Why the Satguru, and indeed, what is the Satguru?
I can scarcely believe it, but it has been 10 years since I first attended the Centre for Oneness. When I walked through the main doors, the first thing I felt was instant calm, joy and love. Every single face I saw was lit up; there was a wonderful glow emanating from everyone. When I sat down to listen to their words of wisdom, songs and poems, I felt light, joyful and happy. I realised that I was experiencing bliss. I became aware of the uniqueness of the Centre, which offers, through the grace of the Satguru, the knowledge of One God (Gyan), the realisation of which is religion in it’s true sense.
When I heard the word Satguru being mentioned, I had no idea what it meant. I had never heard of this word before. Subsequently, I learnt that Satguru is the speaker of Truth. He is an inspiring, spiritual guide, who is a living example of how life should be lived. More importantly, this important person reveals what is known as the Divine Knowledge, which demonstrates that we are all souls – formless souls – residing in this physical body. To be spiritually awakened – i.e. recognising our true purpose – this Divine Knowledge has to be acquired. This is where the Satguru comes in.
The Satguru, at the time I speak of, was HH Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji. I had the great fortune to meet him, and hear his message first hand. As I listened, I was absolutely mesmerised. Every word he spoke was Truth; it all made sense to me. I said to myself, how could I not desire to listen to him, attend his gatherings and heed his words? As my soul recognised the Truth, I was overwhelmed. The way I felt that day, I still feel today.
I also realised that this Satguru can help us to learn the art of living through two gifts;
a) the acquisition of the five subtle principles, which allow a human being to not only eliminate devastating burdens such pride and ego, but also enrich our lives with human values, and
b) by heeding the three jewels – Sewa (selfless service), Simran (meditation of God) and Satsang (keeping the company of enlightened souls), which help in keeping humble, connected and inspired.
There were many discourses given by Baba Ji. They all resonated with me in some way, shape or form, but one that I particularly recall was during his UK visit, where there was a special focus on Oneness. I learned so deeply in that visit, the importance of mending bridges with our loved ones, nears and dears. As life is short, we are not to leave unresolved issues until it is too late. Otherwise we will not have peace in our lives.
As I listened to those wise words from Baba Ji, I recalled how I had left words unsaid to someone a long time ago. I felt sure that I had offended her. When she passed away, I recalled how regretful I felt. The feeling of guilt never left me; it lingered on for a long time. I was ashamed that I did not clear the air properly. It is not a good feeling to have unresolved issues with anyone. As a consequence of this, I did not sleep peacefully for a long time.
I have now come to realise that these occurrences are past experiences, which we all have in some degree or form. Essentially, they are all lessons we have to learn or tools with which we can teach others. We are not perfect and can only try to be the best version of ourselves possible.
Baba ji also said, “we should always spread love, not hatred. We must not hurt others. We should decorate our lives with ornaments of love, compassion, benevolence and respect. Love must be shared, not hoarded. Equipped with love, we should love all and build a loving world”. Those words continue to have a profound impact on me, and I am convinced the world would be a much better place if we could all adopt and live this teaching.
I ask myself, what would my life be like without the guidance of the Satguru? I have no doubt that my life would be pointless, repetitive, empty and frustrating. I would be that person looking for satisfaction, but who would never find it. I would be like an unlit candle, having all the potential of lighting up my path, but stumbling instead in the dark.
I openly share my experience of Satguru, as the person who saved me from such a cycle of torment. In fact, I feel everyone who comes to the Centre for Oneness has the wonderful opportunity to know themselves and be saved.
I humbly seek blessings to be able to continue following the wise words of our present Satguru, HH Nirankari Mata Sudiksha Ji, who is the spiritual lighthouse today. It is through her, that the path of righteousness and truth is now being revealed. I implore anyone reading this message to know Mata Ji more closely and attend the Centre for Oneness. These Centres are situated all across the UK, but also across Europe, North America, Africa, Australia, the Far East and of course throughout India.
-Janet Johnson, West Midlands, UK
