All Great Souls Who have come to this world told mankind, "You have great potential within you, and you are, therefore, exceedingly blessed to have been given human birth." But, what is the purpose of this human life? Why is it highly praised, and what is this great potential it holds?

    The value of human life lies in the fact that only in the human form can God be realized. But, we must remember that it is the soul which can experience knowledge of the Lord--not the mind, not the senses, not the intellect, nor vital airs. Through every age this subject has been explained by sages: that to establish clear understanding, the intellect is made to work; but as those sages have proved, realization is a different matter. Intellectual understanding at the level of mind and senses is both useful and, in nearly all cases, necessary; but man must gain knowledge of what he really is--what he is as soul--then only does it become possible for him to realize what God is.

    So, on the spiritual path to God-realization, one must first take steps toward self-realization. And, what does it mean to know oneself?. It is not enough merely to say, "I am not the senses, I am not the mind; I am a conscious entity, I am soul." This is just a verbal expression of feeling, or is the sum total of inference gained by reaching a conclusion through the intellect. Realization is something separate from all this.

    In the Upanishads it says, When the senses are controlled, the mind is stilled, the intellect is also stilled, then the soul is united. So, it can be understood from this that as long as the soul does not gain freedom from mind, senses, and intellect, it cannot experience or know itself, and, therefore, also cannot experience God. If this highest knowledge is not gained in life, then man has not derived the full benefit or potential that lies within his grasp as a human being.

    We must create conditions wherein we can see the Lord, if we want to realize Him. As long as I do not see with my own eyes, I cannot believe even the Guru's words. All Masters say that there is a God, that He is everywhere, that there is no place without Him. They say also that He resides in this body that we are carrying, in which we also reside; and so the body is truly the temple of God. But, in what form is the Lord experienced by the soul? He is experienced in the form of Light. To praise Him without having seen Him is like a description of the sun by a blind man.

    One Master advises to See Him and then sing His praises; Such praise will bear forth fruit. But, to be able to see Him, He must be revealed by One Who has this spiritual sight already--One Who can make others see also. Who can reveal such knowledge? God has no father, mother, brothers, or other relatives; so we must accept that He Himself will reveal Himself, when and as He so wills, by His own mercy and through His own methods. Electricity is everywhere, but we control it at a definite point called a powerhouse; and by connection to that powerhouse, electricity can be made to do our work. Just like this, God is everywhere--there is no place without Him--but the soul can only get a direct connection to Him through that Powerhouse or Pole where He is manifested. The true temple of God is the body wherein the Light of Truth is aflame. When He gives His darshan, He gives it in the form of Light.

    So, without the Guru--the Powerhouse in this world--one cannot have this Light. The very meaning of the word Guru is "dispeller of the darkness." He Who gives His Life-Impulse through the Light is the Word made Flesh and is also called a Guru. He manifested Himself in the Guru and distributed the Shabd. It is most necessary that the seeking soul find Someone in Whom God has manifested Himself, for only such a Complete Personality is competent to rejoin the soul back to Him. God is everywhere, but He is not manifested everywhere. Why? Because our soul--that spark of the All-Consciousness--is under the control of mind and senses, and through its sojourn in creation has become the image of the body and the image of the world, thereby forgetting its true self. It must just know itself, then it can have the experience of the Overself; if it does not rise above body-consciousness, how can God be manifested? Do you understand this?

All Masters have advised, Man, know thyself in Their various languages. What is it in the Guru that does this delicate work? It is God manifested in the Guru Who performs the operation--it is the type of work that God alone can do. Maulana Rumi says that God pointed out that He cannot contain Himself in all the heavens, the earths, or the skies He created, for none of these are sufficient to contain Him: O my loved one, believe in Me, all these things are incapable of containing me--I am so big. And, yet I can dwell in the heart of a True Devotee--if you want Me, go to Him. Such a True Devotee is called a Sadhu, Sant, Mahatma, Master, etc. Different outer garbs cannot make a Mahatma. Many are accepted as great men in this world who can give very powerful lectures, but have they realized God? How can anyone truly say he has experienced that which he has never seen? Furthermore, this holds no meaning for others unless they can be made to see also. It is a delicate point; but it is most necessary for the true seeker to meet a Competent Person Who can reveal the Lord within.

    God is most merciful; He continues to send these Competent Persons to the world to help suffering humanity. Even the company of such a Person is highly beneficial to a soul; and what is infinitely important, one may do the whole world's work through the intellect and senses, but one cannot realize the Lord without the company of such a Saint. Even the very best actions will only gain reward; they will not enable you to realize God. It is only through seeing Him and knowing that He is the Doer and not I, that the rounds of births and deaths can be stopped. A True Guru or Saint must have the knowledge Himself and be able to give the same experience to others so that they may increase it steadily. The Sant gave the capital to me. A little capital to start with is worth something. Even in business if a man gives a very fine lecture on how to succeed in business, and yet the poor people listening have not a penny of their own to start with, what is the use of the lecture? If he also gave some capital along with the lecture, there would be some ground for success.

    Competent Masters have come in every age, and will continue to come. But, how many know Them? When Christ asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" they answered, "Some say John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." But, when He asked them, "Who say ye that I am?", Simon answered, "Thou art the Christ."

    All good actions bear the fruit of reward; but unless one sees for one's own self, the I-hood remains; and so we remain chained to the wheel of births and deaths. How can the ego be killed? Shabd burns the ego and attachment when the Gurumukh sees the Jyoti [Light] within. It is then that one begins to see that the Lord is doing everything. What can the poor wooden puppet do? The Puppeteer knows. I will now relate to you a hymn by one such Great Soul Who had this realization:
 

The true facts and stories of the Lord are told by the Guru,
 Who is the True Friend;
Unto Him I joyfully surrender myself in sacrifice.

This is a hymn of Guru Ramdas, Who saw His Guru as He truly was: One Who spoke to them of His experience with God. There are those who give statements about God from the level of the intellect; but there are the rare few also who speak from actual experience. Many are just lecturers--we should be grateful to anyone who has taught us even a little. Every Saint has His past, and every sinner a future. Guru Amar Das says, From the lowest I became pure, ever since I sat at God's feet, in the Guru. I was like a stone sinking in water; He lifted me up, praise be to the Lord. When one is pulled up above the level of the senses, one realizes how low one was. Great is the Guru, Who not only pulls us up and gives an experience of the Lord, but remains our True Friend always.

    What is a true friend? A True Friend is One Who is always with you and never leaves you; He appears even when one is called upon to account for one's actions. Worldly friendship is plentiful enough--children, relatives, acquaintances--but lasts only as long as selfish desires are fulfilled. Without this, who remains faithful? The very same person who may appear to be a beneficent friend at one moment can turn into a thief at the next. A True Friend is One Who will remain with you always--even when you have to pay up your accounts. This is a True Guru. What is more: He gives new life, and through devotion connects you with the Lord. He bestows a new life upon us; and what is that new life? It is Light; it is Sound. Out of His mercy, He gives His own Life-Impulse; and nothing could be a greater gift. You can find many who will give gifts of money, clothing, articles, etc.; but how many can give their very life? With this Life-Impulse He enthuses new life into others; and if the accounts are to be rendered, He will do that also. And, for whom will He do all this? For a gurusikh only--a true disciple of the Guru.

    He says that one would give oneself in complete surrender or sacrifice unto such a Guru. Brothers, would you not also joyfully surrender at the feet of a Complete Guru, if you were fortunate enough to meet One? But make sure you surrender only to Him in Whom the Truth is awakened. Guru Ramdas is telling us about His Guru. Only a True Master can know what a Master truly is. He tells of how He has found a True Master, and how abounding and unlimited is His Guru's love. Only those with full faith can ever come to know of it; but how many have the inner conviction of their Guru being a Guru? He who really knows what the Guru is becomes a Gurumukh.

Come, my gurusikh, come;
You are the beloved of my Guru.

    In the story about the love between Laila and Majnu, it is said that one day Majnu was seen kissing the feet of a dog; and when he was asked why he was doing this, he replied, "I have seen this dog on occasion going along the street where my Laila lives."  This is an example of the extent of even the worldly kind of love; so if people say they love their Guru and do not love one another, this is nothing but a lie. It is also a lie if anyone claims love for God and yet does not love Him in Whom He is manifested. One's whole life can be changed with meditation and love for the Guru. The Guru will then appear within. This is why Christ advised His disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments.

    The dear ones often ask, "How can we develop love for You?" You have all been given the proof of this path; so remain linked with it, for the more you are joined to that, the more will the love flow out of that union. This union is the only thing lacking.

God likes God's own attributes--which can be realized through the Guru.

    When my Guru, Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, was stationed in the Murree Hills while in service, He returned to His residence one day, and as He entered the courtyard a man passed Him on his way out. When the Master inquired from a servant what was the nature of the man's visit, He was told that the man was a tuberculosis patient who was looking for accommodation, but no one was giving him a place. The Master then asked why he was also turned away from this house and was told that not only was the man suffering from tuberculosis, but worse than that, he was an atheist. Hazur said, "Even if the poor fellow does not know there is a God, at least we know; and what is more, God is in him also." The man was at once called back and given a room in Hazur's house. This is a simple example of God's attributes being expressed through the Guru. Would you not also become the Lord's loved one, if you expressed His own qualities? If you have not yet seen the Lord, then you will find His qualities manifested in Whomsoever He has manifested, Who sees Him and can give you an experience of Him. Even though you may try to leave Him, such a Friend will never leave you. As Christ said, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Our Hazur also used to say, The Guru will never leave he who has been given the Naam.

    In 1962 a certain man wrote to me for the first time since his initiation nine years earlier. He complained of many things, and at the end of the letter said, "I am leaving You." I replied to him, "No matter what you do, that Power will never leave you." The Guru does allow a long rope in order to test the disciple's depth in the water, but He never leaves him.

    When Pakistan was formed, many trainloads of Muslims left India to take up residence in Pakistan. Hazur gathered a number of disciples together and took baskets upon baskets of bread to distribute to the weary traveling people. Whoever truly loves God, truly loves each and every being, regardless of religion, caste, or nationality.

We are enraptured by those who obeyed the Guru.

    The stages of discipleship are many. Using a worldly example to explain a spiritual matter, we can take a married woman whose heart is not with her husband. In the world's eyes she is respectably married to one man, but in fact, she is not a faithful wife. On the other hand, there is the type of wife who, although she remains faithful, yet is constantly demanding something from the husband. Her demands never cease; though her neighbors may be starving, she will have concern only for her own selfish desires. There is yet a third kind of wife who does request her husband to supply various needs, but if he does not comply she accepts the fact and drops the subject. The fourth and last type of wife is one who loves her husband so much that her clothes may be torn and worn, but she never asks him for anything. All she wants is his love, and is concerned for nothing else. If her worn and torn clothes please her husband, what more is required? This is the highest kind of love.

    Guru Ramdas goes on to tell of the greatness of the gurusikh:

I will sacrifice myself for he who has seen the beloved Satguru.

    Just consider this story carefully. You want parshad, but with what kind of mouth will you eat it? Guru Ramdas is saying that He is willing to sacrifice Himself for that fortunate person who received even a brief glimpse of His Guru. People usually have a very critical attitude toward each other: one is not initiated, another has no Guru whatsoever, another belongs to a different religion, and so on. But, Guru Ramdas says He would sacrifice Himself for anyone who had seen His Guru. Only a Realized Person Who sees the Truth can sincerely make such a statement, for He sees the Lord in everyone, and has love for each and every individual because of this--whether they call Him Paramatma, Khuda, God, Shabd, Naam, or any other name. God is in all men, even in those who do not realize or believe it. In the first epistle of John, he tells us, If a man says, "I love God"and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? John also says, And this commandment have we from Him [Christ], that he who loveth God loveth his brother also.

I will sacrifice myself for those who serve the Guru,
Hari, Hari, is Your Name;
In the depth of our misery You appear;
By serving the Guru, the Gurumukh gains his freedom.

There are four kinds of people who journey toward God. One is a gurusikh--the beloved of the Guru. Another is he who lives according to the Guru's wishes. Yet another is he who is fortunate enough to have seen the Guru. Fourth is the still more fortunate one who has the opportunity to serve the Guru. And, who can truly love all these disciples? Only he who loves the Guru truly, who, in the Guru's company, has had the love of the Lord awakened in him.

    How is this kind of love developed? It can only develop through contact with Naam, whereby the love which is innate will break forth, manifest, and overflow. If you sit beside a fire, all your chills will leave. Similarly, to sit beside something cool, such as ice, all heat in the body fades away. Many, many blessings can be yours when connected to the Naam, for it is the most powerful force. Hari, Hari, is the Pure Naam which created all Creation. The Supreme Lord is nameless; but He came into expression, and that expression is called Naam. Naam is controlling Khand and Brahmand. We can go as far as to say, "Oh Lord, this Naam of Yours is the dispeller of all unhappiness"--and where can we get it? Through the grace of the Guru--and then by serving Him. Merely bowing down before Him does not make a disciple; one must obey Him, and then bow before Him in devotion. This is what is meant by serving Him. In the Gurbani it is written, Satguru's words--words ARE the Satguru. Whoever bows down to His words and obeys them is a true gurusikh. Otherwise, The whole world sees the Satguru, but by just seeing, there is no salvation as long as love for the Satguru's Shabd is not developed.

What is the Naam? There is the word Naam--just as there is the word "water," or pani, aqua, aab, etc. But, by merely repeating the word "water," one's thirst is not quenched until the liquid which is denoted by the word "water" is drunk. When Christ met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, she was surprised when He asked her to give Him water, knowing that the Jews did not mix with Samaritans. But, Jesus explained that if she really knew Who it was that was asking her for water, she would have asked Him for the Living Water, by drinking which all thirst is quenched forever. So, that Water of Life is also known as Naam. It is the God-in-Expression Power, which came into being, and which has two phases--Light and Sound. A connection with this awakens the soul and makes it aware of the God within. It is no good saying, "dollar, dollar," if one wishes to have money; it must be earned in some way. By uttering the Name of the Lord, one may gain some small interest in Him or get some direction toward Him, which will certainly earn good karma; but it does not give a connection with Him. It is something quite different to see that Power working in reality, and to thereby know that oneself is not the doer of anything.

    Naam can be given through the Guru only, Who is the Naam or the Word made Flesh. Only the Lord Himself can give His own gift, and He is working through the form of the Guru. Though He resides in every form, it is only the Guru Who can give the way up by bringing the soul above the senses. So, there are two indications by which the seeker can know that he has got the connection: the Naam's two phases must be experienced within--the Light and the Sound, or the Music of the Spheres. God comes in the form of Light. And, that Personality where He is manifested will give that new life of Light to the true seeker. Many will give happiness or worldly achievement, but how often can you find Someone to give His own Life-Impulse? Through His Life-Impulse you get the bhakti and the connection with God. It is the Satguru's work. And, With the Gururmukh's bhakti, the Sound is easily heard. A Gurumukh is he who has become the mouthpiece of his Guru, one who truly takes the Guru as the ever-present Lord and keeps his head low before all his Guru's commands. Thereby, he has become the mouthpiece of the Guru; and the Guru is the mouthpiece of God. It is a constant law which never changes.

    God-realized Souls are always present in the world, but in the past They were few, and even now They are very rare. Who then are the privileged ones who get to meet Them? Those whose hearts are true. Those without deceit in the heart not only have the privilege of the Lord's own arrangements for meeting the Guru, but with a clean heart, they are able to absorb the full benefit of that meeting. The best attitude of mind is to sincerely serve in humility, and in more and more humility. Then the Guru will come by Himself. God Himself makes the soul hungry--and then He feeds it. There is really no need to worry about anything: simply be sincere and true to your own self. He has sent you to the right place, and He is the Giver. It is a very subtle and exacting subject; what can I say about it? If a person thinks of Him as a Guru outwardly, tremendous change will take place; and if that person gets the higher contact--then?

    Hafiz Sahib once wrote a poem in Arabic saying that if one wishes to realize God, one should leave one's home and go to the wild places. Bhai Nandlal was a great gurubhakta (of Guru Gobind Singh) and when he read this, he said, "God? God is here!" and indicated his Guru who was nearby. He then added, "Where will you go? What is there in the jungles? He is standing here." Who can say this sort of thing with any accuracy? Only he whose eye is developed--he who has seen and then speaks of what he has seen. Those who boast of their Guru, without truly seeing what He is, speak without real knowledge; their words are empty. For such people the Guru is the Guru when conditions are favorable; but when the conditions become difficult, they turn their backs on Him.

Those who do the dhyan of the Naam are accepted at God's court;
For them, O Nanak, will I forever sacrifice myself.

    We find throughout history that whatever land has been touched by the holy feet of the Masters is worshipped and Their Names are praised, but while They are living in the world, very few value Them or recognize Them. Guru Nanak was termed an atheist, but when He left the world, many places He frequented became places of pilgrimage. But, if one gains faith and knowledge in what the Guru is while He is in the world, what more is needed?--for He is the One Who will give. And, whoever loves the Guru and loves all who go to Him is truly a gurusikh.

Whatever pleases Thee, 0 Lord, that is the real worship;
The Gurumukh is one who truly serves the Guru--he sees and enjoys God.

God never leaves those who have true love for Him.

Whenever the Beloved is remembered by such, new life surges within.

I am a sacrifice to those who serve the Gurumukh with love;
He is free himself, he frees his family, and the whole world.

Guru serves the Lord with love--hail to the Guru's name;
Guru showed the way to God--O sacred endeavor!

Gurusikhs who serve the Guru are fortunate;
Again and again, O Nanak, do I sacrifice myself on them.

All Gurumukhs are beloved sisters in God, who are accepted by Him.

They shine in the Lord's court, and He embraces Them.

Give us darshan of those Gurumukhs absorbed in Naam;
We would wash their feet and drink that water.

Chewing betel-nut and betel-leaf, a cigarette in his mouth--
God is never remembered by such people, and the Lord of Death will take them.

Enlightened are the hearts of those who remember the Lord;
Yama cannot approach these gurusikhs, the Guru's beloved.

God's Name is a Priceless Treasure, known only by the gurusikh;
O Nanak, those who see the Satguru, they dwell in bliss.

Satguru is the Giver of this blessing, which He gives out of compassion.

I sacrifice myself on the Guru Who gave me Naam;
Praise be to Him Who brought us this message of God.

Listen to the Complete Guru's advice and see Par Brahm brought nearer. The purpose of Naam is that one should be aware of the Lord always. But, what is the use of advice from those who are not exemplars of it? This is why people cannot escape from the law of birth and death. Man must be sincere to his own self. I always advise, "Be true to yourself, God is within you and Guru is within you." Could a person go on sinning if he was constantly aware of the Lord within him? We first deceive ourselves and then others. Many people forge wills, cheat, lie, give false evidence--the courts are full of such liars--forgive me. But, no one can deceive God Who is within each and every man.

When gazing upon the Guru, I blossom forth; The Guru--Satguru Deva.

The Guru's tongue speaks out the words drenched
  with ambrosial beatitude of Naam;
For those who obey His words, the inner hunger will be satisfied.

How can I travel the Path of the Lord?

Naam is Thy Naam, O Lord,
Which helps here and hereafter.

Those who love the Lord, love everyone; but this can only happen in One Who has seen the Lord within. Guru Arjan Sahib, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, had the foundation stone of the holy city of Amritsar laid by the Muslim, Hazrat Mian Mir. History tells us that Hazrat Mian Mir, Chaju Bhagat, and Guru Arjan were great friends. When they get that higher degree, all are one: there is no consideration of religion or different outer society. When the illusion lifts, Who is a Hindu, who is a Turk? This is the Truth.

Gurumukhs who have worshipped the Lord have the wealth of the Emperor.

I sacrifice myself on that Satguru, Who is one with His Guru's words;
You are the Lord, the Master, the Saviour;
Your virtues are intrinsic, Your pleasure is the true bhakti,
You are one color, yet all colors;
O Nanak, Your pleasure is the best thing.