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alt.meditation.shabda
BABA JAIMAL SINGH
And His Journey
Come hear Uncle John's Band,
By the riverside.
Got some things to talk about,
Here beside the rising tide.
- Hunter/Garcia
Now we come to one of my favorite life stories in the pantheon of
Shabda Yoga Masters, Baba Jaimal Singh. Along with ****v Dayal Singh,
Baba Jaimal (or "Babaji," as he is almost always referred) was one of
the most im****tant mystics and spiritual teachers of the 19th
Century. Furthermore, because He lived barely a century ago in an
India with rapidly solidifying British rule, we are able to get a
fairly clear picture of His life, without the filters provided by
several centuries and a less literate society which, in Kabir and
Na****'s time, relied much more on myth and oral tradition handed down
for many generations.
What emerges here is a fascinating ****trait of a genuine seeker who
grew into a spiritual giant and, in doing so, helped to transform the
world. As a quick aside, most of the information gathered here
(including nearly all quotations, unless otherwise stated) are from
Sant Kirpal Singh Ji's outstanding work, "A Great Saint: Baba Jaimal
Singh, His Life and Teachings."
Baba Jaimal Singh was born in 1838 (unfortunately, I cannot locate the
exact date of his birth) in the village of Ghuman, in the Gurdaspur
district of the Punjab. While not renowned on the level of, say Agra
or Banares, Ghuman was venerated by many as the final home of the
mystic poet Naam Dev (of whom we spoke last month), and was the site
of an ashram - Dera Baba Naam Dev - built in His honor.
Babaji's father, Bhai Jodh Singh, and mother, Bibi Daya Kaur, were
devout Sikhs. His mother often prayed for a child who would be
devoted to the Lord. One evening, Naam Dev visited her in a dream,
saying her prayers for a "saintly son" would be realized.
=46rom all re****ts, Babaji was precocious at an early age. By the time
He was three, He could recite many verses of spiritual songs and
discourses, and would sit quietly when visiting Naam Dev's shrine
(which, given the basic squirminess of most children that age, is
quite a feat!). When He was five, His parents sent Him to study with
Bhai Kham Das, a prominent local Vedantic scholar. Babaji quickly
learned the Gurmukhi script and, by the time He was seven, could read
(and, in fact, had memorized) the Jap Ji, Sukhmani Sahib and Raho Ras
(key Sikh scriptures), becoming an accomplished Pathi for His age.
As a quick aside, much of India's devotional literature is set in
poetry and is meant to be recited or sung. Most of the Sant Mat
material was originally composed in this manner, and when eastern
Satgurus give Satsang, they generally have a "Pathi" next to them to
sing a few lines from a hymn, which is followed by the Master's
commentary, and then a few more lines are sung. There are excellent
tapes available of Sant Ajaib Singh Ji Maharaj (one of Sant Kirpal
Singh's successors) giving Satsang accompanied by his Pathi and a
fellow who translates Sant Ajaib's Rajastani dialect into English. In
His classic biography of Baba Jaimal Singh, Sant Kirpal Singh notes
how remarkable it was that so young a child could be so accomplished a
Pathi (a position usually reserved for people closer to adulthood).
One of the turning points in Baba Jaimal Singh's life came when he was
around seven or eight. He was reading the 20th stanza of the Jap Ji
and came to the following passage: "When one's mind is defiled by sin,
it can only be cleansed by communion with Naam." Babaji asked Bhai
Khem Das what the meaning of "Naam" was. The pundit was touched by
his student's sincerity and insight, but unfortunately could not
answer the question, and told Him so. This apparently simple question
ignited a flame in Babaji's soul which kept growing from then on.
After about three years of schooling, at the age of eight, Babaji's
father decided He had been through enough education and reclaimed Him
to tend the family goats. Babaji respected His father's wishes and
tended the goats in the daytime, but when back to spend the evenings
studying with His teacher.
It is interesting to note here how closely Jaimal's life paralleled
that of his early spiritual role model, Guru Na****, and many other
saints for that matter. He was a natural mystic, and from a very
early age His interests naturally flowed in that direction. It's
almost as if, when other children were playing the Punjabi equivalent
of army, doctor or fireman - and started to talk about wheat they
wanted to be when they grew up - Baba Jaimal was playing "guru." My
hunch is that his is the same with most spiritual teachers. While
it's an open question as to whether Jaimal - or any other world-class
avatar - was "born enlightened," spiritual matters certainly occupied
His attention and formed His primary interest in life while He was
still quite young.
This was more than a tad disconcerting to Babaji's parents who, while
they were glad to have a child interested in spirituality, did not
think it to be a practical lifelong occupation. Few parents do,
unless their child wants to go to a form of seminary where they can
learn to make a living as a priest, pir, minister or rabbi. But being
an intrinsic mystic - where your primary focus is on communion with
the Divine - is not exactly a popular career choice, particularly
since it rarely pays a substantial wage or sup****ts an upwardly mobile
lifestyle. If anything, the mysticism which leads to master****p is
usually directly antithetical to such pursuits. When one is
completely absorbed in God and Shabda, worldly name, wealth and fame
become trivial, a waste of energy and, most im****tant, profoundly
uninteresting. This can be all the more disturbing to one's family in
cultures where you are expected to take over the family business and
sup****t your parents when they get older.
Of course, Baba Jaimal Singh was a dutiful son and, following His
father's wishes, returned home and tended the goats (not unlike Guru
Na****'s tending His family's cow herds). But Babaji's heart wasn't
really in it, and every evening He would go off to visit His teacher
and learn more about the Sikh scriptures. By 1847, at the age of
nine, He had already mastered the Adi Granth Sahib and went on to
study the Hindi language and Hindu religious texts, all the while
searching for clues as to the nature of Shabda and Naam.
Needless to say, His father wasn't fond of Baba Jaimal Singh's
esoteric interests (including His propensity for hanging out with
yogis and sadhus when not working or studying), and after spending
nearly three years trying to get him focused on making a living in the
"real world," decided a change of scenery would do Babaji good. So
Bhai Jodh Singh sent Him off to live with His sister, Bibi Tabo, in
the village of Sathiala.
Within a few months of living there, Babaji met a sadhu who, while not
adept - or even conversant - in the esoteric essence of Naam, was well-
versed in Pranayama and hatha yoga, and gave Him initiation in these
techniques. As a result, Babaji was soon again lost to the world.
Within two years (when He was barely 13), His sister sent Him back
home to live with their parents (parallels again with Guru Na**** and
His sister, Nankani). Master Kirpal Singh had this to say about the
difference between traditional yogic techniques and the yoga of
Shabda, and how the former impacted Babaji:
"(T)he kriyas of Hatha Yoga might give strange physical and occult
powers, but they could not bestow full inner peace and freedom. Eery
fresh day only strengthened his old conviction that the path of
complete mukti, or emancipation, lay some other way and all he now
sought was initiation into the mystique of the Panch-Shabd."
Babaji became obsessed with the esoteric meaning of Naam and the
"Panch Shabd" ("Five Holy Names"), asking every sadhu, yogi and holy
person He met about their essence, all to no avail. The closest
anyone came was saying that the Inner Sound was the result of pranas
vibrating in the body, that "Shabda" referred to the spoken words of a
guru, and that "Naam" just meant one of the many outer, spoken names
of God. Few were aware that there were esoteric aspects to these
principles as well, and none could explain them.
The second major turning point in Baba Jaimal Singh's life occurred
when He was thirteen. His father died suddenly, and Babaji was
pressured to take over the family estate. He helped out for a while,
but His heart wasn't in it, and His yearning for unraveling the
mystery of Panch Naam would not abate. So in 1853, as He neared His
fifteenth birthday, Jaimal asked His mother for her permission to go
on a pilgrimage to Amritsar. He had heard that there was a holy man
there who could explain these mysteries, and very much wanted to meet
him. His mother, while not exactly pleased with the prospect (her
husband dead, Jaimal was the eldest son and by all rights should have
taken over the estate), saw that her son's spiritual thirst needed to
be quenched and - perhaps thinking that by doing so He would finally
get this impractical mysticism out of His system - reluctantly gave
her permission.
In Amritsar, Babaji received initiation into "Ghor Anhad" ("the deep
reverberating sound" referred to in the Adi Granth Sahib), which
further deepened his knowledge of Japa(repetition of mantra, like
simran) and Pranayama (focused breathing). Still, insight about the
nature of the five mysterious Holy Names of God remained elusive and
further drove Him to continue His quest. Told by a yogi that Naam was
only the vibration reverberating in the Pranas, Babaji was
unconvinced, and pointed out to him that he "failed to explain, (a)
the number =91five' used time and again in the Granth Sahib in
connection with the inner Shabd; and (b) the fact that the Sikh Gurus
repeatedly asserted that the path of Naam was distinct from other
yogic forms which could not give the highest liberation."
Baba Jaimal Singh continued on His pilgrimage, visiting Lahore,
Nankana, then across the Jhelum River to Tila Balnath, after that to
Rawalpindi, and finally to Hazro, where he met Baba Balak Singh (who,
alas! , also could not explain the mystery of Panch Naam). From there
He went to Chikker, where He met a Sikh gentleman who initiated Him
into the first two names. These were all he knew, the fellow said.
His guru had given him only two of the five names, and then died
before revealing the final three. In A Great Saint, Sant Kirpal Singh
Ji Maharaj comments on the principle of giving sequential initiations
into each of the different planes,
"In the past, it was a common practice with Mystics to initiate their
disciples by degrees into the inner Science. After the sadhak had
mastered one stage, he was acquainted with the Mysteries of the next,
and so onto the end. The method was not in itself objectionable, but
it often led to results of the kind we have just noted . . . To avoid
such mishaps, Masters of the Surat Shabd Yoga now-a-days initiate
their disciples directly into the Mysteries of all the five inner
planes that the soul has to travel before it can merge with the
Absolute."
Following this initiation, Baba Jaimal Singh spent some time in
Peshawar and the hills of Murree, then headed home. By this time, He
was 16 years old and had spent nearly two years traversing much of
India on foot. His sojourn with His family in Ghuman didn't last
long, however. What little he had learned about Panch Naam only
whetted His appetite for further exploration. So within a year of
arriving home, nearing His 17th birthday, Babaji resumed His quest for
spiritual truth. This time, His mother was distinctly unhappy,
wi****ng He would settle down, get married, have kids and run the
family farm. But she could see He would not be dissuaded, so she let
Him go off on what many probably considered to be a Quixotic quest at
best.
Just as Baba Jaimal Singh was setting out on His second journey, He
ran into a sadhu by the name of Kahan by the banks of the Beas River,
near the village of Vairach. Kahan was busy collecting bricks and
putting them in a pile. When asked why he was doing this, Kahan
replied, "I am only collecting material for your future dwelling."
Babaji's journey this time was much shorter than the first one. He
continued on toward Hardwar, and then Tappo Ban (now known as
Ri****kesh), on the banks of the Ganges. There He heard of a 150-year-
old yogi who lived in the jungle (and slept standing up!). For two
days, Babaji watched him, but the yogi never said a word. Then, on
the third day, the yogi said, "My son, I cannot tell you much . . .
But in my meditation I saw that the Guru you seek dwells with his wife
in Agra. He is indeed a great soul and discourses from the Granth
Sahib. He shall unlock to you the treasures of the Panch Shabda.
Proceed there, and I myself will follow as soon as I can, to partake
of his bounty."
Ten days later (early 1955, just after He turned 17), Baba Jaimal
Singh arrived in Agra. He explored every shrine and temple in search
of His guru, to no avail. He nearly gave up, until he heard two
fellows bathing in the Ganges "talking of a =91Soami Ji,' a great Sage,
who often discoursed upon the Sikh Scriptures at his home to a small
audience." Jaimal excitedly asked them about the identity of this
great soul, telling them how he sounded just like the master whom the
yogi had seen in his dream. They said that they would be glad to take
the lad to see the master and, in fact, that was precisely where they
were headed for satsang.
After completing their morning ablutions, they took Baba Jaimal to
Punni Gali (a suburb of Agra), where He found Param Sant Satguru Seth
****v Dayal Singh ("Soami Ji Maharaj"), "speaking on the Jap Ji,
expounding its profound meaning and unearthing the spiritual treasures
hiding in its lyrical ecstasy. There were only a few listeners, and
Jaimal Singh slipped quietly into a corner. He heard the discourse
with rapt attention, drinking in every word that fell from the lips of
the Saint."
The next day, Soami Ji asked Jaimal to recite a part of the Jap Ji,
including the following, "Creation and dissolution are caused by
Shabd, and the creation again comes into being by Shabd."...Soami Ji
then "took upon at length the theme of Shabd or Naam, answering one
after another of Jaimal Singh's as yet unvoiced questions on the
subject. He showed how the WORD (or Naam) was the primal Cause of
creation as well as of its dissolution; how It at once the Agent of
the Almighty Absolute and Itself the Absolute. Without Its power was
naught created, and only through contacting It could one reach back to
one's Heavenly Home.
The truth Soami Ji said struck home. It was, as Sant Kirpal Ji would
say, a "heart-to-heart talk," leaving Jaimal convinced that He was a
true saint, and one who could finally answer all of Jaimal's
questions. However, because He had been raised in a devout Sikh
household, Jaimal was uneasy with the fact that Soami Ji smoked a
tobacco hookah, drank bhang (a cannabis beverage), chewed betel leaf
and wore a fez instead of a turban (the latter of which was, and is,
the Sikh custom).
Soami Ji addressed this directly by explaining how, because IT was
pure current descending directly from Anami Purush and Sat Purush,
Shabda was the only true means of liberation from the wheel of karma,
death and rebirth. He went on to explain that, without Shabda, one
could never rise above mind and be free of the meshes of Maya, and
that complete contact with IT could only be provided by a living
Shabda Satguru. Furthermore, he stated, the practice of Surat Shabd
Yoga was a very special gift from God in that it could be practiced by
anybody, regardless of age, ***, culture, physical condition,
occupation, etc. Each of us is blessed by our Creator, He said,
within the human body with everything we need to achieve self-
knowledge, God-realization and spiritual freedom in this lifetime
("Jivan Mukti"). Virtually anybody, with the proper instruction, can
make the pilgrimage to the temple within, directly contact the God-in-
Expression Power and, by harmonizing our attention with IT, be lifted
above body consciousness and into the pure spiritual regions.
Upon hearing this, Baba Jaimal Singh knew He had found His master, and
that one's outer form, ritual and custom mattered not one iota. He
immediately begged Soami Ji to initiate Him and take Him on as a chela
(disciple). The next day, Soami Ji gave Him instructions in the
theory and practice of Naam, and took Babaji as far within as Daswan
Dwar (the Third, Mental Plane). Jaimal remained in Samadhi for two
days in the room where He was initiated. People started wondering
what happened to Him, since He seemed to have disappeared.
Finally, Soami Ji went to the room and found Jaimal sitting in rapt
meditation. Drawing his attention back outside, Soami Ji asked Jaimal
if he had any questions. Then He went on to say, "You too shall one
day do the work I carry on now. Our Path is not concerned with outer
forms in rituals, and each of us must live by the best traditions of
the community in which the Lord has been pleased to place us."
Regarding Soami Ji's early days as Satguru, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji
Maharaj notes, "In those days, during the mid-fifties, Soami Ji did
not have a large following. He had not yet begun giving public
discourses and confined them to small private audiences at his home in
Punni Gali . . . Seven or eight of his disciples were especially
devoted to him and constantly sought his company, and there was great
affection and harmony." In 1861, as noted in the last chapter, Soami
Ji began giving public Satsangs.
Jaimal stayed with Soami Ji for a month and a half after initiation,
hearing the mysteries of Shabd, Sat Naam, Na****, Kabir and Tulsi Sahib
unraveled. Upon Soami Ji's urging, Jaimal joined a regiment of Indian
sepoys stationed in Agra in 1856. He remained in Agra for most of the
year, often serving as Soami Ji's Pathi. Eventually Babaji was
transferred to Delhi near years' end. Babaji's regiment disbanded
after the "Great Rebellion of 1857", after which time he headed home
to see his mother.
After a brief stay in Ghuman, He joined the 24th Sikh Regiment in
Peshawar which in turn was eventually transferred to Agra (harmonizing
with Jaimal's prayer that he might be stationed close to his master).
Soami Ji overjoyed to see Him (as was Radha Ji, Soami Ji's wife) and
recited a poem from Sar Bachan, Poetry (Shabd 9, page 94) which
stated, in part: "This Music streams from a transcendent plane within,
and is caught by a soldier Saint."
Jaimal continued to visit Soami Ji over the years, whenever his
regiment was near Agra. During His nearly 30 years as a soldier,
Jaimal received profound respect amongst his peers, and even British
commanders, who called Him "Lord Bishop." He was apparently known for
his spiritual devotion, and humble generosity, which included
frequently distributing food and clothes to the poor.
In October 1877, Jaimal visited Soami Ji for the last time. Upon His
arrival, Soami Ji told him that his (Soami Ji's) days were numbered:
"This is going to be our last meeting," observed the Master. "My
mission on earth is almost over. I need hardly repeat that I have
cast you in my own mold, and you are of my very Essence." Kirpal
Singh mentions this about the meeting:
"When Chanda Singh, who was also at Punni Gali at the time, heard that
Soami Ji intended to leave the world in a short while, he exclaimed,
"What will become of us?" and begged him to leave someone behind to
carry on His work in the Punjab. Soami Ji smiled and replied, "Your
prayers have already been granted by the Almighty and Jaimal, whom I
have already given authority for Initiation, has been deputed for the
task." Then turning to Jaimal, he said, "Put all seekers that come to
you on the Path of Naam, but see that you steer clear of sects and
creeds. Ours is the path of Na**** and Kabir. Whosoever is fired by
spiritual zeal, whether of this faith or that, has a right to it.
Carry on in all humility and whatever you do, do it as a servant of
the Saints."
He then turned to Radha Ji and, placing his hand on Jaimal's back,
declared, "He is indeed our Gurmuck son," and taking a saropa or
headdress, he lovingly bestowed it as a parting gift to his apt and
faithful disciple."
On June 15, 1878, Soami Ji passed away. His parting works were "My
path was the Path of Sat Naam and Anami Naam. The Radhasoami faith is
of Saligram's making, but let it also continue. And let the Satsang
continue as before; and the same shall flourish and prosper."
For a decade following Soami Ji's passing, Baba Jaimal Singh remained
in the military, visiting Agra whenever possible. Finally, on August
15, 1889, after more than 30 years of service, He retired (with
several medals). Within months of His retirement, He returned to
Punni Gali to see Soami Ji's family and chelas. As noted, He was very
close to Radha Ji and Seth Pratap Singh (a.k.a. Chacha Ji Sahib),
Soami Ji's youngest brother. Their welcome for him was very warm when
He arrived, and Radha Ji gave Him Soami Ji's red turban and prayer
carpet ("aasan"). Chacha Ji offered Soami Ji's Gaddi to sit upon, but
Jaimal declined saying, "I am only a dog of this house, blessed to be
admitted to this house."
The next day he visited Rai Saligram (to whom Soami Ji had entrusted
the spiritual work in Agra). Saligram's attitude was very respectful,
and he offered Jaimal first a Gaddi to sit upon, then a silken robe
embroidered in gold. Jaimal again declined, to which Saligram
responded, "How can you say such things, when Soami Ji has made you a
king of Spirituality and entrusted you with his mission in the
Punjab?"
Baba Jaimal Singh's relation****p with the Agra sangat apparently
remained friendly for several years thereafter, including a visit by
Jaimal in 1894. However, when Saligram died, his official successor,
Brahm Shankar Mishra, set up the "Central Administrative Council,"
which was designed to preside over the various sangats and govern the
activities of their respective initiating leaders. Due to what might
be called organizational political dynamics, in August 1902, Jaimal
decided to sever official connections with this group (though he did
stay in contact with Soami Ji's family, particularly Pratap Singh and
Sudarshan Singh, throughout their lives), and serve as an independent
Satguru in the Punjab.
Going back a decade, when Babaji returned to Ghuman after His
retirement, He was drawn to the Beas River as a place to meditate. To
His surprise, the first time He arrived, He found a small hut already
built for Him, as foretold by the sadhu he had met many years
earlier. Even though the area was most forbidding at the time,
abounding with poisonous s****s and scorpions (and, on the surface,
not the most optimal site for a meditation center), He immediately
resonated with the area and made it His home.
Over the next few years He would make short journeys around the
Punjab, visiting various villages, awakening people to timeless truth
of Naam, explaining to the predominantly Sikh population (as was
explained to Himself by Soami Ji) the true meaning of Shabda, the
nature of Sat Purush, the inner regions, and the necessity of being
initiated by a living Satguru into the path of the Five Holy Names in
order to achieve sel-realization, God-realization and Jivan Mukti
(spiritual freedom in this lifetime). As Soami Ji foretold, the
Punjab sangat began to grow under Babaji's tender loving care, slowly
at first; but the seeds of Naam He planted took root, blossomed and
spread under the gentle guidance of this "soldier saint."
Because Baba Jaimal Singh took a strong stand against the Indian
tradition of idol wor****p, He apparently never allowed any photos to
be taken of Him, or sketches made. This much, however, is known about
Him. He was five feet, six inches (about the same height as Sri Paul
Twitchell), had a "ruddy wheatish" complexion with a protrusion over
His right eye and a lotus sign on the sole of His right foot
(considered by many to be a sign of master****p), with a long, flowing
black beard. He wore a turban, simple white clothing, sandals or
Indian shoes. He was generally rather shy and quiet, and didn't argue
with people. If somebody was off-base with a remark He would usually
say nothing unless asked. A committed celibate, He never married nor
had children, and none of his siblings had surviving descendants. He
was a committed vegetarian, with His primary diet being milk.
Stories abound regarding Babaji's lessons on humility and golden
silence. More than one disciple made the mistake of talking about
their inner experiences or flaunting spiritual powers and, after
several admonitions, found the inner door closed, sometimes for
years. Perhaps the most famous account is of a pundit who received
Naam initiation, but was not having what he considered to be profound
inner experiences. He repeatedly begged Jaimal to give him some inner
experience, to show him the inner regions, and Jaimal in turn
repeatedly declined, saying the strain would be too great. One day
Babaji finally relented and, on the banks of the Beas River,
"...asked the pundit to sit down in meditation, and focused his gaze
upon him. The pundit's soul was forcibly drawn up into the higher
realms. When Baba Ji, by his own Will, brought it back to physical
consciousness, the pundit fell sobbing at his feet. =91I thought my
life was being wrenched out of me, and a million lightnings fell upon
my head. Oh Sir, forgive me my foolishness. We mortals are indeed
unworthy.'"
The pundit spent the last three years of his life deeply immersed in
spiritual practices.
Another story along these lines is of a disciple, Moti Ram, who begged
Babaji to give initiation to his friend, Hukam Singh. Again, the
Master declined several times, saying Hukam Singh's karmas didn't
permit it. Moti Ram persisted and Jaimal relented, but insisted that
His carriage prepared to leave and a train ticket be booked for
immediate passage back to Beas. He spent the next two weeks with a
high fever, which finally abated. When asked about it, He said that
Hukam Singh's karmas had ordained seven lifetimes of extreme
suffering, which were now essentially abated.
However, the most im****tant initiation Baba Jaimal Singh gave occurred
in October 1894. While visiting a town on one of His Satsang tours,
He and Bibi Rukko (one of His first and closest satsangis) saw a tall
Sikh gentleman walking by. Babaji remarked to Bibi that this fellow
was the reason they had come to this village. Bibi replied something
to the effect of, "What do you mean you =91came for him.' He doesn't
even notice you." Babaji essentially replied, "Don't worry. He
will. In four days, he will be at satsang." Sure enough, four days
later, Sawan Singh - having heard that a great holy man was in town -
sought out the Satsang. Babaji immediately ignited Sawan's Atma with
the timeless essence of Surat Shabd Yoga, and answered his numerous
questions. On October 15, 1894, He gave Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj
initiation.
For the next decade, Babaji continued to travel around the Punjab,
explaining the essence of Surat Shabd Yoga to countless people, and
initiating thousands into this ancient Science of Spirituality.
During this time, Hew as constantly in contact - through
correspondence, visits to Beas and inner communication - with Sawan
Singh. Sawan visited Beas often, serving Babaji in whatever way he
could. Every time he visited, he asked if he could build a satsang
hall or dig a well, or enlarge Babaji's little hut (Sawan was a
military engineer). Babaji repeatedly demurred, saying He didn't want
to be tied down to any one place. But Sawan persisted in his offers
to serve his Master. Finally, Babaji acquiesced to a having a well
dug, and later a satsang hall built. But in doing so, He told Sawan
that he (Sawan) would be tied to what he built, not Babaji. Thus
began Dera Baba Jaimal Singh (the home of Radhasoami Satsang Beas).
In 1903, the satsang hall was completed. Babaji's devotees requested
that He give satsang there, but the Satguru declined, saying, "No, no,
the Will of God is otherwise. He who is to succeed me shall address
you there." When His chelas entered the hall, they found Sawan
sitting on the dais giving Satsang. A few days later, on December 29,
1903, Baba Jaimal Singh gave His final initiation, returned to His
room, and passed away.
I'd like to close here with some key comments by Baba Jaimal Singh on
the timeless path of Surat Shabd Yoga (mostly taken from His
correspondence with Sawan Singh, published by Radhasoami Satsang Beas
in the book, Spiritual Letters, and reprinted by Kirpal Singh).
"Shabd is the real Form of the Satguru. By linking with It you will
reach your Destination. But the condition is that you first develop
love and devotion for the person of the Master, for without it nothing
else is possible. The Satguru is One with the All-Giver, the Anami-
Radhasoami and has assumed a physical form for the uplift of jivas
(souls). Whosoever develops a strong love and devotion for him and
regards him as the Supreme Lord Himself, will contact the Shabd Dhun
and be saved."
"When you are doing your Bhajan or Simran, do not have any worldly
cares in your mind nor let yourself be distracted by any thoughts.
First, do your Simran for a quarter of an hour; then, gradually, fix
your attention in the Shabd Dhun. Then give up Simran, and anchor
your mind and soul in the Shabd. You will then experience great
bliss, and Supreme Grace will descend on you from the higher regions."
"Listen to the Shabd Dhun, calling in your heart, every day with great
love and devotion, for fifteen minutes, or ten minutes, or five
minutes, or an hour or two, according to the time at your disposal.
But you must listen to It every day for a while."
"Shabd Dhun - that is our real Form. This physical body is only a
garment. Nobody could keep it forever, and nobody ever will . . .
Believe, O devout ones, that the Shabd form of the Satguru, Which has
no beginning and no end, is within the body."
"...The Shabd Dhun will pull it (mind) and keep it in the same way as
animals, like goats or cattle, are kept by means of a rope."
"You ask me how to hold your mind. It is held only through Shabd.
Hear its Music daily and meditate on the Form of the Satguru. Then
the mind shall cease to wander; and one day, borne on the Shabd Dhun,
the soul shall reach Daswan Dwar. Thus, leaving the mental apparatus
behind, the soul shall unite with the pure Shabd and through the grace
of the Satguru reach Sach Khand. Have no doubt. It shall reach
There." (01/07/1901)
"(Once the mind is brought under control) then the Radiant Form of the
Master appears within. There is no difference between It and the
physical form. It is like a reflection in a clear mirror. But so
long as the glass is not clear, nothing can be seen reflected."
"Suffering and troubles are blessings in disguise, for they are
ordained by the Lord. If our benefit lies in pain, He sends pain; if
in pleasure, He sends pleasure. Pleasures and pains are tests of our
strength, and if one does not waver or deflect, then the Almighty
blesses such souls with Naam (or Shabd)."
(05/08/1897)
"What the Lord considers best, He is doing. Do not bring yourself
into the picture. Live by the words of the Master, and continue
performing your earthly duties. When the fruit is ripe, it will fall
of its own accord without injury to itself or the bearing branch. But
if we pluck the unripe fruit forcibly from off the tree, the branch is
injured and the raw fruit shrivels and is of little use. Meeting a
competent Master is the fulfillment of human birth: this is the fruit
of life. To live by His commandments insures its proper nurture.
Daily Simran and Bhajan, to the maximum possible, are the best food
and nourishment, and mergence with Shabd is its ripening and falling
off."
(03/03/1899)
Come hear Uncle John's Band
Playing to the tide.
Come on along,Or go alone.
He's come to take His children Home.
- Hunter/Garcia
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SFS
alt.meditation.shabda
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