I began to pen down this article while I sat on the deck, shrouded by trees in perfect serenity. A small bird flew into the adjacent tree. Though singing melodiously, it was distractingly loud. Then a pack of neighborhood dogs began to bark in harmony like a symphony orchestra. Perhaps sitting on the deck was not the appropriate location to write, but that small bird made me think. I wondered if my feathery friend ever thought of finding itself.
Other than a human being, is there any other creature on the planet wondering as to who they are? Do animals have guilt? Do they love? We may never know, but we do observe animals exhibiting human qualities at times. Science points out that animals and humans are very different, even though we all take birth, eat, drink, procreate and die. It would appear that it is the conscience – the inner voice – that is guiding us; it has led humanity down a path that is contrary to that of the animal kingdom. Going down this path has not been easy, for mankind is yet to perfect itself. We are not perfect.
Many a person strives for this elusive perfection literally by pouring themselves into their craft and becoming the best – i.e. the best athlete, businessperson, doctor, carpenter or whatever one becomes through immense sacrifice and tens of thousands of hours of endeavour for success. Each failure is another lesson learned. There is no looking back; we have to look forward to the finite goal. The goal is finite because the achievement is just one thing, maybe a very complex thing, yet one and singular.
We are in amazement when a figure skater executes a precise triple axel; the neurosurgeon performs microscopic brain surgery; or the architect designs the next Taj Mahal. All are complex, and yet singular in focus. They are beneficial to the many from the greatest efforts of an individual. Thus, there is a broader spectrum of knowledge to acquire from the universe that is vast and intricate. Humanity, unlike the animals, reaches beyond the mundane to the stars.
But, how is it that we know this or that? Is it a feeling or quite simply a myth? Maybe we ascended above the animal, and that is all there is – i.e. a gift of higher thinking. This enquiry of who we are has perplexed thinkers and philosophers for many a millennium, and there still seems to be no clear answer. Do we just go on with our business right up until our last breath without ever knowing our raison d’être? Surely, that cannot be the answer.
If each and every human being did have the answer at their fingertips, what would this world be like? Would its evolution be for the better? Would it be heaven on earth? In my opinion, the answer is indeed yes; it would be heaven on earth!
After all, there is a Mentor or Satguru amidst us, who teaches us that the prerequisite for finding ourselves is to find God. This fundamental idea is refuted by most. In having read their respective Scriptures, people feel they have already found God. Is God the product of mere conjecture or is it an absolute reality?
Would it not be more fulfilling if we could face Lord Jesus Christ today and hear his words of wisdom, experience his love, and witness his miracles? Would it not be apt for Lord Rama to be with us in person to shine his light of truth?
Mata Sudikshaji, Mentor and Satguru, is most definitely here amongst us. She is telling us that the only way to find ourselves is to find God – the Formless Nirankar. This is exactly what I did at 6:00pm, on Monday 12, 2018. After many years of research, I actually met myself through the grace of Mataji. With Simran, the procribed meditative prayer, I experienced my true self for a good thirty minutes. All the energy of the body collected into my chest cavity; I was buoyant with life. I looked down upon my body, knowing full well who I was. I realized that the body is only a biological machine to get the soul from point A to point B, while on this earth. Just as you enter your vehicle and drive to another location, you are the intelligence in the car moving the machine. So likewise, your real self, the intelligent energy, is moving the body from location to location.
As we look into the mirror, we do not see our true self, but only the machine. We must look deeper still for the essence of our being. We are more than the package, and the body does not do us justice. We are truly an amazing creation of the most High God! No packaging can contain our greatness that God showered upon us.
Love is what God is, and that is exactly what we really are in the grandest scheme of things. To put it simply, we are the soul – the cosmic energy of God – embodied in the human form. Our lives must be directed towards this energy, the perfection of love. For, it is love that perfects all things. In knowing God, relating to God, and becoming God-like, is a process that opens up and reveals our true self, Love.
This true Self or the Sacred Silence is only made possible when the Satguru of the day smiles upon us. Just as God is always there, the Mentor or Satguru is always there too. Through His or Her grace, when we witness the revelation of God, we also find our Self in the process.
– Daniel Slebodnik, Washington D.C.
