Turn Around

During question and answer sessions, Baba Ji often advises disciples to channel their attention in the correct direction in order to overcome the difficulties they face. He reminds us that when we face him, we can see him. However, if we turn around and look in the opposite direction, we cannot see him, although he is still there.

Saints advise us to turn our attention away from the false pageant that the world offers and focus it towards the inner Shabd, our true master. Soami Ji writes:

Turn around and listen
To the great resonance of Shabd.
O surat, beloved of your Master!
Why carry heavy burdens on your head
When your stay on earth is so short-lived?
The Master pleads with you again and again
To develop love for the melody of the Shabd.¹

Soami Ji is reminding us that when our attention is scattered away from the eye center into the world, we will taste only bitterness and poison. However, if we reverse the attention of our consciousness and listen to the melody at the eye center, then Shabd becomes our sustenance for the journey.

When mystics speak about our journey in this creation, they point out that our problems and difficulties stem from our mistaken belief that we are separated from the Lord. Even though, in reality, our soul is a particle of the supreme Lord and the Lord abides in our soul, we have fallen into the illusion that we are separate from the Lord and we become lost in this creation.²

In his book The Path of the Masters, Dr Julian Johnson elaborates on our current condition, having been held in captivity and lost in this creation. He says:

Truly the world is in a lost condition. Every man is not only sick, but he is lost in a dense wood, a tangled forest, without path or compass, no sun and no stars, because he is blind. Moreover, he is suffering from the worst case of amnesia ever known. He has no recollection of his original home or inheritance. In this deplorable condition, he wanders on from year to year. In addition to his mental and spiritual plight, many are suffering from physical ills; they are heartsick, worn and weary.³

Hazur Maharaj Ji used the analogy of someone who has gotten lost on an evening walk, and how sounds and lights can guide him back to his destination. He said:

You may go for an evening walk and end up by the river, far from Dera. Night falls and it is very dark, so what do you do? You listen carefully to see if you can hear any sound coming from the Dera. The moment you hear the sound of the siren or the bell sound, you immediately know the direction of the Dera – whether it is ahead of you or behind you, to your right or left. Since the night is dark and there are bushes and water, you need a torch or lantern to light your way. Once you know the direction of the Dera, even though you may have forgotten the route, you can use the light to guide you on your way back. If we asked what helped us find our way home, it was the sound and light. In the same way, we are separated from the Lord. We are lost far from the home of the Lord, and to guide us back He has kept the sound and light in each one of us, which is why every mystic tells us of the inner light and sound.⁴

When we practice the Master’s teachings and turn our consciousness to the eye center, our inner eye and ear is opened, enabling us to see the light and hear the sound. This light and sound cleanses the soul of its impurities, pulls it gradually to the higher spiritual regions and, ultimately, takes our soul to the abode of the Lord.

Our love for the inner Master or the Shabd should be the same as the love that the rainbird has for the pure rain drop. It is said that one day, Kabir Sahib was walking along the bank of the Ganges river when he saw a rainbird faint from a lack of water and fall into the river. Legend has it that a rainbird, no matter how much water is available, would rather die than drink anything but pure raindrops. Kabir watched the poor bird closely, to see what it might do. But even though it was a hot summer’s day and the bird was dying of thirst, it would not drink the Ganges water. Kabir said:

Ah, if every disciple would have the intense love and devotion for God that this little bird has for its pure raindrops, the sooner they would reach the pure regions of the soul. Then their souls would merge into the ocean of God’s love, from whence they came.⁵

Maharaj Jagat Singh spoke of how we can inculcate this intense love and devotion for the Lord. He said that the secret of success on the path of the Shabd is:

Bhajan, more bhajan, and still more bhajan! With bhajan only for three hours, the scale will always weigh heavily on the worldly side. You ought to become wholly and solely God-minded. Throughout the day, no matter in what occupation you are engaged, the soul and mind must constantly look up to Him at the eye center. All twenty-four hours of the day, there must be a yearning to meet the Lord, a continuous pang of separation from Him. Nay, every moment, whether eating, drinking, walking, awake or asleep, you must have His name on your lips and His form before your eyes.⁶

When the Master advises us to turn our scattered attention away from the world and towards the eye center, He is emphasizing that the solution to all our problems, all our difficulties, lies in contacting the Shabd at the eye center. Hazur Maharaj Ji speaks about the ecstasy and joy that we experience when we turn our attention away from the creation towards the eye center. He says:

Your happiness will know no bounds when you meet me within yourself. Then you will absolutely forget all your trials and sorrows. You will be so filled with love, joy and indescribable happiness that there will be no room for anything else. You will then not even remember that you were ever sad. When you merge into my spirit form, the holy Ghost, all your doubts will vanish because everything will be clear to you. And whatever you wish will be granted by the Father. When we merge into the Father, our desires are more than fulfilled and there is absolutely nothing more to wish or hope for. Whatever we may ask for has already been granted – not only that but much more than we could ever hope for.⁷