Dialogue with the Lord During Meditation
Let the Sadhak retire to a solitary place and take his seat in a Yogic posture like the Swastik, Siddh or the Lotus, on a seat made either of the holy Kush grass or of wool, keeping his spine erect, and without feeling any inconvenience. Let him then withdraw his senses from their respective objects and renouncing all worldly thoughts make the mind totally void of impressions. Thereafter, let him invoke the Lord, the Diety of his heart, in a pure state of mind, free of sloth and full of dispassion. He should know that when the Lord will appear before him during meditation, the mind will be full of joy, peace and light and although his eyes may remain closed he will, as if, see the whole universe lighted up by a supernatural light. Where there is peace there will be no distraction, and where the light of knowledge shines there will be no sleep or sloth. He should firmly believe that when God is invoked and prayers are offered to Him, the Lord appears before the devotee during meditation. There should be no difficulty in meditating on the form of one’s favourite diety. If it is said that one can meditate upon only an object already perceived but it is not possible to meditate on an entirely unknown object; correct, but meditation on a divine form is possible by reading the description of a form in the scriptures or hearing the same from the lips of saints, or selecting a picture of the Deity which appeals to one’s heart. Therefore, the Sadhak should invoke the Deity by closing his eyes. If such invocation fails to bring the Lord, let him loudly chant His names and virtues, offer Him prayers and hymns and go on repeating the invocation with full faith and love in a voice choked with emotion. Full of hope that the Lord will come, and expectant of His arrival, let the devotee chant the hymn—
एक बात मैं पूछहु तोही।
कारन कवन बिसारेहु मोही॥
“(O Lord) one thing I ask Thee. Why hast Thou forgotten me.”
Let him, then, believe that the Lord has appeared before him, and stands in the air at a distance of about two feet from him. Carefully observing every part of that divine form, from feet to head, let him chant—
नाथ सकल साधनकर हीना।
कीन्ही कृपा जानि जन दीना॥
“O Lord, though I am deficient in every form of spiritual discipline, Thou hast shown me Thy grace knowing me to be poor in spirit.”
‘O Lord, I have no spiritual practice to my credit, and yet You have shown me Your favour finding me poor and helpless. I possess nothing on the strength of which I can claim Your vision even in meditation. But You have granted me this vision knowing me to be humble in spirit.’
Thus, on the appearance of the Lord during meditation, the Sadhak will start conversation with Him:—
Sadhak—O Lord, why do You take such a long time to appear even at the time of meditation? Why do You not come the moment You are sought? Why do You keep one longing for such a length of time.
Lord—In keeping you longing lies your greatest good.
Sadhak—I do not understand what good lies in the longing. I think good lies only in Your instant appearance.
Lord—There is a special gain in the delay in My appearance. The separation is then intensely felt and the desire for union is accentuated. Appearance at that state leads to a special kind of joy. When there is intense hunger, food tastes sweet like nectar.
Sadhak—Very well. But if the appearance is much delayed, the Sadhak being disappointed, may give up his meditation.
Lord—If faith in Me is so weak that delay in My appearance may tire out the Sadhak and cause him give up meditation, what purpose will be served by My appearing before him?
Sadhak—All right. But Your appearance will increase his fascination in You. That will make him intensify his spiritual efforts. Therefore, it seems to me proper that You should appear the moment a Sadhak calls out for You.
Lord—Proper is that what I Myself consider to be proper, and I do only that which is proper.
Sadhak—O Lord, I should certainly assume as You say, but the mind is exceptionally base. It prevents me from accepting it. What You say is no doubt the truth, and yet I like that You should appear the moment I call you. Please tell me what is the nature of that cry which, when uttered even once, compels You to appear.
Lord—I may appear like that when a Sadhak gets restless on account of My separation even as the Gopis were or when he cries out through distress even as Draupadi and Gajendra did with love and faith in Me.
Or, I may appear even unasked before a devotee, who like Prahlad, practises devotion without any interested motive.
Sadhak—Why do You appear after making the devotee feel intensely agitated over Your separation? Why do You make him pass through the agony of separation?
Lord—The agony of separation has a very high place. It intensifies divine love. And then the devotee cannot bear the separation even for a moment. Thus he attains Me forever. He never leaves Me after once realizing Me. Bharat had suffered the agony of separation for fourteen long years, but thereafter he never left Me.
Sadhak—Whenever You required anything to be done, You entrusted either Lakshman or Shatrughna to do it, and not Bharat. What was the secret of it?
Lord—Owing to excess of Love, Bharat could not bear separation from Me.
Sadhak—Then, how had he borne it for fourteen years?
Lord—He had to bear it under my order, but this separation intensified his love so greatly that thereafter he had never to suffer separation from Me.
Sadhak—While ordaining that long separation, what was the special good You intended for Bharat?
Lord—Through the experience of separation for fourteen years, he learnt the true secret of separation and union. Then, he began to feel even a moment’s separation as long in duration as that of an age. Without that, how could he develop this intense attraction for Me?
Sadhak—The pain of separation may develop despair as well in a Sadhak.
Lord—I have already said that it is useless for Me to appear before such a Sadhak.
Sadhak—Then, what should such Sadhaks do to gain the privilege of Your sight?
Lord—He should try his utmost to increase love and faith in Me.
Sadhak—Is it, then, wholly impossible to gain Your vision without faith and love?
Lord—Yes, it is wholly impossible. This is the rule.
Sadhak—Can you not make a relaxation?
Lord—If I make a relaxation in favour of one, and refuse to do it with regard to another, I shall be guilty of partiality of conduct. Ralaxtion cannot be made with regard to all.
Sadhak—Is there any circumstance when this rule is not applied?
Lord—Yes, there is. This rule is not applied when a person departs from this world. At that time mere remembrance of Me, whether with or without faith and love, will lead to My realization.
Sadhak—Why is this relaxation made with regard to the departing soul?
Lord—His life is then coming to its end. He is leaving the human body for an indefinite period of time. That is why at that moment the rule is specially relaxed with reference to him.
Sadhak—It is quite in the fitness of things that this special relaxation should be made with regard to the departing soul. But at the time of death control over the mind, intellect and senses is lost; therefore, it may not be within the power of man to remember You at that critical moment.
Lord—For that purpose the habit of constant remembrance of Me should be formed. He who cultivates this habit will certainly remember Me at the last moment.
Sadhak—I have a desire that I may maintain constant remembrance of You, and I try also to maintain it, but the fickle and wayward mind does not allow me to do so. What should I do under this circumstance?
Lord—Withdraw the mind from wherever it goes. Argue with it as you would do with a loving friend, and try again and again to fix it on Me. Or, knowing Me to be present in every object meditate on Me in the very object which may tempt it.
Sadhak—I heard this advice from others also, have read about it and understand its efficacy. But I forget it when the mind begins to wander. That is why I fail to maintain constant remembrance of You.
Lord—You are subject to this bad habit because of your worldly attachments. For removal of these attachments and rectification of the habit you should cultivate association with saints (Satsang) and practise Jap of My name.
Sadhak—Both these are done by me to a certain extent, and I recognize their efficacy, but it is my unfortune that I cannot continue them for all times.
Lord—Where lies your misfortune in this? It is due to the deficiency of effort on your part.
Sadhak—O Lord, are the Bhajan and Satsang subject to effort? I have heard that Satsang is possible only when there is an accumulation of one’s past merits.
Lord—When a Sadhak makes effort for the practice of Bhajan, subordinating himself either to Me or to a saint, it will certainly bring him success. Evil association, worldly attachments and stored up latencies of past Karm no doubt hinder his progress, but these obstacles are removed through the intense practice of Bhajan. Then his progress will become steady and faith and love will increase. Obstacles cannot come close to him. Prarabdh brings him only enjoyments according to his past Karm. It cannot frustrate new virtuous deeds. Obstacles appear because of the weakness of the Sadhak. Apart from past merits, Satsang may be obtained through My grace even by the efforts of a Sadhak, when it is made with reverence and devotion.
Sadhak—O Lord, there are men who try to obtain Satsang but when they fail to obtain it, they begin to denounce their fate. Is this proper for them?
Lord—Well, there is a danger of self-deception in this. It may bring slackness in spiritual effort. If after the best of efforts one fails to obtain Satsang then it can be so conceded, but even then instead of blaming the Prarabdh, the proper course should be to blame the deficiencies in reverence and devotion, for through reverence and devotion new Prarabdh may be created that may bring the most auspicious gift of Satsang.
Sadhak—O Lord, why do You extol the glory of Satsang so highly?
Lord—Without Satsang practices like Bhajan, meditation and selfless service are not possible, and exclusive love for Me cannot be developed. Without it realization of Me is difficult. That is why I extol Satsang so highly.
Sadhak—O Lord, then tell me what should be done to obtain Satsang?
Lord—I have already told you that when one makes an effort with faith and devotion to obtain Satsang, he may obtain it through My grace.
Sadhak—Now, I shall make further and more determined effort to obtain Satsang. From You also I seek help that I may have constant Bhajan and meditation with a heart full of love, and without any selfish motive.
Lord—What you seek is quite right so far as your understanding goes, but your mind does not relish it so well as it does enjoyment of worldly objects.
Sadhak—Yes, Lord, I do wish it from the intellect, but the mind is a veritable rascal. That is why when it does not relish Bhajan and meditation, I am helpless before it. It is one more reason why You should specially help me.
Lord—If the mind does not relish Bhajan and meditation, even then you should continue to try to fix it in those practices. Gradually it will get the relish, and then proper Bhajan and meditation will be possible.
Sadhak—I have been trying according to my capacity and power, but the result has not yet been quite satisfactory. That is why I feel somewhat disheartened. I have faith that I may succeed through Your grace. That is why You should bestow Your special grace.
Lord—No, You should not lose heart. Everything is possible if the burden is shifted on Me, that is all right, but out of deference to My instructions you should also put forth your best effort. Never delude yourself into the belief that you have done all that is humanly possible; there is yet a good deal of deficiency in your effort. You have not yet devoted all your strength to it. Therefore, you should strive quite earnestly.
Sadhak—Taking shelter under You, I shall no doubt strive again, but O Lord, success depends only on Your grace.
Lord—It is a matter of your love that you have faith in Me. But take care that it may not lead you to the error of slackness in your effort. I say that you should put more strength into your exertion. When that is My instruction, there is no reason why your exertion should lose its strength. It is only your mind which is playing this deception on you. Never allow the mind to entertain any thought of despair; nourish it always with hope.
Sadhak—When I fail to obtain peace and joy, I get discouraged.
Lord—When you depend on Me, why do you turn your thought to the success of an effort? That is also a form of desire.
Sadhak—No doubt it is a desire, but its purpose is to advance Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—When you have taken refuge in Me, why do you worry for peace and joy so that your Bhajan and meditation may advance? You should devote your attention to carry out My instruction, and not to the fruit of your effort.
Sadhak—Failure in the effort will bring loss of hope, and loss of hope will interfere with Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—That is all right, nevertheless there should be no loss of hope because of a certain amount of failure in effort. With faith in Me, and out of deference to My instruction, one should gradually go on increasing his zeal.
Sadhak—This is quite proper and reasonable, and yet, O Lord, when there is no peace and joy, loss of hope is forced on me.
Lord—If such is the case, you do not seem to follow my instruction with care and attention. You are a subject to deception by the mind.
Sadhak—O Lord, is this not caused by the stored up impressions of my past sins? Are they not damping my ardour?
Lord—When one surrenders oneself to Me, his all sins are destroyed.
Sadhak—Yes, Lord, I know this; but where is that complete surrender in my case? I have been making only a lip profession of surrender to You.
Lord—I do not abandon even one who makes a lip profession of surrender to Me. But you should try your best to surrender yourself in consonance with the sentiment of your heart.
Sadhak—I try my best, but the vagaries of the mind make me quite helpless.
Lord—It is an error on your part to regard that you are trying your best. As a matter of fact you try very little, but regard it as a large effort.
Sadhak—I shall make special attempt to remedy this defect. But owing to fondness for the body, attachment to objects of worldly enjoyment and fickleness of the mind, it appears to me very hard to succeed in the attempt to complete surrender without the help of Your grace.
Lord—You regard it hard, therefore it appears hard. Really it is not so.
Sadhak—Why should I not regard it hard? Through practical experience I find it to be so.
Lord—If that is your experience, let it be so; but you should fix your attention exclusively on my words.
Sadhak—Depending on Your grace I shall try from now that it may not appear diffcult to me. But I have heard that all sins get destroyed through even a slight practice of Jap of Your name and meditation on Your form. You Yourself and the scriptures say so; then why are my mental impulses so foul? However slight and defective they may be, Bhajan and meditation are performed to a certain extent even by me.
Lord—It is true that sins get destroyed through the practices of Bhajan and meditation. But who believes in this? You also do not possess full faith in this, for you yourself regard that your sins are not destroyed, and they remain as they were before.
Sadhak—What is the cause of this lack of faith?
Lord—Association with persons who are vile1 and unbelievers2 and stored up impressions of sin and evil impulses.
Vile persons are those who indulge in activities prohibited by the scriptures viz., falsehood, deception, theft, adultery, killing of animals, etc.
Unbelievers are those who have no faith in God and do not believe in the scriptures like the Shrutis, Smrtis etc.
Sadhak—Are sin and evil impulses two different things?
Lord—Theft, adultery, falsehood, killing of animals, hypocrisy, etc., are sins; attraction, repulsion, lust, anger, arrogance, egotism, etc. are evil impulses.
Sadhak—How are they to be destroyed?
Lord—The best way of destroying them is to devote oneself disinterestedly to the practices of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang, etc.
Sadhak—Some say that when dispassion is developed, evils like attraction and repulsion get automatically destroyed, and thereafter, Bhajan and meditation can be practised in a satisfactory way.
Lord—Yes, it is true that dispassion helps to advance Bhajan and meditation. But without purification of the inner senses firm dispassion does not arise. If you say that dispassion may be developed by cultivation of thoughts of sorrow and evil involved in the body and worldly enjoyments, it is all right. But these thoughts also develop as the result of the practices enunciated above. Therefore, even staking their life, effort should be made for carrying on the practices of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang.
Sadhak—O Lord, now please tell me when You will grant me Your direct vision.
Lord—Why do you worry over this? I shall do so when it appears quite appropriate to me. When the time arrives the physician himself prescribes regular diet for the patient. The patient should completely depend on the physician for this.
Sadhak—I admit it. But when the patient feels hungry, he does say, “When shall I get food?” He who is afflicted with a strong hunger cannot but go on asking for food.
Lord—The physician knows whether the appetite of the patient is true or false. If he refrains from prescribing food even when the patient feels a strong hunger, the restraint is all for the patients’s good.
Sadhak—This is so, I admit; but I do not understand what good may underlie in withholding the vision. I see good involved only in Your granting him the vision. Untimely given food may bring harm to a patient but Your vision can never bring any harm; on the contrary, it brings supreme good; therefore, Your realization cannot be compared to the diet of a patient.
Lord—The physician prescribes in proper time the diet which (he feels) will contribute to the gradual recovery of the patient. In this matter the patient has to depend on the judgment of the physician. The physician allows solid food to the patient when he thinks the true appetite is awakened in the patient and this brings no harm to the patient. Though My realization brings supreme good, yet this is not possible without the awakening of true appetite in the form of development of full love and faith in me.
Sadhak—There is great deficiency in me so for as love and faith are concerned, and I consider it very hard to remove this defect. Therefore, Your vision is certainly most difficult, if not impossible in my case.
Lord—It is an error on your part to hold this view. The vision is delayed because of this view.
Sadhak—What else can I do if I do not hold this view? Why should I not hold it? Divine vision is impossible without full faith and love, and I find myself wholly deficient in both these respects.
Lord—Can this deficiency not be removed?
Sadhak—It may be; but if the rate of progress is the same as it was in the past, it is not possible for the deficiency to disappear in this life.
Lord—Why do you yourself put an obstacle in the way of your progress by holding this view? Can the work of a hundred years not be accomplished in the course of a minute?
Sadhak—Yes, everything is possible through Your grace.
Lord—Then why did you come to the conclusion that the accomplishment was impossible in this life?
Sadhak—This is my foolishness, but now please have mercy on me, Lord ! That I may soon develop full faith in and exclusive love for you.
Lord—Do I not want that you should develop this? Do I put any obstacle in the way of this development?
Sadhak—There can be no question of putting obstacle in this matter. You are no doubt rendering me the necessary aid and yet there is delay in my having faith and love. That is why I pray for Your grace.
Lord—That is all right. But in order to remove the deficiencies of faith and love you should rely on Me and make the best possible effort.
Sadhak—O Lord, I have heard it said that these deficiencies may be removed if one weeps before You. Is this a fact?
Lord—That weeping is a different kind of weeping.
Sadhak—What is that and how it is made?
Lord—That weeping proceeds from the heart as a man in distress weeps sincerely for the removal of distress.
Sadhak—I understand. I wish I could weep like this, but it does not always proceed from the heart.
Lord—This shows that you only think you should weep but do not feel so in your heart.
Sadhak—O Lord, if the heart begins to seek it, why should I pray to You? I solicit Your aid because there is no seeking from the heart.
Lord—My aid can be gained when one is devoted to carrying out My instructions. Believe that the most difficult task can be easily accomplished when one is sincere in obeying my instructions.
Sadhak—Lord, I shall certainly do as You ask me, but the progress will assuredly depend on Your grace. I am only an instrument. Therefore, knowing this to be Your instruction I shall make a special effort to carry it out. As an instrument, please make me do, whatever You desire me to do.
Lord—Take care that this view may not lead you to be a shirker.
Sadhak—O Lord, is it shirking if I ask for aid from You?
Lord—While seeking aid, if one avoids labour and trouble to the body, and does not carry out instructions, this is called shirking. Fixing the mind on Me, go on carrying out whatever I said. Do not contemplate on what happened in the past or will happen in future. Go on observing cheerfully whatever comes to pass. This is what is called practice of surrender. Believe that everything is possible of attainment through the practice of this form of surrender.
Sadhak—I have faith in this, but restlessness makes me forget it and the attention is automatically dragged to the attainment of supreme peace and supreme bliss as goal.
Lord—Why not devote your attention exclusively to the work itself, as you devote it to the fruit of action? When My instructions are sincerely carried out, it leads to the growth of faith and love and ultimately to My realization.
Sadhak—But, O Lord, without the growth of faith and love in You, even the carrying out of Your instructions does not become possible.
Lord—You already possess the amount of faith and love necessary for carrying out My instructions.
Sadhak—Then, why do I fail to carry out Your instructions in full?
Lord—Accumulated impressions of past sins, attachment, hatred, lust, anger and similar other evils act as obstacles.
Sadhak—How are these to be annihilated?
Lord—I have already said that these are annihilated by practices like Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang.
Sadhak—I shall try to make special effort to devote myself to these practices. But success in this also will depend on Your grace.
Lord—You may get any amount of aid you may seek from Me.
Sadhak—O Lord, some people say that the vision of God is gained only through the eyes of knowledge and not through physical eyes. What is the truth about this?
Lord—What they say is not correct. In the form a devotee wants to see Me, I can manifest Myself before him.
Sadhak—Your form being divine, how is it possible for the physical eyes to see the same?
Lord—Through My grace, I give him such power with the aid of which he can see My divine form even with the physical eyes.
Sadhak—When You manifest Your divine form, do all the people present at the place gain Your sight, or only a select few among them.
Lord—It may happen, as I desire it to happen.
Sadhak—Physical sight is equally possessed by all, then how does it happen that some people see You, and others do not?
Lord—There is nothing to wonder in this. Through the application of Yogic power even a Yogi can act like this. Though present before a multitude, he may be actually seen by some, and not by others.
Sadhak—When You appear before a crowd of people, do all men in the crowd see You as possessing the same form, or You appear differently before different persons?
Lord—I can appear both—as possessing the same form as well as in different forms before different persons. This happens according to the eligibility of the observer. In other words, whatever the thoughts of the devotee, or the character of his love and faith, I appear so before him.
Sadhak—How do observers remain deficient in faith even when You are directly manifested before them? Please explain this with illustration.
Lord—I can manifest Myself before a multitude though the people comprising it may be deficient in faith, or may even lack the same. And when I am manifested, people may look upon Me. Some with more faith and some with less. This is illustrated by My manifestation in universal form in the court of Duryodhan, where I was seen by people according to their thoughts and sentiments and many people could not even see Me.
Sadhak—When You appear on earth as an incarnation, people must see You as possessing a form which is same to all.
Lord—At the time of incarnation also, I appear to people according to the nature of their thought.*
* जाकी रही भावना जैसी।
प्रभु मूरति देखी तिन तैसी॥
Dialogue with the Lord during Meditation
Let the Sadhak retire to a solitary place and take his seat in a Yogic posture like the Swastik, Siddh or the Lotus, on a seat made either of the holy Kush grass or of wool, keeping his spine erect, and without feeling any inconvenience. Let him then withdraw his senses from their respective objects and renouncing all worldly thoughts make the mind totally void of impressions. Thereafter, let him invoke the Lord, the Diety of his heart, in a pure state of mind, free of sloth and full of dispassion. He should know that when the Lord will appear before him during meditation, the mind will be full of joy, peace and light and although his eyes may remain closed he will, as if, see the whole universe lighted up by a supernatural light. Where there is peace there will be no distraction, and where the light of knowledge shines there will be no sleep or sloth. He should firmly believe that when God is invoked and prayers are offered to Him, the Lord appears before the devotee during meditation. There should be no difficulty in meditating on the form of one’s favourite diety. If it is said that one can meditate upon only an object already perceived but it is not possible to meditate on an entirely unknown object; correct, but meditation on a divine form is possible by reading the description of a form in the scriptures or hearing the same from the lips of saints, or selecting a picture of the Deity which appeals to one’s heart. Therefore, the Sadhak should invoke the Deity by closing his eyes. If such invocation fails to bring the Lord, let him loudly chant His names and virtues, offer Him prayers and hymns and go on repeating the invocation with full faith and love in a voice choked with emotion. Full of hope that the Lord will come, and expectant of His arrival, let the devotee chant the hymn—
एक बात मैं पूछहु तोही।
कारन कवन बिसारेहु मोही॥
“(O Lord) one thing I ask Thee. Why hast Thou forgotten me.”
Let him, then, believe that the Lord has appeared before him, and stands in the air at a distance of about two feet from him. Carefully observing every part of that divine form, from feet to head, let him chant—
नाथ सकल साधनकर हीना।
कीन्ही कृपा जानि जन दीना॥
“O Lord, though I am deficient in every form of spiritual discipline, Thou hast shown me Thy grace knowing me to be poor in spirit.”
‘O Lord, I have no spiritual practice to my credit, and yet You have shown me Your favour finding me poor and helpless. I possess nothing on the strength of which I can claim Your vision even in meditation. But You have granted me this vision knowing me to be humble in spirit.’
Thus, on the appearance of the Lord during meditation, the Sadhak will start conversation with Him:—
Sadhak—O Lord, why do You take such a long time to appear even at the time of meditation? Why do You not come the moment You are sought? Why do You keep one longing for such a length of time.
Lord—In keeping you longing lies your greatest good.
Sadhak—I do not understand what good lies in the longing. I think good lies only in Your instant appearance.
Lord—There is a special gain in the delay in My appearance. The separation is then intensely felt and the desire for union is accentuated. Appearance at that state leads to a special kind of joy. When there is intense hunger, food tastes sweet like nectar.
Sadhak—Very well. But if the appearance is much delayed, the Sadhak being disappointed, may give up his meditation.
Lord—If faith in Me is so weak that delay in My appearance may tire out the Sadhak and cause him give up meditation, what purpose will be served by My appearing before him?
Sadhak—All right. But Your appearance will increase his fascination in You. That will make him intensify his spiritual efforts. Therefore, it seems to me proper that You should appear the moment a Sadhak calls out for You.
Lord—Proper is that what I Myself consider to be proper, and I do only that which is proper.
Sadhak—O Lord, I should certainly assume as You say, but the mind is exceptionally base. It prevents me from accepting it. What You say is no doubt the truth, and yet I like that You should appear the moment I call you. Please tell me what is the nature of that cry which, when uttered even once, compels You to appear.
Lord—I may appear like that when a Sadhak gets restless on account of My separation even as the Gopis were or when he cries out through distress even as Draupadi and Gajendra did with love and faith in Me.
Or, I may appear even unasked before a devotee, who like Prahlad, practises devotion without any interested motive.
Sadhak—Why do You appear after making the devotee feel intensely agitated over Your separation? Why do You make him pass through the agony of separation?
Lord—The agony of separation has a very high place. It intensifies divine love. And then the devotee cannot bear the separation even for a moment. Thus he attains Me forever. He never leaves Me after once realizing Me. Bharat had suffered the agony of separation for fourteen long years, but thereafter he never left Me.
Sadhak—Whenever You required anything to be done, You entrusted either Lakshman or Shatrughna to do it, and not Bharat. What was the secret of it?
Lord—Owing to excess of Love, Bharat could not bear separation from Me.
Sadhak—Then, how had he borne it for fourteen years?
Lord—He had to bear it under my order, but this separation intensified his love so greatly that thereafter he had never to suffer separation from Me.
Sadhak—While ordaining that long separation, what was the special good You intended for Bharat?
Lord—Through the experience of separation for fourteen years, he learnt the true secret of separation and union. Then, he began to feel even a moment’s separation as long in duration as that of an age. Without that, how could he develop this intense attraction for Me?
Sadhak—The pain of separation may develop despair as well in a Sadhak.
Lord—I have already said that it is useless for Me to appear before such a Sadhak.
Sadhak—Then, what should such Sadhaks do to gain the privilege of Your sight?
Lord—He should try his utmost to increase love and faith in Me.
Sadhak—Is it, then, wholly impossible to gain Your vision without faith and love?
Lord—Yes, it is wholly impossible. This is the rule.
Sadhak—Can you not make a relaxation?
Lord—If I make a relaxation in favour of one, and refuse to do it with regard to another, I shall be guilty of partiality of conduct. Ralaxtion cannot be made with regard to all.
Sadhak—Is there any circumstance when this rule is not applied?
Lord—Yes, there is. This rule is not applied when a person departs from this world. At that time mere remembrance of Me, whether with or without faith and love, will lead to My realization.
Sadhak—Why is this relaxation made with regard to the departing soul?
Lord—His life is then coming to its end. He is leaving the human body for an indefinite period of time. That is why at that moment the rule is specially relaxed with reference to him.
Sadhak—It is quite in the fitness of things that this special relaxation should be made with regard to the departing soul. But at the time of death control over the mind, intellect and senses is lost; therefore, it may not be within the power of man to remember You at that critical moment.
Lord—For that purpose the habit of constant remembrance of Me should be formed. He who cultivates this habit will certainly remember Me at the last moment.
Sadhak—I have a desire that I may maintain constant remembrance of You, and I try also to maintain it, but the fickle and wayward mind does not allow me to do so. What should I do under this circumstance?
Lord—Withdraw the mind from wherever it goes. Argue with it as you would do with a loving friend, and try again and again to fix it on Me. Or, knowing Me to be present in every object meditate on Me in the very object which may tempt it.
Sadhak—I heard this advice from others also, have read about it and understand its efficacy. But I forget it when the mind begins to wander. That is why I fail to maintain constant remembrance of You.
Lord—You are subject to this bad habit because of your worldly attachments. For removal of these attachments and rectification of the habit you should cultivate association with saints (Satsang) and practise Jap of My name.
Sadhak—Both these are done by me to a certain extent, and I recognize their efficacy, but it is my unfortune that I cannot continue them for all times.
Lord—Where lies your misfortune in this? It is due to the deficiency of effort on your part.
Sadhak—O Lord, are the Bhajan and Satsang subject to effort? I have heard that Satsang is possible only when there is an accumulation of one’s past merits.
Lord—When a Sadhak makes effort for the practice of Bhajan, subordinating himself either to Me or to a saint, it will certainly bring him success. Evil association, worldly attachments and stored up latencies of past Karm no doubt hinder his progress, but these obstacles are removed through the intense practice of Bhajan. Then his progress will become steady and faith and love will increase. Obstacles cannot come close to him. Prarabdh brings him only enjoyments according to his past Karm. It cannot frustrate new virtuous deeds. Obstacles appear because of the weakness of the Sadhak. Apart from past merits, Satsang may be obtained through My grace even by the efforts of a Sadhak, when it is made with reverence and devotion.
Sadhak—O Lord, there are men who try to obtain Satsang but when they fail to obtain it, they begin to denounce their fate. Is this proper for them?
Lord—Well, there is a danger of self-deception in this. It may bring slackness in spiritual effort. If after the best of efforts one fails to obtain Satsang then it can be so conceded, but even then instead of blaming the Prarabdh, the proper course should be to blame the deficiencies in reverence and devotion, for through reverence and devotion new Prarabdh may be created that may bring the most auspicious gift of Satsang.
Sadhak—O Lord, why do You extol the glory of Satsang so highly?
Lord—Without Satsang practices like Bhajan, meditation and selfless service are not possible, and exclusive love for Me cannot be developed. Without it realization of Me is difficult. That is why I extol Satsang so highly.
Sadhak—O Lord, then tell me what should be done to obtain Satsang?
Lord—I have already told you that when one makes an effort with faith and devotion to obtain Satsang, he may obtain it through My grace.
Sadhak—Now, I shall make further and more determined effort to obtain Satsang. From You also I seek help that I may have constant Bhajan and meditation with a heart full of love, and without any selfish motive.
Lord—What you seek is quite right so far as your understanding goes, but your mind does not relish it so well as it does enjoyment of worldly objects.
Sadhak—Yes, Lord, I do wish it from the intellect, but the mind is a veritable rascal. That is why when it does not relish Bhajan and meditation, I am helpless before it. It is one more reason why You should specially help me.
Lord—If the mind does not relish Bhajan and meditation, even then you should continue to try to fix it in those practices. Gradually it will get the relish, and then proper Bhajan and meditation will be possible.
Sadhak—I have been trying according to my capacity and power, but the result has not yet been quite satisfactory. That is why I feel somewhat disheartened. I have faith that I may succeed through Your grace. That is why You should bestow Your special grace.
Lord—No, You should not lose heart. Everything is possible if the burden is shifted on Me, that is all right, but out of deference to My instructions you should also put forth your best effort. Never delude yourself into the belief that you have done all that is humanly possible; there is yet a good deal of deficiency in your effort. You have not yet devoted all your strength to it. Therefore, you should strive quite earnestly.
Sadhak—Taking shelter under You, I shall no doubt strive again, but O Lord, success depends only on Your grace.
Lord—It is a matter of your love that you have faith in Me. But take care that it may not lead you to the error of slackness in your effort. I say that you should put more strength into your exertion. When that is My instruction, there is no reason why your exertion should lose its strength. It is only your mind which is playing this deception on you. Never allow the mind to entertain any thought of despair; nourish it always with hope.
Sadhak—When I fail to obtain peace and joy, I get discouraged.
Lord—When you depend on Me, why do you turn your thought to the success of an effort? That is also a form of desire.
Sadhak—No doubt it is a desire, but its purpose is to advance Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—When you have taken refuge in Me, why do you worry for peace and joy so that your Bhajan and meditation may advance? You should devote your attention to carry out My instruction, and not to the fruit of your effort.
Sadhak—Failure in the effort will bring loss of hope, and loss of hope will interfere with Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—That is all right, nevertheless there should be no loss of hope because of a certain amount of failure in effort. With faith in Me, and out of deference to My instruction, one should gradually go on increasing his zeal.
Sadhak—This is quite proper and reasonable, and yet, O Lord, when there is no peace and joy, loss of hope is forced on me.
Lord—If such is the case, you do not seem to follow my instruction with care and attention. You are a subject to deception by the mind.
Sadhak—O Lord, is this not caused by the stored up impressions of my past sins? Are they not damping my ardour?
Lord—When one surrenders oneself to Me, his all sins are destroyed.
Sadhak—Yes, Lord, I know this; but where is that complete surrender in my case? I have been making only a lip profession of surrender to You.
Lord—I do not abandon even one who makes a lip profession of surrender to Me. But you should try your best to surrender yourself in consonance with the sentiment of your heart.
Sadhak—I try my best, but the vagaries of the mind make me quite helpless.
Lord—It is an error on your part to regard that you are trying your best. As a matter of fact you try very little, but regard it as a large effort.
Sadhak—I shall make special attempt to remedy this defect. But owing to fondness for the body, attachment to objects of worldly enjoyment and fickleness of the mind, it appears to me very hard to succeed in the attempt to complete surrender without the help of Your grace.
Lord—You regard it hard, therefore it appears hard. Really it is not so.
Sadhak—Why should I not regard it hard? Through practical experience I find it to be so.
Lord—If that is your experience, let it be so; but you should fix your attention exclusively on my words.
Sadhak—Depending on Your grace I shall try from now that it may not appear diffcult to me. But I have heard that all sins get destroyed through even a slight practice of Jap of Your name and meditation on Your form. You Yourself and the scriptures say so; then why are my mental impulses so foul? However slight and defective they may be, Bhajan and meditation are performed to a certain extent even by me.
Lord—It is true that sins get destroyed through the practices of Bhajan and meditation. But who believes in this? You also do not possess full faith in this, for you yourself regard that your sins are not destroyed, and they remain as they were before.
Sadhak—What is the cause of this lack of faith?
Lord—Association with persons who are vile1 and unbelievers2 and stored up impressions of sin and evil impulses.
Vile persons are those who indulge in activities prohibited by the scriptures viz., falsehood, deception, theft, adultery, killing of animals, etc.
Unbelievers are those who have no faith in God and do not believe in the scriptures like the Shrutis, Smrtis etc.
Sadhak—Are sin and evil impulses two different things?
Lord—Theft, adultery, falsehood, killing of animals, hypocrisy, etc., are sins; attraction, repulsion, lust, anger, arrogance, egotism, etc. are evil impulses.
Sadhak—How are they to be destroyed?
Lord—The best way of destroying them is to devote oneself disinterestedly to the practices of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang, etc.
Sadhak—Some say that when dispassion is developed, evils like attraction and repulsion get automatically destroyed, and thereafter, Bhajan and meditation can be practised in a satisfactory way.
Lord—Yes, it is true that dispassion helps to advance Bhajan and meditation. But without purification of the inner senses firm dispassion does not arise. If you say that dispassion may be developed by cultivation of thoughts of sorrow and evil involved in the body and worldly enjoyments, it is all right. But these thoughts also develop as the result of the practices enunciated above. Therefore, even staking their life, effort should be made for carrying on the practices of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang.
Sadhak—O Lord, now please tell me when You will grant me Your direct vision.
Lord—Why do you worry over this? I shall do so when it appears quite appropriate to me. When the time arrives the physician himself prescribes regular diet for the patient. The patient should completely depend on the physician for this.
Sadhak—I admit it. But when the patient feels hungry, he does say, “When shall I get food?” He who is afflicted with a strong hunger cannot but go on asking for food.
Lord—The physician knows whether the appetite of the patient is true or false. If he refrains from prescribing food even when the patient feels a strong hunger, the restraint is all for the patients’s good.
Sadhak—This is so, I admit; but I do not understand what good may underlie in withholding the vision. I see good involved only in Your granting him the vision. Untimely given food may bring harm to a patient but Your vision can never bring any harm; on the contrary, it brings supreme good; therefore, Your realization cannot be compared to the diet of a patient.
Lord—The physician prescribes in proper time the diet which (he feels) will contribute to the gradual recovery of the patient. In this matter the patient has to depend on the judgment of the physician. The physician allows solid food to the patient when he thinks the true appetite is awakened in the patient and this brings no harm to the patient. Though My realization brings supreme good, yet this is not possible without the awakening of true appetite in the form of development of full love and faith in me.
Sadhak—There is great deficiency in me so for as love and faith are concerned, and I consider it very hard to remove this defect. Therefore, Your vision is certainly most difficult, if not impossible in my case.
Lord—It is an error on your part to hold this view. The vision is delayed because of this view.
Sadhak—What else can I do if I do not hold this view? Why should I not hold it? Divine vision is impossible without full faith and love, and I find myself wholly deficient in both these respects.
Lord—Can this deficiency not be removed?
Sadhak—It may be; but if the rate of progress is the same as it was in the past, it is not possible for the deficiency to disappear in this life.
Lord—Why do you yourself put an obstacle in the way of your progress by holding this view? Can the work of a hundred years not be accomplished in the course of a minute?
Sadhak—Yes, everything is possible through Your grace.
Lord—Then why did you come to the conclusion that the accomplishment was impossible in this life?
Sadhak—This is my foolishness, but now please have mercy on me, Lord ! That I may soon develop full faith in and exclusive love for you.
Lord—Do I not want that you should develop this? Do I put any obstacle in the way of this development?
Sadhak—There can be no question of putting obstacle in this matter. You are no doubt rendering me the necessary aid and yet there is delay in my having faith and love. That is why I pray for Your grace.
Lord—That is all right. But in order to remove the deficiencies of faith and love you should rely on Me and make the best possible effort.
Sadhak—O Lord, I have heard it said that these deficiencies may be removed if one weeps before You. Is this a fact?
Lord—That weeping is a different kind of weeping.
Sadhak—What is that and how it is made?
Lord—That weeping proceeds from the heart as a man in distress weeps sincerely for the removal of distress.
Sadhak—I understand. I wish I could weep like this, but it does not always proceed from the heart.
Lord—This shows that you only think you should weep but do not feel so in your heart.
Sadhak—O Lord, if the heart begins to seek it, why should I pray to You? I solicit Your aid because there is no seeking from the heart.
Lord—My aid can be gained when one is devoted to carrying out My instructions. Believe that the most difficult task can be easily accomplished when one is sincere in obeying my instructions.
Sadhak—Lord, I shall certainly do as You ask me, but the progress will assuredly depend on Your grace. I am only an instrument. Therefore, knowing this to be Your instruction I shall make a special effort to carry it out. As an instrument, please make me do, whatever You desire me to do.
Lord—Take care that this view may not lead you to be a shirker.
Sadhak—O Lord, is it shirking if I ask for aid from You?
Lord—While seeking aid, if one avoids labour and trouble to the body, and does not carry out instructions, this is called shirking. Fixing the mind on Me, go on carrying out whatever I said. Do not contemplate on what happened in the past or will happen in future. Go on observing cheerfully whatever comes to pass. This is what is called practice of surrender. Believe that everything is possible of attainment through the practice of this form of surrender.
Sadhak—I have faith in this, but restlessness makes me forget it and the attention is automatically dragged to the attainment of supreme peace and supreme bliss as goal.
Lord—Why not devote your attention exclusively to the work itself, as you devote it to the fruit of action? When My instructions are sincerely carried out, it leads to the growth of faith and love and ultimately to My realization.
Sadhak—But, O Lord, without the growth of faith and love in You, even the carrying out of Your instructions does not become possible.
Lord—You already possess the amount of faith and love necessary for carrying out My instructions.
Sadhak—Then, why do I fail to carry out Your instructions in full?
Lord—Accumulated impressions of past sins, attachment, hatred, lust, anger and similar other evils act as obstacles.
Sadhak—How are these to be annihilated?
Lord—I have already said that these are annihilated by practices like Bhajan, meditation, selfless service and Satsang.
Sadhak—I shall try to make special effort to devote myself to these practices. But success in this also will depend on Your grace.
Lord—You may get any amount of aid you may seek from Me.
Sadhak—O Lord, some people say that the vision of God is gained only through the eyes of knowledge and not through physical eyes. What is the truth about this?
Lord—What they say is not correct. In the form a devotee wants to see Me, I can manifest Myself before him.
Sadhak—Your form being divine, how is it possible for the physical eyes to see the same?
Lord—Through My grace, I give him such power with the aid of which he can see My divine form even with the physical eyes.
Sadhak—When You manifest Your divine form, do all the people present at the place gain Your sight, or only a select few among them.
Lord—It may happen, as I desire it to happen.
Sadhak—Physical sight is equally possessed by all, then how does it happen that some people see You, and others do not?
Lord—There is nothing to wonder in this. Through the application of Yogic power even a Yogi can act like this. Though present before a multitude, he may be actually seen by some, and not by others.
Sadhak—When You appear before a crowd of people, do all men in the crowd see You as possessing the same form, or You appear differently before different persons?
Lord—I can appear both—as possessing the same form as well as in different forms before different persons. This happens according to the eligibility of the observer. In other words, whatever the thoughts of the devotee, or the character of his love and faith, I appear so before him.
Sadhak—How do observers remain deficient in faith even when You are directly manifested before them? Please explain this with illustration.
Lord—I can manifest Myself before a multitude though the people comprising it may be deficient in faith, or may even lack the same. And when I am manifested, people may look upon Me. Some with more faith and some with less. This is illustrated by My manifestation in universal form in the court of Duryodhan, where I was seen by people according to their thoughts and sentiments and many people could not even see Me.
Sadhak—When You appear on earth as an incarnation, people must see You as possessing a form which is same to all.
Lord—At the time of incarnation also, I appear to people according to the nature of their thought.*
- जाकी रही भावना जैसी।
प्रभु मूरति देखी तिन तैसी॥
“Whatever is the conception of the person the Lord’s form appeares so to him.”
Sadhak—Some people say that God, who is the embodiment of existence, knowledge and bliss cannot manifest Himself before a devotee assuming a definite form. The devotees see their own thoughts reflected in the form of their respective deities.
Lord—They say so out of error. They do not know the secret of my form with attributes. Although I am Myself embodiment of existence, knowledge and bliss, through my own Yogic power I manifest Myself in My divine form with attributes for the sake of My devotees. Some Sadhaks, may no doubt in the course of their practice, imagine that they have seen Me through the projection of their mental picture, but that is not regarded as genuine divine vision.
Sadhak—How is a Sadhak to understand whether his vision is genuine, or a mere projection of his mental picture?
Lord—There is a world of difference between direct divine vision and a mental conception. When a Sadhak directly realizes Me, he will develop all the marks of a devotee, and whatever incidents happen at the time will leave their proofs, such as when Dhruv realized Me he attained all knowledge of the scriptures as soon as his chin was touched with the conch, and when I revealed Myself for the sake of Prahlad, I destroyed Hiranyakashipu. These incidents can never be considered as mere imaginations. But when there is a realization of My form only through the imagination the incidents connected therewith will leave no proof.
Sadhak—Some say that God being all-pervading, how is it possible for Him to reveal Himself in a particular point of space? Does not such manifestation refute His All-pervading character?
Lord—No, it does not. Fire is All-pervading, and yet a person desiring it lights it either at one place or in many places, as the case may be, and the god of fire without losing his All-pervading character, manifests himself at one particular place or in many places. My pervasiveness is more extensive and My power infinitely stronger than that of fire. Where is, then, any cause for wonder if I, the All-pervading being, while remaining present everywhere, manifest Myself with all my power intact at one place or simultaneously in many places?
Sadhak—While You are absolute and formless; how do You appear assuming a divine form with attributes?
Lord—Even in a clear sky water exists in the form of atoms, that water comes down as a shower, and it is this very water which is, again, transformed into solid flakes and hails. Similarly, though I am above both the states of Sat and Asat, being and non-being, I am cognizable by the intellect sharpened and purified by divine knowledge. Thereafter, though eternally existing as pure knowledge and bliss when I manifest Myself by My power of Yog as divine light, I appear in the hearts of the Yogis as a brilliant flame and then remaining as flame I manifest Myself in My divine form with attributes and grace. My devotee with a direct vision of that form, even as the sun when manifested, spreads his light over all eyes and gives all the privilege of his sight.
Sadhak—Some say that water being a form of matter, can undergo these transformations; but this is not possible in the case of the changeless soul or spirit.
Lord—These changes do not take place in Me, the changeless spirit. This shows only the effect of My power. I may make possible what is evidently impossible. There is absolutely nothing which is impossible for me.
Sadhak—Tell me, Lord, what is the best means of obtaining Your direct vision?
Lord—Exclusive devotion to Me, i.e., complete surrender.
Sadhak—What are the characteristics a devotee must possess through the practice of exclusive devotion before You meet him?
Lord—When he gains the divine traits. (Gita XVI.1—3).
Sadhak—Do You meet him only after he has developed all the marks defined as divine traits or even before?
Lord—There is no hard and fast rule that he must possess all the divine traits before realization; but possession of exclusive devotion is indispensable.
Sadhak—Inasmuch as You meet him only when there is exclusive devotion, and even when the divine traits are not fully developed, these latter must flower in him subsequent to Your realization.
Lord—Not only these, but many other special virtues then flower in him.
Sadhak—What are those special virtues?
Lord—Equanimity etc. (Gita XII. 13—20).
Sadhak—Do these virtues appear only after Your realization, or even before?
Lord—They appear to a certain extent even before, but after My realization they flower as a matter of course.
Sadhak—What should the devotee do for your realization?
Lord—I have already said that he should completely surrender himself to Me.
Sadhak—Why do You not Yourself take him under Your shelter and make him surrender himself to You?
Lord—It is not My job to enforce surrender in a devotee. The duty of the devotee lies in surrendering himself to Me of his own accord.
Sadhak—Do You extend any help to those who desire to surrender themselves out of reasoning and discrimination?
Lord—He who seeks help out of a sincere heart certainly receives it.
Sadhak—Can worldly prosperity, supernatural powers, the celestials and other beings of the subtle world put any obstacle in the spiritual progress of one who desires to surrender himself to You for Your realization?
Lord—None of these can put any obstacle in his path.
Sadhak—It is generally found that those who cultivate devotion to You have to face many obstacles in life, which sometimes act as hindrances in their spiritual path.
Lord—They have not exclusively surrendered themselves to Me.
Sadhak—Do they gain the supernatural powers like Anima etc., after Your realization?
Lord—The devotee has no need for them.
Sadhak—Can the devotee gain them, if he so desires?
Lord—My devotee can never cherish any desire for them, and if he does he has not exclusively surrendered himself to Me.
Sadhak—After Your realization what right or privilege is gained by Your devotee?
Lord—He does neither believe he has got any right, nor does he seek to gain any.
Sadhak—You can certainly grant him some privilege, even if he may not seek it—is it not so?
Lord—Yes, I grant it to him when I feel necessity of it.
Sadhak—Have You also any requirement?
Lord—Yes, I have. Propagation of the ideas of religion and devotion to God, etc., is necessary for the redemption of the beings in the world. That is My requirement.
Sadhak—How much authority do You grant him at the time?
Lord—It depends on the amount of work I have to take from him.
Sadhak—Do You grant this authority to all Your devotees or to only a selected few among them?
Lord—Except Sadhaks passive or indifferent I may grant the authority to all those who are prepared and willing to accept it with pleasure.
Sadhak—Whom do You regard as qualified to receive the authority in its entirety for the propagation of ideas of religion, right conduct and devotion? What is the character of the devotee to whom You may grant the whole authority?
Lord—I may grant this authority in its entirety to the loving and supremely compassionate devotee of a generous nature who can sacrifice his all spontaneously for the good of others, whose thoughts ever flow towards others for their highest good and who ever feels and remains happy in the happiness of others.
Sadhak—Do not, then, all Your devotees develop the same sentiments after your realization?
Lord—No, they do not. Whatever Nature they develop at the time of their spiritual practice that nature in them subsists even after God-realization. There is total absence of morbid feelings like joy and grief, attraction and repulsion, lust and anger etc., among all of them. Traits like equanimity, peace and bliss are found equally among them and any action in contravention of the injunctions of the scriptures can never be done by them. Though all their activities are in accordance with My injunctions yet they remain different in each individual soul.
Sadhak—What is the reason for this difference in their external activities?
Lord—Some possess the nature of doing spiritual practice in retirement and some of doing service. These external activities differ according to the differences of nature, pre-determined Karm and intellect of the realized souls, as well as differences of place, time and circumstances.
Sadhak—In that case, he is the best among them to whom You may grant the full authority.
Lord—Comparison is out of place here. All of them are best. He who is by nature inclined towards activities is specially entrusted with the responsibility to work.
Sadhak—All should feel an equal enthusiasm in carrying out a work enjoined by You.
Lord—It is true that all of them feel an equal enthusiasm in carrying out my work, but I distribute the work according to their nature. There are some who love to remain constantly by My side, I, therefore, do not send them out. I entrust him with service of the people who is inclined to that form of service. One who is inclined to the life of a recluse, I generally do not entrust him with any work. I distribute the work according to the nature and capacity of such soul.
Sadhak—The devotee should develop the nature that You may entrust any special work to him without any hesitation. What are the best means of developing this nature?
Lord—Unconditional exclusive surrender to Me alone.
Sadhak—Kindly explain for our benefit what is meant by such a surrender?
Lord—Constant remembrance of and meditation on My name and form with consciousness of their virtues and glory, carrying out My instructions for My pleasure without break in remembrance and remaining ever happy in My dispensation.
Sadhak—O Lord, meditation on Your form appeals to my heart also. But the mind is unsteady. It runs away quickly hither and thither. How shall I account for this?
Lord—Owing to attachment the mind finds a pleasure in the enjoyment of worldly things. The accumulated impressions of Karm of many lives do not allow the mind to become steady.
Sadhak—Why does it dwell on useless things which serve no purpose of mine and for which I have no particular attachment?
Lord—By nature the mind is fickle and unsteady. It is its habit to dwell on useless things and it finds a pleasure in such thoughts. This is also a form of attachment, that is why it dwells on such thoughts.
Sadhak—What is to be done to remedy this?
Lord—The mind should be kept within control so that it may not leave the meditation of My form and take to thoughts of worldly things. If that is not sufficient to prevent the continuation of such thoughts, it should be expostulated or forcibly withdrawn from such thoughts and employed again and again with determination in the meditation of My form.
Sadhak—How can the mind be withdrawn from thoughts of other things?
Lord—When a small child picks up a sharp knife, the mother expostulates with the child and removes the knife from its hands. If the child due to ignorance and foolishness begins to resist the mother, the mother will be indifferent to its cries and forcibly take away the knife. Even so, the mind should be remonstrated and cured of its habit of pursuing worldly thoughts; for it is as fickle and unsteady as a small child. It does not and cannot consider the consequent harmful result.
Sadhak—One may not even know when the mind will give him the slip and quickly grasp an object. What should one do to remedy this?
Lord—Just as a mother constantly keeps watch over her child, even so the mind should be watched.
Sadhak—But the mind is fickle, strong and wayward, therefore it appears extremely difficult to control it.
Lord—True, it is somewhat difficult to control, but not so difficult as you imagine it to be. For it can be brought under control through effort. Taking it as difficult, one should not despair. The mother never considers the task of protecting her child difficult. If she does so, the upbringing of her child will be impossible.
Sadhak—Is the mind exactly like a small child?
Lord—No, it is stronger and more wayward than a child.
Sadhak—Then, how is it to be brought under control?
Lord—It can be brought under control, for the intellect is more powerful than the mind, and thou art still more powerful. Just as a mother controls her small child either with the help of a grown-up daughter or holding some temptation before it, and if the child still persists to be wayward she changes its course from evil to good by a show of threat, even so, the mind has to be restrained through the intellect by showing it the evil effects of a life of enjoyment. Thus, withdrawing it from the perishable, transient objects of the world, it should be fixed again and again on Me.
Sadhak—However much I may try on this line, I do not see any prospect of victory.
Lord—Persevere, even if you do not attain victory, do not get depressed. When you have My support, there is no cause for despair. Have faith that if you continue the fight, ultimately the victory is sure to be yours.
Sadhak—O Lord, when I retire to a solitary place and attempt to fix the mind in meditation on You, sleep and lethargy begin to trouble me. Please tell me what I should do to get over this difficulty?
Lord—The food you take should be light and Sattvic. You should sit still in a Yogic posture, e.g., the Lotus or Swastic posture in ease keeping your spine erect and fixing the sight on the tip of the nose. Then you should offer prayers and chant hymns in praise of Me. You should go on repeatedly chanting and bringing to your mind whatever you have heard from the saints and read in the scriptures about the glory of My name, form, virtues, sports and powers. This will cause the growth of the pure Sattvic sentiment and bring awakening to the intellect. When this awakening takes place, sleep and lethargy, which are the expressions of Tamogun, cannot exercise any influence.
Sadhak—O Lord, you have said in the Gita that Your realization becomes easy when one takes to constant remembrance of You, for You then quickly deliver one from the ocean of metempsychosis by giving protection to his spiritual practices and remedying the deficiencies in them. But it does not appear to me that Your realization is so easy or can be achieved so quickly as You describe it to be.
Lord—You do not practise constant remembrance of Me, therefore My realization appears difficult to you.
Sadhak—I admit, Lord, that what You say is true. Through constant remembrance of You, Your realization may be both quick and easy. But constant remembrance itself is a difficult affair. What should be done for it?
Lord—The practice of constant remembrance appears difficult to you because you do not know My virtues, glory, truth and secret. As a matter of fact, it is not so difficult.
Sadhak—Please tell me what are Your virtues, glory, truth and secret?
Lord—Equanimity, peace, compassion, love, forbearance, sweetness, tenderness, serenity, liberality, selfless friendliness etc.,—these are My virtues. Entire greatness, strength, opulence, brilliance, power, ability and the capacity to render possible what is otherwise impossible—these are My glory. Just as atoms of water, steam, cloud, drops of rain, hail, etc., all are but different forms of water, even so whatever exists with attributes and without attributes, with form and without form, manifest and unmanifest, matter and spirit, animate and inanimate and whatever is beyond these, all are but Me. This is the truth about Me. To believe that through My very sight, through the hearing of My voice, through My touch, remembrance, Kirtan, worship, obeisance and offering of praises to Me, even a sinner gets exceptionally pure; and to recognize Me, the Supreme, Omniscient, Almighty Being, though equally present everywhere yet walking as a human being in the form of an Incarnation—this is My secret.
Sadhak—How are these to be known?
Lord—In the beginning of its career in school, a small child tries to avoid learning its lessons, but with the growth of age and experience when it comes to realize the virtue, glory, truth and secret of learning, it begins to engage itself in study with great devotion and enthusiasm. Then, it would not leave its study even when asked to do so. Similarly through Satsang or practices of Bhajan, meditation etc., man can learn My virtues, glory, secret etc. Then he attains such an amount of joy and peace that he would not leave it even if requested to do so.
Sadhak—O Lord when engaged in Your constant remembrance, is it possible for a man to engage his body and senses in other works according to Your instructions?
Lord—Through determined practice it is possible. Though the mind of the tortoise is concentrated on its eggs, of the cow on its calf, of a lustful person on his lady-love, of a greedy man on his wealth, of the chauffeur driving a car on the road before him, of a rope-dancer on the balance of his feet, yet they carry on other activities through their bodies and senses, even so, it is possible for a Sadhak to carry on external activities through the body and senses, according to My instructions, while engaged in constant remembrance of Me.
Sadhak—What are Your instructions?
Lord—Elevating scriptures, sayings of great souls, Sattvic impulses bubbling up within the heart—all the three are My instructions. When differences are observed in these three, one should adopt a course in which two of them agree, regarding that to be My instruction.
Sadhak—What should be done when the opinions of all the three are found to be different?
Lord—In that case, the sayings of great men should be followed.
Sadhak—Would it not mean disrespect to the scriptures?
Lord—No, the saint can never say anything which is contrary to the scriptures. It is difficult for the ordinary man to determine the meaning of the scriptures; the saint alone knows the application of a scriptural instruction according to time and place. That is why whatever is shown by the great soul is the right path.
Sadhak—What is the harm if one regards the Sattvic impulses of the heart as a divine injunction?
Lord—One may do so. But the impulses should correspond to the instructions of the scriptures and sayings of great souls. It is necessary for a Sadhak to submit himself to a discipline, for otherwise if due to ignorance he begins to regard the Rajasic and Tamasic impulses as Sattvic in character, he may lose all restraint and suffer a spiritual fall.
Sadhak—What do You mean by scriptures here?
Lord—The Shrutis, Smritis, Itihas and Purans etc., are scriptures. In case of difference of view between two books of scripture, preference should be given to the Shrutis. For the Smritis, Itihas and Purans—all these are based on the Shrutis.
Sadhak—It is difficult for ordinary men to acquire knowledge of the Shrutis, Smritis and all other scriptures. By what should they go under the circumstance?
Lord— They should depend on Mahapurushs who have knowledge of the scriptures.
Sadhak—Who should be regarded as a Mahapurush?
Lord—He whom you regard from your heart as the best of men is a Mahapurush for you.
Sadhak—O Lord, I may make a mistake in my judgment and may be deceived thereby.
Lord—You need not worry over this. He who surrenders himself to Me, receives My protection by all means.
Sadhak—O Lord, what is the standard by which I shall judge a Mahapurush? What are the marks of a Mahapurush?
Lord—The great soul in which, the marks described in the Gita; chapter II, verses 55—71 as the marks of a man of stable wisdom, chapter VI, verses 7—9 as marks of a Yogi, chapter XII, verses 13—19 as marks of a devotee, chapter XIV, verses 22—25 as marks of one who has risen above the Guns; are found as a Mahapurush.
Sadhak—It is most difficult to come in contact with such a Mahapurush. What is to be done under this circumstance?
Lord—In that case the Gita which contains My instructions to Arjun and is the essence of all scriptures and easy to understand by all, should be made the guide.
Sadhak—What are the verses which should be principally kept in view by the Sadhak while developing his virtues and regulating his conduct?
Lord—There are many verses in the Gita which can be made one’s guide. One’s life should be regulated particularly according to verses 7 to 11 of chapter XIII where wisdom is described, verses 1 to 3 of chapter XVI where the divine qualities are described and verses 14 to 17 of chapter XVII where penances are described.
Sadhak—O Lord, You have said that one should ever remain pleased with every dispensation of Yours. What do You really mean by this?
Lord—It means one should feel contented through every experience of life, viz., pleasure or pain, gain or loss, experience—agreeable or disagreeable, taking it to be a gift specially sent by Me.
Sadhak—Pleasure is not always felt when these experiences are gone through. What is the reason for this?
Lord—People do not know this truth and secret that every dispensation of Mine is an expression of My compassion.
Sadhak—Pleasurable possessions of the world like wife, children, wealth, a comfortable house etc., create infatuation and attachment and cause bondage to man. Why do You make man possessor of these things? what is meant by knowing the secret of your compassion in this design of yours?
Lord—Just as a king when calling for a friend sends a car to bring him, even so as the result of past virtues I make man possessor of worldly objects like wife, children, wealth, house etc., for service of others and making others happy and for the growth of right conduct, virtues and love for Me so that he may sooner come to Me. To understand this, is to know the secret of My grace.
Sadhak—When wife, children, wealth etc., are lost, what is the secret of your grace in it?
Lord—When due to infatuation and attachment moths fall into a flame and are reduced to ashes, a kind-hearted man observing their miserable plight puts out the flame. Although the moths may not know it, the action is an expression of supreme compassion for them. Even so, it should be known to be an act of My supreme grace when objects of enjoyment, which cause bondage to man and drag him down to hell, are destroyed.
Sadhak—What for do You endow man with health, strength and intellectual power etc.,?
Lord—I endow man with these powers so that he may know My virtues, glory, truth and secret through Satsang, selfless service, constant practice of Bhajan and meditation, etc.
Sadhak—In what form should one see Your grace when afflicted with illness, danger etc.?
Lord—Through the experience of illness, danger etc., man works out the effects of previous sin, and sorrow or the bitter experience of life acts as a check to the commission of sin in future. Fear of death causes dispassion for the body and aids My remembrance. If the sufferings of a disease are gone through the spirit of performing a penance, they may lead to My realization. The development of this attitude means seeing My grace.
Sadhak—Your grace is apparent when one contacts a Mahapurush, but how is Your grace to be seen when one loses that contact?
Lord—Man realizes the value of a light when the light is removed from him. When contact with a Mahapurush is lost, it should be understood that I arrange this in order to develop in him desire to meet him again, and develop love for him, and I make the Sadhak realize how rare and treasurable is the contact with a Mahapurush.
Sadhak—Your grace is apparent when You bring about separation from wicked men of evil conduct, for thereby You save one from evil association. But why do You throw one into evil company even against one’s desire or inclination?
Lord—I throw one into such association in order to give him an idea of the evil effects of vice, so that he may develop distaste for vice and evil conduct. But remember, when one deliberately cultivates evil association, it is not arranged by Me.
Sadhak—How is Your grace to be seen during association with and separation from ordinary men?
Lord—Association with them is arranged for their service and for cultivation of love and compassion for them, and separation is arranged for cultivation of detachment for them and for constant practice of Bhajan and meditation in seclusion. To understand this is to see My grace.
Sadhak—How is Your grace to be seen in difficulties like entanglement in civil or criminal suits, which impede moral advancement and practices of Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—The practices of morality, Bhajan and meditation are disturbed when one is subject to lust, anger, greed, infatuation, fear, weakness etc. He who looks upon these difficulties as gifts from Me and while facing them does not fall from morality and rectitude; virtues like firmness, courage, gravity etc., which lead to the growth of soul-force, increase in him. To understand this is to see My grace.
Sadhak—Why do You deprive a devotee of worldly honour, name and fame? What is the secret of it?
Lord—I do so with a view to awaken him from the sleep of Ignorance, to remove the hindrances in the path of his spiritual Sadhan, and displacing hypocrisy, to develop in him devotion in its genuine form. This is the secret.
Sadhak—What is the special form of Your grace?
Lord—Memory of and desire for and actual practice of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service, Satsang, virtues and right couduct—these are the special forms of My grace.
Sadhak—When such is the case, one should treat all these dispensations of Yours, arranged according to one’s Karm, as gifts from You, and feel charmed and delighted every moment.
Lord—That is so, but the pity is that people do not understand it.
Sadhak—What should one do to understand this?
Lord—One should constantly remember My name and form with consciousness of their power and glory, practise disinterested Karm according to My instructions maintaining My remembrance, and associate with saints who have knowledge of the secret of My grace.
“Whatever is the conception of the person the Lord’s form appeares so to him.”
Sadhak—Some people say that God, who is the embodiment of existence, knowledge and bliss cannot manifest Himself before a devotee assuming a definite form. The devotees see their own thoughts reflected in the form of their respective deities.
Lord—They say so out of error. They do not know the secret of my form with attributes. Although I am Myself embodiment of existence, knowledge and bliss, through my own Yogic power I manifest Myself in My divine form with attributes for the sake of My devotees. Some Sadhaks, may no doubt in the course of their practice, imagine that they have seen Me through the projection of their mental picture, but that is not regarded as genuine divine vision.
Sadhak—How is a Sadhak to understand whether his vision is genuine, or a mere projection of his mental picture?
Lord—There is a world of difference between direct divine vision and a mental conception. When a Sadhak directly realizes Me, he will develop all the marks of a devotee, and whatever incidents happen at the time will leave their proofs, such as when Dhruv realized Me he attained all knowledge of the scriptures as soon as his chin was touched with the conch, and when I revealed Myself for the sake of Prahlad, I destroyed Hiranyakashipu. These incidents can never be considered as mere imaginations. But when there is a realization of My form only through the imagination the incidents connected therewith will leave no proof.
Sadhak—Some say that God being all-pervading, how is it possible for Him to reveal Himself in a particular point of space? Does not such manifestation refute His All-pervading character?
Lord—No, it does not. Fire is All-pervading, and yet a person desiring it lights it either at one place or in many places, as the case may be, and the god of fire without losing his All-pervading character, manifests himself at one particular place or in many places. My pervasiveness is more extensive and My power infinitely stronger than that of fire. Where is, then, any cause for wonder if I, the All-pervading being, while remaining present everywhere, manifest Myself with all my power intact at one place or simultaneously in many places?
Sadhak—While You are absolute and formless; how do You appear assuming a divine form with attributes?
Lord—Even in a clear sky water exists in the form of atoms, that water comes down as a shower, and it is this very water which is, again, transformed into solid flakes and hails. Similarly, though I am above both the states of Sat and Asat, being and non-being, I am cognizable by the intellect sharpened and purified by divine knowledge. Thereafter, though eternally existing as pure knowledge and bliss when I manifest Myself by My power of Yog as divine light, I appear in the hearts of the Yogis as a brilliant flame and then remaining as flame I manifest Myself in My divine form with attributes and grace. My devotee with a direct vision of that form, even as the sun when manifested, spreads his light over all eyes and gives all the privilege of his sight.
Sadhak—Some say that water being a form of matter, can undergo these transformations; but this is not possible in the case of the changeless soul or spirit.
Lord—These changes do not take place in Me, the changeless spirit. This shows only the effect of My power. I may make possible what is evidently impossible. There is absolutely nothing which is impossible for me.
Sadhak—Tell me, Lord, what is the best means of obtaining Your direct vision?
Lord—Exclusive devotion to Me, i.e., complete surrender.
Sadhak—What are the characteristics a devotee must possess through the practice of exclusive devotion before You meet him?
Lord—When he gains the divine traits. (Gita XVI.1—3).
Sadhak—Do You meet him only after he has developed all the marks defined as divine traits or even before?
Lord—There is no hard and fast rule that he must possess all the divine traits before realization; but possession of exclusive devotion is indispensable.
Sadhak—Inasmuch as You meet him only when there is exclusive devotion, and even when the divine traits are not fully developed, these latter must flower in him subsequent to Your realization.
Lord—Not only these, but many other special virtues then flower in him.
Sadhak—What are those special virtues?
Lord—Equanimity etc. (Gita XII. 13—20).
Sadhak—Do these virtues appear only after Your realization, or even before?
Lord—They appear to a certain extent even before, but after My realization they flower as a matter of course.
Sadhak—What should the devotee do for your realization?
Lord—I have already said that he should completely surrender himself to Me.
Sadhak—Why do You not Yourself take him under Your shelter and make him surrender himself to You?
Lord—It is not My job to enforce surrender in a devotee. The duty of the devotee lies in surrendering himself to Me of his own accord.
Sadhak—Do You extend any help to those who desire to surrender themselves out of reasoning and discrimination?
Lord—He who seeks help out of a sincere heart certainly receives it.
Sadhak—Can worldly prosperity, supernatural powers, the celestials and other beings of the subtle world put any obstacle in the spiritual progress of one who desires to surrender himself to You for Your realization?
Lord—None of these can put any obstacle in his path.
Sadhak—It is generally found that those who cultivate devotion to You have to face many obstacles in life, which sometimes act as hindrances in their spiritual path.
Lord—They have not exclusively surrendered themselves to Me.
Sadhak—Do they gain the supernatural powers like Anima etc., after Your realization?
Lord—The devotee has no need for them.
Sadhak—Can the devotee gain them, if he so desires?
Lord—My devotee can never cherish any desire for them, and if he does he has not exclusively surrendered himself to Me.
Sadhak—After Your realization what right or privilege is gained by Your devotee?
Lord—He does neither believe he has got any right, nor does he seek to gain any.
Sadhak—You can certainly grant him some privilege, even if he may not seek it—is it not so?
Lord—Yes, I grant it to him when I feel necessity of it.
Sadhak—Have You also any requirement?
Lord—Yes, I have. Propagation of the ideas of religion and devotion to God, etc., is necessary for the redemption of the beings in the world. That is My requirement.
Sadhak—How much authority do You grant him at the time?
Lord—It depends on the amount of work I have to take from him.
Sadhak—Do You grant this authority to all Your devotees or to only a selected few among them?
Lord—Except Sadhaks passive or indifferent I may grant the authority to all those who are prepared and willing to accept it with pleasure.
Sadhak—Whom do You regard as qualified to receive the authority in its entirety for the propagation of ideas of religion, right conduct and devotion? What is the character of the devotee to whom You may grant the whole authority?
Lord—I may grant this authority in its entirety to the loving and supremely compassionate devotee of a generous nature who can sacrifice his all spontaneously for the good of others, whose thoughts ever flow towards others for their highest good and who ever feels and remains happy in the happiness of others.
Sadhak—Do not, then, all Your devotees develop the same sentiments after your realization?
Lord—No, they do not. Whatever Nature they develop at the time of their spiritual practice that nature in them subsists even after God-realization. There is total absence of morbid feelings like joy and grief, attraction and repulsion, lust and anger etc., among all of them. Traits like equanimity, peace and bliss are found equally among them and any action in contravention of the injunctions of the scriptures can never be done by them. Though all their activities are in accordance with My injunctions yet they remain different in each individual soul.
Sadhak—What is the reason for this difference in their external activities?
Lord—Some possess the nature of doing spiritual practice in retirement and some of doing service. These external activities differ according to the differences of nature, pre-determined Karm and intellect of the realized souls, as well as differences of place, time and circumstances.
Sadhak—In that case, he is the best among them to whom You may grant the full authority.
Lord—Comparison is out of place here. All of them are best. He who is by nature inclined towards activities is specially entrusted with the responsibility to work.
Sadhak—All should feel an equal enthusiasm in carrying out a work enjoined by You.
Lord—It is true that all of them feel an equal enthusiasm in carrying out my work, but I distribute the work according to their nature. There are some who love to remain constantly by My side, I, therefore, do not send them out. I entrust him with service of the people who is inclined to that form of service. One who is inclined to the life of a recluse, I generally do not entrust him with any work. I distribute the work according to the nature and capacity of such soul.
Sadhak—The devotee should develop the nature that You may entrust any special work to him without any hesitation. What are the best means of developing this nature?
Lord—Unconditional exclusive surrender to Me alone.
Sadhak—Kindly explain for our benefit what is meant by such a surrender?
Lord—Constant remembrance of and meditation on My name and form with consciousness of their virtues and glory, carrying out My instructions for My pleasure without break in remembrance and remaining ever happy in My dispensation.
Sadhak—O Lord, meditation on Your form appeals to my heart also. But the mind is unsteady. It runs away quickly hither and thither. How shall I account for this?
Lord—Owing to attachment the mind finds a pleasure in the enjoyment of worldly things. The accumulated impressions of Karm of many lives do not allow the mind to become steady.
Sadhak—Why does it dwell on useless things which serve no purpose of mine and for which I have no particular attachment?
Lord—By nature the mind is fickle and unsteady. It is its habit to dwell on useless things and it finds a pleasure in such thoughts. This is also a form of attachment, that is why it dwells on such thoughts.
Sadhak—What is to be done to remedy this?
Lord—The mind should be kept within control so that it may not leave the meditation of My form and take to thoughts of worldly things. If that is not sufficient to prevent the continuation of such thoughts, it should be expostulated or forcibly withdrawn from such thoughts and employed again and again with determination in the meditation of My form.
Sadhak—How can the mind be withdrawn from thoughts of other things?
Lord—When a small child picks up a sharp knife, the mother expostulates with the child and removes the knife from its hands. If the child due to ignorance and foolishness begins to resist the mother, the mother will be indifferent to its cries and forcibly take away the knife. Even so, the mind should be remonstrated and cured of its habit of pursuing worldly thoughts; for it is as fickle and unsteady as a small child. It does not and cannot consider the consequent harmful result.
Sadhak—One may not even know when the mind will give him the slip and quickly grasp an object. What should one do to remedy this?
Lord—Just as a mother constantly keeps watch over her child, even so the mind should be watched.
Sadhak—But the mind is fickle, strong and wayward, therefore it appears extremely difficult to control it.
Lord—True, it is somewhat difficult to control, but not so difficult as you imagine it to be. For it can be brought under control through effort. Taking it as difficult, one should not despair. The mother never considers the task of protecting her child difficult. If she does so, the upbringing of her child will be impossible.
Sadhak—Is the mind exactly like a small child?
Lord—No, it is stronger and more wayward than a child.
Sadhak—Then, how is it to be brought under control?
Lord—It can be brought under control, for the intellect is more powerful than the mind, and thou art still more powerful. Just as a mother controls her small child either with the help of a grown-up daughter or holding some temptation before it, and if the child still persists to be wayward she changes its course from evil to good by a show of threat, even so, the mind has to be restrained through the intellect by showing it the evil effects of a life of enjoyment. Thus, withdrawing it from the perishable, transient objects of the world, it should be fixed again and again on Me.
Sadhak—However much I may try on this line, I do not see any prospect of victory.
Lord—Persevere, even if you do not attain victory, do not get depressed. When you have My support, there is no cause for despair. Have faith that if you continue the fight, ultimately the victory is sure to be yours.
Sadhak—O Lord, when I retire to a solitary place and attempt to fix the mind in meditation on You, sleep and lethargy begin to trouble me. Please tell me what I should do to get over this difficulty?
Lord—The food you take should be light and Sattvic. You should sit still in a Yogic posture, e.g., the Lotus or Swastic posture in ease keeping your spine erect and fixing the sight on the tip of the nose. Then you should offer prayers and chant hymns in praise of Me. You should go on repeatedly chanting and bringing to your mind whatever you have heard from the saints and read in the scriptures about the glory of My name, form, virtues, sports and powers. This will cause the growth of the pure Sattvic sentiment and bring awakening to the intellect. When this awakening takes place, sleep and lethargy, which are the expressions of Tamogun, cannot exercise any influence.
Sadhak—O Lord, you have said in the Gita that Your realization becomes easy when one takes to constant remembrance of You, for You then quickly deliver one from the ocean of metempsychosis by giving protection to his spiritual practices and remedying the deficiencies in them. But it does not appear to me that Your realization is so easy or can be achieved so quickly as You describe it to be.
Lord—You do not practise constant remembrance of Me, therefore My realization appears difficult to you.
Sadhak—I admit, Lord, that what You say is true. Through constant remembrance of You, Your realization may be both quick and easy. But constant remembrance itself is a difficult affair. What should be done for it?
Lord—The practice of constant remembrance appears difficult to you because you do not know My virtues, glory, truth and secret. As a matter of fact, it is not so difficult.
Sadhak—Please tell me what are Your virtues, glory, truth and secret?
Lord—Equanimity, peace, compassion, love, forbearance, sweetness, tenderness, serenity, liberality, selfless friendliness etc.,—these are My virtues. Entire greatness, strength, opulence, brilliance, power, ability and the capacity to render possible what is otherwise impossible—these are My glory. Just as atoms of water, steam, cloud, drops of rain, hail, etc., all are but different forms of water, even so whatever exists with attributes and without attributes, with form and without form, manifest and unmanifest, matter and spirit, animate and inanimate and whatever is beyond these, all are but Me. This is the truth about Me. To believe that through My very sight, through the hearing of My voice, through My touch, remembrance, Kirtan, worship, obeisance and offering of praises to Me, even a sinner gets exceptionally pure; and to recognize Me, the Supreme, Omniscient, Almighty Being, though equally present everywhere yet walking as a human being in the form of an Incarnation—this is My secret.
Sadhak—How are these to be known?
Lord—In the beginning of its career in school, a small child tries to avoid learning its lessons, but with the growth of age and experience when it comes to realize the virtue, glory, truth and secret of learning, it begins to engage itself in study with great devotion and enthusiasm. Then, it would not leave its study even when asked to do so. Similarly through Satsang or practices of Bhajan, meditation etc., man can learn My virtues, glory, secret etc. Then he attains such an amount of joy and peace that he would not leave it even if requested to do so.
Sadhak—O Lord when engaged in Your constant remembrance, is it possible for a man to engage his body and senses in other works according to Your instructions?
Lord—Through determined practice it is possible. Though the mind of the tortoise is concentrated on its eggs, of the cow on its calf, of a lustful person on his lady-love, of a greedy man on his wealth, of the chauffeur driving a car on the road before him, of a rope-dancer on the balance of his feet, yet they carry on other activities through their bodies and senses, even so, it is possible for a Sadhak to carry on external activities through the body and senses, according to My instructions, while engaged in constant remembrance of Me.
Sadhak—What are Your instructions?
Lord—Elevating scriptures, sayings of great souls, Sattvic impulses bubbling up within the heart—all the three are My instructions. When differences are observed in these three, one should adopt a course in which two of them agree, regarding that to be My instruction.
Sadhak—What should be done when the opinions of all the three are found to be different?
Lord—In that case, the sayings of great men should be followed.
Sadhak—Would it not mean disrespect to the scriptures?
Lord—No, the saint can never say anything which is contrary to the scriptures. It is difficult for the ordinary man to determine the meaning of the scriptures; the saint alone knows the application of a scriptural instruction according to time and place. That is why whatever is shown by the great soul is the right path.
Sadhak—What is the harm if one regards the Sattvic impulses of the heart as a divine injunction?
Lord—One may do so. But the impulses should correspond to the instructions of the scriptures and sayings of great souls. It is necessary for a Sadhak to submit himself to a discipline, for otherwise if due to ignorance he begins to regard the Rajasic and Tamasic impulses as Sattvic in character, he may lose all restraint and suffer a spiritual fall.
Sadhak—What do You mean by scriptures here?
Lord—The Shrutis, Smritis, Itihas and Purans etc., are scriptures. In case of difference of view between two books of scripture, preference should be given to the Shrutis. For the Smritis, Itihas and Purans—all these are based on the Shrutis.
Sadhak—It is difficult for ordinary men to acquire knowledge of the Shrutis, Smritis and all other scriptures. By what should they go under the circumstance?
Lord— They should depend on Mahapurushs who have knowledge of the scriptures.
Sadhak—Who should be regarded as a Mahapurush?
Lord—He whom you regard from your heart as the best of men is a Mahapurush for you.
Sadhak—O Lord, I may make a mistake in my judgment and may be deceived thereby.
Lord—You need not worry over this. He who surrenders himself to Me, receives My protection by all means.
Sadhak—O Lord, what is the standard by which I shall judge a Mahapurush? What are the marks of a Mahapurush?
Lord—The great soul in which, the marks described in the Gita; chapter II, verses 55—71 as the marks of a man of stable wisdom, chapter VI, verses 7—9 as marks of a Yogi, chapter XII, verses 13—19 as marks of a devotee, chapter XIV, verses 22—25 as marks of one who has risen above the Guns; are found as a Mahapurush.
Sadhak—It is most difficult to come in contact with such a Mahapurush. What is to be done under this circumstance?
Lord—In that case the Gita which contains My instructions to Arjun and is the essence of all scriptures and easy to understand by all, should be made the guide.
Sadhak—What are the verses which should be principally kept in view by the Sadhak while developing his virtues and regulating his conduct?
Lord—There are many verses in the Gita which can be made one’s guide. One’s life should be regulated particularly according to verses 7 to 11 of chapter XIII where wisdom is described, verses 1 to 3 of chapter XVI where the divine qualities are described and verses 14 to 17 of chapter XVII where penances are described.
Sadhak—O Lord, You have said that one should ever remain pleased with every dispensation of Yours. What do You really mean by this?
Lord—It means one should feel contented through every experience of life, viz., pleasure or pain, gain or loss, experience—agreeable or disagreeable, taking it to be a gift specially sent by Me.
Sadhak—Pleasure is not always felt when these experiences are gone through. What is the reason for this?
Lord—People do not know this truth and secret that every dispensation of Mine is an expression of My compassion.
Sadhak—Pleasurable possessions of the world like wife, children, wealth, a comfortable house etc., create infatuation and attachment and cause bondage to man. Why do You make man possessor of these things? what is meant by knowing the secret of your compassion in this design of yours?
Lord—Just as a king when calling for a friend sends a car to bring him, even so as the result of past virtues I make man possessor of worldly objects like wife, children, wealth, house etc., for service of others and making others happy and for the growth of right conduct, virtues and love for Me so that he may sooner come to Me. To understand this, is to know the secret of My grace.
Sadhak—When wife, children, wealth etc., are lost, what is the secret of your grace in it?
Lord—When due to infatuation and attachment moths fall into a flame and are reduced to ashes, a kind-hearted man observing their miserable plight puts out the flame. Although the moths may not know it, the action is an expression of supreme compassion for them. Even so, it should be known to be an act of My supreme grace when objects of enjoyment, which cause bondage to man and drag him down to hell, are destroyed.
Sadhak—What for do You endow man with health, strength and intellectual power etc.,?
Lord—I endow man with these powers so that he may know My virtues, glory, truth and secret through Satsang, selfless service, constant practice of Bhajan and meditation, etc.
Sadhak—In what form should one see Your grace when afflicted with illness, danger etc.?
Lord—Through the experience of illness, danger etc., man works out the effects of previous sin, and sorrow or the bitter experience of life acts as a check to the commission of sin in future. Fear of death causes dispassion for the body and aids My remembrance. If the sufferings of a disease are gone through the spirit of performing a penance, they may lead to My realization. The development of this attitude means seeing My grace.
Sadhak—Your grace is apparent when one contacts a Mahapurush, but how is Your grace to be seen when one loses that contact?
Lord—Man realizes the value of a light when the light is removed from him. When contact with a Mahapurush is lost, it should be understood that I arrange this in order to develop in him desire to meet him again, and develop love for him, and I make the Sadhak realize how rare and treasurable is the contact with a Mahapurush.
Sadhak—Your grace is apparent when You bring about separation from wicked men of evil conduct, for thereby You save one from evil association. But why do You throw one into evil company even against one’s desire or inclination?
Lord—I throw one into such association in order to give him an idea of the evil effects of vice, so that he may develop distaste for vice and evil conduct. But remember, when one deliberately cultivates evil association, it is not arranged by Me.
Sadhak—How is Your grace to be seen during association with and separation from ordinary men?
Lord—Association with them is arranged for their service and for cultivation of love and compassion for them, and separation is arranged for cultivation of detachment for them and for constant practice of Bhajan and meditation in seclusion. To understand this is to see My grace.
Sadhak—How is Your grace to be seen in difficulties like entanglement in civil or criminal suits, which impede moral advancement and practices of Bhajan and meditation.
Lord—The practices of morality, Bhajan and meditation are disturbed when one is subject to lust, anger, greed, infatuation, fear, weakness etc. He who looks upon these difficulties as gifts from Me and while facing them does not fall from morality and rectitude; virtues like firmness, courage, gravity etc., which lead to the growth of soul-force, increase in him. To understand this is to see My grace.
Sadhak—Why do You deprive a devotee of worldly honour, name and fame? What is the secret of it?
Lord—I do so with a view to awaken him from the sleep of Ignorance, to remove the hindrances in the path of his spiritual Sadhan, and displacing hypocrisy, to develop in him devotion in its genuine form. This is the secret.
Sadhak—What is the special form of Your grace?
Lord—Memory of and desire for and actual practice of Bhajan, meditation, selfless service, Satsang, virtues and right couduct—these are the special forms of My grace.
Sadhak—When such is the case, one should treat all these dispensations of Yours, arranged according to one’s Karm, as gifts from You, and feel charmed and delighted every moment.
Lord—That is so, but the pity is that people do not understand it.
Sadhak—What should one do to understand this?
Lord—One should constantly remember My name and form with consciousness of their power and glory, practise disinterested Karm according to My instructions maintaining My remembrance, and associate with saints who have knowledge of the secret of My grace.