The Ultimate Gifts
As initiates of true living masters, we have been given the ultimate gift, a package which comes to us wrapped in grace. When we open the package, we discover a series of building blocks that are clearly intended to be placed one upon the other, creating a structure that will take our consciousness up to the eye centre and beyond.
The first block is a large solid base labelled ‘human birth’. Without this block, the rest of the blocks cannot be assembled. The second block, ‘meeting a true living master’ is followed by the third block, which is labelled ‘initiation’. These three crucial blocks are followed by a series of slightly smaller but extremely important blocks. Block number four is ‘meditation’, followed by vegetarianism, abstinence from alcohol, drugs and tobacco products and ‘leading a good moral life’.
The last two blocks bind the whole structure together and are called Guru bhakti, in other words devotion to the Guru, and finally, Nam bhakti – listening to the Shabd. Through this practice we become one with the life force of Shabd, ultimately developing divine love. When these last blocks are firmly in place, they give purpose and meaning to the rest of the structure.
This entire package is God-given and comes directly from him with his love. This is an incredibly rare and unique gift, which deserves our profound appreciation.
Nowadays, it seems that there is often little value attached to this gift of human birth. How sad and unappreciative this is. Mystics often refer to man as the top of creation, and yet millions endure lives of abject poverty, misery and pain – seemingly not justifying that exalted title. Yet we are told that even gods and goddesses, living in higher spiritual realms, long for human birth and the extraordinary opportunity and privilege it represents.
So, what is it about human birth that makes it so special? It is only as a human being that we can meet a true living master and receive his gift of initiation. This gift, coupled with our effort, guarantees our soul’s eventual release from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth in which it has been trapped for an unbelievably long time. Only a true living master, a God-realized soul, can grant this gift, and it can only be bestowed upon a human being. In Die to Live, Maharaj Charan Singh says:
Our real Master is the Word, the Logos, Shabd, Nam, the Audible Life Stream, or whatever name one may choose to give it. The Master is that Power manifested in human form.
The true master is God’s emissary or representative on earth. He comes to us as an expression of God’s love, and the Lord endows him with the power to take our souls back home to become one with our Creator, by connecting them with the Shabd. This connection is done at the time of initiation.
When we receive this gift of initiation, we are assured by the Master that our seemingly endless sojourn in this creation will come to an end, and we will be allowed to return to our original home. Then, we need never ever come back to this creation, because, incredibly, God actually wants us to return to him. Once we are initiated, nothing can prevent this from happening.
None of the first three building blocks – a human birth, meeting a master and initiation – are achieved through any effort on our part. They are God’s gifts. However, the next set of blocks definitely requires our input, our effort, concentration, application and dedication.
When we agree to follow the four vows we take at the time of initiation, we agree to a lifelong commitment to strive tirelessly and cheerfully to obey our Master and fulfil his requests. The main thing he wants and needs from us is our daily attempt at meditation. We are taught his technique of meditation at the time of initiation, and it becomes our responsibility and privilege to do it every day of our lives.
Initiation is not just a spiritual gift, it is an immensely powerful tool at our disposal. Our Master entrusts us with five holy words or names, the repetition of which we call simran. We are asked to repeat these words for the first two hours of our meditation. They have such power imbued in them that they can begin the seemingly impossible task of stilling the mind. This enables us to start to focus our attention at the eye centre, the spiritual centre above and between the physical eyes.
Simran is the vehicle our Master gives us to focus our attention by withdrawing it away from the world and directing it to the eye centre. If we do not do this repetition we will be unable to concentrate our attention within and take the first little step of our true inner spiritual journey. The more we use our simran, the more powerful it becomes.
The practice of meditation is the cornerstone of our contribution, our attempt to help our Master extricate us from this world and set us on our homeward journey. Our other active contributions include living as strict vegetarians, abstaining from alcohol, mind-altering drugs and tobacco products and following the practice of being good human beings. These assist in helping us minimize the accumulation of karma.
The Lord is the ultimate source of purity, love, compassion and kindness. How can we hope to even approach his court if we are filled with negativity, cruelty, anger, hatred, resentment and dissatisfaction? If we hope for union with the Lord, we must strive for purity in thought, word and deed.
We are not weaponless in this fight against the mind and its worldly, negative tendencies. We have the power of simran. We must just remember to use it.
The last two blocks, namely devotion – Guru bhakti and then, most important, Nam bhakti – reinforce our spiritual structure, enabling our consciousness to soar up to the eye centre and beyond. In Sar Bachan Poetry, Soami Ji says:
Without devotion to the Guru the soul will not rise,
nor will the sky open, nor will Nam be attained.
Devotion to the Guru is the root of all other practices,
which are no more than branches on the tree of devotion.
For anyone who believes in reincarnation and transmigration of the soul into innumerable species, the thought of eternal release from the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth is truly exciting. Surely no one would willingly agree to remain in this cycle? We want to go home; our souls ache to be reunited with the Father, to leave this vale of tears forever and join him in his eternal love.
This seems like an impossible task to undertake on our own, and indeed it is, but we are not alone. We have a method by which a soul may retrace its steps and journey to its home.
Devotion fosters the unique relationship between master and disciple. It is an attitude of heart and mind. It cultivates love and longing, and grows faith, obedience, discipline, patience, surrender and gratitude within us. Devotion compels us to follow our Master’s guidance and instruction, and to dedicate ourselves, our time and our attention to living the path.
Simran is our invaluable tool. It’s available to us all day – not just during meditation. The more we use it with a loving, thankful heart, the better for us. How very grateful we should be for this gift of simran. Indeed, for the whole meditation practice. Love and devotion grow through meditation. If we enter each meditation session thankful for the opportunity the Master has created for us, then that love and gratitude can remain with us throughout the day.
We know that our efforts are not even a fraction of what is required to extricate us from this world and take us home. His grace does the real work, but what we can offer is gratitude, love, and faith, knowing that he is responsible for our soul and will one day take us home.