Gerald and Lena Shagedanov have brought Valodya the Russian artist and Natalia the magazine editor to Maharaj again. As they discuss various deep points, Valodya is making a powerful chalk drawing of Maharaj ji, Gerald is translating into Russian, Natalia is writing in her notebook as fast as she can, and Lena is leaning on a table, listening intently and smiling.
The Russians pose the question: How to join mind and body? Maharaj answers,
Nothing is done without the mind. All prophets have spoken only of the mind. Love, seva, anger–these all arise from thoughts. Why was Jesus different from us? He healed because in his thoughts there was healing.
We are celebrating Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday. What does his coming mean? At that time people’s minds were filled with fear, with ego, with taking away other’s rights. He came to teach that if you love God, anger and ego, hatred and fear will disappear. He uplifted the people by raising their mental level. And when good thoughts are developed, the body will do good actions.
When Peter met Jesus, there was no love or respect in his heart for Jesus. Rather, there was a bit of anger. His body remained the same, but from within, Peter’s thoughts changed. Love arose and he understood that Jesus was a great spiritual master.
Similarly, a flower or tree may continue standing in the same way, but when a healer comes, they are miraculously healed from his thoughts. The holy person has the same effect on people. In Jesus’ time, some people were stoning a woman. They saw her as a sinner, angrily saying that she had broken the law of Moses. Jesus spoke to them, and his thought went straight into them. He said, “Think: Is there any one of you who has not sinned?” That thought changed them, and their bodies which had been stoning the woman became peaceful.
When we sit in meditation, why doesn’t that benefit us? It is only our concentration that leads to a meeting with Him. Then our evils leave and our good qualities manifest. Until concentration and the mantra we recite are joined, we will not be enlightened. Those whom we call Brahmgiani (God-realized) are called that because they have brought the two together.
Valodya looks up from his drawing and says, “What Maharaj says is right. But after we concentrate, our mind and body are again disturbed when we go out into the world.”
Maharaj answers,
There is a great secret here. You may concentrate your mind 24 hours a day, but when you visualize Him even once, then you will not forget Him even for a minute. You will see Him even when you are sleeping.
What is meditation? Always concentrating on the messenger’s words–words of truth, of love. What is the Messiah? One who connects us 24 hours a day with the One who is always supplying us with everything. Meditation doesn’t mean to leave everything, but rather to remain connected with good thoughts, so that you never waver, so that no anger or hatred ever arise. Whenever the prophets spoke, they were linked with Him. Think of Him 24 hours a day, whether you are picking up a child, or laughing, or whatever.
If you sit in samadhi with anger, that is not meditation. But if you are reminded of Him by everything you see, you are 24 hours a day joined with that Creator of the whole Creation. That is truly meditation.
When a child is flying a kite, he may be talking with others but his concentration is on the kite. Women carrying pots of water on their head may be talking to each other, but their concentration is on the pot so that it doesn’t fall. You may be doing anything, but your concentration remains on Him.
Gerald remarks with a grin, “So all these people driving in Indian traffic, oblivious of the rules, are meditating?”
Maharaj says,
They are concentrating on their worries.
If you see His Kingdom, you can never forget that One Who is supplying the whole Creation. All the prophets definitely meditated on Him in order to meet Him, to recognize how He works, and then they saw Him everywhere. Joined with His Spirit, you work, feeling Him present in the whole Creation.
Natalia asks, “What to do if there are a lot of people saying they are prophets, but they are actually false? How can we recognize who is true and who is false, for they are influencing people?”
Maharaj says,
You cannot hide truth or evils for long. The person’s inner reality eventually comes out. There are some things you cannot hide, for they eventually sprout. Evils always fall, but truth always shines. People try to suppress the truth brought by the prophets, but they empower truth. Whatever people do to hide or suppress the tree of truth, it will always sprout again.
Truth is a matter of suffering. It has a very powerful, strong base. It will not fall. Evil can never hide it.
Natasha says, “To move toward truth, one makes so many mistakes.”
Maharaj tells her,
No matter. You may make mistakes, you may suffer on the way, but at last you reach truth.
Gerald says, “You may keep making mistakes and never reach truth.”
Maharaj tells him,
Your longing is so strong that it never ends. It is not a question of one birth.
Gerald says, “Historically people in Russia are becoming cleaner through suffering. Is this a way to approach God?”
Maharaj says,
If a person has faith in God, his path is cleared.
Gerald continues, “Compassion and personal suffering are very connected in Russia.”
Maharaj explains,
Compassion is very good. God listens to that.
These days there are three urgently needed things in Russia: Faith, teamwork, and coordination. With these, all difficulties will leave. In our country, teamwork means considering how to remove crime and poverty and starting to work to end the problems.
We can all unite on these things: understanding others’ problems as your own, and understanding the country as your own home. Then there will surely be peace. Teamwork means this: to strengthen peace, to improve lifestyles. Make a team around this, and say to God, “We have made a decision. But we need Your blessing–please heal us.” Then it is my firm faith that love will be created in your country and hatred will leave–with peace, with prosperity, not with fighting. Give all your energy to this, and in two years you will be amazed at the progress. Now everyone is thinking in different directions, but all should think how to uplift the country. There are many minerals in your land, and great energy in your bodies. So why not progress? Why is there poverty?
This is a time to operate, not to think and plan. When the patient is ill, you don’t think and plan when to x-ray and operate. You operate at once. Unite the two energies–that of the body and the treasure in the earth. And unite your thoughts.
Valodya looks at his drawing and says to us, “I wanted to make him smiling, but I can’t, for he is carrying many people’s problems.” To Maharaj, he says, “All people should work as a team, but not only in Russia–in the whole world. We should be thankful to Maharaj not only for his advice but also for his activity, which should improve all people.”
Maharaj says,
It is the rule of God that quality overtakes the majority. There is a cycle whose wave we are now in which will be broken this year. Understand this as a good thing. Now everyone understands that it is a difficult time. This understanding is God’s blessing. It is good: Both attacker and attacked are feeling that it is wrong. This is the situation in which change comes. Understand that the ground is being made for improvement. Now people want teamwork and peace. They are ready to listen. Now everyone is ready to be a student of peace. A very good time has come. Now in all countries the students are ready. Now the need is for the master to come and teach the lesson of peace. Years ago they would not have listened. Now the time has come. We should try to spread the good ideas. Now I feel people all want to believe that one God came through Moses, Jesus, Guru Nanak, etc. They couldn’t tolerate that idea before. The words of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Guru Nanak, and so on are ancient, but people weren’t ready before to listen.
Valodya says, “Babaji is right. But maybe he is overestimating people. Maybe it will take longer. He is so good inside that he thinks others are better than they are.”
Maharaj assures him,
Never mind. God is very powerful. He is not tired. When a child starts crying and you give him a nipple to suck and milk comes, he stops crying. When God will send His healing, it will be so tasty that all will come to drink.
