Our One True Friend
After countless lifetimes we have finally become weary of this fickle world of illusion. The world, with all its transitory attractions, has lost its allure. In our ceaseless quest for happiness, we have become increasingly ensnared by the chains of our attachments and desires, and have found only disappointment again and again – until, wounded and disillusioned, we throw up our hands in despair and cry out for help.
It is then that the Master, taking pity on us, comes to show us the way out. The compassionate Master takes us by the hand and shows us the way to our true home in the highest spiritual regions, by revealing to us the reality that lies within.
A true living Master is all love. He does not judge us, regardless of our shortcomings, but sees only our potential. So, to enable us to experience the bliss of the treasure that lies within, he bestows on us the rare and precious gift of initiation. He attaches us to the audible life stream that is permanently resounding within us, and throughout all of creation. It is then that we begin to take the first shaky steps on the spiritual path under his loving guidance.
From this point on the Master becomes our only true friend. He teaches us to become more loving and caring; he teaches us to be better at fulfilling our daily duties; but most important, he teaches us to focus on finding his Radiant Form within. He stays with us constantly, guiding and supporting us.
In Spiritual Gems Great Master says: “Fly upwards upon the wings of faith and love so that you may talk to him every day and be with him always.” Perhaps we should take a closer look at what Great Master is saying here. What does faith really mean to us and what does it entail? During a question and answer session at Dera, Baba Ji said that as soon as the disciple develops faith in the Master, the relationship is formed.
As most of us have undoubtedly experienced, having this sort of faith is not always easy, particularly when our lives seem beset with difficulties and we experience fearful and negative thoughts. Often when our problems seem to be insurmountable, we lose sight of the fact that Master is always with us and that we are constantly blessed by his grace.
To have faith in our Master means that we have to let go and trust him. Then we will begin to understand that the circumstances in which we find ourselves are exactly what we need at this particular time, so that we can change and grow, not only as human beings but also spiritually. Our Master has taken charge of our destinies and we need not worry about anything, for in the end the results are all in his hands. It is through his grace that we are where we are.
Only through meditation do we learn to withdraw the mind to the eye centre and offer it something better than the world, by attaching it to the Shabd within. When we have reached this point, we will see that we are only puppets in the Master’s hands, and we will finally understand that he is in charge.
Our Master constantly encourages us to be his friend. Then, since he is our best friend, we should be in the habit of talking to him every day – throughout the day. We can begin our day by thanking him for his grace and all the blessings that he showers upon us. We do this when we sit in meditation and quietly repeat each round of simran.
But when we have completed our meditation, do we get up and prepare for the day ahead and forget about him completely? Do we forget to talk with him – that is, do our simran – as we go through our daily duties, as we go to work or go shopping, or spend time with family and friends? Or do we remember him and talk to him?
We all know and accept that after initiation our Master is with us constantly. This raises the question: are we with him? By talking to our Master every day, through our simran, we begin to create a closer relationship with him. By consciously being with him, a subtle shift in awareness takes place, as we are actually stepping back and loosening our hold over our lives. We begin to see subtle changes in our lives as we observe how he constantly assists us and that, naturally, must also positively influence our daily lives. We begin to learn, albeit very slowly, that he knows what is best for us, regardless of whether it causes us pain or pleasure. We begin to develop a sense of letting go and handing our lives over to him. Most importantly, we gradually start trusting him to take care of everything.
When we learn to be with him, we will quickly find that our meditation becomes a time to look forward to, as we consciously spend this precious time in the company of our true friend – our beloved Master. As we develop this awareness, we will find it easier to stop the mind from wandering out, so that we can focus more fully on doing our simran and our bhajan.
When we cultivate the habit of being with him we find that we are calmer, and that many of our difficulties are easily resolved, and the constant inclination to worry dissipates. But often, with great regret, we also begin to realize how often we have left him behind after completing our meditation, as we hurry out into the world to fulfil our numerous worldly obligations.
So it stands to reason that regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, when we reach out and take his hand, and spend our day focused on keeping the loving company of our Master, he will most graciously reciprocate, and we will receive all that he has to give. Through talking with him all day long – repeating the names – and by learning to be with him at all times, we improve the quality of our most important spiritual duty – our meditation – and slowly but surely, move ever closer to meeting our beloved Master within.