Cover Spring 2007 THEME?

Cover
Spring 2007
THEME?
Contents
Spring 2007 Edition
This Issue
Nirankar, Satguru, and the Devotee
Indi Sidhu
4
A Soul in Need
Daljeet Bassi
4
Relationships
Vimal Kundi
5
The Experience of a Life Time
Ashish Arora
6
Living Like a Child
Vikram Palli
6
A Message from the Divine
Kulvinder Nagha
6
Achieving Universal Brotherhood
Prashant Lande
7
The Power of a Smile
Savina Kamal
8
God is Love
Vijay
8
Diwali
Sumeet Kattri
12
Who is the Satguru?
Rahul Singh
14
God’s the 1 with all the Plans
Sandeep Sahota
15
Divine Encounters
Raul Kamal
17
Who is the Source?
Sudhir Kundi
19
Universal Target
The Fear of Unhappiness
Jagjit Khambe
19
A Journal of Universal Brotherhood
The Essence: Planet Earth
Gurpreet Bhatia
20
Editors
Harbans Singh, Hardayal Gill, Daljit Mehta
Dr Bobby Sura (07801 278 377)
drsura@sky.com
No Prayer Goes Unheard
Sonia Loi
21
4 U I M Here
Deena Sangha
21
Now is the Time
Hardyal Sandhu
23
The Importance of Human Life
Rakha Ram
24
Naught
Surjit Dhami
24
Sant Nirankari Mission is an all-embracing
spiritual movement seeking to unite mankind
through the realisation of One Omnipotent
Creator. Enlightened beings realise the value
of human life and recognise the presence of
Formless God, ‘Nirankar’, in one and all. By
such wisdom material, social, and religious
divisions melt away, and are replaced by
bridges of compassion, unity, and fellow
feeling. Nirankari Mission is headed by His
Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev Singh Ji.
Visit our website: www.nirankari.com
General International Contact
Gurpreet Bhatia (07770 225 982)
notariespublic@hotmail.com
United Kingdom Contact
Savita Rana
sav_10@hotmail.com
Canada Contact
Prabhjot Dhanoa (416 927 0303)
prabhdhanoa@hotmail.com
USA Contact
Dr Kanwal Chawla (517 546 2629)
Kanwal-Chawla@hotmail.com
Production
Baljit Ruprah, Jagjit Khambe, Navtesh Nihal
khambe@mailcity.com
Distribution
Harjinder Singh, Nitesh Alagh, Surjit Dhami
Dhami@hotmail.com
Publishers
Sant Nirankari Mandal UK
Potters Lane, Wednesbury, WS10 OAS
West Midlands, UK
The views expressed in articles and
poems are those of the authors and not
necessarily those of the SNM
© All rights are vested in the
publishers, and no part may be
copied without prior consent
Regular Features
Editorial and News in Brief
Dr Bobby Sura introduces us to the Spring issue of 2007
1
Discourse: The Way of the Mind
2
An abridged version of the discourse given by His Holiness Baba Hardev
Ji during his 2006 Salvation Tour. English rendering by Gurpreet Bhatia
In Conversation With…
9
This issue Baljit Ruprah brings you an exclusive interview with the charismatic and wise JRD Satyarthi
International Reports
10
There has been a lot going on since the last issue of Target, so we’ve
tried to consolidate some of the key events in our ‘international reports’
Rising Higher
22
In this issue we bring you another instalment from the writings of P Lande
Reviews
25
Roopwant Bhumbra presents the recently released ‘Rise and Awake’ CD
Editorial
Spring 2007 Edition
A Balanced Life
News in Brief
How do you feel most of the time? What words would you
use to describe your mood, on a day to day basis ? Are you
relaxed, happy, thoughtful or sad? Are you excitable, angry,
joyful or irritable? Perhaps something else? Just pause for a
moment, and consider how you come across to others, and
more importantly, how you come across to yourself.
These questions arise from the remarks of His Holiness Baba
Hardev Ji, spiritual guide of the Sant Nirankari Mission, during
his circuit of discourses around the world recently. Baba Ji
said, ‘if you wish to gauge your level of spirituality, just
consider how many times you become emotionally
unsettled, for no apparent reason’.
It is a profound statement, for we are reminded to stop
looking out at the world, and begin contemplating on
ourselves. We are being asked to consider how much
spiritual wisdom we have absorbed and nurtured within, as
a counter-balance to the ups and downs, and gains and
losses of life. It is within this changing geography of
circumstance, that we so often find reasons to explain the
spectrum of emotions we feel as human beings. By this, I am
not talking about responses in the face of tragedy, for such
reactions are what make us human. Rather, I am referring to
our day to day emotional experiences - those moments
where we react in a disproportionate way to whatever
challenges our comfort zone.
In truth, nobody can avoid the pattern of transformation
which defines life—what we have now, will change
tomorrow. In fact, the pleasure we enjoy when we acquire
things is attractive, because we have tasted the
unhappiness of loss. What we dislike lends value to
everything we hold dear.
We are not what we own, what we do, or what we feel
others think of us. Our material and social status does not
confirm happiness, no matter how convincing this story
seems to be. If we become pleased when others praise us,
and become deflated when others criticise us, we have
placed our centre outside of ourselves. If we always look for
fulfilment in the world around us, we will forever miss what
we have within. Clearly, we can only stumble and fall over,
when we are off-balance in this way.
Spiritual wisdom centres us. It holds us together, when
everything around us seems to be in a state of flux and
change. A small shift in attitude to any given situation can
make the difference in terms of our ability to cope with it.
Spirituality offers the gift of being cheerful, thankful and
appreciative for all that we have. Such an attitude is the
antidote to feeling offended, judged and unnecessarily
needy. When we realise that we have more in our life than
our small hands can hold or contain, we can turn our
attention to those who need a little more help and comfort,
than ourselves.
Dr Bobby Sura
1
International 'Tele' Satsangs have been
established as a means of connecting the
international Nirankari community. This
new format exploits the tele-conferencing
medium (commonly used to hold virtual
meetings in global organisations) to
facilitate a group discussion amongst
devotees from diverse locations - see
nirankari.com news for more
A Multi-Faith Conference on Sounds and
Silence was held in February, where the
Mission was requested to present its views
on the subject. Roopwant Bhumbra gave
a wonderful exposition and set up a
photographic exhibition in response, which
was very well received by all
SNM hosted a Spiritual Sangeet Evening in
Yorkshire in January as part of the Annual
Indian Association. The event showcased
an array of talented artists and was a huge
success. A full report is in this issue of UT
A Guru Puja Mehfil was held in the West
Midlands Bhawan on 18 February. This
musical evening was celebrated by
devotees across the West Midlands who
joined in the singing of classic Nirankari
Anthems. A special sports day was also
held the following week to continue the
celebrations during which devotees
enjoyed participating in tug-of-war, relay
racing, volleyball, and other activities
The much anticipated 'Rise and Awake'
Music CD was launched in India recently.
This project pooled contributions from
youngsters across the UK and was very well
received. The CD is now available for
general purchase. Visit 'Voice Divine' on
nirankari.com for special interviews
A number high profile events have taken
place across the globe since the last issue
of UT. Checkout our 'International Reports'
section this issue to find out more
The first English Medium Samagam of 2007
was hosted in Leicester in March.
Respected Madan Mal presided the
Samagam which saw a considerable
turnout of both young and old from across
the UK
Spring 2007 Edition
Discourse
The Way of the Mind
English rendering
by Gurpreet Bhatia
Discourse given by His
Holiness Nirankari Baba Ji
in London during his 2006
Salvation Tour
The devotee always thirsts for regular Satsang and
is enthusiastic to partake in Sewa. When the mind is
joined with the almighty it is drawn away from
negativity and yields only positive thoughts. In
doing so, the mind of a devotee inspires love and
optimism and the devotee himself becomes a
source of encouragement for all his companions.
The Itinerary
It was only some days ago that I arrived in
England, and had the opportunity to meet with
you all in this Bhawan. Since then I have travelled
to Leicester, Wednesbury, Bradford and Newcastle.
We also made are way to Glasgow to attend the
Samagam and continued back down to Hitchin,
Bedford, and finally back to London. Even after
such a tiring schedule I was pleased to see the
energy and enthusiasm of both young and all they
served and celebrated last night, despite the
lateness of the hour. The heart does not hesitate in
bestowing blessings upon such inspired souls.
To be Connected
We walk into a room that is lit up. The light will
only exist as long as a connection is maintained
with the source of the electricity, so if one pulls the
plug from the source then the light disappears.
Similarly, whilst the mind is connected to Nirankar it
will remain beautiful and in love, continuing to
expand in all dimensions whilst this awareness is
maintained. This connection is broken when one
comes into ego or hatred. If you are connected to
that which is broad and expansive you will
Spirit of Devotion
“No hatred is bigger than the
forgiving nature of love. To be able
to forgive is an amazing thing”
In all places I saw the youngsters with the same
enthusiasm. Now we shall be spending around five
weekends in North America and I am sure that
devotees there too will display the same spirit of
devotion. In fact, I see this spirit everywhere I go—
be it in the mountains or villages in India or the
most remotest parts of the world where the
language and culture of the natives may appear
alien to us. The spirit of the devotees remains
constant and is very similar wherever I go. ‘Why is
this?’ you may ask, the answer is simple: they are
joined in spirit with the Almighty, and the feeling of
love and bliss that they enjoy does not fade.
become like that (i.e. Nirankar), but if you break
the connection with it then you will become
narrow minded in your outlook. There is nothing
more vast than this Nirankar, and that is therefore
what we should seek to attain,
The Mind
The mind has a massive role in our lives. We may
seek salvation in all sincerity but if the mind is not
humble then it can be the biggest obstacle in our
path to achieving this. It is in fact the ego born of
the mind which prevents us from experiencing
higher planes. If we consider our position, degrees
(intellect), status, and our power—walking this path
can be problematic since it is inevitable that ego
will dig its claws into the ground whilst we walk. This
mind can serve both to help us but without control
it can also become a threat. Preventing positive
progression in our lives. The only difference
between becoming ‘Rama’ or ‘Ravana’ is in
thoughts cultivated by the mind.
Outlook
In Port Blair, an area at the very southern tip of
India, Missionaries made great efforts selfless
services to support the and care for the people
that suffered the tragedy of the Tsunami. In those
regions there are many places were Satsangs take
place and people travel by boats to the place of
worship. It matters not where you live, the spirit
should always be the same towards this One
formless Nirankar. The devotee always considers
Him to be his mainstay in life and his journey is
completed with the awareness of this Nirankar. At
the same time, this awareness of the One formless
Nirankar in all beings inspires fellow feeling and
thoughtfulness for welfare of all human beings,
regardless of material differences.
Real Strength
Who is strong? He who wins a wrestling match or
he who wins a battle? It is said that this man is
2
Discourse
Spring 2007 Edition
wealthy as he has economic strength but in the
court of spirituality we would suggest that he who
has won control over his mind is the strongest, and
not the one who sways to the tunes of his mind.
expecting broad-mindedness of others for
committing the same offence. This against the
teachings of all saints and sages of the past who
preached for us to do unto others as we would
have others do unto us.
“We can assess our spiritual
strength by reflecting on how often
our peace of mind is disturbed”
Everyone wishes to receive love and respect—
there is none that thirsts for anything other than this.
We should therefore nurture the spirit of forgiveness
by understanding this point. Thinking otherwise will
only push us into negativity and is the basis for
making mountains out of molehills.
One who sells his mind and surrenders to the Guru,
and makes a connection with Nirankar has real
strength. The mind must be filled with good
thoughts and this will take us to heights, but it only
takes a small dose of hatred for us to fall in the
same way. The mind must therefore be joined with
the truth. It must connect with words and
intentions of the devotees, as these will support
and retain association with the formless. The mind
must be given this type of encouragement as
otherwise it may fade with the colours of the
material world where negativity from the
extremities of competitive society.
We can assess our spiritual strength by reflecting
on how often our peace of mind is disturbed
throughout the day. If we keep concentrating on
insignificant matters and do not attempt to
appreciate the positive intentions behind a persons
actions then we feel offended. Moreover, we
always make more of things when we don't place
them in the greater context of our life.
Dealing with individual Conflict Resolution
We must challenge the mind in order to truly
awaken it—actually it is an irony that we must tell
the tell the same failing mind to become better,
but this is the truth of it. It can go in both directions.
That is why we need the company of other
devotees to provide objectivity and
encouragement in our lives, and to ultimately
ensure that we begin to walk in the right direction.
Sometimes we may have small moments of rage
but if we know how to tackle them it is better.
Through broad-mindedness even a big problem
and be diluted. However, if we believe in ‘an eye
for an eye’ then the whole world will become
blind. Devotees should be role models in the
world. Their intentions and perception is pure and
uncomplicated by the superficial divisions of
society.
We must teach the mind to have tolerance. One
must learn to tolerate bad words and offensive
natures, it is all in the hands of each individual as to
how he handles this matter. If one person hits you
the devotee should display character to accept
such a blow and at the same time ask whether the
other party sustained injury in doing so. It is of
course not easy to tolerate others in this regard, but
then only those that achieve the most difficult tasks
are praiseworthy. We can only achieve such a
state through broad thinking and through the
power of forgiveness. Such power can only be
achieved through oneness with Nirankar.
When we drive a car we press our foot against
the accelerator to generate more power for the
car. The other foot however remains ready on the
break. We do not press both at the same time, as
this is a waste of energy and the car would not
move forward. We must lift the brake pedal.
Likewise in the spiritual aspect of our life we must
concentrate our efforts in prayer and be careful in
the away we apply other pressures. Prayer helps to
sustain spiritual balance, and nurture feelings of
love, tolerance, humility and appreciation—all of
which are necessary to maintain peace of mind.
take praise and sustain bliss which is my prayer.
Forgiveness
It is very difficult to forgive. Everyone can convict
and say ‘I will teach him a lesson for his behaviour
towards me’, but who comes forward to forgive?
No hatred is bigger than the forgiving nature of
love. To be able to forgive is an amazing thing.
There should be no cunning nature in devotion.
The soul and the mind’s intention should be pure.
The head is always full of random thoughts and
playing politics—it tries to reason and apply
conjecture, and people who allow such thoughts
to multiply often let there hearts become empty.
It is strange how we do not think twice before
passing judgement on others but always seek the
benefit of the doubt for our own mistakes,
May we pray to Nirankar that we do not fall into
this trap. By keeping the company devotees we
will always be inspired to cultivate the right path.
3
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
Nirankar, Satguru,
and the Devotee as One
A Soul in Need
Daljeet Bassi, England
The poem below was motivated by my reflection
that aspirations and thoughts need to be coupled
with action in order for them to be effective. Mere
contemplation is not enough to effect change,
nor should we feel that it is satisfactory to reach
this stage and not go beyond. We live in an ever
complex and demanding age, and it is all too
easy for us to be busy yet ineffective. If we think
about the positive contributions we can make,
and do even just a little towards realising them,
then we are at least moving forward and helping
to make a difference.
Indi Sidhu, England
Once the devotee asked his Master ‘Master with
Your mercy I have been blessed with knowing your
eternal abode, this supreme formlessness which
exists around me and at the same time You have
given me the opportunity to serve You, recite Your
name and so on….. But there are others who have
not seen Your formlessness, and there those who,
having seen Your eternal form do not remember
You or serve You in any way. Why is there such discrepancy between us?’
I am a soul in need,
I am a bad man in deed,
Through the pains that ravish this earth,
It’s my own mouth that I want to feed.
Satguru listened intently to His devotee. After
hearing this humble follower, Satguru looked at him
and sat down on a nearby bench and spoke.
I have no time,
No energy or effort,
I know I’m no saint,
But really is there anyone that perfect?
Those who in their hearts thirst to see me, I disclose to them My
eternal abode, this formlessness and give them salvation. Out of
them who then have realised this formlessness and obtained this
knowledge so supreme, I give them the opportunity to worship
and serve Me; out of those who remember me and show dedication and love, I give devotion.
I close me eyes,
When I see your pain,
Eyes wide shut,
To avoid those images again,
I close my ears and shut down my brain
Dreaming of things distant,
And holidays in Spain.
The love which you express through sincere service to My creation conveys your commitment to fulfilling My request. You
have taken this as a commandment for yourself and this has
pleased and touched my heart.
For this I open to you all the treasure which I hold for you. Also
I look after your every need personally, there are needs which
you will not be aware of which I know of and there those which
you see before you eyes.
Really though,
I’m a man that wants to help,
Just let me get a few things done first,
And I’ll spare you a little time,
Oh I just remembered,
I have to be gone by nine.
Satguru went on to say:
There are those who come to me to just enquire about my eternal abode and have no real interest in it and there are those who
attend gatherings for social reasons to be apart of a peer group
and once those peers separate that individual also stops attending; what they do not realise is that if they come for me then that
peer group will never diminish. Only a few live within me and I
live within them.
Maybe some other time now,
You know I’ll do whatever I can,
Everything but that which is needed,
Deep down though,
I’m sure you’ll see I’m a good man.
The devotee naturally asked ‘Then how will I know
who is attached you?’
Satguru replied:
But I know deep inside,
That it’s not enough,
The time to help is now,
Before things get too rough,
I need to do more,
Than simply reflect and think,
If I do even just a little,
It could be enough to brink you back from the brink.
The one who talks and recognises Me in everything, who does
not see Me separately from My creation, who does not see Me as
Me and him as himself, but just sees this formlessness of Methen consider that devotee to be Me, as he is the one who I attend
to as personally. Just like I operate free from any form of materialistic desire you will see that devotee as me working freely.’
The devotee then thanked his Satguru and took
leave by bowing at his feet.
4
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
Relationships
Vimal Kundi, England
‘Relationship’. This twelve-letter word is extremely
important in each individual’s life. Rather this has a
deep meaning for the whole creation. Whether it is
the relationship between nine elements, humans or
non-humans – it is this ultimate tie between the
creator and the creation. It is such a vast subject
that it is not possible to cover and discuss it in
detail.
Relationships can only be successful where there
is trust, respect and loving communication
between the two entities. Baba ji says ‘if you leave
everything in God’s hands, you will soon see God’s
hand in everything’. This will happen if you trust
God and surrender yourself to the will of God
without any ifs and buts.
“Relationships don’t come about because people are perfect; they come
about because of understanding”
I would like to write here about the relationship
between individuals and above all regarding the
relationship between the Lord and his disciples.
In relationships, we all make mistakes and
something we are insensitive to the needs of
others, especially those very close to us. All this
leads to disappointment and resentment. The
answer to handling disappointment is to imbibe
understanding.
The fact of life is that all worldly relations are
perishable and are not going to last forever but the
relation of our soul with God almighty is the most
stable relationship and to last forever.
The Lord Master unites our soul with the super soul
as he is the means or door through which we enter
in the kingdom of heaven, therefore we love him
and consider him as our best friend. This love gets
stronger each moment because of Guru’s selfless
intention s and pure thoughts for the whole
mankind. Guru is always giving us and never
taking from us as such. To build and continue this
relationship we must be in tough with God.
Relationships don’t come
about because people are
perfect; they come about
because of understanding,
which can be seen between
any person of age, colour, race
or sect. So much so that it can
be amazingly seen between a
blind man and his guide dog. This proves that it is
the inner self that ultimately understands and
responds to the other being. This is only possible
where there is love and feeling of oneness.
When two people part we often hear then saying
to each other – ‘keep in touch’ because we know
no relationship can continue of the touch is lost
similarly, to keep in constant touch with the
almighty and to get maximum blessings of Satguru,
we need to attend regular congregation, do
selfless service and remember God by doing
Simran. Baba Ji often says that we need petrol to
start our car, and we also need it to keep it
running. Similarly there is no other way to maintain
spiritual relation ships. This relation gives immense
pleasure when there is no selfish motive and is
carried forward with love and respect.
Consider our bodies: if while going somewhere I
have cut my finger, the my brain does not have to
order my feet to stop, or my one hand to bring a
plaster for the injured hand, or my eyes to shed
tears for the unbearable pain. It all happens
automatically and simultaneously only because of
oneness in the body. Various examples of oneness
between mother and child, two friends, and close
family members can be taken where it is clear that
feeling of love and devotion, caring and sharing
brings strength to each relation.
My loving father used to say ‘Love and serve
saints, as saints, only’. In other words, one should
love and serve fellow beings considering them as
saints, and not introduce any personal
attachments or complexities into the relationship.
When we serve with such sincerity, the true beauty
of the relationship is manifest and any sacrifice in
such a circumstance yields only peace and
harmony.
“The answer to handling disappointment is to imbibe understanding”
We often sympathise with the other fellow-being
during the course of our life and try to help each
other, but when we feel how the other person feels
(empathy) only then do we feel a sense of
satisfaction, contentment and closeness between
those two.
5
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
The Experience of a
Life Time...
Living Like a Child
Vikram Palli, England
If we could live like a child,
So perfect and pure,
For every trouble and toil we
would have a cure,
For troubles of the soul and mind,
So we can leave our malice and
hatred behind.
Ashish Arora, Canada
During Baba Ji and Pujya Mata Ji’s recent visit to
Vancouver, I had an opportunity to spend some
time with His Holiness and I call this opportunity an
‘Experience of a Life Time’ which I will forever remember and cherish.
If we could live like a child,
And give everyone love,
Treat everyone equal,
Not look at them below or above;
This world would be such a peaceful place,
For we would not judge by creed or race.
I felt this calmness within me whenever His Holiness
was around and felt the love and respect which
we all share for Him and each other. This really
gave me a new understanding of the words
‘Universal Brotherhood’, as not only do we love
and respect our Spiritual Leader, but the excitement I had was shared by all the saints around me
and for everyone around Him.
If we could live like a child,
So clear and honest of heart,
Then the evil that resides within,
Shall surely depart.
Baba Ji’s love towards the devotees is very contagious and really makes you think that if we show
love and respect to people around us, regardless
of their origins, then this world would be a much
calmer and a peaceful place to live in. His Holiness
stated in His discourse that today everyone is too
busy building walls where we should be building
more bridges to close the gap or misunderstandings amongst us. This is a very simple but a strong
message as too often we get caught up in our own
worlds and want to be successful in our goals and
sometimes forget that we are really alienating ourselves from the people we love and care and of
course, the Creator.
If we could smile like a child,
And in that smile make someone’s day;
We give them faith and strength,
To not hate come what may.
So just like a child,
Let’s spread love wherever we go;
For in the future and through our children,
We will reap only what we sow.
A Message from the Divine
I also had an opportunity to meet with some saints
who were touring with His Holiness and really enjoyed listening to their words and admiring the
dedication. Even though this was my first time
meeting some of the saints, I could see that our
love for Baba Ji was the common factor which got
us together and really that struck me that this is
what the Mission is about: Universal Brotherhood,
and by spreading his message of building bridges
not walls and respecting each other, we can really
make this world a better place to live in.
Kulvinder Nagha, England
It was a message from the Divine
Sent with love to my heart
A baby - a miracle
In the form of innocence & beauty
Child, I look into your eyes, and feel
The Divine is revealing, what’s been concealed
Without being asked, you lovingly give
Treasures I could never, have bought, nor sold
Angel in disguise, what wisdom you bring
From your faraway travels, you have taken me within
The outward journey, must start from within
In the Company of the Beloved, when
He calls your name
Our Satguru has dedicated his life to spread this
message of love and respect for each other. It is
our duty to practice what He is preaching. This experience was a very spiritual one and it made me
realize that we are very fortunate to be able to
have these experiences and we do not need to
look around to find the truth; it is in front of us— our
duty to spread the message by living by it.
I once was a child like you too
How quickly the days have flown by, of my youth
It was His Love that revealed, the face of Truth
And set me free like a child, to re-live a lost youth
6
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
Achieving Universal Brotherhood
Prashant Lande, Chicago
made by the sinner, and shares the sinner's evil
while sharing with him his good.
Universal Brotherhood, which is a sublime natural
fact of universal nature, does not signify merely
sentimental unity, or a simple political or social
cooperation. Its meaning is incomparably wider
and profounder than this.
Spirituality knows no separateness; it proclaims the
unity of all. Just in proportion as we are spiritual,
shall we feel our unity with saint and sinner alike.
We are all eager to feel our unity with the Gods,
with the Saints, but no such unbalanced unity is
possible. Only those can be one with the highest
who are also one with the lowest; by the one Spirit
that dwells in us all, our brother's sins are our sins,
our brother's shame is our shame.
The sense inherent in the words in their widest
tenor is the spiritual brotherhood of all beings.
Particularly, the doctrine implies that all human
beings are inseparably linked together, not merely
by the bonds of emotional thought or feeling, but
by the very fabric of the universe itself. All beings,
both high and low and intermediate - spring forth
from the inner and spiritual sun of the universe as its
hosts of spiritual rays. We all come from this one
source and are all built of the same life-atoms on
all the various planes. It’s just a veil of ignorance
that separates our minds and creates a feeling of
duality. At the spiritual level all are one entity.
“Spirituality knows no separateness;
it proclaims the unity of all”
Today the world is eager for the development of
a world community based on unity and harmony
as distinct from unanimity and uniformity. We have
to remember what the great teachers of the world
have affirmed, that all men are brothers, and that
their differences are not to be eliminated, but are
to be fostered and sustained by mutual
understanding. We must learn from other peoples'
beliefs and experiences. We have come to realize
that conflicts between countries can no more be
settled by wars, which are devastating in their
character.
It is this interior unity of being and of
consciousness, as well as the exterior union of us all,
which enables us to grasp intellectually and
spiritually the mysteries of the universe; because
not merely ourselves and our own fellow human
beings, but also all other beings and things that
are, are children of the same cosmic parent, great
Mother Nature, in all worlds of being. We are all
rooted in the same cosmic essence. This
interlocking and interblending of the numberless
hierarchies of beings forming the universe itself
extends everywhere, in the invisible worlds as well
as in the worlds which are visible.
There are no losers or winners, in modern war. The
differences require to be reconciled in a large
understanding of human depth and its varied
expression. We must learn to be loyal to the whole
human race. Exclusive loyalty to an individual
nation or group or creed is not enough in the
present world.
“human beings are inseparably
linked together, not merely by the
bonds of emotional thought or
feeling, but by the very fabric of the
universe itself”
The Nirankari Mission is
one such platform
which promotes
Universal Brotherhood.
We have to reverse the
gear from violence to
love and peace, by
realizing the Fatherhood of God resulting in the
spontaneous brotherhood of mankind.
To feel ourselves different from others is nothing
but a feeling of separateness. The perfect saint
identifies himself with the criminal as much as with
another saint. For the criminal and the saint are
alike divine, although in different stages of
evolution. When a man can feel thus, he touches
the life of the God within himself. He does not think
of himself as separate, but as one with all. To him
his own holiness is the holiness of humanity, and the
sin of any is his sin. He builds no barrier between
himself and the sinner, but pulls down any barrier
Though God is invisible, yet it is all concrete, like a
cosmic force unifying the whole universe. The
Nirankari Mission asserts that God-realisation is the
only force that is binding together the manyshaped bricks of human society into a coherent
structure. It is possible to realize the prospect of a
7
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
world family with the unifying bond of love
amongst its members in the wake of Realisation of
Fatherhood of God only. This is the key to what is
described as “Universal Brotherhood”.
The Power of a Smile
Savina Kamal, England
Try it, go on, smile!
It’s no big deal,
It only takes a while.
For the Sant Nirankari Mission, Universal
Brotherhood is not a hollow slogan, but a way of
life. It is not a gospel merely to be preached by
word; it is an essential part of the very conduct and
behaviour of every Nirankari, who feels at home in
any part of the world. He finds himself surrounded
by his own people, his own fellow-beings, wherever
he goes. There is no stranger for him. For him this
globe is one house and the mankind one family.
When someone smiled at me today,
I felt my heart melt away.
My eyes contained a glow,
And my teeth sparkled like the snow!
When Baba Ji smiles at us,
We make a very big fuss.
If we share this feeling with others,
We would have many more sisters and brothers.
“Universal Brotherhood is not a
hollow slogan, but a way of life”
So go on,
Try it, smile!
It’s no big deal
It only takes a while.
You, the explorers of the art, literature and
thought of the world's varied cultures, have a more
decisive voice in shaping the minds and hearts of
the people you meet. Let’s surrender completely to
our Lord Master and the Supreme Formless
(Nirankar). Change yourself and whole world will
change automatically. Learn humility, tolerance,
love and non-violence and practice these divine
qualities in everyday life.
God is Love
And Love is God
Vijay, Chicago
Let us move forward to a great meeting where
we respect every man, every race, every culture,
every creed. There is no place for hatred or
jealousy. The ancient Indian scripture Rig Veda has
quoted a few lines to move together to develop
common ideals and purposes. It says -
Love in our day to day life:
Love is to be humble
Love is to forgive others
Love is to be kind and care for all
Love is to share
Love is to be happy always and make others happy
Love is to help others
Love is to serve selflessly
Love is to pray for all
Love is to pray for the good of mankind
Love is to sacrifice
Love is to be patient
Love is to respect all
Love is to listen what others have to say
Love is to smile
Love is to encourage, motivate and to love
Love is to be happy with others in their good times
Love is to be emotive and pray for all
Love is to accept others in totality
Love is to cooperate and be considerate
Love is not to fear
Love is not to be jealous
Love is not to get angry
Love is to hate none
Love is not to interfere in others’ lives
Love is not to hurt anyone
Love is to remember God’s gifts and our position
Meet together, talk together:
May your minds comprehend alike:
Common be your action and achievement:
Common be your thoughts and intentions:
Common be the wishes of your hearts
So there may be thorough union among you
We have all been created for greater things—to
love and to be loved. Love is to love a person
without any conditions, without any expectations. It
should be complete in itself. It should not be
uncertain. It should not be dwelling with a shadow
of fear. It is not temporary. Works of love are works
of peace and purity. Works of love are always a
means to becoming closer to God. So the more we
help each other, the more we really love God. As
the Lord Jesus said Love one another as I have
loved you, Love in action is what gives us grace.
We pray and if we are able to love with a whole
heart, then we will see the need. Those who are
unwanted, unloved, and uncared for become just
a throwaway society—that’s why we must really
make everybody feel wanted.
8
In Conversation With...
Spring 2007 Edition
J.R.D. Satyarthi Ji
How is negative feedback against the Mission best
handled?
Baljit Singh, England
An aggressive question should not be met with an aggressive
response. Confrontation should be avoided. If an individual is
being negative about the Mission remember that this individual
may be ignorant. They may ask questions, for example why do
Nirankaris touch each others feet? Under these circumstances it
is best to give a basic response, enough for that person’s ignorance to be dissolved. Remember what Gandhi said ‘an eye for
an eye and tooth for a tooth…and soon we shall all be blind!’
During his visit to the UK in July
2006 I was blessed with the
opportunity to speak with the
very Reverend Shastri Ji of
Delhi. We talked about life in
general and gradually we
moved onto one of my
favourite topics, the Nirankari
Mission. I was in awe of the
depth of knowledge Shastri Ji had, the conciseness
and simplicity of his answers and examples, the
sweetness of his delivery and the powerful command and authority in his voice. Floating in spiritual
enlightenment, I wrote down the points of discussion so I could share them with others. Below is a
brief synopsis of our conversation…
How should you treat the sermon (vichar) of someone whom you may not respect as an individual or
whom you believe to be a hypocrite? Should you
take it with a pinch of salt? What about leading by
example? What should you do if you do not agree
with any aspect of a sermon?
You should remember that humans are not perfect and they
often make mistakes. If a saint is blessed with the duty to deliver
a sermon or vichar and the contents are positive then those
aspects should be accepted irrespective of your personal opinions of that saint. If an individual always concentrates on the
negative then he will make no progress in his spiritual life. If an
alcoholic father warns his son about drinking then the son
should listen to that advice as it is good advice. As for leading by
example, if an individual fails to practice his own teachings, then
that is his own loss. Each individual has his own relationship
with Nirankar.
I have heard before that bringing people to congregation (Satsang) is one of the best forms of
service to others (Sewa) that someone can do. Is it
the case therefore that some forms of Sewa are
more valuable than others? If so, what is the best
type of Sewa one can do?
Whilst bringing people to Satsang is a good form of Sewa, it is
not correct to say that one form is better than another. The best
form of Sewa will always be that which is appropriate to the
circumstances. Say for example a large number of saints come
from abroad and are looking for somewhere to stay. Under the
circumstances the best form of Sewa would be to help to
accommodate them.
What are the Missions views on terrorism and those
that fight and kill in the name of religion?
The Missions teaching on love and forgiveness are very clear.
Terrorism, war and killing in the name of religion can never be
justified.
Should an individual use all opportunities to become closer to Satguru e.g. Sewa duties, or should
he be humble and donate these opportunities to
others?
I have heard it said, mainly to those who are new
to the Sant Nirankari Mission that becoming a
devotee of the Mission (a Nirankari) does not mean
that you have to give up your religious beliefs and
furthermore that the Nirankari beliefs, if properly
incorporated into your lives will enhance what you
have already been taught. Is this actually true?
Surely there will be contradictions between Nirankari beliefs and other religious beliefs and one will be
placed in a position of inner conflict?
Whilst it is a very good virtue to give up Sewa opportunities for
another, saints should always bear in mind that if they have been
blessed with any opportunity to do Sewa, whether it is in the
vicinity of Satguru or not, they should accept it as their own and
perform it to the best of their ability. Being blessed with the
opportunity to do Sewa in the vicinity of Satguru is different to
asking for it specifically.
A saint should never force another individual to do anything and
should never impose his own views on another. An individual
must be allowed to follow his own beliefs in conjunction with his
Nirankari beliefs. However, once an individual achieves spiritual
enlightenment, his outlook may naturally change and he may
voluntarily decide that he does not wish to practice former
beliefs as he may deem this unnecessary.
In conversation with…..?
Who would you like to see featured in future issues
of Universal Target? If you have any ideas then
please send us your suggestions. Alternatively, why
don’t you take the initiative to interview a personality in your area?
Say for example a child has a coin which he does not wish to let
go of. If that child is then given a toy or a sweet, the child will
weigh up what is better for him and may give up the coin for the
toy or sweet. Whilst there may be contradictions between
Nirankari beliefs and other religious beliefs, it is for the individual to decide how best he can incorporate them into his life and
to what extent.
If you would like to be a regular interviewer for this
section please contact us now!
9
International Reports
Spring 2007 Edition
Hosts to the Yorkshire
Indian Festival...
Birmingham delivered the concluding discourse.
He highlighted that there was only one thing
lacking in today’s world and that was true love. He
went on to reiterate the importance of realising the
ultimate goal of ones life. Harbans Ji continued
that the Nirankari Mission today under the grace of
His Holiness was creating true love by spreading this
message of Truth. Respected Harbans Ji finished off
by explaining to the audience the meaning of
‘Dhan Nirankar Ji’.
Sima Pal, England
As part of the three -day Annual Indian Festival in
Yorkshire, a spiritual musical evening was
organized at the Sant Nirankari Bhawan, Bradford.
The sharing of a communal meal by all ended off
the evening.
The evening was enjoyed by the whole of the
Yorkshire area gathering as well as local dignitary
Councillor Mohammed Shafiq, Professor Siddique
and by fellow beings who represented the local
multi-faith community. The objective of the
evening was to bring together the local
community and promote fellowship.
New Friendships...
A party of 30 delegates from the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Mosque (Bradford) including their
President, Secretaries and Imam visited the SNM
Bhawan recently to understand the teachings of
the Nirankari Mission and His Holiness Baba Hardev
Singh Ji.
The evening began by a prayer of remembrance
of this Almighty Nirankar, which was led by
Reverend Jawahar Singh Ji, local Parmukh of
Yorkshire. The first performance was by Surjit
Dhami from Birmingham who performed a musical
rendition on the stringed instrument the Sarangi. A
poem whose theme was ‘Divine Love’ was also
offered by this talented individual. This was
followed by renowned musician Navjot Rassia
from Wolverhampton, who captivated the
audience through his melodious voice and
instrumental playing.
On the arrival of the delegation, Rev. Imam
Naseem Ahmad received a bouquet of flowers
from the local Parmukh. The General Secretary of
Sant Nirankari Mandal UK, Rev. Sukhjinder Singh Ji
also welcomed the whole delegation on behalf of
the Nirankari Mission.
A brief history of the Mission, principles and ethos
was shared with the Ahmadiyya Muslim guests by
Rev. Surinder Pal. For the following half an hour a
Discourse by His Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev Ji
was watched on the projector screen by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim delegation.
The audience experienced this Divine Bliss by
losing themselves in this all-pervading Truth.
Individuals were able to strengthen their Faith in
this True Master through his sweet holy songs.
Pakistani ghazal singer, Ustad Arshad Aziz from
Bradford, closed the evening who through his
performance reminded one and all that this Allah
is in each and every one of us and surrounds us at
all times.
Following the discourse, Rev. Sukhjinder Singh Ji
presented the visitors with the Avtar Bani. Rev.
Imam Naseem Ahmad spoke that there is not
much difference between the message of the Holy
Quran and Satguru Baba Hardev Ji’s teaching. He
praised the love and respect that they received
from the Mission and said that he would welcome
the Missionaries at the Ahmadiyya Mosque. He
then presented Rev. Sukhjinder Singh Ji with a copy
of the Holy Quran, on behalf of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Association.
Anil Mehta and Supreet Suri, of SNM West
Midlands branch, supported the artists with their
phenomenal tabla playing and talented guitar
renditions. Supreet delighted the audience by
mixing the sounds of the East with the sounds of
the West. Rajesh Jassal played an important part
in the proceedings as sound engineer and also
contributed musically through his magnificent
keyboard playing.
Refreshments were offered to all that had
gathered in the langar hall. Before, leaving Rev.
Imam Naseem Ahmad invited the Sant Nirankari
Mission to their Annual Peace Conference in
Bradford.
Councillor Mohammed Shafiq welcomed the
guests on behalf of the local council and praised
the work of the Nirankari Mission in bridging the
gap between the different communities.
The chief guest, Reverend Harbans Singh Ji from
10
International Reports
Spring 2007 Edition
Cultural events, to
promote the Mission
Beautification of the
environment
Gobind Singh, USA
With the grace of His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji
Maharaj, the Vancouver Branch of the Sant Nirankari Mission has once again been graced with a
successful blueberry crop.
Detroit, Michigan, USA.
A three day annual Indian Festival was organized
by Gurvinder Singh recently in downtown Detroit,
which attracted approximately thirty thousand
people. This was a large scale public event and
people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, faith
groups, religious denominations and nationalities
visited the festival.
In mid July and August, many devotees, both
young and old, spent countless hours picking blueberries on Saturday evenings and early Sunday
mornings. All devotees were able to share their
spiritual thoughts with one another whilst listening
to divine music being played outside as they
picked the fruit, thus maintaining a wonderfully
soothing spiritual atmosphere. This year’s crop has
been remarkable, yielding approximately 8,500 lbs
of blueberries.
Vendors from various parts of the USA
participated and constructed their own booths
there selling food, clothes, jewelry etc. There were
also various modes of entertainment at the event
for people who had traveled from far and wide.
The Sant Nirankari Mission held a special booth at
the entrance of the festival for the second year
running which was managed by various devotees
from Michigan and Windsor congregations. In line
with the message of Baba Ji promoting the vision
of teamwork and working in unity.
With the blessings of His Holiness, the Bhawan farm
was purchased on March 1, 1993 in Richmond, B.C.
What was once a neglected parcel of land used
as a dump, the Sant Nirankari Mission volunteers in
Vancouver cleaned up and turned it back into the
valuable agricultural land that it is today.
Rev. Daljit Sidhu commented that since the purchase, it was an uphill task returning the land to its
proper use, particularly due to the garbage and
debris that had been thrown into small bushes over
the years. The buildings were in rough shape and
the outside yard was in a deplorable state of affairs. There were many loads of garbage, metal,
wood and other scrap that needed to be hauled
away before any type of farming could take
place. It took many months cleaning up the farming area (over 3 acres). As well, the land had to
be ploughed many times before the blueberries
could be planted. Furthermore, the higher
grounds were cleared of all the wild bushes, a lawn
was put in, and many trees and shrubs were
planted. Fencing, gates, newly planted flowers
and hedging all helped to turn the once unbearable eyesore into a beautiful farm.
The Mission’s Publication items were kept on
display and were sold to visitors who attended the
festival. There were various English and Hindi
Books, CD’s, Audio Cassettes and photos of Baba
Ji on display. A free introduction brochure on the
activities of the Mission was distributed to
hundreds of people who stopped at the booth.
There was also media coverage at the event
through the regular showing of a documentary
video within the booth on a television screen
giving Baba Ji’s discourses and messages. This was
taken from the discourses which are regularly
provided to TV Asia. Naturally those enthusiasts
with an interest in spirituality and the message of
God obtained details of the location of the
Nirankari congregation in the area, directions and
worship (satsang) schedule.
With the hard work of all the devotees (especially
the youth under the guidance of their elders), the
site looked so presentable that even neighbors
came to look at it. They were very happy that the
dump had been turned back into farming land.
Local city officials, including the Mayor of Richmond, also took notice of the remarkable improvement made to the land. The members serving as
volunteers achieved all this, and they were all very
happy to do their part. Furthermore, all the volun-
There was a great deal of positive feedback
about Baba Ji’s recent visit to Ann Arbor and
many visitors showed keen interest to seek Baba
Ji’s blessings during his next visit. This was a
wonderful effort in bringing about awareness of
the message of humanity, love and unity to the
public which Baba Ji is emphasizing for today’s
world.
11
International Reports
Spring 2007 Edition
led by Danny Sura, organised a short play on Lord
Rama and the story of Diwali, for everyone to reflect on the meaning of this auspicious date in the
Indian calendar. The play illustrated strong messages about how people misunderstand Diwali today, and forget the real purpose. Prior to this there
were short readings by youth members who shared
stories of Diwali from both a Sikh and Hindu perspective. There was also an opportunity to consider the Eid festivities, which also occur at this time
of year.
teers were very thankful to Baba Ji for giving them
this opportunity of a joint task.
To date, 1.3 hectares of the 2.1hectare total has
been converted into successful blueberry production that is maintained by the Mission.
This is due to the hard work and important maintenance of the farm by dedicated Satsang members
throughout the year, with the timely weeding,
pruning and fertilizing taking place, as well as ensuring that the soil is not too wet in the winter and is
moist enough during the harvest season. A white
cross marker displays the names of each of the
Nirankari families who have donated blueberry
plants for each row.
In continuation of the spirit of documentaries, another short film was shown to the audience, taken
from a seminar about ‘Universalism and Peaceful
Co-existence’, hosted by the Sant Nirankari Mission,
Delhi, some weeks ago. This was an eye-opener for
many visitors, who were pleased to note the wonderful work of the Mission throughout the world.
The first crop in 2004 was sent to market at over
$3000 and since then, with the grace of His Holiness, Vancouver has been blessed with ever grow-
To conclude there was a dance by youngsters, after which a fantastic fireworks display took place,
concluding the festival of lights. The spectacular
display was organised by Mukesh Pali and Sharanpal Bhatia, being a real feast for everybody. Freshly
cooked ‘corn on the cob’ was served to help fightoff the chill of the night!
Celebrations at West
Midlands Bhawan
UT Reporting Team, England
More food and refreshments were naturally served,
bringing to an end the wonderful evening. A special thanks must go to Sangeeta Tutt for her coordination and good work in bringing this evening
With the grace of Almighty Formless Nirankar, a
night of Diwali and Eid celebrations took place at
the Sant Nirankari Bhawan, West Midlands Branch
on the 21st October 2006.
Diwali
The evening was opened by a small musical concert by Satbir Bhatia and his youthful team who
sang Spiritual Qawalis, after which young Supreet
Suri performed a rendition on the Satguru. The principal message of this rendition was that the Satguru is He, who takes one from the darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge.
Sumeet Kattri, England
Today we congregate to celebrate the festival of light
the everlasting brightness from day ‘til night
everyone is celebrating with happiness and joy
from men and women, to young girls and boys.
Naturally the focus of the evening was light and
how people’s lives had changed due to the guidance of the Guru, His Holiness Satguru Baba
Hardev Ji, and this was wonderfully illustrated
through a Poets Symposium, which was held following the concert. Discharged with the responsibility
of running the proceeding for the evening was Dr
Bobby Sura who introduced poets, young and old,
to the delight of the hundreds who gathered to see
the event. Prior to this commencing, a brief documentary was shown that had been compiled by
sister Renuka Ji from London, again focussing on
the Guru.
This is a special occasion
a reason for celebration
we should make our happiness a donation
all together love God’s creation.
Light is the reason we can see
living life in eternity
dedicated and committed to Nirankar we should be
living happily, setting our minds free.
God is everywhere, God is here
God is not far, God is near
God is a guide to overcome fears
God is there to bless and give happiness
throughout the New Year.
The youngsters of the Mission in the West Midlands,
12
International Reports
Spring 2007 Edition
Devotees assist in
television fundraiser
achieve. As he did this, time was flying by and
calls continued to flood in minute by minute.
The Sant Nirankari Mission members helped
Maryland Public Television to raise $29,681 dollars
by the time the fund raising drive ended, around
9:00 p.m. The producer thanked the volunteers for
their valuable help and requested that they return
when the event runs again.
Sandeep Sakhuja & Rajinder Gahunia, Washington
The SNM Washington DC branch recently provided
volunteers to support Maryland Public Television
(MPT) fundraising efforts. While this effort provided
a public service to the MPT, whilst also promoting
the Mission’s cause on Channel 22.
60th Independence Day
Ritika Thohan, Washington
The SNM Washington branch participated in India’s
60th Independence Day Celebration at Eleanor
Roosevelt High School on Saturday, in recent
months. There were about 600 people that
attended the fair. The Washington branch
organized a group of about twenty volunteers of
all ages to participate in the event.
The purpose of participating in such an event was
to Increase awareness in the local community
whilst raising funds for the building of a new
congregation hall.
The volunteers had a great set-up with a
promotional booth displaying Nirankari literature
and media, and a second for fundraising. A video
documentary about the Sant Nirankari Mission’s
efforts to spread peace all over India and abroad
was played. This was very well received by people
at the event and there was genuine interest from a
large number of attendees.
A team of twenty Sewadal members arrived at the
television station’s studio in Owings Mills. Victoria
Hecht and Joe Coe, members of the Maryland
Public Television program welcomed the team of
volunteers and thanked Rajinder Gahunia for
coordinating and arranging the volunteer services.
The Washington branch Parmukh Rev. Prem Kamal
Dadlani joined the group to provide support and
encouragement. Many other devotees from the
branch were also present and thoroughly enjoyed
the day.
After a short training session, the team was asked
to go to the studio and take pledges during the live
programming. During the fundraising program the
Station broadcasted the Mission, displaying the
distinctive SNM Logo. The team were very excited
to receive their first pledge call and at the same
time got the opportunity to be on live television as
the camera rolled to show the pledge taking
volunteers. This exciting moment built the
momentum and pledge calls kept coming one
after the other.
Attending Satsang
—What’s It All About?
Sehajnit Seimar, England
The SNM Washington DC Parmukh Rev. Prem
Dadlani also joined the group to provide support
and encouragement. The producer from the
public television welcomed Mr Dadlani and
provided two minutes of television’s airtime for him
to promote the key premise of the Mission. Mr
Dadlani raised awareness of the Mission’s
philosophy, ideology and what it has been trying to
I think it’s about bringing love to the planet and
to help people from starving and
suffering to death and
to help countries to stay calm.
And not to let any World War’s happen.
And when it’s successful,
noone will feel evil anymore.
13
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
Who is the Satguru?
Who is the Satguru?
Rahul Singh, England
show curiosity to know more, when they hear
about Divine Knowledge. It seems people have
become blinded by the glitter and attractions of
this material world. Unfortunately they have not
realised that all they see is really an illusion, and
what they cannot see (the Formless) is the real
Truth in the world. However despite knowing this
Baba Ji has not given up on trying to bring the light
back into the lives of human beings.
Satguru means True Master. ‘Sat’ means true and
‘Guru’ means teacher or master. Basically he is the
Teacher of Truth. The Satguru is the only one that
can bless us human beings with the ‘Brahm
Gyan’ (Divine Knowledge). The Satguru is Divine
Form, and able to lead us on the path of Truth. This
carries us towards salvation (‘mukti’).
Although Satguru does have a form and Nirankar is
formless, the Satguru is also formless. The reason is
you can feel the energy of the Satguru when he is
physically present but you can also feel his energy
when he is not physically with us.
“… all they see is really an illusion,
and what they cannot see is the real
Truth in the world!”
In this Kalyuga, the Divine Knowledge that the
Satguru has bestowed upon us, helps us cope with
our daily lives, as we practice what he preaches.
Whoever walks on the path of the Satguru, for that
person there is actually no Kalyuga – they live and
walk in light.
The fact is the Satguru is never born and never dies.
His Formless aspect lives on, from one Divine Form
to the next, in successive Satguru’s. The Satguru is
sent by God to help us live our daily lives with love,
peace and unity. Today in The Sant Nirankari
Mission we have this Divine Form in Satguru Baba
Hardev Singh Ji.
Satguru and Brahm Gyan
What is the need of a Satguru?
Brahm Gyan means Divine Knowledge. It is also
referred to as God Knowledge. The Divine
Knowledge is that very essence that is spoken
about in the Holy Scriptures. However, it remains a
mystery, until we learn to read between the lines.
The Brahm Gyan opens our eyes, so we can see
the Divine Knowledge in every Holy Scripture.
People read Holy Scriptures day and night but still
seek to realise God. However, the Satguru can
help us realise God in one moment, and then the
Holy Scriptures become alive to us.
The need of the Satguru is simple. Man needs the
Satguru, so he can walk on this path of Truth. This
path of Truth can be walked on when we receive
the Divine Knowledge.
Also the Satguru is the one that lives his life
according to the Divine Knowledge. So the need
of the Satguru is actually purely for us. By seeing
how Baba Ji lives, whatever he teaches, he also
practices in his daily life. There is no difference
between his words and his actions.
Satguru says ‘do Sewa, Simran and Satsang’
When Baba Ji says ‘We should all love
unconditionally, he does that practically. There is
no contradiction between his teachings and his
actions. This is the way we should all live and
Satguru inspires us to do so, as a perfect role
model. Firstly he awakens us with the Divine
Knowledge and then he shows us how to
implement the Divine Knowledge in our daily lives.
The 3 S’s (Sewa, Simran and Satsang) are required
for us to use in our daily lives and the Satguru
perfectly shows us how we can implement them in
our lives.
Firstly Sewa- Baba Ji is definitely doing Sewa for us.
He is constantly going around the world, day and
night spreading this message of Truth. He is showing
us how his body and mind is for the service of the
world. Baba Ji is selflessly doing this without
expecting anything from us in terms of materialistic
things. All Baba Ji wants us to do is to follow and
practice his teachings in our lives and spread this
message of Truth.
Satguru and Kalyuga
‘Kalyuga’ refers to the Dark Age - where ignorance
prevails. This ignorance manifests as hatred and
division. People of the world are often more
interested in material possessions, and less
interested in reflecting on the Divine. They don’t
Simran- Personally I have heard Baba Ji do simran
14
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
many times. Whenever he is praised or when
someone needs comfort, he says ‘Tu Hi Nirankar.’
Whenever we need blessings he says, ‘Datar kripa
kare’ or ‘Nirankar bless you.’
God’s the 1 with the Plans
Sandeep Sahota, England
One day by sheer coincidence,
I found a sight quite rare
Whether you want something to happen,
Whether you don’t want something to happen,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
As simran means prayer, Baba Ji at the end of
every vichar prays to Nirankar to bless us all. In
addition, Baba Ji has blessed us with a very simple
prayer
‘Tu Hi Nirankar
Main teri sharan han
Mainu baksh lo’
If we ever need something personally (or wish to
pray for others) then we can ask for it when we do
simran.
Satsang- Baba Ji day and
night, all year around is
attending Satsangs (Holy
Congregations). Informally,
he creates Satsangs during
his walks, or whenever his
saints are celebrating with
song and dance. He loves
to be in the company of
saints.
Whether you get what you want,
Whether you don’t get what you want,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Whether you have the best job in the world,
Whether you have no job at all,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Baba Ji is practically in the
company of God-realised souls every day of his life.
Baba Ji does all the 3 S’s and yet keeps a family
life. He has devoted his life for us and is showing
how we can adopt Sewa, simran and Satsang in
our daily lives, without giving up on our social
responsibilities.
Whether you plan to go out,
Whether you plan to stay in,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Whether you want others to help you,
Whether you don’t want others to help you,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Message for us all
Whether you get the food you like,
Whether you don’t get the food you like,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
As we can see Baba Ji has given us all something
special. Whether it is in terms of blessing us with the
Brahm Gyan, or with the opportunity and strength
to do Sewa. He has also blessed us all with a simple
simran and keeping the company of saints
(Satsang).
Whether things you want come to you,
Whether you have to do some things to get the things,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
We must have realised now that Baba Ji is doing so
much for us, and we should do all we can to assist
in spreading his message of Truth.
Whether you get the flu,
Whether your body is perfect,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Baba Ji has shown us how to live our lives. He is a
living example and we can all do good deeds by
practicing what he teaches. We have all attained
this eternal bliss and Baba Ji wants us to give this to
the whole world. So let us all pray to Nirankar that
we can find the strength, the love and the
devotion to spread this spiritual message
worldwide. Just as we are proud of our Satguru, it is
about time we make our Satguru proud of us too!
Whether you wake up tomorrow,
Whether you’re not alive tomorrow,
God’s the 1 with the plans.
Whatever happens in your life,
Just have faith and remember
It’s God who’s got the plans…
15
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
My Diary...
Salvation Tour, Summer 2006 - Part 2
walls, but why can we not be instrumental in
building bridges and using our energies this way?
Again I felt this to be a most important message for
us and the application was to be made in our minds
first. If we all have the thought that before being
obstructive and not accepting the view of my
neighbour I should first have the capacity to listen; if I
can listen then accept then this will be the first step in
creating that bridge. However if we do not listen to
others and wish just to impose our own personal view
then we may be placing the first brick of that wall
that the Guru does not want us to build. I felt that I
should consider this deeply and on walking behind
the Guru during this time I learnt this important
lesson.
Gurpreet Bhatia, England
‘Dhan Nirankar Ji,
It was my good fortune to spend a few days in
Alberta, which is the home of the world famous Rocky
Mountains Range. The outstanding beauty of the
region is quite unparalleled to anything that I have
experienced in my life. The vast mountain ranges,
beautiful lakes and glaciers are simply superb.
I have come to learn that in every action of the Guru,
it is important to look deeply and attentively as there
is a message to be drawn. One must be alert and
aware to understand what he is trying to say to you.
There was an occasion when we were visiting a glacier
and as we went towards the summit we were invited to
drink some of the water as it was so pure being near to
the source. Baba Ji went on to comment that as the
water began to filter down the mountain it gained
impurities. For me I understood the words to suggest
that as one creates a distance from the Source of Life
then impurities form within that person’s life in
various shapes and forms. However, if one is attached
to the Source there is a natural purity which exists in
his life and that purity has the potential to affect
other lives.
Baba Ji has also been using the words of Martin
Luther King regularly throughout his discourses and
I shall turn to one particular comment when he said ‘I
do not wish to carry the burden of hatred but rather
the thought of love’. This compelling thought brought
to my mind the fact that how heavy it is to carry
hatred in our minds and hearts. Baba Ji was
suggesting again that we should live in love with
others and this has to be reflected in our day to day
living. Not as an expression of great academic
thought but lived in real life. Once this is
acknowledged we can truly be in union with the
message of the Guru
When we went on to Calgary for the Samagam (large
scale congregation) which was held in the Radisson
Hotel, in the discourse Baba Ji told us that there is
great diversity in the world but people really do not
wish to create peace in diversity but mistakenly
search for peace in uniformity. This, He advised
would be difficult to work. This would require
conversion. For example people say ‘my scripture is the
best’ or ‘my community is great and nobody else’s is
as high’ or ‘my religion and nationality is the best’.
This does not promote a culture of acceptance of one
another, and therefore peace slips through our fingers.
If there is togetherness, inspite of diversity in thought
and action, then there is a possibility that all can live
together under one umbrella.
Light a Lamp
Sangeeta Tutt, England
Light a lamp of tolerance,
Understand more than being understood.
Light a lamp of love - love as if there’s no tomorrow.
Light a lamp of hope and comfort,
Radiating warmth to all.
Light a lamp of kind actions,
Serve selflessly without hope for reward.
Light a lamp of forgiveness, giving benefit out of doubt.
Light a lamp of unity, looking for oneness in diversity.
Light a lamp of light, shed darkness from within.
Light a lamp of light and light up all the lamps!
Light a lamp of humility then light shall never fade.
Light a lamp….
Light a lamp of gratitude and spread light to all.
His Holiness Baba Ji further told us that there is much
energy in the world and people are trying to build
16
Feature
Spring 2007 Edition
Divine Encounters
Raul Kamal, England
Throughout our fortunate lives, we experience certain things which solidify our faith in God. Although
we should not simply look for ‘divine encounters’ to
strengthen our faith, I would like to share some of
these experiences with you as these have taught
me valuable lessons in life.
Nirankari congregations regularly in North America.
Consequently we decided to stay in touch and
from time to time discussed our spiritual views. However, it was a few months later when this devotee
taught me that ‘actions speak louder than words’
by assisting me with a task.
It is a common fact that human characteristics are
determined by a combination of nature and nurture. That is to say that we gain characteristics from
our families and we are also affected by our upbringing and our surroundings.
The task began earlier this year
when I had been asked by my
employers to sit for an Apple
Macintosh exam to show that I
am able to support Apple computers. As I was the first employee
to sit this exam in my organisation, I had no resources or course material and was asked to find
the required resources to study for the exam.
That is why we are encouraged to sit in the company of enlightened beings so we too can learn
from their way of life and better ourselves as people. In fact, we don’t realise it but as we share a
common Spiritual Teacher, our thoughts and actions can be very similar at times. At several stages
in my life, I have had people who I have never met
before approach me and ask me if I follow the
teachings of His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji.
This was not going to be straightforward as this syllabus was relatively new. Fortunately, I was able to
find the course material to start studying for this
exam. The real challenge arose when, with only a
couple of days before the examination, I was looking for mock exam papers.
Apparently, it was my aura and my actions that
enabled these individuals to recognise that I was a
student of a Spiritual Teacher.
When studying for IT certifications especially, mock
exam papers are a vital part of the preparation
process and I was finding it very difficult to get hold
of such a paper. Eventually, after hours of searching the internet I found a website which sold the
exam paper I required. With time running out before my examination, I hurried to purchase the
mock exam paper but for some technical reason,
this USA website would not accept credit cards
from the UK. I became very worried at that time
and thought about how I would let my colleagues
down if I failed this exam.
This made more sense to me after I experienced
the same thing and was able to identify a devotee
of His Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev Singh Ji. I was
browsing an Internet site where individuals were
able to post comments about themselves. People
mentioned their likes, their dislikes, their favourite
quotes as well as their outlook on certain aspects in
life.
Whilst reading a certain individuals comments, I found myself nodding and agreeing to
most of her views on life. She
came across as a humble and
virtuous person. However, it was
only after reading her favourite
quote, which was related to
spirituality, that made something inside of me click and I
became certain that this person was a follower of the Sant
Nirankari Mission.
At this stage, I engaged in deep mediation and
began praying. Only a few minutes later, the North
American devotee I had met through the Internet
sent me an email asking me how I was doing. I
mentioned that amongst other things, I was due to
take an examination in a few days and that I was
in desperate need to obtain this mock exam paper
which I could not purchase.
The devotee duly offered to purchase this mock
exam paper for me stating that she would consider
it an honour to help someone in their moment of
need. Due to the difficult circumstances, I reluctantly agreed stating that I would only accept this
kind gesture if I was able to pay back the money
which I saw as a small loan. The devotee agreed
and only a few minutes after I had directed her to
I contacted this person to satisfy my curiosity and
asked her if she believed in the teachings of His Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev Singh Ji. It was no surprise to me when she told me that she attended
17
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
the relevant website, I received
an email with the mock exam
paper and an invoice for
$32.50.
studies that she was having problems registering
for. I reluctantly agreed to this request and told the
devotee that I would repay her act of kindness in
person some day and that I pray that God Almighty resolves all her problems and continues to
guide her throughout her life.
In the few days that followed, I studied very hard
and used both the course material and the mock
exam paper to revise for the pending examination.
About six weeks passed before we spoke again.
This time it was the devotee who was beaming
gleefully. What was making her so happy I
thought? She explained to me that she had
wanted to apply for post-graduate studies in a particular university in which a prerequisite was submitting your GMAT scores.
When the day of the examination arrived, I remember reciting a small prayer and heading into the
exam room. I recall being very focused on the task
ahead and when I looked at the first question, I
was pleasantly surprised.
The first question was virtually identical to a question I had revised on the mock exam paper so I
was able to answer this with ease. The second
question was also very similar to a question from
the mock exam paper so I was able to respond to
this with the correct answer. After I had read the
third question I noticed an obvious trend. I flicked
through the exam questions and noticed that all
the questions on my exam paper were similar to
those I had revised a few nights before from the
mock exam paper!
Without the submission of these grades, she would
not have been able to attend the university. The
devotee went on to explain that this was something she had wanted to do for herself. This meant,
not asking her parents for any help with funding.
She had never told me before but admitted that
she was finding it difficult to finance her studies and
when the prerequisite of submitting her GMAT
scores had become an obstacle, she had almost
considered giving up on the idea of studying.
I was furious to hear that someone who had
helped me was doing so at her detriment and offered to help immediately. “You don’t need to do
that” she exclaimed. “Something amazing has
happened”. The devotee began by explaining
how she did not have to pay to submit her GMAT
scores to her chosen university as her previous university had submitted her scores to the five closest
universities geographically.
“The seeds you sow today, will be
the fruit you reap tomorrow”
At first, I was quite surprised by this but quickly regained my composure and begun answering the
questions very confidently. As I was answering the
questions I was very confident that I would pass the
exam but remember being in constant awe of
God Almighty who had blessed me with such good
fortune. As I finished this online exam, I waited for
the computer to calculate my grade. I was still trying to comprehend what I had just experienced
and thought, ‘if I pass this exam, I will share this inspirational experience with other devotees’.
What was even more surprising was that she had
saved $32.50 from not having to submit her GMAT
scores! That was the same amount that this devotee had spent on helping me obtain my mock
exam paper!
More than a coincidence, I believe that this was God Almighty
putting two devotees in a position where their true character
was displayed and where one
devotee could help another.
My result came up. I had passed the examination
comfortably. I was both ecstatic and relieved.
After sharing this result with my colleagues and
family, I contacted the devotee who had helped
me purchase the exam paper, in my time of need.
The message here is simple - the
seeds you sow today, will be the
fruit you reap tomorrow. As it is
written in the Avtar Bani:
I had not forgotten her kind gesture and wanted to
pay her back for her act of selfless service. As soon
as I contacted this devotee, she congratulated me
and asked me if she could ask for something in return. “Sure, why not”, I enthused. Her request was
simple. She asked me not to give her any money
for her act of kindness and simply asked for my
blessings that she could begin her post-graduate
Everyone shall reap the fruit of his own actions;
True is the court of Divine Lord,
One would reap as he sows.
(Hymn 33)
18
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
Fear of Unhappiness
Who’s the Source
Sudhir Kundi, England
Jagjit Khambe, England
Everyone has their own idea of happiness, and of
course there are countless books and philosophers
who strategize on the subject. Indeed we may
choose to focus on various aspects of our life, and
on what we have, in order to secure some form of
happiness—be it family, friends, work, play, health,
and wealth—but underneath it all, what is it that
we’re really seeking? Why do we need one or
more of these things to make us happy?
Who’s the source, the drop,
The one who receives?
Who is born, then lives,
Who dies, who grieves?
Who’s the maker, the product,
The One who consumes?
Who’s the speaker,
The listener, the one who assumes?
What is life, living, dying, re-birth?
Why the fire, the water, the sky and the earth?
I think we strive to attain such things to secure our
place in this universe. We want to be loved and
respected because deep down we need reassurance that we’re needed. Why? Because ultimately we want to exist—survival is unquestionably
the deepest human need. Some people may argue that they just want to enjoy life and have fun,
but I would challenge whether this is in fact a feeble cover for their deep rooted fear of unhappiness— a cop-out.
Who thought this?
Who wrote this?
Who’s speaking?
Who’s hearing?
The question I ask for we must find our bearing…..
It’s not about me, You, the world around us
We are simply the toys and He has wound us
When will we start?
When will we stop?
When will we live and when will we drop?
So what better way to earn love than by developing our relationships? What better way to earn respect than by becoming an achiever? Is this not
ultimately the root of our desire for power? Is this
not the reason that every person participates in the
relentless competition to be richer, stronger, and
more popular than the other?
He’s the question, the answer, the knowledge, the wise
And today I can say I do realise
We are the pawns, He’s the player,
Let us enjoy as He plays.
It’s Him, all just Him, no night no days,
No you know, there’s nothing but grace,
The form, the body we are matter in space
We’re scared. Deep down we fear that maybe
we’re not needed. In which case there is no need
for us to be here. What, then, is the point of living?
In fact do we matter?
We will come, and then go,
His game continues, He watches His own made show
Let’s enjoy what He’s made us.
Let’s see Him in all.
He’s beyond our thinking,
Our understanding is too small,
These poems aren’t just words,
they’re letters with meaning
Sometimes the truth is before us,
our vision needs cleaning.
And this is where it gets interesting. It’s a question I
think every person asks themselves at least once in
their life whether they realise it or not. People get
depressed over it. This is where our science and
philosophy can only postulate and provide conjecture, but not answer. This is the point at which discussion at a spiritual plane becomes not only relevant but wholly necessary.
Spiritual knowledge, or Brahm Gyan, inspires us with
insight into the make-up of this universe and our
place within it. It is this ‘wisdom’ that helps to alleviate fear that prevents our sanity. Moreover,
through such awareness we are able to begin to
appreciate creation and life in its purest form. So
much so that we realise that the point of living is to
experience and appreciate the flavours of life itself. For ultimately, we shall all return from whence
we came. Of that there is no fear!
Like there is meaning in words,
He’s the meaning of all we know
But only some will see it, for He does not show.
He’s the Creator of the world,
He seeks no fame,
Has no face, no ego, no body, no name.
Sudhir says let’s take from this Nothing,
everything that we can,
For God is amongst us,
He’s not just some man….
19
The Essence
Spring 2007 Edition
The Essence: Planet Earth
Connecting People
Gurpreet Bhatia had the privilege of touring with
His Holiness Satguru Baba Hardev Ji in his 2006
Salvation Tour. These experiences have inspired a
forthcoming publication ‘The Essence’, written in
the first person narrative. The book will be available
shortly— of course Universal Target has the privilege
of bringing you a sneak preview in this issue…
When I talk about connecting this human family I
am of the opinion that the only way this is
achievable is by building bridges as opposed to
constructing walls. Bridges have the capacity to
connect people together but the unfortunate
function of a wall is to divide. I often think of the
Berlin Wall, which I once got to see when visiting
Germany. There was a message inscribed on part
of it that I read which went deep into my heart.
The message was, “Our world is too small for walls.”
Walls of hatred have been created which divide
this human family. Such differences, I feel, are first
created in the human mind and it is this mind
which requires a change in direction.
One World
God created one world for us all
to live in together. There is a great
expanse in the universe and if he
had wanted to create a different
world for Christians, Hindus, Arabs
or Americans this could have
been done. But it was not. One
world was created for everybody to peacefully coexist upon. We may belong to one part of the
world or be born and brought up within different
cultures. Our skin tones may be different - but the
world is one. We were all born to this mother earth
and I feel we must reflect more upon the beauty of
this diversity and bring this positive feeling into our
lives. Diversity must be appreciated and not
become the reason to harm others.
When I consider the matter of the Berlin Wall, I feel
that even before its physical existence, this wall
must have been created in somebody’s mind. The
design and build took a physical shape afterwards.
When the wall was destroyed, this thought again
would have been conceived in a person’s mind,
before it would have been broken. Therefore the
clear evidence is that one is required to tackle the
human thought process and the mind set of
people must change.
As I often say, diversity is a deep illustration of the
world’s beauty quite similar to how we observe
flowers beautifully arranged in a flower garden. I
have had the opportunity to visit beautiful gardens
in Canada and I felt how all the flowers were
coexisting in harmony together. I immediately drew
a parallel between them and the way of people
today. They find it difficult to live in harmony and
such practice is rarely seen. It is the difference in
colour, shape and size of the flowers, that adds
value to the garden. Today, such beauty is not
recognised as beauty. It has been made a reason
to belittle and dislike one other.
“When I consider the matter of the
Berlin Wall, I feel that even before
its physical existence,
this wall must have been created in
somebody’s mind”
I say that once a person has gained awareness of
the truth, he is inspired to connect with all of
humanity. This is a state of being within which a
person withdraws from seeing outward differences,
and begins to see all as one.
“If people do not have peace within
themselves, how can they peacefully
co-exit with others?”
Rabindernath Tagore once spoke of walls that a
person builds around himself, which eventually
obscure and imprison the very person that built
them. Let us begin to bring down the walls that
man has created, and enjoy the sense of liberation
this brings
When I talk of peaceful co-existence I mean to say
that we are all co-existing, but are we doing so
peacefully? If people do not have peace within
themselves, how can they peacefully co-exist with
others? Peace is needed by all, and it can only
come from the awareness of this vast reservoir of
love which lives within and around us - God.
Our job is to pull down these barriers between
human beings. The wall of hatred and fear that
once stood in Berlin was pulled down with
celebration. It was accepted and welcomed by
all good thinking people - all those who see
mankind as brothers and sisters. This was a
20
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
symbolic act. In fact, there are so many similar
walls within our hearts and minds, which separate
us from one another. They too can be pulled
down, and when this happens, we can get close
to each other and become one in heart.
No Prayer Goes Unheard
Sonia Loi, England
Often when we pause and wonder,
When we kneel down to pray.
Can god really hear,
The prayers that we say?
But if we keep praying,
And talk to him.
He'll brighten the soul,
That was clouded and dim.
And as we continue,
Our burdens seems lighter.
Building Humanity
When we wish to
construct a building it
takes great effort. The
contractors must
purchase bricks, mortar
and a variety of
material’s in order to
complete any project. It
may take many years to lay the foundation stone
and realise the final design in its entirety. However,
to destroy the building it will take seconds.
Our sorrow is softened,
Our outlook is brighter.
For though we feel helpless,
And alone when we start.
Our prayer is the key,
That opens the heart.
And , as our heart opens,
The dear lord comes in.
And the prayer that we felt,
We could never begin.
When I see the work of the Great Masters they
have made every possible sacrifice to establish
and build the principles of humanity within the lives
of human beings of all respective ages.
However, we see man who is influenced by the
effects of his ignorance destroying the construction
in an instant. Unfortunately he gives not a spare
moment of thought, to the effort of great people
who have spent lifetimes designing and
establishing these feelings.
Is so easy to say,
For the lord understands.
And gives us new strength,
By the touch of his hands.
4 U I M Here
Fruit of the World
When I look at Society today, there seems to be a
down turn in human values. There needs to be a
transformation, which should begin with our
children who are becoming inappropriately
directed by the elder generations. Instead of
leading them towards righteousness one sees the
opposite.
Deena Sangha, Vancouver
This day may your path be forever lit
through which shines the essence of Him
your glow striking all, wherever you sit
As your steps leave prints so sacred
that all who tread them feel empowered
yet humbly made aware
of the unknown presence everywhere
We used to view innocence within children, which
is now becoming a rarity. For there to be a bright
future for the children of this world, I feel a positive
environment must be created for them to develop
and attain good human values.
May the universe celebrate in frolic and play
your elevated state through your souls sincere prayer
resonating through the moon's light
Until the rising sun penetrates
It's warmth into every heart
blossoming love within for one and all,
inaugurating the longing to know oneself starts
If we plant a tree, which produces fruit, we cannot
really enjoy it unless we care to maintain the tree.
Once the tree is maintained, fruit will originate. We
need to give such attention to our youth for their
progress and consider what values are suitable for
them to inherit.
Just know that you are not alone
As nature awaits your beckon to serve
Even when in that one reaction you think all is blown
Guru is, will be and was always there
Calling through these deafened ears
give me all your worries.. 4...U..I.. M... here.
Excerpts from discourses delivered by
His Holiness Nirankari Baba Hardev Ji Maharaj
(as recorded by GurpreetBhatia)
21
Rising Higher
Spring 2007 Edition
Beyond Human Senses
Prashant Lande, Chicago USA, has spent time
compiling his thoughts in his book, ‘Rising Higher’,
which we have special privilege in publishing in UT.
This issue we bring you a further chapter in the series.
Omnipresence of Divinity. If I exist then consciousness exists and then there is a very strong indication that super-consciousness exists, from which
consciousness itself is derived and is a part of.
What is the meaning of Moksha or liberation? Absolute detachment is liberation. What does this
mean? Just as air mixes with air, fire mixes with fire,
and water mixes with water quite easily; similarly
God is a kind of ‘light’, within which the ‘light of our
soul’ can mix. Become ‘light’ yourself. You will become one with the cosmic Light. To put it another
way, God is formless. In order to merge in the Formless God, you have to give up identification with
the body. Swami Vivekananda once said in his famous speech in Chicago, 1891:
By default as humans, we are not
able to ‘know’ Divinity in the true
sense. Nature or Maya (the cosmic
illusion) mesmerizes us, starting from
our very birth. We depend on our
senses to analyze or react to happenings. We tend to believe what we hear or see.
Slowly we learn to digest that there are many
things out there which we can’t hear, see or feel but nevertheless we appreciate they do exist.
Technology helps us to verify their existence in it’s
own limitations, but with solid proof. People generally tend to deny the existence of all that is
‘formless’. The fact that radio waves are invisible
does not mean that they are non-existent. The programmes being broadcast can be heard anywhere, if the radio is tuned to that frequency. The
human mind can be compared to a radio. It has
to be tuned to the ‘Formless God’ (Nirankar) in order to experience Him. For this tuning, a Spiritual
Master is needed. The human body is a complex
thing, which has so many hidden secrets. Let us
explore an experiment…
Here I stand, and if I shut my eyes and try to conceive my existence, ‘I,’ ‘I,’ ‘I,’ what is the idea before me? The idea of a body.
Am I, then, nothing but a combination of material substances?
The Vedas declare, ‘No’ I am a spirit living in a body: I am not
the body. The body will die, but I shall not die. Here I am in this
body; it will fall, bull shall go on living…The Vedas teach that
the soul is divine, only held in the bondage of matter; perfection
will be reached when this bond will burst, and the word they use
for it is, therefore, Mukti - freedom, freedom from the bonds of
imperfection, freedom from death and misery. And this bondage
can only fall off through the mercy of God, and this mercy
comes on the pure. So purity is the condition of His mercy.
How does that mercy act? He reveals Himself to the pure heart;
the pure and the stainless see God, yea, even in this life; then and
then only all the crookedness of the heart is made straight. Then
all doubt ceases. He is no more the freak of a terrible law of causation...If there are existences beyond the ordinary sensuous
existence, he wants to come face to face with them...He must see
Him, and that alone can destroy all doubts.
“The human mind can be compared
to a radio—it has to be tuned to
Nirankar for us experience Him”
Einstein showed that matter can be converted into
energy, and energy into matter. Energy is all encompassing. Energy can neither be created nor
destroyed, but can be converted from one form to
another. It was accepted scientifically. But when
philosophers have spoken of God as an all pervasive being who neither takes birth nor dies, neither
begins nor ends, many scientists have not been
able to comprehend this truth. They ask for proof,
or some formula to test it.
So the best proof a Hindu sage gives about the soul, about God,
is: ‘I have seen the soul; I have seen God.’ And that is the only
condition of perfection. The Hindu religion does not consist in
struggles and attempts to believe a certain doctrine or dogma,
but in realizing - not in believing, but in being and becoming.
So one has to concentrate on the principle of soul.
When one is always attached to his body, how can
he realize the soul, the Cosmic Principle? Concentrate on the soul, only then your Conscience will
merge with the Cosmic Consciousness. The same
soul dwells in all beings. There is only One, but that
One has been attributed by different names and
forms. Only One exists. Zero gains value when the
numerical ‘1’ precedes it. The world, life, sun,
moon, sky and everything else is zero – it is nothing
without the ONE Divinity. Man (who is inherently
Divine) is akin to zero, if he forgets God.
What scientists have known and understood is just
a fraction of the totality. Recently science has accepted the fact that ‘observer’ and ‘observation’
are two inseparable entities for a given system. The
state of the system is not known unless it’s actually
observed by an observer (or measured). What is
awareness? It is total understanding. Total understanding denotes knowing and experiencing the
22
Rising Higher
Spring 2007 Edition
The five elements are responsible for the protection
and sustenance of the world. Earth, the first element, is the basis for mountains and hills, rivers and
oceans, villages and cities, jungles and forests. You
can very well imagine the immense power of the
earth, which supports all these. The Earth is endowed with infinite power.
Power of God should be! Though the five elements,
which are essentially Divine, are present in man, he
is in quest of divine Power which he feels is present
elsewhere. These powers are insignificant for God
who is aware of the past, present and future. So,
make an attempt to understand the omniscient,
omnipotent, omnipresent Nature of God.
Scientists have discovered that the
earth rotates. True. Logically speaking, the rivers, oceans, mountains,
villages and the cities should also
rotate when the earth, the basis, rotates. It is not so in reality. It is only
the Earth that rotates. The railway
track is the basis for the train to
move. If the tracks also start moving, what would
be the plight of the passengers? From this it can be
inferred that the track is the Aadhaara (the basis)
and the train, the Aadheya (based on). The table is
the basis (Aadhaara) for the microphone
(Aadheya) to rest upon. Make an effort to understand the relationship between the support
(Aadhaara) and the supported (Aadheya).
The whole world is also a conglomeration of the
five elements. The world cannot exist in the absence of even one of the elements. Whether you
see them or not, the five elements are present everywhere. Here is a small example. Though air is invisible and intangible, it is all-pervasive. Similarly,
Divinity is invisible and intangible, yet, is omnipresent.
Without realizing the Divinity within him, man becomes egoistic and feels that all his accomplishments are due to his education, intelligence and
physical prowess. But in reality it is the Divinity that
protects and safeguards man at every step from
womb to tomb. No one has the power to protect
one's own self. It is only the divine Power and divine
Will that enables man to protect himself. Truth in its
essence can be realized if and only if one becomes truth itself, where barriers of duality are broken and observer and observed become one. The
question is, can this be possible? The Saints claim it
is indeed possible. If awareness is taken to highest
extreme, such a state of being is possible and that
state of realization is true meaning of ‘Dyana’, one
is with the one, no more questions and no more
answers to seek!
The Earth, which is the repository of so many powers (electrical, magnetic etc.) forms the basis, sustains and protects all the objects on it. There is no
power, which is not present in the Earth. The Earth is
able to support all the beings on it, because of it’s
infinite powers.
Seen or unseen, water, the second element, is present all over the earth. It is the water that sustains
the life principle of humanity. It supports life on
earth and is responsible for the evolution of life.
The third element, fire (Agni), is also all-pervasive. It
is present in the human body too. It maintains the
temperature of the human body at 98.4 degrees
Fahrenheit. There is fire potential even in the
ocean. There is fire potential even in trees. When
two branches rub against each other, is fire not
generated? Fire is imminent even in a stone. Fire
emerges when two stones are struck against each
other. Investigations on these lines will reveal that
there is no place without fire.
Now Is The Time
Hardyal Sandhu, England
Now is the time to set things right
Now is the time to see the light
We don’t need a revolution
A revolution is no solution
We ought to realise God created love
And man created sin - taking from the world
And never putting in
What becomes of man when he has everything?
O’ man – why do you sit and stare?
Life passes you by everywhere
O’ man show some compassion
You are responsible for your action
Rather than a life of greed
Think of those who are in need
It’s me, me, me – all the time
God is yours, and God is mine
Similarly, the fourth and fifth elements Vayu (wind)
and the Aakaasha (space) also are all-pervasive.
The Aakaasha is the basis for all. It is the origin of
sound. In fact all the other elements originated
from Aakaasha.
Therefore we can conclude that the divine Power
which is Omnipresent and Omnipotent is present in
all the five elements. When the five elements themselves are so powerful, how much greater the
23
Universal Target
Spring 2007 Edition
The Importance of
Human Life
against himself. Those who choose to live under
the conditions of ignorance are sure to be
degraded to the lower species of life, according to
the law of causation. This states that our next birth
is decided according to our activities (sinful or
pious as the case may be) in the present life. As
long as man is in the full vigour of life he forgets the
naked truth of death which is certain, and must be
faced by one and all. We should always consider
how we can effectively deal with our own death,
which can strike at any moment and anywhere.
Rakha Ram, Bedford, England
Human life is a great gift of god, which is rare
according to the Holy books.
Saint Kabir Ji rightly said, ‘Human birth is rare to
regain, just like a fallen fruit which can not be
replanted on the branch.’ Therefore we are
fortunate to be born as human beings, but we
must not forget that this particular form of human
life is attained after an evolution of many millions of
years in the cycle of transmigration of the spirit soul.
God made man in His own image and likeness. So!
He gave him the stewardship over all His creation.
That’s why humanity is the most significant creation
of God. It is a very important and precious life,
which we must not waste in the satisfaction of our
sensual desires, passions and transitory gains.
Material happiness is, after all, so fleeting and
elusive that it cannot give us an abiding peace of
mind. Truly rich are those who possess spiritual
wealth. So we should try to lead a contented life.
We all know that one day all of us have to go to
the other side of the hedge. Therefore let us stop
our sinful activities at least now to sublimate the rest
of our lives for the future. As the saying goes,
make hay while the sun shines, because time and
tide never wait for any one. Those who seek God
Knowledge at the 11th hour die at 10:30. Alienation
from God is the cause of alienation from man.
Human life is also meant for advancing on the path
of self surrender and realisation of God. One can
not be redeemed unless one realises the ultimate
reality. A godless life is after all a mirage, little more
than a vulnerable structure on sand.
Human life without God Knowledge is a false
acquisition. This life is too short—like a passing
cloud or bubble on the surface of water- just to
disappear in the next moment. Compared to
human life, the journey of the soul is very long. If
the soul is not enlightened during the tenure of
human life, it will ever grope in the dark and remain
shackled. One will have to repent on judgement
day, standing with head bent low before the alter
of God. The revelation of God is the only solution
and conquest of death. This life’s ultimate goal.
A famous couplet of Tulsi Daas Ji reminds us that
the wealth of cows, elephants, horses and gems all
look like dust when contentment comes. Clean
and contented hearts are temples of faith, and
can generate a climate of virtues and nobility.
Bear in mind that this life is not merely to eat, drink,
mate and make merry but it is to attain a spiritual
rapport, because the worst thing that can befall us
is estrangement from God. It is important to enjoy
life, but the amount of suffering in the world today
indicates human beings are prioritising incorrectly .
To enjoy life, it is necessary to develop our spiritual
level, and become citizens of the kingdom of God,
where there is bliss and eternal happiness to be
found.
Naught
Surjit Dhami, England
Human life is primarily meant to redeem the
craving soul through the revelation of God. It is in
actual fact meant for generosity, modesty, and
penance. In offering ourselves at the lotus feet of
the supreme master, we can be helped to cross
the ocean of Maya (illusion). This spiritual support
hauls us away from the whirlpools of evil which
otherwise keep us badly lost in the quagmire of
miseries. Let us wake up and try to understand the
boon that we have in human form. If a man fails to
discharge his duties of human life or neglects this
golden opportunity to attain God Knowledge, he
should know he is committing a grave unfairness
Our nose separates our two eyes,
Our vision is separated
by our mind,
Our arms are separated
by our body,
Our actions are separated
by our intentions,
Our head separates our ears,
The words we understand are separated
by our thoughts,
All are separated
except the One,
Who thinks of Himself as Naught.
24
Reviews
Spring 2007 Edition
Rise and Awake
Hafiza Bhabba and her sisters have two very different styles of songs. ‘Tu Hi Tu’ (Only You) is a great
fusion of western style music and a Qawali which
gives thanks to Baba Ji for his love, support and
guidance. It makes you want to get up and
dance/clap in celebration Nirankar. ‘The Message’ on the other hand, has an R & B feel and
calls for mankind to stand together in peace and
“break the habits of acting so selfishly”.
Produced By: Sant Nirankari Mandal
‘My Satguru’ by the young Supreet Suri, is a haunting, heart felt rock song. It catapults the spirit to
the feet of Satguru and unites one with the pure
truth. ‘Make a Change’ and ‘Close to You’ are
ballads also performed by Supreet, that take the
listener on a journey of self reflection of their relationship with God. Each listener will have their own
thoughts and personal affinity with these superb
tracks.
Rise and Awake is first ever CD to be recorded and
produced in England by the Sant Nirankari Mission.
All the songs are written and performed in English.
Musically and lyrically, it is superb.
The final song entitled ‘Anthem for Unity’ is a collaboration of four of the performers who come
together on this one track. Four very unique styles
of singing merge and intertwine with one another
to show unity in diversity! The song encapsulates
the core philosophy of the Sant Nirankari Mission.
This album was inspired by the immense feeling of
love and the divine blessings given by His Holiness
Baba Hardev Singh Ji on his world salvation tour,
Summer 2006. The title of the album comes from
Baba Ji’s call to all to ‘Rise and Awake’ and spread
the Mission through love and action.
The beginning of the track starts in darkness; darkness in sound and darkness of the mind and soul. It
is only with the grace of the “shining beacon
emanating light” in the form of the Satguru, the veil
of darkness is removed, revealing “Oneness of
God, Oneness of mankind” The chorus is a catchy
uplifting anthem that is easy to sing sharing the
Mission’s philosophy of love, peace and building
bridges of love. The five principles of the Mission
have clarity within the anthem, and the pillars of
Sewa, Satsang and Simran are explained succinctly
and beautifully as the track comes to it’s conclusion.
The album opens with Dr Bobby Sura, offering a
soothing spoken narrative explaining the meaning
of Nirankar and Satguru. It’s a great way of explaining these key concepts to those who may be
unfamiliar with the Sant Nirankari Mission.
Rise and Awake is a collection of twelve songs of
different musical genres, appealing to a variety of
musical tastes; ballad, rock, R & B, east/west fusion,
but all of these are in praise of Nirankar and of the
Satguru. The first song is an uplifting pop ballad
entitled Beginning of Beauty sung by Renukha
Jhalli . It’s an upbeat and soul soothing glorification of Nirankar and Baba Ji. It’s a song that helps
you start the day with a smile.
Rise and Awake was produced with the guidance
of Bindiya Chhabra and the support of the Sant
Nirankari Mandal (UK). An album of this high
calibre of production would normally take a year
to release, but with divine blessings, it was completed in just 3 months with the untiring service of
music maestros, Rajesh Jhassal and Supreet Suri. It
is one of those albums you hear once and are
captivated. You need to keep listening and singing along to it again, and again, and again.
Some of the songs are great classics. They are
those songs that were written and sung in some of
the earliest English congregations by Dr Daljit
Mehta. For Rise and Awake, they have been rerecorded by Dr Mehta’s son, Sunny Mehta, but
they are still sung with the same energy, tempo
and zeal.
The poetry of the ‘Master Craftsman’ and ‘The
Epilogue; A Prayer’ are based on verses from the
Sampuran Avtar Bani and the Manglacharan.
Again, these have been put into English prose by
Dr Daljit Mehta. The poetry itself is very spiritually
uplifting and connects one to Nirankar. The music
is spine tingling and exudes a sense of being so
blessed to have this God Knowledge.
The bonus feature of the CD is that all of the lyrics
are included so you can sing along with the tracks.
The lyrics booklet has some stunning photos of His
Holiness Baba Hardev Ji too. Rise and Awake is
both musically and visually striking!
If you haven’t got your copy yet, I urge you to go
and buy it! Rise and Awake is a gift for you and
your nearest dearest.
25