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Satsang Discourse: Set Your Goal Right

Satsang Discourse: Set Your Goal Right

[Excerpted from an English translation of discourse given by Param Poojya Shahi Swami ji Maharaj, sometime in 1982. Shahi Swami ji is one of the most important disciples of Maharshi Mehi Paramhans ji Maharaj who would refer to Shah Swami ji as "his heart". Shahi Swami is, perhaps, the senior most disciple of Maharshi Mehi alive.- Translated by Pravesh K. Singh

Dear Devout Brothers & Sisters,

First of all I would recite a hymn of Kabir Sahab, and then, I would try to say something to you on that basis:

"Gagan kee ot nishaanaa hai,
Dahine soor chandramaa baanye, tinke beech chhipaanaa hai.
Tan kee kamaan, surat kaa rodaa, shabd baan le taanaa hai,
Maarat baan bindhyaa tan hee tan, satguru kaa parwaanaa hai.
Maaryo baan ghaav nahi tan mein, jin laagaa tin jaanaa hai,
Kahat Kabir suno bhaai saadho, jin jaanaa tin maanaa hai."
[The target is hidden behind the sky. To the left is the moon and to the right is the Sun; you have to aim between the two, as the support lies hidden between these two. Making the bow of your body, the bow-string of surat, pull and shoot the arrow of the Divine (Celestial) Sound. On practicing meditation, following the Satguru’s commandments, the arrow of the Sound goes on piercing through bodies, one after the other. Quite surprisingly, no wounds are caused even though the arrow penetrates through the body. Incredible though it may sound, it is experienced by only those who have got hit by such an arrow. Kabir says, Listen O Noble People! Only those who have had this experience will testify to, or acknowledge, its veracity.]

In this poem, the first to find mention is "nishaanaa" which means ..target’, ..aim’, or the ..objective’. Through this hymn, Kabir Sahab asks us to first fix our aim. One who has set a proper aim for himself will get everything right, while the one whose object is not right will get everything wrong. .......

Kabir Sahab preaches us to first select our target rightly, know about the target and the learn how to get at it.

What is our aim? What is it each one of us wants to attain? As we see, there is no end, as it were, to our cravings. Sant Tulsi Sahab has said, "Ek dil laakhon tamannaa, us pai aur jyaadaa hawas." [We have one heart but millions of wishes and yet there is no end to our lust.] However, a close analysis will show that every one of us longs for peace, because happiness is inherent in peace. Peace is the mother of bliss. In fact, true peace (or absolute stillness) is the real attribute of God, there is no pedestal or post higher than that. Our Gurudev (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans) wrote,

"Adhun ashabd sarveshwar kahiye, Shaanti swaroop yaahi ko lahiye"
[Supreme Sovereign Lord is soundless, vibration-less. He is absolute peace (stillness). Try to attain to Him.]

A similar reference to the form of God can be found in Kenopanishad:

"Yanmanasaa na manute, yenahurmanomatam.

Tadev Brahma tvam viddhi, nedam yadidamupaasate. "
[Treat that as God who can not be pondered over or unthinkable by the mind; rather, the mind derives its power to think from Him. All other forms (bound by time and space) of God that are worshipped in this world are not Brahma (God).]

Further, Kathopanishad says,

"Vaayur yathaiko bhuvanam pravishto, roopam roopam pratiroopobahoov
Ekastathaa sarvabhootaantaraat maa, roopam roopam pratiroopam bahisch."
[Just as on and the same air mass assumes a number of different forms or shapes according to the vessel or container or house it enters to fill in, the one and only God pervades all the objects of the universe to assume corresponding forms, and yet is able to retain His pure independent identity beyond everything.]

Sant Kabir Sahab describes God as:

"Alakh niranjan lakhai na koee, nirbhay niraakaar hai soee.
Sunni sthool roop nahi rekha, drishti adrishti, chhipyo nahi pekhaa.
Varan avaran kathyo nahi jaee, sakl ateet ghat rahyau samaaee.
Aadi ant taahi nahi madhe, kathyau na jaee aahi akathe.
Aparampaar upajai nahi binase, jugati na jaaniye, kathiye kaise.
Jas kathiye tas hot nahi, jas hai taisaa soee.
Kahat sunat such upaje, aru paramaarath hoee."
[He is invisible (to gross eyes), beyond all trappings of illusion (maya), fearless and can not be ascribed any shape. He is not gross, without any form or outlines and is hidden (to our organs, mind and intellect). He is without any beginning or end. He is beyond all description. He is infinitely expansive, does not get born or die. There is no way we can describe Him exactly, because He is not as we try to depict Him. Only He Himself is like Him. However, talking of Him and listening (about Him and His attributes) gives pleasure and also an act of utmost benevolence. ]

Guru Nanak Sahab also has similar views. He says,

"Alakh apaar agam agochari, naa tisu kaal na karma,
Jaati ajaati ajoni sambhau, naa tisu bhav na bharmaa.
saache sachiyaar vitahu kurvaanu,
Na tisu roop, baranu nahi rekhiyaa, saache shabadi nishaanu.
Naa tisu maatu pitaa sut bandhap, naa tisu kaam na naari,
Akul niranjan, aparparamparu, sagalee joti tumaaree.
Gaht-ghat antari brahma lukaaiyaa, ghati-ghati joti sabaaee,
Bajar kapaat mukate gurmati, nirbhai taadi laaee.
Jant upaai kaalu sirijantaa, basgati jugati sabaaee,
Satiguru sebi padaarathu paavahi, chhootahi shabadu kamaaee.
Soochai Bhaadai saachu samaavai, birale soochaachaaree,
Tantai kau param tantu milaaiyaa, Nanak sharani tumaree."
[God is invisible (to these eyes of flesh & blood), infinitely vast, beyond (the reach of) mind & intellect, unperceivable (by our sense organs), beyond time & actions, unborn, sovereign, without any frailties of mind and mistakes. For sure He does exist (He is the only Truth) and sacrifice yourself onto Him. He has no form, colour or outline; the quintessential sound being the only pointer or guide to Him. He is without any lineage. He is beyond all the contraptions of maya (illusion), without any limits whatsoever. All light is His only. He is secretly permeating through all bodies, illuminating all of them. This robust door of darkness is broken open only by those perseverant and fearless practitioners who have learnt the right art of seeing from an adept Guru. He has created all the beings and time also, and has kept all the keys within his control. Those who pay a selfless service to an accomplished Guru are able to find Him and liberate themselves (from the jaws of birth & death) by practicing the Yoga of Sound. God manifests Himself only within a pure heart; such persons are very rare to find who have by relentless practice of meditation have merged their current of consciousness (surat) into the unstruck sound and thus, says Nanak, found the true Shelter.]

Goswami Tulsidasji writes in his Ramcharit Manas:

"Binu pad chalai, sunai binu kaanaa,
Kar binu karm karai bidhi naanaa.
Aanan rahit sakal ras bhogee,
Binu baanee bakta bad jogee.
Tan binu parasi nayan binu dekhaa,
Grahai ghraan binu baas asekhaa.
Asi sab bhaanti alaukik karanee,
Mahimaa jaasu jaai nahi baranee."
[He walks without legs, hears without ears, performs all sorts of acts without any hands, enjoys all kinds of recipes without mouth and can talk without tongue. He touches everything though being body-less, sees without eyes and possesses an extraordinary sense of smell without any nose. Thus he does all sorts of incredible feats all of which are impossible of description. ]

Soordas ji in a similar vein utters,

"Avigat gati jaani naa padai,
Man vach karm agaadh agochar, kehi vidhi budhi sancharai."
[He is omnipresent and it is impossible to understand Him fully with our gross senses, mind & intellect]

We find several such similar convincing references in the Holy Scriptures and sayings of Sants. Kabir Sahab (through his poem I rendered a little ago) says that such a God is (hidden) behind the sky. Other Sants have used different other similes. Dadoo Dayal ji Maharaj describes Him to be "sunni sunna sunna ke paaraa"(beyond all voids and realms), while Goswami Tulsidasji Maharaj calls Him to be "prakriti paar prabhu sab ur waasee" (Beyond the universe or Nature, though living in all hearts), and our Gurudev, Maharshi Mehi Paramhansji says, "Peev nihshabd mein" (The Lord is in the Soundless State). As a matter of fact, all these sayings like "beyond all voids", "beyond the Universe" and "in Soundless State" refer to the same basic Truth. The fact of the matter is that because of being all-pervasive, He is to be found everywhere, but He is unknowable everywhere. Goswami Tulsidasji writes in Ramcharit Manas:

"Roop bisekh naam binu jaane. Kartal gat na paranhi pahichaane"
[He, though existing the closest to us, is not perceived without knowing His special form (through "vindu dhyaan"or Yoga of Divine Light) and word (by practicing "surat shabd yog", or "naadaanusandhaan" or the Yoga of Quintessential Celestial Sound).]

Our Guru Maharaj (Maharshi Mehi) has also written,

"Piu vyaapak sarvatra parakh aavai nahi.
Gurumukh ghat hee maahi parakh paavai sahi"
[Lord, though present everywhere with same density, is not perceived (by our senses). Those initiated by an accomplished Guru can see Him within themselves only.]

God is perceivable through the soul only. But our individual soul has become surrounded or covered by several sheaths or bodies and organs. So long as it remains in the captivity of these various bodies and organs, it will be under the knowledge of these bodies and organs only, will be under illusory knowledge only (because these bodies themselves are illusory), and will not be able to realise the God. In order to know Him, the Jivatma or the individual soul shall have to liberate itself from these bondages. The one who is able to liberate himself from the body & organs, is able to lift himself beyond this world, too. Our Gurudev [Maharshi Mehi] has said, "There is a very strong relationship between our body and the world around us. The universe is formed of the very same elements of which our body is made. Just as there are gross, subtle, causal and supra-causal spheres or realms inside our body, these very spheres or realms are to be found in the universe, also. So, we (at any given point of time) are in the same realms of the universe as well as of the body. If we lift ourselves beyond a particular sphere of our body, we lift beyond the same sphere of the universe also. Thus, one who can raise himself beyond all the realms of the body will also rise or ascend beyond all realms of the universe. The one, who has freed himself fully from his body, has freed himself of the universe, also."And it is thus that all the above-mentioned "Behind the Sky" of Kabir, "Beyond all voids" of Dadu Dayal ji, "Beyond the Universe or nature" of Tulsidas ji and "Soundless State" of Maharshi Mehi becomes fully realised, operationalised or fulfilled. Separating ourselves from our various bodies and organs, we first come to know our own soul and subsequently, the supra-soul i.e., God also. This realisation is not an intellectual knowledge; this is a realisation that springs out of direct, first-hand, experience, and leads to the end of all our afflictions, sorrows and grieves for ever. We attain perfect liberation even while we are alive, in this body itself.

To obtain such a state, what support should we seek? Sant Kabir says, "Dahine soor Chandramaa baanye, tinke beech chhipaanaa hai" that is, that support is hidden in the Centre of the two eyebrows. How will we, seeking this support, proceed ahead? Kabir says, "Make your body into a bow and your surat (current of consciousness) the bow-string. Make the bow-string taut (by concentrating it at a point – the Seat of the Soul within the body, and release or shoot the arrow of the Celestial Vibration or Sound (here the hint is clearly to practice the "surat-shabd yoga"or "naadaanusandhaan" or the Yoga of Divine Sound). That arrow of sound will go on penetrating through all the four bodies or realms stated above taking the soul along with it and will finally push the soul into the Highest Soundless State, the true abode of God. This is the target, Kabir sahib says, hidden behind the sky. Thus our soul, seeking the help of Sound, will finally reach and merge into that Highest Entity i.e. God. Actually, the secret to such a practice can be learnt only from a proficient Guru who Himself has practiced it to perfection. When this arrow goes on piercing the various bodies, Kabir Sahab says, it is a unique, incredible experience; no wounds are caused, rather we experience a pleasure, bliss. That is why; we should learn the right technique and practice accordingly. (Shahi Swami ji)