Whenever Major General Sujan Singh Uban (Retd.) comes to see Maharaj Ji, we can be sure that Maharaj Ji will give a special teaching. Why is this? I have pointed out this fact to General Uban, and he says he has also noticed that whenever he sits at the feet of a holy person, that saint is inspired to give very deep teachings. Perhaps this happens because General Uban does not come seeking any favours or blessings; he is seeking only Truth.
Although he comes humbly, Major General S. S. Uban is no ordinary person. He is a legendary military leader who fought in the Indian Army in World War II as decorated Commander of the 22nd Mountain Regiment in Europe. He also led the Indian Scouts of the Long Range Desert Squadron in Africa, as a specialist in unconventional warfare. He was sent by Prime Minister Nehru to meet the 14th Dalai Lama in the late 1950s shortly after he fled from Tibet and took refuge in northern India. Eventually he was to train the fierce Khampa tribal people who fought against the communists in Tibet in high mountain military strategies, in case they needed to be sent beyond the Chinese border to help prevent Chinese attacks on India.
Despite his military prowess, Major General Uban was a person of deep spiritual interests. When he met the Dalai Lama, he immediately touched his feet and became his devotee. His main guru was Baba Onkarnath, a Brahmin saint from Bengal, who was much influenced by an Udasi follower of Baba Siri Chand. He is now President Emeritus of the Indian chapter of the WCRP (World Conference of Religions for Peace).
In his personal search for Truth, General Uban visited many Indian saints and eventually wrote a book of his impressions: The Gurus of India. He has devoted the last chapter to Baba Virsa Singh, to whom he became closely attached after the passing of Baba Onkarnath, and whom he terms “The 21st Century Prophet.” In his book he recounts a number of Maharaj ji’s miracles that he personally witnessed and writes very appreciatively about Gobind Sadan’s practical programme based on Guru Nanak’s way of “work and worship.” In part, General Uban wrote:
Gobind Sadan at Delhi and several other farms in different places including a 270 acre farm at Syracuse, USA, are setting an example of hard labour and an honest and fruitful life of caring and sharing.
People are being transformed through a personal example by this spiritual leader. A new world order is in the offing, for which beginnings are being made in India, and the helmsman or I would prefer to call him the Prophet of the 21st Century is Baba Virsa Singh who exhibits all that is best in the spiritual culture. . . .
There is great hunger for a highly satisfying spiritual experience throughout the world, the old shops run by Pandits, Mullahs, and Padaries are closing, being not in demand. The need is being felt to develop an entirely personal and intimate relationship with GOD through a system which does not advocate renunciation but active participation in the total activity of LIFE without getting attached too much to it and also sharing its fruits and joy with others. People are looking for realized souls who can teach through personal example and character and who have that unusual power to transform lives by their mere presence. . . .
When Baba Virsa Singh was invited by UNICEF, at my instance, to participate in their Conference at Princeton, USA, held for the Rights of the Child in 1990, his presence amongst the religious leaders of the world became noticeable, by the highest among them, paying veneration to this simple, unlettered mystic, clad in angelic white. . . .
Baba Virsa Singh is a great advocate of constant remembrance of the Lord God. . . . The other two basics are: Hard personal labour to earn an honest livelihood and a life of CARING and SHARING. What could be simpler?
The results of this become apparent very soon in one’s own life. This purpose of one’s life becomes clear and the life after seeking His blessings and meticulously following the path becomes interesting and joyful.*
When General Uban comes in, Maharaj greets him warmly and begins talking about misunderstandings that have arisen in all religions. “There is no need to fear anyone, but every religion is afraid,” Maharaj says. He suggests that we should instead explore the truths of religion very deeply. Furthermore, he says, “Why believe in only one prophet? They are all love. All are living in your heart.”
Referring to fundamentalist Hindus’ desire to build a temple to Lord Rama on the site of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Maharaj recounts that he questioned one of them: “I asked him if he had a map of Lord Rama’s house, how many bedrooms it had, and so on. He said, ’No.’ I said, ‘It’s because Lord Rama is in every tree. Why think of Him as being in a small place?”
Maharaj continues telling General Uban,
Now everyone has made themselves religious authorities and are misleading the people. It is all wrong shooting, wrong operations. First understand why the prophets have come, and notice that the priests have always opposed them. They crucified Jesus. The prophets were speaking truth, and the priests opposed them. Jesus was Light. That Light, that Atma is in everyone. Otherwise our body would die.
People are afraid to speak up. But sit and look neutrally at what the prophets said. You will see that it was all one message, one seva, one love. They say that Jesus was God’s only Son, but we are all God’s sons and daughters. As Guru Nanak taught, “There is one Father and we are all His children.” What is the relationship between us? There are bloodlines, and on the other hand there is our connection through God, Who is everywhere.
The priest is management; Jesus is religion. The priest sits in the temple; Krishna is not that. The priest sits giving Prasad and mantras in Rama’s name, but He is not there. Priests are always enemies of Truth. They have no relationship to God. They are like factories. It’s all swords. Where is love?
We want to tell people: Don’t become atheist from looking at priests. Their position is different from God’s. Priests call you Bhagwan if you give money, but they don’t say that to the poor because they have no money. Looking at priests, even though God is so near to you, you will become far from Him.
If you really understand dharma, you will not have any enmity with anyone. Look how far from dharma our country is now. People do not understand that in dharma there is no caste, no high and low—only love. There is only one path for coming and going. God’s path is only one, whether a person is a dervish, king, servant, or master. Kabir said we all drank our mother’s milk and came in by the same way. I always wonder why we are so divided.
*Major General S. S. Uban, The Gurus of India, New Delhi: Allied Publishers Limited, second enlarged Indian edition, 1992, pp. 167-169.
