After Maharaj blissfully listens to Bibi Jaswant Kaur singing kirtan and sangat reading Jaap Sahib in his havan on the hill, he is inspired to speak to us about why we do these things. In part, he says,

Where there is ego, offer samagri (the fragrant mixture of many herbs and dry fruits) in havan. Maharaj ji told me to do this, to do that, to cut seven bananas and offer them in havan, to have Jaap Sahib read. I didn’t ask why, but the number seven is sacred in many religions and everywhere fire is used in worship. Why do we read Jaap Sahib? It gives the feeling that “You have no sect, no particular place of pilgrimage, no mother, no father, no one country.” Why did He give this hukam? He knew that there would come a time when people would be fighting over their sects. What Maharaj told me is a matter of the whole cosmos.

Then He also told me to work. I was sitting in meditation, and He was sitting with me. He knew that people would resent it if we begged, so He told me that we should support ourselves by our own hard work. 

As for fire, it is used for worship in many religions. For instance, Jews light candles and consider Hannukah (the festival commemorating the miracle in which oil sufficient only for lighting an oil lamp for one day lasted for eight days) a great day. Parsis (Zoroastrians) worship by means of fire and consider it a very pure thing. When celebrating any holy day, we light lights.

Reading Jaap Sahib and offering samagri and seven bananas did not come from my thoughts. This was His hukam. If we were to ask God why, He would say, “Why are you wasting My time?” Jesus, the Prophet Muhammad, and Guru Nanak were all illiterate, but educated people ask why. Our brain is small, but His is big.

Today also I do what is His hukam, not my idea. My full faith is that where bombs are falling, if Jaap Sahib is kept in a high place, no bombs will cause any harm there. The essence of Jaap Sahib is that God is in all places, and there are no sects. Believe in the One from whom all scriptures have come. He is beyond, beyond, endless! 

For ages there was nothing, but You were there even then. There were crores of years of darkness. He was sitting alone. Then He said, “Om,” and the whole cosmos manifested, according to the Vedas. According to Islam, He said, “Kun!” He is both Creator and Destroyer of everything. If you knock on his door 24 hours a day, so much will come to you. He is ready to give. Our only responsibility is to thank Him in whatever we do. Twenty-four hours a day we should say, “Tav prasad—It is all Your gift. You have given me all this, of which I’m not worthy.”

If you read Jaap Sahib you will see that there is no sectarian religion. “Anek hain. Phir ek hain—Manifest as more than one, yet Thou art only One,” sitting everywhere. So recite Jaap Sahib and Nam. Your karma is being written daily. This was the programme of our rishis long ago, sitting like this doing havan.

Maharaj ji then prays:

 May He give Bibiji long life with no illness, and Mary strength to keep reading. When these simple shabds are sung, there is great attraction. Always thank Him when you read. There is so much with Him that your needs are like a sip from the ocean.

One minute here is worth lakhs of years of blessings.