What help us to know ourselves what things are not helping factors, and how we can analyse ourselves from the outgoing faculties and intellect is a practical subject. This is truly called spirituality.
Sant Kirpal Singh

Sant Kirpal Singh

About the life of Sant Kirpal Singh

Sant Kirpal SinghSant Kirpal Singh was born on 6 February 1894 in Sayyad Kasran, in the part of India situated in today’s Pakistan.

Esteemed worldwide as a Saint of the 20th century, embodiment of kindness and mercy, He gave out the living knowledge of the true nature of man whose aim is to return to his origin – God, and emphasised the value and dignity of each individual as a conscious being or soul.

Sant Kirpal Singh did not teach any new faith. He treated the subject of spirituality as a science. His universal teaching centered between God and man and was focused on serving man and developing man into a true human being ("man-making").

He ever refused the idea to mould all religions into one, but pointed out their common core in all His talks, lectures and writings. His books were translated into several languages. Disciples from different faiths and various nations were guided by Him to a deeper understanding of their own religion by the practical spiritual experience He was able to impart.


World Fellowship of Religions
In 1957 Sant Kirpal Singh was elected President of the World Fellowship of Religions, presiding over four World Conferences during 14 years. In 1962 awarded with the order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, He was the first Non-Christian to receive that honour.


Visiting the West
Three World Tours led Him to the West in 1955, 1963-64 and 1972, where He gave public lectures in the major cities of Europe and America and met many religious, political and social leaders.


Man-making centres
By end of the sixties, He had developed the concept of "Manav Kendras" – centres for a comprehensive development of man, with social and agricultural facilities, starting with a centre at the Himalayas.


Punjab tour 1973 – commissioning the future Manav Kendra
During His last Punjab tour in October 1973, Sant Kirpal Singh visited Nag Kalan (near Amritsar) the hometown of His disciple Dr. Harbhajan Singh. There He laid the foundation stone of the eye clinic on October 14.
 
After laying the foundation stone Sant Kirpal Singh asked Dr. Harbhajan Singh if he has any wish as he has never demanded anything from Him in his life. He said, "My only wish is that Your mission should flourish throughout the world." Sant Kirpal Singh was very happy and replied, "So far nobody had demanded such things, it will happen like this. This power will work with thousands of hands and there are many people in the world with right understanding. They all will come together and work with you."
 
On 24 October, Sant Kirpal Singh visited His little farm in Nawanshahar along with Dr. Harbhajan Singh and said, "The Manav Kendra I wanted to build is not yet built, it will be built here." There He took one rice corn and some water and said, "Time will come when from all over the world people of all religions will come and it will be a common platform for all." This place is now named as Kirpal Sagar.
 

World Conference on the Unity of Man
The outer climax of His work was the calling of the "World Conference on Unity of Man" from 3-6 February 1974 in Delhi. Two thousand delegates from all over the world and about 50 000 non-delegates participated. Among the distinguished guests – religious, spiritual and political leaders – was the Prime Minister of that time, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, with members of her cabinet.


At the Khumba Mela
Though at the age of eighty, His untiring efforts on behalf of unity were going on. On 12 April 1974, at the famous Kumbha Mela at Hardwar, He organized a large number of sadhus and holy men into the National Unity Conference, pledged to work together for the elimination of religious strife and the economic uplift of the poor – nobody before had been able to convince the traditionally independent sadhus to join for a common good.


Speech at the Indian Parliament

On August 1, 1974, Sant Kirpal Singh addressed a session of the Indian Parliament at the request of his members – the first time in history that a spiritual leader was invited to give an address to the parliament.


Commissioning the further work
Until 17 August, Sant Kirpal Singh continuously had heart-to-heart-talks with a couple of western disciples who stayed in His centre in Delhi.
Four days later, on 21 August, 1974, Sant Kirpal Singh left His body forever, in the presence of Dr Harbhajan Singh, who was commissioned by Him to carry on His noble work. Sant Kirpal Singh guaranteed that for the coming time He Himself will be responsible for the inner work and conscious people or Gurmukhs (developed disciples) will take on the task to explain the theory and to give a practical example for a spiritual life.