THE GATEWAY TO HEAVEN

Guru Maharaj Ji, St. Peters Church Hall, 28th May 1972

Dear premies,

You know that I have been to South Africa so I am going to tell you something about it, what has been happening there. See, when I arrived in South Africa there was a very beautiful reception and it was like this. Before the sun rises and as the darkness is going away, many colours are formed. One is black, that's in the middle of the sky. Then there is a bit that is blueish, and then there is a bit that is light blueish, and then there is a bit that is yellowish and then there is a bit that is reddish. But when the sun has risen into the full sky, then there arc no colours. There is only the bright sun shining in the sky. Before the sun rises there are so many colours.

When I got to South Africa, there were many things going on. Many rumours were going around. They were saying, "No, He is not going to come any more," or "He is not going to do this," or "He not going to do that." But ultimately when I finally reached there and people heard the satsang then all the rumours were taken away. This is only by the Knowledge.

There are so many religions in the world, and they are so old. But still they have not been able to bring peace to the world. Why? There is only one religion, yet each religion claims to be true. Take any religion. They all claim to be ancient. Then why are they not bringing peace? Peace is also ancient. Only if they give you the Knowledge, only then can peace come. If you need water, I can give you so many other drinks but still you will need water. There are so many drinks. You can drink Pepsi-Cola, and Fanta, and so many others, but in spite of this you need water, you need this Knowledge. Now before you were born you were drinking water. Before this scientific age came about, before this age came when everything is so precise, when everything is so technological, before this age came, before four hundred years or before a thousand years, people were drinking water. And after this age has passed, after a hundred years, or maybe after two hundred years, that age may he more precise, people may be more technological, but still to quench their thirst they will need water. There are so many drinks which are very tasty, but more than them you need water, and that is tasteless. There is nothing that you can taste in water, water has got something of its own, something that is original, something that is very important. That's why, besides so many sweet and sour drinks, so many tasty drinks, you need that drink also. You must understand this, that all those other drinks have been created using that water. If the water hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been any other drinks.

I oday we are following Jesus Christ, today we are following Ram, today we are following Lord Buddha. But we must understand why they came into the world. What was their purpose? Their purpose was not only to be crucified, so that we can say He was born on the 13th and then He was crucified on the 14th. No, that was not His purpose. But He did something, He did a job. He taught something to humanity and because of the job He did, when He completed it, He was crucified and today we pray to Him. There are so many Rams in India. There are so many people who have been named after Lord Rama, but we don't go and pray to them, we don't go and bow our heads to them. But what is the particular thing about Lord Rama that we should pray to Him? We pray to Him, alright. But why? And there is no answer to this question. So the only conclusion I can make is that the world is going like a sheep. If one sheep falls into a dump, or into hell, then all the sheep will fall into that dump. No-one asks, "Where are we going? Oh, that's fine, if we are going there, go straight ahead." That's the condition of the world today. Where one is going, everyone else is following him without asking any question. One is falling into hell and everyone is trying to fall into hell. Today we spend six hours or eight hours in our offices. That's fine. You must do some job, otherwise you are not going to get any money, and if you don't get any money, how are you going to survive and get shelter? Particularly in England, because if you sleep outside you are going to be a frozen piece of ice in the morning, or even a dead body. So there must be an important reason why you work eight hours a day, because time is very precious. Why do we earn? The answer is very simple. We earn because we need some money. And why must we have some money? Much of it, of course, you waste in luxury, but most of it is spent on food. And then what do we make of food? Just waste matter. Now is this the human cycle? If this is all, then why do we say the human frame is precious?

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Why do we respect holy and sacred things? Why were all the scriptures and sacred books written?

Even the scientists say that this human frame is the most supreme of all bodies, all creations. So why is it supreme? Is it to sit eight hours in the office and get some money, and then make it into waste matter. Is that why it is supreme? No, that's not the reason. It is supreme because there is a particular purpose behind it.

What are we seeing when we look at the wall? Actually nobody can see the wall. What we are seeing is the colour. We are seeing the colour of the wall. It is white, it is blue, it is green, it is red. But there are some other things like bricks which have all composed together to form a particular shape and this shape is called the wall. And those planks of wood, they have formed a particular shape, and that is called the roof. And then these planks and tiles on the floor have formed together into such a thing that is known as a floor. They are the shapes.

Now, today, human man is recognised by his works. They have given him the shape, but there is something behind them which is very important. There are two parrots who belong to a man and one day he left them in the jungle. And they had two babies, these two parrots, and one day the wind blew really strong. And one baby was blown into a saint's hut, and the other was blown among some robbers.

Well, one day, a king was passing by, and he went to the robber's house to ask for some water. And when the parrot saw him and started crying, "Get out, you measly old fellow, get out!" And then the parrot said, "Come on, come on boys, king has come, a king has come, come and rob him, come and rob him." The king immediately started running away and he ran and he ran and he ran until he reached the sage's hut. And as soon as he entered the but he saw the parrot, and he thought it would also say the same thing. But this parrot said, "Oh king, you are most welcome in this sacred hut. Please make yourself comfortable. The mahatma has just gone out. He will be coming back in a minute and he will give you whatever you need." The king was very surprised. When Mahatma Ji came in, the king asked the parrot, "Parrot, can you tell me why there should be this difference between you and the parrot that looks just like you in the robber's hut?" The parrot replied, "We are both brothers. But I have been brought up in a sage's house, and he has been brought up in a robber's house. Because of this such a difference has been created."

Now, this is why, inspite of so many religions existing in the world, nobody can teach the basic truth behind religions, the basic idea of religion. They are teaching us the pops, they are teaching us the outlines, but nobody can teach us the basic idea, and you must know the basic idea. Once you have a basic idea then you can form an outline. But you can never form a basic idea from an outline. That's why all outlines are differing from one man to another. We have been taught many sorts of beliefs. In Christianity we find the cross. In Hinduism you will find the sign of the swastika, and so on. But what is the basic idea behind them? The scriptures tell us that Lord Ram came, Lord Christ came. Lord Krishna came, Lord Nanak came. But what was the basic idea for these people to come into the world? It was to reveal the Knowledge. And today, instead of following their teaching, we have started doing so many other things. They came into the world to spread this Knowledge, and instead of realizing this Knowledge we have formed from their outline something else behind them. The basic idea was the same, but we do not see this. And that's why every fight that takes place ultimately turns into a religious fight. Hitler was fighting against the Jews. The fighting in Bangla Desh was a religious fight. But why? Religion is not meant for fighting. Religion is meant for peace. What is the meaning of religion? Today people think it means small sects. No, it doesn't mean this. Religion started from the word realization, and realization of God is the true religion. That's why, when God comes, He wipes out all the religions and forms one religion, the true religion.

And so, only by this Knowledge will we be able to realize God. Only by this Knowledge will we be able to realize the true religion, because this Knowledge is the realization of God, and God is the true religion. Through this Knowledge we have realization of God, so that's why this Knowledge is the true religion.

This Knowledge does not bind us, it does not bind us into a small sect. No. It is like this. Maybe some people are vegetarian and some people are unvegetarian, non-vegetarian. But that does not matter. They both eat with the same mouth. Non-vegetarians do not eat with their ears. And vegetarians don't eat with their noses. They eat with the same mouth. God has made us all common, but still we have different. ideas. There is no-one to teach us this basic idea that we are one in all. There is no-one and that's why there have been so many fights, and so much dissatisfaction.

Actually the scriptures and the religions were only brought out to bring satisfaction into living. But today I think they are the most

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popular cause of dissatisfaction among the people. In India, if a Muslem and a Hindu are in business they both have to be friends and walk together, but otherwise Muslems believe that he who is not a Muslem disobeys God and must be killed. So many people have been killed because of this. It is the fault of the religion. Scriptures can't give the basic idea. Before Christ came, there was the Old Testament. Before Ram came, there was the Ramayana. There have been all these scriptures. But they couldn't help because this basic idea can only be touched by the Knowledge which is not theory, it is very practical.

And so for practical realization we need a practical Mater. And this practical Master will reveal to us this Knowledge which you who have received it already know. And people who haven't received it don't know what I am talking about. It is a very easy thing. It is the easiest thing. It is internal, eternal, universal, something that everyone can practise.

In South Africa, African people have received this Knowledge. Indian people have received this Knowledge. European people have received this Knowledge. Africaan people have received this Knowledge. Everyone, every community, has received this Knowledge. And I had no meetings there where Europeans. and Indians were separated. All the meetings I had were mixed meetings. And everything was so beautiful there, so perfect that they are calling me back again. I must go back again to South Africa. There is so much love in these people, so much powerful love that it is unbelievable. And in such a short time, approximately four hundred people received the Knowledge, Europeans and Indians. Slowly people are realizing, so that's why I had to leave Mahatma Ji there, because there were so many people asking for Knowledge. It is a bit hard for South Africans to understand because there is so much materialism there, but of course it is not just in South Africa, it is in the whole world that the problem has become materialism. We have had two thousand years of civilisation. One thousand years you ascend and the other thousand years descend. Now what are we doing, ascending or descending? According to scientists we are ascending. What do you think?

So understand. Suppose you are sitting in your room and there are no windows. Suppose this room is located in a ship that is sailing. Now, you don't know where you are, you don't know in which direction you are going, you don't even know whether your ship is being sunk or just floating on the surface of the water. Now this ignorance is not an excuse that God will accept. You cannot say, "I never knew that." Why? You should know what your situation is. It is your responsibility. It is the same thing with your soul. It is the nearest thing to you, and yet you never know it. You just need a mirror, and getting a mirror is no problem. See, the retina is the nearest part to us. Without the retina we can see nothing. But we can't see it, can we? Can we see our retina? But immediately we get a mirror, then we can see it. In the same way, Knowledge is within us, God is within us, we just need a mirror to be able to see our own reflection. And what are we? We are really not this human frame which we possess. What we really are is something internal. It is something we survive on. Why are we surviving? Maybe because blood is circulating in our body. But why is blood circulating? Because the heart is pumping. Why is the heart pumping? Because the lungs are operating. But why are the lungs operating? Because we are breathing. But who is making us breathe?

At the time of deep sleep, when a man is not aware who is walking into his house and stealing his things, his mouth is open and saliva is falling and he never even knows that he is talking while he is sleeping. And some people have got this disease where they just get out of their beds, still sleeping, and start walking. They are in the dream state, where they don't know what feelings they have, what they are, who they are. They don't know any of this. Even in this state you are breathing. Now, what is that power that is making you breath? Go and realize it. If I just go to the hank of the river, or the sea, say, and start looking for pearls, of course I will not find them. But if I dive in I will get some. I am bound to get some. Why? Because I have dived, because I have reached the depth. And that's where it is. If there is real gold down there it is going to be very heavy. And if it is very heavy it is going to sink down and down and down. That's why you've got to go deep if you want to find it. If this Knowledge is true, it's got to be heavy and it's going to sink and sink and sink. And it's going to be right at the depth. And only the man who can jump into the water and reach the depth can understand this Knowlege. Otherwise you are like wallflowers in the world, and you can never understand it. Many people swim but only those who dive get the pearls.

And if you want to dive and go really deep, you must have this heavy belt, and this is the belt of grace. When you tie this around you it makes you really heavy. It makes you go faster and deeper and more still. This is the belt of grace. People who haven't got it try their best but they can't reach

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the depth of the water, they just float. Grace makes you heavy so that you can go down and down and down. Just getting the book is not the important thing. Opening the pages and starting to read is the important thing.

So what I want to explain to you is that we have got this far out Knowledge which is being spread everywhere, in every corner of the world. And it's your duty to meditate on it.

Well, of course, everybody knows that. Everyone who has received Knowledge knows that this is their duty, but it is a question of who understands this? Knowing is not a problem. The thing is that you should understand it. Otherwise you are like students who, instead of working out the sum, go and learn the answer off by heart. And when they start working out the sum at the back of the class they get 8, and the answer should be 9. So they have to take one out from somewhere in the rest of the sum and put to the answer to make 9. And the teacher gets puzzled, and wonders where he has taken one from. And it's from dreamland, that's where he's taken one out from. And the teacher rejects the whole thing. But the student who knows the method, even if his answer is wrong, he'll get marks on it. It doesn't matter if the answer is wrong, because at least he knows the basic idea. And that is the important thing.

That's why people who have got no religion but who have received the Knowledge have got peace of mind, and people who have got a religion but who haven't got the Knowledge haven't got peace of mind. That's why we can't get peace of mind by materialism. If we can, then why don't some rich and powerful people have peace of mind? But that's not the point. The point is to receive the Knowledge.

So now I am here, and I am here for a very, very short time. I am leaving for America and as soon as I return from America I am going back. So

will arrange for you all to come and visit me at Woodside Avenue, and if you have any questions you can ask me then. And I hope that you will meditate on this Knowledge, because if you don't eat the food, you will not be satisfied. Only by eating the food is your hunger satisfied. So do you understand what I want to say? It's not only the words that I want to say, it is the feeling that I want to express, it is the feeling that I am trying to put into words. But sometimes it gets impossible to put into words. It is actually a feeling of love that I want to express. But love just becomes a joke for people. They live together today and then on the second day they divorce. But they don't realize that there is a love through which a man is secured. If this love is taken away, everyone will be killed, nobody will survive in the world. There will only be dead bodies and graveyards instead of houses. And I don't think there will even be anyone to look after the graveyards.

But there is something that is making us survive, isn't there? And it is not only the breath. Of course we have got the breath, but still people are dying. George Wallace was shot. And if this love is taken away from someone, he can shoot, he can kill a man. So just imagine, if this Word, this love, this internal love, is taken away from everyone, then everyone is going to die. People don't realize this internal love and this is why all this dissatisfaction is going on.

So I just want to give you a feeling of how important is this Knowledge which we have received. And people who are fortunate enough to realize this feeling of mind receive the full privilege of understanding it, and they respond to to it as they should. They receive it, they attain it, and they get the full grasp of it. Otherwise people just float on the surface of the water and gain nothing. Alright. Thank you very much, and may God bless you all.

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Published by Divine Light Mission, 3 Woodside Avenue, London N.6. Telephone 01-883 5386
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