His mother has cancer and there is very much suffering and he asks, if there is no other help, can the suffering be lessened by using morphine?

    I think it is better to let her die consciously. It's better. Otherwise her consciousness will be morbid and that will affect her soul. Why not tell her to put all her attention here (at the eye center) and the suffering will be lessened. I think that is the best morphine you can have. Write her. Let her turn her attention here and pray. She'll get help. The suffering will be less.

(Two years later the editor met the questioner and inquired about his mother. The mother was written and given Master's instructions. From the day she received the letter the pain began to lessen. There was no need for morphine. She died consciously.)

    It so happened here in India, a man was suffering on account of cancer. He could not sleep even for a moment. He was fortunately, or unfortunately related to me. My brother's daughter was married to his son. She dragged me there, and they wanted me to put my hand on him. He said, "Will you help me?" So I was forced to put my hand on him, you see, and all the trouble was relieved.
    So tell her to put her whole attention here, back of the eyes and pray. I hope the suffering will be less. To give morphine is not good. She'll go into a swoon; die while in a swoon. There was one Obdulla, initiate of Hazarat Mian Mir, who had very excruciating pain. But as he was initiated by Hazarat Mian Mir he just withdrew and sat therein. He had no pain, but Hazarat Mian Mir went to him, "Well, you sitting there, why don't you suffer for the reactions you have to undergo? Your mind must be suffering, not remaining in the astral world." So try to bear, you see. If you have risen above body consciousness, this pain is going on, you're not suffering. So to die consciously is always better.
    Sometimes doctors give morphine which induces swoon. The best remedy is just to have her put her attention here. Doctors do at times, give patients morphine. But to die consciously is always better. Yes?

If somebody is very sick and is not used to putting his consciousness over here...

    Well, direct him. In the name of the Master, direct him.

I didn't follow Master.

    In the name of Christ, the Christ Power, I mean; but don't exert yourself. If he is not an initiate, simply tell him the name of the Master. That will help. Anyone else?

In the West, many people die unconsciously, as it is very common that they are given morphine. What is the difference between dying consciously and not consciously, in the Beyond, I mean.

    We were talking over this subject only yesterday. The consciousness will be morbid, even after leaving the body. If he is not conscious when leaving the body that does have an effect. To die consciously is all right. To be able to say, "I am going now..." is best.

So there is more of a possibility, when somebody dies in this way to come back in a lower form of life?

    The consciousness is affected. If throughout his whole life he has been attached to material things, he may be reborn with less consciousness. Some children are more conscious, others less.

I have heard it mentioned many times of the importance of our last thought at the time of our dying. Would you speak more on this subject?

    You see, if you have been accustomed to one thought, a ruling passion in your life, then naturally that will be the last thought with you. Anything which has been ruling your mind will come up.

And you go to where your last thought was?

    Yes, If - I am adding "If" now. If some conscious person is there to direct, that will help. That will help. These are exceptions of course. Yes?

With regards to our families dying, is it better that we go to their bedsides while they're dying? I understand that they cannot die if we are there, doing Simran, I think. If I understand that correctly.

    Now what did you read?

In Sat Sandesh, in the article "Protector and Protection" you said that because you were there the lady could not leave.

    Oh, because she belonged to Kal, the Negative Power. Those who are not initiated are under the control of Kal - Negative Power. The Angel of Death does not dare to enter the place where a man who is entuned to Naam is sitting unless he first leaves the place. It did so happen in my life in many cases. In one instance Dalip Singh (treasurer of Sawan Ashram, now deceased) was with me at the time; he's a witness. It so happened this woman was very sick. She was not initiated. Her husband was attending her for so many days. On her last day I came to know that she was sick. She belonged to our native village. I went to her and told her husband, "All right, you have been attending her for the last so many days, I will look after her now. You'd better take a rest today." One other man, one lady, and Dalip Singh were there. At about nine or ten o'clock at night, the messengers of the Negative Power, the angels of death, you might say, came to her door, then ran away. Then Dharam Raj, the Lord of Death, came and stood at the door. He said, "Look here, this is in our province. We cannot take her away unless you leave the room, now." I told him, "You cannot enter. I have been with her for the last two - three hours now. Go and ask my Master if He permits." He did go away and when he returned said, "Master has permitted." "All right," I told him, "I have been with her three hours. Will you give her credit for this?" "All right she will get full credit for that." Then I asked my friends to leave the room or she wouldn't die. I then sent for her husband. "So many rupees are still debited against her. You pay them off to some poor fellows so that she can go." So we left the room. In a few minutes she left. So this Initiation is a great boon you have been bestowed - Initiation, you see.
    In Gurbani, we have got: (Verse given in Punjabi.) Yama is very just, I tell you, very honest, very just. His pen flows according to our actions, good or bad. Yama cannot be controlled by anyone, but if you're entuned with the Shabd, he would not come near the area where that music is being resounded. Why? Because he's afraid that he might be taken to task for that. (Again a verse is recited in Punjabi.)
    Yes?

So my thought was, that if you try to bring a member of your family's thoughts toward God in their last hours...

    Pray to your Master to bring their thoughts toward God. Don't take it on your shoulders. This happened in my life, in the time of my Master, I had the habit of attending sick people in hospitals and at their homes. They would say, "Well, he will come and the pain will be relieved and the trouble will subside - even the highest fever, 106-107 will go down to a hundred." People used to gather when I went to visit the sick. I went by God's Grace - I never applied anything, but still by radiation, they were relieved. People complained to my Master, "Look here, he is showing miracles. He wants to vie with you." Master told them, "He is not doing anything wrong, it's the radiation that works." You see? So we have very great radiation. You're a great, rich man. You've got wealth of riches of Naam within you, but you don't utilize your wealth, that's the pity. Master said, "No, no, he does not do healing miracles. It's his radiation that does it and people make a show saying, "He will come and all will be healed." Really, I never did anything. Even now I don't do anything. I simply give the lesson, "Sit down, close your eyes..." and then I go away. That's all I do. By healing, you exert yourself. Pray, pray, pray, pray. Pray like that. Is it not so? When healing is done, you exert. I never do that. At initiation also, I say, "Sit down please, repeat the charged Simran" and each one has something. It is not I who am doing, but some Power.
    This was a disease I had: I took it as a kind of disease, that I was able to see daily beyond this wall something, being done in Calcutta. That was like a disease. I prayed to God - it was long before I physically met my Master - "O God, I pray this disease be taken away. I should behave like all men." Later when Master used to meet me inside, not physically, I asked, "Take it away, keep it reserved so I should behave like a man, average man, human being. If any good goes out of me, I should not be aware of it." These things have saved me, so far. I never dreamed that I am doing anything. So, really, when I know some Power is the doer, why should I take credit? This would be only acting and posing, you see.
    People consider this a very great privilege, to be able to read, foresee future and past. Even if we know, what can we do? One child of mine was sick. I asked my wife, "Now you name any best doctor you would like, to get the child treated, so that you may not say later on that we should have done such and such." On that day, I went out to get special medicine to be administered to the child. My eldest brother was by my side, "Well look here," I spoke to my own self, "You're deceived. You know he's passing away. This medicine has to be given because you have to pay off." My brother looked at me in surprise. "What are you talking about?" "Well, you see, thy breaths are numbered." Even if you know, what can you do? They have to go, pass away. Even my wife passed away. One day she said, "I am going to leave." She had a good time for meditation. She said that she was going on the second of April. I said, "No, there is a very big gathering, so don't go on that day. A day later, please. She agreed. Then I went to her after the initiation. "Are you ready to go?" She said, "Yes." "All right, go - go smiling." She smiled and left. So I Think in worldly affairs, your wife is the nearest relation. Whoever is a companion, comes and goes according to the reactions of the past. Thank God, toward the end of your life that you have been in the Sweet Remembrance of God. My father, mother, two elder brothers all left. I wanted to go to them to help them go back jolly. On account of past reactions we have been put together. Thank God they were in the Sweet Remembrance of God. They were helped on the way. Even if you know, what can you do?
    So why not help your mother go jolly? You have paid off your debt. Your angle of vision is changed, you see. Long before I came to my Master, my elder brother's wife was quite sick for a long time; then she recovered. I wrote a letter to my brother: "Look here, on the receipt of this letter, be careful. She will go." When he got the letter, he thought, "She is quite all right, what is this?" And within half an hour, she departed. So even if you know, what can you do? I think it is better not to know. But if you know when your angle of vision is changed, that's all right "Thank God." I've not shed a tear on the death of my children or brother or father. You think that I have no sympathy? Do you think that if I had had sympathy that would have helped?
    This is only a question of give and take, you see. Master winds up all this give and take of His disciples, if you just surrender to Him and have been doing Naam.  Any other questions? Every day you have some subject covered.

I was given new life at Hardwar. I was having a heart attack. There was no pulse and He sat with me for an hour or so ... and then the pulse returned. I'm still alive.

    You are still bound. (all chuckle) It's all His Grace. Well I don't know anything about it. That Power works, you see.

While going to Kashmir, I got a heart attack. I usually remain in bed for some days, say about fifteen days. I can't move. But Master was there in Kashmir for the whole night. He had taken the whole trouble with Him and I was altogether all right the next morning and I started to work again.

    The only thing we can say, as Christ said, "Thy faith has cured thee." Such-like people are not permitted to go to the hills with heart attacks. He was there.  So go on with your meditations. What a great blessing you have got, with God's Grace, of course. I have got some sweets from the West. I want them for you all.

Do you ever take sweets yourself?

    I am a man like you. Of course I don't relish but I am not against it. Simple diet is better, you see.

I just see so many people giving sweets to You and You don't take them.

    Those are offerings. I don't accept offerings. I live on my own earnings. There may be give and take at one or two places, not everywhere, you see. If you accept offerings, that will be debited against you. If they bring, I distribute them. So let me start from the right. No, the left, the negative world. (chuckles) You also enjoy and I also enjoy on behalf of all of you. If I eat, I eat only my own. The tenth Guru said, "Those who put some food in the mouths of the poor and the needy, they put it into my mouth. Those who clothe others who are naked, they clothe me," because He Himself is therein.