Going Beyond
In the early hours of 7th September 1838, a dramatic rescue took place in the cold, dangerous waters off the coast of northern England. Grace Darling was the young woman who helped the stranded sailors and rowed them to safety. From her bedroom window in the lighthouse, she had noticed the danger faced by the ship’s crew and a lone passenger. After urging her father to attempt a rescue using their only seaworthy vessel – a simple rowboat – they set out at dawn. Between them, they saved nine lives, and Grace became a national heroine. Her bravery is still honoured in children’s storybooks today. Just search online for images of towering waves, worried faces, and this determined girl.
For every legendary good deed, many more go unnoticed or fail to capture the public’s imagination. However, we highlight some actions, such as those of Grace Darling, because they vividly embody cherished principles. Grace did what we all aspire to do, but in practice find so difficult. Putting others before herself – she went beyond.
Beyond what? Beyond the call of duty; beyond the norm, which for a young woman of that era, in her early twenties, would have been to be a dutiful daughter and a regular churchgoer – she would not have been expected to provide physical assistance in a rescue. Assistance meant insisting that she went out as an oarswoman, making possible her father’s part in the rescue, as well as her own. It involved physical effort and courage in the face of daunting odds. Acting in this way requires a moral compass, formed and maintained independently of what the world around us dictates. Examples of a moral compass include core values and principles such as responsibility and compassion. These are demonstrated through actions. It was this independent moral compass that enabled Grace Darling to respond without hesitation to the shipwrecked sailors’ plight; she went beyond the call of duty and is rightly celebrated for the responsibility and love that powered such an act.
Few of us encounter a disaster like the one Grace Darling faced. However, daily life presents its own challenges, and in dealing with them, we often find that ‘going beyond’ is the only way forward. Let’s consider some everyday situations.
Regarding our beliefs, we may not always find it easy when we start living the Sant Mat way of life. Some of us are born into satsangi families where the entire household might be vegetarian; parents may attend satsang, practise meditation, and support a child seeking initiation. But what if our circumstances differ? What if those we share our lives with are not vegetarians, follow a different spiritual path, or none at all? If that is the case, how will we respond? One will ‘go beyond’ by drawing on the same well of self-belief and energy as the nineteenth-century heroine facing a shipwreck. We are so designed that we instinctively know how to rise above obstacles and turn even the most conflicting situations to our advantage.
Consider, for instance, what happens when you have promised yourself that you will retire early and meditate for two hours, but your spouse wants you to spend the evening with the family. Or when you have recently adopted a vegetarian diet, but your mother interprets this as a rejection of her cooking and admits she is upset. You have already ‘gone beyond’ by choosing a different path in life from those around you. Now, you need to go further by recognizing and respecting others’ rights to be themselves while also staying true to your own goals. It will require all the goodwill and diplomacy you can muster. It might even uncover the charm you never realized you possessed as you tell your mother how much you love her cooking and look forward to her saag paneer. And by the way, your spouse will be happy that, although you are taking time for yourself tonight, you have a family outing planned for tomorrow.
Amidst all these highs and lows, we have an invisible yet constant friend by our side. This is the true Master who found us in this creation, initiated us, and will accompany us on our spiritual journey right to its conclusion. In his spiritual form, he is always close, and we should remember this as we go about our daily lives. In his physical form, the Master offers opportunities to express our difficulties through question and answer sessions, and he invariably advises us not to react to unfavourable circumstances, but to rise above them. Reacting disturbs our mind and emotions, and staying in that state is like being caught in a turbulent ocean. The negativity produced keeps us immersed in an unpleasant brine of conflict. However, if we refuse to react, we can progress like a small vessel propelled by strong oars, and go beyond.
When differences are so deeply ingrained that they resist change or compromise, then ‘going beyond’ depends on the God-given gift of acceptance. Letting go of expectations and aspirations, recognizing that events dictated by karma must simply be endured, we accept the situation as it is – good, bad, or ugly. We transcend personal judgments and instead breathe a different air, that of divine will.
To be honest, isn’t all of life an effort to do just this, and don’t we have within us that which pulls us upwards? Maharaj Charan Singh wrote in Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. I:
The purer the mind becomes, the more it is attached to the shabd and nam. The purer it becomes, the more strength and power it gets.… As I often explain, in the body the seat of the soul and the mind is here at the eye centre. The more downward the mind’s tendency, the less willpower we have. The more upward its tendency, the stronger is our willpower. So it is the spirit that actually gives you strength and willpower.
Trying our best and accepting the Lord’s will draws us closer to the inner power of Shabd, which will generate its own unique uplift. The masters sometimes use the example of a hand of cards to show how wise choices can have a significant impact. In a game, we might be dealt a strong hand or a weak hand. It was the luck of the draw, not something we could control. But regardless of the hand we hold, what truly matters is how we play with what we have.
Sant Mat is straightforward – it consists of regular meditation, supported by simran during the day, as instructed by the Master. This is combined with a promise to follow a lacto-vegetarian diet, avoid alcohol and mind-altering drugs, and lead a morally upright life. However, as many of us realize, this is easier said than done. The waves of our own karmas threaten to overwhelm us, much like the waves of that northern sea battled by Grace Darling. We can continue our journey by fixing our gaze ahead (keeping the goal of union with our loving Master in mind) and by following good navigational rules to steer safely through the rocky waters.
Spiritually speaking, the rules of good navigation are the four principles that aim to manage our human fragility so we can reach our ultimate goal. Additionally, we are social beings and ‘doers,’ happiest when active, so the Master recommends we use our free time in seva. The days are gone when a master’s group of disciples was so small that service was directly to that master. But we can view any tasks supporting his satsang centres and sangat as important as serving the Master himself. When service is done conscientiously, lovingly, and in accordance with the guidelines set by those appointed to oversee the work, he is present with us. We are strengthening that vital connection with our Master, which naturally leads us to turn to meditation to enjoy his presence even more.
Another human trait is our tendency to be influenced by our surroundings, which sometimes causes us to lose sight of our good intentions. Therefore, the Master recommends regular attendance at satsang, where we are reminded of the teachings and can connect with like-minded individuals. He advocates that we strive to be good human beings, demonstrating kindness and compassion through practical actions. These navigational tactics – ways to respond to life’s challenges – help us stay more focused on our Master and better prepared to sit for those two and a half hours in meditation. The self-discipline we show by consistently engaging in seva and attending satsang sends a clear message and response: “You can do it!” and “Yes, I can!”
Beyond this world’s rocky shore, the small boat carrying us (our faith, effort, practice, and above all, our Master’s grace) will set out, overcoming the waves to steer a steady course until we overcome the hazards, reach the shore, and are received on safe ground.