questions & answers -ii by baba kehar singh ji

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Sant Baba Kehar Singh Ji

QUESTIONS & ANSWERSPART-2

(SHANKA-ASHANKA 2)

QUESTIONS & LETTERSFROM SATSANGIS & SEEKERS

ANSWERED BY

SANT BABA KEHAR SINGH JI

RADHA SOAMI TARN TARAN

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Questions & Answers Part 2

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Questions & Answers Part 2(Questions and letters from Satsangis and seekers)

Published by:Balwinder Singh, Secretary

© Radha Soami Dera Baba Bagga SinghRailway Road, Tarn Taran 143401

Dist. Tarn Taran, Punjab, India+91-01852-222042,226472,226743

www.rstt.org.in(All right reserved)

First Edition : Feb 2012

Printing by:IMPRESSION PRINTS

Faridabad

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Radha Soami

Being foolish,I do not know the secrets

Of my Satguru’s utterances.He helps me to perceive the

Mysteries of Par BrahmWho can estimate His value?


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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 Sansi International Airportand 23 kilometers from Amritsar. Dera Baba Bagga Singhis situated near the head post office at a distance of 300meters from railway station Tarn Taran.

Saints come to the world to liberate HumanBeings at different times. Seth Shiv Dayal Ji (Swami Ji) gavethe name ‘Radha Soami’ to the traditional Santmat. Hewas born on August 25, 1818 and was initiated by TulsiSahib at the age of six.

Baba Jaimal Singh Ji was his most prominentdisciple. He was born in July 1839 in village Lath Ghumanin district Gurdaspur. His mother was Mata Daya Kaur andhis father’s name was Mr. Jodh Singh, who was anagriculture farm owner. From his very childhood he had avery gentle nature.

At the age of fourteen and a half, with thepermission of his mother, he started visiting religious placesseeking God Realization. One day he came to know aboutSwami Ji and went to attend his satsang. He was convincedby Swami Ji’s satsang, and attained Nam Dan from him in1856. In 1891 he constructed a hut in village Balsarai andstarted living there and giving satsang and initiation. Thatvery Dera is famous all the world over by the name RadhaSoami Satsang Beas.

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The founder of Radha Soami Dera Tarn Taran,Baba Bagga Singh, was born on May 15, 1864 in villageChuslevar, Tehsil, Kasur, District Lahore (now in Pakistan).His father was Sardar Savan Singh and his mother’s namewas Sardani Shobhi. He joined the Indian Army on March20, 1882. He went to Multan Cantonment with other menof the army. While receiving his uniform he met BabaJaimal Singh Ji. He qualified for the recruitment test inNovember 1882. Along with two other persons he receivedNam Dan on August 1, 1883. He went on reserve duty onDecember 21, 1889 and began living in a hut on the bankof a pond in his village where he started giving satsang.Later he constructed a cave at that very place and keptbusy in meditation day and night for nine years. By theorder of Baba Jaimal Singh Ji he purchased land in February1900 in Tarn Taran and constructed two temporary roomsthere and started giving satsang. This place is now calledthe ‘old Dera’. Because of the increase in the sangat, theland for the present Dera was purchased and the buildingwas constructed on Railway Road Tarn Taran. Living therehe promoted Santmat. He left for his heavenly abode onJuly 6, 1944.

After that Baba Deva Singh Ji took over as SantSatguru. He was born in village Toot Dhahewal in Lahore,now in Pakistan, on Dec 25, 1885. Sardar Burh Singh Chahalwas his father. He was initiated at the age of 14. He cameto the Dera at an early age and served Baba Bagga Singhhis entire life.

After that Baba Pratap Singh Ji was seated on

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the Guru Gaddi. He was born on Dec. 29, 1900 in villageTalavan Chandian. His mother was Mata Jawal Kaur andfather was Sardar Jodh Singh. Being born in a familysteeped in Santmat, he was interested in Santmat fromthe very beginning. He farmed, as this was his familyprofession. He was initiated at the age of ten by Baba BaggaSingh Ji on May 17, 1910. He would always speak ofSantmat, so he became famous as Gyani Ji (TheKnowledgeable). After retirement Sardar Bahadur JagatSingh Ji went to Dera Beas, and to replace him, Baba PratapSingh Ji continued delivering satsangs in Layalpur Centeruntil the Indo-Pak division took place. He got blessings fromboth the Deras, Tarn Taran and Beas. He was the bestplayer of Kabaddi (some what like wrestling sport). Withthe blessings of Baba Bagga Singh Ji, he never lost a game.He openly announced that “Should anyone defeat me, Iwill give him my nappy, picking him up on my shoulders Iwill take him around the whole grounds and thereafterstop playing Kabaddi”. But that never happened. Hestopped playing on his own.

Maharaj Charan Singh Ji from Dera Beas seatedhim on the Guru Gaddi on November 8, 1961. Whilebringing him to the Dera for the ceremony, Maharaj CharanSingh Ji asked, “What are your qualifications?” He replied,“I have done the four degrees of masters in the subjectyou want me to teach.” This shows how deep a study hedid in Santmat. His family members tell that he was verywell versed in Santmat. During his free time he would readbooks on Santmat, and would fall asleep with the bookson his chest. He would again read the same book afterwaking up. This reflected in his satsangs.

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He delivered satsangs in many big and small citiesin India, initiated people, and managed the Deraadministration very well. He left this mortal world on April26, 1988.

After that, according to his written will, BabaKehar Singh Ji took over as Sant Satguru on May 12, 1988.He was born to Mata Thakar Kaur and Pratap Singh Ji onDec 26, 1926 in village Chandia Talavan, district Layalpur,now in Pakistan. He studied at Khalsa College in Layalpur.He was verse reader during the satsangs of Sardar BahadurJagat Singh Ji and Baba Pratap Singh Ji in the Layalpurcenter. After the Indo-Pak partition he came to villageNagkalan, district Amritsar, and lived there with his family.He served in the railway workshop in Amritsar and retiredon Dec. 31, 1982 as senior manager. He had been servingthe Dera during his service, but after retirement heaccompanied Baba Pratap Singh ji continually until BabaPratap Singh Ji left this mortal world. Taking over as SantSatguru, he came to the Dera. He observed that the sangatwas increasing and there was a need to establish morecenters; so he began establishing more centers in big andsmall cities around India. He took care of the need forliterature on Santmat, and got many books published. Thiswork is continuously progressing. Travelling abroad heinitiated many seekers to unite them with God.

Satsang is held in the morning as well as theevening in the Dera. Free kitchen is available 24 hours aday. Blood donation camps are held. Marriages of girls frompoor families are performed at the Dera without anydiscrimination. Dental checkups, homeopathic, allopathic

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and acupressure dispensaries are functioning where eachperson is treated free of charge. Due to Baba Ji’s ableguidance, the Dera is progressing day and night.

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Publishers Note

To benefit one and all, ‘Shanke Asanka Part-1’ hasbeen published in Punjabi, Hindi, and English. Each andevery question of the Seeker and the practicioner regardingSpirituality, Bhajan Simran, the cycle of Birth and Deathand the necessity of a Living Guru and importance of‘Naamdaan’ was beautifully answered by the Present Guru.The book was highly appreciated by the readers.

The queries of Satsangis and Seekers regardingSantmat and their worldly problems have been increasingday by day, so in order to help them and shed light onthese questions, the present Master, Baba Kehar Singh Ji,has been very kind and generous by permitting us to printHis letters and also the answers He has given in informalgatherings in this book form, which is the second part ofQuestions Answers. You will note that most letters areaddressed ‘Son’ but the actual word used in the Punjabiand Hindi versions is ‘Beta’ which is an affectionate termtowards any younger person, male or female.

By the grace and guidance of Baba Kehar Singh Ji,Part 2 of Shanka Ashanka has already been published inPunjabi and Hindi and now with His blessings this English

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version has been translated by a joint effort of Mr. KennethStambler (U.S.A.), Mrs. Ria Arora, and Mr. & Mrs. ManishAhuja. The Dera is highly graceful to them. We wish theSangat and lovers of Santmat to be benefitted by this book.

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

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Q336: Babaji, if it is not possible to get our doubts cleareddirectly by the Guru, then what should be done?

Answer: Son, it has already been explained in Satsang andin Holy Books that Guru himself is a manifestation of God.He knows everything. Pray to Him earnestly from yourheart and have faith in Him. He will surely answer yourprayers and give you solutions to your problems becausehe knows what is best for you. The problem with us is thatwe don’t want to do Bhajan and Simran, yet we still expectgood results. Meditate and contemplate on the form ofthe Guru and see Him within.

Once I was travelling from Tatanagar to Delhi byplane. A lady was sitting on the seat beside me. An hourafter the plane took off the lady said to me, “The plane isnot moving; it is standing still in the air!” I answered, “Sister,the plane is about to reach Delhi.” She again said, “NoBabaji, the plane is not moving, and you say that it is goingto land in Delhi shortly?” After saying this she becamequiet. After a short while an announcement was madethat we have reached Indira Gandhi International Airport.Coming off the plane, the lady realized that we had reachedthe destination.

What I am trying to explain is that the Guru is alwayswith us. We may not see him physically around us, butbelieve me, he is doing all your work. Once we cultivatethe habit of visualizing the form of Guru within throughmeditation, all your doubts and questions willautomatically be cleared up.

Q337: Babaji, I am a Muslim. Do I have to abandon myreligion in order to receive Naamdan (initiation)? The

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principles of my religion do not coincide with Santmat.

Answer: Son, as far as the unification of the soul with theAlmighty is concerned, it is not necessary to change onesreligion. The essence of every religion is the same. Afterthe Creation, we were sent into this universe merely ashuman beings, and we were free from the bondage of anyreligion. Later on, we got entangled in the beliefs ofdifferent religions. The path of Devotion to God is one. Inorder to achieve that destination we have adopteddifferent rituals and methods. For example, to express theirlove and devotion to God, some people bow down beforethe rising sun, others worship the setting sun. What I wantto say is that our love for the Almighty should not be boundup in rituals, customs, ceremonies or directions (bowingto the east, west, etc.). It is the [heart] reverence for Himthat counts, and nothing else.

I hope you have understood my answer. Nam hasno relationship to any religion; nor does anybody have toabandon his religion to receive Nam. According to theprinciples of Radha Soami Teachings, in order to getinitiated, one has only to abstain from alcohol, eggs, meatand evil deeds. Many of our Muslim brothers have receivedNaamdan. So prepare yourself mentally, move ahead,adopt a Guru and get initiation.

Q338: Babaji, what is the meaning of spirituality?

Answer: Son, our spiritual journey takes place within. Itstarts from the soles of our feet and ends at the top of ourhead. In the body the seat of the soul and mind knottedtogether is in the centre behind our eyes. This is called the

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Til, the third eye, or the single eye. Guru Nanak Dev ji andmany other Saints have explained the spiritual journeyduring their lifetime. After being initiated by them, manyhad also experienced the Divine Scenes within. They havealso written about their spiritual journey in sacred verses.At the time of Initiation, the True Master discloses the FiveSacred Words of Nam. He explains the repetition of thesewords and also the correct method and posture to doBhajan-Simran in order to experience Divine Bliss within.

Below the eyes to the soles of the feet is called Pind(Physical Body). Above the eyes up to the Sahansdal Kanwalis called And. Beyond that is Brahmand and further still isSachkhand or the True Region. The Saints have explainedthat in our body, the seat of the soul and mind is at thecentre behind the eyes in our conscious state. From herewe have to go up. So since we are already at the eye centre,why not go up from here rather than going down to thesolar plexus and then cover the arduous journey upward?We have to develop our spiritual consciousness and cometo the stage where we are near to the Lord. This can beachieved only by adopting a Perfect Master.

Q339: Babaji, what should be the aim or objective of ourlife from a ‘materialistic’ point of view?

Answer: Son, in order to lead a happy and balanced lifewe do need material goods. We should make our besteffort to earn our livelihood in the world, but one thingshould always be kept in mind about worldly goods: Weshould possess them; they should not possess us. God hasblessed us with life so we should involve ourselves in gooddeeds. We should practice meditation so that our soul

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merges into the Lord. This should be the primary motiveof our life.

The entire life of materialistic people is inextricablycaught up in the web of Maya (illusion). We should notbecome a slave of worldly achievements and forget ourdestination, which is to tread the path of spirituality andreach our Real Home and merge into the Almighty.

There is a famous saying in Punjabi ‘Bhat piya sonajo kana nu khave’ which means: ‘Adorn your ears with onlythat much jewelry that the ears can tolerate, withoutbecoming painful’ or ‘Adorn your ears with only that muchjewelry that doesn’t grow painful and troublesome’.

Q340: Babaji, does the company of a non-satsangi lead todetachment from the Guru?

Answer: Son, it is rightly said that ‘You are known by thecompany you keep’. You see, company has a tremendousimpact on our lives. Of course it also depends upon theintensity of our relationship. So whether you are in thecompany of a satsangi or a non-satsangi, they will stillinfluence you. In this context Guru Ramdas Ji has explainedquite well:

Do not meet with, or even approach those people, whose heartsare filled with horrible anger.Adi Granth 40

The Saints have always warned that we shouldforsake the company of those who indulge in evil deeds,are filled with anger, or always speak very rudely andharshly. It is emphasized that we should keep company of

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the devotees of God or Satguru; those who lead their livesin His Praise and according to His Will. It is fate or destinywhich attaches and brings us closer to the Lord and givesus Reverence and Devotion for Him.

Q341: Babaji, during meditation and simran, I invariablyfall asleep and start dreaming. Sometimes I even feel I havereached the stage of meditation. I am confused. Pleasethrow some light on the stage of sleep versus that ofmeditation.

Answer: Son, in one’s lifetime human beings experiencetwo states: conscious state and unconscious state. Thereis two types of unconscious states: Swapan Awastha(Dream State) and Sushupt Awastha (Deep Sleep). Inaddition to this, when a person reaches a trance stateduring Simran-Bhajan, it is known as Turiya Awastha.

Most of our time is spent in the conscious stage. Wecarry on our daily routine work in this state. To reach thestate of Swapan, Sushupt and Turiya one has to start withthe conscious stage. In the conscious state the seat of thesoul is just behind the eyes at ‘Tisra Til’. In this state weexperience joy and sorrow and create new karmas.

When we try to sleep, the concentration of the mindincreases at the eye centre. Our sense organs and organsof action slow down and our soul naturally drops belowthe eye centre to the throat centre. This stage is known as‘Swapan Awastha’. In this stage our senses are numb butour ‘attention’ keeps wandering and experiencing joys andsorrows.

During sleep when our soul moves down from thethroat centre to the heart centre we go into sound sleep.

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This stage is known as ‘Sushupt Awastha’. In this state wedo not experience any happiness or sorrow, but it is for ashort duration only. Swami Ji Maharaj had stated:

The state of wakefulness in this world is a source of fear and pain.The state of dream, too, is full of pain and pleasure.In the state of Sushupti (deep sleep), there is some relief. But thisstate too is not abiding.Sar Bachan 25:2:1,2

In ‘Jagrat’ and ‘Swapan Awastha’ our vision, breathand mind are restless. In ‘Sushupt awastha’ mind is still,but breath is still going on.

In ‘Jagrat Awastha’ Simran and Dhyan gives rise to‘Dhyan Awastha’. For this, mind is concentrated betweenthe eyes, and through Simran the Guru is visualized inside.As the concentration increases the senses start getting stilland there is a feeling of drowsiness. The disciple has to bemore careful and should avoid his soul going down to thethroat region and try to move it upwards to the sacredregions. This is the starting of ‘Turiya awastha’. In ‘Turiyaawastha’ the soul is at ‘Sahans dal Kamal’. We can manifestGod not at the start of ‘Turiya Awastha’, but after reachingSatlok. Swami Ji Maharaj has stated:

He graciously initiated me in the secrets, and showed the path ofTuriya Pad (Sahas-dal-kanwal).He pointed out to me what lies beyond Turiya, and exhorted me toproceed further.He made me recognize higher regions and told me of what laybeyond.Sar Bachan 25:2:10-12

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Sat Guru now openly reveals the stages to you.Turiya Pad is in Sahas-dal-kanwal. Get across and ascend to Trikuti.Sar Bachan 25:2:18,19

In the Upanishads also it has been stated that aperson alternates between ‘Jagrat’ and ‘Swapan Awastha’.During ‘Jagrat Awastha’ the mind is between the eyes andduring ‘Swapan Awastha’ it is at the throat region; during‘Sushupta Swastha’ it is at the heart region and during‘Turiya Awastha’ it is at the forehead region.

Q342: Babaji, it is stated that Guru is the Supreme Beingand it is impossible for a human being to achieve unitywith Him [by his own efforts]; while it is also stated thatwe have to take the initiative and make sincere efforts toattain this and unite with Him. How can these twostatements coexist together?

Answer: Son, your question can be answered very well bythe Guru who has blessed you with Naamdan. You have tounderstand the inner meaning. Abide by your Guru’sinstructions, have implicit faith in him, and do meditation;then you will get the answer to your question.

We always have to work hard and make sincereefforts to achieve a goal, whether material or spiritual.Unless we make efforts and work hard, we cannot reachour destination. God helps those who help themselves.We all know that butter or ghee can be derived from milkthrough a process by applying effort. In the same way,through dedication and meditation we can also unite withHim. From your question it seems you are confused anddual-minded. Son, you have adopted a Guru and He alone

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can take you to the destination; but the initiative mustcome from you by sincere efforts. What I mean to say isthat one should take Naamdan, practice Bhajan-Simran,and manifest the Shabad Guru within. We need a guide totake us to our True Home, and this guide is Shabad Guru.

Q343: Babaji, how can we thank our Guru?

Answer: Son, Guru is continuously showering Grace on us.Just uttering ‘thank you’ is not the answer, as words fallshort to express our gratitude. A disciple has tounconditionally surrender himself, having blind faith inGuru and following his instructions. You can sincerelyexpress your gratitude by doing Bhajan-Simran.

Q344: Babaji, I live in America and face many difficultiesperforming spiritual practices. Do people residing in Indiaface similar problems?

Answer: Son, there is no difference between India andAmerica as far as spiritual practice is concerned. Maybeyou are asking about the consumption of non-vegetarianfood with meditation. In India non-vegetarians face theseproblems also! People who have understood that the worldis mortal have sacrificed and abandoned these thingsprohibited in Sant Mat and thus can embark upon thespiritual journey smoothly. They train themselves to leada life according to the will of their Guru.

Q345: Babaji, is there any difference between an atheistand a theist?

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Answer: Son, the difference between the two is that anatheist does not believe in the existence of God; whereasa theist believes in the ‘Presence of God’ and leads his lifeaccordingly.

Q346: Babaji, who is a Saint?

Answer: Son, a Saint is one who has reached a certainSpiritual Land and has become one with the Lord. Heremains detached from the outside world but attachedwithin. He has withdrawn his consciousness to the eyecentre. When the ‘Third Eye’ opens, Divine Light is seen.Saints come to this earth to awaken the Love of Lord withinus. In the Guru Granth Sahib it is also mentioned that weshould surrender at a Saint’s Feet.

Wash the feet of the Holy, and drink this water.Dedicate your soul to the Holy.Take your cleansing bath in the dust of the feet of the Holy.To the Holy, make your life a sacrifice.Adi Granth 283

Q347: Babaji, what is religion?

Answer: Son, religion is a set of beliefs, customs andtraditions that we have inherited from our parents. Weadopt the religion of the family we are born into. If we areborn into a Sikh family, our religion becomes Sikhism. Ifsomeone is born in a Hindu, a Muslim, or a Christian family,they will belong to that religion. But True Religion is theunification of the soul with the Almighty. This True Religionis Supreme and free of any discrimination based upon

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caste, creed, culture or faith. This is the Religion ofHumanity.

Q348: Babaji, what is meant by ‘the Path’?

Answer: Son, the Path is a Way by which we can attainour destination. Our Real Home is in Anami Desh, or theNameless Region, which is the Abode of the Lord. We treadthe Path to reach our Real Home and unite with the Lordby means of spiritual practice (Bhajan-Simran). The literalmeaning of ‘Path’ is ‘road’ or ‘way.’ In Guru Granth Sahib itis referred to as ‘Marg’ which also means ‘Path’.

Q349: Babaji, what is the meaning of ‘Sadhana’?

Answer: Son, the meaning of Sadhana is ‘a discipline thatwe adopt in our life to attain our goal.’ It involves hardwork, commitment and dedication. Similarly, in spiritualitySadhana is the spiritual practice and discipline by whichwe seek to unite with the Almighty.

Q350: Babaji, I remain sick now all day. I have read in booksthat illness is due to our karmic account, so I have acceptedillness as my destiny, and as such, avoid taking medicines.Is this the correct attitude?

Answer: Son, you have answered your own question. Ifyou have accepted illness as the will of the Lord, in likemanner, to cure it is also the will of the Lord. We also shouldtake preventive measures. We cannot justify indifferenceunder the garb of karma. This attitude should not be there.We should not think to ourselves ‘Why should we do

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anything?’ (indifference) when ‘to do something’ mayalready be written in our destiny! We should try to do ourbest under all circumstances.

Q351: Babaji, what should be borne in mind while givingcharity of any kind?

Answer: Son, first of all we have to know how needy thatperson really is. If monetary aid is given to a person andhe uses it wrongly, then the donor has to pay for his baddeeds. We can help a hungry person by giving him food, ora needy person with some clothes; but care should betaken that the donation is not misused. The person whogives charity should also keep in mind that he should notbe filled with ego, pride or arrogance while helping others.We should selflessly serve the needy. He should not speakof his charitable works, as doing so people wouldappreciate his work and he will be filled with pride. All ofhis good work will then go in vain (be spoiled). The aid orhelp given in the marriage of any poor man’s daughter isconsidered the best.

Q352: Babaji, I have bought a new house. How does oneinaugurate his new house or new shop?

Answer: Son, in order to inaugurate a new house or shop,Satsangies should be called and ‘Prashad’ should bedistributed among them. If your wife or relatives suggestsome other way of inaugurating, then you may go aheadwith that also.

Q353: Babaji, what should we do if somebody is rude to

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us without any legitimate reason?

Answer: Son, we should try to make him understand thathe is doing something incorrect. However if he doesn’trealize, then we should leave that place (remove ourself).

Q354: Babaji, please suggest how we should lead our life?

Answer: Son, a Satsangi should lead a simple life full oflove and affection. He should get initiated and domeditation regularly. He should also try to control hisdesires. If desires are under control, then he will besuccessful in his Bhajan-Simran and become a goodSatsangi.

Q355: Babaji, who is the more eminent, a mother or aGuru?

Answer: Son, first of all, there should be no suchcomparison. That being said, if at all you are comparingthen remember: a mother’s status has a great significance.She gives birth to us and makes us capable of recognizingGuru. After we get initiated from a Guru, then his status isequivalent to the Almighty, and helps us to reach theUltimate Destination. We see Guru’s image even when webow at the feet of our mother. Now it depends upon yourpersonal opinion how you perceive both these aspects.

Once I was taking rest at a disciple’s house. His wifewas sitting beside me and her four year old daughter wassitting on her lap. Her father came from outside and aftergreeting me sat beside his wife. He had brought chocolatesfor his daughter, so she came instantly to her father. The

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father gave one chocolate to his daughter and at thatinstant the mother asked the child who she adored mostbetween her parents. The child touched the cheeks of herfather and replied that she loved her father more. Aftertwo or three minutes the child came back to her motherbut she slapped her and pushed her away saying “Go toyour father whom you love more.” The child fell down andstarted crying. I was sitting there and explained to the ladythat she had asked an illegitimate question from the child.Such questions should not be asked from our children. Nowplease understand that there should be no comparisonbetween parents and Guru.

Q356: Babaji, what should we do if we face obstacles whiledoing meditation?

Answer: Son, while doing meditation if the vision of Guruis lost inside, then there is a feeling of fear. The wife isfrightened when she is travelling alone, but if her husbandis near her, then there is no question of fear. One shouldalways try to secure the image of Guru inside oneself.

Q357: Babaji, please tell us something about self-realization?

Answer: Son, this is a commonplace word, but the realmeaning is that ‘when the soul realizes the UltimateDestination it is called Self-Realization.’ Knowledge is ofmany types but Self-Realization is Supreme Knowledge. Itcan be attained by getting initiated from Guru and doingBhajan-Simran.

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Q358: Babaji, if a disciple conveys his problem to Guru butdoesn’t get a reply, then what should he conclude?

Answer: Son, you should accept it as the Wish of theAlmighty. Guru always wants to alleviate the difficulties ofhis disciples. Guru is omniscient and already knows aboutthe problems of his disciple. We should trust that the Guruunderstands whatever is there in our mind, and shouldjust have the Darshan of Guru. If Guru gives any suggestion,we should follow it diligently. Maharaji will put everythingright. We should accept his reply as a command. If Gururemains silent that also has its significance.

Q359: Babaji, is ‘Jyoti’ and ‘Shabad’ one and the samething?

Answer: Son, ‘Jyoti’ is a Divine light which can be seeninside. Shabad is a Power which is not visible. Shabad isGod. No, ‘Jyoti’ and Shabad are not same.

Q360: Babaji, what is the benevolence of the Satguru?

Answer: Son, the benevolence of Satguru is the Mercy ofGod. We cannot understand the benevolence of Satguru.When Satguru blesses us with ‘Nam’, it is one of Lord’sgreatest blessings. After that, Satguru’s support in thedisciple is shown by revealing His Shabad form inside one’sconsciousness, and is His Great Bliss and Blessing.

Q361: Babaji how many kinds of karmas are there? Pleaseexplain.

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Answer: Son, the theory of karma is an intricate one. It isa philosophical subject. To understand the concept ofkarma we need first to have the knowledge regarding thehow and why of Creation, ‘Kal’ and ‘Dayal.’ Saint Kabir Sahibhas explained this subject very well to his disciple DharamDas in his book ‘Anurag Sagar’. I have given a SpiritualDiscourse based upon this book. This book is available inthree parts at the Dera.

At the time of Creation, Kal Niranjan got a hugestorehouse of souls from God, which had been given toEka Mai. Eka Mai gave birth to three sons: Brahma, Vishnuand Shiva. The four sources of creation (andaj, jeraj, setaj,and udbhaj) and the cycle of eighty-four were also created.As per the order of Kal, Eka Mai keeps sending the soulsback into the cycle of eighty-four. Just as a potter createsdifferent forms with mud; eg. statues, utensils, toys, etc.,in the same manner souls are given different forms in thecycle of eighty-four.

When souls were given a human form they weregiven a body made of five elements: earth, water, fire, airand ether. Together with this they were given five organsof perception (eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin); fiveorgans of action (hands, feet, mouth, reproductive organ,and excretory organs); four attributes of consciousness(mind, wisdom, heart and egotism); and three attributesor ‘states’ of being (sato-guna, raja-guna and tamo-guna).Mind was made the agent of Kal, and thus man was setfree to perform deeds and actions. In this way humanbeings became trapped in the web of good and bad deeds,and have to face their Karmic accounts accordingly.

Man is responsible for each and every thought, wordand action. Whether done knowingly or unknowingly, he

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is still responsible to pay for his Karmic account. The theoryof Karma is based on the philosophy of ‘As you sow, soshall you reap’. Shri Guru Arjun Dev ji has said:

As she (soul) has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field ofkarma.Adi Granth 134

It is due to the result of ones ‘Karma’ (deeds) thatsome are born in rich families and lead luxurious lives; whileothers are born in poor families and cannot even affordtwo square meals a day. Some are destined to takemedicine right from birth, and some are so healthy thatthey have never taken medicine or injections their wholelife. Some dogs are born fortunate and travel in air-conditioned cars with their masters; while others are straydogs on the road in search of food and are sometimesbeaten up. Goswami Tulsi Das Ji has said:

This world runs strictly on the rule, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”Sri Ramcharitmanas 2.218.2

The king of Hastinapur, king Dhritrashtra once askedLord Krishna the reason for his blindness from birth. It isbelieved that king Dhritrashtra had the knowledge of hisprevious hundred births. He told Lord Krishna that as farback as he could see, in the course of his last hundred births(in different forms), he had not committed any sin to meritthe punishment of blindness in this birth. Lord Krishnapossessed spiritual powers and he laid his hand onDhritrashtra’s forehead to enable him to visualize fartherback. Dhritrashtra saw that in his 105th birth, when he

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was a small boy of only four or five years, he pricked aneedle in the eyes of an ant while playing. The act wasdone in innocence and ignorance, yet he still had to payfor his deeds and was born blind in this birth. So you seethe theory of ‘Karma’ is not so simple. It is complicated,intricate and even philosophical.The ‘Karmas’ are of three types:

1. Kriyaman Karma (day to day karmas)2. Prarabdh Karma (destiny karmas)3. Sanchit Karma (Stored or accumulated karma)

1. Kriyaman Karma: After birth, human beings are freeto perform good and evil deeds, sinful or meritoriousactions. One continually sows the seeds of karmas. This isknown as kriyaman karmas. Kriyaman karma is that whichwe do presently, for which we will have to pay in future.

After Kal Niranjan took the storehouse of souls fromGod, we don’t know how many times we have receivedhuman births. In the Gita Lord Krishna has said “I was bornmany times and so were you; however, I have theknowledge of each birth of mine, but you do not.”

So we are sent to the earth innumerable times indifferent forms, good and bad. We are also making karmasin this birth, some of which will be reaped by us in this life;the rest becoming our prarabdh or sanchit karmas.

Whatever kriyaman karmas that we sow, its fruit willdefinitely be reaped by us. The philosophy of karma is sointricate that if a man commits ten good deeds and fiveevil deeds, then he will receive the reward for his ten gooddeeds along with the punishment for his five evil deeds.

Man has no knowledge of his previous births or lives,

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nor his karmas, but he can have a good future by doingvirtuous deeds. So while performing kriyaman (his daily)karmas, one should be very careful. He should avoid thoseactions which the great Saints have forbidden; for example:lying, violence, indecent behavior, using intoxicants, etc.He should try to control his mind by the method explainedby the Saints and Guru, and should practice more Bhajanand Simran. This will help to avoid bad karmas in our dailylife.

2. Prarabdh Karma: Prarabdh is known as destiny orfate karma. Destiny is something which we have to faceduring our lifespan. Our prarabdh (destiny) is the result ofdeeds done in our previous life. Dharam Rai (God of death)keeps the account of our karmas. A man dies after hisprarabdh karmas are washed or cleared.

Our prarabdh or destiny starts in the mother’s wombitself. It is due to the prarabdh karma that the growth anddevelopment of some unborn children is not proper in thewomb; due to which they have to suffer throughout theirlife.

When Ram and Sita were sent to the forest in exile,they slept on the leaves and grass. In Shringverpur, whenNishad Raj saw them, he felt sad and blamed and cursedMother Kaikeyi (Ram’s step-mother) for this pitiable plight.Lakshman, Ram’s brother was also there. He said verypolitely that nobody else is responsible for our joys andsorrows; it is the result of our own deeds (karmas).

O brother, no one gives pain or pleasure to anyone. One undergoesonly the results of ones own previous actions.Sri Ramcharitamanas 2.91.2

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That is why Saints always advise us to face ourprarabdh karmas accepting it to be the will of Lord, andalso the fruit of our own seeds sown in past births, whichwe have to face in this life. We cannot change our prarabdhkarmas which is our fate or destiny, but by doing ourSpiritual Practices, we can go through them gracefully. Weshould adopt a perfect living Guru, get initiated andpractice Bhajan-Simran. By Bhajan-Simran, we imbibe thevirtues of patience, politeness, kindness, generosity andcontentment and we get the inner strength to face ourdestiny without too much upsetting of our balance.

3. Sanchit Karma: Sanchit means the store of karmas.It is the accumulated reserve. Because in every life it isnot possible to pay for all that has been done in theprevious life, we have collected a huge debt of reserve orsanchit karmas to which we have been adding in everylife, for many ages. If a person undergoes his Prarabdhkarmas and they are finished, but he doesn’t have any dayto day karmas left, he is given the next life according tothe basis of his sanchit karmas. Some of the sanchit karmasare mixed with prarabdh. He gets the next life on the basisof good and bad karmas.

The sanchit karmas can be burned or cleared bymeditation and this can be achieved by adopting a Guru,getting initiation and practicing Bhajan-Simran. With thehelp of Shabad our mind goes back to its origin. By thegrace of Satguru our sanchit karmas are cleared. If theseeds of gram, corn, maize or wheat are burned, theycannot give rise to new plants; in the same way, Guru burnsthe seeds of our karmas. When our account of sanchitkarmas are cleared, only then can we move to higher

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regions in our spiritual journey. Man may be good,religious, generous and charitable, but unless all the threetypes of karmas are cleared, our soul cannot be mergedback into the Lord.

Son, we should not get confused and entangled inthe theory of karma; instead we should devote more timeto Bhajan-Simran. We should have faith in our Guru andshould abide by his instructions. As we do Bhajan-Simranwe keep moving ahead in our spiritual journey. We willcome to know that meditation takes care of the entire storeof karmas. Slowly and gradually we understand the theoryof karma. In one of my verses it is stated:

Take the Nam of Radha Soami and practice it; without this, thefruit of karmas cannot be altered. The three Gods and the DivineMother do their work per the will of the Guru.

Q362: Babaji, is suicide and natural death the same?

Answer: Son, death is death whether it is natural orthrough suicide. Externally they are very different, butinternally the actual process of death is the same. We arealive as long as there is a connection between the eyesand the sole’s of the feet. When this connection breaksthe stage is referred to as death but suicide is a very largesin.

Q363: Babaji, how does the repetition of ‘Nam’ (Simran)help us in our spiritual journey?

Answer: Son, ‘Nam’ is the power which helps us to reachour destination, which is the highest mansion or region

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on the spiritual journey. At this level, the form of the Guruhelps us to eliminate all the obstacles coming in our way.Simran (repetition of Nam) helps us to concentrate. Onceconcentration develops, it becomes easier to embark onour spiritual journey. ‘Nam’ helps us to get detached fromthe external world and attached to the Supreme Power.

Kabir says, by Simran one finds happiness and loses sorrows andby this Simran one dissolves into God.

Q364: Babaji, even having knowledge of the Spiritual Path,sometimes people still attempt suicide. Is this due to theirpast Karmas?

Answer: Son, it can be the result of their previous deedsor their present actions. Only when a person’s wisdom orintelligence fails or stops working would he attemptsuicide. If for any reason he does not succeed in hisattempt, he would become terror stricken with what hewas about to do. Here is an anecdote which I would like toshare with you.

This is an incident that happened when I wasstudying at Khalsa College in Layalpur. After school oneday, I was walking toward the railway station where I founda man standing on the railway track. The train wasapproaching on the same track but he did not move. Igathered that he was planning to commit suicide. Iapproached him and asked, “What are you doing here?The train is coming.” As the train got nearer, I forcibly pulledhim away from the track and the train passed by. The manstarted weeping loudly and fell at my feet saying “If youwere not here to save me, my head would have surely been

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cut off.” I asked him the reason for attempting to commitsuicide and he said that he had become angry. I escortedhim home, as he had now realized his mistake. You see,‘anger is the greatest enemy of man’. It can ruin your life.Time never comes back. See that it is not too late to repentfor the deeds you do. At times of anger, draw yourattention up towards your Guru, and everything will bealright.

Q365: Babaji, what should we do to rise up, above thestate of ‘joy’ or ‘excitement’?

Answer: Son, we have received the human body due toboth good and bad karmas. We accordingly experiencehappiness or sadness in our life. In sad moments we feelpain, but in times of pleasure we enjoy and do notremember the Lord. In whatever position he places us weshould not forget Him. We should try to go beyond thesetwo states of mind and remain balanced. To train our mindto face any situation in a stable and a composed mannerwe should do Bhajan-Simran as explained and taught bythe great Saints and Gurus.

Q366: Babaji, after adopting a Guru, are we in a positionto help our relatives who have died?

Answer: Son, we can help others only after we helpourselves. In our Spiritual Journey we must rise to a stagewhere we can help and shower grace on everyone. Thiscan be attained only through Nam. We can help ourrelatives only when we are attached to the Shabad inside.By doing Bhajan-Simran if we reach ‘Anami Desh’

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(Nameless Region), our relatives who have passed awayare also benefitted. The Lord helps them by giving themhuman form in their next birth. When we do Bhajan-Simranour family members, both dead and alive, receive Gracefrom the Almighty. If they are dead, they get a human birthand receive Nam and attain salvation and are redeemed.Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the incarnation of God. Heshowered His blessings and redeemed countless souls. Tohelp others is in accordance with the Will of the Lord.

Q367: Babaji, if we take medicine having implicit faith inour Guru, do we recover from our illness faster?

Answer: Son, taking medicine while having faith in Guruor Saint or God certainly helps one to recover from anillness, but it is a pity that our faith towards Guru is onlythru lip service and not by action. We should act accordingto the Will of our Guru to overcome the hurdles of life.

Here is an incident related to Baba Bagga Singh Jiwhich I would like to share with you. Baba Bagga Singh Jiwould deliver Spiritual Discourses each New Moon day at11 o’clock in the morning at Tarn Taran Dera. Once, duringthe course of the satsang a man entered the premises ofthe Dera carrying his disabled son in his arms. After thesatsang, he went to Baba Bagga Singh Ji to relate hisproblem. Babaji was very merciful and tender hearted andcould not stand to see people suffering. He asked theperson about his problem. The man told him that he wasthe disciple of Baba Sawan Singh Ji; that his son wassuffering from arthritis and was not getting well even aftera lot of treatment. Then he took his son to Baba SawanSingh Ji, but He told him to go to Dera Tarn Taran where

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his brother Baba Bagga Singh resides. The man did not havefaith in this, so continued taking his son to Baba SawanSingh Ji two or three more times. Baba Sawan Singh Jireiterated that it was due his personal ignorance that hewas not listening; and going to Baba Bagga Singh ji wasthe only solution. Finally the man had to bring his son toTarn Taran Dera.

Baba Bagga Singh Ji then asked one of his disciples,Teja Singh, who was a local physician if he had anymedicine. Teja Singh replied that he had a bottle ofmedicine for stomach ailments. Baba Bagga Singh ji madethree packings of that medicine and advised the man togive his son one immediately, one in the afternoon, andone in the evening. He also told the man to leave the Derabefore 4:00 am the next morning. After giving all threedoses, both father and son went to sleep.

The next morning at 3:00 am the man awoke fromsleep conscious of the fact that they had to leave Dera. Hefound that his son was not there, got worried, and hurriedout to ask the watchman about his son. The watchmanreplied that he had seen a boy walking towards thebathroom. As the man turned to go towards the bathroom,he saw his son coming. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Hewas mesmerized and filled with gratitude. His son waswalking by himself as if he never suffered from the disease.He was completely cured by the blessing of Baba BaggaSingh Ji. Baba Ji had cured such a complicated problem byjust a local medicine. So... if we have full faith in Guru,then his benevolence will cure all ailments.

Q368: Babaji, why don’t you write the name of the personsasking questions?

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Answer: Son, I deliberately don’t mention names. This isbecause it will develop ego in the minds of those personswhose names will be published in a book.

Q369: Babaji, if while suffering from a physical ailment adisciple loses trust in his Guru, does Guru still show mercyto him?

Answer: Son, Guru always supports his disciple regardlessof his state of mind. Guru says that one has to endure theconsequences of previous actions. It is possible that thesetroubles have been very much reduced though it may notseem so.

Q370: Babaji, while doing meditation, what are the signsthat our soul has reached higher realms inside?

Answer: Son, when the soul gets concentrated, we feel atrance-like condition. We lose consciousness towards thephysical body and we feel a (supreme) bliss of meditation.We have to experience this practically.

Q371: Babaji, we have heard that when a person is criticallyill he loses consciousness and doesn’t recognize anybody;but does he still remember the Holy Name?

Answer: Son, the Holy Name belongs to the Almighty. Wehave received that name from our Guru. When Gurublesses us with the Holy Name, a deep-rooted stamp isimpressed on our soul. Many a time a person may seemto be unconscious, but he has the capability of recognitioninside. He is actively thinking inside. The Holy Names are

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deep-rooted and one never forgets them. A tape recorderwill stop after some time, but the Voice of the Soul is neverending. When the Holy Names are given at initiation, it isgiven in a powerful way, so that everybody remembers itthoroughly.

Q372: Babaji, if somebody forgets the Five Names givenat initiation, can it be taken a second time?

Answer: Son, I have given the answer to this in ‘Questionsand Answers Part 1’. If somebody forgets the Holy Names,he can ask some Satsangi, but the Satsangi should be one-hundred percent certain that the person has already takenNaamdan. If a person forgets the third word of the HolyNames, then you can varify by asking him the fourth andfifth word. If he answers correctly, then the Holy Namescan be conveyed to him. However, it is always better,should a person forget the Holy Names, that he come tothe Dera, and ask the Gurudev directly or attend aninitiation.

Q373: Babaji, when our Simran reaches a certain level ofmaturity, is there any activity in the lower part of thebody?

Answer: Son, when we are experiencing supreme blisswhile doing Simran, we don’t pay attention to the lowerpart of the body.

Q374: Babaji, it is said that when a person motivatessomeone to take Naamdan he earns virtue. If the persontaking Naamdan doesn’t develop any devotion, will the

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person who helped him still earn merit?

Answer: Son, the relevant point here is that the personhas taken Naamdan. As per Sant Kabir, the credit for thisdefinitely goes to the person who has motivated him. Afterthat he doesn’t have any role. He gets merit from hisactions; then it depends upon destiny and the efforts ofthe new initiate as to how much control Kal has got overhim. But after receiving Naamdan he is assured of a humanbody in the next birth.

Q375: Babaji, what should be done if poor health preventsa disciple from going to the Dera and doing Gurus sewa?

Answer: Son, if the ailment is preventing somebody fromphysical movement, then he should devote more time toBhajan-Simran; but in my opinion there is no illness whichshould prevent anybody from visiting Dera and doing Sewa.

Q376: Babaji, it is said that Guru blesses his dear discipleswith three gifts: poverty, ill health and humility. Pleaseexplain this in detail.

Answer: Son, implications of this concept differs fromperson to person. Poverty does not necessarily mean lackof resources here. It may mean a person should considerhimself in a ‘down to earth’ way as compared with others[not feeling superior to others]. Poor health meansnullifying ones ego, and humility means a person shouldnot feel let down if somebody tries to humiliate him; it isexpected that a contemptuous person will mock others.

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Q377: Babaji, what should be done if a person does notbelieve in contemporary Gurus, and criticizes openly infront of the disciple?

Answer: Son, if somebody is criticizing Guru then thedisciple should politely ask him to discontinue such talk. Ifthe person continues, even after requesting that he stopthis inappropriate behavior two or three times, the discipleshould leave his association.

Q378: Babaji, if a person has taken Naamdan, will otherrituals of worship, like fasting, etc., still help him?

Answer: Son, if a person has taken Naamdan, he shouldfollow the instructions of his Guru and lay more stress onBhajan and Simran. Religious acts will definitely earn somevirtue either in this birth or the next birth; but keep inmind they have no connection with uniting the Atma (soul)with Param-atma (Supreme Soul). Param-atma can beachieved only by taking the Holy Name (Naamdan) andpracticing it. The main objective in this life is to unite oursoul (Atma) with God (Param-atma). Shri Guru Arjun Devji Maharaj says:

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karmas.Adi Granth 134

Q379: Babaji, if Guru comes in a dream of his disciple, thenwhat can that disciple understand from this?

Answer: Son, Guru blesses his disciples with the wisdomto understand the significance of such instances. Other

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persons are unable to do so. However, one should notbelieve so much in dreams. If the dreams are pleasant thenit is a matter of happiness, but if they are unpleasant, itshould not cause worry that something bad is going tohappen. Some persons make a display of it by announcingthat Guru Ji has appeared in their dreams; but really thedetails of dreams should not be divulged.

Q380: Babaji, if a person who has already taken Naamdandoes some charity work, will it provide him additionalbenefit?

Answer: Son, any act of goodness is definitely beneficial;however, the benefit it provides to a person doing Bhajan-Simran is very little - like a needle in a haystack. In JapujiSahib, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has said:

Pilgrimages, austere discipline, compassion and charity:These, by themselves, bring only an iota of merit.Adi Granth 4

Pilgrimages, penances, compassion and charity addto the virtue of a person, but it is nominal as compared tothe benefit derived from Bhajan-Simran.

Bhajan-Simran is like an Ocean; whereas the act ofcharity or benevolence is like adding a glass of water tothe ocean. If the act of benevolence is something special,then it may have some profound effect. It is said in theBani that:

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karmas.Adi Granth 134

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Q381: Babaji, if a disciple gets detached from Guru, doesthe Guru empathize with him, or punish him in order tobring him back on track?

Answer: Guru deliberates a lot before giving Naamdan toanybody. He gives Naamdan only when he is sure about it.A person gets Naamdan only if it is destined. After givingNamdaan a Guru then takes on the responsibility of unitinghis soul with the Almighty. Guru never deserts or leaveshis disciple and he makes every effort toward unifying hisdisciples soul with the Lord. Guru rescues his disciple fromthe grip and control of Kal. Related to this I have written averse.

A strange play was visible there. Guru tore up the account ofkarmas. He held my arm and took me away. Then the play wasfinished.

Q382: Babaji, it is said that a Satsangi should not go to anon-satsangi’s home. Please shed some light on this.

Answer: Son, we should avoid eating at a house wherenobody is doing Bhajan-Simran, but we are living in asociety and under certain social compulsions where wehave to entertain various relationships. If our relatives offersomething, we cannot refuse them (this of course doesnot apply to the forbidden foods like meat, eggs, alcohol,etc., which must be refused under any and allcircumstances). For example, if we go to the house of thein-laws of our children, and they offer sweets, we cannotrefuse them directly as they will be offended. In thatcircumstance we should contemplate and pray to our Guru

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and take the offerings. That night we should spend twiceour usual time in Bhajan-Simran, and continue doing thisfor one week.

Q383: Babaji, what should be done if somebody is unableto do Bhajan-Simran due to physical discomfort?

Answer: Son, Kabir Sahib has stated:

Everyone does simran in times of sorrow and pain; but no one doessimran in times of happiness. If someone were to do simran in happytimes, there would never be times of sorrow.

Kabir says, simran creates happiness and removes sorrows. Bysimran one is dissolved into the Almighty.

Son, if a grieving person comes to Guru and conveyshis sufferings to him, Saints will always suggest that he doBhajan-Simran. Shri Guru Arjun Dev ji has said:

Naam is the panacea and remedy to cure all ills!Adi Granth 274

Q384: Babaji, if somebody has not taken Naamdan buthas faith in the Guru, will this faith benefit him?

Answer: Son, Faith equals God, but the real Faith isdeveloped after we adopt a Guru. If we are attractedtowards Guru before taking Naamdan, then it means wehave moved into His Sphere. It is very significant. If thebelief is firm then he will definitely get Naamdan one day.

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Q385: Babaji, does an ‘evil spell’ or witchcraft have anysort of effect on a person who has received Nam?

Answer: Son, a person who has received Nam is notaffected by evil spells or witchcraft; but one thing shouldbe kept in mind: even though one is initiated, he MUST doBhajan-Simran [this protects]. These negative supernaturalpowers are also obtained through meditation (Riddhis);however, Radha Soami Teachings is against such practicesand use of powers. The initiates who are sincere in theirpractice of Bhajan-Simran, can never be affected by suchevil practices; but no comment for those who do notdevote time to their meditation.

Q386: Babaji, how can we explain the relevance andimportance of a Perfect Living Master in our lives to aworldly person who doesn’t believe in Guru, and has notreceived Naamdan?

Answer: Son, it is rather difficult to give understanding tosuch people, but there is no harm in trying. We can adoptcertain measures so that they are influenced. We can relateto them certain incidents or experiences reflecting thegrace of Guru. The constant love and blessings of a Gurutake our life in a positive direction. All this may arouseinterest in them to know more. They might ask certainquestions regarding the greatness of a Guru. If they aresatisfied with the answers then possibly the naturalinclination of the soul, which is present in everyone, wouldcompel them to go towards Guru and also develop faith inHim.

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Q387: Babaji, if a person loses faith in his Guru and turnshis back on Him, even after receiving Nam, will it have anybad effect on his family members?

Answer: Son, whoever does so is solely responsible for hisown actions. He will pay for his misdeeds, and not his familymembers. We are the ones who reap both our good andbad deeds. ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’

In happy moments a person receives good wishesfrom his relatives. During tragic moments they expresstheir condolences to him. If a child goes astray even afterreceiving Nam, the family members are affected in thesense that they are terribly hurt due to the child’s actions.They may feel humiliated and disgraced. Related to this,in one of my verses, I have written:

If the son gets a bad name, the father too suffers same.

Q388: Babaji, do Saints give warnings?

Answer: Son, the word warning is too harsh a word to beused in context with the Saints. They are the Messengersof Love. There is no place for warnings in love. Yes, writerswho are also disciples do write in the Spiritual Books thatone should adopt a Guru and getting initiated practiceBhajan-Simran to get liberation from the cycle of eighty-four. We may interpret this as a warning. Sometimes theSaints also remind and alert the people through theirverses. Guru Ramdas ji was a Messenger of Peace. Seeingthe pitiable condition of human beings He wrote in hisverses to remind people to adopt a Guru and practiceBhajan-Simran before it is too late.

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Receiving Naam, the mind is satisfied; without Naam, life is a curse.Adi Granth 40

You see, it depends upon us how do we take thesethings - as a warning or as an inner voice.

Q389: Babaji, what should be done to avoid the disrespectlikely to be inflicted on the torn photograph or torn bookof a Guru?

Answer: Son, this is entirely in your hands. You may dowhatever you consider right. To avoid disrespect in thisregard, the torn photo or torn book of a Guru may beimmersed in water when discarding.

Q390: Babaji, it is said that when the souls were separatedfrom God and sent to the earth, they wept a lot. Don’t youthink an injustice was done to these souls by separatingthem from their Loved One?

Answer: Sister, you are right, the souls did weep a lotwhen being separated from God, but this separation wasnecessary to start the process of life on earth. I will askyou a simple question. Are you married? If so, do youthink your father has done an injustice to you by sendingyou to your in-laws home after marriage? You too musthave wept a lot on departing from your loved ones.Similarly the souls cried a lot when they were partingfrom their Father, the Almighty; but now they are so muchentangled in worldly desires and loves that they do notwant to go back. Gurus and Saints keep emphasizing thatthis is not our True Home. We all are in the range of Kal,

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which hinders our going back to our Source which is ourtrue home, Sachkhand. Bhajan and Simran is the onlyway to reach our destination.

Q391: Babaji, what is Maya?

Answer: Son, we are all caught in the web of Maya[illusion]. We do not understand the Master, nor do weknow the Path to realize Him. The obstacles or thehindrances that prevent the soul from reaching its RealHome in Sachkhand can be termed as the Veil of Maya.Yes, Maya’s illusion conceals the vision of God from oursight. Guru Arjun Dev Ji has said in his verse:

Maya has spread out her net, and in it, she has placed the bait.The bird of desire is caught, and cannot find any escape, O’ Mother.Adi Granth 50

What is a human and what power does he have?All the tumult of Maya is false.Adi Granth 178

Guru Amar Das ji has also said:

Attachment to Maya is an ocean of darkness. Neither this shorenor the one beyond can be seen.The ignorant self-willed manmukhs suffer in terrible pain. Theyforget the Lord’s Name and drown.Adi Granth 89

Q392: Babaji, what is Kal and what is Akal?

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Answer: Son, Kal and Dayal are two opposite powerscreated by God. Dayal is the Positive Power and Kal is thenegative power with mind as its agent. The souls influencedby Dayal are the souls of the Lord. Those who are trappedin the web of Kal are put on the wrong track. Kal does notallow them to get attached to the Lord. Those who do notfall under the domain of Kal are termed as Akal.

Q393: Babaji, how many types of Satsang are there?

Answer: Son, Satsang does not have any type. The meaningof Satsang is Association with the Truth. In Guru GranthSahib, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has said:

How is the Society of the Saints to be known?The Name of the One Lord is chanted.Adi Granth 72

Guru Sahib says that Satsang is a congregation ofpeople where spiritual discourses are based upon thepraises of God, i.e. the Ultimate Truth. The aim of Satsangis to attach people to God. Swami ji Maharaj says:

Now I tell you what Satsang is. Satsang is where praises of Sat Nam—Sat Purush are sung.Sarbachan 11:1:59

Discussing the truths of God (the Spiritual Path) athome, in the shop, or at any other gathering is termedSatsang; and even to think about the union with Guru orGod can be called Satsang.

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The form of the Guru would be as dear to the devotees as thehusband is to a loving wife and the runningstream of water to a fish.This is how a devotee should attend Satsang and associate himselfwith Sat Guru. Then will he reap the real benefit of Satsang.Sarbachan 13:1:39,40

By practicing Bhajan-Simran as explained by theGuru, one gets attached to the Ultimate Truth within. Thatis Real Satsang.

External Satsang or association should be such that nobody in theworld is as dear as Sat Guru.Then only can the devotee apply himself to internal Satsang. His Suratwill ascend to the inner sky (the third Til).Sarbachan 38:6:25,26

Q394: Babaji, please shed some light on the statement‘Nam is the Ultimate Truth’?

Answer: Son, Nam has been described as the SupremePower in the Holy Books. Since Nam has emanated fromthe Supreme Being, it has created everything. The fifthGuru Arjun Dev Ji has quoted in the Sukhmani Sahib:

The Naam is the Support of all creatures.The Naam is the Support of the earth and solar systems.The Naam is the Support of the Simritees, the Vedas and thePuranas.The Naam is the Support by which we hear of spiritual wisdom andmeditation.The Naam is the Support of the Akashic ethers and the netherregions.

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The Naam is the Support of all bodies.The Naam is the Support of all worlds and realms.Associating with the Naam and listening to it with the inner ears,one is saved.Those to whom the Lord is merciful are attached to His Naam.O Nanak, in the fourth stage, those humble servants attainsalvation.Adi Granth 284

Nam is a Sublime and Supreme Power. It is a Powerthat has originated from God. Nam alone is the Ultimate Truth.

Q395 : Babaji, it is said that the Divine Sound can be heardwithin when we sit for Bhajan. What does that mean?

Answer: Son, when we practice Bhajan, we are on ourspiritual journey; so whatever we experience is within. Yousee, everything is within our body, there is nothing outside.Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji has said:

Everything is within the home of the self, there is nothing beyond it.One who searches outside is deluded by doubt.Adi Granth 102

Everything is within the home of your own self, there is nothingbeyond it.By Guru’s Grace, it is obtained, and the doors of the inner heart areopened wide.Adi Granth 425

God is inside our body. We cannot attain him by goingto forests, mountains, religious places, or by following

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rituals. We can meet God only by following the methodexplained by Saints and Gurus. We can attain him withinthrough the practice of Bhajan-Simran (meditation). Thosewho seek God outside are trapped in illusion. They arewasting their life wandering here and there withoutknowing their (real) goal.

Within this cave, the Invisible and Infinite Lord abides.The Naam is a Priceless Jewel; it is with the Perfect True Guru.Adi Granth 124

Q396: Babaji, it is said that Nam is Divine Light. What doesthat mean?

Answer: Son, Nam is the Supreme Power. It is also knownas ‘Sar Shabad’. Nam has been called different names bydifferent Saints. Nam has two qualities: Divine Light andDivine Sound. Divine Sound is also referred to as Ram Nam,Ram Dhun, Naad, Sach-i-bani, Akath-Katha, Hari-kirtan,Azan, Word and Logos. The Divine Light and the DivineSound which we experience during the course of ourspiritual journey is none other than Nam Itself.

Q397: Babaji, why is it that we can attain the secret of theTrue Nam only by the Grace of a Guru?

Answer: Son, we can get education only through a teacher.Teacher is also referred to as ‘Guru’ or ‘Ustad’ (Muslimname for respected teacher). Similarly, the knowledge andsecret of Nam can be attained from a Perfect Master. Thisteacher is respectfully referred to as Guru. A Guru is onewho is attached to Nam within; who also has the ability to

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connect others with Nam. Guru Ram Das Ji has quoted:

Naam is a Priceless Jewel; it is with the Perfect True Guru.When one is enjoined to serve the True Guru, He brings out thisJewel and bestows this enlightenment.Adi Granth 40

Guru Amar Das Ji states:

Without the Guru, Naam cannot be obtainedThe Siddhas and the seekers weep and wail for lack of it.Adi Granth 115

The siddhas and yogis who practiced sadhana’s(disciplines) lamented that they had not received Nam.According to Guru Granth Sahib, Nam can only be receivedthrough a Perfect Master:

Through the True Word of the Shabad, true honor is obtained.Without the Name, no one attains liberation.Without the True Guru, no one finds the Name. Such is the makingwhich God has made.Adi Granth 1046

God has made such a rule that without adopting aPerfect Master one cannot receive Nam. This rule startedwith the Creation of the Universe. Guru Nanak Dev Ji hasstated:

Without the True Guru, no one has obtained the Lord; without theTrue Guru, no one has obtained the Lord.Adi Granth 466

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No person is entitled to receive Nam withoutadopting a Guru or taking His Refuge.

Q398: Baba Ji, please tell me why we need a Guru?

Answer: Son, a person who imparts knowledge is called ateacher or a Guru. In order to get knowledge or educationwe need a teacher in that particular line. In the same way,in order to gain Spiritual Knowledge we need a livingSpiritual Master. The literal meaning of Guru is ‘Dispellerof Darkness.’ Without adopting a Spiritual Master or Guruwe will never get the knowledge to begin our SpiritualJourney which leads to the unification with the Lord.According to Guru Granth Sahib:

If a hundred moons were to rise, and a thousand suns appear inthe sky,even with such light, there would still be pitch darkness without Guru.Adi Granth 463

Q399: Babaji, what are the benefits of ‘Simran’?

Answer: Son, Simran is something precious. We arefortunate if we have been given this gift. Most of usundervalue it, which is unfortunate. Simran is like a shieldthat protects us. It also helps to remove the dirt and grimeof our previous deeds which we have accumulated fromages past. Simran is a step towards union with God. Themore time we spend in Simran, the less time we waste oncriticism and gossip. Concentration can be developed onlythrough Simran.

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Q400: Babaji, what is meant by ‘Darshan’?

Answer: Son, the literal meaning of darshan is ‘to see’.Seeing or looking at a Saint or Guru with love is known asDarshan. In Spirituality the word darshan has twomeanings: 1) To see or behold the Guru in his physical form.2) To visualize the Radiant Form of the Guru within duringBhajan-Simran (meditation). External darshan of Guru isvery important. The urge and desire to have darshan ofGuru helps one to visualize his form within. Guru ArjunDev ji has said in this verse:

My mind longs for the Blessed Vision of the Guru’s Darshan.It cries out like a thirsty song-bird.My thirst is not quenched, and I can find no peace without theBlessed Vision of the Beloved Saint.I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice to the Blessed Vision of theBeloved Saint.Adi Granth 96

All our sins are destroyed or burnt when we see theform of Guru within. This helps us to unite with God. GuruArjun Dev ji has stated:

Receiving the Blessed Vision of His Darshan, all sins are erased,and He unites us to Him.Adi Granth 915

Q401: Babaji, please tell us something about ‘Dhyan’?

Answer: Son, Dhyan is concentrating the mind between thetwo eyes. Dhyan illuminates the mind and the person stops

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thinking about his own self and ‘his own world.’ [problems,etc.] Dhyan can be practiced after taking Naamdan from aSaint, practicing the Holy Names (Simran), and establishingthe vision of Guru inside. Swami Ji explained:

O dear! Contemplate on the form of Guru. You cannot be liberatedwithout it.Sarbachan 19:2:1

Shri Guru Arjan Dev ji has said:

Meditate on the image of the Guru within your mind.Let your mind accept the Word of the Guru’s Shabad, and His Mantra.Adi Granth 864

Q402: Babaji, how is it possible to see God inside everyhuman being?

Answer: Son, the answer is inherent in the question itself.A person asking the question knows that God is there insideevery human being, and it is being stated in the question.

Q403: Babaji, what is ‘Surat Shabad Yoga’?

Answer: Son, in the scriptures we come across differenttypes of ‘Yogas’. The literal meaning of the word ‘Yoga’ is‘to unite’. To unite the soul (Surat) with God (Shabad) iscalled ‘Surat-Shabad Yoga’. This is a method of uniting oursoul with God.

Q404: Babaji, how can we stop immoral thoughts frompolluting our mind?

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Answer: Son, the power of God is prevailing inside everyperson. There is no doubt that Kal Niranjan is also a son ofGod. He is the ruler of this world and ‘mind’ is his agent.The immoral thoughts can be avoided by taking the FiveHoly Names (initiation) and practicing them, thusestablishing the power of God within us.

When a person engages in an evil deed, the soulopposes it, but the mind does not listen. By practicing theHoly Names the power of the soul is strengthened, andthe mind loses its control. The evil thoughts created bymind lose their grip. It is like a strong wife aligning herhusband to her wishes.

Thus, Guru and repeating the Holy Names is the onlyway to avoid evil thoughts. Therefore, we should take Namfrom a Perfect Master, practice Bhajan-Simran and try toincrease the power of our soul.

Q405: Babaji, what is Atma (soul)? From where does itcome and where does it go?

Answer: Son, this question has been raised repeatedly, andSaints have replied aptly to this. People do not accept theexplanations of the Saints until they experience this withinthemselves. Until then, they cannot comprehend the reality.

‘Atma’ is a current, a power, a Current of theAlmighty. It is like electricity which is not visible, but itspower can be seen.

The Almighty also appeared by Itself. I have giventhe analogy of cyclones. It is said that when a low pressurearea is formed in the plains (like a vacuum); then the windblows from all directions to fill that area and this gives riseto cyclones. It is so gusty that it can destroy many things.

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In a similar way the Almighty is established by Itself.It is a long story. In order to create the world Niranjan wasgiven the kingdom of Trikuti. Niranjan, along with Eka Maicreated Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). When theAlmighty sent his souls, Niranjan attached ‘mind’ along withthem. Now mind and soul have developed a strong bondfor each other, and in this way the world is functioning.Although God has created the whole universe, still it isbeing controlled by Niranjan and Eka Mai. When the worldwas established fully, Niranjan went to Sunn and startedmeditating there.

Soul, which is a part of the Almighty, is the primeforce in the human form. A person can unite with God onlyif he experiences death [learns to die] while living. Thesoul never gets destroyed, but returns to its source. Thewind gives rise to tides in the sea which rise and subsideagain after reaching the shores. A knowledgeable personunderstands this fact. But those who do not know this arealways in a dilemma.

Q406: Babaji, who can experience the ‘Dhun’?

Answer: Son, Dhun is an energy which starts from AnamiDesh and gets established inside Saints. The only way tounite with God is to take the Holy Name, do Simran andDhyan, and listen to the Holy Dhun inside oneself throughthe right ear. Surat and Nirat are the two forces of soul.Surat is related to listening to the Dhun of Shabad inside,and Nirat is related to seeing the glow or Radiance of Shabdinside. The Surat and Nirat help in experiencing the Dhunwhich is coming from the area of Sunn. Swamiji Maharajhas defined Nirat as the light which leads Surat to the

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abode of God. He has said:

Led by Nirat, I merge in Shabd every moment.Sarbachan 35:20:4

One who uses the Surat and Nirat to experience theDhun can understand it. It seems like the Dhun is heard byour external ears, but actually it is heard through the innerears. Shri Guru Angad Dev Ji has written:

To see without eyes, to hear without ears,to walk without feet, to work without hands,to speak without a tongue. Like this, one remains dead while yet alive.O Nanak, recognize the Hukam of the Lord’s Command, and mergewith your Lord and Master.Adi Granth 139

When Guru, well-versed in the secrets and mysteries of Shabd, ismet, the disciple will have longing and yearning for Shabd.When one practises Surat Shabd Yoga, then only will one’s mindbecome somewhat steady.Sarbachan 9:9:8,9

This ‘Dhun’ leads us through the Five Landmarks toAnami Desh. It is likened to a drop of water gettingsubmerged and becoming one with the mighty ocean. It issimilar to the way a hunter catches a deer in the forest:the hunter produces music from a drum and the deer getsenchanted with the music and lays his head at the feet ofthe hunter. Similarly, we are attracted towards this HolyDhun which we have already listened to in Sachkhand [inthe ancient past]. This Dhun helps us to unite with God

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just as a drop of water becomes one with the ocean. Butto achieve this we need the support of a Complete Guruwho has established this holy ‘Dhun’ inside himself. In thisreference Swamiji Maharaj also has said:

This Dhun or Shabd is of the Highest Region. Only a soldier saint cancontact it.He will control the mind and ride on it. He will lay siege to the fortressof Gagan (Trikuti).Sarbachan 9:9:12,13

Q407: Babaji, please clarify which certificate (or degree)the Saints acquire in order to attain this SupremeAuthority?

Answer: Son, a Saint who has been ‘authorized’ by his Guruis complete in all respects. If someone starts a ‘newauthority’, it is by his own wish. I don’t want to commenton that as he is doing what he thinks is best.

Q408: Babaji, did the souls commit sins due to which theywere sent to this world. It is said that they wept whilebeing sent?

Answer: Son, when God handed over the souls to Eka Mai,yes, they wept a lot. Then God consoled them by sayingthat the souls will be taken care in the mortal world, andwhenever they will call for Him, He will come and takethem back. The souls came here and enjoyed the newcreation. It is similar to a girl who is being sent to herhusbands after marriage. She weeps but nobody listensto her. Then she starts enjoying her husband’s house, and

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is no more interested in her father’s home. God had sentthe souls to the mortal world in a similar way.

Niranjan did penances for 64 yugas and 70 yugas anddemanded souls. Lord had to agree to his request, and thushanded over the souls to Eka Mai, even though the soulswere grieved over the separation. Guru Nanak Dev ji said:

Whatever was put into them, was put there once and for all.Adi Granth 7

Son, the system of Karmas started long after that,so you see the souls were not sent because they committedany sin, but because it was the wish of God.

Q409: Babaji, what is the strongest Power in this world?

Answer: Son, if somebody has recognized God, then thisquestion does not arise. Undoubtedly the most powerfulis Akal Purush. Shri Guru Arjun Dev ji has said that God isthe Most Powerful. He is Unmeasured Vastness, Eternal,and the Most Competent and Proficient One. Guru Arjunhas said:

God is All-powerful, Vast, Lofty and Infinite.Adi Granth 107

Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji stated in Guru Granth Sahib:

One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative BeingPersonified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying. BeyondBirth, Self-Existent. By Guru’s GraceAdi Granth 1

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Thus God is the Most Powerful. Gurudev is anincarnation of God. Thus we can also say that Guru is theMost Powerful. It is said in the Bani:

My True Guru is absolutely All-Powerful.Adi Granth 98

Know that the Guru and the Transcendent Lord are One.Whatever pleases Guru is acceptable and approved.Adi Granth 864

Q410: Babaji, what is death and how many types of deathare there?

Answer: Son, when the soul departs from the physical bodyand leaves it lifeless, it is called death. Death is of two types:(1) Physical death which everybody is acquainted with. (2)The death which the Saints explain - and is achieved beforeone actually dies by practicing Bhajan-Simran (Meditation).Kabir Sahib had said that in order to become immortal,one has to ‘Die while living’. He stated:

It is better to die than to live. He who knows how to die beforedeath becomes immortal and is unchanging.

Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji said:

O Nanak, remain dead while yet alive - practice such a Yoga.Adi Granth 730

We have to take Naamdan from Guru and practiceBhajan-Simran in order to unite with God. We should

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practice dying externally while yet remaining consciousinternally. In this type of death the body loses the externalreflexes but the blood continues circulating inside the body.This type of death is practiced by Saints, and they teach usthis procedure. St. Paul has also said:

I Die Daily(1 Cor. 15:31)

Q411: Babaji, I have received Naamdan. Please explain thesignificance of Nam?

Answer: Son, Nam is the Supreme Power that hasoriginated from God. This Power has created the wholeworld, the Earth, the Skies, etc. It is said in the Bani:

Naam is the Support of all creatures.”The Naam is the Support of the earth and solar systems.The Naam is the Support of the Simritees, the Vedas and thePuranas.The Naam is the Support by which we hear of spiritual wisdom andmeditation.The Naam is the Support of the Akaashic ethers and the netherregions.The Naam is the Support of all bodies.The Naam is the Support of all worlds and realms.Associating with the Naam, listening to it with the ears, one is saved.Those whom the Lord mercifully attaches to His NaamO Nanak, in the fourth state, those humble servants attainsalvation.Adi Granth 284

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Nam is of two types ‘Varnatmak’ and ‘Dhunatmak’.A Varnatamak name can be written or read; whereas aDhunatamak Name has no relation to reading and writing.This world remembers God with 180,000 Varnatamaknames; but the Dhunatmak Name is just one.

Nam existed long before this world came intoexistence. In the beginning there was complete darkness.Nam took the form of photon and started the journeydownwards. The darkness which we are seeing in the skyhas a bright world above it. On September 10, 2009 thescientists acknowledged this fact and accepted whatSpiritual Science has said all along. When the photoncollided two things were produced: electrons and protons.One is negative and the other is positive. In the on-goingjourney, electrons and protons collided with each other.As per the scientists findings, it resulted in a big explosion.Wherever there were collisions, different worlds werecreated. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji had said:

There was no earth or sky; there was only the infinite Command ofHis Hukam.There was no day or night, no moon or sun; God sat in primal,profound Samadhi.Adi Granth 1035

Earth, sky and nether worlds were made by Nam.When God wishes to end this Creation, there will be‘Catastrophe’ or ‘Dissolution’. The Dissolution destroys theworld up through ‘Brahm’ or Trikuti. All the three worldsare destroyed in Dissolution: Pind (Physical), SahansdalKanwal (Astral), and Trikuti (Causal). A bigger catastrophecalled the ‘Grand Dissolution’ results in destruction all the

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way up through Bhanwargupha; only the region of SachKhand remains intact.

After this Grand Dissolution, it depends upon Godwhether He recreates this world or not. This world hasbeen created and destroyed many times. To shed morelight on this one may read ‘Anurag Sagar’ or the translationof Japuji Sahib ‘Kita Pasau Eko Kawao.’ This is such acomplicated matter that generally a man hesitates todiscuss it with others, thinking that it will be ridiculed. As Ihave already explained, negative and positive forcescombined together to create ‘Khands’ and ‘Brahmands’.Try to think how big these Creations are. Even if wecombine earths, skies and netherworlds, and keep themin one of the Khands, it will be like a needle in the haystack.Only the person who has seen it can understand this fact.

All these creations have been made by Nam, thuswe should try to understand the vastness of Nam. Just likea drop of water mingles with the ocean and attains itsvastness, we can unite with God and attains His Vastness.Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji used the name ‘Shabad’ todesignate Nam.

Nam is like a current produced by a generator, andlike God, It has no shape, colour or form. Shri Guru ArjunDev Ji has said:

He has no form, no shape, and no color. God is beyond the threeAttributes (Harmony, Activity, Sloth).They alone understand Him, O Nanak, with whom He is pleased.Adi Granth 283

Electricity is a word. It is energy, but does not haveany form. We can experience it by seeing the light that

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shines through a light bulb. Similarly, in order to take Namwe have to approach a perfect Guru who will tell us theSimran of the Five Words. Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji has said:

TheTrue Guru is the All-knowing Primal Being; He shows us ourTrue Home within the home of the self.The Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds, resonate and resoundwithin.The insignia of the Shabad is revealed there, vibrating gloriously.Adi Granth 1291

Kabir Sahib has said:

The Unstruck Melody of the Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds,vibrates and resounds. I dwell with the Lord of the World.Kabir, Your slave, performs this Arti, this lamp-lit worship servicefor You, O’ Formless Lord of Nirvana.Adi Granth 1350

Therefore we should not be perplexed, but we shouldtake Nam from a Saint and attain His form.

Q412: Babaji, everyone arz (prays) to Guru to have mercyon them. Please explain what this means and how a Gurushows mercy?

Answer: Son, the meaning of mercy is to grant someoneBlessings and well being. The word ‘arz’ is based uponthe relationship between Guru and disciple. A discipleoften asks for mercy from his Guru. A Satsangi should askfor internal kindness rather than worldly kindness. Heshould pray to his Gurudev to keep him in His shelter and

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help his soul to unite with God. A Gurudev shows mercyand unites his disciple’s souls with Shabad Guru. ShabadGuru is the manifestation of God (on Spiritual planes). Godas such does not have any shape or form. Guru is thepersonification of God. Guru’s body is made of fiveelements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether; but when adisciple manifests Guru inside, then Guru is called Satguru- and has seventeen elements. These seventeen elementsconsist of five sense organs, five organs of action, fourconsciences and three attributes. five sense organs areeyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin; five organs of action arehands, feet, mouth, rectum and genitals. The fourantashkaran are mind, intellect, chit (memory) and ego.The three attributes or states of matter are Rajogun(activity), Tamogun (inertia), and Satogun (harmony).Beyond the three worlds (Physical, Astral, and Causal),Satguru changes to Shabad Guru. At this stage the discipleis preparing to unite with God. In this way the Satgurushows Mercy and unites his disciple’s soul with ShabadGuru. This is the Real Blessing of Guru. Without Guru’skindness, nobody could go toward Guru, Nam and Satsang.

Q413: Babaji, is there any special way or protocal to invitethe Guru to our house?

Answer: Son, in order to invite the Guru to visit our house,love and devotion is the important thing.

Q414: Babaji, if a Satsangi has taken Naamdan and is doingSewa in the Dera, but due to some circumstances hasstopped coming to Dera, will he be punished?

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Answer: Son, if in the world a person is absent from hisduties, his wages are deducted and he may get rebukedfrom his boss; whereas, Guru doesn’t scold anybody. It issaid that even if the son may be willful, a father cannot beharsh. I have answered these questions many times, andit would be advantageous if Satsangis would study theirbooks (then these basic questions would be answeredautomatically).

Q415: Babaji, if a person injures another inadvertently, willhe get punishment in his next birth?

Answer: Son, say a person is driving a car and meets withan accident, and the car gets damaged along with injuriesto himself and the co-passenger. Since it was an accidentand not done intentionally, the person is not at fault. If thebrakes had not been working properly, he might have beenpenalized by the police. Even if someone gets injured afterbeing hit by a car, the matter can still be solved amicablyand not result in consequences in the next birth. Howeverif the incident is carried out intentionally, then it willdefinitely accrue a karma in the person’s account. However,the incident may also be the consequences of previous‘Karmas’.

Q416: Babaji, if a person is suffering even though he hasnot done evil deeds [in this life], it is said that he is reapingrewards according to his previous birth. Babaji, nobodyhas seen their previous births or their future life, so why isthis said?

Answer: Son, this is said by the person who believes in the

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theory of reincarnation. This belief offers consolation to aperson and helps him gain strength to endure his sorrows,believing them to be the Will of God.

Q417: Babaji, please tell me about the ten tenets tomanifest Guru inside us?

Answer: Son, I have already replied to this in Questions-Answers Part I. However, since you have asked again, I wishto explain that the crux of the procedure is the practice ofSimran at all times, Simran-Bhajan (meditation), andattending Satsang as stressed by our Guru. Try to followthis cardinal rule leaving aside the trivial issues, otherwisethere is a chance of going astray. To illustrate this, I will tellyou two stories.

There was once a couple who went to a jungle. Theysaw a poor blind man sitting there, and the wife, feelingpity for him, brought him to their home. They asked him ifhe would like to eat some Kheer (rice pudding). The blindperson said that he did not know what Kheer nor any otherdishes were, since he had been in the jungle for so long.The couple continued to try and explain the concept ofKheer, its white color, etc., but all in vain. The husband,even forgetting the man was blind, got himself into theshape of crane (a white bird) to portray the white color,but of course the blind man was still confused. So you see,it’s of no use beating around the bush.

A person riding a motorcycle came upon two friendsand asked them the way to Athankot. One of themunderstood that he really intended to go to Pathankot, soguided him accordingly, however, the other friend told thecycle rider that his pronunciation was incorrect. The cycle

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rider accepted his mistake and went his way while the twofriends started arguing. One of them said that since thepronunciation was not correct he should not have giventhe reply he did. A fight ensued and both went their ownway.

So you see, we should try and understand the mainissue and implement it. In that context I will not explain theten tenets because you will get entrapped in those tenets.The crux of the practice has been explained in the beginning.

Q418: Babaji, I don’t sleep throughout the day and evenat night, but when my teacher begins lecturing, I feelsleepy. Please explain the reason and help me?

Answer: Son, your case reminds me of a lady who saidthat she hasn’t had any Spiritual Experience. I suggestedthat she contemplate on the Guru and do Bhajan-Simran.She said that while doing Bhajan she feels sleepy; furtherthat she doesn’t get enough sleep at night. I said that sheherself has given the answer to her problem.

From your question, it seems that you are notinterested in your studies; more so in the subject whichyou find so difficult. Also, it seems that when the teacherbegins talking you may be busy yawning.

Q419: Babaji, is Naamdan a Kalpa-vriksh [mythical wish-granting tree]?

Answer: Son, Nam is something which cannot be boundby any limitations. ‘Kalpavriksh’ is a tree which fulfils allthe wishes of a person.

Once, a person was sitting under a tree. He was

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thirsty and wished for a glass of cold water: Immediatelythe cold water appeared. After some time he was hungryand wished for some delicious food: Immediately itappeared before him. He was mystified and was afraid thatthere was some ghost nearby: Immediately a ghostappeared and began threatening him. The man soonunderstood that the tree was fulfilling ALL his wishes; sohe developed a positive attitude that there is no such thingas ghosts, and immediately the ghost disappeared. Thus aKalpa-vriksh fulfils every type of wish, whether of good orevil. So you see, it may bring sorrow as well. Nam nevergives sorrow, thus Nam cannot be compared to a Kalpa-vriksh as Nam is our Powerful Benefactor and the Agencyof God. Kalpa-vriksh has limitations and has been createdby Nam. We should be careful, as many times we aremisled by the concepts [we get in our head].

Q420: Babaji, what are the tenets of ‘Ruhani Marg’ (theSpiritual Path)?

Answer: Son, there are many tenets of Ruhani Marg - butit is sufficient to know that the basic principle is to unitethe soul with God: To think of the soul and contemplateon the means of uniting the soul with God. The knowledgeof ‘Ruhaniyat Mat’ gives guidance regarding this, and saysthat ‘Only by taking Nam, doing Bhajan-Simran and Dhyancan we merge back with the Almighty’.

Q421: Babaji, what should a Satsangi hunt for?

Answer: Son, a Satsangi ‘hunts’ for a target which is beyondthe reach of common man. He should hunt within himself:

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to search out his desires, and then try to control them.Instead of unnecessary intellectual wranglings, his effortsshould be to take Nam from Guru and control his desires bydoing Bhajan-Simran. This is the actual ‘hunting’ which aSatsangi should do... always striving to eliminate the desires.It is said in Bani, “Conquer the mind, you conquer the world”

Q422: Babaji, what is Sar Shabad?

Answer: Son, Sar Shabad is the Supreme Power which hascreated this whole world. Whatever is happening is dueto Sar Shabad.

Q423: Babaji, what is the concept of ‘Sahaj Ka Prakash’?

Answer: Son, when a person retraces his soul to betweenhis two eyes, per the guidance of his Satguru, he reaches astage of trance. He sees a light inside which is called ‘SahajKa Prakash.’

Q424: Babaji, it is said that ‘If a person does good deeds,half of the reward goes to his wife; but when he commitssins, he has to bear the consequences all by himself.’ Pleaseshed some light upon this?

Answer: Son, it is a rule of law also. After marriage awoman becomes complementary to her husband. If therelationship is good, she has authority over all his property.Otherwise, also, she is entitled to half of the property. Evenif the wealth is accumulated in an unethical way, she hasauthority over half of it. However, if the husband is caughtwhile taking a bribe, he alone receives the punishment

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and not his wife. But you see the wife still gets punishmentindirectly since she is deprived of her husband’s love.

Q425: Babaji, what is the colour of Nam?

Answer: Son, the ‘Colour of Nam’ is understood by thosewho are influenced by it. Its glory is beyond the descriptionof words. When a person is in high spirits, his face blushes,and it is apparent to others. The True Essence of God is‘Nam’, and It has created the whole world. God has nocolour; so neither does Nam have colour. The soul itselfwhich needs to experience Nam also does not have a form.According to the Saints, ‘in order to experience Nam,Naamdan has to be taken’. In order to see the FormlessEntity, one has to leave his own form and see the KhandBrahmand (regions and the universe) inside and go to ‘AnamiDesh.’ There it will experience and unite with the subtlepower of God and Nam. But at that moment, we cannotdescribe the glory of ‘Nam’ in words. It is an Unwritten Lawand an Unspoken Language. Sri Guru Ramdas ji has said:

Those who have tasted the Essence of the True Lord remain satisfiedand fulfilled.They know this Essence of the Lord, but can say nothing like themute who tastes sweet candy, but says nothing.Adi Granth 311

Only the one who tastes, knows it, like the mute who tastes sweetcandy, but cannot speak of it.Adi Granth 607

Kabir Sahib has also said:

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Says Kabir, the mute has tasted the molasses, but what can he sayabout it if he is asked?Adi Granth 334

Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji has also said:

I drink in the Invaluable Nectar of Nam, the Name of the Lord. Butlike the mute, I can only smile - I cannot speak of its flavor.Adi Granth 1205

Q426: Babaji, what is an auspicious day and time for aSatsangi?

Answer: Son, God has not created any ‘auspicious’ or‘inauspicious’ day; so no such question can be answered.

In a worldly sense a day when your earnings are goodis said to be auspicious, whereas a day when there is someproblem is said to be inauspicious. Once I went to Canadaand met a Sikh there. After exchange of greetings I cameto know that he butchers and sells eighteen to nineteengoats daily. To him, a day is inauspicious if his sales are lessby even one or two goats. For him, his fortune dependsupon killing and selling goats. Shri Guru Arjun Dev jiMaharaj has said:

Blessed and auspicious is that time when one meditates inRemembrance of the Lord.Adi Granth 819

Paltu Sahib had said:

The day and time we remember the Nam is auspicious.

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Thus every moment may be auspicious for some butinauspicious for others. At the same moment, one personmay be enjoying a marriage ceremony, while others willbe in mourning at someone’s demise. Now you are wiseenough to make your own decisions.

Q427: Babaji, what is the significance of love?

Answer: Son, it is difficult to evaluate intangible things,and love is something intangible. It has been mentionedin the scriptures that the significance of love is the ‘loveitself’ if it is expressed genuinely. Genuine love actuallymeans to get associated with the living death. It cannotbe sown nor harvested and the value of this cannot bemeasured with money. Kabir Sahib has said:

Love is not grown like a crop, nor sold in the marketplace. Whoeverdesires this, king or subject, must pay with his head.

Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji has laid down this conditionwhen He said:

If you desire to play this game of love with me,then step onto My Path with your head in your hand!Adi Granth 1412

I have also written a shabad related to this:

Those who have received the slap of love are not even able to dotheir housework.They die while living and live like mad people.

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Q428: Babaji, you say that Guru appears when he isremembered sincerely. Please explain the meaning of this.

Answer: Son, in this context, sincerity means our ‘genuine’or true faith. If we remember Guru sincerely he appearsbefore us. The affection of the Guru is in direct proportionto our real faith in him.

Q429: Babaji, many times a Saint may give us an apple asParshad. Should we eat the peel also?

Answer: Son, when Guru gives us Parshad, we should takeit without having these reservations in our mind.

Q430: Babaji, what is the method to get rid of this mess of‘Karmas’?

Answer: Son, the only solution to get rid of Karmas is totake ‘Nam’ (initiation) from Guru and practice it.

Q431: Babaji, what are the weapons of mind?

Answer: Son, the weapons which the mind uses against ahuman being are as follows: Kam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh(greed), Moh (attachment), and Ahankar (pride or ego).

Q432: Babaji, what are the type people that may feel theneed of adopting a Guru?

Answer: Son, persons who have studied Guru Granth Sahiband other religious scriptures or the works of the Saints;and those who are eager to find God, feel the need of

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adopting a Guru. This is a universal law.Saints tell us we should take the support of Shabad

Guru. Shabad Guru can be attained with the help of acontemporary Guru or Spiritual Master - whatever youwish to call Him. When Guru manifests himself inside thedisciple, he is called Satguru. After that he becomes ShabadGuru. When we associate with this Shabad Guru, we cango to Anami Desh and unite with the Almighty. Guru AmarDas Ji has said:

O’ Nanak, by meditating on the Living Master, I have attained thestatus of immortality.Adi Granth 1247

Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji has also said:

How may I meet my Master, the King - the Lord of the Universe?Is there any Saint, who can bestow such celestial peace and showme the Way to Him?Adi Granth 204

Q433: Babaji, how should a satsangi celebrate his birthday?

Answer: Son, on his birthday, a satsangi should listen tosatsang and should devote more time to Bhajan-Simran,but we should also take care of our social obligations.Birthdays should be celebrated on the day when Naamdanwas given. I have many disciples who celebrate theirbirthday on the day they had received the Naamdan.

Q434: Babaji, I live in Canada. My husband used to takewine and non-vegetarian food. I wanted to stop him from

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drinking as it was affecting his health, but he put a conditiondown that ‘if I would also take non-vegetarian food, hewould leave wine.’

For the sake of his health I started taking non-vegetarian food. Babaji please tell me whether I shouldhave given priority to my religious beliefs, or to myhusband’s health? Now I am always afraid that I havecommitted a sin, but if I would not have taken non-vegetarian food, I would be feeling bad about my husband’shealth. Babaji, what will happen to my spiritual uplift? Ihave not yet taken Naamdan from you.

Answer: Daughter, you have asked a very complicatedpersonal question, similar to the way a disciple would layhis sufferings at his Guru’s door. Daughter, as far as takingnon-vegetarian food is concerned, this is totally adverseto religious ethics. You have mentioned that you havestarted taking meat, but you have not mentioned whetheryour husband’s health has improved or not? Although youmay be correct in your position, however, whatever is doneagainst your conscience is a sin. You should pray to God sothat your husband leaves the habit of drinking and hishealth improves. Your sincerity gives hope that yourhusband may become better, however, I must say that youhave taken a wrong decision. You were getting closer tothe Almighty when your husband’s drinking habits havepushed you into the darkness. Try to stay away from it. Inmy opinion, taking non-vegetarian food and drink is a sin,but we avoid criticizing the person who takes it. Thus it isnot at all correct, and doesn’t suit your thinking.

Q435: Babaji, I have stopped drinking, eating meat, eggs,

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etc., but sometimes I have an inclination to have somebeer as I wish to have a cold drink. Please guide me.

Answer: Son, everybody knows that wine is not at all goodfor us. All the intoxicating substances like wine, beer andother such items are prohibited. Son, mind is an enemywhich coerces us to indulge in undesirable activities. Tocontrol it is a herculean task. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji hassaid ‘that he would believe someone who said that heconquered the whole world; and believe someone whosaid that he drank the entire ocean; but if someone saidhe controlled his mind, he would absolutely not believe it.’In the Bani it has been said:

If you conquer the mind, you conquer the world.

Therefore, try and control your desires. Try to followyour conscience as it makes correct decisions; and will leadyou in a right direction. Before starting any work just think(deeply) for few minutes and ask your conscience; you willget a reply. Swami ji Maharaj has said this regarding themind:

How far should I go on depicting the crookedness of mind? It paysno heed to the words of Guru.Sarbachan 11:1:1

Q436: Babaji, I live in America. I want to get initiated fromyou because I find you charismatic, but I cannot give upmeat and eggs. Can I get Naamdan from you anyway?

Answer: Daughter, when you will carefully consider your

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question, you will yourself find it confusing. At the outsetyou have mentioned that you are interested in takingNaamdan from me and that you are conversant with allthe rules of Sant Mat; however in the same breath youhave put the condition that you cannot give up meat andeggs. This means your affection is not genuine. In genuinelove there are no demands or conditions. When conditionsare imposed it is not genuine. Therefore you should leavemeat, eggs and other non-vegetarian food items. Thosewho cannot leave these things are not accepted to takeNam.

Q437: Babaji, I am educated and trying to find a job; butall in vain. My family is facing a lot of problems and I amfed up with my life. Please help me.

Answer: Son, since you are educated and unemployed,you are bound to get frustrated. You don’t want a so calledmenial job, and you are not getting a job you considerappropriate. In addition, your unemployment is a majorconcern to your family.

You see, any job, like selling eatables on the roadside,also yields good income. You can get feedback from aroadside vendor about job prospects. You will be surprisedto know that a roadside vendor earns a handsome incomeand is quite satisfied with it. He has accepted the fact thatdoing hard work is not a sin. Any labor done by hard workand honesty is not low or degraded but has its own dignity.

Q438: Babaji, it is often seen that we get what we don’twant, and don’t get what we desire. Why is this so?

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Answer: Son, the exercise of doing deeds and actions is inour hands, but its result or fruit depends upon the wish ofGod, not our own. Our success or failure also depends uponthe Karma theory. Some of our achievements dependupon kriyaman karma (day to day karmas), and others onour prarabdh karma (destiny karmas).Let me give you an example: ‘You are going home withyour salary and on the way you stop near a tap to drinkwater. You keep your bag containing money near the tap,however, after having a drink you forget your money andreturn home without it’. You earned your salary due tokriyaman karmas, but you forgot it and somebody else tookit. Maybe you had stolen a thousand rupees in yourprevious birth which you have now repaid in this birththrough this incident. It is written in the Granth Sahib:

In the month of Katak, do good deeds. Do not try to blame anyone elseAdi Granth 135

Q439: Babaji, who is the first Guru of a person?

Answer: Son, the first Guru of a person is his mother. Shegives birth to him looks after him and also teaches him tospeak, walk and write. It has been mentioned in my verses:

A mother is like the cool shade, if anyone could know it.A mother is the first master; even PHD’s would fail in this effort.The secret of the success of the children is due to the mothers blessing.When we leave her companionship our fate is broken.

Q440: Babaji, on what factors does the Spiritual Progressof a Satsangi depend?

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Answer: Son, spiritual progress depends on many factorsand involves a complete process. For instance, drain waterfirstly goes to a sewage line. The sewage line is connectedto the river, and the river flows out into the ocean. In asimilar fashion, Spirituality starts by taking the Five HolyNames (Initiation or Nam). After that, Simran is done andthe first stage is reached, which is called ‘SahansdalKanwal’. Then by the practice of meditation the second,third and final stages are also reached. On further progress,the stage of Alakh, Agam and Anami are attained; andultimately we get united with God just as a drop of watermerges with the ocean and becomes one with it.

Q441: Babaji, Saints love their disciples, but it is also saidthat they are beyond worldly bonds [attachments] likelove, affection, and sympathy. It sounds contradictory tome.

Answer: Son, as long as Saints are in human form, theyhave to maintain worldly relationships. Saints have twoaspects in this world. They are doing work inherently -without the Sangat’s knowledge (in a Sehaj Awastha state),and when they address the Sangat, they have to speak incommon man’s language, so it can be understood by themasses.

Q442: Babaji, what should a Satsangi do after takingNamdaan?

Answer: Son, you have taken Nam as you have thought itto be beneficial. You must have known its importance andessence from Saints and the Sangat.

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Now, don’t waste your time. Spend the maximum amountof time on Bhajan-Simran, Satsang, and Darshan. Try andlead a pure life in everything you do. After takingNamdaan, a disciple should follow the instructions of hisGuru. He should attend Satsang regularly and should tryto stay in good company.

Q443: Babaji, does a devoted and committed disciple hearthe ‘Shabad Dhun’ even while doing daily chores?

Answer: Daughter, when we get attached with the innerspiritual world, there is a constant pull inward to hear theDhun (Divine Sound). Thus one hears that Dhun while doingdaily chores also, because it is always playing inside. It is likeelectrical power, which is always present, however, we getits benefit only when we switch it on. When we are thinkingabout worldly matters, our link with the inner spiritual worldbreaks; but when we do Dhyan we again get connectedand start hearing the Shabad Dhun. Tulsi ji has said:

There is a Sound coming from above - calling to you.

Q444: Babaji, I have retired from Government service. Ihave used my provident fund and also sold my old houseto build a new house for my children. I spent my pensionon my sons and their families. However, now my sons anddaughter-in-laws are harassing my wife and me. In spiteof this we are still spending money on them. It is said thatthe children can be undutiful but parents cannot. In spiteof doing my duties towards them, I am not being treatedrespectfully, which upsets my balance. Please guide me. Ineed your counsel.

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Answer: Son, you seem to be a wise and honest person. Awise person helps his sons, wife and relatives within hislimitations. You have offered all your belongings, which onlya virtuous person can do. If you would have asked thisquestion to me before retirement, I would have given youbetter suggestions, so that your family could remainhappier. For instance, if you are giving your child 200rupees, but after one year you reduce the amount givenby 100 rupees, he is bound to revolt and refuse to take themoney. But if you start by giving him 75 rupees he willremain happy when the money is increased.

Since you have already distributed your property, Icannot intervene. Let bygones be bygones [forget pastoffenses]. If they are happy, it is fair enough; but if theyare not, don’t worry about it. It should be noted that apension is meant for old age.

Q445: Babaji, how should we sit in Satsang?

Answer: Son, in Satsang or in any social gathering, we shouldsit in a disciplined manner. Before sitting a person shouldsee where he can sit comfortably. If you are unable to siteven for half an hour at a stretch, then you can take supportof a wall, chair, etc. If you are moving frequently in front ofpreacher, then it will disturb both the preacher as well asthe people sitting around you. When sitting in Satsang, youreyes should be open and your focus should be totally onthe Guru. Try to stop your mind from wandering, and alsoavoid listening to unnecessary talk. While looking constantlyat Guru and listening to Satsang, try and get absorbed inhim. Take care while you are sitting in Satsang and also tryand sit crossed legged (Choukri) if possible.

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Q446: Babaji, what factors should be kept in mind to adoptthe True Religion?

Answer: Son, the essence of all the religions is the same,which is Sacred. Try not to get entangled in the jargon ofparticular religions. It will only confuse you. Adopt thereligion of ‘Humanity’ and try your best not to hurt othersby your behavior. Reflect the religion in which you wereborn and brought up in.

Q447: Babaji, what is the significance of ‘Simran’?

Answer: Son, Simran is a Great Power which helps us inour Spiritual Journey within while traveling from the firststage to the Anami stage. Simran helps us to associate withSatguru, and Satguru helps us to associate with Shabad Guru.And this Simran ultimately is transmuted into Shabad. Thenthe drop merges into the ocean and becomes the ocean.

Q448: Babaji, which names should be used for Simran?

Answer: Son, the Simran of the Five Holy Names whichGuru gives at the time of initiation. Kabir Sahib has stated:

The Unstruck Melody of the Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds,vibrates and resounds. I dwell with the Lord of the World.Kabir your slave performs this Arti, this lamp-lit worship service forYou, O’ Formless Lord of Nirvana.Adi Granth 1350

Q449: Babaji, I stay here in England, and the people saythat vegetarians die at a young age. Is this true?

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Answer: Daughter, first of all we should understand thatwe are not eternal beings. We have to die one day, whetherour life is long or short. It is important to note that India isa land of great Saints and here people are taught themethod of uniting with God and freeing themselves of allbondages.

We should lead our life while acquiring this typeattitude. You must have read in newspapers thatvegetarians remain healthier and lead longer lives? In Indiaand abroad there are many vegetarians who lead long lives,which proves that taking vegetarian food doesn’t shortenyour life.

Q450: Babaji, how can we appreciate the greatness of theAlmighty?

Answer: Son, only that person can appreciate thegreatness of God who is pure and wants to get united withGod; one who regularly does Bhajan-Simran hears theDivine Sound at Sahansdal Kanwal, then ultimately travelsto Alakh, Agam and Anami uniting with the Lord. Wheneverwe praise the Almighty we should not think of any otherperson, we should concentrate only on our Guru. This isthe actual way to praise God.

Q451: Babaji, I have taken Namdaan from Tarn Taran andwant my family members to take Naamdan from therealso.

Answer: Son, It is destined whether a person will receiveNaamdan or not and also from where he shall receive it.

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Q452: Babaji, what is the message of Saints?

Answer: Son, the main message the Saints bring is the‘Unification of our soul with the Almighty’. They rarely giveother messages. They give the method of ‘how a soul canget united with God and freed from the cycle of eighty-four,’ and ‘how a person should love his fellow beings.’ Theyuse the example of a husband and wife, and explain that ifa husband and wife don’t love each other, how then canthey love their parents, brothers and sisters? Lastly theSaints give us the message that we should give the utmostimportance to our Guru who blesses us with Nam. It isstated in Guru Granth Sahib:

The True Guru is the All-Knowing Primal Being. He shows us ourTrue Home within the home of the self.The Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds, resonate and resoundwithin; the insignia of the Shabad is revealed there, vibratinggloriously.Adi Granth 1291

The Panch Shabad, the five primal sounds, echo the perfect SoundCurrent of the Naad.The wondrous, amazing Unstruck Melody vibrates.The Saintly people play there with the Lord.They remain totally detached, absorbed in the Supreme Lord God.Adi Granth 888

This is the message of the Saints. There can be manyphrases and examples explained regarding this, but theultimate reality is to get initiated, practice Bhajan-Simran,and get united with God.

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Q453: Babaji, kindly tell us something about the mind.

Answer: Son, in the scriptures, ‘mind’ has been undefinedand unexplained. It is not easy to describe it. Mind is theagent of Maya and Kal. Muslim and Christian Saints havecalled it the ‘devil’s agent.’

The physical body of man is inert. The soul, which isa part of Akal Purush, provides life to this body. Due to thevarious kinds of vices, the soul has forgotten her truenature. Soul is part and parcel of God, but still she is unableto meet her Lord. It is due to this mind.

Mind has both active and passive aspects. It worksas a link between the physical body and the consciousness.Mind always leads a person downwards. It belongs toTrikuti and is made up of the harmonious part of each ofthe five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether; but isactually above them but below the conscious soul. It isfond of sensual pleasures, and although it takes its energy(life) from the soul, it has overpowered it.

As it is originally inert, it naturally tries to live inphysical things and pleasures. The element of spiritualityis not inherent in it, but when Guru blesses it, it becomesinvaluable. It is very unstable, and that is why it tries tosidetrack a person in all directions. Within a fraction of asecond it travels from one corner of the universe to theother; its speed is unmatched. It is never still and keepswandering all the time.

The topic of the mind is very complicated, difficultto explain. In Hindi, it is called ‘Dil’, ‘Chit, ‘Jee’, ‘Dimag’, and‘Ghat’ also. Mind has three parts: ‘Pindi Man’, ‘Andi Man’and ‘Brahmandi Man’. ‘Pindi Man’ is inert and degraded.When soul is below our two eyes, this Pindi Man is

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controlling it. ‘Pindi Man’ drives the senses and its directionis toward worldly pleasures. It produces hindrances on thePath of Spirituality. It is knotted with the physical body.

When the soul reaches ‘Sahansdal Kanwal’ then werid ourselves of Sthool Man (lower mind) and SthoolShareer (Physical body). There the soul gets Andi Shareer(Astral body) and Andi Man (Astral mind). The nature ofthis mind is introverted and better than lower mind; yethere also the subtle veil of Maya is covering the soul andstops it from moving upwards.

Above this in Trikuti, the Sthool and Suksham veilshave left the soul but Karan Shareer (causal body) is stillthere. Here the soul is covered by causal mind. Causal minddrives the subtle body, and controls its subtle aspects. Itdrives the whole world from the stage of Brahm. Here pureMaya is having its effect. Although causal mind is therewith the soul, the soul thinks that it has gotten rid of mind;but these regions are not yet free from mind and Maya.Above this, when soul reaches Daswan Dwar and takes adip in Amritsar Sarovar then it becomes totally free frommind and Maya.

Q454: Babaji, does food become Prashad when simran isdone while cooking or eating it?

Answer: Son, food remains food after all. Good or purefood has good effects on our mind. By having pure foodour concentration goes towards ‘Gurudev’.

While eating food if Simran is not done, it may chokeour throat. It’s alright if Simran is not done verbally, but itshould be in our conscious mind. Food is already pure, butour negative thoughts can make it impure; therefore we

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should always do Simran while cooking. It will have apositive effect on the person who is taking it. You musthave seen also that generally the Saints do Simran beforetaking food.

Q455: Babaji, is the soul of an initiated person who hasdied visible to others?

Answer: Son, we don’t believe in such things, but thereare four stages: ‘Jagrit’, ‘Swapan’, ‘Sushupt’ and ‘Turiya’. In‘Jagrit’ stage our soul is in a wakeful state. When we dreamit is known as ‘Swapan Awastha’ and the dream may berelated to any old incident of our life, but you may notremember it. You may wonder why it came into yourdreams. Son, it may be related to our Kriyaman, Sinchit orPrarabdh Karma. Often our soul gets linked with ourPrarabdh Karma and we see those scenes, therefore don’tget bogged down with such matters and waste your time.Concentrate on Guru, do Bhajan-Simran and get associatedwith the Almighty.

Regarding your question, it is also influenced by yourprevious births. You must have had deep love and affectiontowards that person and that love has left a deepimpression on your soul. That is why the person is cominginto your vision. There is no question of seeing the soul ofa person who is initiated. If a person is telling you that hehas seen the soul of someone, how could he haverecognized him? It is not possible to recognize any soul asthe soul does not have any shape or size. It is a creation ofyour own mind and your own values.

Q456: Babaji, there is a shabad that goes like this “Mathe

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tilak hath mala banan. Logan Ram khilona janan. (Peopleapply ceremonial marks to their foreheads, hold malas intheir hands, and wear religious robes. They think that theLord is a plaything.) What is the meaning of this?

Answer: Son, this is a very significant verse of Sant KabirSahib, which has been mentioned in Guru Granth Sahibalso. Its meaning is that ‘In order to meet God, people oftenpractice ceremonies and rituals.’ The actual way to meetGod is to take Namdaan and the Shelter of a Perfect Guru;and after receiving Namdaan, practice it.

Unfortunately most people don’t follow this method,and instead try to attain God in outward rituals. Peoplewill apply ‘tilak’ to their forehead, or take to using a rosary,or wear special religious garb. They think these practiceswill help them to meet God. You see, people are takingGod for granted, thinking that He can be manipulated byoutward rituals and ceremonies, just as a child is satisfiedwhen given a toy.

Kabir Sahib has criticized these outward rituals in hisverses. At the end of this verse he says, ‘I bow my headbefore my Guru,’ and ‘I always try to make my Guru happy.Only by this method can I find peace and happiness andbe able to meet Him.’

I worship the True Guru. Forever and ever, I surrender to Him.By such service, I find peace in the Court of the Lord.Adi Granth 1158

Q457: Babaji, who can guide and lead us to unite our soulwith God?

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Answer: Son, we have different guides to guide us at everystep. If we want to go to the train station and don’t knowthe way, then we have to ask someone to take us, and wewill reach the station. However, as far as the path to Godis concerned, we have to ask somebody who has alreadymet Him. We have to make him our leader and guide. Weshould get our doubts cleared by Him. He alone can leadus on the right path to meet God.

Q458: Babaji, what is ‘food’ for a [human] soul?

Answer: Son, this question is very significant. Ever sincethis world was created people have been searching for thecorrect method of uniting their souls with God and Kabirhas explained it in this way: “I came in Satyug and at thattime following the Path of Truth was the main method ofmeeting God. When I came in Treta Yug the procedure ofsacrificial ceremony was the main method of meeting God.In Dwapar Yug prayer to God was the main method.” ThenKabir says, “In Kalyug practice of the Nam which we receivefrom Satguru is the main method of meeting God.” SantKabir Sahib and Guru Nanak Dev Ji have both said that inKalyug practicing Nam is the main method of uniting thesoul with God. Guru Ravi Das Ji Maharaj has said in His Bani:

In the Golden Age of Sat Yuga, was Truth; in the Silver Age of TretaYuga was charitable feasts; in the Brass Age of Dwapar Yuga therewas worship or prayer.In those three ages, people held to these three ways; but in theIron Age of Kali Yuga, the Name of the Lord is your only Support.Adi Granth 346

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Son, from the very beginning, practicing Nam hasbeen the main food for the soul. This Nam has created thewhole world. In the Bani it has been also mentioned.

Everything comes from Naam - the Name of the Lord.Without the True Guru, Naam is not experienced.The Word of the Guru’s Shabad is the sweetest and most sublimeessence; but without tasting it, its flavor cannot be experienced.Adi Granth 753

Shri Gur Nanak Dev Ji has said:

The Word created this earth.The Word created the sky.Light is because of the Word.The Word is behind the existence of the entire universe.Nanak says: the Word is present in everything.(Pran Sangali)

Q459: Babaji, what are the factors which attract or pull aperson to go inside and begin walking the spiritual path?

Answer: Son, it hardly matters whether it is inside oroutside. Even in the outside world special conditions areneeded in order to be attracted towards anything. Peoplestray from their route if they pass a beautiful girl goingacross their path. In the same way there are many factorswhich can attract us.

If we are in the company of a person who is attunedwith the Almighty, who knows the way to meet Him, whoattracts us with his preaching; then we can develop theinner urge to start our spiritual journey within. Without a

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‘pull’ neither can we do Simran nor adore God. When wepractice Nam as per the instructions of our Guru and seethe Divine Light and hear the Divine Sound, then we willbe attracted towards the Spiritual Path within which willhelp us to reach Sachkhand and Anami Desh. The deepdesire and inner urge to meet the Almighty will help andguide us to meet Him.

Q460: Babaji, if somebody is moving on the wrong track,should we caution him?

Answer: Son, firstly how do you know that he is movingon the wrong track? You are not acquainted with his life. Ifyou feel that the person has indulged in alcohol andgambling, did he ask you whether he is on the right trackor the wrong track? I think giving any suggestions in thatregard is useless. When he is ready to listen, then you cangive him proper suggestions; but don’t argue with him. Ifyou have faith in yourself to correct him, then go aheadand give him honest advice.

Q461: Babaji, can a Satsangi get relieved of all his karmasin the present life?

Answer: Son, it is possible only if a Satsangi prays earnestlyto his Satguru that he doesn’t want wealth, children,respect or any other worldly luxuries; and that he onlydesires Enlightenment in this birth. If Guru wishes, he canmake his disciple dedicate himself to physical, mental,monetary, and Surat Shabad Sewa; so that his karmas arecleared and Guru does not let him take rebirth.

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Q462: Babaji, is it necessary for a disciple to maintain adistance from the physical form of the Guru to progressSpiritually?

Answer: Son, we can talk to a Gurudev only in the physicalform. In order to get connected with Guru, it is alwaysbeneficial to visualize the physical form of Guru. After somespiritual progress in the next stage, the physical featuresof the Guru manifests within. There he becomes ourSatguru. Then in the next stage he becomes our ShabadGuru. It is written in the Guru Granth Sahib:

The Guru is the Giver of the Shabad; my mind is imbued with it,and I remain absorbed in the Lord.Adi Granth 601

The Name of the Lord is the boat; but without the boatman (ShabadGuru) one cannot get across.Adi Granth 833

The Shabad is the Guru, and the soul is disciple.Adi Granth 943

In spite of us still having a physical existence whenin the upper regions, there is no direct connection with it.In this way we reach our destination from where we haveoriginated. This is the actual path to spiritual progress.

Q463: Babaji, is it only after we have cleared all our karmicaccounts that we can attain to the Almighty?

Answer: Son, it is true that we can only meet the Almighty

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once we are finished with all our Karmas. The discipledoesn’t want to be reborn. Through the anecdotes of thevarious satsangis that we have read, it is shown that whenGuru is so pleased by the services rendered by a disciple,He agrees that they will not be given any rebirth, eventhough his disciples are unable to devote time to Bhajan-Simran because of the Sewa (selfless service) they do dayand night at the Dera.

However, Saints have said that until a human beinggets purified from inside and gets connected to his Guruwithin, he cannot reach the abode of God. It is also truethat Guru does not want to give him rebirth. After his deaththe Guru may help him to do Bhajan at Sahansdal Kanwal;after that he helps him to do Bhajan at Trikuti, and afterthat he is taken to Daswan Dwar. He bathes in AmritsarSarovar where his soul becomes as pure as a swan. Afterthat, there are no more hindrances. As the other humanbeings go, similarly Guru takes his disciple up by showing himthe scenes of Bhanwargufa (the spiritual road being the samefor everyone). In this way, Guru takes the disciple to Sachkhandafter making him do meditation in the upper regions.

Q464: Babaji, what are the obstacles that prevent us frommeeting a Guru?

Answer: Son, the greatest obstacle that prevents us fromuniting with God is our own mind. Shri Guru Ram Das JiMaharaj has said in Guru Granth Sahib:

Each and every moment, my mind roams and rambles, and runs allover the place. It does not stay in its own home even for an instant.Adi Granth 1179

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Q465: Babaji, can our Prarabdh Karmas (Fate Karmas) beliquidated?

Answer: Son, whatever Karmas are there in our account,whether Prarabdh, Sanchit, or Kriyaman; until we arethrough with all these Karmas, we cannot reach the abodeof God. Through Bhajan-Simran all our karmas getliquidated.

Q466: Babaji, when we unite with the Lord within byconnecting ourselves with the Shabad, what is the benefitto us?

Answer: Son, after receiving Naamdan and practicingBhajan-Simran, a soul unites with the Almighty. It is justlike a droplet of water merging into the ocean. In the sameway, when the soul merges into the Lord, it becomes onewith Him. It forgets its own identity and existence.

Q467: Babaji, what is the difference between a ‘Manmukh’and a ‘Gurmukh?’

Answer: Son, the literal meaning of manmukh is a personwho is inclined towards his mind. A person who followshis mind is called a manmukh. Manmukh people are inlove with worldly amenities. A manmukh takes birth anddies with all types of unfulfilled worldly desires. Amanmukh adores his mind, and worldly affairs, and runsafter sensual pleasures. He is always stuck in all kinds ofworldly rituals and doesn’t respect the True Naam. Hecannot understand the greatness of the physical form ofGuru and due to this, he always suffers. A person who is

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not connected to the Nam inside is a manmukh. Amanmukh does not believe in the existence of God and isalways stuck up in his own thoughts. He is a fickle mindedperson and he has nothing to do with the Reality.

Contrary to this, a person who follows his Guru iscalled a Gurumukh. A Gurumukh always tries to praise hisGuru. A person is called a Gurumukh who gets initiated byhis Guru and then turns away from worldly desires, andgets connected to Naam. A person who has dedicatedhimself to his Guru physically, mentally and monetarily andgets strongly attached to his Guru, is a Gurumukh. A personwho is offering services to his Guru day and night, who isalways practicing Naam, and always praying to his Guru, iscalled a Gurumukh. A Gurumukh, after getting initiatedfrom Satguru, takes His shelter and becomes Shabad Roop(Form of Shabad). He is rid of the cycle of birth and deathand does not take rebirth. A Gurumukh is a person whoalways adores his Guru and remains attached to Him. Hecompletely surrenders himself to the Guru. According toSant Mat, the soul that has reached Daswan Dwar and hasbeen able to remove the three veils from his soul i.e.,Sthool, Sukshum and Karan, (physical, astral, and causal)is a Gurumukh.

Q468: Babaji, what is the position of mind, and where doyou find it in the body?

Answer: Son, mind is a part of Brahm and its source is inTrikuti. The soul is a part of God and its source is in Satlokand Anami Desh. In the body, mind and soul are residingjust behind the eyes. The mind, soul, God and Naam areall Powers, and as such, do not have any shape or colour.

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Q469: Babaji, it is said that the mind of a child is pure; sowhy then is the person not initiated at an early age?

Answer: Son, it is true that the mind of a child is very pure.Should someone, at a very early age get initiation, whobecause of his previous karmas now reaches the higheststage in his Spiritual Journey, once that soul experiencesthat spiritual internal bliss, it would lose all interest inworldly affairs. This could very much disturb the parentsand create complications in his worldly life. That is whysmall children are not initiated.

Q470: Babaji, it is said that Spiritual Treasure is alwayspresent inside a person and that the person receives thisTreasure only when God desires it. Why then are we alwaystold to do Bhajan-Simran?

Answer: Son, in the Spiritual Discourse delivered in Satsangtoday it was said that everything happens according to HisWill. This Will is invisible to us. Son, Saints explain to usabout Karmas, that they are of three types: Kriyaman,Sanchit and Prarabdh. Kriyaman Karma is that karma whichwe are performing in this very birth. Prarabdh Karmas arethose karmas which we had performed in our previousbirth and whose consequences we are facing presently.Sanchit Karma is the storehouse of all the karmas of ourprevious births.

Saints explain that a Spiritual Treasure can be foundwithin us, but one can only attain or achieve it after gettinginitiation from a Saint by doing the digging of Bhajan-Simran. Although this Treasure is buried within us, it cannotbe attained without Bhajan-Simran. It is similar to the

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process of deriving Ghee from milk. First the milk is heatedand curd is made from it. Then the curd is churned andbutter is taken out from it. After that butter is heated toobtain the Ghee. Similarly through Bhajan-Simran our soulgets purified within and starts the Spiritual Journey andlater on attains the Treasure. This is not possible withoutthe blessings of a Guru. We have to take Shelter of somegreat Saint, take initiation from Him and practice Naamgiven by Him; then we can attain this Treasure.Guru Granth Sahib has stated:

Within this body are the nine continents of the earth, its markets,cities and streets.Within this body are the nine treasures of the Naam. Contemplatingthe Word of Guru’s Shabad they are obtained.Within the body, are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - from whom thewhole world has emanated.Adi Granth 754

Within this cave, there is an inexhaustible treasure.Within this cave, the Invisible and Infinite Lord abides.Adi Granth 124

Q471: Babaji, while I was getting initiated I saw a personlying down. Was it that he was affected by the Nam?

Answer: Son, as a photograph is clicked by a camera, evenif the person falls asleep, it neither affects the camera northe camera man; another example would be a patient whotakes medicine from a doctor and goes to sleep, but stillthe effect of the medicine remains. So it is with Nam, Itdoes Its job (of initiating) and whether affected outwardly

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or not, the effect (Nam) remains. Thus you should thinkabout yourself. Where was your concentration while youwere being initiated? Instead of gazing with love at yourGuru, your concentration was somewhere else. Whilegetting initiated, one should try to keep his focus andattention on the form of the Guru. At that time we shouldnot visualize anyone except our Guru. You should feel thatyou are alone with your Guru and nobody is around.

Q472: Babaji, what should we do so that our faith anddevotion towards Guru is not shaken?

Answer: Son, the domain of Kal is so vast that it tries toentangle human beings in it one way or the other. SwamiJi says:

Kal has badly beguiled the world. How far should I go on describing it?Sarbachan 8:17:1

When people travel by road they face problems liketraffic jams or even accidents, but if they travel byaeroplane in the sky, they are not affected by suchproblems. Don’t entangle yourself in such matters. Justconcentrate on Bhajan-Simran.

Son, the great Saints have always professed that thedomain and influence of Kal is so great that we have to getout of this and concentrate at the eye centre. This can bepossible only after receiving Naamdan, repeating the fiveHoly Names, and practicing Bhajan-Simran. There is nosubstitute or alternative method.

Q473: Babaji, tea and coffee are intoxicants in nature. Do

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you think they act as obstacles in Bhajan-Simran?

Answer: Son, tea and coffee is consumed by all. They donot create any obstacles in Bhajan-Simran.

Q474: Babaji, I do my Bhajan-Simran but I don’t see anyresults. Could you shed some light on this?

Answer: Son, I agree with your statement that in spite ofdevoting time to Bhajan Simran, you are not getting theexpected results. The fact is that we do not practice themethod correctly as explained by the Saints. We hardly sitin Bhajan for two minutes before our mind digresses intoworldly pleasures, disputes, love matters or friendship.

The worst part of it is that even after sitting in Bhajanfor an hour, our mind is not concentrated within. It keepswandering, so no question of seeing the form of the Guruwithin even arises. We only note the time spent in Bhajan,but neglect the actual Spiritual advancement within - howlong did we visualize the form of the Guru within, or howmuch supreme power was generated? It’s just like puttinga blender in a bowl of curd but not actually churning it. Ifcurd is not churned, you cannot get butter and certainlynot the ultimate ghee; so correct effort is needed in anywork to get the required results.

Q475: Babaji, if a blind or deaf person comes regularly toSatsang, will he be benefitted?

Answer: Yes, my son. As long as he is attending Satsang,he is free from any evil or bad thoughts. A person is affectedby his thought process to a great extent. He is suffering

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because of his previous karmas. Now he is purely at thediscretion of the Almighty.

Q476: Babaji, is touching others feet correct amongstrelatives?

Answer: Son, letting others touch your feet weakens yourspiritual power. We should never generate the feeling of‘making’ others touch our feet. People touch your feeteither treating you as an elder or as a person of greatimportance. Whatever one does is right for him, but he istouching your feet because of your ‘superior position’.

In regards to the Spiritual Path, letting others touchyour feet is not right, as it weakens your Spiritual Power.There are spiritual stories that prove by touching the feetof a powerful person people tend to steal their power. Ifothers touch our feet, we could also be filled with ego andget a superiority complex. So it’s better not to let peopletouch your feet.

Q477: Babaji, if someone verbally touches our feet bysaying ‘Pairin Peina’ (I touch your feet) or we do so, does italso have an effect?

Answer: Son, don’t try to split hairs whether it effects youor not. The feeling that you have at the time is what counts.It all depends upon the person’s feeling or intention.

Q478: Babaji, please explain what surrendering yourselfto the will of Satguru means?

Answer: Son, it means to unconditionally surrender and

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submit yourself to the Will of Satguru by driving the egoand I-ness out of yourself.

Q479: Babaji, who is it that can help us to cross the higherstages in our Spiritual Journey?

Answer: Son, there is no doubt that the Saints who haveattained the destination within were graced and blessedby their Guru, and they dedicated themselves to Bhajan-Simran. One has to take the refuge of a Guru and shouldhave implicit faith in him in order to attain the higher stagesof Spiritual development.

Q480: Babaji, after doing Simran if we don’t do Bhajan,will we reach the upper stages?

Answer: Son, Simran is done before Dhyan (contemplatingon the form of Guru). First of all, we should regularly attendSatsang. Then you have to practice Simran and gainperfection at it. After that, you can switch over to Dhyan.Try to visualize the form of the Guru while doing Simran.Without Simran, Dhyan, and Bhajan, we cannot attain thehigher levels in our Spiritual Journey and get connected tothe Lord.

Q481: Babaji, some gurus try to misguide people by sayingthat two or three evil spirits are within the person and heowes money to them. The spirits want their money back,so please donate something in their name. Is this right orwrong?

Answer: Son, please ask questions related to your personal

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experiences. Don’t get bogged down and waste your timeon such insignificant topics.

Q482: Babaji, does a person remain conscious of hissurroundings when he is visualizing the Spiritual Scenesinside?

Answer: Son, when a person attains such a stage hebecomes unconscious of his surroundings. He is detachedfrom the external world and does not want to lose a singlemoment enjoying the spiritual bliss inside. His bloodcontinues to flow normally. The person gets so muchengrossed in the astral form of his Guru that any otherexternal form becomes meaningless to him. I will give youa worldly example. A boy riding a cycle is so muchenthralled by the beauty of a girl he passes that he cannottake his eyes off her and meets with an accident. When aperson by his spiritual practice goes inside and visualizesthe form of Guru, he experiences bliss beyond expressionand he is of course detached with the external world. Heis unconscious only of his outer surroundings, but internallyhe is with his Guru, the Almighty.

Q483: Babaji, would you please suggest ten measures Imay resort to in order to continue my Spiritual Practiceconstantly (at all times)?

Answer: Son, to continuously embrace Spiritual Practice,the following are ten measures. 1. The first step is to visualize Guru’s form inside. 2. While practicing one should try to detach oneself fromthe external surroundings.

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3. The place where you do Bhajan-Simran should be awayfrom your bed. It should be a permanent place free of anyexternal disturbances so that you can concentrate properly. 4. Faith and devotion is needed for this purpose. If faithand devotion exist, one can retain Guru’s form inside. Wecan then move ahead to the next stage if Guru’s formremains with us. On the way you will come across manyobstacles, and at times they are frightening also, but withthe vision and guiding hand of the Guru, we move aheadtowards our destination. 5. In order to get connected to the Almighty or the Guru’sform we need to adopt good thoughts; and in order toadopt good thoughts, all negative thoughts should beabandoned. 6. Food plays a very important role in the Spiritual Path.Adopt a vegetarian diet and positive thinking. These willhelp you to reach the destination. 7. We should adopt the positive aspects of continence,forgiveness, contentment, detachment and humility andwe should avoid the five negative attributes of lust, anger,greed, attachment, ego or pride. 8. Based upon one’s ability, one should spend one-tenthof ones earnings on the needy and other charitable work. 9. Negative thoughts act as an obstacle to spiritualprogress. So develop a positive attitude.10. Leaving your own desires, you should surrender andremain in His Will. This is possible only when we come outof the boundaries of I-Ness.

Q484: Babaji, what is it that keeps us trapped in darknessand ignorance?

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Answer: Son, the only thing that keeps us in darkness isour ego. Mind has ego and that ego brings ‘I-ness’ (selfinterest) into us. Once we leave ego then we will besuccessful in all respects. Try to live at the Will of theGuru.

Q485: Babaji, what are the basic principles of Santmat?

Answer: Son, Santmat does not get engrossed in customsand rituals. It emphasizes firm belief in the Almighty whois the Ultimate Truth. It shows us the path to attain Him bygetting initiated from a Perfect Living Master.

The one who knows the True Lord God, is called the True Guru.In His Company, the Sikh is saved, O Nanak, singing the GloriousPraises of the Lord.Adi Granth 286

Santmat explains that you can attain the Almightyby getting initiated by a Living Guru and practicing Bhajan-Simran.

The True Guru cuts away the bonds of His Sikhs.The Sikh of the Guru abstains from evil deeds.The True Guru gives His Sikhs the wealth of Naam.The Sikh of the Guru is very fortunate.Adi Granth 286

Santmat teaches that one should have implicit faithand devotion toward his Satguru, and should completelysurrender himself to Him. By following the path shown byHim, we can reach our destination. The real meaning of

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Santmat is to adopt and believe in the Teachings of GreatSaints.

Q486: Babaji, in your Satsang we have heard that we canconnect ourselves with the Almighty once we have beeninitiated, and by the practice of Bhajan-Simran we are ableto open the Shiv Netra. However, I must ask this, Shiv himselfdid not attain the Almighty so how is it that we can?

Answer: Son, the Third Eye is called the Shiv Netra. It isalso known as Tisra Til, Divya Chakshu, Single Eye, DaswanDwar, Nukta-e-Swayeda. This has nothing to do with ShivJi Maharaj (Shiva). You need to open the Shiv Netra to seethe image of your Guru. He alone can lead you to the Pathof unification with the Almighty.

Q487: Babaji, can a person start Bhajan-Simran on his ownafter getting initiated or this is purely at the discretion ofthe Guru?

Answer: Son, whatever a person does is at the Will of God.The Will is governed by the Almighty whom we call Nam.It is at His discretion that a person generates the desire toget initiated. By getting married to a lady who has receivedinitiation, the husband also gets the opportunity to beinitiated.

A person sits for Bhajan-Simran by the mercy of theAlmighty; otherwise the powers of Kal (running afterwomen or getting stuck in the vicious circle of illusion)create many obstacles that we get entangled in. However,a person cannot use the excuse of saying that he will doBhajan-Simran when God wants him to. There is an old

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saying that “God helps those who help themselves,” whichmeans that if we don’t make sincere efforts, how can weexpect the Lord to help us? Thus we can get positive resultsonly through hard work and dedication.

Q488: Babaji, can we change the ‘Prarabdh?’

Answer: Son, Saints say that karma is of three kinds:Prarabdh, Sanchit, and Kriyaman. Whatever is destined orfated, we have to bear its consequences patiently. Throughthe power of Naam, the effect of the problems becomesnegligible, or bearable, or less painful. Kriyaman karma isthat which we sow now, and for which we will have to payin future. So we should try to do good and noble deeds. Itis stated in the Gurbani:

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karma.Adi Granth 134

The Great Saints can do anything, but they don’tinterfere in the laws of the Almighty. They remain in God’sWill and advise and teach people to do the same.

Q489: Babaji, at times we are able to resolve our majorproblems very patiently, but we become impatient insolving small matters. Why is it so?

Answer: Son, you have already given the answer to yourquestion. Major problems get resolved very patiently, butin solving small problems we lose our patience. When wecross the limits of our patience then it becomes a problem.Son, this is due to human nature or according to ones

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previous karmas.

Q490: Babaji, at times a person after getting initiated leavesthe world at an early age due to his Prarabdh. Can this bechanged by the will of Guru?

Answer: Son, as far as the will of Guru is concerned hiswill is the Almighty’s Will. Guru can do anything. In aShabad of mine there is a line which says:Take the Nam of Radha Soami and practice it, then the cycle ofkarmas can be put off - Brahma, Shiv and Shakti are in the Will ofGuru. Without this you cannot put off the cycle of karmas.

But Saints do not take Divine Law into their ownhands. The tenth Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharajwas the incarnation of the Almighty. He faced manyproblems but gave more importance to the Will ofAlmighty. You may come across many situations wheredescriptions of His powers have been told. For example,Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji cut off the heads of five Sikhsand later replaced their heads and gave life back to them.Kabir Sahib also instilled life in a dead cow, and whenKamalis dead body was floating down the river Kabir Sahibinstilled life back into it.

So we have such examples portraying the greatnessof the Saints. Gurus can do anything, but they avoid doingso because they believe in submission to the Will of the Lord.

Q491: Babaji, I have taken Naamdan. Can I participate inpolitics?

Answer: Son, as far as receiving Naamdan is concerned it

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was in your destiny. As far as politics is concerned, it is atotally different thing. After getting initiated, if you doBhajan-Simran regularly, within five or six months yourconscience will take you where you desire to go. Whetheryou should participate in politics or not, entirely dependsupon your destiny, interest and desires. Santmat advicesus to stay away from politics.

In spite of treading the path of truth, Shri Guru NanakDev Ji was accused of misleading people, but he never leftthe true path of Santmat. He never felt bad when peopleaccused him of misleading others.

Q492: Babaji, is it necessary to accept the customs andrituals of the family after getting initiated?

Answer: Son, as far as customs and rituals are concerned,there are many such rituals which may be of use to us ifwe believe in them. For instance, when you offer water tothe sun, the reflection of the sun through the water fallson our eyes which are always beneficial. When you fastand don’t eat anything throughout the day, fasting helpsto keep your body healthy and your stomach cleansed.These are beneficial from the health point of view but havenothing to do with the soul getting attached to theAlmighty. By doing this, the result will be that you wantedto go eastwards but wound up going towards the west.Rituals and customs don’t get us connected to Almighty,but may help us to remain healthy.

Q493: Babaji, in Satsang we have heard that if a personmoves one step away from his Guru, the Guru in turn takeseleven steps backward. Is this true?

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Answer: Son, according to the principles of spirituality, thequestion itself is wrong. Once a person gets initiated fromhis Guru, Guru never moves away from him. His modusoperandi is like a water tap. Any disciple can quench histhirst by taking water out from it. The tap never movesaway nor does it deny giving water. A person who is thirstycan always quench his thirst. (If the tap itself moves, thenone might say that it could move backward). Similarly, aGuru never moves away, but a novice disciple has a feelingthat the Guru has moved away from him. He doesn’tunderstand this. You see, he himself has moved away fromhis Guru. So, you see son, your question is not correct.

Q494: Babaji, if a person has received initiation from aPerfect Guru and after his demise his ashes are buriedelsewhere, will his soul trouble anybody?

Answer: Son, if a person has taken initiation from a PerfectGuru, after his death his soul is well taken care of by hisGuru, and he takes rebirth at a destined place. As far asthe remaining ashes are concerned, one needs only to takecare that they don’t come underneath anybody’s feet(causing disrespect). They can either be submerged in theGanges or in any other place. His soul will not be affectedin any way from such rites and rituals.

Q495: Babaji, a neighbor throws a lump of dough, dal(pulses), turmeric and black horse beans at someone’shouse and says that he has done an evil magic spell andnow nobody can stay in that house. Is this possible?

Answer: Son, you have been constantly raising questions

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which have nothing to do with Santmat or the unificationof the soul with the Almighty. Nothing ever happens bythrowing turmeric, horse beans, and all that. If you reallywant to test this just drop in the desired quantity ofturmeric, horse beans and rice at our Dera, and claim thatblack magic has been performed. I will be the first personto consume it personally. You have engrossed yourself somuch in these negative thoughts that even if you don’tconsume these items you will still harm yourself.

Q496: Babaji, a soul getting Initiation and practicingBhajan-Simran, who has reached the destination ofSachkhand - after the ‘desolution’ or destruction of theCreation, when a new revitalized Universe comes intobeing, will that soul get rebirth into this mortal worldagain?

Answer: Son, you should not get entangled in such kind ofquestions. When a droplet of water gets merged with theocean its existence comes to an end. Similarly when thesoul gets merged within the Almighty it loses its ownidentity. But you are looking forward to an answer to yourquestion so the following lines are from Swami Ji Maharaj.

Soul is asking question of Swami (Lord)AFTER A SURAT HAS REPAIRED TO ITS ORIGINAL ABODE, WILL

IT BE SENT BACK TO THE REGION OF KAL?Then Surat prepared itself for the journey homeward but all ofa sudden it made the following submission.A serious doubt has crept into my mind. Graciously remove it,and explain it fully.When, being pleased with the Sewa rendered by Kal, You handed

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me over to him, what guarantee is there now that You will notdo so again?

Answer from Swami (Lord)Soami smiled and said, I shall explain the truth to you inunambiguous terms.Knowingly I had created that episode. Listen to me. It was myWill to do so.I created Kal with a definite purpose. Without Kal, Jivas wouldhave no fear.Without Kal, Jivas would not value Dayal (the Merciful Lord). Hencethis Mauj.Now that I have turned Kal out of my Region, he can never re-enter there.Know that I am All Powerful. Have firm faith in My words.Kal cannot go back to that Region. I will never again ordain such aMauj.Only once it was my Mauj. There is no need for it now. Hencethere will be no such ordainment again.Entertain no doubt in your mind. Come to my Region, and abide inbliss.Sarbachan 26:1:72-83

Q497: Babaji, is it right for Satsangi woman to attend clubsand kitty parties?

Answer: Son, kitty parties (small group parties) and clubsare part and parcel of entertainment. This mode ofentertainment or pastime is for unoccupied woman andunemployed men. You must have heard in the Satsang ofBaba Charan Singh ji and Great Saints that if you havegenerated a desire to meet the Almighty in the presentbirth, it is better to lead an honest and simple life. Kitty

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parties and clubs have nothing to do with Spirituality andone should avoid digressing his mind into theseunnecessary things.

Q498: Babaji, what is the essence or spirit of Santmat?

Answer: Son, Sant Mat is the source through which thesoul gets united with the Almighty. If we want tounderstand the Sar Shabad which is the foundation of SantMat, this can be attained by taking the refuge of a PerfectMaster, attending Satsang, getting initiated, and practicingBhajan-Simran. One can only understand the essence ortrue spirit of Santmat by practicing the correct method.

Q499: Babaji, when I am meditating I lose concentration,and thereby lose self confidence that I will reach mydestination in Sach Khand. What should I do?

Answer: Son, Guru is the incarnation of God on earth. Wetake Naamdan from him after we have developed faith inhim. Everyday after initiation we have to sit for Bhajan-Simran. It is generally seen that while sitting in meditation,after fifteen minutes only, we want to experience SpiritualBliss within; whereas the allotted time is two and a halfhours. During initiation it is also very clearly explained thatwe should withdraw our mind from the external world,family, friends, and intoxicants.

During meditation if we are unable to see the formof the Guru or do not hear the Divine Sound or see theDivine Light, our practice is incomplete. For instance milkhas ghee in it, but this ghee can be separated from themilk only when milk is fermented into curd, and the curd

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is churned. If we are constantly checking whether we havederived butter by churning, or lose hope thinking it’suseless, it will lead us nowhere. When the curd is churnedproperly, then only will we get butter from it.

In this way, while sitting in meditation, unless Lightis visible inside, or the form of Guru is visible inside, wewill remain in doubt. By losing patience, by losing faith,our problem cannot be solved. When one person bychurning curd can get butter, then why not anotherperson? When one person by practice can reach hisdestination, why not another person? The problem is thatwhile practicing our meditation we don't leave our outside(worldly) thoughts. I don't put a time limit on reaching thegoal. It can even be reached in 15 minutes if our attentionis focused inside during this short time. Then we candirectly reach our goal.

Q500: Babaji, who is the real enemy of a person in thisworld?

Answer: Son, a person doesn’t have any enemies in thisworld, as the real enemy of a person is his own mind.Swami Ji Maharaj has stated the following relating to mind.

Your mind is your arch enemy. It is difficult to subdue.Sarbachan 19:2:8

Q501: Babaji, what is the reality and real truth of theworld?

Answer: Son, the reality of this world is to get initiatedand through Bhajan-Simran get in touch with the Truth.

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The ultimate truth is death, and life is a myth. Swami jiMaharaj has stated:

False is your body, false your wealth. False is your mind which is sostrongly attached to them. Only Satsang, Sat Guru and Nam (Name ofthe Supreme Being) are true.Sarbachan 14:4:5,6

Q502: Babaji, which person in this world can actually becalled fortunate or respected?

Answer: Son, every human being is fortunate. In the cycleof eighty-four, human birth reigns supreme. Other formsare incapable of getting united with the Almighty. Aftergoing through the cycle of eighty-four, we have receivedthe human form. One is very fortunate to have this body,but humans can only truly be fortunate if they getNamdaan, do Bhajan-Simran, and get united with theAlmighty while alive. We can attain the Almighty if we dogood actions and meditation. Just as a droplet of watergets merged with the ocean and becomes one with theocean, in the same way the soul which has united andmerged with Almighty through meditation, is the mostfortunate of all.

Q503: Babaji, I am having disputes with my wife. One dayafter having a quarrel with me, she went back to hermother’s place. The whole family was worried. Babaji, shewishes to come back now, but my family and I don’t wantto her to come back and create turmoil. She is beggingforgiveness, but our minds do not want to see her back.Please advise what to do?

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Answer: Son, This is not a small thing. Once a person getsmarried, then a strong relationship develops between thehusband and wife. It has been seen that quarrels dohappen, but in the end, since a decree has been passed(marriage ceremony), they have to stay together. I had apersonal friend who was not only a professor, but also theregistrar of Khalsa Collage. He was facing difficulties stayingtogether with his wife because she was illiterate. They gotdivorced. Twelve years passed. Neither of the two gotremarried. The parents of the lady decided to get herremarried and the professor came to know about it. Thevery next day he went to her house and asked her parentsto close the matter: “I cannot bear that a lady who hadbeen with me for years as my wife is now getting re-married to someone else.” The lady was informed aboutthis, and a message was sent to the groom’s family that heneed not come, as the girl has gone back to her husband.Now their children are also working and have goodpositions.

These relationships are all by the Will of the Almighty.Son, from the very first day, try to generate positive viewsabout your wife. She is your life partner. If she suggestssomething or stops you from doing something, then don’tget annoyed. Stay within your limits. You will become agood householder and you will become a respectableperson in the society. Still do keep in mind that she herselfis asking for forgiveness and has devoted herself to you.Always have the habit of forgiveness. Everything will bealright. After a period of two months, based on your ability,buy a gift for her. She is not hungry of your gifts, but shelooks forward to the love and affection through your gifts.

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Q504: Babaji, I have two daughters and one son. They areready to get married. My husband is a gambler. There isalways problems in the house. He doesn’t takeresponsibility. Kindly show mercy.

Answer: Daughter, being in the company of a husband is ablessing in disguise. Chaos and problems only occur whenhe indulges in wine and gambling. Since your children havecompleted their education, they should be married off. Itis a matter of respect having the company of a husband. Ican only wish that God gives him wisdom, and you gainrespect everywhere. I pray to God that He may bless yourchildren during marriage. God always assists the desolate,helpless and needy. The people in the village are amazedby the marriages organized there. O’ Lord: Let there be nohusband who poses problems to his children and wife.Keep praying to the Almighty “O Lord” I have done mypart, Your Blessing and Grace alone can help me.”

Q505: Babaji, I got married three years ago. I have adaughter of two years. My husband and his parents harassme a lot. By taking the excuse of customs and traditions,they keep demanding gifts from my parents. My parentsfulfilled their demands as per their capacity, but still theytorture and threaten me with being sent back to myparents. I don’t want to go there. I am very much troubled.Kindly help me.

Answer: Daughter, in our society, it is the story of everyhousehold being repeated; still people continue to live thisso called acceptable way of life. We can also say it is apart of our Prarabdh karmas. I don't know much about

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your behavior, but I will say that you should create moretolerance in yourself. The Almighty answers our prayersand surely your prayer too will not remain unansweredfor long.

Daughter, your in-laws should not create such apitiable and unbearable condition for you. They too musthave daughters who will be married some day. They shouldbe aware of the consequences that their daughters mayface due to their ill behavior. It is for this reason that wetake the refuge of Saints and attend Satsang; so that weinculcate the quality of right conduct in ourselves. It shouldbe borne in mind, “As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Q506: Babaji, is it right to do gardening at home as itrequires our time and attention?

Answer: Son, in your leisure hours you can do gardeningat home. Sundays are holidays so you can devote your timeto plants on that day. Wherever you find space, it is a goodhabit to plant saplings. Taking care of plants is just likecaring and bringing up a child. Wherever you have plants,the environment becomes fresh and rich in oxygen. It isgood for health. There is no question of wasting your time:while gardening, you can do Simran. It will benefit you aswell as it will have a good effect on your plants.

Q507: Babaji, we are an old couple. Our financial conditionis quite good. Our son is in need of money. Should we lendit to him?

Answer: Sir, you have mentioned you are financially soundand your son is genuinely in need of money. You wish to

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help him too. Since you are seeking my opinion regardingthis I think you should help your child; but do not expect itto be returned by him. You should only take notice that itis not misused.

Q508. Babaji, what should be the nature of concentrationand devotion towards God?

Answer: Son, we should have concentration and devotiontowards the Lord. Soul is the daughter of the Almighty andshe wants to unite with the Lord. However, mind alwaysdeviates away from this; but when the soul sings the praisesof the Lord, the mind also gets attracted towards it.Concentration should be like a partridge which iscaptivated by the moon. The concentration of mindtowards the Lord should be just like the village womenwho carry pots of water. They talk and they laugh, but theirconcentration is on the pots, so that not even a single dropof water splashes out. This level of concentration is needed.The devotion should be towards the Lord so much so -that we don’t think of anything else.

After due thought Kabir says, “Do Simran as the ladies carryingwater pots on their heads. Their focus is always on the pot, althoughthey laugh and chat with their friends.”

Q509: Babaji, you work so hard for the development ofthe Dera without even taking care of your health. We can’tfind words of appreciation and gratitude. You sacrifice somuch for us but we do not even devote time to Bhajan-Simran. Don’t you and the other Gurus feel sad about this?

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Answer: Son, you have very kindly showed appreciationtoward me and my services toward Dera. The Sangat arevery devoted to sewa. They work hard to please their Guru.They toil hard with enthusiasm even in the scorching heatof the sun. I must thank you for these sentiments. Youshould devote time to your Bhajan-Simran.

If a child does a good act, the father feels happy; butif he does something wrong, then the father feels sad. Gurufeels sad if the disciple is having any problems. SometimesGuru is angry at his disciple, but his words and anger willnever harm the disciple any way. For example, if a childdoesn’t listen to his mother, she gets angry and evenrebukes him by saying “It would be better if you woulddie;” although she doesn’t mean what she says. It is just outof frustration. We all are aware of a mother’s love towardsher children; the way she nurses them day and night, andespecially when the child gets ill her concern becomes evenmore. She begs for the child’s recovery and prays day andnight. So the ‘so called’ anger from the Guru is baseless; it islike churning a stick in water which gets you nothing.

Q510: Babaji, if somebody decides that he will go to Derawith a plea or a request but he is unable to put forth hisrequest in front of you, what will happen to his plea thathas not been made?

Answer: Son, we pray and request in places where we havefaith; for example temples, mosques, and Gurudwaras, orat any Saint’s place. Maybe you were running late so youcould not put forth your request in front of the Guru.

When you leave your house for Dera with a positivethought and faith and enter the Dera, your prayer or

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request is answered. There are different stages at whichyour request of prayer is accepted and answered. Whenyou leave your home for Dera and pray for someone whois ill at home, you leave with the faith that Guru will acceptyour request. It may be possible that the person for whomyou have gone to pray for at the Dera dies while you arepraying for his recovery. Everything happens according tothe Will of God.

A Satsangi once narrated his personal experience toBabaji in this context. “Babaji, whatever you have said isabsolutely correct. I will tell you what happened with me.My mother was very old and ill. I thought of coming toDera and requesting the recovery of my mother. When Ireached Dera, Babaji was listening to the pleas and therequests of the people. Babaji looked at me and asked thepurpose of my visit. I said, “Babaji, my mother is very ill,kindly shower your blessings on her.” Babaji laughed andsaid, “She is already filled with my blessings.” I did notunderstand, just then my phone bell rang. One of my familymembers said on the phone that I should come back homeimmediately as my mother has passed away. Then I realizedthe real meaning of what Baba Ji had said. He showeredhis blessings on my sick mother.

Son, I do not say that you should not pray or putforth your request to me. There are many situations wecan not handle on our own. When we make requests toour Guru we get the inner strength to tolerate and facethese situations gracefully.

Q511: Babaji, when we have a deep desire or urge tovisualize the physical form the Guru, will this be creditedto our account?

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Answer: Son, whatever we say and think is fed into thecomputer of the brain. The computer doesn’t questionwhat is fed into it, but simply obeys. Son, an account iskept for each and every action of ours.

Q512: Babaji, can a doctor pray for the recovery of hispatients?

Answer: Son, as far as the doctor is concerned, he holds adesire to pray for his patients more than his own familymembers. In his profession people have a wrong notionthat he does not wish his patients to recover quickly. It’s adifferent matter as to what he thinks. When doctors visitpatients admitted in hospitals, they very politely ask abouttheir health and condition. A person should not be judgedon a monetary basis. In fact a doctor prays to God for therecovery of his patients whom he attends.

Q513: Babaji, how can the qualities of tolerance,forgiveness and service be inculcated in us?

Answer: Son, as I have already mentioned, the fiveelements affect every human being (earth, water, fire, airand ether). When God showers His mercy, then only arethese qualities generated in us. Our way of living and ourcompany also affect our life. So we ourselves should tryand inculcate these qualities within us. You get the resultof your good thoughts.

Q514: Babaji, what is necessary in order to get themaximum benefit from Satsang?

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Answer: Son, in order to get maximum benefit fromSatsang we should have right thought, right action and rightliving. We get everything from this. While sitting in Satsang,we should focus our mind towards Guru and listen to Hiswords lovingly.

We do Simran, but our mind wanders. Physically weregister our attendance in Guru’s shrine, but basically ourcondition is just like a boy who goes to school daily, but hismind is busy in mischievous acts rather than studies. Sohe is unable to get the maximum benefit from his studies.Contemplation and concentration is the only way to remainrooted in the refuge of a Guru. So during meditation weshould contemplate on the form of the Guru.

Q515: Babaji, when and why does the incarnation of God,or Guru, descend to Mrityulok or the mortal world?

Answer: Son, when we desire to unite with God, thenGod comes in the form of Guru. When God listens to thecries of the souls, then He manifests Himself in Mrityulokin the form of Guru. Bhai Gurdas Ji has stated:

By listening to the cries of the souls, the Almighty sent Guru NanakDev Ji to this world.Bhai Gurdas Ji 1-23

God descended to this Mrityulok in the form of GuruNanak Dev Ji, but nobody could recognize him. Shri GuruNanak Dev Ji Maharaj says:

O Divine Guru, I have entered Your Sanctuary.You are the Almighty Lord, the Merciful Lord.

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No one knows Your wondrous plays. You are the perfect Architectof Destiny.Adi Granth 1031

Swamiji Maharaj says:Radhasoami has assumed human form in this world. As Guru (Su-preme Guide and Preceptor), He awakens Jivas.Sarbachan 1:2:1

In order to recognize God who is in the form of Guruwe need to practice Bhajan- Simran. For example one canget butter when milk is fermented to curd and curd ischurned. If one questions, “Why do we churn curd to getbutter?” it is because butter is latent in milk, but to obtainit, it has to undergo a process. The Bani says:

One who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru shall rise in the earlymorning hours and meditate on the Lord’s Name.Upon arising early in the morning, he is to bathe, and cleansehimself in the pool of nectar.Adi Granth 305

One who has attained the level of concentration isable to manifest the form of Guru within him. This form ofGuru becomes Shabad Guru which ultimately becomes theform of the Almighty.

Q516: Babaji, what should be the behaviour and duty ofa Sewadar towards the Satsangi’s who visit Dera?

Answer: Son, it is generally seen that a host is veryhospitable while attending his guests. It makes the guests

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happy. In this manner, whoever comes to Dera, whetherhe is a Satsangi or non-Satsangi, we must welcome them,give them respect, love and serve them. We should makethem feel comfortable and happy. While departing, wemust request that they visit again. By doing this you losenothing, but it brings honour to the Dera. When he goesback he will praise you and the Dera. In other words wemust welcome and respect whoever comes to Dera. Inone of my verses I have written:

Being full of love ourselves, we will love everyone.Any newcomer to Dera will be treated with such respect and honor.That had he come for only one day, he will wind up staying for oneweek.When he is departing, he will want to come again.By doing Seva with body, mind and wealth, let us make our karmasgood.

Q517: Babaji, what should be the behaviour of theSatsangis who come to Dera?

Answer: Son, when a Satsangi comes to the Dera, heshould be free of his ego and negative thoughts. He shouldbe humble and dutiful. He should not sit idle in Dera butshould engage himself in the various activities of Dera. Weshould serve the Dera physically, mentally and monetarilyas far as possible.

Q518: Babaji, what is the true form of Guru?

Answer: Son, the ‘Word Form’ is the true form of Guruwhich cannot be visualized through these physical eyes. It

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is stated in Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji:

To see without eyes, to hear without ears,to walk without feet, to work without hands,to speak without a tongue. Like this, one remains dead while yet alive.O Nanak, recognize the Hukam of the Lord’s Command, and mergewith your Lord and Master.Adi Granth 139

With these physical eyes, we can see the physicalform of the Living Master. But we can see the True Formonly with the Third Eye or internal eyes.

Q519: Babaji, you have said that the Radiance of the soulis that of twelve suns?

Answer: Son, this stage can be manifested during ourspiritual journey when we reach a level where the soultakes a dip in the Amritsar Sarovar at Daswan Dwar. Atthis stage we experience Divine Bliss. Kabir Sahib has said:

On the twelfth day of the lunar cycle, twelve suns rise.Day and night, the celestial bugles vibrate the unstruck melody.Adi Granth 344

In one of my verses I have also said:

Your light will be that of twelve suns when you take a dip in theMansarovar.l

Q520: Babaji, what is our relation with Satguru?

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Answer: Son, our relationship with Satguru is that of thesoul with the Almighty; a drop of water with the ocean, orthat of a balloon with the atmosphere.

Q521: Babaji, it is said that the five elements of earth,water, air, fire, and ether are inimical to each other. Howdo they work together harmoniously per God’s will?

Answer: Son, everything is according to God’s Will. Whenyou are troubled by something or some incident, why doyou cry in agony?

Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond HisCommand.Adi Granth 1

It is difficult to predict inevitable or unavoidablethings. Why do we dry wet clothes in the Sun aftersqueezing them? When the ladies put wet clothes underthe sun they don’t know the scientific reason behind it,but they know that they dry sooner. This also happensaccording to God’s Will. The heat of the sun will dry up thewater as it changes water into vapour. The vapour rises upin the sky and changes into clouds due to condensationand it rains. The water which rises up was invisible whenit was in the form of vapour but when it rains we can seeit. All these are according to God’s will. We cannot stopwater evaporating from wet clothes, nor can we stop theclouds from raining. All these are per God’s Will. Thequestion which you have asked is also according to God’sWill.

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Q522: Man is a bundle of faults. What is his greatestmistake?

Answer: Son, you have already answered - that man is abundle of faults. By the grace of God we realize and cometo know that we will be away from the Almighty until wetake refuge in a Perfect Guru and get initiated from him.The Almighty our Father means everything to us. He putsus on the right path - but this is possible when we are inHis Will.

Our greatest fault is repeating mistakes andknowingly doing what is wrong after being constantlyexplained by the Saints. So we do not implement thesethings in our life. This is the biggest blunder we make.

Q523: Babaji, who is our true relative in this world?

Answer: Son, you have asked a very genuine question. Trueis one who is pure in nature; relative is one who is relatedto us. Thus a true relative is one who is free from disloyaltyand untruthfulness. A true relative assists us regardless ofour state of wealth or poverty.

Our real true relative is the Almighty, but he iswithout any colour or shape; so our true relative can be aMessenger of God who in turns becomes our Guru. Gurucan be considered as the True Relative as He alone canunite us with the Truth and the Almighty.

Q524: Babaji who is the husband of Soul?

Answer: Son, the Almighty is the husband of Soul. TheAlmighty is not only our Husband, but also our Father,

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Mother, Sister, Brother, etc. He means everything to us.

Q525: Babaji, who will be successful to reach and attainthe Almighty?

Answer: Son, there is only one way to reach the Almightyand that way has eighty-four steps. Its last step leads totaking the human form. One has to come out of the cycleof eighty-four by getting initiation from a Guru, takingNaam from him, doing Simran, and trying to contemplateon the form of Guru. You have to see Him through closedeyes. When you close your eyes you have darkness, butthrough Bhajan and Simran we can dispel the darknessand you can see a reflection of light similar to the rays ofthe rising sun. When our meditation gets deeper anddeeper, the darkness fades away and we visualize Guru’simage. Guru then becomes Satguru. Initially Guru’s formwas made of five elements (earth, water, air, fire andether). Now he has transformed into the form of Satguru;which form is comprised of seventeen elements (5 senseorgans, 5 organs of action, 4 antashkaran and 3 attributes).Our true Guru is the Shabad Guru. This Word Form of Gurudoes not have shape. Neither does the Satguru nor doesthe Naam have any shape. Now we are connected to theWord Form of Guru. This Word Form of Guru, throughinitiation, takes us to Anami Desh. After reaching there,we become one with the Almighty by merging into Him.

Q526: Babaji, who has separated us from the Almighty?

Answer: Son, who could have separated us from theAlmighty? We got separated by our own Creator. A girl can

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ask a similar question: ‘Who has separated me from myparents?’ Her mother and father gave birth to her, andwhen she attained the age of marriage, she was sent awayto her in-laws place. Now the daughter fights with herfather asking why he separated her from himself. Thefather says, “You will realize this when your daughter growsup and you are compelled to get her married and sendher to her in-laws place.”

Actually the Almighty was very pleased with Niranjanfor his devotion and services rendered to Him. Asappreciation for this he gave a storehouse of souls toNiranjan. So human beings should not get entangled inissues which are beyond their control. Everything happensat His Will.

Q527: Babaji, what is the difference between Shabad andGuru?

Answer: Son, there is no difference between Shabad andGuru. When Kabir Sahib took Rani Indermati to Satlok aftershe was enlightened, there she had the view of Satpurush.Kabir Sahib was Rani Indermati’s Guru, and when Kabir Sahibtook her through the main gate of Sach Khand she saw KabirSahib sitting on the Royal Throne. Rani was surprised to seeKabir Sahib not only sitting on the Royal Throne but alsostanding beside her. It happened this way because God hasno form. In Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, it is stated:

He has no form, no shape, no color; God is beyond the threequalities.They alone understand Him, O Nanak, with whom He is pleased.Adi Granth 139

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Guru himself is Satguru of his disciple, and Satgurubecomes Shabad Guru and takes his disciple back to AnamiDesh from where the Dhun is emanating. When Kabir Sahibcame to her after meeting the Almighty, Rani Indermatiasked “If you were the Master of the Royal Throne (GodHimself), why didn’t you tell me in Mrityulok?” Kabir Sahibreplied: “I have often told in my Satsang that the LivingGuru is an incarnation of God, but you did not believe atthat time. Similarly, when a five year old child asks hermother, “From where have I come from?” the motherreplies “From the temple.” She doesn’t have proper wordsto explain this. When the child grows up, she herselfunderstands how a child is born.

Q528: Babaji, what should we do in order to procure Guru’slove and affection?

Answer: Son, it is not just about pleasing your Guru. Tomake a child agree with you, you have to please him also.If your wife is not ready to go to a marriage party of yourfriend, then you should not compel her. It is better to gether to agree affectionately. This is the only way you canplease her. This is a worldly matter. Similarly, if you wantto gain the affection of Guru, you have to live in His will.His will is that we should remain attached to Him. Aftergetting initiation from Guru, do Bhajan-Simran and beattached to Him within; then only can we gain his affection.

Q529: Babaji, people criticize other Gurus even aftergetting Nam. Is this correct?

Answer: Son, we should neither criticize Guru nor anybody

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else. Criticism is a bad habit. It does not effect the onewho has been criticized but the person who criticizes isburdened with a load of karmas.By continually slandering others, they carry a terrible load, andthey carry the loads of others for nothing.Adi Granth 118

Within them is greed, and they wander around like mad dogs.They slander others and carry loads of sin upon their heads.Adi Granth 372

In this way, by criticizing others we are burdened withan extra load of karmas. Guru Amar Das Ji Maharaj hasstated in Guru Granth Sahib:

It is not good to slander anyone, but the foolish, self-willedmanmukhs still do it.The faces of the slanderers turn black, and they fall into the mosthorrible hell.Adi Granth 755

Kabir Sahib says, “I bow down to a person whocriticizes me. He is washing my dirty clothes without askingme”.

If my heart is pure, and I am slandered,then the slanderer washes my clothes.One who slanders me is my friend;the slanderer is in my thoughts.Adi Granth 399

So, if you can praise anybody, it is well and good, but

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criticizing others is a great sin.

Q530: Babaji, if a person has taken the refuge of a PerfectGuru and has also developed immense faith in Him, but isunable to see His Radiant Form within during meditation,will the Guru take care of him at his last breath?

Answer: Son, we need to fully consider this matter. Beforetaking Naamdan, if we seek a Perfect Master we can surelyachieve Him. After initiation, it is the responsibility of theGuru to purify the soul of His disciple in at least four birthsand take him to Sach Khand. There is no doubt regardingthis fact.

Q531: Babaji, if a person attains a higher position, anotherperson may also be desirous to have his position. Is it aright attitude?

Answer: This is human nature, that when one sees anotherhaving a higher position, he too gets the desire for thatsame position. He thinks that if he would have had thatposition he would have gained the same respect.

In the same way, a person was so delighted afterseeing the admiration and reverence that Lord Ganeshareceived from the people that he said to his wife: “Alas, ifI were in his position I would have received the sameadmiration.” His wife replied: “O God! If my husband wouldhave been Lord Ganesha, I would have also worshippedhim, offered him Laddus, would enjoy his admiration, thenafter ten days I would immerse him in water and the nextyear I would get a new Lord Ganesha (husband).”

Son, if you want to deliberate about this, then it

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should be about people who by practice are absorbed andenthralled in the Divine Bliss within after receiving Nam.Try to emulate them and generate good thoughts.

Q532: Babaji, in one of your verses (shabads) there is aline that says “Kaga kha laye mas mera” there is anotherline “khai jande mas mera girjhate kuttia.” What is thespiritual meaning of these?

Answer: Son, the literal meaning of that line is that mywhole body is being eaten up by vultures and dogs. “OLord! I am growing old. I am unable to take care of mybody. Crows and dogs run after me to eat my body.”

Then addressing the mind he says “O’ mind, you eatup everything of mine! Finish it, but just listen to me verycarefully. Don’t disturb and harm my eyes which are cravingthe Darshan of my Guru. After I have gazed at Him, youcan eat up my eyes too.”

The main idea or essence of the mentioned line isthat there is nothing in this world which is comparable toour love and devotion for Guru and His Darshan. Farid Sahibsays in his Bani:

The crows have picked at my bones, and eaten all my flesh.But please do not touch these eyes, I hope to see my Lord.Adi Granth 1382

Q533: Babaji, where is the True Home of the Saints?

Answer: Son, from the worldly point of view, the placewhere human beings are born is their actual home, butaccording to Spirituality the True Home or destination of

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every soul is Sachkhand, Satlok or Anami Desh. The consciousness of Saints is always at their original

abode of Sach Khand. The soul of a common man is alwaysentangled in the cycle of eighty-four. Swami Ji Maharaj says:I call Him a Sant who has merged His Surat in Sat Lok.Sat Lok is the fourth Lok, beyond the three Loks. It is the Regionof Satnam. It is the Darbar (Court) of Sat Guru.A Sant Surat (the Surat of a Sant) is absorbed in the rapturousbliss of Sat Lok- Sat Purush - Sat Shabd.Beyond Triloki (the three worlds) is Sunn. Beyond Sunn is Maha-sunn.What is on the other side of Maha-sunn is called Bhanwargupha.Beyond that is the fourth Lok. Without gaining access to that region,all is hollow and sham.None reached there except a Sant. And none is a Sant till Hereaches there.Sarbachan 26:1:180-186

I have also mentioned this in one of my Shabads:

Satguru, a resident of Satlok, distributes the goods of Nam.Unfortunate human beings want worldly things of him.

Q534: Babaji, the Sangat unconditionally submits to theGuru. To whom does the Guru submit?

Answer: Son, this can be answered by those who haveadopted a Guru. They can tell better whether they shouldsubmit to their Guru’s will or not. Actually the main essenceis to live in God’s Will. Even the Great Saints live in God’sWill and advise us to do so also. For instance, at home, ifanybody is in need of a thing, he will not directly ask God

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for it but he will request the head of the household toacquire it for him.

Once I went to somebody’s house. The husband andthe wife always quarreled there. The wife put this requestto me, “Since the day I have come to this house, by thegrace of God I have received everything. Whenever I needanything, I ask my husband for it, but he declines sayingthat I should ask my father-in-law. This is the main reasonfor our quarrelling. Apart from this I face no problems athome. I disagree with my husband, saying to him that Ihave got married to you. You are expected to take care ofme. You ask your father for things, I will not. For myrequirements you are solely responsible and I’ll approachyou.”

Basically it is seen that daughter-in-laws are hesitantto get their wants fulfilled through their fathers-in-law. Soyou see, if a wife needs anything, she will count on herhusband. Guru has graced and blessed us with God’sgreatest gift of Naamdan. We ask for necessities andessentials of life from our husband (Guru). Then it is up toGuru to pray to God for us and provide whatever is needed,and also to show us the path to unite with Him.

Q535: Babaji, where do we find the Shabad?

Answer: Son, there is no specific location for the Shabad.It is Omnipresent. It is present in every atom existing inthis world. Some one has rightly said, “Jidhar dekhta hunudhar tu hi tu hai, Har id saya me jalwa hu ba hu hai”.‘Wherever I look, you are there; Your Grace is the sameeverywhere.’ Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj says:

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The Word created this earth.The Word created the sky.Light is because of the Word.The Word is behind the existence of the entire universe.Nanak says: the Word is present in everything.(Pran Sangali)

Q536: Babaji, it is said that the Shabad is inside as well asoutside. How is this so?

Answer: Son, we cannot see an electric current, but wecan feel its power wherever its connection is available. Wecan fully utilize it, but we cannot see it. Similarly, theShabad, even though found everywhere, cannot be seen,but we experience it through the practice of meditation.Where we are standing, there is water underneath theground. The common man is not ready to accept it. Hewill experience it only when a well is dug and a tap isconnected to get water. In the same way, air is presentinside and outside, but neither can we see it nor can wehold it, yet we can feel it. Similarly, we can only experiencethe Shabad through Bhajan-Simran.

Q537: Babaji, what is ‘True Shabad’?

Answer: Son, the term Shabad has been explained manya time. The ‘True Shabad’ is one, which starts its journeyfrom Anami Desh and travels through the various statesand is ringing behind our eyes. In order to listen to it, weneed spiritual ears. Regarding this Sri Guru Angad Dev Jisays:

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To see without eyes, to hear without ears,to walk without feet, to work without hands,to speak without a tongue. Like this, one remains dead while yetalive.O Nanak, recognize the Hukam of the Lord’s Command, and mergewith your Lord and Master.Adi Granth 139

Q538: Babaji, what is the essence of love?

Answer: Son, a person who has experienced love and alsoits pain, knows the essence of love better. Guru GobindSingh ji has stated:

I speak Truth. All should turn their ears toward it. He who isabsorbed in the True Love will realize the Lord.Dasam Granth 42

Q539: Babaji, I have just gone to work at a new job. Mymanager does not behave properly with me and keepsabusing me. What should I do?

Answer: Son, what answer should I give? It is rightly saidregarding work: work in agriculture is the best; the nextbest option is doing business. Being employed is good, butbegging done by an illiterate is the worst. All cannot doagriculture or business, so we need to get employedworking in some job. To hold on to your job successfullyyou have to be very tactful in dealing with differentsituations. You have to change yourself accordingly.Wherever we work, the employer becomes our master.We have to abide by his rules without ‘ifs’, ‘ands’ or ‘buts’.

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This is the secret to becoming a successful employee andworking efficiently.

Q540: Babaji, if a person requests initiation from a PerfectMaster or a Saint, and due to some reason the person isunable to receive it, will he get initiation in his next birth?

Answer: Maybe that person asks the Guru for Naamdan,but Guru declines his request advising him to abandon theconsumption of meat and alcohol and listen to Satsang.However in spite of obeying the Guru’s instructions if theperson is unable to receive Nam from that Guru for somereason, then he can seek another Guru, request Nam fromHim and get initiated. It is his earnest prayers that count.

If he meets with an unfortunate accident and isunable to receive Naamdan in his present birth, then inhis next birth he will be born as a human and get initiated.He has already taken the refuge of a Guru. He is in thedomain of Guru now, so goodness is bound to be showeredupon him.

Q541: Babaji, can a person assess the depth and level of aGuru’s Spirituality with his intelligence?

Answer: Son, a person has no right nor does he have thepower to assess the level attained by Guru in His SpiritualJourney within. It would be a great achievement if he wouldbe able to do so. Getting initiated, practicing Bhajan-Simran, and having devotion for Guru itself is praiseworthy.We can talk about the spiritual development within, butthere is no need to assess or judge a Guru, the thoughtitself is a sin.

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Q542: Babaji, who is a ‘Perfect Master’?

Answer: Son, everyone thinks himself to be perfect. Onlya human being can have the status of Guru. He alone isPerfect who fulfills the qualities according to the followingverses:

The True Guru is the All-knowing Primal Being; He shows us ourtrue home within the home of the self.The Panch Shabad, the Five Primal Sounds, resonate and resoundwithin; the insignia of the Shabad is revealed there, vibratinggloriously.Adi Granth 1291

You have to free yourself from worldly desires, andif you have the urge within to do this, then He will seekyou or He will send someone to enquire about you. Thenby getting initiated and through practice of the Nam, youcan feel His presence; but you cannot assess His spiritualdevelopment. Although a droplet of water may merge withthe ocean, still it cannot ascertain its shape and size.

Q543: Babaji, what is real meaning of fasting?

Answer: Son, as far as fasting is concerned, I don’t wantyou to get entangled in Hindu Philosophy. Fasting meansnot to consume a particular thing at a particular time. The‘Roza’ of Muslims is also a kind of fast; to eat in the morningand at a particular time in the evening to break the fast.Roza or fast means not to have anything throughout theday and keep an empty stomach. Fasting even for a daycauses discomfort, and people, especially the rich, realize

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what hunger is. A day without food causes so much discomfort andHazrat Sahib has made the Muslim brothers experienceit. Before retiring to bed at night it is the duty of each andevery Muslim to see that the five neighbours both to theright and left of his house don’t sleep unfed and hungry.Hazrat Sahib says to ask your neighbours, ‘Brother haveyou eaten or not;’ and if a person is hungry because ofpoverty, feed him, otherwise your Roza will not beaccepted.

Q544: Babaji, I wish to be initiated. When I came to youfor initiation you told me that it was not the right time forme to be initiated; rather I should focus on my studies.The problem is that I cannot concentrate on studies. I wantto simultaneously do my studies along with Bhajan andSimran. Kindly advise what I should do?

Answer: Son, if you accept and regard your Guru, fromwhom you want to get initiated, as the Almighty, thensurrender yourself to his His will. Abide by whatever Hesays. Keep attending and listening to Satsang. A day willcome when Guru Himself will call on you to bless you withNaamdan. You have mentioned that you cannotconcentrate on studies and if you get Naamdan theresponsibility of your studies also falls on the Guru insteadof your parents. There is a right time for everything, sopresently concentrate on studies and keep praying to receiveNaamdan. If you are destined to receive it, you surely will.

Q545: Babaji, I have a friend. Both of us have receivedinitiation from you. Now he is stuck in a big problem. I

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regularly do Bhajan and simran hoping that he comes outof the problem. Is this the right way of acting?

Answer: Son, if you wish to share your earnings withsomeone, then whatever you are doing is right. If throughyour Bhajan and Simran you are unable to take your friendout from the problem he is facing, you may lose faith inthe Almighty. If you devote two and a half hours of Bhajan–Simran for yourself, and one hour for your friend, then youhave the right to pray to your Guru on his behalf. Bhajan-Simran should be very pure. This is possible only whenyou sit for meditation and your mind does not keepwandering outside.

Q546: Babaji, when a person through regular practice ofBhajan and Simran gets his Guru manifested within, hestarts anticipating the things that will happen beforehand.If he anticipates something bad is about to happen, won’the get disturbed by it?

Answer: Son, if a person gets disturbed, you can concludethat he has not attained maturity in Bhajan and Simran. Ifa person has manifested his Guru within, then he will notlose his balance but will remain in Guru’s will.

Q547: Babaji, on what ground does the relationship of Guruand disciple remain sustained?

Answer: Son, the relationship of Guru and disciple is arelation of purity. If you are truly devoted, Guru won’t beaway from you. That is why you should remain in the refugeof Guru. Remaining in Guru’s will is equivalent to remaining

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in the Will of the Almighty. At the time of initiation, Guruexplains some guidelines; by following them therelationship of Guru and disciple remains sustained.

Q548: Babaji, what is the importance of the efforts of aninitiated person?

Answer: Son, the Bani says, After getting initiation, aperson should practice Nam and get connected to his Guruthrough His Will, then only can he get attached to theAlmighty. Without Guru’s mercy, any effort to meet theAlmighty is futile. Saints and Mystics have said in GuruGranth Sahib, that nothing is in your hands. Everything isin the hands of God. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji has said:

O Nanak, whatever pleases His Will comes to pass. Nothing is inthe hands of these beings.Adi Granth 55

Nothing is in the power of these beings; You created the variousworlds.Adi Granth 469

Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji Maharaj says:

God Himself is the Cause of causes, good and bad - no one hascontrol over these things.Adi Granth 77

My body and wealth are Yours. You are my God - nothing is in mypower.Adi Granth 406

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Saints and religious books inspire us to becomesomething through penances. By getting initiated from aGuru, practicing it regularly, and visualizing Guru within,one can attain the Almighty.

Q549: Babaji, it is said that while doing Bhajan and SimranKal comes in various forms. He also comes in the form ofSatguru. What should one do to save himself from him?

Answer: Son, during Bhajan and Simran Kal comes in manyforms and tries to sidetrack us from the Path. It becomesvery difficult. Especially, when he arrives in the form ofGuru, it is even more difficult. When a person is on hisdeath bed, Kal comes by taking Guru’s form.

Further, I would like to tell you that the appearanceof Kal looks similar to that of Guru, but if you watch closelythe complexion of Guru within is the same as His externalcomplexion, whereas that of Kal is red in colour. Kal hasgolden eyes and a small forehead, whereas the foreheadof Guru is wide. Guru blinks His eyes whereas Kal doesnot. These are all explained at the time of initiation. Onecan save himself by regularly doing Simran of the FiveNames. Through this the image of Kal vanishes.

Q550: Babaji, are Atma (Soul) and Paramatma (SupremeSoul) originally the same?

Answer: Dear son, in what words can I explain to you thatAtma is a part of Paramatma? You can call them OriginalForm and daughter, both are of the same essence. Soul isa form of light just as the Supreme Soul. It is mentioned inthe Bani:

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Says Kabir, our soul is a part of Almighty.Adi Granth 871

Q551: Babaji, some people try to exhibit ghosts by evilspells or witchcraft. Is this true or false and is there a soulin the ghost?

Answer: Dear son, Santmat doesn’t want to entangle youin such matters. Santmat shows the path of getting unitedwith God by taking Nam from a Perfect Master and doingmeditation. It has been stated in Guru Granth Sahib:

At the very last moment, one who thinks of wealth, and dies in suchthoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again, in the form ofserpents.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 suchthoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a prostitute.At the very last moment, one who thinks of his children, and dies insuch thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a pig.At the very last moment, one who thinks of mansions, and dies insuch thoughts, shall be reincarnated over and over again as a goblin.At the very last moment, one who thinks of the Lord, and dies insuch thoughts, says Trilochan, that man shall be liberated; the Lordshall abide in his heart.Adi Granth 526

Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji Maharaj has stated:

Many millions are the Yakshas - the servants of the god of wealth,the Kinnars - the gods of celestial music, and the evil spirits of theDemon.

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Many millions are the evil natured spirits, ghosts, pigs and tigers.Adi Granth 276

There are crores of yaksha, kinnar, pishach; andcrores of Ghosts, pret, pigs and Lions. This is a quote takenfrom Sri Guru Granth Sahib. So we cannot deny thepresence of ghosts. The Satsangis should not besuperstitious and get entraped in topics like ghosts andwitchcraft. Superstition is a disease which cannot be curedeasily.

Q552: Babaji, sometimes even after taking Nam, a personbecomes so sad that he cannot decide anything. At timeshe loses faith in his Guru. In such a situation what shouldhe do?

Answer: Dear son, I think you devote too little time toSatsang - otherwise you would have received the answerto this question by now. According to the Bani two powers- Kal and Dayal, are working within us. The power of Kaltakes the souls toward the negative side, that is, towardsthe wrong side. The power of Dayal tries to unite the soulto God. When a person does Bhajan-Simran after takingNam, the opposing powers of Kal start working vigorously;we face obstacles in our day to day work; sometimes thefamily is hit by illness and disease. The person who hasstrong belief in God can withstand such situationsgracefully. Through Simran and Bhajan all things can bereversed. It can be the result of past Karmas or it can bedue to the opposing power of Kal, but Guru helps thosewho take his shelter and strongly believe in Him. By themercy and grace of Guru a person is able to withstand the

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negative powers of Kal; then mind becomes his friend. Thisis the result of doing Bhajan Simran and being in the refugeof Guru.

Q553: Babaji, I have taken initiation and I am married. Myhusband has not taken Naamdan. Now when I sit formeditation, he is displeased. What is the solution?

Answer: Daughter, before marriage we should gather allthe information regarding the boy, and then only take afinal decision. We should inquire about his intake of non-vegetarian food or alcohol. Even though he is not initiated,is he against Santmat? What is his opinion regarding LivingMasters? Only after analysing all of this information shouldwe take the step of marriage. However, if you are alreadymarried to him, it is his duty not to stop you from doingSimran and attending Satsang. Your responsibility is torespect and love your husband as much as you can. Thereis a proverb which says that ‘A lion in love does no harm.’Your devotion and faith towards your Guru will surely puthim on your track.

Q554: Babaji, does the same soul exist in all creatures rightfrom the ant to an elephant.?

Answer: Dear son, whatever God has created, whateverwe see through our eyes, is created by the power of Nam.Nam is a Power which neither has colour nor shape nor‘physical existence.’ For example, the way electricity haspower, so has Nam. The electric current has the power tolight up a bulb, and run a motor for moving water. Heavyindustry also runs on electricity. In like manner, the same

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Spiritual Power exists in an ant as well as an elephant. Thesame Power works in a child as well as an adult.

Q555: Babaji, one person I know is a vegetarian sincechildhood, and has also taken Naamdan. Another personabandoned vegetarian food when he grew up, but is alsoinitiated. Is there any difference between the two afterreceiving Naamdan?

Answer: Son, suppose the first is a vegetarian and histhoughts are inhuman and the second person is a non-vegetarian but his thoughts are noble. How do we decidewho is better of the two? They can differ based on SimranBhajan, refuge of Guru, detachment, love, inner urge,dedication, etc. It is said that God will hear the weeping ofan ant before the cry of elephant.

Q556: Babaji, what is the meaning of casting sacred visionon the pens? Does the child pass in his exams when youput your ‘Drishti’ on it?

Answer: Dear daughter, I don’t cast my Drishti on pens sothat a child may pass in his exams. It would affect the childpsychologically. I do tell them that my best wishes are withthem, but they will not pass unless and until they workhard.

I make the children stand in a line, and give a sacredgaze (drishti) on their pens. I do this because these innocentchildren believe that if I do so they are sure to pass. I do notwant to dishearten them. If a child feels that inspite ofputting in extra effort he has not succeeded, and Guru alonecan help him, then Drishti really has a positive effect on

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them. It is a matter of faith and nothing else. I will just askyou a question, if I tell the children that Drishti will not helpthem, do you think they will agree? In fact doing so wouldreally dishearten the little ones, which I do not want.

Q557: Babaji, if children of initiated parents go to a temple,a mosque or a church, should they bow down in reverencein the name of these religious places or should they payreverence contemplating on their Guru?

Answer: Son, if you are a Satsangi then you would hardlybe taking your children to temples and mosques. But ifyour children are going to temples and have faith and trustin God, then don’t break their belief. At this tender age,they cannot differentiate between gods and goddess’s orthe importance of adopting a Guru. Their friends havecreated this faith in deities, and faith is God. This can onlyhelp them. If you love your Guru, but don’t have faith inhim, then it won’t be of any help to you. The child hasfaith in deities and this faith will help him throughout hislife. You should take your child to Satsang so that hedevelops good thoughts.

It is not clear whether the child is young or old. Ifthe child is old enough, he should contemplate on his Guru.There is nothing wrong in going to the temples or otherreligious places.

Q558: Babaji, if a person does Seva physically, mentallyand monetarily, but he cannot sit for Bhajan Simran, willhe be benefitted?

Answer: Son, the question which you have asked is

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answered in ‘Question Answer’ Part 1. Try to read itcarefully.

Q559: Babaji, if a person is not getting Guru’s Darshaninside, will he be benefitted by his Darshan outside?

Answer: Son, as far as outside Darshan of Guru isconcerned, it also has its own significance. For example,suppose you are hungry, and your wife has gone out. Youcan see the chapatis through the window but you cannoteat them. Now these chapatis will create craving and desireto have them. Similarly Guru’s external Darshan createseagerness in us and produces desire for internal Darshan.If while meditating there is lack of concentration invisualizing the form of Guru within, then gazing at theGuru‘s photo can also be beneficial (not trying to visualizethe photo itself inside).

So a great importance is given to the externalDarshan of Guru and we also get benefit from it. As wecan only eat the chapattis when the wife returns homeand opens the lock, similarly we can only have the Darshanof Guru when we open the lock within, by Guru’s Nam.The external darshan also has its importance, but unlesswe experience it inside we cannot get success. As we getsatisfaction only after eating chapatis, so we getcontentment and satisfaction by getting Guru‘s internalDarshan.

Q560: Babaji I have taken initiation from Baba Charan Singhji. Many a time at night I had seen Babaji’s image in a largewhite rose. It’s been almost fifteen years now that I don’tsee anything. I am not fit enough to go to Beas as my age

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is 82 years. Now I see your external form. Will I get anybenefit from this?

Answer: Daughter, you have taken initiation from BabaCharan Singh ji. You are very lucky that 15 years ago youhad seen the form of Babaji in a white rose. You have notclarified whether you had seen the form of Babaji in adream or while doing Bhajan. Anyway, whenever you havevisualized the Guru‘s form it’s a great achievement. It wasthe result of your practice, but 15 years have passed andsince then you have not seen the form of your Guru. Youhave written that you are eighty-two years old and youcannot go to Beas but you have not mentioned that youare unwell or you have some financial or any otherproblem.

Daughter, as far as Darshan is concerned, it dependsupon your faith. It definitely affects your inner traits whenyou have the Darshan of any Saint. Just as a tube well willkeep the field green just as the rainfall; but the crop cannotdepend only upon the rain water. The tube well which wehave installed is required to yield the necessary results. Sotry to visualize your own Guru while doing Simran Bhajan.His visualization can only make you free from the cycle ofbirth and death and the rest you must have understood.Daughter, you can go to Beas even at the age of eighty-two. There should not be an age bar for the Darshan ofyour Guru. It’s just an excuse of your mind. Even at my ageof eighty-five I am going to Gorakhpur today for 2 days, toattend the program. I don’t think it is correct to make anexcuse of age to avoid doing any work. It is a sign of laziness.Try to get rid of this habit. Whether you get my Darshan atTarn Taran or in your city, anyhow, you need to walk down.

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Just like that you should go to Beas to have the Darshan ofyour Guru. It is important to be present there.

Q561: Babaji, while doing Bhajan sometime I see abeautiful and cold place where the moon and the starscan be caught with your hands. What is that place?Sometimes I can see it as soon as I sit for Bhajan andsometimes it cannot be seen even after putting a lot ofeffort. Why?

Answer: Try to take yourself beyond the place of stars(Taramandal), moon and sun. This is just the beginning ofBhajan. We should go beyond this and not confine ourselfonly to these places or this level.

Q562: Babaji, when I sit for Bhajan a black, ugly and hugecreature frightens me and sometimes abuses me loudly.He doesn’t move back even after being kicked but movesaway when I contemplate on the form of my Guru. Whatis this thing?

Answer: Son, when we sit for Bhajan the negative powerof Kal creates obstacles to disturb our practice of BhajanSimran. However, when Guru’s image gets manifestedwithin us, the power of Kal becomes ineffective. Try tomove forward in your spiritual journey contemplating onthe form of Guru.

Q563: Babaji, previously when I used to sit in Satsang, Icould see light coming out of your turban and eyes whichilluminated the sangat. I disclosed this experience tosomeone, and now I can neither see that radiant light nor

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can I listen to the Satsang attentively. What should I do?

Answer: Son, it was very rightly said by Baba Pratap SinghJi and Baba Sawan Singh Ji that one should be devotedand regular in attending Satsang to get the maximumbenefit. It is explained in the Satsang that we should bedevoted and have implicit faith in our Guru. While doingBhajan we experience such a stage where we see theRadiant Form of Guru and are filled with bliss. Duringmeditation if we visualize the form of Guru we see thateach strand of His hair sparkles like a precious gem when.When we attain maximum maturity in our spiritual journeyinside, then in the external form of Guru also we seeRadiant light reflecting from his hair, and a halo is seenaround his head. This Radiance seems to be showering onthe sangat. It‘s the result of your highest achievement inmeditation. Do not be baffled by all this.

During Satsang and especially at the time ofNaamdan it is explained and advocated that we shouldnot disclose whatever we experience in the different stagesof our spiritual journey within. If we do disclose thesethings, we fail to experience such Radiant Bliss for manyyears. Sharing these experiences reduces our power. Youcan make amends for this mistake within. Contemplateon Guru and apologize for your blunder. You can alsorequest to the external physical form of Guru regardingthis. Everything will be alright. There is no problem in theworld which has no solution.

Q564: Babaji, there is a big desert where a red sun is seenand sometimes the lightening can also be seen, whichregion is this?

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Answer: Son after being initiated when we becomesuccessful and gain maximum maturity in doing BhajanSimran, we cross ‘Sahansdal Kamal’ by seeing the light ofJyot (Divine Light), and then cross the very dark lane calledthe crooked path of Bunk Nal and reach to the boundaryof Trikuti where we can see the light of the rising sun andhear the sound of thunderbolts. That is the region ofBrahm. Swami Ji Maharaj stated in his bani:

Now proceed to the second region. Behold Trikuti, the abode of Guru.There abides the Dhun (sound) of Omkar, and resounds the thunderof dark and heavy clouds.This is the region of the red morning Sun where Guru reveals His NameSarbachan 26:2:1-3

Q565: Babaji, when we meet a person even one time weare able to recall his appearance later on, but in spite ofbeing in your company most of the time it seems difficultto recall your image. Why is this so?

Answer: Son, the image of the person whom we love canbe recalled at any time; but it is not so easy to visualize theform of Guru within, even after getting initiation. It involvespractice of Bhajan Simran. Kal is a negative power. Hecreates obstacles. We can understand all these by listeningto Satsang.

Q566: Babaji, sometimes I wake up at night and think ofsitting in Bhajan but again fall asleep. While sleeping alsosometimes I have Darshan of Guru and get Prashad. Is it adream or my mind being devoted to Bhajan?

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Answer: Son, it is only a dream. Your mind can be devotedto Bhajan Simran only when you are in a conscious state.You have mentioned that you received Prashad too whichis highly amazing. I thing it was merely a dream. Do nottake it seriously.

Q567: Babaji, I keep insisting that my family members andchildren attend satsang, but they do not pay heed to myrequest. What should be done so that they develop aninclination towards satsang?

Answer: Son, if they are not willing to attend Satsang, it isGod’s Will. If children do not accompany you, then youhave the opportunity to listen to the Satsang attentively.Don‘t worry about it. Make your life style such that theyget motivated and inspired by your example and one daysurely they will walk in your footsteps. I think the childrenyou are talking about are not mature enough to take acorrect decision. At this age they love to play and enjoy,especially at holidays. Have patience and let them growup so that they are able to make the right decision.

Q568: Babaji, I would like to understand how reading orlistening to your verses and scriptures help in our Spiritualdevelopment within?

Answer: Son, it all depends on how well you read andappreciate it. You can experience spiritual developmentinside only through Bhajan–Simran as expounded by yourGuru. Guru Nanak Dev Ji has explained very well in thisverse:

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You may read and read loads of books; you may read and studyvast multitudes of books.You may read and read boatloads of books; you may read and readand fill pits with them.You may read them year after year; you may read them as manymonths as there are.You may read them all your life; you may read them with every breath.O’ Nanak, only one thing is of any account: everything else is uselessbabbling and idle talk in ego.Adi Granth 467

Q569: Babaji, there are many people who have receivedinitiation from you, but they neither come to Satsang nordo they come to Dera. They are unhappy at their homesand go to graves and tombs. What is the reason behind it?

Answer: Son, the person may have taken Naamdan duethe pressure from his life partner, or his friends may havecompelled him to take Naamdan. He was destined to beinitiated, so he received this blessing. Presently, maybe heis not destined to practice bhajan. It is bad when we don’tdo Bhajan and Simran after taking Nam. Going to tombsand graves is even worse than this. They are helplesswanderers. They are not aware it will gain them nothing.In fact, their troubles will multiply. Son, this is the realm ofKal due to which all these things happen.

Q570: Babaji, I have been initiated by Baba Charan SinghJi. After he left for His heavenly abode I never had hisDarshan within. Now I am very much in love with you. Ialways listen to your Satsang. Sometimes I feel like takingNaamdan from you. Will it be alright?

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Answer: Son you are fortunate that you received Naamdanfrom Baba Charan Singh Ji. You have mentioned that afterHe left for His heavenly abode, you did not visualize Himwithin. Now you have developed love and affectiontowards me and also listen to my Satsang. This is alright,however the idea of receiving Nam from me is notacceptable. This is entirely incorrect. After initiatingsomeone the Guru may part from him physically, but notspiritually. So it is wrong to ever think of getting initiatedthe second time after already having received Naamdanfrom a Perfect Master. Your Guru, Maharaj Charan SinghJi is solely entitled to unite you with the Almighty.

Q571: Babaji, in a family husband and wife both havereceived Nam. You have mentioned that Guru can liberatethe souls of the initiated ones and take them to Sach Khandin four births. If the husband is reborn will he have thesame wife?

Answer: Son, it is not compulsory that Guru will purify thesoul and take him to Sachkhand in four births. Saintsexplain in this way so that the people do not getdisheartened, but it is not necessary. Kal’s realm is so vastthat it can take more time to free the soul from the cycleof eighty-four. It also depends on the Grace of Guru andthe devotion of the disciple. Guru can take him even in hisfirst or second birth. Unless a disciple reaches Sachkhandby doing Bhajan-Simran, he cannot be liberated from thecycle of birth and death. It is also not necessary that inyour next birth you will again be united with your presentwife.

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Q572: Babaji, in Satsang the Saints preach and advocatedoing charitable works. If someone knocks at our door foralms, may we help him? The problem I find is that he usesthat money for non–vegetarian food and intoxicants. Dowe pay for his karmas also?

Answer: Son, I have given the answer to this question in‘Question Answer’ Part –I. Get the information from thereand try to listen to Satsang to elevate your queries.

Q573: Babaji, if a person does not pay his debts or dieswithout paying them, will his debt be excused, or will hehave to take rebirth in order to clear his dues?

Answer: Son, Sri Guru Ram Das Ji Maharaj says:

The body is the field of action in this Dark Age of Kali Yuga; as youplant, so shall you harvest.Adi Granth 308

In his priceless bani ‘Barah Maha’ Sri Guru Arjun DevJi Maharaj has stated:

In the month of Katak, do good deeds. Do not try to blame anyoneelse.Adi Granth 135

We have to give an account of every action of ours.If you have lent money to someone and he has not repaidhis dues, do not keep that in your mind. If you do so youhave to take rebirth. We have to clear all the dues of themerchant who keeps the record of every single paisa in

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his register that is lent. If we do not keep a record of atransaction in our book of accounts, and have forgottenabout it after lending, then we do not have to take rebirth.The debt which we have not paid has to be cleared.

Q574: Babaji, if a mediator fixes the marriage of a girl andafter four or five years the girl commits suicide, will themediator be considered a sinner?

Answer: Son, the mediator can not be considered a sinner.The mediator was only the means by which destiny wasfulfilled. If the girl committed suicide, it was due to herprarabdh karma (destiny). There must be some karmicaccount from her previous birth.

Q575: Babaji, there is a person who is unable to speak orhear but he receives your Darshan in Satsang, and alsohas immense love for you. Will he be liberated or has heto take rebirth?

Answer: Son, he will get rebirth. He is already in the queuewhere there is hope to unite with the Almighty. In his nextbirth he will get initiation and be successful based uponhis Bhajan-Simran and devotion.

Q576: Babaji, if somebody makes fun of a person who hasaccepted Radha Soami Mat, then what should be done?Should he hide that he is a follower of Radha Soami Mat,oppose the person who is making fun of him, or keepquiet?

Answer: Son, the person is stamped as Radha Soami the

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moment he receives Naamdan. It reflects his lack of faithand confidence if he tries to hide this identity.

If people make fun of him then he should lovinglyexplain the philosophy of Radha Soami Mat. Tell themabout the glory of Guru. Tell them anecdotes of the Guru.A day will come when they will also take initiation fromGuru and will say upon meeting you, “I am also awakened.”

Q577: Babaji, if a person has made a request for somethingand his request has not been granted should he make asecond request?

Answer: Son, asking for it a second time will embarrassthe other person. He should develop his own selfconfidence and should have a strong belief in his Guru.

Q578: Babaji, I work hard in sports but I don’t get success.Shall I continue this struggle or concentrate on my studies?

Answer: Son, there are people who play sports as well asstudy. They get high merits in study and are also goodplayers of sports. You should continue to focus on yourstudies but also devote time to sports; then only can yoube successful. There are so many examples of people whohave been good in academics as well as sports. Takeinspiration from them.

Q579: Babaji, is there any specific age for getting initiation,or can a person receive Naamdan at any age by HisBlessing?

Answer: Son, whenever, by His mercy, the thought of

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taking Naamdan comes in mind, we should talk about it toour Guru. Now, it solely depends on Him when he wishesto shower his mercy. There is no time or age limit forreceiving Naamdan. If it is in our destiny, we will definitelyget it.

Q580: Babaji, in most of your satsangs you explain thateverything is happening at His Will. Human beings are notresponsible for these acts, as it is beyond their control. Sowhy do we suffer?

Answer: Son, an educated person analyzes so much thathe tries to prove everything with logic. Sri Guru Arjun DevJi Maharaj says:

The One Lord Himself destroys and also preserves.Nothing at all is in the hands of mortal beings.Adi Granth 281

Even though Gurbani says that everything is in God’shand; it does not mean that we should sit idle. Gurbanialso says that we have to go through our prarabdh,kriyaman and sanchit karmas. A person has worked hardfor a month and gets a salary. On the way, while drinkingwater, he leaves his bag in which he had kept his moneynear the tap and runs to catch a bus. After going somedistance, he remembers that he left the bag. His work wasfrom his Kriyaman karmas which gave him his salary, buthe lost it on the way due to his Prarabdh Karma.

So do all your work honestly but leave the results toGod. Son, people don’t know what will happen to them,but when something bad happens they become unhappy.

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Instead of blaming, we should try and understand that weare under the influence of our karmas.

Q581: Babaji, it is said that there is no need for a personto go on pilgrimage if he has an old mother and father athome. That he will get the same blessings by serving hisparents. If a situation arises where the child takes care ofhis father and in return the father ends up making mistakesand abusing the child; in such cases, what should the sondo about his father?

Answer: Son, if children take care of their father, it is saidthat they get more blessings than they would get by visitingreligious places. For instance, while going to a religiousplace, if on the way you come across an animal or humanbeing who is in trouble or pain, and you find that it needshelp; if you sincerely take care of it and save its life, theblessings you get is far greater than you can get by goingto religious places.

Hazrat Junaid Bagdadi Sahib was on his way to Haj.On the way, he came across a dog lying on the road. Itslegs were badly wounded and bleeding as a vehicle hadrun over him. He was in severe pain and the dog was notin a position to walk anymore. Hazrat Sahib decided totake care of the dog instead of going to Haj. He lifted thedog carefully, cleaned it and dressed its wounds. Thebleeding stopped and the dog was feeling better.

The dog was very thirsty but there was no provisionfor water so Hazrat Sahib went to a nearby well. Therewas no bucket or rope, so he made a cup out of leavesfrom the nearby trees and a rope using his turban, but stillthe cup did not reach the water. Now he removed the loin

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cloth which he wore around his waist and tied it to histurban and again dropped it down the well. He was nowable to get the water out and managed to quench the dog’sthirst. Through proper care, the dog came back to life.

There was a Mosque nearby. Hazrat Sahib went tothe Mosque and said to the Mullah, “I am going for Haj,until I return, please take good care of this dog. Once I amback from Haj, I will take it along with me.”

While he slept, Hazrat Sahib came in his dream andsaid, “Your Haj is accepted. You have taken good care ofone of my souls and shown mercy and kindness towardsit. This kind service of yours is far superior to going on Hajor any other pilgrimage. You need not go for Haj now.

You see, if he had been adamant about going for Hajwithout nursing the dog, his Haj would not have beenaccepted. So he was rewarded for the services herendered. In this way it is seen that more blessings areshowered on people who serve others rather than justvisiting religious places and organizing religiousceremonies. These examples taken from the spiritualstories help us to tread on the right path and lead a moral life.

Yes, you have mentioned that in spite of serving yourfather, he curses and abuses you. His curses will have noaffect on you, don’t worry. He himself has earned cursesin his life. Whatever a person possesses, he can give onlythat to others. If he has not earned and received anyvirtuous possessions, how can he give you the same.

Q582: Babaji, a father has brought up his children throughsheer hardship. In the course of this he gets addicted tosome intoxicant. Now he is old and unable to earn hislivelihood. Isn’t it the duty of his children to take good care

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of him and provide him the intoxicant that he needs?

Answer: Son, so the father indulged in intoxicants whiletoiling hard to nourish and support his children. He is oldnow and unable to earn so he has no money to buy hisintoxicants. He is helpless and desires to take monetaryhelp from his children to fulfill his needs. It is a pitiablesituation and it is difficult for him to get rid of this addiction.I think considering his condition the children can help himin getting the intoxicant needed so that he leads the restof his life peacefully. Although it is difficult to do, if serviceis rendered honestly and sincerely without grumbling, thenit will not have any adverse effect in your karmic account.The act of providing intoxicants is morally wrong, but insuch a situation this can be rectified through Bhajan-Simran. Son, I would like to stress and say that this decisionis not applicable to other satsangis. Due to the acutenessof the circumstances, certain decisions have to be taken.

Q583: Babaji, if a person gives one-tenth of his earningsto his parents will he be benefited? If the same money isdonated to a religious institution will it gather the samereward? Which is better?

Answer: Son, you have put forward a very complexquestion. It seems you are wise enough, but dual-minded.Considering my age and experience you are seeking ananswer from me. Son, as far as sharing your earnings withyour parents is considered, this is your foremost duty. Theyhave sacrificed a lot in bringing you up, getting youeducated and making you successful and capable ofearning. Service to parents is service to the Almighty. Just

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as one buys something, paying with cash, in the samemanner, service done to parents is a cash transaction andinstantly rewarded. Serving parents is just like you wouldtender and care for a wound on your own body. You arenot doing a favour or obliging anyone, it is our duty. Doingso, we please the Almighty as well as our parents.

Service rendered to parents should in no way becompared to the services done for religious institutions.After serving your parents, depending upon your capacitya portion of your earnings should also be devoted to anyreligious place.

Q584: Babaji, a person visits Dera with the intention ofdoing Sewa, however, he falls sick and is unable to renderthe intended service. He has Langar and tea and returnshome. Will he still be benefited?

Answer: Son, if a devotee visits Dera with the intention ofdoing Sewa but unfortunately falls sick and is unable to doso, then the noble thought itself protects him from someadversity which might have befallen on him. His problemsbecome negligible. In Dera one should have Langar. Heleft home for Dera with a good intention. The moment heentered Dera and paid reverence to Guru, thereafter itbecomes the responsibility of Guru to take care of him.Even if he falls ill and is unable to do the Sewa and repentsover it, his Sewa is still accepted. If he had not visited Dera,maybe he would have met with an accident and becomehandicapped. He has escaped and been saved from thebad effects of his karmas.

Q585: Babaji, all the members of my family have been

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initiated except one who eats meat and drinks alcohol. Healso comes to Dera and listens to satsang. Will he bebenefited? Will his family members be affected due to hiskarmas?

Answer: Son, it’s a matter of luck that all the members ofsuch a respectable family have been initiated except onewho eats meat and is an alcoholic, but he also comes toDera and listens to satsang. As a matter of fact, he is underthe control of Kal. The Almighty had given birth to sixteensons. Their names are as follows: Kurum Bhakt, Gyani Ji,Vivek Ji, Sahaj Bhakt, Niranjan, Santosh Ji, Subhav Ji, AnandJi, Kshyama Ji, Nishkam Ji, Jalrangi Ji, Achint Ji, Prem Li,Deendayal Ji, Dhiraj Ji and Jogjit Ji. His fifth son is Niranjan,who after a great penance, has taken the stock of soulsfrom the Almighty. He does not allow any soul to go beyondhis realm towards the Almighty. This is how the wholesystem has been functioning against the Almighty.

If a person born in a family does not take Naamdan,and is involved in immoral deeds, it brings a bad name andpain to the entire family. While doing Bhajan and Simran,their mind gets distracted. The company of wrong peoplealso brings disrepute. The rest of the family members havealready been initiated by the Guru. Guru will protect thefamily as it is his responsibility. By listening to satsang andgetting the Darshan of Guru, he will be saved from thecycle of eighty-four. Guru’s Darshan gets imprinted in hismind. In his next birth, he will get initiated but will remainunhappy throughout his life. For his wrong doings, he hasto bear the consequences. Sri Guru Ramdas ji MaharajSays,

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By falsehood and deception, none have found Him. Whatever youplant you shall eat.Adi Granth 40

As they plant, so shall they harvest.Adi Granth 366

The fifth Guru Sri Arjun Dev Ji Maharaj, in Sri GuruGranth Sahib Ji says:

As she has planted, so does she harvest; such is the field of karma.Adi Granth 134

Whatever we have sown, we have to reapaccordingly.

Q586: Babaji, after getting initiated a person does lot ofBhajan and Simran, but does not see anything inside. Aftersome time he stops doing Bhajan and Simran. When hesubmits this to his Guru, the Guru replies “Son, keeptrying.” Babaji, how much time should be devoted to this?

Answer: Son, your question is absolutely correct. A persongets initiated to unite with the Almighty. After receivingNaamdan, if there is no spiritual progress within, there isno need to panic. Swami Ji Maharaj says:

Devote one life to devotion to Guru; attain Nam, in the second life:reach Mukti Pad (i.e. Sunn) in the third life; attain Nij Dham, the finalabode, in the fourth life.Sarbachan 8:1:68

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Son, you are treading the right path, do not getdisheartened and upset. It is only natural that if we do notattain our goal, we feel helpless and lost. Try to be regularin attending Satsang.

During Bhajan-Simran if we contemplate andconcentrate on the form of the Guru, then within fiveminutes we may attain the trance state. But if yourattention is towards your wife and children; and inebriatedwith worldly honours and wealth, then you cannot attainspiritual progress inside even if you sit in Bhajan Simranfor two hours. At the time of Bhajan when the vision ofGuru appears at the eye centre, it’s like having a glimpseof the Almighty. This spiritual bliss experienced cannot beexpressed in words. You keep doing your duty andpracticing Bhajan-Simran. A time will come when you willdefinitely achieve your destination.

Q587: Babaji, if a satsangi girl is beaten up by her drunkardhusband should she bear the atrocities inflicted on her, orget a divorce and remarry.

Answer: Son, the relationship between a husband and awife is a strong bond of love. But you have mentioned thatthe husband abuses and beats his wife. It becomes verydifficult for the wife. First of all try to find out why he israising his hands on his wife. If the reason is known, onecan come up with a solution.

Son, as far as my point of view is concerned, the girlshould not leave the path of love and affection. A day willcome when she will be amply rewarded. Love is sopowerful that it can even make a lion, the king of the jungle,bow down and surrender. If she is inclined to follow the

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path of love and affection then continue. Love only unitespeople and does not separate them.

Q588: Babaji, the people whose homes you visit are veryintimate to you. I think that they are graced and blessedmore than those who are unable to get closer to you. Isthis correct thinking Babaji?

Answer: Son, a father has five sons. One son gets veryintimate with his father through his love, devotion anddedication. The other sons lack these qualities andcomplain that the father does not love them. The fathersays, “I love you all equally.” You have a misconceptionwhich is making you sad. The father sees that everythingthat he has is equally distributed amongst his sons. Pleaserelate any incident to justify that I have been partial or Ihave favoured anybody? Son, Santmat is a path of loveand devotion. The more you love anybody, the same youget in return. Life is an echo. Stop being jealous and enviousand change your views and start generating thoughts oflove.

Q589: Babaji, I am fond of playing cricket, but my parentscompel me to concentrate on my studies. Should I listento my heart or to my parents?

Answer: Son, as far as studies is concerned it is veryimportant. As far as sports is concerned, son, peopleschedule their programme in such a way that they are ableto devote time not only to sports, but also for studying.You should get inspired by their example. You will only besuccessful if you can manage your time properly for

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studying and also for playing.Son, I have come across many boys who were very

much fond of cricket, but hardly had time for studies. Inspite of working hard and playing well, they could notqualify for the state cricket team. Playing for small teamsis like passing time. Because of this, they could not evenpass their exams. After completion of studies theirclassmates got good jobs (but they did not). Therefore,when you study, keep your attention toward your studies;and when you play, keep your attention focused on playing.

Q590: Babaji, can there be any difference in the lifestyleof a child if he is named after a famous personality?

Answer: Son, whether it creates a difference in his life ornot is a different matter. If a child is named after a famouspersonality who was a great scholar of his time, but thechild does not create a mark for himself, then it is a matterof embarrassment for the child.

Q591: Babaji, after a person gets initiated, does he bearthe consequences of his karmas or is he exempt from hiswrong doings?

Answer: Son, to kill any living being is a sin. Those whocommit this sin purposely have to face harshconsequences. Certain creatures are unintentionally killedby us. For example, we step on certain insects whilewalking. Everyday while breathing we inhale microscopicgerms. Some germs and viruses are also in the water andmilk which we consume. These sins are punishable, butthrough initiation and by the practice of Bhajan Simran

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these sins are wiped off.

Q592: Babaji, why do wrong thoughts arise in our mind?Will it ever end?

Answer: Son, the Almighty did not sow the seed of badthought in you. You alone are responsible for your thoughtprocess. The situation and circumstances play a veryimportant role in our mind and thoughts, for instance,when a poor man becomes rich, his entire perceptionregarding the world changes. He might even indulge incertain immoral deeds which are against humanity. Aperson might resort to taking bribes. He might get involvedin unethical works. It becomes imperative to take thecompany of a Saint and take His refuge in order to get allsins wiped off before it’s too late and you find yourselfbehind bars. In the sharan (refuge) of Saints we aretransformed from the worst to the best. Sri Guru TegBahadur Ji Maharaj says:

O mind, contemplate the Sanctuary of God.Meditating on Him in remembrance, Ganika the prostitute wassaved; enshrine His Praises within your heart.Adi Granth 632

Sri Guru Amar Das Ji Maharaj says:

O my mind, coming to the Sanctuary of the Guru, you shall becomeimmaculate and pure.Adi Granth 39

Q593: Babaji, it is said that a satsangi should havetolerance. What is the meaning of tolerance and what

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should be the code of conduct of a satsangi?

Answer: Son, you have written in your letter that a personshould have tolerance and good conduct. To createtolerance involves two or three steps. Firstly to getinitiated, then to practice Bhajan-Simran, then tocontemplate on the form of Guru within and mergeyourself into the Almighty as a drop merges into the ocean.To become merely initiated is not sufficient; if donepractically, only then can we become something.

Q594: Babaji, nowadays people are taking the aid of‘intoxicants’ to avoid stress. Is there any other way to avoidstress?

Answer: Son, it is a fact that stress has become a commonphenomenon in the majority of households today. It is notcreated within us by the Almighty, we are responsible forit. We wish to be at par with those people who are richand famous, but we don’t want to work as hard as theydo. We question their success and our abilities bygenerating tension and worries. We generate negativethoughts in our mind which thereby leads to stress andtension. Don’t be jealous, but try to get inspired. Pray tothe Almighty to make you like them. Don’t burn yourself(in jealousy) if somebody is wearing expensive clothes.Request the Almighty to bless you to fulfill your desire ofhaving a similar kind of clothes. Your wisdom gets burnedup by jealousy. So, take the refuge of your Guru. Devotemore time to Bhajan and Simran. Doing so, you will beblessed with everything. By going through your question,one can make out that you devote too little time to Satsang.

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Try to attend Satsang regularly.

Q595: Babaji, how can a Guru bring back a person to theright path if he has deviated away from it.

Answer: Son, firstly Guru never lets any person go to thewrong path, but the domain of Kal is so vast and strongthat we are influenced by it and get entrapped in wrongdoings. A person may get involved with a beautiful girl orcommit thefts or robbery. He will be punished and mayeven be sent to jail. Guru warns him that it is wrong andhe will have to face the consequences, but Kal exerts suchpressure and influence on him that he does not pay heedand winds up in prison.

It is seen that while spinning yarn, when the threadgets tangled and knotted, the wise and intelligent womanwill cut the thread and join it at a new place and startagain. In the same way, when a person takes the refuge ofGuru, after wandering aimlessly and realizing his mistake,Guru showers blessings on him and puts him on the righttrack. The problem is that people don’t understand thisearly enough, so it becomes too late when they have therealization. Guru is so gracious to them that they turn overa new leaf. He also ends their circle of eighty-four.

Q596: Babaji, what is the difference between faith andsuperstition?

Answer: Son, after receiving Naamdan, when a personpractices Bhajan Simran and gets connected to his Guruwithin, then nobody can deter or shake his faith. He isdevoted to his Guru with implicit faith and trust. Another

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person is also initiated but is not devoted and does notpractice Bhajan–Simran. Instead of having trust and faithin his Guru he walks on the path of superstition. Beingdevoid of real faith in Guru he cannot be successful.

Q597: Babaji, is there any other world beyond ours?

Answer: Son, this is clearly mentioned in Sri Guru GranthSahib:

There are nether worlds beneath nether worlds, and hundreds ofthousands of heavenly worlds above.The Vedas say that you can search and search through them alluntil you grow weary.Adi Granth 5

Q598: Babaji, it is said that there are many other bodiesseparate from this physical body. What is the differencebetween these bodies? For example, what is the differencebetween the astral body which is seen in dreams, and thecausal body?

Answer: Son, bodies are of three kinds: physical, astral,and causal. The elements in these bodies are different ineach case. Physical body is one which we can see throughour naked eyes. It consists of five elements. They are asfollows:

1. Earth2. Water3. Fire4. Air

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5. Ether (sky)

When we dream, we are in the Suksham body. Itconsists of seventeen elements. These seventeen elementsare as follows:Five organs of action:1) Hands2) Feet3) Lips4) Rectum5) Genital OrganFive sense organs:1) Eyes2) Ears3) Nose4) Tongue5) SkinFour attributes of consciousness:1) Mind2) Wisdom3) Intellect4) EgoThree attributes or states of matter1) Rajo guna (Activity)2) Tamo guna (Inertia or sloth)3) Sato guna (Harmony or purity)

Just above this we have one more body which wecall causal body. We can understand this body only whenthrough practice of meditation we reach the third eye. Thecausal body is comprised of the purified form of the fiveelements. They are mentioned as below:

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1) Shabad (Sound)2) Saparash (Touch, feel or sensation)3) Roop (form or shape)4) Ras (extract, liquid or juice)5) Gandh (flavour or smell)

Within the physical body is the astral body and withinthe astral body is the causal body. This physical body willbe finished one day. It is an abode made of the fiveelements of earth, water, fire, air and ether in which thesoul resides.

After getting initiation, through practice ofmeditation, we can go beyond these three bodies and getconnected to the Almighty. As long as we are inside thesethree bodies, we are always in pain and agony. It’s a truefact that one is happier in the causal body than the othertwo, but in all these bodies there is imprisonment andentanglement. Unless, we are free from these bodies, wewill never be happy.

Q599: Babaji, do we attain the Almighty by slaughteringanimals and other beings for the purpose of sacrificialofferings made to the dieties?

Answer: Son, in Santmat, violence, slaughtering, killing,etc. is strictly prohibited. We can get united with theAlmighty only through one method: to die while living. Forthis you need to get initiation, follow the Path taught byGuru and visualize the form of Guru inside. Apart fromthis there is no other substitute or alternative method forthe unification of the soul with the Almighty. Sri Guru ArjunDev Ji Maharaj says:

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How may I meet my Master, the King, the Lord of the Universe?Is there any Saint, who can bestow such celestial peace, and showme the Way to Him?Adi Granth 204

Q600: Babaji, what is the best time to do Bhajan andSimran?

Answer: Son, this question has been raised earlier inQuestions & Answers Part-1. Do read that book if you havenot already. Since you want to know, I’ll again explain thatthere is no specific time for doing Bhajan-Simran. The GreatSaints have emphasized and suggested the early morninghours between 3:00 am and 6:00 am as the best, and theideal time for meditation; the reason being that there areno disturbances during those hours. At that time we arealso free from our daily activities. But you can do BhajanSimran whenever you get time. The only thing is that itshould be done with dedication and concentration.

Q 601: Babaji, what is the difference between a Satguruand a common man?

Answer: Son, there are two electrical motors and they bothseem to be same. One is connected to the electrical powerbut the other is not. Now both are in standstill condition.When the motors are switched on, it will be known whichmotor is connected to the power source. Similarly Satguruis connected to the Supreme Power, the Almighty. Satguruis so deeply absorbed or engrossed in the Almighty thathe has become His incarnation. A common man is just likethat electric motor which is not connected to an electric

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outlet, which means that he is not connected to theAlmighty due to lack of Bhajan Simran.

Q602: Babaji, has Kal created this whole world? Are peoplein this world suffering here due to their own deeds, or arethey getting punished by God?

Answer: Son, if you read Anurag Sagar you will get theanswer to many of your queries. I reiterate that the wholeuniverse has been created by the Holy Name. That HolyNaam is the Supreme Power, or we can call it the Almighty.He has created this Universe after a lot of deliberation.

Q603: Babaji, what happens to the soul when it getsliberated from the body?

Answer: Son, it is clearly explained in the Holy Scripturesthat soul is a part of the Almighty. It is stated in the Bani:

Says Kabir, our soul is a part of Almighty.Adi Granth 871

The Almighty is the Ocean whereas the soul is like adroplet of water in it. God has no color and shape. ShriGuru Arjun Dev Ji Maharaj had stated:

He has no form, no shape, and no color. God is beyond the threeAttributes (Harmony, Activity, Sloth).They alone understand Him, O Nanak, with whom He is pleased.Adi Granth 283

If God has no shape and color, then how can the soul?

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When we are aware and know that God is formless, thenit is not sensible to consider the soul having a definiteshape. You can understand it by an analogy: when a balloonfilled with air bursts, then the air inside it gets absorbedinto the atmosphere. Similarly, after death, the soul getsabsorbed into the Storehouse from where it originated,which has no color or form.

Q604: Babaji, how many years does it take for a soul tocomplete the cycle of 84?

Answer: Son, a lot of calculation is needed to arrive at thesolution to this question. It would not be an easy task forthe computer either. If we take the Holy Name from Guruand practice it, but we are not redeemed in this first birth,then we will get the human body again in the next birth.Guru has promised to purify and liberate our soul withinfour births. In reply to your question it is to be noted thatthere are 30 lakh type of trees, 27 lakh type of insects, 14lakh type of birds, 9 lakh type of water animals, and 4 lakhtype of demons, deities, humans, etc. Even if 10 years arespent in each birth then it comes out to be 8 crore 40 lakhs(eight-four million years). Even the hills and mountainshave got a lifetime of thousands and lakhs of years. Thereare some trees whose life is as long as 5000 years. If wekeep on counting then we will be more confused and won’tarrive at any solution.

Q605: Babaji, in the scriptures there is mention of ‘BrahmGyan’, kindly tell us something about it.

Answer: Son, it is very clear that Brahm is a stage or level

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in the course of our Spiritual Journey. The knowledge whichwe attain after reaching that stage is known as ‘BrahmGyan’.

Q606: Babaji, up until now, how many times has the worldbeen created and destroyed, and how long will this processcontinue?

Answer: Son, if you have to complete the course in generalknowledge then you will require the answer of thisquestion. However, our only aim is to merge our soul withthe Almighty. It is obvious that after the destruction of thisworld it was again created. It cannot be estimated exactlyhow many times this universe has been destroyed andcreated again. No Saint or scripture has mentioned thisfact. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj has stated in JapujiSahib:

The day and the date are not known to the Yogis, nor is the monthor the season.The Creator who created this creation - only He Himself knows.Adi Granth 4

Regarding Grand Dissolution, the creation up throughBhanwargufa is destroyed. If God wishes, then he recreatesthis universe again by the Nam. The process continues likethis. In order to get more information regarding the age ofthe universe, the age of Brahma, Vishnu, Shivji, etc., read‘Questions and Answers Part I’. Everything is explained inthis book.

Q607: Babaji, please explain the meaning of the quotation

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given by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj ‘Panch ParvanPanch Pardhan’.

Answer: Son, the explanation of the quotation which youhave asked has been explained by many Saints andphilosophers. You should try to study that. I have alsoexplained this in my book Kita Pasawo Eko Kawao. You canread that also. Hope you will get the answer to yourquestion from that.

Q608: Babaji, I believe that human life is precious, and wealso need to adopt a Perfect Guru. How can we distinguishbetween the one who is Perfect and the Guru who is not?

Answer: Son, you seem to be very wise as you haveunderstood these things. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharajhas stated:

Out of all the 8.4 million species of beings,God blessed mankind with glory.That human who misses this chance, shall suffer the pains of comingand going in reincarnation.Adi Granth 1075

Serving the Guru, Bhakti is practiced.Then, this human body is obtained.Even the gods long for this human body.So, through this body, do meditation, and service to God.Adi Granth 1159

You are absolutely right that we need to adopt aPerfect Guru in our life. According to Guru Nanak Dev Ji,

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Shabad Guru is the Perfect Guru. When we practicemeditation, Satguru gets manifested inside us who helpsus to merge with the Shabad Guru. Guru Sahib had stated:

The Name of the Lord, Har, Har, is the boat, and the Word of theGuru’s Shabad is the boatman, to carry us across.Adi Granth 833

One who serves the Guru, knows his Lord and Master.His grief is erased, and he realizes the True Word of the Shabad.Adi Granth 416

The human form of Guru is made of the fiveelements. He provides us the knowledge of Satguru andShabad Guru. We ignorant beings are unable to understandthe true meaning of Satguru and Shabad Guru. The PerfectLiving Master is the one who explains all these things indetail and helps us to merge with the Shabad Guru.

Q609: Babaji, there is a saying that one cannot attain realBhakti without controlling his mind. What is mind and howcan it be controlled?

Answer: Son, mind and soul are the two powers whichare controlling the entire universe from within. Soul is thedaughter of the Almighty and mind is a part of Kal Niranjan.Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji has said that one wins the worldby controlling his mind. If one has to win (gain) himself orthe world, it is always better to control your mind (andwin yourself). There is only one way to control your mindand that is through the Nam comprised of Five PreciousWords. After getting initiated, through regular Bhajan-

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Simran, one can gain control over his mind. The process ofcontrolling the mind has been discussed in Shri GuruGranth Sahib.

How very rare are those in this world who, through the Guru,subdue their minds, and contemplate the Word of the Shabad.Adi Granth 1125

Each and every moment, my mind roams and rambles, and runs allover the place. It does not stay in its own home, even for an instant.But when the bridle of the Shabad, the Word of God, is placed overits head, it returns to dwell in its own home.Adi Granth 1179

Q610: Babaji, how can we remain gracefully balanced inboth the states of happiness and sorrow?

Answer: Son, the answer to this question has already beengiven in Question Answer Part-1. Do try to read it.

Q611: Babaji, how do you distinguish between deities anddemons?

Answer: Son, it is clear through their names who they are.A pious person is called a deity and a cruel person is calleda demon. Many such great souls have been treated asdeities in the Holy Scriptures. Among those, some of themare treated as the Almighty by us. Thus a deity is one whois closer to the Almighty and believes in Him. A demon isone who neither believes in the existence of the Almightynor involves himself in good deeds; although he too isconsidered one of the souls of the Almighty.

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Q612: Babaji, can humans become deities or divinebeings?

Answer: Son, humans are born as divine beings. You don‘trequire any degree, or to pass any exam to be like deity.You need to imbibe virtues in yourself to be addressed asa divine being. It should be noted that Lord Rama and LordKrishna were regarded as deities because of their divine,virtuous behavior and attitude. Son, don‘t entangleyourself in such issues unnecessarily. Why deliberate onmatters which are irrelevant and take you nowhere? Oneshould raise questions pertaining to ones personalproblems or spiritual matters, which need a solution.

Q613: Babaji, it is said that everything has been createdby a special power just as the Almighty is the Creator ofthe universe; but who has given birth to the Almighty?

Answer: Son, the Almighty is the Creator of everything.Now who has given birth to the Almighty? This Power hasdeveloped on its own. The moment you come to knowwho has created the Almighty, you will attain a higherstature than the Almighty. It is like asking a question as towhether the chicken or the egg came first. One cannotattain positive results if he continually raises questions.For example, if you come to know who has created theAlmighty, and people start believing it, then you will betreated as a learned scholar. The result of this will be thatyou won’t be able to attain Him. You should try your bestto devote maximum time to your Spiritual Practices within.Then the results will be positive.

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Q614: Babaji, we all know death is inevitable, so why arepeople afraid to die?

Answer: Son, people are afraid of death because theyhave not experienced it. The moment they experienceit, even if it is before their final liberation from this world,they will be free from the fear of death. In order toremove the fear of death the Great Saints advocate thatone should die while living. This doesn’t mean that oneshould commit suicide or end his life, it simply meansthat one should experience the Nam within throughpractice and experience death while still living. When wepractice Nam after getting initiated from Guru, then wedie while living and experience death. It has been statedin the Bani:

O Nanak, remain dead while yet alive - practice such a Yoga.Adi Granth 730

Q 615: Babaji, when you initiate souls, some experienceSpiritual Bliss at that very moment while others do not.Please explain why?

Answer: Son, this depends upon the piousness of thedisciple. If his heart is pure, he experiences the spiritualbliss that very moment. For example if someone wishesto be part of military but has a cataract problem, he doesnot get selected. When he goes to a doctor to get operatedon, his eyesight again becomes normal. I think you haveunderstood what I mean to say. If in a previous birthsomeone has taken Nam but not succeeded completely,then in the next birth it will not be difficult to go inside as

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soon as Nam is taken.

Q616: Babaji, is there any relationship between ‘Mind’ and‘Kal’?

Answer: Son, mind is the agent of Kal and it abides by hislaws. You can say, it is the son of the Kal and obeys him.Mind creates obstacles in the unification of the soul withthe Almighty. When we receive Naamdan and practiceBhajan-Simran, then we see the form of the Guru within.At that time the mind is in our control and becomes ourcompanion thereby helping us in meditation without anyobstructions. The mind that was going astray and was thegreatest enemy in our meditation also starts enjoyingSpiritual Bliss experienced during Bhajan-Simran.

Q617: Babaji, it is said that to know God we should firstknow ourselves. Please clarify?

Answer: Son, Atma (soul) which is a part of the Almightyresides in all beings. This body which we have received ismortal but Soul is immortal. To know God we need to knowour soul first. That is why it is said we know God throughour own self. Socrates had rightly stated ‘Know Thyself’.Guru Nanak Dev Ji has also stated:

The Lord is in the soul, and the soul is in the Lord. This is realizedthrough the Guru’s Teachings.Adi Granth 1153

Q618: Babaji, if a person troubles another person in thisbirth, then in the next birth the person who has suffered

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will trouble that person who has inflicted pain upon him.If this is so, then this process will go on forever. Is there noend to this?

Answer: Son, this cycle or system can break if a persongets initiated and puts more stress on Bhajan-Simran. It isjust like when a boat comes to the shore after a river driesup. As long as there is water in the dam, the boat keepssailing. In the same way if we keep generating ill andnegative thoughts the mind will keep floating like a boat.To stop these negative thoughts it is important to receiveNaamdan and practice meditation. Meditation helps tocurb the bad and negative thoughts from being generated.Whether a person is troubling another person is also theresult of our thoughts. Whatever deeds we perform areeither good or bad. We have to face their consequences.In the next birth we have to reap whatever we have sown.The result of evil deeds is bad, and that of virtuous deedsis good.

Q619: Babaji, we have many photos of yours in our house.Non-Satsangis raise questions on having so many images.What should be the answer?

Answer: Son, you have used the photos to decorate yourhouse. I have visited the homes of people who displayimages of dogs, cats, horses, tigers, etc. Son, an image isan image. Saints have always professed that we cannotgain Spiritual Development through photos. In certaincases, for example, if your Guru has left for His heavenlyabode and we are not able to visualize His image, or if weare unable to visit Dera to have Guru’s Darshan, then the

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photos can help us to manifest Guru’s image in our mind.In the photo, we see the eyes, ears, nose and face andgaze at the photo with adoration. Then close your eyes,His image will appear inside for a minute or two. Thisexternal practice of viewing the photo helps us to visualizethe form of the Guru within.

It is not necessary to display the photo of your Guruin the entire house. If someone opposes the display ofGuru’s photo, then ask them if the Guru’s image should bereplaced by the images of thieves or dacoits or animals.When we see the photograph of Saints or Gurus, we arefocused towards Spirituality. Don’t get disturbed by suchmatters. Change your attitude. Deliberate and adoptmeasures by which you can visualize the form of Guruwithin.

Q620: Babaji, it is said that those who get initiated by aPerfect Guru never go to hell. Should initiated peopleabstain from desiring heaven also?

Answer: Son, Saints have expressed through theirdiscourses that an initiated person (Satsangi) won’t go tohell. The Stamp of the Holy Nam gets imprinted upon hissoul. Because Guru is always there with him, He does notallow any soul to go towards Kal, and the agents of DharamRaj cannot touch him. If the agents are unable to take holdof him, how can he go to hell? That is why I always saywith full conviction that an initiated person can take rebirthbut not go back into the cycle of eighty-four or hell. Aninitiated person never desires heaven, nor should he everdo so. One has to be born again as a human being evenafter spending a certain duration in heaven. Thus, if one

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has received initiation, he should free himself fromthoughts of heaven, rituals and customs, and make Bhajan-Simran his priority and aim in life.

Q621: Babaji, people plea and pray to Guru for their ownwell being. Can they pray for the well being and long lifeof their Guru or is it just foolishness?

Answer: Son, a prayer is a prayer. When you have thesebeneficial feelings, by all means you can do so. Once I hadvisited someone’s place in Ludhiana. The woman in thehouse did not say anything but her five year old daughtersaid, “Baba Ji, you should take care of your health.” I wasreally touched and appreciated her sweet words ofconcern. She was her mother’s microphone. She said whather mother had taught her. One hears the same thing fromthe speaker what is being said into the microphone. I toldher, “My child, I will take care of myself.” These wordsreflect and portray her noble thoughts, and not herfoolishness.

Q622: Babaji, if a person is deeply attached to his Guru, isit due to the Sewa dedicated to the Dera of Guru by hisancestors or because of his previous karmas?

Answer: Son, if you are talking about a person who hastaken birth after his parents got initiated, and his parentsare spiritually inclined, then he will also be a devoteebecause he has inherited this from his parents. It is normalto have similar tendencies like your parents. When a childis in his mother’s womb and his parents thoughts aretowards stealing, the child will be born a thief. On the other

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hand if parents are spiritually inclined then the child is bornwith traits like that. The child gets influenced by theattitude and behavior of his parents just as you have saidthat it is because of the Sewa of his ancestors that he isdeeply attached to his Guru. Since good deeds always givepositive results, it can also be possible that because of hisprevious good Karmas he was born into such a good anddevoted family.

Q623: Babaji, nowadays girls are coming forward in manyaspects in every field of life. Can any girl or lady perform alead role as sewadaar in your Dera? Even Bibi Amarjeethad spent her entire life in the service of the Dera.

Answer: Daughter, you have given the example of Mrs.Amarjeet. She was disabled and couldn’t move her lowerlimbs. She was a teacher in a school. After performing herteaching duties she would come back to Dera. She wasvery particular about her Simran and Bhajan. She had noother work. She also used to perform the job of writingand reading. You seem to be a nice and wise girl. A singlelady or girl is not allowed to stay in the Dera. If she isaccompanied by her parents, brother or husband then shecan stay and do Sewa in the Dera as long as she wishes. Ifshe wants to stay for one or two days then there is noproblem; otherwise she is not allowed to stay without aguardian.

You can do Sewa through mind, body and moneywhile staying anywhere. Try to devote more time toSimran-Bhajan. It is difficult for a young girl to spend thewhole day alone in the Dera. If possible, try to spend one-tenth of your income in a noble cause. Try to visit Dera at

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least on new moon days and everything will be alright.When you come in Dera with your husband you can stayas long as you like. That will be better.

Q624: Babaji, it is said that the Radiant Form of theAlmighty gets manifested in a pure heart, and it is alsosaid that God is within everyone whether he is good orbad. How is this possible?

Answer: Son, God has created the human being and hisheart. There are two small children of ten or twelve yearsof age. A baby sparrow is injured and falls to the ground.One child tries to help and save it while the other one triesto harm it. Both are of the same age but their thoughtsand attitude are different. One who tries to save it has apure heart. God resides in pure hearts. Dear son, God isomnipotent. There is water beneath every piece of landon the Earth. Only the soil and stones on the surface ofthe earth are different. Whenever we dig up and take outthe water, it becomes useful to us. Thus God is presentinside everyone but manifests inside a pure heart only.

Q625: Babaji, why was Ahilaya, the wife Goutam Rishi,cursed even though she was a faithful wife?

Answer: Son, when Goutam Rishi saw his wife alone withanother man, he got angry and cursed her, and made herinto a rock. The curse of holy men cannot be nullified anddoes not go in vain. Whatever Saints says is bound tohappen. Afterward he realized the fact that his wife wasinnocent and was cheated, but the curse was bound to befulfilled. He could not take back his curse; therefore he

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gave a solution to liberate her from the curse, that whenLord Rama would come she would get redeemed. It is clearthat the effectiveness of the curse depends upon thepower of the saint, but a curse cannot be taken back. Thatis why Ahilaya was affected by the curse, but she wasredeemed because of her innocence. It can also be saidthat it was the wish of God that Ahilaya and Indra had toface such crisises.

Radha Soami

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GLOSSARY

Ahankar - Egotism

Ajapa Jap - Repetition of holy names going onautomatically

Amritsar - Name of a city in Punjab, the pool ofnectar. Esoterically, the third region,where the soul, having been cleansedof all its material coverings (physical,astral and causal) and the threeattributes (harmony, action or inertiaand darkness), shine in its own light.

Amritsar - The Pool of Nectar

Anami Desh - The Nameless region. Esoterically, theeighth and highest spiritual region.

And (Anda) - Astral region, a subtle region betweenpinda and Brahmand.Lower portion ofBrahmand

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.

Ardas - An appeal to God or Guru (or anyone else)

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Araj - An appeal to Satguru - having fiveelements and sitting face to face.

Asa - Hope (develops in the mind)

Baba Bagga Singh Ji - The Master who was the founder ofRadha Soami Dera, Tarn Taran

Baba Charan Singh Ji - The fourth Master of Radha SoamiSatsang, Beas

Baba Deva Singh ji - The second Master of Radha SoamiDera Baba Bagga Singh, Tarn Taran.

Baba Gurinder Singh Ji - The present Master of Radha SoamiSatsang, Beas.

Baba Jagat Bahadur Ji - The third Master of Radha SoamiSatsang Beas.

Baba Jaimal Singh Ji - The Master and founder of RadhaSoami Satsang, Beas.

Baba Pratap Singh Ji - The third Master of Radha Soami, DeraBaba Bagga Singh, Tarn Taran.

Baba Sawan Singh Ji - The second Master of Radha SoamiSatsang Beas.

Beas - Radha Soami Dera situated on thebanks of river Beas, in Punjab.

Bhai Joga Singh Ji - Disciple of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Bhajan - Meditation or listening to the CelestialMusic, Audible Life Stream, SoundCurrent.

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Bhanwar Gupha - Revolving cave, the fourth spiritualregion.

Brahmand - The entire universe.

Bramha - One of the three main gods of HinduReligion. Creator of the world and KalNiranjan’s son.

Charan Kamal - Lotus feet, feet

Chaokri - Four

Darshan - Vision or sight, particularly of somesaint or holy person.

Dasam Granth - The tenth book (written by GuruGobind Singh ji)

Daswan Dwar - The tenth door and appellation of thethird 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 Hinduphilosophy. Wife of Niranjan.

Five Destinations - Sahansdal Kamal, Trikuti, Daswan Dwar,Bhanwar Gupha and Sach Khand

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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 ofsuccession of Guru Nanak.

Guru Arjun Dev - The fifth Guru in the line of successionof Guru Nanak and the son of Guru RamDas ji. He collected, classified andcompiled the writings of the AdiGranth.

Guru Gaddi - Seat of the Guru. “Seat” occupied bythe present Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh - The tenth Guru in the line of successionof 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 ofsuccession of Guru Nanak. He foundedthe city now known as Amritsar, inPunjab, India. He composed more than600 verses in the Adi Granth.

Gur Bani - The verses or teachings and sayings ofGurus, the Adi Granth is some timescalled as Bani or Gur Bani.

Haddis - The Holy book of the Muslim religion.

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Hajj - The religious pilgrimage of Muslims toMecca and Madina.

Hans - The pure form of soul in True Region

Hir-Ranjha - Famous Lovers

Hirday Chakra - The fourth ganglion or plexus in thebody.

Indriya Chakra - The second ganglion or plexus in thebody.

Japuji Sahib - First chapter in Guru Granth Sahib.

Jathar-agni - The fire of the stomach which helps todigest food, the secreting ofhydrochloric acid.

Jiva - living entity, living being.

Kal - God of death

Kabaddi - a game

Kabir Sahib - A great saint of India who lived inBanaras, 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

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Khand Brahmand - the regions and the universe

Kriyaman Karma - the new actions performed during thepresent life.

Shri Krishan - Hindu God

Krodh - anger

Kurum Bhagat - Son of the Supreme Soul. One of thesixteen sons (powers)

Lobh - greed

Lomash Rishi - The son of Brahma

Langer - Free community kitchen

Maha Sunn - the region of intense darkness, situatedin Sunn or Tenth Gate below BhanwarGupha. The great void. A level ofimpenetrable darkness that can becrossed only with the help of a True Guru.

Mahesh - The third of the Hindu triad. Shiva thedestroyer.

Mansa - Mansa or desire is a hankering aftersomething.

Moh - Attachment

Mool Chakra - the root ganglion in the body, the rectalplexus.

Muninder - the name of Kabir Sahib in the previousincarnation in Treta Yug.

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Nam - The creative power, which cannot beexpressed in speech or writing or heardwith the physical ears.

Nam Dan - Initiation into Surat Shabad Yoga by aSant 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 spiritualregion.

Pandavas - The Five sons of King Pandu and QueenKunti: 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, thedestiny karma.

Prashad - Guru’s Grace. While distributing Gurulooks at the food and it becomesPrashad.

Rajo Guna - Action or activity

Sach Khand - True or Imperishable region. The fifthspiritual region.

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Sangat - Congregation

Sahaj Bhagat - One of the Sons of Supreme Soul.

Sahaj Avastha - Trance stage, a level of spiritualconsciousness. While seeing the eyesdo not see, while hearing the ears donot hear, while speaking the tonguedoes 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 Satgurufree of cost.

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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.

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 Spiritualregion on the path of the Saints.

Trishna - Thirst, longing

Tulsi Sahib - A great saint of hathras, auther of GhatRamayan

Vahiguru - Guru is great

Vedas - Knowledge as embodied in the fourholy books of the Hindus: Rig Veda, SamVeda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

Vishnu - Second of the Hindu triad.

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Vivek Ji - One of the sons of Supreme Soul(among Sixteen Sons (Powers) ofSupreme Soul)

Yuga - Age or cycle of time, the Hinduscriptures have divided time intofour Yugas: Sat Yuga, Treta Yuga,Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga.

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Our Publications on Santmat

1. Aape Sristi hukmi sub saji H P

2. Anurag Sagar Part I H P E

3. Anurag Sagar Part II H P E

4. Anurag Sagar Part III H P E

5. Barah Maha H P

6. Bhed Marg - Aarti 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 E

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 Beti 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

H = Hindi, P = Punjabi & E = English

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20. Kudrat Karnehar Apara H P

21. Machhali Jaal Na Janeya H P E

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 Vipati Chhudhave H P

27. Satsang Tulsi Sahib H P

28. Satgur Hamra Bharam Gavaia H P

29. Shabad Sangrah Part 1 H P



32. Shanke Ashanke Part 1 H P E

33. Shanke Ashanke Part 2 H P E

33. Before And After Initiation E

34. Guru - Dispeller of Darkness E

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questions & answers -ii by baba kehar singh ji

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