After some months the pilgrims returned and told St. Kabir that they had completed their pilgrimage to all four holy places. He asked them whether they had dipped his gourd in all the sacred rivers. They replied, “Yes, we dipped it in all the rivers as you instructed.”
St. Kabir crushed the gourd and turned it into powder. He then gave a portion to each pilgrim to taste. They tasted it and said that it was very bitter. Then he said, “You did a pilgrimage of all four sacred places and you dipped my gourd in all the sacred rivers but still it has retained its bitter taste. So how could this pilgrimage have purified your mind of all its bitterness, dirtiness, malice and jealousy?”
People like to think that they will get peace by going on pilgrimage to sacred places, but they are like a bird sitting on a ship at sea. When the bird feels bored from sitting so long on the ship, it thinks of flying to some island. But when it does not find an island even after flying for hours, it comes back to the same ship. Similar is the condition of a worldly person. He thinks that he will get peace from doing pilgrimages or rituals, but when he does not get peace after doing all these things, he feels disappointed. But when we go to the shelter of Guru Maharaj Ji (the Spiritual Master) and serve Him with our mind, words and actions then the Master will be pleased and will impart the treasure of Spiritual Knowledge to us.
People nowadays want to see God without putting in any labour or effort, but it is not possible. We switch on the electricity so that the light bulbs in our house produce light. Those bulbs and tube lights will produce light only when connected through an electric wire to a powerhouse. If they are not connected to the powerhouse, they cannot produce any light. Likewise, we also have to connect our soul to the powerhouse of the Almighty and then only will we experience light within.
When a person acquires Spiritual Knowledge he experiences light within. But if he develops some doubts, his mind starts fluctuating. Again, when he listens to satsang, the negativity in his mind is eradicated and then he experiences God within. During the summer when there is no rain, a lot of dust accumulates on the leaves of trees and the weather becomes suffocating. When rain comes, all the dust is washed away and the environment becomes all clean and green. Likewise, layers of dirt go on accumulating in our mind day by day, but when we see the Spiritual Master and listen to his nectar-like words, our mind becomes pure and our confusion and doubts are wiped away.
Lakshman drew a line around Sita to protect her and told her not to cross that line. But Sita was so naive that she was trapped by Ravana's net of illusion and stepped beyond the line. You know how much trouble she then had to face. Similarly, Guru Maharaj Ji has drawn the line of Spiritual Knowledge around us. Those who remain inside this line will be protected, but others who cross it will be put to numerous troubles. So, we should do a lot of meditation day and night.
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