Man as intended by God is a noble being with noble qualities and aspirations, directed to the attainment of self and God realization in his life time ( Sant Kirpal Singh)
Sant Kirpal Singh ( 1894-1974) of Sant Mat, a distinguished exponent of the Divine Science of the Soul, was a great Saint of 20th century, who carried out enormous work for humanity throughout the world. He taught the world the virtues of Forbearance, Patience, Forgiveness and Godliness with deep reverence. He gave the message of Love and Hope for redemption and salvation to the receptive souls.
" I am not enamoured of any worldly gain. My only wish is to attain communion with God." was his reply to his father at an early age when questioned. Through Purity of mind and sincere devotion, he had, at an early age developed," Power of Trans-vision " and could clearly see what was happening anywhere & read out people's mind. He was a great lover of books. Serving and helping others was his priority. He always looked lovable, compassionate and very kind.
He established several spiritual and humanitarian institutions within India and abroad and initiated over 80000 followers to fulfill this mission. He served several world bodies engaged in similar missions. To quote, he was elected the first President of World Fellowship of Religions, recognized by UNESCO, and presided over four World Conferences with participation of representatives of major world religions. He wrote scores of books for the masses, as gifts of God and given by God. Let me share a few of the key learnings from his scriptures, mostly focused on my area of the blog, under some of the spiritual headings for ease of understanding.Religion
- Religion is that which brings into full play the dormant spiritual faculties in man & expands its little self so as to embrace the universe and fills him with loving compassion for all creatures of the world.
- All religions aim at salvation-- freedom from the plane of senses-- rising into cosmic awareness-- oneness with Christ power or the spirit of Islam or other religious philosophies,all quest for one, the Unchangeable Permanence or Life Eternal.
- Religion means " Binding back our souls to God." This religion is above all other religions. Although our outer social bodies are different, the inner truth or the basic principle is the same.
- The highest religion is to rise to Universal Brotherhood. The message of the Unity of Man must reach every human heart, irrespective of religions and social labels, enabling him to actually put it in practice in life and pass on to others.
- The Science of the Soul is the Kernel and the Core of all religions. It is the foundation on which all religions rest.
- True Religion is the expression of the Divinity, already existing in man. Nor is true Religion to be found in rites or in ceremonies or in creeds or forms. It consists in linking the Soul with Over- Soul, in its manifested play of Light & Sound in the God made temple of the human body. It exists in love for all.
- Religion of life is required, which would shine in the deeds and lives of men. It should not be separated from life.
- All the religions agree that Life, Light and Love are the three phases of the Supreme Source of all that exists. These are the essential attributes of Divinity that is ONE though designated differently by the Prophets and Peoples of the world.
- Be good, Do good and Be one was the message propagated by Sant Kirpal Singh. for his disciples. Being Good means being good in thoughts, words and deeds. God is all goodness & innate in all. Be friendly with everyone, be kind and compassionate. God is all Love; love all, serve all & do good to all. God made mankind, all mankind is one. We all are born with equal privileges, from God. As Soul, we all are of same essence as that of God.
- It is necessary for the aspirants to gradually weed out moral lapses, one by one, & to cultivate in their place moral virtues. It is the knowledge of our faults and failures in the areas of non- violence, truthfulness, chastity, loving humility and selfless service, that will make us strive to correct them, This, in turn, leads to true spirituality.
- Those who want permanent joy, all glory and eternal life, should contact God, who is within you and permeating through all creation. We have to rise above the astral plane, causal plane, super-causal plane and reach that spiritual plane, which is the true home of our father.
- Speak in love, think of love and let all your affairs be saturated with love.
- To forget and forgive is what one must practice in thoughts, words and deeds. Love knows no criticism, no imposition, no boasting and no reflection on other's shortcomings.
- Let the ego be completely annihilated & we emerge out of and above the plane of duality, forgetting all about of our I- hood. Self denial and abnegation is another stepping stone to the climax of spirituality.
- We must reform ourselves before we can reform others. We should weed out all imperfections, one by one, by self introspection.
- Selfless service is a great virtue, the climax of which is annihilation of Ego.
- Everyone need to behave lovingly, to be tolerant and to exhibit in all matters a spirit of humility and self discipline. Love knows selfless service, sacrifice and self surrender.
- Gratitude is a tonic for the heart, which is the seat for loving humility & adoring devotion.
- Soul is an in-dweller of the body for a short period only. The body is not its permanent abode. It is the temple in which the soul & God reside. We have to keep it holy and not pollute it with sins connected with passions viz lust, anger, covetousness, attachment and egoism.
- Truth is above all, but true living is still above truth. This requires leading a life of continence, humility, truthfulness & love and devotion to God and all His creation.
- An ethical life is a stepping stone to spirituality. Cleanliness in thoughts, words and deeds, an essential requisite to progress in spirituality, is said to be next to Godliness.
- Love does not want any taking, it is always giving; sacrificing for others. Those who love, they can know God. You may belong to any social religion, but without love, you are nowhere, whether in this world or in other world.
- Chastity of thought, of all outgoing faculties ( sight, audition, feelings), in other words, ब्रह्मचर्य, is the way of living to find God. It means self introspection. The other word for ethical living is सदाचार. Control your tongue, control your thought & think of no evil about anybody. Chastity is foremost of all virtues.
- " Thou shall not kill" and " live and let live" should be two important principles of our life, when dealing with others. We should sow the seeds of kindness in order to reap its fruits.
- नाम /Word / शब्द , the sound principle--- नाम is a power and motor-force behind everything & hence outer actions like acts of charity, fasts, penances, yajnas are of no avail to a seeker after truth. नाम alone is the link between God and man. नाम is unchanging permanence, invariable, ancient and eternal. We live and have our very being in नाम /शब्द and ultimately dissolve into it. Devotion to it is the only true worship and absorption in it purifies the mind. शब्द or नाम is the sound current or sound principle.
- Surat Shabd Yoga--- It is a path of personal spiritual attainment under guidance of a living Spiritual Master. Basic teachings consist in opening the third eye to develop vision of inner light and inner sound. This is considered to be the power of unmanifested Godhead coming into expression and is called शब्द in the Holy Bible and with other names viz नाम , शब्द , ओम as well.
- Spirituality--- It is a path of love, discipline and self control. It is an inner experience, an experience of the soul. it is more a practical science rather than a mere theoretical dissertation given in several religious scriptures. The spiritual path is a difficult one and requires rigorous self discipline, which includes overcoming self love and cultivating love for God. Only an ethical life can pave the way for a spiritual life.
- Love and selfless service to humanity--- Progress on spiritual path requires a firm commitment of a person to these virtues. Love beautifies everything, recognizes service and sacrifice. Love is always giving, no taking. Selfless service may assume different forms according to one's means & capacity. Some may like to attend to the needy, the poor or downtrodden while others to the sick or disabled by lending a helping hand in their distress. The more one serves, the more one's self expands & in course of time, he goes out to embrace the entire creation.
- रूहानी सत्संग or Science of Spirituality--- रूहानी सत्संग is a center for imparting purely spiritual teachings and training to mankind irrespective of class barriers, free to all, who are anxious for self knowledge and God knowledge. it is a science of the beyond, also called पराविद्या. It seeks to make the human soul one with over-soul. It neither believes in any rites & rituals, nor with formal places of worship. The human body is the true temple of God.
- Self Analysis, Self realization and God realization----- Soul or spirit represent the consciousness pervading the human body and can be realized within by introversion when the senses are controlled, mind stilled and the intellect shelved. This calls for self analysis, the first step in gaining an understanding about the soul, the power ruling both body and mind. Consistent working on Self analysis and development thru feedback correction leads to Self realization, which precedes God realization. Self realization and God realization are the highest objects of our mundane existence.
- Mind and the Karmic load--- Mind, in its present state is burdened by huge Karmic load of past lives, thru endless series of incarnations. It is enthralled by outgoing faculties of senses & thus driven helplessly into the mire of sense gratification. Mind has to be tamed for the higher purpose of spiritual progress.
Several other spiritual aspects were also elucidated by Sant Kirpal Singh for the benefit of masses, which include all aspects of Yoga, dualism and non dualism or Advaitism, धारणा or संयम , सिद्धि or Powers, समाधि and Perfect Master. Let me quote a few of His powerful messages.
" Be not imprisoned in the jail of "I" and "Me". He who hath transcended self, he verily hath attained to the highest. He knows no difference between anyone, for God is the Lord of all & in all shines the one picture Divine." ( Christmas message 1962).
" I wish you to 'Simplify, Simplify & Simplify'. To be simple in all aspects of life is to accept life." ( Birthday message 1963).
" Spirituality and Truth are the essence of the Absolute. When one finds the source of Truth, he finds the treasure of all treasures. Truthfulness in thought means sincerity of purpose in various spheres of non violence, chastity, truth, humility etc."
Learning from the spiritual scriptures of Sant Kirpal Singh are unlimited and highly relevant in all times. A small blog of mine can not capture each and every message. Let me end the blog by a powerful message on " Selfless Service" by him , in remembrance of his Master, Huzur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, from his book, " The Light Of Kirpal".
The salt of life is selfless service,
The water of life is universal love;
The sweetness of life is loving devotion,
The fragrance of life is generosity;
The pivot of life is meditation,
The goal of life is self realization.
Love God and serve all creation. Give, give and give, all thru life. Purify your minds, meditate and realize God.
