A Mystic Who made a Difference: Charan Singh

A MYSTIC is neither a necromancer nor a spiritual solipsist, not even a theologian, adept in the art of séances, mediums and the like, but the one who has a direct experience of the Eternal Being, who has tasted the elixir of divine knowledge without making any formal use of his ratiocinative faculties, and who, by his sheer grace, can illuminate human minds enmeshed in gross ignorance. Maharaj Charan Singh, the fourth spiritual Master o[ Radhasoami Sat-sang, with its headquarters at Beas, was a selfless mystic the Logos in human form , whose mind and soul remained attuned to the Supreme• Self, even while he was performing his duties in the terrestrial region.

But he was no ordinary mystic, who, in his bid to merge with the divine nature, would don the garment of a hermit and lead a life, of quietude, or go on demonstrating his Psi abilities of ecsomatic experiences to win accolades from people around. Rather, he preferred the life of a householder, in the true Tradition of Bhakti reformers, without making any high claims about himself. "'The doctrine is not my own. Every mystic has been giving us the same teachings", he said. His spiritual attainment did not turn him into a recluse or a religious salesman, but activated his propensity to serve humanity as per the requirements of time. He was both recipient of Supreme Knowledge, and the agent for its spread among a large section of people both in India and abroad.

Even Though comparisons between god men may look odious• if not supercilious, as They are shaped in different milieus and cater to the varying needs of human beings, ordinary mortals like this author- may not be able to restrain Themselves from making such a venture.

Maharaj Charan Singh did not like Satya Sai Baba, materialize things from air such as cardamoms, candies, watches or Vibhuti to leave a magical spell on his audiences, because he disapproved of psychism as a means to restoring faith in things supernal. Such actions, he argued, left a very injurious effect on the mind and the will power of tile performer, without helping him in any way. The Maharaj was never a Socrates to his detractors like Osho Rajneesh, but a Buddha in whose presence all questions and misgivings melted away. He remained virtually non-controversial, and never entered into the ping-pong of debate, even though he was a bachelor of laws, and once a practicing lawyer of standing.

Unlike Jiddu Krishnamurti, he did not always employ a strict philosophical idiom, with its ontological and epistemological ramifications, during the course of his talks; the reason being that his audiences included people of all types, ranging from the strictly academic to the completely illiterate. Nor did he agree with him that one could gain realization without the guidance of a guru.

In physical appearance, Maharaj Charan Singh was perhaps the handsomest of them all -- his face emitting pink, and his superb carriage and erect backbone giving him a majestic look. Like Osho and Krishnamurti, he had a sparkling pair of eyes which appeared to he soaring high into tile sky, trying to unravel the mystery of the universe. Hia- bearded appearance reminded one of the seers of your wondering in the Himalayas, And even of Mahesh Yogi, although the latter did not sup­port a headgear. But he was no whirling dervish, nor a holy man in saffron or gaudy apparel. In his simple attire he was a veritable image of serenely which fascinated one and all. His musical voice and rhythmic movements reminded one of Swami Vivecananda, and in more recent times, of Osho and Chinmayananda. His large following was matched only by that of Satya Sai Baba and Dada Ji.

Maharaj Charan Singh was tile spiritual Pied piper who did not merely enchant the people by the music of his soul, but also taught them how to blow their own "pipe", and hear the divine melody eternally resounding within them. In the process, a cult grew around him but he did not, at any stage, wished to be apotheosized. He never allowed anyone to touch his feet because of his firm faith in the dignity of man. Nor did he spend a single penny of the organization which he headed for his personal use. He transformed tile dilapidated Dera of Baba Jaimal Singh into a virtual township, and provided it a holiness and sanctity which goes with the name of ancient cities like Benaras and Hardwar, sans their dirt and dust, and occasional inhuman practices.
If one were looking for a place where one can find spiritual solace as well as the basic amenities of life at the minimum price, where one can find the spirit of sewa at its best, where politics and commercialized activities are discouraged, where no distinction is made between man and man, where people belonging to all reli­gions socialise in a more or less brotherly manner, and where the presence of the Master can be felt even in his physical absence, one should immediately turn to Beas.

During the spiritual stewardship of Maharaj Charan Singh (1951-1990) the Derv presented a supreme example of how community work could be done in a voluntary way, on such a large scale, and how religion could be put to better use for serving humanity. The functioning of langar, or the community kitchen, and Maharaja Saran Singh. Charitable Memorial Hospital, built at a cost of more than Rs 9 crore, with the physical, mental and material services of devotees, is a clear case in point.

Maharaj Charan Singh's teachings were so simple chat even the man in the street could grasp them, without making much effort. Based, as these were, on his own spiritual experiences and the discoveries of saints and seers in the realm of being, they were neither characterized by vaguer eclecticism or mystical imagery, nor by metaphysical jugglery. He laid emphasis on the essence and not on palliatives or platitudes. There was no place for bigotry or fanaticism in his thought nor for meaningless rituals or superstitions. He emphasized that religious intolerance was born of sick minds, for did any holy man ever try to divide humanity?'

"Every saint has the same message to give, and' the same ' teachings to impart.... No perfect Master comes into this world to create a religion ... to 'set one nation against another, or one religion against another. They come only to show us the way which leads us back to our original home. After a Master departs, people generally turn to rites and rituals, and give his lofty teachings the form of an organized religion. Then we become bigoted, we start fighting and quarreling with one another, and tile real teachings of the saint are soon forgotten," he said.
The predicament of man was that even though he reflected the light of the divine being, he had come under the spell of the vicious tendencies of the mind and forgotten the real purpose of life. Man had failed to see the ephemeral nature of sensory pleasures and the dangers inherent in the proliferation of ego. As a result, he was cut off from the audible life stream or Shabad, and had lost sight of his divine home and divine origin.

Like a psychologist, Maharaj Charan Singh laid bare the intricacies of the human mind which had the bad habit of flitting from one object to another, and yet remaining unfulfilled. "We contact the outside world through the mind and the senses, but the tragedy is that the mind itself has been enslaved by the senses and has thus acquired a downward tendency. Fond of pleasure by nature ... no object in the world can hold it for ever, or even for any length of time. If we can withdraw it from the outside world and make it "go in", it will catch the divine melody which is echoing in all of us," he explained.

The fickleness o[ human mind cannot be adequately checked by ritualistic observances, austere discipline or penitential deeds, even though these may have a tranquilizing effect. But how long can sedatives work it the basic problem persists? "The fire is only covered with ashes and will flare up again when the wind of the (five) passions blows". Only by entering a no-mind state, can man hope to alleviate his bruised spirit and gain peace in turn. That can be possible by raising one's consciousness to Trikuti, by way of Nam Bhakti. "We do not have to go far to find Nam",he said. "It is within us. That part of the body from the eyes upwards is the seat of Nam. There are nine openings, or doors, in the body from the eyes downward. It is through these that the mind spreads out into the world. It should not be permitted to roam about there. It must be withdrawn from the world and the nine openings, and brought back to 'Tisra Til', the 'Third eye', which is the seat of the mind and the soul, and held there."

The tragedy of the majority of people was that they failed to distinguish between Varnat-mak Nam and Dunyatmak Nam. The former, signifying words that could be uttered or spoken (viz. Rams, Krishna, Wahe guru, Allah), served onlyas to concentration, and from age to age, and unity to community. The latter,on the other hand, rep­resented the unspoken and the unwitten word, and could lead one forth supreme realization. It transcended pace and causation, and yet had a local habitat within us where it could be contacted. The Maharaj admonishedthat devotion to Varnatmak Nam to the exclusion Dhunyatmak Nam led to partisan cries", "bigotry" or fanaticism", while devotion to Dhunyatmak Nam made us rise above "castes and creeds, wars and strifes", for, in that we saw "the divine in all.

The sound current variously referred to as Shabad, Dhun, Akashvani, Kalma, Kun, Bangillahi, Nad-i-Asmani or the Logos, in different religious traditions found an able exegete in Maharaj Charan Singh who described it as the substance of existence. But realization could not be achieved by browsing through books, undertaking fasts of pilgrimages adopting a peculiar life or visiting places of worship. It is within oneself that one must seek Him.. Unlike orthodox Sikhs, he laid emphasis on the need for a spiritual Master, who could,’ through Nam Dan lead one towards the path which connects the soul of the disciple to the sound current.. Initiation was not a shallow ritual or a ceremony of sorts, but the birth of a new soul. He, however, made it clear that it would be futile to expect miraculous results immediately after initiation. Since the secret of withdrawing the consciousness to the eye center before linking it to the word lay with the perfect Master, it was expected of the devotee to have an ardent faith ii him, , and to follow his teachings without any inhibition or hesitation. Maharaja Charan Singh often quoted from the Bible and the Adi Granth to prove his point. "He that bath seen me bath seen the Father ... Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me", says Jesus Christ. Guru Aryan Use corroborates the idea thus: "Within me the Father has revealed Himself; Father and Son have met and become one. Says Nanak, when the Father is pleased, the Father and the Son are dyed in one hub."

Sat sang, or true association with the Master was essential for cleansing one's mind of all imperfections, for achieving inner harmony, and for acquiring the attitude of a gurmukh who lives unsullied in the world as the duck remains in water. However, the highest form of Satsang was to be one with one's inner self. Jealousy, pride and ego were poisons, more dangerous than the venom of cobra, in so far as the spiritual ascension of a person was concerned. The only antidote to these "substances" was Simran•and Bhajan. The former involved the repetition of the Five Holy Names according to the prescribed technique revealed to the disciple at tin time of initiation. The latter signified meditation, during the course of which one did simran and dhyana (contemplation), and listened to the Eternal Sound. It may be noted that while in the Yoga and Tantra schools consciousness is normally awakened by piercing subtle centers, one by one, starting with the Muladhara, the Radhasoamis begin with the Ajna Chakra deliberately ignoring the lower centers, and focus their attention between the two eyebrows.

Maharaj Chran Singh, like most Indian seers and philo­sophers, believed in Karma - the Universal law of cause and effect - according to which man was punished or reward (led for his bad and good deeds, respectively, and continued to undergo the process of birth and death till his account was cleared. "Every one wears the . letters of Karma, be he' prince or beggar, rich or poor, man or woman", he said. "It is Karma which keeps us in the prison of flesh. If we do good deeds, we may be born as princes or rich men; but this does not bring about liberation from the wheel of birth and death. Instead of being 'C' class prisoners, merely become 'A' class prisoners; but we are still in jail." The union of the human soul with the sound current alone can nullify the cycle of karma.

All this should not he taken to mean that Maharaj Charan Singh's gospel bordered on fatalism. In fact, held, that the doctrine of Karma was not against "making any effort", nor did it promote exclusion from family or societal responsibilities. In a letter to his disiciple he once wrote, “My advice is that you go on honestly and conscientiously with your work ... It behooves us, to live and act in such a way that we may not feel ashamed before Him." He asked his disciples to refrain from alcoholic drinks and other intoxicants as also to take a purely vegetarian diet. the reason being that stimulants and animal food were baneful to spiritual growth, and sometimes wrecked even the physical organism.

Maharaj Charan Singh brought about a metamorphosis in the life of a large segment of his initiates. Not that, all of them became able to open their third eye, but they, at least, learnt the true art of living. Many among them ceased to be drug, addicts, alcoholics, wife-beaters or peddlers in illicit and inhuman trades. Many others experienced the spiritual ecstasy they had so ardently desired before coming under his spell, and for the attainment of which they had moved from one spiritual preceptor to another. At a time when mankind is undergoing a climacterically phase, Maharaj Charan Singh's words instantly echo in my mind:

"Please remember that peace lies within you and not anywhere outside. Live harmoniously, - love each other, and follow the principles of give and take, forgive and forget, and you will find how happy and peaceful your life will become ... The root of all troubles lies in the mind within you, and wherever you go, you will carry it with you ... We are not to run away from, life like cowards, but to face it like the brave, ignoring and overlooking faults and weaknesses, and treating life's turmoil’s with indifference."