THE DIAMOND OF HOLY NAME RESIDES IN YOU

A man does not know his real form due to being engrossed in worldly illusions and thinks that he is very weak and poor and has too many shortcomings, but our saints said that he earns great merit and his importance is enhanced if he comes in contact with the Spiritual Master. It is like a diamond, which has no brightness and reflecting power when first dug up from the mine, but becomes bright when it is cut and rubbed by an expert technician. Then it divides light into various colours.

Similarly, saints say that if you do not know yourself then your condition is the same as an unchiseled diamond, but when you acquire Spiritual Knowledge and takes shelter of the Master, then you start shining. It is clearly written in our scriptures: “Guru binu bhawnidhi tarai na koi. Jo viranchi Shankar sam hoi .”: no one can cross the worldly ocean without the Spiritual Master even if he possesses powers like Lord Shankar, Lord Brahma the Creator and Lord Vishnu.
It is written at the beginning of the Ramcharitmanasa, “ Bandaun guru pad kanj kirpa sindhu nar roop hari. Maha moh tam punj, jasu vachan ravi karni kar .” “I bow to the Spiritual Master, who is the ocean of compassion in human form. His words act like the sun in wiping out the darkness of the vast illusory world.” In India it is the tradition to give the highest regard and respect to the Spiritual Master. People of other countries are amazed that so much importance is given to the Master. Before starting any work, we pray, “ Shri Sadguru charankamlebhyo namah .” It means that we “salute the lotus feet of the Guru” before starting any noble work. In India , we prostrate before Guru Maharaj which means that we give importance to the Knowledge which we acquired from the Spiritual Master.
So, we give importance to the Spiritual Master and it is said, “Guru ko kijiye dandvat, koti koti pranam.” “Prostrate before Guru Maharaj, bow to him thousands of times”. An insect does not know the bhringi wasp which transforms it into another bhringiand similarly, the Spiritual Master transforms a disciple into an enlightened one. The Master eradicates the darkness from within a disciple and makes him enlightened. Light emanates from a diamond after it is chiseled. Similarly, after a disciple takes shelter in the Master, he gets inner illumination. Guru Maharaj showers grace on a devotee and he experiences Divine Light within. There are seven colours in sunlight. When a sunbeam passes though a rain drop, a rainbow becomes visible in the sky. It does not mean that gods create the red, yellow, violet, green and blue colours there, rather it is the magic of the sunbeam passing through a rain drop that it is broken into the seven colours which we call a ‘rainbow'.

Similarly, when light emanates from a diamond, then different colours are visible and it becomes more and more bright. It is said that there is lustre in it and light is produced. So the latent is manifested, but otherwise the seven colours are not visible in sunrays. When light is made to pass through a prism, then the seven colours are manifested. Similarly, a man is not aware of the latent energy within him. He comes to know his real form only by the grace of the Spiritual Master. After acquiring the Spiritual Knowledge from Him, the entire spiritual world is manifested within the devotee's heart. The same ‘Knowledge' has been described in our scriptures and it is said that the reality of the entire world is that Power alone and there is no place where it is not present. Once Guru Dronacharya also wanted to explain the same thing to his disciples. He gave a stick to each of the five Pandava brothers and asked them to break it where no one could see them. Four of them broke the stick but Arjuna could not break it. Guru Dronacharya asked him the reason for not breaking the stick. Arjuna replied, “Master, I could not find a place where no one was seeing me, because I could see myself and, even if I closed my eyes, then God was observing me. As such I could not break the stick.” Guru Dronacharya said that this is precisely what he wanted to explain - that Power is omnipresent. It is written, “Nana shastra pathen loke nana devat poojanam. Atmagyan bina Partha sarva karma nirarthakam.”Without Spiritual Knowledge, learning all the various scriptures and worshipping many gods is useless. So it is said, “ Apun ko apun hi mein payo. Shabda hi shabda bhayo ujiyaro, Satguru bhed batayo. Apun ko apun hi mein payo.” “ Within myself, myself I see. There is nothing all around except the WORD and the Light emanating from It.” Our saints said that they experienced the Self within. Guru Nanak also says in one of his verses, “ Kahe re ban khojan jai. Sarva niwasi sada alepa, tore hi sang samai .” “Why go to the forest to look for God? He is omnipresent but beyond everything and He is within you too”. God is within, like the fragrance in a flower. So, it is said, “ Kah Nanak bin apa chinhe, mitey na bhram ki kai. ” It means that unless a man knows his ‘Self', his doubts will not be removed. Only Spiritual Knowledge can remove doubts. You know that if a drowning person drags down the one who his trying to save him, they will both drown. Total surrendering is required there. If a person is drowning and he does not surrender, then he will get his rescuer drowned too. A doctor operates upon a patient if required. In the olden days before chloroform was discovered, the doctor had to tie the patient to the operating table. The patient used to scream, but now the doctor injects anaesthetic and the patient sleeps. The doctor knows that the patient must surrender totally before he can operate. If you move either side and cry, then the operation cannot be performed successfully. In other words, surrendering is very essential. But when it comes to Spiritual Knowledge, no one wants to surrender. If you want salvation, then go to the Spiritual Master with a feeling of total surrender and get the Knowledge from him. Once a parrot was sitting in a cage. He noticed a devotee who was going to satsang. He said to him, “You are very lucky to be able to go to satsang. Please put my humble petition to the Master and ask whether I can be released from this cage.” When the devotee met the Master he said, “Maharaj, on my way here, a certain caged parrot requested me to ask you if he can be released from his prison.” As soon as he heard this, the master closed his eyes and lay down. The devotee was puzzled and surprised to see this. On his way home from the Ashram, he came across that parrot, who asked him if there was any message from the master. The devotee replied, “You know, it's very strange that just after I had asked your question, the master fell unconscious.” The parrot said, “The master has showered grace on me.” Some time later, the parrot lay down on the floor of his cage. His master saw that he was neither eating nor drinking. He thought that the parrot must be dead. So he opened the cage, grabbed the parrot and threw it outside. The parrot immediately flew away. So, the master is the redeemer. He imparts the Knowledge by which a man is redeemed for ever, which is known as salvation. There is proof in our scriptures that if you meditate, then you can even captivate God. Through the power of meditation, our saints and Masters achieved the highest spiritual level. This is the path to salvation. www.manavdharam.org

Satsang

“ Naam prabhav jan shiv niko. Kal koot phal dinha ami ko .” Lord Shiva thoroughly understands the glory of ‘Naam' by virtue of which he drank poison and it was transformed into nectar. “ Naam prabhav Shambhu avinashi. Saj amangal mangal rashi. Mangal bhawan amangal hari, uma sahit jehi japat purari .” (Due to the power of the Name Lord Shiva is immortal and the home of blessings). What is that ‘Naam' which Lord Shankar and Uma remember? Today, there is not one person here who follows Lord Rama! He said long ago, “ Aurahun ek sugupta mat, sabahin kahaun kari jori. Shankar bhajan bina nar, bhagati na pawahin mori .” – “I will tell you a secret. Nobody can be truly my devotee unless he does Shiva-meditation”. Mahamantra (the primordial vibration) is that which Lord Shankar also meditates upon. Only this can liberate and is the same thing as the Shankar bhajan (Lord Shiva's meditation), without which nobody can achieve real devotion to Lord Rama. It is said, “ Ram ek tapas tiya tari. Naam koti khal kumati sudhari .” Ram granted redemption to one lady, Ahilya, but the Name has liberated thousands of devotees. “ Ram bhalu kapi katak batora. Setu hetu shram kinha na thora. Naam let bhawshindhu sukhahin karahu vichar sajjan man mahin. ” – Rama enlisted the help of an army of monkeys and bears and with much difficulty built a bridge, whereas simply remembering the Name dries up the ocean of mortality! Let those who are wise wonder about this. What is Shankar bhajan and Mahamantra ? St. Kabir says, “ Tantra mantra sab jhuth hain, mat bharmo sansar. Sar shabda jane bina, koi na utarasi par ”, which means that tantras and mantras are not the real thing, so don't be led astray. But still you are busy chanting mantras. I ask you, when you chant mantras, where is your mind? Your gurus are also entangled in such mantras. “ Shabda bina surati andhari, kaho kahan ko jay. Dwar na pawe shabda ka, phir phir bhatka khay. ” St. Kabir says that this is not meditation and without finding the ‘door' of the Name, you will revolve in the cycle of birth and death. St Tulsidas Ji said, “ Kalyug kewal nam adhara. Sumari sumari nar utarahin para ” which means that in Kaliyug one can get salvation only with the help of the eternal and primordial Name of God.
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What is that Name which has been so glorified? It is called ‘Ram', because it vibrates everywhere, it is omnipresent. That Name is different. Tell me even one verse in the Ramayana which says we should utter ‘Ram-Ram'. It is written in the Ramayana to remember Ram-Naam: “ Ram nam mani deep dharu, jih dehri dwar. Tulsi bhitar baharo, jo chahasi ujiyar .” (Keep the self-effulgent jewel of the Name on the threshold of your heart if you want illumination both inside and outside). In this verse also, it is written ‘Ram Naam'. “ Nam prabhav jaan ganrau. Pratham pujiyat naam prabhau. ” Ganesh Ji knew the glory of the Name and so he is worshipped first amongst all gods.
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“ Majjan phal pekhiya tatkala. Kak hoy pik bakau marala .” A crow-like person becomes like a cuckoo after swimming in the Ganges of satsang and those behaving like cranes become swans. If you place a mixture of milk and water before a crane, it will either drink the mixture or leave it, but a swan will extract the milk from the mixture and leave the water. Only a swan has the capacity to segregate milk and water from the mixture. It is written that consciousness is not awakened without spiritual discourse.
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It is said, “ Guru bin bhav nidhi tarai na koi. Hari viranchi sankar sam hoi. ” Suppose you can create the world, but firstly you should think how much potential do you have to create? Even if you can do this, you cannot get peace without Guru. If someone does pious deeds, such as giving charity worth millions of rupees, he will get his reward in his next birth, but it may also happen that he will be reborn as a dog. See, a dog of some rich man is given good food and servants attend to his call. This implies that the dog must have done something pious in his previous human birth, because in no other species can one do such action. The fruit of good and noble actions of charity and piety may be enjoyed in other species also. But the reward of bathing in the ‘ Ganges ' of satsang is instantaneous.
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It is written, “ Bandoun guru pad kanj, kripa sindhu nar roop hari. Maha moh tam punja, Jasu vachan ravi karni kar .” It says that Guru Maharaj Ji's Word acts like the sun by eradicating the darkness of ignorance. Such a Guru is called the Spiritual Master. St. Kabir says, “ Guru kare saat aur pancha, jab tak guru mile nahin sancha.” ‘ Gu ' means darkness and ‘ Ru ' means light, so he is worthy to be known as ‘Guru' who wipes out darkness and then it is all light. St. Tulsidas ji says, “ Guru bin hoy ki gyan, gyan ki hoy virag binu .” There is no knowledge without the Spiritual Master. It is written in the Bhagavad Gita that one cannot acquire True Knowledge by simply reading the Vedas. It is the Lord himself saying that knowledge of God is not acquired by reading the Vedas or doing yajna (fire sacrifices) or giving charity or going on pilgrimage. Knowledge of God is acquired by one-pointed devotion. What is that devotion? People do various acts of devotion but it is written in the Ramayana, “ Ram bhakti chintamani sundar. Basahin garud jake ur andar. Param prakash roop din rati. Nahin chahiye kachhu diya ghrit bati.” It says that devotion to the Lord is a shining jewel. The Divine Light shines day and night, needing neither lamp, wick or oil. But people understand that devotion means going to a temple, or giving charity, or that devotion is in a rosary. However, St. Tulsidas Ji writes, “ Bari mathe ghrit hoy baru, sikta te baru tel. Bin hari bhajan na bhav tariya yah siddhant apel .” Even if ghee can be churned from water, or oil from grinding sand, even if the impossible can be made possible, but you cannot be redeemed without meditation on Divine Light. Don't think that you will be liberated without meditation on God.
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Millions of rupees are being spent on education but nobody knows the meaning of this one verse: “ Mala pherat yug gaya , gaya na manka pher. Kar ka manka dari de, manka manka pher. ” What is that inner rosary which we are asked to know? What is the rosary of the mind? How is it to be practised? Nobody knows about it. You all give big lectures on religion, but you are ignorant of the true religion - so you are like blind men. Surdas Ji says, “ Mo sam koun kutil khal kami. Bhari bhari udar vishay ko dhawe, jaise sukar grami. Hari jan chhorh hari vimukhan ki, nish din karat gulami. Soor, patit ko thor kahan hai, suniye shripati Swami .” (Who can be more ungrateful than I? I forsook the men of God to consort with the worldly-minded. I ran around after the scraps of my desires, just like a village pig.) Look, human salvation is not possible without spiritual knowledge. A country may be very rich but without spirituality no one can get true peace. You think yourself spiritual but I ask you: what is spirituality? Please tell me the meaning of Hanuman Ji tearing open his heart to reveal the Lord? These days everything is adulterated, a web of lies and cheating. Food is adulterated and nothing pure is available. There are courts of Law but still so many unlawful activities are taking place.
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THE POWER OF SATSANG

If we think deeply, we will come to understand that the whole of creation is sustained by one and the same power. What is the difference between a living and a dead man? You will say that a living man breathes, whereas in a dead man breath is absent.

A corpse does not have a life force whereas a living being has a life force. Now, we have to wonder what is that power due to which we are living? If that power were not in our body, then our eyes could not see, ears could not listen, hands and legs could not work. So we should ask, what is that power? Saints and spiritually enlightened persons tell us time and again to come to satsang, because one is inspired to do devotion. Practising devotion after initiation, one develops knowledge and detachment, which are most essential to make life meaningful and successful.
It is said that St. Narad was always on the move and never stayed at any place for long. One day he reached Vrindavan. He heard the sound of a lady crying. He approached that lady, who was young and beautiful and found two men lying before her. St. Narad asked her why she was crying. The lady said, “These two men are my sons. They have become so feeble and old. I am afraid they will soon die.”

St. Narad thought, ‘This lady is so young but her sons are so old!' He was puzzled as to how this could be possible. When he inquired further, he found out that she was ‘Devotion' herself and the two sons were ‘Knowledge' and ‘Detachment'. Devotion said that as soon as she reached Vrindavan she became young, but her two sons suddenly became feeble and old. Narad Muni prayed to the Almighty for their well-being, and then he got a divine message to give them satsang. As they heard satsang, they were rejuvenated.
This is just a story but there is a hidden meaning in it. If we have devotion, but are not attending satsang, then knowledge and detachment cannot grow in us. By attending satsang, you get the company of the wise. It is said, “ Pratham bhakti santan kar sanga, doosari rati mam katha prasnga …” Why has it been said that we should associate with saints? I'll give you a small example in this regard. Suppose a mahatma is invited to a house for satsang. That day, the entire house is thoroughly cleaned. The husband says to his wife, “Please keep your temper and do not get angry, do not make a fuss.” The wife replies, “You also behave properly. Don't get annoyed and talk rubbish. Accept what you are taught.” Such changes start taking place automatically. Efforts are made to make improve ourselves and indeed our purpose is that we should transform ourselves into divine personalities. But this is possible only if we acquire Spiritual Knowledge, attend satsang, serve in the Guru Darbar and continuously meditate.
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Islam came into being after Prophet Mohammad, so what was the religion of Mohammad Sahab's great-grandfather? Buddhists say that their religion is Buddhism, so let them explain what was the religion of the great-grandfather of Lord Buddha? Similarly, Kabir Panthis (followers of St Kabir) should know what was the religion of the great-grandfather of St.Kabir. What was religion of those who lived before Lord Buddha, St Kabir and Prophet Mohammad? So, the question arises as to what religion really is. People all over the world have forgotten that and they are busy doing something else thinking this is their religion. The teachings of Lord Buddha spread far and wide - why?
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Satsang

It is said, “ Nam liya tin sab liya, sakal wed ka bhed. Bina nam narke para, parhta charon ved ” – “you will go to hell if you have not known the Name, even if you have read the four Vedas”. The infinite glory of Name has been sung, “ Kahaun kahan lagi naam barai. Ram na sakahin naam guna gayi .” How can I describe the importance of the infinite Name when even Lord Rama could not praise it adequately? It has been further said, “ Chahun yug chahun shruti naam prabhau. Kali vishesh nahin aan upau.” (all four Ages and all four Vedas reflect the power of the Name, especially in this Iron Age in which there is no other recourse).
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St. Kabir says, “ Koti nam sansar me, tate mukti na hoy. Adi nam jo gupta jap, bujhe birla koy .” You utter “Ram-Ram”, but a parrot which lives in cage can also. But you do not know what is ‘Ram' and what is the name of Ram and a parrot sitting in a cage also does not know.
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Do not think yourself as a beggar. Once upon a time, India was called “The Golden Bird”. Today we have to make India great again through spirituality and we have to break down the walls of narrowness and hatred by spreading Manav Dharm . If we are one and, united, we shall make our country great. Let us proceed with such determination.

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So we have to understand the definition of religion - what is the true and real knowledge of God which contains the entire creation like flowers in a rosary? There is one thread in a garland but its flowers are different and many. People of various castes and religions live together in society like different flowers in a garland, but God, like a thread, is one and within everyone's heart. We have to understand that thread. Only then will we be able to strengthen India and when it will be strengthened, then it will be the spiritual teacher to the entire world. Shri Aurobindo said, “I envision India , as the Spiritual Teacher in the coming future, enlightening the world with the divine knowledge, through which one can cross the ocean of illusory world.”
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Lord Krishna says, ‘Arjuna, fight as well as remember me continuously”. Then what will happen? The illusory impressions in our mind will get burnt in the divine fire; we will be liberated from the shackles of rebirth. When you roast chickpeas they lose the potency to sprout. Similarly when illusory impressions in our mind get roasted in the divine fire (divine light), then our soul gets saturated in spiritual knowledge and we are redeemed from the shackles of rebirth.
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Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Arjuna, this whole world is made of three energies.” Science used to say that the world is made of molecules. Later, it said that the world is made of atoms, which are indivisible. Research continued and finally science came out with the fact that there are three things in an atom - electron, proton and neutron, which correspond to sat, raj and tam - the three energies. So what Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, has been reflected in science. Thus science and scriptures concur.
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SAINTS ARE OUR WELL-WISHERS

It is written in our scriptures that real life of a human being begins on the day he receives Spiritual Knowledge. Before knowing the Holy Name of God and the Divine Light our life was all dark. Those who have acquired Spiritual Knowledge should meditate as much as possible and those who don't yet know should get Knowledge. Many people are afraid of going to a saint as they have the suspicion that saints may cast a spell on them or cheat them, but we should not fear saints as they always wish us well. The true Spiritual Master is our father, as this prayer says, “Twamewa mata cha pita twamewa. Twamewa bhandhushcha sakha twamewa.” “You are my mother and you are my father. You are my brother and you are my friend”. Those who follow the Spiritual Master, reach all their goals.

Many people wonder whether they should take the Knowledge or not. Look, we do not know why we have been given human birth and what we have to do in this lifetime. We all know to what degree we are happy and contented. Many people say that they have wealth and family but still they are not peaceful. St. Kabir says,“Sukh ke mathe sil pare, jo nam hriday se jay. Balihari wa dukh ki, jo pal pal nam ratay .”
He says that happy times are not necessarily good because we forget to meditate on the Name then. Sad times are good because we remember God. So during stressful times, we come closer to God. Not everyone can study the Vedas and scriptures, because they lead very busy lives, so saints reveal the Spiritual Knowledge which is within our hearts. God's only relationship is with the soul, which is one and the same in men and women, rich and poor and all species.
Today, mankind is so perturbed. One cannot find peace in material things. Peace is experienced only by remembering the Holy Name of God. We can tame animals but mankind cannot be tamed. Mind is becoming more and more mercurial day by day. So, with our ears we should listen to spiritual discourse and meditate on the Divine Light at the Third Eye. True spiritual saints grant us the experience of that self effulgent Light within our heart. Without knowing it we make mistakes. Eating, drinking, sleeping, fearing and producing offspring are common to human beings and all animals but meditation on the Divine Light and remembrance of Holy Name can be done only by human beings and no other species. So all human beings should acquire the Knowledge of Holy Name from the true Spiritual Master and remember the Name as much as possible. Those who remember God's Holy Name are real human beings, whereas St Tulsidas said that those who do not know the Name and do not remember it, are like animals without horn and tail.
That Power is hidden within the heart. Peace is also within. But how is it known? For this a true living Master is needed. There was no time in the past when such a Spiritual Master was not present on this earth. He definitely comes.

Human birth is the result of very good luck. It is written in the scriptures that even deities pray to God for a human birth. So those, who do not yet know the Holy Name and have been listening to satsang for a long time, should ask for Knowledge then remember the Name with heart and mind. It is said, “ Chinta to Satnam ki aur na chitwe das. Aur jo chitwe nam bin wahi kal ki phans.” “ A devotee should be keen to remember the Holy Name and nothing else. He who bothers about everything except the Holy Name is entrapped in the net of death. So one should remember Holy Name as much as possible because this is the essence of human life.
“ Punya punj binu milahin na santa: ”One meets a true saint only when he has accrued a lot of punya (spiritual merit). You meditate within your heart. At the time of death, when the tongue becomes stiff, you can't chant any mantra. Nobody can go to a temple when he has a temperature of 104 0 F. So physical devotion can be done only while our body is fit. When this body becomes feeble and diseased, you can't go to temples or do yagya or havan or pilgrimage. So, we all should meditate on the Divine Light and remember Holy Name which has been given to us by Guru Maharaj Ji.
Arjuna defeated his opponents by the power of the Name. Lord Krishna said, “Arjuna, remember Me continuously and fight.” Family life is like a battlefield – there are so many problems which we have to solve - and we have to remember Holy Name with our mind in the same way Arjuna remembered It while defending himself and fighting a war. A cow can do three things simultaneously - chewing, waving her ears and waving her tail. It is said, “Kar se karma karo vidhinana. Man rakho jahan kripanidhana” - do your daily activities with your hands and body and simultaneously remember the Holy Name with your mind
This body is not guaranteed. There was a time when we were not aware of ‘mine' and ‘thine', we did not know our parents; but by and by we learnt these things. We learnt to walk, we learnt different languages. One day we become old and the next day we depart from this world all alone. So, remember Holy Name. We have to wonder why we have been given this human body. It is said, “Sut dara aur Laxmi papi ghar bhi hoy. Sant samagam Hari katha, Tulsi durlabh doy.”: “ Wealth, wife and children are available in plenty even in a sinner's house but the company of true saints is very rare”. You see that such big programs are being organized at several places to awaken mankind and to uplift them all.
Today war is being fought under the cover of religion. Someone says that Hindus are becoming Muslims, others say that Muslims are becoming Hindus. Our saints said,“Ane lage bande tujhe ye khyal majhab ke. In majhabon ne tujkho haiwan banaya. Na hindu banaya, na musalman banaya. Bhagwan ne banda sirf insan banaya.”People are fighting and killing each other in the name of religion. They have become like beasts. Religions make people Hindus or Muslims, whereas the Almighty created only human beings. We all have been created by the Almighty. We have to know the Word which is within our heart and is omnipresent on Earth, in all living and dead beings. So, follow the true spirit of religion. Practise Spiritual Knowledge within your own religion.
“Gyan anjan satguru diya, agyan andher vinash. Hari kripa te sant bhetia, Nanak man prakash.” The Spiritual Master gives Spiritual Knowledge by which the darkness of ignorance is totally wiped out. By the grace of Almighty one meets a true saint and then the mind is illuminated. So, detach your mind from all material things and hook it to the mighty Word. A tortoise withdraws all its limbs into its shell. Likewise, introvert yourself! Who shows us how to be introvert? The Spiritual Master. This is all the grace of the Master. Disciples and saints who have firm faith and reverence are told to impart this knowledge. The Master has no concern for those who do not have firm faith and reverence, even though they may be millionaires or multimillionaires. Of what use is wealth? One day this body will be converted into ashes. So experience the Knowledge and meditate.
A deer has musk in his navel, but still searches for the fragrance outside. In the same way, we all have the divine power, the treasure of peace within our hearts but due to ignorance we search for peace outside. So, well before our end comes, we should know Holy Name and make our life successful.
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If hindrances come in our meditation, we fall back to the illusory level, and our earnings of meditation decreases. So it is said, “ Tasmaat sarveshu kaleshu mamanusmar yudh cha. ” “Arjuna, remember me at all times and fight as well.” A person will remember at the time of death whatever has preoccupied him throughout his life. It is said in the Gita, “ Antmata so gata .” Not that I simply believe in any philosophy or am talking on the basis of any religious scripture. There is a lot of research nowadays and many books have been written. One doctor related that a lady patient was afraid of darkness, of a closed room, and could not sleep. The doctor used hypnotism to cure the patient and she started describing episodes from her previous births. Doctors these days are treating patients like this. How can you say that there is no rebirth? Many books have been written in which people narrate events from their previous births. So we can conclude that what is written in our scriptures is true.
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One must remember God even when everything is going well. Saint Kabir said,“ Sukh me sumiran na kiya, dukh me kiya yad. Kahe kabir ta das ki, kaun sune fariyad .” Many people, when distress befalls them, say, “How can we believe in God?” But just think about it – didn't trouble befall Shri Lord Rama? Just when he was about to be crowned, he was exiled instead to the forest. Bharat asked Guru Vashishtha, “How could this happen?” Vashishtha Maharaj replied, “ Sunahu Bharat bhawi prabal, bilakhi kaheu muninath. Hani labh, jivan-maran, yash-apyash vidhi hath .” – “Listen, Bharat, gain and loss, life and death, fame and infamy are all in the hands of Fate.” Who lost? Ayodhya, due to the departure of Lord Rama. Who got the benefit? The saints and renunciates who were sitting in caves and forests had the company of the Lord. Shabari met the Lord. They were benefitted. Who got life? Vibhishan would have died alongwith the devils in Lanka but Lord Rama protected him after he surrendered. He got life. Who got death? Ravana, who supposedly had the nectar of immortality in his navel, got death. The monkey army won praise by virtue of their service to Lord Rama.
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Satsang

To know the primordial Name of God, we have to go to the Spiritual Master. Our saints have always taught this. When the Mahabharata War was about to begin in Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna told both the Kauravas and Pandavas, “I will give first choice to him, whom I see first tomorrow morning. On one side will be my army and I myself will be on the other side, but I will not use weapons.” During the night Duryodhan came and sat near Lord Krishna's head. He was egoistic, so he sat near the head of Lord Krishna. Early in the morning Arjuna arrived. He had reverence and devotion, so he sat near the feet of Lord Krishna. When Lord Krishna woke up, he saw Arjuna sitting there. He asked, “Arjuna, when did you come?” Duryodhan interrupted and exclaimed, “You are playing favourites! I have been sitting here all night, but you did not see me and you are asking Arjuna.” Lord Krishna replied, “Brother, it is not my fault. If you are sitting near my head how would you be visible to me? Anyway, you can choose first.” Duryodhan thought that Krishna without any weapons would be of no use and hence he asked for his army. Lord Krishna then told Arjuna to ask for a boon. Arjuna said, “Lord, I need only you.” Then Lord Krishna agreed to become Arjuna's charioteer. Lord Krishna guided and directed Arjuna. The job of the Spiritual Master is to guide and direct, according to which the disciple is to act.
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Satsang

It is written in the Ramayana, “ Guru bin hoi ki gyan, gyan ki hoi virag binu. Gawahin ved-puran, sukh ki lahahin hari bhagati binu. '' Knowledge of God is impossible without the Teacher. St. Tulsidas explains, “Bandaun Guru pad kanj kripa sindhu nar roop hari mahamoh tam punj jasu vachan ravi karani kar ” - “I bow to Shri Guru Maharaj Ji, whose word acts like the sun”. The darkness of night is not removed by any amount of electric lights but the moment the sun rises, it totally removes the darkness of night. ‘ Jasu vachan ravi karni kar' - the Spiritual Master wipes out the darkness of ignorance through spiritual Knowledge. What is human ignorance? It is due to the absence of spiritual knowledge. Some learned scholars are of the opinion that the name of the Guru of St. Tulsidasji was Narhari Das, so this verse refers to him, but Tulsidasji has written ‘ nar roop hari ', which means the one who, in human form, wipes out sins. For such masters, St. Brahamanand Ji said, ‘ Chetan dev ki seva karo nar, janam safal ho jaye tumharo. ' It means that, having been initiated into the treasure of spiritual knowledge after serving the living divinity, the Spiritual Master, be attuned to the primordial Name, because in this Age one can only cross over the ocean of mind with the help of the Name.
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Satsang

Even Lord Rama could not fully describe the greatness of the Name. Lord Shiva is ever merged in the Name. It is written in scriptures that Lord Shiva told Mother Parvati, “I will give you the knowledge of the Name, which is the root of everything”. It is written,“ Ram Rameti Rameti Rame Raame manorame. Sahastra nam tatulyam Ram Nam varanane .” ‘Ram' means ‘that which is vibrating in everyone's heart'. It is omnipresent. How will we know it? Knowledge is required for that. The waves of programs transmitted from various radio and TV stations are present in the atmosphere but you can't hear or see them unless you have a radio and a TV receiver. When we have the proper equipment, we can listen to radio programs or watch TV programs. Likewise, our saints tell us that the Holy Name is omnipresent, but you can't experience it unless you have the proper spiritual technique. Many people think that we cannot know it. But if we cannot know it then why it is written that it is omnipresent?
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Satsang

Water tastes different at various places but its chemical analysis reveals that it is everywhere made up of hydrogen and oxygen. Similarly, in the Ramcharitmanasa,the great saint Tulsidasji described the Holy Name of God thus, “Kahaun kahan lagi naam barai. Ram na sakahin naam guna gayi. Brahma Ram te Naam bara, vardayak vardan. Ram charit sat koti maha, liyo Mahesh jiya jaan. ” Holy Name has been described as the highest as it gives power even to Lord Rama.
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KNOW THE SUPREM MASTER WITHIN

Our saints said, “Sapnehu barray ke dhokehu nikse nam. Take pag ki panwari, mere tan ka cham.” Our human life is successful if even our flesh can be used in the service of true devotees of God. God does not favour great engineers and other learned personalities, rather He is very fond of His devotees. Lord Krishna explained to Udho, “There is no difference between Me and My devotees, in the same way there is no difference between the moon and its light”. So, the glory of God is due to the devotees. If there were no devotees, then who would sing God's glory?

When St. Kabir's fame was spreading, brahmins and mullahs criticized him but St. Kabir went on preaching without bothering even the least. He used to tell the truth to whosoever came to him. He said that our bodies are the real temples and mosques and we have to know Him within.
“Nakli mandir, masjidon me jayen sada afsos hai. Kudarati masjid ka sakin dukh uthane ke liye.”“Tere poojan ko bhagwan bana man mandir alishan.”
It is said that we go to the temples and mosques regularly but we neglect the real temple within our hearts. To truly worship God, we have to enter within our hearts. So, day by day St. Kabir's teachings went on spreading far and wide. People were astonished to see that whoever went to him, fell under his spell and also that none of them said anything when they returned after seeing him. Despite everything St. Kabir said fearlessly, “Kankar pathar jor kar, masjid lai chunay. Ta charh mullah bang de, kya bahira hua khuday. Pathar hi ka dehra, pathar hi ka dev. Poojan hara Andhra, kyon kar mane sev. Pathar dhar dhandha racha, pahan ka jagdish. Mol liya bole nahin, khota biswa bis. Man mathura dil dwarika, kaya kashi jan. Daswa dwara dehra, tame jyoti pahchan. Pandit aur mashalchi, inko sujhe nahin. Auraun ko kare chandna, ap andhere mahin. Pandit pothi bandh ke, de sirhane soy. Wah akshar inme nahin, hansi de bhaven roy .”
“Mosques are built with stones and pebbles and at the top of these mosques the mullah loudly recites Koranic verses as if God is deaf. Buildings as well as deities are made of stone. The worshippers are blind and they think that a god made of stones is the true Almighty. They purchase their stone god from the market. This is all false. Whereas the mind is like Mathura , the heart is Dwarika, the human body is Kashi. The tenth door in the human body within which the Divine Light is to be experienced must be opened. Pandits (priests) and Mashalchi (torchbearers) are both blind. They claim to enlighten others but they themselves ever remain in the dark. The pandit sleeps with holy books beneath his pillow. The truth is that the indestructible entity, the Holy Name of God, is not in these religious books. Now you may either cry or laugh.”
Hearing such ideas, the mullahs and pandits of the city assembled together, then went to the king, Dharamdas, and complained that the weaver, Kabir, was spoiling people's religious beliefs and that it is the job of priests and mullahs alone to talk on religious topics. They further said that Kabir posed as a religious master for both Hindus and Muslims. He forced people to eat his leftovers and to drink the water in which his feet had been washed and he asked them all to eat together. They unequivocally requested the king to stop Kabir from doing such irreligious things.
King Dharmdas listened to their complaints then called St. Kabir and asked in front of all of them, “Why do you criticize deities, mosques and temples?” St. Kabir replied, “I neither criticize nor praise anything. I speak only the truth. You may also think about it. What good can deities, who can't protect themselves, do for us? The mullah recites the verses of Koran so loudly. Is God deaf? They say that they shout to awaken sleeping mankind, but even roosters do this.”

King Dharmdas then asked St. Kabir about his philosophy and whether he considered all these to be false. St. Kabir replied, “People who put on a show of devotion are all atheists. I talk about God-realisation. I urge people to know the self-effulgent Divine Light within. God is one. He is the Creator, Protector and Destroyer of Hindus, Muslims and everyone. He has the same laws for all. Sun, moon, earth, water, air and fire are the same for all. The process of taking birth and dying is the same for all. Everyone's eyes do the same job of seeing. God is sitting within the heart of all. Divine Light and Holy Name of God are one and exist within everyone's heart. I impart the knowledge of Divine Light and the Holy Name to all, whether Hindu, Muslim, or Christian, so people come to hear me. These pandits and mullahs threaten them and even beat them up but still they continue coming to my satsang. All these pandits and mullahs are wasting their human life because they do not know the Truth, hence they all are troubled and miserable. So they have come to you to complain.” King Dharmdas asked, “Can I also know the Divine Light and Holy Name?” St. Kabir said, “Not only you, but everyone in the world can know it. This is what a human being is meant to know. Dogs, donkeys or pigs cannot know it.” Then the king said, “I also want to know the Divine Light and Holy Name. Please reveal this knowledge to me.” St. Kabir took the king to a private room and imparted the Spiritual Knowledge to him. Then King Dharmdas experienced Divine Light and the Holy Name of God within his heart. From that moment he felt that the external rituals of worshipping, yagya , fire sacrifices, pilgrimage, fasting, Namaj, Roja and all such things are a waste of time and energy without any useful gains. When they emerged from the room, King Dharmdas seated Kabir Saheb on the royal throne and he stood in front of him with folded hands. Today, the egoistic people of this dark age don't respect the Master yet expect to get Spiritual Knowledge! When the pandits and mullahs saw this, they said, “Bravo, Kabir!” and then crept away in silence. King Dharmdas sacrificed all his wealth in the service of the master and thereafter wore a simple loincloth and lived in isolation. Once thousands of disciples were assembled. One of them asked St. Kabir, “Master, is anyone here a perfect disciple?” St. Kabir replied, “No. Dharmdas may be close, but even he is only 3/4 th perfect.” When Dharmdas came to know about this, he prostrated at the feet of St. Kabir and prayed, “Guru Maharaj Ji, what sin have I committed, why is my service 25% less than it should be?” St. Kabir replied, “You sacrificed all your wealth in my service but you kept your body aloof, thinking that it belonged to you. That is why your service is lacking.” So from that day on he served Guru Maharaj Ji in every way. One can get the opportunity of serving the Master only in this human life. But, even after getting this chance, if one does not serve the Master then how will he serve him in any other species? One cannot cross the worldly ocean without the support of the Master. So, it is said,“Karnadhar sadguru drirh nawa. Durlabh saj sulabh kar pawa.” Only the Master can steer the boat of the human body across the worldly ocean and brings within our grasp something very difficult. After one takes shelter in the feet of the Master, it becomes easy for him to cross the worldly ocean. This world is a dreadful river in which live demons such as desire, anger, temptation, lust and ego ready to instantly devour whoever falls in. There are whirlpools of temptations and desires in this river in which everyone drowns. The Master is like a boatman who takes his human passengers across this ocean. Likewise, those entangled in the narrow feelings of caste, creed, Hindu, Muslim, low, high yet are busy merely reading and reciting verses from the scriptures and other books while indulging in pleasures, will be drowned in the worldly ocean. The knowledge of reading and writing is limited to filling the belly. Only spiritual devotion can take us across the worldly ocean but people these days are busy doing various things in the name of devotion because they are ignorant of the True Knowledge. Pandits and mullahs are asking people to memorize what is written in scriptures like Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Koran, Bible, Gita and Ramayana. But, think about it a little! All scriptures are telling us to take shelter in the true Spiritual Master and to receive the Spiritual Knowledge after pleasing him with your service. That Knowledge is of the Divine Light, Chandana, Noor or Param Prakash and the Name which is beyond sixteen vowels and thirty six consonants. So, saints tell us time and again to acquire the knowledge of the Holy Name and remember it. The Master of creation is one, He is within everyone's heart. So it is said, “Sachcha satguru khoj ke, rahiye charanan lay. Mite janma ki kalpana, take purna bhag,” which means, “Search for the true Spiritual Master and surrender at his feet. By doing so, one goes across the worldly ocean easily and such people are very lucky. www.manavdharam.org

Satsang

Through the binding force of the Knowledge, we can transcend all hindrances and obstacles. Spiritual knowledge is the supreme Light. To remain ever submerged in one's soul is the purest pilgrimage. The Almighty is our greatest benefactor. To become one with the Lord through meditation is the ultimate joy. Devotion to God is the highest action. To realize God is the highest religion of human life and one who follows this, makes his life a success.
So, having acquired spiritual knowledge we should strive to experience the highest and deepest spiritual peace.
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Satsang

If you observe a fan hanging from the ceiling, you will notice that its blades move, but the rod from where it hangs is stationary. All the planets are revolving round the sun but the sun is stationary. St Kabir explains this through a song: “ Chalti Chaki dekh ke, diya Kabeera roy. Do patan ke bich me, sabut bacha na koy .” He is saying that the seeds which fall between the two stones of a grinder get crushed. His son and disciple, Kamaal, was sitting listening. He humbly replied, “Master, there is a way to be saved from this grinder and that is: “ Chalti chaki dekh ke diya Kamaal bathay. Jo kili se lag rahe, tako kaal na khay .” The seeds which stick to the axle of the grinder, which is stationary and beyond any change, are not crushed. Similarly, St Tulsidas Ji writes in the Ramcharitmanasa that the energy of God, Siya-Ram, is everywhere.
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Satsang

There are many similarities between Islamic rituals and the worship of Lord Shiva. The Muslim breaks his fast ( Roja ) when he sees the moon and Lord Shiva is known as Chandradhari (the Moon-bearer). There is no image on a shivaling ( symbol of Shiva) and Islam also does not believe in idols or images. The shivaling is made of black stone and the Kaba, which is called the home of ‘Khuda' (Allah) is also made of black stone. So, we should take inspiration from Lord Shiva, we should take inspiration from spirituality. Know that which is meditated upon by Lord Shiva Himself. It is written in the Shiv Swaroday that a person takes 21,600 breaths in 24 hours. He spends 12 hours in worldly activities, taking rest, eating and drinking and completes 10800 pranayams (breaths). If we remove the last two zeroes, then 108 remains. That is why a rosary, which is associated with the action of breathing, has 108 beads.
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