The Divine Light Illumines The Heart

SATSANG OF SHRI HANS JI MAHARAJ, ???A NAGAR, DELHI, March 21, 1955.

Dear premies,

To keep the company of saints, even for a short while, is beneficial. This is why the scriptures have praised the saints so much. Saint Tulsidas says that even the pleasure of heaven and salvation cannot compare with the pleasure derived from even a moment spent in the company of saints.

Guru Nanak says the Name pervades everyone's breath, which in turn pervades all beings, whether they are terrestrial, aquatic, or sky dwelling. And all the saints advise us to remember it. Modern people are busy in remembering external tantras and mantras and nobody's attention is fixed on that Name which exists in the heart. That Name exists in the heart and is beyond the 26 letters of the alphabet. Every child of every nationality and race learns the language of the world only after being born. So what was the Name which we were remembering in the womb of our mother? When we were hanging upside down in our mother's womb and were suffering from the heat of her stomach, in which language did we pray to God? You should carefully think it over, that all these languages have been learned here and will be left here after death. But we need to know and remember that Name which we remembered in the womb of our mother. Only that Name can unite us with God.

All the members of the family - mother, father, brother and sister - make us disinclined to remember God. The Name is the only support which will always protect us. The soul is not related to anyone as a brother or a parent: childhood, youth and old age are the stages which only the body has to pass through. But owing to delusion we think that some people are our relatives, or that he is a scholar or a low-caste person. He forgets the promise made to God to devote himself to Him and gets involved in these delusions.

This world is comparable to a scene of a drama. For instance, actors play the role of Rama and Sita in a drama, but they do not become Rama and Sita. Similarly, the soul is neither man nor woman. The world is only a play or a dream, it will not remain after waking up, like the scenes of a film which are non-existent. lf you ask the cinema-goers "Why do you go to the cinema?" their reply would be, "We go for entertainment". What a pity that after getting such a precious human body which is very difficult even for the gods to obtain, people waste it in merry making.

They who do not improve their next birth by remembering the Name of God, blame time, their actions and God in vain, by saying, "The present time of Kaliyuga is such that devotion to God cannot be performed nowadays, or our destiny is such that we cannot perform devotion to God, or that God deprives us of devotion".

Only the remembrance of the Holy Name of God can relieve you from all these miseries. All of the worldly attainments will be left here. For instance, the people who crossed over to India from Pakistan had to leave all their possessions behind; similarly, at the time of leaving the world, everything will have to be left here. The refugees remembered God while escaping from Pakistan; had they continued to remember Him with the same enthusiasm they could have been relieved of all sorts of miseries. But being engrossed in worldly comforts, they have again forgotten God. So they will have to suffer miseries again. Everybody remembers God while he is in distress, but nobody remembers Him in prosperity. If one would remember Him in prosperity, there would be no need to face distress.

When Draupadi's sari was being removed in front of the assembly, she humbly prayed to God, "Oh Lord now my modesty lies in Your Hands. If it is lost, it is not mine, but your modesty that is lost". On a sincere request, God helped her save her modesty. If the refugees in Pakistan would have remembered, with a sincere heart like Draupadi's, the present situation might not have taken place. But they

… remembered God. Instead they used to deceive … souls by being engaged in singing psalms, worshipping … scripture-reading, pilgrimage, keeping fast, and offering sacrifices etcetera.

If it is seriously considered, hardship acts as a medicine on the path of devotion, because the remembrance of God strikes you more in hardship than in prosperity, because one forgets God in prosperity. The people who have forgotten devotion by being engrossed in material prosperity are suffering from a disease comparable to tuberculosis because they will have to re-enter the cycle of rebirth. When the Mahabharata war was over Yudhisthira was enthroned, Lord Krishna, while setting out for Dwaraka, asked Kunti to ask for a boon, because He was very much pleased with her. Then Kunti said, "Oh Lord! If you are really

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pleased with me, and wish to grant me a boon, please grant me the boon that I may always live in hardship. The Lord was surprised to hear such words from Kunti and asked her, "Why do you seek hardship?" Hearing the words of the Lord, Kunti replied "Oh Lord your remembrance strikes only in hardship so I always seek hardship so that I may always remember You".

… use of prosperity? By being engrossed in it …Hardship is better than prosperity … hardship the remembrance of God is always … Kabir says, "I will offer my skin for … devotee who remembers the Name … even in dreams." Why has he said so? See, … shoes inside a temple or gurudwara … name of God is remembered there and considered holy because of the … Name; how much holier should … where the Name of God is constantly …

… holy who remembers the Name; even … is liberated by serving such a person. To … the Name of God is the real gain in the … rest is entanglement which causes … being. So, you should know the Name by taking the shelter of the Perfect Master. … commandment in the Gita in Chapter 4

"Seek the shelter of the wise, serve them, prostrate yourself before them and humbly ask them about … Then their soul will be pleased, the wise … impart to you the secret."

It is not certain that he will be pleased with your service; he may himself be pleased to impart to you the Knowledge of the Name and Divine Light, by realising and practising which you will be free from all worldly miseries. All the scriptures say that without performing devotion to the Guru, none can get peace and happiness, either in this world or in the next. Mind cannot be detached from the world without the Guru, and without detachment the Knowledge cannot be fruitful. So to get the Knowledge, the utmost Grace of the Guru is essential.

By meditating on the radiance of the nails of the Lotus Feet of the Perfect Master, the Divine Light illumines the heart. When so much is in the importance of worshipping Him, only a devotee of the Guru can appreciate the great benefit which can be derived by seeing Him and listening to His discourses. One does not attain liberation without listening to the discourses of saints, who in turn are not available without the Grace of God.

Even great sinners are changed by getting into the company of saints. As iron turns into gold with the help of a touchstone, similarly the nature of a wicked person is changed by getting into the company of saints. A touchstone can only turn iron into gold, but it cannot transform it into the touchstone itself. But the Perfect Master makes a disciple like Himself in real devotion to God. By taking the shelter of the Perfect Master you too should also perform the real devotion. Understand my sentiments; I am speaking while keeping your welfare in view. As a mother understands her child's sentiments through his childish expression, in the same way you should understand my sentiments.

I wish to tell you only this; that it is very difficult to get the human body. One can act as well as enjoy in this body. So the best action is to perform devotion to God. But nowadays people have forgotten what the real devotion is. Saint Kabir says,

    "When one's body is steady, mind is concentrated and he observes silence. Such a moment cannot be paralleled even by an age."

This stage is called the trance, and one realises God only during the trance. But nowadays people chant the tantras and mantras and rotate a rosary in their hand and their minds wander in different directions. It is not meditation or devotion. The devotion to God has been described as the brilliant light which does not require a lamp, a wick or fuel to illumine it. In the Gita in Chapter 15 verse 6, speaking about the same Light it is said:

    "There the light of the sun, moon and fire does not shine."

The same brilliant Light has been described as Chanda and as Noor. The one in whose heart such a brilliant Light shines, does not have to suffer hardship even in a dream. In other words, bad dreams never come to him. All virtues and comforts without devotion are comparable to saltless dishes which do not taste well. So be performing devotion to God, take real benefit from your life. Ravana also advised not to postpone good ideas, but to postpone putting bad ideas into practice. If it is good to perform devotion, start it right now and serve the Guru

Oh Lord! Let it be so!