GURU MAHARAJ JI IN SOUTH AFRICA

Guru Maharaj Ji's first visit to South Africa began on 26th April 7 972 and continued until he returned to London on 28th May 1972. His audiences were always mixed, with a preponderance of South African Indians. We now begin to publish the memorable satsang He gave during this time.

Satsang of Shri Guru Maharaj Ji
Johannesburg, 28th April 1972

Now I told you the other day about this unrevealed reality, and I gave the example of the drama party. The party has organized everything. It has organized the hall, it has organized the play, it has organized the curtains, it has organized everything. But the curtain is a simple thing that stops us from seeing the play. As soon as it is raised, then we can see the play and that's it. That's the gist of it. This is how it is today, in this darkness. Something is obscured. There is a small slim curtain between ourselves and our Father. Some people call it the blue sky, some people call it the body, some people call it the actions and so on, whatever they believe. Anyway, it is very slim curtain and this curtain can only be raised by that person who is authorised to raise it and this authorised person is one.

At one time it was Jesus. His followers, John, Matthew and the others, were not like Jesus. Because only Jesus was the authorised person. And so He was a revealer of the Light.

In the Aquarian Gospel – see on page 131 you can read, "Close your carnal doors and concentrate inside. And then they saw this Light and then Capharnum rose … " It is a very far out description of this Knowledge. And the same description written by Levi in the Aquarian Gospel is the same as Brahmanand wrote. Brahmanand and Levi were not the same person. One wrote in English and one wrote in Hindi. And Brahmanand writes, "We have seen a very great wonder, it is a really beautiful surprising wonder. In the middle of the sky there is a well, a well filled with nectar and those people who have gone there don't have any legs even, yet they climb the ladder to that well and drink that nectar. And then he describes, "I have seen a beautiful palace, but without land, a beautiful palace embroidered with jewelleries and jingling. And a man who is blind sees this palace and … " then he says, " … I have heard the music, that music is being played by a player without any instrument and the man who is deaf listens to this music."

So isn't it wonderful that all this happens and that it's all there within us. But just the same, there is a small curtain between us, and this curtain can be raised by a Perfect Master, by a Master who is perfect. Why do we call Him Perfect Master? Because this curtain lies between the people and God. God can see the people but the people can't see God. Why not? It is not impossible to see God. It is possible. If people want to see God they can see God, face to face.

There was a Swami called Swami Vivekananda. He was in search of truth, in search of peace. He went to many saints and to one of them he said, "Can you show me God?" The saint looked into his eyes and said, "Oh, Vivekananda, your eyes are bright and your personality is great." But Vivekananda said, "I have not come to show my personality to you, I came to ask a question. I want to ask, have you seen God? And then if you have I want to ask, can you show me God? If you can please say yes, otherwise please don't waste my time." And the saint replied, "No, I'm sorry, I can't." And he went to many masters and always received the same reply until he came to one who said, "Yes, I've seen God face to face more clearly than I am seeing you. I have spoken

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to Him face to face, even closer than I am speaking to you now." And then Vivekananda said, "Can you show me?" And the master said, "Yes I can show you."

And that's what we want. We want a Master like that. We must go to Him, we must ask humbly, "Can you show me God?" and He will say, "Yes." He does not say that and then start teaching something else. Straightaway He says, "Yes I can show you God." We ask Him for the reality and meaning of God, which we are too imperfect to know. Maybe we are not perfect enough even to receive this Knowledge, but the Master is He who makes us perfect enough to receive it and the very next moment He reveals this Knowledge to us. We need a Master like that in the world and finding Him is not impossible, it is possible. Those people who have really taken pains to find Him have found Him. Sometimes neighbours don't understand Him and sometimes enemies do. It's like that. The main thing is realization and realization is far out. Someone who tries to bind this Knowledge with money is not going to reveal it to you because it cannot be bound with money. You see, this Knowledge is the centre for us and that's why it has got to be free. Why? I'll tell you. This is a very beautiful example. You can survive without gold but you cannot survive without food. Food is cheaper than gold. You can survive without food for maybe a few days, but you cannot survive without water and water is even cheaper than food. You can survive without water for maybe a few hours, but you can't survive without air which is absolutely free. No cost at all. Because air is essential for us and that is why it has to be completely free. In the same way, this Knowledge is essential for us and this is why it is completely free for us. It can be equally known, it can be equally shared and that's Divine Knowledge.

People ask me, "How can there ever be a kingdom of peace on this earth?" Because they have only seen the way governments work and governments only know one thing and that is to take a gun, put it against the head and say do this or else next moment you will be shot and if they don't do it, they are shot dead, they are finished. They use a kind of force to make people do something. And that's the problem. You can take the horse to water but you cannot make him drink. You can put him on a truck and drive him to that river but you can't make him drink. So that's it. You can make a man change the direction of his body but you can't make him change the direction of his mind or his ideas. If his ideas are pure then he thinks purely and lives purely and for him there is the kingdom of peace on this earth. But this is only possible if there is a master who can give this Knowledge which can make us pure and put us on the path of purity. And this is what is happening. It is very easy to have peace in the world and the kingdom is coming. This Knowledge is so much that I can't actually describe it in words. It is a matter of practical experience and if somebody practically realizes it then he will know how far out this Knowledge is. Otherwise it is just blank. There was a business man who asked a king, "I want to sell some mangoes here. I want to sow them and grow them and sell them. So can I have your permission?" But the king said, "What is a mango?" The man said, "It's this shape and it's sweet and sour, there is a big seed inside and it is very beautiful," but the King said "I still don't understand what it is." So the business man said, "Well, I will explain it to your courtiers and they will explain it to you. It is so big, it is like that and that and that … " One courtier was clever He went outside and ate the mango. When he came in he said, "Yes king, I have eaten a mango so I can really describe it. Inside it is a yellow colour. It is sweet and sour and has a big seed." The king said, "I still don't understand." But another courtier was really clever. He went out, bought a mango, washed it, cut it up, put it on a plate and placed it before the king. So the king ate it and then he understood, and then he gave the permission.

It's the same thing. We describe Knowledge as being like this and like this and like that. We won't understand it but we say it. Because what we are saying is even written in the scriptures. So why isn't it understood? Because we need a living master, a living Guru. That's the main thing. So you people who have not realized the Knowledge, meditate on it. Don't waste time because time and tide wait for no man. Time is not going to come back. Are the hour hand and the minute hand and the second hand going to start going backwards, four, three, two, one, and so on? No, time is not going to go back. So realize this and go to the depths. The Bible is here, but even then you need priests. The Gita is here, the Ramayana is here, but even then you need people who can read it for you and who can explain it to you. Being in the presence of such sacred books is not enough. You need to read them. And then you need someone to explain them. But if you really want to realize that scripture you need that person who has realized what is written in the scriptures. He is the one you need. He can make you realize the real meaning of the scriptures. Thank you very much.

Published by Divine Light Mission, "Fern Bank", Golden Manor, Hanwell, W. 7. Tel 567 6142 Printed by Covent Garden Press Ltd., London W.C.2.