THE GREAT PROBLEM
by
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji
This satsang talk was given
on May 13, 1977, at Sant Bani
Ashram, Sanbornton, N.H., and
was based on a hymn by Kabir.
Keep the critic nearby so your courtyard
will look beautiful;
Without water and soap he purifies the mind.
Satsang is held daily, but nothing new is talked about. The same
things are repeated: those things which are obstacles in our meditations.
Just as the problems of lust, anger, attachment, greed and egoism, which
are hindering our spiritual progress, are discussed, in the same way, the
great problem, criticism, which is cutting the root of our spirituality,
is also talked about in Satsang. If it were not, we would never even have
thought about stopping this evil.
Once a man came to Master [Kirpal Singh] in our ashram, complaining
that he was not progressing well in his meditation. Master asked him
whether he was maintaining chastity and whether he was free from anger
and other passions. He said, "Yes, I am free from all these evils." Then
Master asked him, "Are you involved in criticism? Are you criticizing
anybody?" He said, "No, I don't have such habits." Then Master asked him,
"Are you taking part in hearing criticism? When anybody else is
criticizing anyone, are you present there? Are you hearing that criticism?"
He said, "Yes, I have a habit of hearing criticism."
Hazur used to say, "Whether you criticize or whether you hear criticism,
it's the same." Master Sawan Singh Ji used to say, "If you criticize anyone,
your good actions will go to his account, and his sins will come to your
account, and in that way, he will get the blessing."
Mahatma Sheikh Saadi used to say, "If I want to criticize, I will
criticize my mother, so that the good actions may remain in our home."
Master Sawan Singh Ji used to put it this strongly: "There is no taste in
speaking ill of others. There is taste or pleasure in sense enjoyments,
but where is the pleasure in finding fault? But even so we do not stop it;
we are always doing it."
Guru Nanak says, "To criticize even your enemy is not good. To criticize
anyone is very bad. We are the manmukh, and if we criticize others, the
Negative Power punishes us." That's why, in this hymn, Kabir Sahib says "If
anyone is criticizing you, you should be grateful to him, because he is
cleaning your dirt without using soap and water." And, further, "It would
be better if you give him a place to dwell nearby you so he doesn't have
to work hard while cleaning you."
Never send the critic far away,
always give him respect and fame.
He purifies our body and mind
and sings our glory only.
Now Kabir Sahib says, "If you meet any critic, you should respect him,
you should love him, because he is taking away your sins without taking
anything from you." If any critic is welcomed and treated with love, then
he understands in himself, "These people are afraid of me and that's why
they are welcoming and loving me." Saints do not have any faults within
Them, but still, Their critics go to many places and say that this Saint is
like this and this Saint is like that. I have seen this; but I have also
seen that Saints do not respond to these things in kind. I have seen many
people who came to Master Kirpal with the intention of criticizing Him, but
Master always respected them, and welcomed them.
Don't let my critic die!
Long live my critic!
Kabir got the Satguru
with the grace of His critics.
Now Kabir Sahib prays to God, "Don't kill my critic, please - make his
life longer, because if there were no critic, I would not have been able to
do the devotion of God. I have many faults, but because I was afraid of
critics and criticism, I left these faults and became successful in the
devotion of God." Kabir Sahib also says, "Long live the critic, so that he
may always do our work." Then He says, "Because of the critic, our work will
be done without hiring a servant or paying anybody." Critics work very hard
in all the three worlds, and they bring glory to our name.
The critic is always thinking
how to defame us, and consequently
he is always remembering us.
Master Kirpal used to relate this incident: Once when Master Sawan Singh
went to a town to conduct Satsang, the organizer asked Him if they should put
up posters and do advertising. Master Sawan replied, "Don't worry about it."
His critics at that time were Arya Somajis and Akalis. They wanted to
criticize Master Sawan Singh; so they went all around the city with loud-
speakers fitted on the jeep, saying, "The Radhasoami Master has come. Don't
go to His Satsang, because He puts musical instruments in the heads of the
people who are coming to him, and, with His eyes, He makes people His own."
Master Kirpal used to say, "Because of that negative publicity, people
were curious to know what that person looked like who was doing all these
things." Many new people came to the Satsang, and they got initiated by
Master Sawan Singh, and they thanked the Akalis and Arya Somajis who had
helped them to get such a perfect Master.
Swami Ji Maharaj used to say, "Everything needs a guard, and a critic
is a guard of the Saint." Because of that criticism, only lovers are coming
to Him; those who are not real lovers go back after hearing the criticism.
That's why Saints do not allow their people to do publicity with posters
and other means, because They know that there are many others who are
assigned to do that work by God, and they will do it without fail.
Kabir says, "Don't criticize my Sadhu."
The moon goes on growing and shining
even when people say, "He is defamed. "
Now Kabir Sahib says, "Don't criticize my Sadhu; you cannot hurt Him
by criticizing Him. You cannot diminish Him. He might increase, but you
cannot diminish Him." The moon grows and increases, and when it is full it
shines very brightly; so while you are criticizing a Sadhu or Saint, He
becomes more and more famous in this world. He shines completely like the
moon. When the sun rises, it gives light to all the world; but the owls
close their eyes during the daytime, and consider that it is always night.
But that is not the fault of the sun.
Mahatma Chattar Das says, "Once all the owls called a meeting. They
declared that there is no sun in this world. Everybody suggested their
own views and it was concluded that there is no sun. Among them there
was one owl who was very old, and he said, `If there were a sun, I would
have seen it, because I am older than everybody. Anyone who says that
there is a sun is mad.' One swan shouted from the top of the tree: `Open
your eyes and see how bright the sun is! Millions of its rays are shining
on the earth.'
Then they went to another elder owl and said, `If he says it is so, we
will believe him.' But he said, `No, there is no sun. If there were a sun,
I would have seen it.' Now, the swan was only one, and there were many
owls. The swan kept telling them, `Open your eyes and see the sunlight.'
But they called the swan a fool and made a joke of him." So Mahatma Chattar
Das said, "This is a strange court, O Chattar Das! Different from the three
worlds."
Who are the owls? The manmukhs, the worldly people, those who are
obeying their minds, who are not going within and not meditating; the elder
owl is one who has only bookish knowledge, and has not gone within. We say
that he has a lot of bookish knowledge and he has been initiated forty years
back, and he has great knowledge about this Path.
Such people say, "If the Guru is inside, I would have seen Him, because
I am very holy. And, if he cannot solve the problem he directs the people
to another elder. But when nothing is solved, all the parties come to that
swan. The swan is the Mahatma. He tells them, "Close your eyes, go within,
and see how Hazur is waiting for you." But still their mind is not believing.
That's why Mahatma Chattar Das says, "This court is different from the court
of the three worlds."
We criticize others, but we do not go within and realize the truth. When
we go within, we can see who else has gone within and who has reached up to
what place. We have to work very hard, we have to struggle with the mind. We
have to change the direction of the mind from the world towards God. It is
not a matter of talking.
Many people were benefited by Master Sawan Singh, but the Akalis who
were living very close to Master got no benefit at all from Him. The Akalis
were always preaching that there can be no Guru, so Master Sawan Singh also
said, "Don't call me Guru; I am not your Guru." He used to say, "The
practices which I am showing you, which I am telling you to do, do them for
one week. And after that, if you are satisfied believe in me; otherwise no."
If anyone criticizes a Sadhu,
he gets many problems.
He dies and takes birth in hell,
and does not get liberation.
Now Kabir Sahib says, "The people who are criticizing the Sadhu have
to face a very hard time, because they go into hell." I have seen in Ganga
Nagar that, when Master Kirpal came there to hold Satsang, there was one
initiate of Master Sawan Singh whose shop was right in front of the place
where Satsang was held. The door of his shop was facing toward the dais
where Master was going to sit and conduct Satsang. As long as the Satsang
went on, he didn't open his shop; he kept that door closed. Hazur was not
aware of this, but Nature didn't forgive that man, and he suffered a lot;
he was lying on his bed for ten years suffering very much.
He left the body only a few months back, and when his sister asked him,
"Are you seeing anything?" he said, "Yes, Master Sawan Singh has come, but
He has turned His back on me." Mahatmas do not curse anyone; but if we
criticize Mahatmas, Who are pure and have no faults, Nature does not
forgive us.
Guru Nanak says, "How can the critic of a Sadhu be liberated? He is
carrying the burden of hell on his head." Don't even criticize a piece of
hay, which comes under your foot. Sometime it might come and fall in your
eyes and give you much pain.
Now Kabir Sahib says, "What is the question of criticizing a Sadhu? If
even a piece of hay comes under your feet, don't speak or think any ill of
it! Who knows but that same piece of hay might come in your eyes and give
you trouble?"
I went to the seven continents on earth.
I saw that only a few
do not criticize others.
Kabir Sahib came in all the four ages in this world, and in these four
visits, He has been to almost all the continents, all the countries, all
the islands, in this world. He says, "I have been to all the continents,
countries and islands; but I have seen only a few people who are free from
this disease. Except for them, everybody is suffering from this."
People laugh and become so happy
looking at others' faults.
But they don't remember their own,
which have no limits.
Now Kabir Sahib says, "We are laughing at others, and abusing others,
but we never look at our own faults. We do not realize that somebody
else is looking at us, and somebody also can laugh at us and abuse us."
We have such a disease that we look only at our good qualities, and point
out other people's bad qualities.
It is better to meet thousands of sinners
than one critic;
Because the critic carries the burden
of millions of sins.
Now Kabir Sahib says, "It is better to meet thousands of sinners than
to meet one critic." Sinners do not know that they are doing sins, and if
we explain to them, they will stop. But even if you explain to the critic,
still he will not try to understand, and he will not stop criticizing.
Master used to say, "If a Satsangi criticizes other people, he will
not be forgiven; but if a non-initiate, one who does not know about this
Path, criticizes others, he may be forgiven. A Satsangi knows that this is
bad, and a non-initiate does not."
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ON CRITICISM
by
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji
The following is from a Satsang
given on Aug. 10, 1977, at Sant
Bani Ashram in New Hampshire,
based on a hymn of Guru Arjan.
--------------------------------
What is criticism? To speak against anybody - not to his face, but to
his back - when he is not present there: That is criticism. To exhibit our
good qualities and point out others' faults is also criticism. And if we do
not know about anyone, but still we speak against him, that also is included
under criticism.
There was a king whose name was Ajassar, and once he made a joke of a
perfect Saint. He gave Him a donation of horse dung.
Saints are always gracious, and They are very humble. The Saint accepted
that donation without question and without saying anything to the king.
But it is the Law of Nature that whatever you donate - if you have
donated it with a whole heart - will go on increasing, and will be added
to your account. So when the Saint opened that bag of horse dung, it began
to increase, and, because the king had given that donation wholeheartedly,
it went on increasing and increasing.
Once when the king was passing by the place of that Saint, he saw that
there were heaps of horse dung there, and he didn't see any horse. He asked
the Saint, again to make a joke of Him: "Saint, I see that there is a lot of
dung here, but I don't see any horse." He said, "Yes, that is true, I have
no horse. But one of my disciples gave me a donation, and it is his gift
which is increasing, because it is the law of Nature that if anyone gives a
donation, he will get its fruit in greatly increased amount. So he gave me
a little bit of dung, and now as a result of that law of Nature, it is
increased, and here it is."
The king realized that he had made a great mistake, and asked, "What
will happen to me, because I gave you this? What will happen to me?"
The Saint said, "You will have to eat all this horse dung." The king
asked, "Is there any way I can escape this punishment?" The Saint replied,
"Yes, there is one way. If people start criticizing you, instead of you they
will take this dung and they will eat it. If they criticize you, they will
take your sins, and you will get their good qualities. So do something that
will make people criticize you."
The king realized his mistake, and he didn't want to do another bad
thing. But still, because the Saint had told him, he went to a pundit's
house and requested the pundit to give his daughter to him. And he told
him, "I will take your daughter into my palace, and there I will worship
with her; but you please give me your daughter."
So when the pundit gave his daughter to the king, the king brought her
into the palace, and everyone saw that an old king had brought a young
woman to live with him. But he worshiped with her only, and told her to
come to him daily for that purpose.
People did not know the truth about what was happening in the
palace, so they started making guesses, and many people criticized the
king, saying, "Look at this king! He is an old man, and he has so many
queens, but still he is fond of this young daughter of the pundit, and he is
doing a very bad thing." People didn't know the truth, but still they
criticized him.
So the horse dung which had increased started to diminish, because
when the people criticized the king, his sins were counted as theirs, and
their good qualities were counted as his. In this way, all the extra dung
vanished. And then the king returned the pundit's daughter to her
father.
But when the king came again to the place where the Saint was living,
he saw the little bag of dung which he had originally donated to the
Saint. He said, "I have finished off all the dung, but still this remains!
What will happen to this? Will I have to eat it?" The Saint replied,
"Definitely." But he added, "Go again and try to do something so that
people should criticize you more - so that this will also be finished. I
will tell you one thing: there is one oil merchant in your kingdom who has
not criticized you; he is the only one who has not shared in this dung. Go
to that oil merchant and do something so that he will speak against you."
So the king disguised himself and went to the oil merchant. He said to
him, "What kind of people are you? You see your king - he is a great
king but still he has done this bad deed - he brought the daughter of the
pundit to his palace, and who knows what he has done with her?" And
in that way he started criticizing himself to the oil merchant. But the oil
merchant was a meditator on Naam, and he knew what he would lose if
he criticized - how low he would fall in his meditation - so he didn't
criticize, but instead said this: "O gentleman, we should not bother
about him. Whatever the king has done, he will pay for it. You should
not worry about him. It is not a good thing for you to criticize anyone
in front of me because I do not want to hear it."
But still the king (in disguise) kept criticizing the king, so that the
oil merchant would eat the dung. So the oil merchant took out one big stick
and he said, "O man! If you will not go away from me - if you will not
stop criticizing the king - I will give you a very good beating."
Then the king ran away and went back to the Saint, and said, "He is
not ready to criticize me. So now what will happen to this remaining
dung?" The Saint replied, "Find any means, but you have to eat it. If
you will not eat this dung, or find any other way to finish it, again it
will increase and again you will have to do the same thing you just did."
So history records that King Ajassar had to eat that dung. He ate some
by mixing it with sweets, but he finished it. Whatever you sow, you will
have to reap that. If you have sown chilies, you will definitely have to
harvest chilies.
Guru Nanak has also written about King Ajassar and how he criticized
the Saint and made a joke of him. After telling the story, He says, "In
the end he realized and he repented." So this is the disadvantage of
criticizing others.
Maharaj Sawan Singh used to say, "If you are criticizing anyone, all
your good qualities will go to his account, and all his sins - all the bad
karmas which he is supposed to pay off - will come to your account."
So we should try to keep ourselves safe from this very dangerous
weapon.
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