Guru Maharaj Ji once explained that although so many books and philosophies have been written about the subject of Truth, in essence, Truth is very simple. Truth is not a theory or a belief, but is the energy which keeps us alive. This life energy is within us and when experienced directly, it brings that satisfaction and sense of fulfillment that we seek in the world around us. Guru Maharaj Ji comes to us in the full awareness of that Truth to enable us to be aware of it as well. Guru Maharaj Ji was born on December 10, 1957, in Hardwar, India, the youngest of four sons. He was declared Perfect Master at the age of eight by his father, Param Hans Satgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj, the living Perfect Master of his time. Guru Maharaj Ji left India in 1971, at the age of thirteen, to begin his first tour of the West, and has since travelled worldwide.

This booklet hopes to answer questions commonly raised as the first steps on this path are taken. And to raise at least one more question. Guru Maharaj Ji calls it the abandoned question: "We have abandoned a question in our lives, a question nobody asks any more. A very simple question. And the proper fulfillment of that question, to me, personally, is the destiny of this life. Why are we put on this Earth?"

Guru Maharaj Ji, who are you?
Who am I? I'm just an ordinary humble servant of God, preaching the gospel of peace in the world, preaching the Knowledge of peace. Am I anything else? You are seeing my body, but I am not my body. What I am is something else inside me. What are you? You are not your body, you are something else. What I am seeing when I look at you is a perishable object, a case in which that power, that soul, is being carried. Understand? When you see a camera, what you are seeing is not the camera, it is a tin case. The machine is inside it. Right? The case is not taking the picture, it is the machine inside that is taking the picture. And what is me is inside me. And if you want to know what that is, then look inside yourself, and once you realize that, you can realize what is inside me. Because that's the one common factor among all of us. It's not your body, because you can't operate on it. Doctors can do operations but they don't see that light inside us. Not by these eyes can you see that light. It is the divine thing, and to see that you need the divine thing.

Some people say you are a divine incarnation, and some people say other things about you. What's the truth?
You yourself must realize the truth.

What is your mission in the world?
Our mission is to bring peace, love, and truth into this world. Man is supposed to be human, but actually he has lost his humanity. That's why there is so much frustration, so much jealousy, and so much hatred between human beings. We have started this mission, and it's working very, very successfully distributing love, truth, and peace so that the idea of brotherhood can come into the world.

What is this Knowledge you're talking about?

This is the Knowledge that Jesus Christ gave, that Guru Nanak gave, that Krishna gave, that Ram gave, that Mohammed gave. And I am giving it. Supreme Knowledge. It is sacred. Top sacred! And it dwells within all of us. All human beings. And we are unable to know it without the help of the true Master. That is what I am teaching.

So God cannot teach anything, except through a Master?

What is God? You don't know what God is. God cannot be a human being. God is Light; God is power. God cannot talk. Electricity cannot give light. Only the bulb gives light, but electricity has to be put through the wire for the bulb to give light. It's power. Power cannot do anything; it has to be put through a medium.

How can I receive this Knowledge?

It's very easy. Once you have understood the introduction to this Knowledge, which is satsang, you are ready to receive it. Ask and it shall be given to you.

What must I do to be ready for the Knowledge?

You must realize first why this Knowledge is essential.

Some people must be born with Knowledge?
Everybody has got Knowledge in him. Everybody is born with Knowledge. The children which are not born with Knowledge are dead. Everybody is born with Knowledge. But what happens? Years come and layers start building themselves up over that Knowledge. So now there is a thick layer and when you are again in search of that Knowledge you go to Guru and Guru takes a knife and cuts through. He performs the surgery. Then you can meditate.

Maharaj Ji, is it necessary to take Knowledge before you can follow that path, or do you find the Knowledge by following the path?
You have received Knowledge? No. You don't know what Knowledge is. You are guessing. Knowledge is itself the path and also the destination. It is what it is and it is what it should be. Knowledge is the path to itself and takes us into itself, for it is that vibration we are seeking. It is everything. It is merged with everything. It is the Knowledge. It is the primordial vibration. It is the path to it. And it is it itself. This is Knowledge.

Why does a Perfect Master have to have a living body to give Knowledge? Why is it necessary?
Are you feeling thirsty? Can you see that photo of Lord Shiva? You see the water coming out from the top of his head? Drink that water. Drink, drink! Can You? You can't drink that water. It is a picture. You need everything living. If you have doubts, you cannot ask Lord Krishna questions. That's why you need a living Master, for the circumstances of the world today. When Jesus was here there were no nuclear bombs. But now there are nuclear bombs, and the Perfect Master, the Perfect Savior, has come to save you from nuclear bombs.

Is the living Master able to reveal Knowledge?

Yes, that's why you call him a living Master.

How do I know about the Master?
There are two trees, there are two trees, okay? One tree has got a red but sweet thing, one tree has got a small but very sour thing. You can only understand whether this is a lemon tree or apple tree by eating the fruit. Eat the apple and eat the lemon and you will know the taste. That is how it is for that Knowledge and for that Guru-one who is giving that true Knowledge is Satguru, is a Guru. He's a Master. Know him by his fruit, what fruit he will give you, see? Don't judge him by his body or face, or anything like that.

Is yours the only way?
I don't say that. See, you must realize that there is only one way, there is only one way to God. God is one, He has got one address, not two or three or four or five addresses. When you say "Allah" in Urdu, "Bhagwan" in Hindi, or "God" in English, you are indicating one power, not three powers. So to realize God, there is only one way.

Guru Maharaj Ji, can you explain where God is to be found?

God is in our hearts. Look into them and you will find Him. And how to look into them, this is the Knowledge.

How do we meditate?
Start meditating on something, start knowing something, and then you will know how to meditate. Do you know something on which you can meditate? Do you see anything on which you can concentrate your mind? Go into a desert and try to concentrate on sand. Everything is sand there. But how can you concentrate your mind on it? No, you need the Knowledge. Until you know the Knowledge you cannot meditate. Meditation means concentrating one's mind into that supreme Knowledge.

Can I reach God through prayer, or is it just through meditation?

Meditation is the direct process. Because speaking words is indirect. The idea must arise, then it goes to your thoughts, then you decide, "Yes I must use these words, and these words," and then you go to your memory to get these words. Then the words come into your mouth and then you speak them. Isn't it an indirect process? And isn't it an imperfect process? Do you think these words are perfect?

No.

So how can you do it? It's simple. How are you going to apply imperfect words to the perfect thing. You can't reach the perfect thing with an imperfect technique. But the Knowledge is the perfect technique. It is the direct technique.

Does meditating on the Knowledge help in the worship of God?

What is meditation? Perfect concentration upon a perfect thing is called meditation. Just remember that. For then you are making your soul and God into one, at that time you are receiving perfect communion with God.

Suppose I already have a Guru, does that mean I should reject him?

Without true Knowledge your true nature can never be revealed to you. If you are satisfied with the water from one tap then there is no need to go to another tap. But if the first tap is useless for you and does not satisfy your thirst, then you must leave it and go to another tap.

Guru Maharaj Ji, do we have to leave the religion of our birth to acquire your Knowledge?

What is religion? Religion is a way of believing in God. That's all. Some Christians believe in resurrection. Some Hindu people believe in rebirth. That is also a way of believing in God and there are other ways, all made by the sages of ancient times. But what is important is not the way of believing. It is to know the Knowledge.

Guru Maharaj Ji, if the ultimate in devotion is to form complete detachment from worldly things and to devote our lives to doing service, should we just avoid all attachments like husbands and wives and children?

No you shouldn't. Have you any sense in you? Can't you think anything? Don't you have a brain in you? What do all these things mean? What does complete detachment mean? Do you know what a sannyasi is? It is one who has given away everything. And do you know what is a real sannyasi, what is real detachment? Real detachment is detachment from your mind, is detachment from your desires. You need certain things, you have to get them. Even if you go into the Himalayas or into the Alps to meditate, you will have to have certain things. Detachment is not giving up everything.

Is it necessary to be a vegetarian?

That's up to you. I tell you about Knowledge not about food. It's not my subject. I can't tell you anything about that.

Guru Maharaj Ji, Jesus Christ performed many cures. Can you do the same?

At His time there were not so many doctors, that's why he did that. But I am curing mental sickness. If you have got mental sickness, come to me. And when you do meditation, you become so natural that any other diseases you have are automatically cured. That's why I tell you this Knowledge is very practical. It makes people natural. They stop being plastic. They become natural and the best way of ending disease is by nature.

What happens to a person's karma when they receive the Knowledge?

It starts choking up. It starts finishing up, because when you realize the Knowledge, you've got to go and be one with God.

Will this Knowledge save us from rebirth?

Yes. Once we have this Knowledge we reach the heaven from where we cannot return.

Is it possible in this lifetime to have total realization?

Maybe in five seconds.
Maybe in five months.
Maybe in five years.
Maybe in five centuries.
Maybe in five births.
Or maybe in one-fifth of a second.

It is up to you. How much you meditate, how much you get elevated.

Guru Maharaj Ji, are you permanently in God consciousness?

Yes, I am permanently in God consciousness.

"I have found that missing link. As soon as I found that missing link, I became one with everything. And therefore I became everything. Not as an individual but by merging into that infinite thing which has no beginning, which has no end, which cannot be created, which cannot be destroyed. And I have that for you to experience."

- Guru Maharaj Ji