God sends masters, saints, and mystics to the earth to awaken the desire in humanity to return to their true home, writes Sant Rajinder Singh
Many of us may feel God has forsaken us. Some of us do not feel God in our lives. Some even deny the existence of God. Why? When we are so focused on our outer life, we do not see what is coming to us from our inner life. We are only facing in one direction. Spiritually, we are blessed. Our soul is a part of God. Each of us is blessed with a way to find God, who sits within us. In this search, some people stop at the level of going to their places of worship and reading scriptures. For them, this is a beginning of connection with God. Outer religious practices provide some time in which people can think about God, sing God’s praises, and worship. These gifts focus our attention on God. However, for our soul to directly experience God requires more than outer worship. There is a part of us that wants to know God and is not satisfied with only reading about God in scriptures or doing outer practices to worship God. When we have a spiritual awakening in which we realise the need to find God, we begin to yearn to receive a firsthand experience of the spark of the Divine. We start a search for God and cannot rest until we meet God. We are no longer satisfied with the attractions of this world; we want something lasting.
God is gracious and works through spiritual masters. Spiritual masters point the way back to God’s abode. A spiritual master roams the earth ready to show seekers the way back to God. Masters are like lighthouses beaming out rays to invite our lost ships back to a safe harbor. If our eyes are facing the darkness and mist of the seas, we do not see the lighthouse. The moment we are threatened by storms, we turn our eyes in every direction, seeking the guiding light of the lighthouse. That moment is our spiritual awakening when we realise we cannot brave the stormy seas of life alone and need help. We do not know how to access God. The spiritual master is a catalyst who puts us in touch with God through a process to experience the inner light and sound called meditation. Through meditation, our soul can travel on the divine current back to its true source.
There are many reasons to be grateful for God’s spiritual gifts. If we have awakened to the need to find God, that is a gift from God and is the first step on our journey homeward. It is a great blessing to find a spiritual master. There are many benefits to having a spiritual master. First, the master gives us initiation so we can see and hear the light and sound of God. The master serves as our inner guide through the spiritual regions until our soul safely reaches the region of all consciousness. The master is our friend and companion to help us with our problems. He encourages us to do our daily meditation, develop the ethical virtues, live on a vegetarian diet, avoid alcohol and hallucinogenic or intoxicating drugs, do selfless service, love God and our fellow beings, and attend satsang gatherings. These practices save us from adding to our karma.
Life is about more than attending to our material and physical comfort. There is an aspect of life for which we need to be grateful. Many people live and die without ever exploring their relationship with God. Some saints from the past would say that the difference between the lives of human beings and animals is that humans can know their true spiritual selves.
God sends us continual messages hoping to call us back home. God sends masters, saints, and mystics to the earth to awaken the desire in humanity to return to their true home. Some people remain only engaged in taking care of their physical, emotional, and intellectual needs. But some begin to question their existence and the meaning of life and death. When a sincere desire to know the answers awakens, God provides a means to help that soul find the answers.
If we have asked the questions about who we are, if there is God, and what the purpose of life is, we should be grateful to God. If God has put us in touch with a spiritual master, we can express gratitude. Once we come under the protective wings of a master, our ultimate emancipation is ensured.
We have in our souls the treasures of all creation. We need to turn within to experience God. We have within us lights more brilliant and wondrous than anything in this physical world. We have uplifting, intoxicating celestial music within, more beautiful than the greatest musical performances of this world. The music and harmony of all harmonies within are more enjoyable than listening to any favourite music in the physical world. The inner light and sound radiate rays of love that fill us with more happiness than we could ever dream of. We can enjoy it all year long. The gift of the light and sound is evergreen and ever fresh and keeps us fulfilled forever. The first way to show gratitude to God is to open that gift of light and sound through meditation.
The second way we show gratitude for God’s gifts is to share the spirit of divine love with others. We can share our love and light with God’s children. We can remove hatred, prejudice, and bigotry from our hearts. We can allow God’s creation into our hearts. When we love, we give and share. Let us not turn away from our door anyone in need. Let us consider all as our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers.
The third way we can show gratitude is to acknowledge the existence of the Divine. We may think that there is a separation between science and spirituality, yet even great scientists have acknowledged a divine Creator. If we measure ourselves against the standards of humility found in many great scientists, how do we fare? We paint a picture, write a song, create a new recipe, build a cabinet, or write a poem, and we think we are great. If we practised humility and gratitude, we would thank God for letting us be the instrument of His accomplishments. We can show our gratitude by making use of God’s gifts by meditating on the inner light and sound, by serving God’s creation, and by acknowledging with humility the existence of the Divine, the source of all gifts that enrich our lives.
The writer is a spiritual leader
