God cannot be known by the outgoing faculties, by the intellect or the vital airs called the pranas.
He can be known only by the soul: like alone can know the like. When is the soul liberated? When it is analysed from mind and the outgoing faculties.

Sant Kirpal Singh

Devotion to the Master

Excerpt from a lecture by Sant Kirpal Singh, Vancouver, November 10, 1972


Dear brothers and sisters,

Masters, when they come, they come here to develop in us Love of God. When they leave this scene of the earth, these formations come into being, the main purpose of which is that many people may derive benefit from the formations in which practical people would guide them to love God. So purpose of joining any religion is what? We should love God. He is the creator of all creation, universe, and He resides in every heart, but here and there, somewhere He is manifest, too. So where He is manifest, that is called Word-made-flesh. So long as they (the Masters) are amongst us, they are overflowing with the Love of God, and by radiation, too, we have something to start with. And they will give you also how to contact with God and have Love for Him.

You'll find there are so many - we follow so many religions, all of them they love God, they worship God. But God is the same One. It is not that Hindus have got another God, or Christians some other God or Mohammedans some other God – God is one and the same, and the same we do love and this we are told by all Masters who came in the past. So there are thousands of people, you see, amongst all religions, main purpose is to know God. So we are all lovers and devotees of a Higher Power, called by so many names and these are given by us for God, as I explained to you yesterday. So thousands of lovers there are, but the Beloved is one for all. Is it not? Christians have got another God to love and others have got another? No! There is only one God.

He whom we desire is the Beloved of the whole world and the one God of all men. Not special God He is for one religion or the other, not monopoly of any sect, religion or the other, He is for all. And we are of the same essence as that of God, and we have to unite with Him. Ever since we have been separated, we have forgotten Him, truly speaking. Because we are under the great delusion, as I explained to you yesterday. So, God is one for all men, for all creation, and all the devotees have the desire to meet that very same one God, is it not? Those who really need – desire Him are truly speaking His true relatives. So those who love God, they are all joined in true relation to God, is it not? And that person who tells us about Him, about God, I mean, truly he is our brother and our friend. So He joins us in such a relation with God, He unites us with God and joins us in such a relation which cannot be broken in this world  and the world thereafter.

So, in each Master-soul, there is one thing: How can we derive benefit from such Master-souls or adept, or Word-made-flesh? So within each Master-soul you find a great devotion for His Guru. And without this devotion, none can have realisation, you see. Because the Master, He has seen God, and we have not yet seen God. We can only have devotion to God when we see Him. Until we see Him, we see that Word-made-flesh before us. So Christ told his followers: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing." So there are branches of fruit growing tree, you see, the branches are embedded with the tree, they can bear forth fruit. If you cut off the branches, then? They cannot bear forth fruit. The purpose: God is manifested in Him, when you are attached and joined to Him, naturally what? Love will flow through you. Those who are not one with the Master, they are not of that privilege. So devotee cannot do without the Guru, truly speaking, as child cannot do without the mother when born. He wants milk. And it is the mother who gives milk. So it means, as long as one is not truly joined to one's Guru or Master, one cannot be His devotee, and furthermore cannot become a true devotee of the Lord.

Although we do not see God, but we see reflections in the Master, in the Guru. And we have some reflections also as we see Him. For instance: A strong man revels in his strength. We have not seen the strength, but the man who has developed that strength, we do see him, that strength radiates from the wrestler. So, Guru precedes God. For we have not yet seen God, and we must become as subtle, as fine as He is.  He is the subtlest of the subtlest, unless we become so much subtle as He is, only then we can know God, see God….

Our eyes are physical, now in the air (you see nothing), because the air is subtle, our eyes are physical, now you see, there is nothing in the atmosphere because – either our eyes be so subtle as the air it is, or whatever is in the air, that is magnified to come up to the level of our eye, only then you can see. Is it not? Take the example of the microscope: So if you see through it, that magnifies everything for 700 times more. If you see through it, you'll find atmosphere is full of tiny microbes, which even now exist, but we do not see. So the eye has not developed the ability to perceive those subtle expressions of life. Similarly, God is as subtle – subtlest of the subtle, you see – as high as He is – if He raises ourself to that level, only then we are able to see Him, not before. So, man is not as high as God, then what is his first step? Guru precedes God, for God manifests in the Guru. And from man's level He just comes before God. From the level of man, who is better? Because in Him the God is manifesting – we are – it is there, but not manifested. So naturally, we are drawn to that.

God sends suchlike Masters in which He manifests Himself for the guidance of others where He is not manifest. He is Godman, God plus man. Because God is manifest in Him. If a disciple truly becomes a Guruman (one who is one with the Master) he also becomes Godman, you follow my point? So Godman is God plus man, God in man, or man in God. If disciple becomes a Guruman, naturally you become Godman.

So unless one sees, how can one meditate upon it? How can a person put all his attention on that which he has not seen? So first need: Devotion to the Guru is very necessary. That is the first step. "Gurubhakti", devotion to the Guru. Guru is God in man, manifested God in man, Word-made-flesh. So first step.

Come to that! Mind that, what is Guru or Master? So the Guru is not the body, mind that, the Guru is the God in Him which is manifested, what is Word-made-flesh. Guru Nanak was asked: "Who is your Guru?" He said: "Shabd Guru, my Guru is Shabd. Shabd is called what? You know? God is Ashabd, when He came into expression, that is called Shabd and that is the cause of all creation. God is wordless, when it came into being, into expression, into manifestation, that is called word. "In the beginning was the Word, Word was with God and Word was God, and the whole creation came into being after that." So what is Word-made-flesh? You see? That comes first to guide a man. He is the Word within you! He can manifest that very Word within each man, which is now not manifested. So what is the first step? Guru precedes God. For God is manifested in the Guru, and from man's level, he also comes before God. He is Godman, God plus man. If a disciple truly becomes a Guruman, he also becomes Godman.

So unless one sees, how can one meditate upon Him? How can a person put all his attention on that which he has not seen? Can you think of what you have not seen? People say, they meditate on God. What God? To whom you have not seen? Without seeing, how can you meditate on Him? So Masters come to make that Word manifest within you.

The outer expression of the soul is attention. It is now identified with the body and all outside, so much so that we have forgotten, we cannot differentiate ourselves from the body, or from the world. So Masters or Guru, what does He do? He withdraws our attention from all outside and from the body below, raising us to the eye level which is the seat of the soul in the body, from where we enliven the body below. So He helps, you see. So that Power is the Guru, Word-made-flesh.

Kabir was asked: "Where is your Guru?" He said: "My Guru is above the eye level, where He is seen, not before." So He is not the body, He is manifested in body. So main thing is then: Guru is that power which is manifesting on a human pole and as such is never born, never dies. Body does leave – one bulb is fused, the other bulb is put on – the Life in Him is the Guru. This is a point very subtle to be understood clearly. All Masters have taken up the body and then left it, and we must also do the same. So Guru is not the body, and the disciple is not the body. Disciple is conscious entity, a drop of the ocean of all consciousness, and Guru – that consciousness is manifested in Him. And that Power that works through the physical form, never dies.

So, ‚Brahm‘ (the Godpower) speaks through the body, without the body, what can ‚Brahm‘ say? We are at the human level. If God speaks from above, from the higher levels, do you believe Him anything? He is Word-made, He needs some body to work through for the guidance of those who are having the body. But the pole through which He is manifesting is also –  we respect Him, we call him as Guru. Scriptures are analysing the Guru in man, we respect Him as such. All the same the Guru is also conscious that He – that Power within Him is the Guru. So never any Master ever said: "I am the Guru!" He said: "God is the Guru, God does it, my Master does it." So the pole through which He is manifesting is also called a Guru, because He is manifesting there.

Devotion must of necessity start within the body. Whom you have not seen, how can you have devotion for him? Here is a bulb, you see light. If there is no bulb, then? Can you have love or devotion for the light? No! So my purpose is to submit like that: Through the Guru that Power is radiating, that is working through Him. You know, eyes are the windows of the soul through which our soul peeps out. So in Master, His life you see, further we see in Him a glimpse of what is manifesting in His eyes, look into His eyes. In whatever colour, in whatever that soul behind (is coloured) – in the average man also – that radiates that thing within him. If a man is lusty, excuse me, he radiates lust. If he is loving, then he radiates love. If he is angry, then he radiates anger. Out of the abundance of heart man speaks. So eyes are the windows of the soul through which the soul peeps out. If a soul is intoxicated with God, naturally that intoxication will radiate. Those glimpses of the Master raise you up, to understand some higher Power is there, this raises us to a higher level. Our Master used to say, we used to pay obeisance to Him at His feet: "No, what is there. I am up! Look at me!"

Now there are two things, you see. Even to see a Master, you see (is not sufficient). Everybody sees Master, there are so many Masters who came into the world. How the people treated them, you know. They never respected them, even one of the disciples of Christ also betrayed him. He also looked at Christ. Similarly Masters came, (but there were) very few who derived full benefit of the Master. So looking alone won't do, looking is just  looking into the eyes where that Light is radiated, that will raise your soul up. That will give you an infection. One is only meeting, one is just identifying oneself with Him. We are soul – to be identified with the soul radiating through the eyes of the Master. So it is said, that if you look into the eyes of the other (the Master), the higher intoxicated radiation will raise you up, and your all sins will be washed away.

So the importance of the Guru is :  as I told you, God cannot manifest without a body, and to teach others, the man who are in the body, He must work through some body. And that Power manifesting in Him, that radiates through eyes. So Darshan means what, you know? Just radiating, look into the eyes which are radiating that divinity or that intoxication with which the soul is imbued. That is why I say: One third is learned by the word of mouth and two third by receptivity. That comes only when you have full Love and Devotion, when nothing remains between you and the Master. You see Master as a body, what will you gain? That is why Kabir says: "Who sees the Master as a body, he will go to the lower places." …

So Bhakti or devotion to the Guru has been stressed by all Masters who came so far. That's the first step to have the two third of the teachings which they come to give. Christ taught the same thing, I quoted you: "I am the vine, thou are the branches. If the branches are embedded in the vine, they bear forth full fruit." So he said: "You cannot do without me!" Mark the words! All Masters said so. Saint Paul echoed this very thing when he said: "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Two become one. As I told you, Godman is one – is man in God, man plus God, or God plus man. If you become Guruman, then? You become Godman. Here is a mirror, the light is radiated here, you do not see the mirror, but you see the light. If you can see the light, draw the full benefit of the Light in that. Try to follow what I am placing before you, it is something practical!

Why all Masters impressed on Gurubhakti, devotion to the Master. Hafiz explained, that his heart was so full of the Beloved, that the thought of his being was altogether gone. He says: "My self is so much infused with the Guru, that I have forgotten who I am. I see it is He." – "No more I, but Christ lives in me!" This is the first step to derive full benefit from the Guru. He is Godman, if you become Guruman, then? You automatically become Godman.... He also says, in Persian he says, "I am the body, I may become the body, you have become my life. They should not say afterwards that you and I are two different people." These are the things given by the Masters to enable us to derive the full benefit of their company. Simply abiding by the commandments, that is the first step. One third you will have it. Two third you will have it only when you develop receptivity. When you feel, that you are, I not, you feel, He is there."

So all Masters say the same thing in various phrases or versions. There is an other phrase, Hafiz says: "I've been grafted with my friend, with my Guru." Grafted! You know, what is meant by grafted? If a branch of one tree is embedded into another tree, the fruit will be of that very tree, but the – what you say perfume and the taste will be of the mother tree (from which the branch was cut) These are subtle points, try to understand, why Masters have given this devotion to the Guru as a foremost thing to have full benefit of God. So Hafiz says, "I am engrafted with my Guru." When you graft two branches, what happens? The fruit from that appears to be the same, but the colour and fragrance is that of the mother tree. Don't you feel like that? Nowadays, you see all this grafting is going on with one tree or the other. One is grafted with the Guru, then there is no fear of anything. From then on there is no birth, no death, no more coming and going in creation. Because Guru does not die, “He'll never leave thee till the end of the world”. He is not the body. We take Him as body to start with this is a first step. Unless you lose in Him, or He loses in you, manifests in you, and you are no more, you feel like that, "It is I, not now I, but Christ lives in me." Have you ever advantaged, to follow what is what? These are subtle points to be understood, and given out by all Masters who came in the past.

So you‘ll find no delusion, no negative power, for one who is drawn into the very Nectar of Life. What is Godman? He is the Nectar of Life, He is the Bread of Life., He is the Nectar, I mean, of Naam, of Word. Once it so happened, Ramakrishna was sitting and there was one plate full of honey. He asked Vivekananda, "Look here, you are a bee, from which (side) you will eat this honey?" He said "I will eat it from the side." He said, "Why?" – "That my  wings may not be immersed so that I may die." Then He told him, "Well, look here, it is a sea of immortality, plunge headlong into it."

So what will the Guru do? Follow me, my point. Guru is not the body, the power is manifested into the Guru and He, manifested in Him withdraws your all attention from outside, and gives you contact with that. So plunge headlong into it! Any man who has done this, has no fear of death. So when you will know a Guru, you will become a Guru, surely. ... he (himself) surely remains no more… So what is the criterion, if a man has become such, he is grafted with the Guru. I'll give you criterion: Put the same question to the Guru and the same question to the disciple, they are living hundred miles away, he will reply the same words, in the same words...

They are one in two and two in one. This is what is meant by "Gurumukh". Suchlike people are chosen by God to continue all this work. So all Masters say the same thing, you see.

So, devotion to the Guru is the first step and those who become one with Him, they become one with the Lord. Because with whom you become one, He is one with God, so naturally you are one with God. This is the simplest way of realizing God. Most easy.

So you can see this point, bring at home that things. To explain these things (I give you the following example): Painters of one country came to another country and presented themselves to the king of that country (and said): they know painting, they are very experts in painting. "Give us some time to show our art in painting!" So king allowed them one side of the hall, big hall, all you work on it. The painters of the same country came up, "Yes, we also know this art. Will you kindly allow us some wall to paint, to present our own art?" – "Alright!" They put a screen in the mid of the hall so that one man cannot see the other. When there is competition, naturally nobody allows anybody else to see what he is doing, he may copy. So they began to work in their own way. King was visiting now and then, he was seeing the men who had come from the other country, they were doing something daily. On the other side, the men were not doing anything. After a month when that painting was ready, they invited the king, "You kindly visit – our art is ready, now you may kindly see it!" When he came, he was wonderstruck, very beautiful painting, very astonishing also to the mind. Then the other requested, "Will you kindly look about what we have done!" When the screen was taken off, to the great astonishment, amazement of the king, the same very painting done was on the other wall. He was seeing all through the month they had done nothing. And moreover – there were –, in that painting there were blemishes here and there somewhere, that very blemishes were not there. So king asked, "What have you done?" They said, "We have done nothing! We were some days rubbing the wall so that that can reflect."

You understand what is meant by "Guruman"? When all thoughts except that of the Guru remains, nothing (else) is there. All thoughts are rubbed out. This is meant by "Guruman". That is why I place you already before that two third, not two third but everything, I would say, you reflect everything of the Guru in you, if you become "Gurumukh". "Gurumukh" means to become the mouthpiece of the Guru, and Godman is the mouthpiece of God.

So, I'll tell you now, I'll quote you something from the original sayings of the Masters.  The words of the Masters are with us for our guidance.  Now we see, how can we find the guidance of such a guru? How can we find Him? Everybody wants. So for that, Kabir replies, He says, "Guru appears when the Chela (disciple) is ready." And what is readiness? One thing, he should have the (humility) – I mean – to sit at the feet of somebody, and also he should have – no – what you say, acting and posing, if really he wants a Guru. If he has not got anything, he should only openly say, that "I have not got anything!" Let others not be misguided! He should be true to his own self. Have you found a Guru, God? If no, say ‚no‘.

This is the first thing. We say something, really we do not have it, this should be avoided. And we should not only boost of, "we know so much, this and that." God sees within you, who you are, what you are. And further he must have the  – what you say – humility to go to somebody (to a Master). Generally men, those who are puffed up with knowledge, outer knowledge, they would not dare to go to someone: "Oh, I know much, why should I go?" Those who are very rich, they also don't care. You can invite such people at our homes. Those who are in power: "They also (tell) we can (do it), why (should) we do all this?“ So we need  humility, then only we will go.

So what we should do if we want really after God? Then what we should do? We know whatever we know. Go to Him, hear Him what He says. From your knowledge He does not take away anything. Simply hear what He says. He may have to say something else, other than that what you know. If a glass is put under the tap of  water, beneath, underneath, naturally that glass will be full of water. If you put a glass above the tap of water, how can it be filled ? So these qualifications when there are, naturally all men can derive full benefit. So we have to look to our hearts. What really we want? We do say: "Had we come at the time of Christ, at the time of Guru Nanak or such and such, I would have done it. How can we have these things (nowadays)?" Masters say: "You must be true to your heart." Do you want it really? Then you surely have it. "Guru appears when the Chela is ready."

Where is God? God also resides within in this manbody controlling us in the manbody. He sees what we are really after. He sees the very trend of our mind going where. When He sees: "The child is yearning for Me, cannot live without Me!" He makes some arrangement where He is manifest to bring in contact with there. A man who has got no eyes, how can he catch a man with eyes? It is only God makes arrangement some way or other to bring  Him in contact with the one who is yearning for Him to manifest the same God which already is there, but to manifest – give a demonstration of it. So Guru Ram Das prayed: "Oh God, lead me to such a Guru, such a Master, who is a Paras." "Paras" means, there is a stone which is touched with any other  – metal, that metal is turned into gold. "Oh God, give us the contact of such a Guru by coming in contact with which we may become gold."

You see, what prayer is heard by God? When your heart, your brain and your mouth agree. What you wish at the heart, that is also given through the mouth and the same you think, that is true. When these three things agree that is a true prayer. So he prayed, said: "My prayer was granted." And what happened? "So I met with such a Guru that He did not only make me gold, but He made me the very Himself – Paras." Paras is a stone which is in touch with many forms of metal, that turns into gold. "He did not turn me into gold, but He made him the very stone himself. "What I was?" He says: "I was mere rust – that I was, I was not even metal."

So God grants what you want really at heart. Even now...  We're generally after the pleasures of this world or the pleasures of the other world or of the heaven, of the Swarg, Baikunth – so many higher planes. Such a man (who really is in search of God) does not want anything except to meet God. That's a ruling passion in him to see God. They don't want from God even the salvation, you see? They want to have a divine beatitude, divine look.

It so happened once that Lord Krishna was away from the Gopis for some time. They were very much pining over this separation, going away from them for some time. They were crying, benting and Lord Krishna sent his devotee,  named  Uddho: "Go and tell them: `Well, Lord is within you. The word `Krishna' means – that comes from the root `kiri'. `Kiri' means when near to soul – God. Then – “God, also  resides in you, He is the controlling Power within you. Why you feel so much separation, and cry?" So he went, explained all this, very beautiful talk he gave to the Gopies. They said: "Look here Uddho, whatever you told is alright. Now tell us, with all these things, our eyes are hungry, hungry to see that very blessed face of the Lord Krishna. Is there any remedy for that Will all this lecturing help us?" So those who are really after God, God must meet them. He makes some arrangement to bring in contact with somewhere, where He is manifest.

So what our condition is? We are under a great delusion. That delusion starts from the body. Because we are having the body, we become identified with the body. We work from the level of the body, that is a great delusion. Body is made of matter which is changing every moment of life. And the world around us is also made of matter changing at the same speed with that our body is changing. As we are identified with the body, that appears to be stationary, this is a grand delusion. So everybody is under that delusion, learned or the unlearned, both. So if you enter any cottage which is full of smoke, you see, then what will happen? Your clothes will be affected, become smoky, black. So this is our condition. So unless we rise above body consciousness we cannot evade all this outer deception which start from the body itself. But who is really after God, he meets the Guru, what does the Guru do? He takes him out of the box of the body. These (outer) things impress through the eyes, through the ears, through the nose, through the mouth, through the skin. All these impressions come from outside, you see? Unless he rises above that level he cannot evade these things. So Guru's first step is to take him out of the box of the body, give a demonstration, open the Single Eye within to see the Light of God. You rise above the level of the outgoing faculties, naturally outward impressions won't affect you. So those who have met the Guru and they are living up to what the Guru says, they evade all these things. One Master says: "Thee see, oh God, – you've put us on a plank and put it in the stream, of the water in the stream. Again you say "Look here, don't let your clothes be not wet. How can that not be wet?" We are on a plank, rowing, going with the stream, water of the stream, naturally we will be affected. The only way to escape ourselves from these outward impressions is to rise above the body consciousness. That is the foremost, first step of spirituality.

Where the world philosophies end, there religion starts. Religion means: `re' means back, `ligio' to bind. (To bind back the soul with God). He says: "Suchlike people they live in the world." Ducks remain in the water, you see, but they are not – whenever they fly, they fly quite dry. They (suchlike people) are in the world, yet not of the world. Yet out of it. Their boat of life is in the water but water of the stream is not in the boat. That's the difference. This is what a true disciple gets from the Master. So Kabir says: "Only then you consider that you have met really a Master, you followed it, if you lose all attachment; all physical ailments do not pinch you; if any heavenly disaster comes up, you are ready to go!" When you find these three things within you, think that you have become really a disciple, not before.

See, what is awaiting you, wonderful life, and that starts from keeping the commandments of the Master and devotion to the Guru. So that is why, Masters comes to give us. He gives an example: A sandalwood tree is very perfume giving, there is the only some cooling effect, and it is said these poisonous snakes – they are just encircling down the stem of that tree to get cool. He says: "If we want to take that wood, you see, how can we have use of that tree which is encircled by all snakes, poisonous snakes?  Then He says: "There is only one way to cut the snakes with the sword and then have it!"

Now, it is all a manifestation of God, it is all (comparable to) that tree, you see, it is all God personified. And maya, delusion is encircling the whole world because we see from the level of the manbody, that is a great delusion. When you rise above it, only then (you have it). But how to rise above body-consciousness? Some Master gives you a way up! So that is the way to be out of this great delusion, you see? He says: "What is the effect?" So, there are heaps of wood, stack, if you put little fire to the whole, all are consumed to little, few, little ashes. Similarly it is, if you come to contact with the Godman, who gives you a contact with the Water and the Bread of Life within you, by coming in contact with the Light of God and that Nada of God, the Music of the Spheres. By coming in contact with that, what happens? All your sins of the past lives, maybe hundreds – when you come in contact, all those sins are washed away if you get a little spark of Light within you by the Master. As by fire all these heaps of wood are burned down to ashes, similarly all our heaps – unlimited sins of the past can be turned to ashes if you get a little of the Light which is given by the Master when you, come in contact with that.

So now He says: "Then, who is a Sadhu, who is a Master, who he is?" He says: "He is the one in which God is manifested, He is Word-made-flesh, He is Naam, manifested in Him." What's the result? When you come in contact with Him or come within the – what you say – area, field of action of the radiation which comes out of the Master that enables you to see God – by radiation – because He is Word-made-flesh. Each man has radiation of his own, or whatever is within him, that radiates outside.

And you know that God is manifested Light and Sound principle. If you sit within the area of that radiation, you'll have the same effect within you, you begin to see God...

So for that, they say, if you come in contact with Him and sit within the radiation of the Master, then you begin to see God. One by radiation. When you go to a man who sells all these perfumes, he does not give you anything, even you have got perfume all free, because the atmosphere is charged with the perfume. And if you sit by him and he gives you a little phial of essence, then? This is something like that. He says: "Always have the company of such (one)." How can we get that? I just told you how can we come in contact with such a Guru: "Guru appears when the Chela is ready!" But those who are cut off from God, from within, don't have their company. They are just like knot in thread – with a knot in thread, you see, can you take out any thread and weave a cloth? No! Those who have not seen God, you see, how intellectual (they) may be, they cannot give you these things. So for that thing He advises: "The company of a manifested God-in-man is what is needed." And what it will affect? He is radiating that, it will begin to radiate within you. Even by sitting, you'll get the radiation, you will have the perfume, and He gives you something, a contact from within, you will become the same  (what He is) – Paras.

Now He says: "What to do? What is the remedy for all that?" He says, that "God resides in you. That wonderful Water of Life and Bread of Life is within you." He gives you a contact with that, open. He does not ask you to wait years or month or anything. He gives you something to start with on the very first day. By giving you something to start with, that you have to develop from day to day. So what the ultimate goal will be? You will become what He is. So every king wants his sons to become kings, not ministers. Every Saint wants you to become like Him. So this is what generally we have. For that you will find, what is required? So if you get suchlike – I mean – company of such a Saint then what you should do? Go on with it, enjoy the full benefit of His company. So if you find suchlike man, naturally, I think, the wish of anybody would be that we should remain in His custody, near Him, within the radiation of such a Master.

So Guru Ram Das tells us: "Oh God, I pray, let me become the slave of such a Master!" How long? He says: "Until the last breath is taken." We'd like to die at His feet, if we find such a Master, fortunately, we just realise all these things I've spoken to you, naturally we want, we should die at His feet. So He says: "So long as my breathing is going on, I wish my last breath should go out at His feet. I should continue in His presence." Now He says: "How can we live with the Master all along?" Physical presence of the Master cannot be underrated but if you have developed receptivity, you can have that benefit by sitting at hundreds and thousands of miles from Him. Wireless – you see – wireless telegraphy, it is when you – (Master knocks on the table) – the very tickling goes on there. So Kabir says: "If your Master is living across the seven oceans and you are sitting on this side, direct your attention to Him. There should nothing remain between you and Him" – and by television you see, by radio you hear from thousands of miles! – you become receptive! – I gave you the criterion of one who has become like that, Guru-man, "You ask the same question from the Guru and ask the same question from the disciple, they will say – utter the same words." Because they are one in two and two in one. Now you follow what is meant by discipleship? What is meant by being an initiate? So He (Guru Ram Das) says, He prayed for it, He says, this is the thing what Shankara, the greatest man of knowledge in the history of the Rishis, he also wanted that." First he believed, soul is God and God is soul, in all respects. Then he said: "God is – soul is a part of it." Then ultimately he turned to be worshipper of an incarnation, where the God is manifest, you see? So for this  he says: "I have prayed." Guru Ram Das says: " Even the Shankara, the most intelligent man in the world wanted it (the company of the Master)." He says: "Even the Narada, who is considered the king of all devotees, or Bhakti Yoga, he also wanted it."

And the earth is believed to be, on the support of by some power, you see, that be carried on. So there is a story – goes, parable goes to demonstrate such a thing (the value of the company of the Master). What is that parable? That one, Vashisht, he was a devotee of the satsang, he was knowing this knowledge, what is had by the contact with the Godman. The other was who had 50.000 years of penances which he had undergone. He had very great power, too. So both had a talk with each other. He said: "The penance is the highest thing to be followed." And Vashisht said: "No, only come in contact with the Guru. That is the highest thing." Nobody could decide, only that parable goes, they went to Brahma, the creator of the world. He puts his question: "Which is greater of the two? Penances or the contact with the Saints?" He said, "Both are very strong people, they would not listen to my words." Then he went to Vishnu. He also asked the same thing. He said:" They are very strong people, both of them." and he sent them to Shiva. Shiva said: "Those is a very great tangle, I would not be able to dissolve it." and he sent them to the Power which taking – supporting all creation, this world. They went to him. "Well, our question is: "Which is higher, the company of the Saints or the penances done at the physical level or prana level?" He says: "Well, dear friends, I bear a great burden of the whole earth on my head – just take off it for a while so that I may come along and decide – hear you and decide your point." Now Vashisht told to the other man: "Now try your – you have got so much power of your penances, 50.000 (years)." He put in something of the 20.000, 40.000, the earth could not rise above over the head. Then he put all 50.000  powers – years powers, penances on. The earth, little lifted from the head, again it set down on the head. He said: "Decide!" He said: "What should I decide? It is already again there!" Then the Vashisht said: "Look here, I give the only what I gained – what power – an hour, what I have gained in the company of the Saint." Then the result was, the earth lifted above the head and stayed there. "Then decide!" "The question is decided!"

It means , what gives you the company of the Saint that you cannot have by putting in hundred of years of penances. So that is why Guru Ram Das says: "I want this, I pray for it."