasiness, and persist in
holding the center. By so doing, the mind gives up its rest-
lessness and becomes calm.
31. The more time you devote to meditation the more
distinctly you will hear the Sound Current which makes
for peace of mind or, as you put it, helps us in chaining
the monkey. I am glad to read that your meditation is im-
proving. For ages the mind has been developing an intense
longing for the things of this world which ostensibly sat-
isfy it for some time but cease to do so after a while. The
best way to divert the mind from the mundane baubles is

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to give it a taste of the inner bliss which far transcends any

earthly joy. This inner bliss can be attained by going in and
listening to the inner Sound constantly or at least for as
long as is possible every day. This is how the monkey can
be effectively chained.
I am glad that you consider meditation the most import-
ant business in life. You should increase your time for med-
itation. It should not be for less than two and a half hours at
a stretch, whether the mind takes interest in meditation or
not. Sometimes the mind avoids it on petty excuses. When
it behaves like this it should be punished by increasing the
time that day by another half hour. With the increase in
time, the concentration will be complete, the attention will
go in, and the Sound Current will be your constant com-
panion, giving you joy and peace.
32. I wish that all of you who have received Initiation
may go inside the eye center, become the dwellers of the
beautiful mansions your Creator has made for you, and
be masters of these in your own right. In a way it is not
difficult. One is only to look inside one’s ownself instead
of looking out. Yet it is difficult in a way, on account of
our having so little hold over our mind. With patience and
skillful handling, man has trained wild animals, even lions.
By repetition of the Names and by hearing the Sound Cur-
rent, and all this in its own interest, the mind can be trained
to sit inside the eye center and enjoy that sweetness and
bliss which it has not tasted before.
Mind needs vigilance of a higher order than is given by
parents in bringing up their children. It is a very wayward
child. So long as it is not trained, it is our worst enemy; but
when trained, it is the most faithful companion. And the
point is that one has to train it to get the best out of it and to
realize his spiritual origin. This can only be done in the hu-
man life. We are lucky that we are human beings and have

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the opportunity to go in now, in this life. Why leave it to

uncertain future? So with love and faith in the Master, keep
on with your repetition and listening to the Sound Current,
and all will be well.
My advice to you is that there should be no break in
your daily meditation. If sometime there is not enough
time, the meditation may be reduced that day but not ne-
glected. There is a proverb here:
If you are going fox hunting, go with the preparation of
a lion hunter.
The same applies to mind hunting. Every day one should
be on the job with renewed determination.
33. Your desire to come closer to the Master and render
service to Him is natural and laudable. The best service to
the Master is to do devotional practice with love and faith
as instructed; for, by doing so, you do Master’s work. You
help Him in prerforming His duty of taking you to Sach
Khand. Realize the Master within you. He is very near, in
the third eye.
Man is the highest form of creation. The lower forms of
life — beasts, birds, insects and the vegetable kingdom —
have not the capacity to cast off their coverings of mind and
matter and to be one with the Creator. The angels (life in
Paradise, in the Astral Plane) are simply enjoying the fruits
of the good actions that they performed in human life, and
when that period is over, they too will be reborn as men,
and their further course will be determined by the sort of
actions they will perform then.
The point is, the angels have not the capacity to unite
with the Creator. This capacity is given to man, and man
alone, and therein lies his greatness. All his life he has
worked against his own interest. If he fails to utilize this

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unique opportunity of achieving the real object of human

life, he will be the greatest loser. Parents, children, food and
drink are available to all forms of life, but not Nam — the
Sound Current. Man has the capacity to grasp it. It is with-
in him, behind the focus of the eyes, and is ringing all the
twenty-four hours, as if calling him back.
While doing his normal duty — living with his family,
earning his daily bread, serving his community and coun-
try — he should find time to make contact with this Cur-
rent by first withdrawing his attention from the nine por-
tals of the body and holding it in the tenth portal — the eye
focus. It does not cost him anything. The attention, which is
running out uncontrolled, has to be held in the focus of the
eyes by making the attention do some work at this focus.
That work is the repetition of the five holy Names.
The result that inevitably follows from this practice is
that the attention will cease to run wild, will come within
the body, and then from the body, will withdraw to the
eye focus. First the feet and then the legs and arms will go
numb. Then the attention will come up along the spinal
cord and, when it is all inside the focus, it will appear that
this body is not mine, that I am separate from it and will not
like to enter into it again. The covering of the coarse matter
will be cast off. The attention will then be uninfluenced by
worldly happenings, because it has detached itself from the
material world, and will then be able to catch the Current
without interruption. In time, it will rise up and be on its
way Home.
There are no failures in Sant Mat. Sooner or later, the
soul that is keeping its contact with the Sound Current will
reach its Home. When the way to the Home is known, and
one keeps the way, where is the room for doubt that Home
will be reached? Let the other brothers and sisters read this.

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34. I am glad to learn that the Sound Current interests

you and you devote your spare time to hearing It. The
Sound Current is a Wave of the Ocean of Spirituality, of
which the soul is a drop. The Ocean, Wave and the drop
are alike in nature. All three are one. If the soul catches the
Current, and follows it, it can reach its destination — The
Ocean; and, by merging itself in the Ocean, can itself be-
come the Ocean.
Every human being has this Current in him, but is dis-
connected from it by the mind, which has placed itself be-
tween the soul and the Current, to keep them apart. Ever
since the creation started, and the soul separated from the
Current, it has not gone back to its Spiritual Home. The
simple reason why we find ourselves here in this material
world now is that the curtain of the mind keeps the soul ig-
norant of the Current and keeps it attached to the material
of this world, which is changeable. Our hopes and desires
are confined to this changeable world and, for their fulfill-
ment, we take birth here again and again, and thereby ever
remain dissatisfied and in unrest.
Mind is fond of sweet taste. It does not find lasting taste
in the changing environments; therefore, it runs from object
to object, and continues wandering. If it can get a lasting
thing and a sweet thing, it will certainly attach itself to that
and cease its wandering. The Current is the only lasting
thing; all else is changeable. Therefore, when mind attaches
itself to the Current, and cultivates It, it receives what it has.
been longing for so long. On getting It, the mind becomes
tranquil, the curtain is lifted, and the soul unites with the
Waves and the Ocean.
With love and faith continue your practices. Bring
the scattered mind into the eye focus and vacate the body
below the eyes, so that you go nearer the Current and come
under Its full influence, to get full advantage of It. This is

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the sole aim of human life.

Everyone uses his intellectual powers for earning his
livelihood. Spiritual powers, however, should not be wast-
ed on material things. They should be conserved for mak-
ing further spiritual progress.
35. I am glad to read in your letter that you are a seek-
er after Truth for the sake of Truth. Truth is valuable in-
deed. It is the only thing we should run after. It is not the
property of any country, religion or person; but everyone,
irrespective of caste, creed or country, is entitled to it. It is
within everybody. Just as water is present under all soils,
and those who toil and dig for it get their lands irrigated
and succeed in raising crops, similar is the case with seek-
ers after Truth. They will surely get It if they toil for It. They
have only to seek It within themselves. In case there is any
point you are not clear about, please write to me.
36. Concentration of mind is the key to Spiritual Truth.
In this world it is not difficult to be a king or to have sons
and daughters, wealth and luxury, but it is difficult to get
at the Spiritual Truth. Again, a heart that loves the Truth
is rare. You are on the way to It. Sound Current is the road
and Master is the guide. The greater the interest you will
take in It and value It, the sooner your soul will benefit and
be purified.
When I address you as “Dear Daughter”, it is from the
spiritual viewpoint. Our worldly relations, like husband
and wife, son and father or brother, are temporary — at
best till death, when we part not only from them but even
from our own bodies. The soul is separate from the three
bodies (material, mental and causal) also from Pind and
Maya. Only Satguru remains with the soul and takes it to
Sachkhand, the place of Perpetual Bliss. What better name
than son or daughter can be given to a soul that accompa-

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nies so far.
Study your books and grasp the Truth they contain,
and make that Truth the part and parcel of your life, but
remember that if that Truth is not grasped by practising
inwardly, the books have been studied in vain. The knowl-
edge is within you and it is from within yourself that you
are to find it. Books give the description and induce you to
go within, but do not give the experience and knowledge.
Description of a thing is not the thing.
Concentration of mind is the first and foremost thing
here. Mind also does not like to be imprisoned because
it has been free from time immemorial — ever since we
separated from the abode of bliss. You should therefore
concentrate your mind and soul within you, in the focus
of the eyes, and understand that as long as the current of
the whole body has not centered in the eyes, and the body
has not been rendered feelingless (you would be conscious
within but not conscious of the body), the mind has not
been imprisoned.
In this process, when you find your hands and feet or
other parts of the body becoming unconscious, do not be
afraid of this condition. These have to be rendered numb,
for as long as they are conscious, the mind has not been
concentrated. And with a wandering mind, the path inside
is not seen. When your mind is collected in the focus of the
eyes, you will see light and stars within, and when you see
one single, large white star, fix your attention on it and try
to catch the Bell Sound within.
When you see any form inside, then repeat the five
Names. And write to me the details of the form and of the
tone with it, if any, but do not speak of these inner visions
to anyone else. Again, do not accept anything offered by a
spirit within.

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37. You say you prefer to be alone, for when alone you
feel the presence of a host of disembodied individuals and
this fills you with joy and peace. It is good to be alone, pro-
vided the mind is well under control, has an inward ten-
dency and takes pleasure in the spiritual exercises. When
you feel the presence of the disembodied spirits, repeat the
five Names revealed to you. Evil spirits do not stay when
those five Names are repeated and thus they would not be
able to deceive you. Only good spirits stay and the spirit
that stays when these Names are used is worthy of your
trust. Converse freely with it.
If you continue your efforts and concentrate in the eye
focus, your attention will be drawn inward and, rising a
little higher, you will come across the Astral Form of the
Master which will stay when the five Names are repeated.
This Form will be coming and going in the beginning, but
if you will increase your love for it, then it will stay and
converse with you and will reply to your enquiries, and
will guide you and take you upward towards Sahansdal
Kanwal (thousand-petalled lotus). But the effort should be
done with love and not simply as a matter of routine Do it
with a longing to see the Master.
You say the progress is at a snail’s pace. That which
is acquired slowly and after effort is permanent, and that
which is acquired quickly, and without effort is transitory
and subject to loss. Slow and steady wins the race.
Ever since we separated from the Primal Source our mind
and soul have been wandering outwardly so much that we
have forgotten what our source was and have so wretched-
ly attached ourselves to things of this world, though know-
ing that we are to leave them one day; yet our attachment
with them is so deep that we always think about them and
never about the Primal Source. This acquired habit will go,
but by and by, and as the attention will be withdrawn from

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outward things, it will go inward. To help the Initiate is the

mission of my life.
38. When you sit in the exercises then see that the mind
is at rest and does not go out and unnecessarily think about
other things. When, by Repetition of the Names with atten-
tion fixed in the eye focus, you have become unconscious of
the body below the eyes, then your attention will catch the
Sound Current.
Select the Sound resembling the church bell and discard
all other sounds. Then slowly your soul will leave the body
and collect in the eyes and become strong. Then fix your
attention in the biggest star, so much that you forget every-
thing else except the Sound and the star. Then this star will
burst and you will see what is within it and beyond.
After crossing the star you will have to cross the sun and
the moon. Then you will see the Form of the Master. When
that Form becomes steady it will reply. This Form will re-
ply to all of your enquiries and guide you to higher stages.
I do not wish you to stop at the appearance of the stars but
wish to take you higher up. These stars are of the first sky
only, and Hindu philosophers have spoken of seven skies.
You will also see other skies.
It is necessary to give up and forget about the things of
childhood. You should look ahead instead of looking back.
You have expressed a wish to see the Master so that
you could visualize Him when your thoughts art turned
to Him. After crossing the star, the sun and the moon you
will see that Form which will never leave you, not even for
a moment.
39. The patience with which you have borne the pain is
admirable, particularly when you say that despite the pain
you were able to withdraw the attention to the eye focus.

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The Karmic Law is supreme and inevitable, and the soon-

er we reconcile ourselves with it the better. Nothing hap-
pens which has not been ordained. As far as possible, no
requests for physical needs should be made, for whatever
you are destined to get you will get without fail. From the
Master, ask for the Master, for when He grants you That,
you will get everything with Him. Why ask charity from a
Giver instead of the Giver Himself?
Listen to the Sound while sitting in the eye focus with
attention on the light. Do not go after the Sound. If you
leave the focus, the attention is scattered. When hearing
the low sound, you should hear the finest sound within the
low sound at the eye focus. The power that is to uplift you
will come automatically.
When any evil spirit appears, repeat the Names. It will
disappear. With the exception of the Master, you are not to
salute or bow down to anyone within, for by so doing there
would be loss of spiritual power.
40. Just as in spite of physical hindrance you have forged
ahead, similarly we are to go ahead inwardly with the spir-
it current in spite of the mental distractions which come
in our way. As the karmic debt grows lighter, the inward
progress increases. Karmas are performed by the body and
the mind as long as the spirit current is working with the
mind in the mental sphere; the mind is active, and is doing
mental actions. When the current is withdrawn from both,
then there is no karma.
The devotee beholds stars, sun and moon within. It is
the wavering of the mind which produces eclipses or casts
shadows. To assist people directly when they suffer from
evil spirits or, as a matter of fact, from any cause, means
consumption of energy. Psychic power is only the concen-
tration of the mind. This does not decrease when one fol-

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lows R. S., for R. S. is based on the concentration of mind.

But progress cannot continue if the concentrated energy is
utilized for purposes other than further inward progress.
The utilization of spiritual power for controlling spirits,
etc., is therefore to be avoided.
41. When you sit for the exercises, assume an easy posi-
tion. When one begins to feel tired, that is the time of strug-
gle with the mind, and there should be no surrendering
here. One should keep on the struggle a bit longer every
day.
Frequent changes of posture mean undoing of con-
centration. The first stage will have been completed when
the scattered mind has been collected in the eye focus and
takes pleasure in sitting there. One will be superconscious
within. Then the Form of the Master will appear. To distin-
guish this Form from the forms assumed by the Negative
Power, you have been given the method already. The first
stage is a bit difficult, for it is crossed with struggle. The
journey beyond is pleasant. The karma and the struggle are
interdependent. When the karmic debt becomes light, the
progress will be rapid. A soul that is free from the body and
the mind can perform no binding karma.
42. The appearance of stars and suns at hit-and-miss
times is due to lack of concentration. Sometimes in sleep,
when the mind is quiet, the soul rises up of itself and sees
what lies within, but cannot remain there long on account
of its newness to those regions, nor does it possess the nec-
essary energy to stay there. On these occasions the Sound
Current is absent. Only when the soul rises with the Cur-
rent will it be superconscious.
You say you heard music within which surpassed all
that you had heard before. This music is of a very elemen-
tary nature, and is not the music of the pure spirit realm. It

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arises from the vibrations of the astral plane. Maulvi Rum,

a great Persian Saint, says:
If He were to give out a bit of that Divine Music, the
dead would rise from their tombs.
Fasting is not a necessary element to meeting the Lord.
Whenever there is heaviness in the stomach, fasting will
remove it. It plays no part in the training of the mind and
should not be practised. There is nothing like normality.
43. The genuine anxiety for missing the exercises for
one reason or another is a sort of spiritual exercise by itself.
The mind remains directed inwardly. But attempt should
be made to find time for the exercises. Social service is
good. It partly purifies the mind, but it does not lift up the
mind nor the soul. The uplift will be done by the Current
only. Hence, the time reserved for the exercises should not
be spent in doing service to others. I like your charitable
disposition, but would advise you not to miss the exercise.
Every moment spent in the exercises, counts. The benefit is
in proportion to the time spent.
44. I am glad to read that you have grasped the signifi-
cance of service to Sound Current and of justice to yourself.
Guru Nanak, a great Saint of the 16th Century and the first
of the Sikh Gurus says:
If one can concentrate his attention in the Third Eye,
then he has done all the pilgrimages, devotions, kindnesses
and charities.
The soul is hungry. Its food is the Current. It finds no
rest without It. Its wanderings will continue as long as it
has not merged itself in the Current.
45. I was glad to read that you saved the child through
your careful handling when the doctors had failed with

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their medicines. The change in diet and the surroundings

had their effect. Children imbibe influences imperceptibly
but most surely. Serenity and tranquility are positive vir-
tues, and a serene and calm mind has much more power
than a turbulent, vindictive mind. Temper influences tem-
per. That is why so great an emphasis is laid on good com-
pany. Even wild beasts calm down when they come across
a serene mind. Goodness is its own reward.
When the attention goes in newly and sees the light, it
cannot behold it long. It is not used to it, and cannot stand
the glare, so to say. By and by, as it will grow powerful, it
will have the capacity to face the light and then pierce it.
I also note with pleasure that you have no desire left
now to consult the astrologers or mediums. They can fore-
tell but not alter events.
46. Will you please state in your next letter how far in
the body you succeed in the withdrawal of the Current
from the extremities of the body. The Current is in very in-
timate contact with the matter of the body. The separation
from matter is a slow process which requires constancy
and determination. It is only a question of time. There is no
room for disappointment.
When love begins to run smooth, the charm is gone and
life becomes a monotony and a routine. Some shock is nec-
essary to break the monotony. A period of disappointment
intervenes often in the life of the devotee. This is desirable.
It has a purpose. It gives the shock. After a time spent in
disappointment, the intensity of love for spiritual uplift in-
creases. A temporary obstruction in the path of determina-
tion gives it momentum to proceed ahead.
47. You appear a bit concerned about your slow prog-
ress. The Power, Guru, is within you and is ever busy in
making matters easy for you. That power is far more ea-

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ger to meet you than you can possibly think of. The karmic
debt of many an intricate nature is to be paid and it is prop-
er that it should be paid while in the physical frame, so that
there is no stop on the way within.
Your duty is to sit within and knock at the door, and the
door will open. The Power within does not err. It will open
the door when it finds that the time has come. Increase your
love and devotion, and entrust yourself entirely to Its care.
The Power within is not ignorant of what you are doing. It
is with you and constantly watches you and guides you.
When your love for that Power exceeds your love for your-
self and the “I-ness” has been replaced by “Thou-ness”, the
form of the Guru will make its appearance visible within.
48. In your letter you gave a detailed account of your
condition as the spirit current is withdrawn to the eye focus.
You make mention of the pain in the limbs which you expe-
rienced in the beginning but which has now disappeared.
At the fourth ganglion you are troubled with gas, and later
on with the constriction of the muscles of the throat; and
then with the smothering of saliva, and at times up to the
fifth ganglion there is absolutely no sensation. Later on you
see the interplay of light and darkness and the dim stars.
With time and practice, the process will become practical-
ly instantaneous just as you say that withdrawal from the
limbs is instantaneous and without pain.
The spirit has lived in bodies for ages, and its connection
with the body has become so perfect that the withdrawal
look’s almost abnormal. But that is through ignorance. It
falsely believes the body to be its home, and when the spirit
learns that its home is not in matter but that it is imprisoned
by it, and that now in the human form there is the chance
to break this connection, it wakes up, and the longing to
ascend is aroused. It gains strength slowly. Rising and fall-
ing and struggling against mind and matter, it makes head-

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way up with the help of the Saints. The rise and fall are
natural and so is the struggle. For that which is achieved
after struggle, gives strength, self-reliance and incentive to
go ahead. chievement thus obtained is lasting and can be
reproduced at will.
Before you had taken to these spiritual exercises, your
spirit went up occasionally without your having any con-
trol over it. It had a glance at the stars, and so forth, and
often returned with knowledge of what was to happen in
the future. But you could not create this condition at will.
Now you go to the fifth ganglion. Only one step further,
and you will have withdrawn the current to within the eye
focus, and all that lies within, will be an open book to you.
It takes time, and slow progress is better.
The troubles of gas and constriction of the muscles and
flow of saliva will not interfere if you keep your attention in
the eyes instead of attending to gas or saliva or the breath-
ing. When we talk with our friends we do not give any
attention to breathing, and the like. Similarly, in exercises
(Repetition) we are talking with somebody at the eye fo-
cus, and not below it. The idea of breathing or gas or saliva
arises only when the attention falls below the eyes, and the
moment it goes up again, the idea of breathing, and so forth
must disappear.
In the beginning, when the current leaves any center,
there is pain at that center. And at the heart center it ap-
pears as if one is going to die. But with practice, the
passage through these centers becomes smooth and pain-
less. Two hours at a time are enough.
Coming to the eye focus is dying while living.
49. I am glad you have located the star. You may now fix
your attention in it and when this is fixed and gets steady,
the star will burst and you will cross through it... .

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Pain and pleasure of the devotee are in the hands of

the Master. He arranges them as He sees fit. The devotee
should take delight in pain, for that is also a gift from Him.
A real devotee makes no distinction in pain and delight.
His business is devotion.
50. The cluster of stars does not disappear. It is the
shaky mind that wavers and loses sight of them.
The spirit goes within and returns. The sky and stars that
you see, and the voices that you hear now, are on the way
to the gate within. Within, you will hear much sweet music;
hearing which, the spirit will waken up and the mind will
sleep. The music that we hear in the world outside, dulls
the spirit but awakens the passions of the mind. On hear-
ing this inner music, a spirit would not covet the throne of
a monarch.... Anger, passion, attachment greed and pride
come under control, but that point is not yet reached... but
when you see the Astral Form of the Master and when your
spirit will stay in that Form, the state will be reached That
music will spontaneously attract you and pull you up.
The stage of the inward journey that you are crossing
now takes rather a long time. This is the transitional stage.
Spirit is accustomed to stay out and you are forcing it with-
in. The spirit permeates every part of the body. It takes time
to collect it. When this stage is crossed, the path beyond
is easy. Purified spirit is attracted by the magnetic music
within.
There is only one way to destroy karma, and that is
through the practice of the Sound Current. When Saints
initiate a soul, they advise it to avoid evil deeds and do
good actions, but without any desire for their reward. This
much for the present actions (Kriyaman Karma).
The Store Karma (Sinchit) is sometimes taken over by
the Saints.

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And as to the Fate Karma (Paralabdh), that which re-

mains to be undergone is paid up slowly during the life-
time. The severity of the Fate Karma is not felt so much by
a devoted satsangi.
As the spirit gets strong, the will power increases, and
the power to bear the karmas is strengthened. By following
the advice of the Master, the disciple becomes karma-free
and is fit to reach his Abode.
When you will have crossed this sky you will meet the
Master’s Astral Form. This appears to be coming and going
but in reality it does not. It is the mind that shakes. When
this Form will stay, fix your attention on His face so much
that you forget whether He is you or you are He. When
there is that much concentration, He will talk to you, an-
swer all your questions and shall always be with you and
will guide you onward to the next step, showing innumer-
able scenes of the astral plane on the way.
On reaching Sahansdal Kanwal (Thousand Petalled Lo-
tus) the five vices of Passion, Anger, Attachment, Greed
and Pride will disappear forever. In the forms of small
boys they will inform you they are going away now, for the
place is too hot for them to stay. These negative powers will
no longer be able to give shock to the spirit.
After crossing the flames of Sahansdal Kanwal and go-
ing through considerable spiritual journey, you will reach
the second sky with its stars and moons and suns, which
lies below Trikuti. Crossing this sky, you will enter a crook-
ed tunnel... then you enter the Brahm stage, which is so
strange and wonderful!
51. Genuine grief (over separation from the Lord) gives
impetus to further progress. St. Paul is perfectly right when
he says:

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I die daily.
He who goes within the eye focus daily, dies daily, and
for him death holds no fear.
The Sound is in both ears. On the right side the Sound is
from the Positive Power, and on the left side it is from the
Negative Power, Kal. The Sound on the left side is never to
be attended to. The Sound on the right side is to be grasped.
Really, this Sound is not associated with the ear. It comes
from above. Because we have the habit of hearing sounds
in the ear, we imagine that this Sound is in the ear. While
keeping the attention fixed in the middle of the two eye-
brows, try to catch the Sound Current on the right, but do
not go to the ear to catch the Current. If you go to the ear to
catch the Current, you have left the eye focus. If you stick
to the focus, you will soon find the Sound leaving the ear
and coming from above. It will have no connection with the
ear, neither with the right nor the left. The sound that one
hears outside the focus is not the pure sound and therefore
has little attractive power. The Bell Sound is the Sound that
pulls up. The Bell Sound will not allow the mind to run
away. It will hold the mind, or rather, the mind will stick to
it like a piece of iron to a magnet.
52. You know by experience the difference in this con-
centration and your previous idea of concentration. So long
as the attention has not left the external objects and the
body below the eyes, and does not sit calmly in the Third
Eye; or, in other words, if it has not made the Third Eye its
home, the concentration is incomplete. In the incomplete
state the attention may catch the Current for a short time
but will lose touch with It again. This make and break is the
transitional state. In course of time it will require effort to
bring the attention out from the focus to carry on the func-
tions in this world.

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We are out to conquer the mind — the mind that gov-

erns the world. Study the intelligent man. Is he at peace?
Does he know rest? Nobody is happy. We are fighting a
powerful enemy.
In America you do not come across the various ways
people have followed to attain spirituality. In Europe and
America, in their pursuit of “science” the pioneers and their
followers have made untold sacrifices. So in India particu-
larly (and elsewhere also) there is any amount of effort in
a variety of ways in spiritual science. Compared with these
practices that of The Word is easy.
If for one reason or another sufficient progress has not
been made by the Satsangi while alive, then the practices
can be done by the astral body. If the physical, astral and
causal planes have been crossed while alive, then on he
goes after death. The continuity of progress is not broken.
53. Other minor troubles will disappear.... The Sound
will come. There is a combination of ten sounds here at the
eye focus. Out of these catch the Bell Sound. Please keep to
yourself whatever you may see within. If somebody offers
anything within, please do not accept it. The negative pow-
ers frequently mislead. Avoid pride and do not be flattered.
Humility is the armor of the Saints and their devotees.
54. You say that — refuses to accept Initiation on ac-
count of family opposition. You are perfectly right in not
urging her, but let her feel free to do as she likes. Nam is not
so cheap that it should be broadcast. It is a rare article.
Anybody who spends his spiritual powers for fulfill-
ment of wishes connected with this world, cannot have ac-
cess to high spiritual worlds. Mental and spiritual powers
should be conserved to secure access to higher planes of
spirituality. Worldly desires pull the attention down and
bring it outward. If one spends here what he earns, then

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there is nothing left for the day of reckoning. Anybody who

wishes to go high, will have to keep his attention detached
from the world and its affairs.
The Names by themselves carry no value. It is their
practice in the proper way that brings benefit. Names, if
repeated at the center of attention, will bring the attention
in concentration. No more, no less. That is the limit of the
course of Simran. To go up, the Sound Current is necessary.
Without Sound Current, there is no way to Sach Khand.
Merely to know the Names, and to take them as the secret
of Sant Mat, is ignorance. Sound Current is Sant Mat, and
the Sound Current that pulls one up is met at Sahansdal
Kanwal; and to reach that far, you know from experience
what effort is needed.
So long as one has not freed his attention from matter
(his body), and come inside the eye focus, nor made contact
with the astral form of the Master and thereby cast off his
“I-ness”, one is not accepted by the Sound Current. So long
as one is encased in the body (the attention working in the
nine portals of the body), he is worldly and of this world;
and so long as one is encased in “I-ness”, he is not of the
Master.
The “I-ness” is the curtain between him and the Master’s
Astral Form. When he has realized the Master within or, in
other words, the Master within has accepted him, he is fit
to catch the Current uninterruptedly. Then the attention re-
mains absorbed in it. An “about-turn” has taken place. The
attention that was finding it so difficult to get in, now does
not like to come out.
Let people say what they like. To talk of philosophy is
one thing, anybody can talk about it, but to be a philoso-
pher is another. There is a proverb here which may be ex-
pressed as,

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If a dog walks through a cotton field, he does not come

out dressed in a suit.
There is nothing in Sant Mat which needs to be con-
cealed. Everyone is carrying It within himself already and
can have It by searching within himself. The only difficulty
is that it is not easy to go inside, and if one goes in, he does
not talk about it lightly. “—writes that he has found out
that it is not necessary for any one of us to go to India just
for the Initiation but that we can receive equal benefit or
substantially equal benefit by remaining here at home”.
As far as the Master is concerned, time and space make
no difference to Him, for the Master is not confined to
physical form. The Master takes on this form for man’s
guidance, to talk to him, to sympathize with him, to make
friends with him, to develop confidence and faith in him, to
induce him to seek peace and happiness within himself, to
show him the way to it, to teach him by becoming an exam-
ple, to develop in him God-like attributes, and to pull him
up out of his physical form to his astral form.
And, so long as the disciple has not contacted the Astral
Form of the Master, in other words, has not become inde-
pendent of his own physical form, he is a limited being.
Thus he is subject to influences of his environments and
the ups and downs of life, which confound his intellect, put
him in doubt, and often throw him off the right track. To re-
move his doubts and seek support for keeping on the track,
the disciple will have to approach the Master; and if he is
far off, he will stand in need of some sort of means of keep-
ing in touch with the Master, an intermediary to carry ver-
bal messages, post, telegraph, telephone or even wireless.
The case will be something like a patient receiving treat-
ment from a physician at a distant place, instead of receiv-
ing treatment by entering the physician’s hospital; or like a
student receiving tuition through correspondence instead

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of studying in a school, sitting at the feet of his teacher.

However, there is something in the personal contact with
the physician and the teacher, which does not come in the
prescription or in the lesson received through correspon-
dence. The same holds good with the Master. There is thus
a lot of difference in being near the Master and in being at
a distance from Him.
The view that one must see something at the time of
Initiation or he would never be able to see anything later
is wrong. Experience also does not support it. Everyone is
running his own course of life, which is different from all
others. No two persons are alike in habit, form and thought.
All are at different stages of development. At Initiation, they
cannot be expected to behave alike. Only few see anything
then. The majority take time, some weeks, some months
and some years. All are not equally keen.
A lamp which contains all the parts and is charged with
oil and wick, and is adjusted properly, needs only a touch
of flame to kindle it. A lamp containing all its parts along
with oil and wick, but not in adjustment, needs some effort
to kindle it; but a lamp that is leaking and has run short of
oil or in which the wick or some essential part is missing,
needs some time to put it in order before it will be fit to
kindle into flame.
I am happy with the efforts you are putting in your Bha-
jan. Bhajan is our first duty. All other pursuits of life should
be taken as a means to attain this end.
I also wish that you should rise up internally and make
contact with the Master within you. Please put in a little
more effort and make the whole body senseless so that the
attention goes right out of it and remains centered in the
focus.
Enclosed is a translation from a poem from the Sikh

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Scriptures which brings out the importance of Name in

comparison with other practices:
A Hymn from the Adi Granth (Sikh Scriptures). Rag
Sorath of Arjun Dev, Fifth Guru — AshtPadian.
1. I read the sacred books (as a daily religious duty),
and studied the Vedas minutely, and performed the Yoga
practices, like Newli Karma (a), and controlling the Kund-
alini (b); but I did not get rid of the Five Ones (c). On the
contrary, the spirit of egotism got a stronger hold of my
mind.
2. O Dear Friend! That is not the way to union (with
God). I performed such actions of various kinds. Having
been disappointed, I have resigned myself at the Supreme
Lord’s door, and pray to Him to endow me with the power
of discrimination. I observed silence, I used the palms of
my hands as utensils, roamed about naked in forests, visit-
ed places of pilgrimage all over the world; but was not able
to shake off illusion.
3. With faith in my mind, I took up my abode at holy
places; and observed austerities (d) as a means of salvation;
but millions of such efforts cannot purify the mind.
4. By giving away in charity — gold, one’s wife, horses
and elephants — in many ceremonious ways, and by mak-
ing over lots of grain, clothes and land (for charitable pur-
poses), one cannot attain access to the Gate of the Supreme
Being.
5. One who is always engaged in performing various
types of worships or in performing the six actions (e), en-
joined on the Brahmans, with egoistic frame of mind, does
not get the way of union with the Divine Being.
6. Then I tried unsuccessfully the practice of Hatha

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Yoga, the eighty-four postures of Yogis and Siddhas (f).

This prolonged life, but did not stop repeated births, and
did not take me nearer to God.
7. The revelries of kings, their pomp and show, their
undisputed authority, the sensual pleasures and luxuries
enjoyed by them—these open the door to the infernal hell.
8. Listening to the Divine Music inside, and being in
the company of Saints, are the foremost of all acts of piety.
Nanak says these fall to the lot of that person who is pre-
destined to obtain them. O God ! Thy servant is intoxicated
with this wine (of Divine Love). By the grace of the Remov-
er of the distress of humble beings, this mind is absorbed in
the Divine Music.

EXPLANATORY NOTES:
(a) Newli Karma: To sit erect by lowering the shoulders
and flattening the back and, by the force of the breath, to
move the abdomen right and left, as well as up and down,
as curds are churned in the churning vessel.
(b) Kundalini is the coiled energy (above the Mul
chakra) which on unwinding, becomes connected with the
spinal cord and gives the practitioner miraculous powers.
(c) “The Five Ones”: The five deadly enemies; namely,
Kam (Lust), Krodh (Anger), Lobh (Greed), Moh (worldly
attachment) and Ahankar (Egoism).
(d) There is a saw (called “Karvat”) at Benares. The
priests in charge of the saw claimed that anyone who had
his head cut off by it would go to Heaven. Many wealthy
people and Rajahs sacrificed their lives in this way to attain
Heaven, and left their wealth to the priests. This practice
has since been stopped.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

(e) The Six Actions: Acquiring knowledge, and impart-

ing it to others; the giving and receiving of charities; the
performance of Yajnas; and causing them to be performed
by others.
(f) Those who developed highest miraculous powers.

SUMMARY
One cannot attain salvation by external rites, leading a
life of outward piety, and by performing religious deeds
like undertaking pilgrimages, keeping fasts, bathing in sa-
cred pools or rivers, engaging in Yoga practices, or other
similar acts. No one can be really happy by enjoying sen-
sual pleasures. True happiness or bliss, and salvation are
attainable only by the company of Saints and the practice
of Surat Shabd Yoga.
55. Some points are intended for and are appreciated
only by high grade devotees. The code of lovers is different
from the code of intellectuals.
If one here in America, by means of diligent efforts,
should rise up within, would that not prove the possibil-
ity of doing so to the other American disciples? To rise up
within by diligent efforts, under the guidance of a Master
far off from America is not only possible but is practica-
ble by all. If it were not practicable, Initiation would not
be given at all. The comparison, however, is between two
disciples, both putting in diligent efforts, one at a distance
from the Master and other close to the Master. The second
one is distinctly at an advantage.
Withdrawal of the attention or vital current frum the
nine portals of the body and holding or concentrating it
in the tenth (eye focus) is done by the standard “Simran,

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Bhajan and Dhyan” method. It is a solw affair and takes

time. The current begins to withdraw from the extremities.
First, hands and feet go numb, and as practice advances
from legs up to the knees and then thighs, slowly the whole
body, further up along the spinal cord, should go feeling-
less while the ‘man‘ (mind) is conscious within the eye cen-
ter.
Sant Mat or the system of the Sound Current is all in-
clusive. All other systems end in its first two regions, most
of them in the first. You may gladly discuss the theory of
Freemasonry in the light of Sant Mat. Of course, the great-
er your actual inner experience of Sant Mat, the more con-
vincing will be your talks. And when you have contacted
the Master internally, you will be a different man. You will
have traversed Pinda and part of Anda, and will be in a po-
sition to get directly as much help from the Master as you
desire. As a matter of fact, it will then be the Master speak-
ing through you or for you. I would therefore suggest that
you make your internal rise as your primary goal and give
it your first consideration, and giving others the benefit of
your experience as a secondary object only.
All kinds of food are not suitable for all purposes. The
food of a wrestler does not suit a man engaged in office
work or literary pursuits. Each kind of food has its partic-
ular effect on the system, and thereby on the mind. Dull,
loaded souls do not feel this effect. Meat and eggs, (fertile
or infertile) and highly concentrated foods and intoxicants
do not suit those who wish to subdue animal nature in
them and who wish to still their mind and gain access to
subtle planes. This is not mere theory. It is based on practi-
cal experience. Even followers of systems that concentrate
their attention on centers below the eyes, and who usually
do not object to the use of meat, give up its use of their own
accord, and scrupulously abstain from it when the atten-

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tion rises above the eye focus.

I do not remember allowing the use of eggs — fertile or
infertile — to anyone and if it was done, it should be tak-
en as a special case. On the point that infertile eggs do not
contain the life germs hence their use should be permitted,
then it would be but a short step for the weak minds to
take, from infertile to fertile eggs. It is safer to keep them
out from the dietary of an Abhyasi.
“Bowing to internal powers.” When a person bows to
another, he accepts him as his superior and subordinates
his mind to him, and goes in a receptive mood, ready to
accept and absorb the influence of the person bowed to.
If the person is some form of representation of the Nega-
tive Power, then bowing to him will leave a negative effect
which is not desirable; Devotees are therefore instructed
not to bow to any personage internally on the path, except
to the Master. All forms, except the Master, will disappear
when the five Names are repeated. Hence, when inside on
the path, bowing to Master alone is justified.
This principle can be applied in practice when dealing
with persons in daily life or in a ceremony. The devotee has
his Master with him in his eye focus. At the time of Initia-
tion the Master placed Himself there in His Astral Form. So
when in his dealings in this world a. devotee has formally
or otherwise to bow to another, the proper course for him
is that he should think of the Master in his eye center and
bow to Him. This will not interfere with any ceremony. He
will have bowed to his Master and thereby avoided the in-
fluence of others while others will see from his movements
that his conduct towards society and ceremony is correct.
Outwardly he deals with the world as he did before, but
internally he is bowing to his Master.
Kal, Niranjan or the Negative Power are one and the

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same.
56. She asks if she gathers karma in her professsional
work, and if she should discontinue giving massage. Strict-
ly speaking, we gather karma every minute; but many of
these karmas are neutralized, as it were, and rendered inef-
fective and inoperative by karmas of an opposite character.
And, finally, all karmas are destroyed by Shabd. This final
destruction, of course, takes place only at Trikuti, but the
regular daily practice of listening to the internal Sound is
also very helpful. An impersonal attitude, doing things for
the sake of duty, and not as a matter of personal inclination
or personal gratification, incurs no karma.
Sant Mat does not bar real and earnest seekers, but we
are not out for collecting mere numbers. We want men who
will follow the path, and be a credit to the Satsang. There
is no “royal’ road” anywhere in the world in the sense that
you should gain something without having made any ef-
fort, but it is a Royal Road, in the sense that it leads you
straight and unmistakably to the Mansions of the Most
High and with the minimum of trouble.
Saints are liberal and broad-minded, and do not attach
much importance to the outer husk of forms and formali-
ties. What they want is that people should go in, whether
as Hindus, Mohammedans or Christians. That is their sole
mission and sole interest — to make people go in, and, with
the help of Shabd — the True Word — reach their original
Spiritual Home whence they had originally come.
Yes, the principles of Sant Mat are eternal and im-
mutable, and all Saints, from times immemorial, whether in
this or in any other land, have preached the same doctrine
of Shabd as the only means of true Salvation, and initiated
their pupils into the Mysteries of the Five Shabds. So did
Swamiji, and He has moreover left incontestable proofs in

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His writings, in which He has emphasized the importance

of the Five Shabds over and over again. Our teachings have
not been changed in any way. They are the same as they
were and are in perfect accord with the teachings of Swa-
miji — nay, they are Swamiji’s teachings.
57. If— dissuaded you from taking part in healing work
it was for your own good. You have been Initiated. What
was the object of Initiation?
The souls in this world have been wandering in millions
of births and deaths from the time of the creation, and they
are subject to pain and pleasure in their various bodies. No
one can tell when these souls separated from their Source
in the pure Spiritual Region — Sat Lok — and descended
into this world. No one can tell how many bodies each soul
has had to adopt up to this time. Sometimes it was in the
vegetable kingdom, sometimes in the insect world, some-
times it assumed the form of a bird, sometimes of a beast,
sometimes of a man, angel, god, devil and so on.
In every form the soul had to pass through pain and
pleasure, and at the end of every life, it had to appear before
the Divine Accountant (Dharam Rai), to render accounts of
its actions before Him, and was again sent to this world in
a form appropriate to its karma.
God made man in His own image. Man is the top of cre-
ation. It is only in human form that man is endowed with
superior faculties and is better off than the lower creation;
yet in this human form also, no one can claim that he is
perfectly happy. When this is the case with the top of the
creation, what can be said of the lower forms? Their life is
simply miserable; and, being devoid of sense, they cannot
liberate themselves from birth and death.
It is only man — and not even gods and angels — who
has been endowed by the Almighty with faculties, by de-

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veloping which he can attain the highest Spiritual Region,

provided he is Initiated by a perfect Master and works hard
to elevate his soul to the higher regions. Without a perfect
Master, however hard one may try, he cannot make much
progress in the spiritual world.
The sole object of Initiation by R. S. Masters is to help
the disciple to free himself from the bondage of transmigra-
tion by taking his soul, in his lifetime, to the higher regions.
If he fails to do this, then he cannot be certain of what may
happen to him after death.
If the soul gives up this highest ideal, and wanders into
bypaths actuated by false ideas of service to humanity, or
spends his spiritual powers, not in elevating his soul but
in foolish pursuits, as curing the sick, and so forth, then he
resembles a man whose own house in on fire but, instead
of trying to extinguish the fire of his own house, he goes
off watching the houses of others, to prevent them from
catching fire.
The Initiation that has been granted to you is like a
wealthy man giving a quantity of seed to a poor farmer,
so that by sowing the seeds into his lands he might raise
good crops, and after harvesting them not only make him-
self rich but also help others to acquire riches. If the farmer,
instead of sowing the seeds into his lands, distributes them
to starving neighbors, then he may claim to have fed them
for one or two days at the utmost; but when his seed is
finished by such foolish distribution, then all shall starve,
including the distributor himself.
The Initiation given you is a seed to enable you, with
your hard labor, to accumulate spiritual wealth; and, after
freeing your soul from the covers of mind and matter, to
obtain everlasting life for yourself. And then you can do
immense good to others.

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What is real service to humanity? To free the soul —

which has been for ages subject to transmigration — from
the cycle of births, and to raise it to the pure spiritual region
from where it will never be sent back to undergo births and
deaths. All other forms of service are merely temporary.
If a person succeeds in healing the sick, still he cannot
save them from death or give them everlasting bodies. Af-
ter their death, they will have to assume lower forms, ac-
cording to their Karma; but the man who tried to heal them
by using his spiritual powers, and thus abused them, will
die spiritually destitute.
58. As for vicarious atonement, such doctrines you can
leave alone. Nobody wants you to believe them. When you
go into higher regions, you will see the working of the Law
of Karma.
The Master does not expect anyone to idolize Him. A
boy, reading in primary classes, cannot judge the attain-
ments of a B.A. or M.A. The Master only wants you to look
upon Him as your elder brother or friend, to follow His
directions, as those of a benefactor, and work hard to go
into the higher planes within you. When you go there, you
will see for your-self the position and dignity of the Master
in those regions.
It is suggested that you give up this false notion of ser-
vice. Serve yourself first of all, then think of serving others.
A prisoner cannot liberate another.
59. By the way, I have only one business, and that is to
look after souls hungry for spiritual food and for release
from birth and death, which is more than enough for me.
The four lives may be on the earth plane or elsewhere,
just as the Master thinks fit. Saints, as a rule, try to send up
loving, eager devotees much sooner.

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Your ideas about the Master merging in the Deity and

the disciples merging in the Master, and through Him in
the Deity, are correct.
The term, “vicarious atonement”, was not liked because
it is a definite church dogma, though the idea is substan-
tially correct. The Master, however, does not take all the
unassigned sinehit karmas on Himself, but only as many
as He thinks necessary. You have no idea of this immense
reserve which has gone on accumulating. They are finally
destroyed in Trikuti, when the soul reaches there by the
help of Shabd.
Thank you for your solicitude for my health. Please do
not worry on that account. We have about a hundred thou-
sand Satsangis, and their spiritual needs have to be attend-
ed to, which means no small strain. Masters come in the
world for the good and benefit of mankind, and think more
of mankind’s health, moral and spiritual, than of their own.
60. You may please explain to them that the mind is no
mean power and its control is not an easy walkover. If we
carefully examine its working, we will find that it governs
all creation, not only on the physical plane, but on the as-
tral and causal planes as well. The angels in heavens, the
learned, the pandits and commentators, the hermits and
the family men, rich and poor, beasts, birds, insects, all do
its bidding.
Under the powerful influence of mind, men act, and the
acts become binding on them, and become the cause of life
hereafter. As we sow, so shall we reap. Whatever we are
reaping now, we ourselves have sown before. Therefore,
we are the makers of our own fate. The framework of our
present life, which cannot be altered, was constructed by us
before we appeared on this plane. We are also the makers
of our future. What we sow now, we will reap hereafter.

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So long as mind is our master, it will keep us on the

wheel of birth and death. When we are its master, it will be
our most faithful ally. Therefore, its control is imperative,
and the object of human life is to control it, and thereby get
off the wheel of life and death.
The only power that can control the mind is the Word
or Nam. To catch the Word, one has to enter the eye center.
The simplest method for reaching the eye center is repe-
tition of the Names. So, while performing worldly duties
with full efforts, diligently and conscientiously, find time
for the spiritual practice. The Master sits in the eye center,
and from there gives necessary help and guidance. With
faith and love and preservance the mind will be conquered
in time.
61. As for, she says that it is like bidding goodbye to
the closest and dearest friend “I ever had,” and going to a
stranger. By ‘friend’, she means Jesus Christ. Christ never
visited America, and died many centuries ago. She claims
to have seen him in visions, yet she has no proof that it is re-
ally Jesus Christ whom she saw. Had she seen him in phys-
ical form on this earth, then she could have identified him
and would know whether it was really Christ whom she
saw inside. Perhaps she is not aware that internal planes
are full of vicious and evil spirits who can assume any
form, and can mislead. Even followers of a living Master
are sometimes led astray by Kal, who, assuming the form
of the living Master, appears to entrap them.
The sure test is, that at the time when Christ appears
before her in visions, she should talk to him and inquire
from him the way to higher internal regions, and request
him to take her up to those regions. If he can do so, then she
has no need of getting a new Master and giving up Christ.
If he does not take her up, and she is desirous of traversing
the higher regions, then she will have to attach herself to a

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living Master who is able to take the soul upward.

62. I am glad to learn that you devote one hour daily
in the prescribed posture, in your meditation. The primary
thing is to bring about concentration of the mind, and that
can be done by repetition of the five Holy Names — care-
fully — while keeping the attention fixed on the eye focus.
As you advance in concentration, you will begin to get
light and sound, both. While repeating the Names, you
need not try to catch the Sound which is the result of con-
centration. Please give three-fourths of the time to Repeti-
tion and one fourth to hearing the Sound; but while hear-
ing the Sound, do not try to repeat. Yet, all the time keep
your attention fixed on the eye focus. You need not try to
visualize anything during Repetition. Do not expect hasty
results, please. My advice is that you should give more
time to meditation and try to go in.
63. You should get some work — small business occu-
pation — to earn sufficiently to keep you going. You may
do anything you think proper and profitable to earn a liv-
ing. Where there is a will there is a way. I am glad to
find that Initiation has changed your outlook on life and
has given you an aim in life. Our aim is two-fold; Primarily
to work hard in meditation, go in and lift our souls up; the
secondary object is to maintain our bodily health and earn
sufficient income by rightful means, in order to lead a com-
fortable life.
64. The Audible Life Stream which we call Shabd is the
everlasting form of the Lord and is always within everyone
of us. At the eye focus It assumes the Astral Form of the
Master and in this physical world It assumes the physical
form of the Master. The function of Shabd is to lift the soul
up; but It cannot perform this function until the mind and
soul concentrate at the focus of the eyes, and having vacat-

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ed the physical frame, cross the solar system, that is, the
stars, the sun and the moon.
The soul and mind permeate every pore of the physical
body, therefore Shabd cannot pull them up. It is by means
of Repetition of the five Holy Names — while keeping the
attention between the eyes — that the currents of the soul
gradually leave the body and collect behind the eyes. When
the concentration is complete and the entire body has be-
come numb, then it is easy for the Sound Current to pull up
the soul.
Therefore, please work hard upon your Repetition and
bring about complete concentration. No external circum-
stances can obstruct the progress of the soul. It is the low-
er tendencies of the mind that obstruct the soul’s progress.
Keep your thoughts pure. It is lust and anger that make the
mind impure and prevent spiritual development.
One should never be contented with one’s spiritual
progress. One should always hunger for the Repetition and
hearing the Sound Current.
Yes, what happens with you is happening with all.
Sometimes the mind and the soul get easily concentrated
and sometimes they are very difficult to concentrate. It is
not the same every day. The reason is that when the mind is
scattered for any cause, it becomes difficult to bring about
concentration. And when the mind is not so scattered, con-
centration becomes easier and more pleasant.
When you cross the solar system and go beyond, you
will find the Master in His Astral Form, waiting for you
and ready to take you up to higher regions. It is up to the
disciple to reach that point, and after that it is the Master’s
duty to take the soul up.
You need not take the trouble of coming over to India.

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The time is not opportune and, moreover, I do not stay at

one place but am always moving about. It is not nesessary
for your spiritual progress. Wait for a year.
Regarding the use of contraceptives, if you want good
spiritual progress, let there be pure unselfish love between
you and your husband, without any admixture of sex. It
will keep up your health and give you spiritual advance-
ment without any fear of unwanted children. If you waste
your energies in sex enjoyment, you cannot progress spiri-
tually. Yet, I do not want to interfere in your relations with
your husband. You are free to do as you like.
The best service that you can render me is to work hard
for your spiritual uplift.
65. I am sorry to learn that you find little time for your
spiritual meditation on account of your various worldly
engagements. You should try to give some time to it daily.
Your distress is due to want of meditation.
Your husband should know that if he gives up spiritual
practice, it is he who will be the loser. He should not give it
up in despair of results, as it takes years to make the mind
motionless. And one should continue working on this Path
up to the end of his life, even if he does not get results to
his own satisfaction. It is the only thing that goes with us
after death. If he gives this up, he will go empty-handed in
the end. Your relationship with him is of this world. If he
gives up meditation, you should not do so as everyone has
to account for his own self at death, and get the reward of
his own meditation and practice in the other world.
The Master is waiting inside for his pupils to come in
and partake of His Grace and Love. It is our fault that we
do not reach His Feet in the astral plane, above the eyes.
66. You can always refer your difficulties and problems

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to me without hesitation, and I shall try to the best of my

abilities to assist you.
The law of the Karmas is very complicated and intricate.
Circumstances in which we are to work are created for us
according to our Karmas of the past births, and we should
try to work under them so far as those circumstances per-
mit.
Yes, the Master is with His disciples, in His Astral Form.
You will be able to see and talk to Him when you will go in
the astral plane.
Neither — nor — are aware of the Sound Current, and
without it nobody can go into the higher spiritual planes.
Therefore, their preaching and teaching cannot be com-
plete. They possess no knowledge of the Holy Names or
our way of meditation. The result is that your taking part in
their work will do no good either to them or to you; instead
of that you can study the books by Dr. Johnson and other
R.S. literature.
I also could wish that there was a teacher of R.S. Science
in your country. You have not given me the full name of—
so I cannot know who he is and how far he will be able to
hold a Satsang. After Initiation one has generally no need
to join any religious or spiritual association. It is a mere
waste of time, which can be more usefully devoted to med-
itation. But there can be no harm in joining a society aim-
ing at social uplift, etc., if it does not absorb too much time
or if it provides a means of livelihood. Only so much time
should be devoted to worldly or other work as is necessary
to keep us going.
67. In this world it is difficult to find a happy person.
One thing or the other is always going wrong, and man
finds himself miserable and care-worn. Only he who has
taken his attention in and hears the clear Bell Sound is free

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from worries and cares of this world. Man takes birth here
and his destiny comes with him. This destiny cannot be
changed. Man has to undergo it. The destiny is of his own
making. What he had sown before, he reaps now. There-
fore, the wise undergo their destiny with patience and for-
titude, while the unwise undergo it all the same, but are
dissatisfied and worried.
Lasting Peace and Happiness are within us. Peace and
happiness derived from worldly objects and companions
are transitory, because they are not lasting. They change
and in time vanish. Their attachment leaves behind scars
which disfigure life. Therefore, while working for a decent,
comfortable life, one should not lose sight of the aim of life
— Permanent Peace. By the very nature of things, this is not
obtainable in the matter and mind regions, because these
are themselves changeable. As one is going in and up, one
is getting independent of the changeable, and finds Peace
in Spiritual Regions. Peace is excellent, but is obtained
through effort.
68. Man is a wonderful creation. He not only carries his
past history with him, but the whole creation — visible and
invisible — and the Creator of all are within him, and he
has been gifted with the capacity to see all that lies in him
and to be one with his Creator.
The search is to be made within one’s self and it costs
nothing. The whole thing lies behind the veil of the mind.
When the mind has been made motionless, that which lies
behind the veil becomes visible. The mind, which wan-
ders outward and seldom sticks to its headquarters in the
eye center — whether we are awake or asleep — has to be
trained to stick to the headquarters and, instead of running
out, is to look inside the eye center. This is not an easy task.
But just as other habits are created by practice and perse-
verance, the mind also is to be put in the new channel by

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love and faith and perseverance. It is a practical course. It is

a fight against the mind. “Slow and steady wins the race”
Regarding your questions about the past life, as I have
stated above, you will have firsthand knowledge of it when
you will be able to go within yourself. Suffice it to say that
the present life is based on the past life. Unfulfilled hopes
and desires of one life become the basis of new life and form
the framework of the new life. Therefore, the main run of
the present life was determined before birth. This cannot be
changed and has to be borne, whether we do it patiently or
restlessly. But we are free to cast our future.
Sant Mat teaches us how to end this cycle of birth and
death and go back to our Eternal Home. The teaching of
Sant Mat is the Word which is present in all. We need the
help of somebody who himself practices the Word, and it
becomes our duty to catch It and trace It inward. The teach-
er is there, outside and inside, to give guidance. Therefore,
with high aim and faith and perseverance, seek the Word
within you and be master of your own house within, in-
stead of wandering out. The richest gold mine is within
you. The Word is dearer than all the gold, rubies and di-
amonds, finding which the mind gives up hankering after
the things of this or other worlds.
69. I appreciate your eagerness to take to Simran and
Bhajan as much as possible, and I hope you will progres-
sively devote more and more time to them. Your inability to
concentrate properly is due to your worldly desires, which
must be brought under control till you reach the point
when Love of God becomes an all-consuming passion, and
you consider it the be-all and end-all of your existence.
You know fully well that nothing is really yours in the
world, in the sense that nothing will go with you after
death, except “Nam”. It alone will take you to the Feet of

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the Almighty, under the guidance of the Master who is al-

ways with His votaries at the time of death and keeps them
company throughout the spiritual journey.
He is always with you even now, though you may not
see Him with physical eyes. By constant devotion to Bha-
jan, time may come when you can see within yourself the
Radiant Form of the Master, and once you get It, you will
be fully planted on the way that leads to God and eternal
Salvation.
70. Your karma is all right. It is not to blame for your
supposed want of spiritual progress. It is due to the effect
of your sudden bereavement and breaking of family tie.
The consequent sorrow and anxiety have weighed down
upon your mind and soul. The remedy is to give up all
sadness and anxiety, and work hard upon your Repeti-
tion. You should give three-fourths of your daily time to
Repetition and only one-fourth to hearing the Sound. Take
care, please, that during Repetition the mind does not wan-
der out. It will not begin to work inside unless it is still. To
make the mind perfectly motionless, requires years of hard
labor; therefore, do not expect results in a hurry. When you
labor on the “Path” you will succeed. No one has yet gone
disappointed from that door.
Following are the answers to your questions:
1 —You should consult the doctors. Usually the soul
enters the embryo after three months.
2 —When a baby is born into this world, the number
of breaths he is to breathe, till his death, is already fixed,
and nobody can increase or decrease it.
3 — Suffering and poverty are also pre-ordained for
everyone before his birth, according to the karma of his
past birth. They have to be undergone, yet a Master’s disci-

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ple who raises his soul becomes indifferent to external sur-

roundings.
4 — Material help should not be sought from the Mas-
ter. It is perishable. Ask for permanent and everlasting ob-
jects from Him, such as spiritual uplift, freedom from the
cycle of births, and the like.
71. The Master is always present with His disciples, in
His astral form. In order to get more firmly rooted in your
spiritual practice you should work hard. The bluish constel-
lations and stars are at the threshold of the inner world.
Try to penetrate within.
1 — Progress does continue even though one’s Mas-
ter may have left the earth plane forever. This is based on
experience. My Master initiated a lady, and departed from
this life. Several years after that the lady’s soul went inside
very far.
2 — No one can go into the spiritual planes without
Initiation; therefore, you cannot expect to see your relatives
who were not initiated, in the other world. If they have gone
into the spiritual planes, then you will meet them and talk
to them; but not those who have been reborn in this world
in some physical form. After death the astral and causal
bodies retain the features of the physical body, but there is
a vast difference in the materials of the bodies.
3 — If one has to be reborn into the world, the soul
will have to go into the mother’s womb and take natural
time to come out.
72. People on other planes are not much interested in
the physical plane. They have their hands full there, in their
own doings. The Karmic Law is supreme on the material
and the mind planes, and nothing happens of its own ac-
cord, spontaneously, so to say. The law governs the planes;

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therefore, no haphazard happening of events takes place

anywhere, whether the events are of microscopic or as-
tronomical dimensions. In peace and in cataclysms or ca-
tastrophes, only they suffer who are destined to suffer.
All that has been created is bound to change and decay.
There is dissolution of earth, planets, sun and stars, but at
very long intervals — too long for human conception. Who
can say when this present planetary system was created?
Prophets, Yogis, and astronomers give their estimates, and
the latter revise their estimates with every new discovery,
but who can say how often this dissolution has been re-
peated? Only He who creates, knows it. Suffice it to say that
for human beings sitting outside the eye center, the time is
infinitely long since the creation came into being and when
it will disappear again.
So there is nothing to worry about the next war or the
atom bomb; this very kind of loose, vague talk was in-
dulged in during and at the end of Great War I, and is also
indulged in after floods, earthquakes, famines and plagues.
The worry should be about one’s entry into the eye center
and meeting the Radiant Form of the Master, so that the
Master is our companion, on whom reliance can be placed
here and hereafter. He who has been connected with the
Word cannot go amiss in catastrophe or peace. He has a
place to go to, goes there, and is not lost.
73. I am glad you have received Initiation. Now it is for
you to work your way inward, within you. With love and
faith devote time regularly in repeating the Names in the
eye center, and see that while doing Repetition the mind
does not run out to do something else, and if it does, bring
it back again to the eye center and continue the Repetition.
By and by the mind will go inward and sit in the eye center,
the attention will begin to be withdrawn from the limbs,
and in time the whole body will be vacated. Light will ap-

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pear and the spiritual journey will commence. It is a slow

affair in the beginning.
The spiritual power developed by Repetition and con-
centration of the mind in the eye center, should not be
wasted in spiritual healing. This power should be reserved
for making further progress inward. If it is used in heal-
ing, there is nothing left with the person except a sense of
depletion and exhaustion. It is a bad bargain. The spiritu-
al healer takes the karmic load of the patient and thereby
himself goes under, and never makes much headway in the
journey inward. He lives from hand to mouth, spending
what he earns.
Youth is wayward. But proper guidance through exam-
ple and precept goes a long way in keeping it on the right
path. You may point out to your daughter the advantages
of leading a good healthy life with spiritual uplift and ul-
timate Salvation as its goal; for human life is a rare gift of
God. In the whole creation, man alone has the privilege of
meeting his Creator. And the Sound Current, which is pres-
ent and audible in everybody, is the way to rise up, go back
to our Spiritual Home and meet our Lord.
74. I was pained to learn that your husband did not ap-
preciate your love, fidelity and solicitude for him. My ad-
vice to you, given at the time of your marriage, was from
the point of view of a Hindu wife. Among Hindus, mar-
riage is regarded as a sacrament and a permanent union.
I am glad to learn that you have done your best to follow
that advice. If he cannot pull on with you, then you can do
whatever you think proper. You have done your duty to-
wards him. I am satisfied with your behavior in this matter.
You have my full permission to do as you like under the
circumstances.
I sympathize with you in your wish to have a small

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home of your own, where you can enjoy privacy and soli-
tude, and make progress on the Path. Try to gain your live-
lihood by some profession or employment which would
leave time for your spiritual practice, yet bring you suffi-
cient income to live comfortably.
Do not try to strain your neck or shoulder muscles
during spiritual meditation, nor put any kind of pressure
on your brain, eyes, and so forth. I think nobody told you
at the time of Initiation to strain your nerves. Spiritual con-
centration does not depend on putting pressure on any
part of the body.
The aim of spiritual practice is firstly and primarily to
make the mind still and motionless so that no thought of
any kind may disturb it while it is listening to the Sound.
As the vibrations of the mind are made quiet, the Sound
Current will of itself become clearer and clearer, without
any need of putting pressure on the eyes, ears or brain.
And for stilling the vibrations of the mind, all that is
necessary is to repeat the five Holy Names with care and
attention, so that the mind does not wander. If it wanders
during Repetition, then a second link should be applied to
it by concentrating on the form of the Guru. But there is no
need of putting any strain on the body.
Any posture in which you can remain for long would
do for concentration. Frequent changes of position inter-
fere with concentration.
If we concentrate our soul in this lifetime then we pass
our days happily in this world, and at death the Master ap-
pears and takes our soul with Him to higher worlds, to our
unbounded joy and happiness. Therefore, try to achieve
spiritual progress in your lifetime so that you may rise
above worldly circumstances. The spiritual advance you
make in this life will go with you.

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Thank you, I am enjoying good health and wish that

you labor in the Path and lift the veil within so as to take
your soul to higher regions. Do your day’s work, but let
your attention remain fixed on Master’s Form or Repetition
or hearing the Sound. If you go on working with patience
and perseverance, you will get everything.
75. I am glad to learn of your progress in your spiritual
practices. If you continue to put in time regularly in your
practices, you will have more experiences of higher realms
in your spiritual flights. Men do not see them for want of
inversion of all of their outgoing faculties. Shabd is all-pow-
erful and is resounding in all directions.
The time factor is necessary for the achievement of the
goal before you. You need not be disheartened at your slow
progress in the spiritual way. If a Satsangi has not been able
to give full time to his practices and has progressed very lit-
tle during his lifetime, but he is imbued with the love of the
Master and has no attachment for the world and its desires,
the Master is so gracious, that the Satsangi is not given any
rebirth. He is placed, after death, in a suitable place inside,
in the first or second region, where he completes the defi-
ciency before going further up.
As regards the young child with beautiful purple aura
you saw in your practice, you should pay no heed to him.
He is one of the five evils personified —Lust, Anger, Greed,
Attachment and Pride. They leave the Satsangi, one by one,
as he progresses on his way up.
Each man is enveloped with an aura bearing colors ac-
cording to the quality ofinner waves of thoughts surging
in him — Sensual appetites create the impression of a dark
red radiance. The clear cut conception of a logical thinker
is experienced as a yellowish figure with a sharply defined
cut line. Blue color represents love. White color speaks for

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spirituality, and so forth.

In your practices you should not put any strain or pres-
sure on your eyes. Repeat the Names mentally. When con-
centration will be developed, the soul will of itself with-
draw inside, back of the pineal gland. No attempt should
be made to locate the gland or the nerves leading to it.’ The
seeker who devotes time regularly in his spiritual practic-
es need not despair. Why lose heart and entertain weak
thoughts? Have a strong desire that you have to attain the
goal in this very birth. If you go up even one plane in this
birth, you will not come back into the physical frame again.
Rebirth is only for those who have worldly desires.
76. And am glad to learn that you have deep love for
R. S. and work upon the path. Although you are separat-
ed from my physical body, yet you are not away from my
mind. The Satguru in His Sound Form is taking proper care
of you and is within you. When, by means of concentra-
tion, you have closed the nine portals of the body and have
crossed the solar system, the Master in His Radiant Form
will reveal Himself to you. He will talk to you in the same
manner as you talk to people in this world, will answer all
your questions, and will be with you all your life.
You should not be sorry for being alone. We are born
alone and leave this world alone. None go with us. Even
this body has to be left behind. It is the Master and the
Sound Current that keep us company at death and after.
The internal spiritual journey is very sweet and inter-
esting, and so also the study of books relating to the Path.
When you go up high enough, you will see much finer and
more interesting scenes.
What you have said about seeing the Radiant Form of
Master Jesus is quite true. You will meet Him again when
you go in, but you are to go much higher up and beyond

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Him. You should die daily, as you died on the day you saw
the vision of Christ. You should devote much time to your
spiritual practice so that you may see those things daily.
Those visions and scenes are still within you and, when
you go within, you will see them. Please keep your mind
and attention present during meditation and work hard.
Let not the thought of karma discourage you. When you
work with a firm resolve, you will overcome all obstacles.
Do not despair, but go on working hard. It is not a path of
despair. Always keep a firm resolve of going in. You have
ceased to see those visions and scenes only because your
attention came outward and the concentration scattered. If
you now work hard, you can go still further inside because
the Path, which had been indicated to you, is much higher.
When you work, you will see with your own eyes and will
not need to ask others.
77. As for your nose trouble, it must be due to some-
thing wrong with your stomach and bronchial tubes. You
might get it treated by some physician. It is due to past kar-
ma, yet it does not imply that you should not take steps to
get rid of this nuisance.
So long as you are suffering, you can go on repeating
the five Holy Names while sitting in an easy chair, while ly-
ing or in any comfortable posture, and even when walking.
This continuous Repetition will bring about concentration
of the mind and make your will power strong.
Do not lose courage. The Master who has given you Ini-
tiation is bound to take you to the highest region. If, owing
to illness, you cannot complete your course, He will give
you another birth with far better circumstances favorable
to spiritual advancement. He is not going to leave you in
the lurch.
If you cannot sit in the prescribed posture, you can sit

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with both hands joined in your lap. The object is to bring

about concentration of the mind and make it motionless.
This will not cause pain in your arms and hands. Do not
strain your body. And do not try to make spiritual progress
in a hurry. Do it calmly and quietly.
Whatever you again want to ask, you may do so with-
out hesitation, and a reply will be sent to you.
78. Had you continued to keep your mother at your
house and served her till the end, you would have dis-
charged a filial duty, for she had nursed you in your help-
less infancy. But perhaps she was too exacting and too dif-
ficult to please. You did not mean any harm to her, and had
every good intention when you sent her to be looked after
by a private lady. Let her remain where she is. She has to
undergo her own karma, which is called pralabdh.
The total number of breaths which one is to take till
death, the morsels which one is to eat, and the steps which
one is to walk are all preordained at birth, and no one can
alter, decrease or increase them. There is no harm in pray-
ing to the Lord that she may be relieved of her pain and suf-
fering. The Master helps the relatives of His pupils when
they depart from this life. You should go on doing your
Meditation and Repetition so that it may do her some good
after this life.
79. If the meditation is performed in a reclining posi-
tion, such as in bed, it takes longer time to bring about con-
centration and very often sleep interrupts the meditation.
If husband and wife are agreed as to their religious
belief, it is conducive to their happiness. If husband and
wife are filled with the same desire for making spiritual
progress, they are helpful to one another. If at a time one is
slack, the keenness of the other makes him work up. Thus
both of them, being travelers on the same Path, are helpful

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to one another, their destination being the same. But each

has his own karma to undergo. The karma of each partner
is different. Yet if a couple meditates together, they also be-
come companions in the spiritual journey.
80. I am sorry to learn of the demise of your mother.
One feels grieved when a dear one goes away forever, and
this grief is natural so long as the attention is attached to
the body, relations and friends, and has not entered the eye
center.
At such times the mind is in tension and raises questions
of life and death, and experiences strange dreams. Some-
times in dream the attention gets directed towards the eye
center and, from a distance, catches flashes of what goes on
in or near the eye center, in the astral plane. The flashes are
usually blurred and seldom clear. A clear flash turns out
to be correct. Again, in this tension, one may experience a
little pull towards the eye center and its painful effect on
the body — a dying sensation — because one is not accus-
tomed to withdraw the vital current from the body at will.
But dreams are dreams, and it is good that no importance
is attached to them and they are thrown out from memory.
Reliance should be placed on experiences gained by going
inside consciously.
The world is an inn where travelers assemble from dif-
ferent directions for the night and by morning take to their
respective destinations. In the family one comes as father,
the other as mother and still others as sons and daughters.
All are directed by their respective karma, and leave the
family in their time. In every birth — in the insect, the bird,
the animal or the human form — one gets a mother and a
father. The number of mothers, fathers and near relations
one has had are countless. For whom then should one wor-
ry? Our worry does not help them. The worry should be to
reach the eye center and make it one’s home, and meet the

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Radiant Form of the Master and the Shabd that pulls up, so
that there is no birth hereafter, and no worries.
Your mother had not received Initiation, so her future
course is guided by her karma. The best you can do for her
is to complete your own course of Repetition and thereby
complete your concentration. Your mother will get some
benefit from your efforts in this line.
At death the suffering is acute, and one should learn to
die daily to withstand this pain. Withdrawal of the scat-
tered attention from the body into the eye center is death
— leaving the physical plane and entering the astral plane.
The dream of the semiconscious state, as said before,
is not to be relied upon. If the attention were catching the
true Shabd, there could not be a dream or an unconscious
state. Shabd brings in superconscious state. Physical de-
fects do not stand in the way of rising from one region to
another. The mind and soul are to go up; the physical
body is left behind at the eye center. The vital portion of the
reproductive area is vital for production but not for “con-
centration” and rising up.
So long as there is sex desire, there is no real love for the
Master and the Shabd that will free one from sex desire and
pull him up. Superficial love does not count for much. There
is antagonism in Shabd and sex desire. Shabd pulls up the
attention towards the eye center, and sex desire throws the
attention down to the lowest center — the reproductive or-
gans. Physical contact pulls the attention down. There is no
question of a lift of one or the other through contacts.
The use of liquor is bad. It unsettles the mind, and an
unsettled mind brings in its train all the evils which one in
a normal state avoids.
81. I went through your loving letter with the care it de-

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served. I was pleased to read it as its contents indicated the

good-heartedness of the writer.
When you sit for Bhajan, you should enter into an agree-
ment with your mind, considering it as an entity different
from you, that it should not bother you for the period of
two hours. You can tell it that if it misbehaves, you will sit
for even more than two hours, for as long as it does not feel
the ectasy of internal Bliss! This is how the human mind
is to be controlled. As a matter of fact, our mind is like the
proverbial serpent guarding the Spiritual Treasure, which
cannot be obtained till the menace of the serpent is sur-
mounted. Never mind the past! Look to the present and the
future in the spirit of a true devotee!
Do not mind if your limbs begin to ache after sitting for
long in meditation. After some practice they will cease to
be troublesome and will, as if it were, “go to sleep”; as by
means of Bhajan, the soul and mind are drawn up to the
center above the two eyes, where you have to focus your
undivided attention at the time of Bhajan.
When, by this means, your mind begins to accept con-
trol and discipline, and becomes motionless, you will see
within yourself the effulgence of the Spiritual World which
will lead you to the stars, sun and moon — all within you
— and after them, to the Feet of the Master, which you so
eagerly wish to reach. When you reach that stage, the Mas-
ter will speak to you just as you converse with the people
around you in this physical world. Just think! All around
you is perishable, and after death none can befriend you or
guide you except the Master and Nam.
Why should Dr. Johnson’s book frighten any one? It
is no use shutting one’s eyes to the law of transmigration
which is far more real and inexorable than some people,
in their shortsightedness, feel inclined to admit. The Saints

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show the Path that leads out of this vicious circle of creation
on this earth. It is only by means of Bhajan that a person can
travel a Path that leads out of it and takes one to the sacred
Feet of the Great Almighty.
When a loving devotee dies, the Master takes care of the
soul. He guides it and instructs it even after death. In this
respect the death of a devotee is totally different from that
of a man of the world. But it behooves all disciples to give
as much time and attention to the development of the spir-
itual side of their being as possible. It is only thus that the
soul can be freed from the bondage of body and mind, from
the downward pull of the senses, and can work its way up
to the Great Ocean of which it is a drop.
If you really think that the purchase of property at or
elsewhere will be a sound business proposition, you may
go in for it. The war cannot last forever! It is, of course, open
to you and your husband to make an honest living in any
way you like, compatible with your means and aptitude.
82. I am glad to learn that you have received Initiation.
Now it is for you to concentrate your scattered attention
and withdraw it from the limbs and the body into the eye
center, and sit there, within yourself. When the eye cen-
ter becomes the headquarters of your attention, then the
Sound Current will be able to pull the attention upward.
The method of concentration (Repetition of the Names)
is a natural process. Everyone is busy in repeating words,
audibly or mentally, concerning his work in life. Here,
words connected with the spiritual journey have been sub-
stituted in place of the words used in daily routine life. The
withdrawal of the attention from the limbs and the body,
into the eye center, is not new either. Everybody, when he
goes to sleep, brings his attention —intentionally or unin-
tentionally— into the eye center but, lets it fall down to the

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throat and navel centers instead of holding it in the eye cen-

ter. The only difference in the process of concentration is
that we are to hold the attention in the eye center and not
let it drop down.
The Sound Current is present in everybody already, only
its presence has been explained at the time of Initiation.
Therefore, the whole process is perfectly natural. There is
no artificiality in. it. It is safe, does not cost anything, has no
outward symbols, no other person can interfere in it, it can
be practised by all, and does not clash with any religion.
With love and faith, devote time to this work regular-
ly. As has been said above, the achievement of results will
depend on your effort. There should be no hurry here. A
calm, peaceful mind, working slowly but steadily, will at-
tain success sooner.
It is only when we sit in meditation that we begin to dis-
cover the power, the waywardness and the obstinacy of the
mind. The mind that has been running wild ever since we
came into the wheel of life and death will take time to yield.
You are just beginning the fight against it. It is a life-long
fight; and the reward is, if one conquers his mind (makes it
motionless in the eye center) he wins the world.
You say you feel lonely. The whole creation, and the
Creator are within you. If you take your attention inside of
you and attach it to the Sound Current, you will be at peace
with yourself and with the world. The lasting peace lies in-
side of us. It is not to be had outside, in worldly objects and
worldly companions.
If you find yourself under a mental depression and feel
physically exhausted and cannot bring yourself up to med-
itate by sitting in proper posture, then do it while lying
down. But there is the danger that this may become a habit.
Defeat is not so bad as the admission of defeat. Under all

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circumstances, the fight against the mind should be contin-

ued. Mind is our enemy. It tries to throw us off by all sorts
of things, on one pretence or another.
Thank you for your good wishes at my birthday. All
that I wish is that the initiates reach their Spiritual Home in
Sachkhand as quickly as they can.
83. I am glad you have received the instruction. Now
it is for you to work up. The help of the Master is always
there. The Master is not far off from you. He is within you,
in your eye center.
Man and the world are so consituted that there is al-
ways one thing or the other cropping up and demanding
our attention. Such things should be attended to, but one
should find time daily for the spiritual work. It should not
be ignored. If full time cannot be given, give as much as you
can. Even five minutes would do. The spiritual work alone
goes with us to our credit after death. All other will be left
behind. The day that is gone will not come back again. So
with love and faith and perseverance, go ahead.
84. I am sorry you are so much upset by the shortcom-
ings of the initiates. People accept the teaching gladly be-
cause it appears to them so simple and natural. In their first
zeal they accept the restrictions on their diet, but when it
comes to live by them, they begin to falter. The mind plays
its cunning part and deceives them, and in many subtle
ways they try to get around these restrictions, even not
sparing the Master. It is characteristic of the mind that it
does not take the blame on itself but throws it on someone
else and, if need be, on the Master, as well.
This is their weakness. The Master, out or in, would nev-
er relax these restrictions. Have you come across a mother
who would give poison to her children? Meats, eggs and al-
cohol are poisons, and he who uses them will suffer. There

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is no escape from it. Go in and see with your own eyes what
tortures the users of these have to bear, whether initiates or
non- initiates.
Those who indulge in these are disciples of senses and
not of the Master. Their attention works on the sense plane.
All their talk about the Master, in or out, or about their spir-
itual progress is sham. “Quick little petition to the inner
Master”, is a huge deception. The inner Master is not so soft
and easy to reach! It is true He is merciful, but it does not
mean that the wrongdoers and the wayward would escape
punishment.
The Saints do not hand over their initiates to Kal, but
the initiates have to suffer for their misdeeds. Suffering
purifies, and only the pure enter the eye center. Anybody
who breaks marriage vows and deserts children for sense
indulgence is a slave to lust. Lust is his master. The same
applies to other indulgences. Mind is our enemy, and he
who follows his mind is playing in the hands of his enemy
and has no chance of escape.
To reach the eye center and cross the starry sky, the sun
and the moon, and come face to face with the Radiant Form
of the Master, is the duty of the disciple, whether he does
it in this life or the next. It is his work and he is to do it. So
why not do it now and why postpone it?
Sant Mat does not advocate compulsion. Human nature
is weak. This is Kalyuga. The initiates come under the in-
fluence of the worldly people. They lack Satsang; therefore,
they fall. Let us have patience with them. By and by they
will be able to stand on their feet. Let us judge them kindly.
The Master has many forms — physical on the physical
plane, radiant on the astral, and Shabd form on the top of
Trikuti, and then another in Sach Khand. The Radiant Form
resembles the physical form and from this resemblance one

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distinguishes Him inside, from others. Same is the case

with the disciple. The physical form he leaves behind at the
eye center, with his astral form he travels the first region
and with his causal form the second region. The Radiant
Form of the Master enters into conversation as we converse
in dreams. Dream is the nearest analogy, but we are deal-
ing with the superconscious state.
When you have made contact with that Form, you will
find the Master present everywhere, and your mind will be
so strong that it will be almost impossible for you to blame
them when you look at the short comings of others. Your
happiness will be independent of your surroundings. You
will not be shaken by the ups and downs of the world.
It should be the effort of every initiate to work up as best
he can, to reach the eye center and meet the Radiant Form,
so that he stands as a pillar of strength, unmoved by the
winds and storms of passions.
85. The law of karma (results of past actions) and the
doctrine of predestination and preordination are true and
inexorable. We reap what we sow! Our actions in past lives
bring about our “fate” in this life, on which our bodies are
fashioned. The “fate” is to regulate and govern our pres-
ent being, but being itself the offspring of past actions, it
always behooves us to lay the foundations of a better fate
by doing good and noble acts. So there is always a place
for endeavor and effort toward a true understanding of the
operation of the “Law of Karma”.
You are right in thinking that an Initiate who is filled
with loving devotion to the Spiritual Path is a blessing for
his wife and children. It would have been better if your
consort had been Initiated; but, in any case, it is good for
her that you are an Initiate. The Master tries to take care of
souls that are intimately connected with His disciples, un-

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less they are absolutely recalcitrant and impervious to His

Divine Spiritual influence.
I would enjoin on you the paramount necessity of regu-
lar repetition of the Holy Words taught to you at the time of
Initiation, and of constant listening to the Sound Current. It
is this practice, regularly performed with loving devotion,
which can give you Salvation.
86. Sant Mat is extremely liberal, more liberal than can
be conceived. You may use any word or words that you
love to associate with the Creator in your morning medita-
tion period, till you have received your Initiation. It is the
love and faith at the back of what one does, that counts.
The real form of the Master is the Word. It is present
everywhere and is the mainstay of all that is visible and
invisible. The Word takes on the human form to connect
people with Himself, for people would not understand in
any other way except through someone like themselves. St.
John chapter I, verse 14 says that the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us.
Your Master is within you and watches you. Only the
veil of the mind hangs between you and Him. Make the
mind motionless and all that lies hidden behind it will be
an open book.
Many thanks for your letter and the fine feelings that
it gives expression to. It is a reflexion of the purity of your
heart.
87. I am glad to learn of your spiritual progress —
your “hearing of the music all the time, it comes through
the brain and not through ears”; of your “seeing the astral
light color always in motion”; of your having “seen your-
self in some of your past lives.” I congratulate you on that.
You are on the right Path.

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There are ten different sounds audible in the region of

the eye center — drum, whistle, violin, and so forth includ-
ing the Bell and the Conch. Eight of these are local but the
Bell and the Conch are connected with the higher regions.
As the attention is withdrawn from the body and concen-
tration improves, and the eye center is being approached,
these sounds begin to be audible. As the mind becomes
steady and sticks to the center, it begins to distinguish one
sound from the other. In the beginning one listens to what-
ever sound is audible, but with the improvement in con-
centration, this gives place to some finer sound. Ultimately
one picks up the Bell and rejects others. The Bell will take
one as far as the thousand-petalled lotus, and from there
one catches the Conch.
When doing repetition of Names at the allotted time, dai-
ly, please see that the mind does not wander about. The at-
tention should be in the light within and Repetition should
be continued without any thought of the body. The body
is to be completely vacated by the attention. And during
the time given to Repetition, no attempt should be made to
catch the Sound — only Repetition of the five Names with
attention in the light within.
When the concentration is complete, it will appear as if
you are separate from the body and the body is a corpse of
someone else. The starry sky will appear in time. Fix your
attention in the bright star and continue Repetition as be-
fore. When the star is approached, it will burst, and the at-
tention will penetrate through it. The starry sky has been
crossed. In the same manner the sun and the moon in suc-
cession will be reached and crossed by the attention doing
Repetition all the time. After crossing the moon region, the
Master’s Radiant Form will be visible. Fix your attention in
that and hand yourself over to the Master. The Repetition
takes the attention that far and no further.

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When listening to the Sound at the allotted time, hear

the Sound only, catching the Bell Sound if possible, and, in
its absence, any other sound that is audible. At this portion
of the time Repetition is not to be done.
During any other time besides the regular time for do-
ing the spiritual practice, keep your attention in the Sound
Current.
This music comes from Sat Lok and reaches us, after
penetrating all the regions below it. It is superior to angels
in the astral plane. They hanker after it and do not get it.
When you have completed your concentration, and the
attention has completely vacated the body and gone in and
made contact with the Master’s Rediant Form, you will
hear the Sound Current all the twenty-four hours — awake
or asleep. The body will sleep but the soul will remain con-
scious within.
Please do not be afraid of the shackles. There is no such
thing for the practitioner of the Word. Your attention is not
steady. It does not stick to the eye center but falls down and
feels the pressure. Keep your attention up in the eye center.
The Sound Current, the Word, the Nam and the Shabd
are synonymous. The five Names used in Repetition are the
words which can be uttered by tongue or can be repeated
mentally.
88. I am glad to learn that, after all, you have come to
realize the value of Radha Swami Path and are trying to go
in.
The internal visions and experiences should not be re-
vealed to anyone except the Master. They are liable to dis-
appear if revealed to others. They should be kept a close
secret if you wish to continue to enjoy them. These visions

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and scenes are for personal satisfaction and peace. If they

are painted and exhibited to the outside world, whose eyes
are not awakened to the visions, they will not be appreci-
ated.
Regarding posture, as it is difficult for Americans and
Europeans to sit in the prescribed posture, they are allowed
to take any easy and comfortable posture in which they can
sit for a fairly long time. The object is to help bring about
concentration. In India people can sit for two or three hours
at a stretch in the prescribed posture. Yes, you can sit in a
chair. The object of keeping the hands over the face and the
thumbs in the ears is to keep out external light and external
sounds.
One should give at least two hours every day to medi-
tation. The more time you can spare, the more speedy will
be your progress.
At present it is not advisable for you to come to India.
You should make some progress in concentration before
coming here. The Master is within you, in the Sound Form.
When your heart is with me, you are not far away.
There is no greater wealth than progress on the Spiritual
Path — a wealth which accompanies us even after death.
We accumulate this wealth by perseverance.
89. You ask for a message. The message is that you de-
velop the power to withdraw your attention. at will, from
the outward objects and from the physical body, and con-
centrate it in the eye focus. Enter the Astral world, make
contact with the Astral form of the Master, become very
intimate with Him, make Him your companion, catch the
Sound Current, cross the mind planes and reach your eter-
nal Spiritual Home in Sach Khand so that your wander-
ings in the worlds of mind and matter may end. Do it now,
while alive. This is the purpose of human life.

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If progress in this line has not been made, life has been
spent in vain. It is not difficult to acquire worldly fame,
wealth, kingdom and miraculous power, but it is difficult to
turn away one’s attention from these and go inside to catch
the Sound Current. Love, faith and perseverance make the
path easy and possible to attain the unattainable. I shall be
glad to hear how far you have succeeded in making your
attention steady in the eye focus and how far your body
becomes unconscious.
90. I am glad to find that you think that my letters have
been helpful to you. Progress on the Spiritual Path depends
upon purity of conduct and, secondly, upon persevering
labor to still the activity of the mind by means of Repeti-
tion. Until the mind is made motionless, it cannot perceive
the light within. But there is no reason to despond. It takes
time to overcome the habits of the mind.
There is no harm in your accepting help from your broth-
er. I am grateful to you for your offer of contribution to our
charity fund, but I can assure you that we have no desire to
accumulate our fund to more than our daily needs, which
we are able to meet. I should like you to spend what you
have on your own personal comfort and needs so that you
might be able to carry on Repetition and Spiritual Exercises
without anxiety and without interruption.
I have read with interest your account of followers of
the Bahai. I have also read some of their books. They aim at
external well-being of humanity and purity of conduct. Yet
their teachings, so far as I know, do not prescribe any mode
of Spiritual Exercises for the uplift of the soul internally.
The method of Spiritual Exercises prescribed by our
Masters is natural. It is not the design of any human brain.
It has existed ever since man was created, and leads the
soul from its seat in the eye focus to the highest regions of

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Pure Spirit.
The Masters do not lay down any ritual or ceremony,
but prescribe a mode of spiritual advancement which can
be practiced by any man or woman of any creed or faith,
as it is a method of internal concentration and progress,
and does not concern itself with outward formulae or social
rules.
You should treat your Bahai friends with love and pa-
tience, without trying to argue with them, yet without giv-
ing up your own spiritual devotion. The Master does not
want you to think that your social intercourse with Bahais
is meant to be a trial or test.
91. You have complained that in meditation your mind
wanders back to past events. That should not be. When you
sit in meditation, keep watch over your mind and never
allow it to go out. If it goes out, bring it back. Try to forget
your past life and past connections or relations. What has
passed away will not come again. There is no use raking
up old memories. Let bygones be bygones. Obliterate the
past from the page of your memory. Devote all your spare
time and efforts to concentration so that you may go in and
become happier and more peaceful.
I have read your life history with interest, and you have
fought the battle of life bravely under difficult circumstanc-
es. The ways of Providence are mysterious and difficult
to fathom.... Mind is your enemy and it deceives you by
bringing past events in your meditation.
92. I am sorry to hear of your illness and other trou-
bles causing interruptions in spiritual work. This karma
was weighing down the soul and I am glad that it has been
washed away. This is also an asset in meditation.
We have incurred upon our mind and soul the heavy

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burden of the karma of numerous past lives. As this burden

gets lighter and lighter by suffering and spiritual exercis-
es, spiritual progress goes on. After an amount of illness,
interruption takes place in meditation, yet the meditation
should not be given up.
Now that you have recovered, begin again. If the body
feels numb and sleepy during meditation, it is a sign of
spiritual progress< The mind is always seeking pretexts
for deferring meditation, but we should not listen to the
mind’s arguments and pretexts. We should overrule all its
argumentation and perform our daily Repetition.
You have asked for my instructions to make up for lost
time:
1—When you begin meditation, expel all thoughts from
your mind and tell your mind that all anxiety and all kinds
of thoughts can wait till the meditation is over.
2—Do not allow any kind of idea or thought to arise
while doing your Repetition or listening to the Sound.
3—When the mind and soul sit quietly within, the spir-
itual progress will begin.
4—Clearness and intensity of Sound depend on the de-
gree of concentration. The greater the concentration, the
clearer and louder the Sound.
93. Your view regarding the attitude you should have
taken towards your bodily suffering and family trouble is
brave, and I greatly appreciate it. It is mainly the reaction to
our problems that matters.
The Lord is within us. He wants to wash away our kar-
ma, to make us pure and fit to get into His presence. Our
only course amidst sufferings of any kind is first to bear
them patiently, with courage and fortitude; and second-

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ly, to pray to the Lord for forgiveness. The Lord hears our
prayers and showers concessions which we cannot see un-
less we go in.
Our main object in this life is to try to make headway on
our Path inward. No doubt your illness has caused much
hindrance and disturbance in your spiritual exercises. Yet,
if one can perform the Repetition of the five Names during
illness, while lying down or resting in bed, it might give
peace of mind during a period of trouble.
94. I was glad to receive your letter intimating your Ini-
tiation. It is a straight path, though difficult and laborious.
The first thing is to make your mind motionless, which
is possible only by means of repetition of the five Holy
Names, with care and attention. It takes years of labor to
succeed in this. The rest becomes comparatively easy.
Ordinarily, one should devote one tenth of one’s daily
time; that is, 2.4 hours at least, and then he can increase
the time to four hours gradually. It requires patience and
perseverance.
95. As for the pressure on the top of the head, that can-
not be due to meditation. Yet I shall advise you not to put
any strain on your eyes or brain; do not try to go up all at
once. See the internal light and hear the chimes calmly and
quietly, without hurry and impatience to go up at once.
Slow and steady is the best rule in spiritual practice, as it is
in mundane affairs.
It all depends on the mind, which does not like to con-
centrate and go in. It is accustomed from numberless past
births to wander about and remain scattered. So it will
take time to make the mind motionless and collected. Go
in with love and faith. The Master, in His Astral Form, is
waiting to receive you in the eye focus and is protecting
you so far as is consistent with your karma, which needs to

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be washed off.
God is One and there is only one way to reach Him, and
that way is within every human being regardless of caste
and creed. The major part of humanity is utterly igno-
rant of this internal Path and wants to find God in external
objects or practices.
The internal Spiritual Path and teaching have nothing
to do with world religions and social rules. Just as by at-
tending a school, one becomes master of science, so is the
case with Spiritual Knowledge. This method of spiritual
concentration and uplift is natural. It was not designed by
any human being. It is the design of the Creator, and none
can alter, amend or add to it. It is as ancient as man. The
Creator, when He created man, designed this Path in him.
96. You say you are “highly interested in attaining the
higher realms of God’s spiritual world.”
We are to seek God’s spiritual world and God within us.
The spiritual worlds lie behind the mental worlds and the
mental worlds are at the back of the physical world. Our
attention is, at present, held by the physical world through
the nine portals of the body — eyes, ears, nose, and so forth
— whereas access to the mental and the spiritual worlds is
through the tenth portal, located in the eye center. So long,
therefore, as our attention does not develop the capacity to
detach itself from the world, vacate the nine portals of the
body and collect in the eye center, we have not even come
to the starting point of the path to the mental and spiritual
world. From this point — the eye center — the attention
sticks to the Sound Current and follows it right through the
mental worlds to the Spiritual worlds and God. The Master,
who is familiar with the Path, acts throughout as a guide.
The method, as was explained to you at the time of Initi-
ation, is the simplest when compared with other methods.

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This has been followed and recommended by the past Mas-

ters. It is natural, within all, designed by God, and as old
as the creation itself.
Because our attention in the long, long past, lost touch
with the Sound Current and got attached to the mind and
the physical world, adopting forms of life according to the
actions performed, it has become materialized in a way
and now finds it difficult to detach itself from the material
world, vacate the nine portals of the body and concentrate
in the eye center; thereby dematerializing itself and becom-
ing fit co make contact with the Sound Current again and
enter the mental plane.
The simplest way to dematerialize the attention is Sim-
ran — the repetition of the five Names by the attention in
the eye center. When the attention is engaged in the eye
center in this Repetition, it begins to withdraw itself from
the world and from the extremities of the body, leaving
them numb. As the practice increases, leaving the whole
body numb, the attention concentrates in the eye center
and enters a new world.
This method is natural with us, as everyone in this
world is engaged in repeating words — a farmer is mental-
ly making use of words connected with his work when he
thinks of his fields and bullocks and plans agricultural op-
eration; a housewife thinks in words connected with what
is in stock in the house and what is to be purchased for the
table; a lawyer thinks in words connected with his cases.
In this method of concentration, by repeating words in the
eye center there is no change in our daily habit, only new
words have been substituted, thereby changing the subject
matter but not the habit. The words we use in concentration
refer to nothing in the external material world but refer to
our Spiritual Journey within us.

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Therefore, let there be no doubt about the simplicity

and the efficacy of the method. If followed with faith, love
and perseverance, it is bound to give results. Strong effort
is needed in making every venture a success. I am glad to
read in your letter: “Nothing else in life is as important to
me as drawing ever closer to my Father’s Home.” This is
the aim of human life, for it is given to man alone and to no
other form of life, to reach his Father’s Home.
When sitting in meditation and repeating the Names,
there should be no attempt to look for light. So long as the
attention is wandering outside and has not collected in the
eye center, who is there to see light? The faculty that is to
see light within is yet outside. The attempt should be to
keep the attention engaged in the eye center in mere repe-
tition of Names and doing nothing else. When hands and
fingers get tired, pay no attention to these but keep the at-
tention busy in the eye center. Light is not to come from
the outside. Light is there inside already, only we are out.
When we will go in, we will see the light.
There is no power on earth or heaven greater than the
power of Sound Current. It is the Primary Power. All other
powers are derived or secondary. So, anybody who is con-
nected with the Sound Current, and practices, must accept
once for all that he cannot be adversely affected by hypno-
tists, spiritualists, mediums or any of their clique. Even the
angel of death dares not come near one who is connected
with the Sound Current. Sound Current is the cure for all
weaknesses that flesh is heir to. Please throw off the ideas
from your mind that you are under the influence of a spiri-
tualist. Nothing of this sort.
Another fact of equal importance is that we have to un-
dergo our fate karma. Before a child comes out of its moth-
er’s womb, its fate is recorded on its forehead, hands and
feet. It is the result of our own actions done in our past life.

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Whatever we had sown then, we are to reap now. There is

no change in that. The wise put up with that patiently, even
willingly, and the unwise cry but undergo it all the same.
But if one concentrates his attention and catches the Sound
Current, his will power becomes strong; thereby his capac-
ity to go through his fate karma increases, and the ups and
downs of life leave no scars on him.
So, in whatever walk or circumstances of life we find
ourselves placed, we should endeavor our best to earn
our living honestly, discharge our duties faithfully, live a
healthy, normal, moral life, willingly put up with our fate
and devote ourselves to the practice of the Sound Current
so that our past account is settled and our future is along
the Path of the Sound Current, which leads to our Spiritual
Home.
You may adopt any course in which you think you will
be able to live a healthy, normal life leading to your Spiri-
tual Home. The choice is yours.
97. —cannot cause you any harm if you perform your
meditation and hear the Sound Current with love and faith.
Do not entertain any sort of apprehension from — but go
on doing your meditation. Master is within you and always
watching over you.
Regarding your marriage, I have already expressed my
thoughts in my previous letter. If—loves you, you can mar-
ry him. But if he is addicted to animal food and liquor, it is
possible that he may induce you to take the same. In that
case your spiritual progress will be hindered. Yet, if you
can prevail upon him to give up the use of these articles,
then you will be able to-pull on well with him and both of
you will live happily together.
You can do whatever you like for earning your liveli-
hood, but continue carrying on your meditation so that

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your spiritual progress may also continue.

98. You complain of your mind wandering out during
Repetition. When you sit for the purpose you should warn
your mind not to generate any thought of any kind during
the time, and to throw out any idea that crops up. Keep a
guard over your mind and do not allow it to go out during
Repetition. In this way you will be able, by and by, to still
the mind.
The direction (one meal a day) in “Sar Bachan” is meant
for those who have given up the world and its work, and
who have resolved to do nothing else but meditate in their
lives. Those who live in the world and have to earn their
own living or look after a household, should take as many
meals as will keep up their health.
You cannot see or hear with my eyes or ears. In order
to see the Light or hear the Sound, it is necessary that your
mind should acquire the power of concentration, for which
you should work hard on your Repetition while keeping
the mind present. As you get concentration, you will get
Light and Sound.
99. Man is a limited being although he has the ability
of becoming limitless. The degree to which this ability has
been developed by anyone changes his outlook about Na-
ture. Therefore, there are different ways of looking at the
same thing and interpreting the same phenomenon.
Take the instance of man: He is the product of his own
activity in the past — his karma — which expresses itself
as his hopes and desires, under whose influence he works
now in this life. Nature has impressed the same karmic ac-
tivity on his hands, feet, forehead, and so on. The palmist
reads his destiny from the markings on the hands. Some
read him from the markings on his feet or forehead, or from
the eyes. A phrenologist judges him from the structure of

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his head. An astrologer casts his life from the position of

planets at the time of his birth. Yet others, who have con-
trolled their own minds, see him as the impression of his
mind in matter, and read him directly from his mind. All
are right in their respective spheres.
The same applies to “What controls weather?” The
Weather Bureau forecasts it from the observations of the
atmospheric conditions. An astronomer sees it as the effect
of planetary motions and the cosmic forces. An astrologer
casts it from the position of planets and stars.
As all Nature is One, the natural phenomena and the
living forms are interrelated, and weather plays a very im-
portant part in the life of man and beast. When things go
beyond the grasp of the intellect, man tries in faith to propi-
tiate Nature by singing hymns, performing yags (sacrifices)
and so forth.
Saints see God in action, throughout Nature and abide
by His Will. To them Cosmic Forces, Karmic Law, Plane-
tary Motions, Nature, Weather, forms of life and their ac-
tivity are outward expressions of God in action. They see
harmony in them. In our ignorance, we see a little part of
Nature and think “Nature is cruel”. If we go within, we de-
velop a wider outlook and begin to see harmony in Nature,
in place of discord.
100. There can be no harm in rearing cattle for sale
to feeders who do not slaughter cattle. It may be that by this
restriction you may be losing a part of your profits in trade;
yet, for the sake of principle, I hope you would not mind
the sacrifice. If you think that the cattle business would
bring you good income and that it would be easier for you
on account of past experience, it would not be worth while
not to take it up or give it up during the present war condi-
tions. While earning, make enough money to lead a life of

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ease and comfort after the war is over.

I am glad to find that you are determined to go ahead,
both spiritually and physically. A firm resolve and the de-
termination to carry on in the face of all obstacles, go a long
way in bringing about success.
The prescribed posture results in concentration in short-
er time than any other posture. Keep up your courage and
determination. Sooner or later you will be successful.
101. You have nothing whatever to do with — or
with any other disciple. No doubt— took part in your Ini-
tiation but that was merely as my messenger, and he can
exercise no sort of control or authority over you, whether
spiritual, mental or physical. You are in direct contact and
connection — spiritually — with me alone. Though I do not
say that you should not associate with any other disciple
whom you like.
At Initiation you were given the Names of the Lords of
the five planes as well as the Names of the planes them-
selves. You are to repeat only the Names of the five Lords
and no other name. They are to be repeated seriatum, from
the Lord of lowest plane to the Lord of the highest plane.
You are not to repeat any name that may have been re-
vealed to you by anyone before your Initiation.
This Repetition is meant to bring about concentration
of the mind and soul and, as a result of the concentration,
the extremities of the body should feel benumbed during
meditation. As you advance in your concentration, gradu-
ally the whole of the body will feel benumbed. You will see
light within, as you concentrate.
Remember, please, that any disciple of the Master, who
carries on meditation in the way revealed to you at Initia-
tion, is free from the effect of every kind of magic. His soul

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cannot be under the control of any other soul, provided he

works with love and faith, abstains from animal food and
drink, and keeps his mind pure. If you keep your mind and
conduct pure, you cannot come under the influence of any-
one. No one can stop your spiritual progress.
Do not be anxious. Work upon your meditation and
write to me about your progress from time to time, and
you will be given good advice.
102. Everybody in this world has to undergo a
heavy burden of karma, accumulated during numerous
past births, and anybody who takes upon himself the duty
of Initiation, without my authority, has to bear a part of the
karma of the one whom he Initiates without my authority.
Until a soul has reached the third stage and has cast off the
three coverings, he cannot bear the burden of other’s kar-
mas, and not even his own, which have to be washed off
before the soul is allowed to leave the Second Stage for the
Third. A person so interfering in Initiations not only delays
his own progress but has to carry additional burden.
Master does not want to raise an army or to collect sub-
scriptions. He only wants to do good to True Seekers after
God. His motive is pure, selfless. He does not expect any
kind of reward or fees from them. . .You need not try to dis-
sipate your mental and spiritual powers in winning people
over to your point of view. Master is present with every-
one, and it is His work to attract people towards Himself.
You should work hard on your meditation, keeping your
mind free from sexual thoughts.
You are doing right in keeping your attention inside,
and if you work hard, you will have clear vision of objects
and persons and scenes. You will also see the form of the
Master clearly. The parents of a devoted disciple are always
Helped by the Master, even if they died long ago.

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103. Thanks, I appreciate frankness but this seems

to be a case of misunderstanding. My letters are, of course,
drafted by secretaries, according to verbal instructions, but
there was absolutely no idea, nor can there be any, of pa-
rading anybody’s personal problems or letting down any-
body as it were. On the other hand, it has always been our
principle to treat personal problems as confidential... I am
sorry to find you so perturbed, but I can assure you that
there was nothing personal about it, and this should put
you at ease. You should take a charitable view as becomes
a student of Sant Mat.
Now as to the various questions asked and points raised
in your letters:
1- Yes-mentality, Knowledge and Belief. You say that
you are not a yesman. Well and good. We too do not want
this mentality. Sant Mat is based upon real knowledge, the
knowledge, that promotes honest inquiry.
It is a liberal system and does not stifle opinion or insist
on blind belief. To start with, it asks you to accept some
fundamental concepts, only by way of a working hypoth-
esis, even as in Euclid you take a theorem for granted only
that you might be able to demonstrate its truth in the end.
You must not forget, however, the subtle nature of the sub-
ject which cannot be adequately discussed and understood
by mere intellectual reasoning. It deals with Eternal Truths,
beyond the reach of Mind and Buddhi, and can therefore be
comprehended properly only when the student goes in and
gets some background of personal, Spiritual experiences.
Those who devote sufficient time are verifying these truths
for themselves, and these include both, Indians as well as
foreigners. We do not force conviction upon anybody. We
like the conviction to grow from within as a result of one’s
own personal experience. Let the student devote sufficient
time and work as directed. The rest will follow.

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Till then, one must have faith or work would be impos-

sible. If the great explorers and adventurers of the world
who widened the horizon of our knowledge had no faith
in their enterprises, they would not have been able to go
on and suffer many privations and hardships. What dis-
tinguished Columbus from his followers? An unshakable
faith and an indomitable will.
2- Master. Your conception of the Master is correct.
He is in the world for our good and guidance, for, without
a Master who will teach us? Man can be taught by man
only. The Master is unselfish, without any prejudice, and
our true well-wisher and benefactor. He is with us in this
world, in Spiritual Regions, and even in the Court of the
Most High; but this realization comes only when the veil of
mind has been lifted.
S-Life and its law. Yes, life is Change. Nothing is here
at a standstill; the direction is the result of the interplay of
so many forces, known and unknown, including our own
efforts.
The whole universe is subject to laws, but the same laws
may not be operative and to the same extent in all places.
This is again a point which is best understood when one
goes in.
When we talk of Universal Laws, we mean the laws of
this known material universe, and even here our knowl-
edge is far from complete. How little do we know about
conditions on Mars or the Moon? How can you know, by
mere intellectual discussion, the conditions in fine ethereal
and spiritual regions? Here you have only to believe; if you
want to know, you must gird up your loins and go in.
Life is an immensely complicated affair. Every effect
is the result of so many causes, and likewise every cause
has so many effects which differ in intensity according to

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prevailing conditions. If we know all the causes accurately,

and their background, we should be able to predict the ef-
fect accurately. I do not follow your line of reasoning here
and how this is relative to the career of a student of Sant
Mat.
Initiation. I do not wonder if you are unable to appre-
ciate the value of Initiation, because you have not gone in.
It is true, one must work and transform himself to reap the
fullest advantage, but even to be initiated is a great priv-
ilege and perhaps you will realize it by and by. It is no
small thing to be set on the right road and have an unerring
Guide who is always ready to keep you on the way as soon
as you make a start, who makes Himself visible as you
progress, and stands by you in all circumstances. Think
of the thousands who worked hard, denied themselves all
pleasures and even comforts, and yet could not reach the
Goal because they were not initiated by a perfect Master.
The posture and the Key Words have got their significance.
They may not appeal to some people, but you doubtless
realize that every game must be played according to rules.
The fact is that the over-critical often waste their opportu-
nities while the simple-minded win the day.
Initiation by a Perfect Master. Man is the image of God.
As you say, man has great potentialities; but till these po-
tentialities are realized and actualized, they are of no use.
In this phenomenal world man the master appears as man
the slave; for as long as he is the slave of his appetites, he
cannot know real happiness. He must first learn to control
himself and be his own master before he can be Master of
the world.
This can be done only by realization within, and for
that, contacting a Perfect Master is the first step. We must
learn to rise above the senses. This is expressed in our ter-
minology by saying that we must rise above this house of

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nine doors and knock at the tenth. We have been turned

out of the Royal Palace, as it were, and the door banged on
us. Some one must remind us of our rights, and teach us
how to turn our back on the delights and pleasures of this
world, and how to knock at the tenth door and gain admit-
tance. That some one is the Master.
Meeting the Master is a condition necessary and prece-
dent to the working of His Grace, and does not imply any
limitation of opportunity as you seem to think. The oppor-
tunities are offered to those only who have some chance of
profiting by them. We do not complain that the rain comes
through the clouds only and does not fall straight out of the
blue void. We are convinced that this is the Law. Similarly,
this law operates with regard to spiritual matters. We must
know whence and how we came down and must Teturn by
the same route. The Key is in the hands of the Master.
An imperfect Master would not be able to lead the initi-
ate to the highest goal. Please remember we are talking of
the highest ultimate goal, and for that the Perfect Master
is absolutely necessary. One may make progress, as it is
ordinarily understood, even without such Initiation and, if
ardent enough, may reach the region of the stars, the sun
and the moon, but he will not be able to go beyond that.
Sant Mat’s ideal is very high. It aims only at the highest
and the Absolute Good. That is why it does not think much
of so-called spiritual healing, etc. The comparative value of
such work is inferior to what Sant Mat offers. Why should
you be contented with a cent when you can earn a dollar?
Your reference to a person cast on an island is not quite
clear. If such a person is initiated, he has nothing to fear
and may even do a little better because there will be few
distractions in his case. The Moghul Emperor, Akbar the
Great, wanted to ascertain what would happen to children

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if nobody talked to them, and if they would develop any

natural language. He had some newborn babes transferred
to a building called the Dumb Palace, where they were
looked after by dumb attendants. They all grew up to be
dumb and uttered sounds like animals.
Healing, Social Service, etc. We do not inculcate isola-
tionism or selfishness, but advocate the highest ideal of Ser-
vice. Service is indeed the backbone of our organization;
and most of our workers, from men and women working
in the kitchens to secretaries and superintendents of de-
partments, are honorary. The highest service to yourself, to
others and to the Master is going inside.
Healing is not bad but we aim at the best, as has been
said before. These other services, rest assured, will not be
neglected. There are plenty of others to carry out the ser-
vices of the type you mention. To keep our eyes fixed on
the highest ideal and work for it day and night, cannot be
called niggardliness. Is the chemist who carries on his re-
search in his laboratory and denies himself the usual social
pleasures a selfish man, or an isolationist? There is another
point, too. Your power of good now is very limited. It is not
bad to send good thoughts but these thoughts bind you to
lower planes. Golden fetters are also fetters.
If you charge your patients, this is not much of social
service, and if you do not, you will have to come down
again to reap the fruit of your good actions.
Doing good will certainly bring its reward, but it will
not bring about the Release from birth and death. Perhaps
you do not appreciate this point of view.
Again, let us suppose that a philanthropist visits a jail
and donates a sum of money for giving the prisoners a
treat, or induces the authorities to improve their conditions
of living; or, again, the Red Cross Society sends parcels of

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sweets, clothing and other things to these prisoners. They

have all improved the prisoners’ lot and momentarily made
them happy. But they are still in the jail. Then comes an un-
ostentatious looking figure who holds the key to the jail. He
opens the door and tells them that they are free henceforth,
and even arranges for their passage home. Who has ren-
dered the greatest service? That is the way of Saints.
— was under certain conditions allowed to continue the
healing which was her profession and I am glad to hear
you say that she has rigidly and conscientiously adhered
to those conditions, but the general rule remains the same
and — was right in pointing out the general rule. He had
no authority to relax the conditions. The fact still remains
that her progress has not been as rapid and satisfactory as
it would have been if it had been possi’de for her to devote
all her time to Radhaswami practices. This is no disparage-
ment of— but a plain fact and the natural result of the law
which operates without regard to persons.
1-Four lives. Your reference to the maximum of four
lives is rather amusing. There is absolutely no compulsion
to finish your pilgrimage here in the compass or four lives
only. In fact, nobody can go up as long as he has desires
on the earth plane. They will surely drag him down. The
Master can show the way and help you along the Path, but
does not force you. Please note that it is a privilege and not
an obligation.
For souls with intense longing one life may be enough,
but the Saints generally try to finish up the karmas of the
Initiates within a maximum of four lives. You may look
upon it as something queer, but once you begin to go in
and taste the joys of spiritual life, your point of view will
change.
S-The Master. The Masters are very broad-minded and

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do not care at all what you think about them. You may
certainly look upon the Master as a friend if you find that
helpful, and he is certainly the best and the truest friend. I
will again say, go in and see for yourself.
You may come here and study things for yourself when-
ever it is possible and convenient, but you will have to wait
till the end of the War at least. In the end I would add that
Sant Mat teaches true humility, forbearance and charity,
and it is this spirit that ought to permeate our thoughts as
well as our actions.
104. I am glad you read my letter in the spirit in
which it was written. You already had taken such a gener-
ous view, as your letter revealed. I am also glad that you
keep an open mind and conscientiously try to get other
viewpoints.
“Having been raised in Christendom, to me, the life of
Jesus the Christ — has been — and still is — a height of
perfection still unattained by the majority of us. Which be-
ing the case He has held the place — not of an idol — but of
an ideal, a model, if you will, for Real Life.” Almost similar
opinion is held by the followers of other religions regard-
ing the lives of the founders of their religions. There is some
justification for that, as the founders appeared on the scene
at different times and in different countries with different
political, economical and social backgrounds. No two lives
are therefore strictly comparable. General inferences may
be drawn.
When the Spirit of the religion disappears, religion de-
teriorates, and priesthood appears. And, “Priests of all re-
ligions are the same”, and so are their followers. Whereas
every founder practised and preached morality, brother-
hood of man and Oneness of God and, above all, (this is
their mission) invited people to accompany them to the

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Kingdom of their Lord in Heaven; the followers, in fact, are

slaves of their senses, thereby selfish, and have no use for
the Kingdom of their Lord in Heaven.
Some read scriptures and feel virtuous, some do little
charitable acts and feel over virtuous and — on the strength
of the founders whom they never met and therefore could
not possibly accept — claim Heaven to themselves and
deny it to others. How simple a device to by-pass Satan
and attain Salvation!
In my last letter it was stated that to live the life of Christ,
one must develop the latent powers in himself which Christ
had developed. Man is an inexhaustible store of powers.
The whole creation is within him along with the Creator.
The drop is in the Ocean and the Ocean is in the drop. Cre-
ation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in all creation.
In the absence of the tapping of that power from within,
it is impossible to grasp the significance even of the moral
teaching of Christ —what to say of the Kingdom of His Fa-
ther in Heaven.
So long as our attention is attached to the sense organs,
we are slaves of the senses. Whichever sense pleases, pulls
the attention over to itself. The attention of the eye is irre-
sistibly pulled out when it sees a beautiful object. The at-
tention of the ear is pulled out when it hears a sweet voice.
When we came out of the mother’s womb and opened our
eyes, we saw the world; when we opened our ears, we
heard the voices of the world; when we opened our tongue,
we replied to what we heard; and thereby we established
our connection with the world and became of this world.
We practiced this in mother’s arms, at the feet of the teach-
ers in schools, and do the same in daily life. This is our life
— confined to this world — the material plane.
Before we came into this world, our attention worked

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on a different plane — the mental plane. Coming out into

this material plane we forgot all about the mental plane.
If now we can close our eyes, ears, and tongue — do not
allow our attention to run out through the eyes, ears, and
tongue — we disconnect ourselves from this material plane
and reconnect ourselves with the mental plane. Our mental
powers will be developed. On the strength of these pow-
ers, we would be living on the material plane, but would
not be of matter — would not be slaves of the senses and
the objects of the senses. We would be the masters of our
senses, for our attention would not run foolishly through
the senses, and we would use our senses when we would
wish to use them. Then lust, anger, greed, attachment and
pride will have been replaced by continence, forgiveness,
contentment, discrimination and humility.
When well established in the mental plane, marvelous
powers will develop. One could heal the sick, give sight
to the blind, cast out devils, feed hundred thousands from
one loaf of bread, walk on water, and fly in the air. But it
must be stated that the use of these powers is dangerous—
is playing into the hands of the Negative Power. The con-
dition is like that of an engine running wild, to its own de-
struction, without a governor.
Sant Mat does not permit their use. They draw out the
attention from the Sound Current — the Positive Power —
and stop the attention from rising above the mental plane
and entering into the pure spiritual planes. Sant Mat invites
its votaries to go within themselves and verify all this. And
here is the rub. If going within were so simple, priests would
not have taken to the study of scriptures. They would study
themselves — God’s book — instead of man-made books,
and would have found God, instead of indulging in talk
about God. If a priest is asked to commit to memory fifty
pages of a book by the evening, he does so; but if asked to

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put his mind out of action for five minutes, he throws up

his arms in despair. This is the reason why there is so much
talk about religion and so little of it in practice.
Then there are the moralists who seek salvation through
morality. When the attention uses the senses at will, which
means when the attention has established itself in the eye
center, there is morality in practice. But the Kingdom of
Heaven is far away yet. Morality is a means and not an end.
Then there is a group which believes in salvation after
death through service to mankind. And what is this service?
It is Charity, in one form or another — all kinds of charita-
ble deeds including mental healings intended to give relief
from suffering. They are very good acts, no doubt, resulting
in good rewards, but bonds on the attention all the same,
for, to get their reward there will be rebirth. Such acts do
not break the continuity of birth after birth.
And reliance on Salvation after death is the finest form
of self-deception man practices on himself. If there is no
Salvation while alive, it will not come after death. He who
is illiterate when alive cannot be a scholar after death.
The sum total of these observations is that there is one
power and one only — the Sound Current — which leads us
from the eye center to our Spiritual Home. All other powers
(without exception) keep us confined to the material and
mental planes, giving us forms according to our actions. If,
during lifetime, entry has been made into the eye center and
the Sound Current (Bell sound) has been grasped, life has
been usefully spent. If this has not been done, even though
all else has been done — and most successfully — then life
has been wasted. This done, all is done; this not done, all
else done is as if nothing is done. Such is the finding of Sant
Mat and it is a fact. It is not an. arbitrary mandate.
Only the other day I was in the foot hills of the Himala-

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yas for Sat Sang. Some twelve hundred were initiated. The
hill folk are usually simple and pure-minded. At the very
time of Initiation there were many who saw light within
themselves, and some heard the Bell Sound. On account of
their scattered minds, it is difficult for the educated to con-
centrate. But with faith and perseverance it becomes easy.
When this is the only way, and we are to go this way,
then why not go now? You have received Initiation (first
step). You know where to go — Sachkhand. You know the
way — through the eyes, and the five stages whose dis-
tinctive marks have been given. You know the method —
Simran — to reach the eye center, and — Sound Current
— from this center upward. It is now for you to take the
next step — reach the eye center. You may depend on your
Friend for assistance. When the child begins to stand on his
legs, the father gives his supporting hand.
Regarding “The idea that all efforts should be given over
to personal advancement, while Universal Service should
receive scant attention”, the position is that we should not
attempt rendering a service in which we are not qualified.
He who has learnt swimming just to keep his head above
water must not go in deep waters to save a person in trou-
ble there. Instead he can shout for help, throw in a rope,
push in a log of wood or do some such things. It is better to
have only one tragedy in place of a double tragedy. If he is
an expert swimmer, it would be criminal on his part if he
did not go to the rescue.
Universal service as the aim of brotherhood is an ex-
cellent idea. But universal service and individual are con-
tradictory terms. So long as an individual has not made
himself universal, he is incapable of rendering universal
service. And the individual is an individual so long as his
attention is confined to the nine portals of his body. As such
he functions very imperfectly even on the material plane.

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The mental and the spiritual planes are inaccessible to him.

He does not even know what lies on the other side of the
wall, and little knows what is wrong with himself.
He has to cure himself from the disease of individual-
ity before he thinks of brotherhood and universal service.
When he has concentrated himself in the eye center, he will
have cast off the matter from him, and matter will be no
hindrance to him. He will know what lies on the other side
of the wall. He will be partially cured. When he has thrown
off his mind, after penetrating through the mental planes,
and has entered into the Spiritual plane, he is pure soul.
Matter and mind have been cast off. From an individual
confined to the material plane, he is now capable of func-
tioning at will and unhindered on the material, mental and
spiritual planes. He has become universal and completely
cured. The whole world benefits from such a one.
Defining a thing to a person means expressing it in terms
which the person understands — in other words, of which
he has the experience. St. John, in chapter 1, verses 1—5,
has tried to explain the Word, bringing the definition down
to our experience, step by step. He describes the Word as
(a) identical with God, (b) Maker of all things, (c) the Life,
(d) the Light of men. At the other end the Word is God,
and at this end it is our Life and Light which, in our dark-
ness, we do not comprehend. He who has comprehended
the Word as Light, Life, Maker of all things and as God,
bestows upon as many as approach Him, the power to be-
come the sons of God. So God, the Word, and the Son of
God form the Trinity — three aspects of the One.
All Saints are Sons of God; their mission is to make oth-
ers the sons of God; their method is the Word —
Sound Current. There is no other method. The difference
lies in the extent to which this Word has been traced by
its votaries. The Word is light. It resounds throughout the

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whole creation — material, mental and spiritual — with-

in us and outside us. It is light and sound both. Sant Mat
connects with it as Sound. The lights and sounds at the dif-
ferent stages of the journey are already known to you. The
significance of the Word will grow step by step with expe-
rience.
Many thanks for sending me love and a little portion of
universal blessing.
A potter considers his own pots the best till he sees oth-
ers of better make. So do the followers of a particular re-
ligion till they experience something better. It is true and
very true that Christ lived a pure, sublime life. His Sermon
on the Mount gives his moral teaching and is the beacon of
light for the guidance of humanity. The strength to Jive up
to this teaching he derived from the practice of the Word,
the Sound Current. And the higher the rise on this Current,
the greater the strength. There are many who excel others
in this field and go beyond their reach. You can realize the
truth of this statement if you work your way up.
The physical, astral and causal bodies are the cages, one
inside the other, to keep the soul from escaping and flying
to its Home. It is a parrot in a triple cage. When the cages
are cut off it comes into its own, and is free to fly. This is
freedom of man, to be attained in human form while alive.
I doubt if light and sound vibrations could be fitted in
a mathematical equation. But this is a fact: the Word gives
out both, light and sound. At this end, in the physical plane,
the light and sound are lost in gross matter. On the finer
planes — astral, causal and spiritual — Sound is audible
and Light is visible. At the upper end the Sound is the finest
music — unheard by human ears — and the Light is of mil-
lions of suns and moons in one ray. Some idea, just an idea
of the beauty and grandeur, has been given to you in terms

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of sounds and lights of this world. The Reality is beyond

description, and our mathematics is too poor to solve even
our problems of the physical plane.
105. Jesus says,
Call no one Master save ‘Christ’
Every Saint has said the same. Correctly speaking, man,
as he is (not what he is capable of), that is so long as his
attention is working in the nine portals of the body and
has not entered through the eye center into the astral plane
and seen the Astral Form of the Master and His working
on that plane, is incapable of making a distinction between
one who is ‘christened’ and one who is not ‘christened’, for
he does not see within and his will is weak and is easily
swayed away by senses and objects of senses. It is not given
to the blind to catch one with eyes. One who has eyes may,
if he likes, associate with the blind, of his choice. However,
the blind (whose attention is working from the eye center
in an outward direction and does not see within) can work
diligently on repetition of the Names, and the Word, and
thereby experience the withdrawal of their current from
the extremities of the body towards the eye center. Step by
step, they can develop in themselves the capacity to see the
latent ‘Christ’ and the Master, for He is in tune with the
Word and responds in an active manner by clearing their
way to the eye center.
A schoolmaster goes out of his way to help his shining
students. Saints go a step further. So long as they are in
the human form, they do not call themselves Masters and
do not wish to be called Masters. They call themselves His
humble servants. If we ask them who is the Master, then
their answer is, “the Almighty or the Word”
The Word is the latent ‘Christ’ in all. People are in dark-
ness and do not comprehend that they are the Word in and

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out — flesh, light and life. If they could comprehend the

Word in themselves, they would be in light and alive and
in the Kingdom of God in Heaven. Jesus was Christ on ac-
count of his comprehension of the Word in him, and there-
by he had risen above the weakness of the flesh and was
capable of Jifting others to his level. The Word is Universal
Law, the Word is God. Therefore, living in the Word is liv-
ing in harmony with God and Universal Law, not other-
wise.
Unfortunately, the span of life in this Kaliyuga is too
short and the struggle for existence too keen. There is little
time for leisure and search for Truth. But we have to work
in these environments to develop the latent ‘Christ’ in us.
It cannot be ignored or postponed if the full benefit of the
human form is to be derived. I am glad this work receives
your attention.
Your Friend or Master is within you, nearer than any-
thing else, and watches you. Whenever your attention is di-
rected towards the eye center, He hears you and responds,
but His response is missed by you because your attention
wavers and runs outwards. If you could hear inside, you
would be in tune. I wish you may come up to Him and
see Him inside, face to face, instead of merely sensing His
presence.
“There are many who like to discuss philosophy in the
abstract but care little for placing that same philosophy into
practice.” This is human nature expressing both its strength
and weakness. The strength lies in the fact that man, al-
though in practice finds himself weak and incapable of ex-
ecuting what he wills, yet perseveres in seeking that some-
thing, the attainment of which will make him strong and
happy. He is an eternal seeker and in all his wanderings
in transmigration has been in search of what he lacks. His
discussion of philosophy is his innate urge to seek light.

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The weakness lies in that in his long wandering he has

almost lost his capital and is bankrupt now, too weak to
stand unaided on his legs. He was soul at one time when
he was in intimate touch with the Word. That was long,
long ago when he was in spiritual regions. When the soul
lost touch with the Word and associated with the mind
in the mental planes, the jewel was thrown away and the
imitation grasped. The debased coin could pass as genu-
ine on the mental planes only but is not acceptable in the
spiritual planes. The access to the spiritual planes was thus
debarred.
The coin was further debased when mind and soul left
the mind planes and associated with gross matter in the
physical plane. Here the jewel is no longer traceable, man
has no knowledge of soul and very poor knowledge of
mind. The coin has become spurious and has no purchas-
ing power in the markets of the mental and spiritual planes.
Soul has been materialized, and human nature has become
very weak. Therefore, people talk of philosophy and are
too weak to put it in practice unaided. They need a living
‘Christ’ not only to rebaptize them with the Word but to
help them both by precept and example. His talks are defi-
nite and specific instead of vague and general, and He (the
living Master) is the living example of what He says. His
teaching, the real philosophy, the substance of philosophy,
is the Word which can be practised only under the guid-
ance of a living Master or ‘Christ’.
When Masters and ‘Christs’, of old were in the flesh,
they came in contact with people and, in their physical
form, were in a position to associate with them and help
them. When they are not in flesh and are back in the Word
they are helpless to instruct us, for we are out of tune with
ourselves and cannot comprehend Them. The Word has
been, is, and will be, the Basic Reality. It is imperishable

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and all-pervading and is present in all beings. If people

could derive benefit from this all-pervading Word, or if
this all-pervading Word could help people directly, there
would have been no need at any time for the Masters or
‘Christs’ to appear in flesh amongst people. If there was
need for Their appearance at one time, the same need re-
quires Their presence now.
A living teacher is needed to school our children, a liv-
ing doctor to prescribe for our ailments, a living judge to
settle our disputes and a living Master to give us our lost
Jewel — the Word. The few who try to put their philosophy
into practice feel the need for a living Master, for they come
across difficulties and, to get over them, need guidance.
In other words, there is dualism in man — a strong out-
ward tendency or a centrifugal force (the mind) which pre-
vents him from getting in touch with the Word and keeps
him slave of the senses and the objects of senses. Through-
out his life, whether in the lap of the mother, by the side of
the father, at the feet of the teacher, in company of wife and
children or in his vocation of life, he receives training to de-
velop this outward tendency. The weak, inward tendency,
the centripetal force, remains undeveloped. In Masters and
‘Christs’ the outward, centrifugal force has been nullified
and the inward, centripetal force has been developed. They
have disassociated their souls from the mind and associat-
ed them with the Word.
When we associate with Masters we come under their
influence. They talk of our latent strength, of our spiritu-
al origin, of our Kingdom in Heaven, point out the Way
within us, of going back to our Eternal Spiritual Home; not
merely point the Way and ask us to go alone, but go with
us all the way and further, put us under no obligation and
charge no fee. Could there be a better offer?

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Masters in the flesh are rare. They are superior beings,

and have fully developed their latent powers. Their atten-
tion, unlike ours, is not confined to the physical plane. At
will, their attention has access to the astral, mental and
spiritual planes, and functions on these planes. They are
universal although outwardly they appear as individuals
like others. When in the flesh they speak to us of other su-
perior worlds, and of the Creator, and of our aim in life. To
strengthen our belief, they place before us the writings of
the past Masters as authority, and induce us, in all rational
ways, to experiment and investigate.
Man learns of the universal from a man universalized—
a Master. The Universal Power cannot give him guidance
except by manifesting itself in a man; in other words, by be-
coming a Master. The Master would teach man by stages,
unfolding Himself as the student rises in grade. There is no
other way. Man could not learn from the unseen universal
Creator. He has been with him all through the long, long
past. When the Creator wishes to bring anybody back to
Him, He brings him in touch with a Master and, through
Him, with the Word. This is how it has worked in the past
and how it will work in future.
Dr. Johnson:
Living Master is necessary. To follow a Master not alive
is fruitless.
The Word is the teaching of the Masters. To follow a
Master means practicing the Word — catching the Sound
Current from the eye center and riding on that. Only a liv-
ing Master can give us the Word. We can neither get it from
books nor from Masters not now alive for the simple rea-
son that the Word is not present in books, nor with their
help can we catch it from within ourselves, and we do not
know how to come in contact with them. The teaching of

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the living, or the dead Masters when they were alive, is and
was the Word, and if the Word has not been contacted in
human form, one’s life has been “fruitless”.
Living a good moral life, giving charities and doing ser-
vice to humanity and such other things; or, let us say, put-
ting into practice the Sermon on the Mount, is not really
the^ teaching of the Masters. This is the sphere of moralists,
social reformers, preachers and schoolmasters. It is like the
sale of separated milk from which cream has been removed.
The Masters give free cream, butter and clarified fat.
There is one point, however: A dead Master is not dead
to his Initiates. The disciples on earth have lost the benefit
of His physical form, no doubt, and for that they must go
to His Successor. His Astral Form remains with them and
if they have access to their own eye center they make con-
tact with that Form and get guidance from it on the inner
planes. In case they have not entered the eye center, and
their attention is confined to the physical plane, their efforts
should be to reach the eye center, while receiving encour-
agement and guidance from the Successor. Dead Masters
are not dead for their Initiates, but they can not make new
Initiates. This is done by the living Master.
Suppose you see a form when awake or in dream and it
poses as ‘Christ’ and asks you to do this or that and, let us
say, foretells events which come out to be correct. How will
you know that this form was really Jesus ‘Christ’? You have
not seen him in physical form. The astral plane abounds in
negative powers which can assume any form they like, and
their aim is to deceive.
If the idea is correct that a dead Master, because He has
become universal, is in an advantageous position to teach
others, meaning thereby connecting others with the Word,
we should be able to find a dozen or half a dozen Christians

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in the world who have studied the Word to the second or

the first stage, or are even familiar with the Word.
Sant Mat is Nature’s design, not man-made, nor can man
make additions, subtractions or modifications in it. There is
no theory about it. It is a hard fact — a substance. It already
exists complete in man. Man has only to look within him-
self to see what lies in him. No imagination is involved.
If you find my answer requires further elucidation,
please write without hesitation. You may please read your
Bible with your friends, particularly St. John, in the light of
Sant Mat. Dr. Johnson’s “The Path of the Masters” clears
many passages in the Bible.
106. I am glad to receive your loving letter and
congratulate you on having such a clear and penetrating
reasoning faculty. Here are a few observations on your
problem:
Every deep-thinking person tries to form a mental pic-
ture of the universe with a view to solve its mystery and
reconstruct the picture, giving it a new color or touch when
he has gained more experience and received more light. The
mind and the intellect being blind, their range is extremely
limited. With these tools the riddle remains unsolved. As a
matter of fact, nobody sitting in the Pinda part of the body
has any clear understanding of the problem. He gropes in
darkness.
Sant Mat gives us the Word as the Key to the solution
of the problem. With every little rise within, there is a new
experience and rapid change in the viewpoint. In Anda
one begins to see some light, and after crossing Brahmanda,
all the coverings on the soul are removed, the soul is naked
(free) and is capable of knowing its origin in Sachkhand.
Reaching there, it experiences that He is Infinite, He is the
Light and Life in all —”All is He” or “All is from Him”, and

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that Almighty God, the Word and the soul are of the same
essence, that the Almighty God is the Ocean of Conscious-
ness and Bliss, the Word (God in action or Creator) is a
wave of the ocean, and that the soul is a drop thereof.
Only He is infinite and all that has been created is fi-
nite. In this sense the soul, the mind, matter and the various
forms of creation are finite, and work in their respective
finite spheres.
The activities of the mind are limited to the three planes
— physical, astral and causal. It has no place above Trikuti.
Soul alone goes up to Sachkhand, working independent of
the mind. In the three planes mentioned above, the soul
works through mind and matter — the mind becoming the
active agent. In Brahmanda the soul takes on a covering
of the finest phase of mind and matter; in Anda it takes
on another covering of comparatively coarser form; and in
Pinda it takes on the third covering, in addition. With each
covering the light of the soul is dimmed and in proportion
it is cut off from the Word.
The same applies to the mind. Mind, having been acti-
vated by soul, works in the three planes and progressively
goes dull with its descent from the top of Trikuti down to
the physical plane.
Both the soul and the mind, when confined in the cover-
ings, forget their origins — the soul its Sachkhand and the
mind its Trikuti.
One has the option to look at the mind as one mind
working in the three planes or that there are three minds
or three aspects or phases of the same mind. It makes no
difference. In its dullest state in the physical plane the mind
is synonymous with “imagination”. Sant Mat does not give
the mind any Divinity or Infinity. As the moon is bright due
to the light of the sun, so the mind is bright due to the’ light

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of the soul — the brightness depending on the amount of

the light received. The inherent nature of mind is material-
istic, outward and negative. When it faces inwardly it gets
illumination from the soul, and when it faces outwardly it
is associated with matter.
Your reasoning is good. “Man must be eternally perfect”.
The Creator is within him and so is His complete creation.
When man has explored himself and seen the creation and
the Creator within himself, he is eternally perfect. But so
long as his investigation is incomplete, he is imperfect. Man
alone, out of the whole creation, has the privilege of “Using
his faculties as he sees fit” and of going within, right up to
the Feet of his Creator in Sachkhand.
Dream is real when one is dreaming. Only when he
awakens or comes into the other state (conscious) and com-
pares the two states, he calls the conscious the real and the
dream the unreal or an illusion. When the attention leaves
the physical plane, enters the astral, and compares the two,
only then the physical world becomes unreal and the as-
tral, the real.
The finite mind which was working on the physical
plane, on entering the astral, casts off one covering and
merges into the finer phase of the mind, loses its separate
existence, and becomes a subtle mind. It has knowledge of
the two planes and can function on these two.
When it has entered the causal plane by casting off the
astral covering, its range extends to the third plane and it
is higher but still mind. The universe of those who call the
mind Universal or Infinite, extends to the causal plane, and
often only to the astral. They have not penetrated further.
Their infinity is finite in the experience and terminology of
the Saints. Their ‘God’ is the ‘mind’ of Sant Mat.
It is incumbent on man to seek his origin because he

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is a “thinking” person. He is expected to “supervise his

planning department”, go inside and go ahead to get his
reward.
I wish that you to go within and see the Reality with
your own eye and to your satisfaction, and compare it with
what your reason has pictured. The substance lies within
you.
107. I am glad you have received Initiation. I
would wish that you work your way up and enter within
your eye center and realize what the Creator has placed
within you. He is there Himself and through the Word is
calling you Home. The Word is His Voice. So, slowly and
steadily, put your mind in Repetition and withdraw your
attention from the body into the eye center; thereby com-
pleting the concentration so that the attention is capable of
grasping the Word.
In the family the members meet as travelers in an inn,
some coming and some going — at their own time. The
meeting and parting is determined by the karma of indi-
viduals — one comes as father, another as mother, another
as son or daughter, and near relatives. Karma determines
friends and foes, and karma has cast the mould of life. Ev-
erybody is running his own race.
108. I very much appreciate the spirit of love and
devotion in which the letter is written. You have done
well in giving up spiritual healing, which resulted in your
taking upon yourself a part of the karma or sins of those
whom you wanted to heal... . Having given up supernat-
ural healing of the sick, the most important problem for
you is how to earn your living. On that part you must be
the best judge. You might take up any honest occupation
you deem fit, by which you may be able to live comfortably
without over-working yourself.

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Solitude is good for spiritual progress Social functions,

besides wasting one’s time, distract one’s mind which,
therefore, becomes difficult to concentrate. Without con-
centration spiritual progress is impossible. Try to devote
some part of your morning time, before beginning your
household or worldly duties, to concentration and hearing
the Sound Current. That is the best time for the purpose.
The greatest book is Man, and every religion has ad-
vised us, “Know thyself!” That knowledge of yourself
comes only by concentrating and collecting the currents of
the mind at the eye focus. By practice, the mind will become
habituated to concentrate at that focus, and the Sound will
become clearer. This is the real way to go within and have
knowledge of yourself, which is the great book we came to
study on this planet.
109. I cannot forbid you to marry as all of us here
are married people. You may marry — with pleasure, and
live wherever you like, but do not let your spiritual prac-
tice of meditation and repetition lessen in any way on that
account. You can carry on your repetition, even while do-
ing your daily household work. If that gentleman also gets
initiated, it would be very good for both of you; so that you
may both become of the same mind and pass your life com-
fortably.
If an initiated person takes his soul inside, he does not
think of sex. My idea in giving you permission for marriage
is that it may become easier for you to live on in this world.
The dreams of which you complain are due to indiges-
tion. Sometimes, when one’s impressions during the day
are connected with sex matters, one is liable to get such
dreams. You should not mind it. As he is not pulling on well
with his wife, there is no harm in your marrying him after
he gets a divorce. After marriage you will have no need to

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offer your services for healing purposes, as you would not

have to earn your own living.
About — and her illness, the recovery depends upon
her past karma and the Will of God. You may keep her with
you and look after her.
110. Please take care that during your Repetition
your mind does not wander out. Keep the mind present.
The teaching is the highest and most natural philosophy.
Purity of mind and character are great aids in the Path. This
is a labor of years. Please do not expect hasty results as the
mind takes time in becoming motionless and quiet.
111. I am very much pleased to learn that you
have been working hard at your spiritual meditation and
got benefit out of it. If you continue to persevere in your la-
bor, you will, be successful one day. When a disciple works
at his concentration, he must get internal peace and joy. He
becomes pure minded and his words will correspond to
his deeds, and the rays emanating from his pure mind will
affect the minds of his associates and his companions. This
is the benefit which is derived by the people around and in
contact with a disciple.
Regarding your question as to how you can be of service
to the Master, the latter does not accept any worldly pres-
ents, all of which are perishable. The best service that a dis-
ciple can render to the Master is to follow His instructions,
to concentrate and to cross the stars, the sun and the moon,
and contact Him on the astral plane within.
You are quite right in not troubling your head with far
off matters. Your only concern should be to control your
mind and to go in.
112. It is always spiritually beneficial to consid-
er oneself as the humblest of the Master’s disciples. You

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need not worry if you cannot help your friends for lack of
spiritual experiences. They are all grounded in the expe-
riences of the Saints. Experiences will come at the proper
time, when the weight of karmas is lifted with Darshan and
Satsang of the Master, and through Bhajan, as directed.
As regards helping your friend’s distant relation, the
idea is laudable, but Sant Mat does not countenance giving
such information by the exercise of spiritual powers. Saints
can know of the whereabout of your relation’s missing son,
but the exercise of. supernatural powers for obtaining such
information is not the way of the Saints who are always
resigned to the Will of the Almighty. Saints have the good
of their disciples at heart and They sometimes convey in-
formation to Their disciples about coming events in their
life by hints; otherwise, They never foretell future events in
spite of having full knowledge of past, present and future.
113. I am glad to learn that you are devoting some
time daily to meditation and concentration. There is no
harm in discussing the principles of Sant Mat with those
who are sincere seekers, but in your own interest, please do
not divulge what you have learnt at the time of Initiation.
If any person becomes interested in this Science and asks
for Initiation, you may please recommend his case to me, if
you consider him suitable. He who imparts this secret takes
upon himself the karmic load of others.
I shall be glad to know that you are living happily and
in circumstances congenial to your peace of mind, and do-
ing Bhajan, for it is Bhajan alone that counts in the long run.
All other activities, no matter how charitable and good-in-
tentioned, and of service to humanity, bring us back to this
physical plane. The Master and the Sound Current — and
they are really One, not two — are our companions here
and hereafter. Hence, their companionship should be culti-
vated even if everything else has to be sacrificed. Best effort

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should be put forth to go in and develop complete concen-

tration, so that the Master and the Sound Current become
Living Realities.
If one now wishes to meet a sage who played his part
here in the old past, one will have to go within himself and
reach the stage where the sage resides. And there is no go-
ing within except with the help of a living Master and the
practice of the Sound Current. I wish that you go within
now and meet your Lord Jesus, and redeem your “pledged
word to the church” to whose allegiance you are sworn for
this life.
It is good that you have entrusted your family affairs
to the care of the Master and made your mind easy. With
love and faith go within and complete your concentra-
tion. With the increase in concentration the will power will
grow strong and you will be able to function without be-
ing perturbed by the family and worldly ups and downs.
When we sit in Bhajan and direct our attention inward, the
Creator within marks our presence, hears our prayer and
blesses us.
114. The spiritual journey is like going up a slip-
pery road. One false step, one weak thought, and the atten-
tion is down and out. The labor of years is undone in a few
moments.
The nature of the mind is fundamentally negative. Al-
though this negation decreases as we rise up, so subtle is
its working that great Rishis, Sufis and Prophets willingly
and joyfully gave themselves up into its arms and played to
its tunes. All the creation in the physical, astral and causal
planes is held bound — hands and feet — by it. At times it
cannot only lose faith and find fault with the Master, but
will easily go to the extent of even denying Him. This is
due to the effect of bad karma. When the period is over,

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there is an awakening again. Such happenings are not un-

usual with the devotees. All the travelers in this journey
experience such shakes, which are helpful, in a way, in put-
ting them back on the road, the repentance giving a push
and becoming instrumental in making them go ahead.
The Master, whether in or out, makes no mistakes. The
point is that both forms observe the etiquette of their planes.
Both have the interest of the disciple paramount with them.
There is no selfish motive with them. They are one, not two.
They work in harmony and one knows what the other does.
So long as one does not come across the physical form, the
inner Radiant Form is not met with. Therefore, the outer
form is the means in bringing a devotee in touch with the
inner form; hence, priority in importance goes to the outer
form.
If any disciple makes a report of his progress and thinks
honestly but erroneously that he has gone to this or that
stage, the Master will not discourage him by pointing out
his error, but would encourage him to go ahead and give
necessary instructions to stick to this and avoid that, know-
ing that when the disciple goes higher up, he will see his
mistake for himself. Pointing out the error may discourage
him. This is not desirable.
If there is any doubt lurking in your mind, put it to the
Master inside, and whatever answer He gives inside, take
it as correct. Get hold of Him and go with Him and remain
with Him, throwing aside all doubts.
115. A boy is fond of play and is averse to going
to school while the parents wish him to sit in school with
the teacher and study. The boy does not know the value of
studies. Play gives him pleasure, and an occasional shock
or knock he does not mind. Parents use threats and induce-
ments. They cooperate with the teacher, and the teacher’s

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task is easy. By and by the boy learns the value of study,

and as he gets disciplined, he does both — study and play
— and enjoys both, and in time he is a scholar and an ath-
lete.
In a way, similar is the position of an entrant in the Uni-
versity of Spirit. The Guru wishes him to open and enter
the tenth gate and make contact with Nam, but he is fond
of play in the nine portals of the body. He gets enjoyment
in this play. Set-backs and mishaps in his play he considers
as part of the game of life. The value of Nam is not known
to him. The Guru induces him to go in by discourses on the
grandeur of Nam. His is a difficult task, for, He gets no sup-
port from parents. The parents (Kal and Maya) do not wish
the entrant (Soul) to enter the University of Spirit (Tenth
Gate or Third Eye) — what to say about contacting Nam.
The parents (Kal and Maya) allure him with easy temp-
tations and create worries, sickness, and other adversities
to confound his intellect. Their function is to keep the soul
away from Nam. Slowly the entrant grasps the new posi-
tion, and slowly the entrant realizes the true worth of his
parents. Slowly he begins to dissociate from them, and
slowly he takes the Guru as his real benefactor, and slowly
he leaves the nine portals and makes his approach towards
the tenth — to make contact with Nam and work on Nam.
When the wild nature has been disciplined and the en-
trant has started his studies in the University of Spirit, the
going-in is easy and a new kind of play inside the tenth gate
starts giving enjoyment, compared with which the worldly
enjoyments and allurements are trash.
It is true therefore, as you say, that in preliminary stag-
es the progress is slow. To give up worldly pleasures, to
control the senses and bring the attention in one center by
controlling the wild runs of the mind while still alive and

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kicking, is not an easy task. But what is it that with love and
faith man cannot accomplish? You strengthen your will
power and go ahead. Success is sure. Remember that once
the seed of Nam has been planted, it must become a tree
and bear fruit. Brahmand may perish, but the seed of Nam
will not perish. There is no superior nor more precious
thing than Nam. The sweetness of Nam — Shabd Dhun —
is incomparable and incomprehensible in both the worlds.
Nam is within you, for you, and within your reach—just
inside the tenth gate. Saints ask, “can there be a simpler
proposition?”.
You have asked for the fulfillment of some of your wish-
es. For their fulfillment you need not go very far. They are
already with you — inside you. If you take courage and
work your way up, you can get all of them. Mind goes after
tasty things. It seeks satisfaction in fulfillment of desires,
and no desire satisfies it for long. After some time one dis-
cards what he has obtained and runs after new pleasures,
and thereby is never satisfied and is always hungry. The
remedy lies in taking the mind to Sahansdal Kanwal. The
nectar there is now being stolen by Maya and kam, krodh,
and so forth. When you take your mind there and make
him drink it, he will be satisfied forever, for the nectar is the
sweetest thing known.
Then all desires will vanish and mind will be at rest. It
will then accompany you as a faithful servant, and not as a
bad master, as at present. Before you have reached Sahans-
dal Kanwal, but gone inside the eye focus after full concen-
tration of your attention, and have crossed sun and moon,
you will meet the Master. He will always remain with you.
You may talk to Him whenever you like and you may see
Him whenever you like. Your room will be barred, but the
Master will be with you. When that Form will be with you,
then it does not matter much if the outer form is not close

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by.
As for your cases, you should treat them to the best of
your ability, serve them and otherwise help them if nec-
essary, but leave their recovery to His Will. He is just and
whatever happens to patients, happens in accordance with
their karma. You should not burden your mind with anxi-
eties about them. Keep your mind free. Your treatment and
service will help them, but not your worrying about them.
Worry weakens your power to be useful to them.
Whatever you have written concerning the attitude of
a Negative Power that comes in your way, I understand.
Here again, what is happening is for your benefit, so that
your mind renounces and becomes free from all the world-
ly attachments and establishes a close relation with the Sat
Guru and Nam. For without the Sat Guru, one cannot make
contact with Nam, and without Nam, there is no way to
reach our Home.
No article of this world, nor friends nor relations go with
us; even our body does not accompany us after death. Then
why worry about those who will not accompany us? Your
anxieties and worries pull you down. When with concen-
tration, attention goes up, it sees something and becomes
happy; and when it remains low down, the scenes are ab-
sent and you are discouraged. Mind your concentration
and do not mind the Current. When the concentration is
complete, the scattered energies have been drawn in, and
there will be so much Sound Current that you will not be
able to stand it. The Bell is ringing higher up and you are
sitting lower down, therefore its Sound is not audible. With
your approach toward the focus, your faith will develop
and become stronger. There is no real and lasting program
without good hard effort. There are many antipowers. The
Negative Power I have referred to is one of them. You may
not worry about it at all.

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116. Individual mind is Kal on a small scale. It is

Kal’s agent, attached to every soul to keep it out from the
eye focus and keep it entangled in this world. No individ-
ual is at peace with himself and no one is happy. In igno-
rance, doubt and fear, men go about. When such is the case
of the individual, the case of groups of such individuals
and nations cannot be expected to be any better. The world
is a plaything of Kal. Both the parties in this war profess
to be Christians, and Christians are killing Christians for
transitory things of this dirty material world. When art
flourishes, luxuries come in its train, and the weak side of
human nature takes the upper hand. Forces of evil are let
loose and war is the ultimate outward expression. In spite
of the development of science, the world is ignorant of the
value of human form. It does not know that it is the resi-
dence of our Creator. In this form we have the opportunity
to meet Him and end our woes and wanderings. Then we
would wish that we may never come back to this world; let
others enjoy it.
I am glad that you give time to Bhajan regularly every
morning. Please see that at the time of Bhajan, the mind
stops its running. Tell your mind not to secrete thoughts at
this time, and if it does, then throw them out immediately.
The secret of success lies in making the mind motionless.
The Treasure that you are seeking will be yours when the
mind is motionless. Brahmand does not lie in the physical
part of the body. It lies inside the mind. So long, therefore,
as the mind has not been made motionless, Brahmand and
the Treasure remain hidden and unapproachable. The ex-
tent to which you render it motionless, you are nearer to
the Treasure — Nam. Twelve hours’ sitting in Bhajan with
mind wandering is not so useful as one hour sitting with
mind motionless. One round from a rifle held and fired
properly will hit the target, and any number of rounds
fired improperly will go off the mark.

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Grief resulting from failure in Bhajan is also a form of

Bhajan. Grief is a sign of one’s helplessness in attaining his
wish. It is an admittance of defeat by the mind. One should
take advantage of this position, and with strong will, dou-
ble up his efforts to achieve his wish.
Satsang is to Bhajan what a fence is to a crop. Satsang is
the water on which Bhajan remains fresh and green.
I appreciate your consideration for the feelings of your
friend. It does not serve any useful purpose to find fault
with any system of philosophy which our friend or com-
panion loves. Experience is the best teacher. A person car-
ries a tin-coated wooden sword which outwardly resem-
bles steel, and the person honestly believes it to be steel. It
is no use entering into arguments with him to convince him
that it is wood and not steel. The best course is to ask him to
try it in action. In one or two strokes it will have shown its
worth and real nature. For your information I will say that,
compared with Sant Mat is a child’s play. All its degrees
end in Sahansdal Kanwal. Its practitioners seldom reach
that far. Most of them indulge in intellectual and mental
hallucination.
Sound goes with concentration. With concentration of
the mind, the Sound will become clear. How strange that
being so wise you cannot go in. Last month I was touring
in the foot hills of the Shiwalic Range. People there are very
simple minded. At Initiation there were three ladies whose
attention went in at once, and it became rather difficult to
explain to them the details of the Path — Light, Sound, Re-
gions, and so on. Their necks had to be massaged to bring
the attention out. They were illiterate. They would be
quite justified if they called the worldly wise “ignorant”.
When the attention is held in the eye focus by Simran,
withdrawal of the current from extremities must com-

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mence. Pain in limbs, and so forth is felt only when the at-
tention does not stay at the focus. If legs and arms do not go
numb, it means that mind is not working (doing Simran or
hearing Current) in the focus, but is running about. Make
the mind motionless. Your time for Bhajan is insufficient,
and that too, you give with a heavy heart — full o f
anxiety. I like your regularity in Bhajan, but make the
mind motionless^ Two hours are sufficient if mind becomes
stationary. Otherwise tire it out by giving more time.
So long as the attention of a disciple has not reached
Tisra Til, it does not see the protecting hand of the Mas-
ter over the disciple’s head, nor what the Master does for
the disciple. The Master looks after the disciple as a mother
looks after her child. One of our disciples, Kehr Singh, had
gone to America. Through him, many Americans received
Initiation. He was informed by an American that there is
always with him a man who protects him. My son, Bachint
Singh had good strong bullocks. Cattle lifters, with the
intention of taking away his bullocks, would come every
night to find a man standing guard at the house, and were
disappointed. Later on, the thieves them-selves made this
statement to Bachint Singh. Your informer is right when he
says that there is light on your head — One has to go inside
to realize the value of Nam. Sitting outside the eye focus,
in the nine portals of the body, the attention perceives but
little the effect of Nam.
You have not correctly grasped the meaning of the state-
ment, “Kam is controlled only when Sahansdal Kanwal is
reached.” Controlling of negative tendencies of mind is a
progressive affair. Understanding intellectually that nega-
tive tendencies are harmful is the first step. This is Vivek. If
this is accepted, then body and mind should be engaged in
other pursuits. The stronger the will power, the greater the
success in keeping the mind away from negative tenden-

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cies and keeping it on positive tendencies.

By will power people succeed in this field. With the ap-
proach to the eye focus there is almost an aversion to neg-
ative tendencies, and the liking for Nam is awakened. In
Sahansdal Kanwal the negative tendencies disappear alto-
gether, and complete success over them is ^attained. Here,
the burning fire of Kam at the lower centers is extinguished
forever, never to kindle again. So, if you make up your
mind to tackle this Negative Power with your strong will
power there is every likelihood of success. If one does not
think of Kam, it does not trouble him. During the most part
of my service I lived alone, away from my wife, and there
was no trouble due to Kam. I kept myself busy in work.
Learn and practice by all means whatever your — friend
teaches, so that you have first-hand knowledge of—provid-
ed he teaches any practice of holding the attention above
the eye focus. There is little peace of mind and satisfaction
in centers below the eyes. Any attempt to concentrate atten-
tion on any center below the eyes is harmful in so far that
it will be equally difficult to leave that center and bring the
attention up again. Attention, already has the bad habit of
sinking below the eyes. It is easy to fix it below the eyes, but
it is a negative process. The object is to rise up. To create a
habit of fixing attention below the eyes is a hindrance in its
rise. If your friend teaches any practice of hclding the atten-
tion below the eyes, it should not be followed. The practice
of Simran, as taught in Sant Mat, pulls up the attention.
Breathing exercises may be good for health, but the center
of breathing lies lower than the center of attention — the
eye focus.
If a fact has been stated by some reliable authority
(Saints) in the past, one can believe it. If some modern au-
thority (Guru) supports it, the belief becomes firmer. When
the same fact has become one’s personal experience, the

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element of doubt that always accompanies belief, disap-

pears, and what was fact to modern and past authorities
is a fact to him, also. The value of authority or belief to a
believer lies in making an experiment on the lines recom-
mended by authorities, and testing this belief. If the result
comes out to be as expected, the belief becomes a fact to the
experimenter. The belief in reincarnation should be tested
by experiment made on lines laid down by its expounder.
One begins to know something about it when the attention
reaches Tisra Til (Eight Petal Lotus in Anda), and complete
knowledge about it is acquired in Par Brahm (Daswand-
war) where the soul has cast off all its coverings of mind
and matter.
A person, therefore, whose attention is running outside
the eye focus, in the physical world, or is fixed in centers
below the eyes, uses his intellect only to understand phe-
nomena of the astral, causal and spiritual planes of which
he reads in scriptures or hears from seers. Intellect or rea-
son comes into play when there is no direct perception.
Again, intellect is a variable factor. In childhood it is
something, in youth it is different, and in old age it shows
another aspect. It changes under the influence of kam, kro-
dh, etc. So when the measure is variable, its measurements
cannot be relied upon. By argument, therefore, inner phe-
nomena can neither be proved nor disproved. One argu-
ment appeals to one set of people, and another satisfies a
different lot. Both stand in need of direct perception. All the
arguments given in — to prove or disprove reincarnation,
when judged in the way stated above, fall short of their
purpose. Reincarnation is neither proved nor disproved.
Saints’ foremost ‘argument’ is, “come with us and see”.
Few are ready for it. So the Saints come down to the intel-
lectual plane of men and talk to them in their terms. By their
superior intellect they give people’s belief a little shake-up

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and make them think afresh. Slowly and slowly they bring
them up to the point of experimentation. They give Initia-
tion, and the experiment begins.
Many prophets and avatars remained confined to the
spheres of mind and maya, and did not go to higher re-
gions. Some of the prophets did not reach even Tisra Til.
For them, Paradise is the last stage. The principle of rein-
carnation is a fact. It is part of the Creator’s scheme. Contin-
uation of life in the regions below Par Brahm is based on it.
Souls here are functioning, covered in appropriate forms of
mind and matter. They are never naked (free). These cover-
ings continue changing to suit the actions to be performed
in a life as determined by Karmic Law. Only through asso-
ciation with Saints do the souls leave these regions and go
to Par Brahm and higher regions; otherwise they continue
struggling here, covered by mind and matter.
Brief observations on — subject to what has been said
before:
1 — The merciful God is Sat Nam. He entrusted His
Creation, for administration, to Kal who is just — as you
sow so shall you reap. Faults are told at the end of every
life when the account is settled. When new life starts, faults
and other facts of previous life slowly slip from memory.
2 — Nature is not extravagant. It gives that form to
an individual in which he can best satisfy the unfulfilled
hopes and desires of the past life. If, in human form, hopes
and desires are created which befit an animal, the next birth
must be degradation, and animal ought to be the most suit-
able form to satisfy those desires.
3 — After the physical body and the astral form are
cast off there is no chance for individuality because there
is none left but the only Being. This would be possible if at
the time of breaking up of the human body and the astral

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form there are no hopes and desires left unfulfilled and the
mind is a clean slate; pralabdh karma has been undergone
and no kriyaman karma has been incurred. This is almost
an impossibility. And what about sinchit karma, stored on
the top of Trikuti?
The unfulfilled desires demand a new body for working
out those desires. And where is a living person now who is
anxious to merge in Him? Nobody is willingly ready even
for the inevitable death — casting off the physical frame, be
it worn out or worm eaten. The being in the frame is forci-
bly drawn out by some extraneous power — agents of Kal.
When, after death, the being is in the hands of these agents,
the treatment that he receives from them is no better than
the treatment meted out to a prisoner.
Is it imaginable then, that after death, in such environ-
ments, a soul will run away to merge in Him? It is neither
free now nor free after death. Enchained, it comes in this
world and enchained, it goes out at death to come back
again after replacing the worn-out chain by a new and
stronger one.
4 — This cannot be said about all persons who speak
of their past life. Cases are on record where small children,
even in Mohammedan families, have given hints of their
past life.
5 — This is hair splitting. This is justified when the
main points of a problem are correctly grasped, not other-
wise.
6 — It is a new definition of reincarnation.
7 — The analogy of bubble does not apply. The soul
bubble never gets a chance to merge into its ocean so long
as it is functioning in Brahmand up to the top of Trikuti, for
it is covered by mind and maya in Brahmand.

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117. The Bell and Conch Sounds are already with-

in you. They are not to come from outside. All that is need-
ed is that you should get nearer and within the eye focus
to differentiate them from the chirpings of all sorts, and
catch them. The trouble is that although the mind wishes
to rise to the focus, yet it does not like to leave the attach-
ments of things on this side of the focus, and thereby does
not make headway in that direction. Simran is incomplete
yet. So long as mind does not sit in the focus and does not
make it its headquarters, but continues running away from
the focus, it has not benefited by the Simran practice. As a
matter of fact, it is not doing the Simran practice. It is doing
something else, away from the focus, secreting all sorts of
thoughts connected with worldly affairs, country affairs,
professional affairs, household affairs and other affairs. If
the mind were busy in
1 — Repeating the Names
2 — Repeating them at the focus
It would be said to be doing Simran. But if tongue re-
peats Names and mind is busy elsewhere, thinking of
something else, then it is not Simran. Repeating of Names
in the focus is “Simran”, and remembering of something
else elsewhere is simran of that something.
Simran of worldly things to which man is accustomed
is to be changed into Simran of the Names in the focus.
This must narrow down the mind and this is what is called
concentration. And there is no reason if the mind sticks to
the focus and is engaged therein in Simran or hearing the
Current, that the extremities of the body—the hands, feet,
arms, legs and finally the trunk of the body—should not go
numb.
There is nothing to feel disheartened about. We are up
against mind, the mind that keeps all souls out of the fo-

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cus. Kings, dictators, presidents, the commoners and all

are running outside the focus. Yogis, sanyasis, ascetics and
philosophers fail to catch it. War is the outcome of the mind
running wild. It prevents the soul from rising up. It is the
veil that hangs between our soul and our Creator. Now we
have found it out, its true nature. It is our enemy. We are at
war with it and we are to capture it. Guru, the experienced
warrior and veteran, is guiding and supporting us. He has
armed us with Nam—the Sound Current, the current that
is finer than the mind current. So long as our attention
holds the Sound Current, the mind is still and as our hold
on it gets firmer, the soul gets stronger and gains suprem-
acy over the mind. In time the position is reversed — the
mind becomes a faithful servant of the soul.
In our ignorance and weakness, we strengthen the lower
mind. The Master awakens the slumbering soul — devel-
ops in us our latent strength, through the practice of Sim-
ran and Nam Current, and makes us fight our weaknesses
and overcome them here, thereby making us fit to enter the
eye focus and go beyond. Step by step He brings us to the
pitch that with the exception of the Guru and the Nam ev-
erything else becomes a superficiality and ceases to have a
hold on us.
When we are away from the Master and the Satsang, the
world imperceptibly impresses itself on us so much that, in
spite of our regularly giving time to Simran and Nam, we
often begin to feel discouraged, dry and desolate. In such
a state faith and love are our support, and if faith is firm,
the Master responds. He is always with us — within us,
watches as a mother watches her child. So long as we are
on this side of the focus, we do not see Him working. But
He is doing His duty.
Your worries and cares are Master’s worries and cares.
Leave them to Him to deal with. Having become carefree,

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your business is to cultivate His love. He is not going to let

you drift. You will go up.
Examine your mind, the thoughts it secretes and the
things it runs after. When in Bhajan, the mind must do
Bhajan and nothing else. The door of the tenth gate opens
automatically when mind and soul go in that direction and
knock at it. If they run in another direction, the door re-
mains shut.
Nam is the rendezvous for all beings. It cures all sorts of
ills. Guru Nanak says:
The whole world is miserable. Only he is happy who has
taken to Nam.
118. The Sound Current never stops, as it fe only
by means of Sound Current that the soul stays in the body.
When the Sound Current stops, the soul will go out. The
reason for your not hearing the Sound is that your mind
is so much engrossed in worldly matters that it does not
allow the soul to go in. When the mind goes down it ceas-
es to catch the Sound. The remedy is to bring about the
concentration of the mind by means of careful Repetition,
which will make the mind and the soul still and collected,
and therefore able to catch the Sound Current. Sometimes
people come to me complaining that the Sound Current is
so loud and powerful that they cannot bear it, and that its
pitch and intensity should be weakened.
It is only Sound Current which takes the soul up to high-
er regions. Indeed, it is the grand trunk road between our-
selves and the Kingdom of God. As the concentration in-
creases, the Sound will become more tasteful and sweeter.
Therefore, the first necessity is Repetition, without which
concentration cannot take place. And unless concentration
has become so intense as to enable the soul and mind to
cross the stars, the sun and the moon, the Sound Current

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cannot lift the soul.

Do not think that you are stupid or unfit. The reason
is that owing to war conditions and consequent stop page
of correspondence with me, the pressure of work, lack of
Satsang, and the presence of anxieties and worries, the
mind has lost concentration. Worries and anxieties prevent
the soul from going into the magnetic field of the Sound
Current. If this war had not intervened to prevent our cor-
respondence, I would have urged you on to greater effort.
In the beginning, the mind fears and dislikes to go in,
and the body also aches; but by degrees, these pains dis-
appear and the mind acquires the habit of concentration.
The preliminary stages in Sant Mat are difficult, but when
they are traversed and the mind goes up, then meditation
begins to yield pleasure, so much so that one is unable to
give up.
The numbness of the lower extremities of the body is a
good sign. Before rising from your meditation, you should
pause and massage your limbs. The whole body, up to the
eyes, should feel benumbed as a result of the concentration.
In the beginning any sound that you catch, whether of
bell or chirping of sparrows and the like, should be caught.
As the concentration increases, the Sound will clear up into
the Bell. Repetition is the foremost necessity. Try to repeat
in bed, before going to sleep, and do repetition when you
get up from sleep.
All the sages have laid stress on the Point that unless
one dies during life, he cannot go in. This means that one
should, by means of concentration, try to make his body
numb up to the eyes. When one feels tired in body and
mind, after the day’s work, it is best to ease the mind and
body by doing Repetition, in a solitary room.

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The one hour devoted by you to Repetition is not

enough. You should pinch out one hour more from your
daily work so as to devote one and a half to Repetition and
half an hour to hearing the Sound.
If you cannot see light within, then you should fix your
attention on the darkness and keep peeping into it. The
darkness will change into light.
You are right. Unless a man has succeeded in medita-
tion or, as a matter of fact, in any work, he cannot induce
others to take it up.
If your faith and trust in the Master are full and com-
plete, you need not be anxious for the future of your soul
or that it will be subject to births and deaths. The soul goes
where it feels attached. Your anxiety should be to perform
meditation and repetition regularly.
There have been numerous sages in India, both among
Hindus and Mohammedans, but all of them agree that
there is no better method than that of the Sound Current,
which is an ancient and natural science. It is designed by
the Creator Himself, is within every one of us, yet whole
nations and entire countries of the’ world are ignorant of It.
I appreciate your spirit when you put the blame upon
yourself for lack of spiritual progress. This will lead to suc-
cess. Most people shift blame to the method, the teaching or
the Master. Do not be anxious. When you give greater time
to meditation, you will succeed. Spiritual progress does not
depend on length of time after Initiation. It depends upon
concentration.
Regarding lust, anger, pride, and so forth your view
is correct. Purity of character is the fundamental basis on
which the edifice of spiritual progress is to be built. These
five passions will become weaker and weaker as the bliss of

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the Sound Current increases. In the end, all these as well as

the mind will come under the control of the soul. Now the
soul is under the control of mind and passions. When, by
means of Repetition and Meditation, the mind and soul ac-
quire the habit of sitting quietly inside, then this world will
lose its attraction, and the other world will become more
attractive.
If we think, we find that at death no one goes with us,
even the body has to be left behind. Only the Master and
Sound Current go with us and therefore they are our only
relatives. The Master is within you and is looking after you.
Go in and you will be convinced of it.
Do not allow the love of any other woman to enter your
mind. Look upon all the women of the world either as your
mother, sister or daughter, so that you may make progress
in your spiritual journey. Keep yourself under control. It
will do you good. The Sound Current and the Master are
within you. You need no other company. The greater the
solitude, the better. There is no better luck than solitude.
All the sages going into higher degrees have avoided
woman so that they might get solitude and perform their
meditation without interruption. Do not be anxious.
Try to lift the veil within and try to taste the spiritual joy,
compared to which all the worldly designs and inventions
are insignificant and valueless. He who has torn the veil
within and brought the mind under control, has conquered
all the world and the whole world is under his order. Be-
fore searching the world for new medicines, it is better that
one should cure one’s own mind.
Sar Bachan’s advice to a Gurmukh will give greater
pleasure when you go in. Do not doubt; the Lord looks af-
ter His own.

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119. No, we do not want to increase the number

of followers for the sake of numbers as our mission is not
political or social. Our mission is to assist true and earnest
seekers after God, and we want no others in our fold. One
earnest soul is worth a hundred wavering ones.
120. Do not try to overwork yourself, please, and
try to reserve your energies and save time for your medita-
tion. You need not sacrifice your sleep, as you have heavy
work to do. You can cut down your professional time, to
give longer time to your Bhajan.
Yes, Kal is not only the lord of this physical world but of
all the worlds below and above, and surrounding it, up to
Trikuti. His technical Hindu name is Brahm. He rules over
Trikuti and Sahansdal Kanwal and all the regions below
them. He is with every creature, in the shape of mind !
The Hindu Shastras say that we are passing through the
Kalyug or the Iron Age. For an account of Satyug, Treta and
Dwapar, you should read a good translation of “Markand
Puran” or “Padam Puran”, in which a detailed account of
the cycle of the four yugas or ages is given along with the
method of calculating the duration of each age.
A Gurmukh is a soul who has reached Par Brahm and
has cast off the three coverings from itself. A Satsangi is a
soul that has been initiated by a Master. A Sanskari is a true
seeker after God.
Yes, as pointed out to you during your Initiation, there
are five regions and each region has its own distinct sound
or Music which is called “Word”.
There is no additional Initiation. Full Initiation has been
given to you, but the Music cannot be heard except by go-
ing to that region.

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For those who have been initiated, the Guru never dies.
If He leaves His physical frame, He is with His Initiates in
Astral and Causal bodies, and takes care of them; though
obviously He cannot deliver discourses and directions in
the physical frame after His departure. His external guid-
ance is carried on by His Successor. But no second Initi-
ation is necessary. It is true that only a living Master can
grant Initiation and consequent Salvation to non-initiates
and therefore it may be said that a Guru gives Salvation
only when alive. But this remark applies only to those who
were not initiated by Him in His lifetime.
Those disciples who follow the directions of the Mas-
ter, and carry on their meditation accordingly, are taken
care of at their death, by the Master, and they feel happy to
leave this world for higher regions, in His company. Those
who have not heard the Sound Current are taken care of
after their souls leave their bodies, and are sent back to this
world or taken up, according to their tendencies and de-
sires.
121. The sounds of different regions, indicated at
the time of Initiation, are meant to give a faint idea of the
music pervading that region. As a matter of fact, the music
of those regions has no counterpart in the physical world.
Their joy and pleasure can be felt only by going into those
regions. This is true of all the regions and not that of Sat
Lok only.
The Sound Current or Nam or Shabd emanates from Sat
Lok, from where the creation starts. There is Sound in the
regions above Sat Lok, but that Sound is so very fine and
exquisite that it cannot be understood without reaching Sat
Lok.
The list is not exhaustive. It contains the names of the
Masters — Param Sants — and their disciples who became

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Masters. It is not necessary that there should be only one

Master in the whole world or even in a single country.
There have been different Masters in different countries at
the same time, and even in the same country. Thus, Guru
Nanak and Kabir were contemporaries, and so also Dadu
and Guru Arjan. But their teaching is the same at all times
and in every country.
There is a time fixed for those who are to be Initiated by
a Master.
In the Hindi literature of Sant Mat, detailed description
is given about the passage of the soul from the physical
body to the astral world after death.
When you throw away your old worn out coat or gar-
ment, you do not care how it is disposed of. If anyone
burns it or buries it, you do not mind. The same is the case
with the body after death. Cremation requires less space
than burial. In India, when we are sure that the soul has
gone out of the body, we do not wait longer than the time
required for preparation of cremation. Sometimes, when
death takes place after sunset, the dead body is left over
night and cremated after sunrise.
122. There is no doubt that unless one attains
peace within himself, it is no use trying to proselytize oth-
ers. Therefore it is better that you should work hard and go
in.
Your complaint regarding the want of progress in med-
itation is due to your mind’s fault, which is the want of
Satsang, and the mind having its own freeway, worldly
cravings more than necessary, and looking upon medita-
tion as of secondary importance. When by means of Repe-
tition the concentration is deep enough, the body will begin
to get senseless, as the soul leaves the nine portals of the
body and goes up.

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But all this will take place when you work hard with
love and faith. The mind looks upon the world and its ob-
jects as more important than spiritual matters. Your mind
is scattered. Worldly learning scatters the mind. Simple
minded folks go in easily. The hill people of this country
are such, and in several cases their souls went in at once, as
soon as the secret of concentration was imparted to them.
Therefore, what is required in this Path is simplicity of
mind, faith and love.
The Bell Sound is. constantly going on within you day
and night. There are five regions in your forehead, each one
emitting a distinct and different music all the time. Man
sleeps but the music does not. It will stop at death. You do
not go within; therefore, cannot get the benefit of the music.
Weakness of faith makes it difficult to go in, and faith also
comes when one sees something within. Your mind has not
yet become motionless nor do you devote full time and la-
bor to this work.
Your idea that you are not yet ready for spiritual prog-
ress is not right. There is eagerness in your mind, but you
do not work hard. I appreciate your love, but you do not
travel upon the Path. As yet your mind has not become in-
different to worldly pleasures, and you have not practised
the ‘A B C of Sant Mat. The five passions are ruling and you
cannot go in notwithstanding all your learning, although
rustic women and children can go in. Whatever you have
said about — is quite true. If a patient gets medicine from
a doctor but does not use it, he has only himself to blame if
he does not recover. You should read your own letter with
care and attention. It contains the reasons for slackness in
spiritual progress.
I am glad to know that you are eager to go in. This is
the only object of life, as no other object of the world goes
with us at death. It is only the Master and progress in Nam

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that go with us. No doubt you have increased your physi-

cal capacity of work by means of physical exercise, but that
is different from spiritual exercise which causes the soul
to go in and increases spiritual vigor. Had you devoted
to spiritual work one Jburth of the time that you spent in
worldly work, you would have succeeded in going in with
the Grace of the Master.
I have read with great satisfaction your account of your
progress in your profession. Yet, were you the king of all of
the — of the world, that would avail you but little at death.
The attention which is scattered in so many directions out-
side is no wonder difficult to collect. Please do take care
that your mind becomes motionless during meditation. If
the mind keeps wandering during Repetition, it is so much
time wasted. You say that you spend one and a half hours
every day in meditation. Even that should produce some
result. If it has not, the conclusion is obvious that the mind
does not stay in during meditation, but begins to wander
outside.
I could only wish that you would go in after getting
concentration, and when the Master will begin to talk to
you and reply to all your questions, inside, all miseries will
be over. So long as the Master is not visible inside, the soul
remains off and on drooping and desponding.
Were the Master to talk with his followers in this world
in the language of their own countries, it would be consid-
ered a miracle by the worldly people who would surround
Him and pester Him with petitions for worldly things. Yet
when a follower goes in, the Master talks with him there
in his own mother tongue. Just go within and see what the
Master is.
The followers who love the Master and have no desire
in their mind for anything of this world shall not be re-

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born even if they have not made much spiritual progress

while here. They will be made to stay at some intermediate
station from where they will go up to their destination by
degrees. On the other hand, those who have worldly de-
sires left in their mind at death will have to be reborn, not-
withstanding their devoting long hours to spiritual. After
rebirth they will be initiated by the Master then living and
will get an opportunity to complete their course.
The Granth Sahib contains the songs of Guru Nanak
and some of his successors. Included in it are also some
of the songs of other sages, of different times and different
places, who reached Sat Lok. By this inclusion it is intended
to prove that God is one, and the way to reach Him is the
same at all times and places. The structure of all human be-
ings is the same and therefore the Way to reach God, who is
inside every human being, is also one and the same.
123. A devotee is sometimes not conscious of his
mind wandering out till later. He should keep watch over
the mind, and if it goes out, he should bring it in again and
again. Thus, by constant practice, the mind will tire out and
become motionless. It requires time and perseverance. It is
not an easy task to make the mind still and to keep it mo-
tionless. But one should not despond. As the mind becomes
quiet, the Sound will become clearer and the body will be-
come numb.
A soldier is not responsible for his actions. It is the com-
mander who directs and orders the killing, who is respon-
sible. The soldier is a mere tool. He incurs no karma in con-
nection with his duties. This falls on the shoulders of the
commandants.
Yes, there is a downward tendency also; from man to
animal, plant, and so forth according to the actions per-
formed in the human body. There are two streams, or rath-

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er a circle, moving like a wheel — the top being man and

the bottom mineral.
Secluded life is better for concentration and meditation
than the so-called social life.
Yes, Satguru is the Lord and Master of the destinies
of His pupils, but He does not interfere in their pralabdh
karma which results in bad or good circumstances in their
lives, and after death rewards each according to his karma
and devotion.
Krodh (anger) scatters the mind and this makes it diffi-
cult to collect and subdue. You should avoid it and so far,
as practicable, try to engage the mind in Repetition instead.
124. As for the War, a Satsangi should not feel ag-
itated on its account and get his peace of mind disturbed;
seeing that nothing happens without the ordinance of the
Master. A Satsangi performs actions without desiring their
fruits and leaves the results to the sweet Will of the Master.
It is for us to do our best in everything and leave the results
to His pleasure.
The matter which concerns you more closely is Bhajan.
That is the only purpose of our coming to this world.
Your feeling sleepy means that you are weak in Repetition.
A devotee who is successful in Repetition of the five Holy
Names is successful in concentration and in listening to the
Sound Current, also.
Your main effort should be directed to stilling your mind,
which is the result of Repetition. Try to perform Repetition
in one posture, changing your position as little as possible.
The mind does not become still without two hours Repe-
tition at a time. If one performs Repetition while walking,
going on errands, and the like the mind will feel quieter
when one sits for Repetition.

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While performing your daily Repetition, do not lose

sight of concentration upon the Form of the Master.
To be able to go within requires love and faith in the
Master and some indifference to worldly pain and plea-
sure. Go on doing your duty and increasing your love and
faith in the Master. That is all you can do. The Master will
do His duty of protecting you here and hereafter. Never
despond of His Mercy and Grace. Spiritual progress is not
the monopoly of any single individual or nation.
Please do not fail to read every day a portion of some
book on the Path, such as “Spiritual Path”, “With a Great
Master in India”, “Sar Bachan”, etc. They keep the mind fit
and eager for Bhajan.
125. I have, with pain, read your complaint about
your son. His wickedness and ingratitude seem to be due
to impressions of past births which have become pral-
abdh karma for him in this birth. It is almost impossible
to wash away these impressions of past lives. They must
work themselves out, and are working out. Such things are
not confined to your country only. I have had experience of
such ingratitude and unfilial and patricidal conduct here
also in our Satsang.
Therefore, all the Saints and pious men of every reli-
gion have laid stress on the advice that during human life
we should lead pure and pious lives, free from enmity and
hatred of others. If we fail to do this, then our impressions
of hatred and animosity are liable to bear fruit in the next
birth. It is useless to reason with such people They will not
listen to reason nor to appeals to their sentiment of grati-
tude and love. Only terror can restrain them from their un-
natural course.
Consequently, I will advise you to take steps to put
yourself on the defensive so that his attacks, though they

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cannot fail to hurt your feelings and reputation, may not

do you any further injury. Make your will power strong so
that your Bhajan and Simran may not suffer. I am not ac-
quainted with the law of your land. You may consult some
lawyers who may put you on the defensive without tak-
ing up cudgels against him. Leave him to the Master. He
will reap the results of his own actions, but defend yourself
from his attacks. I have every sympathy for you. You might
also pray to the Master within you to save you from this
pest.
126. I am glad to learn about the welcome change
in the life of your son. You may help him and try to give
him light on the Sant Mat so that his life may become pure.
127. I had hoped from your last letter that your
son was changing for the better but I am sorry to find that
he has become his old self again. You have done more for
him than your means allowed. In this old age you need
money, comfort and solace, and some loving one to look
after you. You cannot lose more money to him and if you
were to continue to help him, he would want more and
more out of you. It is better to leave such a person alone so
that he may not have an opportunity to do all the terrible
things he had done to you previously. No one can interfere
in his karma. He must live his allotted time, and bad society
which he does not leave is causing his ruin. If he had given
up his wicked associates and taken to good, respectable so-
ciety, he might have improved.
Do not grieve on account of your sons and daughters
who are neurotics or have gone wrong. This relationship is
merely temporary and is, in fact, no relationship at all. True
relatives are those who share our views, are kind and con-
siderate and have sympathy in our struggle. Please go on
doing your Bhajan and Simran daily, with love and faith.

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128. The boy has to work out his own karma while
you have to undergo your own. Every soul is to render ac-
count of its own actions. No one can take upon himself the
reactions of others. He has an account of previous births
to settle with you. AH persons with whom we had con-
nection in previous; lives have to take an account from us
whether as sons, daughters, sisters, mothers or other rela-
tives. But please do not feel grief on his account, as worldly
relatives do not go with us when we leave this world. Only
the Sound Current goes with us. Watch hold of the Sound
Current and leave the rest to take care of itself.
129. Through His grace the Dera has remained
safe during this communal upheaval. The Punjab is passing
through hard times. We have been undergoing an exchange
of population on an unprecedented scale. The rich and the
poor are in the same boat of misery all around. What next,
nobody can say. We abide by His Will. Rumors and pro-
paganda confuse the man in the street. Please rest assured
that things happen as He wills it. Bad karma is at the root
of this visitation. The Karmic Law is inexorable. The Dera
has not only remained untouched but has become the res-
idence of some two and a half thousand refugees who are
now vacating to settle in villages and towns.
130. Man is the highest form of creation, includ-
ing the angels. Man is the image of God. The Creator and
all His creation are within him, and he has been given the
privilege of meeting his Creator while alive. And this is the
aim of coming into human life.
The whole secret is in the part of the head above the
eyes. The “Way” to meet the Creator is also within man, and
this “Way” is the basis of all-important religions; but their
followers are ignorant of it. They are content with rituals,
ceremonies, reading of scriptures and prayers, doing char-
ities, living a chaste life, working for the social and mental

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uplift of humanity — thereby feeling virtuous — but expect

Salvation as a reward after death. This is unwarranted.
The “Way” is the “Word” in the Bible, the “Kalma”
of Prophet Mohammed, the “Shabd” “Nam” “Dhun”,
“AkashBani”, and so forth in Hinduism, and the “Nad” of
the Vedas. These words are synonymous and refer to the
same fundamental essence — the Voice of God — which is
going on all the time within us; and we have the capacity to
hear It when the attention is held within, instead of letting
it run out in the external world.
There is no artificiality in It. It is not man made. It sus-
tains our life. It sustains the whole Creation. The Gospel of
St. John has attempted to explain it in terms of human ex-
perience in Chapter 1, verses 1—14. The Word is the design
of the Creator, intended for man to catch hold of It from the
eye center and follow it right up to Its origin, and thereby
become God-like.
To get more light on the subject, you may please study
the Sant Mat literature. If you feel interested, I shall be very
glad indeed to answer any inquiries on this subject.
131. I am glad to read of your activities for the up-
lift of people and wish you success in your work.
Regarding Initiation, I would advise you to consider
over the matter more deeply, and be in no-hurry. The Path
of the Masters is diametrically opposed to the path which
the learned and the public follow. Their minds are engaged
in literary pursuits, and in the material and mental welfare
of other people. Thus, the mind works in the world outside
and gets scattered. In the Path of the Masters, the mind is
to be withdrawn from the world around and also from the
body below the eyes, and concentrated in the eye center.
The whole secret lies in the part of the body above the

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eyes, and the search for Truth is to be made therein and

within. The mind of the learned is complex for they have
stored and daily store so much in it. To travel on the Path
of the Masters a simple mind has a distinct advantage. This
does not mean, however, that the learned and the public
cannot follow the Path of the Masters. The tone of the let-
ter may appear discouraging, but all that is implied is that
their own mind stands as a big hurdle in their way. They
have to unlearn or unload their mind to come to the eye
center.
Again, the Path of the Masters is a long one and it takes
time to mould the mind. The withdrawal of the scattered
attention into the eye center requires patience, persever-
ance and faith. The learned get impatient when they find
themselves helpless in controlling their mind. They begin
to doubt the efficacy of the method given. They want quick
results, little knowing that mind is a power which is mov-
ing the world, and the world dances to its tune. It expresses
itself through lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride, and
who is free from them? To try to concentrate the mind in
the eye center is to pick up a quarrel with it, and it is a life-
long quarrel. If successful in this struggle, the prize is ever-
lasting Bliss. Then there is no more revolving on the wheel
of births and deaths.
There is no artificiality in the method of the Masters. It is
not man-made or man-designed. It is natural and is present
in all. The Master is simply to point out the method, and
the disciple is to work according to it. The student has his
duty and the teacher has his. All the Masters in all the ages,
no matter in what clime, have followed this one method—
the Sound Current or the Word.
I believe you know that a follower of the Path has to give
up meat, eggs and the foods which contain them, and also
alcoholic drinks. They harden the mind and their use in the

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spiritual journey is not allowed.

132. You did quite right in sending the applicants
the copies of letters as you did. It was kind of you to take
the trouble, and I appreciate it. As you say, no doubt there
will always be some who are not so very enthusiastic, but
by and by they will all come back. No need to worry. Let
them take their time. It is better to do a little extra for them,
doing our utmost to help and stimulate interest rather than
neglect any opportunity to do them a real service. Some-
times the weak ones need a little extra boosting and gen-
tle reminders. You can always write and ask them if they
would care for further literature. If they do not reply, then
let them go.
As to — she, no doubt, has had some difficulties and has
felt discouraged. I think she needs all the encouragement
she can get from you and the rest. She is all right, but has a
hard struggle. Of course you did right in giving her the In-
structions. When you follow the inner light, you will make
no mistake, and if that light is not definite or certain, then
go ahead and give the Instructions, always giving the can-
didate the benefit of doubt, unless you are positive they are
not what they should be. Remember, there are many weak
ones, and they need our help. We are not to turn them away
because they are weak. But weak men and women are not
always bad. They simply need the strong support of a real
brother or sister, as well as the help of the Master. Let us
always do what we can for them.
You say, “The Master approaches each of the five deities
in his own realm and unites with them, one after the other,
and eventually partakes of their original essence,” and so
on. This is correct only when the Master was a student him-
self, making the upward journey for the first time. After He
becomes a Master, He need not unite with them, as he goes
up. And a Master does not become a Master by partaking

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of the powers of the five deities in the five several regions.

You say this is what Mastership consists of. Not quite
accurate. Mastership is reached when one reaches Sach
Khand, and becomes merged with Sat Purush. Then only is
a man a Saint and Master. All that goes before that, is just
a part of the process of getting trained for Mastership —
schooled and prepared as it were. And on the way up, the
Master always retains His own Form — after he becomes
a Master — and His Radiant Form becomes more radiant
at each stage of His upward progress. But it is always His
own Form, not that of any deity in the several regions.
As to how to worship properly, that will settle itself, as
you infer. When you see the Master inside, you will instinc-
tively know what to do. You will always love and worship
your own Master. But of course, you will worship all Saints,
too. We all hold that there is no greater privilege than that
of bowing at the Feet of a true Saint, and I am myself de-
voutly thankful that I may enjoy that Holy Sacrament.
133. Flying in semiconscious condition of mind
Is a good indication, but attempt should be made that the
soul may leave the body in a fully conscious state and fly
up. This will come about when you get concentration of
mind. When you sit for meditation, please take care that
the mind does not wander out. If it goes out, please bring
it back so that it may begin to work inside. When the mind
begins to stay in, then the soul and mind will begin to work
inside and you feel happy. When you sit in meditation and
close your external eyes, please try to peep into the dark-
ness with the internal eye. By and by you will begin to per-
ceive light. Please devote three fourths of your total time of
meditation to repetition of the five Holy Names, as it brings
about concentration, and one fourth to hearing the Sound
from the right ear.

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134. Answering your question about spirits con-

tacted in spiritualist seances, I may say that at such meet-
ings, spirits of all sorts may be met with and they may give
communications. They may be spirits of dead relatives, or
they may be of strangers, or dwellers in some of the lower
astral planes, who have been there for ages. They may be
called Devas or angels.
But one word of precaution must be noted. Such as ap-
pear in seances are not to be depended upon. There are too
many chances of believing they are some beloved relatives.
Even the medium may be deceived as to their identity.
Tricks are sometimes played at such seances — and for that
reason it is much better to stay away from all such seances.
It is only when you yourself enter the astral plane con-
sciously, and independently, that you can see for yourself
and need no longer be deceived. But then you have no need
for mediums or guides. You see and know by your own
rights, independent of all others. And this is the only prop-
er, constructive way to enter the upper regions.
It is not at all likely that such “personalities” as you
contacted had ever been your own selves in any past life
or lives. When you leave the astral or other plane for re-
incarnation, you leave behind no personality which could
by any possibility communicate with you now. The astral
“shells” thrown off, could not hold intelligent communica-
tion with you now. Besides, when you return to earth life,
you bring with you your real astral body. You have now the
same astral body you had in the past life. It goes with you
always until you rise to the second region — Trikuti — and
there and then you discard the astral body, retaining only
the causal body. When you go up to the third region you
discard the causal body, and the soul stands naked (free) in
all glory and light, and for the first time it realizes that it is
pure spirit. Its light then and there is equal to the light of

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twelve of our suns combined.

Regarding the use of the mind over matter, uncon-
sciously, that can be done, no doubt. But it is not a safe
thing to try to do it. Wait until you go up to the first region
and there you will fully understand the laws of mind-con-
trol and will be able to use the mind constructively at all
times, with no penalty. In any case, no miracle is ever to
be attempted, even if you were able to do it. The penalty
is, sometimes, severe; but, especially, it stops your upward
progress which must be safeguarded.
But in all your financial struggles, hold steady to the
center in your meditations, and you must get help, because
you will grow stronger of will and more one-pointed in
mind. The more perfect is one’s concentration, the more
power he has over all the forces of nature. The mind is a
very great power, but before you can use it properly, you
must conquer the mind itself. Master your own mind and
then you are master of all else. Better never try to utilize
any law until you have mastered your own mind and then
all laws of the world are under your feet.
135. I trust you have grasped the essence of the
Radha Swami Faith. Briefly, it is a practical method of sepa-
rating the soul from its combination with the mind and the
body, and then uniting it with its Source, or the Supreme
Creator. It aims at the union of the soul with its Origin. It
does not aim at keeping the body free from disease, or pro-
longing its age, or influencing the minds of others, or doing
miracles, as some other systems profess. These powers re-
sult from concentration of the mind.
Devotees of the R.S. Faith acquire these powers when
they have succeeded in the concentration of their minds.
But, in their own interest, they are not allowed to use or
dissipate their energy in such pursuits. The energy is to be

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conserved for making further progress inward. In short, a

devotee does not find the way to realms within as long as
he has not subdued his dissipating tendencies; just as a fa-
ther would not entrust his treasures to a prodigal son.
The R.S. System follows the natural course of the Sound
Current, which is the connecting link between the Creator
and the individual. The individual is ignorant of this Cur-
rent in him because his attention is outwardly directed, and
the Current is within him.
When one is awake, the attention is attached to external
objects. When asleep, one is unconscious, and in the dream
state one has imperfect connection with the impressions of
external objects. If, however, the attention is held within—
at the center of consciousness (a point above and behind the
eyes, and called the “Third Eye”)—it will grasp the Sound
Current and will be held by It in turn, provided there is no
tendency of the attention to return to external objects again.
In the beginning, there is a hard struggle to bring the
attention to the eye focus, and it may be a work of years
with some, while cases are known to have gone within at
once. But when the habit to reach the focus has been ac-
quired, the glimpses of the inner world make this study
interesting. A boy goes to school, usually reluctantly, but is
reluctant to leave a university.
No period can be fixed as to when the attention of any
person will begin to stay within the focus. It depends upon
the longing, faith, perseverance, and his past record. In this
system, there are no rituals or customs to be observed. It
is an inward path, and everyone has to go within himself,
independent of others.
This Sound Current is at the foundation of all great reli-
gions. Their founders practiced this, and their books speak
of the Current. Their writings contain their experiences of

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the worlds within, when going on this Current. The Sound

Current liberates the soul from the bonds of the material
world as well as from the snares of the mind, and leads the
soul to Him. The first duty of man is to know himself; that
is, to free his soul from the bonds of mind and body, and
then unite it with Him. This is the highest service.
In case you find yourself ready to receive the instruc-
tions and Initiation, you may please communicate with—.
I am writing to him accordingly. I hope you will be able to
do without eggs, meats and alcoholic drinks.
136. I have read of your internal experiences. They
are as yet of an initial kind. As you advance in concentra-
tion, you will see the wonderful phenomena within, un-
folding themselves by degrees before your internal eye.
You should not be afraid of going inside, as the Master is
watching over you. Still, if you come across any cause of
fear, you should repeat the five Holy Names given you, or
think of the Master’s Form. The fear will disappear.
You should not tell of your visions to any one, not even
your husband; though you may write your experiences to
the Master. If you reveal your experiences to others, your
progress will stop. This is like a steam engine which works
better and more powerfully if all the outlets emitting steam
are closed.
The affairs of this world cause sorrow or pleasure. In
sorrow, do not become an image of grief and lose heart, as
you have not done already during the long illness of your
husband. At the same time, steps may be taken to remove
the cause of the trouble, and maintain peaceful equilibrium
of the mind.
I am very glad to learn of your keenness in pursuing
practical spiritual lessons, and note your acknowledgment
as your willingness to obey instructions. Obedience to the

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Master’s instruction makes the student’s path easier and

facilitates progress. And the world has nothing higher to
offer than the Truth of Sant Mat. I am particularly pleased
to learn that you are doing your Bhajan and Simran regu-
larly, and are able to hear the Sound Current and the in-
ternal melodies. In fact, it is the Sound Current that holds
the world together, and the higher harmonies will, by and
by, take the soul up to the highest region. With faith and
constant practice, you will contact the finer harmonies
someday. Obstacles are bound to come but, as you have
rightly remarked, they are only stepping stones if properly
tackled. Our own mind is, in fact, our greatest enemy, and
this has to be conquered. This is done by Shabd or Sound
Current practice, which is an absolutely fool-proof method.
There is no reason to be afraid; think of the Master and
repeat the five Names, and if you again feel any difficulty
or fear, help will come. It was a very good experience you
had. As the student progresses, he sees, hears and experi-
ences so many things. With faith and confidence, move on
and on.
R. S. Vows:
1 — Chastity. You should look upon all men as your
brothers or elderly relatives; likewise, men should look
upon women as sisters or mothers.
2 — Absolute abstinence from meat, fish, eggs and al-
coholic drinks.
3 — Never render obeisance to any form that appears
inside, while in meditation, except to the Form of the Mas-
ter.
Moods depend upon mental a’s well as physiological
conditions. The stars have their effect too; but we should
remember that we are born under particular stars because

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of our past karmas. We ourselves are the architect of our

fate. Again, when the positive power is exercising strong
influence, there is always a desire to go higher, but when
the negative power is in the ascendant, moods are bad and
there is tendency to go down.
137. No, you are not alone; the Master is always
with you and watching over you. You should leave all anx-
iety and entrust your dear and near ones to the care of the
Master. Give as much time as you can regularly to Repe-
tition with care and attention, and no thought should be
allowed to rise in your mind at the time. As your concentra-
tion increases by Repetition, you will get more peace and
greater joy.
Regarding cremation, you may do as you like; just as
when your shoes have become old and worn out you no
longer wear them, but dispose of them as convenient. The
dead body is like a cast-off garment which may be disposed
of as convenient. Sant Mat is concerned with the Soul and
not the body. Burial or cremation are merely customs.
138. Suffering and poverty are also preordained
for everyone before his birth, according to the karma of
his past birth. They have to be undergone; yet, a Master’s
disciple who raises his soul becomes indifferent to external
surroundings.
139. I am very glad to learn that your son has come
out safe and sound from the ordeal of war.
No, after death, the karma of one does not affect the
other. The relationship is broken. The relationship was
between two bodies. One body having perished, its soul
cannot be seen by the surviving body. Sometimes the dead
are attracted by the living on account of the love subsist-
ing between the two. Yet the survivor cannot perceive the
bodiless.

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The Master is always with you. He is always present

with His disciples in His Astral Form. In order to get more
firmly rooted in your spiritual practice, you should work
hard.
The bluish constellations and stars are at the threshold
of the inner world. Try to penetrate within. The progress
does continue, though the Master may have left the earth
plane forever. This is based on experience. My Master Initi-
ated a lady and soon after departed from this life. Sev-
eral years after that, the lady’s soul went inside very far.
140. I was very glad to read its contents. Many
of your questions have been answered by my reply to —
which it is expected you will read.
I am greatly pleased to find that you have already freed
your mind from unnecessary attachments and activities. If
you continue this process so as to throw out all desires and
thoughts excepting necessary ones, then it is expected that
you will begin to experience pleasure in concentrating, be-
cause when the mind becomes still, then in its interior is
reflected the Form of the Master as well as the Holy Sound;
just as in a tank’s surface are reflected the trees and houses
standing on its bank, with such distinctness that the im-
age looks real. But, on the other hand, if the surface is dis-
turbed by wind, then the reflection disappears. In the same
way our mental equanimity is disturbed every moment by
desires and thoughts, and our mind and soul are always
flowing outward so that therein the radiance of the Mas-
ter’s Form and Sound cannot be reflected. This is the rea-
son why our progress is so slow. When your mind, purified
from all thoughts, becomes concentrated at one point, then
the above-mentioned visions will be reflected in it.
All the objects of this world, except the soul and the
Holy Sound, are transitory. They are undergoing, change

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every moment. This world is in the keeping of Kal, whom

people call God or Brahm. All of us are in his custody. Our
True Home is the purely Spiritual Region (Sach Khand),
and our True Father is Sat Nam. He is our Ocean, of which
we are mere drops, and every drop longs to join its Ocean.
As Sat Purush is imperishable, so is our soul. Kal cannot
kill us, but we are subject to his command, and he is caus-
ing us great pain. He has tied us in the chains of desires and
karma.
If we think deeply, then the creation appears to be a
wonderful merry-go-round. All the souls inhabiting this
material world are divided into five classes, according to
quantity of tattwas (essences or elements) in each:
The first comprises the vegetable kingdom, in which
only water is the active principle (tattwa), while the four
remaining tattwas are dormant.
Next comes the insect world, in which two tattwas are
active; namely, fire and air — the remaining three being
dormant.
The third class consists of egg-born creatures, in which
water, fire and air are active — the remaining two being
inactive.
The fourth is the animal kingdom, in which only the
akash tattwas is inactive while the remaining four are ac-
tive. That is why the animals lack reason.
The fifth class consists of human beings, in which all the
five tattwas are in their full activity.
These tattwas are not to be confounded with elements
of chemical scientists. They refer to the condition of matter,
and not to its ingredients.
Now it will be seen that Kal has very cleverly entangled

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all these five classes in the net of karma, because in every

class he has so provided that creatures, should eat crea-
tures. Take the case of the creatures of the sea —the biggest
fish eat other big fish; the latter in their turn dine on small
fish, and these eat up smaller fry which subsist on insects
in the water. In short, in water one creature has to eat an-
other, as no other food is provided. Now take the creatures
on dryland — therein tigers, lions and wolves kill goats,
sheep, deer and so forth, while the latter live on vegetation.
The hawks eat sparrows, while the latter make the insects
their food. Men live upon all kinds of birds, animals and
vegetables. Thus, in all the world, creatures eat creatures.
Now, the rule is that those creatures that are eating others,
shall be eaten by those whom they eat. Thus, can there be
any possibility of the debt of karma being cleared up?
Now take the souls inhabiting the higher regions of
subtle matter. They are as much subject to pain, pleasure
and passion as the souls in the world of gross matter. Those
whose karma is worst are made to suffer in the region of
hell; others whose karma is a little better are made to wan-
der as ghosts and evil spirits; those whose karma is still bet-
ter reside in Deva Lok or Pitri Lok, while still higher souls
enjoy them-selves in Paradise. Those still purer reside in
Baikunth (higher paradise); while the souls of Incarnations,
prophets of higher degrees and yogis rest themselves in the
region of Brahm (Trikuti). There they enjoy the pleasures
of that region for a very long period of time, but in the end
they, too, after running their course, have to be born in this
material world.
Now, from Trikuti down to the vegetable king-dom is
the sphere of Kal, in which are rotating all the souls accord-
ing to their karma. The ruler of the circle is Kal (Brahm),
who wishes to confine all these souls to his own domain,
taking care not to let them go out of his own sphere, so that

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the latter may not become depopulated.

When Sat Purush, from whom all these souls had ema-
nated found them in trouble, He sent His Saints from Sach
Khand to initiate these souls in His Path. Saints are always
present in this world. Their mission is to take the soul from
the sphere of Kal to Sach Khand. They do not meddle with
the religions of the world. Their teaching is the same for
all; namely, to make the soul attend to the Holy Sound, as
the current of Sound comes direct from the Supreme Being.
Therefore, Sound is the direct route to Sach Khand.
As, by degrees, the mind and soul become enamored of
the Sound, the latter will burn out all our impurities and
make them pure. When pure, they will be attracted by the
Sound and will begin to ascend inwards. At last, when both
reach Trikuti, the mind will become one with Brahm. It was
generated from this region, and will merge into it. Then the
soul, having separated from the mind, will go to the region
of Daswan Dwar (Par Brahm) and find itself free from all
diseases as well as from the sphere of Kal. Then Satguru
will, by degrees, take it to Sach Khand. Therefore, the only
way to go out of this world and leave the sphere of Kal is
by listening to the Holy Sound and having love for the Sat-
guru.
You will, perhaps, object that when Nature has made
creatures the food of creatures, then why is animal food
forbidden and we are told to subsist on a vegetable diet.
The answer is that sin, giving pain to the soul and mind, de-
pends upon the quantity of active tattwas. The vegetables
and fruits are recommended because they do not possess
mind, or possess it in a dormant state, incapable of feeling
pain and complaining. Destroying of insects is a greater sin
than destroying vegetables, bird killing is worse than insect
killing, and animal killing is worse than bird killing, while
man killing is the worst of all. There is karma even in veg-

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etable eating, but not so heavy as in animal food. The Holy

Sound alone is potent enough to wash away karma of all
kinds. The lighter the karma, the greater is the attraction of
the soul towards the Sound.
This letter is lengthy and may prove tedious; therefore,
it may not be made longer. The remainder will come later,
at some other time.
141. As for—, her karma is very defective and
as Saints do not wish to give another incarnation in this
world to their followers, therefore it appears proper that
her karma should be washed out in this birth. There can be
no doubt that she is in great trouble, still the debt of karma
must be paid off; otherwise it will become the cause of an-
other birth. As a mother takes her baby to the surgeon to
get its abscess opened, and it is not her intention to cause
pain to her child, but to obtain perfect health for it, and
without undergoing pain the baby cannot recover, so the
same is the case with —. Please encourage her so that she
may not lose heart, but may bear her illness with patience
and fortitude, taking it to be for her good.
Up to this time there is no English magazine bearing
on this Path. Any other English book that comes out of the
press concerning the R. S. will be sent to you.
Your statement that your husband and yourself, while
traveling along the same Path, have different experiences,
is correct. The karma of each is separate and hence it is that
while both are going the same way, yet the success and in-
terruptions along the spiritual journey experienced by the
one is different from those experienced by the other. Al-
though much of your karma is similar to that of your hus-
band, yet it cannot be so in its entirety and hence the differ-
ence in the journey. Just as when the wife is ill, the husband
is not necessarily so, the karma of each is different.

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If it is found inconvenient to sit in the prescribed pos-

ture, then one may sit in an easy chair with the hands in
the prescribed position; or, one may sit squatting and use
a wooden bracket to support the elbows in the position.
— need not take the prescribed posture, but let her take
any convenient posture in her chair or bed and turn her at-
tention to the Sound. The only thing is that a posture once
taken should not be changed during a single sitting.
I greatly appreciate that you do not dislike to keep aloof
from society. As none befriends us except Holy Sound
and Guru, and as at the time of death no society can serve
us, then why should we fall in love with societies and the
things of this world? They were meant for our comfort and
so we should take service from them according to our need,
but not make them idols of worship. True renunciation de-
pends upon the attitude of the mind. A man who, while
living in this world and doing its work keeps his mind free
from it, can be said to have renounced the world; and one
who, living in solitude, has his mind full of worldly de-
sires, should be called a man of the world.
Your desire to visit India is welcome, but what I wish
is that you may have no need for your physical hands, feet
and body, but travel without feet, speak without tongue,
hear without ears and see without eyes, and while sitting
indoors visit not only India but the whole of Brahmand. If
you saw India with the physical frame, what use, if you did
not go beyond this world?
If you reply that you want to come to India for seeing
your Guru, then it should be noted that the physical frame
is not the real form of the Guru. It is a mere dress He has
put on in this world and which will be put off here. The
True Form of the Guru is Holy Sound, and in that form
the Guru permeates every hair on your body and is seated
within you. When you go above the eyes, then the Guru

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will meet you in His Radiant Form, and when you reach
Trikuti, the Guru will accompany you in His Sound Form,
even up to Sach Khand. Fly upwards upon the wings of
faith and love so that you may talk to Him every day and
be with Him always. This will come gradually, so you need
not despair. Perform your devotion regularly, and one day
all these powers shall be yours and you shall reach your
True Home.
142. I quite see the force of your point that for the
Americans it is very hard to isolate the spiritual Truth from
the admixture of Theosophy and Christian Science and
‘healing the sick’ and ‘curing the blind’. The incomplete
grasp of the evolution as developed by present day science
is another stumbling block. Man is a mixture of matter,
mind, spirit and the Truth.
This eye sees matter only, though it is aided by the tele-
scope and the microscope. The eye that sees the mind and
the spirit is different from this eye. This eye depends on the
extraneous source of light for illumination. The other eye is
self-luminous. Guru Nanak says:
The eyes that see the Lord are different from these eyes.
When the attention is reversed and is held at the eye fo-
cus, that eye becomes active and begins to function, and
sees the cause instead of the effect, and the higher the re-
versed attention rises, the more luminous and penetrating
this inner eye becomes. Finally, it sees the Primal Cause.
As members of this world we assume certain duties per-
taining to the sphere of our activity. We should perform
them as best we can, without losing ourselves in their] per-
formance. All the philosophers and mystics agree on the
par excellence of man in creation. His superiority lies in
that, as man, he can solve the riddle of the universe and
isolate the cause from the effect. And if he did not solve

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this riddle, he came in vain. Therefore, repeatedly, I draw

your attention to this important duty of man. You are on
the high road of the Current, and with love and faith and
forced marches, travel on this road and reach the place of
eternal Peace and Bliss.
Mind is the disturbing element. It connects spirit with
matter by coming in between as a connecting link. When the
tendency of the mind is outward, it is attached with matter,
and when it looks inward, it gets detached from matter and
tries to know the spirit which naturally has an inward ten-
dency. In proportion to the loosening of the union of mind
with matter, the union of mind with soul strengthens.
Carefully, therefore, examine the tendencies of the mind
and study its weaknesses, and try to overcome them. So
long as there is dirt in the mind, it cannot stay within. Its
attachments draw it out. Whichever pan of the balance is
loaded, that pan goes down always. Mind is our enemy,
and like an enemy, its movements should be watched.
The whole world — man, animal, bird, insect — dances
to the tune of mind. Every creature is being tossed up and
down by it. The only place where mind dances is when it is
brought before the Current. Only then it becomes helpless.
It cannot be controlled by the study of scriptures, nor by
the performance of austerities. Neither the soldier nor the
warrior, nor the conqueror, nor the moralist has succeed-
ed against it. He who ever succeeded against it, did so by
catching the Sound Current.
143. I received your two letters in due course of
time. About a month ago a few copies of the pamphlets
were sent to you without any covering letter with them. No
money is to be sent for these, as the price is nominal. I shall
be glad to supply more copies if needed.
Regarding the yogi and his forty-dollar course, — wrote

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to me about him. I gave her an outline of the yoga course

and compared it with Sant Mat, and as usual, gave her full
permission to satisfy her curiosity. There is nothing very
wrong with the system, in as far as they go. The point is
that the systems, when practically looked into, do not carry
very far. Almost all of the systems end at the first stage of
Sant Mat (that is, they end where we begin). Even this stage
is reached only by a few.
Again, there is no fixed time, limit in any system, in
which time a practitioner will reach the stage. If anybody
fixes the time limit, he is deceiving himself and deceiving
others. People become enamored when they hear one say
that by following this or that system, they will attain the
goal in so much time, and are caught. They do not criti-
cally examine themselves. Mind is not a thing that can be
switched off and on at will.
It cannot be taken away from its routine course in spite
of one’s best effort in a day, a month or a year. It is a life-
long struggle. Those who have undergone this struggle, or
who are engaged in it, understand what it is to conquer
the mind. It is son, daughter, wife, husband, friend, wealth
and poverty, attachment, greed, lust, anger, pride and what
not. It is attached to the outside world with ropes, double
ropes, triple ropes, and manifold ropes, and has been held
by these chains so long that it does not feel the irksomeness
of its bonds. It likes them instead.
Mind has completely forgotten its origin. To the caged
bird, its captivity is the normal run of life. What would a
course of Yoga do for such a mind? The tangled skein can-
not be unraveled so easily. Just as a mother watches over
and looks after her child, a devotee looks after his mind.
Even then there is no time limit. In the words of a famous
poet, that struggle with the mind is like the invitation to
a lover to come ready for the extreme sacrifice (loss of his

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head), but there is no promise of even an interview from

the beloved.
If it were an easy affair, Guru Nanak would not have sat
on pebbles for twelve years. Christ would not have spent
nineteen years in the Tibetan hills, and the founder of the R.
S. Himself would not have contemplated in a solitary, dark,
back room for seventeen years. I need not write more. You
know the struggle. Doctor has already said, “It is death in
life”. All that I would add is that there is no disappointment
to those who are attached to the Current within. Sooner or
later the door will open.
—’s tragic end was reported at the time in India’s lead-
ing newspapers as well. Looking at it from the angle of vi-
sion of the matter of fact man of the world, it was a rash
act. Aviation overseas is not safe yet (1930). Yet Lindberg
succeeded where — failed.
Matter of fact men would say that —’s machine was not
as good or that he came across very foul weather and, on
the whole, that — was not wise enough when he undertook
this adventure. The matter of fact man has to give some
reason to account for an occurrence. When a doctor fails to
find any other reason for a death, he calls it heart failure,
and there the matter ends. When the cause is known, the
element of surprise disappears. Common occurrences
do not produce surprise, for the cause is so apparent.
Similarly, those who see the past and future with the
inner eye, and see the cause of a happening in this life in
some distant past, are not surprised at the extraordinary
happening, like—’s tragedy. To them it is the result of a
cause, a natural effect.
Destiny is, therefore, nothing extraordinary to the inner
eye. It is simply a matter of routine was to end his present
life like this. It was the result of his own doing at some pre-

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vious time. He could not avoid it. When you say he was
clean and sound and there was no necessity for him to haz-
ard this, then you take away all blame from him, and have
to admit that he must have been forced to undertake it un-
consciously, by force of circumstances which he could not
see or avoid. He was helpless. He probably undertook it
with all the forethought he was capable of.
Saints, as a rule, do not interfere with what is happen-
ing. They live in the Will of the Supreme. Because they see
the past, present and future, there is nothing extraordinary
for them. Knowing full well the past, present and future,
they pass their time unostentatiously. They intentionally
pass as ignorant. They look at things from a much broader
point of view, while we look at them from a comparatively
narrow angle. Deaths and births are great events to us, and
yet they are not equal to even a drop in the great Ocean of
Creation.
A story goes that in the time of Guru Nanak a man came
to Him and in the course of conversation, the subject came
up about Saints living in the Will of the Supreme. Nanak
advocated the supremacy of His Will and the safety of the
individual in bringing himself into line with His Will. The
man advocated the superiority of reason and action. The
long and the short of it was that the man asked Nanak if he
could point out someone who lived up to this. Nanak gave
the name of one Bhai Lalo, a carpenter, and gave him the
other particulars. This man, in time, reached Lalo’s place
and found him working in his shop. Lalo greeted him
and said that he would attend to him in fifteen minutes.
The man continued watching Lalo who was preparing a
wooden plank (bier) to carry the dead. After finishing it, he
placed it in the shop and went out to the bazaar and soon
returned with the other articles required in disposing of a
dead body and put them aside with the bier.

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Lalo was about to address his guest when a messenger

came running from Lalo’s house and said, “Your son fell
down from the roof and is dead.” Lalo was unperturbed
and said, reflectively, “His Will”. The guest was watching
Lalo all the time. Lalo quietly took out the bier and the oth-
er articles, carried them to his home and arranged, as is
customary, for the disposal of a dead body.
After disposing of the body, and taking leave of the peo-
ple assembled, Lalo returned to his shop with the man. He
then apologized for his delay in attending to him. The man
had been watching Lalo all the time and knew now that the
plank which Lalo had been making was intended for the
body of his son, and that Lalo knew all the time that the
boy was to fall and die. He, therefore, accused Lalo of neg-
ligence in not going home in time and saving the child from
the fall. Lalo repeatedly pointed out that the boy was to die
like that, and that it was in the interest of the child that he
was not saved; that his child’s connection with himself was
to end like that, that it was in the fitness of things that this
had happened, and he was happy ir His Will.
Now Lalo’s is not a negative attitude. It is a decided-
ly positive attitude, which is not attained as long as one is
confined to the sphere of reason alone. Reason is blind and
the activity based on reason is also blind, in comparison to
what is seen by the inner eye. But so long as the inner eye
is not seeing, one is in the sphere of reason or intellect, and
has only this reason to guide him. Looked at from the point
of view of reason, — was not wise in his adventure. Looked
at from the point of view of the inner eye, he could not help
it and it was to happen like this.
You ask “Would he have been saved, if he had taken to
the R. S. ?” If death is an event of our life, then the Initiation
into the Sound Current is the event of events. The Initiation
is preordained. Those who are destined to receive it in this

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life get it, and not otherwise, no matter how close they may
be to a Master. Death and Initiation are in no way to be con-
nected together. One is independent of the other.
The outward run of soul, covered by mind and matter,
may be likened to a journey by stage on a long road. The
journey from one station to another is the span of a single
life. Now, assume that the journey is made in such a way
that the covering is changed at every stage. The old cover-
ing is left behind, but the impressions of the last journey
are there. These impressions or experiences mould the on-
ward course; and if there are many travelers on the road,
one traveler impresses and is impressed by the others.
A traveler left behind may catch up again. A set-back
or a run-back is not unusual. A skirmish in one stage may
develop into a fight in another stage. The vanquished in
one stage may turn out victorious in another. The impres-
sions and experiences on a journey are the karmas. They
influence reason as a magnet influences iron. —’s reason
was influenced by his past history, and so is the reason of
everyone else. No two persons think alike, because the past
history is never the same. On this journey no traveler is one
hundred per cent fatalist or a free wilier. A fatalist makes
feeble efforts, but is not always successful. In this journey,
struggle is the rule.
We have been on this road ever since creation started
— an endless period. We have not gone back to our Home,
the proof of which is that we are here now. The way hence
is within us. That is the Sound Current, but we are discon-
nected from the Sound Current. Saints connect us with this
Current and see us back to our Home. This is the mission of
the Saints. From the time of Initiation, they are with the Ini-
tiated at the eye focus, help him to come back to the focus,
and from there, go with him in His House.

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There may be people who hold that, in spite of their

great desire to go within, they do not seem to get the help.
Such people have only to search their hearts a little deeply.
They will find that what they call their great desire is very
superficial. They do not want to go within and stay within,
but wish as a matter of curiosity to return and play the tip-
ster. When a soul really wishes to go back, there is nothing
to prevent it. It is the law. Has any father given away his
hard-earned money to his son to squander away? Or has
any father kept away his earnings from his deserving son?
Enclosed is a translation of a poem by the founder of the
R.S. I am proud of you both and of your work. With bless-
ings from the Father.
1. Soul, I know thou art in distress.
From the day thou brokest contact with the Word. Thou
hast formed attachments with the mind.
Thy stupid mind has bound thee to the body, and in the
snare of sensual pleasures holds thee.
2. Thy kith and kin are a source of pain; Yet art thou
tied fast to these.
A living spirit thou, and false and lifeless these.
Between these two how could there reconciliation be?
3. Proper therefore to wake up now,
Rather than be caught in the cycle of transmigration.
Through Sat Sang seek the everlasting, And cultivate
the Master’s love.
4. From the Master learn the secret of the Word,
And climb up to the Heaven again. Do this much in the

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present life; The Master will look to the rest.

5. Even now take heed, says Radha Swami; Sorrows
will vanish and the secret
Of eternal Bliss stand revealed.
The first lines of the poem describe the outward run of
the soul: Soul — mind — body — senses — objects. Mind is
stupid because it left Trikuti and degraded itself by coming
down into the [Link] did not stay there even, but through
the senses, is attached to objects exterior to itself.
The second stanza indicates the incompatibility of soul
and matter.
“The Heaven” in the fourth stanza, means the eye focus.
The fourth and fifth stanzas give hope and assurrance.
144. I am very sorry that your lettefs have re-
mained unreplied so long. The secretary misplaced all the
American letters in May, and found them this Xmas. I had
gone out for two months in October and November. You
must be feeling this delay, but I hope you will be generous.
You have recommended Marion Schumaker and Dr.
Johnson and Mr, Myers... I have written to Dr. Johnson
and Mr. Myers to correspond with you for Initiation and
fix time if they are ready. You may please give all three
the necessary instructions and Initiation, if you find them
ready. I hope they will be able to do without eggs, meats
and alcohol.
Regarding Initiation of those who have not applied di-
rectly, I would say that you may give them Initiation in
special cases, if you consider them fit. But it would be better
if you let them apply and wait for a reply. It is in your inter-
est, for you may feel disappointed in case they go wrong.

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It is difficult to make a true estimate of a man intellectu-

ally. What to say of others, one does not know aright him-
self. The mind changes with the impressions received, and
sometimes without any apparent cause. “Coming events
cast their shadows before.”
But what is in store yet, intellect cannot comprehend.
At least, it only tries to guess. To follow the working of the
mind, we must leave the physical or material zone and en-
ter the mind zone and, more than that, we should detach
ourselves from the mind also; for only then can we see it
dispassionately.
“To understand the laws regulating entrance to this
faith” you must go within. You will then see that “all that
shines is not gold”, nor all that looks dull is base. As long as
we are covered with mind and matter, we cannot see Real-
ity. When you have thrown off these coverings, you will be
able to read others correctly at a glance. You will then find
that everyone, good or bad, is working under a law, and
whatever has happened or is happening is right.
Those who are to get Initiation in this life are stamped
already. Says Guru Nanak:
God has written on the forehead that this man will have
faith in the Guru, will get Initiation, meet the Creator and
be happy
The simple minded accept quickly that the Shabd Faith
is correct, and stick to it and succeed, while the so-called
educated or the learned continue wandering. Their scat-
tered minds are not at ease, and take long to settle. Their
minds are to be tired out, so to say, before they get steady.
For them it is a hard task.
You are familiar with the soil and rock strata. In some
places the strata vary in quick succession, while in other

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places the same stratum continues quite deep. The same

is the case with karma. Unless you are familiar with the
strata, you cannot guess what lies underneath. The change
may be sudden, or otherwise, from one stratum to another.
Similarly, the change in man’s temper may be sudden or
slow, depending on the pile of karma. To understand the
law, “Know thyself.”
You feel dejected when you find that people do not stick
to the faith. I would ask you not to make it a personal case.
We are not creating a new religion or a new sect; there are
plenty of them already. We are not making money out of
it that we should feel sorry that, with the fall in numbers,
there will be loss in income. We are not hankering after
name or fame; they are poison in this Path. You do it sim-
ply as a charity—giving or wasting your time for the good
of others.
If you come across a real seeker, give him a hint. There
is no necessity to go out of your way to influence others.
Things happen when the time is ripe for them. Your talk
with others leaves the impression on them. Sooner or later
they will go deeper, and your talk will bear fruit. Let not
the coming or going of others interfere in your own prog-
ress. I do not wish you to help others at the sacrifice of your
own progress. Says Nanak:
He who preaches to others, but does not act upon it him-
self, will continue coming and going in births and deaths.
Everyone is actuated by his karma. If the Creator does
not wish to bring a person on the Path immediately, you
may try your hardest, but he will not grasp the idea. And
those whom He wishes to give to, accept it without hesi-
tation. Go within and see this law. It is true that faith, like
other things, varies in intensity. The only way to strength-
en it is to have firsthand knowledge. Knowledge is within

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you. You have to go within yourself to get it. There is no

other way.
The Christian Religion and the Shabd Yog or Sant Mat
are two distinct things. Sant Mat is not a religion of cus-
toms and rituals, nor a theory and blind faith. It is a science
which connects the soul with its source. Christ studied a
branch of this science, but it is a pity that Christ did not
leave behind any writings from which his philosophy or
science could be traced. All the works on the Christian Re-
ligion were written by his disciples.
The science of the Indian Saints is given in their books,
which are authentic. In their writings, they have described
the inward journey of their soul. They say that they have
seen Him, and lead others to Him. Their system is quite
clear. The disciples of Christ have mixed custom and ritual
in his science. It has resulted in confusion. Saints do not
care for outward customs and rituals. They neither abolish
them nor create new ones. Their business is to go within.
They emphasize pure spirituality. From the Bible we learn
that Christ did follow the Current. Even now, if you go
within, you meet him on the way. To understand Christ
and his science, let us go within and meet him.
If— has dropped out, it does not matter in the least. This
seed (Word), once placed in a bosom, cannot die. It must
germinate when watered, and bear fruit when nourished
— in this life or the next. There is no getting away. She com-
plains that she is not cared for. Poor soul, she does not un-
derstand that pain and pleasure are necessary adjuncts of
this life. Our life is a combination of good and bad karma.
Disease is due to karma — our own bad karma, and
one should be happy that through disease the bad karma
is being fulfilled. Disease is the unloading of the burden,
and paying off the debt. When a child gets dirty, the moth-

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er cleans it and washes it, no matter how much the child

may cry and weep. When He gives us disease, He wishes to
clean us. If she were to go within, she could see what help
is given, and how.
If—or anybody else wants proof, she must enter the lab-
oratory where the experiment is going on. The laboratory
is within the body, not outside it.
I am not familiar with the book “Eating for Health and
Efficiency”. If “it is good, you may recommend it to those
who are starting on the Path. Under separate cover I am
sending you a small book: “Self-Restraint versus Self In-
dulgence”, by Mahatma Gandhi. I hope it will be of some
use to you.
145. I have received your letters and also your
pamphlet, ”The Religion of Nature”. I am glad you took,
the earliest opportunity to go to the Brocks and got the Ini-
tiation. Now, you may consider that your outward inquiry
as to what is Truth and where it resides and how to get at it
is over. The net result of your inquiry is: The Truth is with-
in you, and you have to go within yourself to get it. You
have heard the Sound enough in its very feeble form. That
should give you a start. The outward inquiry is over and
the inward search should commence.
The first essential thing is concentration — bringing the
scattered and scattering attention in the eye focus. It is the
attention or sense of feeling, mind, and so forth, no matter
what name you give it (for at this stage it is a combination
of all), that is to see and hear within, just as it is seeing and
hearing outwardly now. The same force which is working
in the world outside, through eyes, ears and so forth, is to
work within, through the inner eye and the inner ear, in the
inner worlds.
Like the switching off and on of an electric current from

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one aperture to another, we should be able to switch off

and on our attention from the physical, material world, or
the physical body, to the inner, finer world and the inner,
finer or astral body. The attention, like the Current, is the
same; but it is to work in different spheres. Collection and
holding of the attention at the eye focus is to switch it off
from the physical world and the physical body. When this
is achieved concentration is complete. We should then be
entirely cut off from the material world and our own mate-
rial body, but conscious within.
Because our attention has been running wild outwardly
from the eye focus, not only during our present life since
our birth but in our previous lives also, so to hold it at the
eye focus is an arduous, uphill task. Habit of staying out
from the focus has become second nature. But there is no
reason why we should not be able to overcome a habit. It
only needs effort and determination.
You may have observed that this attention is not perma-
nently attached to any material object in this world. From
childhood onward it has had its likes and dislikes. At one
time it is attached to friends, at another to family, and so
on. It has not stuck to one thing. Herein lies the remedy:
The attention is detachable.
So, what we do in our method of concentration is to
place before our attention the vision of the inner worlds. By
repeatedly putting those scenes before it, we bring it again
and again into the focus. We are substituting the visions of
the inner worlds in place of the outer and material world.
Jot Niranjan, for example, when remembered, suggests the
idea of candle light and bell sound, inside the eye focus.
Similarly, other names. The Five Names thus give us the
main features of the Path within, and when we remember
these, we are, in a way, bringing our attention onto the in-
ner Path. It is only a matter of effort, longing, determination

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and persistence in the face of failure, when this switching

of the attention from the external, material world onto the
inner worlds will become easy and a matter of routine.
Sticking to the eye focus is essential.
The mind will often run away, and when you find it
has run away, bring it back into the focus. Sometimes sleep
intervenes. Sleep only means that the mind was withdrawn
from the external world, but we did not stick to the focus
and, instead, the attention sank down to the lower focus —
the throat or navel. So, bring it up again to the eye focus.
If one sticks to the focus, then the mind, which runs wild
in the beginning, slowly and slowly quiets down and it be-
gins to feel as if sticking to the eye focus is not an unnatu-
ral thing. The Current from the body then slowly begins to
move towards the focus. (The body should not be disturbed
from the posture). The first withdrawal is from the extrem-
ities — the arms and legs. If the practice is prolonged, the
body, the whole trunk, will lose the current which will col-
lect at the eye focus. Then one will be conscious within but
unconscious of one’s own body, what to say of the external
world.
When you have stuck to this posture for as long as you
could, and wish to change as a necessity, assume the pos-
ture in which the Sound is to be heard. Still sticking to the
focus, try to catch the Sound, but do not leave the focus.
The attention from the body below the eyes will also be
withdrawn towards the focus. As this process is followed,
you will feel the withdrawal of the Current. When the Cur-
rent is withdrawn to the focus, one is unconscious of the
body, but is fully conscious within.
Some gaze on a statue or idol or picture, or a dot on a
wall, or the tip of the nose. Now all these things are exter-
nal to oneself. The attention will be concentrated where one

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holds it long enough. Having succeeded in concentration

on external objects, the next step is to bring it within. So
why not start from within?
The Sound Current starts from the eye focus. As long as
the eye focus is not reached, the Sound Current is not au-
dible. The moment one reaches the eye focus, he must hear
the Sound. The Sound never stops; it is the attention that
does not reach there. If a thing is lying on the roof of one’s
house, he cannot get it unless he goes up to the roof.
The soul is covered by mind and matter. We are a com-
bination of soul, mind and matter. At present we are mostly
matter, feebly mind, and imperceptibly soul. Our state is
like that of iron covered by rust and then by mud. In this
state iron does not behave as iron, and is not attracted by
a magnet. Our attention does not catch the Sound Current
because the attention is saturated with matter or the world
of matter. When we will reach the eye focus, we will have
washed away all matter and will be fit to catch the Current.
Reaching the eye focus is a prerequisite to catching the Cur-
rent.
Our attention is sticking to the body and the world like
a fine silk cloth entangled in a prickly, thorny shrub. If one
were to pull the cloth forcibly, the cloth would be torn to
pieces. But if one sits by patiently and disentangles it from
pricks or thorns, bit by bit, one can succeed in removing the
cloth intact. If you will pull out a single hair from the body,
you feel the pain or the pull because the attention is there.
No violent act will withdraw the attention. Withdrawal
should be done gently.
Any act, therefore, that will make the attention stick to
matter tenaciously, should be avoided. Discarding the sen-
sual desires from the mind and being good, pure-minded
and honest in dealings with others, loosens the connection

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of the attention from the world. Concentration is the goal.

Any act that assists in the achievement of this goal is right,
and all those that keep the attention away from the focus
are wrong. The nearer we are to concentration or the fo-
cus, the nearer we are to the “Light”. Light, like Sound, is
already within us. It never goes out. Only we do not reach
the place where Light is. The Light is inside the focus and
we are outside the focus. Says Guru Nanak;
The cure, of all ills is the Word.
Let us, therefore, go within the focus to catch the Word.
Proceed patiently. The Current should leave the body slow-
ly. What to say of Light, you will see innumerable worlds
within, which you will cross on your Way.
The five stages about which you have been told are the
main stations on the road. In loose terminology, everything
within the eye focus is called Brahmanda. The part near to
this side of the focus is often called Anda. Any number of
subdivisions in Anda and Brahmanda may be mentioned.
Strictly speaking, the body, including the part below the
eye focus, may be divided into five parts:
1 — Pinda, the part below the eyes
2 — Anda, from the eye focus up to the beginning
of Trikuti, which has been explained to you as the second
stage
3 — Brahmanda, from the bottom of Trikuti up to the
border of Daswandwar.
4 — Par Brahm from the bottom of Daswandwar to
the top of Bhanwar Gupha and lastly,
5 — Sach Khand and the stages above it.
Sach Khand and the stages above it constitute the pure

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Spiritual Region. This is the only unchangeable part. Brah-

manda, Anda and Pinda are changeable, and therefore
perishable. Leaving the pure Spiritual Region aside, the re-
maining parts — Brahmanda, Anda and Pinda —are relat-
ed to one another as the image is related to the object. Anda
is the reflection of Brahmanda, and Pinda is the reflection
of Anda, just as the sun and its reflection in water and the
reflection on a wall from the surface of water are related to
one another. The sun is above in the sky with all its magnif-
icence and power. The image in the water has the appear-
ance of the sun but has lost much of its magnificence. The
reflection on the wall is only a hazy patch of light, distorted
and devoid of glory. Pinda is a copy of Anda, and Anda is
a copy of Brahmanda. The so-called man is thus a copy of
the copy, leaving aside the pure Spirit.
You may have seen in books the points and pictures
describing the six lotuses in Pinda, the part below the eye
focus. It is unnecessary to go into this in detail, for it will
serve no useful purpose. Suffice it to say that these six lo-
tuses are the reflection of the corresponding six lotuses or
centers of Anda, which are in turn the reflection of the six
centers of Brahmanda.
Just to give you an idea how the corresponding centers
in Pinda, Anda and Brahmanda resemble one another, like
the sun and its images; the lowest center in Pinda is at the
rectum, with red color and four petals. The corresponding
center in Anda is the lowest center, just above the eyes,
with red color and four petals. The corresponding center in
Brahmanda is Trikuti, with red color and four petals. The
red sun of Trikuti is reflected in the four-petalled lotus of
Antakaran, just above the eyes, and this in turn is reflected
down at the rectum as the dull red-colored four-petalled
lotus.
The majority of systems of concentration start from the

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rectum and then slowly work up the attention to the eye

focus. Some start from the heart center and then slowly
work up to the eye center; for in the case of ordinary men
the headquarters of attention is not the eye but the heart.
Man rises to the eye center only when thinking deeply, and
again sinks down below the eye. Dream and sleep states
are caused by the attention sinking below the eye focus.
Sant Mat, or the system of the Saints, starts with concen-
tration from the eye focus. They do not concentrate at any
center below the eyes. The argument is simple. Man is nor-
mally working from the heart center. With some effort he
rises above this center momentarily to do some deep think-
ing, and in relaxation goes back to the heart center. So man
is sitting at the middle of the mountain whose base is the
rectum and the top is the eye, and the heart is the midway
point. Going down to the rectum and then coming up is a
waste of time and energy. So Saints straightaway put the
eye focus as the first goal to reach the top.
There is a natural capacity in man to rise up to the eyes,
although he does not stick to it. This last thing is the only
drawback. Saints, therefore, remove the drawback by re-
peatedly going up to the eye focus, and the eye focus, by
practice, becomes the headquarters of attention. Changing
the headquarters of attention upwards is going towards the
light, step by step.
Power lies in concentration, no matter at what center it
is concentrated. But the higher the center, the greater the
power, and the greater the peace. Entering and sticking to
any center in Pinda or parts below the eyes is a study of the
reflection of reflections. Saints have discarded entering into
Pinda. They sit at the eye focus, withdraw the Current up
to this center and start off to Anda and Brahmanda.
Practice and actual experience gained in doing the pro-

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cess of concentration will automatically remove some of

your doubts and difficulties. Please bear in mind that no
strain is to be put on the eyes. It is not the material eye that
sees within, for that is an organ like other organs which
connect us with the external material world.
Your Master or Guru is within you at the eye focus,
ready to receive you, and is awaiting your arrival. He is
always within you. You can see Him there by going into the
eye focus. He will answer all of your questions and you will
not stand in need of any outside agency.
Your “The Religion of Nature” is very good, and you
may give it out to the world. The world will benefit by it.
But you will be well advised if you do not attempt another
for some time, till you have actually seen something with-
in and acquired firsthand knowledge. Write after storing
energy.
146. I quite agree with you when you say: “I feel
that I can lift no higher than I can reach.” Self-study is es-
sential, therefore. To study the self, it will have to be isolat-
ed first from the material and ethereal coverings and from
its connections with the outside world. We are attached to
the world through our attention. If we succeed in holding
our attention within us, our connection with the world is
cut off and we are independent of it for the time being. Sim-
ilarly, if we hold our attention in the brain or in the third
eye, our connection with the lower part of the body will be
cut off and we will be independent of the body for the time
being. So far, we do it daily, although the duration is small.
When, after doing our duty, we return home, we have
cut off our connection with the external world and nar-
rowed down our sphere to the house only. When, from the
drawing room, we retire to our own room, we have tempo-
rarily cut off our connection with the household. When we

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are about to sleep, and our eyes are drowsy, our attention
has contracted towards the eyes and left the extremities of
the body. So far, we are conscious. However, the attention
does not stay in the eyes but, by habit, goes down from the
eye focus, leaving us unconscious or semiconscious. The
lower it goes from the brain, the duller it becomes. Finally,
we lie sleeping and unconscious.
Now, if we had held this attention in the eyes, we would
have remained conscious. And if we could raise it above the
eye focus, within ourselves, we would be superconscious
within, in the new world which is separate from the phys-
ical world and the physical body, with which we are not
attached but are cut off for the time being. We have thrown
off one covering, the coarse material sheath, from the self.
When the attention returns to the body, and from there to
the home and the world, we, step by step, are reconnected
with the world. If the holding of the attention at the eye
focus could be prolonged, we could remain connected with
the inner world for longer periods, and correspondingly
disconnected from the material world.
To remain connected with the outside world has be-
come second nature by habit. To loosen this connection or
to change this habit requires time and effort. It is a slow
process. Violent methods do not succeed here. The atten-
tion is to be diverted, and second nature is to be altered.
When one succeeds in holding the attention undisturbed
at the eye focus, the Word or the Sound Current (though
audible feebly even before the eye focus is reached) begins
to attract the attention, as a magnet draws iron. This Cur-
rent is the Royal Road that leads the attention onwards.
This Current is life. It is the essence. It is within us, for us.
Christ spoke of this Current as Word. Mohammed
called it Kalma, and Saints have given It various names. It

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is the basis of all religions. The difference lies in the extent

to which the founders of various religions followed It. Soc-
rates said “Know thyself”. Christ separated his self from its
coverings and could do it at will. It was a practical course
with him. The present-day philosophy is theoretical only.
It is more inclined to tackle world problems and ignore
the practical study of the self. And that is why it does not
succeed in solving its problems. Self-study is an individ-
ual study. Man came alone into this world, and will leave
alone. When he has solved the problems of coming and go-
ing for himself, he may help others in this line.
147. I have received both of your letters in due
course of time, the latter having been written after Initia-
tion. In my last letter I had given you some hints on con-
centration, of which you were expected to get a clearer idea
after Initiation and application. You now have a better idea
of your difficulties.
The posture is not easy for you, and the usual course
with you is to sit upright in a chair. You occasionally lose
consciousness and muscular control momentarily, and the
head falls backward or sideways until it ends with a jerk
which awakens you.
In the ordinary way, when one is about to sleep, what
happens is that as attention withdraws from the eye focus,
one loses muscular control, becomes unconscious of the
body, and finally the eye gets vacant, and consciousness
gives place to semi consciousness and then to unconscious-
ness.
The loss of consciousness means that the attention did
not stick to the eye focus but fell below this focus, onto the
lower centers — the throat or the navel. At the throat center
it is almost in a semi-conscious state; causing dream; and at
the navel center, there is a complete loss of consciousness.

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If it were held to the eye focus and, instead of falling down,

it had gone up to that center, there ought to have been full
conscious-ness and super consciousness, not of the body or
the external world, but of what you were doing within —
Repetition or grasping the Current, or seeing something
within if anything was visible.
Therefore, loss of consciousness means ordinary sleep.
There cannot be unconsciousness if the attention is at the
eye focus, or at the centers above the eyes. When you say
the jerk awakens you, it means that you were asleep. There
is nothing unusual in this. Attention, by habit goes down,
and we wish to come up. It is here that the struggle com-
mences. So, when you get the jerk, start again. Consciously
stick to the focus. When you are conscious of the focus, and
repeatedly bring your attention to it when it goes off, you
will, by and by, become unconscious of the surroundings
and the body, and remain conscious of the focus or what
lies in the focus.
It is a slow process, and takes time. But rest assured,
sooner or later you will succeed. This struggle for achiev-
ing concentration has been compared to the rise of an ant
on a smooth wall. The ant rises and falls sometimes after
a climb of a few inches only, and, not infrequently, when
the roof is in sight. The withdrawal of the current from the
body to the eye focus is like the climb of the ant — a strug-
gle, but a struggle with determination.
The headquarters of the attention is at the eye focus, but
its rays animate the whole body. They go beyond the phys-
ical body as well, into the sons, daughters, wife and other
relations, into movable and immovable property, and into
the country. They have a long range. It takes time to with-
draw these rays to the focus. It is only when the rays have
been focused in the eye center that man becomes a man.
Otherwise he is akin to a beast.

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When these rays of attention begin to collect at the eye

center, or the process of withdrawal starts, one feels the
pricking sensation. It is a sign of concentration. It appears
as if ants were moving on the skin. The inner waves are
coming up, and as the waves come up, they should bring
in a state better than the state of wakefulness instead of un-
consciousness.
You have not the habit to sit in the posture. We Indians
have the habit. Only the fat people here find it difficult. But,
like other things, posture is only a means to an end. The
end in view is concentration or holding the attention in the
focus.
The Light and the Sound are always present at the focus.
They are never absent from the focus. We could not remain
alive if the Current were absent from the focus. To get them
(Light and Sound) you must reach the focus.
Do not worry if you have not seen anything so far. You
may worry about their absence when you reach the focus
and do not find them there. Everything lies inside the fo-
cus. Your wildest dreams or imaginings cannot picture the
grandeur of what lies within. But the Treasure is yours, and
is there for you. You can have it whenever you go there.
Take it from me, and once for all, that everything, including
the Creator, is within you, and whosoever has attained it,
has attained it by going inside the focus. There is no easier
method to go within than the one of which you have been
informed.
Please be not in a hurry. With patience and persever-
ance, complete the course of concentration. Going within
takes time. The rise within is comparatively easier. This
part of the course is tasteless. Taste comes with concentra-
tion. Slow but steady wins the race. That which is acquired
after struggle is valued, and that which comes easily is of-

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ten not valued.

The natural tendency of the soul is to rise up, for it is a
bird of a different sphere. The mind and the body keep it
down. The cream in milk automatically rises when the milk
is left alone. The moment the body and the mind are sta-
tionary, the soul begins to rise up towards the focus. It is the
disturbances of the mind and the body that keep it down,
just as the cream does not rise if the milk is disturbed.
There are three bodies with corresponding minds: The
physical body, the astral body and the causal body. We are
all familiar with the physical body. We can have some idea
of the astral from the forms we see in dreams, but with this
difference, that the dream is a state of attention below the
eyes, and the astral sphere is above the eyes. The idea of the
causal body cannot be grasped as long as the attention does
not go within the focus; but it may be compared to the tiny
plant in the seed itself. Inside the physical is the astral, and
inside the astral is the causal.
When the attention reaches the eye focus, it has cast off
the physical frame, and for the time being it is free and sep-
arate from it—just as we take off our coats. At the top of
Sahansdal Kanwal, the attention casts off the astral form,
and at the top of Trikuti, it casts off the causal form. These
three bodies are controlled or moved by their correspond-
ing minds.
So long as the soul is within the sphere of these bod-
ies and minds, it is subject to births and deaths. At every
death it changes the body, although itself is imperishable.
The body dies, or changes, but not the soul. The change in
the form of the body is determined by the fruit of our past
actions, which is our karma. There is no “body” without
action, and there is no action without “body”. Every action
that has been done has left an impression behind on the

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mind. It may not be in the memory for the time being, but
may flash itself at any time. The point is that the impression
remains, which will manifest itself in its own time.
Now, so long as all the impressions (received ever since
the soul entered into the spheres, of minds and bodies) have
not been removed, the soul is not, free, and till then shall
remain subject to karma. It performs actions only when it
activates the mind, and this happens only when it leaves
the Sound Current and associates itself with the mind. It is
free from the mind as long as it is catching the Current.
So, practically the whole of humanity — leaving aside
other creation — is disconnected from the Current and per-
forms actions, leaving their impressions behind, and be-
coming the cause of rebirths.
At birth, a definite number of actions or impressions
are allotted to the soul. They form, in a way, the mould in
which the new life has been cast. They determine the tem-
perament, span of life, and the trend of activities during
life.
During the lifetime, therefore, these impressions have
been worked out, and new impressions have been received.
These new impressions, together with the unallotted old
impressions, are assorted again, and a definite number as-
signed to run another span of life. The process is therefore
unending, and evidently there does not seem to be any way
out of this cycle.
But Saints show us a way out. They say that the impres-
sions that you brought with you in this life, form your fate,
and you have to undergo this. There is no escape from this,
and if it were to terminate somehow immediately, death
would ensue. Therefore, there should be no interference
with them. They cannot be altered or modified.

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But the new actions that you do, you may do, not as an
independent, but as an agent of the Master. As agent, you
are not held responsible. A faithful agent does not misuse
the powers and the property entrusted to him. Suppose that
we take the body, the mind and the worldly properties we
possess, as a trust from the Master, and work with them as
His agents, then there is little possibility of our using them
in ill ways. The new actions, therefore, will not be binding.
The agent is responsible to the primary, and if he has done
his work honestly and to the best of his ability, then for all
his actions as agent, the primary is responsible.
In addition, the Saints put us onto the Current. By these
means they free us from the new impressions, and the as-
signed impressions are worked out during the lifetime.
The unassigned impressions, Saints take upon themselves,
and themselves render account. Saints have the capacity to
render account for the unassigned actions, for they come
from a zone beyond the limits of mind. Without the help
of Saints, and the travel on the Sound Current, there is no
escape from the impressions.
The range of mind extends up to the top of Trikuti,
and so long as the soul is in or below Trikuti, it is subject
to transmigration. Souls that have taken shelter with the
Saints, sooner or later — sooner if they follow Their advice
— go beyond Trikuti to Sach Khand.
You will thus see that the Law of Karma is universally
applicable, while “forgiveness” is the specialty of Saints.
Christ forgave those whom he initiated, and not those who
did not come in contact with him. Christianity is wrong
wherein it supposes that, in the name of Christ, they are
forgiven. It is blind faith and self-deception. Christ played
his part when he was present on this earth in the flesh.
There are in our Satsang, Freemasons up to the twelfth

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degree. They say that in Freemasonry there is no such thing

as actual concentration of the attention, nor the rise of the
soul onto the higher planes. They call Freemasonry a soci-
ety, more inclined towards charity. They do not find any
spirituality there. As to the journey within, there is no stage
which is crossed by the show of passwords, mantras, signs
or grips. Words finish at the third eye. The journey is trav-
eled by the force of love and longing.
Religion means union of the individual soul with its
Source. In actual practice, it is the concentration of the atten-
tion at the eye focus and rising up by following the Sound
Current. It is, therefore, an individual affair. Everybody for
himself. You are to go within yourself. I am to go within
myself. To do this, no outward ceremony is needed. The
moment one begins to concentrate his attention, he cuts off
his connections from others. All outward ceremonies are
meaningless. True religion admits of no external ways of
devotion. Burning of incense, human and blood sacrifice,
eating bread and drinking wine are non-essentials. Human
and blood sacrifice indicate not only ignorance, but show
perverted mentality.
Idol worship, blood sacrifice, grave worship, pilgrimage
to so-called holy places, and many other customs are com-
mon in India, and some of them in other countries as well.
How they originated is riot difficult to trace. Take the case
of idol worship in India. A being, by actual concentration,
went inside the focus, saw the thousand-petalled lotus (let
us say) with its big central light and the other subsidiary
lights, together with the various sounds that are going on
there. As an artist, he expresses that in wood or stone, or
paint and brush. No wonder that he, having seen the Deity
within, may bow his head to what he himself has made.
He gives the idea to others. The sluggards, instead of ris-
ing up within, remain contented with bowing their heads

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outwardly. Some of the outward forms of worship are thus

explained. But they are all meaningless.
Saints, if they like, may pass their magnetism to others.
Christ, as we read in the Bible, passed it on to others. He
cured the blind and the invalid. Saints may use their pow-
er, if they wish, through word, touch or look. They may
not use the external organs but, instead, may use the mind
or even the soul, and affect the mind or the soul of the oth-
er, without the other person even being made aware of it.
These latter ways are the rule rather than the exception.
Christ passed his magnetism to bread and water and
whosoever partook of it received the magnetism. The value
lay in Christ, and not in the process. Christians now per-
form the ceremony, but the magnetism of Christ is absent.
To get the magnetism, rise to the spheres within and be
Christ-like.
148. I am ready to help you, if you find yourself
ready to travel into the inner worlds. You are to do your
duty and the Guide will do His. Naturally, the Journey will
take a long time if there is no longing to reach the other
end, as the scenery on the roadside causes frequent halts, or
some other considerations stop the progress, or too much
unnecessary load is carried.
The Journey lies through the astral, mental and spiritual
regions. The Sound Current not only connects these, but
makes these regions. They are its off-shoots. If a soul were
to stick to the Current, and not look aside or go off the Cur-
rent, and were to leave behind the memory of this world,
there is no power that can keep it here for a second, or that
can stop it on the way. The memory of this world pulls it
down and keeps it down, and the scenery of the inner re-
gions throws it off the Current.
So long as the mind is filled with me and mine (my

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wife, my sons, my daughters, my property, my honor, my

wealth, my country, my nation, my wisdom and so forth)
it cannot pass through the narrow way. To make the mind
go through this narrow way, is to bring it up before the
narrow gateway and make it struggle and force its way. By
actual struggle and experience, it will very soon learn what
keeps it from going in. Only then will it feel the superfluity
of what it is carrying with itself and, as a necessity, will
have to shed it. Then it becomes light and humble, and will
pass through the narrow way very easily.
At present the mind is active in this world, making its
connections with it through the organs of senses, and if we
try to hold it at the center of concentration above the eyes,
we fail because the memory of me and mine pulls it out
again. How long it will take to wipe off this memory at
will, depends on its past history or karma. But just as we
have learned other things by practice, we can, by practice,
train the mind to this new habit. When it has made its way
through the gate, it will be able to catch the current — and
the Guide will be there inside the gate to lead on. The only
load that we need carry is the implicit faith in the Guide
and the intense longing to reach the other end. All else is
superficial and non-essential.
This world is the plane of struggle. There has never
been peace here, nor will there be. Problems of today give
place to problems of tomorrow. In a place where mind and
matter are active, there can never be peace. Sorrows and
wars of nations or communities, or individuals, shall con-
tinue. The soul must seek other planes to find peace. To
find peace is the business of the individual. Everybody has
to seek it within himself. The neighbors cannot help in this.
We came into this world as individuals, and as individuals
we leave it, and each one leaves it by the same common
method — the process of death — the withdrawal of at-

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tention from the extremities, and then from the body, and
finally up through the eye focus. When the attention de-
scends from the eye focus and activates the body, we are
born; and when the attention goes back through this focus,
the body is senseless and we are dead. The spiritual devo-
tees are born daily and die daily. To them death is a routine
affair.
Meats, eggs and alcoholic drinks have to be given up by
the practitioner. These articles of diet dull the soul.
149. I have received your letter dated October 3rd,
asking for Initiation. Dr. Johnson and Dr. Brock, both have
recommended you. There are others too in California who
are interested in this system. I am asking the Brocks if they
can go south and arrange to give the Initiation. Mrs. Brock
has not been keeping fit for some time, but she is improv-
ing. On her recovery, I hope Dr. Brock will be able to un-
dertake the journey and give you the Instructions.
Meanwhile, I would request you to continue the study
of books, and whenever opportunity offers, to consult Dr.
Johnson. It is better to have a clearer idea of the system and
to grasp thoroughly what it aims at. It aims at the union of
the individual soul with its Source, by freeing it from the
combination of mind and matter, which combination has
held it separate and apart from its Source, no one can say
for how long, ever since creation started. That separation
has been the cause of its miseries and wanderings in the
various forms of creation. It has been longing for peace, but
has not found it so far.
The Way to Peace lies within. Within us lies the Roy-
al Word, the Sound Current, which mystics have called by
various names but which means the same thing. Everybody
has to go within himself to attain that peace. The worldly
objects do not satisfy desire very long. Today we want this

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thing, but tomorrow that thing has lost its charm and we
want something else. Whatever we see with our eyes here
is transitory and is subject to change. Thus, it is clear that a
changing state of affairs cannot bring it permanent peace.
In a state of change, struggle is the rule.
Man has the capacity to detach himself from the world
and its objects. We are detached from it daily, when we
go to sleep. In shorter periods, we get detached frequent-
ly. When we give up one thought and take up another, we
have passed through the state of detachment; only the du-
ration was small. This duration can be prolonged at will.
Of course, this requires practice. When attention can be
detached from one side, it should also be possible to at-
tach it to something else. The R. S. practice lies in detaching
the mind from external objects and attaching it to what lies
within, and then catching the Sound Current and traveling
on it. This Current connects the individual with its Source.
This practice does not interfere with any normal routine of
life. There are no rituals or customs. One has to deal with
himself.
Meats, eggs and alcoholic drinks are prohibited.
150. I have received your letter of October 28,
wherein you have asked for Initiation. Dr. Brock is likely to
come south to give the Instructions, but his coming entirely
depends on the recovery of Mrs. Brock, who, I learn is mak-
ing good progress. You may please communicate with him
and find out when he is likely to come.
There is no hesitation on my part to put you on the
Path, but spiritual development requires great sacrifice. It
is a fight against the mind. The mind connects us with the
world, and we function in this world through the mind. So
long as we are functioning here, in this material world, we
are materialistic. In the state of wakefulness, the connection

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with matter is direct, and in the state of dream the connec-

tion is also there, for the dream is simply the carrying over
of impressions gathered in the wakeful state. In deep sleep
the connection is cut off, and this state is the state of dull-
ness or ignorance.
Compared with the wakeful state, the dream state is
bad, and the state of deep sleep is worse. In these three
states man passes his life. He is either awake, dreaming,
or in deep sleep. Leaving out of consideration the last two
states of semi and complete unconsciousness, and examin-
ing the state of mind in the wakeful state, we find that, like
a bee, our mind is running from one object to another and is
never at rest. It finds momentary pleasures, but is soon dis-
appointed. The transitory nature of the worldly objects, no
matter how dear and near, gives it no lasting peace. When
the objects are gone, the mind feels uneasy. In the so-called
wakeful state, therefore, there is no possibility of attaining
lasting peace, no matter whether man is barbaric or civi-
lized, brave or cowardly, ruler or the ruled, rich or poor.
There are other worlds inside of man, not made up of
this coarse material but of stuff which can be called non-ma-
terial. These worlds cannot be seen as long as the mind is
shaking. We are connected with this outer material world
through our organs of sense. Through eyes we see, through
ears we hear, and so on. Suppose our mind does not run
outward through these organs of senses. Then our body is
a mere object like other objects, and we, for the time being,
are entirely cut off from this world; in other words, as good
as dead. When we let the mind go down through the or-
gans of sense, we again become alive as far as the world is
concerned. If we go a step further; that is, direct the mind
inwardly, after disconnecting it from the organs of sense,
the inner worlds will become visible. When this practice of
disconnecting from the external organs of sense and con-

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necting with the inner worlds becomes a habit, then man

can function at will either in this material world or in the
inner, non-material world.
At present we are dead as far as the inner worlds are con-
cerned, and we are alive here. Thus, we will be alive in the
inner worlds when functioning there, and alive here when
functioning here. Our sphere of activity has widened. We
have discovered a new world, just as Columbus discovered
America. So long as the mind has not developed the capac-
ity to throw away, at will, the impressions of this world,
it cannot sit inside, disconnected from this world, nor can
it have access to the inner world. But it has the capacity to
do so, and it has to be trained. It is a slow affair, requires
patience, perseverance and faith.
Ever since creation started, the mind has been running
in the above mentioned three states and has not gone with-
in, nor has it found peace and rest. The task, therefore, is
difficult, but it can be successfully completed, and this is
the object of our life. If man is the highest achievement of
creation, his responsibility is great also. Man is born so that
he may merge his soul in its Source and not be born a sec-
ond time (in this world). The greatest service one can ren-
der is to merge his soul, by freeing it from the attachment of
mind and matter, in that Ocean of Peace and Bliss, of which
it is a particle or drop.
I have written this in a little detail, so that you may un-
derstand the magnitude of the problem you are ^undertak-
ing to solve. The ups and downs of life cause hindrances,
but where there is a will there is a way. There is no obstruc-
tion which love and faith cannot overcome.
Meat, eggs and alcoholic drinks have to be given up, for
they make the spirit coarse and dull.
151. The Truth lies within you, within everybody.

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

Without that Truth, we could not live for a second. Just as

the sun is in the sky, but its rays illuminate the earth, sim-
ilarly, Truth is within us — in the brain, behind the eye fo-
cus — but its rays activate the entire body. If we could hold
our attention in the eye focus, our attention would then be
able to grasp the Truth. So long as the attention is scattered
in the body or out of the body in the world outside, our face
is turned away from Truth. No matter how much progress
individual or national — we might make in the outside
world, we are not a jot nearer the Truth. The mind will re-
main dissatisfied. It will still be feeling the want of some-
thing. When the scattered attention will be withdrawn from
the outside world to within the body, and then from the
body to the eye focus, our connection with the outer world
and the body will have been cut off for the time being. Then
the attention will be able to grasp the Truth which is vibrat-
ing within us and is self-luminous and audible as Sound
Current.
The Truth has been within us always. It is present in the
teacher as well as in the student. The only difference be-
tween the teacher and the student is that the teacher has, by
concentrating his attention, established his connection with
Truth and studied it, while the student is yet disconnected.
The teacher is to point out the way and guide, while the
student is to work diligently with longing. A boy goes to
school. The knowledge was lying dormant in him. Under
the guidance of the teacher, he works, develops and digs
up his knowledge from within himself.
People spend years in schools and universities to study
a limited number of subjects, and even then, “are picking
pebbles on the sea-shore”. You are going to study the self
and its relation to the Grand Truth. You are to isolate the self
from the mind and matter, and then trace it to the Source
of All. It is comparatively a difficult subject. Implicit faith

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in the guide or teacher, and longing, as of a lover when he

is out to meet his beloved, are pre-requisites on this Path.
And where there is a will there is a way. You are welcome
to study this subject. Meats, eggs and alcoholic drinks are
prohibited.
152. I assure you that I do not mean to neglect any
of our American Satsangis. I think I answered your last let-
ter. It may have gone astray. But in any case, you should
write to me every few months and give full account of your
progress and ask any questions you may wish to ask. I
shall be glad to hear of your inner progress on the Path. No
doubt you are making some headway and I am anxious to
see you go inside, truly, and find the Great Light and Joy
which awaits you there.
There is nothing equal to this Way, and it gives more real
joy and satisfaction than all else in the world. But to get that
you have to go inside. It cannot be realized outside. All the
world is seeking it in books, holy places, and association
with people; but it has to be found inside. That is gained
by stead-fast meditation and holding your attention in the
eye focus, without wavering. When you learn to do this, the
Treasure, which is yours already, will come into conscious
possession and you will realize more than you can dream
of. Let nothing stop or hinder you. Let no earthly obstacles
stand in your way of going inside. Set your mind stead-
fastly upon that and make all else subordinate to that, and
other things will melt away and leave you free.
I am well aware that you have struggles. You have some
things within yourself to overcome and some things out-
side of yourself which must be surmounted. But you can
do it. If you have full confidence in the inner Master, He
will always help you. And often when you find the diffi-
culties greatest and the hour darkest, the light will appear
and you will see that you are free. Let nothing discourage

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you. This is no light proposition, but you’re getting Nam

means more than if you had inherited a million dollars, or
many millions. You are one of the lucky sons of Sat Purush,
and He has chosen you to get Nam and go with the Master
to Sach Khand. You must reach there. Nothing can prevent
you. But you can hasten the progress or retard it, as you
like.
Do your utmost now to remove all difficulties within
and without yourself, and then sit as many hours as you
possibly can. Hold your attention fixed at the focus, not al-
lowing the mind to run away or to waver in the least. If the
mind runs away, bring it back instantly and hold it at the
focus. By and by, if your attention is steadfast, you will see
a blue sky and the stars and suns and moon, and then you
will see the great Jot, the thousand-petalled lotus and the
Master’s Radiant Form. You must see these things. Look
steadily for them and permit no doubt or question to enter
your mind. It is certain.
When you have entered the first region, you will get the
full benefit of the Sound Current. It will come to you clear
and sweet, and its music will fill you with joy, and that of
itself will enable you to overcome all your remaining dif-
ficulties and weaknesses. That is the one thing that makes
you strong against all foes and makes your victory abso-
lutely certain. With the melodious sounds ringing in your
ears, your success is absolutely certain.
You must reach the Supreme Goal in due time. Some
reach it sooner, others later, according to their own individ-
ual efforts and the karma they have to overcome. But you
should not have a long battle. You have already overcome
much, and the Inner Master is always with you, eagerly
waiting for your arrival at the gates within, to receive and
welcome you. When you meet Him inside and talk to Him
face to face, as man to man, then He will always be ready

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to answer all your questions and to guide you all along the
Path. He is there now, but you cannot see Him until you
remove the intervening curtains. But you can easily do that.
Go ahead and do it. Great will be your reward.
153. Regarding the hearing of the Sound Current,
it is a matter of steadfast, fixed attention and perfect con-
centration. When you have attained that, you may be sure
you will hear the perfect Sound Current. The real Shabd is
heard only after reaching Sahansdal Kanwal. Before that,
you get only a feeble reflection of it. Go on until you hear
the perfect Bell Sound, clear and sweet, and most delight-
ful. Only when concentration is perfect, will you hear it. Do
not be discouraged.
The treasure of Initiation cannot be wholly taken from
the disciple. He can never lose it for all time. It is there, and
he will come back to the Path in the next life, or as the Mas-
ter wishes. The Master who gives the Initiation must take
care of him or her, and must deliver the disciple at last in
Sach Khand.
A Saint usually does not compel His disciples to return
to this world for another incarnation. But, in some cases
such as the one you refer to, the disciples may be brought
back here for another birth, in order to give them a better
position on the Path. Then they will readily rise above all
of this downward pull. Be sure that the Master never wants
to leave His disciples, and He never does leave them, even
though they may leave Him. A wandering child is still the
child of his father, and is always loved and taken care of,
even though he brings suffering upon himself by his own
conduct.
We are expecting much from America. The average per-
son in America is much nearer to this Teaching than in any
portion of Europe. The day will come when your people

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will turn to Sant Mat. Someday the Great Work there will
assume much larger proportions. You may look confident-
ly for it, in your own time. Be ready for it.
154. Answering your question as to the best way
to reach and hold the focus, I can only repeat the substance
of what you already have been given.
You also ask for the method I worked out for myself
during my own early experiences. In regard to that, I may
say that I never worked out any method for myself. I took
instructions from my own Guru and He gave me the exact
method. That method is the same as all Saints use, which is
simply the concentrated attention, held firmly at the given
center. What else can we say? It is all a matter of unwaver-
ing attention. Every ray of attention must be centered there
and held there. If one strays away for a time, one has lost
the advantage. It may be said safely that if any earnest stu-
dent should hold his attention fully upon the given center
for three hours, without wavering, he must go inside. But
that is not so easy, without long practice. However, by and
by the mind becomes accustomed to staying in the center.
It rebels less and less, and finally yields to the demand to
hold to the center. Then your victory is won.
Before that, the mind will not remain still for a long
time. It jumps around like a monkey. But after a time, it
will give in and settle down. It is a matter of will to hold
to the center, also not to forget nor allow the attention to
go off after some other thought or experiences. One easi-
ly forgets and then the mind drops down. A keenly awak-
ened intelligence must hold to the center, steadily, every
moment. If any thought enters the consciousness, jerk the
mind back to the center and hold it there. Make the spirit,
instead of the mind, the commander of the situation. The
mind is tricky and will run out if permitted. Conquer it. But
to conquer it is not easy, of course, and it takes time. The

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problem is rot complicated at all. The whole thing is just

ATTENTION, and then unbroken attention, AT THE EYE
CENTER, allowing no other thought to intrude itself into
the consciousness and lead you away from the center.
This was the method by which I won my way inside
and it is the method by which you must win your way. It
is the old method of all Saints. The reason you nearly reach
it, as you say, and then lose it> is because you cannot hold
the mind still. It is somewhat like a wild animal which has
been accustomed to run about in the forest. When captured,
it is in great distress if held still in the hands of the captor.
But, like that animal, by and by it will yield and obey if we
persist in our efforts.
The repetition of the Names is to help in holding the
mind at the eye center. That is the value of the Names. What-
ever goes with the Names is a thing to hold the thought in
the center. If we think intently of a place (during the day
but not at the time of Bhajan and Simran), we form a sort of
mental picture of that place, of what is there, of its ruling
spirit or power; then, as we continue, we begin to desire to
go toward that center. We must enter it if we persist. All the
powers of the spirit, the real ATMA in man, gather at the
focus by means of this concentrated thought and then, by
means of accumulated force (through Bhajan and Simran),
we break through the curtain and enter the light.
You should not try to listen to the Sound Current at the
same time as you repeat the Names. Do the Repetition first
for about two-thirds of the time set for your Meditation pe-
riod and then direct your attention to listening for or to the
Sound. One thing at a time — that is best.
155. If in dreams or while in devotion you come
across a fearful sight which causes terror, begin to repeat
the five Holy Names, and all fear will vanish at once. Noth-

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

ing evil can stand before the Holy Names.

About taking meat diet as directed by medical men:’ My
advice is not to take it on any account. It is a great hindrance
in our spiritual progress. We are governed by a very severe
Law of Karma. To kill an animal is a heinous offence under
natural law, and its punishment is very severe. The Saints
have strictly forbidden taking any sort of life in any way.
As you see lights and have begun to hear the Bell Sounds,
I write down a few instructions for your future guidance:
1 — Sometimes, during practice, Satan appears in the
form of the Master and, in order to mislead the soul, he
offers miraculous powers and many worldly blessings. So
when you see the Master within you, repeat the five Holy
Names in order to see whether it is the Master or Satan. If
it is Satan, he will disappear instantly on hearing the Holy
Names. You should never ask anything from the Master ex-
cept His Eternal Home. He bestows upon us, without our
asking, all that we want and is proper for us.
2 — Never pay any attention to any sound on the left.
It is always misleading. Always hear the Bell Sound to the
right. The more your attention becomes rapt in the Sound
and you take pleasure in it, the more will hidden secrets
become known to you.
3 — Take care not to disclose to anyone whatever you
may see within yourself. The reason is that in the first place
telling it to other people produces vanity in us; secondly, it
is absurd to disclose such secrets to those who cannot value
them.
The most important thing you can do is to draw your
attention away from all the worldly things and to concen-
trate it wholly in the Sound, forgetting the world and your
own self till you reach the Master’s Holy Feet and attain

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His Eternal Home. The Father’s Home is full of love and

light. Try to reach that abode.
156. So far as circumstances allow, a devotee must
give time to Satsang. Please devote some time daily with-
out fail to Sound-practice and Repetition, as this is the only
fruit of our life which we will take with us on leaving this
world; whereas, even the kingships of this earth shall have
to be abandoned when death overtakes us. Therefore, it is
necessary that we should add to our spiritual wealth, which
is the only thing to help us at the time of departing. And
the only way to increase our spiritual power is by means
of Sound-practice and Repetition. The greater our love for
Holy Sound, the greater will be our peace of mind and spir-
itual progress. As far as possible, we should try to make the
focus above the eyes, in the brain, our resting place. Just
as a man, weary with the day’s work, resorts to his home
to take rest, so we habituate our soul, on being tired with
worldly work, to take rest in the Holy Sound.
The attention has to be brought inside, and when it likes
to rest there, like the wanderer coming home, it will find
peace within. This bringing in of the attention is done by
Repetition, with the attention at the eye focus. Repetition
without fixing the attention is no good. Repetition with at-
tention, impresses on your mind the idea of what lies with-
in you and tries to take you to those for whom the Names
stand. By this process we are leaving outside objects and
perceiving those that lie within.
The moment we are within, the Sound Current is there
to take charge of us. The Astral Form of the Master is at the
eye focus, and is always ready to do the necessary work
or guidance. In this process, the limbs and gradually the
entire body below the eyes will become senseless. Breath-
ing will continue normally as in sleep; only the attention,
instead of being without, will be within. There will be full

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consciousness within, of internal objects, but unconscious-

ness so far as the outer world is concerned.
Those who complain of sleep at the time of taking ex-
ercises, usually sit half-heartedly and only as a matter of
routine. Tell these people to keep the mind’s attention di-
rected toward the eye focus, even during working hours.
Work needs attention only momentarily. Most of the time
the mind is off the work anyway. This inner utilization of
the attention within will not hinder work; in fact, the work
will go on better.
157. I received your two letters. They are full of
questions and analyses, as you say. I like them. I appreciate
the great pains you have taken to study the literature avail-
able, also your spirit of enquiry, aiming to clear up doubts
and get at the root of things.
Limitation of Books and Book Knowledge: Books that
matter, as distinguished from trash, are an account of the
experiences of persons reduced to writing for the benefit of
others. If anyone wishes to learn, say chemistry, he stud-
ies books on chemistry. Thus, he learns something about
chemistry. But if he gets instructions directly from a chem-
ist, he obtains a better grasp of the subject. Again, if he sets
up a laboratory, and begins to experiment, he will gain still
better knowledge of the subject. And last of all, if he carries
on his experiments under the personal directions of an ex-
pert chemist, he will avoid many a pitfall and will, in due
time, become a chemist.
Again, one book on chemistry may appeal to one stu-
dent and may not appeal to another; for, the mental make-
up of the two may not be the same. One may have his
analytical faculty developed, while in the other, the syn-
thetical faculty may predominate. A book, therefore, is not
all-comprehensive. The author has written it from the angle

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characteristic of himself, and it will appeal only to persons

having a touch of the same qualities. Also, the same book
may appeal to a person at one time and may not appeal to
him at another time; for man is a variable creature, and his
intellect is a variable factor.
Again, there is the difficulty of exact expression and of
correct understanding. You cannot convey a correct idea of
a railway train or a modern motor car, to a person familiar
with only bullock carts as a means of Conveyance. A ra-
dio agent, without receiving apparatus, will carry but little
conviction as to the marvels of radio, among persons who
never before heard of the radio. Even with a radio set at
hand, he is likely to be taken as a juggler.
So, when ideas about material things cannot be con-
veyed correctly in words, either written or spoken, ideas
about non-material things, such as mental and spiritual ex-
periences, cannot possibly be expressed, with any degree
of clearness and exactitude, to persons who never have had
any such experiences. Yet mental and spiritual experiences
on the mental and spiritual planes are as real as are the ex-
periences of anyone on the physical plane.
A boy who leaves school after learning the three R’s
says, “Knowledge is unlimited”. A student who completes
the common school course, but who has not yet entered the
University, also says, “Knowledge is unlimited”. The grad-
uate of the university also says, “Knowledge is unlimited”.
A university professor who has encompassed the limits of
learning afforded by all universities, also says “Knowledge
is unlimited”. Now the boy, the student, the graduate and
the professor all use the same expression; but evidently,
they do not mean the same thing at all. The boy’s idea of
knowledge is very shallow, while the idea of knowledge as
held by the professor is deep — a sea compared to a pond.

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Books, therefore, convey but little at best, and are often

misunderstood. The more critically a beginner examines
books, the more discrepancies he finds, and the result is
usually confusion of thought. Hence the need for associ-
ation with a living teacher; also, the need for actual expe-
rience of converting theory into fact, or individual reali-
zation. So, books, by their very nature, are imperfect and
serve but a limited purpose.
Man, himself, is the perfect book; for all books have
come out of him. Inside of him is the Creator, with all His
creation. The study of books gives second-hand informa-
tion; while the study of man gives first-hand information;
that is, the study of what lies within ourselves. So why not
enter within ourselves and see what is there?
From books we are to grasp the central or the basic idea
upon which they are based, If you examine books in that
spirit (I am not defending all books, and I am sorry to say
that the English language is poor in real literature on spiri-
tual subjects) you will find that the central idea of Sant Mat,
and of other religions, also, is the practice of the Sound
Current. Many different names are used to express the
idea. Christ, Mohammed and Vedic Rishis practiced and
preached the same. It may be said that they had studied,
or risen on this Current to different heights; but the funda-
mental idea of all of their teachings is this Sound Current.
The type of the language, or the setting in which this
basic idea is given, depends upon the place and the peo-
ple the Masters work among, their customs, the manner of
their presentation and their own intellectual development.
And as these customs, manners and so forth change with
time, their books go out of date. Hence the necessity of giv-
ing the same principle of the Sound Current afresh. The
message must be kept modern, and so adapted to the times
and people to whom it is offered.

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This Current is present in Man — all human beings.

It is natural in man, not artificial. It can be neither altered
nor modified, nor added to nor subtracted from. All else in
this world is changeable, and changes continually, but not
this Current. It is an emanation from, or wave of, the Great
Source of all — the Supreme Creator, by whatever name
you wish to speak of Him. Each individual is a spark or a
drop of that same Infinite Source.
The Creator is at the top of this Current and the indi-
vidual soul is at the other end, the Current thus acting as
the connecting link between them. By that Current the life
— even the very existence — of the individual is sustained.
The individual feels no touch with it on account of the thick
veils of mind and matter which cover it at this end. But it
is there, in man and in all forms of creation, in the eye fo-
cus, whence it permeates the whole body below the eyes,
and then goes out from the body, through the various sense
organs. To catch it, the scattered and scattering attention
must be controlled and held in the focus where connection
is established with the astral, the mental and the spiritual
planes, and the same finally merges into its Source at the
other end.
The first essential thing, therefore, is to enter this lab-
oratory within ourselves, by bringing our scattered atten-
tion inside of the eye focus. This is a slow process. But we
are not justified in saying that we cannot do it, or that it is
impossible, or that it is useless. Here is a worthy pursuit
for the application of our critical and other faculties. If we
cannot control and subdue our thoughts, arising within us,
who else will? It is our job and we must do it, and we must
do it now, in this very lifetime, while we are men; for man
is the highest form of creation.
There are many ways of doing this; but from experience,
Saints find that “Repetition” called “Simran”, done in the

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manner explained at the time of Initiation, is the best and

most effective way, as well as the simplest way. If thoughts
of the material world take us out of the focus, thoughts of
the inner worlds will take us in that direction. When we are
inside of the focus, we have disconnected ourselves from
the material world and are on the threshold of the astral
world. We, too, have cast off our material frame, and we are
of the same stuff as the astral world, and are now in a posi-
tion to function there. The same attention that was working
in the material world is now capable of working in the as-
tral world. And just as we now call this lower world real,
we will find the astral world as real, or more real, than we
now find this one.
After reaching the astral plane, the same attention, now
purified from the material dross, hangs onto the Sound
Current, becomes further purified and rises on it to reach
the spiritual planes. With every inch of ascent inwards and
upwards the soul is casting off the coverings of mind and
matter and is awakening from the deep sleep of ages. Need-
less to say, that in this process the soul is not helpless, but
it goes in and stays in, and comes out at will.
We may look at this matter in another way: The Creator
is Existence, Knowledge and Bliss, or Power, Wisdom and
Love. An atom or a spark of this essence of Existence, is the
soul which, encased in its coverings of mind and matter,
forms the individual man. If the coverings were removed
from the individual, the soul would be naked and would be
qualified to know its Creator. The individual will know it-
self— attain “Self-Realization”— and will in turn, be able to
know its Creator. Wrapped in its coverings, the soul merely
hears of its Source from others or reads about the Creator
in books, makes guesses and draws imaginary pictures to
satisfy its intellectual curiosity. It also manufactures creeds.
If a lantern were wrapped in a thin muslin cloth, its light

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would be dimmed. If there is another envelope of thick,

coarse cloth over the muslin, the light will be cut off entire-
ly and the lantern will cease to serve the purpose of a lan-
tern. Man is much like a covered lantern. There is light in
him. There is the spark of Pure Existence, Knowledge and
Bliss in him; but the envelopes of mind and matter dim his
light and he gropes in darkness. Real Existence has degen-
erated and appears in him as reason, intellect and instinct.
Bliss has degenerated into fleeting experiences of pleasure
and pain.
Clothed in our dark coverings, we are incapable of un-
derstanding our Source. And the extent to which we suc-
ceed in removing our coverings marks the degree of our ca-
pacity to understand our Source. These remarks about the
books, the Creator, the individual and the Sound Current,
will help us in answering your three-fold question:
1 — The Original Home so often referred to, whence
we came.
2 —Why we left that Home?
3—Will we ever leave it again?
The individual, as he is constituted now, is incapable
of understanding what happened or is happening at the
source. The Saints who come from that end, and have ac-
cess to that end at will, know what is going on at that end;
but, by the very nature of things they are handicapped in
trying to convey information to the individual at this end.
They attempt, in various ways, to satisfy their audiences.
Some are convinced, and some are not. No matter what an-
swer is given to these questions, we can always find fault
with it, and even if reason and intellect are satisfied for the
time being, the necessity for converting theory into facts of
experience and personal realization still remains.

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But the point is that Saints do not wish to satisfy their

audiences by empty words. They offer to take the enquirer
to the other end, and thus give him firsthand knowledge.
One beauty of it is that, at that end, these questions do not
arise. So, if the curious questioner would exercise a little pa-
tience and faith, most of his questions would be answered
automatically as his experiences increase.
Suppose a man finds himself at the bottom of a deep
well, where he is very lonely and uncomfortable. Another
man happens to pass that well. He carries a long rope.
Finding this man in the well, he lets down his rope and
offers to pull the man up, if only he will catch on to the end
of the rope. But our man in the well enters into argument
with the man above, and demands to know just how he
came to fall into that well, and what is the guarantee that he
may not fall into the well again, if he is pulled up. The ut-
most that the man with the rope can say is that he will take
him out of the well and then he can study the situation for
himself. But if the man in the well does not take advantage
of this opportunity, it only means that his time has not yet
come to escape from his imprisonment.
Predestination versus free will: A will is free only so long
as it has not acted. Once it acts, then that very act becomes
binding on it. The second time it acts, it does not act as free
will, but as a “calculating will”; for it carries the experi-
ence of the first act with it. And a calculating, will is not a
free will, but a limited will. The very creations, or acts of a
free will, work as limiting factors upon it, and guide it in
its future activity. So, the more actions one performs, the
more his will is guided and thus limited. And this is real
predestination.
There is thus no antagonism between predestination,
fate, karma and free will. We were free at one time. We
acted, and then our acts became binding upon us. They

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curtailed our initial freedom. They now act upon us as un-

avoidable fate. Since our experiences have become complex
and varied, these experiences now appear in us as joys and
fears, hopes and desires, each of which, in its turn, moulds
or fashions our reason and intellect.
Intellect, reason and feeling, being what they have been
fashioned to be, now determine our actions and make us
choose the predestined course. Thus, the acts of one life de-
termine the frame work of the next life. Like farmers, we
are now living on the crop we gathered last, while we are
preparing the soil and putting in the seed of the new crop.
Although we must undergo our fate, there being no escape
from it, yet all is not lost if we use the little freedom, we
have in such a manner as to lead to our ultimate rescue.
We wish this age-long wandering from life to life to
come to an end. And so, it will, if we choose the means
of escape. The easiest, the safest and, in fact, the only way
out is association with the Free. Saints are free by virtue
of Their practice of the Sound Current. And They come
among us with one single mission — that of connecting us
with the Sound Current and so making us free. And this is
the only Path of Spiritual Freedom.
Facts versus Theories: That which may be a fact to one
man, may not necessarily be a fact to another. And it will
not become a fact to him until he has had a similar experi-
ence. Facts of Sant Mat are reproducible, like facts of any
science, and can be demonstrated in the laboratory of Sant
Mat. The laboratory of Sant Mat, as said before, is inside of
man. Anybody who enters this laboratory (brings his scat-
tered attention within himself at the eye focus) can see, feel
and realize what the Saints say, and he can repeat the ex-
periment as often as he likes.
Sant Mat deals with facts only, not with theories or be-

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liefs. It lays down a practical course for its devotees. It is

practical through and through, and it can be executed by
young or old, male or female, wise or simple minded —
while, at the same time, they are enjoying the fullness of
home life.
Life Duties: Sant Mat is natural; hence it is rational. It ex-
pects its devotees to live a normal life and to do their duties
better than others. Sluggards do not make any headway
here or elsewhere. Sant Mat creates detachment in attach-
ment, living in the world and yet not of the world. With
mind under control, stimulated by a personal knowledge
of other and better worlds, the disciple’s viewpoint of life
and of its duties and responsibilities changes.
The life here actually becomes unreal and its values are
assessed accordingly. Things which others lay much stress
Upon, become of little value to the disciple.
And often that which others may consider valueless,
and even foolish, may become of more value to the dis-
ciple than life itself. This is because he looks down upon
life from a higher viewpoint. But this does not mean that
anyone may neglect a real duty. Compared with life in the
worlds above the eye focus, the life below the eye focus
(our present condition) is no better than a dream.
If people would go inside the focus, and enter the upper
worlds, they would become eternally happy. Empty talk
would cease. They would contemplate the Grand Reality.
So, first you are to control your mind and rise within your-
self to the eye focus, and the other man is to do the same
within himself. When inside the eye focus, you and he have
both cast off the material coverings, and matter is now no
longer a hindrance in your study and upward march. Nei-
ther is it a hindrance in your communications with each
other, while you are both above the eye focus.

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To do this, it is not necessary to leave home or country.

Anybody who goes inside of his focus is independent of
time and space, and he can, from his own experience, give
guidance to another who has not reached so far. He who
rises still higher, and has access to other and higher worlds,
is capable of guiding others to those higher worlds.
As in all other branches of study, a student who occa-
sionally meets his teacher and converses freely with him,
has a distinct advantage over one who takes only a corre-
spondence course. The same is the case here in Sant Mat
and the development on this Path. But the beauty of it
is that, when you gain access to the inner Light and the
Worlds of Light within, the elements of time and distance
so completely disappear that you stand face to face with
your teacher and Master, and He will always remain right
there to instruct and to lead you as well as to strengthen
you.
You need not accept anything which does not appeal to
you in books, or even in my letters. You may leave aside,
for the time being, the ultimate object of life and its how
and why. You may start your enquiry from this end, and
then take as your objective the attack upon the eye focus.
Reach that point as best you can, by this or any other meth-
od. Draw up your own plans, if you wish. Only make and
execute some plan to reach that objective. Bring your plan
into action. That is the main thing. And then if you find it
does not work so well, come back to this plan. The main
point is to reach the eye focus somehow. You will be deal-
ing with your own attention. If you succeed in holding it
inside of the focus, you have won the battle of life.
You say in eight weeks since your initiation you have
made no progress. Sant Mat does not fix any time limit. Let
us appreciate the situation. Ever since our birth, at which
time we left the eye focus and came out of it and established

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our connections with this world, we have not gone inside

of it. Sometimes, when we have a deep, intricate problem
to solve, we close our eyes and try to think by holding all
our attention in the eye center. We do it for a short time, but
soon run out again because we have acquired the bad habit
of always remaining away from the focus.
Poets, painters and musicians receive inspiration from
this point. All great thinkers get their ideas clarified here.
Whatever scientific progress the world has made, it has all
been derived from this source. This focus, back of the eyes,
is the fountain of all inspiration which has produced the
world’s masterpieces. And whatever further progress is to
be made in the future, the source of information and inspi-
ration will still be this point. Here is where Divinity comes
down to meet the struggling man.
And what holds us outside this focus? Why does not
everybody in the world rush, with his utmost ability, to
enter this magic fountain of inspiration and wisdom? Be-
cause our attention has always been, and is yet, attached
to our bodies, to our near relations, to our homes, to our
countries and to our pleasures; sometimes to our pains and
sorrows. We have so much identified ourselves with these
things that we have lost our identity. Unless now we start
detaching ourselves from these outside connections, begin
to develop the capacity to switch our attention on and off at
will, we can make but little progress on the Path.
We are to reestablish our identity, to assert our suprem-
acy over our minds and bodies. The mind must be made to
work when we wish it to, and to remain motionless when
we wish it to do so. We must become able to enter this body
when we wish, to function in this world when necessary,
and then to go out of it at will, when we wish to function
in another world. It is the attention which is to go inside
and see, and so long as it is running outside, who is to see

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inside? If the owner of a house sits always outside of his

house and complains that he cannot see what is going on
inside, his complaint is not justified.
This detaching the attention from the external connec-
tions is a slow affair. Habits become second nature. It takes
time to form new habits. But slow and steady wins the race,
and practice makes perfect. Follow your mind for a minute
and see what keeps it away from its headquarters. Avoid
whatever interferes, and accept what helps in reaching
your objective. I have already given you the Saints’ meth-
od, based on long, long experience.
If anyone is sure that he is on the right Path, then if he
takes but one step a day, he is still approaching his desti-
nation, and is sure to get there some day, no matter how
distant his destination may be. You will perhaps say, “How
am I to know that I am on the right Path?” I give you the
means of proving it for yourself. Until you have proved it
for yourself, you must, of necessity, accept something on
faith. You would have to do the same if you were building
a bridge.
We have taken as the objective, the eye focus. In a way,
we experience this daily. We come to this focus every time
we pass from the wakeful to the sleep state, and return.
When we are going to sleep, our attention is drawn toward
the eyes, and then the whole body goes senseless. We do
not (our attention does not) stay at the eyes, but rapidly
the attention passes down to the heart or the navel center
and becomes dull there, and we become completely uncon-
scious.
When engaged in talk and you become overpowered by
sleep, you may have said to your friends, “My eyes are get-
ting heavy. I have sleep in my eyes.” You may watch your
attention going first to the eyes, when you pass from the

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conscious to the sleep condition. You may study the behav-

ior of a child when he is about to go to sleep, or return from
the sleep state. A student reading his book, when overpow-
ered by sleep, struggles to keep his attention in the eyes.
Now, if you wish to go inside and prove this Truth, fix
your attention inside of the focus, hold it there by force of
a determined will. Let the body become senseless, but hold
your consciousness at the focus, becoming unconscious of
the lower world, but fully conscious of all that is going on
at the focus. Then enter the astral world and pass on to still
higher regions, enjoying a condition of super conscious-
ness and great delight.
Lucky, indeed, is he who spends his short life in the
Master’s company.
If a man is a true seeker, he should give himself up to the
Sat Guru and drop all else.
It has been said already, how the attention of man is
attached to all sorts of worldly relationships and things.
There is hardly any attention left for the study of self and
for seeking God. Look about you. Who has time for all the
needs of his own soul? He should take time, but he thinks
he cannot. His attention is so monopolized by trifles that he
has no time for most vital concerns.
A true seeker who gives undivided attention to the things
of the spirit is a rare bird. But men follow after that which
they love best. A lover cannot be kept separated from his
beloved, for he has given himself over to his beloved. His
beloved is his life. The quoted passages only point to the
ideal. A Saint is lucky if He gets one or two genuine seekers
during His whole lifetime.
Facts about eating: Everyone may eat as often and as
much as is necessary in carrying out the work in which he

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is engaged. As far as possible, the body is to be kept fit and

in perfect health. A lumber-man’s food is different from
that of a soldier, and a soldier’s food is different from that
of a singer or a philosopher. The same rule applies here.
Sant Mat is not a profession and its devotees need not be
set apart in a separate class. They come from and belong
to all classes. Sant Mat exercises are to be practiced while
one is carrying on his duties, in whatever sphere he may be
placed. My own Master was a soldier.
I have answered most of your questions by giving you
the underlying principles. If, however, you have any fur-
ther doubts, you are free to ask such questions as may oc-
cur to you. There is no need to quote passages from books.
Put your questions straightaway. That will save you time
and trouble.
158. One point is not to be overlooked at this time.
In America every man and woman who is initiated is se-
lected by the Sat Guru under the direction of Sat Purush for
a definite two-fold purpose:
First, that the disciple himself may be freed from the
bondage of the wheel, and taken to his own home in Sach
Khand.
Second, that he may perform a definite service in laying
the foundation and carrying forward the work intended by
the Father for Sant Mat in America. There is a very great
possibility there, and we hope and expect much from all of
you.
If anyone selected falls by the wayside and fails to carry
out the work intended for him, that is his great loss. He will
one day see how much he has lost by his failure.
But those of you who remain faithful and go on working
to the best of your ability, must one day realize how great

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is the work you have done and how great is. the reward
which awaits you. It is my wish and hope that each one
who is fortunate enough to get Nam in your country may
be very useful in the hands of the Supreme in doing this
very great work.
Keep always love and harmony among yourselves, and
allow nothing to sidetrack you. Hold fast to the Sound Cur-
rent, and let no fancy scheme of the Negative Power draw
anyone aside. Above all, be faithful to your Bhajan and sit
with mind fixed upon the center. It is thus you will all get
strength enough to withstand every assault of the oppos-
ing powers. You will carry on until victory is attained, and
thousands in your country see the Great Light.
159. “If there are Masters in India, and they know
the highest Truths, why do they not do more to elevate the
poor and ignorant masses of their own country?” Saints
are the treasurers of the wealth of Nam. Their mission is
to take souls from this place and see them in Sach Khand.
To remove economic poverty and so-called intellectual ig-
norance is the business of the worldly kings and rulers,
or monarchies or democracies. The spiritual uplift is not
dependent upon economic nor upon intellectual develop-
ment. Neither is spiritual development a national affair. It
is the affair of the individual. He enters the world alone
and goes out alone. The Current is present in everyone, ir-
respective of his financial position or intellectual develop-
ment, and everyone is free to rise up within himself.
The department of the Saints is entirely different. The
question of rich and poor does not arise, nor is there a
question of whether one is ignorant or intellectually de-
veloped. The commodity of the Saints is Nam or Current.
It sells rather dear. The price they demand is body, mind
and property. Few are prepared to buy goods of the Saints
at this price. Perhaps this requires a little explanation. An

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individual is a combination of soul, mind, body and prop-

erty. So long as mind, body and property have not been
sacrificed, the soul is not free. So long as the soul is not free,
it does not enter the pure spiritual zone.
When an individual discards attachment to property, it
is not difficult for his attention to leave the objects of senses
and come back to the center of senses in the body. When the
individual discards attachment of the body, his attention
is at the eye focus. When he has dissolved the individual
mind in Trikuti — the Universal Mind — he has discarded
the attachment of mind. He is soul now, free from mind
and matter in all their phases. The soul is now fit to enter
the pure spiritual zone.
Saints do not want the property, the body or the mind
of the disciple, but ask him to give up attachment to them,
to use his property like an agent and not as a primary; so
that if there is a loss, it is the primary that suffers, and not
the agent; to use his mind with care, and not let it wander
about. Saints do not take a pie (smallest coin) from the dis-
ciple. The above is a means to free the disciple from his
attachments. I hope you will get at my meaning.
Saints know all about the past, present and future. When
you will go within, you will begin to know. The knowledge
is within. The Current is knowledge, for everything is de-
rived from it. The more you rise on it, the better informed
you will be. That will be your firsthand knowledge.
But this knowledge is not to be utilized in the shaping of
worldly affairs, whether personal or of others. This knowl-
edge is to be utilized for advancement within. If one begins
to use the acquired power, the mind naturally turns out-
ward and gets scattered. And not only does further prog-
ress stop, but there is an actual setback. This is natural.
Saints use no will of their own. They live in Him. They

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are His servants, not equals or co sharers. They do not as-

sert themselves against His Will. It is Bhakti Yoga. As His
dear children, He gives them every-thing. You will value
the Saints when you will go within and see for yourself
what the Master does for the disciple and how, through the
maze of mind and matter, He lifts the soul.
You have my full permission to give copies of these let-
ters to whomsoever you think is likely to benefit thereby.
There is considerable literature in Gurmukhi, but much
more in Hindi. It will be very good indeed if you could
learn Hindi or Gurmukhi — Hindi, preferably. Both are
very much allied. The Gurmukhi script is easier, for there
are fewer letters. You may please pick up whatever facili-
ties are available. It is difficult to acquire proficiency in a
foreign language, but it will be of great help to you later on
when you may choose to render our literature into English.
160. I am much pleased at your inner progress. It
shows that you are doing some real Bhajan, and that your
process of “mind purification” is going on nicely. Keep up
the good work you are doing. There is great Light ahead.
You shall have all the help possible.
Please keep one point in mind constantly, and urge all
Satsangis to do the same. I think you should send out this
letter to all Satsangis, so that these points may be impressed
again and again upon the minds of all.
With love and humility, forget each other’s apparent
mistakes or faults, and make due allowance for differences
of opinion. Let no one ever try to establish his own opinion
or set his own way against the will of the majority. Love
and harmony are vastly more important than the opinion
of anyone. As Jesus said, so long ago, so I now repeat to
you:

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By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, that

ye love one another!
He who forgets this law and injects into the Satsang the
least element of discord, is no longer my disciple in spirit
and in love. He is simply a disobedient child. All of you
have my unstinted love and blessing, and I hope that the
Law of Love shall be your Supreme Law and your guiding
principle. Remember that one man’s opinion is of no im-
portance whatsoever, when set over against the principle
of love and harmony. No matter whether any one of you
likes anything that is done or not, keep sweet harmony and
love, and let the majority govern.
You never will make a mistake, so long as you keep in
mind to act simply as the Master’s agent. Then let Him take
care of all results which may follow.
“Satsang” has more than one meaning: First, it means
the meeting of the Master and a disciple. Second, it means
the meeting of all Satsangis who may attend, whether the
Guru is present in body or not. There is no formality about
it, none at all. It is a simple meeting of all disciples who can
attend. We avoid formality and anything that may have the
appearance of a rigid organization. The less organization,
the better. And there must be no idea of leadership. The
only leader in Sant Mat is the Guru. Just the Master and
His disciples meeting together is the only organization we
have.
161. Do not set your affection on things of this
world, for it is to be dissolved. This world is not durable.
What is the value of loving that which must perish? Neither
should you give your affections to people of this world.
What is the use in loving those who are not going along
with us? Indeed, give to all, such treatment as times and
circumstances require, but give not your affections to them,

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nor form with them permanent attachment. We should live

in relation to this world, just as a nurse is related to her
charges. If the child she is caring for dies, she has only the
concern of looking for another position. It is the mother
alone who must weep for her child. But the nurse has no
real sorrow.
Do not give to the world and the people of the world a
value equal to that of your own ideal. Wherever your desire
is, there must your residence be. Because our love is all for
this world, that is the very reason why we must come back
into this world again and again. But, if we give our love to
the Lord, we attain Salvation. The Lord and the world are
in the scales, and that side to which you give your love will
go down (outweigh the other). The world is to be dissolved
and her people also. When the Gurmukh detaches his love
from this world and its people, and has taken the Path from
the Master, he should give his love to the Lord. If we give
to Him our true love, then no one can ever bring us back
into this world.
The friend of this world is the Manmukh (devotee of the
mind). For this reason, he is sometimes happy and some-
times filled with grief. Burning with the worldly passions
he comes, and burning with them he goes. Having entan-
gled himself in sensual pleasures by following the dictates
of his own mind, at the time of death, the messenger of
death takes him away. And after examination by the Dha-
ram Rai (King-Judge) he is placed in hell. This is the fruit
of the friendship of this world. But the Gurmukh, having
taken the Path from the Sat Guru, attains the Shabd Rup
(Word Form), and for him there is no more coming and
going.
In this Path, there is no difference between the educated
and the uneducated. All preference is given to love only.
Without this, one is like a parrot (repeating words which

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mean nothing to him). Life is made better only through

love of the Lord and of Nam, and work for them. Only in
the spirit does God manifest Himself and does the drop
become merged in the Ocean. Whoever has not gone inside
and attached himself to Nam, is a Manmukh (devotee of
the mind, of the world). Without Nam, no one can attain
peace of mind, though he may read millions of books. Con-
tentment comes only from Nam. By That alone is the cur-
tain of darkness lifted.
Nam is universal in the whole world. Nam is of two
kinds: Varnatmak and Dhunyatmak. Varnatmak is that
which may be spoken or written. Dhunyatmak cannot be
spoken or written. (The latter is the Reality, of which the
former is the symbol.) When the spirit is attached to Nam,
It draws one toward Itself, and the door is opened. Until
this happens, no one need think he can get it.
162. Those who form friendship with bad people,
and regard Saints with enmity, sink themselves, and their
entire families drown with them. Speaking evil of others
is the greatest sin, and they who do it are fools. This sin is
without relish. The man who indulges in it is on his way to
hell and he gets nothing in return.
Oh mind, whatever actions you perform, you will get
that sort of fruit! If you sow wheat, you will get wheat. If
barley, you will get barley. If you plant a thorn tree, you
will not gather grapes. From wool, you will not get silk.
The fruit of vice is hell, and a low sort of life only. Even
your dreams arise from similar actions of the mind.
Talking of Maha Purush fthe Supreme Lord) brings ec-
stasy to the soul. The Guru’s sayings and works are of the
quality of heavenly nectar. There are fountains of that nec-
tar, and in them there is no selfishness. Fortunate, indeed,
is he who gets it by working hard, and devotes himself to it.

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Oh men, if there is one of you who says: “I will not work”,

then bread he cannot eat. Finally, his pralabdh karma maps
out his life, and so he is reborn. But, whoever works, shall
of necessity get bread. In him is the True Lord of the whole
creation. Seek Him, and make Him manifest in your life.
When a man reaches Sat Purush, then only is he a Saint
and Master. All that goes before this is only part of the pro-
cess of getting trained, schooled and prepared for Master-
ship. And on the way up, the Master always retains His
own Form, after He becomes a Master. His “Radiant Form”
becomes more radiant at each stage of His upward prog-
ress. But it is always His own Form, not that of any deity in
the several regions.
163. I was so glad to receive your letter and Christ-
mas card, both reflections of your heart. Good-ness is its
own reward. The message of the “Man of Nazareth” is the
Word, the Creator of all, and by which everything is sus-
tained. It is the life of all. It is within us all in the form of the
Sound Current. ‘The individual soul is its part, and the part
knows no rest until it is One with the Whole... The essence
of the Bible is the Word and it is for you to catch It and hold
onto It. The Master is within, at the eye focus.
Below this stage Kal sometimes appears in the form of
the Master, but is distinguishable from Him by his narrow
forehead, and eyes having yellow and red lines. The Master
has a broad forehead, and His eyes are bright and shining.
The form of Kal disappears when the Holy Names are re-
peated.
Karma is physical as well as mental. Gross karma is
washed out by means of external methods, such as Satsang,
reading of the holy books, and so forth as well as by the
presence of the Master. Subtle karma is removed by inter-
nal Sound practice. Try to still the vibrations of the mind,

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and when it stands collected in the eye center, as instruct-

ed, you will pass on to the regions of Light.
There is no racial karma. Karma is individual. The satis-
factory answer to your question is: Go inside and see; and
if you labor, you will succeed. The path is long, but can be
traveled. If you do not travel in your time, that is in this life,
the Master will take charge of you at death, and will bring
you inward and upward; but then you shall have to remain
at the stages within and do the exercises there.
As regards your dreams: In the state of sleep, the soul
travels upward where it meets with delightful experienc-
es, but when it drops downward, on account of the weight
of karma, it experiences dreadful scenes. It is all the result
of good or bad karma. As you progress spiritually, these
dreams will become less frequent.
164. We are to leave this world one day, and if
we are loving, obedient disciples, and have made proper
preparations in this lifetime, we do not have the transition
which we call death. While others weep, the spiritually de-
veloped soul departs happy — happier than a bridegroom
on his wedding day.
The time of death is a critical one in our experience,
when our friends and relatives are helpless to render any
assistance; but for the followers of the R. S. Faith, it is the
happiest time of all. The Master appears and takes the de-
parting soul with Him, and puts it in its upward journey
at the place for which it is fitted. There is no rendering of
accounts with Kal, provided there have been love for and
obedience to the Master. The departing soul is happier than
it has ever been before. There is absolutely no fear of death.
The Master’s presence within breaks all worldly connec-
tions, and the mind is free to continue the upward journey.
Referring to seeing departed ones at the time of death:

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Some souls, when disembodied, remain for a time in the

psychic realm, according to their earthly karma; and at the
time of death (of a disciple), as the spirit is drawn upward,
a glimpse of this plane is given. There is no spiritual prog-
ress on this plane, from which mediums sometimes catch
glimpses. And anyone who has had connection with this
plane can see it at the time of death or get a hurried, fleeting
view of friends and relatives who are still on this plane; but
not of those who have gone on, nor of those who have rein-
carnated. As long as there is the “I “ “He” does not reveal
Himself, but when “self” is gone, He alone remains.
It is incorrect that A saw B after the latter’s death. It was
simply the reflection of A’s own mind. When the Initiat-
ed soul passes out of the body, it immediately ascends up-
ward with the Master, even if it has to take a second birth.
In that case it is stopped at the first stage — not lower than
that. It seldom happens that the soul of a follower of R.S. is
sent back from that place for which it is fitted. After it has
undergone purification, it is gradually taken up higher.
Memory of previous births is generally withheld until
the first or second stage is crossed. This is for the reason
that old attachments may not revive and hinder progress.
But when the second stage is crossed, then the soul is pow-
erful, mind is subdued, and there is no danger from old
memories. Then there is knowledge of all previous births—
not only of himself alone, but of all others.
165. Now that you have diverted your mind from
the world, and given up all aspiration and hopes — except
the hope to reach the region of pure spirituality — make a
firm determination to gain the R. S. Region. It is impossible
for anyone to hinder you, or to call you to render an ac-
count of yourself. Such is the law.
The devotee should keep his love for the Master active,

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day and night, asleep or awake. When a soul has made its
seat in the eye focus, it is always awake and moves ever up-
ward instead of downward, even while the body below the
eyes sleeps. To put it briefly, that center or portion of the
body is active where, for the moment, the soul is concen-
trated. When the upper centers are reached, the lower ones
are asleep. The whole world is asleep as far as the centers
above the eyes are concerned.
There are three minds: Pindi, Brahmandi and Nij. Pindi
mind works in the body below the eye focus. It has low de-
sires, is outward and downward in its tendencies, and has
connection with the senses. The intimacy of the soul with
it lowers and debases her. The Brahmandi mind has good
desires. It helps in the uplift, has an inward and upward
tendency, and works in Brahmand. The Nij mind is as a
drop of the second stage, Trikuti, and in it lies the seed of
all creation below Trikuti. All three of these minds have to
be conquered.
Initiation is sowing the seed, which needs the water of
Satsang and concentration for sprouting. Love and faith are
necessary for its growth. If an initiated soul fails to get this
water and is attracted towards the world, the seed will not
become a plant; but it is never destroyed. The weight of
karma becomes heavier and obstructs its growth. But when
this weight of karma becomes light, someday the seed will
begin to sprout. Karma is removed by Sound practice.
Therefore, every Initiated soul should not fail in spiritual
practice, and should give up worldly pursuits and desires,
in order to hasten purification.
166. The Saints love all creatures. They do not look
upon anyone as an enemy.
It is our duty to obey the instructions of the Master, and
spiritual exercises are His instructions. It is also the direc-

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tion of the Supreme Father that we should be moral, honest

and laborious in the spiritual practices. And, if we do not
obey His instructions, we cannot escape the consequenc-
es. We must turn from the world, and obey with love and
faith. His power is unlimited and He will save us.
167. Regarding the propaganda for increasing the
number of members, there is no need for it. Saints have
never lectured in the sense in which people lecture at the
present time. They hold their Satsangs, and everybody is
welcome to attend. If you come across a real inquirer and
seeker of Truth you may try to explain the principles of
the R.. S. Faith as best you can, but the Five Names and the
method of practice are to be kept secret.
The Name, which is the Word or the Sound Current,
belongs to the Master. It is His property and It cannot be
grasped without His Will. The five stages and their presid-
ing deities; in fact, whatever was imparted to you at the time
of Initiation, is secret. The Sound Current is in the Master’s
Hands and He Himself will arrange for those whom He
thinks fit for His fold.
You may say, when discussing the principles of the R. S.
Faith, that as long as the attention is not fixed on the Sound
Current, a man is but a working animal and he cannot find
rest. Rest is beyond the mind, in the Sound Current, but
how to look for it, is secret.
Our aim is not the propagation of a religious system,
nor the accumulation of funds for private or charitable pur-
poses. Our aim is to help earnest seekers of Truth, which is
present within every one of us.
The Saints really have only one message to give, and
that message they give in the manner which suits the times.
Their message is:

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Soul, thou hast forgotten thy Source. That Source is in

Sach Khand, and the Sound Current within you is the Way
to it, and we guide you to That.
Modern Vedanta speaks of three centers only — the
eyes, the throat and the heart—and all three are in Pind, be-
low the eye center. Old Vedanta rose higher than the eyes,
but only up to Sahansdal Kanwal, and seldom reached Tri-
kuti — the stage of Om. The Vedantists do not catch the
Sound Current, but follow the inner light. As long as the
Bell Sound is not caught, the Sound Current cannot be
grasped. Sounds below this are mixed sounds of tattwas
(elements). The Bell Sound is attractive and pulls upward,
which is not the case with the lower sounds; and we have
to by-pass them.
168. Man is the top of creation, and the Master is
the top of humanity, for He has broken through the shack-
les of mind and matter, and is one with the Universal Lord.
By bringing our attention in Him, we begin to love Him,
and He responds—not as ordinary human beings do, but
like the looking-glass, reflecting our own image. The at-
tention is thus withdrawn from worldly affairs and from
our relatives; we are cured of the ills of attachment, and the
mind comes within and rests in the focus of the eyes.
Incarnation of Saints in India: India, at the present time,
is the only country where people are largely vegetarian and
shun animal food, and in many ways (following different
methods) try to conquer the mind practically. Such people
are the raw material for Saints to work upon. This is not
the case in other countries where the energies are directed
outward, as opposed to the inward tendency of the Indi-
ans. But it cannot be said that India has always been like
this and will continue in this way. In the world of Pind and
Matter, change is the order of the day and will continue to
be so.

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It is not advisable to speak of one’s internal experiences

to anyone except the Master, and it is positively harmful to
speak of them to those who are less developed spiritually
than oneself. In revealing secrets there is the risk of the ele-
ment of pride coming in, which hinders progress. Strength
lies in keeping the secret locked, not in giving it out. Others
may benefit, but he who is giving out is the loser.
Breathing and Meditation: Concentration is to be done
without giving any thought to breathing. If you are think-
ing of breathing who then is doing the concentration? Do
not think of breathing at all. Breathing is going on of its
own accord. It is automatic. You do so many other kinds
of work during the day, but you never think of breathing;
then why should you think about it when meditating?
The mind, which is running loose, is to be brought with-
in. Yogis control breathing in order to conquer the six gan-
glia situated in the body, below the eyes. They simply hold
the attention within the eyes and withdraw the current
from below. Concentration is quite independent of breath-
ing. Let breathing take care of itself, as it is doing all the
other times, and direct your attention to the light or dark-
ness in the focus of the eyes. No force of any kind should
be applied to keep the spine straight. The trunk of the body
should be held straight (in a natural position), so that the
breath comes and goes freely.
Names are to be repeated mentally, and not audibly.
The mind is to do the thing, not the tongue. The main thing
is to keep to the focus. Repetition is simply to bring the
mind in.
Mediums: You are quite right in keeping aloof from so-
called spiritual mediums, and the thoughts you have ex-
pressed about them are also correct. These phenomena are
all mental, not spiritual, though they are called spiritual by

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the ignorant. They employ mind force, not soul force. That
which responds to their call is Universal Mind (Brahmandi
Manas). Their action is limited to the lowest planes, where
souls still have all their coverings, except the gross physical
ones.
What power have they to call a soul from the supreme
joy of even the spiritual-material regions, to attend to their
worldly questions? And how can they contact a dead rel-
ative who, in most cases, has already incarnated in some
sort of physical form? These are childish tricks. The mes-
sages delivered to X are P merely nonsensical. Your opin-
ion is quite right. A disciple of the R. S. Faith has no need
to go after these ‘spiritualistic’ mediums, when he expects
to see these things for himself, in due course of time (from
pure spiritual vision), and go to planes too high even to be
dreamed of by mediums.
Kundalini is a force in the ganglia in the body, below
the eyes. Saints do not deal with such powers. There is no
force stronger than the soul force. The Saints go by Sound;
the others by light or sound of the second degree—that is,
of the left ear.
The second stage lies within the scope of “Kal and
Maya”. And the coverings of all three bodies — physical,
astral and mental — cannot be removed until the third stage
is reached. Therefore, the souls are not so pure and power-
ful against temptation while in the lower stages of develop-
ment, and must come back to earth again and again. In the
R. S. Path, the soul is cured of all the impurities of Kal and
Maya (Brahm), and gains greater strength at every step or
stage of the journey, until it reaches the eighth stage and
is One with the Supreme Father. Thus the soul need never
come back. All other religions end at the second stage.
As your concentration at the third eye becomes stron-

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ger, many mysteries will be solved for you, and you will
get more pleasure from meditation. You will also have
fore-flashes of light and knowledge. Solitude brings peace
and help in spiritual progress. Many complain of the mind
wandering during exercises. The mind feels pleasure in
roaming at large and does not like to give up its liberty,
until it has attained higher joy in exchange for its present
pleasures. But constant practice will compel it to give up its
former habits.
Kal does not brook interference with his work, and your
maxim of relieving suffering when it comes your way is
the appropriate one. A practitioner related to me that he
happened to see a large crowd of ants biting to death a big
worm. He took pity on the creature and, freeing it from
those tyrants, placed the worm beyond their reach. After-
wards, while taking his exercises, these ants (in subtle form)
began to bite his feet, saying they were taking their revenge,
and it was no business of his to interfere with them.
The student you mention, seems to be somewhat over-
anxious in expecting appreciable results from exercises
during a short period. The first step is to accustom the
mind to give up its wanderings — at least during devo-
tions — so that it may become habituated to collect in the
eye center. Until this is accomplished, one cannot expect to
have any flash of the subtle regions which begin from the
eyes upward. The person who is sitting in the lower story
of a house cannot expect to have a glimpse of the higher
stories until he spends time and labor to ascend. Howev-
er, one need not worry. Everything will come in time. The
way seems long and full of difficulties, and were it not for
the Father’s merciful guidance and protection— which is
all-powerful to nullify the snares of Kal and Maya — no
one could hope to make any headway.
The soul of every true follower is progressing internally

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even when he is not aware of the progress. Yes, the soul can
enter Brahmand when he is unconscious of it.
169. As to transmigration, if you cannot grasp it,
give it up for the time being and discard it as ground-less.
When you go inward and can see the law working within,
with your own eyes, then you wall understand it and grasp
it. But just to say a word about it:
Where lies the difference in the major part of humanity
and the animals, except in outward forms? Both eat, sleep,
fear and reproduce alike. The difference in intellect and rea-
son is only in quantity and not in quality. Man’s life work is
to find his “Where” and “Whence”. And if he has not done
that, he will be reborn in the form best suited to his desires.
“As you sow, so shall you reap.” If man does the actions
of animals, why should he not go back to the animal form?
After undergoing punishment in the lower forms of life,
for his actions, he was born as a man. And if he does the
actions of animals, he will go back again to that level, and
suffer. Study humanity and its tendencies more closely and
you will not hold to your view so tenaciously. Try to con-
centrate and rise inwardly, so that you may see for yourself.
I am glad to learn that you three are happy in the com-
pany of one another, and look at vital things from the same
viewpoint. It is well that you have decided to shift to the
country and nature, and earn your living from the farm
produce instead of passing a busy, nerve-racking life in the
city. These are preliminary steps for leading a life of med-
itation. Meditation is possible only when mind is at ease.
You have undertaken a great responsibility in leading
an unmarried life and devoting it to your spiritual devel-
opment. It is, therefore, imperative that you always be alert
and keep constant watch over your mind. Consider that
meditation is your first and foremost work, and keep the

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mind directed toward the focus of the eyes.

I do not wish that your business should suffer or your
earning ability be reduced in any way. Work with the body,
but use the mind in concentration. A workman on a ma-
chine may be attending to his work and singing at the same
time. Meditation is the work of mind and soul; the body
has nothing to do with it. Mind and soul are free for the
entire twenty-four hours (day and night) and only when
one is thinking deeply on a problem does the mind focus
inwardly. Otherwise it is running its race unchecked. Con-
centration is not a hindrance in carrying on worldly affairs.
Satsang is to meditation what a fence is to a crop.
Meditation on the Form of the Master: I told you to con-
centrate on the candlelight or darkness in the focus of the
eyes, and purposely avoided the mention of concentration
on the form of the Master, because you cannot concentrate
on a thing you have not seen and of which you have no
mental picture. Those who have seen the Master can cer-
tainly concentrate on that form. Those who have no op-
portunity of seeing the physical form of the Master should
concentrate on the candle-light or the darkness in the focus
of the eyes.
Photographic reproductions— though allowed by some
to concentrate on — are objectionable, because photographs
do not represent the original. They act as an extraneous ob-
ject between you and the Master.
170. I never gave permission to anyone to eat meat
in my life. A mother does not administer poison to her own
children. In R.S. Faith animal food cannot be allowed under
any conditions. It hardens the heart, and makes the soul
dull and heavy.
Those who have been accustomed to mediumistic work
must give it up, and if they take pains with the exercises,

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they will surely give up those practices. The trouble is that

they do not attend properly to their devotional exercises, or
they would willingly give up both, mediumistic practices
and animal food.
The ideals of the R.S. Faith are very high, and are free
from every sort of selfishness and hypocrisy. If these things
exist in any mind, then it may be concluded that R.S. Faith
has not touched it as yet. Those who enjoy the real spiritual
pleasures would never care for those other things. He who
follows the dictates of his own mind, and does not go to the
Master for spiritual help, causes much loss to himself.
At the same time explain that trance and mediumistic
practices must be avoided.
171. It is not difficult for the Master to take a soul
upward, but premature uplifting causes harm. Just as fine
silk cloth, when spread upon a thorny hedge is torn to piec-
es if suddenly pulled away, so the soul, entangled in the
thorns of karma, which penetrate every cell in the body,
must be gradually purified by the Master’s love. By His
Grace the soul is freed from these thorns and the karma is
slowly sifted out from every cell in the body.
You will get everything you wish — things more won-
derful and remarkable than you ever dreamed of. He who
has to give you all, is sitting inside, in the Third Eye. He
is simply waiting for the cleanliness of your mind and is
watching your every action.
The repetition of the Names should be performed with
love and faith. Fix your attention in the eye center (without
putting any pressure on the eyes), and keep in one position,
if possible, so that you become unconscious of the body be-
low the eyes, and the attention does not wander from the
eye focus.

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Try to enjoy the exercise. By doing this, you will first be-
hold the star, after it the white light, the sun and the moon,
then at the Third Eye, the Form of the Master will become
visible to you. As your love increases, this Form will begin
to talk to you and answer your inquiries. Afterwards, the
Real Sound that has the attractive power will come. The
sound which you now hear is mixed with the sounds of the
five elements (tattwas) and does not have much power of
attraction.
There is no doubt we are weak and have neither faith
nor love, but there is also one hope to sustain us — that He
may take pity on us and forgive our sins. We have taken
refuge at His Holy Feet and, deservedly or undeservedly,
we are His children. Therefore, it behooves you to perform
your devotions every day, without fail. Do not engage in
discussions with others, but go on pursuing the Path while
attending to the daily business of life, with peace and pre-
caution. The Master is ever ready to help His children.
172. I am very glad that you and your wife are
working together on this Path, helping each other, and
passing on to the Supreme Region with mutual love. It is
my wish that you both may travel toward your Goal with
still greater zeal and perseverance.
Do not let illness dishearten you. Troubles are tokens of
the Holy Master’s Grace, and the result of your own past
actions. Continue devotion as far as possible, under the cir-
cumstances. This is the duty of the disciple who no longer
cares for the changing scenes of mind and matter. Pain and
pleasure, honor and dishonor, poverty and wealth; none
of these can influence the attitude of his mind. He does
not pray that troubles shall be removed, but rather that
his heart be always filled with love and gratitude. As Guru
Nanak said,

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If you send me hunger, I shall be filled with Thy Name.

If you send me miseries, I shall enjoy them as pleasures. If
you grant me happiness, I shall bow to Thee in gratitude.
Although the above applies to the state of mind of a per-
fect disciple, you should try your best to attain it, and I am
glad that you are laboring to reach this goal.
Instead of controlling the senses, the soul is now subject
to them, and thus constantly wanders from one object to
another without anything to rest upon. In the guise of do-
ing good to others, it deceives itself, and in its ignorance, it
does not realize that valuable time is thus being lost. A vo-
tary, marching on the Spiritual Path, will eventually learn
that this world — with all its attachments — is nothing
but a deception practiced by Kal. Innumerable worlds are
worthless, compared to one atom of Spirituality.
First, “know thyself,” and then preach. It is not proper
to teach a thing of which one has no proof or knowledge.
When you come across an erring brother, with love and
tact, explain his shortcomings to him. If he persists in err-
ing, he will undergo the consequences. Such persons are
not pardoned until they repent for their past actions. Attri-
bute their conduct to the fact that they have not yet tasted
the sweetness of Shabd.
It is not advisable to prevail upon members who have
lost interest in R. S. If you see anyone going astray, speak to
him very lovingly, and remind him of the high mission of
human life, and if your words fall on deaf ears, do not feel
annoyed or perturbed. It is no fault of his. When the cycle
of bad actions has passed away, such souls will revert to
goodness of their own accord.
173. You say you are not much encouraged with
your meditations. You should devote more time to the

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practices, until thoughts cease and soul and mind collect in

the eye center and then go inward. All knowledge is with-
in. As long as the mind wavers, it is not seen; just as one
cannot see his reflection in muddy and disturbed water.
Our minds are dirty with low and outward desires, and are
constantly wavering. They are ignorant of what lies within.
Concentration is the first step of the soul’s inward journey.
Repetition of the Holy Names during one’s daily-routine
work is very useful. One is thinking about a thing within
oneself; therefore, when one sits for devotional practices,
the mind is naturally turned in this direction.
You are right when you say that the Western mind is
trained from the beginning for the material things, and it
is very difficult to withdraw it from worldly objects. The
power lies in controlling the mind, because mind is the cur-
tain between us and the Supreme Being.
When you have controlled the mind and it raises no
thought, but is lost in the Sound Current, you will then see
spiritually within. As you have such an earnest desire for
going within and seeing the Master, rest assured that you
will one day succeed. Increase time for devotional exercis-
es.
Knowledge is within you. Sound Current is the Knowl-
edge. Sound Current is independent of its surroundings. It
stands by Itself. It is the Essence, and all else sprung from
It. Humanity is entangled with matter and does not even
study the mind, not to mention the Sound Current or the
Spirit behind the mind. On account of its association with
changeable things, it is subject to change, dies and is re-
born. This will continue as long as it does not catch the un-
changeable. It must rise on the sound Current and reach
Sach Khand, the place of perpetual Bliss.
Do strengthen your faith, make the mind motion-less,

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and when it becomes motionless, it will begin to> see with-

in. For instance, if you shut a boy indoors, the first thing he
does is to break the doors and windows, and when he can-
not find a way out, he gets tired and sits quietly. He then
begins to see what lies in the room. Mind is like the restless
boy. It has to be closed in against its will, and when it ac-
quires a taste for the interior, it does not go outside.
174. If one’s faith is firm and unshakable, and one
daily gives time to the practices, and has no worldly de-
sires, then there is no power which can bring one back to
this plane. There is no rebirth for such souls. Birth is for
those who die weeping with desires un-fulfilled. Desires
are the cause of suffering, and he alone is poor who has un-
fulfilled desires. He who is free from desires is richest. All
desires arise in the mind, and when the mind is subdued
and is merged in the Sound Current, the game is won.
Soul is enveloped by the mind, and mind by the body.
Soul is powerless in the clutches of the mind, and mind is
helpless before the senses. A beautiful object attracts it, and
sweet music holds it. The soul within is pure, but suffers
on account of its association with the mind. While this as-
sociation lasts, the cycle of change and births will continue
— whether the body is material, astral or causal. The caus-
al form has a longer duration, but is also subject to decay.
In Sahansdal Kanwal the soul’s connection is with astral
forms, and in Trikuti it is with causal forms. When rever-
sion from the causal form takes place, the soul comes to the
human form, or lower down, depending upon its spiritual
status.
A child goes to school and attends class. He is entitled to
promotion if he has been doing his work regularly, and is
fit for promotion. On the other hand, if he has been attend-
ing the class but does not learn, he will be kept back. Sup-
pose, instead of learning his work, he develops bad habits

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and consequently loses in efficiency. Surely, he will be put

back to a lower grade.
In the same way, if a man, during his lifetime, does the
actions becoming a man, he will be kept as man in the next
birth. If he has attempted to seek the Source of his Being,
and has received the instructions from a Master, he will be
promoted to Spiritual Regions, and there is no rebirth. But
if, instead, he has done the actions of animals and not of
man, he will go back to the class of animals.
It is not the karma of this life alone which determines
the next birth. I explained in one of my letters that karma is
divided into three divisions:
1 — Kriyaman — fresh actions
2 — Pralabdh — past actions which have to be under-
gone now
3 — Sinchit — the store or reserve stock.
During lifetime, pralabdh is finished, and death ensues.
For rebirth, part of kriyaman of the previous life becomes
pralabdh in the new life, and the rest of kriyaman goes to
sinchit. Some old sinchit is also added to pralabdh — a very
complicated affair, but I just wish to show that it is not the
actions in this life alone which determine the next birth.
There are some people who are not fully acquainted
with principles of Sat Sang, and who are fond of keeping
up external appearances. They complain that though a
long time has passed since they were initiated, they have
had no spiritual vision, nor gained any spiritual power.
Their grievance is unjust. How can these people, who do
not labor on the exercises, expect to reach the exalted state,
which is the result of long and continuous work? They do
not control the mind and senses, nor obey the Sat Guru’s

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commands.
The mind is the most powerful, clever and cunning of
enemies. And to release the spirit from its bondage, it is
necessary to break the mind’s attachment to alluring mate-
rial objects, which are not ours, but have been evolved by
matter and maya. Be on your guard against its deceits. Do
not listen to the mind, but always try to bring it under the
rule of the Master. The more you look after it, the more you
will go in, in internal practice.
This physical body of ours is not enduring; yet the mind
has become so accustomed to this form through numerous
incarnations that even now, after the Master has gracious-
ly revealed to us the secret of the Holy Name and Sound
practice, we are reluctant to give up worldly enjoyments
and turn inward.
175. You want knowledge. Knowledge lies within
you. Sound Current is knowledge. The more you study it,
the higher you rise and the wiser you become. And this
knowledge is complete in Sach Khand. So, first withdraw
your attention, bring it inward by Repetition. Sit in the eye
focus and catch the Bell Sound, then follow it to the fifth
stage. The Path may appear long and unattractive to begin
with, but there is no other way. God is one, His instructions
are one, and they are the Sound Current.
The Path lies within you. The Sound Current is the di-
rect road. The Lord Himself is within you. Only he who has
gone within can appreciate and comprehend this. Others
have no idea of it. With repetition of the Holy Names bring
in the scattered mind, and with the help of the Master, ride
on the Current and reach the Home of Eternal Bliss, beyond
the mind and Maya.
It is given to “Man” (human beings) only to rise up-
ward. In no other form, not even that of angels, is this pos-

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sible. Man is the top of creation. Hence, every moment is

valuable, and it is the duty of man to utilize it. Only the
time spent in this Path will count. This is my New Year’s
Message. This New Year’s Day, my message is that you
give as much time as you can to catch the Word, and see
the Man of Nazareth face to face, on your way to the shore
of Eternal Peace and Bliss.
176. Wealth or poverty depends upon the absence
or presence of desires, respectively. He who has no desires
is rich. He who does not desire anything is a sovereign.
177. Character is the foundation upon which rises
the spiritual edifice. As long as one is a slave of the senses,
talk of spirituality is a mockery. A magnet would attract
shining iron, but not rust. Similarly, the Sound will attract
a pure mind, which is free from passion’s dross. But when
the mind is steeped in the mud of passion and desire, it is
like iron that is covered with rust and mud. The first es-
sential step to a spiritual life is character. One may deceive
one’s friends, relatives and even oneself, but the Power
within is not deceived. It is the duty of a devotee to keep
constant watch over his mind and never let it loose. As a
mother looks after her child, so does a true devotee watch
his mind.
Brave is he who has control over his mind and senses,
for the inward progress is in proportion to this control. It
is the Repetition that brings the mind in, and the Sound
Current that draws it up. There are inexhaustible treasures
within us all.
178. I am sure you will realize that the first aim
and purpose of this work is to perfect your own mind and
soul so that you may rise from this material plane to higher
regions and eventually arrive at your own Real Home, in
the Supreme Region. That is vastly more important than

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having a home or husband, even, more important than

helping others. If your own soul becomes a brilliant and
strong magnet, it will help and draw others. They will love
you. But the best way to get the love of others is first to give
great love to others. Then they cannot resist coming to you.
This work is to develop the divine life that is within you,
and will exalt you. Then all else will follow. This work is
not to help people in this world so much as to prepare them
for their Eternal Home above. All of this it will do. If this
meets with your full approval, you may have the Initiation.
Write me if you have any further questions.
179. The Karmic Law of the Vegetable diet: A hu-
man being cannot comprehend the existence of God and
His Creation until he has succeeded in freeing his soul from
the bondage of the five tattwas, the twenty-five prakritis,
the three gunas, maya and mind — all of which are envel-
oping it here. Not until he has emancipated his soul from
every one of these covers and taken it beyond the sphere
of mind and intellect, and opened his internal vision, is the
soul able to know itself and understand what it is made of.
After that it becomes fit to seek its Creator and to find the
Ocean, from which it originally descended, as well as the
means to regain It. Consequently, before a disciple has suc-
ceeded in getting rid of these chains, it will be sufficient for
him to know that this world can be divided into two parts:
land and water.
Every grain, every plant, has life in it. Hindu philoso-
phy has acknowledged this fact since very ancient times.
Dr. Bose has demonstrated this fact to the world by his ex-
periments, showing that plants feel and breathe, and have
souls. If a ray of light is allowed to penetrate a dark room,
it reveals numberless germs floating in the air of that room.
The whole room seems to be full of this germ life. When we
breathe, these tiny creatures go inside of us and die. When

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we walk, numberless creatures are killed by contact with

us, and countless others are crushed beneath our feet. The
same is true when we drink water. The microscope reveals
myriads of tiny creatures in a tumbler of water, and these
we drink to their death every day. Souls would appear to
be literally packed together in all space in our world. If we
put down a needle point on the earth, countless germs may
be found beneath its point.
And so, in our world, life is everywhere destroying life.
In such a world where one creature is destroying another,
it is impossible to expect either justice or peace of mind.
There is no rest or security anywhere. Therefore, when the
ancient sages found that in this world creatures were de-
stroying each other, they decided that it was better to give
up the world. They found that in such a world there could
be no peace of mind; and that it was impossible to find
peace of mind in any worldly object, and that happiness
lies within oneself and in that Ocean of which one is a drop.
Therefore, the sages thought, so long as they were confined
in the prison of this world, they would adopt the course
which was the least harmful; that is, they would subsist on
creatures, the killing of which was the least sinful.
They discovered that all living beings in this world
could be divided into five classes as regards the composi-
tion of their bodies — the number of elements they contain.
By “elements” they did not mean the ninety or so elements
discovered by modern scientists; but the main conditions
or divisions of matter. There are five such classes of sub-
stances. According to their classification:
Under class one came all of those creatures in whom all
five of these substances are active; that is man. In the next
class came those in which only four substances are active,
and one is dormant; that is the quadrupeds. In them there is
no sense of discrimination, as the akash tattwa is dormant.

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In the third class fell creatures in which only three sub-

stances are active; namely, air, water and fire. It includes
birds. They lack earth and akash.
The fourth class is made up of reptiles, in which only
two substances are active—earth and fire.
Then comes the last class, the fifth, in which only one
element or substance is active; that is the vegetable king-
dom. In them, water is the only active element. Experts
have proved that in many vegetables there is as much as
ninety-five per cent water.
When creatures of the other four classes are killed or
injured, they cry out in pain. But not so the Vegetables,
though they have life. So, the sages concluded that the eat-
ing of vegetables was the least sinful (the least burdened
with karma). Although the eating of vegetables produces
some karma, yet it is of a light nature, which can be worked
off easily by spiritual exercises. They thus chose the course
of least resistance, and so abstained from the killing of
higher forms of life.
The method of practice of the Sound Current is the only
method by which to escape this jail into which we are born.
This method is natural, and it was not designed by man. It
is as old as the beginning of Creation. The Creator is One,
and therefore the Way to reach Him is One and it is in the
interior of every human being. It is incapable of alteration,
addition, modification or improvement.
Man is to reach the Ocean of his Origin by means of as-
cending the Sound Current, irrespective of caste, creed, na-
tionality or sex. It is a practice for the awakening of powers
within us. By slow degrees our soul will emerge from the
grave of the body, or vacate it. In the body there are nine
outlets through which the soul communicates with this
world, and these the soul learns to close and fix its attention

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in the eye center. Then it begins to traverse higher planes.

When it attains Turiya Pad, it will acquire control over the
mind, senses, anger, lust, avarice, attachment and egotism.
At present the soul is under the control of mind, which
itself is under the control of the senses. When we reach
the astral region, after leaving the material plane, the soul
gains control over the mind. When we get to and beyond
the astral region, as well as the heavens and hells which are
within the astral regions, all of these are left behind. The
soul will then hold these in contempt, and will go on to
Brahm Lok — the Causal Plane.
Brahm is also below Par Brahm. Leaving Brahm, the
soul will go to Par Brahm, where it will be freed from all
its shackles. On reaching Par Brahm, all the material, as-
tral and causal coverings of mind and matter that envelop
the soul are removed. Then the soul is pure spirit. This is
self-realization. Here there is no form, no cover, no shape,
no youth nor old age — only the soul, shining in its pure ra-
diance, a drop of Existence, Knowledge and Bliss, capable
of comprehending the Great Ocean, its Creator. Now the
drop tries to reach and mingle with its Ocean.
The Master is not a body only. He is the Power which
guides and helps us at every stage and in every region,
during our inward, spiritual journey. When we are in the
physical body, He instructs us through His physical form
and, as we proceed further, He assumes the form of each
region — all the way up to Sach Khand.
180. Meeting a Master in this life is something
unique, for, after meeting a Master, there is no coming back
in the cycle of life and death. To meet a Master in this life
is to enter on the Way to Life Eternal. Really fortunate are
they who have come across a Master, have been connect-
ed by Him with the Sound Current and are practicing the

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Sound Current.
To be devout, religious and good-minded is one thing.
Meeting a Master is something else. There is no compar-
ison between these two. The two belong to different spe-
cies. Religious, devoted and good-minded folk will get
their reward, but will come back to this world to get it. If
in any future life they get a chance to meet a Master, they
too will reach their Eternal Home. In India also there are
pure-minded persons, who have not had the opportunity
to meet a Master.
181. When the mind is free from little worries and
can be put to Bhajan smoothly, such opportunities should
be utilized for Bhajan to the maximum advantage. But no
matter in what circumstances one finds himself and what
new problems one is facing, a devotee should not miss his
Bhajan. He may give only fifteen minutes or even five min-
utes to it daily, but he should be on it without a break. The
moment he hears the Current at this end, his presence is
recorded at the other end — Sachkhand. By pressing the
button of an electric bell, no matter how long the line, the
bell at the other end of the line rings and indicates the press
of the button.
As a mother is eager to see her child grow up and come
into its own, so the Master is eager to see His initiates make
their progress towards the eye focus and rise up on the
Sound Current, and gain access to higher regions while in
this life — so that what they had taken on faith, becomes a
fact to them.
Men are born, bred and have their being in this world,
and through their senses keep in touch with this world, and
thereby their experience remains confined to this world.
In the mother’s womb and after birth, man grows on the
coarse matter of this world, and he becomes coarse, to func-

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tion in this coarse world. Like to like is the rule.

If he were to shake off this coarse matter or, in other
words, if he could withdraw his attention and separate it
from the coarse matter, he would become fine and would
be able to function in fine worlds — mind worlds — and,
by shaking off mind he would be able to function in spir-
itual worlds. Because he does not attempt to become fine,
he does not get experience of fine worlds and, naturally,
of what he has no experience, he is doubtful. But for those
who have made themselves fine, the fine worlds are as real
as the coarse world is to the coarse.
Spirituality is real when one has experience of it, and
unreal so long as he has not experienced it. Man has the
capacity to experience it because man is a combination of
spirit, mind and matter: —First, spirit; second, mind; third,
matter.
182. Attaching attention to anything is prayer to
that thing. And prayer is good, for, in prayer, mind con-
tracts and, if done regularly, with interest and for long pe-
riods, mind comes in concentration, and, by concentration,
mind becomes pure. The purity of mind expresses itself
first in clear thinking, then in inspiration and in intuition.
Saints attach the attention to the Sound Current because,
by experience, they have found that the Sound Current is
the source of all else. It is the Power at the back of all other
powers, and from which all else has been derived.
183. Just as there are angels, there are ghosts. They
are residents of the astral plane, exactly as different nations
with different characteristics reside on this earth. Like man,
animals and so forth they are also a form of creation which
are, however, devoid of coarse matter and therefore func-
tion in the astral plane.

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People who are very much given over to sexual and oth-
er low desires, and have not been able to satisfy their crav-
ings, usually incarnate as ghosts. As disembodied forms,
they attach themselves to weak folk having low desires.
They do not go near strong-minded persons and dare not
look at persons doing Bhajan. Ghosts find no place even in
a house occupied by a person who does Bhajan.
184. Helping others is not bad, but to help others
when one is not sure of his own ground is risky. Keeping
guard over other people’s houses when our own house is
left unguarded, is not wisdom. Anybody who uses his spir-
itual powers for the betterment of this world, does so at the
expense of his powers. The spiritual power decreases and
he loses his chance to attain higher spiritual powers. Con-
servation of spiritual powers is essential for further prog-
ress.
— ‘s performances may be genuine, but where do they
lead to? The healing power and such other demonstrations,
however spectacular and impressive they might be, are re-
ally mental phenomena — a display of the powers of the
lower or higher mind.
The use and display of such powers is discouraged by
the Saints, as they are a great hindrance in the way of high-
er spiritual attainment. Would you accept shells, however
beautiful, or copper, however glittering, when you can get
diamonds and precious stones?
Useful as his healing power may be to other people, it
makes him work at a lower center and keeps his attention
centered on the outside, in the physical or phenomenal
worlds. This prevents him from going within and piercing
the veil, and mastering higher truths and greater mysteries.
(But professional doctors, surgeons and so on do not come
into this discussion — their profession is their karma.)

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His conceptions of a group soul are wrong. Plants and

animals have individual souls, like men, and these souls
may be born as humans in course of time or even in the
next incarnation, owing to the special grace of a perfect
Master. And a human soul may be incarnated in the body
of an animal or a plant.
In the time of Rai Salig Ram, for instance, when an epi-
demic of plague broke out, the dearly loved son of a Satsan-
gi lay dying. The father was stricken with grief and would
not be consoled, but the dying son was quite happy.
Grieve not, dear father, for I can see my past now, and
know that death only means to me another opportunity
to improve myself and complete what is begun. For in my
previous life I was an acacia tree. A Satsangi cut one of
my twigs and offered it to a perfect Saint — Swamiji Ma-
haraj — and I was, in consequence, given the human body,
though I remained rather dull. In my next life I will develop
still more. There is, therefore, no reason for you to weep or
feel grieved.
Similarly, men have been known to incarnate in lower
bodies.
There are no bits of souls.
Yes, the mind and soul may go out in dream state and
contact other planes.
This material plane on which we function is of the low-
est order and, in comparison to this, the astral and causal
planes are much superior. One requires the assistance of
some conveyance such as car, train or plane to carry this
material frame from one place to another, but no such con-
trivance is required for functioning on the astral or causal
planes. There you have only to think of a place and you are
there.

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The delights of the spiritual planes above the Causal are

infinitely greater than what one is familiar with on the low-
er planes. Anybody having experience of the higher planes
could not possibly desire to reincarnate on this material
plane. Saints are here in obedience to the command of Sat
Purush, to carry out His Will to liberate the Souls and bring
them back to Sach Khand. A Param Sant Soul, like Guru
Nanak and Swami Ji, comes direct from Anami and Sach
Khand; but before He leaves His physical frame, He im-
parts spiritual powers to His Successor who also becomes
a Saint.
185. Any act that brings the attention towards the
focus of attention — the Third Eye — and helps in making
contact with the Current and ascending on it, is a good act.
Any act that breaks the contact with the Current or brings
it down from the eye focus to the lower centers, or throws
it out and keeps it away, is a bad act.
The fall of the attention, therefore, no matter by what
deed, is a crime. A violent act will naturally keep the atten-
tion tied down to lower centers and the man would be be-
having like a beast, for manhood lies in the functioning of
attention from the eye center. A violent act, therefore, auto-
matically registers itself in keeping the attention at centers
below the eyes.
An ordinary person cannot perceive this change, but
anybody who has access, even to the Third Eye, will ex-
perience the effect — what to say of violent acts — even of
ordinary acts, and will be able to distinguish, what is good
and what is bad for him.
186. I wish that you would go in and make con-
scious progress inside. If the way is long and slippery, faith
in the Master and the practice of the Sound Current makes
the footing firm, and perseverance and courage bring us

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nearer the road terminus.

You are right in praying for help inside, as the Master
within is always ready to help, and does help, provided we
ask for help in sincerity and earnestness.
187. Regarding your view that evil is a lesser
good; according to Saints both, good and evil, are given up
when the mind and soul go beyond Brahm. In the view of
Saints, good and evil create shackles for binding the soul to
this world and therefore both are to be eschewed as parts
of the scheme of Kal to keep the soul confined to this world.
Higher up all is God and there is no evil or good, both of
which are aspects of the mind.
188. Nobody working in the mind zone (karmic
zone) can alter the course of life. There is no such thing
as premature death. Only Saints who work from the pure
spiritual plane, and are thus unaffected by Karmic Law,
have the power to alter the course of life. That is why we go
to Them for complete and permanent Salvation.
It is good to be kind to lower creatures, but if things
are carried to extremes, this life would be unlivable and
unbearable. Sant Mat enjoins the observance of the laws of
sanitation, but above all lays all the emphasis it can, on the
practice of the Sound Current, which is the only means of
getting out of the sphere of Karma.
189. When a man falls ill, he consults a doctor ac-
cording to his means, and follows his advice. When the cir-
cumstances in which he finds himself are out of his or the
doctor’s control, he leaves himself to Nature. More or less
the same applies to animals in the hands of animal lovers.
The animal lover has done his best when he has placed
the animal in the hands of a vet. When the vet says that the
disease is incurable and the presence of the animal is dan-

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gerous to other animals, the animal lover is helpless and

so is the vet. The Karmic Law is operative throughout and
gives the final blow. The Karma slowly and surely pushes
the animal lover and the vet from the sphere of reason to
the sphere of sentiment and inaction.
The theory of non-destruction of life under all circum-
stances is untenable in practice. If a farmer is to live, he
must grow food by carrying on agricultural operations. In
this he cannot help destroying insects and animals that de-
stroy his crops. All hygienic operations, personal or pub-
lic, are based on the destruction of life. The struggle for
existence on the physical plane demands positive action.
Sant Mat enjoins kindness to animals and forbids killing
so long as the nonkilling does not make life impracticable.
Over and above everything else, Sant Mat recommends the
giving up of the physical plane for good by following the
Sound Current, which is par excellence the cure of all ills
and leads to life everlasting.
You are right when you say that to concentrate on an
attribute or abstract quality, such as love, is a little too in-
tangible. Let your friend seek the substance of which love is
the attribute. The attribute does not exist without the sub-
stance. The substance lies behind the attribute. The Sound
Current is the substance and love is its attribute. This Cur-
rent is present in all of us. When the Current is grasped, the
attribute — love — comes with It.
Your sorrow over your inability to come here is also
Bhajan. Never mind the distance. When the desire to come
here is there in you, you are herewith me. Sat Guru is al-
ways present with you in Shabd Form. He sees, He knows
and responds.
190. I congratulate you on your achievements.
Your efforts are bearing fruit. You are right when you say,

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“My concentration needs to be collected together very much

more than I am doing now”. The greater the concentration,
the deeper the penetration into finer planes. The scenes you
have witnessed are good enough, but see that you do not
get entangled in them. A traveler who has a long journey
ahead sticks to the Road. The spiritual journey is a long
way, so keep on the move and go ahead.
As to the casting out of evil spirits, a large majority of
such cases are cases of hysteria. Here and there, there is a
genuine case. And it is rather a rule that, when persons af-
flicted by evil spirits come to a place of worship or to holy
and pious persons, the evil spirits leave the afflicted and
go away. Many such cases happen here with both men and
women. When they come here, the evil spirits say that they
have been captured or imprisoned, and “Where shall we go
now and how? Have mercy on us. We will not come again.”
There is not much in casting out devils. Evil spirits have
low desires — the unsatiated evil tendencies of the mind
of a past life. They do not like to come near good minds,
just as evil doers shun the society of good people. The dev-
ils haunt and work from low astral planes, and run away
when they are confronted by a good and pure mind. To use
spiritual power or the power of Nam in casting out devils
is, as you say, using a steam-roller to crush a leaf.
The Spirit of Christ does not wander about on the mate-
rial plane. He had had enough of it. Even if it were granted
for the sake of argument that the Spirit of Christ works on
the material plane, the problem of coming in contact with
him still remains. To come in contact with him a Master is
needed. The way that Christ went to the Kingdom of his Fa-
ther in Heaven has been given to — and it is for him now to
go that way, meet Christ and go beyond. Even if he were to
meet Christ on the material plane, would he ask him to give
him power to cast out devils and heal the sick or would he

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ask him to take him to the Father? Surely, if he were wise,

he would ask the latter. And what would Christ say? His
answer would be,
Here is the Sound Current or the Holy Ghost within
you; fix your attention on It and follow It. But first vacate
the body and cast out the mind ‘devil’ from you. There are
no short cuts here.
You are perfectly right when you say that he should not
ask you for help. He should develop the power within him-
self in the same manner in which you have developed it —
by going within himself and becoming independent of you
or anybody else. He should not expect any help from you.
191. Compared with Kabir’s bold and fearless
condemnation of extant religions, Dr. Johnson’s criticism
of the organized churches of Christianity would appear to
be very pale, mild and weak. When you happen to come to
me, I shall read to you in the original Hindi, Kabir’s poems
criticising idolatry, pantheism and other vices of the Hindu
and Mohammedan religions, as well as other poems, teach-
ing higher spiritual life, which — seems to have left out as
he could not appreciate them. Kabir had reached the high-
est degree of Sainthood, therefore he could not have de-
scribed Brahm as the highest goal. Though it would be true
to describe Brahm as the Lord of Triloki (three worlds), he
is not the Lord of the fourth world, which is the pure spiri-
tual region. —has failed to grasp the spiritual side of Kabir.
What people generally call ‘ spiritual) ty’ is nothing more
than the fundamental moral code, which is a prerequisite
to spirituality according to the teachings of Sant Mat.
The people who live in the nine apertures of the body
and have not gone above the eyes, have ideas and religious
views which are of no importance in the eyes of those who
have gone higher. All the religions are to be condemned

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so long as they do not grasp the fundamental Truth of the

Sound Current, and when they have grasped this Truth,
they cease to be mere religions. So long as people are caught
in the meshes of religion, their eyes will not open. The mis-
sion of the Saints is to free people from the narrow-mind-
edness, prejudice and selfishness of religion, and take them
to higher planes. All the Saints have raised their voices in
condemnation of the bigotry and other evils of religions, as
reform is not possible without this condemnation. If Saints
did not condemn idolatry, telling of beads, reading of holy
books and such other practices prevalent in almost all reli-
gions, as an end in itself, they would be failing in their duty
and most people would be left in darkness.
192. So long as the soul is within the boundary of
Brahm and has not crossed the boundary into Par Brahm
(Daswan Dwar), it is subject to the cycle of births and
deaths. Only the Saints are emanations from Sat Lok (the
pure spiritual region), and They can take Their followers
beyond Brahm.
There is no harm in wearing fur or leather garments,
only the killing and eating of living creatures is prohibited.
193. It was learned on enquiry that you are feeling
depressed. The cause of this depression is sadness and lack
of concentration. You know that one comes to the Satsang
so that, attaining the wealth of Parmarth, he should con-
sider the world and worldly things of no value but should
make use of them according to his needs. He should bear
with contentment and gratitude all worldly shocks, sor-
rows and joys, health, sickness and trouble, and whatever
comes his way. Rather, a Satsangi should so behave that he
should not be overjoyed if he is granted the kingdom of the
whole world, nor should he be the least bit concerned if it
is taken away from him.

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The abhyasi (devotee who performs his spiritual prac-

tice) has to navigate the whirlpools of pain and pleasure,
honor and contempt, grief and joy — in the ocean of Exis-
tence. If he is lily-livered, he will not succeed. He should
fortify his heart (by spiritual practice) and face the vicis-
situdes of life with grit and patience. Recognizing the Su-
preme Being as the Prime Mover in all affairs, he should
acquiesce in His Will. So, do not be weak-hearted. Hold
patience and contentment in your heart, and perform your
worldly duties. Forget all worries and do your job accord-
ing to routine.
Whatever comes to man from the Lord is the result of
his own actions, and the Lord makes him go through them
for his own betterment. On such occasions, although it
is sometimes a bitter pill, he should acquiesce in the Will
of the Lord. If, on the impact of worldly events, he loses
concentration and becomes conscious of joys and sorrows,
then it is apparent that Satsang has had no effect on him so
far. Take courage and strengthen and elevate your mind,
and perform your duties faithfully.
194. In your letter you gave a description of a
dream and realized the force of repetition of the five Names
which dispersed the evil spirits, while the first Name alone
was not sufficient. Why? The Sound Current is continuous
— from top to bottom — from the fifth stage down to the
eye focus. The Sound differs because it passes through dif-
ferent media; hence the five different Sounds.
In the first and second planes there is maya — of course
less in the second stage in comparison to the first — and for
that reason the first two names are insufficient to release
the soul from maya. In the third, fourth and fifth stages
there is no maya. These Names, therefore, are effective. I
am very glad to know that you remembered the Names in
your dream and succeeded in conquering evil influences.

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Again, you say, “Why did I not hear the Sound when
I repeated with such one-pointedness?” In the waking or
conscious state, the soul is at the eye focus. In the dream
state it is lower down, and in deep sleep it is in the heart
and navel centers. As it goes away from the brain and de-
scends down into Pind it grows duller. At the throat center
it is in a semiconscious state, and imperfect memory only
remains. Below the eyes there is no Sound. Sound will be
heard only above the eyes and in a state of consciousness,
when the attention is in the Sound Current.
Soul is like a balloon, which has an upward tendency
always. Like an inflated balloon, it is held here by chains of
mind and matter and the paraphernalia of senses and ob-
jects. Sometimes it so happens in sleep that the mind grows
dormant or is in a state of peace. At such times the soul, be-
ing free, begins to rise up alone. It sees the light and scenes
in the upper planes but does not catch the Sound. Sound
can be caught fully only in the super-conscious state inside
and above the eye focus, but the moment the attention is
off the Sound Current and is directed towards the scenery
of the astral plane, it is in a derailed condition. Thoughts of
the external world keep the attention out, and thoughts of
the internal world keep it in.
You are right when you say, “How helpless I am.” And,
“It is impossible to travel on the Path without the guidance
of a Master.” When you will rise to the inner planes you
will see how powerful the Master is, what powers are un-
der His control and how He helps the devotee.
You ask, “Sound is a Reality, all else is maya?” That
is right. Sound is the only Reality. Sound is knowledge,
Sound is Truth. In the first two stages pure or real Sound is
not there. There is maya mixed in it in a very subtle form.
From the third stage, the real Sound Current commences.
You will understand the value of this Path as you go within

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and rise. It is acquired by effort, by love and faith. It cannot

be had by asking nor by paying dollars. Its price is selfless,
pure love. It is within you. It is for you. It will come to you
when you are fit to receive it. Make yourself fit for the re-
ception.
As long as you are outward the thing looks dry. To go
inward is rather difficult; but once in, the subject becomes
tasteful and it will be easy. Through concentration, go in-
ward once and the battle is won. I am glad that you have
increased your time to one hour; but I must say that one
hour is not sufficient. In three hours, the mind is subdued,
provided this time is given with love and devotion, and not
as a duty.
To begin with, mind brings all kinds of thoughts and
is running wild. If the devotee is patient and does not give
up the effort, but continues increasing his time slowly and
ultimately begins to take interest in this work, soon, such is
the state of the devotee that if by chance he misses a day, he
then, remains in a repenting mood over the loss.
Before sitting, see that there is nothing that will need
your attention during this hour (or whatever length of time
you intend sitting), so this one hour is a holiday from other
business, and this other business will be looked into only
after this hour. Make your time carefree for this interval.
There should be no anxiety, no anger and no hatred. Then
sit in the exercises and repeat the Names with the attention
fixed in the eye focus, and, when feeling tired, then begin
to listen to the Sound — as if it is coming from a distance.
Do not go after it. When you go after it and leave the focus,
then the attention gets scattered and the Sound is lost. Try
to catch the fine sounds and not the coarse one.
We are to go in farther and farther. Coarse sound is of
the outside but fine sounds are within. The sound you have

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referred to is not the real Bell Sound. There is a mixture of

ten sounds here, and of these, the Bell and the Conch are
the two sounds that lead up. The Conch Sound is caught
after the Bell Sound. When you will catch the real Bell
Sound, you will feel that it is audible at twelve miles or
more; although it is within you, and the man standing next
to you does not hear it. You will be hearing that all twen-
ty-four hours of the day. Stick to the focus and catch the
fine Sounds. The Bell Sound will come in its time.
Again, when you see forms within, repeat the five
Names to see if it is from the Positive or the Negative Pow-
er. Forms of the Negative Power must disappear on recol-
lection of the five Names. Concentration, by itself, is a great
force. It brings in the scattered mind and soul. Pleasure and
the power of miracles will be before you and the Negative
Power will request you to use them, but they are not to be
utilized. The time spent with them is time lost. They ema-
nate from the Negative Power, and these are the means by
which the Negative Power keeps the soul entangled and
stops its progress. So, if someone offers anything within, it
is not to be accepted, whether in dream or in the exercise.
195. I am glad to receive your letter and to read
that your faith in the Master is firm, and you are busy with
the exercises despite the infirmities of old age, and that you
long to see the Master’s Radiant Form and hear His melodi-
ous voice. Rest assured that the Master is within you and is
watching you, and will not leave you alone. He knows His
part well and is playing it. Have courage. There is no room
for despair here. The Word is the foundation on which the
whole visible and invisible structure of the Universe is rest-
ing. Everything has sprung from this Word. The Master is
the embodiment of this Word and is one with It. Your kar-
mic debt is being paid up, and the more you pay here, the
better, for then the rise hereafter will be unhindered. I fully

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realize your situation. When life ceases to have any charm

but instead feels burden-some, when memory is failing and
thoughts are not fixed, much of this life is gone and little
remains. Try to surrender your will to His Will, so that the
moment He calls you, you are ready to go with Him.
196. I am glad to read that you can smile at it all
now as childish nonsense. It was a shock to your attach-
ment. Beauty lies in working without attachment. I do not
mean calculated or reasoned detachment, but detachment
which becomes a part of life. This is possible only when the
mind is under control and saturated with the sweet music
within.
The Californians are still beginners. They have not yet
realized what Satsang really means. In this line of work,
they are like ignorant children. By and by they will learn.
As Satsangis you should look at their souls and not at their
minds. The evil is in the mind and is curable. I wish that
you remain in correspondence with the Californians and
meet ther?x when convenient. They will be benefited by
corresponding with you. Your clear, unbiased minds will
tell upon them. Your loving and affectionate letters will in-
duce love and affection in them, and their hearts will melt.
Sant Mat is not a platform for debates. It is the glory of love.
They will come around, and I think they will respond to
love with love.
Saints look at the devotee’s soul, and not at his mind
or body, and that is the reason why Saints are never dis-
appointed. Attachment to the body ends in pain because
the body is changeable and perishable. Mental attachments
fare no better either. Man is endowed with the power of
detaching himself from body and mind; hence, it is incum-
bent upon him to develop this power and be free from the
ills of body and mind. The easiest way to do this is to as-
sociate himself with something which is beyond the body

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and mind, and that is the Sound Current. The greater the
association with the Current, the greater the detachment
from the body and the mind.
The world has never been kind to Saints and Their real
followers. The great Guru Nanak was made to grind corn
in a jail, was refused shelter by villagers and so forth. Guru
Arjan was made to sit on a hot iron plate. Shams Tabriz
was flayed alive. Mansur was blinded and then beheaded.
Christ was crucified; what to say of the harsh words. But
what was the response of these great men? Christ said:
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
You may ask any question you like. There is no restric-
tion. Your question as to whom to look to for guidance
if the present Master goes out of life is very appropriate.
The Master leaves the physical form in His own time as
other people do, but remains with His devotees in the As-
tral Form as long as the devotee has not crossed the astral
plane. All internal guidance will be given by Him, and it is
He who will come to take charge of the soul at the time of
death. A devotee who rises above the eye center now and
meets Him daily, will meet Him inwardly there as usual.
The Master will continue to discharge His inner duties
of guidance as before, only He cannot give instructions out-
wardly for the simple reason that He has left the physical
vehicle. The functions which would be performed through
the physical frame only, will now be done by His Succes-
sor. All outward guidance will be done by the Successor,
and the devotees of the Master who is gone will love the
Successor no less. They will get the benefit of the outlined
instructions from the Successor. Correspondence also will
be done with the Successor, and you will know who the
Successor is.
As to your inquiry about myself, I have asked the sec-

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retary to reply to you directly. I will, however, repeat that

I am no Incarnation. “Incarnation” usually means a repre-
sentative of the Power, Brahm. I am no adept either. I am a
humble servant of the Saints, and in Sant Mat no one says
anything regarding himself. Guru Nanak says:
Father, I am at Thy feet. Have mercy upon me.
197. The Master, in His Astral Form, is always
with you inside, and if you go in you can see Him person-
ally and even talk to Him. The answers to your problems
are:
1. Yes, the Master never dies. While living He helps His
pupils externally by means of sound advice and guidance.
He also helps them internally, in His Astral Form, after they
have gone inside. When He leaves the physical frame, then
His external work is carried on by a successor appointed by
Him, but He always helps his pupils internally in the Astral
Form.
2. When the pupil dies, the inner Master has to decide
as to whether he is again to be sent to the physical world
or to be stationed in some intermediate region from where
he can rise upwards. This depends on the pupil’s tenden-
cies and desires. If there is desire in the mind of the pupil
for any worldly pleasure or worldly attachment, he has to
be sent back to this world. As on rebirth the memory of
his previous birth is washed away, he has to get Initiation
again from a living Master. But on rebirth he is bound to
get Initiation and begin his course again from the point
where he left it during the previous incarnation.
3. Yes, the obligation does not come to an end until the
pupil has reached Sat Lok. Even if the obligation is trans-
ferred, it does not matter to the pupil because the Masters
are all one and the same. The real Master is Shabd (Word),
which never dies.

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4. He need not know. When he gets Initiation in the

second incarnation, he will be guided by the then Master.
5. Has already been replied in (2) above. When the pu-
pil has crossed the second stage, he need not be reborn.
It may be pointed out that after the Master has left the
physical body and His Successor has come in His place, the
pupil initiated by the deceased Master need not contem-
plate and concentrate on the form of the Successor. He may
continue to contemplate and concentrate on the form of the
Master who Initiated him.
Posture: Any posture in which you can sit comfortably
will do. You can get a chair made with cushioned arms on
which you can rest each elbow, and close your ears and
eyes with your fingers. The object is to get concentration,
and any posture which can bring it about is sufficient. But
sitting on the feet is considered to be helpful in concentra-
tion, and in this posture the sound is clearer. The reason
seems to be that in this posture one remains free from sloth
and feels alert.
No doubt it is difficult for you but I could give three
hours at a stretch in this posture. You may give only so
much time in this posture as you comfortably can. The dis-
tance between the feet should be so much as to keep the
spine erect and straight. At first it seems very difficult, but
as the concentration grows the position naturally becomes
right.
No particular posture is prescribed by the Masters ex-
cepting the one on the feet, but any other posture can be
taken according to one’s taste and convenience. Frequent
change of posture hinders concentration.
Yes, not a single case of toppling over has come to my
notice. In India a large proportion concentrate in the pre-

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scribed posture.
Food: Yes, extracts of cod liver and so forth are to be
avoided. But they can be prescribed to non-initiates.
There is no restriction regarding wearing apparel.
The Master is not allowed to accept anything for His
personal use or for His family. He lives upon His pension
or private earnings.
At Repetition, the five Holy Names are to be repeated
without any thought of light or sound. Whether slowly
or rapidly, does not matter. What matters is that no idea
should be allowed to arise in the mind during Repetition.
When alone, Repetition may be done so that others can-
not hear. This habit aids in concentration. Listening to
a gong does not aid in concentration. After practice in Rep-
etition, the sound will become audible
There is no ‘a’ after ‘Sat’ in ‘Sat Nam’, ‘ph’ in ‘gupha’
should be pronounced like ‘ph’ in ‘philosophy’, ‘ch’ is to be
uttered as ‘ch’ in ‘rich’.
Yes, ‘Radha Swami’ is the name of the highest Master
and is used in greetings here.

198. I very much appreciate your spirit of enqui-

ry, your devotion to spiritual work and your anxiety to
go within. My time is at the service of seekers after Truth,
therefore there is no question of annoying me by putting
questions. A father is never annoyed with the sweet prattle
of his children. He loves it. I welcome your questions. Some
of them are answered below; others may be put again when
you have made some progress, for then it will be easy for
you to comprehend the answers, and perhaps it may not

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be necessary to put them. They will have been answered

automatically.
1 —As you are not accustomed to sit in this posture,
you may, at present, take support of a wall or better place
a cushion of suitable thickness under the hips to take the
weight of the body off the feet. When you have adapted
yourself to this posture, you will find it ideal for hearing
the Sound Current.
2—As the vital current is withdrawn from the body,
the arms and legs should go to sleep, and finally the whole
body. In the beginning one feels pain, and this is natural
when the vital current leaves any portion of the body. This
pain and be numbness of the limbs and the body are signs
of the withdrawal of the vital current. But one should not
mind this pain and should bear it. Attempt should be to
pay no attention to it. If the attention is held in the eye fo-
cus, the pain is not felt. With the increase in practice the
pain will disappear and you will enjoy this sensation of
be numbness. One should not be afraid of the pain or the
withdrawal of the vital current. No person has died so far
when sitting in Bhajan. In time, light will appear in the eye
center and the soul will find its way in and you will feel
that this body is not yours; you are separate from it and the
body is the dead body of someone else.
3 — When your concentration is almost complete then,
in place of darkness in the eye center, sparks and
fleeting flashes of light will begin to appear, and then
I light will be steady and the soul automatically will leave
the body and enter the Tisra Til. You should continue look-
ing at the light and repeating the Names so that the mind
does not wander.
As said above, you should simply look at the light and
continue Repetition, and should not put any pressure or

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strain on the eyes of the body. Please make no attempt to

take the soul up by force. The soul will find its own way.
4—You may not think of the optic nerves and the pineal
gland, and there is no need to rest in an imaginary posi-
tion. When the soul is coming in concentration, it will find
its own way. If the mind is engaged in imaginary tracing
of nerves and locating the pineal gland, or in other ways,
the Repetition will be interfered with. The mind’s move-
ments are to be restricted and it should not be allowed to
go loose. The mind wishes to run away, and if you give it
the latitude to do this or that, then it has won. The point is
to keep it engaged in Repetition with a view to eliminate
other thoughts.
5 — The Real Form of the Master will be met when
the attention has entered the eye center and penetrated the
starry sky, the sun and the moon in succession. This form
will always remain with the disciple and answer all his en-
quiries. Before this point is reached, the form of the Master
contemplated from a photograph, or His physical form, is
the reflection of one‘s own mind; just as when one fixes his
gaze at any electric bulb for half a minute or so, and then
closes his eyes, he sees the bulb inside. But it disappears
when the mind wavers. The same applies to the imagined
form of the Master.
6 — Keeping your attention in between the two eye-
brows — the center of thinking—continue repeating the
Names, and when the vital current from the part of the
body below the eyes has reached this point, the soul will
find its way inwards of its own accord. You simply hold
your attention there and continue repetition or hearing the
sound — one at a time — and the soul will be lifted up au-
tomatically. And the sound will leave both the sides — the
right and the left of the head — and will come from the
middle of the head.

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7 — The body is alive on account of the presence of

the soul current in it. The soul is a drop and the Shabd is the
Ocean. The soul is sustained in the body by Shabd, and the
body in its turn by the soul. But, so long as the soul is not
lifted up to the higher stages, it remains associated with the
mind in the lower stages. In the process of concentration
both, the mind and the soul — they are closely associated
— are lifted. At the second stage of the spiritual journey,
the individual mind will have become purified to such an
extent that it will no longer be individual, but will have ac-
quired the characteristics of the Universal Mind. It has no
place in the third stage. From there the soul alone goes up.
The soul is the Positive Power and the mind the Negative.
The ‘a’ at the end of ‘Shabda’ is silent. It is pronounced
as ‘Shabd’.
8 — In man, in his ordinary state, the soul is hopeless-
ly and helplessly entangled in a most complicated snare.
There are chains of lust, anger, greed, attachment and
pride; there are the three states of tranquility, activity and
sloth of the mind; there are the twenty-five conditions like
weeping, smiling and so forth to which he is subject; there
are the three bodies: the physical, the astral and the causal,
which serve as cages; and there are the three minds, or the
three aspects of one mind, working one in each body or
cage.
The object of Bhajan is to free the soul from this snare.
The current of the Holy Shabd alone, which is not part of this
snare but which has an independent existence — though
penetrating the snare — and is yet separate from it — and
keeps the soul fertile and green — is the one and only one
power which cuts the chains and frees the soul from this
snare. When one is connected with this Shabd Current by a
Master, and one hears this Shabd in the manner explained
to him, and brings his attention nearer and nearer to the

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Shabd Current, he is cutting the bonds, the soul is becom-

ing free, and finally merges in the Shabd Ocean of which it
is a drop.
There are two currents of the soul:
a — Surat, which knows and hears and, b — Nirat,
which sees.
The Nirat goes ahead of the Surat in the spiritual jour-
ney, just as a person on a journey first looks at the path
ahead and then follows it. Pandit Ji has complicated this
subject in his attempt to clarify it. You may ignore it. When
you will go within, the whole thing will be clear to you.
This spiritual uplift consists of three steps:
i — By Repetition, bringing into concentration in the
Third Eye the scattered attention and the vital current from
the part of the body below the eyes;
ii—Holding the attention in the Third Eye by making
contact with the Astral Form of the Master and, iii—Lifting
the soul up by attaching it to the Bell Sound.
This work is just the opposite of what we have, been
doing before. The soul was disconnected from the Shabd.
It had forgotten it altogether and had associated itself with
the mind, and was running wild in the downward and out-
ward direction. Now this course is to be reversed. We are
to do the ‘about turn’. Old habits are given up slowly, and
new habits are not formed quickly either. Consequently,
the spiritual uplift is a slow affair, and “slow and steady
wins the race” applies here most appropriately. So, with
firm faith and steady work, approach it with a calm and
cool mind and avoid hurry.
Please take good care of your health.

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9 — It is good to repeat the five Names together in

preference to one at a time. Please understand the object
of the Repetition. Everybody is engaged in doing repeti-
tion — contemplation of his work. A lecturer thinks of his
lecture course; a farmer, of his fields and cattle; and a busi-
ness man, of his business and so on; and on whatever one
is contemplating, its picture is before the mind’s eye. At the
time of death, the same scenes appear before us which we
have been fixing in our mind during our lifetime. These
very scenes or thoughts, as they are connected with this
world, bring us back to this world after death and are the
cause of our rebirth.
Saints say people have been doing this sort of repetition,
as stated above, from birth after birth and have remained
confined to this world. If they take to repeating Names of
the Lords of the stages on the spiritual journey which lies
within them, then their attention will be withdrawn from
this world; the power of the mind and the senses will de-
crease, the soul will become powerful, light will appear and
there will be a new kind of sweetness which the mind has
never tasted before. Finally, the soul will discard this world
of sensation, catch the Shabd, and will be lifted up. There-
fore, there is no simpler way for concentrating the scattered
attention than the Repetition of the Names. Of course, the
Yogis tried Pranayam and other methods, but without suc-
cess. They do not take us very far on the spiritual journey
and cannot be practiced by family people. Repetition of
Names is for concentration only.
At the time of Repetition, the Shabd is not to be heard.
One thing at a time. The course of Repetition is a long
one. The starry sky, the sun and the moon regions are to
be crossed by Repetition only, and contact with the Astral
Form of the Master is to be made by this very process. And
this is the end of it. Repetition would not take us any fur-

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ther. During this course give three-fourths of the time, but

not less than two hours, to Repetition, and only one quarter
to hearing the Shabd.
During this Repetition course, Shabd is heard just to
keep contact with It. The Shabd at this stage does not pull
up or lift the soul because the Shabd Current is feeble and
the soul is firmly held by the senses and the objects there-
of. The feeble current has not much pull in it. When the
soul will have contacted the Astral Form of the Master, it
has loosened the bonds and has come nearer to the Shabd,
where the current is now powerful and has the power to
lift up the soul. The spiritual journey will start from there.
Shabd is the Road, Satguru is the Guide, and soul is the
traveler. There is no danger of any kind. The soul will trav-
el stage by stage and, from the description of the lights and
the sounds of the spiritual stages, will know the progress
made.
Important hints have been given here. More when some
progress has been made.
So, in the preliminary stage, Repetition should receive
full attention. People are apt to ignore it and pay more at-
tention to hearing the Shabd. In the preliminary stage, Rep-
etition comes first and Shabd next.
When repeating Names, no imagination is to be used in
associating sounds and lights with each Name. If the mind
goes after making lights and sounds, it has gone loose.
Keep the mind engaged in repeating the Names in the eye
center. No option is to be given to the mind.
10 — When we come out into this world from the moth-
er’s womb, we bring our fate with us. This fate, whether
we are to be rich or poor, tall or short, healthy or diseased,
black, yellow or white, high or low and so on, is the result
or fruit of our past-life actions. We reap as we had sown.

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We get what we have earned. Therefore, we should work

and play our full part with diligence and effort in the strug-
gle of life and, without worrying, be contented with our lot
and bear it cheer-fully. And if there is any power that cuts
the bad karma, it is the Shabd. When, therefore, one gets a
taste of Shabd and enjoys Shabd, innumerable bad karmas
are destroyed. The object of devotion to and love for the
Master and Shabd is to cut the very root of karma, so that
the soul disengages itself from the bonds of karma and be-
comes free to merge in Shabd.
11, 12, 13 — These questions will he solved automati-
cally when you have gone within and made contact with
the Astral Form of the Master and have thereby cast off
the physical frame and acquired the astral form. Or, these
questions may be asked again when contact with the Astral
Form of the Master has been made.
There is no fixed time as to how long it takes the average
departing soul to leave the body completely. 14 — There are
five elements: earth, water, fire, air, akash, of which the ma-
terial world is made up and, according to elements, there
are five classes of creation. In man all the five elements are
active; in animals four are active and one is dormant; in
birds three are active and two are dormant; in insects two
are active and three are dormant; and in vegetables one is
active and four are dormant. It is difficult to understand
it intellectually, but it will be comprehended after going
within. The rise from which animal to man, or fall from
man to which animal depends on karma. Good karma lifts
up and bad is the cause of fall.
15 — So long as the soul is entangled in forms — phys-
ical, astral or causal — it has sex. But in higher spheres,
when it is free from bonds of mind and maya, there is no
distinction of sex. The sex changes according to karma. Sex
is not a fixed thing — that male shall always be male, and

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female always female.

The outlook on marriage, on male and female, on unions,
love, likes and dislikes, and ‘mine and thine’, changes rap-
idly with the entry into the Third Eye, by contacting the As-
tral Form of the Master, and hearing the Bell Sound. What
man had called his own, and had longed to be with, here
and hereafter, now look like strangers. As many births,
so many fathers and mothers did we have, and so many
wives, and many more children. We had such relations
when we were insects, birds and other animals, and it is no
achievement to be proud of, if we have them when we are
in human form.
If the human form is the top of creation, it is for the
single reason that man has the capacity to catch the Shabd
and rise on it to reach his Origin. If this has not been done,
man has missed the golden opportunity and has remained
a two-legged animal, a slave of the senses and the objects of
senses, like other forms of creation. He will be Man when
he has risen above the senses; when he is no longer a slave
of lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride; when he has
made his mind motionless; when he has entered the Third
Eye and heard the Bell.
With every step taken on the spiritual journey, he is
coming into his own by casting off the heavy load of mat-
ter—physical, astral or causal — which really is not a part
of him but which the soul takes up as tools to function in
the causal, astral and physical worlds. When contact with
the Astral Form of the Master has been made, the outlook,
which is now based on the experience gained in the world
and the worldly relations, is that the Master and the Shabd
are the two Real Friends and Companions who are here
with us, and go with us after death. All others have their
limitations. It does not mean that he has an aversion for oth-
ers. He does his duty by them but knows their true worth.

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He is in the world but not worldly; outwardly attached but

inwardly detached; like a duck in water and yet not wet.
In the experience of Saints, one Shabd is the Creator of
all that has been created. All creation, to Them, is Shabd.
They see Shabd in action everywhere. All forms of cre-
ation in the highest and the lowest stages are different as-
pects of Shabd.
16—Just as on the physical plane there are continents
and countries with their different types of population, the
same is the case on the astral plane. One such place is the
Heaven inhabited by houris. Mohammedans call it ‘Ba-
hisht’ and Hindus call it ‘Swarg’ — difference in name but
place is the same. The place is subject to Karmic Law and
transmigration. It is not a permanent abode and not worth
living in, but a place to be shunned, a design of the Nega-
tive Power to prevent the soul from going up. The whole
astral plane is subject to the five passions the same as the
physical plane.
17 Sant Mat does not advocate asceticism, nor is it help-
ful. A settled means of income with settled home life give
comforts which are conducive to Bhajan. They are denied
to ascetics. As said elsewhere in this letter, old habits go
slowly and new habits are not formed quickly either. The
training of the mind, like the training of a horse or like the
training of a child in making them useful is a slow affair.
It is a lifelong work. Slow and steady wins the race. When
Shabd practice becomes tasteful, all other tastes become
flat.
18 —There is antagonism between Namandkam. Nam
is another name for Shabd, and kam means sex lust. Nam
or Shabd lifts the soul inward and upward, and kam pulls
it downward from the eye center. The sexual relation of
husband and’ wife has been very much misunderstood and

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abused. In this respect a biologist even treats man as an an-

imal, and calls this relation a mere biological function and
no better. He is yet ignorant of the higher potentialities of
man. Those who are familiar with this great aspect of man
have treated this sexual relation as something sacred, and
laid down rules for preserving its sanctity. Man dissipates
himself and his energies in sexual intercourse. He would be
healthier if he were to conserve this energy and would be
God-like if he were to use it in spiritual uplift.
With the longing to go within and the hearing of the
Sound Current becoming tasteful, the indulgence or play
in sex decreases and ultimately becomes hateful, and is au-
tomatically given up, like other bad habits, such as anger,
greed and so forth.
I want you to do Bhajan and make progress in it. This
will please me most. This is the present which the Master
will always accept.
Jesus Christ initiated people by connecting them with
the Holy Ghost — the Word — the Shabd. There-in lies His
greatness. And naturally, only those who have some ex-
perience of this Shabd can appreciate what service He did
for people. His Sermon on the Mount is good. It is a moral
teaching which can be lived in practice on the strength of
Shabd only. If Shabd is missing, no one can live up to this
moral teaching. I wish you could make the eye center your
home, make contact with the Shabd and become a true
Christian.
The Simran or the Repetition of the Names will cleanse
your abode in the eye center, eliminating other thoughts.
The stars, the sun, the moon and the Master will decorate it.
There are ten different sounds going on ceaselessly in
the eye center. You have experienced some of them. Out
of the ten, only two — the Bell and the Conch — are to be

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sought out; the other eight are to be rejected. The Bell and
the Conch will take us to the regions above; others are lo-
cal. But so long as the Bell has not been grasped, any other
sound that is audible is good enough and one should stick
to it. When the concentration will increase, this audible
sound will give place to some other finer than this, and that
in its turn to something finer and sweeter still. Ultimately,
the real Bell will be audible.
The success depends upon the concentration. The near-
er your attention to the eye center, the louder and clearer
will the sounds become, arid that which is hidden and in-
distinct from a distance will be clear when you are near it.
Light will also increase with the increase in concentration.
All the instruments used in an orchestra are audible when
we are close to it, but only the drum when we are far off.
The same is the case here. When our attention is held in the
body, we are far off from the eye center, the place of the
inner music, and when the attention has vacated the body
and is concentrated in the eye center, we are close to it. Ev-
ery time we are in the eye center we can sort out and catch
the Bell Sound, but when away from this center, we miss it
and others as well. The sounds are there all the time, only
we are out.
Regarding perspiring profusely (during meditation),
particularly around the head, when the room is not hot,
you attempt to go within by forcing your attention inward.
Any strain or pressure or force, physical or mental, should
be avoided in attempting to concentrate. Sit in the eye cen-
ter with an easy mind and repeat the Names. Concentration
will follow as a matter of course. Cycling is easy but look
at the man who is learning to ride a cycle. He is perspiring
because he applies his force wrongly.
I am very pleased with your work. You may write as
often as you like. Your letter is always welcome.

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199. Before sitting down for meditation please

clean your mind of all mental fogs and worldly attach-
ments. Concentration would then be easy and quick.
Saints are Love personified, and They love not only
Their disciples but all creation and all around Them. They
look upon the whole creation with love and kindness.
To the Master, His spiritual children are dearer than the
offspring of the flesh. The latter are entitled to his worldly
property but His spiritual children would succeed to His
spiritual wealth. You, as disciples, are dearer to me than
my own sons.
It is not an easy job to reach the eye center. It requires
years of patience and persevering labor.
You are welcome to ask as many questions as you like,
to clean the mind of all doubts. Please do repeat any ques-
tion, the answer to which is not clear to you.
The Radiant Form of the Master may seem to be far
away like the Evening Star of Wagner’s Opera, but still it is
within you. It is not far away. There is a veil between you
and It, and it will be torn by your love and labor.
Your two poems were read out and explained to me.
Both are very pathetic and true. If the world were to follow
Christ or Sant Mat there would be no war and strife.
200. Some of the questions in that letter are an-
swered herein; others, as was said in my previous letter,
should be left over till you have gone within.
With His physical form the Master comes in contact
with people, gives the Creator’s message that they have
gone astray, that the Path (Nam) lies within them, and that
if they choose to go back to Him they will get all the assis-
tance right here in this world as well as on the inner jour-

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ney. He removes their doubts, answers their queries, Him-

self does what He preaches, and by His word and action
creates confidence in people and attracts them to Himself.
Those who accept Him, He initiates personally (or through
some other chosen person), that is, connects them with’
Nam, and with His Radiant Form takes His seat in the eye
center of the disciple; and gives necessary (as He thinks
proper) spiritual guidance which, of course, the disciple is
not aware of, till he has entered the eye center and made
contact with His Radiant Form.
The physical form, therefore, is meant to explain the
teaching of Sant Mat, clear the doubts and difficulties of
people, and encourage the disciple in meditation.
As all people are held away from the eye center and
play on the sense plane because they are attached to forms,
which are themselves playing on the sense plane, therefore
it is natural that if people were to contemplate on and at-
tach themselves to a form which does not play on the sense
plane but plays on the spiritual plane, beyond the matter
and the mind planes, they will be pulled up from the sense
plane into the eye center. It pulls up while other forms pull
down.
Contemplation on the physical form of the Master,
therefore, is a very great help in concentration and will
take the soul upward to the Radiant Form. But it is not easy
to hold onto this Form in contemplation. The mind, being
dirty, runs again and again to dirt-laden forms and does
not stick to It. To hold onto it in contemplation depends on
the purity of the mind or, in other words, on the love of the
disciple for the Master.
There are cases of pure souls which have gone in con-
centration at the very time of Initiation. But such cases are
rare. Therefore, the usual method of Repetition of Names

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is recommended for purifying the mind and bringing con-

centration. If this is done with love, and has been intellec-
tually grasped as correct, it brings in concentration and one
can feel daily how far the attention has been withdrawn
from the body.
By Repetition one can cross the stars, the sun, and the
moon regions, and make contact with the Radiant Form of
the Master. This is as far as Repetition will take the atten-
tion. The course of Repetition ends here.
Dhyan is to make the attention stay there. This Form,
being so beautiful, attracts the attention and this attraction,
when fully developed, gives the attention the power to stay
there. So long as Dhyan is incomplete, the soul goes that
far with the help of Repetition, but comes back. When one
has merged his petty self in It and lost his I-ness, then the
Radiant Form talks as we talk here outside, and replies to
enquiries and guides him to the higher regions. The sweet
Bell Sound exercises its magnetic influence and the soul
commences the spiritual journey, the Master giving the
necessary help and guidance and, step by step, taking him
to the Creator in Sachkhand.
All this depends primarily on the disciple’s love and
effort. It can neither be purchased nor had for the asking.
One has to detach himself from his possessions, his rela-
tions, his own body and mind and, doing all his worldly
duties, be detached in attachment, be in the world and yet
not worldly.
If one succeeds in establishing himself in the Radiant
Form during his life time, he should consider himself lucky.
He sits at the top of the physical world. There is nothing in
this world with which this state can be compared. It stands
by itself. It gives a unique type of peace.
No limit can be placed as to how the Master awakens

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souls with His physical form. Sometimes a person is in one

country and the Master is in another and the two have not
met before. Even then the Form of the Master has gone to
him, come in contact with him, awakened him and talked
to him. But full explanation and secret of the Path is given
only when they meet. The person, on meeting, realizes that
he came in contact with this Form at such and such a place.
It is the business and duty of every disciple to make
his mind motionless and reach the eye center. The duty
of the Master is to help and guide on the Path. To control
the mind and senses and open the tenth door depends on
the disciple’s efforts. If there is any difficult work in the
world it is the fight with the mind. Because the soul is pos-
itive and the mind is negative, therefore the teachings and
Satsangs of the Master are to encourage the soul and make
it stand against the mind, fight it, and win the battle. When
the mind has gone in, it tastes sweetness such as it has nev-
er before tasted in worldly objects. Then it becomes obedi-
ent, and faithful. So long as it has not tasted that sweetness,
there is no greater enemy.
The primary factor in this success is the effort of the
disciple. Sometimes it so happens that the mind loses faith
even in the Master and puts forth strange arguments in
support of its case. This is the result of past bad karma.
Even rishis and yogis have been deceived by this cunning
mind.
The Master teaches and the disciple learns. The progress
of the disciple depends upon how fast he learns his les-
sons. The efforts of the disciple and the grace of the Master
go hand in hand. Effort is rewarded with grace, and grace
brings more effort. When a laborer gets his wages after a
day’s work, is the Master so unjust that He will keep back
His grace from a diligent disciple?

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The Master’s physical presence helps the disciple to at-

tain concentration, if the disciple takes advantage of His
presence. The Inner Master gives all the grace and help that
the disciple is capable of receiving, no matter where he may
be. The Master is within him.
The photo is for recognizing the Master when any form
appears, in time, inside. Contemplation of the photo will
bring in concentration but the photo only will come inside.
It will not speak, nor will it give any guidance. It is lifeless,
a reflection of one’s own mind. A large part of the world
contemplates on the pictures of Christ and Krishna and
other religious leaders. The pictures appear inside but re-
main silent and do not lead. Contemplation of a photo is a
very poor type of practice. Contemplation of a photo is not
sufficient. No good will result from contemplation of pho-
tos and pictures beyond concentration, and that too only if
done for long periods.
The contemplation of pictures of past Masters long
dead, where even the pictures are imaginary, is absolutely
useless, and the picture of the living Master is useful only
in recognizing Him when any form appears inside. There-
fore, for concentration, repetition is the normal method
and photo is helpful only in recognizing Him. The same
principle applies to moving and talking pictures. There are
no substitutes for the living Master. So long as one has not
come face to face and talked to a Master, no contemplation
is possible in the real sense of the term. When, by repeti-
tion, one goes inside and meets His Radiant Form beyond
the sun and the moon regions, the photo will help in recog-
nizing Him.
Surat means soul The Bell Sound is Shabd. When the
soul hears the Bell Sound, it likes it and loves it. On hearing
it, the mind and the soul begin to stay inside but the Sound
will not lift them up because they are not in its magnet-

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ic sphere. It is heard from a distance and has no pulling

power. Therefore, one has to go to It by crossing the stars,
the sun and the moon with the help of Repetition, and stay
there with the help of Dhyan. The lifting of the soul to high-
er regions is the business of Shabd. The Master gives help
and guidance, and Shabd lifts up. If there is no lift, there is
not much good in hearing the Shabd from a distance. The
hearer is in Pinda and the Shabd comes from Anda. The
hearer has no control over it.
If sound is audible at the time of Repetition, then pay
no attention to it. Pay attention to Repetition only. When
listening to the Sound, then pay attention to Sound only
and ignore Repetition. One thing at a time. Only one work
can be done at one time, attentively and successfully. ne
moment attention in Sound and the next moment in Repe-
tition is not proper.
The prayer wheel is a useless thing. We are to bring the
mind and the soul in concentration within us. When at-
tempt is to hold the attention inside, who is there to attend
to the prayer wheel outside?
So long as the thousand-petalled lotus has not been
reached, the Bell Sound is to be listened to and from this lo-
tus onward, the Conch. When one is in dream, the attention
is in the throat center, and when consciously awake, the
attention is in the eye center. So one can easily distinguish
whether one was in dream or was awake.
There is no end to the scenes and sights within, in the re-
gion of the eye center. The scenes are the creation of the five
elements in their fine form, just as the scenes in the physical
world are due to the coarse form of the five elements. One
should not pay any attention to them. The progress on the
journey stops when a traveler busies himself in sight see-
ing. If the scenes and sights come in the way, let them come

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but pay no attention to them. Pay attention to Repetition.

The soul rises on the current of Shabd and returns on
the same current. It has four rates of speed, like that of:
1 — the Ant, in — Pinda,
2 — the Spider, in — Anda,
3 — the Fish, in — Brahmand, and
4 — the Bird in — Sachkhand, respectively.
The ant rises on the wall, falls and rises again — a slow
and laborious process. This is our state in the process of
withdrawing the current from Pinda, that is, from the nine
portals of the body to the Radiant Form of the Master.
In Anda the soul is like the spider which comes down
from the roof to the floor, goes up again on its own fibre,
and is independent of the wall.
In Brahmand the soul is like a fish which goes up-stream.
And in Sachkhand the soul is like a bird that comes from
the top of a mountain, straight to the earth below, and rises
up from the earth to the top without any hindrance. This
last state is of Saints who go like a bird from the physical
plane to Sachkhand and come back from Sachkhand to the
physical plane, unobstructed by mind and matter.
It is not necessary for every soul to go through the
whole cycle of transmigration. For fuller under-standing
one should cross the second region.
Kabir did not descend lower than human life. He had
to take up human form to teach humanity. This is the case
with other Param Sants also.
Every sage calls the Lord of the region to which he has

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attained during his lifetime as his spiritual father, and the

region as ‘heaven’. Allah is the same as Niranjan; Kali of
Ramakrishna represents the divine energy; but these things
one should see for himself rather than try to grasp them
intellectually.
Your view that a soldier’s career is inconsistent with Sant
Mat is not sound. Guru Jaimal Singh had no hostile feel-
ing towards the opposing combatants; in the evening He
would go among them and they respected Him as a Sage.
A soldier is like a sword in the hands of the Commander.
The sword is not responsible, and the soldiers have not to
account for their actions before Kal. Again, whatever one
does with the permission of His Master, the Master is re-
sponsible for the consequences.
The governance of this world is in the hand of Kal,
and he has so arranged that no soul should go beyond his
sphere. We should avoid injections so far as we can. Such
minor points should not be stretched too far, for, if we do,
we are soon lost in detail, life would become impractica-
ble, and Sant Mat unworkable. Emphasis should be on the
practice of Nam and ongoing within, anyhow. If we stick
to the trunk, the leaves and branches will take care of them-
selves. And, after all, injections are not so mischievous as
evil thoughts are.
God is one; the structure of the human body is the same
all the world over. The Way to reach God is through the
human body. Nam is the Way within all; therefore, it is one
and the same for all creation.
201. I am glad to know that my last letter contain-
ing replies to some 16-17 questions at last reached you. No,
I have no reason to be offended as it is my seva (service) to
clear doubtful points to seekers. Your questions will always
be welcome but you should not mind the delay in receiving

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the replies, as I have my hands full and so also are those of

my secretaries. They have a great number of letters to reply
each day, besides other work which has been increased by
the war controls. But it is a task of love and is carried out in
the same spirit by us all.
202. This is in reply to your letter dated February
21st in which you repeat question 16 of your letter dated
October 14th. “Imbued with the doctrine of non-resistance
of Christianity” “Resist not evil” — “Love your enemies
and them that hate you and spitefully use you”, “without
thought of reward or punishment”. Let us examine the fun-
damentals of this doctrine. Our only but deadly enemy is
our mind. Lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride are its
agents. It is through these that the mind keeps us always
out and on the move from our Home in the eye center,
thereby binding us with this world; our actions becoming
the cause of our rebirth and death and our eternal misfor-
tune.
The positive qualities — continence (chastity), forgive-
ness, contentment, discrimination and humility— remain
suppressed and ineffective. Pious resolutions and so-called
prayers afford us no protection against these agents. Look-
ing a bit minutely we find that when man’s attention is con-
fined to the Pind part of the body, he is literally full of evil,
as the attention is slave to the passions stated above. If this
were not the case there should be no difficulty in attain-
ing concentration and going in and up. If man were not to
resist these evils, then these evils would keep him tied to
the wheel of life and death forever. The doctrine, therefore,
serves no useful purpose and is positively harmful. The
soul would forever remain slave to the mind and would
never attain Salvation.
If we carry this doctrine to its logical conclusion, then
we should not be an active or passive participant in any

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war; we should not be a party to the manufacture of and

the trade in armaments and other sinews of war, including
the atom bomb; no taxation for conducting a war should be
justified; even the police force would have to be disband-
ed, for what we do not want to do ourselves, we would
not be right in getting it done through others. The right of
self-defense, allowed in the law of all civilized countries,
would have to go also. The farmer is at war with insects,
birds, animals and other enemies while raising crops, and
if the farmer is to observe this doctrine in thought, word
and deed, then goodbye farmer and farming, and to all
others who live on his produce. Again, we see that man is
constantly at war with Nature for self-preservation — in
observing sanitation, and in the control and cure of disease;
and if he is to ignore these, then man would soon come to
his end. This way of interpreting the doctrine means that
man and his civilization must disappear, if the doctrine is
to survive. So nothing has been gained from this hair-split-
ting, and the very object of human life has been missed.
Surely this, could not be the intention of the giver of this
doctrine. The doctrine has been misunderstood.
The evil has to be resisted and conquered. All Saints, in-
cluding Lord Jesus, give us the Word, the practice of which
would lift man up from Pinda to Anda and higher regions,
thereby generating in him the strength to conquer the evil
in him and attain Salvation, which is the object of human
life. When the key — the Word — is missing, the doctrine
of “non-resistance to evil” remains a dead letter. It has been
said in previous letters that our viewpoint on life chang-
es rapidly with every little travel on the spiritual journey
within ourselves:
The senses are detached from the objects; the mind no
longer runs through senses; the attention is held by the
Word within; the evils — lust, anger and so forth — run

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out from within, finding the place too hot for them, and
they go out one by one in the form of children, not secretly
but declaring openly that in the presence of the Word they
cannot remain within.
When the evils have been conquered and turned out,
their place is taken by the positive qualities; then strife and
struggle give place to peace and tranquility. And the high-
er the rise is within, the greater is the harmony with the
Word and His creation. Then the doctrine of non-resistance
to evil or putting it positively and at a much higher level
as the doctrine of charity, mercy and love, is seen as the
handmaid of the Word, and comes into action automati-
cally. And when it becomes dynamic and dominating, the
doctrine of non-resistance to evil acquires a new meaning.
The evil is seen as a mere weakness which is easily toler-
ated in the hope that, properly handled, it can be overcome.
The parents’ love, with their gentle but firm handling of
their children, gives them good breeding. The teachers’
love and handling make them good citizens. The church
does its bit. But the Saints’ love and handling makes them
Saints. Parents, teachers and church work in very narrow
spheres and have their limitations. They teach toleration
and do good work but do not eradicate evil, and without its
eradication, the strength “to love your enemies and them
that hate you and use you spitefully” does not develop.
The whole beauty, therefore, lies in the Word and its
practice. Because the Saints are rare and the Word cannot
be had except from a living Saint, and the practice of the
Word is no joke, and without the grasp of the Word there
is no awakening of the soul, no victory over the mind and
senses, no development of the positive qualities and no
banishment of evil; the man, no matter how intellectual, re-
mains an animal. He imitates Saints without the strength of
Saints, glibly talks of their doctrine but cannot live up to it,

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with the result that there is a clash in the doctrine and the
facts of daily life and warfare.
Suffice it to say, therefore, that people abstain from
adultery, meat, eggs and intoxicants, particularly alcohol,
and practice the Sound Current, go in, turn out the evils
and take charge of their house, and thereby qualify them-
selves for observing the doctrine in practice; which means
tolerating the weaknesses in others on the strength of the
love and harmony generated by going within, and lifting
them up more by example than by precept. A person with
a good robust physique is an advertisement of strength
which spontaneously induces and encourages the weak to
be like him.
The uplift and the good that a Saint does may be judged
from the fact that if a true Saint is walking, some insects
must die if they happen to come under His feet, and these
insects are lifted to the human stage in the next birth. If a
Saint sits under the shade of a tree or eats its fruit or brings
it or a part of it in His use, the tree is given the human
status. The same applies to an animal in the service of a
Saint. Even a chance gaze by a Saint on a bird, is sufficient
to lift the bird to the top rung of the evolutionary ladder;
and when He initiates a person and connects him with the
Word, He opens the way to Salvation. Guru Nanak says a
Saint saves millions, by using only a tiny particle of Nam.
A word about “duty and action without thought of the
fruit of action”. The idea is good and appeals to reason. It is
easily said. The difficulty is in bringing it into practice. So
long as the attention is confined to Pinda we are under the
influence of mind, and desire is its necessary concomitant.
When the attention is attached to Nam and tastes its sweet-
ness, the mind goes under and so does desire. Therefore,
when the attention is firmly held by Nam, only then the
action can be done without the thought of reward, and only

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then, while ‘doing’ is one ‘not doing’, but not earlier.

With this background it is evident that only the Saints,
who live in the spiritual regions beyond the mind spheres,
live non-violently. They emphasize the practice of the
Word and advise people to live non-violently in the hope
that a cool and charitable disposition would help in catch-
ing the Sound Current sooner. Persons engrossed in mind
and matter, in lower regions, cannot live non-violently in
thought, word and deed.
A votary of Sant Mat, therefore, does his normal duty to
his family, his town and country, and above all to himself
and his Maker. If, for the preservation of peace, he is
to enlist as a soldier, it is his duty to do so, for peace is a
preludcto the practice of the Word. As a farmer he is justi-
fied in taking normal measures for the protection of crops,
for the maintenance of human life.
Dairying is good, but the raising of stock for meat and
fur, and work in slaughter houses are avoidable and should
be avoided.
Transfusion of blood is becoming common in modern
medicine and cannot be avoided, for doctors have no alter-
native.
Enough, therefore, if so long as the contact with the
Master’s Radiant Form has not been made, the restrictions
laid down regarding food and drink are observed in prac-
tice, and the Word receives its full share of time with love
and faith. When the contact has been made, the devotee
will be sensitive enough to know for himself what is good
for him and what is harmful, and if in doubt, can get a di-
rect answer from the Master within.
Q. 2 — Blood transfusion is permissible as it does not in-
volve killing. To make a distinction in donors as meat eaters

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 EXTRACTS FROM HUZUR MAHARAJ SAWAN SINGH JI

or otherwise may make it impracticable in emergency. The

Word is the one cure for all contaminations, old and new.
Q. 3 — If the disciple sticks to the Sound Current, Kal
does not interfere. The Master is there to guide him. When
a person commits no offence, he is not afraid of the law and
jail.
Q. 4 — There is only one Regent in each region. They are
the guardians of the Road of Sound Current on which the
devotees of Sound Current go to their Home in Sachkhand.
Q. 5 — Kal and the Regent of Trikuti is one and the
same. From Trikuti downward this Negative Power be-
comes more active, and in the two regions above Trikuti it
is less active. The power of the soul increases enormously
in higher regions.
The idea of typing any letter or a part of it by individu-
als for their own benefit is good.
“Is there any way by which the feeling of the Holy Pres-
ence can be raised to the eye center for concentration?” This
feeling is itself the result of Simran. So, with the increase
in time given in Simran, and care-fully watching that the
mind remains engaged in Simran and sticks to the eye cen-
ter, concentration will be achieved quickly.
“If one feels the Current or their value?” This sensation
is good and is a sign of the attention getting loose from mat-
ter. With further approach of the attention towards the eye
center, the separation from matter will be complete. Please
see that there is no strain on breathing. Go in with love.
When such feeling is there, the time in that posture should
be increased and was very glad to read your poem regard-
ing the coming of the Noble Guest.
The incident referred to in Dr. Johnson’s book took place

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many years ago on the occasion of my first visit to Rawal-

pindi, and the persons concerned were mostly Sikh priests
who thought my sermon would adversely affect them. Be-
fore that, there had been no preaching on the internal phi-
losophy of the Granth Sahib. It seemed to them new and a
deviation from their orthodox beliefs. Subsequently, I have
paid numerous visits to Rawalpindi and now the gathering
there is so large that our big Satsang Hall is insufficient to
contain it, and the people hear the sermons with eagerness
and calmness, and pray for Initiation.
The will power becomes strong by Repetition and Con-
centration, and Spiritual Force is created, which awakens
love and faith within, and that leads to personal magnetism
which is present in a small or large degree in every human
being and even in animals. This Spiritual Force is within
every one of us but is awakened only by spiritual practice.
Only those whose internal eye is open can feel it.
This personal magnetism of Saints, sages and prophets
goes with them when they depart from this life. A man’s
teachings and discourses survive him, but his spiritual
power goes with him. Therefore, only the effect of Christ’s
teachings remained behind.
203. “A Sinner’s Prayer” is a beautiful composition
and I very much appreciate it. Every thought that comes
from you is full of love and is acceptable to the Guru. Fa-
ther’s love is bound with child’s love. Kabir says,
I am His dog. He holds me by the chain (of love) round
my neck and I follow wherever He leads.
204. Man is the highest form of creation. He is the
temple of the living God. His whole creation is also within
the temple. Unfortunately, man looks out from the temple
and not in. When he begins to divert his attention inward,
he is, in a way, coming in tune and, like a radio in tune,

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receives messages. The better the tuning the more efficient

the machine. Your period of anxiety and tension reaching a
climax on January 8th coincides with my condition. If you
could go a little further up, you could know the cause of
tension as well. A little more effort, a little way up, and a
better tuning, then you would not feel and guess, but will
know.
When there is suffering all around, everybody feels and
helps according to his capacity. I am in the hands of my
Master. Whatever duty He assigns me, I carry it out. To me
there is no greater pleasure than that. Please have no anxi-
ety. I do not mind any trouble to myself. I am very pleased
with you.
205. I am very pleased with you both for the prac-
tical way in which you have molded your lives and your
attitude toward life. You provide a practical demonstration
of what R. S. teaches in theory. You have met the ups and
downs of life cheerfully and your faith in the goodness of
the Master has never wavered. In adversity and disease,
one gets an opportunity to test himself and his depth in
his faith. Your letter written after — had recovered from
the attack is creditable to you both. Sickness, if borne with
patience, causes less trouble and worry to the patient as
well as to those who have to look after the patient. Patience
lies in the stillness of the mind, and the higher it has been
raised the greater patience it brings.
You know we are not to live here forever, nor is it our
wish to stay here on this plane of struggle and turmoil a
minute longer than we can help. We are to go one day. We
are to so mold ourselves that we do our allotted duties here
to the best of our lights, and go straight with the Messenger
when He gives the message and takes us Home. This is the
time for preparation to meet that requirement. Again, why
any hesitation in us? Our path to our Home is lit with the

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brightest of suns and moons; our Home is Peace personi-

fied; and our Father is Love and Grace. I gladly repeat that
you are living as a disciple should.
— says that in her last attack of disease she did not see
the light and she experienced fear of passing in darkness.
Doctor also thought that she may pass away any minute,
but no Master had shown His face. Dear daughter, you will
never die in darkness. The end is not yet due, and when
dirty karma alone is being paid, the Master’s Form does not
show Itself so that the devotee in pain may not request for
altering or modifying the course of the disease. The Master
wishes that the karma be gone through and its bad effect
neutralized. When the effect is neutralized, the Form may
appear. But when the end is near, the Master does not for-
get the soul and remains with the soul, and gives so much
sweetness in Current that the attention is withdrawn from
all directions and is held within.
When certain karma is being gone through, the Form is
absent, and I will tell you the case of my mother: She had
been Initiated by my Master — Baba Jaimal Singh Ji — and
once or twice a week she used to see her Master within. I
was yet in service in the Himalayan Hills, some distance
from her home. Like a good mother, she would write to me
of good things but would never write to me of her illness so
that I may not feel anxious about her. She fell sick and was
sick for two months. I was sent for by telegram. On reach-
ing home I found her better. On enquiry about the trouble,
she said that the disease was not so painful as the absence
of the Master (inside) for full two months. “But He is with
me now for the last three days.” On further enquiry about
the cause of absence of the Master for two months, she re-
plied that the Master said:
You are to go now. Your end has come. There was some
karma which had to be gone through, as it is not intended to

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give you another birth. That karma has been gone through
now and you will be taken away in three days’ time.
After three days, when the time came, she asked us (fam-
ily members) to sit in Meditation. When we were in Medi-
tation, she passed away. Dear Daughter, don’t you worry.
You will not be taken away without notice.
Coming back here again or going up within after death
depends on the tendency of the attention. Like the pan of
the balance, that which carries the heavier load, sinks. If
this world is meaningless and has no value in your mind,
and you really consider it perishable material that is not
worth having and, instead, your mind is given to the love
of the Guru and Sat Purush, and there is longing to go to
Sach Khand, then there is no power which can bring you
back.
If, due to some adverse conditions, much time has not
been given to the Current — but there has been a strong
love for the Master and a wish to go within — even then
rebirth is not given. The soul is taken to Trikuti or Das-
wandwar and made to make up the deficiency there and,
in time, taken further up to the end of the journey. If, on
the other hand, love for Nam and the Master is nominal
and the mind is given over to the world, then there is re-
birth here. But this new birth is better suited for the spiri-
tual work than the previous one. The mind is peaceful and
the devotee gets Initiation and opportunity to work up and
replace the wordly desires by longing to live on the higher
planes within.
Therefore, a devotee of the Current should never fear
death. He is not going below the stage of man in transmi-
gration. His efforts should be to finish his work here and
now.
You are right when you say that it is our duty to lighten

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our karmic burden in this life by giving as much time to the

Current as possible. The karma of innumerable lives has to
be paid. It may look difficult but it is easier to pay it here.
A creditor is contented to take something very much less
than his due from a debtor, who has made up his mind to
go from the country and settle elsewhere, and who has the
backing of a mighty emperor (Satguru).
I have said many a time before and repeat it again that
once the seed of Nam (Sound Current) has been sown in a
soil (heart) it will sprout one day, grow, become a tree and
bear fruit. It is impossible to destroy this seed. The devotee
of the Current must reach Sachkhand. It is inevitable and
no power can stop him.
A boat held to its moorings will see the flood waters
pass by; but detached from its moorings, may not survive
the flood. The Current is our base — our moorings. A soul
that is attached to the Current is safe.
No harm if she is to cook meat to keep a house. She must
not eat it herself. But you know when meat is cooked it is
not always easy to resist taking it. The world is a furnace in
whose fires the soul is purified. She should look up and in-
side, and carry on in the circumstances as best she can. The
Current is within her and no outward circumstances stand
in the way if she wishes to hear It.
This life is for working out that fate. If in this life we give
ourselves to devotion, we will not come again, but we will
go back to our Home. This life is for the purpose of end-
ing our coming back into this world. I am glad you have
grasped this Truth yourselves, and have taught it to others
also.
As I have said already, I am against the performance of
miracles. Sant Mat gives no value to miracles. In Sant Mat,
going by His Will is much more creditable and honorable

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than doing miracles. But if any action has been interpreted

by Dr. Johnson as a miracle, that may be Dr. Johnson’s way
of appreciation. I am ignorant of having done any such ac-
tion. Go within and see what wonderful powers the soul
acquires in its rise. Sant Mat knows of only one miracle and
that is to withdraw the soul of man from transmigration
and unite it with its Origin.
It is impossible to make an estimate of the powers of
Saints. They are unfathomable. They are dear Sons of the
dear Father Who has entrusted Them with all that He has.
206. You write that you expect to come to India
in January, next. I shall be glad to see you and your dear
wife, and we shall do all we can to make you both comfort-
able while you are here. We live here in an out-of-the-way
place on the banks of the river Beas, twenty-seven miles
from Amritsar, and about sixty miles from Lahore, which is
the capital of the Punjab province. But few of the comforts
to which you have probably been accustomed will be avail-
able here. In any case, we will welcome you and do all we
can for you.
The highest and the easiest method that the greatest
sages of different countries have followed and preached,
for the liberation of the soul, is the path of SURAT SHABD
YOGA— which for want of a better word in the English
language is usually translated as “Sound Current”. The
Mohammedan teachers have called it: “Sultan-ul-Azkar”.
Sultan means king and Azkar means repetition of the holy
Name, this word being the plural of Zikr.
Once a soul has received initiation from the Master on
this path, giving the full method of concentration and other
spiritual exercises, the disciple cannot fail to attain ultimate
realization, provided he is faithful to the instructions given
to him at the time of initiation and he sticks to the path with

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increasing love and devotion to the Almighty. But one may

read and even memorize all the books of the world, and he
may attain all the honors which the world can confer upon
him; yet if he fails to come into personal and conscious con-
tact with the Sound Current, he can make no progress to-
ward the real goal.
As to preparation for the Initiation, two or three things
may be mentioned. First of all, meat, eggs, fish and wines
or other intoxicating liquors, must be given up altogether,
as one can make but little progress on this path while he
indulges in such things. Perhaps you do not use them any-
way. In any case you will not find it difficult to get along
without them. There are plenty of wholesome nourishing
foods and drinks without them. Even in the worst cases of
invalidism, meat and egg products are not necessary.
Next begins a rigid system of self-control, enforcing
the rule in every detail of life. We are constantly beset by
five foes — KAM, passion; KRODH, anger; LOBH, greed;
MOH, worldly attachments; and AHANKAR, vanity. All
of these must be mastered, brought under control. You
can never do that entirely until you have the aid of the Guru
and are in harmonic relations with the Sound Current. But
you can begin now, and every effort will be a step on the
way.
You may go on studying the teachings as best you can.
Read the books you have. Others will be obtained for you,
if possible. They will help you to a better understanding of
the teachings of the Saints, although all books have their
limitations and imperfections. By and by you will be able
to write your own books, after you have gained firsthand
knowledge. For, you may remember, this is not a system of
belief. It is strictly a Science. Step by step you will come to
KNOW for yourself.

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207. I am much pleased with the spirit shown in

your letter. It is the spirit of a true disciple, and you shall
not go unrewarded and unblessed, but your diligent search
for the light (Spiritual) must bring you to realization in the
proper time. Everything has its time and place, and this
cannot be changed, with advantage to all concerned.
You ask why so many hindrances, when one is trying
so hard to advance spiritually? Why so many things thrust
themselves in to interfere with our best efforts to rise spir-
itually? There is but one answer — the dark, or negative
powers which manage most world affairs do not wish any
soul to contact a Sat Guru who can deliver that soul from
the regions of the Negative Power. He wishes to keep ev-
eryone here. And although that Negative Power is under
the Supreme Power, yet within his own territory, he has
a certain degree of discretionary power. It is only when a
soul comes in contact with a Saint or true Sat Guru, that he
is assured of his complete deliverance from the regions of
the negative powers. Of course, those powers will do all
they can to keep a soul away from the Sat Guru. But, in that
effort, the negative powers cannot succeed, if one keeps his
mind steadfast upon the Guru and persists in his determi-
nation to come to the Guru. If he does that, there is no pow-
er in the universe which can keep him away from the Guru,
and when he is once initiated by the Guru, or even before
that, when he has once entrusted his life to the Guru, then
and after that the Negative Power has no more ability to
defeat his efforts toward spiritual liberation. He must suc-
ceed. A temporary delay like this is no real delay in your
spiritual advance, because if you have placed your destiny
in the hands of the Guru, he will and must take care of you,
until the day of your complete and perfect deliverance
Regarding the meat diet and the advice of your Sufi
teacher that eggs and fish and white meat might be advis-

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able, allow me to say that in the study and discipline of Sant

Mat, you are not following any system of Hindu philoso-
phy, as they are generally known and taught to the world.
It is no more like the system of Ram Krishna than the sys-
tem of the Sufi is like that. It is not like any of the religions
or philosophies well known to literature and to the scholars
of oriental philosophy. The real Sant Mat, or the teachings
of the Saints, and the system of Yoga which they follow is
distinct and individual, and it consists of a definite method
of going inside of the kingdom of Heaven and taking pos-
session of that Kingdom. And this is a Universal Science. It
is adaptable to all peoples and all lands, and has absolutely
nothing to do with climate or particular condition of any
country or people. This much I would strongly emphasize.
The view of the Sufi and of his master is a limited view,
because they do not know this science and they therefore
cannot understand that this is a universal system, suitable
for the whole world.
Now regarding the diet question, itself. Most of the old-
line physicians adhere to the idea of the necessity of meat
and eggs, or at least of eggs, for all who lead a strenuous
life, and especially in cold climates. But even that idea is
not based upon actual scientific knowledge, but upon an
old teaching which they find it hard to discard. Two points
must be considered in this study: First, meat and eggs are
not necessary for anybody, when looked at from a purely
physiological stand point. There are plenty of good whole-
some foods which contain sufficient protein. It is needless
to say that one must fully understand where and how to
find the proper foods which contain the needed protein
content. That must not be overlooked. If that point is over-
looked, one may find a deficiency. In a dietary which de-
pends upon meat and eggs for its protein, one may find
that he is not getting sufficient.

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But if one understands where and how to find the pro-

tein bearing foods, among vegetables and grains and fruits,
he will never have any need whatsoever for meats or eggs.
I believe you, as a physician, will understand this.
In the second place, the system of the Saints has a very
definite method of yoga which reduces the need for ex-
cessive quantities of protein. In fact, the entire quantity of
foods required by the average person, laborer or profes-
sional man, will be much reduced’, probably fifty percent
in some cases, and this will be true no matter in what cli-
mate he may live. Besides, the system of Yoga which we
follow has a very great effect in reducing the effects of the
nervous strain of the strenuous life, in any climate. If you
sit, even for an hour as directed at the time of your initia-
tion, you will find that it will still your wandering mind,
quieten your nerves and reduce your heart beat many
degrees. All of your life forces will be conserved and you
will find yourself growing stronger and less nervous. You
will find that you will be able to meet hundreds of people
during a strenuous day’s work, withstand the discords and
the pressure of the most difficult situations, and still keep
calm and self-poised.
Now it is well known to you that meat-eating animals
have strength, when put to a sudden test. So also, it has
been proved in the case of meat-eating men. But they lack
endurance. A tiger may exert great strength for a few min-
utes, but he will never have the endurance that an ox has.
What meat-eating animal has the strength of an ox or an
elephant?
We have about forty men and women now in America
living rigidly under the discipline of this system and they
do not complain of any difficulty. Dr. Johnson himself de-
clares that he has more strength and endurance now than
he had twenty years ago when he was following a meat

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diet. Miss Bruce here was a vegetarian for many years,

in fact almost all of her life, and yet few women can do
more hard work than she can do and is doing here now.
And hard work for an American woman in this climate is
a pretty good test. She is daily doing much hard physical
and mental work and feels no need for meat or eggs. It is
true that Miss Bruce and Dr. Johnson are expert dieticians.
They know how to find and prepare a well-balanced diet,
without meat or eggs, and that is not so easy a task here
as it is in Europe or America. We cannot get just anything
here which we might want, any time of the year. Yet they
find plenty to supply every want and keep in health and
strength. Miss Bruce says herself that now she is able to
do harder work than ever before in her life, and suffers no
inconvenience.
So, I am sure that upon due trial, you will find no need
whatsoever for a meat or egg supplement to your diet. And
without meat or eggs, you will at the same time find your
strength and calmness of spirit increasing and your mental
powers will increase many folds.
As to any exercises which might help you, until the
time of your initiation, I can only suggest at this time that
you may sit in meditation, in a quiet place, like your own
bedroom or some room as secluded as possible, and with
spine and body erect, in a comfortable position, fix all the
attention at the center just back of the two eyes, and slowly
repeat the word RADHA SWAMI, fixing the mind on the
Supreme Being who is your Supreme Father.
This will give you much help and no doubt you will
gain some headway. I am sorry the true Initiation cannot
be given by mail. But this temporary substitute will give
you some help, much help in fact. Sit thus as long as you
may wish, say one or two hours at a time, at such times
as may be most convenient to you. Try to hold your mind

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from wandering away. Keep it at the center and force it to

rest as nearly still as possible. The soul will rise into greater
light and you will find that your sense of peace and harmo-
ny and strength will increase. In this way you will prepare
somewhat for the real Initiation when you arrive here.
You say you have difficulty with KAM and AHANKAR.
Well, nearly all men have that difficulty. Do not try to fight
them, but just subdue them by substituting in their place
the opposite virtues as ideals. The old enemies will gradu-
ally lose their power over your mind. When the time comes
that you actually contact the SHABD DHUN inside, all of
the five evils, those troublesome passions, will die out and
disappear, because they will find no entertainment in your
mind. You will automatically discard them, because you
will have a power and a pleasure that supersedes all else.
208. Let me assure you that it is a most fortunate
thing in any one’s life when he has found a definite pur-
pose and a definite end towards which to work. I am glad
you have found that definite end and purpose. You shall
not be disappointed.
Regarding your method of sitting, I shall discuss that
fully with you when you come here. At present I find no
objection to your system, provided that nothing detracts
your attention from the center, back of your eyes, the point
at which you are to hold ALL ATTENTION— nothing else.
Anything that helps you to hold full attention there is good.
Anything that in the least detracts from that center is not
good. But as said before, we will discuss details when you
come.
You need not hesitate nor fear to make the trip. Anyone
seeking to meet the Sat Guru, to place his life destiny in
the hands of the Guru, has the blessing of the Supreme Sat
Purush back of him and nothing can defeat that purpose, if

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the soul persists in deep devotion. Keep your mind on the

Sat Guru who will travel with you, and nothing can hurt
you or your beloved wife. Your fate is in the hands of the
Supreme power.
Of course, you may not expect encouragement in this
endeavor. It is quite beyond the grasp of the ordinary man;
however worldly wise he may be. But I am much pleased
to note what you say—”in the depth of my heart a voice
tells me that I must go.” Heed that inner voice. It cannot
lead you astray. It is true, as your New York friend says, all
Truth is inside of you. Not only so, but the very kingdom of
Heaven is within you. All wealth is within you. But the dif-
ficulty is that you cannot get at that wealth unaided. To all
of that the Sat Guru holds the key. It is given to him by the
Supreme Lord, and the method of the Supreme is to work
through the Sat Guru in opening the doors to that inner
treasure. Ask your teacher if he has entered, that inner king-
dom himself, without a Sat Guru? No one has ever done so
and no one can do so. The Rishis, Munis, Yogis, and Sufis,
many of them have gone a little way into the subtle worlds,
by diligent concentration and rigid self-control. But soon
they are stopped, automatically stopped. They can never
go far without a real Master to lead the way and take them
over difficulties which they can never surmount alone. I am
pleased to have you agree that you “cannot consider him as
a Sat Guru”. This is extremely fortunate for you. Now your
way shall not be blocked by a mistaken devotion to one
who is not able to take you very far on the path. Love him
by all means, respect and honor him, for all he has done
for you. But when a student leaves the freshman class or
the primary grades, he looks for a teacher who is himself
a Master of Arts if he wishes to win that degree at any lat-
er date. On passing to higher grades, one need not cease
to love his primary grade teacher. Everyone has his place
and his definite work in the Father’s School of the soul. You

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have reached a high degree in your profession. Now it is

due you to reach the highest degree in the University of the
spirit. Your face is toward the light. Let nothing hinder or
discourage you. You shall drink of the Living Waters, and
be thirsty no more. No matter what may be your difficulties
and deficiencies; they shall all be overcome, and the divine
Shabd whose music never ceases within you, shall sooner
or later bear you upon its loving waves back to your orig-
inal Home. Have no fear or doubt. So long as one’s face is
turned uncompromisingly toward the Sat Guru, he is on
his way to Perfect Realization. The Self-Luminous Reality,
in the form of the Audible Life Stream, when connected by
the Sat Guru, will carry you to the Supreme Heights. No
one can say just how long it will take. But it must be.
209. I am glad to read your progress report. The
trembling and shaking of the body and limbs is not unnat-
ural. It happens with the majority of people who take up
this work, but it stops later on automatically. You may stop
it if you can, otherwise it will stop of itself in time. If a foot
or head is suddenly severed from the body, the body will
tremble for a time. The same is the case if the tail of a lizard
is cut off from the body. The soul which permeates every
cell of the body leaves it bit by bit, in the process of con-
centration. There is then pain in the limbs and body and so
they shake, sometimes violently. In every case the agitation
is due to the soul leaving the body, or parts of it. When
the withdrawal process has become a routine habit by prac-
tice, there is no pain or shaking. When the concentration
is complete and the attention is inside the focus, light will
appear, and stray thoughts that now intrude and interfere
will disappear. Then there will come the realization that
the body is not mine and I am separate from it, and the
body is simply for my use when I wish to function in this
material world.

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You are hearing various sounds and have once heard

the bell sound; although not able to hold onto it. It is all a
matter of concentration and of going inside and looking up
to catch it and hold onto it. You have known that there is a
Bell Sound within, and in time it will be yours.
You may carry on with your practices patiently and per-
severingly and increase your time slowly, but do not put
yourself under too much strain. Too much strain should be
avoided. The Master is always with you and is giving prop-
er help and guidance. If at times things go against your
wish, it is for your benefit. For the Master is to do what he
thinks best for you and not what you may think is best for
you. Persevere with love and faith, and you will succeed.
Guru Nanak says:
In this path let your foot take a step forward always and
never turn your face backwards. Make good in this very life
so that there will be no more rebirth.
Says Maulvi Rum:
In this path struggle on and on and do not rest even at
the last breath.
It is the weakening of the mind that brings failure. Suc-
cess, even in this material world, comes when one puts
himself wholeheartedly into it. Partap, a Rajput prince, car-
ried throughout his life unequal struggle against the great
Moghul, Akbar, and then succeeded in the twenty-eighth
attack.
Your cancer patient suffered much, but with your help
he ended life in peace. His cries and shrieks were due to the
awfully bad beatings which the demons of death were giv-
ing him. You had Nam. When you came in his presence and
held his hands in yours, your Current of Nam gave him the
protection. The demons left him alone. His attention went

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in. So, he became calm and passed off quietly. The death
demons or Yam Duts, can never stand in the presence of
one who has the power of Nam with him.
210. In your letter you speak of the change in your
orientation of life since your return from India and of your
attempt to recast your habitat to bring yourself in harmo-
ny with this change. When the goal of life is fixed and the
means to reach the goal are known, the wise will appreci-
ate the situation and will take full advantage of the leisure
and the opportunity that come in their way to reach that
goal. To detach the mind from the perishable things of this
world and instead to value NAM, are signs of special favor
of the Creator. You have taken to Sant Mat with the same
deep love and faith that this high and invaluable and in-
comparable philosophy demands. I am glad to see your life
moulding to take this new shape.
One and a half hours approximately that you give to
Simaran and a half-hour to Dhyan and Bhajan is sufficient
for the present. Gradual progress is to be preferred. And
you have other heavy work to attend to as well. Stilling the
wild mind and withdrawing the attention from the body
and concentrating it in the eye focus is a slow affair. A Sufi
says:
A life period is required to win and hold the beloved in
arms.
Concentrating the attention in the eye focus is like the
crawl of an ant on a wall. It climbs to fall and falls to rise and
to climb again. With perseverance it succeeds and does not
fall again. The soul and the mind are very intimately united
with matter. We feel pain even when a single hair is pulled
from the body surface. But the combination is unreal. Soul
and matter are poles asunder. By and by, as the process of
separation is continued, you will succeed in detaching the

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attention from matter. Legs and arms — the extremities of

the body — will begin to lose consciousness. The trunk of
the body will follow the same course. The whole attention
will enter into the eye focus. One will be unconscious of
the body and of the material world but fully conscious of a
new world within the focus. But one should do Simran and
Bhajan, not as a matter of routine with a heavy heart or as a
task, but should take to it with love and eagerness.
Human nature is frail. It is full of weaknesses and one
begins to realize the weakness of human nature -when one
follows Surat Shabd Yoga. Frailties present themselves in
almost every conceivable manner and interfere in concen-
tration. But with the help of the Master and the Sound Cur-
rent they are overcome, one by one, with every inch of the
withdrawal of the current from the body towards the focus.
The frailty of human nature is giving place to strength and
when the attention has detached itself from the centers of
sense organs, the senses cease to function in this material
world haphazardly and are under control.
Mind alone is our enemy. It is with us to keep us out
from the eye focus. We realize its power when we prac-
tice Simran and Bhajan. It presents unheard of thoughts
and pictures. In this very field the great philosophers and
gyanies and theorists fail.
The soul, as it descends from the higher and finer regions
into baser and grosser material regions, takes on coverings
of these regions to function in them. It could not function
there otherwise. These coverings are its weaknesses and
the removal of these or, in other words, its going back to
higher regions, means regaining its strength. So long as it
acts here and is ignorant of other regions, its weakness con-
tinues, which cannot be overcome by morality-preaching
or hearing sermons and reading scriptures, or doing this or
that act here.

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Do not lose heart but fight courageously. The battle has

just begun. Mind is not stronger than the Sound Current.
The Master is with you. He is watching your every move-
ment. He is prepared to fight your battles with you. Take
him as your helper. Have faith in Him. Fight the mind and
you will succeed.
A child grows slowly but one day becomes a fully-grown
man. Similarly, daily practice of Simran and Nam will bear
their fruit in time. When a laborer doing his daily work
gets his wages in the evening from his employer, will our
Creator withhold His reward from us when we are doing
His work? I am glad to learn that you have kept your diet
correct and have succeeded in keeping good health on this
diet.
I like your idea to keep silent about Sant Mat and Nam
so long as you have not made any headway in it. It is not
proper to give a medicine to others when one has not exper-
imented with it beforehand and found it useful. Again, the
learned and the pundits will ask, “what have you seen”?
Then, in the absence of firsthand information, you will
have to keep silent. I wish you to give Sant Mat a thorough
trial, and if by experience you find it correct, then you can
speak of it to others.
You say you do not feel any pain in limbs as formerly
but the left foot aches under the pressure of the right leg af-
ter some time arid when the pain becomes unbearable, you
change the position. There is nothing wrong in re-adjusting
the position. By and by as the attention will be withdrawn
and will collect in the eye focus, the attention will not come
down to feel the pain in the leg or foot, and when it has
entered the focus and established itself there, all pain will
disappear. Do not give any force or pressure or strain on
the eyes. The center of attention is not in the eyes but mid-
way between the eyes. The twitches, shakes and jerks, and

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balancing motion will all disappear with the withdrawal

of attention and the completion of concentration. Have no
worries on that account. Such is not the case with all and
with practice even those who suffer from these difficulties
get over them.
These very thoughts that come and hinder concentra-
tion are to be checked. Since our birth here we have been
daily taking photographs of what we have heard, read, or
observed, and storing these in our mind. And the mind is
so big that even if we place the whole universe in it, it will
be found to be bigger and capable of storing any number of
universes and still remain bigger. The thoughts that arise
are the same photographs that we have been taking so long
and preserving with us. They are not, however, endless.
They will finish up in time, with the attention finding its
focus. Then this cinema show will end.
As to waking with difficulties, feeling tired and sleepy
but after Bhajan feeling quite fresh, the mind wants rest.
It does not like to go inside hence plays tricks in the form
of feelings of tiresomeness, drowsiness, sleep and so forth.
The soul wants Nam and when it gets it, it pulls up the
mind, and the result is peace and joy and freshness. If the
soul gets its food, the mind and the body do not feel tired.
You speak of skiing and the snow and the mountains. I
have lived in hills during the most part of my service and
can well appreciate the scenes depicted in the pictorial
cards you have sent me. I congratulate you on your enjoy-
ing these mountains and the scenes they present. But these
mountains are of this material world and are made up of
gross matter. How good and nice it would be if you were
to go in, enter the astral plane and see the mountains and
so forth there. Then you will be able to see by comparison
the difference between these mountains and the mountains
within. You also speak of the Master as a Savior. This is yet

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an idea. There is no doubt that the Master is always with

the disciple and gives due guidance and protection. But I
wish that your inner eye may open and you may see as a
fact what the Master is and what he does for his disciples.
When you were here you may have noticed that all let-
ters, even from India, are not read in public. Most of the
letters I open myself and that which I consider confidential,
I ask Rai Sahib to keep in reserve, or I put in my pocket and
read out or have it read out privately and then give it to
Rai Sahib or some other proper person for reply. American
letters I pass on to—for study and for reply after consulting
me. Your letter has not been read in public. Special letters
are replied in a special way. You may assure— on my be-
half that her correspondence will be kept strictly confiden-
tial. If she can send me a typed letter, I will read it myself
and will draft a reply. You may please ask her to write to
me when she feels like doing so.
Saints do not despise anybody or any system. Whatev-
er they observe inside, they say only that much, and ask
others to go inside and verify their statement. They do not
ask others to believe them blindly. Their philosophy is not
artificial or theoretical. It is going in and observing what
is there. No increase or decrease or alteration, no theory
or imagination, no construction or destruction, simply ob-
serving what is there already. It is a natural science, not
man-made. Saints of higher degree, like Shamas Tabriz,
Maulvi Rum, Khwaja Hafiz and others, followed the same
science. At present there is no higher science or philoso-
phy (whatever you wish to call it) than this. All the saints
that speak of Mukam-i-Haq or Sat Nam, no matter in what
clime or country or time they appeared, have followed this
system, —the path of five sound currents. Radhaswami
Mat is not an innovation. It is the same old, old way, given
in conformity with the present time.

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Dr. Johnson was a beginner in this line when he wrote

“With a Great Master in India”. It reflects his views of those
days. As his experience increased, his ideas changed also
and the manuscript of his coming book which you saw with
him will naturally be better than what he wrote before.
In this country the pilgrims take a dip in the waters of
the Ganges and think that by so doing their sins are washed
off. The river water may cleanse the body but not the mind.
They do not know that the nectar that washes off sins is
inside of themselves and the real place for pilgrimage is
also inside of themselves. If they were to go inside and con-
nect their souls with the Sound Current, their sins would
be washed off.

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