Know And Remember: And It is Divine

Know And Remember

Shri Hans Ji Maharaj on the eve of Baisaki, April 13, 1955, Prem Nagar, India.

I appeal to you to know and remember that Name which has been remembered and preached by all the saints including Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha, Hanuman Ji, Guru Nanak and St. Tulsidas. But when I advise people to remember a Name which is other than these spoken names, the people become very angry, and they think that I am repudiating the scriptures. I have to speak the Truth whether you accept it or not. Until one knows the Divine Light and the Name which is beyond all alphabets, his mind will continue to wander, and how can he get peace and happiness while the mind remains unsteady?

So all the prophets and saints have commanded us to concentrate the mind. The Lord says in the Gita that he whose mind is not under control is neither a yogi nor a monk. Then Arjuna said, "Oh Lord! I consider it easy to make a bundle of the air and to shatter the sky into pieces, but I consider it very difficult to control the mind." But it is not true that it cannot be controlled. It can definitely be controlled by the attitude of renunciation and practice of meditation on the Name. An ignorant person becomes intelligent by constant practice just as a stone becomes worn down by being rubbed by a rope. A soft rope is used to draw water from a well, but it makes such deep hollows in the well's side that the well has to be repaired. The tiles on which earthenware pitchers are kept at a well also wear out by getting rubbed by the pitchers. Similarly, by practicing the Name, the mind becomes desireless. All the saints have obtained perfection through practice only. By practice a child becomes a scholar one day.

Now, whether he is a Hindu, a Muslim or a Christian, none can control the mind without practicing the Name of God. So, all the saints have advised us only to remember the Name of God. But when you hear about meditation and wish to do it, you should also think, "How to do meditation?" Meditation is of two kinds - external and internal. The former is material and the latter is spiritual. The material is outside and the spiritual is inside. The Lord has spoken about it in the Gita: "Oh, Arjuna! I have got two creations, the material and the spiritual. The material creation is composed of eight elements - the earth, water, air, ether, fire, mind, intellect and ego. One who worships or adores these elements remembers matter only. The other is the spiritual or conscious creation, which holds the whole world in its power. This is My part, and its form is Light, which enables the sun, moon and fire to shine."

That Light is omnipresent and pervades everybody. All the scriptures have prescribed meditation on that Light, and remembrance of the Name by introverting the mind. All the saints and prophets who have manifested in the world have suffered various types of hardships for the sake of propagating the Holy Name and the Divine Light. But the world gets relief only by persecuting the prophets, whosoever came to help the people of the world. For instance, Mansur was hanged, Shamsha Tabrej was flayed, Ste. Mira had to drink a cup of poison, and Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross. Vet in spite of being put to so many hardships, he prayed to God, "Oh I Lord! Forgive them for they know not what they do."

St. Gyaneshwar was stoned; St. Tulsidas, Guru Nanak, St. Kabir and Guru Govind Singh were put to severe hardships, so much so that the sons of Guru Govind Singh were bricked up behind a wall. But in spite of all this, the prophets did not give up

preaching the Truth. After all, you should think it over, why did the world oppose the prophets in their lifetime? Whereas during their lifetime they were opposed, today they are revered and worshipped as incarnations and prophets. Lord Rama killed many evil warriors including Ravana, his helper and brother, Kumbhakarana, who was very brave, and his son Meghnad, who had defeated Lord Indira. Yet the world did not spare even Lord Rama from its opposition.

St. Mansur was a Muslim saint. He was hanged only for preaching the Truth; otherwise, how did he harm the world? When St. Tulsidas began to preach the Ramayana at Benares, the priests and scholars opposed him and said, "This Benares is the city of Shiva, whose name is r membered here. Shiva is worshipped here, so do not preach the name of Rama here." In spite of opposition, St. Tulsidas did not give up preaching the Ramayana. Among his audience were the son and daughter of a priest. The priest did not want his children to attend St. Tulsidas's discourses, so he tried to stop them. But they did not obey his orders, so he hired a person to kill St. Tulsidas.

One day, at the scheduled time, his son and daughter reached St. Tulsidas's place. The son was unwell, so St. Tulsidas asked him to take rest on his bed and went to deliver his discourse. Then the person who was hired to murder St. Tulsidas arrived and killed the son of the priest instead, thinking that it was St. Tulsidas who was sleeping there, and he carried the body to the priest. Seeing the body of his own son, the priest began to weep in extreme anguish. After some time, he approached St. Tulsidas and sobbingly narrated the whole incident to him, begging to be pardoned from his sin. The saints are generous by nature, they bestow grace even upon those who harm them. St. Tulsidas joined the man's son together and raised him from the dead.

I mean to say that the welfare of a being lies in realizing the Truth, and taking the shelter of a living prophet. The darkness of attachment which lies within will not be removed by visiting shrines at Mecca, Madina, Benares or Badrinarayan, or a temple or a mosque. The darkness within is removed by the Word of the Guru. The saints and prophets also say that, surrendering all ego, one should serve the Lotus Feet of the Guru. Only the Word of the Guru can remove unhappiness; all other methods which a man adopts are useless. Only the company of saints can liberate a being from the world. "Do not be misled in the world because nobody can be liberated without the Guru."

Do you devote as much love and devotion in serving the Guru as you do in acquiring worldly pleasures? When the whole of your time and money is spent on pleasures, how can you remember God? It is written in the scriptures that everything should be dedicated into the service of the Guru. Then only can one attain real benefit. But if one cannot devote everything into the service of the Guru, at least he must dedicate ten percent of his income. How can he who cannot even dedicate so much in service get any benefit?

One is inclined to serve the Guru only when he listens to satsang, and then only does he attain the bliss of devotion. One who feels bored with listening to satsang can never know the bliss of devotion to God. Only he is eligible to experience the bliss of devotion to God who loves the company of saints. There is a parable:

After becoming a monk, St. Tulsidas used to live at a certain place, and it was his habit to pour unused water into the roots of a tree. After a few

days, a ghost appeared there and said, "Brother, I am very pleased with this service of Yours. Tell me, what do you want?" One wishes to have a thing which he likes most, and so St. Tulsidas said, "Please help me to see Lord Rama." The ghost said, "If I had the power to show you Lord Rama, why should I have become a ghost? Of course, I can tell you a trick by which you can see Lord Rama. At a certain place in Benares, discourses on the Ramavana are delivered. The person who arrives first of all and is the last to leave is Hanuman Ji. You should take shelter at his feet. He will certainly help you to see Lord Rama."

I mean to say that satsang is the only way to realize God. Hanuman Ji is fond of listening to satsang. It is written in the Hanuman Chalisa, "Hanuman Ji is very fond of listening to the character of Lord Rama, therefore Lord Rama, along with Laksman and Sita, dwell in his heart." We should also be like Hanuman. Go to satsang first of all and leave last of all. But some people like to come to satsang last and leave first of all. How can such people become devotees?

Devotion is independent, it is the source of all virtues. But a being cannot get it without satsang. One can realize the true devotion only by approaching the saints and taking an interest in their discourses.

All rituals are such that they have to be discarded at some time. Even though you may go on doing what you wish, still your human life will be wanting by performng these rituals. Some peopie who cannot understand me think that I am repudiating God. But if you consider God as indestructible, imperishable, immortal, everlasting, omnipresent and eternal, will it be repudiating Him merely by me speaking? What a great misunderstanding! It is due to this that the world is engaged in false practices and is suffering.

God is all-pervading, in His full glory. He also pervades within all of us. But instead of searching Him within, people rush to Mecca, Hedina, Badrinarayan, etc., in order to search for Him. How can the eternal thing be found outside? "Musk exists in the stomach of the deer, but he searches for it in the forest. Similarly, God pervades every heart, but people do not know Him." Whatever life one may get, an eternal thing will only be available within. But without approaching the Perfect Master, ignorant people are engaged in external distractions. St. Kabir says, "The thing lies somewhere, but you are searching for it somewhere else. So you will not get it without the help of him who knows about it. God pervades within everybody, but He cannot be realized without the help of the Perfect Master, who knows about Him. God cannot be realized in spite of long years of trying. But the Perfect Master cuts this tedious way of Godrealization by helping one to realize Him instantly."

Upon hearing this, some people say, "When the Name and Light are such nice things, then why do you not reveal it?" Brother! I speak these things only so that I can impart it to you. If you will attend satsang regularly, it will definitely be imparted to you. The saints do not hide the truth from anyone. But only after you have attended satsang for some time will you be able to understand my discourses. "By living for twelve years in the company of saints, one can understand the secret from them."

I mean to say that if one can get devotion, or get communion with God, without devoting his body, mind, and wealth in His service, those disciples who spent their whole lives dedicated to the service of their Guru, were they fools? Do not think that after you have got initiation from the Guru, there is no need for satsang and service. You will become a devotee and get devotion only when you serve the Guru. As you sow, so shall you reap. You will get material prosperity by serving the world and your next birth will be improved by serving the Guru. Adopt whichever way you think is more beneficial. The myrtle leaves give color only when they are ground. A seed sprouts only after it has rotten into the soil. So awake from the sleep of attachment and become eligible for the supreme state by engaging yourself in every way in the service of the Guru. All the saints have preached only this, therefore accept it and act accordingly. I also have to recommend it.