On rare occasions, a few people who are very close to Maharaj have the chance to ask him their inner spiritual questions. Today is such an opportunity: Kissi Atwal, Swaranjit Singh, and a few others are sitting with Maharaj, asking questions.

Kissi says despairingly, “Our attraction toward God will never reach Him. We hardly reach you because our mind is so distracted.”

Maharaj replies, “Nevertheless, the mind is already contemplating something. That attraction in the mind has a particular shape, and the attention of the mind is directed only to that one thing. It has no other desire. Only He is required. And the direction of the mind is such that when the person sees some material things being given to him, and God says, ‘I will give you this,’ the person’s condition is like a fish out of water. Why? He feels, ‘Is He trying to put me off from Him?’ That state of mind is that ‘Every moment I can see You, every moment I can talk to You,’ and when He tries to give something to him, then he is in pain—‘Is He not trying to push me aside with this offer?’ That state of mind is only to see Him, talk to Him every moment.

                Kissi says, “Even in that state of mind, some form must be there in which God is seen.

Maharaj explains, “He comes in the form in which the person perceives Him.”

                Swaranjit Singh asks, “Then He would come in different shapes to different people?”

Maharaj affirms, “One hundred percent.”

Swaranjit asks, “Is worshipping God limited to human beings only, or do animals also worship God?”

                Maharaj says, “No, animals also remember Him. Gurbani (Sikh scripture) says so: Maharaj refers to animals, saying that even in the winter, even in the rain, God is in their hearts and they don’t leave Him even then. Guru Nanak Sahib has said this, and also Kabir Sahib and Farid Sahib. Every human being has a desire, and animals also have desires.

                The real issue is that sometimes the jungle around the mind is so thick that it is all dark. To control the mind is actually the blessing of God. The mind slips away this way or the other way, to any direction, at any time.”

                They say, “Even when we are reciting Nam, doing Paath (reading daily scriptures), the mind roams away.”

Maharaj says, “Just think of that moment when it starts staying—even for a fraction of a second, you are beginning realization. The mind’s nature is so strong that it does not stand still even for a second.”

                They observe, “When we come here and have darshan, the battery of the mind comes charged and for a little time it becomes calmer.”

Maharaj replies, “When you come here, the mind is refreshed with this pious environment. Actually, some people have defended their mind, because it is the mind that is hurt most (in worldly life). Sometimes when the mind is concentrating, an arrow (of enlightened wisdom) is shot into it, even though it is sitting calm and quiet. So many things happen with the person during this time. When the mind feels safe, is not hurt, and is at peace, then it is in samadhi.”

                Kissi turns the conversation toward spirit mediums and contact with the dead. Maharaj responds, “Spirits are there; these things do happen. This is not a big thing. But the medium’s mind must be very clear because otherwise he can’t tell you. When these things first come to you, they appear very tasty. When they become usual for you, you start avoiding them, feeling, ‘Why waste time?’ The medium realizes, ‘These people know what I am telling them. Why should I waste time?’ But initially, these things are very attractive and tasty both for the medium and for the guest.

                Actually, whether something is a human being, a tortoise, a fish, or a dog, it has a spirit. Farid Sahib says that even water speaks, the earth speaks. He tells the river, when the flood comes and washes away houses from its banks, ‘You will be accountable for all this.’ So the river withdraws, realizing ‘I will also be accountable in the House of God.’

                A long time ago we had a buffalo named Sangat. I asked our dairy boy Swaran Singh, ‘Which of your buffalos gives the maximum milk?’ He named Sangat. I said, ‘Okay, we will see tomorrow when you measure the milk.’ On that particular day, her milk was less than others. Everybody started saying that he was not being truthful and was just making an irresponsible statement to Maharaj. Then Swaran Singh had a dream that night. In the dream, that buffalo told him, ‘You have brought a bad name to me. Tomorrow you milk me personally. You milk all of us, and then you call Babaji. I will show Babaji that I give the highest yield.’ She had become rejuvenated in the desire for self-respect. We treat them as animals, but her pride was there, and she was coming to practical terms. Swaran Singh told me of this dream, and I replied that I would be there. And it happened that she really gave the maximum yield.

                Everything has self-respect. Praise a tree in front of another tree, and the other tree will be encouraged (to grow more).

                To understand this you require a clear mind. The human thinks only he has a reasoning mind, but life is in everything. Everything speaks. A person who stays closer to nature—to crops, to trees—has a mind that is a little clearer than others.