THE HARVEST OF NECTAR
by
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji
This talk was given on July 7, 1980
at Sant Bani Ashram, N.H. and is the
fourth in a series of fourteen talks
on the Gauri Vars of Guru Ramdas Ji.
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The Great Glory is in that Satguru
who meditates daily on the Naam of the Lord.
On the first day I said that this is the bani of Guru Ramdas Ji Maharaj,
and that I will do Satsang on this very bani for ten or twelve days - as
long as I am here, (at Sant Bani Ashram) I will continue doing satsang on
this bani. In this bani, the love which Guru Ramdas had for His Master,
Guru Amardas, is described. And moreover, whatever Guru Amardas had to go
through and whatever He had to suffer because the people were opposing Him,
whatever He had to face, how much He was criticized, etc., is also
described. Lovers always talk about their beloved; that is why here Guru
Ramdas Ji is talking about His Master, His Beloved.
Now Guru Ramdas asks, "What is the greatness of the Master? Why is He
loved and liked by everyone?" He says that the greatness of Master is that
He is always in connection with God, whether He is sitting or standing,
whether He is asleep or awake; He always remains in tune with God. This is
the greatness of the Master: that God Himself is manifested within Him.
By meditating on the Naam of the Lord, purity is achieved;
And one gets satiated by the Naam of the Lord.
The desire of the Master is Naam. The thing which contents Him also is
Naam. He is always absorbed in Naam. By meditating on Naam and by
achieving Naam, He always remains contented in Naam.
The Naam of the Lord is the strength, the Naam of the
Lord is the Support;
And the only Protector is the Naam of the Lord.
Naam is His protector, Naam is His support, Naam is His honor. Whatever He
has, that all is of Naam.
Those who worship the form of the Master attentively get
as fruits their heart's desire.
Those who go in the company of such Masters, those who meditate on such
Masters, those who do the devotion of such Masters Whose food is Naam and
Who get contented by doing the meditation of Naam and within whom Naam is
manifested; such people - those who are desirous of Naam - get all their
desires fulfilled as well as getting Naam. Whatever fruits we ask for, we
get that from our Satguru.
Those who criticize the perfect Satguru, the Creator will
cause them to be killed;
Then that time does not come in his hands again.
Whatever he sows, he himself reaps.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji Maharaj says that God doesn't give any place at His feet
to a person who criticizes such a Master; He makes them get a beating from
the angels of death. While he is getting the beating, then he repents. But
once the time is lost, he cannot gain it back. He repents, but it is no use.
He is carried to the severe hell with a black face
and garroted like the thieves.
He says, that not only does such a person get a beating from the angels
of death; besides that, he is handcuffed and tied and thrown into hell,
just like thieves when they are caught red-handed are thrown into prison.
If he takes refuge in Satguru again, then he is saved
If he meditates on the Naam of the Lord.
We got the human body in order to do devotion of the Lord; but instead of
doing that, we started criticizing other people, and we made a lot of bad
karmas, as a result of which we go to hell. But if that critic, after
suffering in hell, comes back in the world and gets a body, if he comes
to the feet of the Master, and does the meditation of Naam, only then can
he get liberation. If he doesn't do that, he will keep coming in bodies
and he will keep having the pain of birth and death.
Nanak speaks the words of the Lord, the Creator,
as may please the Lord.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji says that He is not saying all of these things to
frighten people. "Because I go to God and I see what is happening in the
Court of God, in order to make people understand, I am saying all of these
things. I am not saying them to frighten anyone."
He who does not obey the order of a Perfect Master is Manmukh,
ignorant, false, and is robbed by Maya, the poison.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji says that all of the Saints and Masters Who came on
this physical plane told us to abstain from criticism. They all told us
to stop committing sins, and They all told us to leave backbiting and bad
deeds. So He says that if you love the Master, and obey the commandments
of the Master, then we should definitely refrain from such bad habits.
Criticism is not good. It only pleases your mind. Those who criticize
others, their faces will be blackened and they will be sent to hell.
Hazur Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji used to say, "If you love me, keep
my commandments." So Guru Ramdas Ji says that the one who doesn't obey
the commandments of the perfect Master is ignorant, he is foolish, he
is manmukh, and he is following his mind.
Within him is falsehood, and false understanding;
He is involved in useless disputes.
He who does not love the perfect Masters and does not obey Their
commandments, he is manmukh, and he is always involved in telling lies.
He speaks lies, he hears lies, and all day long his dealing is with
untruth. Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say that criticism is neither sour
nor sweet, but it cuts the root of our spirituality. He even used to say
that whoever you criticize, all his sins will come into your account, and
all your good deeds will be transferred into his account.
He sells many talks, but no one is pleased with his talking.
The manmukh, who doesn't obey the commandments of the Master, talks a
lot. But the pity is that nobody relies on his talking, because he is a
manmukh. Once Master Sawan Singh Ji went to a town to hold Satsang. The
organizers asked Him if they could put up some posters or make some
announcements, so that people would know. Master Sawan Singh Ji replied,
"You don't have to do that, because those who are supposed to do this
work of letting people know that I am here, will do that even without your
asking." And it happened, because the Arya Samajis and Akalis, those who
used to oppose Master Sawan Singh Ji a lot, started criticizing Him. They
had loud speakers fitted on the jeeps, and they went all around the city,
saying, "Don't go to see the Master of Radhasoami because He is a
magician and will put a musical instrument in your head. He will win you
over by His magic, so don't go there." So people, out of curiosity, went
to see Master Sawan Singh, and once they came to see Him, they became His.
Master Sawan Singh, when He heard that people were doing this negative
publicity, called the organizers and asked them, "Do you see how they are
doing the work for you?" Master Kirpal Singh used to say that at that
very satsang, the canopy which was set up was so full, it was jam-packed,
and many people had to stand outside. Many more came than they were
expecting. They all went away very happy and thanked the Arya Samajis and
the Akalis for telling them about this perfect Master.
He goes from home to home like an unfaithful wife.
Those who come in contact with him get stained.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji says that the critic of the Master doesn't stay at one
place. He goes from home to home, and he goes on criticizing the Master.
His condition is that of the unfaithful wife who is not loyal to her
husband, and goes from one man to another. You know that the friends of
such a woman also get stained. In the same way, those who spend time in
the company of such a critic of the Master also get blamed.
Gurumukhs work differently from them. They give up the
critic's company, and sit near the Master.
Now He says that the loving souls don't even like to touch the shadow
of such critics. Giving up the company and friendship of such people,
they always remain in the refuge of the Master. Tulsi Sahib says, "If
God becomes the critic of the Master, don't even go to see Him."
He who hides his Master is not a good man.
O Saints, he has lost the capital and profit.
Those who hide their Master are not good.
Nanak talked about Vedas and Shastras (and said),
The Word of the Perfect Master is above all.
You can read the writings of Guru Nanak, and there also you will find
that He has quoted from many Vedas and Shastras, holy scriptures. And
quoting from them He has told us that the Master is above all, and the
Word of the Master should be obeyed. The Word of the Master should be
accepted as the greatest thing of all.
The disciples of the Master like the Glory
of the Perfect Master.
Manmukhs do not have that opportunity in their hands.
The perfect disciples of the Master always like to sing the glory of the
Master. They are very pleased when they see that many people come and get
benefit from the presence of their Master. Whereas the manmukhs do not
like this. They don't like that their Master should be praised and
glorified in the world. That is why they always try to hide Him. Master
Kirpal Singh, the true Lord Himself, told me this: "I had no interest in
this world. I had no interest in coming out. But I am just obeying the
word of the Master. Master Sawan Singh told me, `Don't let my teachings
remain hidden in this world.'"
The Perfect True One is greater than all.
He whom the Satguru appoints, obtains Him.
God is greater than all. God is above all. God is the Giver. God is
everywhere, but who can manifest such a God within him? Only those who
have the Grace of Master and only those who are chosen by Him. When
Master decides that someone should have the complete knowledge of God and
that God should be manifested in Him - only such a person can manifest God
within him. Otherwise nobody can do it.
He who meditates on the truth is the Satguru,
and the True One and the Satguru are one.
Earlier Guru Ramdas said that this is the greatness of the Master, that
within Him Naam is manifested. Now He says that by doing the meditation
of Naam, Master and God become one.
He who has controlled the five dacoits is the Satguru.
Those who make themselves count without serving the
Satguru, their faces are dull-curse on their faces.
He is the Satguru or the true Master Who has controlled lust, anger,
greed, attachment, and egoism by meditating on Shabd Naam. He who has not
done any meditation, but still tells people, "I am the Master" - always
understand that he is lying. Such a person is tasteless from within and
from outside also.
No one is pleased by what they speak.
Their faces are black because of deviating from the Satguru.
The loving souls always remain away from such people who pretend to be
more than they are, because they are thrown out by the Master because
they didn't obey His commandments. What are the commandments of the
Master? Master told us to do the meditation of Naam, to rise above lust,
anger, and these passions. Those who don't do that who don't obey His
commandments, are not appreciated anywhere. The dear souls who love the
Master always remain away from such people. Kabir Sahib said about those
who teach others without teaching themselves first, that sand will come
into their mouths. And if they are taking care of other people's fields
while their own courtyard is on fire they are foolish.
The whole field belongs to the Lord,
and He Himself does the farming.
Blessing the Gurumukhs, He germinates (their field)
whereas the manmukhs lose the seed.
This world is like a farm of God. The gurumukhs sow and collect the
wealth of Naam. Whereas the manmukhs misuse and lose whatever capital
they have been given. When they go back to God, they are empty-handed.
Everyone sows for his own advantage, but that field
which is pleasing to the Lord is made to germinate.
The disciples of the Master always sow the seeds of the
Lord, and get the nectarful fruit of Naam.
In this world everybody is farming, and those who are obeying their minds
are involving themselves in worldly pleasures and reap the fruit of that.
Whereas those who are doing the farming of Naam, (because the daily
meditation which we do is like farming) get a harvest of what? We get the
nectar. Nectar is that by drinking which we become immortal. Those who
are sent or who do the devotion of the Lord, harvest the nectar, drink,
and become immortal, and they become free from the pain of birth and death.
You know that when we want to sow anything, first of all, we prepare the
ground; and after cultivating it, only then we sow the seed. Later on it
sprouts, and then we take good care of it. After a lot of time, during
which we keep taking care of it, we harvest it. In the same way, the daily
meditation, Simran, or whatever we are doing to prepare ourselves, is like
preparing the ground; and when the ground is prepared, then the seed of
Naam which is within us, sprouts, and we harvest that Nectar.
Don't think that whatever meditation you are doing, whether it is little
or more, is going useless. Even if you don't get any experience, still the
meditation, or the time which you are spending in the meditation, is all
counted in the devotion. If after working so hard and meditating a lot,
still the door is not opened to us, it means that we are not yet ready to
enter the kingdom of the Lord. But even then we should not leave the door
of the Lord; because if we keep sitting there, definitely one day God will
open His door to us. And whatever Simran you do - even if you do Simran
once - that also is counted. God preserves our devotion, He preserves our
meditation, and He will definitely give us the fruit of it one day.
Yama, the mouse, is constantly gnawing at the field.
The Creator, the Lord, chases him away.
The field was made to germinate by the Love of the Lord;
And with the Grace of the Lord, piles of corn were grown.
When we sow the seeds, after that we need to make a fence around our field
to protect our crop from other people. Later on if insects come and bother
and start eating our crop, we use something to protect our crop from them.
And those who have done farming know that sometimes mice get into the
field, and they can destroy the crop. The farmer is not careless - after
sowing the seeds he always takes care of the field - so he comes there
and protects the crop from those mice also. In that way he takes care of
the crop, and eventually he harvests it.
In the same way, when Master does the farming of Naam, He is also
not careless after sowing the seed. After the seed of Naam which is sown
within us sprouts, as we are growing in our devotion, then these mice and
insects also come. What is the mouse which comes within us and destroys
our meditation? That is the Negative Power; he is residing within us and
he always tries to destroy the crop, the Naam, which we have within us.
But this crop cannot be destroyed because Master is always watching us.
He doesn't become careless. He is also sitting within us; and when he
sees that the mouse is giving us a very hard time and we are helpless in
front of him and have no way out, then Master Himself helps us. He has
to harvest this crop of Naam within us, so He doesn't become careless.
He protects us from this Negative Power, He helps us, and He always takes
care of us.
Now if every single grain of any crop is collected, it makes a big pile.
In the same way, the Simran and meditation which we are doing, every
single repetition of Naam, is counted, and Master preserves it like the
farmer preserves the seeds of grain. When we are able to protect that by
ourselves, then Master gives us the wealth of our devotion, of our
meditation. When we see that all the meditation and all the Simran which
we were doing was preserved and that every single repetition was counted
and was preserved, then we repent and wish that we had done more; we see
that it would have been much better. So the meaning of saying all this is
that whatever meditation you do, no matter how much time you do the
Simran, all is counted in your devotion. And when you will be able to
protect your meditation by yourself, then Master will show you how much
wealth you have.
Those who meditate on the Satguru, their anxiety and
worry are removed.
Those who do the devotion of their Master, with love and faith for Him,
who obey the commandments of the Master, who love the Master so much that
they didn't give any place to the worldly things or to the love of the
world within themselves-what does Master do for them? Master lovingly
pays off all their karmas and He doesn't make them suffer the reaction
of any karma, because they were so devoted to Him.
Nanak says, He who meditates on Naam swims across and
makes the whole world swim across.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji says that those who do the meditation of Shabd Naam,
those who meet God while living and who manifest Master and God within
them, those who come to such a Master, they all get liberation. There is
no question of His own liberation because He is already liberated when
He does all these things. But even if the whole world comes to Him, He
can liberate everyone. Kabir Sahib said, "If we could maintain forever
the love for the Master which we had on the first day, then what would
be the question of our own liberation? We could liberate millions of
other souls." Swami Ji Maharaj also said, "The glory of Gurumukh is
unique, because Gurumukhs liberate millions."
The whole day the manmukh is involved in greed and
other things.
In the night he is buried in sleep. All the nine organs of
senses make him weak.
Earlier Guru Ramdas Ji sang the praise of and described the condition
of the Gurumukhs, and now He is talking about the manmukhs. He says that
manmukhs are always greedy and they are always talking about things other
than God; and after working all day long in the world and dealing with
worldly people, sleep troubles them; they are controlled by sleep, so
they have no time to even think of God. All day long a man goes on
working hard in the world; but when he sits for the remembrance of God,
he feels as if someone has put a heavy rock on his head.
The manmukhs always obey the orders of their spouses,
and daily they bring good things to them.
Those who do what they are told by their spouses are
impure, foolish, and without any intellect.
Guru Sahib has not said all of these things only for either man or for
woman. The teachings of the Masters are for everyone.
An unchaste person always obeys the orders of the person with whom he
is indulging; he always walks in the direction in which he is directed.
Such people's masters or teachers are those with whom they indulge. Guru
Gobind Singh has said that rare are the disciples of the Master; most
people are the disciples of their companions with whom they indulge.
Once Guru Gobind Singh said this, and one disciple replied, "No, Master,
that is not true; I am not the disciple of my wife." Guru Gobind Singh
laughed and said nothing. After a few days, He told that disciple to bring
a unique piece of cloth for Him. That disciple went around the market and
found a very good piece of cloth, and he came back to his home thinking
that the next morning he would go to the Master and give Him that. When
his wife saw that, she asked what it was; he replied that it was the
piece for the Master. "I have bought this for Him and I am going to give
it to Him tomorrow morning." Now his wife knew what he had said to the
Master and she wanted to teach him a lesson; so she said, "Why don't you
please give this to me?" He replied, "Well, I have gotten this for my
Master." She said, "Well, is this piece of cloth more dear to you than I
am? Don't you love me? You can go and tell the Master that you didn't find
any and you will try another time and get another piece of cloth. But you
should give this piece to me." Because he loved his wife so much, he
couldn't go against her and he gave that piece of cloth to her. The next
morning when he came to the Master, he didn't know that his wife was also
following him. She had that piece of cloth with her, but he didn't know
what was happening. When he came there, Guru Gobind Singh asked him,
"Where is the piece of cloth?" He replied, "Master, I tried a lot, but
I didn't get it; but I will try again. I will get a piece of cloth for
you." As soon as he said that, his wife took out the piece of cloth and
said, "Look here, Master, he is not Your disciple. He is my disciple;
because he bought this for you, but when I said that I wanted it, he
gave it to me." That disciple was very embarrassed. So Kabir Sahib says,
"He has become the disciple of his wife, but he says that he is the
disciple of the Master."
Those who do things after asking their spouses -
Within them lust is spread.
Whose condition is this, who always obey their companions? Only those
who are controlled by lust. Whenever they want to go out of their house,
they always ask; if he is a man, he will ask his wife; if she is a wife,
she will ask her husband. Those who cannot live without their companions,
only they are bothered by lust so much. This is the condition of only
those people.
Swami Ji Maharaj says that all those who are the thieves of meditation
suffer a lot. Laziness and sleep bother them and they always remain in
illusion. They get kicked and knocked by lust and anger and they are
drowned in the river of greed. This is the condition of those who are
thieves of meditation. Those who stay up in the night and do the
meditation, these things don't come near them.
He who walks when the Satguru tells him is the true person -
Better than the best one.
Those who do things according to the instructions of the Master, those
who walk according to the orders of the Master - if Master makes him cut
grass, he does it - and if he always keeps himself in the commandments of
the Master, Guru Sahib says that only such a disciple is good. Because
to obey the commandments of the Master is good for his own self.
The women and men are all created by Him.
This is all the play of the Lord.
Now Guru Ramdas Ji says to the Lord, "O Lord, all this is Your play.
You have created man and woman and You have made all these things. Only
those who have Your grace come to the Master and, obeying His
instructions, rise above all these things. Those who do not have your
grace and who were not brought into the company of the Master, remain
in this world and suffer a lot. Some people get the awareness, whereas
others don't."
Nanak says, Everything is Your creation -
You are better than the best one.
You are unconcerned, deep, inestimable -
how can we appraise you?
Those who have met the Satguru and meditate on You
are the fortunate ones.
Now Guru Sahib sings the glory of the Lord. "O Lord, You are Agam,
unseen, and nobody can know Your glory. Only those who go in the company
of the Master and get the instruction of the Master and do the meditation
of Shabd Naam, only they get the longing to see You and only they become
successful." Those who do the devotion of the Lord with a true heart,
they get Him.
The Bani of the Satguru is the form of truth.
One becomes the Bani of the Master.
Those who imitate the Satguru and speak the imperfect
Bani are the false ones,
And with their falsehood they fall down.
The first work of the disciple of the Master is to do the meditation of
the Naam or Bani given by the Master, to open the veil, and to go within.
If one has not meditated but still competes with the Master, because
he is not yet ripened or perfected he falls down.
Guru Sahib explains to us that people imitate those who have become
one with God, but they have not yet become one with God. That is why they
always fail. That is why we should not imitate the Masters.
In their heart they have one thing -
in their head they have something else.
They die in grief, being involved in Maya, the poison.
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