First Published:
6th February, 1976
3,000 Copies

Published by A.R. Manocha, Secretary, Ruhani Satsang, India.
Printed at Kirpal Printing Press, 29/1, Shakti Nagar, Delhi-110007

It is not possible to describe the greatness of a Being Who outsoared all human limitations into the highest spiritual realms. Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj lived among us from 1894 to 1974. He compressed into His brief Ministry of twenty-six years, work which would have taken an ordinary man a century to accomplish. Among His many achievements were the founding of Ruhani Satsang and Manav Kendra, His three world tours, the many international honors which were given to Him, the Conferences of World Religions over which He presided, and the great Unity of Man Conference which He inspired in the last year of His earth life.

His supreme Mission, however, was the linking of the soul with the Oversoul by means of the primal Light and Sound Principles vibrating within each one of us. No mere theorist, He gave a practical demonstration of the God-into-Expression-Power to those who had the good fortune to come to His Feet.

For this scientific age, He presented spirituality in lucid terms as a science shorn of all rites and rituals, a science to be proved within the human body itself. We are fortunate that we can read and re-read the wonderful legacy of His many books which carry His Divine Message and His spiritual charging, and which will be read as holy scriptures by future generations.

This book is a collection of tributes to Him from some of His devotees all over the world. Each writer has tried to express some aspect of His Divine love, compassion and protection. These accounts of spiritual awakening, of Grace Divine, will undoubtedly give hope and inspiration to all seekers after Truth.

(The above is taken from the back cover.)

Beloved Master:

You often pleased to tell us that a
Godman cannot be known by us mortals except
to the extent He chooses to reveal Himself.
The fragmentary glimpses of Your Love, Your
Grace, Your Compassion, Your Omnipotence
that are gathered here, are but part of Your
gift to Your little ones. Pray accept from our
hands this Wreath of Blossoms gathered from
Your own Garden, for what can we offer that
is not already Yours?

Preface

It was on 21st August, 1974, that Sant Kirpal Singh Ji entered Maha-samadhi, bringing to an end a life that has already become a legend in our times. About a year later, a general invitation went out to all brothers and sisters to send in contributions for a memorial volume In His honor. The response has been so overwhelming that my chief problem as editor has been that of accommodating them within the covers of a single volume. I do hope that the contributors will bear with me if at times I have been compelled to edit and to condense. In trying to have this volume ready for the Beloved Master's 83rd birth anniversary, one has had to work against time. In a few instances, where contributions arrived inordinately late, it has not been possible to include them in the order which would have seemed ideal.
The inspiration for this memorial volume came to us from Beloved Darshan Singh Ji. Such a venture, of necessity, is the fruit of collective labor. Besides my general indebtedness to those who have responded to the invitation to send in material, there are some particular acknowledgements I would like to make. I am deeply grateful to sister Kate and brother Malcolm Tillis for editorial assistance and for seeing the book through the press. My son, Vinod, has helped translate into English contributions received in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi, while daughter Gloria Smith has been meticulous and indefatigable in preparing the manuscript for the printer. I would also like to thank those who allowed their unique photographs of the Beloved Master to be reproduced for the first time. Last, not least, the zeal of the proprietors and staff of the Kirpal Printing Press has made the production of this book in such record time a practical possibility.

Bhadra Sena

15th January 1976
Sawan Kutir
K-91 Kalkaji
New Delhi

Contents

Preface
Illustrations

Dan Rendsland: Never Any Separation
Bibi Lajwanti: The Perfect Disciple
Iqbal Kaur: The Master's Early Days in Lahore
Gyani Bhagwan Singh: Forty-six Years of Grace from the Master
Malik Radha Krishna Khanna: Glimpses of a Perfect Being
Mata Sheila Dhir: How the Master Revealed Himself
Olga Donenberg: The Master's Blessings
O.P. Malhotra: Master's First Visit to Germany
Brigitte Boehm: My Alpha and Omega
Manohar Singh Duggal: The Unbounded Grace of the Godman
Brij Mohan Sharma: At the Lotus Feet of the Beloved
Dona G. Kelley: As I Saw the Beloved Master
Bruno Zaffina: Stories of Master's Protection and Blessings
Betty Shifflett: My Lord Waits
W.S. Mongia: Master's Three Visits to Pakistan
T.S. Khanna: The Beloved Master's Gift
Sharon Shively: The Sweet Home of the Father
Mary M. Garlich: Blessings Given by the Beloved
Ram Sevak Sharma: How Lord Shiva Directed Me to the Master
Harbhajan Kaur: With the Master in Rishikesh
Rameshwar Dass: The Supreme Being
Mata Savitri Devi Singha: The Earnings Carried Forward After Death
Vimla Bhagat: My Year With the Master
Allan Hudson: The Master's Power
G. L. Kohli: His Ways Are Miraculous
Fay March: The Naming of Jonathan
Ram Prakash Bahl: Perfection in All its Aspects
Sunnie Cowen: The Grace of the Master
Chandra Batra: Hazur's True Successor
Hiro K: The Power of a Sat Guru
Carmen Uribe: He Knew Everything
Raj Kumar Jain: The Great Experience
S. P. Chopra: Fifteen Months at Manav Kendra
Michael Grayson: Sweet Stories About the Master
Baba Ji (Mehku Lal): The Story of Master's Gardener
Sushila Devi Sharma: How Master Saved my Son
S. Ramalingam Naidoo: The Master's Drawing Power
Dharam Vir Sharma: The Story of the Kirpal Printing Press
S. R. Bhalla: The Master's Saving Grace
Shirley Tassencourt: The Power of Our Simplicity
Sushila Mehta: The Merciful Lord
Hildegard Loth: Day of Departure and Prayer
B. S. Teji: Mysterious Are His Ways
Naseeb Kaur: He Came to Save the Sinners
Kuldip Kaur Mehta: His Word Was God's Word
Jiwan Singh: In His Service
Ric Finnie: How we Met the Master
B. N. Mehta: The Abundance of Love
Rudolf Cascone: Coming to His Feet
Michael Ravens: Memories of Meetings with the Master
Richard Handel: In Wonder and Awe of His Perfect Presence
Sean Sieglen: The Forming of Manav Kendra of Maine
Ben Ringel: God Takes Care of His Children
David Helion: It Is the Master Who Finds the Disciple
S. K. Kapur: Parshad from the Master
Katie McCluney: Extracts from a Diary kept in 1973
Captain Singh: A New Life, A New Name
Elana Montiero: An Echo from Sawan Ashram
Tracy Fogg: What You See Is You
Y. S. Rajput: Photographing the Beloved Master
Jay and Ricki Linksman: In Honor of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Andrew Vidich: In the Garden of Non-Existence
G. van den Heever: He Revealed Himself in So Many Ways
R. Krige: My Experiences with the Great Master
Malcolm Tillis: Master's Sense of Humor
Ajit Singh Mehta: Providential Help
Mufti Atiquer Rehman Usmani: Sant Ji
Robert Smith: Notes on a Pilgrimage to the Master
J.M. Sethi: The Embodiment of the Lord
Ann Grubich: Sweet Remembrance of my Master
Joseph E. Newman: The Lord of Life
Dhani Ram Sharma: Blessed Are Those Who Die at the Feet of the Sat Guru
Eddie Boon: Precious Moments
Vidyawanti Sethi: The Lion of Mercy
Harcharan Singh: It Is He Who Draws Us
Pir Zamin Nizami: A Tribute to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Kate Tillis: The Master's Last Months
M.M. Chopra: The Light of the World
Hayat Singh: A Servant in His Household
A. R. Manocha: In Sweet Memory
Gurdial Singh: How I was Taken up in His Fold
Bibi Hardevi: A Favorite Poem of the Master
Gloria Smith: His Selfless Love
Bhadra Sena: The Saga of Love
Rajinder Singh Bedi: Mere Sahib (My Lord)
Virginia Vidich: The Last Darshan
Leora Herold: Let His Words Be Part of Ourselves
Trudy Ravens: God Came to Me
Sandra English: Three Flowers for Kirpal
Jamna Das Akhtar: The Greatest Miracle
Robert Gildener: The Beloved Master Never Left Us
James Forte: In Remembrance of Our Master
B. R. Misra: Overflowing Grace
Prem Chand Gupta: The Compassionate One
Darshan Singh: The Mission of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj
Susanne Horatschek: Flowers of Ashes at Rishikesh

Important Dates in the Life of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj

Publications by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj

Never Any Separation

Dan Rendsland

what You have given
cannot be taken
by distance
by time
or
by death

in this remembrance
i am closer
to You

The Perfect Disciple

Bibi Lajwanti

It is life's greatest blessing to be at the feet of a Sant Satguru. I was privileged to serve Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj for about forty years. I first came to Him when I was very young, and I was blessed to serve Him to the last. I not only looked after the housekeeping for the Great Master and attended personally to getting and cooking His food and serving it to Him, but also to His clothes, their tailoring, washing, ironing, and mending, and to other household needs of the Great Master.
I got to know Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, who we then addressed as Bhapa Ji (respected brother), fairly early, that is about the time He came to the feet of Hazur. He was a disciple of very exceptional devotion to our Satguru. Even if He got just a day s leave, He would travel from Lahore to Beas. Once at the Dera, He would be so lost, so taken up with His Master, that He would lose all sense of whether His clothes were clean or not, neat or torn, or whether His hair was tidy. He would often put His shoes at one place and later be looking for them at another. I once remarked, Bhapa Ji, if women get lost like this, it is pardonable; but You, You should not be in this condition! What is wrong with You? He looked to me, and said, Bibi Ji, I do not know; when I reach the railway station here, it is as though I have lost half my senses, and when I arrive at the Dera I lose the remaining half. When I look into His eyes, there is magic: I am simply lost. Once in Beas, He would stay on as long as was possible. He would be working often up to midnight and return to Lahore by the 1:00 a.m. train. He would reach His destination around 3:00 a.m., and then after getting home He would be off to the office next morning. If when leaving, Hazur would offer to have Him dropped at the station in His car, Bhapa Ji would find some excuse. He would say, I am not going just yet. Maybe I will be going somewhat later. He would sometimes say to me when I protested, Why add to the wear and tear of Hazur's car? Such was His reverence for His Satguru that when departing from the Dera He would almost walk backwards so as not to turn His back upon the Master's home. It was only after He was almost out of sight that He would turn around and walk straight towards the railway station.
In Hazur s presence, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji was a man of very few words. Whatever Hazur said, it was always Yes Sir, for Him there (were) no ifs and buts. If He took a fancy to anything, His first thought was to get it for His Master. Hazur was fond of books, and when Sant Kirpal Singh Ji came across any book which He liked and thought it might please Hazur, He would get a copy and have it very beautifully bound and present it to Him. On one occasion He was very keen to have a silk coat for Hazur. Hazur would never accept gifts, but seeing the earnestness of Bhapa Ji s wish I could not refuse to help Him. The silk piece which He brought was sent to the tailor for making the coat, and when it was ready, Hazur asked about it and wanted to know how much it had cost. I did not know and when He cross-examined me I told Him by whom it had been brought. So the two of you have been conspiring against me, Hazur responded. When Kirpal Singh Ji came, He asked about the price of the silk-length. Somewhat at a loss He replied that He did not quite remember, and Hazur took out a hundred rupee bank note and handed it to Him.
Sometimes when Sant Kirpal Singh Ji came to see Hazur, I would laugh and tell Him, Bhapa Ji, if I let You go up, You would be there for such a length of time. Sorry, today we won t let you go in! He would quietly turn away and I would have to call Him back and say, I was only joking. Please go right up. You are always welcome. He had so much humility, and He never endeavored to assert Himself as many others did. Hazur used to rest in His room upstairs and would retire there for the night. Once on a beautiful moonlit night Bhapa Ji was with Him till well past midnight. I was there, too. When we came down, He suddenly wanted to go up again. Bibi Ji, it was so wonderful! Did you see? His face was so radiant, more radiant than the moon itself. He was so beautiful tonight. I would like to have His darshan again. Just this once, only for a minute. I remonstrated, We have just been with Him. And if He has stretched Himself to sleep, He would be upset. We should not disturb Him. Just this once, only a minute. Just a glimpse. Seeing Him insist, I quietly went up to ask Hazur if He could let Bhapa Ji come up again. On hearing me out He said, Oh, Kirpal is a sieve, just a sieve,and so are you! I thought He was reprimanding us, and asked, Hazur are we so bad? Do you mean that we are unable to contain Your grace and whatever love You pour simply drains through? No, no, that is not what I mean, Hazur laughed. When a disciple is truly devoted, He is like a sieve. There is no limit to the love and grace He can receive. Whatever you give, He still thirsts and yearns for more. You cannot fill Him up just as you cannot fill up a sieve. And so I went down and brought up Bhapa Ji.
Once having cleaned and washed some wheat, I had laid it out to dry. Seeing it, Bhapa Ji asked me if it was for my own use. Hazur ate very little and I explained that I would be
hand-grinding flour for His chapatis for the month. I was particular about attending to such things myself, but Bhapa Ji asked me to let Him grind the flour, saying, Bibi Ji why can t you allow me to have the blessings by permitting me to do seva such as this?
There were no limits which Sant Kirpal Singh Ji set to His love and service of Hazur. Every month He would bring His earnings and place them at the feet of His Satguru. Hazur
would keep back whatever He pleased for seva at the Dera and give the rest for running Bhapa Ji's household. Bhapa Ji never questioned; He never mentioned if there was any special expense He had in mind back home. Whatever His Satguru gave Him from the wages He had earned, He was glad to accept for His family needs. Nothing could deter Him from fulfilling His Satguru s commands and nothing could prevent Him from coming to Beas to see Him. Once when His son was seriously ill and the doctors had almost given up hope, He took the train and came to Beas. How is the child? Hazur asked Him, and He replied, You know what is best. We can't let Him go..." said Hazur, and turning to me asked me to fetch some water and a bag of patasas (sugar-puffs). He dipped two of His fingers into the water and held them there for a considerable length of time. Then giving a bottle of this water and the bag of patasas to Bhapa Ji, He said, Throw away all the medicines and in their place, from time to time, give the child a sugar-puff and some of this water.
There are so many memories that come back that I could go on with such anecdotes without end. But the important thing to realize is the kind of surrender that the Satguru asks of us. He wants us to renounce everything and surrender it unto Him. If we can surrender ourselves to Him, He remakes us in His own image.
Baba Jaimal Singh surrendered Himself to Swami Ji and became an image of His Satguru. Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj similarly surrendered Himself to Baba Ji and in due course became one with Him. In His turn, Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji showed the same quality of devotion and of surrender and became indistinguishable from Hazur in the course of time. When we come to a Satguru, we must surrender everything we have to Him, body, mind and soul. If we do this, there is no reason why we cannot reach His Radiant Form within us, and having reached that Form, He takes us further and does not stop until He has made us in His own image.

The Master's Early Days in Lahore

Iqbal Kaur

I was initiated by Hazur Baba Sawan Singh in 1928. My husband Sardar Hukam Singh was one of His very early initiates. We were living in Lahore and shortly after I came on the Path I had a chance meeting with Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji. My husband knew Him already and one day as we were walking home, Maharaj Ji was returning on His bicycle from the office. He stopped to greet my husband and we were introduced to each other.
Our home was not far from the place where Satsang was held in those days. Maharaj Ji would drop in every now and then to look us up. He would inquire how we were and sit and chat with us. As our home was on the way to Satsang, He would stop over. We would all go together, and when Satsang was over, He would walk us back home. If a satsangi did not turn up for the discourse, Maharaj Ji was so concerned that He would visit him to find out if anything was wrong. Those who were sick, He would help with medicine; those who were indigent He would help with food and clothing. He was always willing to serve the satsangis, especially the ones who were ill. He did not want people to know of the sacrifices He made and much of this help was rendered privately and only a very few of us knew the extent of His generosity and selflessness. Once in Lahore there was an outbreak of plague. When it was at its peak, corpses would reach the cremation ground by the hundreds. Kirpal Singh Ji was not only fearless in attending on those who were ill; He would also visit the cremation ground and help out there.
I should mention here that disciples in Lahore had set up two or three separate Satsangs in different parts of the city. Hazur Baba Sawan Singh was not happy with this and around 1929 He had asked Kirpal Singh Ji to hold a central Satsang and bring everyone together. We had no Satsang Ghar (Satsang Hall) in Lahore at the time and a large bungalow with a lawn was acquired for holding Satsang.
Subsequently in 1935 land was acquired for the Lahore Satsang Ghar on Ravi Road and the following year Hazur came from Beas to lay the foundation stone. Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising the construction and He would visit the site every morning before going to His office and every evening on returning from it. He attended to every detail and would encourage the local satsangis to give their free time for seva. Ravi Road was a deserted place then and there were scarcely any buildings in the neighborhood. Hazur would personally visit the site every week and see how things were going. He would quietly arrive and after spending a couple of hours watching the work and giving instructions, He would leave back for Beas.
It is difficult to describe His love for Maharaj Kirpal Singh. He was exceptionally fond of Him and would entrust Him with responsibilities which He would not give to others. Kirpal Singh Ji in turn was exemplary in His devotion. Whatever was entrusted to Him He would take up. Any work He had to do for Hazur was sure to be finished in time: no excuses and no delays.
In 1932 when work began on the Satsang Ghar at Beas, Maharaj Ji demonstrated to us all the true spirit of seva. Once during this period, while Maharaj Ji sat pounding the bricks into rori, someone asked Him, Why do You have to bother about seva like this? You do so much intellectual seva for Hazur, do You really need to do all this physical seva as well? Maharaj Ji continued with His work and said, This body must give seva too. It is only right that having it I should make it do seva as well for my Satguru.
If anyone expressed respect and admiration for what He was, He was sure to say with great humility, I am nothing, a mere nobody; it is all Hazur s grace. Whatever I have and
whatever you see in me is from Him. He is everything. Once in 1940 when Hazur finished His Satsang discourse at Lahore, some satsangis lovingly complained that He gave them Satsang only very seldom. He visited Amritsar much more often and Lahore was neglected. On hearing this Hazur replied, Have I not given you Kirpal Singh Ji for the Satsang here? There is no difference between Him and myself. The Sangat was extremely happy to hear this and turning to Kirpal Singh Ji greeted Him with great love.
Hazur delivered His monthly Satsang at Beas on the last Sunday of each month and the Monday that followed was initiation day. Maharaj Kirpal Singh would invariably come to Beas for the monthly Satsang and if Monday happened to be a holiday He would stay on at the Dera. On such occasions Hazur would have Him by His side during initiation. Having given the initiation instructions, He would tell Maharaj Ji to clear up any difficulties any new initiate might have. If someone had no experience, or had not grasped some point fully, Kirpal Singh Ji would explain things to him and make him sit again.
On one occasion He was at the Dera for a whole week. It was June and it was extremely hot, and He was on leave and spending His holiday as usual at Beas. A group of seekers from Bulandshehr happened to be at the Dera at the time, and one of them prayed to Hazur for their initiation. Hazur had had a very sore throat and for a time had even lost His voice. He asked them to wait for a day and next morning at 10:00 He summoned Kirpal Singh Ji saying, This man has come here with ten seekers. Please give them Naam.
The ten persons in question were initiated by Maharaj Ji as commanded by Hazur the same day. The instructions were imparted at the bungalow of Maharaj Ji s brother and commenced at 11:00 a.m. I was at the Dera myself and speak as an eye witness. I cannot give the exact year, but it was around 1936 or so.
I come now to the time when the country was about to get independence. When Maharaj Ji was on the point of retiring, Hazur asked Him during His visit at Beas, Where do You now propose to live? He answered quietly, Wherever You wish me to be, it is only there that I want to live. There was a good deal of unrest at the time and alluding to that, Hazur went on:
If You leave Lahore, it may distress the Sangat. It is best, therefore, that You go back. And so Maharaj Ji returned to Lahore. This was around the beginning of the summer of 1947 and the country was partitioned a couple of months or so there-after. Even though He had retired He stayed on there, continued to look after the Satsang, and from time to time would travel to Beas to see Hazur. When social disturbances had reached their peak and the family was preparing to leave for Beas, Maharaj Ji's wife began locking the doors. Maharaj Ji ordered her, Don't lock the doors and add to the problems of those who have to break in. Let all the doors stay open. And so He proceeded to Beas leaving His home unlocked never to return again. It was the end of July and He was at the Dera for Hazur s birthday Bhandara. In August it was virtually a massacre and all non-Muslims had to flee from Lahore and from the whole of West Pakistan.
Hazur was ill at the time but He was still at Beas when Maharaj Ji arrived from Lahore. A few days later He proceeded to Amritsar for treatment leaving Kirpal Singh Ji behind to look after the Dera. Beas was on the main route from West Pakistan to India and refugees began reaching from both directions, those fleeing into India and those leaving for Pakistan. Maharaj Ji worked ceaselessly to look after them. One never knew how many or at what time they would arrive. Many would not have had a proper meal for days. He would see them fed and clothed and those who wished to stay at the Dera would be accommodated there. Hazur was very concerned about this and it was on account of the refugees that He left Kirpal Singh Ji behind. Once every week, however, Maharaj Ji would proceed in the morning to Amritsar to see Hazur and return to the Dera in the evening.
As the weeks slipped by the Sangat at Beas got more and more restive. Hazur's illness, especially during those disturbed times, began to worry everyone. When He got somewhat better and Baba Jaimal Singh's Bhandara on 29th December drew near, Maharaj Ji shared the Sangat s concern and asked Hazur if He would return to the Dera. He answered that He would return a little before the Bhandara and on 24th December He arrived at Beas along with Kirpal Singh Ji. The Sangat was extremely happy and relieved to see the Great Master. They thanked the Lord for His safe return and blessed Maharaj Ji for having been the instrument for bringing Him back. You have done us a great service, they said.
There are many incidents that come to my mind. I will only pick up one here to illustrate the extent of His powers even before Hazur left the body and assumed the form of Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji. We were still living in Lahore and it was the year 1946. One of my brothers was suddenly struck by pneumonia, took a turn for the worse and died. He was married and only twenty-eight. It was a great shock for all of us. Around 4:00 in the afternoon we took the body to the cremation ground which was quite a distance away. After leaving His office, Maharaj Ji stopped by on His way home, and on learning what had happened, followed us and caught up with us half way. He was on His bicycle and, getting off, joined the funeral procession. After the cremation was over, He accompanied us back and seeing our desperate condition, made us all sit down and gave a sort of Satsang. He told us that whatever had happened was under the Will of Providence. However hard it might seem to us, it was our duty to accept it. Especially if we loved the departed, it was imperative that we stay calm so that his soul might be in peace. His words brought comfort and solace at the time when we were all in great anguish.
I had a second brother who was almost ten years younger. He was deeply attached to the one who was gone and so great was the shock of the death that he was beside himself with grief. One day he disappeared and did not return home. We tried to find him but there was no trace of him at all. We all wondered what had happened and thinking of his grief we were doubly distressed. God had taken back one brother, and now the other had gone off, only the Lord knew where! That night Kirpal Singh Ji came by. It was rather late for a visit, around 11:00 or even after, but then He would call on satsangis in distress without regard to the hour. When He saw us He queried why we looked so distressed, and I explained what had happened. He reassured me and said, Don t worry about Omi. Have faith in Hazur. He will be back home safe at 5:00 in the morning.
Sure enough next morning my younger brother returned at the stipulated time. He had a strange tale to tell. Lost in his sorrow and full of the sense of the meaninglessness of life, he had wandered a long distance. Seeing a railway station, he had boarded a train and in it met a group of sadhus. They asked him where he was going and when he explained that he did not know, they invited him to join them. They got off three or four stations before Hardwar and he accompanied them. They lived in a jungle and when they got there, he realized that they were thugs in disguise. When it was time to sleep, to make sure that he could not get away, they placed him in the middle and spread themselves around him.
Realizing his danger and feeling completely helpless, Omi could not sleep. It was pitch dark and there was no means of getting away. As he lay restless, he prayed to God for deliverance. In answer to his prayer he saw Light and within it the figure of Maharaj Kirpal Singh. Maharaj Ji commanded him to get up and follow. Full of fear, he said, But how can I? They are all around me and will catch me. Maharaj Ji assured him that no one could stop him and he got up and followed Him barefoot. They were in a jungle and it was very dark. But Maharaj Ji was radiating Light, and, following that Light, my brother sped along through the jungle. After about two miles, Maharaj Ji informed him that the railway station was a few yards ahead and asked him to catch the first train from there, and left him. He proceeded as commanded and got off three stations ahead to change for Lahore. At this railway station he once again met Maharaj Ji and Maharaj Ji asked him how he had managed to join those sadhus. The boy explained his state of grief and how he had fallen into their company. They were dangerous thugs and what if they had done you to death? said Maharaj Ji. Your brother is gone and you are the only son left, He told the boy. You must think of your family first and not lose yourself in your grief in this fashion. Now catch the train for Lahore and get back to
your home as soon as you can. And so the boy caught the train and returned back to us.
I repeat, this happened almost two years before Hazur gave up the body. Even at that time Maharaj Ji could appear in His Shabd Form and help out those whom He loved regardless of where they were. He was already one with Hazur, and Hazur Himself had told the Lahore Sangat that between Him and Kirpal Singh there was no difference.

Forty-six Years of Grace from the Master

Gyani Bhagwan Singh

Remembrance of the dear Master and the pangs of separation fill me with sadness. How a poor man, a sinner like myself who was floating in the world of the senses and struggling along, was picked up by Sant Kirpal Singh Ji is a marvellous thing in itself.
From 1921 to about 1928 I was living in Amritsar, the place of the Golden Temple, the place of the Gurus. I was not a religious man by temperament, nor perhaps am I one now; but spontaneously and with devotion I used to pray: Oh God, please take me to Your Feet, but suffer me not to have want of worldly things. In 1927 I married into a family of standing and religious background. They were living in Lahore, and at that time Bhapa [Elder Brother] Kirpal Singh Ji was also in Lahore. My marriage, and later on my appointment to a good job in the Government, took me to Lahore. I was residing with my in-laws, and there I met Kirpal Singh Ji who used to come to see us as often as three or four times a week. The satsangis there used to gather at the home of my in-laws and we used to listen to the beautiful and wise words of Kirpal Singh. He was about thirty-four and I was in my early twenties at the time,
As I have said, religion to me was nothing but going to the gurdwara, reciting the Gurbani and honouring one s day-to-day responsibilities. Kirpal Singh Ji would just talk. His words were very sweet yet penetrating. He was kind yet firm, and we all listened to Him. This went on for some time; and then at last I said, Bhapa Ji, if You say that this Naam is so very good, give me some, I'll have it! Oh, He said, yes, you ll have It, but not from me; Baba Sawan Singh will give It to you. I said, Sir, all right. You see, even in those early days I had developed such devotion, awe and reverence for Him that I can't begin to explain. I was a naughty fellow, yet He had captured my heart.
So I started to go to Beas with Him to see Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji. I had the desire to be with Bhapa Ji on all four Sundays of the month. One Sunday He would give Satsang at Amritsar, one Sunday He would give Satsang at another station, and the last Sunday of the month was for going to Beas so that we could hear Hazur's Satsang and have His darshan. Master Sawan Singh had a big following, but I don't know why I couldn't get attracted to anybody else in His Sangat. I was attracted to Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji as a girl is attracted to her lord. Wherever He slept I would slowly sneak in there, maybe in the room or maybe outside just to be near Him.
Around 1931 I was transferred to Quetta. One day I said to Bhapa Ji after a Satsang, I have heard that the Master whom You take to be Your Guru is always present in the hills, in the mountains, on the high seas and beyond, and that He is Your protector and benefactor. As I am being transferred to a place full of these Pathans who may harm me, I now wish to take Naam. At this time I was a young man of about twenty-eight years old; quite a mischievious person. So I joined the line of those waiting to be given initiation. I do not remember what experiences I had at this initiation. Later on in the ministry of Master Kirpal Singh I saw so many things that I could never see during the ministry of Baba Sawan Singh. I was one of the thousands of ordinary people who could never have an opportunity to go near Him. Perhaps I should say that during the period of twenty years that I had been going to Beas, from 1928 to 1948, I may have had the chance of touching the feet of Baba Sawan Singh, my Master, not more than four or five times. And that too was through the grace of Bhapa Kirpal Singh because I would sneak in along with Him, otherwise nobody would allow me to go in and see Him privately.
Anyway, when I came back to Lahore we would always come down to Beas with Bhapa Ji. One time I remember very vividly. It was summer time and we were sleeping upstairs on the roof; Bhapa Kirpal Singh, myself and one or two others. Early in the morning, about 5:00 or so, we got up and I said, Bhapa Ji, let us go and do our ablutions and have a bath. He said, Oh, I have already taken my bath. And then suddenly, just as if He had not wanted to say this, He said, Yes, yes. I will accompany you outside to have a bath. The first bath that He was referring to was the inner bath He had taken. He of course had meditated during the night.
So during all those years from 1928 to 1948 Bhapa Kirpal Singh had already instilled in me some understanding of what He really was. I sensed that he would be the successor to Baba Sawan Singh right from the beginning, and saw that there was no one in the big Sangat at Beas who could match Him. It was a very easy thing for me to accept Him as the new Master; I was like a dwarf against a towering personality, and this awareness had bred in me a sort of fear lest I should displease Him in any way. The reverence was there, the devotion was there, and the fear also was there. I couldn't say No to Him at any time whatever He asked of me. I always tried to be near Him. He allowed me to come to His house; He allowed me to do small things for Him, which I was happy to do to please Him.
There are one or two incidents before 1948, before He be-came the Master, that I would now like to relate. My brother-in-law, a young boy of twelve or thirteen years, fell ill. Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji would come to our house almost daily, tend him, look after him. One day in the morning He said to my mother-in-law, Look here, look here. Now you must leave off all clutching for the child, he has to go. He then told my wife that the child would leave at 8:00 at night, and that He would return at that time. It so happened that at about 7:00 He came back and He remained with the child; then when the clock struck 8:00, He placed His hand on the boy s forehead, and he went smiling. Bhapa Ji then said, All right. I will come again tomorrow when the boy is to be taken to the cremation ground. And to the cremation ground He did go. There were a large number of people. Somebody said, Bhapa Ji, would You say a few words on this occasion? He said, Look here, this is a lesson before you all. You must know that this thing has to happen to you also. Be prepared for it. And if you have not prepared for it, think of how you are going to prepare for it. This was said in a very polite way, in a very loving way, yet in such a forceful way that everybody could not but weep over it. As far as I remember, this was as early as 1933.
You see, He used to love us like anything, and that is why our respect for Him grew every day. He was always a very noble person, a compassionate one, a man who was given to service. All these qualities had developed in the entire family of ours a sort of devotion to Him; we knew we had a person in Him who was always with us, ready to help us, and to take compassion on us. After all, what was I? I was just a sinner floating about and I cannot imagine any quality or any good thing that I had that could have possibly been an asset to Him, let alone for Him to eventually choose me to work so closely with Him.
Every day there was one incident or another which revealed that here was a man on earth whom you could really call God. All the attributes which can ever be given to God were in Him: He was compassionate, He was loving, He was kind, He was helpful. He had the heart of a householder; yet the love of the Master was a thousand times more than that of a mother. We say that the mother's love for her children is immense, but I can tell you, really, that His love for His children was more than the love of a thousand mothers for their children. Such was He who trod the earth and is helping us even now with everything that we want to do.
One day at the end of the monthly Satsang at Beas, probably it was on the 31st of March 1948 when Hazur was very ill. Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji announced to the Sangat that certain arrangements had been made at Beas for the administration, etc. and other such vague information. After Satsang was over, He went to his brother's house and I also went with him.
I asked point blank, Bhapa Ji, what You said in the Satsang was quite vague, and I want to have the correct meaning. I want to know exactly who is the person whom Baba Sawan Singh Ji has nominated as His successor, to whom He has given the Power to initiate. This was my straight question; and His straight reply was in these few words, That work has already been entrusted to me. So from that moment everything was clear to me. On 2nd April Master Sawan Singh left His mortal coil.
After the funeral rites and a brief stay with His son in Delhi, Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji went up to the Himalayas at Rishikesh. He remained there, as everybody knows, for about six months. He came back to Delhi some time around December of 1948 and started His work. When Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji was at Lahore, I was in Service there. Now He had come to Delhi, and I was also working at Delhi. My daily practice was to walk every morning to His place from my quarters which were about three miles away, attend for about an hour or so to the work, and then go to my office. In the evening about 4:30 or 5:00 I would leave my office, go straight over to the Master's, remain there for two or three hours, and then return to my home. The Master had started the work; but there was some confusion and people were not sure as to who was true Master. In this respect Baba Sawan Singh had shown many people where He was working by appearing to them in visions, in meditation, or by manifesting Himself during the Satsangs of Bhapa Kirpal Singh Ji.
There was a bit of stiff opposition against the new Master doing the work, and the result was that we couldn't find a permanent place where we could hold Satsang. So the hunt was on to find a permanent place suitable for the purpose.
It so happened that the place we found, where Sawan Ashram was built, belonged to a member of Parliament. He came in contact with the Master, or the Master arranged things so that he should come in contact with Him, and this place was surveyed and accepted. While viewing this place, the Form of Sawan Singh was seen along with the Master looking over the site. In June 1951 we started construction, and the first Bhandara of Baba Sawan Singh was celebrated at Sawan Ashram on 27th July, only about six weeks later.
The construction of Sawan Ashram was a scene to behold. Young ladies, old women, rich and poor, all offered their services and would go on working sweetly; and Master Himself supervised everything. In the lunch break, He would give everybody food and chapatis under the shade of a tree, rest for a while, and then again go on working. The work would go on till nightfall. You can imagine, the first buildings at Sawan Ashram were built in about a month and a half! My house was built next to the Master's bungalow.
One thing is very important. Master Kirpal Singh had left everything in Beas, and had to start everything from scratch. There was not much money about; and in 1949 we had a meeting where the people were happy to pledge money for the Satsang work, and as everybody knows the entire work for the Satsang was based on love: loving devotion, loving service and loving offerings. There was need for the work, and the money just came in.
During the construction of the Ashram which had been a barren site, there was a big pippal tree which had to be uprooted. During the felling of that tree, a boy by the name of Ramesh got almost buried under a big bough or the trunk of the tree and he was struck almost lifeless. He was unconscious, and was brought to Master's veranda. His mother came up crying and crying and crying. She said, Master, if my boy dies, I will never, never forgive You. He said, Don't worry, let us hope for the Master's grace. And you will be amazed that the boy shortly after, slowly regained consciousness; he is well and kicking, married now and is doing the Master's work in Panama where he met the Master on His 1972 tour.
From the beginning of the Master's Mission, I had the privilege to be with Him, or rather He allowed this poor fellow to be with Him, and do all the work of accounting and to attend to His local and foreign correspondence. This was such a pleasing job that although I worked about eighteen hours a day I was always feeling bouyant and happy. This work continued in the Ashram up to 1955, until Sardar Dalip Singh came here on retirement and took over part of my work, namely, cash and accounts. My work for the Master continued; some part was given away, other work was increased. I remember having been with Master up to 1:00 at night and when I left Him and came to my house I felt so bouyant and happy that I can't explain it.
It was His compassion and love that He could not see anybody suffering. Once I fell ill and was in my house. Master got news of it and came to see me, sat by my side, and said, Well, Gyani what has happened to you? I said, Sir, I don't know, but I can't get up. Oh no, no, no. You've got nothing to worry about. Let me see what has happened to your back. Let me see. And He just put His hands over my back and talked about this and that. A little later He said, Well, look here. I've got a lot of work lying over there, and you have to do it. And He went away. And you can imagine that within about two hours I was quite well and healthy with no pain, nothing of the sort; I went there to do the work and stayed there right up to midnight. Such was His compassion and love that we can't begin to understand it!
Every day there was one incident or another which revealed that here was a man on earth whom you could really call God. All the attributes which can ever be given to God were in Him: He was compassionate, He was loving, He was kind, He was helpful. He had a human heart; yet the love of the Master was a thousand times more than that of a mother. We say that the mother s love for her children is immense, but I can tell you really that His love for His children was more than the love of a thousand mothers for their children. Such was He who trod the earth and is helping us even now with everything that we want to do.
The Master had very kindly allowed me the opportunity, even during my service, to take leave and accompany Him on most of His Indian tours. In 1956 we went on a tour to the eastern side and were staying at that particular time at Varanasi (Benares), the holy city on the Ganges. It was raining heavily at that time. All of a sudden Master said, Gyani, what about the Ashram? And what about your house? I said, Sir, it s o.k., it's o.k. Later I was to learn that at about 12:00 noon my son had been knocked down by a truck and was lying senseless. The
police had come and wanted to register a case but my wife refused to do anything, and said, He will be all right; by the Master's grace. You can't help us much. Then the doctors came and were doing all they could. The people in the Ashram advised my wife to telegraph the Master to say that there had been an accident and that He should send me back to Delhi. My wife didn't agree. She said, No, he has gone there and is with the Master. The Master knows all about this. His coming back here will not help the boy any more than the grace of the Master which can be had from there. On the other hand, after one or two hours, Dalip Singh got a telegram from the Master saying, What about the affairs of the Ashram and of Gyani's house? This was a thing which told everybody present that the Master was not unaware of what had happened. On that very night, Brij Mohan Sharma was leaving Delhi to join the Master, and he said, What message should I give the Master? My wife said, Don't say anything about this incident, say everything is all right. He arrived, met the Master, but didn't tell Him anything. But later there was some murmuring between the satsangis about what had happened, and as one of the Master's workers overheard them he told the Master. He called for me. Oh, He said, Why didn t you tell me? All right, don't worry, he'll be o.k. He knew. And you can imagine that in a few hours the boy began to recover; in a few days he was quite all right. When I came back he was perfectly well again. The kindness of the Master cannot be expressed by any words of mine.
When the Master was arranging His first world tour in 1955, He asked me to accompany Him, which unfortunately I did not. For the 1963 tour He also asked me to accompany Him, which also I am sorry I declined. In 1971 the tour was almost fixed up and the Master was ready to go, but unluckily as you all know He fell ill, went to hospital, and had to be operated upon. The 1971 tour was therefore postponed. The dear ones from abroad were pressing for the Master to come and meet them personally because, you know, it was not possible for every initiate from the West to come all the way to India as it involved a lot of expense and time. The pull and prayers of the dear ones were really very strong, but the Master was not keeping good health. Eventually a program was fixed for 1972. One day while sitting with the Master, He said, Look here Gyani, my body is revolting, it is not co-operating. If I listen to my body, I can't make this journey; but the pressure of the dear ones from inside and from their letters is so much that I can't resist them. I can't resist them any longer. So we have to go. A program was fixed up. So four of us, the Master, Bhalla and Harcharan Singh and myself formed the party and we left on the 26th August, 1972.
Our first stop was in Bonn where we were met by Master's representative, Bianca Fitting. We remained in Germany, Italy and France for some time, and then went to London where Sant Singh and others were waiting for us. Then we flew straight to Washington. This tour, the Master said, is for my children. The first tour was for some dignitaries, and to start the Mission in the West. The second was for the benefit of governments, and to consolidate the work. But this tour is going to be for my children. I want to meet them, I want to be with them, I want to listen to their difficulties, I want to listen to them and talk to them, and meet them; my love for them is so much that I cannot resist going.
You may have read the account of the tour given in Sat Sandesh. Suffice it for me to say here that although the Master was ill, He would work from 8:00 in the morning till 1:00 at night, and after retiring, His body would ache like anything; He could hardly get an hour's rest. And then in the morning He would start His work again, seeing people, giving His talks and mediation sittings, answering so many questions, always giving, giving, giving. The effect of this tour was tremendous. The Master's children had the opportunity to be very close with Him, speak with Him, live with Him in as near and dear a way as any child coming to see his father.
During the tour the Master was not unaware of the desires and the love of the initiates, the dear ones in India, just as the Master, when He was in India, was not unaware of the aspirations of the dear ones in other countries. Every week or ten days He used to be in contact with Delhi by telephone, sometimes for ten or fifteen minutes, listening to their difficulties; the Master was giving His love and His grace to all of them. When we were in California at Lucille Gunn s house, we received a tape recorded in Delhi and sent over there for the Master. That tape was from a dear one and told the pathetic story of how the people over in India were feeling His absence. The Master was touched to the quick; He was ill and we had a big program ahead of us. When we left for Mexico and after Mexico went to Panama, the Master decided to cancel the last part of His tour. The program for Africa and further East was cut short by several weeks, and we arrived back in Delhi at the beginning of January 1973.
Such is the story of a Perfect Man, a complete Man I should say, who came on this earth to remind us of and to help us go back to our Home; who gave us a solemn promise that the Master is always waiting for the initiates to come to Him. Unfortunate we are at this hour that we did not listen to Him, and did not do what He wanted us to do, and take that which He wanted to give us. We kept our bowl covered; the Nectar which He wanted to put into it did not find its way into our hearts. We are now repenting because He is not here physically and we can not now do anything.

Glimpses of a Perfect Being

Malik Radha Krishna Khanna

When I first met Sardar Kirpal Singh, His humility was such that it never allowed me to think that He would ever rise to such spiritual heights. He was regarded as a holy man and the man to whom our Great Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji had entrusted the Satsang work at Lahore (which was then the capital of Punjab) and as we had a very spacious Satsang hall there, He used to give discourses on Sundays. After I came to know Him, which was in the late thirties, He was also commissioned by the Master to hold Satsangs at Amritsar where a beautiful new Satsang hall had been built. I also remember that He went about like an ordinary man with no show or pretentions of any kind. It was widely known that He was always by the side of ailing satsangis at Lahore whenever He came to know about their ill health. He would always go and try to comfort them when they were in trouble. That was all that was known about Him.
Once or twice when I was coming from Multan, and having changed trains at Lahore so as to proceed to Beas to be with Hazur Baba Sawan Singh, I saw Sardar Kirpal Singh traveling by train, Third Class. I knew He was a Government Officer and that He was entitled to travel First Class and that He must have been given a First Class pass. But He always made it a point to travel Third Class.
When He went to Beas, He made it a point to sit in the last row at Satsang, while I, as an unregenerate soul, or whatever you might say, used to think, Well, I ve come from more than two hundred miles to see Hazur, and attend the Satsang, why shouldn't I avail myself of the best place so that I can hear every word? And I used to sit in the first or second row. Actually, whenever I sat behind the front row, the Master used to beckon me to come and sit in front. Well, once I met Maharaj Kirpal Singh; we had been talking to each other for some time and when we went to the place where the Great Master was holding Satsang, I thought that I might also sit with Him. And there I found that I had a better darshan of the Master in the last row where Kirpal Singh was sitting, and I also heard more of the Satsang! Now I was astonished. I said, This is where the true devotee can benefit by knowing things. After that we came much closer together.
Some time later we were together at Sikandarpur where Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji's son had extensive agricultural land, and his daughter was getting married. But Hazur fell ill and everybody felt a great deal of anxiety. At midnight I found Maharaj Kirpal Singh, who was staying in the room next to mine, going in to see Hazur almost every half-hour. As He was feeling so restless and anxious, I asked Him if the Master's condition was indeed serious? He said it looked like that, and He had prescribed some homeopathic medicine which the Master had taken, and He was just waiting for the result. After some time the Master improved, but He didn't altogether get over it.
Later, when the Master fell ill at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh at Beas it was a sort of continuation of the same illness which He had developed at Sikandarpur. Maharaj Kirpal Singh took leave from office and was there to attend on Him. Some people who were close to Hazur, not exactly close spiritually but His relatives, old associates, or members of His family, didn't very much like these repeated visits of Maharaj Kirpal Singh.
Although He was in the grip of illness just a few days before His physical departure, I could always see a faint smile on Hazur's face whenever Maharaj Kirpal Singh came into the room. Kirpal Singh didn't disturb Him; He was able to comfort Him. At that time Dr. Schmidt from Switzerland, who was the President of the World Federation of Homeopathic Doctors and, an initiate of Hazur, was staying in the Dera and was treating Him with homeopathic medicines. Now Maharaj Kirpal Singh used to have consultations with him because He also knew something about homeopathy. However, it was decided that Hazur had to go to the hospital at Amritsar for treatment. Maharaj Kirpal Singh went with Him and so did I. There also, Maharaj Kirpal Singh looked after the Master.
It so happened that one of the satsangis, who was a medical student, was anxious that if there was any transfusion of blood to be given to the Master as the doctors there suggested, it should be his blood. When his blood was tested, it did not quite match with the Master's and, medically, it was not the proper blood to be given. But somehow he got round one of the female sevadars and persuaded her into agreeing that his blood be given. Being a medical student, he told her, Well, there is not much of a difference. So a bottle of his blood was kept ready, and the doctor was told that it was according to prescription. I came to know of this later along with Maharaj Kirpal Singh. So the blood was given and it had a very serious effect on the Master. He almost looked like losing His life, but He recovered the next day. I was very angry over all this; I was thinking that we should complain to the Master that it was due to this sevadar that the wrong blood was given. But Maharaj Kirpal Singh said, Well, forgive her. What's the use? Now He has recovered. Whatever had to happen, has happened. Such indeed was His greatness and magnanimity.
Some years earlier, when Hazur was giving Naam, He told Sardar Kirpal Singh, Well, you must do this work today. I don't feel inclined; it is a strain on me, I have been doing a lot of work and you must take over today. He declined with folded hands, saying, In Your presence I am nobody. The Master smiled and initiated the seekers Himself. Later on another occasion Maharaj Kirpal Singh did give initiation in Hazur's presence.
In 1948 when I lost my Master I felt miserable. But then after some time I had the comfort of Maharaj Kirpal Singh which made up to some extent for that great bereavement. We are to pass the remaining span of life which is allotted to us as best we can. Maharaj Kirpal Singh was a source of great Light and comfort to His initiates, His friends, to all persons who came in contact with Him.
After He became the Master He spread Hazur's Mission over several continents. Master Sawan Singh never went out of India; and like Vivekananda with Ramakrishna, it is Maharaj Kirpal Singh who has spread Hazur's Mission and made the name of His Master famous in many parts of the world. Throughout His Service He was completely honest, wouldn't accept any gift or even meals from anybody, wouldn't dine out; from the beginning He had a very clean and very high character.
I became Maharaj Kirpal Singh's literary advisor about sixteen or seventeen years ago when He wrote The Crown of Life and The Life of Baba Jaimal Singh. He sent the manuscripts to me, and I went through them, somewhat as a literary man as I have my M.A. in English, but more as a lawyer, so that I could check that there was nothing objectionable. My close association began then. I might mention that I took Crown of Life with me when I went to London in 1961 and presented copies to the British Museum, the Library of the Guildhall, the London University Library, and to Cambridge and Oxford Universities, and they were gladly accepted. I even tried to get it published in London.
Many other books passed through my hands. I came to Delhi and set up practice there in 1960. Thereafter, when any legal question arose about Sawan Ashram or the Satsang's affairs, Maharaj Kirpal Singh always sought my advice and acted on it. Now in regard to Sawan Ashram there were land acquisition cases, the Government wanted to acquire some portion of it. I also acted as Maharaj Ji's legal advisor.
I think He didn't require my legal consultation so much as I required His grace by doing some seva. So He had set up a show of my service for my own benefit, to give me grace, as our Master had done years before in a case at Dalhousie which was conducted by me. Maharaj Kirpal Singh and I became very fond of each other, and whenever He used to come to my house every month, and He did not come on every occasion to consult me about legal matters, we talked of many things: about His satsangis in America, about the satsangis here, about the situation in the country, about what was happening in Manav Kendra, about what He intended to do, and all that. On several occasions He told me, Now look here, I have satsangis in this country, and they don't take to their meditations seriously, while satsangis in America and other foreign countries, some of them take to it very seriously. They consider it as serious as any other task in life, and they are making much greater progress than the satsangis here. These are His words, and He added, Some of them have crossed one or two regions. Now, He was very friendly with me, and I happened to remark, Maharaj Ji, Your regions must be nearer than the regions of Your Master, because in His day it took much longer to cross these regions. He laughed and said, Well, they are the same regions, but people in the West take to it assiduously, much more seriously, and I am much pleased with their progress.
Maharaj Kirpal Singh sometimes used to say in a jocular vein that I had a greater number of occasions to have the physical darshan of Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji than He had, that I had passed more time with Hazur at Dalhousie and Beas than He because He was in Service those days and could only go when He could get leave. I told Him, Well, externally I may have seen more of Him than You, but You see more of Him internally. When I went away to Multan I couldn't see Him, but You could see Him all the time, all the days wherever You were. So don't say that, You are in a much higher place in the Master's grace than I am. And He laughed at that.
I would now like to tell about an incident that made a deep impression on me. One day I met a satsangi who told me his mother had fallen ill, very seriously, and she said that the doctors told her that she would be dying within a few hours. She expressed a wish to see her younger son, and she also added that she would not die in peace unless she met him, as that desire would linger. This lady was an initiate of Maharaj Kirpal Singh, so the elder son went to see Maharaj Ji who said, Well, the doctors are right. She has to go this evening, but now that you have come and conveyed her wishes to me, and you have also been serving the Mission for a long time, I think I ll have to intercede. How long will it take for your brother to come and see your mother? It will take two days. The Master said, All right. Tell her that she will not go before she meets her son. And then He added something which struck me then as significant, All right, I'll send her by the next train to the other world. Let today's train go with other people. Now this is what Master Kirpal Singh said. These things are there forever to remind us of what He was.
I would like to end by telling how the Master showered His grace on me. I met with a serious accident about two years ago and it was extremely cold during those days, it was cold all over the country. It was the 4th of January, 1974, and the accident took place in the evening just before sunset. I could not go to the hospital on account of this extreme cold, and no surgeon would come to my house. They all said; These operations are carried out in the hospital, we don't go to people's homes. My right shoulder had been dislocated, and there were fractures on my right arm and right leg. I passed that night in extreme pain. The next day my son again went to the surgeons, and they all refused to come. Then they said, It must be x-rayed before anything can be done I couldn't move so I could not go for an x-ray. It was extremely cold those days and I am very susceptible to cold. Then with great persuasion an x-ray operator was induced to come here, and he took the x-ray.
The same evening Master Kirpal Singh came to see me. At that time my pain was even more excruciating than on the previous day. I could hardly survive, and in order to do fomentation on those parts, bricks were heated, and applied wrapped up in a cloth. Only extreme heat could give me any relief. But it burnt some of my skin and a part of my bedding also. A few minutes after all this happened, Maharaj Kirpal Singh came and said, How are you? I said, I've met with an accident. Yes, yes, I know that, He said and told me the exact time and place. I said, Yes. But I didn't send You information. He laughed. But then I said, As You know everything, You could have come yesterday or on the first evening. He replied, You had to undergo this trouble for some time because the karma was very serious and it was in consultation with Hazur that it was delayed, but We took care that you would not expire during that time. Those were His words. Then I said, What will happen now? He replied, You will see. He stood on the left side of my bed leaning, or rather pressing against the wall; there was hardly space for Him. He didn't want to shift my bed; He said, No, no, no! I will stand here. He stood with eyes closed for half an hour. Then He asked, How about your pain? I said, It has become tolerable. All right, you will pass the night more comfortably now. Tomorrow some eminent surgeon will come. Everything will be set, don't worry. I owe my survival to Him.
After the plaster had been removed my right arm couldn't move. The plexus of nerves near the armpit was injured and the blood didn't flow as it ought. The neurologist who examined me, and he is the most eminent one in Delhi, said, Your arm will not move for the rest of your life, but try to move it with your left hand otherwise it will get stuck to your body and it could be such a painful thing that your arm may have to be amputated. I was feeling rather distressed when Maharaj Kirpal Singh came again to see me; I said, I can't move my right arm. I can't write, I can't even withdraw any money from the bank as I can't write out a check. He said, No, no, no. You can't move? He took hold of my arm and began to move it up and down. And from that moment my arm seemed to be all right. I have full use of it now, and it is a constant source of wonder to me. Not only that, I may add that I owe my survival to His grace. I know Maharaj Ji told me that all that was done was in accordance with Hazur's wishes, but I know deep in my heart that I owe much to His loving care and consideration.

How the Master Revealed Himself

Mata Sheila Dhir

When I met Sant Kirpal Singh Ji in 1950, I asked Him, Where is Hazur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh Ji? I want to see Him. He said, Well, Hazur Maharaj Ji is here; you will find Him. I went away and two years passed by, I was in bitter pangs of separation since Hazur left the physical body, eating little, living in a sad state.
One day an old friend of mine arrived who asked me to give a Satsang; there had been a death in the family. I reluctantly went and started Satsang. Then one of our old friends went to the Ashram, and told Maharaj Ji, We should have a lady to give Satsang from place to place in Delhi. He said, Who do you think could do it? She replied, Sheila. Master said, Well, that would be all right, but she doesn't come to me.
One night, some six months after having given that Satsang, I beheld a beautiful scene; there was a lovely place where Hazur came in a motor car in a beautiful radiant Light; there was no turban on His head, but He had wooden shoes on His feet which He used to wear in the old days. Gently, lovingly, He got down from the car. With Him was Kirpal Singh Ji. I clung to Hazur, cried and said, Where were You all this long time? Hazur then took His seat on a stage and a Satsang was held. Kirpal Singh came and caught hold of me by the arm, and took me towards Hazur. Hazur had told me as soon as He alighted from the car, Never mind, you will see just now. In His Satsang, Hazur took for His text a hymn: Satguru is ever present, never think that He is far away. Then I saw that both the Saints merged into each other. Satsang was over and Sant Kirpal Singh Ji again held me by the arm, and told me, Look, no more crying. Now you have got your Guru, you have got Satsang. Stop crying, there will be no more crying. And at the same time Hazur told Sant Kirpal Singh, You love Sheila Ji as I did and take good care of her.
Even after this I was not fully convinced. Two months went by before I went to the Ashram. There I saw Tai Ji sitting in the kitchen while Master was in His room. I peeped in and saw that the room was full of Light, and Master was attending to His mail with His glasses on, sitting in the very same pose as Hazur used to sit. He then welcomed me with the same words as Hazur used when welcoming me. After this, when I saw such brilliant Light in the room, I absolutely forgot my body; I didn't know where I was. Master kept saying to me, Look, you have no faith. If you still have doubts, keep on doing Simran, and if it stands before the Simran, then only believe. Then I saw that near the beard of Master Kirpal Singh there was the same black mole which Hazur had. Then I thought, Oh, this is definitely the same Power! And then Master put His hand under my chin, and said, Look up, look up, look up! When I did, Maharaj Ji's eyes became those of Baba Sawan Singh. He told me, Now, you must carry on the Satsang. I told Him, Master, I am sorry; I have no strength left for Satsang. I am sorry,
I cannot do it. Master took me to Dr. Mul Raj, and told him to give me a very good medicine.
I said, Master, my medicine is Your eyes. Whatever You say, it's all right.
Then one day the Master came for Satsang at a friend's named Satya. It happened to be Divali Day. I was there thinking, How fortunate is this family, the Master gives Satsang to
them. If He comes to my home and gives Satsang I'd give anything for it. I'd be so blessed. Then I heard Master announce, Sheila will be giving Satsang here from now on. I thought, What is this? Master announced this Himself! All this happened in 1952 in Delhi. Then Master turned to me and said, Next now. Should I go to your home? It was my very wish; and I had thought if He came to my place I would be willing to give away everything. Then Master repeated, Should I go to your home? He was answering my innermost prayer.
When the Master came, I noticed the room was full of radiant Light. He said, You want me to give Satsang? Come on, give me some text. And He took up the very same hymn which Hazur had used in the Satsang of which I dreamt: Satguru is ever present, never think that He is far away. Maharaj Ji then said, Now, is there anything more? Do you want to give parshad? Come on, take out something, if there is parshad to be given. I said, I'm sorry Master, there is nothing in the house. I wasn't prepared for all this. Then Master laughed, Oh, so it was only talk, was it? Just talk. He was referring to what I had been saying to myself in my thoughts. Then He asked for water and had it. I ran to a small shop nearby and returned with burfi, and parshad was distributed. Then, having fulfilled my dearest wish, Master asked, Is that all? Are you happy now? No complaints? And He went back to the Ashram.
All this was in the early days of Maharaj Ji's Mission. From then on I became actively associated with Maharaj Ji's work and went to the Ashram regularly.
Maharaj Ji did a great deal of traveling, and occasionally He would ask me to join Him on tour. Once Maharaj Ji told me that He was going to Amritsar and asked me if I could go ahead, take the keys with me and get the place where He was to stay ready for Him and His party. Before leaving I told my husband that as Maharaj Ji would be away for over a week, he would do well to have His darshan next morning. When he went to the Ashram and met Him, Maharaj Ji said something about an oncoming illness in the family. My husband did not comprehend Maharaj Ji's meaning; he came back wondering what calamity lay ahead. Meanwhile I got to Amritsar, got everything ready, and Maharaj Ji arrived. After the program there He had to proceed on tour. I was not scheduled to go with Him but when it was time to depart Tai Ji told me there was room for me in the car. What greater blessing could one pray for!
To be with Maharaj Ji is to be in eternity and time slips by so imperceptibly. The days flew past and we were already on our way back to Amritsar and from there back to Delhi. I was in the car, sitting in front with Des Raj and Master Pratap Singh; Kuku, Tai Ji, and Maharaj Ji were sitting behind. Suddenly Maharaj Ji asked me, Can you tell what hymn will be taken at Satsang at your place today? Why don t you close your eyes and try to see if you can tell? Tai Ji interrupted at this point, Maharaj Ji, if You go about getting people to turn within while we are on the road, how will we get them out? Please don t get started on things like this. Maharaj Ji changed the subject, but as we drove on I fell asleep and I found myself at home with a body laid out and people surrounding it in deep mourning. When I woke up, the scene was still vivid, but I decided to stay silent, Maharaj Ji asked if I had seen anything; I did not answer.
The car suddenly stalled. We all got out. Des Raj fiddled around and then got back behind the wheel and the engine started up again. We scrambled in, Kuku and Tai Ji in the back and Maharaj Ji getting in last by the left hand door; Des Raj, Master Pratap Singh and myself in front. I was the last to get in, and as I banged my door shut, I did not realize that Maharaj Ji had placed His hand in the way and four of His fingers got jammed inside the bolted door. Imagine our shock and confusion! I was too paralyzed to even think of opening the door. Tai Ji was beside herself at my carelessness, and Kuku was in tears. Des Raj jumped out of his seat, ran around, and opened the door. Maharaj Ji, as His left hand got released, sank back into His seat holding it in His right hand. He went pale, almost ashen white, and it was as though He had given up the body. He lay in that posture for what seemed an eternity to us then, but it could well have been in actuality five minutes or more. He then came back, and was all energy and cheer. Like a lion He bounded up, face glowing: Why are you all crying? He asked. Look, my hand is quite all right, just look, not a scratch not a drop of blood! Why all this confusion? You see I m perfectly fine. Stop crying and be done with it. I assure you, just look at me, I am absolutely all right! And indeed there was not a scratch, not a sign of what He had gone through. His fingers should have been crushed by the door, but they were in perfect shape as though nothing had happened. We started off again, but I was absolutely shaken. The dream I had just had, and now seeing what Maharaj Ji had suffered at my hands, I wondered what it was all about, what calamity it was that He was taking upon Himself.
It was fairly late in the evening when we got back to the Ashram and Hans Raj, who had gone to our place to conduct Satsang with Maharaj Ji's tape, quietly whispered to Him that my husband was seriously ill. Maharaj Ji called me in and asked me if it wasn't best I return home. He did not tell me a thing, but as I was departing with Hans Raj, who was to drop me at home, Maharaj Ji casually pulled out a small bottle of homeopathic pills and said, Why not take this? It might come in handy, headaches and things like that, you know.
When I reached home, it was an agonizing scene. My husband, who had been wondering all these days about Maharaj Ji's mysterious words about a family illness, had suddenly been taken ill that very day when he had gone to office. He had a very acute pain in the abdomen and, taking a taxi, returned home. On the way he stopped at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital but they had no spare bed for him. He stopped to consult some doctors, but all said he needed to be hospitalized, and they could not help him. Very possibly he needed an operation. There he was in great pain, and with no doctor willing to help. I got one of our neighboring medical practioners to come out and do his best. He sat by my husband's side all through the night. He was neither passing stools nor urine. We decided to move him to one of the larger hospitals in the morning. As the night wore on, I thought I would go and ring Maharaj Ji to let Him know. Just as I was leaving, I remembered the homeopathic pills and put some of them in my husband's mouth. I dashed off to phone. When I dialed the Ashram number it was Maharaj Ji who answered. I hurriedly told Him what had happened and that we were taking my husband to hospital. But surely you could delay it a little. I will be there in no time and you must wait till then, He told me.
I hurried back, and to my astonishment my husband was feeling better. The pills worked like magic and he passed his stool and urine. He was sitting up when Maharaj Ji arrived, and on entering, He walked straight up to my husband and placing His right hand on his chest, and cheered him with the words, Now, what is wrong with you? What is all this talk about going to hospital? You seem quite all right. Now look into my eyes, you re perfectly all right. This will soon pass and you will be well again. He instructed Dr. Mul Raj to carry on with homeopathic treatment, and cheering us all up, patted me and told me to be brave like the young one of a lion, and as He left, I thought of the scene I saw while half asleep in the car, Maharaj Ji's hand caught in the door of the car and His ashen face, the homeopathic pills that He had given me on arrival at Delhi and my husband's dire condition when I returned home.
Oh how can one sing of the marvelous grace of a Satguru!

The Master's Blessings

Olga Donenberg

This incident happened to me in July 1954 when I was living in Wilmette, Illinois. It was before I was initiated. I used to meditate, and one day I had a vision. I saw a man all in white with beautiful Light all around Him, and He said, I'm coming for you. I need you. I thought it was my time to go, to leave the body. But I was so filled with the peace and Light that He had been radiating, I wasn't worried. That Light was so bright that it was dazzling, and it stayed with me for a long time.
Exactly one year later, in July 1955, I received a phone call telling me that there was going to be some Master appearing in Chicago. I thanked the person, and I knew I was going. I didn't know anything about the Master, but I went. I remember it had been extremely hot, but before the meeting there was a refreshing downpour of rain. Now, of course, I know it was the special blessings of Hazur.
As I was waiting for the elevator to take me up to the meeting hall, the door opened and out came Master. I looked in surprise, and I thought here was the vision I had last year. And I rushed up to Him and said, Master, I saw You. And He replied, Yes, I know. I was dumbfounded, and we went up to the meeting place. What He said after I can' t recall because I had become so enamored of Him, I just felt as though I was in the presence of God. It was a beautiful feeling.
At the end of the meeting, Master thanked us for coming. That overwhelmed me; He just reached the bottom of my soul, every bit of me vibrated. This meeting had not been advertised and I didn't know anybody who was there, but when I was leaving I heard someone say something about initiation. I thought, what would they be getting initiated into? So I asked when it would take place and I was told it would be held the next day. Then I asked if I would be allowed to attend, and, on being told I could, I went. I didn't know what it was, but I guess I knew I had to have it.
When I arrived I remember looking around; I didn't know a soul there; there were eighty to a hundred people. I had been given a card and just sat on the floor in the hotel room and waited. Well, that’s how I took my initiation, but I can tell you what the Master promised, I received. Then I heard that He was going to give a meditation sitting the following day, and as I was greedy, I asked if I could attend, and they said yes.
The next day I sat in a corner, and things became very clear to me: a man with a white beard, wearing a turban came and took me up—such an exhilarating ride I will never forget. This was Baba Sawan Singh, but at the time I did not know. He told me, “Kirpal is my Son, He is the one I have appointed to carry on my work.” I thought to myself, ‘Yes, but He must know this.” But Hazur went on, “I want you to tell Him this.” After the meditation was over I saw Mr. Khanna who showed me a photograph of the Great Master Baba Sawan Singh so I could then identify who He was. But then I thought to myself, “Kirpal Singh must know He is the Master, He doesn’t need me to tell Him,” and I was preparing to go home. Then I heard Baba Sawan Singh’s voice telling me, “Oh no, you go up and give Him my message!” I felt ridiculous. My mind kept telling me, “But He must know He is the Master.” Anyway although I felt foolish I did go to His room, knocked on the door, and said, “I have a message.” He was so gracious, He let me come in and I told Him that His Master had taken me on an exhilarating ride and had told me, “He is my Beloved Son,” and that Hazur appointed Him to carry on the work. And you know what He did? He thanked me. I almost fainted. Later on I realized why I had been given this experience and the full story.
So that is the story of my first physical meeting with Master Kirpal Singh, and the meeting with Sawan Singh. And since then I could not differentiate between them; They had become one, inside and outside.
So many wonderful things happened over the years to show Master’s guiding hand and grace. Here is just one incident which happened to a woman initiate in Chicago. One day she told me that as she had several children and was expecting another, it was very difficult for her to keep going to the laundromat. She only had $25 so she couldn’t afford to buy a washing machine and asked me, “Would it be wrong to request Master to help me?” I replied, “Master always said there was nothing too little or nothing too big” So she said, “I’m going to ask.” Then she called me and told me that she was going to get a washing machine. She didn’t know how, but she knew that Master was going to direct her. Well, He told her to get into the car and directed her to turn here, turn there until she stopped in front of what appeared to be a second-hand store. There she could see a washing machine, and it was priced at $25. She said, “That’s my washing machine!” But the assistant said, “I’m sorry. I’m holding that for another woman.” She immediately pulled the $25 out of her purse, and said, “Here! You’ve been holding it for me.” The assistant was rather surprised, but perhaps in a order to get rid of her, said. “Okay—it’s yours!” That machine worked for a number of years and goes to show that there really isn’t anything too big or too small.

The Master’s First Visit to Germany

O. P. Malhotra

I have been at the feet of the Master right from my childhood. One of the first memories I have is of my father who would not begin a new month without having the darshan of his Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji. I came to Delhi with my sister where I was initiated by Baba Sawan Singh Ji at the age of about fourteen. After partition in 1948, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji also came to Delhi, and my whole family, both maternal and paternal, was always at His feet attending His Satsangs from the very beginning.
It was in 1955 on the way back from His first tour of America that Master planned to visit Germany for the first time. At that time I was the private secretary to the Indian Ambassador in Bonn. The Master had written to me saying that He would stay in Bonn for a few days. At that moment the atmosphere in Germany was such that it was difficult to get many people interested in the subject of the Path of the Masters. I must say that although I was very nervous that I would not be able to arrange a good audience, it was with His grace we were able to start the first meeting with the hall completely full. It was held at the University. It gave me great satisfaction that there were university students, professors, outsiders, businessmen, and all types of people present to hear the Master. They listened with rapt attention.
We had arranged for the Master and His party to stay at my home in Bonn so we could look after Him. Of course I told my Ambassador about the Master, and he came and called on Sant Ji. The Ambassador was so impressed, that he along with his colleagues from other embassies wanted to meet the Master and take His guidance and advice. This was such an important event for me, and for everybody, that I cannot explain it in words.
After the Master had spoken two or three times in the University some two hundred people asked Him to give initiation. The Master told them that the first requirements for initiation were that they had to be vegetarians, teetotallers, non-smokers, and live a life of self restraint. I was so surprised to see that all of them at once agreed; and from that time onward they pledged to be complete vegetarians and to follow the Path of the Masters with all devotion. And I must say here, that the German people have kept their word.
After the first talk in the University Hall, two ladies came to my home and knocked at the door, saying, “We have heard the afternoon talk given by an Indian Saint. Can we meet Him? We have been told that He is staying with you. Would you kindly allow us to meet Him?” I said, “Certainly, you are most welcome.” This was Frau Fitting and her companion. Right from that moment onward the Master spent much time talking to Frau Fitting every day, morning and evening. Whenever we had Satsang she was present, and it was because of the Master’s great admiration for her devotion that He chose Frau Fitting as His representative in West Germany and Central Europe.
At the time of initiation some of the candidates had good experiences of the Divine Light and Sound Principles. They testified to this in the presence of the Master. He also asked them whether they had Hazur’s inner darshan. When He showed them the photograph of Baba Sawan Singh Ji, some of them immedi-ately said, “Oh, this is the Saint we have seen.” Frau Fitting once explained to me that two years before the Master had come to Germany she had been having very vivid darshan of the Master without having seen Him. As soon as she saw the Master she told Him, “Oh Master, You have been coming to me for the last two years. Today I see You in person.”
I would also like to mention that one of the German satsangis had come to the Master after listening to the Satsangs, and after receiving initiation he told the Master that he was
unable to concentrate in his meditations as he was not able to get rid of the old habits of food, drink, etc. Then the Master told him, “You have given me your word, you have promised, and you have signed on your application that you would lead a vegetarian life, and you must therefore follow those things and there will be no difficulty. You had better sit with me.” Master gave him a second sitting. At the end, we were all surprised to find that this particular gentleman, with folded hands came to the feet of the Master saying, “Oh Master, please forgive me. Now I have seen clearly that whatever You have instructed me is correct. In future I will abide by Your instructions.” He is now one of the best satsangis that we know in West Germany.
I would now like to mention one small interesting incident which happened during the Master’s stay which I can never forget. Everybody had gone out to do some shopping. The Master stayed at home in His room attending to His mail. In the other room was my small child, about four months old, who had been left behind sound asleep. It seems that the women were away longer than they intended, and my baby boy began crying. When they returned they found that the Master was writing letters with one hand and with the other He was rocking the cradle so that the child would be quiet and not cry. (This was a great benevolence for the child. I think the child will ever be grateful to the Master for His kindness to him.)
With regards to the Master’s food, He was always very particular about what He ate. Tai Ji used to cook for Him everywhere He went. My wife asked the Master what His instructions were about His food. The Master replied, “Of course, it is Tai Ji who usually prepares all the food, but in your house I will leave it to you. You will be in charge of my kitchen. And you will see that I get my proper food.” It was a great life-long honor for my wife that she was given this privilege.
I cannot help mentioning one small point here which my Ambassador told me after visiting the Master. He said, “Malhotra, you have such a great spiritual Master. What are you doing here? Why don’t you join Him? His is the most perfect Mission. I have heard Him, I have talked with Him. I am so much impressed, I think the work of an Ambassador of India is nothing as compared to the Master’s Mission. He is bringing souls together, and is preaching the gospel of truth and good living, and people have joined together whether they are Christians, Muslims, Hindus, whatever they are. I am very happy to see that your Master, Sant Kirpal Singh Ji, has such a positive power in Him that people are attracted to Him, and not attracted to the ordinary Ambassador of India. As a matter of fact, in the presence of your Master I found that the real representative, or the real Ambassador of India, was Sant Kirpal Singh Ji and not me.”
When Master had reached Bonn we were not sure how long He would stay; He had only stayed two days in Berlin and not given an initiation sitting. People began inquiring how long the Master would stay. As the days passed they began pressing the Master, “Please stay another day, please stay another day.” In all, He stayed ten days in Bonn; He left because so many of His children in India were pressing that He should return to them.
On the day Master departed for India, He was to leave from Dusseldorf; it was about half an hour or forty-five minutes drive from our house to the airport. The time of departure of the flight was nearing and we had duly informed the Master how much time it would take. Everything was ready, but till the last moment satsangis wanted to speak with the Master; everybody wanted one minute with the Master before He would leave for India. Therefore it was getting late. I was getting jittery, The driver said, “Please tell the Master the distance is long. The plane will not wait for Him and He must hurry up.” I went to Master and told Him, “Maharaj Ji, please, it is time for us to leave.” He said, “Don’t worry. We will leave. My first task is to attend to these satsangis. The flight can wait. You don’t worry.” Then I told Him, “Please, these are international flights, and they want us to be there a little earlier as some formalities have to be attended to. Some of the satsangis can meet You at the airport.” He said, “Many of them may not be able to go, but let me talk to anybody who comes.” And He was talking to them right up to the last moment with the result that we had only about half an hour at our disposal. He said, “You need not worry about it. We will reach there in time.” And to our great surprise, when we reached Dusseldorf Airport we found that the plane was about an hour and a half late. Many of the satsangis in their cars followed the Master’s car; we all reached the airport fearing that the Master might miss the plane. Master smiled, and asked me, “What time is the plane starting? Has it already left?” Everybody was laughing and so happy. We all sat down on the lawn chairs, and for one hour the Master was able to talk to all the satsangis at the Airport.
After the Master had returned to India, my house became a place where we would sit for meditation on Friday evenings for the entire night, and for the entire day and night on Saturday and Sunday. Early on Monday morning, everyone would go to their homes or to their duties. For two and a half days Satsang was held continuously, with meditations; Master’s instructions were read, and this was the best time we could ever have spent in our lives. Every week, two and a half days were spent completely for the Master’s work wherein large numbers of satsangis used to join together.
When I eventually returned to India, Master used to always tell me that I should remain in contact with my West German friends; whoever used to have any difficulty would write to the Master, and the Master used to ask me to make translations. He used to reply to everyone. You can well imagine what a great impact the Master’s visit made on that country; in West Germany so many Satsang centers have sprung up which have spread the great message of the Master.

My Alpha and Omega

Brigitte Boehm

Oh my Master—I miss You so—
even although You are closer to me than myself.
Oh my Master—I miss You so—
Whenever I sit in sweet remembrance of my Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji, my eyes cannot but well up and my heart is aching. Within His sweet Holy Naam and at His Holy Feet I found consolation, rest and peace.
My Beloved Master Kirpal gave me so much of all those wonderful divine valuables I hardly dared to dream of, and He does it still now in more and more abundance. Who can ever comprehend such Love, such Grace and such Mercy.
Meeting my Beloved Master Kirpal was the fulfilment of my life. When I was a child I felt very much attracted by the Teachings and Life of Jesus Christ. My adoring him was growing from year to year. At fourteen years, I was glad to get confirmation in the Christian Church and during the celebration when the priest was blessing me I could experience for the first time that GOD IS LIGHT. It was so overwhelming for me that I got rather afraid of the greatness of the Lord.
There was only one point I was very sad about, that God had given me human birth just in these times and not at the living time of Jesus Christ to question him personally about life and death and the true reality what to do further.
Besides searching after truth I had always the inner urge to learn English as much as possible. At twenty-three I left my parents’ home and moved to the towns Fuerth-Nuremberg. There I found good friends in helping me in my search and I attended many talks and lessons about religious subjects and studied several spiritual ways. In my search I met a very good companion and we married in 1961. In May 1962, my husband came home one day telling me that one of our friends had found a real Living Master of the Highest Order. I could hardly believe that, but within a short time we found out that it was true. This friend was and is still the group leader of the Satsang group of our Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj at Nuremberg.
While studying Sant Ji’s circulars and books a joyous remembrance came up, as if all that would be known to us. In September 1962, we wrote our first letter to Sant Kirpal Singh Ji and He answered us very quickly to contact the representative in Germany, Mrs. Fitting. My husband and I were overjoyed to get His precious gift of Holy Naam on March 9th, 1963 at Bonn, Germany. That was the crown of our life and we came now to know what to do to reach the object of our longing: Self-knowledge and God-knowledge.
In the same year, 1963, our so Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji came to the West. We could hardly comprehend this great fortune, but He really came in June 1963 to Germany. My first meeting with Him physically was at the railway station at Nuremberg. Until the last minute I could not believe that we would really get this rare, rare privilege. The train arrived and I remember it as if it would be just now how our Beloved came out of the train, tall, powerful, radiant and most beautiful, like the King of all Kings, like the Heavenly Father visiting His earth. My husband had the great luck to be the driver of Master’s car for the next fourteen days. No one could express our grateful and happy feelings to have this Great Sant amongst us. The same day in the afternoon, the Great Master called us to sit with Him together in the garden of that house, where He stayed. It happened that I was sitting just in front of Him. While sitting there a deep gratitude to God came up out of my heart. The gracious God had given me human birth at the living time of the Christ now sitting so close to me, in front of me. After questioning us about our spiritual experiences the Great Master looked suddenly at me quite straight into my eyes and I could not but also look into His luminous eyes.
Although He was looking at me very powerfully, I thought within me, I would never take away my eyes from His, even if I would die just now. The Great Master kept on looking at me, pulled me up in no time and showed me in abundance that He was nothing but strong Divine Light, God-Power manifested on this Blessed Human Pole. I was overwhelmed. People around the Master started to ask questions. Later I said to them, don’t ask so many questions just look at Master’s wonderful eyes and forehead and you will have wonderful experience. I was of the
opinion that everyone would see that, but learnt later on that such kind of experience was a very rare blessing of the Master Himself. The following fourteen days in the physical Presence of our Great Master were filled to the utmost with His gracious Blessings. One of our friends reminded me at that time: “Do you know now, why you always felt forced from within to learn English?”
When the Beloved Master went back to India in January 1964, I felt very very sad. Always when I sent Him my diaries, I wrote Him that I would be longing so much for His Darshan. In September 1964, I received a letter from Him in which He mentioned: “You will meet with your wish in due course.” I was more than happy about this answer, but I had no idea how this would be possible. At that time there were hardly any favourable charter flights to India, and we were also rather short of money. But by His grace it became true in February 1965. The gracious Master Power arranged everything. I was allowed to stay with my so Beloved Master in India for three months. This was my most blessed time, during which He educated me lovingly and strictly and taught me in practice to realize many important facts for spiritual growth, for example:
(1) God Power, Master Power is working overhead everywhere, no matter where a disciple might be, and that receptivity to Holy Naam—the Master within—would be the foremost necessity for an aspirant.
(2) The Love of a Master-Saint for His disciple is very much greater compared with the love of thousands of worldly mothers and fathers put together. This my Beloved Master showed me practically—through the following incident:
After about six weeks stay with my Master I got a letter from my mother, in which she asked me very urgently to come back to Germany to my husband and my child who was just three years old. I became confused, because I had gone to my Master with the firm intention to go back to Germany only when my Master would tell me to go. But now a thought struck my mind: “I am sitting here in the lap of my Beloved Master as in Abraham’s lap, enjoying His Divine Bliss and my mother would have to work for my family.” I felt very selfish and guilty and did not know what to do. At evening Darshan, Master came immediately to me asking me what had happened to me. I reported the contents of my mother’s letter. Master looked at me very strong, asking at first, “Anybody sick at home?” “No Master,” I replied. Then He said to the others sitting around Him, “Oh yes, the mothers... turning to me again He spoke very strongly, “Go, go, I do not want to stand between the love of your mother and you.” I got terrified and said quickly, “But Master, I do not want to go, I would like to stay with You.” With an indescribable look of Divine Love He spoke to me, “Do you want it from me in writing (and He wrote with his fingers on His hand) that you can stay here? Don’t you know how happy the father is when his daughter has finally come to him? The love of the Master for His disciples is much greater than the love of thousands of worldly mothers and fathers together.” I am unable to describe my feelings when the Beloved Master was revealing this to me in this most clear and wonderful way. What a Love—how can one even dream of the reality of such a love! After two days or so the Master came to me asking softly, “Are you stronger now?”
(3) Glad acceptance of sickness however painful, as the Master knows best how to pay the karmic bills.
At the end of March I became rather sick with an abscess in my throat. When the Great Master heard about it, He said to me,” Don’t worry, you have to go through that.” During the worst hours of this aching sickness He came very often to me, Himself giving me homeopathic medicine on my tongue. He also called for two doctors and both looked at me very seriously. One of them gave me penicillin injections. Well I must admit, I was not very fond of this awful pain, I had lost my speech and could not swallow, the throat got closed more and more and then I prayed to Him, “Oh Master, I cannot stand it any longer.” At once I heard His footsteps approaching my room. The moment He entered the room, the pains flew away like a bird from a tree. Although I had lost my voice I could whisper this incident to the Master and He smiled graciously. At about midnight of this day, the abscess had not yet opened, I came to accept the sickness and I prayed to the Master within, “Oh Master, if You want me to have this still longer, I would not complain any more.” The next moment I had to cough and the abscess burst and matter flowed out of my mouth for about forty minutes. One hour later I felt quite clearly my Master had given me my life anew. In the early morning He came to my room sweetly and lovingly asked, “Are you feeling better now?”
(4) The Great Master taught me very strictly always to think positively. A few days after, Master asked me, “How are you?” My answer was, “Well, Master, the throat is not yet quite all right.” The Beloved quickly instructed me, “Never say that, always answer you are all right. How are you?” I said, “All right, Master.” Master smiled, “So it’s good.” Several times He turned to me asking, “How are you?” And I always answered, “All right Master.” He nodded satisfied.
When I got another abscess in the throat several years later in Germany, I became a bit afraid, because I was not in the physical presence of my Beloved Master. In the night I got more pain so that I could not sleep, so I sat for meditation. Suddenly I felt my Master standing at my bedside, speaking so softy, “Now it is enough.” Again I had to cough immediately and the abscess burst and the throat healed very quickly.
Really countless are the blessings of our Beloved Master no matter where the disciple would be.
(5) And then there was another point the Great Master taught me to consider: to live independent of everybody, no matter how advanced another initiate may be and no matter what position another initiate may have in the cause of the Master. Nothing should stand between the Master and the disciple. Everyone has to go his own way to the heart of the Master. Otherwise one cannot be true to one’s ownself to reach the ultimate goal, for which our Beloved Master drew us to His Holy Feet, to guide us to our Eternal Home.
One can find no end to praise the limitless Grace and Love of the Great Beloved Master Kirpal Singh Ji. He has made me His own for ever and all eternity—never-ending praise to the LORD, Holy Naam.

The Unbounded Grace of the Godman

Manohar Singh Duggal

When Master Kirpal Singh was at Rawalpindi in about 1930, one of His nearest relatives, a boy of fourteen years, was critically ill in hospital. One evening Master went to see him. The mother of this boy respected the Master so much—the family had always regarded Him as a saint—that she begged Him that if the child had to die He should make it easy for him because the suffering he was undergoing was too much. Master of course knew immediately why the boy was suffering and why he could not leave the body. Master said to the mother, “You’d better call his aunt.” The aunt was called. When she arrived, Master took her aside and said to her, “You took fifteen rupees from under the boy’s pillow; until you return that money the boy cannot die.” She replied, “Yes, I did take fifteen rupees from under his pillow. Because.. .”—here she became rather embarrassed— “because I was afraid someone else would steal it.” Master then insisted, “Until that money is returned he cannot leave.” She put the money back under the pillow, the boy’s agony subsided, then he closed his eyes and was gone.
My father, the elder brother of Kirpal Singh, was very seriously ill at Peshawar in 1939. One night he was on the verge of expiring. I was sitting by his side; I knew the worst was coming, the doctor had given up hope. When the end was near I was just repeating Simran, helpless, just watching what would happen. After a time I suddenly realized that he had started to move—my father’s soul had come back into the body. He opened his eyes and I could see they were filled with tears. He called my name, and told me to get pen and paper as he wanted to write a letter to his younger brother, Kirpal Singh. The letter said, “You know and I know what has happened. Unless you come, I cannot get up from this bed. I request you to come as early as possible.” He then closed his eyes as if in meditation, but after another fifteen minutes he opened his eyes and said, “Send somebody to the railway station at nine o’clock as my other brother will also come.” He had seen this in meditation. So actually both brothers arrived; they embraced each other and came straight to see my father. Then my father explained what had happened in the morning: Baba Sawan Singh Ji had come to take him but Kirpal Singh Ji had requested that he be spared. Because of this request Hazur had sent him back. My father’s face was shining; he told us, “I cannot describe what it was like—I cannot describe that place. I was with Baba Sawan Singh Ji and Kirpal Singh Ji. We went and crossed that golden moun-tain and went to the other side which was full of Light.”
Due to the long illness of my father the expenditure was very great. My father, although he was so seriously ill, worried very much about the cost. One night during sleep, Kirpal Singh appeared to him and said, “Brother, why are you nervous? You just look at your coat hanging on the bed and that will look after your needs.” Next morning at five-thirty when I came to my father’s room, he said, “Look, Kirpal Singh has just appeared to me—just check the pockets of the coat lying over there.” When I went through the pockets I was surprised to find they were full of currency notes. This was all His grace and this happened long before He became a Master.
I was in Rajpur during 1955 visiting my mother. One evening the Master told me to come to His house in the morning. So early in the morning I went to the Master’s house, and sat outside to wait for Him. The Master opened the door and said, “Why are you sitting out here? Why did you not come in?” I said, “Sir, I was just waiting for you.” He said, “No, no, I need somebody’s company; now let us go and walk.” He led me to the garden at the back of the house. As we were walking, I happened to see a beautiful mango lying under a tree. I felt like taking it, but I hesitated, and we passed by. We continued to walk, and the Master was talking about one thing and another; it was just beautiful to be with Him. At the end of the walk was a cement platform; when we reached it we stopped, and the Master laughed. I said. “Sir, what’s the matter?” He told me, “One of the disciples from Jullunder was here, and we were walking like you and I, and when we reached this place there was a cobra sitting here. The moment that man saw the cobra he jumped behind me, as if to say that if the cobra was going to strike, let it not bite him. On one side they claim to be devotees and on the other side they’re so disrespectful. I asked him if he was nervous, and he said, ‘Look, that is nothing less than death!’ He was very nervous. I told him, ‘All right, don’t worry.’ And I told the snake, ‘Well, you may go now.’ And the snake crept slowly away towards the other side, and left. But that man was still very nervous; when we turned to go back he was walking in front of me. And when he reached his room, he rolled up his bedding, and returned to Jullunder.”
Presently we went back towards the house, and as I didn’t want to pass that mango, I gently directed the Master away from it. But the Master could read my thoughts, and He went straight ahead towards that tree. Then He stopped, looked at me and smiled. He said, “You see that mango?” And I said, “Yes Sir.” He said, “You felt like taking it?” I replied, “Very much so.” He asked, “Why did you not take it?” I said, “I didn’t think it proper in Your company.” He said, “Now you take it.” And He laughed.
In 1957 when my daughter was twelve years old, she became seriously ill. She had a high temperature and she was delirious. I went to see the Master at the Ashram and He said, “I will come to see her tomorrow.” She had been crying all night and all day, but five minutes before the Master arrived she fell into a deep sleep. On seeing this the Master said, “Look here, you say she has been crying all the time and not able to sleep, and here she is fast asleep!” Someone said, “This is all Your miracle; You put her to sleep before You came.” Then the Master put His hand on her head. She looked into His eyes, and He asked her, “What do you want?” And she, being a child, said, “Five rupees.” He gave her five rupees and promised her, “When you recover I will give you another five rupees.” Then He left. But the following day her condition worsened— we had to take her to the hospital. She was almost in the lap of death. The doctors complained, “What can we do if you bring patients to us in this condition? What can we do when she is dying?” I immediately ran to see Master and I told Him, “She is expected to die in half an hour.” But He said, “Don’t worry, nothing will go wrong. I’m going away to Rohtak but I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.
I began to wonder as the doctor said she was dying but the Master said nothing will go wrong. Meanwhile, the doctors gave the child some treatment and she got a little better. The next day when I went to the hospital I noticed from a distance than the Master was moving in one of the wards—I couldn’t understand it as He had told me He would be away at Rohtak. So I immediately ran up to Him; there were other disciples there calling out, “Maharaj Ji’s here! Maharaj Ji’s here!” I asked Him, “How is it You’re here? I thought You were away.” He said, “No, no. I’ve come to see her.” I took Him over to the girl; she looked again into His eyes, and He again asked her, “What do you want?” She replied, “You told me You’d give me another five rupees if I got better.” “So you want to get better?” And she said, “Yes.” Then He gave her another five rupees, and He took a phial out of His pocket, and gave her some homeopathic medicine. Then she slept for ten hours and she was perfectly well the next day.
Once in 1964 I was at Rajpur visiting Beloved Master. In the evening He was sitting in the open outside His bungalow. One of His disciples came looking very much worried. He told the Master that his son was in hospital and the doctors had dec-lared there was no hope of his survival as he was in a state of coma. On hearing this, Beloved Master told him that there was
nothing to worry about because he would be all right. After this Master accompanied him to the hospital to see his son.
On reaching the ward he went straight to the child’s bed. Beloved Master asked them to turn him over. Maharaj Ji then started rubbing his spinal cord from neck to hips. After about five minutes, the boy who had been in coma, opened his eyes. After another ten minutes the boy changed his position and sat up and bowed before the Beloved Master. Those present were astonished to see this miracle, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the hospital; the Senior Physician in charge of the hospital came running, and told Maharaj Ji, “You have performed a miracle.” Maharaj Ji told him that He had done nothing special. He had massaged the vein which had direct connection with the brain. On this the doctor replied that no treatment could save the child and coma had already set in, and he was not responding to any treatment. The boy was discharged from the hospital the following day.
In 1971, when Beloved Master was not well, I was attend-ing Him at night. One night I received a telephone call from Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi, intimating that one of the devotees of Maharaj Ji, Mr. Mahan Singh, was seriously ill and had been put under an oxygen tent. They further said that Mr. Mahan Singh had forgotten the Simran and there was pitch dark inside, and he wanted them to inform Maharaj Ji about his sad plight.
On hearing this I was perplexed as to what to do as Beloved Master had been restless; at that particular time He was resting and I did not want to disturb Him. I was thinking over the matter when Maharaj Ji called me and enquired as to who was calling. I told Him. On hearing this He said it was 1:00 a.m. and Mr. Mahan Singh would be leaving at 3:30 a.m., so there was nothing to worry about. He directed me to tell them that they should put a thumb on his forehead between the two eyebrows and repeat the five Names in his right ear— Hazur would take care of the rest so he need not worry on that account. After that Master was in meditation and I was sitting by the side of His bed. Exactly at 3:32 a.m. Beloved Master opened His eyes and said, “He has gone, he was a good man. Anyway, it is His Will.” At 1:00 a.m. He knew that his time of departure was 3:30. At about 3:45 a phone call came. The man on the other end said that Mr. Mahan Singh had expired. Before I went to attend the call, Beloved Master said that he passed away exactly at 3:30 a.m., but the doctors must have taken some time to announce the death.
In the morning some relatives of Mr. Mahan Singh came to see Maharaj Ji. They said that they had repeated the five Names in his right ear after putting a thumb on his forehead between the two eyebrows. Immediately after this Mahan Singh, who had been so dejected, smiled and said, “If one has a Master, he should be like Him!” Apparently there was Light inside and the Master appeared within to take care of him. According to them, he never opened his eyes after that and he expired in meditation. This shows that though Maharaj Ji was physically unwell, spiritually He was as strong as ever.

At the Lotus Feet of the Beloved

Brij Mohan Sharma

Since the age of six I was very fond of spirituality, and I used to get members of my family to tell me stories about Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. When I grew up I became a business-man. In 1952 when I was thirty-three years old there was a great crisis in my life; I knew I had to find God—I could not rest until I found Him. My wife became worried that I would leave home. In October of that year, one day at five in the afternoon I told my wife that I was going to see a Saint.
I may mention here that since my childhood I used to hear an inner voice guiding me and telling me what at do—for instance it would give warnings of accidents or of a snake in my path. Somebody would catch my hand and lead me out of danger. So on this day I heard the same voice which said, “Today let us go to see a Saint.” I reassured my wife that I would be back soon, but that I didn’t know where I had to go. The voice directed me until I found myself standing in front of a gate. There I could read a notice saying that the place was called Sawan Ashram. I remember thinking, “This is a very nice name.” So I walked in. In those days Master’s house was very small and there were only a few buildings in the Ashram. I asked someone if there was a Saint living there. He said, “Yes, go upstairs.”
When I went upstairs, I saw twenty to thirty people sitting in meditation, and also saw an impressive figure sitting in front of them whom I took to be the Master. I also sat down in meditation, but after a few minutes I opened my eyes and saw that the Master was still sitting there, but He was not speaking. I thought that as soon as He spoke I would talk to Him. After ten minutes someone came and put his hand on my shoulder and asked, “Will you do some service?” I was very happy to be asked—here I was, a new person and they were asking me to give service!
After it was finished, I returned to the roof, but I found that the Saint had gone. I asked the people there, “Where is the Saint who was sitting here?” But they told me He had not been there at all. At that moment I saw green, red and white Light circling the people sitting in meditation. Then I thought there must be something here, so I asked, “Where is the Master?” They told me He was standing in the compound. There I found Sant Kirpal Singh talking to a lady about her meditations. When He finished He came straight over to me and said, “Well, you have come.” As soon as He uttered these words, my whole body was charged with Light and filled with happiness. I knew at once He was a great man. Then we sat down face to face, and He asked me why I had come. I replied that I had come to have bhakti—the loving devotion which leads to union with God. “I’ve got father, mother, wife, children, shop, house but I am not yet satisfied—today I’ve come for bhakti.” He said that I should first grasp the theory, then I could have it. But I replied, “No, no. I want it right now.” He again insisted that I should grasp the theory and attend Satsang. But I again refused. I then told Him that I wanted to talk to the Master who had been sitting on the roof. He sent for a photograph and asked me if this was the per-son I’d seen? When I replied that it was, He told me. “This is my Master Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj. He left the physical body four years ago but He is still working—I am an empty pipe and whatever water He sends I give out.” The people around the Master then said, “Why don’t You give him something?” I also asked again with folded hands for inner experience. He re-plied, “All right, come tomorrow morning.”
The next day the Master was holding initiation. I remember when I arrived Tai Ji was standing in the doorway and she told me to go inside. Master was lying on a bed. He looked towards me and His eyes were full of red Light. He said, “Have you got faith?” I said, “Yes.” He then told me to go outside and sit in the veranda. There were about forty people there, so I took my place in the men’s row. When the Master came out He gave us the theory; afterwards He put us into meditation. I had a very good inner experience of Light and Sound.
For many years I had been giving two and a half hours each day to the worship of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. As the Master had told us to do two and a half hours meditation this meant that I began giving five hours each day to my spiritual practices. As I had not attended a Satsang I was not aware that there was no need to carry on with my former practices. After nine days I suddenly heard the bell ringing so strong that I thought the whole of Delhi had gone mad—ding-dong, ding-dong! But then I remembered that the Master had said that the bell Sound was one of the highest—so I started jumping about and dancing. When I went to bed I completely left the body— Master was taking me by the hand just like a father taking a five year old child. He showed me the higher planes and the deities whom I was worshipping. The next morning I collected all my idols of brass, went to the Ashram and cast them into the well.
From then on I started attending Satsang—in fact I went twice a day as the Master gave meditation sittings morning and evening. This went on for three months. Then one day I asked the Master if He could give me more inner experience. He laughed and said, “Come tomorrow.” I may mention here that from the very first day I was never prevented from entering the Master’s house, even when He was sleeping or eating—I was being brought up just like a baby. So the next day when I arrived the Master took me to the meditation room, and put me into meditation which lasted five hours. After that I told the Master I wished to give up my worldly life and leave my business, but He was very insistent that I should carry on with my obligations
in the world. After another three months I again begged the Master to give me more. He put His hand on my shoulder, and He said, “You are like a sheep bleating ‘Baa-baa’.” The result was that whereas up to then I had enjoyed up to five hours continuously in oceans of Light, then I became like other people and the Light only lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes—the pot was not ready.
People used to complain that I was always telling my inner experiences. Well, it all started one day when Master told me to take two men with me in the car to see Him at Rajpur, and He whispered in my ear that I should make them happy. So all the way I told them my inner experiences. I used to see showers, heavy showers and flowers of Light and Master sitting on the moon. There were rows of suns, thousands of suns. Once on this plane I saw Baba Sawan Singh showering His love on many sat-sangis, and I thought, ‘Oh, He’s not coming to me.” But as soon as I had this thought, He came towards me, embraced me, but as He was doing this He changed into Baba Jaimal Singh. Two months after I was initiated I saw Swami Ji, but when Master asked me what I had seen, I said I had seen Lord Krishna. M