Master's Basant Celebration Speech
Satkhol Himalayan Ashram
Thursday, 2 February 2006
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On this auspicious day of Basant, we have just now witnessed how truly international our satsangs are becoming, that we see marriages between different countries, different nationalities, different backgrounds – an Italian gentleman marrying one of my favourite Danish daughters, an Indian marrying a Russian lady – and the Indian boy is called Lenin! (Laughter) So you see, our Mission is spreading not geographically or in other ways, but in the very real, natural way, Sahaj Marg way, of uniting hearts from all over the world. These marriages are evidence of the union of hearts and that people should marry, you know, with such backgrounds, especially in India, we know which has been the home of caste-ism, religious fanaticism, religious superstition.
These things have held this country back spiritually more than anything else. It is unfortunate that the average Indian thinks that his religion will take him to heaven. His religion will only keep him on earth – let me assure you of this fact. Because we here have seen our grandmaster Lalaji Maharaj, my Master Babuji Maharaj, how they have started from a remote village in Fatehgarh, then to another bigger, much bigger city, Shahjahanpur and this teaching has spread, this practice of Sahaj Marg has spread almost throughout the world.
Today, we have also an esteemed brother, a preceptor, from Moldova, Mr. Ilya Kazmali, who is here on this auspicious occasion. So you see, we have covered now about 92 countries of this world – Sahaj Marg – and we have Christians, we have Jews, we have Muslims, there are some here from Dubai. And that an Indian and a Muslim should sit together in the same assembly is something of a victory which only God present in a human heart can achieve! A former Prime Minister of India came to meet me two years back in Delhi and he asked me "What has your Mission achieved?"
I said, "Sir, we have even centres in Pakistan! (Laughter.) What your government has not achieved in over fifty years, my Mission has achieved." And today I have the happy news that a group of our abhyasi brothers and sisters from Pakistan are proposing to visit India now shortly. So you see, what we can do through spirituality! Politics only divides, religion divides, spirituality brings together. Because spirituality deals with human beings, not with Germans, Japanese, Hindus, Christians. We have nothing to do with race, nothing to do with nationality, nothing to do with language. Lenin does not speak Russian, his wife of five minutes long knows very little English, but I am sure they will produce wonderful babies! (Laughter.)
Spiritual life brings all these countries even closer. As long as we remain separated by language, by color, by religion, by race, by politics, this world will be subjected to strife, to wars, to destruction, to dalersim, all these funny things, all these destructive things; all these things which should not remain on a world which is supposed to have been created by God, blessed by God and looked after by God.
It is up to all of us here to prepare this sacred thought of united hearts everywhere in the whole world, speaking only of those things that can keep us united, avoiding all these schisms. Our constitution of the Mission does not permit our involvement in politics, and the mission has nothing to do with politics, it has nothing to do with anything to do with politics; it has nothing to do with anything except individuals and their Creator. So on this auspicious day, I would like to remind you that our duty will be performed easily, happily, harmoniously when we remember the great Master and do it. When you think of yourself and do it, you will find a lot of obstacles. Remember the Master and go ahead – it will be smooth sailing.
Remembrance is the key to life itself on this world. Remembrance will take us from Here to There without our even knowing that we have gone somewhere. One moment you are here, next moment you will be in the Brighter World. It will be no different except that there you will have all the Masters of our hierarchy before you, welcoming you, blessing you and saying "Well, you made it! Have a seat."
May it be so! Thank You.
