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Discourse of Param Sant
Sadguru Deva Shri Hansji
Maharaj



Delivered in the Congregation of
saints of the country at the
Gandhi Ground, DELHI
On the 18th of November, 1961.

Page 9-16.

Dear Aspirants,

It is a mere truism that since the time of very birth upto death man strives for attainment of unmixed happiness and deliverance from all sufferings but mostly he does not succeed. Rather he is enlaced in miseries and true happiness remains a mere delusion for him. Society and its laws, State and its laws, scientific inventions and discoveries and conquest of nature, all are attempts for achievement of happiness for the mankind but their actual results are causes of unrest and unhappiness. Neither happiness has been attained nor sufferings have been removed. Rather a stage has come when the very existence of human race is threatened. And the failure of man have bewildered him and he now looks aghast.

Hence to save the human race from annihilation we have to find out first the causes of failures. An introspection will reveal that lack of discrimination and misconception of sensuous enjoyments for true happiness are the primary causes of failures. Due to this lack of discrimination and presence of grave misconception attempts are made in the darkness of ignorance and infatuation and they are directed towards wrong objectives. Peace is searched outside, happiness is searched in material abundance and love is searched in fear and jealousy. The search of happiness in material abundance has created an army of lust, greed, fear, hatred, jealousy, factions and conflicts. It has brought a shift of reverence from virtues and righteousness to accumulation of wealth irrespective of the means adopted. The judgement of man by what he has rather than by what he is has caused corruption and a race for accumulation of wealth, position and power which in its turn are responsible for all turmoils and tensions. As a consequence of this shift of reverence from virtues to wealth and power, rationality in man has become extinct while animality in him has tremendously increased. Integration has given way to faction. Love for man is nowhere but hatred and suspicions for him is in every hearth and home. Morality has been dwarfed. Integrity has receded to its lowest ebb. Fearlessness has been replaced by fearfulness which has become the quality for greatness. Consequently man is drowned in the whirlpool of sufferings and no way of escape is visible. There does not seem to be the least appreciation that had peace and happiness been in riches or power, Lord Buddha would not have renounced his Kingdom, Lord Ham and Bharat would not have played a football of the Kingdom of Ajodhya, Mr. Khruschev, Mr. Kennedy, Pandit Nehru, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Tatas, Birla Brothers and many other such men would have enjoyed them to their utmost. But the anxieties which stare them on their faces and the agitations of their minds are indicative that they have not had even a glimpse of it. The truth is that peace and its sprouts eternal bliss are a sublime faculty of mind. They are in mind and not in matters. They have to be searched and obtained in mind, they can never be had in matters. Uncountable instances have been provided in the pages of histories to illustrate this truth but man seems to have shut his eyes from it. Duryodhan was the master of matter but Sudama had not even an iota of it, he had simply conquered his mind. But Sudama enjoyed complete peace and bliss whereas Duryodhan had lost even his natural sleep. Bidur was more happy than Dhritrastra, Bibhishan was happier than Ravan, the lord of the gods of riches, even Sant Raidas, the poorest of the shoemakers enjoyed more peace and happiness than his neighbour, the seth. Hence any amount of social, administrative or financial adjustment can not provide permanent peace. It has to be acquired from where it lies, i.e, in the mind. It is really very strange that on the one hand fear, hatred, and corruption have been created by shifting the reverence from virtues and righteousness to wealth and power while on the other hand sermons are delivered day in and day out for improvement in human behaviour for cultivating fearlessness, love and universal brotherhood. Race for wealth and power can never harmonise interests and diversity of interests can never bring an end of competition and conflicts. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the Vice-President of India says that, "The crisis which is facing us is human one and what is necessary is an improvement in human behaviour." But nobody suggests how human behaviours can be improved. Can it be improved by mere lectures, can it be improved by State laws, can it be improved by paper publicity, can it be improved by negotiation on the table; how can it be improved ? How a Hinsak can be made a Ahinsak ? There appears to be a complete ignorance of the method by which human behaviour can be really improved and unless it is improved, the crisis which is facing us cannot be ended. Thus the natural conclusion would be that crisis cannot be ended and today or tomorrow it will bring the annihilation of the human race. To save human race therefore, it is absolutely necessary that the method which can bring about instantaneous improvement in human behaviour is found out.

The only method by which human behaviour can be improved is the complete control of mind and acquisition of equanimity, tranquillity and stability and belief in God. But neither true belief in God can be cultivated without His practical realisation nor can mind be controlled without its infusion in the Divine Light and meditation on it and constant remembrance of His Real Name.

What is this Divine Light, what is the Real Name of God and how can they be known then is a pertinent question in this connection.

Divine Light is the self-effulgent light which is everexistent in all beings alike and which is responsible for life in living beings. It illuminates the sun, the moon, the fire and the stars. This very light is responsible for the creation of this universe. Different words have been used in different literature for its connotation. In the Vedas it has been termed as "Vergo", in the Upnishads and the Gita it is called "Jyoti-Swaroop", in the Ramayan it is called "Param-Prakash", in the Holy Quran it is called "Noor-e-Elahi", in the Bible it is called "Divine Light", in the Guru Granth Saheb it is called "Chandna", all synonymous of self-effulgent light. It illuminates the sun, the moon and the fire. But this light is so subtle that it cannot be seen with these material eyes. It is practically seen with Divine Eye alone. Every human being is possessed of this Divine Eye but it remains shut. The Divine Light is seen when the Divine Eye is opened. The Divine Eye is opened by the living Sadguru above. Lord Krishna opened the Divine Eye of Arjun and showed him the Divine Light; Sujeta, the milk-maid opened the Divine Eye of Lord Buddha and showed him the Divine Light in him. Similarly Lord Jesus Christ, Hazrat Mohammed, Lord Mahavir Swami, 8wami Rama Krishna all saw the Divine Light with Divine Eye. When the Divine Light is seen and the mind is infused in it, it attains equanimity and stability. We all know that a newly born child, when his mind is guileless, takes delight in the light but he cries in the darkness. This is because his mind which is still free from the evils of the world loves light. Mind of a man by nature loves light and loves to be completely infused in it but when it is mixed with worldly impurities due to its unsteadiness it brings all sorts of troubles. All impurities of minds is burnt for ever when it is infused in the Divine Light. As a mixed gold is purified by melting in fire, similarly impure mind attains purity by infusion in Divine Light.

The Real Name of God also is ever-existent in all living beings. It is the only life generator. The difference between a living body and a dead body is due to the presence and absence of His Real Name in such body respectively. His Real Name is ever-existent in plants, animals and human being alike. But only human being can know it. His Real Name cannot be written by any alphabets nor can it be uttered. It is a kind of eternal and secret sound of a vibration which has to be known. His Real Name has inherent potency of instantaneous purification of mind and heart. As the fire has the potency of burning, similarly His Real Name has the potency of instantaneous purification. It changes the nature of a man. It makes a 'Hinsak' a Ahinsak. The case of Ratnakar may be cited as an instance. It has also been connoted by different words in different scriptures. In the Upnishads it is called "Nam", in the Ramayan it is called "Mahamantra" and "Pawan Nam", in the Holy Quran it is called "Pak Nam ' and in the Guru Granth Saheb it is called "Sat Nam". Sant Kabir called it "Adi Nam". It is eternal. It has neither beginning nor end. It is this Name alone which can be meditated upon and recollected constantly without the least interruption, during slumber, during awakening and during unconsciousness alike. No other work can be done at all times and in all circumstances. But meditation on and recollection of His Real Name alone is possible at all times and in all circumstances.

The last question comes how the Divine Light can be seen and how His Real Name can be known. As a candle is burnt only with the touch of the flame, as an operation is done only with the personal help of a surgeon, similarly the Enlightenment, i. e., seeing the Divine Light requires the touch of an Enlightened Soul. His Real Name is also known by a personal contact of the Enlightened Soul. Since it cannot be written, nor uttered, it can neither be found in any books nor can it be heard from any person.

There is a great misconception that utterance of any Name of God written in books, viz. Om, Ram, Krishna, Khuda, Allah or God can purify heart and bring the vision of Divine Light, it is not so. Had it been so the so-called "Akhand Kirtan"`, service in the churches or prayers in the mosques could have purified the hearts of all and there would have remained no fear, no hatred, no jealousy and no conflicts. The other great misconception is that Divine Light can be seen with the grace of the Gurus who have cast their mortal bodies also. It is quite evident that no privilege can be obtained from a deceased king and no operation can be done by a deceased surgeon. Similarly neither Divine Light can be seen nor his Real Name can be known from a Guru who has cast his mortal body. Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus Christ, Hazrat Mohammad would not have called upon the people of their times to go to their shelter and consecrate their mind, body and actions to them. Lord Ram could have said, "Seek the Shelter of Narayan", Lord Krishna would have said, "Seek the shelter of Lord Ram", Lord Jesus Christ would have said, "Seek the Shelter of Lord Krishna or some other incarnation." But they did not say so simply because they were Enlightened Soul and they knew perfectly well that any Enlightened Soul who is not in a mortal body can never help an aspirant attain Enlightenment, i. e., see the Divine Light and know His Real Name. No body thinks that had it been so then when Lord Krishna is regarded as Jagat Guru then. Why not the people of the world have acquired this knowledge from him so far. Had it been so for. When the touch of an Enlightened Soul is absolutely necessary for gaining this knowledge, how can it be possible to have it from a Guru who is not in mortal body ?

The last question is how Its knowledge can be acquired from the Enlightened Soul. Lord Krishna says "Attain this knowledge by all means, if you prostrate yourself at the feet of the Tatvadarshi, render him all forms of service, and question him with a guileless heart again and again that Tatvadarshi (Enlightened Soul) will infuse that knowledge to you". This is the only way of acquiring that knowledge. There is absolutely no other way.

But the problem is how to recognise a Tatvadarshi Sadguru ? The very word 'Guru' connotes a person who dispels darkness and shows light within. The term 'Gu' stands for darkness and the term 'ru' stands for light. Hence one who can show self-effulgent light within one self and thereby remove the darkness instantaneously should be taken as the real Tatvadarshi Sadguru. All other persons however great they may be must be dismissed as hypocrites.

Thus we see that the only method of bringing about an improvement in human behaviour is acquisition of this true knowledge with the help of a living Tatvadarshi Sadguru. Thus the aims of human life, i.e., attainment of unmixed happiness and deliverance from all sufferings in this life and salvation from the bondage of rebirth and death hereafter can be attained by infusion of the mind in the Divine Light and constant meditation on his Real Name, after acquiring its knowledge from a living Tatvadarshi Sadguru. The constant meditation of His Real Name provides mental equanimity, tranquillity and complete concentration which brings true peace. Hence true peace in the world can also be achieved by helping each individual achieve concentration of and control over mind. No other method-disarmament, ban on nuclear bomb test, agreements, negotiations, world government or the like-can bring true peace. Unless the very instinct of doing harm to others is changed to an instinct of love for all, true peace is never possible. Hence for peace acquisition of concentration of mind by each individual who is the primary unit of the world is absolutely necessary. Since individual man is the primary unit of a nation and ultimately of the world the peace attained by an individual man alone will bring peace in the world. No peace can be attained at any cost with an agitated and unsteady mind. A question may crop up whether it is possible to help individual to acquire concentration of mind. We know that academic education is imparted to individual student by a planned programme. Similarly the knowledge of acquiring concentration of mind can be disseminated individually by a planned programme. The academic education takes years for a man to achieve, but this True knowledge can be acquired even within a twinkling of an eye. And as such it will not take much time to disseminate this knowledge to every individual provided adequate facilities for reaching the masses are made available.

It is time therefore that leaders of the world should try to disseminate this knowledge to the mankind if they really wish to have peace in the world. And the individual man should acquire concentration of mind, if he wishes to attain the highest aim of his life. This is the only way to integral Peace and Happiness.

Hari Om Tatsat

'Hans'
Divine Light Mission.

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