http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS alt.meditation.shabda
MAN. KNOW THYSELF!
A Satsang on Kirpal Singh
by Michael Turner
(Note: The following is transcribed from a reading I gave from Sant
Kirpal Singh's classic booklet, "Man. Know Thyself!" and the satsang
that followed. I hope you find it uplifting and helpful in your
spiritual growth. All my love in the LightSong Eternal, Michael
Turner)
Today, we're going to work with the basics a little bit. Every so
often I kind of like to go back to square one and just do nuts and
bolts. And so we're going to read from a chunk from this wonderful
little book that's by Sant Kirpal Singh, called "Man. Know Thyself!"
As just a little forward, this is my first acquaintance with Shabda
Yoga many, many, many years ago. I found this at a used bookstore in
L. A., I think, or some such place. I heard about Kirpal Singh from
some source and I forget who now. I thought, "Oh, this is some
eastern guy who teaches a spin-off of Eckankar." (laughs).
So I decided to pick it up for a quarter and it sat on my bookshelf
(for) probably ten years plus. I went back and read it, I was like,
"Oh, this guy's heavy." (Laughs). This is one of the first things
Kirpal ever released, this was published back in 1954. It was his
first booklet that was sent to the west. So I'm going to read about
half of it and then we'll meditate and then discuss.
******************************
(Note: The following is transcribed from my reading from from "Man.
Know Thyself!" by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. Peace, Michael)
"Since the beginning of creation, when the first flicker of self
awakening dawned on man, his attention has been more and more
concerned with the problem of his own worldly existence and the
investigation into the cause and source of all creation.
For ages he has probed and queried and dreamed, but now, at last, his
increasing thirst for knowledge is turning to studying the results
achieved by others in the field. Ancient and modern sages ask, "What
is that, the knowledge of which makes everything else known?" And in
the same breath replied, "Knowledge of the higher self, the true man."
So the supreme knowledge is that which both in theory and practice
with man's true nature and his relation to God. It is, in fact, the
natural science, without hypothesis, subject neither to change nor
time.
In ancient India, it was called Para Vidya, the science of realized
truth or the science of the beyond. And different denominations
spring up to interpret this knowledge. The term Apra Vidya, for
preparation of achieving the knowledge of Para Vidya. This
preparation consists of following an ethical and moral life and the
practice of concentration or meditation in so many ways. Both are
indispensable for the spiritual development.
Man is constantly changing or introducing new meanings and terminology
to describe this science. The Masters were called Sant and the nature
of the knowledge was called Mat. Thus, giving us the term, Sant Mat,
which is at present mostly used to name the Path of the Masters.
Other terms, such as Shabda Yoga, Surat Shabd Yoga, Nad Yoga, are also
used to describe the same science.
In the Sanskrit language the term Sant means a Master of the highest
order, and Mat is a confirmed opinion or statement made by an adept
after personal experience. The foundation of this science, therefore,
is the result of critical study, minute investigation and a lifelong
personal verification of facts based on practical experience of the
self in man. This experience of the self is something that a
competent Master is prepared to give each individual who approaches
him. Sant Mat, therefore, is the teaching system and Path of the
Saints.
The Masters do not attach any importance to names, designations or the
fact that many religious sects, groups and circles, have claimed this
science as their own and have named it after their leaders and
founders. They look upon these groups as schools, where man, the
noblest being in creation, can study with other men as children of one
and the same Almighty Father.
A Master, also called Sant Satguru, has complete mastery of both
theory and practice, and is competent to impart both knowledge and
experience to all sincere seekers after Truth, without any distinction
whatever of creed, color or cast. Any man or woman, whether rich or
poor, young or old, sage or sinner, learned or unlearned, who is able
to grasp the theory of the science, has a right to acquire this
knowledge.
The dictionary defines Mat as wisdom, but the colloquial meaning of
the term is sect or faith; a group of people holding certain opinions
or beliefs in common. Such beliefs and opinions, however, based on
stray knowledge and teachings, are not sufficient without the support
of personal experience. And, therefore, the seeker is led astray by
mere empty words.
Many societies, faiths and other religious circles have only a legacy
of books, beliefs and theories to offer to those who thirst after
spirituality. They conceal their shortcomings and deficiencies behind
a screen of warm welcome, an outpouring of technique and terminology,
and the liberal use of sayings and quotations from the enormous mass
of literature on the market today.
Propaganda and acting and posing have taken the place of practical
spirituality, with the result that the deluded public is being
repelled from sacred books and thoughts of God. Atheism, therefore,
is on the increase.
To believe a thing or two without troubling to investigate it does not
in any way do credit to intelligent man. On the contrary, it reflects
adverse the honest ignorance or credulity. Any belief not based on
personal experience and verification of the facts has little value.
The modern man wants a well-defined, clear cut science, capable of
verification by his own experience and giving concrete results. We
should, therefore, try to see and to hear with our own eyes and ears,
rather than the eyes and ears of others.
Self analysis. Man is composed of body, mind or intellect, and soul.
We're extremely careful to develop ourselves physically and mentally.
But understand very little about the soul, which is the power ruling
both the body and mind. Physical joys are not lasting and there are
limitations to the body and mind that we cannot ignore. So we must
search for the perennial source of joy and peace within ourselves.
Self analysis is the first step in this direction.
Many doubts assail our minds at this stage. There's an omnipotent
power called God, believed in, worshiped, and talked about by most
people. Can we know more about him? Can we see him and talk to him?
There is a definite and clear reply to those questions, the Master and
a few words explains. Yes, we can see and speak to Him, that is, if
we become as exalted as he is said to be.
Masters say yes, and we do not have to wait until death comes, but we
can experience it right now. This is in consonance with the laws of
nature, of which we have as yet no knowledge worth the name.
All around us, we see and feel that everything from the tiny atom to
the mighty universe, is governed by the law of nature. So, to the
profound thinker, there is nothing chaotic, haphazard or uncertain
about this universe and the laws which govern it.
To gain any objective, there is a law of nature, a principle and
method involved for checking, testing and weighing the result of our
endeavors. So it is, too, in the science of nature, and similar
methods, can be traced in all religious scriptures by any careful
student, though expressed in different words and various languages.
We wish to enter the Kingdom of God, but how?, we ask ourselves. With
the help and guidance of one, who has himself entered and can guide us
there, is the simple reply from the Masters.
Is it possible? 'It is a knowledge which is as exact and sure, as two
and two making four', is again their reply. It is not enough to be
content with Holy books and the singing of praises and hymns. We must
strive for the same degree of advancement as the authors of the talks
and knowledge recorded in these books achieved.
Their experience must become our experience, for what a man has done a
man can do. Of course, with proper guidance and help. We should stop
at nothing short of this.
"We have hardly a dim spark of love for him. Will it help to cherish
a hope?" is another question asked, to which the saints reply, "It is
sufficient to make you eligible for the highest science of approach to
him." This is a pleasing way of hope. "Oh, if this small spark can be
kindled into a flame." Again we say, "Jesus and other great Masters
spoke so lovingly of Him, but we are sinners, and there may not be
much hope for us in this age."
The Master's soothing reply is, 'No matter if you are the worst
sinners, stop where you are. There is hope for everybody, even in
this crucial age.
Years ago, nature provided for us materially and spiritually. Today
the same unchangeable law is operating, and will continue to do so in
the future. There is food for the hungry and water for the thirsty.
Nature's inextricable and eternal law of demand and supply always
works.
It is only through a Living Master that we can contact the Almighty
God within us. In Sant Mat, contemplation of objects or images is not
advised, as this is harmful to progress. Photographs of the Masters
are for remembrance and recognition only, and on no account should we
become attached to such external practices.
A man, according to the science of Para-Vidya, is not entitled to be
called a man in the truest sense of the word, unless he has full
knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of his distinguished
position in the creation, his several component parts, body, mind and
soul, in order of comparative importance, and of it's relationship to
the unseen power called God, which is to be achieved when he is living
on this earth.
He who does not understand this much, has not even been introduced to
the first lesson, and is yet to begin the alphabet of man. The
saints, therefore, impress upon us the need for man-making. When
scientifically observed facts, drawn from practice and experiment, are
explained verbally to a gathering by a Master-Saint, it is called
Satsang external.
This Satsang constitutes the theoretical side of the teachings,
whereas the actual demonstration given to develop and achieve inner
advancement, is the practical part, called meditation, or Satsang
internal.
Conscientious practice brings fruit within days or weeks and it is not
necessary to wait years for results, though progress also depends to
some extent on one's past background. A true Master gives you
firsthand inner experience at the very first sitting. When the
practical side is neglected, due to a lack of firmness or
determination, carelessness or pressure or circumstances, scholars of
many religious schools dwell more and more upon theory alone.
The decline of the science then commences and man finds no solace.
This is usually the case when a Master leaves the body. Adequate
provision, however, is made for the revival of the science in every
age. When both the positive and negative powers commence their rounds
again, the former through the agency of Master souls, while the latter
works through persons, so-called Masters, who lack practical
experience or are lost in theoretical disputations.
Master souls, though quite ordinary men in appearance, are a great
deal more. Just as it is different for us to judge a scientist
display their skill and knowledge, so, too, we cannot recognize the
authority and knowledge of a Master until we have experienced the
Divine Power working through him. In this science, there is no
secrecy or mystery. The objective is constructive and beneficial to
all, and so the Saints have torn aside the curtain of secrecy which
usually covers mystic teachings, to make them available to each and
everyone who calls. There is an unseen power working through the
Saints. Why this power prefers to remain concealed from the human eye
is a question to be asked directly by contacting the human pole,
through whom this power is working. This is the only medium of
approach to this power. If we wish to use electric energy we must go
to a switch or a pole which will put us in contact with the
powerhouse.
The unseen power may be called a Sea of Love. When we wish to bathe
in the Sea, we go to the edge where the shallow waters begin and then
say that we have bathed in the sea. Thus, to experience this power
and to derive benefit from it, we must go to the only source of
contact, a Master-Saint.
Saints say that nature has designed man to leave this physical body at
will; to transcend to the higher spiritual planes and then return to
the body. They help each aspirant personally and each receives the
practical experience, how little it may be, during the very first
sitting at the time of initiation.
A person who is competent to give a man this personal experience, a
withdrawal or separation, temporary, from the body, and who thus can
put him on the way back to God, is a genuine Master, Saint, Satguru.
The heads of different religious organizations were intended to do
just this, but we may judge for ourselves the efficacy today.
The firsthand experience we receive, through the kindness of a real
Saint, is in itself a solution to the problem of death. According to
the Bible, unless you are born anew, you cannot enter into the Kingdom
of God. So, to be born anew is to leave one's body and to enter into
the beyond. A transition from the physical to the astral plane.
Someday we will have to leave this temporary structure, which, like a
building of bricks and mortar, deteriorates with time. There is no
appeal to the laws of nature against the death sentence.
We fear death because of the agony and suffering which it brings and
also because of the uncertainty which lies in the beyond. We fear
illness because it brings us near death's door, so we struggle to
live, though we know that our end is certain. No soothing words from
doctors, friends, relatives or priests can bring peace and comfort to
our minds at the time that nature's destructive process commences.
This is the natural course of things and we cannot deceive nature.
What, then, is the remedy? There is only one way out of this abyss of
despair. To adopt and accustom ourselves during our lifetime to
nature's process of the withdrawal of the Spirit Current from the
body, while still in a conscious state.
This may be done with the help of a Master and may be accomplished
without any suffering or trouble whatever. This is not only a
possibility, but is remarkable fact. Our joy will know no bounds when
we come into possession of the secret which has baffled man for so
many centuries.
We become supermen, having possession of the key to peace in heaven,
the life of which we had till then only read about in sacred
scriptures. Arise, therefore, and awake before it is too late to put
the science into practice. If we observe closely the process of death
in a dying man, we see the pupils of his eyes turn upward a little,
afterwards they may return to normal, and then they become senseless.
But when they withdraw upwards too much, he dies. Life ebbs out by
the root of our eyes, and becomes disconnected from the ties of the
body and sense organs.
Knowledge of this process and the method by which we may travel this
way during our very lifetime is the solution to the problem of death.
No physical exercises are needed, there are no drugs to swallow and no
blind faith to cultivate. The mystery of life and
death is solved easily with the help of a Master Saint, who will give
you an experience of the process and put you on the highway to the
inner realms.
Even when acting indirectly through an authorized agent, he still
remains the responsible power. Distance is immaterial to Masters.
What is there to be gained by this process? This cannot be described
in words. At the time of initiation the aspirant sees the real light
within him, whereas normally the inner eye is covered by a thick veil
of darkness.
He then realizes that the tradition of a lighted candle found in
churches and temples, is to remind him of the Divine Light of heaven
within. This light grows to the radiance of several suns put together
as he advances on the Way. He understands that the unceasing internal
sound he contacts within, is the Divine Link, called the Word by
Christ, (?) and (?) by the Koran, Naad (?) in the Vedas, (?) in the
Upanishads, Sraosha by the Zoroastrians, and Naam and Shabda by the
Saints and Masters.
In time, he meets the Master within, talks to him face to face, and is
henceforth certain of his Grace, guidance and protection wherever he
may go, even to the other end of the world. With such evident proofs
before him, he is now confident of himself and of the science. Only
then can he be called a 'theist' in the truest sense of the word, and
can smile at those who talk of religion as a fool's paradise, a
phantom conjured up by crafty priests and the opium of the masses.
He has found a sure ingress through threshold of viewing, both
internally and externally, the secrets of nature. He is truly
knocking at the door of heaven or tapping inside. Words of opposition
cannot shake his faith in the science as the Master guides him
onward. Death becomes a voluntary process. Past, present and future
merge into one and he grasps the incontestible Truth, the essence of
Being, in the palm of his hand.
Liberated from the body, which now appears as a husk without a kernel,
he knows that he is soul; an inseparable part of the eternal Spirit
and so he presses onward to his original source. The world appears as
a dream to him, but under the instructions from his Master, he returns
to his mundane life, wise and fearless in the discharge of his
duties."
(End of reading)
***************************
M: We'll stop right there.
This starts opening the inner door and beginning the journey with the
Astral Plane. That's the first body we observe after we shed the
physical. It's not our true nature, because it's simply the emotional
manifestation of our psychic bodies, of our mind.
But it gives us the tangible demonstration that we are not, simply,
our physical vehicle. And this is an important thing to know. This
is crucial for people living on planet earth in human form. Because
one of the essential aspects of every religion, at least every major
religion, is this concept of what happens after we die.
Why is this essential? Because it is the one thing that is guaranteed
in our lives. It is part of the natural process. I mean, there are
stories in every culture told about wise men, saints, talking to
regular people about the death thing, and people asking how they can
overcome death.
Because death is frightening. And like Kirpal says, when you get
sick, it scares you because you might die. Or it reminds you of your
mortality.
It's the same reason they joke about people hitting mid-life crisis.
Now I just turned 38 last week and there were definitely a few folks
at work who said in two years, when I turned 40, I'll have to get
myself a little red sport's car.
We have this fear of our mortality. Partly because we slow down, our
bodies get weaker, our minds get duller over time and we don't know
what happens after we die.
All we know is that in every household, sooner or later, you will have
someone in your household who dies. Whether it's your grandparents,
your parents, your brothers, your sisters, your kids, your cousins;
somebody you knew in school.
I remember the first people I knew who died (were) a pair of kids in
junior high school who went off hiking and fell off a cliff. I think
they were bit by rattlesnakes or something, but that was a weird thing
when you're 13. And this was before gang bangers and stuff like
that. This was simply two kids who misjudged their climbing ability
and fell 150 feet to their death.
As you go through life and you get older, more and more people you
know start dropping off, until you get to the point like my
grandparents on my mother's side of the family; it really kind of got
sad... I could see it in their eyes... as their friends started fading
and then their friends died. Or my Dad's Mom, all her brothers and
sisters died before her, and she was the last one remaining in her
immediate family.
So, of course, we want some sort of solace that when this body that we
are inhabiting quits, that we don't die with it. And we turn to
religion, we turn to books, we turn to faith. And that gives us a
sense of peace of mind. We turn to stories of people who have almost
died and come back, (who have?) stories of radiant beings that meet
them.
We turn to information by alleged channeled beings, who are invisible
so they imply they are happening at a different frequency, which we
call heaven, and they can tell us that, kind of through a long
distance transmitter, 'Hey, it's OK. The water's fine. Don't worry.
But none of these, again, replace direct experience. It still remains
theory, it still remains speculation. When we take our attention and
invert it, place it at the third eye, receive initiation in the Sound
and Light Current, and begin to make the inner journey, the first
thing we become aware of, with this practice... and at first it may
take days, weeks or even years; depends on how fast we develop, what
our karmic load is, but the first real lesson we tangibly learn over
time is that, yes, indeed we are not our bodies. We develop a
separation in consciousness, an above body consciousness as Kirpal
Singh called it.
Some people will be sitting in their chair meditating and rise up out
of their bodies and see their bodies sitting in the chair. For some
people it will occur in the dream state, where you are suddenly
hovering above your body. Or as Harold Klemp likes to tell a story,
when he in, I believe it was the Air Force, he found himself in the
middle of the night walking around his room, he turned around and saw
somebody in his bed. And he just couldn't believe the gall of
somebody who would jump onto his bed while he was just up and taking a
little midnight stroll.
Well, he discovered that this gray hunk of flesh was himself. As I
recall, he tried to kick it or something to wake him and he realized
it was him.
This is the first step. The next step is that we rise up higher.
Because we have the aid of a competent Master, a Living Satguru. They
hold our hand, they keep our attention steady and focused on the goal,
which is soul and God, and they lead us along this Path farther and
farther within.
We get to the top of the astral region, we shed that body. We get to
the mental plane and then we shed that body.
So we shed our emotions, you might say, we shed our memories, our
habits, our mind... our subconscious, a layer at a time. Just like
when it's cold like today, and you have a couple of t-shirts and a
shirt and a sweater and a jacket. You have a jacket, you can take it
off. You have a sweater, you can take that off. Gradually, get down
to just, you go home, you want to take a hot shower, take off all
these clothes, and there it's you and your skin. And you might liken
the hot shower or bath to the Soul Plane and beyond, this region of
oceanic love, warmth and bliss and mercy.
This is something we tangibly experience. This is why the Lord always
comes in human form, to give us these skills, to guide us within,
keeping our attention on the One at all times. You have to keep your
attention on the goal. You have to keep your eye on the prize, as Dr.
King used to say. And not let it waver. Not let anything get in the
way between you, soul and God.
And believe me, as you rise up through the psychic worlds, to the
regions of emotion and memory and future and mind, there are a lot of
temptations. The mind is a wonderful tool, but a really lousy
Master. We've all heard that one before and it's true. The mental
plane is vast. The tricks of mind and Maya are nearly countless. And
they are so subtle, it's amazing. So we need to keep our attention on
the radiant form of the Master, on the Shabda or Naam or Word, and
just keep going further and further within, unfolding and progressing
a step at a time, at a natural pace. (One) that works in our comfort
zone, that keeps us steady, stable and balanced.
This is also very important. We should not be impatient. We should
not be trying to put the cart in front of the horse. We simply need
to put one foot in front of the other, keep doing our meditation, and
gradually the above body and above astral and mental consciousness
will come. It's the easy way, it's called Sahaj Yoga, it's one of the
names Kirpal used. Sahaj means natural or relaxed. This is the
natural Yoga. That is why they say there's no physical things
involved, no mental disciplines, nothing like that, it's simply
sitting, attuning to Naam or Word, inverting our attention, contacting
the Sound principle, contacting the Inner Master and going within to
self and God.
It's not to say that other forms of Yoga are not beneficial. Things
like Hatha Yoga are really good for limbering the body and
strengthening it. There are types of breathing exercises which can be
very good for revitalizing the body. And calming ourselves.
But none of these can replace communing with Naam, if one wishes to
achieve true Self-Knowledge and true God-Realization. Absolutely
nothing can compare.
Speaking of Satsang, Kirpal makes a very good point about inner
Satsang and outer Satsang. Inner Satsang is communing with the Word
in our mediation, making contact with the Divine Light and Sound
principle, and making contact with this matrix that we call the
radiant form of the Master, or the Inner Master.
It is Spirit of ItSelf taking the form of your Living Teacher and
communicating with you in that form, in that tone of voice, although
it's usually a mental transmission. Giving you something that you can
tangibly hold onto, something that is familiar to you as you journey
through unfamiliar territory.
One of my best friends and spiritual mentors once jokingly called the
Inner Master the "McDonald's of the psychic worlds". Because he used
to travel a lot and he said, 'When you go to a different culture and
if you're not really adventuresome, you look for something that is
familiar.' And I know it... I mean, for those of us who have traveled
around the world are not, you know, are not skittish about going to
Greece or Spain or Italy or someplace or Russia and ordering just off
the menu and not knowing what you're getting.
It's no problem. If it's new for you, you want something that's
familiar. So people often would go to McDonald's or something to get
that which is familiar because it's a signpost. It reminds us of
home, it makes us a little more comfortable. It's like if everything
else is weird, there's always a Big Mac. Or "Le Big Mac" and the
"Royale With Cheese", as they call it in France.
Eventually, we get tired of the same thing and we kind of journey off
on our own, we learn to develop our bearings. But until that point we
take the time to commune with the inner form of the Master. We trust
that and let go to it and as we relax into It, because the inner form
of the Master is really our spiritual comfort zone, we're able to take
in more spiritual food, we're able to expand, make the journey farther
within and let go of our attachments to our thoughts, our memories,
our habits and our emotions. Because there is that inner trust that
has developed. We let go to God by the inner Master and suddenly
everything else just seems like nothing, like so many childhood
baubles. Even the greatest plays of the mind just look like so much
glitter and rhinestones.
He also speaks of outer Satsang, which is when we come together here
in class, or when students of a Master come together with each other
and read that Master's words. Both are very important. When you come
into outer Satsang where the Master is present, whether it's myself or
Rajinder Singh, Ajaib Singh, Gurinder Singh, or Ching Hai in the east,
or Harold Klemp or Darwin Gross or Gary Olsen in the west, you come
into contact with one within whom the Master power is flowing, through
and out, and filling the room with the Divine Energy.
As a result, you are being saturated in this Energy, just by being in
the presence; it's a matter of spiritual physics. Also, it is
important to come together outside of the direct Satsang with the
Master. It is good for students of any teacher to come together on
their own in fellowship.
And that leads up to a point I want to make is that those who are
interested, I'm not going to make anybody do anything, but those who
are interested, I would like you to get together outside of Satsang
and Monday night and study the Sonic Spectrum. That's about as close
as we come to discourses in this program... this new group called
Spiritual Freedom Satsang.
But I would like you very much, to take the time, once a month, more
if you like, but once at least, to get together, read the discourse,
the Spectrum, give it some thought and discuss it. And this applies
all around the world. I would like the discussions to be facilitated
by those who are initiates, and the initiates can get together and
decide amongst themselves who wants to facilitate when.
But I want to keep it revolving; I don't want anybody to become the
prime facilitator. I want people to share.
But this is a good way of strengthening the faith and getting a sense
of the Master power. It's just like when Christ sent his disciples
off to communicate the Word to people for awhile without Christ being
present in the flesh. And Peter and James went off one direction and
John went off another direction and basically they did their thing and
they came back. And they spent time together. And they found that as
long as two or more of them were gathered in one place, the Master
power is also there with them, the presence of the Master and of the
Shabda, the Holy Spirit.
I think that's it as far as my commentary goes. I'd like to open this
up to discussion now. Anybody (have) any questions pertaining to this
reading today? Yes.
Question: There is something I'm kind of confused about. Like when I
first met you, like I felt kind of just a change happen. And I
started hearing Naam. And when I started meditating, I started seeing
splashy blue clumps. So, that's not an initiation? That's just
contact with the Word. And so, until I'm initiated, how far can I get
all by myself? I mean...
Michael: Well, the important thing is to have an initial experience
and just work with what you have going right now. Initiation is very
heavy, and I cannot overemphasize the importance of taking one's time
in approaching it. Because your karma starts working itself off at an
exponential pace.
Q: When I first come in contact with you...?
M: Well, everything speeds up if you come in contact with any
Master. When a Master is on tour and enters a town or an area, there
is an infusion of Divine Spirit in that area and it effects things.
Q: Why does Ching Hai initiate so fast?
M: Every Master has a different perspective. The standard, really,
with most Masters, and I don't work directly with Ching Hai, I don't
know what her current rules are; I believe she asks people to take
some time to work on their diet, and take some time to meditate, I
think it's 90 days, before she gives Naam.
Some people I can look at and I will ask them to wait a nominal time
because, just to confirm, just so you're not champing at the bit too
much. Most people take a good 6 months to two years, to really,
really be grounded.
The minimum, aside from times when Masters are on tour, and they will
just give mass initiation out of the incredible wealth that they have
and they wanted to shower spiritual wealth on a community, it is rare
that anybody goes for less than three months of tutelage, if not like
I said, two years. Radhasoami Satsang Beas these days is a firm two
years and you have to be a minimum of twenty-five years of age, to
request initiation.
Q1: Like when I first met you, did you say to yourself, 'I'm just
going to give Zac Naam? Or was I just ready and I picked it up?
M: Every person is different, Zac. And some things need to be
discussed one in one.
Q: But we never have time to speak one on one. You're never home.
M: Well, the importance of separation is very... cannot be
overstated. There are reasons for everything and...
Q: I want to know them all right now.
M: You want to know them all right now? You're not going to. That's
one of the reasons some people wait. The mind wants everything. The
mind is like a little greedy two year old. And it wants all the toys
all at once. And Master's Dad. So, you can have your tricycle in a
little while, but you gotta hang back. It's not a metaphysical whiz
show...
Q2: God, I think if you're not a little bit scared, you don't know
what you're getting into.
Q1: I am a little scared, but...
M: I mean, quite frankly, if I'd (known) what I was getting into
twenty years ago, I would have been scared to death. There's no way I
could have done it. Absolutely no way. It changes your life so
intensely, so completely.
What people have, if you're receptive, if the Path is right for you,
you will have different changes in your life, almost immediately, just
coming in contact with a Master. What you will probably find after
that, is there will be an assimilation period where you work with the
spiritual food you've been given. You digest it. And then sometimes
you'll have experiences and then you'll have no experiences.
But it's no different than . . . let's say, well, we went up hiking
last week-end and at first it was really chilly. We got out of the
car, we had our lunch, and we were just freezing, because we didn't
think it was going to be so cold. And our first reaction was to get
back in the car and drive back down the mountain because we didn't
want to freeze.
But we decided just to get some food in our systems, and we started
hiking and we acclimated to the chill and suddenly it wasn't that cold
anymore.
New spiritual energy is the same thing; it's a shifting consciousness,
and at first we noticed it because of the shift, then we acclimate to
it and it's not so dramatic.
It is extremely important to take our time. The intense power of Naam
is completely life changing. We are talking about the fundamental
fabric of the universe. Do you understand this? We are talking about
uniting your consciousness with the fabric of this planet, of this
galaxy, of this universe and all the lower universes.
Q1: I can handle that.
M: Everybody thinks they can. I can show you burned out car wrecks
along the way that go back thousands of years; of people who get too
much too fast. And so the Master takes the time. It's really
important. Believe me. The Master does not take out a halogen light
and shine it in your eyes, in the first five minutes, really close,
and say, 'See?' Or like looking at the sun, no, you want blinders,
man.
You want to get a suntan and you're Irish? You've been living indoors
all your life or living in the north coast of Ireland and suddenly you
come out to California or Tucson, and you want to sit out on say, a
nice, mid-July pre-monsoon kind of day when it's 110 degrees. And sit
out by the pool for 6 hours. What happens? Anybody here ever gotten
a sunburn before?
Oh, here's this gentleman here, with a rather pale complexion. You
ever sat in the sun for 6 hours when it's way hot with just your
bathing suit on and get the lobster treatment?
Q3: Yep.
M: Kind of hurts afterwards, doesn't it?
Q3: (It's) not very comfortable.
Q1: Michael. I already feel like I've been through the ultimate
fear, the ultimate punishment. Do you know what I mean? I told you
about that night. I feel like nothing could be scarier than what
happened to me, and I kind of, I don't know, I don't feel afraid...
M: That's fine.
Q1: I've had my mind blown before, you know. And it wasn't even good
mind blowing, it was like terror mind blowing.
M: It doesn't matter. One thing anybody, applying, or interested in
initiation, has to understand, is that I give it when I give it. And
you can ask, but don't keep bugging me about it.
I speak from experience. It changes you, for the better. But it
changes you. And every person I initiate, effectively it's like I am
adopting you, as one of my kids. And I need to make sure that it
feels right before I do it. People have different requirements for
initiation, that's why I give people plenty of information about the
other Masters of this Path. Before they come to me and before they
actually sit down and receive the initiation instructions.
Because maybe the Path is right, but maybe there's another Master that
works better for you. I don't want ? and ?, as we used to say in
sales.
You know, you buy yourself a car and you realize, 'Oh, my gosh, what
have I done? Wait, that Porsche, the red looks better than the blue,
this stereo looks better than that stereo. Oh, this computer, I spent
two grand on a computer, but wait, 2 months down the road it's been
upgraded, I should have waited.'
The work of the Master is to put soul in a comfort zone with God. At
this juncture, I have the luxury, because we have a sapling here and
it's not a full grown Redwood yet; it'll take awhile to get to the
Redwood status. But I have the luxury of being able to give people a
case by case evaluation, and to know when I'm comfortable giving Naam.
And it's really important for people to understand that and respect
that, because I'm not going to do it until I'm comfortable. I've done
it before. Just like Gary talks about in his early days; giving Naam
a little too fast sometimes, because you have mercy and caring, and
you want people to be lifted up and taken home. And, so, you jump the
gun.
And he, after a few years, revised some of his policies, learning
through trial and error about being a teacher.
Just as the role of the Master is to bring soul within the realm of
God and to bring God into soul's comfort zone, likewise is true of the
role of the Master.
There's no hurry. You have eternity. That doesn't mean that we
should be lackadaisical in our mediation. That we should gain all
sorts of negative habits, because what the heck, we have eternity. As
they say, waste a day, waste another day, suddenly a week goes by, a
month, a year, ten years.
But it's important to relax and 'be'. One of my students, a (former?)
seeker, applied for initiation with a teacher and was out and out
declined. In fact, 2 people I know, from another teacher, because
they weren't ready, they just said, 'Not even in this lifetime. Take
your time, work on mental balance in this lifetime. This is just an
example. This is not to name anybody.
But it's really important to hang back and be patient. Because the
Lord is All Merciful. It's the mind that gets impatient. And that's
the biggest obstacle we're going to face in each of our spiritual
unfoldment.
Q4: I was wondering how it was possible for people to get too much of
Naam and burn out?
M: Simply, on a physical level, it is energy. There's no way you can
get too much love, too much compassion, too much Divine Beingness.
But it's no different than telling a kid who's too young the facts of
life. Or it's telling a 3 year old that there's no Santa Claus. You
can get too much information, too much stuff, too fast.
That is why there is a Master, to regulate the flow. To have his hand
on the tap, because without that, you're not dealing with straight
Naam, you're dealing with an admixture of Naam and mind power. Or
kundalini power. And that you can definitely get too much of.
And I look around me and I see people who are shell-shocked from too
much psychic stuff littering, literally littering the landscape in all
directions. I'm not going to get into naming names. All I can say
is, I've seen people who've had too much too fast, and then overplayed
their part.
This is why it is important to have a friend who is tapped into the
heart of the LightSong of Eternal Love, who can help you gradually
acclimate to and assimilate ITs energy, grow at a natural pace, unfold
and blossom as the spiritual rose you are into self-knowledge and God-
realization.
I love you all very, very much.
May the blessings be.
Michael
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
