Zhenya Lugov from Russia has come to see Maharaj along with his Indian colleague Amar. Zhenya is a young leader of spiritual tours in India for Russians. Maharaj begins talking to him about freedom:

            Animals and humans all want a little freedom. For progress in a country, people should have the feeling that some of what they earn will be theirs. By contrast, if they are told with pressure that everything is for the government, progress will always be blocked. The idea of progress and sharing from progress is in everyone’s heart. With that, there will be advancement.

            The main thing is dharma—to feel God in all energy, management, and progress. There should not be pride that “I have done it” or worry that “What will happen?” We must work, but if the persons says, “The work is Yours, the energy and management are Yours,” he will always be free.

            Freedom means having no enmity toward anyone. It means sharing all good things with others. Then that person, his neighbours, his society, and his office will all be happy. But we must believe that there is a Controller—of our thoughts, our body, our actions. We must believe in this if we are to progress.

            A person’s mind is always changing. Sometimes there is sadness, sometimes anger, sometimes selfishness. No one wants these. What we don’t want still passes through the gate. God is that Power by which these things can be controlled. When these things develop within us, we must say “No” to them, for they will hurt others.

            Why is there a difference between people? Jesus taught us love. Who was Jesus? A child born to a mother. Whether Light or not, he still came through a womb. He was created to create love for God. Those who loved him became better human beings. A person who does spiritual practice is different, more compassionate.

            A person may want to become a scientist, but first he has to study and research. He has that power inside. When he develops it more, that skill arises. Another wants to become a doctor. When he studies, full knowledge of the body develops.

 Another wants to be a server, kind and sweetly speaking. There is a school inside, for God’s Power is within. When we pray, love, and see Him everywhere, that enlightenment becomes such that we recognize His Love in animals, oceans, flowers. When will we recognize it? As we pray, His Power arises and manifests within us. Why do we improve? Because we concentrate on the Power which is the Controller everywhere. Hatred and ego decrease and love increases.  

Not only your country, but all countries need love. To love a prophet all you need is to develop love. You don’t need to declare yourself a Christian to love Jesus. The cross is just a symbol. He doesn’t love only those who adopt that symbol. His Father’s Love was there long before he came.

If someone says, “Moses will be happy if you declare, ‘I’m a Jew,’” Moses will not. Moses is of a great country: One God, not just part of Jews and Israel. Another says, “Declare ‘I’m Muslim,’ and then Allah will be happy.” No—Mu’min (believer) means having a compassionate mind, seeing Allah in the whole cosmos. Thus some people were Mu’min before the Prophet Muhammad.

People have adopted symbols and left love. To believe in God, one needs only love. A person stands in a church giving blessings with bread and wine. Everyone is standing there, but he will give it only to Christians. Jesus says, “No—give it to everybody.” Just so, Muslims and Sikhs are using symbols instead of dharma. Dharma is in everything. One need not say, ‘I am Hindu’ to believe in Krishna. The prophets have not made these labels.

My feeling is that where You are, all prophets are happy. Paramatma is love, truth, seva, and justice. He gives these qualities and wants you to do so, too.  

In our country, there are hatred and criticism between religions. We must believe that Jesus came from where the King of the Spirit is, as did all prophets. Then the inner power of truth will stand up in us. We have different subjects, but God is in us all.

Zhenya asks, “If God is one, why has He appeared in different manifestations?”

Maharaj replies,

He has no form. Whatever form we think of, He appears in that form and talks to us from that. If you just sit under a tree, the day will come when it will talk to you. His Power is in all, but we form an idea and worship that. However, Love is only one. As for the body, make any shape to worship that you like.

The master is very happy with a student who asks a lot of questions, because he wants to learn.

Thus encouraged, Zhenya says, “I am very young—only 24 years old—but now I am guiding Russian pilgrims to Tibet and the Himalayas. The pilgrimage is to know more about Shambala, the Abode of the gods.

Maharaj remarks,

Not many people can go to such places. One thing is certain: The good spirits do exist where there is not much traffic. People have faith that Kailash is the abode of Lord Shiva. No doubt it is very clean there. Where the environment is clean, there will be lots of enlightenment and love.

Our country has lots of saints and worship of the Mother. All these deities’ temples are in mountains, where there is pure water, snow, and history. The special healing herbs for Laxman were found where these deities live. Whenever the saints went for medicinal plants, they would first pray for permission before picking them.

It is true that great sages and saints lived for years in the high mountains. Such plants are there which by eating a few leaves you will feel no cold, hunger, or thirst. Many plants are there which prolong life. We just celebrated the birthday of Baba Siri Chand. When he left, he was 149 years old. Then he just went up into the mountains. There is no doubt that these Powers are in clean mountain places.