Online Magazines > Manav Dharam (June 2007)
Discourse - Param Sant Sadgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

KNOW THE TRUE NAME OF GOD

These days, so-called saints, Mandaleshwars or Jagatgurus entrap people in mere worldly and external actions. But there is an intrinsic thing which is within and knowing that benefits everyone. People also think that they will be benefitted by various external practices, but in fact, no benefit is yielded by these things.

Photo: Param Sant Sadgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

Param Sant Sadgurudev Shri Hans Ji Maharaj

St. Tulsidasji writes in the Ramayana, “Hit anhit pashu pakshi jana. Manush tan guna gyan nidhana.” Even birds and other animals know what is beneficial and harmful for themselves, whereas human beings are treasures of knowledge and merits. There are thousands of temples of Lord Rama, where his statues are worshipped with great enthusiasm. Millions of rupees are spent every year in presenting Ram Lila plays. On the eve of Ram Navami, continuous reading of the Ramayana and big conferences of poets take place in which the life and character of Lord Rama is discussed.

Commentaries on verses from the Ramayana are heard and debated, but not a single person among all of them knows the true meaning of this line from the Ramayana: “Ishwar ansh jeev avinashi chetan amal sahaj sukh rashi.” It says that a living being is a part of the Almighty and therefore conscious, pure and full of happiness by nature. What part of us is the living being? No scholar can explain this. Had they understood then they would not have been satisfied to simply worship statues. What did Lord Rama say and what did He ask people to do? Nobody cares about this. When Lord Rama was crowned, He declared to all the citizens of Ayodhya, “Ourau ek sugupta mat, sabahin kahaun kar jori. Shankar bhajan bina nar, bhakti na pawahin mor.” Lord Shri Rama says that a man cannot be devoted to him unless he knows the Spiritual Knowledge which Lord Shiva himself meditates upon. Lord Rama did not say this for any other species like dogs, donkeys, horses or birds, but only for human beings.

Today I saw a sign which said, 'Akhand kirtan' (continuous singing of sacred songs). We may do such things for some time, say for a few hours, or a few days or maybe for a month, but thereafter we stop. So how can it be called' Akhand' (continuous without any break)? This is all false. It is said, “Saanch barabar tap nahin, jhooth barabar paap. Jake hriday, saanch basey, taake hriday, aap”, which means that the highest penance is to speak the truth and the greatest sin is to tell a lie. People hear and read this but even though they know, they do not understand, even though seeing, they do not see. It is written in the Ramayana, “Bare bhagya manush tan pawa, sur durlabh sadgranthan gawa. Sadhan dham moksha kar dwara. Paye na jehi parlok sanwara.”

This human body which we have got is rarely available even to deities. But we waste our human life-span worshipping gods and deities. Someone spends his life becoming a minister or gaining high rank, or getting rewards and honour, while someone else spends this lifetime eating, drinking and enjoying worldly pleasures. So, we don't understand its importance and if we don't, then we don't benefit even from Spiritual Knowledge. We may believe in Lord Rama, read the Ramayana, watch Ram Lila, give donations, or do kirtan, but while doing all this, where does the mind go? We accept that Lord Krishna is the Lord, but nobody thinks about what He has said. He says that someone whose mind is not under control is neither a yogi nor a renunciate. Just for name's sake he is called a yogi or a renunciate. But, where does the mind go? This is not known. So know the True Name of God, leaving aside all worldly desires and attachments.

People read the Vedas, they do yagya rituals. Thousands of people worship, they bathe at religious places, but still where does the mind go? We do all these things for our benefit but, while doing, where does the mind stick? If the mind does not stop, then it is all a waste of time. We delude ourselves if we think that some day our mind will become still while doing all such external things. Deities can enjoy if offered something but they cannot cook anything like milky rice or halvah. Only human beings can cook as well as eat. Animals and birds also can eat, but they can't cook. So, during the human life-span, actions can be performed as well as enjoyment experienced. If one does not acquire Spiritual Knowledge and meditate while he is in a human body, then he is bound to fall into the clutches of birth and death. It has been happening since time immemorial.

Human beings discovered electricity and lit up every place. Have such things been done by a deity or animal or bird? However, even though this human body is a priceless jewel, it will also come to an end one day. God did not give wings to human beings but man, by virtue of his creativity and intellect, made airplanes and flies through the sky. Do not waste this human life, which has the potential for such marvellous actions, in lust for worldly pleasures. Do not waste it for nothing. Search for that meditation and remembrance which is called Shankar Bhajan, by doing which human life becomes meaningful.

People understand that 'Shankar Bhajan' (the mantra on which Lord Shankar meditates) is 'Om Namah Shivaya', but it is not. Rather, 'Lord Shankar's Bhajan' is that which he himself does. Lord Shankar did not remember or meditate upon 'Om Namah Shivaya'. It is written in the Ramayana, “Mahamantra jehi japat Maheshu. Kashi mukti hetu updeshu.” It means that Lord Shankar remembered that Mantra which has neither beginning nor end and He imparted Its knowledge for the benefit of the inhabitants of Kashi, because only this is beneficial to human beings. That Kashi is within us, but we do not understand and run to the external Kashi ( Varanasi ).

That Great Mantra is present within everyone. It is natural, it is not man-made. But all those other mantras which people meditate on, thinking them to be true, are in fact man-made and not beneficial. The Vedas have been written either by sages or by deities and hence are products. This whole creation is also a created thing, a product. The Almighty is beyond this. All the prevailing religions will come to an end one day because these are not eternal. This is a fact, whether anybody believes it or not. Lord Krishna says in the Gita, “Sarva dharmanparityajya mamekam sharanam vraj. Aham twam sarvapapebhyo moksh yishyami ma shuchah”. Surrendering all your religious practices to Me, the all-powerful and all- supporting Lord, take refuge in Me alone and I shall absolve you of all sins, so don't worry.

Arjuna and Lord Krishna were standing face to face, so He asked him to leave aside all religions and come to His shelter. But we have not even seen Lord Krishna, then how will we go to his shelter? Just repeating this verse or saying 'Krishnam bande jagat Gurum', will not fulfill our purpose. Lord Krishna told Arjuna that he could not see Him with these physical eyes. So, Lord Krishna opened his divine eye and only then did Arjuna experience the true form of the Lord. 'Divine eye' means that eye which is not available in this world and only through that divine eye can one experience God's true form of Divine Light. But nobody really believes what the Lord has said. People see God through their human eyes. People propagating various religions are all busy singing and playing their respective hymns, but none of them know the true Knowledge. Some insist in reading the Vedas and performing havans by burning various things like ghee, honey and herbs while reading religious verses. Some say that idol worshipping is the highest form of worship. But the Spiritual Master tells us the essence of all practices.

St. Kabir said, “Sachcha sadguru koi na pooje, jhuthe jag patiyawe. Andha banh gahe andhe ki, rasta koun batawe.” How will one blind man point out the way to another blind man? All so-called Sants, Mandaleshwars, Mahamandaleshwars or Jagatgurus are blind as far as true Spiritual Knowledge is concerned. The divine eye of all these persons is closed, so they are not able to understand the truth and they cannot differentiate between right and wrong, good and bad. St. Tulsidas says, “Ghat men hai, soojhe nahin, lanat aisi jind. Tulsi ya sansar ko, bhayo motiabind.” He says that God is within us all, but not visible because everyone has cataracts over their eyes. How will He be visible? So our saints say that by taking the shelter of the Master, knowing the Holy Name of God from Him and by remembering that Name within, God can be seen.


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