The paathi sings from the Bani of Sant Charandas from the book: Santo Ki Bani...
Jag ka kaha na maaniye,
Satguru se le buddhi,
Jag ka kaha na maaniye,
Satguru se le buddhi,
Ta koon hiye mein raakhiye,
Karo sitaabi suddhi.
THIS IS THE BANI of Param Sant Satguru Charandas. Charandas Ji was born in Rajasthan, but at a young age He lost His father and He had to come to Delhi and that's where He settled. He had two gurumukh-sikhs, Daya Bai and Sahjo Bai. Sahjo Bai and Daya Bai were both sisters. They came from a princely family and they also came to Delhi.
So, He spread the learning in Delhi and He used to go to different places to spread the learnings of Surat Shabd Yoga. He says, “People who are away from Satsang, and are worldly people, you should stay away from such people.” So, when worldly people talk, they talk about worldly things, and they’re tied up in various rituals and they waste your time. So, you should be away from that.
Kabir Sahib also had said earlier, “As we go, the effect of our company is very important.” So, as we go in the company of the sangat, that has an enduring effect on our mind and we also start doing more devotion. So, it is important for gurumukhs to stay away from manmukhs and be devoted at the Feet of their Masters.
When I got the first opportunity to listen to Satsang, my age was twenty years. I used to listen to Satsang and then I used to keep thinking on that, and I seldom talked to other people. And I was constantly in the thoughts relating to the Satsang I’d heard. But, the worldly people often dissuaded me; they told me that this is not the age to listen to Satsang.
This is the age to start earning money, to build your wealth and to get settled in society and things like that. So, such talk has an impact on the mind. It is important for gurumukhs to stay devoted and not keep the company of manmukhs.
Arsath teerath tohe bikhe,
Baahar kyon bhatkaaaye,
Arsath teerath tohe bikhe,
Baahar kyon bhatkaaaye,
Charandas yon kahat hai,
Ulta hvai ghat aaye.
Charandas Ji says, “There's no point in going to those sixty-eight pilgrimages outside. Instead, turn and invert your mind, and then you will get the benefit of going within.”
This practice of going to pilgrimages is even there today, though it is not so prevalent in the south of India. But, in the north of India, it is still very, very prevalent. People, often, at least once in six months, like to go to pilgrimages. People from Punjab go to Haridwar, and they make it a point to go at least once in six months. They believe that by going to these pilgrimages, they will get salvation in the end.
When I was in the village in U.P., there the ladies would also go for this pilgrimage. And they believed that by going and taking a bath once in the holy waters of Ganges, these sins of theirs would get redeemed.
Charandas Ji says there is no point in going to these pilgrimages, and these pilgrimages are not, in any way, going to reduce your sins. You have to, instead, go to a Perfect Master and, following His Teachings, you have to get your mind inverted and go within.
Amar Das Ji also spent almost twenty-two years going on pilgrimages. And he went to various pilgrimages. Finally, he had the fortune of going at the feet of Guru Angad Dev Ji from Whom he was initiated. And he told Angad Dev Ji why he had to spend so many years, unfortunately, going from place to place in these pilgrimages.
So, Charandas Ji says, “Instead, you should follow the Teachings of your Master and go within. And, at the back of your Eye Center, you should do your Simran. And then, you will definitely get the benefit there.”
Bharmat bharmat aai ya,
Paa'i maanush deh,
Bharmat bharmat aai ya,
Paa'i maanush deh,
Aiso ausuar phir kahan,
Naam sitaabi leh.
Now, Charandas Ji says, “You have been going through the chaurasi, and you have gone from life form to life form. It is after so many lives that you have got this precious human life. So, do not waste this human life, but fulfill the purpose for which you have got this life.” Because, this human body, this human life, has been given to us, and this body is known to be the only body that can convert you from a human to God. This is the penultimate of the 8.4 million life forms that are there. It is the last step on the ladder to go and meet God Almighty.
So, if we miss this opportunity and our mind wanders in its attachments, and all the desires, and all the other worldly things, then we miss this precious opportunity and we waste this life. And then we fall back into that 8.4 million life forms and go into some life of a plant. After getting a human life, one seldom gets another human life. It is only possible when they have been blessed or seen by a Perfect Master, or they have very, very good past deeds.
In Kengeri Ashram of Baba Somanath Ji, at the gate, there was a beautiful mango tree, a very big mango tree. And it had very sweet mangoes. There were, in fact, two types of mangoes that tree would give. One was red and one was yellow. And they were very sweet. This tree was at the gate of the ashram and there was need to build a place for a watchman or a guard there. So, a room was to be created next to the gate and it was necessary for cutting this tree to create that room. So, they called a carpenter from Bangalore to cut this tree. But then, all the devotees there, all the satsangis, went to Baba Ji and they requested, “This tree gives very good sweet mangoes. So, let us not cut this tree. Instead, let us change the location of that room.”
So then, Baba Ji told them, “All of you are only saying that this tree gives such sweet mangoes. So, don't you think that tree should get salvation?”
So, that carpenter who had come to cut that tree did not have any shoes. And then, he requested Baba Ji, “If you're going to cut this, and that soul is going to have to move to another body, please bless me with a child, so I can get that soul of that tree as a child.”
Baba Ji laughed and walked away. And then, they cut the tree. And, exactly one year later, that carpenter had a baby boy. When that baby was four days old, that carpenter took that baby and they came to the ashram, and he placed that baby at the feet of Baba Ji.
Baba Ji laughed and said, “He's as beautiful as a mango.” So, He named him Sundar. ‘Sundar’ means beautiful.
So, that way, if a Perfect Master blesses, then the soul can move from a very low species directly to a human body. Otherwise, the law of nature is that you have to go through all these life forms, and then take the birth as a human being. So, you have to go through 8.4 million life forms. There are 3 million types of plants and trees, and 2.7 million types of insects, and about 1.4 million types of birds, and about 900,000 types of water-based animals, and about 400,000 mammals.
Charandas Ji says, “Such a beautiful life has been given to you as a human. So, you should wake up in this.”
Karai tapasya naam bin,
Jog jagya aru daan,
Karai tapasya naam bin,
Jog jagya aru daan,
Charandas yon kahat hai,
Sab hi thothe jaan.
He says, “Without going to the Feet of a True Master, any kind of austerity, any kind of ritual, any kind of practice that we do, is all a waste.” Even the benefit of giving a donation. We get the benefit only when we have the Grace of the Master. Because, without the Grace of a Master, a soul cannot even go to heaven, or Vaikuntha, or Kailash.
So if, under the influence of mind, we do all of these things; like we do tapas here or we do donations, we do those kinds of things; if we do donations and we spend money selflessly for the benefit of others under the influence of the mind without a Perfect Master, then we may come back into life as a wealthy person, or as some rich person. Or, if we have done austerities, then we may come back into life as a politician, or as a ruler, or as a senior bureaucrat, or something like that. But, we will not get salvation without the Blessings and Grace of a True Master.
Jin ko man virkat sada,
Rahau jahaan chit hoye,
Jin ko man virkat sada,
Rahau jahaan chit hoye,
Ghar baahar dou ek sa,
Daari dubidha khoye.
The doctrine is that if we have a desire to come back to a certain family, or a certain place, or we have an attachment with a certain person or a family or a place then, in the next life, we will be going back to that same place if we died with that desire. But, because of the karmas and the deeds, it is not necessary that you will come back in the life of a human form. So, you may come back as any other life form, but you will come back to that same place.
Without Naam, there is no question of getting salvation. And we will not get a human birth again like that. Even for an initiate, if he is not following the Teachings of the Master, and he indulges in things, which have been restricted — like he drinks intoxicants and he eats non-vegetarian food and does things, which have been prohibited, then it is likely that he will be sent back in another human body. And then, he will have to redeem all those sins. And the Master will determine how he will have to redeem those sins. And then he will be given, accordingly, a human form again. Because, when he is born again in the human form, the Master Who has initiated him earlier may not be in the human form, so it is likely that he will have to go to another Perfect Master in the next life when he comes here.
So, the seed of Naam will never get destroyed. And even if that same Master is not there Who has initiated him, the other Master will take that responsibility and take the soul back. So, that seed of initiation will never get destroyed.
If we have been initiated, and we follow the Teachings of the Master then, even if we do a little bit of meditation, at the time of death, the Master comes to fetch that soul.
Satguru sarnai karain nahi,
Kaha na manai ek,
Satguru sarnai karain nahi,
Kaha na manai ek,
Te nar bahu dukh paa'i hain,
Tin koon sukh nahi nek.
Like I had mentioned earlier, for those initiates who do not do any meditation, who completely forget their Master and do not follow Their Teachings at all, and they get completely lost in this world in their desires and other attachments, such people have to undergo that suffering in this life and even later.
So, during Nanak Dev’s time, the preaching was new. This whole practice, this understanding of Sant Mat, was quite new. And often, when someone was initiated in the family, he would try to force the others or get the others to just take initiation. And without the understanding of that initiation, and without following, people would get initiated just like that.
So, one such incident was when this certain person got initiated, and then he got one of the older members of his family to also get initiated. Now, that old man took initiation. However, he did not follow this Path at all. He did not do any meditation. He did not follow any Teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib and he continued eating his non-vegetarian food. He was completely indulging in all kinds of activities.
There was a cow in that household and there was a small calf. So, he had a strong attachment for that cow and that calf. After his death, because of that desire and his attachment to that calf, he was born again. He was born again to that cow as a calf. And that family had four such bullocks. And they then engaged that bullock also as one of the bullocks for farming. They used to make use of him for farming.
So, once Guru Nanak was sitting and Mardana was writing some of the text that He was saying and dictating. Suddenly, Guru Nanak Sahib started laughing. And Mardana asked Him why He was laughing because there was nothing in the text that was funny.
He said, “Mardana, one of my initiates, he has now been born as a bullock.”
So, Mardana pleaded to Guru Nanak Sahib and said, “That initiate, or devotee, must be now suffering as a bullock. So, please grace him. I am sure that, now that he has gone through all of this, he will listen to the Teachings. So, please grace him.”
So, they decided to go. And they went to that family, which had those bullocks and they were very well received because they were very respected in that family. And the family asked them as to the purpose of their visit.
Guru Nanak told them, “I would like to see your bullocks.” Then He went there. He was moving His hand on that bullock and caressing him. And He mentioned and He whispered in his ears and asked him whether he would be interested in coming now?
That bullock told Him, “You know, when they till this land, the other bullock, who is tied with me, he is very weak. And, if I go, then he will not be able to till the land very well. And, as a result, they will not be able to do their agriculture well. So, let that bullock get a little stronger.”
So, then Guru Nanak Ji and Mardana left from there because Saints never force anyone.
Now, usually, bullocks live for about eighteen years, but because they're made to work very hard on these farms, they typically live for about thirteen to fourteen years. So, this bullock died around that time.
Now, that bullock died and because he was still attached to that family and his desire was there at the time of death, he was again born in that family, near that family. And, this time, he was born as a dog.
So, Mardana and Guru Nanak Sahib were sitting on a hilltop, when Mardana remembered that bullock, and he asked Him, “What has happened to that bullock?”
Guru Nanak said, “He's now come in the form of a dog in that family.”
So, Mardana requested Him, “Now that he is born as a dog, he will be very ill-treated there. So, I'm sure he will agree to come. I think we should pay them a visit and try to get him back.”
Again, they went to that family and they were well received. And, after some time of hospitality, they went out. Guru Nanak Sahib went near the dog. And again, He was caressing that dog and He quietly whispered in his ear, “Okay now, would you like to come now?” So, He was talking to that soul of that dog.
The dog replied, “See? These people leave their door open and I'm taking care of the house. So, now, if I go and they leave that door open like that, then there is a possibility of theft in the house.”
Once it so happened that the food was being cooked, and one roti was being prepared. And, in fact, this old man's daughter-in-law was making it. But, now, he was a dog in that same family there. So, that daughter-in-law made that roti. And while she was making it, she wanted to fetch some water. So, she left that roti roasting there and went out to fetch water.
That smell of roti drew that dog inside, and he went and got that roti out of that pan and started eating it.
Now, this lady, when she came back, she observed that this dog had been eating that roti. So, she kept that pot of water, took a very strong stick, and waited at the door. When that dog came out, she hit him hard on his back, and that broke his spine.
Now, who hit that dog? It was his own daughter-in-law. But, that daughter-in-law didn’t know that this was her father-in-law whom she was hitting with a stick like that. So, that way, in the pain of a broken spine, that dog died in about fifteen days, because no one took care of him.
But, he still continued to have his affection there. And he was still attached to that family, so he was again born there. This time he was born as a snake, and he grew into a large snake.
Now, he often liked to see his grandchildren. So, he would come out once in a while to see his grandchildren. But, as soon as the other family members would see him, they would run behind him with sticks. So, he would again go and hide.
Once the family members had gone for grass cutting outside, and there was a small baby girl that was left inside on a cot, and she was sleeping. And these people had just gone to cut grass nearby.
So, this baby started crying, and the snake could not stand that his granddaughter was crying. When he observed that there was nobody who was attending to her, he went there to make her stop crying. And he started playing with her. And she also started playing with him. And she stopped crying.
Meanwhile, one of the lady members of the house came back to fetch some water. And she saw that this snake was near the baby. So, she dropped that pot of water and ran back and called everyone, saying that the snake had bitten their daughter. Three, four male members brought sticks with them and, when they came, they knocked the snake away and they killed that snake with sticks. But, the snake had not bitten their daughter.
Again, that mind and soul was still attached to that family. And now, this life of a snake was over, but he was born again there. This time he was born as an insect in one of the sewers of that house.
Later, again, Mardana asked Nanak Sahib, “What would've happened to that soul, which was there in that family?”
Nanak Sahib told him, “Look, he was a dog. Then, from a dog, he became a snake. And now, from a snake, he has become an insect. And he will die shortly, and then he will become a tree.”
So, Mardana requested, “He is not coming by requesting. I think we'll have to forcefully bring him back.”
Guru Nanak Ji also felt that He was also getting quite old. And He felt, “Okay let us get this soul out.”
So, they decided to go back to that family, and they went back there.
Nanak Sahib lived till quite an old age. So, He was quite old when He went. And when He went there again, they were well received there in the family. And, after some time of hospitality, they went to the backyard of the house where the dirty kitchen water was going into that sewer. And there, Nanak Sahib pointed to Mardana, and there was this small insect, quite equal to a grain of rice. He was there. He was just born there. And He told Mardana to take that insect out of that water.
And so, Mardana picked him up with two sticks. And then, Nanak Sahib squashed it with His toe. And then, He blessed him and graced him with a human life. Now, after that, he was, in his later life, initiated by another Master, because Nanak Sahib did not initiate him again.
So, there are souls who get initiated, but then not for even a fleeting second, do they remember about this, and they do not do any Bhajan Simran, they do not listen to the Teachings of the Master. So, they have to suffer, sometimes, like this.
Aapai bhajan karain nahi,
Aurai mane karain,
Aapai bhajan karain nahi,
Aurai mane karain,
Charandas vai dushr nar,
Bhram bhram narak parain.
Then, Charandas Ji says, “Those worldly people who discourage others also from spirituality and they do not allow them to do their practice or follow the Path, such people, for several times, go to hell. They keep going back, again and again, into hell.” So, such people, they have discouraged the others. They, in fact, bring impediments to the other people who are spiritually inclined or are following the Path. These people who bring such impediments or discourage or speak badly against such people who are following the Path, they have to suffer in their life.
Auran koon upadesh kari,
Bhajan karain nishkaam,
Auran koon upadesh kari,
Bhajan karain nishkaam,
Charandas vai saadh jan,
Pahunchain hari ek dhaam.
Charandas Ji says, “Those souls who not only do their own meditation and follow the Path, but also help others in their devotion, such souls definitely go to God Almighty.”
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji also had said, “If there is a person who is doing the practice and who is devoted, then you should go and take their help, which will help you stand on your own devotion and practice.”
Charandas Ji also says, “Those people, who help others in their practice, who do their own practice and help others also do their devotion, they definitely go to God Almighty.”
But, those people who do not do their own meditation or devotion, but just speak to others and tell the others to do their devotion and practice, their word does not carry weight to such other people. They are not able to create that impact, or that feeling of devotion, in the others.
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji had also said, “If you are going to someone to take help for your devotion, for anyone to go like that, he should check on the background of such a person. See whether he has himself done any meditation in the past. And, only when you are satisfied with that, you should go.”
Charandas Ji says, “Those people who do their devotion and help others also do their devotion, they definitely go to God Almighty.” And you get the benefit from them also.
Sant Mat is a path of doing. It is the path of doing our practice and following the Teachings of the Master. It is not a path to simply talk and just preach for the sake of preaching. For being successful you have to do your practice. So, when we listen to Satsangs, we have to imbibe what is said in the Satsangs, bring that into our lives, and start living our lives like that, following the Teachings of the Masters. Then only, we will get success on this Path.
Bhakti padarath uday soon,
Hoye sabhi kalyaan,
Bhakti padarath uday soon,
Hoye sabhi kalyaan,
Parrhai sunai sevan karai,
Paavai pad nirbhaan.
The Path of devotion is a very high path. If we read books, then we have to bring that into our practice and we have to make our life according to that and practice that devotion. Simply reading books and talking about them, or simply reading, again and again, is not going to help. The high Path of devotion is something about doing that practice.
Sab soon rakh nirbharta,
Gaho deenta dhyaan,
Sab soon rakh nirbharta,
Gaho deenta dhyaan,
Ant mukti pad paa'ihau,
Jag mein hoye na haan.
Charandas Ji says, “You should have compassion for all beings, all animals, all creation. And you should live your life with humility. Then, you will get success on this Path.”
Sant Mat is a Path of love and affection. We should do our devotion with love and affection. And our behavior with one another should also be that of love and affection. So, we should have affection for each other, and we should love each other, and we should do our devotion also with love and affection. This Path is only about love and affection. God Almighty is Love, the soul is Love, and the Path to meet God Almighty is also of Love. We should have love and compassion to all, to the entire creation, to everybody. And we should do our devotion also with love and affection and with humility. We should carry ourselves with a lot of humility because ego is our enemy.
Ego is what brings us, again and again, into this cycle of life and death. So, we should have all humility in our life.
Perfect Masters have an infinite humility. After having everything, after being God Almighty, They carry Themselves with such humility that, when They meet us, They first meet us with folded hands.
So, the way to please God Almighty is with humility, because the God Almighty has everything but humility. If we have to please God Almighty, we can offer humility to Him. So, God Almighty loves humility. With love and affection, when we tread the Path of our devotion with humility, then God Almighty definitely becomes happy. And the Masters also shower Their Grace on us.
Sab soon rakh nirbharta,
Gaho deenta dhyaan,
Sab soon rakh nirbharta,
Gaho deenta dhyaan,
Ant mukti pad paa'ihau,
Jag mein hoye na haan.
Radhaswami.