The Harvest Is Ready
Back in the 1960s and 70s, two popular books on spirituality were Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda and Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East by Baird Spalding. We never imagined that one day a Master from India would come to the West. Maharaj Charan Singh’s visit to our countries filled a deep need for spirituality. The depth of this need grew even more intense when we met him in person. It is said that one glance of the Beloved is enough to awaken the soul. We have been more than blessed that the Master’s glance fell on us. It was the meeting of a lifetime, a cosmic turning point that set many of us on the spiritual path. In the course of a lifetime, one appreciates the gift of initiation more and more. What an incredible blessing it is to have a lifelong companion and friend, a spiritual teacher whose unseen presence has been with us always.
In Light on Saint John Hazur Maharaj Ji writes:
The Masters come into this world at a particular time for a particular purpose. They perform their allotted task at a time and place that is designated by the Father. Masters do not come to perform miracles in this world. Miracles do happen in their lifetime, but that is not their purpose…. The real miracle that a Saint can and does perform is giving us spiritual initiation – a new birth, which puts us in touch with the Word, the Holy Ghost.
(9th ed., 2019, p.35)
After receiving initiation, we begin to develop spiritually, as we commit ourselves to the path. We are bound by so many worldly commitments that take up much of our time. But our spiritual commitment must be foremost. It needs to become the foundation of our life, of everything we do and think. Patience and perseverance are needed, but we learn that the rewards of our dedication are priceless. Meditation becomes a way of life that enables us to undergo a process of transformation that gives us a deeper awareness of life’s real purpose.
Gradually our focus shifts. We are used to focusing on outside things, so initially, discipline is needed to redirect the mind inward. That shift takes time and ceaseless effort. At first, we may do our meditation out of obedience or a sense of duty. But gradually we become more receptive to the pull from within. Concentrating on simran becomes easier. Slowly something takes over, and we become increasingly aware of the unseen presence of the inner master. With that realization comes a sense of inner joy.
But the path of love and devotion is far from easy. It requires sacrifice. In Light on Saint Matthew Hazur Maharaj Ji explains:
Naturally, when he [Christ] was giving the teachings, people were impressed with them and were filled with love and devotion for the Father, and somebody said: “Master, I am going to follow you wherever you go.” So Christ warns him, saying: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (8:20)
He says, I know you are very sincere and anxious to follow me. But remember one thing – it is not so easy to love the Lord. Do not think it is a bed of roses. It is very difficult to follow where I am going…. The lovers of the Lord will get no rest anywhere in this life unless they are able to achieve their destination. They are not a part of this world and live in the agony of separation until they meet the Father.
(Light on St. Matthew, 6th ed., 2003, p.94-95)
Following the path entails struggling, falling and getting up again. Sometimes it feels like a mission impossible, a tiresome plodding against all odds. Yet, we shouldn’t get discouraged. The master helps and supports us at every stage. Progress we will make, despite the karmic storms that seem to blow us off course. The dark clouds will blow away however, and the warmth of his love will renew our determination. He is guiding and pulling us from within, more anxious for us to return home than we can realize.
The only way to get some rest is to turn inside and find our home there. Our spiritual heart within is where we can return to in our meditation every day. Turning within is our spiritual work and our most important seva: stilling the mind, stopping the flow of thoughts, becoming tranquil and experiencing serenity. In With the Three Masters, Vol. 3, a quote from the Guru Granth Sahib emphasizes this:
Remain in your own home,
O my foolish and ignorant mind.
Meditate on the Lord – concentrate deep
Within your being and meditate on him.
(5th ed., 2018, p. 121)
“Remain in your own home”, that is withdrawing into “our own corner of peace” as Hazur Maharaj Ji says in Light on Saint Matthew. It is only through meditation that we can gain some degree of inner peace. Persistent practice culminates in our discovering the power and benefits of simran. It is the one spiritual practice we can do under all circumstances. The more we do it – and we can never do it often enough – the more we will discover how powerful the holy names are. They keep us on track and strengthen our bond with the inner Shabd Master. Calculation doesn’t play a part in this game of love. We either repeat the names consciously or they pop up within unannounced, spontaneously.
There is no greater blessing than falling in love with our meditation. As Hazur Maharaj Ji says in Die to Live:
When you fall in love with somebody, you automatically want to remain in the company of that person…. Similarly, when you fall in love with meditation and you feel peace and bliss within, then whatever little time you can manage, you would at once like to attend to meditation, because you want to be there in that peace, in that bliss. It will increase by itself. You don’t have to put forth an effort then at all.
(7th ed., 1999, p. 262)
In meditation we’re seeking that stillness, that sense of tranquillity: the presence of the Divine. Simran helps us to focus our attention and prepares us for bhajan (listening to the sound current). Simran and bhajan go hand and hand; they clean the vessel of our soul and then fill it – a mysterious inner process that begins with letting go of thoughts and images. Simran is the preparation for bhajan, taking us to the threshold of the Divine. But crossing that threshold is not in our hands; the Lord must do the rest. All we can do is sit and wait, with no expectations. Encouragement we get, either in meditation, in satsang or at unexpected moments. The master is always there to guide and protect us.
Krishnamurti, in his journal The Beauty of Life, gives a beautiful description of experiencing the sacredness of stillness:
As he talked and groped for the right word, the sun was setting, and deep silence descended upon us. He stopped talking. After a while, when the stars were very close to the earth, he said, “That is the silence I have been looking for everywhere, in books, among teachers and in myself. I have found many things but not this. It came unsought, uninvited…. Sitting here, I am conscious of this sacred silence. Through it, I look at the stars, those trees, the river. Though I see and feel all this, I am not really there. As you said the other day, the observer is the observed. I see what it means now. The benediction I sought is not to be found in the seeking.
Living the Sant Mat way of life by staying within its spiritual parameters makes us receptive to the subtle workings of Spirit. It will manifest itself unexpectedly, unsought and uninvited. The spiritual dimension is always present, as it is part of the transformation taking place inside of us. We have to try to attune ourselves to it, which we can do only through meditation.
Supporting us in our efforts are the satsang centres that have been created all over the world. They not only offer opportunities for seva but also are venues for holding satsang. The atmosphere of satsang, whether the Master is physically present or not, creates in us a deep longing to follow the path and do our meditation. We desperately need seva, satsang and the Sant Mat books as part of our spiritual support system, as they give us a deeper understanding of the teachings, which we come to love.
Ultimately, it is through meditation that we can show our appreciation and above all our gratitude to our Master for giving us so much more than we deserve. We go through life with all its ups and downs, always keeping our spiritual goal paramount. We keep giving our best, trying to get our priorities right, leaving the rest to him. And what does the Master keep in store for us? In the words of Maharaj Jagat Singh, as quoted in With the Three Masters, Vol. 3:
Hazur said that no effort is ever wasted. At the time of the disciple’s death, when his pralabdh karmas are exhausted, the Saints give him back the spiritual wealth he has earned and his veil is lifted. All disciples should therefore continue in their efforts at meditation, irrespective of whether the veil is lifted or not.
(5th ed, 2018, p.121)
What a promising perspective! We’re building our treasure in heaven. As it says in The Gospel of Saint John, “In my Father’s house are many mansions.” (14:2) We’re on our way back home, and our Master is preparing a place for us. Hazur Maharaj Ji says in Light on Saint John:
Every disciple does not go straight to the Father. How far he goes depends upon his spiritual progress; he may reach the first, second, third, fourth, or fifth stage. So every person has his own place, prepared for him by his Master, and continues to make progress from there onward until he finally merges into the Father. (p. 229)
We’ve been given a unique opportunity in this lifetime to follow the spiritual path. Whether we were initiated at a young age or later in life, we are always short of time, so it is important to remain aware and alert. We need to keep coming back to the eye centre, to find a level of comfort there so that we’re automatically pulled inward. That’s the way to remain spectators of the passing show of life rather than get enmeshed in it.
Again, Hazur Maharaj Ji, commenting on two verses from Saint John, says:
Make the best use of your time and withdraw your soul to the eye centre. The harvest is ready for you; the Lord is waiting for you there….
Whosoever works hard is well rewarded…. Whosoever follows the teachings of a Saint and is sincere in his meditation will definitely get the reward, the ‘wages’ of his meditation. And what is that? “Fruit unto life eternal” – fruit that will give you eternal life.
(Gospel of Saint John, p.66-68)
We are labourers in the field, working to collect the harvest. We have received an abundance of grace – no more grace is needed. A deep longing to be with the Divine and go back to our true home has been planted in our hearts. We have no choice. The urge to follow in our Master’s footsteps has become so strong that we cannot resist it. There is no greater joy than feeling his presence inside, where he is waiting for us to join him. We are so privileged, so blessed. We are children of the Father, embraced and protected by these masters, these great beings of light.