The Master Answers

A selection of questions and answers with Maharaj Charan Singh

Q: How does one keep from judging and criticizing others and thus take on a posture of self-righteousness? How does one control one’s temper in the presence of such a person? How does one deal with such a person?
A: Everybody has to train his own mind. We have to develop our mind to that extent, that we are not affected by any criticism. In fact, we have to train ourselves rather than to train the other person in that situation. We must train ourselves to fit into that situation. If the other person loses his temper, we cannot help it. It is for him to control his mind. But we can control our own mind. If there is one fool under a roof, why have two? We must control ourselves.
_{The Master Answers}

Q: Why are we imperfect?
A: If we were not imperfect, this world would not exist today, and we all would have returned to Him. Because the Lord wants this world to go on, He wants this creation, so imperfection is bound to be here. The world is the region of the combination of good and bad.
_{The Master Answers}

Q: Is there any essential difference in the souls of, say a person who is very bad and one who is very good? Is that not just the action of their mind, and there would not be any difference in the souls as such?
A: Brother, a diamond is a diamond. If you throw it in the mud, it will be encrusted with mud; but the moment it is washed it is again as brilliant as before. The soul is a diamond. Every soul is the essence of the Lord. It is pure in itself, but having taken the company of the mind, and the mind having become victim of the senses, it has covered itself with evil, darkness and filth. So, when it leaves the mind, every soul is the same. There is no difference in their purity. Some souls fall into very dirty mud;some fall on a little cleaner ground; some have only little specks and stains stuck to them; and some are completely wrapped in filth, so more drastic measures have to be taken to cleanse them. But a diamond is a diamond.
_{The Master Answers}

Q: The hardest task facing the new seekers is that the mind can’t be held so steadfast.
A: It’s not a question of new seekers. Even with initiates, the mind is not so easily subdued. The real struggle starts with the mind when you are on the path. As a seeker, you don’t realize the extent of the struggle with the mind. When you become a disciple, an initiate, then you’ll understand how real the struggle is. Then the mind realizes that you are going to escape from it, so it becomes more active than before. We are all struggling souls on the same path. We shouldn’t simply throw up our hands; we should try to do our best to control the mind.
_{Thus Saith the Master}