1

QUESTIONS

&

ANSWERS

(SHANKE ASHANKE)

QUESTIONS ASKED BY SATSANGIS, SEEKERS

&

ANSWERED BY

SANT BABA KEHAR SINGH JI

Radha Soami Tarn Taran

2

© Radha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh

Tarn Taran (Punjab)

First Edition - May 2011 - 1000 copies

Published by:

Balwinder Singh

Secretary,

Radha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh

Railway Road, Tarn Taran (Punjab)

01852-222042, 226472, 226473

Fax: 01852-229188

website: www.rst t .org.in

email: rst torg@gmail.com

Printed by:

IMPRESSION PRINTS

Faridabad

Ph.: 0129-4029457

3

] rwDw suAwmI ]

jMmxw-mrnw hY kudrq dy h`Q,jo bIjyAw pvygw ktxw nhIN koeI S`k[jo sMq smJwvdy nhIN Aml kry,jo cMgw mwVw kIqw hY Bugqnw pvy[

- sMq bwbw kyhr isMG jI

Life and death is in the hands of Nature.What you sow, so shall you reap; there is nodoubt.You do not follow the Saint’s advice.Whatever good or bad you do, you will have toundergo it’s results.

4

Brief Introduction:Radha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh

Tarn Taran, Punjab, India

Tarn Taran is a district of Punjab. It is 35kilometers away from the Raja SansiInternational Airport and 23 kilometers fromAmritsar. Dera Baba Bagga Singh is situated nearthe head post office at a distance of 300 metersfrom railway station Tarn Taran.

Saints come to the world to liberateHuman Beings at different times. Seth Shiv DayalJi (Swami Ji) gave the name ‘Radha Soami’ tothe traditional Santmat. He was born on August25, 1818 and was initiated by Tulsi Sahib at theage of six.

Baba Jaimal Singh Ji was his mostprominent disciple. He was born in July 1839 invillage Lath Ghuman in district Gurdaspur. Hismother was Mata Daya Kaur and his father’sname was Mr. Jodh Singh, who was an agriculturefarm owner. From his very childhood he had avery gentle nature.

At the age of fourteen and a half, withthe permission of his mother, he started visitingreligious places seeking God Realization. One dayhe came to know about Swami Ji and went toattend his satsang. He was convinced by SwamiJi’s satsang, and attained Nam Dan from him in1856. In 1891 he constructed a hut in village

5

Balsarai and started living there and givingsatsang and initiation. That very Dera is famousall the world over by the name: Radha SoamiSatsang Beas.

The founder of Radha Soami Dera TarnTaran, Baba Bagga Singh, was born on May 15,1864 in village Chuslevar, Tehsil, Kasur, DistrictLahore (now in Pakistan). His father was SardarSavan Singh and his mother’s name was SardaniShobhi. He joined the Indian Army on March 20,1882. He went to Multan Cantonment with othermen of the army. While receiving his uniform hemet Baba Jaimal Singh Ji. He qualified for therecruitment test in November 1882. Along withtwo other persons he received Nam Dan onAugust 1, 1883. He went on reserve duty onDecember 21, 1889 and began living in a hut onthe bank of a pond in his village where he startedgiving satsang. Later he constructed a cave at thatvery place and kept busy in meditation day andnight for nine years. By the order of Baba JaimalSingh Ji he purchased land in February 1900 inTarn Taran and constructed two temporary roomsthere and started giving satsang. This place isnow called the ‘old Dera’. Because of the increasein the sangat, the land for the present Dera waspurchased and the building was constructed onRailway Road Tarn Taran. Living there hepromoted Santmat. He left for his heavenlyabode on July 6, 1944.

After that Baba Deva Singh Ji took over

6

as Sant Satguru. He was born in village TootDhahewal in Lahore, now in Pakistan, on Dec 25,1885. Sardar Burh Singh Chahal was his father.He was initiated at the age of 14. He came to theDera at an early age and served Baba Bagga Singhhis entire life.

After that Baba Pratap Singh Ji wasseated on the Guru Gaddi. He was born on Dec.29, 1900 in village Talavan Chandian. His motherwas Mata Jawal Kaur and father was Sardar JodhSingh. Being born in a family steeped in Santmat,he was interested in Santmat from the verybeginning. He farmed as this was his familyprofession. He was initiated at the age of ten byBaba Bagga Singh Ji on May 17, 1910. He wouldalways speak of Santmat, so he became famousas Gyani Ji (The Knowledgeable). After retirementSardar Bahadur Jagat Singh Ji came to Dera Beas,and to replace him, Baba Pratap Singh Jicontinued delivering satsangs in Layalpur Centeruntil the Indo-Pak division took place. He gotblessings from both the Deras, Tarn Taran andBeas. He was the best player of Kabaddi (somewhat like wrestling sport). With the blessings ofBaba Bagga Singh Ji, he never lost a game. Heopenly announced that “Should anyone defeatme, I will give him my nappy, picking him up onmy shoulders I will take him around the wholegrounds and thereafter stop playing Kabaddi”.But that never happened. He stopped playingon his own.

7

Maharaj Charan Singh Ji from Dera Beasseated him on the Guru Gaddi on November 8,1961. While bringing him to the Dera for theceremony, Maharaj Charan Singh Ji asked, “Whatare your qualifications?” He replied, “I have donethe four degrees of masters in the subject youwant me to teach.” This shows how deep a studyhe did in Santmat. His family members tell thathe was very well versed in Santmat. During hisfree time he would read books on Santmat, andwould fall asleep with the books on his chest.He would again read the same book after wakingup. This reflected in his satsangs.

He delivered satsangs in many big andsmall cities in India; initiated people, andmanaged the Dera administration very well. Heleft this mortal world on April 26, 1988.

After that, according to his written will,Baba Kehar Singh Ji took over as Sant Satguru onMay 12, 1988. He was born to Mata Thakar Kaurand Pratap Singh Ji on Dec 26, 1926 in villageChandia Talavan, district Layalpur, now inPakistan. He studied at Khalsa College in Layalpur.He was verse reader during the satsangs of SardarBahadur Jagat Singh Ji and Baba Pratap Singh Jiin the Layalpur center. After the Indo-Pakpartition he came to village Nagkalan, districtAmritsar, and lived there with his family. Heserved in the railway workshop in Amritsar andretired on Dec. 31, 1982 as senior manager. Hehad been serving the Dera during his service, but

8

after retirement he accompanied Baba PratapSingh ji continually until Baba Pratap Singh Ji leftthis mortal world. Taking over as Sant Satguru,he came to the Dera. He observed that the sangatwas increasing and there was a need to establishmore centers; so he began establishing morecenters in big and small cities around India. Hetook care of the need for literature on Santmat,and got many books published. This work iscontinuously progressing. Travelling abroad heinitiated many seekers to unite them with God.

Satsang is held in the morning as well asthe evening in the Dera. Free kitchen is availablefor 24 hours a day. Blood donation camps areheld. Marriages of girls from poor families areperformed at the Dera without anydiscrimination. The dental checkups,homeopathic, allopathic and acupressuredispensaries are functioning where each personis treated free of charge. Due to Baba Ji’s ableguidance, the Dera is progressing day and night.

9

Publisher’s Note

Searching the records of the Dera, fileswere found containing letters from Satsangis andreplies by the Present Master Baba Kehar SinghJi; along with notes from a few questions askedin his Satsangs. He took over as Sant Satguru ofRadha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh in 1988.Some of these letters were seeking guidance onthe spiritual path, and others had worldlyproblems. Each letter was replied to personallyby Baba Ji; and a copy of the important letterswas kept on file. These letters related to Bhajan-Simran, the cycle of Birth and Death, thenecessity for a Guru, and how to manifest theWord-Form of the Guru within. Baba Ji handedover these files to the publishing department atthe Dera, requesting them to select the letterswhich provided important information relatingto Sant Mat; and with Baba Ji’s approval theseletters could be published in book form. Baba Jihas been kind enough to help the publishingdepartment in this work.

So under the precious guidance of thePresent Master, Baba Kehar Singh Ji, thequestions and replies by the Master wereselected and published in Punjabi and Hindi andnow included is this English translation. Mr.Madhav Pandey ‘Nirmal’, Mr. Kenneth Stamblerand Mrs. Nirmal Sian put in a joint effort totranslate this book into English. The Dera is most

1 0

grateful to them. We wish the Sangat and loversof Sant Mat to be benefited by this book.

Yours faithfully,Balwinder Singh, SecretaryRadha Soami Dera Baba Bagga Singh,Tarn Taran 143401, Punjab,India

1 1

Q.1 Baba Ji, if a person has a doubt or concern,should he get it cleared by the Satguru, orthinking the Guru is All-Knowing, should he keepquiet?

Answer: Son, Guru is a form of God. Anyonecoming to him with a question, doubt or concerngets the answer in Satsang or in some other wayhe gets a satisfactory solution to his problems.Guru is All-Knowing. Still, if while staying withhim your doubts are not cleared, you mayrequest clarification.

Meeting Him, the mind is filled with bliss.

He is called ‘True Guru’.

Adi Granth 168

Dual-mindedness departs, and the Supreme status of the

Lord is obtained.

O’ my Lord and Master, I have come to Your Sanctuary.

The anxiety of my mind departed when I had the Blessed

Vision of Your Darshan.

Adi Granth 1218

The shutters are open, and doubts have run away.

Nanak has met with the Perfect Guru.

Adi Granth 890

The Perfect Guru has dispelled the darkness of doubt.

Adi Granth 615

Q.2 Baba Ji, I need your benevolence for myhusband and children.

1 2

Answer: Daughter, Nam is the Creator of thewhole world. At the time of initiation one getseverything. Nam is a Power that has to beawakened within you. This Power is attainedthrough Guru’s Nam that you already received.All problems are solved through Simran andMeditation, though it is difficult to do. Anywayyou have to do it; then only will you receiveGuru’s Grace for your family.

Q.3 Baba Ji, should a person swear by Guru?

Answer: Son, perhaps you want to know if it isright to swear by Guru? If to prove histruthfulness one has to swear, maybe on God orGuru, and you are truthful, the swearing settlesyour dispute. Do not worry, you have provedyour truthfulness by swearing. If you feel it, domore Simran and Meditation. The other personmay believe you or not, however, try to avoidsuch situations in the future.

Q.4 Baba Ji, I try to serve people, but my parentsare unhappy and say, “You are wasting yourtime.” What should I do?

Answer: Son, parents have hopes for theirchildren. They want to enjoy the shade and fruitsof the trees planted by them. Maybe they areless educated; that is why they object to yourserving others. To make amends, you have to lookafter their interest also. Being the parents, theymay be adamant, and may not favor you, but

1 3

you have to find the way to convince them toagree with you. Guru Nanak Dev Ji made a TrueDeal, and his parents were unhappy; but he gaveimportance to his True Deal.

Q.5 Baba Ji, what is the easy way to see the Lightwithin?

Answer: My son, the easiest way is to do Simranand Meditation and get connected to your Guruafter getting initiation. Try to see the Lightreferred to by the Guru, inside yourself... thenyou can become the form of the Almighty.

Q.6 Baba Ji, what is the difference betweenbreathing and Vital Force?

Answer: Son, it is an important question. VitalForce is like a furnace, and the bellows arebreathing. V ital force is the power whichgenerates breathing. As a blacksmith pumps theair in the furnace to intensify the fire, in the sameway vital force generates breathing in us. As soonas the baby comes out of the mother’s womb,the breathing starts. At the time of death theVital Force is finished and the breathing stops.

Q.7 Baba Ji, I am so fed up and frustrated, if youdo not reply to my letter, I will commit suicide.

Answer: Daughter, I may not have received yourletter due to the wrong address on it. What ifthe postman makes a mistake and does not

1 4

deliver my letter to you and you commit suicide?Maybe my letter will be delivered to you afteryour death. Suicide is not the ultimate goal. Evenafter death you will still have to stay in yourmother’s womb for nine months and take birthto complete the remaining period of this life. Youmay have to face the same problem again thatcaused suicide. Completing the remaining period,you may now be willing to live; still you will haveto die (too soon). Therefore never think ofcommitting suicide. God has gifted us with thisprecious life; it is not wise to waste it. Try toboldly solve the problem which bothers you. Youhave to set right your life and keep spirituallyconnected with Him. Then success will be yours.

Q.8 Baba Ji, what is the single eye or third eye?

Answer: Son, books refer to the single eye, thirdeye or Divya Chakshu. Jesus Christ says, Till youclose your eyes and attain the Third Eye you cannotsee the Supreme Lord. Shri Krishan Ji said, Arjun,you cannot see God without the help of a Master.Arjun asked why. Shri Krishan Ji explained,Because you do not have Divya Chakshu.

I can help you. Closing the two eyes, open theThird Eye. While doing Simran we get into thenatural state and feel drowsy; immediately sitfor meditation. Stop your Simran andconcentrating your attention focus upward. Tryto hear if any Sound is coming from above. TulsiSahib says:

1 5

A Sound is coming from above, calling you!

After some time you will hear a Sound of Nad(Shabad); hearing it you will be mad for Itbecause you were hearing this Sound beforecoming to the world. Slowly you will hear thisSound through your right ear. This wholefunction is inside. We hear with Inner Ears andsee with Inner Eyes. That Sound will start from apoint and will be heard inside. That Sound isLimitless. It will take you to the place of its origin.To catch a deer the hunter plays a kettledrum.Attracted by that, the deer places his head inthe hunter’s lap. Similarly this Sound will takeus to its Origin. There will be another functionalso; that is, Nam will come in the shape ofCelestial Light that will appear in our eyes. Thereis a point behind our eyes from where theCelestial Light has originated. Mystics refer tothis point as the Third Eye.

Saint John writes, In the beginning was the Wordand the Word was with God, and the Word wasGod. (John 1.1) That Eye unites us with God, theSource of the soul; it is possible throughmeditation on Nam. Meditating on Nam the dropmerges in the Ocean and becomes the Ocean.The soul becomes God by merging in Him.

Q.9 Baba Ji, when I sit for meditation the dreadfulfaces start appearing. I need your grace to stopthese.

1 6

Answer: Concentrate on Guru’s form and youwill not see those dreadful faces again. If youare accompanied by Guru, you will not find anyhurdles on your way.

Q.10 Baba Ji, while reading Anurag Sagar aquestion came to my mind. When Kabir Sahibtook Queen Indermati for the Lord’s Darshan,the queen expressed the desire to bring herhusband King Vijay Chander to Sat Lok; but aperson cannot go to Sat Lok with any desire orlonging. So... how could the Queen have such adesire?

Answer: When Kabir Sahib took Queen Indermatito the Nameless Region and took her for Lord’sDarshan, He entered from the main door andthe Queen saw Kabir Sahib on the Lord’s seat.She was surprised to see Kabir Sahib standingon her right and Kabir Sahib sitting on the RoyalThrone. It means that God has no shape. GuruGranth Sahib also says:

He has no form, no shape, no color. God is beyond the

three qualities.

They alone understand Him, O’ Nanak, with whom He is

pleased.

Adi Granth 283

The Guru of a disciple is the Satguru. Satguruchanging into Shabad Guru takes him to theNameless Region from where the Sound Currentoriginates. After seeing the Lord, Kabir Sahib

1 7

came out and Indermati asked him, Why did younot tell me in the Mortal World that you are theLord? Kabir Sahib said, Indermati, I explained inthe Satsang many times that Guru is the Form ofGod, but you did not agree. As a five year old girlasks her mother, from where have you broughtme? and the mother replies, from the temple.She has no words to explain this, but she comesto know all this when she grows up.

Coming out Kabir Sahib asked, Do you have someother desire? Indermati folded her hands andkept quiet. Kabir Sahib wanted the king to cometo Sach Khand, so he put this desire in Indermati’smind. On asking again, Indermati expressed thedesire to bring her husband to Sach Khand. KabirSahib said, How can he come here without Guruand Nam? Indermati said, Though he is notinitiated, he loves you very much. Because of himI am here in the Nameless Region. After attendingyour Satsang, I would come back at midnight;however, the king never took ill of it. Had hestopped me I could never have attended yourSatsang and come here. Kabir Sahib went to theMortal world, saved the king from themessengers of death, and took him to theNameless Region.

Q.11 Baba Ji, why is Kal dominating in this world?

Answer: As the thought of Creation came toLord’s mind, he firstly asked Kuram Bhagat to dothis job. Kuram Bhagat said that in any case he

1 8

does not want to be separated from the Lord.Later He asked Gyani ji, Vivek ji and Sahaj Bhagat;but they also refused. Then He created the desirefor Creation in Niranjan’s mind. Niranjan startedworshipping the Lord, and He worshipped for 70yugas. God sent Sahaj Bhagat to inquire whatNiranjan wanted. Niranjan said, I am not on goodterms with my Father; I want to have a separateworld.

Lord was happy as His wishes were bearing fruit.He asked Sahaj Bhagat to convey to Niranjan thathe has been allotted the Daswan Dwar. Niranjansaw it was all land, without a plough, crop, orlife; it was of no use to him. He again worshippedfor sixty-four yugas. Being asked, he said, I wanta woman to create the world. Lord sent a femalewho was called by Eka Mai, Adi Bhawani,Ashtangi, Adi Kumari, Shakti, and by othernames. Like this the world was created.Worshipping for seventy yugas and then sixty-four yugas, he earned souls and they werebrought from the Lord by Eka Mai.

The souls wept a lot. To console them Lord said,You go. I will come to bring you back to the TrueRegion. Whenever the cries of the souls reachSat Purush, He orders the Saints to come andsave them from the net of Kal.

Saints are coming and will keep coming. Theyconvey the Lord’s message. When Kal sees thatthe souls are ready to go to their home, he says,

1 9

provide them the Empire of the World! Sendbeautiful girls at the time of meditation. Do notlet them get out of this world. Mortal world,Sahansdal Kanwal and Trikuti are the regionsruled by Kal. He does not want the people fromhis world to get united with Lord and go out ofhis sphere of control; that is why Kal keepsoverpowering the beings. With great difficultythe Saints make the people meditate and takethem back to their home.

Q.12 Baba Ji, all of us are sons of the same God!Why is there discrimination?

Answer: Son, this is a good question. Look, afather has three sons. The eldest son is very hardworking and helps to expand the business; thefather is happy with him. The second son getsinto a bad company and wastes the father’smoney; the father is unhappy with him. The thirdson is studying and father is spending on hiseducation. This is not discrimination but thethinking of a father according to thecircumstances. Like this we are sons anddaughters of God. The one doing bad deedsremains in the cycle of coming and going. Theone finishing the cycle of 84 gets human life. Thisis according to the karmas of ones previous lives.So try to unite with God through Satsang, Simranand Meditation; and finish this cycle of 84.

Q.13 Baba Ji, how did the world come intoexistence?

2 0

Answer: Son, the books tell that in collaborationwith Eka Mai, Niranjan had three sons: Brahma,Vishnu and Shiv. Having these three sons, he saidto Eka Mai, I hand over the empire of the ThreeWorlds to you. You are to rule the world withthe help of your three sons, after which, Niranjanwent to the Sunn Region and startedworshipping. He told Eka Mai not to disclose hiswhereabouts to anyone. Guru Granth Sahib says:

The One Divine Mother conceived and gave birth to the

three deities.

One, the Creator of the World; One, the Sustainer, and

One, the Destroyer.

Lord makes things happen according to the Pleasure of

His Will. Such is His Celestial Order. He watches over all,

but none see Him. How wonderful this is.

I bow to Him, I humbly bow.

The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without

end.

Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same.

Adi Granth 7

Brahma was assigned the duty to create. Vishnuwas assigned the duty of sustenance, and Shivwas assigned the duty to destroy. These threeare big Powers. Worshipping them we can go toTrikuti. The Vedas say Neti-Neti which means,This is not the end. There is no doubt we are tocross these three stages, Daswan Dwar andBhanwargupha to reach Sach Khand. (To knowmore read Anurag Sagar.)

2 1

Q.14 Baba Ji, I have to go to parties with myfriends where meat and liquor is served. Kindlyguide me.

Answer: Son, I had served in the Indian Armyand on the Railway Workshop as senior manager.There were big celebrations in the army andrailway. I was overall in charge, so the wholeresponsibility fell on my shoulders. Meat, liquor,pulse, rice and cheese were purchased.Vegetarian and non-vegetarian food was cookedand served separately. My officers were happyto see me eating with them. Being a Sikh, I wouldnot eat meat nor drink liquor. At that time itwas something big. Lectures were arranged inthe army and railway workshop on the topic:Why meat and liquor should not be eaten.Listening to these lectures many persons stoppedeating meat and drinking liquor.

Do not pay attention to the large number ofpersons eating non-vegetarian food! Payattention to the small number of persons eatingvegetarian food. Listening to vegetarians oneshould follow them. We should have no concernwith the non-vegetarians. So keep up your self-confidence. Be firm and the world will follow you.

Q.15 Baba Ji, I am very short tempered. Kindlysuggest some solution.

Answer: Son, anger exists according to theelements present in a person. If the element of

2 2

fire is more predominant in a person, he willhave more anger. If he is not obeyed he will growangrier. The way you express anger matters. Incase the person before you is weaker you willget ‘more angry’ and express your anger. If theother person is stronger than you, you will keepquiet. We have to control anger. We express ouranger at our mother, sister and younger brotherbecause they are weaker. If we are angry withour teacher we control the anger and keep quiet.In my opinion if we leave that place for fiveminutes we can be saved from it.

Whenever you are angry, focus your attentionat your Guru. Quickly drink a glass of cold water.Doing this you feel a change inside yourself. Iwill tell you my own experience. I was a studentof Khalsa College Lyallpur. Getting off at 4:00 pmI was going towards the railway station. I saw aman standing on the railway tracks; the train wascoming and he was looking here and there. Iguessed he had a mind to commit suicide. Istopped there and asked him what he was doingwhen the train was coming. He did not reply. Ipulled him off of the railway track and stoodaside. The train passed us and he started cryingaloud. He fell on my feet and said, If you wouldnot have been there, I would have had my headchopped off. I asked him the cause, and he saidhe was angry. I took him to his home that wasnearby, and narrated the whole story. He wasgoing to commit suicide and now he wasfrightened to think that he would have died. So

2 3

anger leads to unwanted things. The time doesnot come back. Focus your attention on yourGuru when you are angry, and everything will beokay.

Q.16 Baba Ji, I am a mediocre student. My examsare approaching and I am restless. Kindly blessme.

Answer: Son, I received your letter. The reasonfor your restlessness is worldly attachment.Parent’s words also make you restless. You areto see that. Do not allow your mind to overpoweryour brain (right thinking). This is the time tostudy. Concentrate on that. Sometimes Guru’slove is the reason you are disturbed. You are tofigure out if it is Guru’s love, or some otherreason. The result will be according to the timedevoted to your studies. Whatever you sow, soshall you reap. Work hard! Guru’s blessings arewith you.

Q.17 Baba Ji, I have heard in your Satsang thateach grain is to be accounted for. Is the dowrygiven to a girl also accounted for?

Answer: There is no doubt that each grain willbe accounted for. The items taken in the shapeof dowry or donation from the parents are notaccounted, as it is a gift. Yes, if something isstolen from the parents’ house or the girl forcesthem to give her something - then those itemswill be accounted.

2 4

Q.18 Baba Ji, what should be done to lead agood life?

Answer: We should not do bad deeds. Thequestion arises then, we do not know what isgood or bad? We should not do the deeds thatare considered bad in the world... or the deedsour soul does not permit us to do.

Q.19 Baba Ji, sometimes we step on insects.Sometimes we breathe in germs. There is life inthe vegetables we eat. Do we have to pay backthose accounts also?

Answer: That is correct. Guru Granth Sahib alsosays:

As many as are the grains of corn, none is without life.

Adi Granth 472

A human being has five elements; an animal hasfour elements; birds have three; insects havetwo, and vegetables have only one. God hasexempted the vegetable kingdom with oneelement... to survive. That is also accounted for,but paid back by good deeds... and it is not soserious.

Explaining that in another way, if we kill a humanbeing, we are hanged or get life imprisonment,whereas killing a buffalo or a horse we can besaved by paying the money equal to its cost.Killing a chicken we pay still less. Like this, eating

2 5

vegetables and fruits accumulates very littlekarmas that can be paid back through the Graceof Satguru, and through Simran and Meditation.

Q.20 Baba Ji, how does one recognize a TrueMaster?

Answer: To know a True Master we are to knowourselves. It is not in the hands of a person torecognize a Master. Guru provides theunderstanding to approach him. He explainsaccording to the feelings we have. We can onlytry to contact him. Our soul will automaticallyrecognize him.

Q.21 Baba Ji, how to please the Guru when hebecomes unhappy?

Answer: Son, Guru is never unhappy with hisdisciple. If a disciple feels so, that his ownthinking. The misunderstanding will be clearedby Guru’s Grace and the disciple will come toknow that Guru was never unhappy.

Q.22 Baba Ji, does a Satsangi need a special dietto do Meditation?

Answer: A Satsangi should eat a vegetarian dietof fruits, vegetables and grains, etc. He shouldnot eat meat, fish, or eggs; nor drink liquor. Thesethings flare up the soul. We eat to keep our bodyworking. We should not eat spicy food and weshould eat less butter.

2 6

Q.23 Baba Ji, You advise us to try and bring theperson around who is unhappy with us. Whatto do if he still not happy?

Answer: Son, in that case your duty is over. He isdoing what God wants him to do. You keep doinggood, and keep extending a friendly hand. Donot stop doing so. I will tell you my ownexperience. I was a student of class nine and myfriend became unhappy over a small thing, andit took the shape of a quarrel. Both of us wentto our houses. Each day my friend used to cometo my place at 8:50 am and we would leave for schooltogether. Then he did not come. I understood thatbecause of the previous days quarrel – he was angryand would not come. I did not want to go withouthim. I guessed he was angry but did not want toexpress it. I thought of going to his place with anexcuse. Generally he used to come to me. I thoughtof an excuse and blew off the air from the wheel ofmy cycle and dragged it to his house. His house was ahundred yards away.

Reaching his house I called, Sardar Mohan Singh!He came running. I said, my cycle needs air, getme your pump! He ran inside, got the pump,and started pumping my cycle. I said, Let mepump. He did not stop pumping even on myrequest. He said, you have done well by comingto my house as I was angry with you. I said, I knewit, that is why I purposely blew off the air andcame to your house with an excuse. We are stillfriends to this day, and doing well.

2 7

If your approach is friendly, the other person willautomatically be cooled down. If someone isangry with you, try to persuade him. Everyonehas some yardstick to reconcile the anger. Yourapproach should be to that effect. Sometimesour pride does not permit us to take the firststep. If we ignore that, the other person will benormal.

Q.24 Baba Ji, if a disciple is ‘unworthy’, what arethe duties of the Master?

Answer: Son, a disciple is never “unworthy”...rather he is lucky to be initiated; however thefriends, circumstances, and company he keepsmake him “unworthy”.Perhaps you have asked this question because aworthy disciple receives many things from theMaster. A worthy disciple asks for useful thingsthat Master can easily provide. He does not talkabout his inner weakness that needs effort onall sides. A student gets admission to theuniversity on the merits of his previous schoolcertificates. No student is “unworthy”.Similarly, according to ones previous karmas, adisciple receiving Inner Celestial Knowledge fromthe Master, changes into his form.

Q.25 Baba Ji, what is Shabad Omkar?

Answer: Son, Shabad Omkar is one of the Namesof God. Guru Nanak Dev Ji, in the beginning ofthe chapter of Japuji Sahib, has referred to Ek-

2 8

Omkar. Shabad Omkar is the One who runs thewhole world. I am happy you asked a spiritualquestion that is not generally asked by a seeker.This question arises at a stage which we reachwhile reading or thinking. It means theknowledge is there, but it is limited. We are doingresearch of God who has no limits; so we willslowly come to know. Our spiritual knowledge isup to the level of a five year old girl who asksher mother, from where you have brought me?It is difficult to explain to that small girl as tohow and from where she was brought. Themother simply says, I went to the temple andprayed to the goddess there to bless me with ababy girl, and I got you. She will come to knowthe story of her arrival when she will reachtwenty years of age. Similarly, doing Simran andMeditation you will come to know what ‘Omkar’is. This much explanation is enough for the timebeing. (If you want more details read ‘KeetaPasao Eko Kwao’ Satsang Japji Sahib).

Q.26 Baba Ji, people believe in witchcraft. Is thiscorrect?

Answer: There is no place for witchcraft in SantMat. Do Simran and Meditation and no suchthing will touch you. In case a person isoverpowered by such things, he should getguidance from his Master, and believe in hiswords.Nam is the remedy to cure all ailments.

Adi Granth 274

2 9

Q.27 Baba Ji, what is the importance of Satsang?

Answer: Son, we come to know about thecoverings of lust, anger, greed, attachment andego on our soul. We try to remove these andbecome one with Him. As Hir said, utteringRanjha-Ranjha I have become Ranjha. Call meDhidho Ranjha, not Hir. She had only worldlylove yet she was absorbed in that. HavingSpiritual love we can be changed into theSpiritual Form. We can know this through Satsangwhere our doubts are cleared. Satsang defendsour meditation. Through Satsang we can knowthe True Path leading to the Almighty, and knowour inner self.

Q.28 Baba Ji, after initiation a Satsangi does notaccept as true either rituals, pilgrimages,observing fasts or worldly worship. Is he not theloser by neither practicing these things, nordoing his Simran and Meditation (properly)?

Answer: Son, after initiation a Satsangi comesto know the Reality and he stops believing inworldly rituals. He cannot believe these, becausehe knows this is a game of Kal. Doing all this wecannot meet God. If he does no Simran andMeditation, but has faith in his Master, he is sureto get another human birth. It is not possible tomeet God without Simran, Meditation andrealizing Shabad Guru.

Q.29 Baba Ji, when a disciple expresses his

3 0

sorrow to Satguru through a letter, does he getthe response beforehand or after the Satgurureceives his letter.

Answer: Son, the work of many persons is doneas soon as they post the letter. It is their ownway of thinking that they are successful due totheir own effort, or due to Guru’s Grace. Somepeople do not receive Grace per theirexpectation. Maybe someone is suffering fromfever and writing a letter to the Satguru. He maybe lying in the hospital. Not getting the benefit(hoped for), he may be disappointed. In myopinion he has received the Grace; he has beensaved due to Guru’s Grace.

Q.30 Baba Ji, I have heard that one shouldlovingly do Simran and Meditation. Is it stilluseful if it is just a routine and not lovingly done?

Answer: Son, Simran and Meditation may bedone lovingly or as a routine; it is useful as itsaves the person from bad company for theperiod he sits for meditation. Dusting will cleanthe table - whether it is done sincerely or not. Incase it is not properly done, maybe a little dustwill be left. Simran and Meditation must cleanour inner self. If it is done, everything is okay. Ifwe meditate sincerely we get into a ‘naturalstate’. Not doing it sincerely, we stay absorbedin the outward thoughts, and it will not behelpful.

3 1

Q.31 Baba Ji, what is the meaning of the BlessedWords given at Nam Dan?

Answer: Son, there are five stages in us:Sahansdal Kanwal, Trikuti, Daswan Dwar,Bhanwargupha and Sach Khand. The Five Namesare the names of the Lords of each region. Toconcentrate, it is a must to repeat some namelike Ram, Vahiguru, Satnam, Allah, etc., etc. Tostop the diversions of the mind, it is compulsoryto repeat the Holy Names blessed by the Guru.Ram-Ram, Hare-Hare, Vahiguru, Satnam, Allah,etc., are words that have been repeated for along time, however, the true words for repetitionare the words blessed by the Guru. If seeds ofthe Peepal and Banyan Trees are sown they nevergrow into a tree; however, if a bird eats the seedand excretes it, it takes root and grows into abig tree. A word uttered by the Guru is useful.Nam is the Power that created Khand-Brahmand,suns, moons, etc., etc. The Guru connects us withthat Nam or Sound. By focusing on that, we reachthe Nameless Region.

Q.32 Baba Ji, if a person is sitting for Meditation,but he needs to serve someone at that very time,what should he do first, Sewa or Meditation?

Answer: Son, it depends on the circumstances,what is to be preferred. In case your house is onfire, the turmoil in front of your house will makeit impossible to concentrate. If a person needshelp, when you return from helping that person,

3 2

you will feel happiness and your soul will quicklystart going towards its Home. Meditation andSewa are both required, but they differ inimportance. After doing Sewa, Meditation is alsorequired. However, Meditation will be of no useif someone dies for want of your help.

Hazrat Junaid Bagdadi was once going for Hajj.He saw a dog on his way that was run over bysome vehicle and lost his feet. Being badlywounded, blood was oozing, and the dog wasunable to walk. Hazrat Sahib picked up the dogand gave him first aid, and the bleeding stopped.There was no water, so he went to the well, butcould not find any bucket or rope. He made abowl out of leaves and tying it to his turbandropped it in the well, but it still did not reachthe water. He took off his shirt and adding it tothe length of his turban he again put it in thewell; but still it did not reach the water. Then hetook off his loincloth and added it to the length.The bowl was full of water and he offered it todog; the dog was comfortable then. He took thedog to a nearby mosque and requested theMullah to look after it until he returned. Thatnight Hazrat Sahib appeared in his dream andsaid, Your Hajj is already successful. You havelooked after one of my creatures and have beenkind to him. You do not need to go for Hajj. If hedid not look after the dog but had gone for Hajj,how could his Hajj be accepted? He got thebenefit of Hajj by taking care of a wounded dog.This does not mean that at the time of

3 3

Meditation one should walk out to do sewathinking that he should serve someone insteadof doing his meditation. In such a case,meditation is preferred. So it depends on thecircumstances what is important, Sewa orMeditation.

Q.33 Baba Ji, kindly throw light on how oneshould live in the world.

Answer: Son, the world is like a horse yoked toa buggy, pulling a cart. The rider is lashing it andit runs faster. Still the rider continues lashing thehorse. Without showing any anger it keepsrunning. The rider has covered its eyes and thehorse can see directly ahead only. It is done inorder that the horse does not turn to anotherhorse on its right or left, but keeps going straight.A human being is like a horse that does not needto think about the moment to moment things,because he is passing through them. A wise manthinks about the future also. Like this, being theleader of a family, we are driving it ahead. Ifstopping at one place we start quarrelling, wecannot precede further. Everything has happenedaccording to His Will and will happen accordingto His Will. Therefore do not worry. In case amember of our family has met with an accidentand broken his leg; we are sad and cry instead ofbeing thankful to God for saving his life.

Q.34 Baba Ji, when I sit for meditation my lowerlegs are senseless and very painful. Should I get

3 4

up and sit again or tolerate the pain?

Answer: As explained during Nam Dan, a personshould sit with cross legs with his hands on theknees. When the course of Simran is complete,we start concentrating. At that moment,sometimes the legs, sometimes the thighs,sometimes the back, and sometimes the head,starts giving you pain. Son, Kal is a big powerand he does not want anyone to pay attentionto God; so the pains are there.

With the help of your meditation, if you attainthe Form of the Master, everything will be okay.When you see Guru’s Form and start gazing atit, the lower portion of the body becomessenseless and you do not feel any pain. Gettingup during meditation and changing positionshould not be done at all. Until we aredisconnected from the outer world and linkedinside, the pains are there. Without longing, onedoes not see the Form of the Guru. When yousee Guru’s Form inside yourself, you will find allyour difficulties are over. However, try tocontinue and not leave your seat.

Q.35 Baba Ji, even after initiation a person isstuck in the ego and problems of the world. Howto get rid of this fuss?

Answer: Son, answering your own question youhave raised a new question. There is only onesolution to get out of ego - and that is Repetition

3 5

of the Holy Names and Meditation. Afterinitiation, if we do not do Simran and Meditation,how then can we get rid of ego? Simran andMeditation is the only remedy. We take milk andadd a little yogurt to it to change the whole milkinto yogurt; then churning it, we get butter.Following the proper method, we get butter outof milk. So the effort we put in to do Simran andMeditation helps us to get rid of ego so we canbe peaceful. Guru Ram Das Ji says:

Receiving Nam, the mind is satisfied. Without Nam, life is

a curse.

Adi Granth 40

Q.36 Baba Ji, what should we ask of the Master?

Answer: Son, there is only one thing you shouldask the Master for... O’ My Lord, kindly do notkeep me devoid of your Darshan. I always needyour love. We should ask for Guru from Guru.Everything comes from the Happiness of theGuru. Everything is in his control. A disciple prayswhen he is in trouble. When a disciple who issitting face to face with the Master asks forsomething, he will be satisfied, and Guru adviseshim to stay in Guru’s Order; but I say pray forthe welfare of the whole world. You are alsoincluded in the world.

Q.37 Baba Ji, what is the difference betweenArdas and Araj?Answer: Son, ‘Ardas’ is an appeal to God that He

3 6

has to settle. Considering the Unseen God is True,we appeal to Him. Whether He has listened ornot, that is our own belief; He will not reply. Arajis done while sitting face to face before a personhaving five elements.

Q.38 Baba Ji, if Guru advises something in adream, should that be followed?

Answer: A dream is a dream; how you believein it depends on you. A dream is a palace builtin the air. You can neither stand nor sit in it. IfGuru advises something good in a dream, havingfaith one should follow that. If you see a baddream at night, consider that you do not havegood character; your soul is not clean, yourpractice is not complete to meet God.

Q.39 Baba Ji, when I sit for meditation sometimesI do not see your face clearly; sometimes I forgetthe Five Words. What should I do?

Answer: Daughter, forgetting the Five Wordsmeans you are not attentive while doing yourSimran and Meditation.You will not forget the Words if you continuedoing Simran when you wake up in the morning,when you go to bed, when you are sitting alonekneading flour, baking chapattis, etc. When yourinner self gets cleansed, you will start visualizingSatguru’s face clearly. At the time of initiation,Satguru’s Celestial Form is imprinted behind theeyes of the soul.

3 7

Our soul is covered with sheaths of the threeattributes of matter: harmony, action, andinertia; also mental worries, ill feelings, andphysical ailments. It is dirty due to lust, anger,greed, attachment and ego. If these sheaths areremoved one can visualize Guru’s Form. Thesesheaths are removed with Simran andMeditation. There is no other alternative. Lightbecomes dim when a lamp is covered with a thincloth. A thicker cloth reduces its light further.Covering with another thick cloth finishes its lightas well as shape; no light or shape of the lamp isseen at all. Removing these sheaths one by onewe start getting Light back. The sheaths of oursoul are removed with Simran and Meditation.

We come home after traveling for two monthsand see a covering of dust on the mirror and wecannot see our face clearly. We clean our faceagain and again but are still unable to see ourface clearly, but by cleaning the mirror we seeour face clearly. When our inner self is cleanedby removing the sheaths we can see our faceclearly, there is no doubt.

Q.40 Baba Ji, I cannot concentrate, and do notfeel like sitting for meditation. What should I do?

Answer: Son, to enjoy clarified butter (ghee) youhave to put in effort. First we are to buy milk,then boil it; add some yogurt to change it intoyogurt, then churn it to get butter. Heating thebutter we get clear butter, and eat it. To get

3 8

clear butter (ghee) we had to put in so mucheffort. Like this we are to separate our mind fromthe evil tendencies and attach it to God. To besuccessful we are to follow the method as shownby the Guru.

Q.41 Baba Ji, If a person remembers you fromthe core of his heart and requests your Darshan,does this call reach you?

Answer: Son, whosoever remembers Guru in anatural way, his call reaches not only the Guru,but also God. It depends upon the level ofrequest. The request of an ant reaches God butthe request of an elephant sometimes does not.If a person requests outwardly, he does not getthe benefit that a person requesting from thecore of his heart gets. The request from the coreof one’s heart reaches direct to the Guru sittinginside.

Q.42 Baba Ji, reading the Shabads and Simran,both develop love for God; but how to progressin meditation?

Answer: Son, for this reason Mahatmas adviseus to do Simran sitting in a lonely place withclosed eyes. Until we are unlinked from theoutside we cannot be united inside. This is calledSahaj Avastha. Forgetting the outside we arebenefitted. Chanting Shabads is beneficial. Howcan we attain the natural state without chantingthe Shabads?

3 9

You know before conducting an operation adoctor will give chloroform to the patient andask him to count. While counting he slowlybecomes quiet and disconnected from theoutside world. He does not feel pain during theoperation. We too reach this state by chantingShabads and doing Simran.

Q.43 Baba Ji, when I sit for meditation, I get badthoughts. Why does this happen, and how canit be stopped?

Answer: Son, if excrement is lying somewhere,and after two or three days a layer of dirt coversit; it will stop stinking. If a stone hits it, it givesout an intolerable smell. Like this, there is filthof evil tendencies that have accumulated in usfor many past lives. After initiation, we throwthe stone of Simran and Meditation and the badthoughts of many years start coming out. As thisbad smell is cleansed with the repetition of Nam,fragrance takes its place. The inner environmentis all fragrance. Bad thoughts are replaced bygood thoughts. All this will stop after Simran andMeditation for a few days.

Q.44 In the Nameless Region there is no roomfor desires; how then could Niranjan have adesire to create the world when it was really theLord creating the world?

Answer: Son, there is no place for desires in theNameless Region. God Himself had a wish to

4 0

create the world and He expressed this thoughtto Kuram Bhagat and Sahaj Bhagat - that Hewanted to create another Region. However, bothof them said that they did not want to beseparated from God. Then God put this thoughtof having a separate Empire in Niranjan’s mind.Standing on one leg he worshipped the Lord forseventy yugas; then again for sixty-four yugas,and he got the Empire of the Three Worlds. Thisneeds to be studied. The research going on todayon the subject of “Creation of the World” hasalready been explained and written by the Saints.For this read Anurag Sagar by Kabir Sahib.

Q.45 Baba Ji, when the souls were handed overto Niranjan and Eka Mai, did they come happilyor crying?

Answer: Sir, I have already explained in manySatsangs that when the Lord ordered Eka Mai togo to Niranjan, He asked her to create the worldin collaboration with Niranjan. Lord handed overthe souls to Eka Mai as her dowry. The soulswere weeping and God said that He would cometo see them.

Q.46 Baba Ji, what is meant by “Living Death”?

Answer: Son, “Living Death” means that wereach the place, while living, that we are to goafter death. The body below the eyes is calledPind by the Mahatmas. Leaving Pind, the soulshould go into And and Brahmand, where we

4 1

are to go after death. Seeing that place the soulcomes back into the body. This is called a “LivingDeath”. Guru Granth Sahib says about this:

O’ Nanak, remain dead while still alive: practice such a

Yoga!

Adi Granth 730

But if he remains dead while yet alive, then by so dying,

he truly lives; thus, he attains liberation.

Adi Granth 550

One who remains dead while yet alive is liberated, and

merges in the True Name.

Adi Granth 1067

Q.47 Baba Ji, what should be the ideal life of a

Satsangi, so that he may not have to take

rebirth?

Answer: Son, the question put by you is not only

your question, but a question many have.

Anyone studying in college should work hard so

that he passes the first year. He should not keep

the second or third year in mind. We are to attain

the Third Eye through Simran and Meditation to

unite with God. We can get merged in Him by

our hard work and courage. We should lead the

life of a worthy person. Our Guru will help us if

we keep our inner self clean.

4 2

Q.48 Baba Ji, people say they are afraid while

doing meditation. What relation does fear have

with meditation?

Answer: Son, fear has no place during

meditation, still, people complain, so it needs

attention. Guru’s Form should always be in our

eyes, but when our passions are more powerful,

we get disconnected from Guru’s Form. At that

time Kal is overpowering us, so we get scared.

This condition may continue for a long time and

it may happen that it does not let you meditate.

However, be bold and courageous and try to keep

attached to the Guru; then fear will not bother

you. Fear is due to our own Karmas. The only

remedy for this is regular meditation without a

break, and Guru’s form should stay with us.

Q.49 Baba Ji, do we need to repeat the Holy

Names at the time we are having outside

Darshan?

Answer: Keep on repeating the Holy Names if

possible. There is no harm if this stops while

talking. We see Satguru with our eyes, and repeat

the Holy Names with the tongue. Anyhow, you

are to continue repeating the names while you

are having Darshan.

4 3

Q.50 Baba Ji, in case a Satsangi feels lonely and

dry, what should he do?

Answer: Son, an empty mind thinks of bad

things. One should focus on Satsang, Simran and

Meditation, and keep involved in good deeds.

Q.51 Baba Ji, we cannot know the real or thefalse things when dreaming; so what does ‘Donot forget the Guru even in a dream’ mean?

Answer: Son, Do not forget the Guru even in adream is a proverb. Its real meaning is, do notforget the Guru even for a short period of time.If we keep remembering him while we are awake,he may appear in our dreams too, because thethoughts of the day appear in the dreams also.

Q.52 Baba Ji, if a person is employed in such ajob that he cannot repeat the Holy Names at alltimes, what should he do?

Answer: Son, no one has arranged such a job forus. Like a silk worm, we ourselves produce thethreads (cocoon) and get badly entangled inthem; then we do not find a way out. The jobshould be to provide a means of livelihood inorder to run your life and earn money. Beyondthat it is a luxury. So staying within the limits,we need to do Simran and Meditation. Thisshould be our foremost preference.

4 4

Q.53 Baba Ji, does this mean that we should nottry to expand our business?

Answer: It does not mean that we should notexpand the business; it means that we shouldexpand the business up to that level where wecan devote time to Spirituality and still look afterthe business. We should not get involved in it tosuch an extent that we cannot devote time toSimran and Meditation.

Q.54 Baba Ji, how is cleanliness related to Simranand Meditation?

Answer: Son, regarding cleanliness, firstly weshould keep our body clean. After that, the roomwhere we do our Simran and Meditation shouldbe cleaned. To enable the mind to go in, weshould clean the room as well as our body,because we want God to be seated there. Thisdoes not mean we should keep involved incleanliness and showing off. It is of no use if themind does not go in.

Q.55 Baba Ji, is Simran useful?

Answer: Simran is Simran. It has to clear the wayfor the soul to unite with God. Whatever timeyou devote to it is beneficial.

Q.56 Baba Ji, if someone touches your feet outof love, or runs after you to have your Darshan,is this against Sant Mat?

4 5

Answer: In my eyes it is showing off. Doing suchthings we want to show we love our Guru. Aperson who meditates has Darshan of theSatguru while sitting alone, or passing by the sideof Satguru. Guru’s feet are in the Tenth Gate.Guru never stops a person from having hisDarshan inside and saluting him.

Q.57 Baba Ji, is it right to meditate obstinately(in a forceful manner)?

Answer: In the beginning the mind does not liketo go in because it does not enjoy it. What shoulda human being do? When Guru’s Form appearsinside, there is no need to be obstinate (forceful)because mind also wants to enjoy being inside.One has to be obstinate to turn the mind inside.Regular meditation will compel the mind to co-operate.

Q.58 Baba Ji, why shouldn’t one disclose hisinner experiences; and why do the InnerBlessings stop after disclosing them?

Answer: According to the Saints, InnerExperiences should not be disclosed. If the liveris weak, food is not digested. Disclosing thesecrets mean not digesting Guru’s love inside.As a lady does not disclose her husband’s loveto anybody, one should not disclose his innerexperiences to anyone. When water is runninginto a tank, but the taps (outlets) are open, watercannot be stored in it. Like this, if we disclose

4 6

our Inner Blessings, Guru’s Grace cannot bestored.

Q.59 Baba Ji, if a teacher beats (punishes) astudent, is it a sin?

Answer: Son, a doctor gives bitter medicine tothe patient. He does this for his betterment. Likethis, if a teacher punishes a student, that is forhis betterment. He does not earn any sin. Yes, ifhe beats the child to take revenge, he has to payback.

Q.60 Baba Ji, I am your initiate and want to doSewa in a center at Beas. Is this okay?

Answer: Son, doing Sewa in Beas is my Sewa.Don’t be dual minded. When doing Meditationyou should focus on your Guru; however, Sewashould be done for everyone. Maybe he is fromyour own family, some neighbor or someonefrom the Sangat; as far as possible we should doSewa for the weak, a senior, the helpless or thehandicapped. Sewa is a bargain and you get cashfor it! Without discussions, one should take thebenefit from doing this.

Q.61 Baba Ji, my husband keeps quarreling, andI do not want to agree with what he says.

Answer: Daughter, the relationship of a husbandand wife depends on love. Try to lovinglyconvince your husband, and he will agree. If you

4 7

extend love to him, he will do whatever you say.If there is no harm, try to do what he wants -then there will never be a quarrel.

Q.62 Baba Ji, what is the difference between Asa,Trishna and Mansa?

Answer: Asa (hope) develops in the mind,whereas Trishna is a thirst or longing. Asa ischanged into Trishna. Mansa or desire is ahankering after something.When we see a thing, and want to have it, thatis hope (Asa). When hope is not fulfilled itchanges into desire (Mansa). When desire is notfulfilled it changes into thirst (Trishna) and onelongs to have that thing. Achieving that thingone can have ‘some’ solace, however everythingcan be fulfilled by Nam. Guru Ram Das Ji makesit clear in Guru Granth Sahib.

Receiving Nam, the mind is satisfied.

Without Nam, life is a curse.

Adi Granth 40

Q.63 Baba Ji, should Simran be done at a timeof anger?

Answer: Simran and anger cannot stay together.If anger is there, starting Simran, it will go. It willbe beneficial if Simran is performed when one isangry.

Q.64 Baba Ji, my mind is stable when I do Simran,

4 8

but doing meditation it starts running out. Whydoes this happen?

Answer: Son, try to meditate keeping the Formof the Master behind your eyes and your mindwill be stable. As a lady going in the dark byherself is afraid, but when she is with her husbandshe has no fear; like this, if the disciple keepsGuru’s Form before his eyes, Kal’s forces cannotoverpower him and he is not afraid at all. Thesoul has to get connected to the Spiritual Sound.If at the time of Simran your attention is towardsGuru, the soul will not face any problem catchingthe Spiritual Sound. If the attention still goes out,it is a hurdle created by the mind. I make outthat the Simran is incomplete.When you become habitual your Meditation willbe complete. Attention towards Guru removesthis hurdle.

Q.65 Baba Ji, I am an initiate of Baba Pratap SinghJi, but I see you during Meditation. Is thiscorrect?

Answer: Son, we see the thing during Meditationthat we love. A newly wedded wife will see herhusband in her thoughts. Like the love of a wifefor her husband, or husband for the wife, if welove our Satguru, we will see his form duringMeditation. We are to develop detachment, loveand longing. I never agree that being an initiateof Baba Pratap Singh Ji you see me duringMeditation. It is not right. During worldly talks

4 9

and sitting alone if you see the present Masterit happens due to your clean conscience, butduring Meditation you should see your ownGuru.

Q.66 Baba Ji, if we make a petition for someone(to the Satguru), do we have to repay his karmas?

Answer: A disciple of Satguru does not make apetition; if he makes a petition for someone, thatis Satguru’s Will. But your duty is to take theperson to the Satguru instead of a petition; donot try to mediate. If you put up a petition forsomeone and the Satguru fulfills his desire, youwill feel it is done due to your efforts; whichbuilds ego.

Q.67 Baba Ji, is it right to touch the feet ofSatguru?

Answer: In my opinion touching the feet means‘I am a sacrifice to you’; but the mind sittinginside, has it agreed to this or not? Instead oftouching the feet, present your own practicalexample to show that you have controlled yourmind. Guru Granth Sahib also says this, ‘Winningthe mind is winning the world! (Man jitte jagjeet). Mere talk is not successful - whereas apractical life is effective.

Q.68 Baba Ji, how to control this mind?

Answer: Son, Saints say, Simran, Meditation and

5 0

attendance in the Satsang is a must; we cancontrol the mind through these. The mind cannotbe finished because it is a part of Niranjan (Kal).So we are to weaken it and make the soul strong.Like this, we can proceed on the way leading toGod. It can be possible through initiation from aPerfect Master.

Q.69 Baba Ji, the initiates of Baba Pratap SinghJi, who are your contemporaries - is it difficultfor them to accept you as Satguru?

Answer: Son, if the initiates of Baba Pratap Singhji are relatives, friends or common Satsangies,and do not consider me as Satguru or Saint, it issomething common. Some rare disciple of theSatguru can understand this in the right way. Onlya good Satsangi can accept a person seated inplace of the previous Satguru.

Q.70 Baba Ji, can a person reach the UltimateAbode in his first life?

Answer: It is difficult to reply to each questionwith a yes or a no. It is possible if a person isdestined to be united with the Perfect Masterand get his Grace. It can be, if he reaches thatplace during his life, where he has to go afterdeath. It depends on his meditation.

Q.71 Baba Ji, is the Simran and Meditation donein the previous life useful in this life?

5 1

Answer: It is very effective. This question is veryclear. If a person had been initiated in theprevious life, due to that he got human life againand has been initiated in this life. He can besuccessful in this second life due to his own hardwork and the Grace of the Guru. The spiritualpath explains that a Guru cleans a disciple andtakes him to his ultimate abode in a maximumof four lives.

Q.72 Baba Ji, what is meant by the Charan Kamalof Satguru.

Answer: Satguru’s Charan Kamal means Feet ofSatguru. But in Spirituality we come to knowabout the Feet of the Satguru in the Tenth Gate.Reaching there and putting the dust of Satguru’sfeet on his forehead, the disciple gets free ofthe impurities of many lifetimes and all of hissins are finished. Guru is called Satguru at theTenth Gate.

Q.73 Baba Ji, I can’t sit straight with crossed legsfor Meditation, what should I do?

Answer: According to the Saints, the bestposture for Meditation is to sit with crossed legs.If a person loses one of his legs and gets anartificial leg, and with the help of a stick - still hereaches his destination. Like that putting the tiredor painful legs under the table, or hanging downfrom the bed and putting the elbows or arms ona table a person can sit for Meditation. But I do

5 2

not consider it the correct method. This is analternative method to adjust the postureaccording to the physical inability. The goal is tounite the soul with God; so by any method tryto concentrate.

Q.74 Baba Ji, should a satsangi go to a mosque,temple or gurudwara according to his faith orreligion?

Answer: We should not overlook the traditionsof our forefathers after initiation. We cannot goto college until we complete our (high) schooleducation. Going to the temple or mosque wecome to know that God is a Power; thus the guideshould not be neglected.

Q.75 Baba Ji, does Guru have a Satguru?

Answer: A human being is born, power developsin him and he imparts knowledge to the peopleand becomes a Guru. This method is traditional.A father has a father, and a Guru too has aSatguru.

Q.76 Baba Ji, are Mahatmas, Mahatmas by birth?

Answer: I have been reading that Mahatmas areMahatmas before birth, but they disclosethemselves at the appropriate time. This hasbeen going on since the beginning of the world.Many Mahatmas come but do not disclosethemselves. The Mahatmas coming with a list of

5 3

souls disclose themselves.

Q.77 Baba Ji, why can’t a person get initiation atthe age of fifteen or sixteen?

Answer: Nam Dan has no concern with age, nordoes it go by a strict law. A person is judged byhis ability; not by his age. Mahatmas do notfollow a strict law for Nam Dan. Baba Bagga SinghJi, Baba Pratap Singh Ji and Baba Deva Singh Jihave initiated many persons at the age of fifteenor sixteen. From a very young age we create fearin the children. We ask a child of five or six topray for success in his examination. God getsimprinted in his mind. In his childhood MahatmaBuddha saw a senior sick person and a deadbody, and came to know that the world isperishable. Giving up everything, he startedworshipping and led the world to this spiritualside.

Q.78 Baba Ji, what is the real form of Satguru?

Answer: Son, the real form of Satguru is Shabadwhich is difficult to understand. Only he canunderstand who comes to know It’s secret.Reaching the Nameless Region we can know It’ssecret.

Q.79 Baba Ji, are the bad deeds done by usaccording to Guru’s Order?

Answer: Son, never have this misunderstanding

5 4

that everything is done by Guru’s Order. DoesGuru ever say to do bad deeds? We do the baddeeds by the direction of mind. Note this, thatwhatever is evil has no relation with Guru; it hasrelationship with the mind.

Q.80 Baba Ji, if Guru orders us to do something,does he take the responsibility for that?

Answer: Guru becomes the protector of this lifeand the next life at the time of initiation. Weshould pray to Guru before starting each workand try to do it the very best we can; then hewill take responsibility. He will accompany us inevery good work done by us.

Q.81 Baba Ji, can we go in and progress Spirituallybefore our karmas are settled?

Answer: Son, if we meditate after being initiatedby Guru, we can get our previous karmas settledas well as progress on God’s Path. A wise personwho has a big debt after his father’s death,according to his capacity, expands his businessup to that point where it pays off his debt aswell as progresses.

Q.82 Baba Ji, does a disciple do Sewa by Guru’sWill or by his own willingness?

Answer: Son, Guru’s Grace is showered on eachone after initiation. Whosoever controls his mindwith the Grace of Guru - only he can do Sewa.

5 5

Q.83 Baba Ji, do we find the Guru, or does theGuru find us?

Answer: Son, when this world was created andGod sent His own part, the souls that came tothis world cried a lot, and said, we do not wantto be separated from You. Then God promised,you go and I will come to see you and take youback. The weeping souls were sent to this world,and with the Orders of the Lord we came hereand got into the range of Kal. Like this it is theduty of God to take us back. Japuji Sahib says:

Every one is subject to His command; no one is beyond

His command.

Adi Granth 1

Guru Nanak Dev Ji says:

By His Command, one comes into the world, O’ Beloved;

and by His Will, one goes.

Adi Granth 636

The ‘wisdom’ of a human being does not workbefore the Will of God.

Q.84 Baba Ji, should we disclose our SpiritualExperiences? What is the harm if we disclosethese experiences?

Answer: Son, Guru’s Grace showered on us, isonly for us. It has no relation with anyone else.As I explained in Satsang, a newly wedded girl

5 6

comes to her parents house, and her friends askher about her husband’s love; she smiles, butdoes not say anything. Spiritual matters are aneven more delicate issue – for if disclosed, theinner scenes will stop. If you see Guru’s Forminside, that also can stop; and we would thenbe away from Guru’s Grace. So if Guru hasshowered his Grace on us, we should digest itand not disclose it. Only those progress in theIntelligence Bureau of the government who donot disclose its secrets.

Q.85 Baba Ji, some people consider Palaki Sahib,Baba Deva Singh Ji’s room, and Baba Pratap SinghJi’s room as places of worship (and offer worshipthere). Is this correct?

Answer: Son, Sant Mat is against such worship.Guru Granth Sahib says:

Religious rites, rituals, and hypocrisies which are done are

plundered by the Messenger of Death... the ultimate tax

collector.

Adi Granth 747

Rishi Lomash asked his father Brahma Ji, I wishto meet the Almighty Lord, please suggest amethod. Brahma Ji said, bathe in the river Ganges,and give donations. Rishi Lomash replied, I bathedin the Ganges for 1000 years and it gave me thelife of a crocodile. As a crocodile I ate many livingbeings and that entangled me all the more in thecycle of karmas. Then Brahma Ji suggested the

5 7

worship of a Peepal tree. The Rishi said, Iworshipped the Peepal tree for 1000 years and Igot the life of a centipede (as reward). Thisanecdote is given in the Ghat Ramayan of TulsiSahib. Still people have these beliefs, and bowdown to worship these rooms. Of course theresult has only to do with their faith.

Q.86 Baba Ji, what is the difference betweenMeditation and Simran?

Answer: There is a difference of day and nightbetween Meditation and Simran. As the nightwanes, before the day begins, when we aresuccessful in Simran, we start our meditation.Meditation leads to contemplation. Thatcontemplation attaches us to the Spiritual Music.We can do our Simran while walking, sitting, orstanding; but Meditation can be done sitting stillwith crossed legs.

Q.87 Baba Ji, should the Meditation and Simranbe done at a fixed time?

Answer: Son, the time for Meditation and Simranis 3:00 am, but it is not a strict law. If a personcannot sit at this time, he may sit for Meditationand Simran any time during the day accordingto his schedule.

Q.88 Baba Ji, I work during the night from 10:00pm to 6:00 am. How can I meditate at 3:00 am?

5 8

Answer: God has fixed no time for love. You maymeditate at any available time. The time in themorning at 3:00 am is called the Nectar Time, orBrahm–Muhurta. There is no outside disturbanceat that time, and at that time the soul easilygets concentrated and comes behind the eyes.That is why this time has special importance. Ifyou are not able to sit at 3:00 am, you may doMeditation and Simran at any convenient timeduring the day.

Q.89 Baba Ji, what is the purpose of Sewa andwhat is the best Sewa?

Answer: Sewa means ‘to serve’. To surrenderoneself at Satguru’s Feet is the best Sewa. Helpingthe needy is also considered Sewa. Enlighteningpeople that abortion is a sin is also a Sewa. So,there are many types of Sewa that have theirown special importance. Surrendering at the feetof Satguru and following the Path according tohis guidance is the best Sewa.

Q.90 Baba Ji, what is the importance of theLangar (Free kitchen)?

Answer: Son, the Langar teaches us equality. Thewhole sangat eats sitting in one line, so it teachesus discipline. We learn to be humble. The smalland big, rich and poor, officer and laborer,persons belonging to all classes, eat together.History tells us that King Akbar also ate in thelangar of Guru Amar Das Ji.

5 9

Q.91 Baba Ji, I heard in Satsang that both goodand bad karmas are accounted for. Do we haveto pay back the good karmas also?

Answer: Yes son, we have to pay back goodkarmas also. Maybe good or maybe bad; we stillhave to pay back. Guru Granth Sahib says:

As you plant, so shall you harvest; your destinyis recorded on your forehead.Adi Granth 134

Q.92 Baba Ji, if at the time of death a Satsangithinks of money, property, sons and daughters,or his wife, instead of his Satguru, does he gethuman life?

Answer: Son, if the attention of a meditator isfirm, it cannot be somewhere else. This has beenstated in Guru Granth Sahib:

At the very last moment, one who thinks of wealth, and

dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over

again in the form of serpents. O’ Sister, do not forget the

Name of the Lord of the Universe.

At the very last moment, he who thinks of women, and

dies in such thoughts shall be reincarnated over and over

again as a prostitute.

At the very last moment, one who thinks of his children,

and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and

over again as a pig.

6 0

At the very last moment, one who thinks of mansions,

and dies in such thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and

over again as a goblin.

At the very last moment, one who thinks of the Lord, and

dies in such thoughts, says Trilochan, that man shall be

liberated; the Lord shall abide in his heart.

Adi granth 526

If his attention is somewhere else, he will getthe next birth according to his desires. Fulfillinghis desires, he will get a human life.

Q.93 Baba Ji, now you are in our Region and weare having your Darshan and listening to yourSatsang. How should we live when you leave us?Please throw some light on this?

Answer: Son, you have got many messages.Maharaj Ji used to say, We are tired of givingmessages and the lines of our hands have fadeddistributing Prashad, but (only) some rarepersons listen. Guru Nanak Dev Ji came and gavemessages to do good deeds and make the TrueBargain. It is not heard until we follow. In theSatsang I spoke today and yesterday, that was amessage only. Many of my initiates ask, Baba Ji,please help us in seeing God for a minute. BeforeI reply, they ask, Baba Ji, have you seen God? Ireply, I am always with Him and have His Darshan.I present my problems before Him and they aresolved. I do not know if your problem is solvedlike this.

6 1

Once I went to Beas with Baba Pratap Singh Ji.Satsang was about to start when a person cameto Maharaj Charan Singh Ji and started crying.Maharaj Ji said, son, do not cry, talk to me. Hesaid, Maharaj Ji, kindly help me see the Almightyfor a minute. Maharaj Ji said, if you ask forproperty, I will build more; but to see the Almightyyou have to do Simran and Meditation. But thistalk did not have any effect on him he kept crying.After five minutes I asked, Maharaj Ji, may I talkto him?

Maharaj Ji was very kind and he said, You cantalk. After getting permission I asked that person,who has initiated you? He replied, the presentMaster. I asked, what did you think of him at thattime? He said, considering him God, I got initiated.I said, Sardar Sahib, You are asking God to helpyou to see God?

Maharaj Ji passed a smile and that person feltashamed. Smilingly he put the handkerchief onhis face and said, it is Satsang time, let us go. Soconsidering our Guru the Almighty, we shoulddo Simran and Meditation and love each other.

Q.94 Baba Ji, you say touching Guru’s feet andrunning after him does not help. Only Simranand Meditation will help. Does it means that weshould keep detached from the physical form ofGuru?

Answer: Son, Guru never invites us to touch his

6 2

body. A disciple is attached to the physical formof the Guru, but when the physical form changesinto the Spiritual Form, the outside relationshipslose their importance. Until a disciple realizesthe Shabad Form of Guru inside, he has to keepattached to Guru’s physical form.

Q.95 Baba Ji, when we are in the Dera we feel asif we are in Heaven and are at peace. When wego back to our homes we feel as if we are in helland put in the fire. Why is it like this?

Answer: You are answering the question yourself.Leaving the house for a day and coming to theDera, you get peace; when you go back, you seethe same pains. You have not stayed in the Derafor ten days. Maybe during that long a stay youwill see the same home environment; becauseyou are not habitually living in a goodenvironment. You have spent most of your timein a bad environment. Change yourself to adjustto every environment.

Q.96 Baba Ji, sometimes having your Darshanduring my stay in Dera I feel very close to you,and start progressing spiritually; but suddenly Istart falling down. I do not wish that shouldhappen! Why is it so?

Answer: Your question conveys that you cameto the Dera with detachment and pure feelings.You had a talk with me in a good environment.You came here drenched in Spiritual Happiness.

6 3

It may just be possible that someone asked mea question that I had replied sternly to, and thathas affected you. Due to Kal’s influence, we startthinking in the wrong direction. While going toGuru, our thoughts get purified. So have goodthoughts. Sitting in Meditation with purethoughts reduces the effect of Kal.

Q.97 Baba Ji, is there any easy method otherthan Simran and Meditation to reach thedestination?

Answer: Son, there is no other easy methodexcept Simran and Meditation to reach thedestination. If there had been one, the Saintswould have suggested that. Following thismethod, we neither have to leave our family norour comforts.

Q.98 Baba Ji, kindly excuse me for asking thisquestion. Are the foreigners and the wealthygiven more importance in the Dera?

Answer: Son, there is no such practice in our Derathat allows us to differentiate. You see, somerooms are constructed for the sick and seniorswho are unable to use steps. It may be possiblethat the persons on allotment duty have beenbiased in allotting rooms, and the room has beengiven to a good healthy person. It may also bepossible that some ‘managing’ person hasallotted a room to a person who has worked forthe improvement of the Dera.

6 4

Q.99 Baba Ji, some people sit alone and talk toGuru. Is this a step forward to enhance Guru’slove? Is it a type of Simran?

Answer: Son, it is also a stage of Guru’scompassion. Some enjoy talking to themselves,some enjoy talking to others. Maybe some othertopic is being spoken about, and a person startstalking about Guru. Topics about Guru cannotbe linked to outside topics. A person who isremembering Guru within himself and duringthat memory switches over to something else -he should come out of it, and focus his attentionon Guru only; then he will be successful. Simranis also remembering Guru.

Q.100 Baba Ji, should we pray to the Lord beforesitting in Meditation, or should we not wastetime in that?

Answer: Son, before starting any work we shouldpray to God. It is our nature. So it is your ownsweet will to pray to Him or not. We pray to himwho’s Simran we are doing. He himself is God.Praying to Him is no waste of time.

Q.101 Baba Ji, what type of prayer does God like?

Answer: Son, God likes to listen to, and fulfillsevery prayer that is not harmful to you or anyoneelse.

Q.102 Baba Ji, I have heard that we should avoid

6 5

the person who creates hurdles in Meditationfor us. Should we avoid doing those worldlyduties that may disturb our Meditation?

Answer: We should avoid such thinking: that itis painful or disturbs our Meditation. Yourconscience will tell you what is right and what iswrong. We should do our worldly dutiesconsidering them God’s Assignment, but shouldnot get too much entangled in worldly evils.

Q.103 Baba Ji, we have been told to do Simranat all times. It is not that easy to do, and weforget. How can one remember it? What is thevalue of Simran?

Answer: Son, on the basis of their ownexperience, Saints and Mahatmas guide us todo Simran at all times. The problem is that weare not habitual in doing it, that is why we facedifficulties. Continuously done Simran changesinto Ajapa Japa; and we do not feel that we aredoing it. It saves us from bad thoughts.

Q.104 Baba Ji, for those who have met youpersonally, it is easy to love you; however, thosepeople who love you but have not seen you, willthey get spiritual benefit?

Answer: Son, if they have heard about me, readmy books and made up their mind to meet me;they should come and see me. Their thinking maychange after seeing me. It may become better

6 6

for the future. Those who have met me andsincerely love me, their love and better thinkingwill be beneficial to them.

Q.105 Baba Ji, I have heard that the Meditationdone by a Satsangi is Sewa. Is this true?

Answer: Son, Guru says that your True Sewa IsMeditation... and that is accepted in God’s Court.

Q.106 Baba Ji, how does one do Simran?

Answer: Son, We should do Simran lovingly andpatiently. Not forcibly. While doing Simran ourattention should be focused at (toward) Guru.Kabir Sahib says:

One should take care of Simran as a poor man takes care

of his pennies.

One should be attached to Simran as a deer is enchanted

by the melodious sound played by a hunter. He does not

forget that sound and sacrifices his life for it!

Q.107 Baba Ji, how can one get Patience, Peaceand Stability?

Answer: The only way to achieve this is throughSimran, Meditation and Satsang.

Q.108 Baba Ji, if a person does not do Simranand Meditation, can he be liberated throughSewa or some other method?

6 7

Answer: Son, there is no alternative for Simranand Meditation. Every Sewa is useful, however,it depends upon Guru’s Will. If a person has notdone Simran and Meditation but did a lot ofphysical Sewa, and another person is very richand donated a lot of money to the Dera; if he isabout to die and his attention is fixed at Guru,Guru does not give him another human birth.Taking him to Sahansdal Kanwal he makes himmeditate there. After that he takes him to Trikutiand then into the Tenth Gate. Bathing there hechanges to a Pure Soul. Progressing like this hereaches Sach Khand. Then he is in the same stateas that of a person who has reached Sach Khand(from the earth plane); but it takes a lot of time!

Q.109 Baba Ji, does a beautiful environment helpin Meditation?

Answer: Yes, it is very useful.

Q.110 Baba Ji, when you are out of Dera, we donot feel comfortable there and there is a feelingof emptiness. Why is it like that?

Answer: Son, you have not told me who initiatedyou? You do not try to bind yourself to the Dera;that is why you are not comfortable here. Thenagain, you are disappointed in my absence. I feelthat we should always remember our Guru’swords and come to the Dera as a humble person.We should try to love the Sangat of the Dera,and participate in the Sewa programs. Do not

6 8

behave like a wife whose husband has returnedafter a long time; or like a husband who becomessad when his wife goes out! Try to love yourbrothers and sisters and your parents. Payattention to the work going on in the house,then you will feel happy.

Q.111 Baba Ji, what is the importance of theSangat?

Answer: Son, the Sangat is more important thanGuru. Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, I am honoreddue to the Sangat! Without the Sangat, I am anordinary person. He says:

By their kindness I have been greatly adorned, otherwise

there are crores of humble persons like me.

Dasam Granth Sahib 1355

Only the Guru can unite us with God; and onlythe Sangat can praise the Guru.

Q.112 Baba Ji, what is the relation between theSangat and the Guru?

Answer: Whatever is the relationship betweenthe soul and God, the relation between Guruand Sangat is the same. There is an incidentabout Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Once he had to giveSatsang, and was going with the Sangat, whensome respected persons said, Maharaj, this wayis better, let us please go this way. He said, no,the way directed by the Sangat is the right way,

6 9

the importance of Guru is due to the Sangat. Theyagain said, Maharaj, this route is shorter; it willtake less time to reach the Satsang. SingingShabads the Sangat took one route, and GuruSahib took the shorter route.

The Sangat was waiting at the place whereSatsang was to be delivered. Guru Sahib reachedthere early but He played such a miracle thatthe persons at the reception neither recognizedhim nor came forward to receive him, nor didanyone greet him. The honorable personsintroduced him, but even then the Sangat didnot say a word. After some time, a group fromthe Sangat who were singing praises of Guru,uttering slogans and setting off fireworks,reached there. Guru Sahib was not with them sothe Sangat ran to the place where Guru Sahibwas standing and started bowing down to him;the praises rose higher and the receptionists feltashamed. Guru Sahib was recognized when hewas in the Sangat. He proved through this miraclethat the Sangat is more important.

Q.113 Baba Ji, you say, satsangs of my preachersare at a higher level than my satsangs. Thiscreates a doubt in my mind. Kindly remove it.

Answer: Son, it is good if we stop self-praise. Yousee, I cannot say anything about myself. Even if Ispeak the truth, people will consider it boasting.It has no value if I narrate something aboutmyself; however, another person narrating the

7 0

same thing in my absence will carry weight.

Q.114 Baba Ji, it is said: Stay in Guru’s Order. Whatdoes this mean and how does one stay in Guru’sOrder?

Answer: Son, staying in “Guru’s Willingness” isstaying in His Order. Whatever Guru says, followthat without any argument. Leaving the self andsurrendering to the Master is living according toHis Willingness. One should entrust ‘his powers’to the Guru. Guru Granth Sahib says:

By His Command, bodies are created. His Command

cannot be described. By His Command, souls come into

being. By His Command, glory and greatness are

obtained.

Adi Granth 1

It is difficult to stay in His Order. Guru AngadDev Ji, Guru Ram Das Ji and the following Gurusalso stayed in Guru’s Order.

Q.115 Baba Ji, if a person goes astray, how doesthe Guru bring him back to the right path?

Answer: Son, after initiation, Guru alwaysaccompanies the disciple. Human Beings areinitiated according to Lord’s Will. After initiationGuru orders us to do Simran and Meditation.Doing that, a being tries to follow the right path,but according to fate, he goes astray. Guru stillshows his Grace and reduces the amount of

7 1

punishment. Instead of being hanged he just getsthe prick of a thorn. Even then we blame theGuru and say, even after initiation I amundergoing such big trouble. Guru says, you donot see the big trouble you were saved fromundergoing. We do not agree. The persons whoagree get the benefit. Just as Bhai Joga wasprotected by Guru Gobind Singh Ji (when obeyingGuru’s orders he became egotistical and wenton the wrong track, but even then Guru Sahibprotected him).

Q.116 Baba Ji, did you accompany Baba PratapSingh Ji on his tours?

Answer: Yes, I used to accompany him wheneverI got a chance; but after my retirement in 1982(thru 1988), I was always with him.

Q.117 Baba Ji, I want to know something aboutBaba Pratap Singh Ji. Kindly throw some light onthe subject.

Answer: Son, it is difficult to collect an Ocean ina small pot. I can just say that he was Great. Tofinish the subject, I quote Kabir Sahib:

If I have all the paper of the entire earth, and pens made

from all the jungles, and I use the water from the seven

seas as ink; still the virtues of Guru cannot be described.

Q.118 Baba Ji, why is a Guru needed?

7 2

Answer: Son, first we should understand what‘Guru’ is. A child would not have been able tolearn the mother tongue without a ‘guru’.Mother is his first guru. He would not have beenable to do his B.A, M.A, or PhD without aprofessor. A person can never know God withouta Guru. ‘Gu’ means darkness, and ‘Ru’ meanslight. As someone said:

‘Gu’ means darkness, ‘Ru’ means illumination.

One who illuminates the darkness is called Guru.

One who gives Light in darkness is called Guru.We would not have known Satguru without aGuru. Guru has five elements: earth, water, fire,air and ether. I have not constructed the wordSatguru. Guru Granth Sahib says:

One who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru, shall rise in

the early morning hours and meditate on Lord’s Name.

Upon arising early in the morning he is to bathe and

cleanse himself in the Pool of Nectar.

Adi Granth 305

After initiation, when the image of Guru appearsbetween the two eyes while sitting forMeditation, Guru does not have ‘shape’ but hasan image. This image has seventeen elements:five organs of action: hands, feet, mouth andreproductive organ; five organs of perception:eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin; four attributesof consciousness: mind, wisdom, heart, andegotism; three attributes: 1. harmony, 2. action

7 3

or activity, 3. inertia or darkness.

When Satguru’s image is stable behind our eyes,it takes us to Shabad Guru. It is the Shabad thatoriginates from the Nameless Region. Throughthe top of the head It comes down behind theeyes where we see Light. We get engrossed inThat - bound with that Light, and the ShabadGuru appears there. Guru in the physical form,having five elements changes into Satguru. Goingfurther Satguru changes into Shabad Guru.Shabad Guru takes us to the Nameless Region.There the drop changes into an Ocean. Wecannot get united with God without ShabadGuru; but we do not have that high level ofUnderstanding when we consider Satguru asShabad Guru.

Q.119 Baba Ji, what is righteous earnings. Is ithelpful in Meditation?

Answer: Son, books have many times describedrighteous earnings. These earnings areconsidered the best type. Persons followingGod’s Path also consider hard earned money asthe best. These type earnings will not drive usout of Meditation; whereas money earned bybribes will keep us entangled in those personswho have bribed us.

Q.120 Baba Ji, all of my family members are non-satsangis. Meat and eggs are also cooked in myfamily. In the same kitchen I cook my food and

7 4

eat. Does non-vegetarian cooking effect mySimran and Meditation?

Answer: Daughter, there is no doubt that non-vegetarian cooking in ones family affects yourSimran and Meditation. It is a matter of feelings;but if you cook somewhere else it will lead toarguments. Your husband may not agree to havea separate kitchen - so when they finish cleaningup the kitchen, you go in doing Simran and cookyour food. You should not pay attention to theirfood. You continue Simran during cooking andeating; as a young girl returns from her in-lawsand hugs her father, she does not have ill feelings.It is the attention that matters.

Q.121 Baba Ji, what is meant by staying in theSanctuary?

Answer: To stay in the Sanctuary means forgettingyour own self and finishing your identity; stay inGuru’s Sanctuary. Go inside and bow down tohim who is standing behind your eyes. With theGuru in the physical form we may sometimesquarrel and sometimes love him.

Q.122 Baba Ji, I feel that a satsangi suffers morepain than a non-satsangi. Is it true?

Answer: Son, it is not a law that a Satsangi suffersmore than a non-satsangi. You may have comeacross such a Satsangi who had heavy Pralabdh,and due to that he suffered more. It may just be

7 5

possible that in this life he has Meditated up tothe level that he realized the Guru inside himself;and he may suffer the load of all of his karmasreduced to a minimum in this very life. That iswhy he is suffering more. To finish the store ofhis karmas he may have suffered more than thecommon people.

I tell you one of my own experiences. I was notvery good at studies; still I was passing theexaminations. Being a football player, sometimesI did not complete my homework. Once when Icould not answer the question put to me by theteacher, to punish me, the teacher thrashed myhands with a stick. Another student was askedthe same question, and he too did not do thehomework, but the teacher did not say anythingto him. After school I went to the teacher’s officeand asked him, Sir, you did not punish the otherstudent for the same offense; why did youpunish me? The teacher put both of his handson my shoulders and said, You have to qualify inthe Examination with good marks: that is why Ipunished you. The other boy is not going to pass,so there is no use punishing him.

Now, I think Kal punishes those more who workhard to meet God. Those who are leading aluxurious life and do undesirable deeds: Kal ishappy with them as he thinks they are going tostay with him.

Q.123 Baba Ji, is Meditation possible before

7 6

initiation?

Answer: Son, doing Meditation before initiationis of no use. There should be a target before uswhen we meditate. A hunter does not fire tillthe prey is before him; it is a rule of huntingthat the prey should be in front of you. Till therifle’s sight is aligned with a target, you will nothit it. In the same manner, if the Guru has notexplained the target clearly, we cannot reach ourdestination. At the time of shooting, if for amoment our attention is diverted, we will missthe target.

While doing Simran, if our attention is divertedtowards our wife or children, we cannot reachthe target. If we Meditate without a Guru, Kalcan take us in the wrong direction. Adopting aGuru, we will reach the right destination.

Q.124 Baba Ji, is it right for a Satsangi to playcards?

Answer: Son, playing cards is really a waste oftime. We should devote the maximum time toSimran and Meditation.

Q.125 Baba Ji, does a Satsangi, being avegetarian, get weaker from a health point ofview, as compared to a non-vegetarian, becauseproteins available in meat are not found invegetarian food?

7 7

Answer: Son, meat eaters claim this; however,we get sufficient protein in milk, yogurt andcheese. Along with these, our body gets proteinfrom gram, peas, kidney beans, soybeans, wheatand corn. In any case we do not have to eat meatfor protein. We can definitely proclaim thatvegetarians are not weaker than non-vegetarians!

Baba Pratap Singh Ji never ate meat, fish, or eggs;nor did he drink liquor in his entire life, yet hewas a champion of the Kabaddi game. Heannounced that should someone ever defeathim in kabaddi he would give him his nappy, carrythe winner on his shoulders around the entire(Kabaddi) grounds; and never play Kabaddiagain! History does not say that the greatwarriors like Arjun and Bhima ever took meat orliquor.

Q.126 Baba Ji, should we kill house insects andcockroaches, or not?

Answer: Son, in my opinion we should not killany living being, unless it may cause our death;still you can save yourself from them. The rest,you can make your decision according to thesituation. As far as possible, do not get involvedin killing.

Q.127 Baba Ji, my legs become painful duringmeditation. Is it physical pain, or is it a part ofMeditation.

7 8

Answer: Meditation is done to finish pain; it doesnot give pain. If pain is there, it means you arenot completely absorbed in Meditation. DoingMeditation we get into a Sahaj Avastha wherewe are not aware of the world or our own body.Even a snake bite would not be felt duringMeditation. If you feel any pain - that is physical!Meditation is done to remove pain; so leavethinking that Meditation will give pain.

Q.128 Baba Ji, the responsibility of the wholefamily is on my shoulders, thus I cannotMeditate. Kindly bless me.

Answer: Son, we bring with us the responsibilityof the family according to our Karmas. We haveto carry that!

Maybe we do it happily or maybe unhappily, butwe have to do it! We have to undergo ourPralabdh karmas. Doing Simran and Meditationwe get Lord’s Grace. You are carrying this loadyou owe to someone that has to be repaid:whether happily or unhappily.

Q.129 Baba Ji, what is the correct method to doSimran?

Answer: Son, sitting alone at a fixed place to doSimran is the right method. Try to fix this placeon the floor. It can be done sitting on the bedalso, but no other person should be there, andyou should focus on Simran only.

7 9

Q.130 Baba Ji, can we do Simran with ourtongue?

Answer: Son, while doing Simran, try toconcentrate your mind. That Simran changes intoAjapa Jap and goes automatically. We do notneed to use our tongue.

In the beginning it is difficult because the minddoes not want to go in; but the mind will haveto surrender to our unyielding resolve. Then wewill be strong. Once we have gone in, it will notbe difficult; but we are to watch that the mind isnot let loose. Like this it will become our friend.

Q.131 Baba Ji, when I feel unwell, is it compulsoryto sit for Meditation?

Answer: Son, we are never so sick that we cannotsit for Meditation. At that time do meditationsitting on the bed; or resting your back on a chair-back. It will help to get well. Never have a breakfrom Meditation! We find excuses not to doMeditation; we should not make such excuses!If we become unconscious, that is a differentissue! Otherwise do not find excuses to missMeditation.

Q.132 Baba Ji, if we feel some trouble sitting inMeditation, shall we change the position?

Answer: Son, If you feel some problem duringMeditation, it means you are not concentrated.

8 0

If we are wandering outside, we are notconcentrated in Meditation. Mind will keep uschanging. Try to sit in the position taught byGuru. Try not to follow the dictates of the mind.

Q.133 Baba Ji, is it good to sit continuously forthree hours, or better to complete the time doinghalf an hour at a time?

Answer: Son, we should sit continuously for threehours. You have given no reason that compelsyou to break up your sittings.There is no time limit for Meditation, if you reachthe destination doing half an hour at one time,it is okay. Our purpose is to reach the destination.

Q.134 Baba Ji, if a Satsangi is regular in doingMeditation, does he suffer at the time of death?

Answer: Son, If a Satsangi Meditates a lot andhas no worldly desire, but some of his sufferingsare left to settle the account of his karmas; andSatguru wants him to finish that, he suffers morein his last days.

Q.135 Baba Ji, I have seen many ladies lyingdown after shaking for some time. Some personssay their consciousness has risen to the higherrealms. Kindly throw some light on this.

Answer: I can say that if someone is doingMeditation, it is not possible that he shakes andscreams. It is wrong.

8 1

Q.136 Baba Ji, what is the difference betweenvegetarian and non-vegetarian foods, kindlyexplain.

Answer: Son, non-vegetarian food has a badeffect on the soul. Eating this food, the mindexpands and your mental position is affected.Non-vegetarians feel no pain for others; whereasvegetarians are kind and feel others’ pain. If asparrow is killed in the hands of a vegetarian hefeels it. Non-vegetarians blindly keep on killinganimals. Their inner self is so dirty that they donot have any feeling. They are stonehearted dueto non-vegetarian food.

Q.137 Baba Ji, people hate me. Kindly give mesuch a solution that they start loving me.

Answer: Son, a person does not hate another“person”, however some persons have aparticular type of nature that people dislike. Day-to-day deeds also have a relation with the hatred.Improve yourself and you will be loved byeveryone. A two-year-old child is loved byeveryone because he has only love in himself.Behave as a child and everyone will love you.

Q.138 Baba Ji, I sell fish. I have received NamDan from you. Should I stop this work?

Answer: Son, I think you should change yourprofession because selling fish leaves a very badeffect on you.

8 2

Q.139 Baba Ji, I am not keeping well and thedoctor has advised me to eat meat and eggs.What should I do?

Answer: Son, doctors suggest food to make aperson fit. They never compel a patient to eatmeat and eggs. If we tell them we are vegetariansthey will suggest an alternative food.

Q.140 Baba Ji, how can a person get rid of badhabits?

Answer: Son, one should have determination andfaith in God while trying to leave something. Wecan get rid of bad habits by getting initiated,doing Simran and Meditation, and praying to theMaster. Many persons have come to me whocontinued drinking the whole day; yet they havealtogether stopped this habit. So, with firm beliefwe too can leave bad habits and adopt goodhabits.

Q.141 Baba Ji, should we use items made out ofleather.

Answer: Son, it depends on your thinking. Wehave leather skin on our body. If we put a leatherjacket on our body and think it will leave a badeffect, it is our own way of thinking... just asthere was a wave of thoughts that conveyed, donot eat the sweets having silver paper pasted onthem because they were prepared by keeping the

8 3

silver in between the two layers of leather. Thereis also a leather washer in a hand pump that noone considers bad that brings the water up. Soit is our own way of thinking. If you think it willleave a bad effect on you, do not use it.

Q.142 Baba Ji, I have heard in the Satsang thatby inspiring a person for Nam Dan one will getthe benefit of donating cows. Does a person haveto repay the accounts of that initiate?

Answer: Son, according to the books, Nam Dandepends upon ones destiny. It is also written inthe books that if a person awakens another forNam Dan, he gets more benefit than donatingcows. The person who inspired the other personfor Nam Dan has no concern with the person’skarmas.

Q.143 Baba Ji, what is Prashad, and what is itsimportance?

Answer: Puffed rice or pudding is not Prashad.Prashad is Guru’s Grace. While giving the PrashadGuru looks at it, and with his Grace it becomesPrashad.

Q.144 Baba Ji, what is the identity of a TrueGuru?Answer: We do not have the wisdom torecognize the Guru. Our understanding is thatGuru Granth Sahib is the Almighty and the wayto meet the Almighty. Guru Granth Sahib itself

8 4

clarifies the identity of a True Guru:

The True Guru is the All-knowing Primal Being. He shows

us our True Home within the home of the self. The Panch

Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds, resonate and resound

within; the insignia of the Shabad is revealed there,

vibrating gloriously.

Adi Granth 1291

Mahatmas say, make up your mind that theAlmighty Himself will come to take you (Home).

Q.145 Baba Ji, in spite of doing Simran andMeditation, I am unable to progress and amdisappointed. Kindly tell me the reason andremove my disappointment.

Answer: Son, the only reason is that ourattention goes out while doing Meditation. WhileMeditating, we should not think of wife andchildren. Concentrating our thoughts behind thetwo eyes, we can be successful.

Q.146 Baba Ji, what can a mother do to showthe right path to her children?

Answer: A mother can pass on her thoughts tothe children. A child observes the practical lifeof his mother and notes everything, then triesto follow that. So it is important for a mother toguide the child from the very beginning.

In England I went to a devotee’s house where a

8 5

gentleman came. That person talked to the ladyof the house for half an hour. After he left thelady asked her nine-year-old son not to informhis father about the gentleman’s visit. The childsaid, Mom, You guide me to speak the truth, andnow you expect me to tell a lie. The lady did notutter a word but the expression on her faceshowed that she felt ashamed. It needsattention; for whatever we do and speak, thechild watches it closely.

Once I had to go with a family to Shahjahanpur.We were waiting for the train at the platform.My son Manjit Singh was two years old at thetime. I started strolling at the railway station,and he too started strolling; he was swinging hisarms back and forth as I did. I put my arms at myback and he too did the same. I put my rightarm on my left shoulder, and he did the same. Istopped - he too stopped. I started walking... andhe too walked. In short he imitated whatever Idid. A child of two is imitating his father as anexpert, but we consider him ignorant andcontinue doing good and bad deeds before him.Those leave an impression on his mind.

If we want our children to do good deeds whenthey grow up, be religious minded, leave offkilling, speak the truth, respect their elders anddo their work honestly; then we should also havesuch qualities in ourselves. Imitating us, they willdo the good deeds we have taught them.

8 6

Q.147 Baba Ji, I read in the books that we shouldnot go to sleep after Meditation. Is this correct?

Answer: Son, it depends upon the health of theMeditator. Sometimes we have to go to sleepafter Meditation because our body needs rest.

Q.148 Baba Ji, do you still have to Meditate?

Answer: Son, even if God Himself has come intothe human form, and maybe he is leading anordinary life, maybe he has disclosed his identity,still he meditates. He cannot stay at hisdestination without Meditation. He has to dothat. Kal’s range is so vast and powerful that hetries to sting a person doing Meditation.

Q.149 Baba Ji, were you initiated with the wholesangat?

Answer: Baba Bagga Singh Ji used to initiate onthe occasion of Bhandara and New Moon Day. Ireceived Nam Dan with the sangat on May 18, 1943.

Q.150 Baba Ji, do you yourself plan for theprogress and construction of the Dera?

Answer: A human being cannot do anything. TheLord of the Dera gets it done. A human can justobey orders. Whatever Baba Bagga Singh Jiorders, I present that before the honorablecommittee and the work is carried on.

8 7

Q.151 Baba Ji, what is the importance of theturban presented to a Guru at the time of hisGuru-Gaddi ceremony?

Answer: The turban presented at the time ofGuru-Gaddi ceremony shows that the personseated at the place of the previous Guru has beengiven all the Powers of the previous Guru. Thistradition has been followed from the verybeginning.

Q.152 Baba Ji, please tell me something aboutyourself.

Answer: What can I say about myself? I try to dowhatever the Lord wants me to do.

Q.153 Baba Ji, is Sewa rewarded immediately?

Answer: Son, rare is that person whounderstands that Sewa is rewarded immediately.Sometimes we do Sewa for the whole day, yetwe do not know that the reward has already beengranted. Three persons together boarded a busfor a long journey. One of them was thinking ofthe Sewa going on in the Dera, and made up hismind to participate for two or three hours.Without thinking of receiving a reward, he gotoff the bus and joined the persons doing Sewa.The bus met with an accident and the other twopersons died. Think yourself whether the persongot an immediate reward or not?

8 8

Q.154 Baba Ji, while doing Simran andMeditation we focus on the physical form of theGuru, however, since Guru’s body is also mortal,are we not focusing on a mortal entity?

Answer: God has no shape. He manifests in theform of Guru who comes to this world to takethe souls on his list with him. He initiates them,makes them do Simran and Meditation, andunites them with God. First he comes in the formof Guru. When we do Simran and Meditation heappears as Satguru behind our eyes. As we getengrossed in the Satguru, he changes intoShabad Guru. Shabad Guru is a form of Godwhich unites us with the Almighty.

When we are present in our body, Guru is alsopresent in his physical form. With Meditationhe changes into Satguru. After that he becomesShabad Guru. Meeting the Shabad Guru whilewe are in our body, we can take the Form ofGod. We cannot meet God without the ShabadGuru; how to attain Shabad Guru? The Guru whoinitiates us first changes into Satguru and theninto Shabad Guru. That Shabad Guru takes thedisciple to the Nameless Region, where no onecan go in the physical form, and unites us withGod.

Q.155 Baba Ji, do we need to do Simran duringMeditation?

Answer: Son, when we get engrossed in

8 9

Meditation the Simran stops. Simran is a ladderthat takes us to the destination. Once we are atour destination the Simran is no more needed.

Q.156 Baba Ji, during Meditation should we tryto bring Guru’s form or does it appearautomatically?

Answer: We have to try to bring Guru’s form.After appearing once it keeps on coming.

Q.157 Baba Ji, the worldly things and relationsappear easily; why is it difficult to get Guru’sform?

Answer: Son, it is because there are two Powersempowering us: Kal and Dayal (Guru). DuringMeditation we can see the Guru of our Guru,but we cannot see our own Guru because Kaldoes not allow it. The second reason is that hekeeps us entangled in worldly relations and doesnot let us come out of these.

Q.158 Baba Ji, while sitting to do Simran andMeditation, when should we stop doing Simran?

Answer: Son, Simran takes us up to the stagewhere Meditation starts. Reaching the SahajAvastha we do not remember anything from theoutside world. It is not in our hands to leaveSimran. A stage comes when it stopsautomatically.

9 0

Q.159 Baba Ji, do we constantly see Guru’s formin the higher inner stages, or does It stop at somepoint?

Answer: Son, Satguru’s form always accompaniesthe disciple. As a person in a jungle is afraid oflions and tigers, and cannot look outside; goingup in the inner realms Dev-Danis and otherfrightening powers scare him. He cannot take astep forward without the Guru; so he keeps hisattention in the Guru. That Form is so attractivethat he cannot get away from it.

Q.160 Baba Ji, why does a person rememberGuru only when he is in trouble, whereas thebooks say we should remember him at all times?

Answer: From the very beginning it is said that aperson remembers God when he is in troublebut does not remember Him when he is happy.It is not just a ‘saying’, but it is our nature. Astrong person beats a weak person. A weakperson asks for help when he is in trouble, notwhen he is happy. If we remember Him when weare happy we will never get pain; and if we sufferGod provides us the strength to face that. KabirSahib says:

Everyone remembers God at the time of pain; no one

remembers Him at a time of happiness.

If we remember Him in our happy days we will not feel

pain.

9 1

Q.161 Baba Ji, is it good to laugh and jest whilegoing to Satsang with the sangat; or should wedo Simran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, it is better to do Simran andMeditation. If we are travelling in a truck or trainwe can laugh and jest a little, but it could leadto quarrels; so better to stay within the limitsand avoid it.

Q.162 Baba Ji, is laughter and jesting a hurdle inSimran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, to portray yourself as very spiritualduring travel is showing off. We can have funwithin limits. Happiness is food for the soul; it isnot a hindrance in Simran and Meditation.

Q.163 Baba Ji, why does a person become anegoist when he becomes rich?

Answer: Son, a person is an egoist due to variouselements. When a person is inclined towardsGod, Kal gives him money to get entangled. If heis enjoying Guru’s Grace, Kal sends a beautifulgirl to disturb him. Like this the disciple forgetshis Guru and follows the wrong path. There isonly one way to control the ego and that is tohave Guru’s company and to follow his advice.Q.164 Baba Ji, why are we greedy, and how dowe rid ourselves of it?

Answer: Son, greed depends upon the elements.

9 2

A person having more of the element of air isgreedy. Looking at a particular thing he tries topossess it. Adopting a Guru and doing Simranand Meditation, it can also be finished like otherelements.

Q.165 Baba Ji, kindly suggest a method to finishLust.

Answer: Son, do Simran and Meditation and trynot to let your wife’s face appear before you.Like this you can escape Lust. Rishi Prasharobserved penances for 60,000 years and wascoming home as a perfect yogi. While crossing ariver on his way, he was enamored by aboatman’s daughter. So leaving the worldly facestry to see the image of your own Guru.

Q.166 Baba Ji, I want to continue Simran at alltimes. How can this be possible?

Answer: Son, whenever you get time and yourmind and soul are free, try to attach your mindwith Simran.

Q.167 How to increase the power of tolerance?

Answer: Son, the Power to be tolerant alsodepends upon the elements. If a person isintelligent he should try to avoid arguments. If aperson finds himself getting angry and his mindgetting out of control, he should drink a glass ofcold water and leaving the place, he should sit

9 3

alone and meditate for some time. It may bepossible that he will return to a normal state.

Q.168 Baba Ji, is it right to put a complaint beforethe Guru while sitting face to face?

Answer: Son, firstly we should decide whetherwe should complain or not? In my opinion weshould be clear in our mind that Guru isOmniscient and we need not put a complaintbefore him. If we have a problem we can requestSatguru to give us a solution; but we should beready to follow what he says.

Q.169 Baba Ji, what should we do to keep Guru’simage staying before us?

Answer: Son, by doing Simran and Meditation,Guru’s image appears before us. We have to bedetermined to make it stay there. When we doMeditation the image does not appear becauseour inner self is not clean; even then we shouldkeep sitting. We will be successful one day.Simran and Meditation cleans our inside.

Q.170 Baba Ji, how does one make the mindstable?

Answer: Son, Simran and Meditation are the onlymethod to keep the mind stable. Attach yourmind to Simran and Meditation; there is no otheralternative, no other substitute.

9 4

Q.171 Baba Ji, having been initiated by one Guru,why do people go to another Guru for initiation?

Answer: Son, having been initiated by one Guruif a person does not do Simran and Meditationand gets initiated by another; that will also beuseless. A person may be initiated by anotherGuru but at the time of death, only the first Guruwill appear. So instead of thinking about anotherinitiation, one should try to realize the ShabadGuru through Simran and Meditation. It is of nouse going to another Guru.

Q.172 Baba Ji, I want a quick progress. Is thispossible?

Answer: Son, It depends on you. If you want tobe successful, do not let your attention go outwhile doing Simran and Meditation. You willreach your destination whenever you can do this.Son, this is not so easy, so you keep on doingyour work and leave the rest to Guru.

Q.173 Baba Ji, what is the relation between sleepand Meditation? Can we do Meditation duringsleep?

Answer: Son, sleep has its time. There is norelation between sleep and Meditation. Feelingsleepy means breaking the relation with theoutside world. Doing Meditation we feel drowsy- it is also a form of intoxication; it helps us togo in. Intoxication is caused by looking at

9 5

something... maybe Light or maybe Guru’s image.It has no concern with sleep.

Q.174 Baba Ji, can a Satsangi be our ideal?

Answer: Son, we cannot know a personcompletely. We think he is a good and God-lovingperson; but we cannot judge him internally. It isenough to adopt his virtues. No person shouldinfluence you at the time of Meditation.

Q.175 Baba Ji, my son is addicted to liquor. Howcan I stop him and divert him towards religion?

Answer: Son, inebriation is a very bad habit andit is not so easy to leave it. Love your son. If heis interested in some work, keep him involved inthat. Only love can help to stop his bad habits.Try to take him to the Satsang. God’s Grace canhelp him to leave this habit.

Q.176 Baba Ji, a verse says that we should dailyhave Guru’s Darshan; if not that, we should havehis darshan once a week; if not that, once amonth; if not that, once in six months; or at theabsolute least, once in a year. If a poor personcannot come to Dera for darshan, can he stillprogress in Simran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, you have written that you heard inthe satsang that a person should have Guru’sDarshan daily. If not that - then once a week; oronce a month; or once in six months; at the very

9 6

least once a year. Not having Guru’s Darshan oncea year, will break his relation with him. If he hasprogressed already then it is okay; otherwise itis difficult to get Guru’s image. If he has notrealized Guru’s image inside, and does not havehis Darshan outside; spiritual progress will bedifficult. Man is helpless in many ways, but‘having no money’ is not one of them! Man doeswhatever he wants to do. We spend money onthe weddings of our children and other things;we can also arrange money to go to Guru. Thegreatest thing is to visualize Guru in yourselfthrough Simran and Meditation; you do not needmoney for that. Doing this, if you do not go toDera, there will not be any hindrance in Simranand Meditation.

Q.177 Baba Ji, if unaware we hurt someone, isthat also accountable?

Answer: Son, a mistake is a mistake - whetherdone knowingly or unawares. It depends on themistake how serious it is. Coming to know it, weshould talk to that person softly. A mistake is tobe paid back. You will be punished according tothe seriousness of the mistake. The punishmentdepends on the intention of the personcommitting the mistake. If a person has purposelydone something to harm another person, he willget more punishment. If he does not have suchintention, the punishment will be less.

Q.178 Baba Ji, if Simran is not going on, can it be

9 7

done with the help of a rosary?

Answer: Son, when we do Simran with the helpof a rosary, our attention is also stuck in that.Kabir Sahib says:

I have been rotating the rosary for a yuga, but it has not

helped to ‘change’ my mind.

We should drop the rosary from our hand and try to

control the mind.

So nothing should interfere in Simran andMeditation. Rotating the rosary we stay awakeand cannot concentrate. We should keep KabirSahib’s words in mind:

The rosary is moving in the hand, the tongue is moving in

the mouth, and the mind is running all around. This is not

Simran.

Q.179 Baba Ji, why is it necessary to adopt aLiving Master?

Answer: Son, we follow Guru Granth Sahib. GuruSahib says in that:

O’ Nanak, meditating on the Lord of Eternal Life, the status

of immortality is obtained.

Adi Granth 1247

Guru Granth Sahib agrees that after receivingNam from a Living Master we can unite with God.All the hurdles on the inner path can be removedwith Guru’s help.

9 8

Q.180 Baba Ji, my wife and I keep on quarreling.Kindly guide us so that we do not quarrel.

Answer: To lead a good marital life the relationof husband and wife matters. Even if you thinkyou are very capable, it is still necessary to knowwhat your wife wants. If you say bad words toyour wife, she will tolerate it; but she will nottolerate it if you use bad words against herparents, and she too will use bad words againstyour parents, and it will lead to a quarrel. This isthe reason for quarrels in families. Using badwords husband and wife offend each other’ssouls. You need to have mutual understandingto stop the quarreling; then your home will be aheaven.

Q.181 Baba Ji, should satsangis alone be presentat the time of a satsangi’s death?

Answer: Son, Baba Pratap Singh Ji, Baba DevaSingh Ji, Baba Bagga Singh Ji, Baba Sawan SinghJi and Maharaj Charan Singh ji have said in manySatsangs that at the time of a Satsangi’s death,only Satsangies should be present. To illustrate,there were some non-satsangis present at thetime the Guru had come and told the dyingSatsangi, I will come later, at 3:00, but onlysatsangies should be present at that time. Thedoctor, wanting to test the Guru’s words hadcome two-minutes after 3:00; but the patient hadalready passed on (at 3:00 sharp).

9 9

Q.182 Baba Ji, if a disciple asks the Master, takeme with you when you leave this mortal world!Is it possible?

Answer: It happens many times, but it dependson the feeling of detachment in the disciple.Amarjit Kaur was a disciple of Baba Pratap SinghJi and she lived in the Dera. She loved Baba Jiand many times requested, Baba Ji, when youleave this world kindly take me with you. WhenBaba Ji left the mortal world his body was passingby her door and was put on the verandah infront of her room; she repeated, Baba Ji, youpromised to take me with you when you leave!Repeating these words three times she wasquiet. I was sitting with Baba Ji’s body andsomeone said, “Amarjit has gone numb”. I wentthere and got her checked by the doctor. Thedoctor said, “She is no more.”So Guru kept his promise. We ask Guru toincrease our life, but we never ask for death.Whatever we wish for, He fulfills that.

Q.183 Baba Ji, should medicine containingalcohol or medicines prepared from meat betaken?

Answer: Son, if we do not know what themedicine contains, we are unaware; it is OK.However, some medicines like vitamin A and Econtain fish oil. If you come to know this fact,they should not be used. Sant Mat does notpermit meat nor food containing meat and

100

alcohol.

Q.184 Baba Ji, is it right to indulge in gamblingor invest in stock?

Answer: Son, it is good to depend upon yourown hard earned money.

Q.185 Baba Ji, there is always a clash betweenmy wife and I. I want to get a divorce. Can I goand do that?

Answer: Son, you are married. You should loveeach other. If there is a clash, try to settle itinstead of going for a divorce. Divorce is a badidea. You should change your nature. You shouldmake a committment not to speak bad words toyour wife. Take care of her and try to fulfill herneeds, the problem will be solved..

Q.186 Baba Ji, I have heard that a Satsangi shouldnot have a pet like a horse, a dog or a cat. Whatis the reason?

Answer: Horses awaken a desire for riding. Dogsand cats develop attachment. Keeping them aspets a person loves them and keeps busy withthem. If he keeps involved in them, his attentionwill be stuck in them. How then can he love theGuru who can finish the cycle of birth and death?

Q.187 Baba Ji, I am jealous of a person who isprogressing spiritually. I am fed up with this

101

attitude of mine; kindly suggest how to get ridof it.

Answer: Son, you know that when seeing anotherperson’s progress you should not be unhappy,but rather you should be happy to see othersprogressing. Be sincere in doing your Simran andMeditation.

Q.188 Baba Ji, I have heard there will bedissolution in 2012. Is it correct?

Answer: In the past such rumors were there also,and people asked me about this.

I replied that some immature persons spreadthese baseless rumors. Do not pay attention tosuch rumors; and keep on doing your normalactivities. If we are not firm in Simran andMeditation, we will have fear in our mind. Stayin God’s Will; the world is not going to finish sosoon. We can calculate the time of the worldlike this:

Age of Kalyug = 432,000 yearsAge of Dwaparyug = 864,000 yearsAge of Tretayug = 1,296,000 yearsAge of Satyug = 1,728,000 years1 Chowkriyug = 4,320,000 years1 Manvantar = 71 Chowkri Yug

At the end of each Manvantar, there is an eveningequivalent to Satyug; i.e. 1,728,000 years. When

102

evening comes after Manvantar then the wholeearth gets merged in water. In each Kalp (1 dayof Brahma), there are 14 Manvantars along withtheir evenings. Along with this, in the beginningof the Kalp there is an evening equivalent to theperiod of one Satyug. Thus in one Kalp, alongwith 71 Chaokri Yug of 14 Manvantars, there are15 Sandhyas each equivalent to the age of Satyug.In 14 Manvantars there are 994 Chaokri yug andin 15 Sandhyas there are 6 Chaokri yug. Addingboth of them it comes out to be 1000 ChaokriYugs. One Kalp is one day of Brahma’s life.Brahma’s night also has the same length.

1 day of Brahma ji is equal to 1000 Chaokri Yug.As per the solar calendar one year of Brahma ji’slife consists of 360 days. One year of Brahma ji’slife is equivalent to one day of Vishnu ji; andone year of Vishnu Ji is equal to one day of Shivji. Brahma ji’s age is called ‘Param Ayu’. The lengthof Brahma ji’s life is 100 years; it is called ‘Par’.Half the life of Brahma Ji is called ‘Pararadh’. Atpresent Brahma ji has crossed the first ‘Pararadh’and is living in the second part now. As per this,the calculation is done as follows:

1 day of Brahmaji =4,320,000 x 1000 years = 4,320,000,000 years1 day and night of Brahmaji = 8,640,000,000 years1 year of Brahmaji =3,110,400,000,000 yearsAge of Brahmaji =

103

311,040,000,000,000 years1 day of Vishnuji =3,110,400,000,000 years1 year of Vishnuji =1,119,744,000,000,000 yearsAge of Vishnuji =111,974,400,000,000,000 years1 day of Shivji =1,119,744,000,000,000 years1 year of Shivji =403,107,840,000,000,000 yearsAge of Shivji =40,310,784,000,000,000,000 years= 40 Quintillion, 310 Quadrillion, 784 Trillionyears.

Presently Brahmaji is in 51st year’s first day orKalp. In the present Kalp, 6 Manvantars havepassed. In the present 7th Manvantar, 27 Chaokriyugs have passed. Presently in the 28th Chaokriyug; Satyug, Treta yug, and Dwapar have passedand Kalyug is going on.

Today is Vikrami Samvat 2067, year 2010. 5111years have passed so far in Kalyug. By thiscalculation 426,889 years of Kalyug are left. TillVikrami Samvant 2067, year 2010, the age of thisworld can be calculated as follows:50 years of Brahma =155,520,000,000,000 years6 Manvantar =1,840,320,000 years7 Sandhayas =

104

12,096,000 years27 Chowkri Yug =116,640,000 yearsSatyug of 28th Chowkri yug =1,728,000 yearsTreta of 28th Chowkri yug =1,296,000 yearsDwapar of 28th Chowkri yug =864,000 yearsAge of Kalyug of 28th Chowkri yug =5,111 yearsTotal = 155,521,972,949,111 years.The period since this world has begun is 155Trillion, 521 Billion, 972 Million, 949 Thousandand 111 years.Age of Shiv Ji =40,310,784,000,000,000,000 yearsAge of earth that has passed =155,521,972,949,111 yearsTotal years left before the end of world =40,310,628,478,027,050,889 years.

Q.189 Baba Ji, my wife is not a Satsangi. I wanther to receive Nam, but she is not interested atall! I am upset. Kindly help.

Answer: Son, it is difficult to change the mind ofa person. You are to change yourself first; thenshe can be changed. Son, never compel anyoneto get initiated or to enter the Radha Soami Path.Try to be an ideal person. A day will come whenshe will be pulled by your love.

105

Q.190 Baba Ji, how can one control desires?

Answer: Son, desire is a thirst. We should bethirsty to see Satguru - to do Simran andMeditation. If we are thirsty to see Satguru, thisthirst will unite us with the Almighty, and wecan reach the destination. Simran andMeditation finishes unwanted desires, and thedesire to meet the Satguru develops.

Q.191 Baba Ji! My brother has usurped mymoney. He knows he has done wrong! I know hewill not return the money, but at least he shouldfeel guilty. I am very upset.

Answer: Son, since you know that he is not goingto return the money... do not be upset. Stop yourdealings with him in the future and do not gointo litigation, otherwise you will spend morethan he owes you, and you will invite moretroubles. Do not worry if he does not feel sorry.Being a Satsangi you should not feel happy inlowering the dignity of others. If he feels sorry,you will see him apologizing while you aremeditating; but you will become egotistical aboutit.

Q.192 Baba Ji, can I share Prashad withsomeone?Answer: Sharing Prashad is not your work. YourPrashad is for you to take. You should not shareyour Prashad with any other person.

106

Q.193 Baba Ji, Prashad or Amrit mixed with someother thing - becomes all Prashad. Is this right?

Answer: Son, Prashad is not popped rice or othereatables, it is Guru’s Blessings. If you yourselfmix Prashad with some other item, it does notbecome Prashad. As poison for one man, if mixedin the food of a hundred men, will not effectthem because each person will get such a smallamount; in like manner this Prashad mixed byus, will effect according to the original quantityin it. If Prashad is given to a Satsangi coming froma distant Satsang center, and Satguru tells himto mix more rice in that, then the whole thingwill become Prashad, because that was donewith Guru’s orders.

Q.194 Baba Ji, my son often quarrels andphysically abuses me. Due to this I am very upsetand it also creates hindrances in my meditation.Please guide me.

Answer: Your son may be beating you for wantof something. Please try to develop mutualunderstanding. Fulfill some of his desires andwithhold some. I think he will become agreeable.Not providing the things he needs makes himviolent; violence occurs when needs are notfulfilled. Convince him by providing something;and that will stop the violence. Like this you willnot be disturbed by the behavior of your child,and you will be able to concentrate inMeditation.

107

Q.195 Baba Ji, I am not keeping well. I know thisis His Will. Baba Ji, is the karmic account settledthrough sickness?

Answer: Son, sickness is a punishment accordingto our karmas. God knows whether it is due todestiny or day-to-day karmas. Say a person issuffering from diabetes, yet he does not stopeating sugar per the doctor’s advice, or on therequest of his family members. Like this he buysthe ailment. Do the work that is good in the eyesof the people; and do the work your consciencepermits. Do not connect your karma with yourdestiny. The ailment settles the karmic account;whatever circumstances we are born in, we haveto undergo that. We do karmas with our body,and it is our body that suffers. These karmascause illness and death, but they are notfinished. Simran and Meditation is the onlyremedy. With Simran and Meditation the amountof suffering is reduced. Nam is the remedy forall sufferings. Guru Granth Sahib says:

Naam is the remedy to cure all ills.

Adi Granth 274

Q.196 Baba Ji, I am fond of watching TV and itdoes not allow me to sit for Meditation. Kindlyhelp me to leave this habit.

Answer: Son, TV is a bigger danger than a livewire carrying 11,000 volts with a tag saying‘danger’ written on it. We are buying danger that

108

leaves a very bad impression on our conscience.During Meditation at night we see what we havebeen watching on the TV during the day. We canwatch the news but we see nakedness on thenews also. Worldly things that are not good towatch should be avoided. If you watch too muchTV it means you are not regular and attentive inSatsang.

Q.197 Baba Ji, should Simran be stopped whenthe Shabad is clearly heard?

Answer: Do not pay attention to Simran whenyou start hearing the Shabad. We do Simran tohear the Shabad. Hearing the Shabad we aredisconnected from the outside world.

Q.198 Baba Ji, Tulsi Sahib says, a Sound is comingto take you with it. Why don’t we hear that?

Answer: Son, Surat and Nirat are two powers ofthe soul. Nirat decides the direction of thesound. Due to weakness of Nirat we do notclearly hear the Sound. Simran and Meditationcan make it strong. All the sounds referred to inSantmat are in us, but they are not heard. TheSpiritual Sound is coming from the NamelessRegion, but we are attached to the outside worldand do not reach the place where the Sound isheard; that is why we do not hear that Sound.We hear this Sound through Simran andMeditation.

109

Q.199 Baba Ji, I want to have weekly Satsangs inmy home. Are there special rules that I have tofollow?

Answer: Son, ask the secretary in your area, hecan guide you.

Q.200 Baba Ji, kindly guide the preachers andreaders so that they are able to increase thesangat.

Answer: Son, each Satsang of the Saints is amessage. Each message is better than the other.The increase in the sangat depends upon yourlove and the Grace of Satguru. Preachers, readersand secretaries of the main Deras also conveythe messages to you! Please try to follow those.Leaving your own dictates, try to follow whatGuru says.

Q.201 Baba Ji, my father is no more. When hedied there was no Satsangi in the family,including him. Later the whole family becameSatsangis. Will my father also receive somebenefit?

Answer: Son, if Baba Ji had been coming to yourvillage and he had glanced at your father, thenhe will be benefitted. He will get human life andwill be initiated. If not, then I cannot say abouthim.

You are an initiate, request this of your Master;

110

he has the power to give him human life afterhe completes his present life.

Q.202 Baba Ji, we cannot love a person whomwe have not seen; in that context how can welove God, who has no shape according to thebooks?

Answer: Son, this is already explained in thebooks; and we know that God has no shape. Butwe understand that He is a Power. We can knowabout Him from persons who have ‘Knowledge’about Him; so we are to go to those who haveattained God. We have to love them. We cannotknow God without a Master. Saints explain to usthat we cannot see God in the five elements.When we do Meditation the physical form ofGuru changes into the Form of Satguru having17 elements. That form of Satguru will unite uswith Shabad Guru; that is God’s Form. You willbe firmly in love with That Shape which will beforever.

Q.203 Baba Ji, I want to be initiated by you. I likeyour photos. Is it okay to contemplate on thephotos?

Answer: Son, the outside photos will not be sobeneficial to us. The Guru appearing inside isbeneficial. That will unite us with the Almighty.Yes if we have forgotten Guru’s face, the actualphoto helps to remember Guru’s Spiritual Form;but do not get attached to the photo.

111

Q.204 Baba Ji, Guru Granth Sahib says, God livesin the True Region, then what is meant byInvisible, Inaccessible and Nameless Regions?

Answer: Son, Guru Granth Sahib says that Godlives in the True Region but there are three moreregions after the True Region: Invisible,Inaccessible and Nameless Regions. We go tothese regions after passing through the TrueRegion. Guru Granth Sahib says:

You are the Deathless Primal Being. Death does not hover

over your head.

You are the Unseen, Inaccessible, and Detached Primal

Lord.

Adi Granth 1038

Guru Sahib has called It Nirala - the Unique. Ihope you have got the answer to your question.

Q.205 Baba Ji, can we have more photos in ourhouse?

Answer: Son, each person has his own interests.Some persons want to see different photos oftheir Satguru in their house. You should have aphoto similar to the pose of Satguru at the timeof Nam Dan. That helps in Meditation.

One should see the eyes and forehead of the Guru.

You see, if Guru had a black beard at the time ofNam Dan, then be careful not to get entangled

112

in a photo of the Guru with a white beard. Thereason for this is that the Spiritual Form we willsee of Guru (inside) will be that same form as hehad at the time of Nam Dan. Keep concentratingon That Form. Reaching the Nameless Region youwill come to understand.

Q.206 Baba Ji, does Kal appear inside in theshape of Guru, and how would one recognizeour Guru at that time?

Answer: Yes son, Kal comes in the shape of Guru.He creates hurdles and comes in the shape ofGuru at the time of death. Kabir Sahib has saidthat he appears inside and says to the being, “Iam your Guru and have come to take you withme.” That is why some Saint has said:

Examine the eyes and the forehead of the Guru.

Our Master tells us about Kal’s identity by saying,Kal’s eyes are golden, his color is red. Kal’sforehead is small and Guru’s forehead is broad.It is the size you have seen. Kal’s forehead issmaller than the forehead of a common man.Kal does not blink his eyes but Guru does. Kalfrightens you. Sometimes he slaps you too. Butyou need not get frightened! At that verymoment your Guru will appear and take you,step by step. To know more, read Anurag Sagar;you will get all the details.

Q.207 Baba Ji, how do you cremate a satsangi

113

after his death?

Answer: Son, worldly persons also have suchdoubts. We can do the cremation and the ritualsper our financial condition. Follow your familytraditions in this regard; bury the body, burn it,or put it in the river water. It is all for your peaceof mind. After burning the dead body we breaka straw and say, from now onward we break ourrelation with you. We perform rituals because offear of public opinion. Some people put the ashesin some canal, in river Ganges or in Kashi,Goindwal Sahib, Kirtapur Sahib, Beas orHaridwar; and this gets rid of their fear.

Q.208 Baba Ji, if a person donates his eyes orsome other body part after his death, will he bemissing that part in his body in the next life?

Answer: No son, you are wrong. Only personshaving good understanding think of donation.There are other donations - like blood donation,giving water to thirsty persons, etc.; but I considerthe donation of body parts as the best donation.The person donating his body parts will not bedevoid of that part in his next life, rather he willget the benefit of this donation in his next life.Q.209 Baba Ji, is it harmful to have tolerance,more than needed?

Answer: Son, I want to make it clear that if youare tolerant due to some fear or cowardess, it isnot the real tolerance. It is good to feel content

114

after initiation from a Guru, and stay in hisorder; however, we will have to repent if we dosomething in anger thinking ourselves above therange of humanity.

Q.210 Baba Ji, what are the demerits of anger?

Answer: Son, anger is such a fire that it ruins thelife of a person. Due to anger Duryodhan lost hisempire. Due to anger Ravan got his Lankadestroyed. One angry man in the family becomesthe cause of unhappiness. An angry person keepson troubling everyone.

Q.211 Baba Ji, I got involved in bad deeds afterinitiation and forgot all the promises made atthe time of initiation. I have realized that I havedone wrong; shall I get re-initiated?

Answer: Son, past is past. You have come toknow that you did wrong; maybe this was Kal’sinfluence. Kal is a big power. He attacked youwith the stick of money and illusion. He did notlet you go on God’s path. Now the power ofGuru’s Nam stopped Kal’s further movement. Thepresent is in your hands. Try to save yourself fromKal’s influence and keep attached to Guru. Youare already initiated, and need not get re-initiated. Kal can misguide you, and gettinginitiation from some other Mahatma will beuseless. Once getting stamped by a PerfectMaster, it never goes waste. No other stamp canwork over that stamp. The perfect Master will

115

help you at the time of death. If you are losingfaith in your Master, it means Kal is overpoweringyou.

Q.212 Baba Ji, when do we hear the Shabad?

Answer: Shabad is always there in a being. TulsiSahib says:

A Sound is coming from its Origin to take you with it.

When we sit for Meditation, the power of Shabadpulls our soul inward. When we reach SahansdalKanwal we start hearing a Sweet Sound. Huntersplay a sound to attract deer. Pulled by that soundthe deer comes running and puts his head inthe hunter’s lap and closes his eyes. The same isthe condition of our soul. Only throughMeditation can we know from where the journeybegins, and where it ends.

Q.213 Baba Ji, people say that when Satgurushowers his Grace, we face poverty, sickness, andslander! Why is it like that?

Answer: Son, poverty does not mean hunger andshortage of money; he makes the disciple humbleand polite. Sickness does not necessarily meanthe physical ailment; it means a disciple alwaysremembers to do Simran like a sick person. In asingle glance Guru can change a penniless discipleinto a wealthy person. Kabir Sahib cured thestomach disease of Sikander Lodhi in a moment.

116

Satguru tries to settle the Pralabdh (destiny)karmas through faith and Meditation; this isbeyond our understanding.

Q.214 Baba Ji, if an initiate has deviated fromhis path, does the Guru take care of him at thetime of death?

Answer: A son may go astray, but a fatherremains a father. After initiation the disciple maylose his faith, but Guru takes care of the discipleeven if the disciple does not have his vision. TheNam stamped on the forehead cannot be erased.So leave such thoughts! We should have goodthoughts. We should pay attention to the Guru’sdisciples and what Guru says. We should hearand sing Guru’s virtues.

Q.215 Baba Ji, is there some benefit of war?Should a Satsangi join the army?

Answer: As far as war is concerned, a fightbetween two persons is also called a war. Familieshaving faith in Guru can also be at war. War is adifference of thoughts. Two countries may alsofight, with the loser being called mutinous andthe winner being called revolutionary. So joiningthe army of one’s own country is not wrong.Maybe it is only to earn bread, but one shouldthink of it as serving one’s country. In a war, onemay face bullets; he may die, he may kill others,or he may be a martyr. We may say it is a phaseof one’s destiny. A soldier does not kill anyone

117

for personal motives. We don’t want to do athing, but it happens. That is not so serious. Ifwe do something for a selfish motive, or we lootsomeone, that is punishable. We have not joinedthe army to kill someone. The clash of thoughtsleads to war. Importance should be given togoodness and peace. Whenever you get time doSimran and Meditation. Whatever your Guruwants you to do will be good. Baba Jaimal SinghJi and Baba Bagga Singh Ji also served in the army.

Q.216 Baba Ji, how far should one sympathizewith others?

Answer: Son, you should sympathize per yourconscience, as the limit of truthfulness permits.It may be possible that an unsympathetic attitudetowards someone makes your friend or familymember unhappy; but do not leave the truth.This will keep your soul satisfied and your wayto God will be clear.

Q.217 Baba Ji, I see you each day; still I cannotdo Simran and Meditation. Why is this?

Answer: It means you are wandering outside andare not attached to the Guru inside. Son, Simranand Meditation is most important to meet God;everyone must do these in order to meet God.You are to feel the Presence of Guru throughSimran. During Meditation you are to forgetyourself. We should even forget where we aresitting and what we are doing; then you will

118

attain the Sahaj Avastha and listen to the Soundand view the Guru’s image. Keep doing your work,and let the Guru take care of your mind.

Q.218 Baba Ji, can we control the mind throughforce?

Answer: Son, through force we may achieve ornot. We will know that later. Spiritualitymaintains that we cannot control the mindthrough force. Guru Ramadas Ji says:

Receiving Nam, the mind is satisfied; without Nam, life is

a curse.

Adi Granth 40

Q.219 Baba Ji, if the Sound is heard through theleft ear during Meditation, what should be done?

Answer: Son, we have received Nam to meetGod. We are sitting in the realm of Kal. His agent‘mind’ and other opposing powers are within us.He has ordered them to see that no being shouldfollow the Path leading to God. That is why whenwe sit to listen to the Sound, he pulls our soulto the left side. We should remember that fromhead to foot the left side of our body belongs toKal and the right side belongs to God. If a persongoes even ten feet inside Pakistan’s territory, thePakistani army or police take him into custodyand treat him badly. Similarly a person listeningto the Sound from the left ear will face difficulties.At the time of initiation Saints explain clearly

119

that you should not listen to the Sound comingfrom the left ear. Keeping that in mind, wheneveryou hear the sound from the left ear, stoplistening. Try to listen again after 10 seconds. Ifit continues, stop it and again listen after 10seconds. Repeat that five or six times. Kal willunderstand that you do not want to hear that,and the Sound from the left ear will stop. TheSound from the right ear may or may not beheard, but it will at least stop from the left ear.

Q.220 Baba Ji, it is very difficult to do Simranand Meditation in order to meet God. Is therean easier method?

Answer: Son, your question is very intricate. Thewhole world wants an easy method. God hascome to this world in the human form to uniteus with Him. The method explained to us at thetime of initiation is the easiest way. Except this,all other methods... sitting with fire on all sides,sleeping on a bed of thorns, hanging upsidedown in a tree, etc., etc., are the difficultmethods and achievement through thesemethods is also incomplete. We should not eventhink about these methods.

Q.221 Baba Ji, can we take some short cut otherthan Simran and Meditation? Or will that takeus in the wrong direction?

Answer: Son, I understand that sitting in thismeeting you have not heard my answer carefully.

120

I have already explained about Guru, Simran,Meditation and Contemplation. You are goingto the wrong direction. If you follow my talksabout Guru and Nam, you will be benefitted;there is no other short cut to meet God.

Q.222 Baba Ji, I have heard that one should havea Sincere Desire to have Darshan. Does thispertain to the ‘physical Darshan’ or the ‘SpiritualDarshan’?

Answer: Son, as far as Darshan is concerned, Godhas no color or shape. The books say:

He has no form, no shape, and no color. God is beyond

the three qualities (gunas). They alone understand Him,

O’ Nanak, with whom He is pleased.

Adi Granth 283

God does not have any color or shape, so howcan we meet Him? Bulleh Shah says, I had anurge to see Allah, but He came to this world inthe shape of a human being - Inayat Ali Shah inKasur City. He gave me Ism-e-Azam and I repeatedthat. Yes, I saw God in the shape of Inayat AliShah. It is clear that he first comes to us in theshape of a Living Master; then he changes intoSatguru inside having seventeen elements: tensense organs, four attributes of consciousness:mind, wisdom, heart, and egotism; and threeattributes. After meeting Satguru inside, the Onewho will unite us with God is Shabad Guru. GuruSahib writes in the bani:

121

Shabad is the Guru upon whom I lovingly focus my

attention; I am the chela, the disciple.

Adi Granth 943

When we get united with the Shabad Guru, hechanges into God. The drop merging into theOcean becomes the Ocean.

Q.223 Baba Ji, are we already in love with theGuru, or does this happen at a particular stage?

Answer: Son, seeing the Guru we get a pull. Howcan we think of someone we have not met, andhow can we decide this? We start loving anyone,not only Guru, by a step by step process. Firstwe meet, then we talk, and then love comes.Love reaches such a stage that a person getsready to sacrifice his life.

Like this, first we hear about Guru’s virtues, thenwe make up our mind to meet him, and then weask for initiation. After that, seeing the Guru’simage inside we love the Shabad Guru. The reallove starts from Sahansdal Kanwal and growsmore and more, up to the Nameless Region.

Q.224 Baba Ji, if a person has so manyresponsibilities that he does not get time toMeditate; how does Guru help?

Answer: Son, the day a being got initiated hehad responsibilities. They keep increasing untildeath. Carrying those responsibilities a person

122

does many unaccounted and hidden works. I donot understand how we do not get time forMeditation, which is our only real possession. Ifyou are interested in Meditation and you havesuch a load of responsibilities (that you have ‘notime’ to meditate) it means Kal is overpoweringyou. It proves you have forgotten your Guru’swords.

Q.225 Baba Ji, how can we concentrate duringMeditation, sitting with crossed legs, sitting ona chair, or stretching out the legs?

Answer: Son, at the time of initiation yourSatguru told you to do Simran for one and a halfhours, and Meditation for one hour sitting onyour feet. You are to get up at 3:00 am and doSimran and Meditation. Different persons ask thesame question, what is the easiest method? Son,I have already told you the right method of sittingon the floor with crossed legs. If there had beensome other method the Saints would haveexplained that, but as the people are gettingmore educated, they want comforts; that is, tosit on a chair or have some other comfortableseat for Meditation. You have not referred toany such physical problem that you cannot sitwith crossed legs. We need alternatives for athing we cannot do. A person came to me andsaid, Baba Ji, I cannot sit on my feet due to kneepain. I suggested that he stretch his legs and puthis arms on a table or bed and put his hands inthe position as directed at the time of initiation.

123

The real purpose is for you to concentrate. Yogisconsider sitting on the ground the best methodfor meditation. Doing that, you would prefer notto stretch your legs. Our mind does not want tosit for Meditation! Control it.

Q.226 Baba Ji, should a satsangi perform ritualsafter the death of his parents?

Answer: Son, If a person has reached that highstage where rituals have no meaning, then notdoing the rituals does not affect his parents.Sometimes the parents appear in the dream andsay, you have not performed the rituals. So weperform these rituals for our own satisfaction.

One of Baba Pratap Singh Ji’s disciples, whosefamily members were initiates from Beas, hadlost his only son, and they believed in rituals.They came to me after two years and said, ourdead son bothers us a lot! I asked, why are youafraid? They said, Baba Ji, we were going todisperse his ashes, but they vanished on the way,so we could not disperse them properly. I said,donate the amount of money to some temple orGurudwara that was to be spent for dispersingthe ashes.

They met me after one year but did not refer totheir trouble. I asked, you have not talked aboutthe trouble you were suffering? They said, wedonated the money as per your advice andthereafter our son did not bother us. You see,

124

instead of telling them that it was theirmisunderstanding, I talked to them in theirlanguage, and they believed. Donating themoney or dispersing the ashes stopped their sonfrom bothering them. It was all theirmisconception. If a Satsangi son does notperform rituals for his dead parents, people willbother him. Performing rituals or not makes nodifference; but to save yourself from the publicdiscussions it is better to do the rituals.

Q.227 Baba Ji, Guru says he will take you to SachKhand in the fourth life. If due to his grace Guruhas to take us in our fourth life, then why doeshe not just take us in the very first life.

Answer: Son, you say Guru will take us with hisGrace; so it depends upon his will. He may takeus in the first life, or after making us pure hemay take us in four lives. It depends on thedisciple’s hard work. Swami Ji has emphasized:

In first life: Devotion to Guru. In the second life: Initiation.

In third life: Salvation. In the fourth: Destination.

Sar Bachan 8:1:68

He has clearly said, the washerman does not returndirty clothes to you. He returns it only aftercleaning. It may be in the first wash, second wash,or third wash. Kabir Sahib also says:

Guru is a washerman. Disciple is a cloth. God is the soap!

Guru washes him on Consciousness and he shines

125

exceptionally well!

Q.228 Guru finds the disciple, initiates him, andaccepts the responsibility of taking him to hisOriginal Home. Doing everything himself, whydoes he expect the disciple to Meditate?

Answer: Son, that is an important question. Asa reward for his worship of seventy yugs andsixty-four yugs, God awarded Kal (Niranjan) theTreasure of Souls, and the Empire of ThreeWorlds. As a girl takes dowry, Eka Mai came toKal Niranjan with a Treasure of Souls given byGod. The Bani says:

Whatever she got, she got all at one time.

Adi Granth 7

The research we are doing inside and outside,that was already destined. We are doing itpractically. When Eka Mai took the souls, theycried a lot and said to the Lord, We do not wantto be separated from you. At that time Godlovingly said, You go! I will come to see you andtake you back. Afterwhich He repeatedly cameto see the souls, but the souls did not listen toHim. After going to her in-laws, the girl forgetsthe parents, and does not want to go back tothem. Father (Lord) comes in the shape of Guruand says, You have forgotten I am your father.The girl does not want to ignore the love of herhusband and in-laws. Similarly the souls getentangled in worldly desires and love and do

126

not want to go back. God cannot interfere dueto the promise made with Kal that He will notshow any miracles to bring the souls back. A beinghas to be initiated and do Meditation to go back.God can explain to the souls with love, butcannot take them forcibly.

We are all in the range of Kal; just as the Presidentis the head of India but the Chief Ministers ofdifferent states do what they want to do. ThePresident can dismiss a minister, but he rarelyinterferes. Similarly God has given the Empire toKal and He rarely interferes. He tries to convincethe souls with love, and take them to theirOriginal Home. This has been the law from thevery beginning... but Kal tries to enforce hispower to stop a being going on God’s Path.

Q.229 Baba Ji, what if an initiated girl goes toher in-laws and her husband forces her to eatmeat; what should she do?

Answer: Son, It should be decided before thewedding that the boy is a vegetarian. If thewedding is fixed on the false words of the parentsor the mediator, it means they were very anxiousfor this relation. If the girl comes to know thatthe boy is non-vegetarian after two or threemonths, then an immediate decision should betaken, because the girl said, before the wedding,that she cannot get along with a non-vegetarianhusband. If the husband peacefully agrees thathe will eat out, and neither eat nor bring non-

127

vegetarian food into the house, then it is okay.If he does not agree, then I leave it to the girl todecide; but in any situation she should not eatmeat, fish, etc.

Q.230 Baba Ji, is it right for a Satsangi to takeleave, making false excuses to attend satsang?

Answer: Son, I do not want you to tell a lie. Youget leave or not depending on the impressionyour officer has about you. If you never tell a lieto get leave for Satsang, then you will not haveto tell a lie. If you ask for leave telling the truth,maybe your officer will sanction your leave forthree or four hours, or maybe for the whole day.

Q.231 Baba Ji, some persons keep practicingoutward rituals even after initiation. Does Gurumake them do Meditation at the end of theirlife, or just take them to Sach Khand by his Grace?

Answer: Son, he who has not done Simran duringhis life, what can he do at the end? Because ofinitiation he will not go into the cycle of 84 buthe will get human life. In the next life Guru willmake him do Meditation. Like this He will purifyhim and take him to Sach Khand in four lives.There is no substitute for Simran and Meditation.Everyone has to do it. Doing these Guru will takeus.

Q.232 Baba Ji, if after initiation, a personworships and performs worldly rituals, will he

128

get any benefit?

Answer: Son, after initiation, it is good for a beingto do Simran and Meditation. If he worshipsaccording to family circumstances he cannotmeet God; but if he does worship while indevotion (to Guru), he will be rewarded physicallyin his next life. You must have observed that if aperson has four daughters: one is very beautiful,the second one is ugly, the third one is darkcomplexioned and the fourth one is attractive.The parents are beautiful, so why are thedaughters not all like that? According to thekarmas of the previous life, the daughters willget beautiful or healthy bodies. Some childrenare under medical care right from their birthunto death. It must be noted that sometimes asenior person in a family is very sick; the doctorcomes and gives him an injection and the persondies. One daughter is beautiful and studied upto the tenth class. She gets married to a highranking official and remains happy her entire life.The second daughter has passed and received aMaster’s Degree, but she is not beautiful; evenan accountant is not ready to marry her. It is alldue to previous karmas.Q.233 Baba Ji, what is the benefit of the servicedone physically, mentally and monetarily?

Answer: Doing physical service keeps the bodyfit in this life. Keeping the body idle will invitesickness. If you are not lazy the body will keep inshape; and you will be fit to do Simran and

129

Meditation. Doing physical service will help onekeep fit in the next life also. Doing monetaryservice the disciple will be monetarily better offin this life; he will be benefitted in the next lifealso. We try to serve mentally, but we can onlyprogress with Guru’s Grace. Mind createsproblems for us, and it can be brought to theright path only with the Grace of Guru. Simranand Meditation can bring it under control andwe can be successful. The fourth kind of serviceis to connect the Consciousness with Shabad. Ifwe are successful in doing service with body, mindand money, only then can we be successful inthe service of connecting the Consciousness withShabad.

Q.234 Baba Ji, if a person takes donations will itaffect his Simran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, if we take donations we will haveto return those in our next life. If we eatsomething from someone else’s house and fallsick, we can think that this was not correct. Inthe same manner, using donations effect ourSimran and Meditation.

Kabir Sahib says if we eat something that wasnot from our own earnings, we will have to payfor that. Kabir Sahib was a weaver. One night, hecould not sleep the entire night, and felt that itwas because he had eaten food from a neighbor’shouse. He used to put his thread through abamboo stick and pull it by his mouth. A fiber

130

from that thread was swallowed by Kabir Sahiband created the problem. The meaning of thatis we should not carry on our living by someoneelse’s earnings. That is why all the Saints say:Take care of yourself and your family by yourown hard earned money. Regarding this, KabirSahib has written:

Food taken from another family man cannot be digested

unless you do Meditation. We have to pay back each bite

of that food.

We have to pay back each morsel, and every grainof food.

Q.235 Baba Ji, if a person forgets Simran afterinitiation, what will happen to him?

Answer: If a person forgets his Simran, he canask another initiate of his Guru. If we do notremember Simran at the time of death we willbe given another life. Guru will not let us go intothe cycle of 84.At the time of ironing, if a washerman noticesthat the cloth is not clean, he will again wash it.He may have to wash it two or three times, buthe will not return it until it is cleaned.

Q.236 Baba Ji, if someone is rejected for NamDan and he is given Nam Dan at the request ofanother person. Is this correct?

Answer: Son, actually it depends upon destiny.

131

A recommendation does not work. The Saintsreject him after examining his karmas. If a Sainthas some attachment with the seeker or theperson recommending his name; then he iscompelled to think and the person may beinitiated. But to fill the gap between the presentlife and the time of initiation the Saint has tosuffer. He has to bear the load of the disciple’skarmas.

Here is an example from Baba Jaimal Singh Ji’slife. Baba Jaimal Singh was at Ambala and areference to Nam Dan came up. A wealthyperson named Moti Ram asked Baba Ji to initiatea person named Hukam Singh. Baba Ji refused,but Moti Ram kept persisting; so Baba Ji said,OK, I will initiate this person but I will not stayhere tonight and I will go to Dera. The personspresent at that time know that upon reachingDera, Baba Ji was seriously ill for two weeks. Itwas beyond his tolerance. Later he told hisattendant that the initiated person was to sufferthe heat of hot plates for seven lives. Taking hiskarmas, Baba Ji suffered with high fever andother problems for two weeks.

Q.237 Baba Ji, persons who do not stop eatingmeat and drinking liquor even after initiation;what happens to them?

Answer: Guru has showered his grace on thembut they could not derive benefit from that. Guruwanted them to do Simran and Meditation and

132

follow the True Path of God Realization. Theywere initiated due to their destiny, or Grace ofGuru. Such persons have a loss in this life, andthey have to pay back the bad karmas done inthis life. Such persons reflect upon their Gurulike the saying: ‘manda kutta khasme gal’, whichmeans, if a dog behaves badly, people blame itsmaster.

Guru has to clean them like a washerman cleansdirty cloth. Maybe in the first wash, maybe inthe second wash, or maybe in the third wash.The Guru unites his disciple with God aftercleaning him up. To unite the disciple with Godis the responsibility of the Guru; but the disciplehas to suffer due to meat and liquor. After thatGuru will unite him with God.

Q.238 Baba Ji, should we advertise the Satsangs,or not? Should we try to bring the maximumnumber of Sangat members to the Satsang; orleave it to Guru?

Answer: Wherever there is Satsang, the sewadarsshould try to bring the maximum number ofSangat to attend the Satsang. We shoulddefinitely advertise to inform people. Somesecretaries and others in charge do not agree;as they say the Sangat will come as per Guru’sWill. They do not want to advertise. Perhaps theyhave decided the limit of the Sangat. I do notagree with the idea that Guru can bring theSangat according to his wishes. Guru can provide

133

wisdom even without Satsang. Preachers deliverSatsang for one or one and a half hours, still theSangat does not increase. How can the Sangatincrease? If Satsangis live at a place that is fifteenor twenty kilometers away, and they have nomeans of transportation, then a transportshould be arranged to bring them to the Satsang;the secretaries and people in-charge are meantfor this purpose.

Whatever is possible for the benefit of theSangat, that should be done. Arrangementsshould be made so that the Sangat is able toattend the Satsang. If you say that the Sangatwill come as per Guru’s Will, then another personcan say that there is no need of Satsang at all,and that Guru will himself gather the Sangat andinitiate the people. The British appointedViceroys, and Commissioners; they furtherappointed Deputy Commissioners, Tehsildars(Land revenue officers), Kanoongo, Goes, andPeons. A full department was set up, so the workwould go smoothly. Our Association is also anempire in which Baba Ji was the Patron; and theSecretary, Presidents, etc. were appointed so thatwork should go on smoothly.

Q.239 Baba Ji, what is the benefit of having theDarshan of a Perfect Saint?

Answer: Son, you cannot guess the advantageof having the Darshan of a Perfect Saint. Eventhe person who gets this advantage does not

134

understand it... that due to the Darshan of aPerfect Saint, his work is done. By having theDarshan of a Perfect Saint, the cycle of 84 finishes.If a person understands that a Perfect Saint is aForm of God, he comes in the range of the Saint.

Q.240 Baba Ji, in a Shabad of yours, there is aline that says, why should I sleep, turning fromside to side when You are present?

Answer: Son, Kal’s range is vast; we are living inthat. He got the Empire of the Three Worlds as areward for his worship of 70 yugs, and again for64 yugs. God’s range is greater; but He promisedKal that He will take those souls to the TrueRegion who do Meditation after getting initiation.That is why Kal creates hurdles at every step...so that no soul can leave this world and go toback to Sach Khand. He tries to keep the soulsdevoid of Nam Dan. He tries to influence thesouls, and not let them do their Meditation.

Q.241 Baba Ji, can we desire to see the innerscenes at the time of Meditation?

Answer: Son, while sitting for Meditation everyperson has a desire to see the inner scenes. Whena person gets concentrated inside he isdisconnected with the outside world. So do nothave any desire while sitting for Meditation. Justtry to see.

Q.242 Baba Ji, when a person sees something,

135

he is in a hurry to go forward and see more. Isthis correct?

Answer: Son, we should be regular in doingMeditation. We will not achieve anything out ofhaste. Guru is always with us. Whatever ishappening and will happen - it is all accordingto His Will. Faith and Meditation will help. Amother feeds only that much food to a child thathe can digest. Guru also takes the disciple onlyup to the level he can tolerate. In my nativevillage, Chak 201, Talawan Chandian District,Layalpur, there were two disciples of Baba BaggaSingh Ji. One of them was named Sohan Singh.He kept requesting Baba Bagga Singh Ji to showhim the inner scenes. Baba Ji accepted hisrequest and Sohan Singh got concentration. Hestayed lying down for many days. After that heremained mad the rest of his life. So we shouldstay in Guru’s will. Whether we see anything ornot, the important thing is to be regular inMeditation and leave everything up to Guru.Whenever he thinks it proper he will get usconcentrated.

Q.243 Baba Ji, people say that we should notdisclose anything regarding Meditation. Ifsomeone asks us, what should be the reply?

Answer: Son, you need not worry, just say, I canonly do that much meditation that my Guruwants me to do.

136

Q.244 Baba Ji, if you are writing a book, and wediscuss it with you, will that time be counted asa part of sewa?

Answer: Yes, son. That time will be counted assewa. A book is being written by the Dera andyou are helping with that. This book is writtenby me, so this is my personal sewa. The Sangatwill be happy to read it and derive benefit outof it.

Q.245 Baba Ji, it is said that one should coverhis face while meditating. Why do people saythis, and is it compulsory?

Answer: Son, there are some expressions thatshow on the face when we sit for Meditation...internal happiness is one of them; so it is betterto cover the face. When we are getting unitedwith Guru, it is something to keep secret. Weeat in privacy. We keep Prashad under a cover,and cover our face to avoid mosquitoes and flies.Having the touch of mosquitoes and flies effectsour Meditation and we are pulled to the outsideworld. If we try to keep away from them, eventhat disturbs our Meditation.

Q.246 Baba Ji, during Meditation I have a feelingof nausea. What is the reason?

Answer: Son, there is no reason for nauseaduring Meditation. It may be some physicaltrouble. We have yawning, and other hurdles

137

created by Kal. We should be regular in doingSimran and Meditation.

Q.247 Baba Ji, how does one praise Guru?

Answer: Son, we cannot praise Guru in words.He has such a supreme status that is beyonddescription. Our words are not sufficient to sayanything. Kabir Sahib says:

If I had paper from the entire earth to write with; if I have

pens made out of all the jungles on earth and the entire

seven seas as ink; still I will be unable to describe Guru’s

virtues.

Sahjo Bai says:

If I have all the mountains turned into ink, and mix it with

the sea; and have the whole earth as paper, still it is not

sufficient to describe guru’s virtues.

Ved Vyas asked his son Sukhdev after initiation,please describe your Guru? Sukhdev replied, heis beautiful like the moon, but the moon has ascar on it; my Guru has none. Ved Vyas againasked, is he like the sun? Sukhdev replied, hegives light like the sun, but the sun has heat. Thenplease describe your Guru? Sukhdev said, Guruis like Guru, no one can be like him.

Q.248 Baba Ji, how far is it advisable to consultwith an astrologer? Are their predictions correct?

138

Answer: Son, astrology is also a science. It canbe right or wrong. We cannot depend completelyon their forecast. I think we should avoid fallinginto their snare; it is a waste of time.

Q.249 Baba Ji, Dayal, Merciful Supreme Lord:Satguru is more powerful than Kal, so why is Kalso overpowering? If Guru helps, why can’t a souldo Simran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, when there are discussions aboutKal and Dayal, we consider Dayal more powerful.When you read the Anurag Sagar Book asexplained by me, you will come to know that asa reward of Kal’s worship of 70 and 64 yugs, hewas given the empire of Ether Land, Nether Landand the Mortal world. God does not interfere inKal’s work; but God will interfere with those whoare not in the range of Kal. Due to lessinterference from God’s side we think Kal is morepowerful. The whole world and Kal were bothcreated by Dayal; then how can Kal be morepowerful than Dayal?

Q.250 Baba Ji, is it a must to hear the SpiritualSound after every sitting for Meditation?

Answer: Son, the Spiritual Sound takes us to thefinal destination. Without it our Meditation isincomplete; but this does not mean that if youdo not hear the sound, do not sit for Meditation.First do Simran, then listen for the Sound.

139

Q.251 Baba Ji, can we reach that stage duringMeditation where we can know coming events?

Answer: Son, it is like asking a millionaire, canyou afford to buy one-hundred rupees worth ofgoods? When we get engrossed in Guru’s Imagewhile doing Simran and Meditation, we do seeforthcoming events; but following Guru’s adviceit is better to keep quiet.

Q.252 Baba Ji, who keeps the account of ourSimran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, like data that is fed into a computer,everything is recorded in our soul and can beopened and read at any time.

Q.253 Baba Ji, when a person is initiated hedevotes regular time to meditation, but latersuch problems come up that he cannot doMeditation. Why is it like that?

Answer: We are enthusiastic for newly startedwork. For instance, upon getting married we planto go to a hill station or abroad. Maybe thehusband has to borrow money. The husband andwife are very happy and do not remember God.After a year they have a baby and theexpenditures increase. The husband refers to theprevious spending patterns and the tussle starts.Things are not the same. The wife complains,before you loved me more and were ready to dothings even if it meant borrowing money. Similar

140

is the case with a new initiate. He happily sitsfor Meditation, but does not see the light. Noone likes to sit in the dark and soon he losesinterest in Meditation and stops sitting.

We are caught in Kal’s hands. If we follow thePath according to the Saints, we will besuccessful. Being a family man, one has to pleasehis family; but we are to try and do everythingper Guru’s Will also; then we will enjoy Simranand Meditation and we will be successful. Mostof the Saints have been householders. Theyfollowed this way to God, and showed peoplethe method of uniting with Him.

Q.254 Baba Ji, Kabir Sahib says, karam gati tarenahi tare, or you cannot do away with karmas. Onthe other hand the books state that Guru canchange the punishment of hanging to a prick ofa thorn. I am unable to reconcile these twocontradictory things.

Answer: Son, you have answered your ownquestion. There is no doubt we have to undergoour karmas, but it all depends upon Guru; and ifthe disciple is deserving, the Guru can reducethe amount of his karmas.Q.255 Baba Ji, you say that we should sit for oneand a half hours for Simran, and one hour forMeditation. If I start hearing the sound earlier,should I stop Simran?

Answer: This is the common method of

141

Meditation as taught by the Saints: one and ahalf hours for Simran and one hour forMeditation; however, I do not pressure you todo two and a half hours or four hours. Somepersons get connected to Guru’s Image after justfifteen minutes. This differs from individual toindividual.

Q.256 Baba Ji, if the mind keeps on wanderingoutside and we do not get concentrated, shouldwe continue doing Simran, is that useful?

Answer: Son, this is everyone’s problem. Onefailure does not mean that you should leavestudying. It has been seen that sometimeschildren failing twice in the fifth and sixth classbecome important Officers when they grow up.If you are wandering out, it means you are notconcentrated. Keep trying! One day you will besuccessful. Do not stop practicing! Practice makesa man perfect.

Practice makes a man perfect just as a rope will make a

groove in an embankment by being pulled back and forth.

Q.257 Baba Ji, is there a special number ofrepetitions of the Simran that helps one to reachthe destination.

Answer: No, there is no special count ofrepeating Simran. Saints have fixed one and ahalf hours for Simran and one hour forMeditation. This means that one tenth of one’s

142

earnings, and one tenth of one’s time, is to bespent for the sake of Spirituality. It is preachedin Satsang that one tenth of your money andphysical energy should be spent for SpiritualPurposes. That is why two and a half hours outof a day are fixed for Spirituality. If we are notsuccessful we can increase this time; but we mustmeditate daily.

Q.258 Baba Ji, if a person had made up his mindto get initiation; but he dies before that, willSatguru take care of him at the time of death?

Answer: If his parents are Satsangis and he hadSatguru’s Darshan and attended Satsangs, he willbe benefitted by that. He will get human life andwill be initiated. Guru will take care of him atthe time of death, after initiation only; but hewill be in the queue where the soul gets unitedwith God.

Q.259 Baba Ji, is there any such time when thereis no Guru?

Answer: Saints say in their Satsangs that Godcomes to this world in the human form in everyyug. There is no time when there is no Guru whogives the message of uniting the soul with God.Kabir Sahib says in his book Anurag Sagar thathe came in every yug, in Satyug I came as Satsukritand conveyed the message of true worship. InTreta my name was Muninder; in DwaperKarunamai; and in Kaliyug, Kabir. People did not

143

recognize me. Guru Ram Das Ji also says:

In age after age, throughout all the ages, forever and ever,

those who belong to Guru’s Family shall prosper and

increase. In age after age, the Family of the True Guru

shall increase. As a Gurmukh, they meditate on Nam.

Adi Granth. 79

Q.260 Baba Ji, do all Gurus have a Guru?

Answer: Son, the tradition of Guru and disciplehas existed from the Origin of the World. Wecannot reach the Almighty without a Guru. Tostudy any subject we need a teacher, and everyteacher has a teacher.

Q.261 Baba Ji, are pains reduced when in thepresence of Guru?

Answer: Son, pains remain due to PralabdhKarmas (destiny); but we feel them less by doingSimran and Meditation. Similarly, in the presenceof the Master, due to his glance and attentionon us, we feel less pains.

Q.262 Baba Ji, how should a Satsangi spend hisincome?Answer: Son, according to his budget a Satsangishould spend his income in the name of God.He should spend it for the study of a poor childso that getting education he can become a goodperson who serves the society and the country;he should contribute to the wedding of a poor

144

girl. He should donate for God’s Path.

Q.263 Baba Ji, what is Sahaj Avastha? Do weattain that through Simran and Meditation?

Answer: Son, the Sahaj Avastha is a state whena person forgets himself. Doing Simran one getsdetached from the outside world, and attachedto the Guru’s Image; this is called Sahaj Avastha.Sometimes we get into this state while doingworldly activities. Sometimes while eating westart thinking and forget to eat and sit quietly.The wife asks, what are you thinking? Thensuddenly we return to our self. This is also a typeof Sahaj Avastha.

Once I was traveling in a car from Amritsar toTarn Taran and a cyclist was looking at a beautifulgirl and coming toward our car. When the girlcrossed him he kept looking at her; but peddling,he still kept going forward. I asked Paramjit toapply the brakes, expecting he may hit our car.Paramjit stopped the car and the cyclist felldown, hitting our car. Feeling ashamed he gotup and apologized saying his attention wassomewhere else. I said, do not worry, park yourcycle here! We will take care of it so you can havea nice look at that girl. At least you will be savedfrom an accident. He said, Baba Ji, please do notmake me feel more embarrassed than I alreadyam. So forgetting oneself is called the SahajAvastha.

145

Q.264 Baba Ji, can the Pralabdh Karmas(destined karmas) be destroyed?

Answer: Son, we have to undergo these karmas.The Saints reduce the amount of PralabdhKarmas of their disciples; so instead of beinghanged, we get the prick of a thorn. ReceivingNam from Guru and doing Simran andMeditation, these karmas are finished. There isno other way.

As soon as Nam was received, sins were destroyed like a

spark of fire destroys a heap of dry grass.

Q.265 Baba Ji, what is God’s Benevolence? Whatis Grace?

Answer: Son, we have not seen God. If He isGraceful to us, how can we know it? To knowthis we have to adopt a Guru, receive Nam, anddo Simran and Meditation; this is the actualGrace of God that we take so lightly. When wesee Guru’s Image behind the eyes and pray tohim, we come to understand what Guru’s Graceis. If we request something from the Living Guruand our desire is fulfilled, we are convinced thatit is Guru’s Grace; but then, Kal, being a bigopposite power, will try to take us in the wrongdirection, and we will think it is all due to ourown efforts (rather than Guru’s Grace).

Q.266 Baba Ji, you are a Guru and initiatepeople. Is it easy to be a Guru?

146

Answer: Son, neither am I a Guru, nor have Igiven thought to it. I am a disciple. Whatever Ido, it is by my Guru’s order. I am carrying on theresponsibility assigned to me by my Guru.

It is not only initiating a person; Guru has totake care of him at the time of his death. MySatguru, Baba Bagga Singh Ji, is taking theresponsibility of the care of my disciples at thetime of their death. My Spiritual Grandfather,Satguru Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, is also helping me.Baba Bagga Singh Ji has many times told this storyin Satsang. Praising his Guru, he explained whatGuru is. The story goes like this:

Once a boy fell into the ocean. His great grandGuru came and said, I am your great grand Guru,give me your hand and I will save you, but the boyrefused. Then his Grand Guru came; again herefused and said he will go only with his own Guru.Then his Guru came and the boy gave him hishand.

If anyone says to us, come I will show you theLight, we will at once get ready. We do nothesitate to change Gurus, however, it may notbe useful.

I remember an incident that happened withSardar Bahadur Ji. He was a professor in Layalpurand used to deliver Satsang. Those days I wasworking in the Delhi Cloth Mill. Baba Pratap SinghJi also used to attend Satsang every week. From

147

his retirement to the time of the Indo-Pakdivision, Sardar Bahadur Ji would give Satsangat the Beas center in Layalpur. One time BabaSawan Singh Ji sent Sardar Bahadur Ji to delivera letter to Sain Lasori Shah in Buana Bazaar. SainLasori Shah used to travel up to the secondspiritual stage. He showed great respect to theletter. Many times he touched the letter to hisforehead and kissed it. Putting the letter downhe said, it is a letter from Allah! Sardar BahadurJi used to stay in Guru’s Order, but seeing SainLasori Shah’s devotion, he blurted out, O’ God,please bless me also with such a love. Hearingthis Sain Lasori Shah asked, have you seen theLight inside yourself? Sardar Bahadur Ji said, I willsee It when my Guru wants it. Sain Ji said, sitwith crossed legs and I will show It to you rightnow! Sardar Bahadur said, no, please do not dothat! My Guru will show me. Sain Ji thenexclaimed, one should have that kind of faith inhis Master! I was also present there.

Q.267 Baba Ji, does a person go in search of hisMaster, or does the Master find the disciple?

Answer: Son, whenever good fortune favors abeing, he will desire to adopt a Master and getinitiated. The Almighty comes in the human formwith a list of the persons to be initiated. Searchingfor those beings he approaches them. Thosedestined to be initiated themselves come to theGuru. Like this, both meet, and the disciple findsa reason to get initiation; the Guru’s

148

responsibility is over. Christ says:

I came to collect my marked sheep.

Once I was on a foreign tour and I had a schedulefor initiation after Satsang. After the Satsang theseekers for Nam Dan collected together and Iasked each of them, From where you have come?One person said that he was a resident of villageGohalvarh, near Tarn Taran. He was there to seehis relatives, and hearing about Satsang fromthem, he came to attend the Satsang and madeup his mind to get initiated. I said, the whole ofGohalvarh’s Sangat is initiated from Beas, so youtoo should go there for initiation. He said, afterattending your Satsang, I have got faith in you,and want to be initiated by you. He was initiated.He was born, brought up and educated inGohalvarh, but never came to Tarn Taran;however, when the time for his initiation camehe got pulled to the country where he was to beinitiated. After initiation he went back toGohalvarh.

Q.268 Baba Ji, Meera Bai was renowned as aSaint. Why did she not initiate people?

Answer: Son, in which book have you read thatMeera Bai was a Saint? A Saint is one who knowsGod very deeply. Saints never call themselvesSaints. A person who makes items out of gold iscalled a goldsmith. A person making things outof steel is called a blacksmith; maybe he belongs

149

to that class or maybe he doesn’t, but thesenames are given to the persons working in thosetrades. Meera Bai did not call herself a Saint,and she did not awaken any person, but we haveto agree that she was equal to the level of aSaint. A person passing the Bachelor of Law examis a lawyer, not a judge. A lawyer decides if aperson is guilty or not, but the judge gives thefinal verdict. The verdict stamped by the judgeis honored. By his verdict, a person can be hangedor released.

Q.269 Baba Ji, what is the real form of guru anddisciple? Are they both the same?

Answer: The Living Master and the disciple bothhave five elements. Adopting a Guru, gettinginitiated and doing Meditation you can see theimage of the Guru inside that has 17 elements.When we get merged in him, he unites us withShabad Guru. This Shabad Guru was the Guruof Guru Nanak Dev Ji. When we have done ourP.H.D, we need not think of B.A. or matriculationexams. Uniting with the Shabad Guru we takethe Form of the Almighty - who has no shape asthe books say. He is a Power. So without ShabadGuru, Guru and disciple cannot be one.

Q.270 Baba Ji, after a Guru leaves this world,can we get initiation (again) from his successor?If not, why not, as all the Gurus are one!

Answer: No need of re-initiating. Attending the

150

Satsang of the present Master and loving him islike a tree getting rain water; but the strength itgets is from the earth, through its roots; and thatis most useful.

Like this the Satsang of the present Master workslike rain water for Spiritual progress. So ourFoundation is the Master who initiated us. Hewill help and guide our way inside. He will takeus to the Nameless Region. Loving the presentMaster will give us the strength and help us onour Spiritual Path.

Q.271 Baba Ji, what should be the attitude of aSatsangi when sitting in front of the Guru?

Answer: While sitting in front of the Guru, adisciple should be like a child who keeps onlooking at his mother and does not say anything.He feels happy looking at her. When Guruobserves that the disciple is sitting like a child,he will pamper the disciple. The disciple may havea doubt thinking that we pamper a child, not agrown up person; however, inside we are all likechildren and Guru pampers us. If you think ofyourself as wise, or some important personality,maybe we do not get that love; and in spite ofhaving his Darshan we will still be roamingoutside. We will not be benefitted.

Q.272 Baba Ji, it is said that all the Gurus are thesame. It is also said that a person having a B.A.degree cannot teach an M.A. class. Why is this

151

difference there?

Answer: Son, your premise is not correct. Youhave heard from someone or read in a book thatall Gurus are the same; but one who has onlystudied up to the B.A. level cannot teach M.A.students. You have not thought about theireducation; up to what level have they reachedto inside? One going up to the Daswan Dwar willtalk about that level; and another going up toSach Khand will talk about the level of SachKhand. The outside appearance of both will bethe same. You are talking about outsideappearance only! A True Guru will talk on thebasis of his experience. Upon asking him aquestion about spirituality he will reply accordingto his Knowledge. Guru Ramanand was a greatsaint; but when he had discussions with KabirSahib he was surprised when he came to knowthat Kabir’s approach was up to a higher level.Kabir Sahib apprised him of the stages that hehad no knowledge about. Anurag Sagar explainsthis in detail. Kabir Sahib honored Ramanand Jias his Guru and he stayed as his disciple; so whentwo saints meet and talk about spirituality theyagree up to the common level among them, butthey do not get into discussions.

Q.273 Baba Ji, if a non-Satsangi submits asupplication to you or some other Guru, will youattend to that, or does a Guru only attend to hisown disciple’s supplications?

152

Answer: Son, a true supplication reaches Godand is fulfilled by His Order. God himself attendsto it and fulfills it. In what form the answer tothe supplication comes, we do not recognize.Guru listens to a Satsangi and a non-Satsangialike! It may be granted or not; it is according toHis Will. If our supplication is granted we arehappy that Guru or God has fulfilled it. Actuallythat was allotted to him by his destiny.Thousands of people daily submit theirsupplications, but we cannot say how many ofthese are granted. If a person is a disciple of aGuru, we can say that Guru granted thesupplication. If we want our desire fulfilled, wehave to think about Guru or God before whomwe submit our supplication. A humblesupplication is granted.

Q.274 Baba Ji, if someone thinks ill of anotherperson, but he does not treat him badly, or dobad things to him, will he still have to pay thisback by undergoing punishment?

Answer: Son, thinking bad of someone is also asin. Maybe that person is not in a position totake action on that bad thought, however he willstill be punished for thinking evil aboutsomeone.

Q.275 Baba Ji, why don’t the Saints showmiracles?

Answer: After the world was created, God

153

handed over the Empire of the Three Worlds toKal Niranjan. Kal got this boon from God, thatwhenever God comes in the shape of Saints totake His souls, he will not show miracles to attractpeople. So the Saints do not show miracles.

Q.276 Baba Ji, kindly convey a message so thatno Satsangi’s should get involved in rituals.

Answer: Son, you must have heard from theSaints:

Religious rites, rituals and hypocrisies which are seen, are

plundered by the Messenger of Death.

Sing the Kirtan of the Creator who can liberate;

contemplating on Him in meditation, even for an instant,

one is saved.

Adi Granth 747

Satsangis know this very well; even then theykeep entangled in rituals. Getting involved inrituals after initiation is not good. Guru AmarDas Ji went on pilgrimages for 22 years, but lastlycame to know the truth when he got initiated.Later he preached to his disciples to leave allthis. After spending 22 years, Guru Sahib showedthe correct and Practical Path to us sinners. Weshould derive benefit from his life.

Q.277 Baba Ji, why do the Saints need to doMeditation?

Answer: Son, Guru is beneficent. When a disciple

154

brings a supplication to the Guru and he sayssomething to console that disciple, at that verymoment his work is done. The Power used forthis work is out of his Treasure and has to bereplaced by Meditation.

If a rich man donates some money, he has toearn more to put that much back in his treasury.We have to add oil to the lamp to keep it burning.For this reason the Saints have to meditate. Theypresent a model of practical life.

Q.278 Baba Ji, both of us are initiated, but ourkids are immature and they eat non-vegetariancakes and egg preparations in school. I amunhappy about this. The kids will listen to you,would you kindly guide them?

Answer: Son, Saints have already given theirthoughts regarding eggs and meat in theirreligious books and in their Satsangs. Readingthese books and listening to Satsang still doesnot effect people, and they continue to use thesethings. Saints pen down their thoughts anddeliver Satsangs, but people neither read norlisten to them. It is difficult to teach every personindividually. Parents should take the kids to theSatsangs and give the knowledge to them thatthese things are bad for their health and thereligions do not allow it! After that, gatheringthoughts from the Saints will be effective.Parents should teach their kids from an early agenot to eat these things. This will influence them

155

more. But when the parents eat non-vegetarianfood, yet try and stop their kids from eating, it isnot possible. We should not eat the food thatwe do not want our children to eat.

There is an anecdote about Farid Sahib: Once amother came to him with her sick child andexplained that the child could not get well - andthat his face continued to break out withpimples. Farid Sahib said, I will let you know thecure after seven days. The lady came back afterseven days and Farid Sahib said, this child shouldnot eat ‘gur’ (molasses). The lady said, he eatstoo much ‘gur’; and asked, Pir Ji! I came walking10 miles that day, and today again I walked thesame distance. You should have told me that veryday! Farid Sahib said, the day you came to me Ihad eaten ‘gur’; therefore I could not tell yourchild not to eat ‘gur’! I have not eaten it for sevendays, so now I can tell your child not to eat ‘gur’and the words will have an effect. Saints onlyconvey those things in which they are perfect.

Q.279 Baba Ji, I am so fed up with problems thatI want to go to some peaceful place. What shouldI do?

Answer: Son, a change of location does notchange your thoughts and mind. You are thinkingthat you are not in your own house.

Do not pay attention if anyone calls you badnames. Withdraw your mind from the outside

156

and try to keep it inside. If you are not attentiveto the outside world you will not get angry; ifyou are not paying attention to anyone’s wordsand you are not replying (reacting) to anyone,then it will be all peace for you. Forget yourself.A poet has once said:

If you want to attain something: Forget yourself.

Getting mixed with the sand - a seed is changed to a

flower.

Q.280 Baba Ji, the books say that you shouldnot do anything bad even in a dream. I aminitiated and was offered meat by mistake. Will Ibe punished for that?

Answer: Son, you will get some punishment. Ifyou have not taken any non-vegetarian foodbefore, then this food can result in getting anallergy in your body. If you feel it, devote moretime to Meditation. I will narrate my own story.One evening I went to the market with mybrother-in-law, Professor Pritam Singh. He said,let us go and have some tea. I rarely went out toany restaurant, and even if I happened to go, Iwould seldom if ever, eat there. Professor Sahibasked me what I would like to eat. I replied, acup of tea and something vegetarian to eat. Thewaiter brought tea and something to eat thatlooked like ‘barfi’ but the waiter said waspudding. After eating we went to our homes. Atnight in my dreams I heard someone saying, killhim! he has done a very bad thing! After hearing

157

this for an hour Baba Bagga Singh Ji appearedand said, no matter, leave him! Everything wasOK.

The next day, again we were going to the GoldenTemple, and on the way, there was a clinic ofProfessor Sahib’s family doctor. We went to seehim and I told him the incident. Doctor Sahibasked, what did you eat last night? I said, I ate apiece of ‘barfi’. The doctor said, pudding is good,but it has eggs in it! Hearing this I felt giddy. Ifelt as if I would fall off the chair. The doctorsaid, you have not eaten eggs your whole life.That is why the small quantity in the puddingaffected you! He instructed me, do not eat anyfood containing eggs in the future!

Q.281 Baba Ji, people say that the words of Namshould not be spoken to anyone, but thepreachers speak these words in Satsang. Is it notharmful to them?

Answer: They are not harmed because they usethese words to explain something. Preachers donot say that the words they speak are the namesof Radha Soami Nam. If they speak these Words,and tell that they are the Names of Radha SoamiNam, then they will be harmed, and the listenerwill not be benefitted. A wedding is shown in amovie. The person acting in the film asbridegroom does not ask his co-actor (who isacting as his bride) to accompany him home justbecause they are married in the movie. The acting

158

will not make any difference to the girl.

Q.282 Baba Ji, if a Satsangi forgets the Names ofNam, and asks someone to tell him, should theperson tell him?

Answer: A person can tell him, but only afterconfirming that he is an initiate. Ask him to saythe first three words, then you will tell the fourth(in other words, use some test). There is no harmin telling these words. If a person forgets thesewords he may ask another Satsangi or the Gurufrom his own Dera.

Q.283 Baba Ji, did Baba Bagga Singh Ji meditatehis whole life? Kindly throw some light on hisnature.

Answer: Son, to know about his life, we shouldread ‘Janam Sakhi Baba Bagga Singh’. From hisvery childhood he was interested in God. Heserved in the Indian Army where he met BabaJaimal Singh Ji. He was initiated by him and thedesire to find God was fulfilled. According to hisGuru’s order he took retirement and came tohis village Chuslevar where he dug a cave in theearth, and sitting in that cave, he continued tomeditate. Later Baba Jaimal Singh Ji came to thecave and awakened him. Giving him a writtenorder, Baba Jaimal Singh Ji asked Baba BaggaSingh Ji to start initiation. As per Guru’s orderHe came to Tarn Taran. When the Sangatincreased Baba Jaimal Singh Ji ordered him to

159

construct a bigger Dera. The present Dera wasset up in 1901. Baba Jaimal Singh Ji visited thisnew Dera many times. Living in this Dera, BabaBagga Singh Ji initiated many people and unitedthem with God.

As far as his nature is concerned, all the Saintsare peace-loving. Sometimes we worldly peoplerepeat the same supplication over and again. Dueto that, the Saints may answer sternly, and wethink they reply in anger. Baba Bagga Singh Jiwas very good natured.

Q.284 Baba Ji, I have heard that Baba Deva Singhji did not stay away from his Guru even for aminute. Did he not want to stay away from theLiving Master or the Shabad Guru? Kindly tellme about his nature also.

Answer: Son, None of the disciples want to stayaway from their Master, but one has to. Guruneeds rest. He has to carry on his daily routine,and he cannot have any interference in that. Soa disciple has to stay away.

The disciple is away from the Master when hehimself goes to sleep. Baba Deva Singh Ji alwayswanted to stay with his Master. When a disciplerealizes the Guru inside himself, then there isno separation; so when a person always keepsattached to his Master, people may say, He alwaysstays with his Master. People may even say abouttwo friends that their friendship is such that they

160

always stay together. Baba Deva Singh Ji was verycool. If the disciples staying with him everquarreled, he would say, O’ my sons, do nottrouble me!

Q.285 Baba Ji! Kindly throw some light on thenature of Baba Pratap Singh Ji.

Answer: Baba Pratap Singh Ji was verycoolheaded, but sometimes he had to be strictwith a person, according to the circumstances.Generally he would get emotional hearingsomeone’s problems. The Sangat would come toknow when Baba Ji was feeling very sad. Othertimes he would feel happy talking and listeningto humorous talks. He used to enjoy listening tothe anecdote of Pinni’s from me.

A satsangi asked, Baba Ji, we too want to hearthe Pinni anecdote.

OK! This is an instance during the time when Iused to work in the railway workshop. It was ona Saturday, which was half day. I reached theDera at about 3:00 pm and asked the lady in thekitchen to cook for me. I will be back after havingBaba Ji’s Darshan, I said. Baba Ji was sitting inthe sun, I too sat there after bowing down tohim. After waiting for ten minutes I thought: thefood must be ready by now. Pulse is always readyin the free kitchen, and only chapatis needed tobe cooked. I was about to get up when Baba Ji’ssecretary Prabhat came. He had a bag in one

161

hand, and a box of sweets in the other. I thoughtto myself that Prabhat had brought such a bigbag, that I would certainly get some prashadfrom Baba Ji... and a bit of my hunger will besatisfied. I was disappointed when Baba Ji askedNarayan (Baba Ji’s attendant) to put the bag inhis room. I thought I did not get anything out ofthe big bag, so there was no hope of gettinganything out of box.

So... I lost 50% hope, but hung on to the other50%. Still Baba Ji had the box in his hand thatcontained the Pinnis (sweets). Baba Ji liked pinni’svery much, so he did not share them withanyone. Eating one a day, it lasted him twentydays. Having one pinni in his hand he asked,Prabhat, how much did it cost? To avoid so manyquestions Prabhat replied like this, Baba Ji, thisis a one kilogram box. It contains twenty pinnis.One pinni costs two rupees and the entire boxcosts forty rupees. These days it may cost abouttwo hundred rupees. Baba Ji took out one pinniand closed the box. I thought, 100% of my hopehas vanished. A man lives on hope! Baba Jistarted eating the pinni.

I was sitting quite close to Baba Ji’s bed. Eatingthe pinni and looking at me he said, the pinni isvery sweet. I said, no, Baba Ji! It is tasteless.Pampering me like a child Baba Ji said to me, no,no, it is very sweet. I said to Baba Ji, it is so insipidthat I cannot even describe how much! Expressingmy anger I had spoken very loud. He said, how

162

do you know it is insipid? Baba Ji, You ate it andknew the taste, but I will come to know only whenI eat one, I said.

Baba Ji could see that I was uncomfortable.Looking at Prabhat he said, Prabhat, look at hisway of asking for a pinni. He does not ask directly.I thought my work was done. Baba Ji gave onepinni to each of us; Prabhat, Paramjit and me.After eating I said, Baba Ji, the pinni is very sweet.

Believe me, if a hungry man eats a little, he feelshungrier. The pinni was very tasty, and I thoughtit would be good if I could eat one more, but Icould not ask. It was up to him, though I wantedto have one more; but it was something a bittoo difficult to ask for. I was afraid of again beingscolded, so I kept quiet.

I thought to myself, maybe the food is ready? Iwas about to get up when I saw a five rupeenote peeping out of my coat pocket. Whiletraveling from Amritsar to Tarn Taran I gave tenrupees to the bus conductor and got back a fiverupee note. Looking at the note I again sat downand said to Baba Ji, kindly keep this five rupeenote. Baba Ji asked, what for? I said, Baba Ji, if Iask you for money then the question of why andwhat arises, but I am giving you the five rupees. Ifit suits you, you may keep it, if not, return it. BabaJi said, you are right. I said, yes, Baba Ji! I amright. I hope my purpose will be fulfilled. Holdingthe five rupee note Baba Ji said, say something

163

good. I said, Baba Ji, it is a matter of law. Justnow Prabhat told you that each pinni costs tworupees. So two rupees are for the previous pinniand two rupees are for one more pinni that I wantto have. You may return the one rupee note ornot, it does not make any difference to me.

He threw the five rupee note at me and I put itin my pocket. He thought, my son has asked forone more pinni so I will give it to him. He gaveme one more pinni. Taking that I got up fromthere, while leaving I said, Baba Ji, the pinni isvery tasty and sweet. After eating I could say thatthe pinni was sweet and tasty.

Similarly when we experience the Nam that iscalled sweet and tasty by the Saints; we canunderstand It is sweet and tasty. Only those whohave tasted the sweet Nectar of Nam candescribe that. Farid Sahib says:

Farid: Sugar cane, candy, sugar, molasses, honey and

buffalo’s milk; all these things are sweet, but they are not

comparable to You.

Adi Granth 1379

Q.286 Baba Ji, I have heard that while meditatingwe should focus at the third eye. What does thismean?Answer: Son, being attached to the outside world,it is difficult to concentrate during Meditation.Retracing ourselves from our body when wereach the third eye, we get a little detached from

164

the outside world. If we have full devotion tothe Guru we can concentrate here, otherwise weface difficulties. Staying down it is difficult toconcentrate.

Q.287 Baba Ji, I saw much light - of sun and moonduring Meditation. How to judge whether it istrue or false?

Answer: Son, you need not think about it. Youare to cross it and go up. Reaching the upperlevel you will come to know whether it was trueor false.

Q.288 Baba Ji, is getting initiation at an early ageuseful, or is it better to get initiated at a matureage?

Answer: Son, initiation and love have no fixedtime; whether early age, young age, or seniorage, it is not relevant; you may be any age, it isthe concentration that matters! If you areinitiated at an early age, it is useful because aperson has fewer passions at that age.

Meditation can be done at any age or at anytime. Saints have fixed the time to beginMeditation between 3:00 am and 4:00 ambecause that is the time when God showers hisblessings. Religious books also say:

Farid: Musk is released at night. Those who are sleeping

do not receive their share. Those whose eyes are heavy

165

with sleep - how can they receive it?

Adi Granth 1382

There is no set time for Simran and Meditation.Do it at any time.

Q.289 Baba Ji, can a satsangi have chickens orpigs as pets?

Answer: Son, eating meat is a big crime accordingto Sant Mat. Selling and keeping pigs and chickensas pets is prohibited for Satsangis. The Hindureligious book Manu Smriti explains that thereare eight types of people who kill.

1. The person who orders meat.

2. The person who kills birds and animals for meat.

3. The person who cuts meat into pieces.

4. The person who sells meat.

5. The person who buys meat.

6. The person who cooks meat.

7. The person who serves meat.

8. The person who eats meat.

Q.290 Baba Ji, when a mother prays or makessupplications for her child, does she have toundergo his karmas?

Answer: The child has come to his motheraccording to his karmas. From birth to the agehe is standing on his own feet, the mother takescare of him, after which the child looks after hismother or not depending upon the mother’s

166

destiny. The child suffers due to his destiny, andthe mother cannot take his karmas; but thepersons related to the child do feel the pain.There is a saying that, a mother can give birth toa child, but she cannot create his destiny. If a childis good at studies, the mother works harder toearn more money, so as to support him. She canhelp to do good deeds; but she cannot take hiskarmas.

Q.291 Baba Ji, I am a doctor. What should I sayin my prayers for my earnings?

Answer: Son, a doctor is a loving devotee of God.He is destined to serve humanity. Helping a sick,miserable or poor person is equal to Servicedone (directly) to God.

Your question relates that you want to ask aboutyour earnings. Perhaps you want to pray to Godfor more patients. A doctor’s prayer depends onhis job, whether he is doing private practice orworking in a hospital or a clinic. A privatepractitioner will pray to get more patients. Adoctor working in a hospital is getting a fixedsalary, so more patients mean more work for him.He will pray to get fewer patients so that he hasless work. Both the doctors will pray for oppositethings...Whereas, a doctor’s true prayer should be,whosoever comes to me as a patient, may he getwell soon.

167

Q.292. Baba Ji, does celibacy help in spiritualprogress?

Answer: Celibacy alone is not the way to meetGod. Without getting initiation from a Guru, acelibate cannot reach the destination. If he is areal celibate, having good character and havingno bad intentions with other women, then he isgoing on a highway that leads to God. He doesnot have hurdles on his way. We can meet Godas a celibate, but only after getting initiation.

Q.293 Baba Ji, I have a medicine shop. Can I sellintoxicating medicines and medicines containingmeat?

Answer: There is no harm in selling governmentapproved medicines. A satsangi should not takemedicines containing fish oil or meat. There areother medicines available. You can tell yourdoctor that you are a vegetarian and want touse other medicines. There is no restriction onselling the medicines.

Q.294. Baba Ji, one of your shabads says,breaking your relation with the world, connectyourself with God. (duniya nalo nata toro nalshabad de nata joro). If we break our relationswith the world, then how can we pay back ourkarmic accounts?Answer: Son, breaking your relations with theworld means to stop following the dictates ofthe mind that drag us away from Spirituality.

168

Staying away from spirituality we cannot getconnected with Shabad.

Q.295 Baba Ji, does Meditation make our bodyhealthy?

Answer: Son, if we eat good food, nurture goodthinking, and do good day-to-day deeds, ourbody will also remain healthy.

Q.296 Baba Ji, do we get concentrated quicklywhen we do Meditation after attending Satsang?

Answer: Son, the Saints have fixed 3:00 am asthe time for Meditation. That is the time whenour mind is free from the worldly thoughts. Ifyou are free you may sit for Meditation afterSatsang. If you have paid one hour to Meditation(after Satsang), you may get the benefit; but it isnot definite you will get quick concentration.

Q.297 Baba Ji, should we keep vegetariantenants?

Answer: You should have Satsangi tenants; if not,they should be vegetarian.

Q.298 Baba Ji, when a meditator reaches thedestination, what words should he use in prayerto the Satguru (after doing his Simran andMeditation) so that he can sustain his progress?

Answer: Son, when a meditator reaches his

169

destination after doing Simran and Meditation,he stays united with God; then he needs nosupplications. He should stick to the laws thathelped him to reach the destination.

Q.299 Baba Ji, should a Satsangi eat from a non-satsangi’s house?

Answer: Son, try not to eat from a non-satsangihome. In case of emergency you may eat there ifit contains no meat and eggs. You will have todo more than routine Simran and Meditationafter that.

Q.300 Baba Ji, if at the time of Meditation wesee bad scenes, what should we do?

Answer: Son, our mind will do such deeds whichdisturb our concentration. We should beunyielding in doing Meditation and try to controlthe mind firmly. If we are not firm in our Simran,our mind will not be stable. You need to do moreSimran.

Q.301 Baba Ji, does the Guru protect a disciplefrom the very beginning, or after initiation?

Answer: Son, God’s Power is with us from birth!As we are growing, we are awakening throughSatsangs. Listening to the Saints we searchourselves. When the seeker searches he gets theTreasure. God does not put the treasure in him,it is already there. God’s Power is in us, but we

170

get It when we search for it. Doing Simran andMeditation we come to know that It was alreadypresent there.

Q.302 Baba Ji, who is stronger, mind or soul?

Answer: Son, Soul is very strong; Its strength islimitless. Soul is the daughter of the Emperor,but falling in love with the poor mind, she iswandering from door to door.

Q.303 Baba Ji, how should a Satsangi lawyerbehave? Because to win a case sometimes onehas to tell the truth and sometimes one has tolie?

Answer: Son, actually, advocacy (argument)depends upon the proof. A good lawyer doesnot take such cases that seem to be false, or inwhich he has to lie more. After taking the casehe fights according to the law and proves hiscase. The decision is then in the hands of Judge.

Q.304 Baba Ji, what is the correct way to stay inHis Will?

Answer: Son, to stay in His Will is to stay in thenatural flow of things. Forgetting one’s own self,controlling his desires and wishes, gettinginitiated, and doing Meditation; that is stayingin His Will.

Q.305 Baba Ji, what is actual worship, pooja and

171

austerity?

Answer: Son, actual worship is going to Guru,listening to his Satsang, getting initiation, anddoing Simran and Meditation. Remembering Himall the time is actual worship. Always keepingGuru’s face in your memory is the real austerity.When we remember the Almighty throughSimran, it is His actual worship. When we try hardto see the unseen God in us: that is austerity.When we see the Guru sitting (face to face), thatis his real pooja. There is no other Jap than doingSimran day and night.

Q.306 Baba Ji, what is the method to get awayfrom Kal forever?

Answer: Son, to get away from Kal forever wehave to get Nam (Initiation) and do meditation.To get away from Kal and stay in the range ofthe Merciful God, we have to ‘Die while Living’.

Q.307 Baba Ji, what is meant by ‘Sohang’?

Answer: Son, the real word is ‘Sohan’. When thesoul reaches the fourth stage, or Bhanwargupha,it sees the image of the Almighty, and the soulhelplessly utters ‘Sohan’, which means - Godwhatever you are, so am I. As a drop nears thesea, it says, whatever you are, so am I. So long asit is separate from the sea, it is a drop, a smallentity; but when it gets merged into the sea, ittakes the shape of the sea.

172

The drop becomes the sea when it forgoes itsidentity. Like this, when the soul, forgetting itsidentity, reaches the Nameless Region, it takesthe shape of God.

Q.308 Baba Ji, what is a right donation?

Answer: Son, a donation is a donation; but whena needy person asks for something, we shouldfind out what he wants that donation for,because the donation affects the donor also. Weare to determine whether he will misuse ourdonation, or use it rightly!

Kabir Sahib once donated money to a personwho bought cotton thread; and out of thatmoney made a net and started catching fish. Soit is better to donate money for the wedding ofa poor girl; donate money to a patient in ahospital who cannot afford medicine; donate acooler to a school or hospital where cold wateris needed. If a poor child cannot have educationfor want of money, help him. God is sitting inyou. While donating money, only do that whichyour conscience allows. If a milk farm does nothave food for the cows, donate that. If you wantto donate, donate blood! I have been askedthese questions before also. I have explained theimportance of donating blood and our bodyparts in my New Year message.

Q.309 Baba Ji, what is the benefit of the Darshanof a Perfect Master?

173

Answer: Son, karmas are of three types: 1)Kriyaman (day-to-day karmas). 2) PralabdhKarmas (destiny) 3) Sinchit Karmas (stored). Theday-to-day karmas (Kriyaman) are the newkarmas that we are making; Pralabdh has beendone in the previous life and that is our presentdestiny; Sinchit karmas are a big store of karmasaccumulated in many past lives. If a personundergoes his pralabdh karmas, and they arefinished, but he doesn’t have any day-to-daykarmas left, he is given the next life on the basisof his Sinchit karmas. Some of the Sinchit karmasare mixed with Pralabdh. He gets the next lifeon the basis of good and bad karmas. When weare attached to the Guru and have his Darshan,the bad karmas of this life are finished. GuruGranth Sahib says:

Receiving the Blessed Vision of His Darshan, all sins are

erased, and He unites me with the Lord.

My Guru is the Transcendent Lord, the Giver of peace.

He implants the Naam, the Name of the Supreme Lord

God, within us; and in the end, He is our help and support.

Adi Granth 915

Having Darshan of the Perfect Master, our sinsare finished. Here a question arises whether weshould have inside Darshan or outside Darshan?The inside Darshan finishes all sins. What’s theuse of outside Darshan?

A Mahatma was once delivering a satsang andthree thieves passed by there. They too attended

174

the satsang, as there was a police barrier ahead.After the satsang they noticed the barrier wasgone. They came to know that it was removedfive minutes before. They got the benefit of aMahatma’s Darshan, and were saved frompunishment and police arrest.

Q.310 Baba Ji, there are so many hurdles when Itry to go to satsang. Why is this happening, andhow can I stop it?

Answer: Son, your question relates that you arebadly caught in the net of Kal. All the worldlybeings are caught in the net of Kal. Soul is thedaughter of God, but she too is stuck in Kal’snet. When doing something bad our consciencestops us, but yet we obey the mind and do thebad deed. Mind is overpowering and the soulkeeps quiet. If a husband does a bad deed, thewife tries to stop him, but he does not listen. Hegets arrested and has to go to jail. Coming backhe starts listening to her. If we have self-confidence and Guru’s love, we will win over themind. The mind will be our friend and stopcreating disturbances.

Q.311 Baba Ji, What is the actual teaching of theRadha Soami Path?

Answer: Radha Soami is not the name of awoman or a man. The first Guru of Radha SoamiPath has clarified this in his writings:

175

Radha is soul, Soami is God (Master of the soul). Soul

and the Word, Radha and Soami both are the same.

Sar Bachan 2:4:1

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Kabir Sahib, and otherMahatmas have remembered God by manynames. Guru Gobind Singh Ji has rememberedHim by approximately twelve-hundred names.Swami Ji gave Him a new name - Radha Soami.Radha means soul and Soami means God. Swamiji explained these words during his lifetime. Theactual purpose of Radha Soami Path is to initiatethe soul, making it meditate - and unite it withGod.

Q.312 Baba Ji, what changes does a seeker haveto make in his lifestyle in order to get initiation?

Answer: To get initiation a person should haveclean conduct and should not eat meat, fish oreggs; and drink no alcoholic beverages.

Q.313 Baba Ji, can we know about the soul of aperson who has left this world?

Answer: Son, we should not waste our timesearching for a person who has left this world. Ifsomeone tells you his whereabouts, what is theproof that he speaks the truth? So do not wastetime on such things, use that time in Meditation.

Q.314 Baba Ji, what are religious books?

176

Answer: Religious books tell the Secrets of God.Persons writing these books have described theirinner journey in them. The Vedas describe up toBrahm. The Mahatmas attaining a Sahaj Avasthadescribe the way to meet God; but we cannotreach God by mere reading of books. We needto do Meditation after initiation. We need toput into practice what we have read.

Q.315 Baba Ji, from where can we get peace?

Answer: Son, there is no peace below the eyes(eye center), and there is no misery above theeyes. If we remain in the nine apertures we willcontinue to undergo misery and pleasure. Afterinitiation, if we do Meditation, we will reach theNameless Region, where we find Peace alone!

Q.316 Baba Ji, kindly throw some light on thesecret of death.

Answer: Death is such an incident that can beknown only after getting initiation and doingMeditation. One is the natural death and theother is the Living Death described by GuruNanak Dev Ji:

If he remains dead while yet alive, then by so dying, he

truly lives. Thus, he attains liberation.

Adi Granth 730

It means there is another death also. When we

177

get initiation from a Guru, do Meditation andcomplete the inner journey, we get into the SahajAvastha state. We get disconnected from theoutside world and Die the Living Death. We reachthe inner realms. When we start retracing fromthe soles of our feet and go up, we first come tothe anus plexus, then reproductive center, navelcenter, heart center, then throat center. Then wereach the Tisra Til, from where our SpiritualJourney starts. Crossing the five stages we reachthe Nameless Region. Saints have said that thisis the real death. We should get initiated andattain this death. So death is of two types: thenatural death and the other death - when aperson does Meditation and Dies the LivingDeath.

Q.317 Baba Ji, I have remained very sick. Pleaseeither bless me with good health or give medeath!

Answer: Son, death is not in our hands. Thesickness is in our destiny. We cannot stop it. Ifwe go to the doctor and get treatment, then wemay be cured. If it is not cured, then gettinginitiated by a Saint and doing Simran andMeditation, we can withdraw our attention fromthat side.Guru Arjun Dev Ji was made to sit on hot plates.He too was suffering pain. He withdrew hisattention from the nine doors, took it to a higherlevel and did not feel the pain. Death is not theremedy. If you commit suicide, it will only add

178

more karma to your account. The karmas youwere to undergo in this life, you will have toundergo in the next life.

The person asking for death is a coward. You arethe disciple of a Perfect Master; try to bear thepain through Simran and Meditation.

Q.318 Baba Ji, before initiation I was anastrologer. Shall I continue doing that work orchange it?

Answer: Son, astrology is also a science and manypeople earn their living through it. People havefaith in a good astrologer. Whatever he says,people take it for granted; following him theydo accordingly. If an astrologer’s forecast is notcorrect, people get upset.

Sant Mat does not depend on their forecast, itonly teaches how to unite the soul with God;whereas, astrology is a science that providesknowledge of forthcoming events. For example:a girl is not getting married so the astrologersuggests solutions for that. Whether it works ornot, only time will tell. Sometimes we get ourdaughter married and after six or seven monthssome problem occurs. The girl’s parents are sadand they think that the astrologer was not good.But everything happens according to His Will. Wecannot reach the limits of His Will. Forecastingwill affect your Simran and Meditation. The rest...do whatever you think is right.

179

Q.319 Baba Ji, who is called an Ideal Satsangi?

Answer: An ideal Satsangi is he who stays inGuru’s Order.

Q.320 Baba Ji, some persons are in the moneylending business. What would you advise them?

Answer: Son, money-lending is not permitted inSant Mat. About this I can only say that the soulcannot be united with God. Doing this businessa person remains stuck in it. Yes, if a poor persondoes not get money from the bank, and themoney is lent to him at the bank rate, it wouldbe a big help to him. I have expressed in one ofmy Shabads:

Being a moneylender who does not take monetary

interest, and helps others within his limits, is blessed by

God. A verse has come to my mind to humbly salute him.

Q.321 Baba Ji, what should we do with uselessanimals?

Answer: Son, according to Sant Mat, each beingneeds to be taken care of up to the end; so thathe completes his allotted age. If you cannot takecare of the cow, send it to a ‘Gaoshala’ (A placewhere all cows are looked after, whether theystill give milk, or cannot, or are sick or old).

Q.322 Baba Ji, I am working in a hotel in UK. Ihave to serve non- vegetarian food. Is it okay?

180

Answer: Son, paying attention to (looking at)non-vegetarian food affects your conscience,your Simran and your Meditation. The religiousbook Manu Smriti prohibits it. It clearly states:one who orders meat, one who kills the animals,one who chops the body parts, one who buys, sells,cooks, serves and the one who eats: these eightare the killers. All these have to undergo the sinof killing. So search for another job for yourlivelihood.

Q.323 Baba Ji, what is the responsibility of aSatsangi who is attached to the Guru, regardingone who has turned his back on the Guru andgone astray?

Answer: Even if we are not related to him, wehave something in common being Satsangis. Youcan lovingly try and make him understand thatKal has fixed a trap for him. We should escapeby following the Guru’s advice. If he listens thefirst time it is good; otherwise we shouldapproach him again and again. Looking at yourdevotion he will again come to the Path. Try tomake him understand according to his tolerance.One day your faith in the Guru will change him.

Q.324 Baba Ji, if a person wastes the time of adevoted person, how should we counsel him?

Answer: Son, making an excuse, move from there,or say that you do not feel well. After listeningto him a little bit, show your helplessness and

181

lie down.

Q.325 Baba Ji, if at the time of death of aSatsangi, another Satsangi is present, what is hisduty?

Answer: Son, try not to let him start talking, andtell your family also not to talk with him. Tellhim to see the Guru’s Image inside. Try to drawhis attention towards Guru. Tell him to repeatthe Five Names. If he can hear, ask him whetherhe has got Guru’s Image inside? If he cannot hear,send the non-satsangi persons out of the room,and repeat the Five Names in his ear. Show himGuru’s picture. If he replies in the affirmative,keep quiet and do Simran. His attention shouldbe drawn towards Guru and Simran.

Q.326 Baba Ji, if one forgets the Five Words ofNam, can those be written on a paper?

Answer: Son, at the time of Nam Dan Saintsdevote sufficient time to the seekers tomemorize the words. If one does not remember,the educated person will write down, but whatwill an illiterate do? Guru gives you that muchpower that you remember the words. If ahundred persons remember the Nam but oneperson does not, it means he was not attentive.Do you want to escape from devoting time tohelping an illiterate? Saints never permit themto be written down. If it is given to an illiterateperson he will ask some other person to read

182

them for him. So it is the duty of a person(Sewadar) to make the initiates remember theNam.

Q.327 Baba Ji, do you have representatives toinitiate persons abroad?

Answer: Son, as far as Nam Dan is concerned, itis given face to face. So according to the laws ofSant Mat I have not permitted anyone to initiatepeople, nor will I permit anyone in future.

Q.328 Baba Ji, it is written in Guru Granth Sahib,wherever my Satguru sits, that place is pure andpious. (Jithe Jai bahe mera Satguru so than suhavaram rajey). It is widely discussed amongst thepeople. What does it actually mean?

Answer: The place where the Saints sit is full ofpure atoms. As persons with impure atoms goand sit at that place; their bad atoms are killedunder the influence of the pure atoms of Saints.Going there we get peace. The consciencebecomes clean and one is helped to do Simranand Meditation.

Q.329 Baba Ji, who is called a sewadar, and whatare his qualities?

Answer: Son, a Sewadar is he who leaves his owndictates and follows the Guru. Leaving ‘I’ and ‘My’he is happy in Guru or God’s Will. He alwaysfollows the path shown by Guru and keeps his

183

mind attached to the Guru.

Q.330 Baba Ji, you initiate with Five Words. Arethese Five Words from the time the world cameinto existence, or have they come from extractsof the holy books?

Answer: Son, this Power is working since theworld came into existence. It was generated in ahuman being after he came to this world. Wehave been using different words at differenttimes to name that Power. The names can bedifferent, viz., Allah, Paramatma, God, RadhaSoami, etc., but that Power is One, and that isthe Power that created the world.

Q.331 Baba Ji, I have been initiated by BabaPratap Singh Ji. I feel emptiness after he left. Itry a lot, come to the Dera, attend your Satsangs,but I miss him. What should I do?

Answer: Son, the disciple who is very muchattached to the Guru, feels sad after he leaves.That is why Saints preach that disciples shouldlove the Guru and realize the Shabad Guruinside themselves; because that is the Image ofthe Guru. Doing this, they will not be sad afterthe Guru leaves; and their condition will not bebad. Whether it be worldly love or spiritual love,not meeting the beloved is always painful.

Q.332 Baba Ji, when we know that the familyrelations are false, why then should we carry on?

184

Answer: Son, we are so attached to theserelations that we do not know whether they aretrue or false. Saints are preaching from the verybeginning that these relations are false, but wedo not try to detach ourselves from them. I saythat we should not leave these relations. Weshould enjoy loving them like a honey bee sitson the edge of a bowl filled with honey. It eatsthe honey without drenching its wings. The Saintsalso led a family life, but did not drench theirwings. You did not follow their way of living! Youshould study their life example and lead yourlife in the same way; then these thoughts willnot enter your mind.

Q.333 Baba Ji, I have lost my son. I cannot forgethim. I cannot meditate because I always havehim in my mind.

Answer: Son, I received your letter. Whosoeverfaces such a problem suffers like this. Everyonetalks of patience, but when one actually facessuch a problem, he too feels the same pain.Losing a son is very painful; but still, Guruconsoles us and gives us the strength to bearthe loss.

There is a story about a Mahatma who gotmarried late, and had a son. He did not leavehim even for a minute. When the boy was nineor ten years old, two bulls were fighting and theboy got caught in between the two and died.People gathered there, picked up the boy, and

185

brought him home. The Mahatma’s wife wasworried about him; that he may not be able tobear separation of his son. Hearing about hisson’s woeful demise, the Mahatma came homeand sat by the side of his dead son. He was verysad and did not say anything. After crematinghis son he came home. In the evening wheneveryone left, the wife said, I was worried thatyou would not be able to bear the separation ofyour son. The mahatma said, I was very sad, butI took myself back to the time when we gotmarried and I had no son, and my sorrow wasreduced, the dream was over. If we too createsuch a situation, it may be possible that we aresaved from the sorrow and again will be able todo Simran and Meditation

Q.334 Baba Ji, everyone wants to please hisMaster. Please explain how this can be done?

Answer: Son, the Master is not happy to getmoney or clothes. He wants you to go to theDera and devote time to Sewa, Simran andMeditation. Be careful that no one is unhappywith you. Keep your parents happy. Parents havehopes for their children. You have to look afteryour parents - and do physical Sewa for the Dera.Then only will your Master be happy with you.

Q.335 Baba Ji, why does the Sangat of Beasdifferentiate between Beas and Tarn Taran, whenboth the Deras have the same origin?

186

Answer: Son, there is no difference between Beasand Tarn Taran. It is a matter of one’s ownthinking. Baba Jaimal Singh Ji was a disciple ofSwami Ji and He ordered him to go to Punjab topromote Sant Mat, and give Nam Dan to thepeople. He sat on the bank of the River Beasand meditated sincerely. As the black beetles getattracted towards the flowers when smellingtheir fragrance, similarly, hearing about thegreatness of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, his Satsang andNam Dan, the Sangat started coming together.Baba Jaimal Singh Ji appointed Baba Sawan SinghJi, who was very well known to the people ofPunjab - and outside Punjab also, to inherit theGur-Gaddi after his death. Baba Sawan Singh Jiexpanded the Dera with his power and hardwork.

Baba Bagga Singh Ji was working with Baba JaimalSingh Ji in the Indian Army. He received Nam Danfrom Baba Jaimal Singh Ji during his service. Aftertaking reserve duty he came to Beas and as perBaba Jaimal Singh’s advice he went to his nativevillage Chuslevar and started living there. He duga cave to do Simran and Meditation. One dayBaba Jaimal Singh Ji came from Beas andawakened him from the Meditation and orderedBaba Bagga Singh Ji to start Nam Dan and builda Dera in Tarn Taran. After He left this world,Baba Deva Singh Ji became his successor, per hisorders.

Baba Deva Singh Ji left this world without leaving

187

a Will; and the Dera committee went to MaharajCharan Singh Ji and requested him to appointthe next Satguru for Tarn Taran Dera, as per hisforesight. On November 8, 1961 Maharaj CharanSingh Ji appointed Baba Pratap Singh Ji the nextSatguru, tied the turban and put tilak on hisforehead. After that, Baba Pratap Singh Ji wasthe Master. Every year Baba Pratap Singh Ji wasinvited to Baba Jaimal Singh Ji’s Bhandara at Beasand Maharaj Charan Singh Ji was invited to TarnTaran to speak for the Satsang to celebrate BabaJaimal Singh Ji’s bhandara, one week before Dec.29. This tradition continued, and both Satguruscontinued coming and going to both the Deras.Maharaj Charan Singh Ji and Baba Pratap SinghJi used to sit together on the stage in Tarn Taranand Beas. You must have seen them sittingtogether in a picture in the houses, and in theDera. This tradition continued during the life ofBaba Pratap Singh Ji. The relation between TarnTaran and Beas is very much like the relation oftwo brothers, younger and elder.

When Baba Pratap Singh Ji left for the NamelessRegion the Dera committee members went toBeas and told the whole story to secretarySondhi of Beas. He took all the members toMaharaj Charan Singh Ji’s office in Beas andexplained the whole thing. Mr. Sondhi informedMaharaj Ji about the Will written by Baba PratapSingh Ji in which Baba Kehar Singh Ji wasappointed the next Sant Satguru and presentedthe legal papers containing the by-laws of the

188

committee. Reading that, Maharaj Ji was veryhappy. Referring to his helplessness he said, it isbetter if the president of the committee ties theturban and puts tilak on the forehead of the newGuru. Your by-laws also say so. Coming back tothe Dera the members of the committee did asdirected by Maharaj Ji.

One thing, is that here we are living in the regionof Kal, and he does not permit us to love oneanother. He creates differences between twobrothers and relatives. We should keep awayfrom these things, and focusing our attentionon the Guru, do Simran and Meditation. Thisshould be the aim of our life.

Beas and Tarn Taran are the sons of one father.The Spiritual Path, Satsang and the principals ofSatsang are the same. The Sangat and theproperties are separate. A person is called adisciple of the Dera from which he gets initiation.The present Master, Baba Gurinder Singh Ji ofBeas loves me very much. I too tell the wholeSangat, through Satsang, that Beas is our Mecca;but the people in the Sangat have their ownopinion. It is their own sweet will. Maharaj Jidoes not criticize anyone. As a college studentworks hard and takes the first position, so leavingeverything, focus your attention at your Guru todraw benefits. Stop thinking, who is good andwho is bad, then you will feel that the wholeworld is yours.

189

190

GLOSSARY

Ahankar - Egotism

Ajapa Jap - Repetition of holy names going on

automatically

Amritsar - Name of a city in Punjab, the pool of

nectar. Esoterically, the third region,

where the soul, having been cleansed

of all its material coverings (physical,

astral and causal) and the three

attributes (harmony, action or inertia

and darkness), shine in its own light.

Amritsar - The Pool of Nectar

Anami Desh - The Nameless region. Esoterically, the

eighth and highest spiritual region.

And (Anda) - Astral region, a subtle region between

pinda and Brahmand.Lower portion of

Brahmand

Anhad - Unbounded, limitless

Arjun - A character in the epic Mahabharat.

Atma - Soul

Ashtangi - Also called: Adi Bhawani, Eka Mai,

AdiKumari, Shakti, Adi Maya,

Ashtangi,

Maya(Illusion) - The first female created by God.

Consort of Kal Niranjan.

191

Ardas - An appeal to God or Guru (or anyone

else)

Araj - An appeal to Satguru - having five

elements and sitting face to face.

Asa - Hope (develops in the mind)

Baba Bagga Singh Ji - The Master who was the founder of

Radha Soami Dera, Tarn Taran

Baba Charan Singh Ji - The fourth Master of Radha Soami

Satsang, Beas

Baba Deva Singh ji - The second Master of Radha Soami

Dera Baba Bagga Singh, Tarn Taran.

Baba Gurinder Singh Ji- The present Master of Radha Soami

Satsang, Beas.

Baba Jagat Bahadur Ji - The third Master of Radha Soami

Satsang Beas.

Baba Jaimal Singh Ji - The Master and founder of Radha

Soami Satsang, Beas.

Baba Pratap Singh Ji - The third Master of Radha Soami, Dera

Baba Bagga Singh, Tarn Taran.

Baba Sawan Singh Ji - The second Master of Radha Soami

Satsang Beas.

Beas- - Radha Soami Dera situated on the

banks of river Beas, in Punjab.

Bhai Joga Singh Ji - Disciple of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Bhajan - Meditation or listening to the Celestial

Music, Audible Life Stream, Sound

192

Current.

Bhanwar Gupha - Revolving cave, the fourth spiritual

region.

Brahmand - The entire universe.

Bramha - One of the three main gods of Hindu

Religion. Creator of the world and Kal

Niranjan’s son.

Charan Kamal - Lotus feet, feet

Chaokri - Four

Darshan - Vision or sight, particularly of some

saint or holy person.

Dasam Granth - The tenth book (written by Guru

Gobind Singh ji)

Daswan Dwar - The tenth door and appellation of the

third spiritual region.

Divya Chakshu - The third eye

Dhun - Divine Sound, inner melody.

Dhur Dham - The region of Almighty.

Dhyan - Contemplation

Dwapar Yuga - The third Yuga

Eka Mai - The mother of three triads of Hindu

philosophy. Wife of Niranjan.

Five Destinations - Sahansdal Kamal, Trikuti, Daswan Dwar,

Bhanwar Gupha and Sach Khand

193

Gunas - Attributes of matter. Satogun

(harmony), Rajogun (action or activity),

Tamogun (inertia or darkness)

Ganges - A sacred river in India.

Guru Angad Dev ji - The second Guru in the line of

succession of Guru Nanak.

Guru Arjun Dev - The fifth Guru in the line of succession

of Guru Nanak and the son of Guru Ram

Das ji. He collected, classified and

compiled the writings of the Adi

Granth.

Guru Gaddi - Seat of the Guru. “Seat” occupied by

the present Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh - The tenth Guru in the line of succession

of Guru Nanak.

Guru Granth Sahib, Adi Granth - The primal scripture of Sikh religion.

Guru Ramanand - A great saint and master of Kabir Sahib.

Guru Ram Das - The fourth Guru in the line of

succession of Guru Nanak. He founded

the city now known as Amritsar, in

Punjab, India. He composed more than

600 verses in the Adi Granth.

Gur Bani - The verses or teachings and sayings of

Gurus, the Adi Granth is some times

called as Bani or Gur Bani.

Haddis - The Holy book of the Muslim religion.

Hajj - The religious pilgrimage of Muslims to

Mecca and Madina.

194

Hans - The pure form of soul in True Region

Hir-Ranjha - Famous Lovers

Hirday Chakra - The fourth ganglion or plexus in the

body.

Indriya Chakra - The second ganglion or plexus in the

body.

Japuji Sahib - First chapter in Guru Granth Sahib.

Jathar-agni - The fire of the stomach which helps to

digest food, the secreting of

hydrochloric acid.

Jiva - living entity, living being.

Kal - God of death

Kabaddi - a game

Kabir Sahib - A great saint of India who lived in

Banaras, writer of Anurag Sagar.

Kali Yuga - the fourth Yuga.

Kam - lust

Kantha Chakra - the fifth ganglion or plexus in the body.

Karma - deed.

Karunamaya - full of bliss

Khand Brahmand - the regions and the universe

Kriyaman Karma - the new actions performed during the

present life.

195

Shri Krishan - Hindu God

Krodh - anger

Kurum Bhagat - Son of the Supreme Soul. One of the

sixteen sons (powers)

Lobh - greed

Lomash Rishi - The son of Brahma

Langer - Free community kitchen

Maha Sunn - the region of intense darkness, situated

in Sunn or Tenth Gate below Bhanwar

Gupha. The great void. A level of

impenetrable darkness that can be

crossed only with the help of a True

Guru.

Mahesh - The third of the Hindu triad. Shiva the

destroyer.

Mansa - Mansa or desire is a hankering after

something.

Moh - Attachment

Mool Chakra - the root ganglion in the body, the rectal

plexus.

Muninder - the name of Kabir Sahib in the previous

incarnation in Treta Yug.

Nam - The creative power, which cannot be

expressed in speech or writing or heard

with the physical ears.

Nam Dan - Initiation into Surat Shabad Yoga by a

196

Sant Sat Guru or Perfect Master.

Nabhi Chakra - The third ganglion or plexus in the body.

Nij Dham - The real abode.

Niranjan - Kal, the God of Death.

Onkar - Brahm, the Lord of the second spiritual

region.

Pandavas - The Five sons of King Pandu and Queen

Kunti: Yudhistir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul, and

Sahdev.

Paramatma - Supreme Soul

Pind - The physical body

Pran - Life force, vital force.

Pralabdh Karma - The deeds of the previous life, the

destiny karma.

Prashad - Guru’s Grace. While distributing Guru

looks at the food and it becomes

Prashad.

Rajo Guna - Action or activity

Sach Khand - True or Imperishable region. The fifth

spiritual region.

Sangat - Congregation

Sahaj Bhagat - One of the Sons of Supreme Soul.

Sahaj Avastha - Trance stage, a level of spiritual

consciousness. While seeing the eyes

197

do not see, while hearing the ears do

not hear, while speaking the tongue

does not speak.

Sanchit or sinchit Karma - Karmas stored up from previous lives.

Sahansdal Kanwal - The first spiritual stage.

Sant-Mat - Path of the Saints.

Saran, Sharan - Refuge

Satguru - The True Master

Satnam - True Name

Satlok - True Region

Sato Guna - Harmony

Sat Purush - God the True Lord

Satsang - Congregation

Satya Yuga - The first cycle of time

Satsukrit - The name of of Kabir Sahib in Sat Yug

(the first cycle of time)

Sewa - Serving the devotees and the Satguru

free of cost.

Shabad or Shabd - Word, Poem from Guru Granth Sahib

Simran Bhajan - Repetition of five holy names,

meditation

Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji - The first Guru of Sikh religion.

198

Surat Shabda - Soul and the Sound Current

Swamiji Maharaj - The founder of Radha Soami Path

Tamo Guna - Inertia or darkness

Tisra Til - Third eye

Third Eye - Single Eye

Tilliger - Name of a bird

Treta Yuga - The second cycle of time

Trikuti - An appellation of the Second Spiritual

region on the path of the Saints.

Trishna - Thirst, longing

Tulsi Sahib - A great saint of hathras, auther of Ghat

Ramayan

Vahiguru - Guru is great

Vedas - Knowledge as embodied in the four

holy books of the Hindus: Rig Veda, Sam

Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

Vishnu - Second of the Hindu triad.

Vivek Ji - One of the sons of Supreme Soul

(among Sixteen Sons (Powers) of

Supreme Soul)

Yuga - Age or cycle of time, the Hindu

scriptures have divided time into

four Yugas: Sat Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar

Yuga and Kali Yuga.

199

1. Aape Srist i hukm i sub saj i H P

2. Anurag Sagar Part I H P E

3. Anurag Sagar Part I I H P E

4. Anurag Sagar Part I I I H P E

5. Barah Maha H P

6. Bhed Marg Aart i H P

7. Chandar Barne P

8. Darshan Bhetat Paap Sab Nasahi H P

9. Dil Ka Huzra Saaf Kar H P

10. Ghat Ramayan H P

11. Gun Gobind Gayo Nahin H P

12. Gur Bin Ghor Andhar H P

13. Hari Hari Naam Nidhan Le H P

14. Janam Sakhi Baba Bagga Singh Ji H P

15. Janam Janam Vich Aa Ke Bet i H P

16. Jis Nu Prem Man Vasaye H P

17. Kaal Ke Charitar H P

18. Kaiya Kanchan Shabad Vichara H P

19. Keeta Pasao Eko Kwao H P E

20. Kudrat Karnehar Apara H P

21. Machhali Jaal Na Janeya H P E

Our Publicat ions on Santm at

rere

H = Hindi, P = Punjabi & E = English

200

22. Marne Ki Chinta Nahin H P

23. Naam Lene Se Pehle Va Baad H P

24. Nihachal Ek Sada Sach Soyee H P

25. Parmatma Ki Khoj H

26. Sant Jeev Ki Vipat i Chhudhave H P

27. Satsang Tulsi Sahib H P

28. Satgur Hamra Bharam Gavaia H P

29. Shabad Sangrah Part I H P

30. Shabad Sangrah Part I I H P

31. Shabad Sangrah Part I I I H P

32. Shanke Ashanke H P

33. Before And After I nit iat ion E

34. Guru - Dispeller of Darkness E

H = Hindi, P = Punjabi & E = English